WWE NXT live results: Tiffany Stratton vs. Kiana James title match
Tiffany Stratton’s title reign faces a challenge from Kiana James tonight.
The NXT Women’s Championship will be up for grabs when Stratton faces off with James on tonight’s NXT episode. Last Tuesday, James put herself in position for the title shot when she defeated Roxanne Perez, Gigi Dolin, and Blair Davenport in a fatal four-way number one contender’s match.
While James is Stratton’s opponent for tonight, it appears that a match between Stratton and WWE main roster star Becky Lynch is looming. A confrontation between the two took place during Payback on Saturday.
North American Champion Dominik Mysterio will be the special guest referee for Dragon Lee vs. Mustafa Ali. Both Lee and Ali are angling for a shot at Dominik’s title.
A no DQ grudge match between Bron Breakker and Von Wagner is among the other matches set for tonight. The show will also include Ilja Dragunov vs. Oro Mensah, the return of Angel & Humberto, and more.
Our live coverage starts at 8 p.m. Eastern time.
Opening the show is the women’s title match, which would lead into a major announcement concerning next week’s main event.
NXT Women’s Champion Tiffany Stratton defeated Kiana James to retain her title
Stratton pinned James, after an eye poke and Stratton’s moonsault finisher. Becky Lynch appears after the match in a taped promo, where she announces she is challenging for Stratton’s title in the main event next Tuesday on NXT.
The match itself was well choreographed, and also seemed timed out well. James got to look strong, but not necessarily at Stratton’s expense.
Moments before they went home, Stratton grabs James’ loaded bag. Stratton goes to hit James with the loaded bag, but James ducks. James delivers her 401k finisher, but Stratton kicks out for a near fall.
Stratton had used underhanded tactics earlier in the match to shift the advantage in her favor. She does so again to set up the finish. Stratton pokes James’s in the eyes, and Stratton then sets up for her finisher. Stratton executes her “Prettiest Moonsault Ever,” and Stratton covers her for a pinfall.
Becky Lynch appears on the Titantron after the match. Lynch cuts a promo on Stratton, and Lynch announces she is challenging for the NXT Women’s Championship. Stratton defends her title against Lynch next week on NXT.
Diamond Mine is back together and back in NXT. The Creed Brothers and Ivy Nile are in their gym in a skit where the NXT Tag Team Champions meet up with them. The tag champs, Tony D’Angelo and Stacks, are talking with the Creeds when Malik Blade and Edris Enofe interrupt. They take exception to the Creeds wanting a tag title shot so soon after returning. An argument ensues. To be continued…
Ilja Dragunov defeated Oro Mensah (with Noam Dar, Jakara Jackson & Lash Legend)
Dragunov pinned Mensah in a really good match. The style of the bout is much different than the opener, and it was more fluid. Mensah brought the fight to Dragunov, which also plays to Dragunov’s strengths.
They fight through a commercial break, and the battle continues after the shoe returns from the a split-screen. Dragunov makes a comeback after delivering his Grüße aus Moskau lariat. Dragunov goes into a chain of suplexes for a near fall. He is soon cut off by Mensah, and he hits a spinning heel kick for two and half.
Mensah then begins to mock Dragunov, which infuriates Dragunov. He hulks up, and Mensah is powerbombed. Dragunov signals her his finisher, and he delivers Torpedo Moskau. Dragunov then covers Mensah for a pinfall.
Wes Lee enters the soundstage after the match is over. He gets in the ring to confront Dragunov, and Lee tells Dragunov that his hopes for a title shot must wait. The two have been bickering in recent weeks over which one of them is the next contender for the NXT Championship. So they bicker so more about it, until their argument is interrupted by the champion himself.
NXT Champion Carmelo Hayes confronts the two, and he says he talked with Shawn Michaels about the situation. The live studio audience chants for a triple threat match. Instead, Hayes says HBK booked a number one contender’s match for next week. Lee against Dragunov is set for next Tuesday, and the winner faces Hayes for the NXT title at No Mercy.
Nathan Frazier is interviewed by McKenzie Mitchell, and Frazier addresses his viral moment from last week, where he clotheslined himself on the top rope.
Blair Davenport, Thea Hail, Jacy Jayne and Gigi Dolan are backstage in a skit. This bit of community theater helps set up a match later on between Dolan and Hail. Dolan warns Hail about befriending Jayne. Hail responds by saying she is a grown women that can take care of herself.
Nathan Frazier defeated Duke Hudson (with Andre Chase) in a Group B match in the Global Heritage International tournament
Frazier pinned Hudson, thus giving Frazier two points in Group B. He bounces back with a win tonight, after a lose in his first tourney match. Hudson suffers a lose, after winning his first tourney bout.
