WWE NXT live results: North American title steel cage match
The North American Championship will be on the line inside of a steel cage on tonight’s NXT.
Tonight’s show will be headlined by Johnny Gargano defending his NXT North American Championship against Bronson Reed in a steel cage match. Reed is getting another shot at the title after unsuccessfully challenging Gargano at TakeOver: Stand & Deliver night two last month. Reed had to win a number one contender’s Gauntlet Eliminator match on night one to earn that title shot.
Zoey Stark and Toni Storm will also face off in a grudge match tonight. In an upset, Stark defeated Storm on the pre-show for night one of TakeOver: Stand & Deliver.
“Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase will make an appearance live at the Capitol Wrestling Center as he continues his feud with Cameron Grimes. DiBiase has appeared in videos each of the last three weeks and has used his wealth to upstage Grimes.
Sports writer and radio host Arash Markazi will conduct an interview with Pete Dunne tonight. Plus, there will be a Prime Target special feature building up next week’s Karrion Kross vs. Finn Balor NXT Championship match.
Our live coverage begins at 8 p.m. Eastern time.
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The show opened with a grudge match.
Toni Storm defeated Zoey Stark
Storm pinned Stark clean with a wicked finisher. Really good opener.
Their faces told the story before the bell. Stark with a look of determination on her face, while Storm wore a snarl. Strom slapped Stark across her face just after the bell sounds. Stark responds with a flurry of offense that leads to a plancha. Stroms again bails out of the ring after taking a missile dropkick from Stark. Storm proceeds to trip up Stark, and she pulls her off the apron. Storm with a hip attack sandwiched Stark into the ring steps.
Storm takes her time working over Stark, seemingly easily in control. Stark is still able to kick out, but she was clearly in peril. She fought back, countering Storm with a backslide for two. Stark with a kick knocks Storm off her feet, leading to a double down as the show cut to a picture-in-picture commercial break. Storm bumped and fed throughout the break, yet she managed to cut off Stark.
Stark fought back as the show returned from the break. Cool counter where Stark blocked a Storm Zero with a hurricanrana. Strom then countered Stark, and Storm rocked Stark with a German suplex. Storm Zero for a nearfall. Then came a wild move. Not sure what it was, or even how to describe it. It was wicked. Storm then covered Stark for a pinfall.
Franky Monet, holding her dog Presley, came out on stage after the match for some reason. Guess she was a heel stealing the spotlight. Monet debuts in the ring next week on NXT.
Cameron Grimes arrived to the building in his fancy car. Jake Atlas and some other guys were poking fun at Grimes. He chirped back at Atlas, and Grimes got in his face. They have a match later.
A great video package hyped Finn Balor vs. Karrion Kross ahead of their title match where the former champion challenges the current champ. They watched footage of their previous encounter, where Kross captured the NXT Championship after pinning Balor clean. Their title rematch is set for next week on NXT. Pat McAfee and Paul Heyman even weighed in on the upcoming championship bout. The match is being built as “Balor vs. Kross II.”
Jake Atlas defeated Cameron Grimes
Atlas pinned Grimes after Ted DiBiase distracted Grimes. This was more of an angle than a match, but the match itself was good enough nonetheless.
Before the match, Grimes cut a promo on Ted DiBiase. Grimes threw to retro footage of the DiBiase losing the Million Dollar Championship to Virgil. Grimes laughed out loud, but he grew angry as “DiBiase” chants were piped into the CWC. The live crowd clapped along and chanted as well. Grimes was livid.
Grimes tried to attack Atlas at the outset, but Atlas sent him crashing out of the ring. Grimes flopped around on the floor like a fish out of water, and he sold his jaw as the show cut to a commercial break.
Able to cut off Atlas after the show returned from the break, Grimes got a near fall. Grimes began working over Atlas, but Atlas soon fought back. They went back and forth while a split screen showed a white limousine arriving to the building. The limo was emblazoned with a golden dollar sign. Meanwhile in the ring, Grimes is turned inside out with a lariat, and Atlas gets a close near fall.
