WWE NXT live results: North American title match, Charlotte-Yim
Preview by Joseph Currier
The North American Championship will be up for grabs on tonight’s episode of NXT.
NXT North American Champion Keith Lee is defending his title against Damian Priest on tonight’s show. Priest attacked Lee while he was teaming with Velveteen Dream against the Undisputed Era on NXT last week, hitting Lee in the throat with a nightstick and taking him out of the match.
A video also aired on last week’s NXT where Priest accused Lee of avoiding him. Priest got a title shot on NXT four weeks ago, but that was in a triple threat match with Dominik Dijakovic. Lee pounced Priest out of the ring at the end of the match and then pinned Dijakovic to retain his title.
NXT Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair is set for non-title action tonight. In her first match on NXT since defeating Rhea Ripley for the NXT Women’s Championship at WrestleMania 36, Charlotte will face off with Mia Yim.
Last week, Charlotte said Yim helped make her a star when they faced each other five years ago. She then gave Yim a backhanded compliment by saying Yim has always been “a good hand.”
The interim NXT Cruiserweight Championship tournament will also continue with a Group A match between Drake Maverick (0-1) and Tony Nese (0-1).
Our coverage begins at 8 p.m. Eastern time.
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Tom Phillips from inside Full Sail welcomed viewers to the show. Mauro Ranallo and Beth Phoenix were also on commentary. Unlike with Phillips there was no live shot of Ranallo and Phoenix, so they could possibly be doing the show remotely.
The Make-A-Wish logo was prominently displayed on LED screens as part of the set.
The show is opening with a Group B match in the ongoing cruiserweight round robin tournament.
Isaiah “Swerve” Scott defeated El Hijo del Fantasma in an Interim NXT Cruiserweight Champiobship tournament match
Scott pinned Fantasma with a cradle to get his first win in the tourney. Both Scott and Fantasma are now 1-1.
Things were fairly even at the start until Fantasma hit Swerve with a enzuigiri on the floor. Fantasma looked to take advantage, but Swerve springboarded into a Super Frankensteiner.
Fantasma with a hurricanrana sent Swerve outside the ring, and Fantasma rolled out after him. Swerve leapt on the apron and hit Fantasma with a running kick before the show cut to commercial.
Swerve had control as the show returned from break. Fantasma reversed a sunset flip and nailed a dropkick to create separation. Fantasma with a Super Frankensteiner of his own, and he followed with a frog splash for a two count.
A chop fest led into Swerve missing a Fosbury Flop, and Fantasma flew through the ropes with a tope. Fantasma went for a his finisher, but Swerve countered with a lucha move as he used la casita to cradle Fantsama for the pinfall.
In a post-interview with McKenzie Mitchell, Swerve cut a promo where he first put over Fantasma. He then said he needed this win. He said when the game is on the line, give him the ball and he will score. He noted he was 1-1 and had one more match to go and it will be “Swerve’s house”.
During the commercial break, two masked men again tried to kidnap Fantasma and he again fought them off.
Dominik Dijakovic cut a promo on Johnny Gargano ahead of their match next week on NXT.
Candice LeRae (with Johnny Gargano) defeated Kacy Catanzaro
LeRae pinned Catanzaro in a showcase match for LeRae to display her new heel character. She wrestled a more aggressive style.
“Pint Sized Poison” appears to be her new nickname. Gargano acted as ring announcer introduced his wife like Jim Cornette used to do for the Midnight Express.
Catanzaro got to shine at points during the match, but LeRae would cut her off.
LeRae at one point arrogantly went for the Gargano Escape and Catanzaro cradled her for a near fall. That was a good spot with the previous match on the show ending that way.
LeRae executed her new curb stomping finisher — the Wicked Stepsister — and covered Catanzaro for the pinfall.
After the match LeRae was leaving when she turned around to go back into the ring. She applied the Gargano Escape as Gargano beamed with pride.
Damian Priest cut a promo on Keith Lee building up their match later in the show.
NXT Tag Team Champions — Matt Riddle and Timothy Thatcher — were out next for the “Newly-Bros Show”. This was something that would fit before on Tuesday Night Titans. It was a game show segment patterened after The Newlywed Game.
Byron Saxton played the role of a wacky game show host. He asked them a series of questions, and a laugh track played when there were supposed to be a joke.
WTH was this crap? Pure gaga. This isn’t Tuesday Night Titans. I could have done without it, but it led to an angle to set up a tag match.
Thatcher played straight man, and Riddel acted like a stoner. Byron asked Thatcher what Riddle had for breakfast. He scoffed saying he had no idea. He was correct because Riddle wrote his answer as “no idea bro”.
Saxton asked Thatcher what was his favorite TV show. Thatcher said he didn’t own a television. Saxton asked a follow-up question about whether Thatcher would consider buying a TV. Thatcher said if the price was right. Riddle wrote down “The Price Is Right” as that was correct.
Next question was where is the craziest place you’ve done it as a wrestler. He said he had a triple threat in a laundry mat. Riddle wrote down his answer as “3 sum on a washer” so that was also correct.
