WWE NXT Review – May 2, 2023
Kicking off this week’s NXT with a video recapping all the NXT talent that was called up over the course of Nights 1 & 2 of the Draft.
North American Title Match
Wes Lee (c) vs. Drew Gulak
Wes Lee wastes no time as he delivers a dropkick before Drew Gulak slides to the outside for a breather. Charlie Dempsey hops on the apron and gets in Lee’s face allowing Gulak to roll him up. Lee kicks out and Gulak sets up for a powerbomb but Lee reverses the move into a hurricanrana then he delivers a double stomp to Gulak’s spine then whips him into the corner and lands a forearm.
Gulak & Lee ascend to the top rope but Gulak pushes Lee off and goes flying to deliver a right hand that turns Lee inside out. Gulak locks in a shoulder submission but Lee escapes. They then go back & forth with right hands before Lee delivers a snapmare and a dropkick to Gulak’s spine.
He executes a running uppercut and an enziguri then looks for a German suplex. Gulak prevents Lee from hitting it and rolls to the outside.
Lee surprises him and goes flying through the middle rope then tosses Gulak back in the ring. He looks to join him inside but Dempsey blindsides him. Tyler Bate hits Dempsey on the outside allowing Lee to get back in the ring and lands Kardiak Kick for the win.
Winner & Still North American Champion: Wes Lee (STILL CHAMPION!!!!)
We then head to a video recapping the NXT Title match between Carmelo Hayes & Grayson Waller last week at Spring Breakin’.
Trick Williams says everyone saw what happened between Carmelo Hayes & Bron Breakker last week. Williams says that while Hayes is in the hospital following the attack, Hayes is a fighter and he’s known it since they were in high school together. He says himself & Hayes are brothers and he pushed Hayes out of the way to take a spear from Breakker without hesitation. He says while Hayes doesn’t miss when he does, he’s there with the rebound.
Breakker’s music hits and he appears then he says Williams hit him with a spear and locks him in the Steiner Recliner but he’s still standing here. He says Battleground will be easier now, and Williams asks if he’s accepting Hayes’ challenge. Breakker says he will never do anything for fans but he doesn’t like the NXT Title on Hayes and wants to embarrass him in front of his loved ones in his home state of Massachusetts.
Breakker goes to leave but Williams stops him. He says they should handle their issues like men and Breakker says he’s not about to fight Hayes’ mouthpiece. Williams gets in Breakker’s face and says he’s jealous that fans love himself & Hayes. Breakker then challenges Williams to a match for next week.
Gigi Dolan vs. Jacy Jayne
Match starts off with Jacy Jayne looks for a boot then Gigi Dolin catches it and tosses Jayne out of the ring. Dolin looks for a kick off the apron but Jayne catches it and delivers a cannonball off her apron. She then gets into the face of Dolin’s brother Myles before she tosses Dolin back in the ring.
Jayne delivers a senton and a kick to her face, then follows it up with a superkick. Dolin responds with one of her own then looks for a suplex but Jayne fights her way out and the action spills to the outside.
Dolin sends Jayne crashing into the barricade and the ring steps, then gets her back in the ring. Jayne manages to hit Dolin with some exposed steel and follows it up with a kick for the win.
Winner: Jacy Jayne
After the match Jayne continues to beat down Dolin and sends her crashing into the ring steps. She fires off right hands as she continues to taunt Dolin’s brother.
Axiom vs. Scrypts
Scrypts comes flying out of nowhere and takes out Axiom then Axiom delivers a kick before he looks to lock in an arm submission but Scrypts rolls to the outside. Axiom follows him out there and Scrypts goes flying off the announce table to level Axiom before he gets him back in the ring and goes for a pin but Axiom kicks out.
Scrypts then delivers a clothesline and ascends to the top rope but Axiom meets him up there but Scrypts fights him off and lands a moonsault then delivers a kick to Axiom’s face, but Axiom responds with a dropkick and a suplex. He ascends to the top rope and looks to go flying but Scrypts catches him with a dropkick.
Axiom fires back with a knee and Golden Ratio but Scrypts ducks out of the way and ascends to the top. Axiom catches him with a kick mid air before landing Golden Ratio for the win.
Winner: Axiom
After the match Axiom helps Scrypts up to his feet. Scrypts delivers a right hands but Axiom delivers one right back to him and pulls off his mask to reveal Reggie.
We head to a video of Fallon Henley & Josh Briggs chatting at Henley’s family bar. Brooks Jensen walks in and looks to apologize, but Henley & Briggs says there’s no need to. Jensen thanks them then informs them that he learned a few things. Jensen says the land Henley’s family bar is on is valuable and they can use that to their advantage. 2 girls approach Jensen and ask him to have a drink and he politely declines. Henley says their little brother has grown up and they all toast to one another.
Dragon Lee vs. JD McDonagh
Match starts off with Dragon Lee offers his hand to JD McDonagh but McDonagh kicks it away and they go back & forth with submissions. McDonagh delivers a series of right hands to Lee before Lee whips McDonagh into the corner and delivers a pair of dropkick. Heritage Cup Champion Noam Dar appears at ringside & that allows McDonagh to gain the upper hand and hang Lee off the top rope by his knees.
He charges at him but Lee moves out of the way and McDonagh collides with the ring post. Lee then delivers a back body drop and clotheslines McDonagh to the outside that takes us to a break.
After the break McDonagh gets Lee on the top rope and looks to remove his mask. Lee fights him off and delivers a high crossbody then fires off several right hands and follows it up with a hurricanrana. McDonagh rolls to the outside and Lee goes flying over the top to level him.
He tosses him back in the ring and ascends to the top, then delivers a diving double stomp then the action spills onto the apron where McDonagh delivers a chop to Lee. Lee returns the favor and they go back & forth before Lee delivers a knee. McDonagh then gets Lee up on his shoulders and delivers a Death Valley Driver on the apron.
