WWE NXT Heatwave live results: Three title matches
Title bouts and grudge matches make up the card for tonight’s special Heatwave edition of NXT.
The NXT Championship, NXT Women’s Championship, and NXT North American Championship will all be on the line tonight. Bron Breakker defends his NXT Championship against JD McDonagh, Zoey Stark challenges Mandy Rose for the NXT Women’s Championship, and Carmelo Hayes and Giovanni Vinci clash with the North American title on the line.
Former NXT Women’s Tag Team Champions Roxanne Perez and Cora Jade will face off for the first time tonight. Last month, Jade betrayed Perez and cost her a shot to become NXT Women’s Champion.
Tonight’s show also features what may be the final chapter in the rivalry between Legado del Fantasma and the D’Angelo family. Santos Escobar will take on Tony D’Angelo in a street fight tonight. If Escobar wins, all of Legado del Fantasma is free from the D’Angelo family. If D’Angelo wins, Escobar is banned from NXT.
Our live coverage begins at 8 p.m. Eastern time.
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The show begins with Paul Heyman narrating a video package where he runs down the card for tonight’s supercard. Heyman voicing over the intro to a show titled “Heatwave” is fitting since Heyman presided over several “Heatwave” supercards in ECW during the late ’90s.
Aside from some different graphics, the soundstage basically looks the same as it does every week. However, the live studio audience seems to have a ton of energy, and they make it feel more like a supercard than the setting itself. The crowd is lively from the start.
Opening bout on the card is a title match. Two foes that are often portrayed like heels clash in this bout, so shades of grey type of storytelling.
NXT North American Champion Carmelo Hayes (with Trick Williams) defeats Giovanni Vinci to retain his title
Hayes pins Vinci despite interference from Williams backfiring on them. Really good opener to kick off the show.
They get going and the crowd comes alive as the pace and intensity soon quicken. Double down before the show cuts to a commercial break. Trick Williams distracts Vinci during the break, allowing Hayes to take over.
One highlight is Vinci executing a rolling fireman’s carry slam, and then transitioning into a springboard moonsault. Hayes at one point springboards backwards into a guillotine legdrop.
Vinci shines a ton, with more high spot highlights. Vinci does a double springboard into a flying crossbody off the top rope to the floor into the waiting arms of Hayes and Williams. Vinci does another even more impressive double springboard into a moonsault press.
Vinci goes for a cover, and Williams interferes by putting Hayes’ foot on the rope to break the count. Moments later, Hayes is turned inside out with a short-arm clothesline, and Vinci goes for a powerbomb.
Williams jumps into the ring to interfere again. Vinci powerbombs Hayes onto Williams, and Vinci gives Williams a powerbomb. Vinci then goes to powerbomb Hayes a second time, but Hayes counters him. Hayes spikes Vinci with a hurricanrana, and Hayes hooks a leg to score a pinfall.
The top singles champions meet in the parking lot after arriving to the building. NXT Women’s Champion Mandy Rose, who is flanked by Toxic Attraction, and NXT Champion Bron Breakker run into each other. They say we will see who remains champ after tonight.
Von Wagner, alongside Mr. Stone, cut a promo in a pre-taped vignette.
Gallus jumps Diamond Mine in surprise attack
Julius Creed in a promo from social media hints something is going tonight with Diamond Mine. The faction heads to the ring for a summit of sorts. NXT Tag Team Champions The Creed Brothers are joined by Roderick Strong and Damon Kemp.
Julius on the house mic at first puts over Strong by saying they jumped on the chance for him to coach them. However, Julius says recently someone is trying to bring down Diamond Mine, and he wants to call that person out.
Julius then calls out Strong to his face, and Strong defends himself by saying he started the group. Strong puts over the Creeds with gushing words. He calls them one of the best tag teams in WWE. Strong would put them up against the Usos any day. He calls them the future.
Julius responds by saying they are not the future, they are “now.” Julius also claims Strong will stab them in the back. Brutus asks his brother if he is sure, and Julius nods. Brutus them says he has his brother’s back. That puts the Creeds on one side facing Strong and Kemp.