They had a good match. Just before the finish, Hudson went for a Razor’s Edge. Frazier counters to escape the move, which leads to Frazier hitting a Phoenix Splash.
Updated Group B standings:
- Frazier – 2 points
- Joe Coffey – 2 points
- Duke Hudson – 2 points
- Akira Tozawa – 0 points
Back in the Diamond Dojo, Hank Walker and Tank Ledger are talking with the Creeds. Bronco Nima and Lucien Price enter the scene to start an argument with Walker and Ledger.
Tyler Bate defeated Dabbo-Kato
Bate pinned Dabbo-Kato clean in the middle of the ring, as a David conquered a Goliath. Dabbo-Kato lost another match clean, so he is not much of monster anymore, despite them portraying his as such.
Bate tries jumping Dabbo-Kato before the bell, with mixed results. Dabbo-Kato would not go down, but Bate kept bringing the fight to him. Bate eats a big boot, and Dabbo-Kato begins to manhandle Bate.
Bate eventually fights back, and he keeps trying to knock Dabbo-Kato off his feet. When Dabbo-Kato still will not go down, Bate instead lifts Dabbo-Kato off his feet.
In a feat of strength, Bate lifts Dabbo-Kato into a fireman’s carry. Bate does an airplane spin, and Dabbo-Kato is slammed to the mat. Bate shakes off his dizziness before climbing the turnbuckles. Bate leaps off into a corkscrew senton bomb. Bate then covers Dabbot-Kato for a clean three count.
Dominik Mysterio is headed to the ring in a referee shirt with black and purple stripes.
A backstage skit in the women’s locker room leads to a shuffle between Roxanne Perez and Kiana James. They did a Punk and Perry pull-apart, which would seem to set up a singles match between Perez and James.
Mustafa Ali defeated Dragon Lee with NXT North American Champion Dominik Mysterio as guest referee
Ali pinned Dragon Lee, after a fast count by Dom. In wining the match, Ali earns himself a title shot against Dom at No Mercy.
The announcers scatter at one point, when Dragon Lee torpedoes through the ropes with a tope suicida. Ali quickly recovers from being sent sailing over the announce desk. Ali flips over the desk to do a Buckshot Lariat on the floor. Ali follows up with a tornado DDT for a near fall.
They go on to trade near falls. Dragon Lee gets a two count after a German suplex. Ali with a jackhammer for another two count. Ali goes for a 450, but no water in the pool. He rolls through, only to take a Liger bomb for another near fall.
Dragon Lee complains to Dom about the count, as Lee argues Dom was counting too slow. Ali rushed in to catch Dragon Lee in a victory roll. Dom drops to the mat and does a fast count. Ali scores a pinfall, after Dom rapidly slaps the mat three times.
Ali drops Dom with a right hand after the match. Ali still remains somewhat of a tweener. Is he a heel or a face? Time will tell.
Butch and Axiom wrestle to a time limit draw in a Group A match in the Global Heritage Invitational
With the match ending in a draw, each receive one point apiece. They also had a really good match.
The bout goes through a commercial break. They trade chops after the break, and Axiom makes a comeback for a near fall on Butch. Axiom goes for a standing moonsault, but Butch counters him to catch Axiom in a triangle. Axiom gets a rope break, but he eats strikes and stomps from Butch.
Axiom continues to fight back. They each reverse crossface submission hold. Axiom goes for a triangle of his own, but Butch escapes to give Axiom a snap German. Nevertheless, Axiom comes back with flurry of offense. He goes for a springboard, only for Butch to cut him off with a knee strike. Butch with a Liger bomb for another near fall.
By this point, under five minutes remain in the time limit. They each are rushing to try and finish the other. Axiom delivers the Golden Ratio, but Butch get his arm out of bounds, under the plane of the bottom rope, to break the count.
Axiom goes for a submission hold with the time limit under 30 seconds. Butch snaps Axiom’s fingers to break the hold. Butch with the Bitter End with seconds remaining. He is unable to capitalize, and time expires. The bell sounds, and the match is a draw.
Updated Group A standings:
- Butch – 3 points
- Axiom – 1 point
- Charlie Dempsey – 0 points
- Tyler Bate has yet to have his first tourney match
Von Wagner in a taped promo is seemingly addressing Mr. Stone. However, the camera pans out to reveal Wagner is talking to the announce desk, as he now has a Sabu gimmick where he likes putting people through tables. Stone walks ups, and Wagner vows Breakker will get “tabled tonight.”
The skit in the Diamond Dojo continues with more tag teams bickering among themselves. This one led to brawl. Humberto Carillo and Angel Garza confront the tag champs. Carillo and Garza then brawl with D’Angelo and Stacks.