Next was the speed round. Riddle said speed was not his thing. Fabian Aichner & Marcel Barthel suddenly rushed on stage to jump Riddle & Thatcher in a sneak attack. They put a beatdown on the tag champions, which would seem to set up a match between the teams.
There was a video package and plug urging viewers to donate to Make-A-Wish.
NXT Champion Adam Cole cut a promo on Velveteen Dream plugging a title match between them, so they are finally doing that one.
NXT Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair defeated Mia Yim in a non-title match
Flair submitted Yim in a good match.
After some back-and-forth, Yim fired up with a series of kicks and a cannonball into a corner. Yim was tranquilo when she hung in the ropes at one point. She went for a dive, but Flair cut her off with a elbow smash before a commmercial break.
Flair was working over Yim as the show returned from break. Yim fought back to lock in a tarantula, but Flair again cut her off.
Flair taunted Yim, which only served to fire up Yim. She struck with Sole Food, and Flair cut her off again.
Yim with a Code Red for a two count. Yim went for her finisher, but Flair countered to apply a Liontamer.
They traded near falls. Flair went for the figure-four, and Yim countered with an inside cradle for two.
Flair escaped Protect Ya Neck to apply the Figure-Eight, and Yim tapped out.
Io Shirai came out to confront Flair after the match. She screamed at her in Japanese before saying to Flair in English that “next week you are mine!” There appears to be a title match between them on the next episode. Shirai previously won a ladder match to win a title shot.
A vignette hyped Karrion Kross.
Finn Balor was announced for next week on NXT. This is coming off the angle last week where he went missing following a supposed attack.
Dexter Lumis defeated Shane Thorne
Lumix won after a referee stoppage. Thorne passed out in an arm triangle and referee Aja Smith stopped the match. This seemed to be a match aimed at getting Lumis over for what it’s worth. The tried but to me this seemed like a channel-changer.
NXT North American Champion Keith Lee cut a promo on Damian Priest ahead of their title match later on. Lee was selling his throat and said he had a bruised larynx stemming from the attack last week by Priest.
Drake Maverick defeated Tony Nese in an Interim NXT Cruiserweight Championship tournament match
Maverick founght from underneath to pin Nese with a super bulldog. Maveruck improved to 1-1 in Group A block of the tourney. Nese falls to a 0-2 record.
Nese beat down and put the boots to Maverick at the outset. Maverick’s selling was really good. Nese bullied him.
Maverick was a babyface in peril as the show cut to a commercial break. Nese was still in control after the break as he coninued to taunt him.
Maverick suddenly came alive and was a house of fire. He delivered a missile dropkick.
Nese gave Maverick a German suplex into a corner as he looked to regain control. Nese pulled down his knee pad and went charging into the corner. Maverick sidestepped him and used a cutter to get a near fall.
Maverick missed a flying elbow drop, but he was still able to trip up and crotch Nese on the top turnbuckle. Maverick then used a super bulldog off the top to score the pinfall.
In a post-match interview Maverick cut an impassioned promo saying he was ready to face Kushida in his next tourney match.
Announced for next week on NXT:
- Io Shirai vs. Charlotte Flair for the NXT Women’s Championship
- Johnny Gargano vs. Dominik Dijakovic
- Velveteen Dream vs. Adam Cole for the NXT Championship
NXT North American Champion Keith Lee defeated Damian Priest to retain his title
Lee gained revenge after pinning Priest in this grudge match.
Lee kept cutting off Priest at the outset. He clotheslined Priest over the ropes, and the fight spilled outside. Priest tried to hop the guardrails, and Lee kelped him out by knocking him over the barricade.
Lee with a press slam tossed Priest over the guardrails onto the apron. Priest was reeling when he moved out of harm’s way as Lee crashed through the guardrails. Lee was down selling as the show went to its final commercial break.
Priest was in control after the break. Lee tried to reverse a suplex, but Priest escaped to deliver a hangman’s neckbreaker.
A pounce by Lee led into a double down. Lee dived over the ropes with a torneo splash. Back in the ring Priest kicked out at two.
Lee with a Western Lariat for another two count. Priest fought back and grapped Lee with a goozle, and Lee gozzled him in return.
Priest with a series of kicks, and he then exectued the Broken Arrow (Falcon Arrow). Lee rolled out of the ring, and Priest leapt over the ropes with a swan dive dive on Lee.
Priest with flying spin kick off the top for a near fall. They built to Lee doing a deadlift superplex for another near fall. Priest with a chokeslam, and Lee kicked out again.
After grabbing the title belt, Priest also retrieved an expandable baton that he used on Lee in the angle from last week. The title belt was a red herring. When the referee confiscated the belt and turned his back, Priest went to hit Lee with the baton.
Lee blocked the baton strike, and Lee defiantly declared to Priest that he was “limitless”. Lee chopped down Priest and twice delivered the Spirit Bomb to score the pinfall.