Strong tells Julius to be careful with his next words. Julius then throws to a video clip from three weeks ago in an eight-man tag involving Diamond Mine. Julius claims the footage shows Strong costing them the match on purpose.
Strong grows angry and begins yelling at Julius. Suddenly, the faction known as Gallus runs in to attack Diamond Mine. Gallus is a group from NXT UK consisting of Joe Coffey, Mark Coffey and Wolfgang. They beat down the four members of Diamond Mine, and they leave them laying.
Gallus’ theme songs plays as they pose over the fallen Diamond Mine. The implosion of Diamond Mine will have to wait, as Gallus has arrived in NXT 2.0.
Cora Jade defeats Roxanne Perez
Jade pins Perez after they tussle over a kendo stick.
The grudge match begins with a melee as Perez rushes into the ring to attack Jade as the bell sounds. Perez shows a ton of fire at the start, but Jade soon cuts her off.
Perez is a babyface in peril as the show goes into a commercial break. Jade is working over Perez when the show returns from the break. Perez fights back, and they fight to a stalemate.
They trade strikes, and they go on to trade near falls. Jade retrieves the kendo stick she now brings them her everywhere she goes like she is The Sandman. Swing and miss by Jade, and Perez grabs the kendo stick.
Perez threatens to hit Jade with the stick, but she pauses to reflect on it. Ever the babyface, she decides against it, and she throws down the stick. Jade jumps her, and Jade delivers a Cactus Jack double arm DDT. The move was supposed to be executed on the stick, and the announcers on commentary sold it like it did. Jade then covers Perez for a three count.
A skit backstage leads to Gallus challenging Brooks & Jensen to a title match for the NXT UK Tag Team Championship. Looks like the tag title match is set for next week on NXT.
Apollo Crews wishes Bron Breakker luck ahead of his title match tonight. Before leaving, Crews takes a long look at the NXT Championship belt. Breakker notices Crews looking at the belt.
Tony D’Angelo (with Stacks) defeats Santos Escobar (with Legado del Fantasma) an “all or nothing” street fight
D’Angelo pins Escobar in a really good match. Probably D’Angelo’s best match so far, and Escobar was great.
Escobar strikes first by jumping D’Angelo before the bell. Escobar hurls a folding chair at D’Angelo just before the ring calls for the bell to start the match.
A hurricanrana sends D’Angelo onto the chair, and Escobar gets some early near falls. Early part of the match is all Escobar, as he is in complete control.
Stacks jumps off the apron into a senton on Legado del Fantasma, which was an odd time for such a spot it took all focus off the match itself. Stacks takes a clothesline on the floor moments later as a receipt.
D’Angelo smacks Escobar with trash can lid, and D’Angelo is in control on offense for the first time as the show cuts to a commercial break. D’Angelo works over Escobar during the break, and D’Angelo has Escobar’s arm trapped behind the ring steps as the show returns from commercials.
D’Angelo targets an arm. He also suplexes Escobar on a pile of folding chairs on the floor. D’Angelo continues to work over Escobar, and D’Angelo begins to slap him around. D’Angelo also taunts him. That fires up Escobar, and he answers back at D’Angelo with strikes.
Escobar is on fire and starts to fly. Escobar launches himself like a torpedo through the ropes into a tope suicida. Stacks on the outside went to find a crowbar that was stashed away, but Legado del Fantasma found it first, and Stacks is laid out with the crowbar. Escobar tried to get a pair of brass knux, but the knux get dropped on the mat.
Escobar goes out to ringside to get the crowbar from Elektra Lopez. She takes a bump when D’Angelo collides with her. Escobar rages after seeing Lopez, but Escobar hits him with a low blow.
Double down after they get back into the ring. The crowbar lay on one side of the ring and the brass knux on the other. They glare at each other and each glances at a weapon. They both rush to grab a weapon. Escobar grabs the brass knux, and D’Angelo gets the crowbar.
D’Angelo is first to strike, landing the final blow. D’Angelo hits Escobar with the crowbar as Escobar is throwing a punch with the knux. D’Angelo then covers Escobar for a pinfall. With the loser leaves town type of stipulation, Escobar now must leave NXT 2.0.
