WWE NXT Review – May 23, 2023
Kicking off this week’s NXT with videos from Lyra Valkyria, Cora Jade, Tiffany Stratton & Roxanne Perez discussing how they’ll each become Women’s Champion.
Semi Final Match Of The Women’s Title Tournament
Lyra Valkyria vs. Cora Jade
The match starts off with Cora Jade delivering a knee to Lyra Valkyria’s midsection then she follows it up with a right hand across her spine but Valkyria fires back with a double underhook suplex. Jade then delivers a chop and a dropkick before Valkyria lands a dragon screw.
Valkyria ascends to the middle rope and lands a dropkick then follows it up with a Scissor Kick and a northern lights suplex. Jade delivers a jumping knee but Valkyria catches her with a suplex and a roundhouse kick to her head for the win.
Winner: Lyra Valkyria
After the match Jade blindsides Valkyria and hits her in the knee with a kendo stick.
After the break we see Dijak arriving at the Performance Center then Ilja Dragunov blindsides him and cracks a chair across his spine before sending him crashing into a garage door. He looks to crush him under it but Dijak prevents him from doing so until officials appear and diffuse the situation.
Axiom vs. Dabba Kato
Axiom delivers a series of kicks to Dabba Kato’s thigh then looks for a shoulder tackle but Dabba Kato stays standing and levels him with a clothesline then executes another one that sends Axiom crashing to the outside then follows him out there and delivers a chop.
He gets Axiom over his head and dumps him into the ring then looks to follow him in. Axiom catches him with a dragon screw and a pair of kicks to his chest then charges at him.
Dabba Kato flips him inside out with a clothesline then lands a double chokeslam for the win.
Winner: Dabba Kato
After the match Dabba Kato continues to beat down Axiom but Reggie comes to Axiom’s aid and low bridges Dabba Kato to the outside then looks to help Axiom up but Axiom pushes him away. Reggie then offers Axiom his hand but Axiom refuses to shake it.
We then head to footage of Tony D’Angelo being questioned by authorities after being taken to the station last week. The official asks D’Angelo why his name keeps coming up in investigations and says they were tip off. He then shows D’Angelo a video of himself and D’Angelo says it wasn’t him. Another official walks in and tells the first official they have received new information he’s going to want to see.
We are back from the break we head to a video from Bron Breakker recapping what has transpired between himself, Carmelo Hayes & Trick Williams over the past few weeks, as well as sending a message for Hayes.
Joe Coffey says Battleground looked stacked, and Wolfgang says he thought The Family would challenge for the NXT Tag Team Titles & Joe says he’s heard Tony D’Angelo has been detained and says he doesn’t think D’Angelo will be seen for a long time. Mark Coffey then says Creed Brothers didn’t call them out as they promised.
Creed Brothers’ music hits & they appear. Julius Creed says it sounds like Gallus doesn’t want a challenge but now that they’ve found them they’re officially challenging them for their NXT Tag Team Title at Battleground. Mark says he gets that they want another shot but Gallus is a different animal. Julius says the 4 of them will go into a fight but 2 will emerge victorious and it will be himself & his brother.
Both teams then begin beating one another down as Gallus is about to gain the upper hand, but Stacks heads down to provide Creed Brothers with a helping hand and even the odds. Gallus is forced to retreat.
We then head backstage to McKenzie Mitchell is with North American Champion Wes Lee. Mitchell asks Lee about his friendship with Tyler Bate and Lee expresses his frustrations. He says maybe he should stop getting close to people before Mitchell brings in Bate. Lee says he doesn’t want to hear it and walks off. Bate then says his challenge for the North American Title doesn’t change how he feels about Lee.
Eddy Thorpe vs. Tyler Bate
Eddy Thorpe & Tyler Bate lock up to get this match started then they go back & forth with submission holds before Bate lands a dropkick and gets Thorpe up on his shoulders. Thorpe escapes and delivers a modified crossbody then delivers a chop and a kick to Bate’s spine.
Bate executes a suplex and a standing shooting star press then goes for a pin but Thorpe kicks out. Bate sets up for the Tyler Driver 97 but Thorpe escapes and catches Bate with a kick then Bate delivers a rebound clothesline and Tyler Driver 97 for the win.
