WWE NXT live results: Tag title match, major announcement, more
Preview by Joseph Currier
A Tag Team title match, Finn Balor in action, an appearance by Rhea Ripley, and a major announcement are set for tonight’s episode of NXT.
Matt Riddle and his temporary partner Timothy Thatcher are defending their NXT Tag Team titles against Imperium’s Marcel Barthel & Fabian Aichner tonight. After being attacked by them two weeks ago, Riddle & Thatcher accepted a challenge from Barthel & Aichner last week.
Balor is facing Cameron Grimes on tonight’s show. Last week, Balor issued a warning to whoever it was that attacked him in the NXT locker room. He also got into it with Grimes and dropped him with a slingblade and a double foot stomp after Grimes threatened to slap the taste out of his mouth.
We’ll hear from Ripley after she returned for the first time since WrestleMania 36 last week. WWE looks to be building an NXT Women’s Championship feud between Charlotte Flair, Ripley, and Io Shirai.
Plus, WWE has promised that there will be “a major announcement on tonight’s show regarding NXT.” The announcement will be made by Triple H and Shawn Michaels.
Our coverage begins at 8 p.m. Eastern time.
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Third week in a row for the commentary team of Mauro Ranallo, Beth Phoenix and Tom Phillips on the call. Safe to say this could be a permanent team
The show is opening with a tag team title match. They did more typical WWE-style ring introductions instead of dimming the lights like they tend to do for title match intros on NXT.
Imperium (Marcel Barthel & Fabian Aichner) defeated NXT Tag Team Champions Matt Riddle & Timothy Thatcher to win the titles
Barthel pinned Riddle to win the tag team titles after Thatcher walked out on Riddle during the match.
Thatcher and Barthel started the match with some slick grappling. Aichner tagged in, and Barthel began brawling with Riddle at ringside. That drew Riddle away from the corner when Thatcher was trying to make a tag, and Thatcher seemed annoyed Riddle wasn’t there for him.
Riddle eventually tagged in moments later. Barthel got his knees up when Riddle went for a senton, and Riddle looked in trouble as the show went to a commercial break. Imperium was working over Riddle when the show returned from break.
Riddle was trying to create separation when he gave Barthel a monkey flip that sent Barthel crashing into Thatcher, and Thatcher took a bump off the apron. Thatcher grew angry with the second miscommunication of the match. Thatcher walked out on Riddle, and the match became an impromptu handicap match.
Riddle was fighting off a double team, but he was outnumbered. Imperium executed the European Bomb (uppercut Doomsday Device), and Barthel covered Riddle to win the titles.
In a post-match interview backstage, Mckenzie Mitchell asked Thatcher about him walking out. Thatcher was cuting a heel promo on Riddle when Riddle confronted him. They got into a pull-apart brawl. The new has apparently worn off for the Newly-Bros.
Tegan Nox defeated Indi Hartwell
Nox pinned Hartwell after delivering the Shiniest Wizard.
Hartwell gained an early advantage with an aggressive start. Hartwell went for a springboard, but Nox caught her with a gozzle. Nox gave her a chokeslam, and Ranallo called her “Lady Kane”.
Nox with a cannonball in the corner, and she followed with a flying crossbody off the top. Nox delivered the Shiniest Wizard, and covered Hartwell for the pinfall.
After a recap of the angle from last week in the women’s title match, Rhea Ripley in a pre-tape promo said WrestleMania didn’t quite grow her way. She said Charlotte Flair winning the title sickened her. She mentioned Io Shirai not being able to get the job done in defeating Flair, and Ripley said she would be the person to bring the title back to NXT. If Ripley has to beat that into Shirai, then she said so be it.
Ripley warned Flair she isn’t finished with her. As a “stupid old man used to say,” Ripley said talking about Ric Flair, “we’ve only just begun.” Ripley said the NXT Women’s Championship belonged to her.