Indi Hartwell is backstage when she is given some artwork supposedly from Dexter Lumis. Blair Davenport (Bea Priestley) snatches the artwork away and rips it up. Davenport, in what is her NXT 2.0 debut, declares she will be the next NXT Women’s Champion.
A hype video announces Wendy Choo vs. Tiffany Stratton in a “lights out match” next Tuesday on NXT.
A QR code shown on screen links to a picture of Zoey Stark standing over Mandy Rose with Stark holding the women’s title belt high overhead. Foreshadowing perhaps?
NXT Women’s Champion Mandy Rose defeats Zoey Stark to retain her title
Rose pins Stark, after Rose uses Stark’s own knee brace against her.
The match goes through a commercial break, with Rose working a leg. Rose targets Stark’s knee as she works her over. Nevertheless, Stark fights back.
Stark continues to sell the leg, as they fight on. Stark delivers her modified GTS finisher, but Rose rolls out of the ring to keep from taking a pin.
Stark goes for a wrecking ball dropkick, but her injured knee gets caught in the ropes. Rose kicks at Stark’s knee while Stark is trapped in the ropes. Rose then attempts to take off Stark’s knee brace.
Starks counters Rose to gets some near falls, and they go on to trade near falls. Starks takes a jumping knee from Rose, but Stark kicks out. Rose then puts Stark’s knee brace on Rose’s own knee.
With Stark’s brace on her knee, Rose hits a jumping knee strike. Rose then covers Stark for a three count, and Rose retains the title.
Quincy Elliott cut a promo proclaiming himself “The Super Diva.”
Grayson Waller bickers with McKenzie Mitchell in a backstage interview. They argue about Apollo Crews. Waller announces that next week on NXT is the debut of a talk segment called “The Waller Effect.” Waller invites Crews to be his first guest.
NXT Champion Bron Breakker defeats JD McDonagh to retain his title
Breakker pins McDonagh to win. NXT UK Champion Tyler Bate confronts Breakker after the match.
Breakker during his entrance uses a sledgehammer to smash a box with “J.D.” painted on the box. This was supposed to be another special entrance for the champ, but it is lackluster. Similarly, the match is also kind of lackluster in terms of drama. It is seemingly all about making Breakker look good, often at the expense of McDonagh.
Some chain wrestling early on. Breakker lifts McDonagh into a delayed vertical suplex. Cat-and-mouse chase for a moment, and Breakker catches his prey. Standing moonsault by Breakker for a two count.
Breakker manhandles McDonagh, and McDonagh takes a lariat. He is trouble, and the champ dominates as the show cuts to a commercial break. McDonagh apparently pops his shoulder back into place during the break.
McDonagh also cuts off Breakker during the commercial break, and McDonagh is finally able to take control. Breakker fires up as the show returns from the break, but McDonagh eventually cuts him off again.
McDonagh targets Breakker’s neck, but Breakker soon begins a comeback. Breakker explodes with shoulder tackles, and he follows with a Rick Steiner powerslam.
Breakker posts himself when charging into a corner, as McDonagh sidesteps him. McDonagh then applies a crossface on Breakker, but Breakker reaches the ropes to break the hold.
Super Frankensteiner nets Breakker a two and half count. McDonagh answers back with a Spanish Fly off the top rope. McDonagh follows with a brainbuster for a close near fall.
McDonagh rolls through on a missed moonsault, and Breakker spears him. Breakker measures and delivers a second spear. Breakker pulls down the straps on his singlet, signaling the end of the match.
McDonagh is not done yet, though. He rises to his feet with blood pouring out of his mouth. Through bloodstained teeth, McDonagh flashes a sinister smile. McDonagh stretches out his arms, opening himself up for a third spear. Breakker obliges him, and he spears McDonagh a third time. Breakker lifts McDonagh into a miliarty press, and Breakker drops him into a powerslam. Three counts later, and Breakker retains via pinfall.
NXT UK Champion Tyler Bate appears after the match, and Bate gets in the ring to confront Breakker. Bate holds up his title belt, and Breakker holds up his title belt as their face off closes the show.
Looks like NXT UK is invading NXT 2.0, or something like that.