Atlas tried to high risk move, and Grimes was able to counter him moments later with a running Spanish Fly. Suddenly, the Million Dollar Man’s theme song blared over the loud speakers. Out walked Ted DiBiase. A distracted Grimes was rolled up for a pinfall. DiBiase did his signature over the top laugh at the expense of Grimes.
Grimes ran out of the ring. He was chasing down DiBiase, and Grimes ran outside to DiBiase’s limo. He pretended a limo door would not open, but it clearly was unlocked. Grimes sold it big anyway. DiBiase rolled down in the window tol tell Grimes he did good, but Grimes was no Million Dollar Man. DiBiase chackled, and the limo sped away to leave Grimes hanging in the parking lot.
Arash Markazi sat down with Pete Dunne for a pre-taped interview. Dunne was great here. He looked like a superstar, but he wasn’t too over the top. Dunne put himself over as a top contender, and he ain’t wrong.
Killian Dain (with Drake Maverick) defeated Alexander Wolfe (with Marcel Barthel & Fabian Aichner)
Dain pinned Wolfe in a short match after illegal tactics backfired on Imperium. The heels turned on Wolfe after the match.
Dain was a powerhouse at the start, until Barthel jumped onto the apron. Maverick got on the apron to even the odds, and Maverick was then sent flying off the apron. Dain knocked Barthel off the apron in retaliation, but the distraction allowed Wolfe to give Dain a German suplex.
Barthel slid a folding chair into the ring, and he ordered Wolfe to hit Dain with the chair. The referee tried to step in, and he pleaded for someone to come get the chair. Sounds like a job for a referee. Didn’t matter in the end, as Dain delivered a spear. Dain then covered Wolfe for a pinfall to end a short match.
Very displeased after the match, Imperium turned on Wolfe. Barthel and Aichner attacked Wolfe. They jumped him, and beat him down to leave him laid out on the mat in a heap. The announcers sold it like Wolfe may be kicked out of Imperium for not towing the line.
Ever-Rise in a comedy bit interrupted an interview with NXT Women’s Champion Raquel Gonzalez and Dakota Kai. Gonzalez went on to slap Matt Martel across the face. He sold it big, and he spilled his coffee. This was supposed to be funny I guess. The humor was lost on me.
El Legado del Fantasma (Joaquin Wilde & Raul Mendoza) defeated Timothy Thatcher & Tommaso Ciampa
Mendoza pinned Ciampa after outside interference by Grizzled Young Veterans. Third match in a row on this show without a clean finish.
Mendoza had his lip busted open, and he worked the majority of the match for his team. Ciampa & Thatcher looked dominate in the early stages of the bout. Stereo spots as Thacther & Ciampa both applied ankle locks, and Legado del Fantasma with a stereo near fall using victory rolls to counter the ankle locks.
Mendoza was rocked by an elbow from Ciampa befoe a commercial break. The announce team later said Mendoza was cleared to continue during the break, after medical staff checked on him. After some commercials, Ciampa was cleaning house when the show returned from the break. He was on fire, but Legado del Fantasma with a double team.
Heat on Ciampa, which led to a hot tag. Thatcher’s turn to clean house. He and Ciampa pummeled Mendoza. He fought back, and the heels soon regained the advantage. Thatcher jumped in to make a save. Wilde with a flip dive after Thatcher made another save. Ciampa deliverd a Widow’s Bell, and Ciampa covered Mendoza for a count of two and three quarters. Mendoza dove in at the last moment to break up the pin.
Continuing a trend on this show of outside interference, Grizzled Young Veterans (James Drake & Zack Gibson) ran down to ringside. They jumped Ciampa and then rolled him back into the ring. Legado del Fantasma with a double team finisher, and Mendoza scored a pinfall on Ciampa.
Bobby Fish in a backstage interview called out Pete Dunne. Fish challenged Dunne to a match next week.