Riddle was backstage video chatting with Regal, and he said Regal had booked a match with Thatcher for later in the show. Thatcher burst into the room to attack Riddle. He grabbed a monitor and nailed Riddle in the back with it. Riddle was down selling as the scene ended.
Jake Atlas defeated Tony Nese in a Group A match in the Interim Cruiserweight Championship Tournament
Atlas pinned Nese after a cartwheel DDT. Atlas improved to 2-1 in the tournament, and Nese dropped to a winless record of 0-3.
Nese was playing spoiler as he came into the match with a losing record of 0-2. Byron Saxton interviewed Atlas before the match. Atlas said he hoped Drake Maverick wins to force a tie bewteen them, but Atlas then said he had to focus on his match. Atlas had to “take care of businees” in his match with Nese.
Atlas countered Nese with some flips and a cartwheel. Nese cut him off when Atlas began grandstanding. They traded strikes as Atlas fired up on Nese, and then Atlas hit a step-up enzuigiri for a near fall. Atlas bled slighty from a cut above his eyebrow.
Nese tripped up Atlas when he went climbed the turnbuckles. Nese was talking trash and paid for it was as Atlas knocked him off the turnbuckles. Atlas stood on the top buckle, and he did a cartwheel on the rope into a DDT. Atlas then covered Nese for the pinfall.
Kyle O’Reilly returned the show in the form of a Zoom call with the rest of his Undisputed Era stablemates. Thay joked around, and all four agreed that Roderick Strong should be the one to face Dexter Lumis.
A cool vignette with Karrion Kross & Scarlett hyped their characters. This was tremendous. They looked maniacal as heavy metal music played. They signaled out Tommaso Ciampa so that looks to be their first program.
Another good vignette profiled Dakota Kai and Raquel Gonzalez.
Isaiah “Swerve” Scott in an interview cut a cocky promo. Scott said if he can’t win a match in the tournament then you should quit wrestling altogether. That was a shot at his opponent’s losing record.
DX — Triple H & Shawn Michaels — were backstage at the Gorilla Position cutting a promo when Road Dogg popped up from behind the monitor. Michaels was wearing a bandana over his face, and Road Dogg was also wearing a face mask — but he took his off. That could be a first for WWE television with the face coverings during the pandemic. They were reminiscing about the anniversary of the first In Your House.
Road Dogg made a joke about pig crap that referenced the Arkansas Hog Pen Match that HHH had with Henry Godwin at an In Your House PPV in 1995. Anyway, since everyone is basically having to stay “in your house”, Triple H said on June 7th that NXT with present TakeOver: In Your House live on WWE Network.
And that was the big announcement.
Cameron Grimes defeated Finn Balor
Grimes pinned Balor after Damian Priest interfered using an expandable baton on Balor. Priest revealed himself as the attacker that had jumped Balor in a previous angle.
Grimes went for the Cave In double stomp at the outset, but Balor sidestepped. Balor was in control for a few moments until Grimes cut him off before a commercial break. Grimes had Balor grounded as the show returned from break.
Grimes dashed a hope spot with a lariat for a near fall. Grimes began to taunt Balor, and Balor fired up on him. Balor with a penalty kick running down the apron as Damien Priest walked onto the set. Balor hit Priest with a forearm smash as Priest climbed over the guardrail.
Balor used a slingblade on the floor, and he rolled Grimes back into the ring. As Balor was getting back into the ring, Priest broke out the expandable baton and hit Balor in the knee with it.
Grimes gave Balor the Cave In, and he covered him for the pinfall.
Priest after the match gave Balor his Reckoning finisher on a steal chair. He choked Balor with the legs of the chair as he indenified himself as the attacker from the angle a few weeks ago.
Editor’s Note: Due to a power outage, the rest of the live coverage is from Josh Nason.
Jack Gallagher (1-2) defeated Isaiah “Swerve” Scott (1-2) in a Group B match in the Interim Cruiserweight Championship Tournament
Before the match, Scott was hit from behind by Nese and injuring his ribs as Scott was about to enter the ring, getting even for his earlier verbal jabs at Nese’s expense.