Thea Hail (with Jacy Jayne) defeated Gigi Dolan
Hail submitted Dolan after outside interference by Blair Davenport.
Hail is still billed as representing Chase U, but Jayne is in her corner instead of the Chase U faction. Jayne also stops Hail from doing her Chase U pose during Hail’s entrance routine.
Hail wrestled with more of an edge. Although not a heel style, Hail was far more aggressive. During the bout, she is trying for an armbar. Hail ends up posted shoulder first.
Suddenly, Blair Davenport runs in and attacks Dolan at ringside. Davenport targets Dolan’s arm with a shoulder breaker. Davenport then rolls Dolan back into the ring, where Hail traps Dolan in a kimura lock. Dolan taps out, and Hail wins via submission.
In a backstage skit, Lyra Valkyria is giving Kelani Jordan a pep talk when in walks Dana Brooke. She takes exception to Valkyria giving advice to Jordan. This sets up a match with Valkyria against Brooke, with Jordan stuck in the middle.
NXT Women’s Champion Tiffany Stratton cuts a promo on Becky Lynch ahead of their title match next week. Stratton calls Lynch a “bitch” to conclude the promo, and the live studio audience gasp at the curse word.
Bron Breakker defeated Von Wagner (with Mr. Stone) in a no disqualification match
Breakker pinned Wagner in what Gorilla Monsoon would have likely called the unstoppable force meeting the immovable object. It was a for sure a hoss fight. Breakker gets his heat back after the match with an injury angle, which ends the show on a cliffhanger.
Wagner was wearing pants instead of his usual long tights. Not sure if that is a new look, or just something he wore for what is essentially a street fight. Breakker wore his usual singlet and gear.
The fight spills outside early on, and they brawl near the announce desk. They bang around on the desk, and Wagner throws Breakker over the table. Wagner teases putting Breakker through the desk, but they get back into the ring instead. Not for long, as the fighting quickly spills out of the ring just before the show cuts to its final commercial break.
Metal folding chairs and kendo sticks are soon used as props. During the split-screen break, Wagner teases pulling a table from underneath the ring. Breakker cuts him off, and Breakker goes to pull out the table. The studio audience cheers, so Breakker heels on them by sliding the table back underneath the ring.
The show returns from the break with Breakker repeatedly hitting Wagner with a kendo stick. Stiff shots in safe places. Wagner blocks one shot, and he fights back. Breakker cuts him off with a lariat. Wagner takes more shots from the kendo sticks, but Wagner eventually fight backs.
Breakker takes a few big boots from Wagner, but he blocks a third attempt. Breakker then does a sit-out powerbomb by Wagner. As the studio audience chants for tables, Wagner goes to pick up Breakker. Wagner buckles to his knees, selling his ribs from all the earlier shots from the kendo stick.
Breakker with a flying bulldog that drives Wagner into a chair laying on the mat. Breakker pulls down the straps on his singlet, and Breakker applies a Steiner Recliner, while using the kendo stick as a crossface. Wagner then hulks up to break the hold. Wagner reverses the kendo stick to crossface Breakker with it.
They trade lariats. Breakker drops Wagner into a gut buster, and Breakker charges at Wagner for what an attempted spear. Wagner moves out of the way, and Breakker crashes into a chair wedged in a corner. Breakker crawls over to another folding chair. As Breakker gets his hands on the chair, Wagner stomps on the chair as he towers over a downed Breakker.
Wagner has a kendo stick in his hand as Breakker gets to his feet. Breakker spat in Wagner’s face, and Wagner responds with a series of shot from the kendo stick. Wagner shatters a kendo stick on Breakker’s back. Wagner tosses aside the splintered stick, and he hits Breakker across the back with chair shot. Chokeslam by Wagner for a near fall.
The fight spills outside the ring again, where Wagner sends Breakker crashing through a gimmicked wall. Breakker is dragged out as Wagner teases putting Breakker through the announce desk. Breakker fight back, but he takes a pop-up powerbomb on the desk. The booth implodes as Breakker is put through the desk.
Wagner follows up by rolling Breakker into the ring. Breakker counters a fireman’s carry, and he hits Wagner with a low blow. Wagner then turns around as Breakker delivers a spear. Breakker goes in to score a three count on Wagner.
Breakker attacks Wagner after the match with chair shots. Breakker sends Wagner crashing into the ring steps. Breakker then picks up the top section of the steps. With Wagner’s head resting on the bottom section of the steps, Breakker appears to smash Wagner’s head with steps. In a cliffhanger ending, the show fades to black amid screams of horror.
The angle continued on social media, with Wagner being carried away on a stretcher. His head was heavily bandaged, while he was strapped down and wheeled away.