WWE NXT live results: Triple H appears

After switching to a modified format for one week, NXT is back to having matches tonight.

Matt Riddle vs. Roderick Strong, Tyler Breeze vs. Austin Theory, Candice LeRae vs. Kayden Carter, and Xia Li vs. Aliyah will air on NXT tonight. The winners of LeRae vs. Carter and Li vs. Aliyah will qualify for the number one contender’s ladder match that had originally been set for NXT TakeOver: Tampa.

Chelsea Green, Mia Yim, and Tegan Nox have already qualified for the ladder match.

Starting on April 1, the matches that were planned for TakeOver will air on NXT television over the next few weeks. Triple H is expected to address that when he appears on NXT tonight, and WWE has also announced that Tommaso Ciampa and Johnny Gargano will have to answer to him after their brawl at the Performance Center two weeks ago.

Plus, NXT Champion Adam Cole will have a “special message” for the fans tonight. Cole celebrating becoming the longest reigning NXT Champion in history had been scheduled for last week.

Our coverage begins at 8 p.m. Eastern time.

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The show began with an announcement about the matches for TakeOver being moved to NXT on USA. Then it was to the ring for the first match.

Tyler Breeze defeated Austin Theory

Breeze pinned Theory after cockiness and showboating cost Theory the match.

Theory talked a lot of trash from the start as he mocked Breeze in between them grappling. Breeze eventually would get a receipt and taunted him in return. Theory was still able to take control  and ground Breeze. Theory also kept talking plenty of smack. 

Breeze was making a comeback after a commercial break, but Theory trapped him in a Torture Rack. He then shifted into a sit-out powerbomb for a near fall on Breeze. Theory went on to pummel Breeze on the outside, before he sent him crashing into a guardrail. 

Countering an attempted powerbomb into a hurricanrana, Breeze began his comeback. He would drop Theory with a knee strike, and moments later hit a superkick for a two count.

Breeze went to climb the turnbuckles. Theory cut him off and lifted him up to deliver an ushigoroshi. Breeze kicked out at two. 

Theory picked up Breeze’s cellphone that was laying in a corner. He recorded a selfie video of himself cutting a promo on Breeze in the ring while the match happened. Theory kept rolling as he picked Breeze up to set up his finisher. Breeze escaped and struck with the Beauty Shot to score the pinfall.

Not much other gaga in between matches as it was right back to the ring after a commercial break.

Killian Dain defeated Tehuti Miles

Dain pinned Miles in an enhancement match. Dain looked strong as he mauled Miles throughout the short match. 

Miles tried to use his quickness in a cat-and-mouse game, but Dain was able to catch him in his grasp. Miles escaped Dain’s clutches, only for Miles to get booted off the apron. Dain then sent Miles into the ring steps on the outside.

Miles tried to fight back, but Dain mauled him. Miles fired up on Dain, which only proved to anger Dain. He would soon thereafter end it. He slammed Miles hard on that mat, delivered a senton, and followed with a Vader Bomb. Dain then covered him for the pinfall. 

Cameron Grimes defeated Tony Nese

Grimes pinned Nese after the Cave In.

They did some great grappling exchanges in the early portion of the match. Nothing fancy, just fundamentally good stuff. Nese was getting the better of Grimes until Nese was dropped on the top rope with a hot shot. 

Grimes then went to punish him, but Nese soon fought back to rally. Nese dropped Grimes with a couple spin kicks. Grimes was snapped on the top rope, and Nese with a slingshot springboard quebrada for a near fall.

They traded strikes down the stretch, and Grimes delivered a forearm smash to set up his double foot stomp out of nowehere for the pinfall.

So far this has been a straight wrestling show, and the matches are good for the most part — but this feels like watching wrestling in a vacuum.

Io Shirai returns!

Aliyah was set to face Xia Li in a grudge match that was also a qualifier for an upcoming ladder match. They would do a Tonya Harding angle that would lead to the return of Io Shirai.

This played off an angle from months ago where Ailyah was written off the show for a brief time. They did an injury angle where Li shattered Aliyah’s nose with a kick. 

Aliyah came out for the match, and Li was a no-show. Cut to backstage where Li was attacked by a mystery assailant. She was crying and clutching at her knee. 

Li had to forfeit, but the Shirai was announced as a suprise replacement. That was rather convenient, and really made no sense in my opinion. Why was Shirai ready for the match? Why not do the injury angle before a commercial, and then come back after the break with the match? But whatever.

Io Shirai is back, and that at least is a great thing.

Io Shirai defeated Ailyah to qualify for a number one contender’s ladder match

Shirai squashed Aliyah in a very short match. A double underhook suplex into a backbreaker set up the moonsault press for the pinfall.

Shirai now advances to the ladder match in two weeks time on NXT. 

NXT North American Champion Keith Lee came to the ring for promo in the first segment of the show that wasn’t a match. 

A suit interviewed Lee, and asked him about the incident with Dominik Dijakovic from weeks ago. Almost seems like ages ago after the real world events of the last several weeks. 

