WWE NXT Gold Rush live results: Seth Rollins vs. Bron Breakker
NXT Gold Rush kicks off tonight with one of WWE’s top stars in action.
Seth Rollins comes to NXT tonight to defend the World Heavyweight Championship on week one of Gold Rush. Bron Breakker called out Rollins for the title match and is now getting his shot.
Rollins may not be at 100 percent after being attacked by Finn Balor on Raw last night, but Rollins is choosing to still defend his title. The winner of Rollins vs. Breakker will face Balor at Money in the Bank next month with the World Heavyweight Championship on the line.
Tonight is the first part of the two-week Gold Rush event. Before their NXT Championship match next Tuesday, Carmelo Hayes and Baron Corbin will go face-to-face tonight. There will also be a Chase U pep rally for Thea Hail ahead of her NXT Women’s Championship match against Tiffany Stratton next week.
Wes Lee defends the North American Championship against Tyler Bate tonight in a match where Mustafa Ali will be the special guest referee. Dana Brooke vs. Cora Jade is also set, and there will be a triple threat match to determine the number one contenders to the NXT Tag Team titles.
Our live coverage starts at 8 p.m. Eastern time.
Opening the show is footage for earlier today of World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins and his challenger, Bron Breakker, arriving at the Performance Center. They meet tonight in the main event.
A video package introduces the first week of a two-part special, dubbed NXT Gold Rush. Kicking off the show love from the soundstage at the PC in Orlando is the first of several title bouts over two week of Gold Rush.
Wes Lee vs. Tyler Bate for the NXT North American Championship with Mustafa Ali as special guest referee
Lee pinned Bate in a really good opener. Ali plays a part in the finish as the guest referee.
The action was good from the start, then came shenanigans. Ali’s intentions are questioned early on, as he does a fast count on both Lee and Bate. We are not talking Nick Patrick at Starrcade either. Ali was indeed counting fast. Moments later, Ali drastically slows down his count. Slow like a Bronko Lubich count. That all begins to draw the ire of both champion and challenger.
The frustration with Ali boils over and spills into the story of the match. Lee and Bate lock up very aggressively, and they both tumbled out of the ring while tied up. The show cuts to a commercial break, but the match continues in a split-screen. Upon returning from commercials, Lee and Bate are rising after a double down.
They wrestle on and the action leads to near falls. They each counter the other in a flashy sequence of high spots. Both take a plunge off the turnbuckles, and Lee takes a bumps onto the floor.
Lee is nearly counted out, but Ali breaks his count. Ali jumps out of the ring and revives Lee. Ali then gets into the ring and revives Bate. Ali leaps into the ring and goes for his finisher. Ali is still holding Bate, and Ali moves just in time for Lee to deliver a Cardiac Kick. Lee then covers Bate for a pinfall, and Ali’s hand hits the mat three times.
Ali raises both Lee and Bate’s hands after the match. Ali celebrates like he won. Bate and Lee notably flash a confused look towards Ali.
Gigi Dolan is the focus of a vignette. That leads to Kiana James cutting a promo on Dolan in an interview with McKenzie Mitchell.
Recapping Raw from last night, footage shows Finn Balor jumping Seth Rollins in sneak attacks where Balor targeting Rollins’s ribs.
Chase U pep rally for Thea Hail
Duke Hudson is in the ring to welcome Thea Hail to a pep rally in her honor. Out comes Thea Hail flanked by Chase U students and cheerleaders. Hail is over with the live studio audience.
Hail says her title shot next week is the biggest match of her life. Hail talks about others on the NXT roster with collegiate accomplishments, and Hails says the biggest thing she accomplishments last year was graduating from high school. Hail goes on the say she did not want to go the college route. She wanted to be a WWE superstar.
Hail also gives props to Charlie Dempsey and Drew Gulak, who were both also in the ring for the pep rally. Hail asks permission from Hudson to curse as she vows to give NXT Women’s Champion Tiffany Stratton an “Andre Chase-sized ass whooping!”
Stratton interrupts the pep rally, and she mocks and insults Hail. Hudson responds to Stratton by putting over Hail. Hudson tells Stratton that although she might not believe in Hail, but everyone else believes in Hail. Stratton scoffs, and she steps towards Hail while pointing a finger at her. Stratton is telling Hail she will not tap out Stratton, when Hail suddenly catches Stratton in a kimura lock. Stratton repeatedly taps the mat. Hail releases the hold, and Stratton slinks away.
Ava tries to play peacemaker as Joe Gacy blames himself for losing last week. Meanwhile, a skit with Diamond Mine seems to set up another mixed tag team match with Schism.