Winner: Tyler Bate
After the match Joe Gacy appears and beats down Bate then Lee gets in the ring and looks to hit Gacy but winds up hitting Bate after Gacy ducks out of the way. Gacy then catches both men with The Upside Down and grabs the North American Title as Ava watches on from outside.
We then head backstage to McKenzie Mitchell is with Lyra Valkyria & Mitchell asks Valkyria for an update on her knee and Valkyria says while the doctor needs to take a closer look she doesn’t feel like it’s torn and she’ll be ready for Battleground. Mitchell then asks Valkyria who she wants to face in the finals and Valkyria says she wants to collide with Roxanne Perez because she sees her as the best NXT has to offer.
We are from the break we see Bate helping Lee up during the commercial break. Bate shoves Lee and Lee does the same before angrily leaving the ring.
Non Title Match
Heritage Cup Champion Noam Dar vs. Nathan Frazer
Match starts off with a lock up then they go back & forth with submission holds before Nathan Frazer delivers a single leg dropkick that sends Noam Dar crashing out of the ring & that takes us to a break.
After the break Dar trips Frazer off the top rope, then delivers a kick to his head then delivers a kick to Frazer’s chest and stomps on his knee before raining down elbow strikes. Frazer fights back with right hands but Dar fires off several kicks. Frazer hits a springboard moonsault reverse DDT combination then ascends to the top and looks to land a Phoenix Splash.
Dar moves out of the way and cinches in an Ankle Lock but Frazer quickly escapes and Dar catches him with a kick to his head. He then locks in an armbar but Frazer rolls him up and Dar relinquishes the hold by kicking out.
Frazer lands a superkick and goes for a pin but Dar kicks out then they go back & forth with right hands and chops but Dar gains the upper hand and lands a back elbow. Dragon Lee heads out to ringside and starts mocking Dar by behaving similarly to him.
Dar takes notice and gets in his face allowing Frazer to blindside Dar toss him back in the ring and deliver a Phoenix Splash for the win.
Winner: Nathan Frazer
We then head backstage to McKenzie Mitchell is interviewing Ilja Dragunov in the locker room then Dijak barges in looking for him and they begin brawling before the other men in the room separate them.
After the break we head to a video of NXT Champion Carmelo Hayes visiting his home state of Massachusetts as well as showcasing all the interviews he has taken in over the past little while.
Tank Ledger vs. Hank Walker
Match starts off with Tank Ledger & Hank Walker shake hands before they lock up before attempting to take each other down with shoulder tackles. Walker delivers several shoulders to Ledger’s midsection but Ledger sends him crashing into the corner and delivers a body slam then follows it up with a headbutt before Walker lands a body slam of his own then they take each other down with crossbodies and Walker manages to pin Ledger for the win.
Winner: Hank Walker
After the match Walker looks to help Ledger up but Bron Breakker appears out of nowhere and nails both men with a Spear.
We then head backstage to Diamond Mine discussing amongst themselves then Stacks walks in and Julius Creed says even though they haven’t seen eye 2 eye, he’s thankful Stacks provided them with a helping hand. Stacks then offers to work out a deal so he can be at ringside for some extra backup at Battleground but Julius says they’ve been burned before. Stacks says he understands and Julius offers The Family the 1st shot at the NXT Tag Team Titles when himself & Brutus win.
Gigi Dolin says she’s not shy about hiding her past or the home she grew up in then says she thought she found a family when she came to NXT. She says Jacy Jayne cuts her off when she would’ve done anything for her.
Jayne appears in the crowd and says that’s all the emo talk she can take for one night. She says it all started in the crowd when they would sit in the lounge and says it was the run of her career. Dolin asks why she threw everything away if it was so great and Jayne says she was tired of carrying her. She says everyone knew she was destined for bigger and better things. Dolin says Jayne doesn’t want to move onto bigger and better things but rather so that she’s not remembered as the 3rd wheel.