Lee wanted to apologize. Dijakovic confronted Lee in the ring and said Lee was taking food off his family’s plate. Oh, for pitty sake — not that line again.

Damian Priest interrupted them and cut a promo. Priest said his eyes are the prize — which is the North American title. Priest said he wants the title to get more money, more fame, and more legacy. He wants his name to live forever, and he needs the title to do that.

Lee told Priest that because he attacked him previously that he doesn’t get to live forever. This turned into a scrum as a melee erupted. Lee and Priest were brawling on the floor when Dijakovic wiped them out on the floor.

With no crowd, this played out like some weird scene in a daytime soap opera. 

NXT Champion Adam Cole cut a fantastic promo. He was poolside “on vacation” with his championship belt slung over his shoulder. He boasted about himself before issuing a challenge to Velveteen Dream on behalf of Bobby Fish. Great heel move to brag about yourself, but let others fight your battles. This looks to set up a match between Fish and Dream as Dream continues to chase Cole.

Oney Lorcan & Danny Burch defeated Shane Thorne & Brendan Vink

This seemed like a filler match. Maybe it was a showcase for the Brit-Am Brawlers, but it didn’t grab my attenttion as a viewer. The work was good enough for what it was, but there was no context or reason other than just to have a match. Vink got to shine in one of his first appearances as he gave Lorcan a uranage out of nowhere. 

Burch was eventually able to deliver a missle dropkick. That led to Vink getting trapped in a crossface by Burch. Lorcan then trapped Thorne in a single leg crab. The Australians tapped out to give Brit-Am Brawlers the win via submission.

Candice LeRae defeated Kayden Carter to qualify for a number one contender’s ladder match

LeRae defeated Carter in a fun babyface match. 

This was all-action from the start with a quick pace. The match was back-and-forth until Carter started to gain a slight advantage. LeRae kicked out of a pinning attempt, and followed up moments later with a springboard quebrada. 

Carter moved and LeRae missed the lionsault. Carter kicked out of a schoolgirl, but LeRae transitioned into the Gargano Esacpe. Carter tapped out, and LeRae advances to the ladder match in two weeks on NXT.

Matt Riddle defeated Roderick Strong

Riddle pinned Strong in a slobberknocker of a match. Riddle was attacked after the match by a new team debuting on the show.

They looked very snug as they traded strikes and went through sequences. Riddle went down just before commercial break, and Strong was working him over when the show returned from the break.

Riddle fired up with kicks and forearm smashes. Riddle went for the PK, but Strong countered to catch Riddle’s leg. Strong then applied a Boston Crab. Riddle escaped to execute a Bro 2 Sleep and a German suplex for a nearfall.

Strong fought back to deliver an Olympic Slam for a two count. Strong was going for a series of elbow strikes when Riddle cut him off. Riddle then delivered the Bro-Derek to score the pinfall.

Riddle was attacked after the match when two unnamed men jumped him. They beat him down.

Malcolm Bivens (formely Stokely Hathaway) then walked out cutting a promo as he appears to be the mouthpiece for the mystery attackers. Bivens introduced them as the futute of the NXT tag team division.’

Announced for next week on NXT is Velveteen Dream vs. Bobby Fish. Also next week, those that lost their qualifying matches for the women’s ladder match get another chance to get the last spot. There is a six-person gauntlet match set for the next episode. The number one contender’s ladder match is in two weeks time. 

The main event for next week is a triple threat match for the NXT Championship with Keith Lee defending against Dominik Dijakovic and Damian Priest.

Triple H was in the ring to address the feud between Tomasso Ciampa and Johnny Gargano.

Ciampa was the first to interrupt Triple H. Ciampa said ke knew Gargano was in the building, and Ciampa wanted to settle things right now. Hunter told him there would be no fighting tonight. However, Triple H did call Gargano to the ring.

Gargano came out cutting a promo on Ciampa. Gargano was leery of getting in the ring with Ciampa.

Apparently Hunter saved their jobs after the wild brawl last week that closed the show. Triple H said if was up to William Regal, Gargano and Ciampa would be fired. So he was ordering them to have no pyshical contact tonight, and he also ordered Gargano into the ring.

Gargano and Ciampa were face-to-face as Triple H said this feud has gone on long enough. He said this should end on the biggest stage.

Gargano cut him off to say this was supposed to end last year, but Ciampa broke his neck. Gargano said his only wish was that he was the one that broke it. That riled Ciampa, but Triple H held him back.

Ciampa also said the feud needs to end. Triple H said they deserve this to be on the biggest stage. Gargano said they don’t need any of that. They just need a ring, a referee and a camera.

This set up them being booked in an empty arena match. Tripel H said he would find an empty building and put a ring in it. The match is set for two weeks on NXT.

Suddenly they were interrupted by a mysterious video with Killer Kross that seemed to reveal the end times are coming – or something to that effect. Ugh…that seems like a rather tone deaf cliffhanger considering real world events.