Edris Enofe & Malik Blade defeated Hank Walker & Tank Ledger and Josh Briggs & Brooks Jensen (with Fallon Henley) in a triple threat match to determine the number one contenders
Blade pinned Ledger to win a fun three-way match. All three times got their moment to shine, and the finish played out really well. Blade & Enofe in winning earn a title shot next Tuesday against NXT Tag Team Champions Gallus.
A lot of stuff going on with three teams being involved in one bout. The match goes through a split-screen commercial break.
Briggs & Jensen are on a roll in the closing moments of the match. They execute a Hart Attack on Ledger. Jensen with a heel kick knocks Walker off the apron. Briggs goes for a cover, but Enofe leaps off the top rope with a flying elbow drop that breaks up the pin cover. Blade follows up with a frog splash on Ledger, and Blade pins Ledger to win the match.
Damon Kemp informs Eddy Thorpe that Kemp has finally decided on a gimmick match for their next bout. Thorpe goes against Kemp in a Raw Underground match on NXT in two weeks time. I’m guessing no Shane O’Mac this time around for Raw Underground.
Roxanne Perez attacks Blair Davenport, and Perez is pulled away by referees and officials.
World Champ Seth Rollins is in the locker room with his title belt slung over his shoulder when in walks Nathan Frazier carrying the Heritage Cup trophy. Rollins congratulates on winning the trophy. Rollins makes some jokes abot Frazier having to tote around a big trophy from now on.
When Frazier leaves, Rollins is confronted by NXT Champion Carmelo Hayes and Trick Williams. They all cackled together. They part ways with shared admiration.
Cora Jade defeated Dana Brooke
Jade wins via referee stoppage. The story of the match is Brooke injuring her knee, and Jade targets the knee to win the match. Brooke fought valiantly, and she never submitted.
Brooke is caught up in the ropes when Jade delivers a running knee. Brooke screams out in pain, selling her knee. She continues the match as she counters Jade’s DDT finisher. Brooke looks to make a rally when she attempts gymnastics that set up the Muta elbow. Brooke’s knee buckles, and sells big. Trainers enter the ring to check on Brooke as the show cuts to a split-screen commercial break.
Brooke is placed on a stretcher during the break. Jade taunts Brooke on the stretcher, and Brooke slaps Jade across the face. Brooke will not be stretchered out, as she gets off the stretcher to continue the match.
Jade targets the injured knee, but Brooke is able to fight back. Brooke goes for a Vader Bomb, but no water in the pool. She crashed down on her injured knee. Jade capitalizes by applying a single leg crab. Brooke is unable to reach the bottom rope, but Brooke will not tap out. The ref calls for the bell and stops the match, awarding it to Jade. Brooke leaves the ring on a stretcher, still selling her knee.
Von Wagner reveals a childhood struggle in a heart-wrenching segment with Wagner and Mr. Stone. Wagner shares with Stone the story of Wagner overcoming trigonocephaly as a child. Wagner at 15 months old endured surgery for over 14 hours. Wagner and Stone are both emotional as Wagner gives credit to their parents for supporting him. Wagner goes on to relive stories of him being picked on in school as a kid. Wagner and Stone bond over Wagner sharing his story.
Gable Steveson has a cameo on NXT. Eddy Thorpe is a locker room with numerous other wrestlers. Thorpe is watching footage from past versions of Raw Underground, as Axiom and Scrypts look on. In walks Steveson, and offers to help Thorpe train for the Underground. Steveson remarks that if anyone knows Damon Kemp, it is Steveson (who is Kemp’s brother in real life). This does not seem like a one-off cameo.
Carmelo Hayes and Baron Corbin face-to-face
NXT Champion Carmelo Hayes is heading to the ring for a segment where he and Baron Corbin will talk out their differences. That is a unique way to settle an issue on a wrestling show. Joining Hayes is Trick Williams. Corbin is already in the ring when Hayes and Williams enter. Corbin cuts off their entrance.
Corbin does not care to see Hayes pose. Corbin tells Hayes that posing won’t help in retaining his title. According to Corbin, being the NXT Champion “doesn’t mean you’ve made it.” Corbin tells Hayes there is nothing he can do next week that he has not already seen.
Hayes responds by mocking Corbin for also having never seen a reign with the NXT title, nor has Corbin seen the respect of the audience. Corbin retorts that they are no longer in Hayes’ hometown (like in their last match when Hayes retained his title). Corbin also says he does not care if people on the internet think Hayes is cool. Corbin does not care what anyone thinks.