Gallagher immediately went on the attack, but could only muster two counts. Scott regained the momentum by ducking a Gallagher haymaker and landing some body shots. Gallagher later ran and flew in the air at Scott while his opponent was in the corner, taking a nasty bump on his head when Scott moved out of the way. Scott hit a beautiful House Call kick, but that could only garner two.
Gallagher caught Scott in a guillotine choke attempt as Scott charged him off the ropes, but Scott powered out of it temporarily, only to be caught by a Gallagher counter knee strike to a suplex attempt. Gallagher followed with a Judas Effect-style spinning elbow strike to pick up the pin and win.
With his first win in the tourney, Gallagher also eliminated Scott from contention in advancing to the finals. This was a fun, short match which sets up Scott vs. Nese in upcoming weeks.
Kayden Carter submitted Aliyah
Carter was working over Aliyah’s lags early looking for submissions. A shoving match led to Carter hitting a nice looking bottom rope dropkick, but her advantage didn’t last long as an aggressive Aliyah took control. As Aliyah was dominating, Robert Stone came out to get a closer look but that eventually led to her downfall.
As she was distracted in trying to impress Scott and adjusted herself on the top rople, Carter brought her down and started laying in chops. Carter eventually locked in her good looking spinning deathlock submission for the tap in a short, but entertaining, match.
Afterward, Aliyah tried to make things good with an unimpressed Stone who removed her hand from his arm and walked away.
Dinner With The Garganos
This was filmed at the Gargano’s dinner table as the two ate dinner and regaled over their recent achievements. The two would talk normally and then, the camera effects would change to a split personality deal to illustrate that they are heels. Gargano did get in a “five stars” reference for Candice LeRae. LeRae talked down Mia Yim and Kacy Catanzaro while Gargano had words for Keith Lee and what happens when fans suddenly don’t like you anymore. There was also the cup used in the Gargano-Ciampa “Final Heartbeat” match under glass on the table. This was ok, but the camera effects didn’t really work.
Matt Riddle pinned Timothy Thatcher
This was obviously set up from Thatcher walking away from Riddle at the top of the show, causing him to lose the NXT tag titles to Imperium.
The early part was a grappling fan’s dream as the two basically had a sparring session of sorts that also included strikes. Both men countered each other repeatedly until Riddle caught Thatcher with a kick that sent Thatcher to the outside which took us to break.
After the break, Thatcher had the advantage with an ankle lock as we were showing that Riddle got his foot stomped on while trying a gut wrench suplex, leading to Thatcher hitting a sweet belly to belly suplex off the ropes. We would later see the foot stomp happen again as Thatcher cut off Riddle’s mid-match surge of momentum.
Thatcher continued to work Riddle on the ground with a knee to the side followed by a chinlock. More grappling, slaps, and submissions attempts followed in this absoutely grueling match.
Thatcher hit a kick gear, but Riddle rallied back to hit a Bro To Sleep. Riddle followed with a Floating Bro that Thatcher reversed into a Fujiwa armbar that Riddle reversed into a powerbomb. Thatcher turned a Riddle taunt into an armbar and eventually a kneebar attempt that looked to be the end. But, while locked in the kneebar, Riddle worked to a position where he was able to pin Thatcher, using his weight against him.
Afterward, Thatcher attacked and repeatedly locked on the armbar again. Riddle kept tapping as Thatcher maniacally looked into the camera so, as Bryan Alvarez says, this feud must continue.
This was an excellent match. If you’re a fan of the Bloodsport events, and even if you like this style in general, you will love this match.
Next Week:
- Rhea Ripley vs. Io Shirai
- Roderick Strong vs. Dexter Lumis
- Interim NXT Cruiserweight Championship Tourney: Kushida vs. Drake Maverick
- Interim NXT Cruiserweight Championship Tourney: El Hijo del Fantasma vs. Akira Tozawa