Candice LeRae and Indi Hartwell were enjoying a spa day when LeRae was informed her credit card was declined. Apparently, there was an unpaid expense on the card from a florist. The employee at the spa was able to obtain these details from the credit card company. Seems like a privacy violation, but the bigger scandal here was a charge for a florist. Hartwell quickly got suspicious, but that suspicion did not lead to anger. Instead, Hartwell exclaimed in excitement this means Dexter Lumis still loves her.
NXT North American Champion Johnny Gargano cut a serious promo on Bronson Reed ahead of their title match later on in a cage.
Sarray defeated Aliyah (with Robert Stone & Jessi Kamea)
Sarray pinned Aliyah clean. The streak on this show of distractions and interference was over with this match. Sarray won in dominate fashion. Aliyah got some offense early on, but Sarray with a comeback ran wild. Following a missile dropkick, Sarray suplexed Aliyah on her head for a pinfall.
Hit Row (Ashante Thee Adonis & Top Dolla with B-Fab & Isaiah “Swerve” Scott) defeated Tony Nese & Ariya Daivari
Top Dolla pinned Daivari to win a showcase match for the Hit Row.
Nese & Daivari bumped like crazy, making Hit Row look like a million bucks. Top Dolla picked up them both for a double fallaway slam. Adonis with an Okada dropkick on Daivari. Top Dolla with a FU into a brainbuster, and then Top Dolla covered Daivari for a pinfall.
Hit Row cut a promo after the match.
NXT General Manager William Regal announced Legado del Fantasma will challenge MSK for the NXT Tag Team Championship in two weeks time on NXT. In a title bout Regal also announced for next week on NXT, Ember Moon & Shotzi Blackheart will challenge Candice LeRae & Indi Hartwell in a return match for the NXT Women’s Tag Team Championship. That makes two title matches for next week.
Balor vs. Kross for the NXT Championship headlines next Tuesday on NXT. In addition, Ted DiBiase is back on NXT for a “Million Dollar Face Off” next week with Cameron Grimes. Also, Franky Monet in a “world premiere” debuts in an NXT ring next Tuesday on NXT.
Bronson Reed defeated NXT North American Champion Johnny Gargano in a cage match to win the title
Reed pinned Gargano to win the championship in a really good cage match.
Gargano rushed to escape out of the cage door as the bell rang. Reed stopped his exit, and began to mow down Gargano. Reed repeatedly threw Gargano into the chainlink. Gargano dodged a charge, and he went for his signature slingshot. However, Gargano’s feet became caught up in the cage, allowing Reed to give Gargano a draping DDT.
Gargano springboarded off the top rope for a moonsault on Reed. Moments later, Reed caught Gargano on another springboard, and Reed planted Gargano with a Death Valley Driver. Reed was tripped up, and he crotched himself on the top rope just before the show cut to a picture-in-picture commercial break.
Reed made a comeback after the commercial break, and he dropped Gargano off the ropes with an avalanche Samoan Drop. Gargano answered back with a super powerbomb on Reed off the top rope.
Austin Theory was at ringside, and he reached inside the cage to give Gargano a hand. Theory tried to help Gargano escape the cage. Reed in turn grabs Gargano by the feet for a human tug-o-war with Gargano. Thoery went for the Terry Gordy spot where he slams the cage door on the babyface. Reed turned the proverbial tables, and he slammed the cage door in Theory’s face.
Double down leads into the closing minutes. Reed countered One Final Beat, and he went crawling for the door. Theory this time was successful doing the Gordy spot, and he slammed the cage door on Reed’s head. Gargano delivers One Final Beat, but Reed kicked out.
Gargano attempts to climb over Reed and the cage, but Gargano instead takes a super powerbomb. Theory again interferes by climbing the cage, but Reed swats him away. Reed in closes the cage door, and Gargano cannot escape. Reed follows with tsunami splash, and he covers Gargano for a three count. And new…
Reed wins the tile to become the new NXT North American Champion.