Jayne reminds Dolin she beat her and embarrassed her in front of her brother and Dolin says Jayne needed to get 8 stitches to fix her face. She says since they each have a win under their belt why not settle it right now. Jayne says she can’t wait to be done with Dolin once and for all then challenges her to a Steel Cage Match next week. Dolin says she wears her heart on her sleeve and she’s as real as it gets. She then takes it a step further and challenges her to a Weaponized Steel Cage Match & Jayne accepts.
Von Wagner vs. Luca Crusifino
Von Wagner wastes no time as he whips Luca Crusifino into the corner then delivers a splash and a big boot that sends Crusifino crashing to the outside. He tosses him back in then charges at him. Crusifino ducks out of the way and Wagner is sent face first into the top turnbuckle then Crusifino lands a hip toss neckbreaker combination then lands a back elbow.
Crusifino tosses Wagner to the outside and follows him out there then he gets distracted by Mr. Stone and pulls a photo of a young Wagner from his jacket pocket before mocking him. Wagner clotheslines him then tosses him back in the ring and continues to ferociously beat him down then the referee calls for the bell after ordering Wagner to stop.
Winner By DQ: Luca Crusifino
After the match Wagner then continues to beat down Crusifino on the outside and looks to powerbomb him through the announce table but Stone talks him out of doing so but Wagner doesn’t listen and powerbombs Crusifino on top of the announce table.
We then head back to the footage of Tony D’Angelo being questioned then the 2 officials walk in and arrest him as D’Angelo protests.
Semi Final Match Of The Women’s Title Tournament
Tiffany Stratton vs. Roxanne Perez
Tiffany Stratton mocks Roxanne Perez’s height then they go back & forth with attempts to pin one another before Perez lands a back elbow and an arm drag then follows it up with a hurricanrana that sends Stratton to the outside then sets up for a tope suicida. Stratton ducks out of the way before Perez sends her into the ring apron face first that takes us to a break.
After the break Perez delivers a massive dropkick that sends Stratton tumbling to the outside. She follows it up with a pair of tope suicidas then tosses her back in the ring and ascends to the top rope & looks for a crossbody but Stratton rolls through and plants Perez. She then looks for Prettiest Moonsault Ever but Perez ducks out of the way then lands an uppercut before Stratton plants Perez.
They teeter on the top rope and Perez lands a hurricanrana then delivers a knee to Stratton’s jaw and follows it up with a side Russian leg sweep then sets up for Pop Rox but Stratton counters then plants Perez then lands Prettiest Moonsault Ever for the win.
Winner: Tiffany Stratton (She will face Valkyria in the Finals)
After the match we see Stratton & Valkyria get into one another’s face then a hooded individual then appears and beats down Perez on the ramp.
Dijak’s music hits and he then heads down to the ring. Ilja Dragunov blindsides him and beats him down but Dijak manages to send him crashing into the ring steps. He tosses him straight over the barricade then grabs the contract and signs it. 2 security guards appear, but Dijak levels them both. Dragunov then sends Dijak into the barricade face first then fires off several chops. He then signs the papers and looks to go after Dijak again. More security runs down but Dragunov levels them both. Dijk then takes him down and grabs the ring steps, but Dragunov wrestles them away from him before he goes flying and lands a right hand.
We get a video package of Battleground & the history of WWF/WWE in Lowell to close out this week’s NXT.
Finals
Tiffany Stratton vs. Lyra Valkyria
Matches Of The Night
Eddy Thorpe vs. Tyler Bate- 7/10
Tiffany Stratton vs. Roxanne Perez- 7/10
Non Title Match – 7/10
Next Week’s NXT
Weaponized Steel Cage Match
Gigi Dolan vs. Jacy Jayne
Battleground Card (May 28th)
NXT Title Match
Carmelo Hayes (c) vs. Bron Breakker
Finals Of The Women’s Title Tournament
Tiffany Stratton vs. Lyra Valkyria
Heritage Cup Title Match
Noam Dar (c) vs. Dragon Lee
North American Title Triple Threat Match
Wes Lee (c) vs. Tyler Bate vs. Joe Gacy
Last Man Standing Match
Ilja Dragunov vs. Dijak
NXT Tag Team Titles Match
Gallus (Mark Coffey & Wolfgang) (c) vs. Creed Brothers (Julius & Brutus)