Hayes talks about other main roster wrestlers coming to challenge him. Hayes says he “sent them packing.” Hayes says the only difference between those others and Corbin is “not a damn thing!”
Hayes brings up Happy Corbin, and Corbin says that character bought him a $1.8 million house. Corbin says his eight career is something the NXT roster can only dream. Corbin offers to compare WrestleMania moments. Corbin calls himself “a main event player on the main roster for nearly a decade.” This is fast becoming very inside baseball.
Hayes makes some comparisons of his own. At 26 years old, Hayes says he won the breakout tournament and cashed it in successfully for a championship. Hayes mocks Corbin for getting cut from the Arizona Cardinals at 26. Hayes gives credit to the old guard from NXT black-and-gold, but Hayes vows to create new expectations of his own. Hayes talks about what he has build in this house, and Hayes says he had to build a new roof on this house because he tore it off too many times.
Hayes does his “HIM” catchphrase. Corbins responds by saying Hayes is a nobody. Corbin says this is normally when he would jump Hayes and leave him laying. Hayes takes off his title belt ready to fight. Corbin says he will not do that. Corbin plots that he will win the NXT title, leave in his Porsche, go home to his big house, and Corbin’s hot wife will pour him a glass of win from a bottle Hayes cannot even afford. Hayes goes to respond again, but Corbin cuts him off to say the lesson is over. Corbin punked out Hayes, and then Corbin leaves.
A backstage skit sets up a match for next week, where Nathan Frazier defends his Heritage Cup trophy against Dragon Lee.
Jakara Jackson & Lash Legend (with Oro Mensah & Noam Dar) defeated Valentina Feroz & Yulisa Leon
Mensah interfered during the match, and he goes to interfere again when he is wiped out by a dive by Leon. However, that distracts Feroz. She gets back into the ring, only to walk into a high kick from Legend. Feroz then takes the fall, as Legend covers her for a pinfall.
WWE World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins defeated Bron Breakker to retain the title
Rollins pinned Breakker to win a really good match. Rollins was over like a superstar … because he is indeed a superstar. The studio audience sang along with Rollin’s theme song as played, and then they sang it some more themselves.
Rollins and Breakker start off hot. Rollins goes for a pedigree, but Breakker counters him. Rollins then plays matador as Breakker charges at him like a bull. Low bridge and Breakker tumbles outside the ring. Rollins with a flying knee off the apron just before the show cuts to a split-screen commercial break.
Breakker cuts off Rollins during the break, and Breakker is in control as the show returns from commercial. Frankensteiner by Breakker, and he suplexes Rollins. Breakker targets the Rollin’s ribs that were injured last night on Raw in an attack by Finn Balor.
Breakker dashes a hope spot, and he goes back to the suplex. However, Breakker posts himself when Rollins sidestepped a charge into a corner. Comeback by Rollins and he fires up as the studio audience sings his theme song. Rollins does a trifecta of dives through the ropes. Rollins then sets up for The Stomp, but Breakker rolls out of the ring.
Rollins looks to set up a table spot at the announce desk. Breakker tries to cut him off, only for Breakker to eat a superkick. Rollins then climbs the turnbuckles for a frog splash with Breakker laid out on the announce desk. The desk collapses on impact as the show cuts to its final commercial break.
They are back in the ring by the time the show returns from the break. They counter each other, and Breakker eats another superkick. Rollins goes for a frog splash, but he misses as Breakker rolls out of the way. Rollins sells his ribs upon impact. Breakker pulls down the straps on his singlet, and Breakker applies the Steiner Recliner. Rollins reaches the bottom rope to break the hold.
They go on to trade near falls. Super Frankensteiner by Breakker, and he follows up with his military press/powerslam finisher. Rollins gets a shoulder up for a close near fall. Breakker signals for a spear, but Rollins blocks it with knee strike. Rollins delivers a pedigree for another near fall. Rollins signals for The Stomp, but Breakker blocks that with a spear for yet another two count.
Breakker climbs the turnbuckles and leaps off. Rollins has one final counter, and Breakker eats one final superkick. Rollins then delivers The Stomp. Not done yet, Rollins gives Breakker a second Stomp, and Rollins covers Breakker for a three count. The champ retains his title.
Rollins is celebrating and posing with his title belt as the show is seemingly about to go off the air. The copyright graphic even pops up on the bottom of the screen, when suddenly Finn Balor runs in to ambush Rollins. Balor attacks Rollins, and Balor also fight off security. Balor looks to deliver a Coup de Grace. Carmelo Hayes and Trick Williams run down to make a save. Balor flees the ring. He and Rollins have glare at each other as the show fades to black.