The referee begins a 10 count and both men beat it despite McDonagh sending Lee spine first into the announce table but Lee just makes it in at 9. McDonagh then delivers a chop but Lee responds with a kick and a snap dragon suplex. He follows it up with a knee to his jaw and a poisonrana but McDonagh responds with a thunderous clothesline.
Lee lands a powerbomb and goes for a pin but McDonagh kicks out. Lee then ascends to the top but McDonagh trips him and joins him up there then lands a Spanish Fly and follows it up with a brainbuster then goes for a pin but Lee kicks out at the last second and delivers a Canadian Destroyer.
McDonagh rolls to the outside but Lee tosses him back in the ring. Dar tries attacking Lee but Lee levels him which allows McDonagh to hit The Devil Inside for the win.
Winner: JD McDonagh (Recommend)
After the match Lee delivers a tope suicida to Dar and they brawl to the back.
Joe Gacy vs. Joe Coffey
If Gacy wins The Dyad gets a NXT Tag Team Titles Match
If Coffey wins The Dyad can’t challenge for the NXT Tag Team Titles as long as Gallus are the NXT Tag Team Champions.
Match starts off with a lock up then Joe Coffey delivers a crossbody but Joe Gacy responds with a uranage then Coffey delivers a leaping shoulder tackle and a suplex then follows it up with a back suplex before Coffey ascends to the top and delivers a missile dropkick.
He followed it up with Glasgow Send Off and goes for a pin but Rip Fowler places Gacy’s foot on the bottom rope to break the fall.
Gallus chases The Dyad before Ava gets in the ring. She feigns being hit by Coffey allowing Gacy to deliver the Upside Down for the win.
Winner: Joe Gacy (Since Gacy wins The Dyad gets a NXT Tag Team Titles Match)
Dani Palmer vs. Tatum Paxley
Tatum Paxley shoves Dani Palmer into the corner then Palmer responds with a hurricanrana and a dropkick but Paxley fires off several kicks and follows it up with a suplex. Paxley then delivers an elbow but Palmer responds with a swinging neckbreaker and ascends to the top then she delivers a splash for the win.
Winner: Dani Palmer
NXT Women’s Tag Team Titles Match
Alba Fyre & Isla Dawn (c) vs. Katana Chance & Kayden Carter
Both teams begin to brawl with one another in the ring then Alba Fyre tosses Katana Chance out of the ring while Isla Dawn does the same with Kayden Carter. Chance levels both Fyre & Dawn before tossing Fyre into the ring and the bell sounds. Chance rolls up Fyre but Fyre kicks out.
Fyre delivers a kick to Chance’s midsection, then tags in Dawn. Dawn fires off several stomps but Chance delivers an enziguri and tags in Carter. Carter tosses Dawn out of the ring and Fyre tries to interfere but Carter does the same thing to her and levels them as we go to a break.
After the break Chance tags in and sweeps Fyre off her feet then follows it up with a hurricanrana and a series of rapid fire chops then delivers a splash in the corner and follows it up with a kick to her head. Carter tags back in and herself and Chance double team on Fyre. Carter then delivers a kick to Fyre and tags Chance back in.
Carter assists Chance in flying, but Fyre gets her knees up and delivers a kick to her. Dawn tags in and holds Chance in place as Fyre ascends to the top rope. She then delivers a Swanton Bomb before Dawn goes for a pin. Carter pushes Fyre onto Chance & Dawn to break the fall. Carter then levels Fyre with a flatliner but Dawn levels her with a boot.
Chance then rolls her up but Dawn kicks out. Chance delivers a Codebreaker then tags in Carter. Carter holds Dawn in place as Chance ascends to the top and delivers a 450 Splash. Fyre & Chance tag in. Fyre ascends to the top rope but Chance & Carter meet her up there and deliver a double Spanish Fly.
Chance then levels Dawn with a crossbody off the top rope before Fyre sends her crashing into Chance. Dawn tags in and herself & Fyre deliver a Gory Bomb inverted DDT combination for the win.
Winners & Still NXT Women’s Tag Team Champions: Alba Fyre & Isla Dawn (STILL CHAMPIONS!!!!)
We then see Women’s Champion Indi Hartwell backstage making her way to the ring.
After the break Hartwell reflects on her time in NXT and her journey to the Women’s Title. She says despite the ankle injury she sustained last week, she was determined to continue on with the Women’s Title Triple Threat Match so that her run as Women’s Champion didn’t end on the medical table. She says that come May 8th her new home will be on Raw but the most important thing to her is still NXT and the Women’s Title she holds. She announces that a tournament will be held beginning next week to crown a new Women’s Champion with the finals being held at Battleground.
Hartwell then lays the Women’s Title in the center of the ring. Dexter Lumis then appears from under the ring and carries Hartwell to the back. Several female talent then appear and begin brawling with one another over the Women’s Title to close out this week’s NXT.
Matches Of The Night
JD McDonagh vs. Dragon Lee – 8/10
North American Title Match – 7/10
Axiom vs. Scrypts – 6/10
Joe Gacy vs. Joe Coffey – 7/10
NXT Women’s Tag Team Titles Match – 7/10
Next Week’s NXT
Bron Breakker vs. Trick Williams
NXT Tag Team Titles Match
Gallus (Mark Coffey & Wolfgang) (c) vs. The Dyad (Jagger Reid & Rip Fowler)
Ilja Dragunov vs. Dijak
Women’s Title Tournament Match
TBD vs. TBD
Battleground Card So Far (May 28th)
NXT Title Match
Carmelo Hayes (c) vs. Bron Breakker
Finals Of The Women’s Title Tournament
TBD vs. TBD
