WWE NXT Review – May 30, 2023
Kicking off this week’s NXT with a video showcasing the storied history between Gigi Dolin & Jacy Jayne.
Dolin then makes her way down to the ring but Jayne surprises her and begins beating her down.
Weaponized Steel Cage Match
Gigi Dolan vs. Jacy Jayne
Jacy Jayne begins lashing a belt across Gigi Dolin’s spine before Dolin grabs the lid of a trash can and cracks it across Jayne’s back then sits her on a chair and delivers a crossbody. She then grabs the belt Jayne used and lashes it across her back before picking up a trash can and placing it on her head.
She fires off a series of kicks then takes the can off her head then tosses it on top of her midsection and lands a dropkick. Dolin grabs a bat with a rose wraps around it and jams it into Jayne’s midsection. Jayne then hits her with a spinebuster on top of the trash can that takes us to a break.
After the break Jayne has Dolin in a chinlock with a chain wrap across her jaw then Dolin breaks the hold by sending Jayne into a chair set up between the middle and top turnbuckles then lands a clothesline.
She then sets up a pile of chairs in the ring and looks to plant Jayne on top of them but Jayne manages to plant her on top of them after hitting her with a neckbreaker.
They go back & forth with forearm shots before Jayne gains the upper hand and sends her face first into a trash can between the bottom and middle turnbuckles then follows it up with a kick to her face and a cannonball then goes for a pin but Dolin kicks out.
Jayne grabs a table and sets it up in one of the corners then looks to hit Dolin with a suplex on top of it. Dolin fights her way out and delivers a knee to Jayne’s midsection but Jayne sends her crashing into the walls of the steel cage.
She gets Dolin up onto the top rope, but her plan backfires when Dolin sends her head bouncing off the side of the cage repeatedly and chokeslams her through the table off the top for the win.
Winner: Gigi Dolan
We head over to a video recapping the events of Battleground.
We then head backstage to McKenzie Mitchell is with North American Champion Wes Lee and Lee reflects on his Battleground Triple Threat match with Tyler Bate & Joe Gacy as well as his reign as North American Champion before The Dyad walk in looking for a fight on behalf of Gacy. Tyler Bate intervenes and says if they want to fight Lee then they have to fight him too. The Dyad storm off and Bate says their Battleground match was solely in the spirit of competition. He says he still has Lee’s back and Lee says he appreciates it.
After the break we see Tony D’Angelo’s mugshot being taken at the police station.
We then head backstage to Gallus pondering their next challengers and discussing Battleground. Gallus make fun of D’Angelo’s arrest. A passing Stacks overhears Gallus’ comments and goes after them. Gallus eventually gains the upper hand and leaves him laid out as officials check on him.
Trick Williams says Carmelo Hayes went to his hometown and emerged still holding the NXT Title. Hayes says sometimes you have to take shots to make shots and he never misses when it comes to his NXT Title. He says Battleground was another foundation laid down on his dynasty but before he can continue, Noam Dar’s music hits, and he appears alongside Lash Legend, Jakara Jackson & Oro Mensah.
Dar says Hayes wasn’t the only one to successfully defend a title on Sunday as he retained the Heritage Cup. He says Hayes slid by while he defeated Dragon Lee twice. Williams says Hayes didn’t need to cheat to win and interrupting the two of them was a bad idea. Hayes adds that while Dar’s Heritage Cup puts him on a high level, his title puts him on the highest level. He then challenges Dar to go 1 on 1 tonight and Dar accepts with the condition that he puts the NXT Title on the line. Williams says Dar is trying to take advantage of Hayes following his match with Bron Breakker & Dar concurs with Williams. Hayes then agrees to Dar’s terms before holding his title high above his head.
We then head backstage and see Cora Jade complaining about losing in the Semi Finals of the Women’s Title Tournament. Ivy Nile walks in and tells her to stop complaining and Jade says Nile is just bitter about Creed Brothers’ loss and being attacked by Ava. Nile then questions where she was on Sunday.
Tag Team Match
North American Champion Wes Lee & Tyler Bate vs. The Dyad (Jagger Reid & Rip Fowler)
Tyler Bate & Jagger Reid lock up to kick this match off then they go back & forth with submission holds before Rip Fowler tags in and lands a right hand. Bate fires back with an uppercut off the middle rope then tags in Wes Lee. Lee plants Fowler then tags Bate back in. Bate wears down Fowler then tags Lee in.
Lee ascends to the top rope but Fowler sends Bate crashing into Lee. Reid tags in and The Dyad looks to double team on Lee & Bate but Lee & Bate send The Dyad out of the ring with a double dropkick. The Dyad gets back in the ring and stares down Lee & Bate before Mustafa Ali appears in the crowd and makes his way down to ringside as we go to a break.
After the break Ali has joined the commentary booth & Fowler tags in and lands a right hand. Lee tags in and delivers a forearm then follows it up with a back elbow and a snapmare then lands a dropkick to Fowler’s spine and follows it up with a DDT.
Lee delivers an enziguri and sets up for the Kardiak Kick but Fowler ducks out of the way and tags Reid in. Lee fires off chops on The Dyad then lands Kardiak Kick on both men and ascends to the top as Lee does the same.
Both men go flying and land on The Dyad before Lee nails Fowler on the outside and Bate executes the Tyler Driver 97 on Reid for the win.
Winners: North American Champion Wes Lee & Tyler Bate
After the match Ivy Nile appears and blindsides Ava then Creed Brothers run down and pull her off but end up brawling with The Dyad as Nile continues to beat down Ava & all 6 individuals brawl to the back as Joe Gacy blindsides Lee & Bate. Ali gets inside the ring and provides a hand to Lee & Bate.
After the break we head over to a video from Battleground of Drew Gulak & Charlie Dempsey teaching a lesson to the students of Chase U as they call out Thea Hail and give her criticism causing Hail to storm off as Duke Hudson watches on from the back of the classroom.
We go to a video from earlier today of the students are training in a ring and Hudson says Hail doesn’t have to take this class because he’ll pass her. Hail says she wants to do it in order to prove she isn’t weak and demands to grapple. Hudson allows her to do so and she gets inside the ring. Dempsey tells her there’s no crying then she sets up to lock up with Dempsey.
Back at ringside the inside of the ring is decked out with streamers and pictures of Tiffany Stratton. Stratton’s music then hits and she heads down.
Stratton tells fans to raise their hands if they aren’t surprised she won the Women’s Title. She does so before continuing on to say she wants to be a true champion. She says she is the only real champion and no one can do what she does. She then invites the women’s locker room to ringside to celebrate her but no one shows up. She says no one wants to know who her 1st opponent will be and the locker room shows up at ringside and surrounds the ring. She says they’re all wondering what’s next for her and brags about being champion for a long time. She says she should retire as Women’s Champion and rags on the women at ringside, then says she had a Tiffany Epiphany earlier. She says next week a #1 Contender’s Battle Royal will be held to determine her 1st challenger which doesn’t matter to her because she will still hang on to her Women’s Title.
The locker room then gets inside the ring and begins to beat Stratton down before sending her crashing to the outside as she protests.
We then head backstage and see a confrontation ensue between Trick Williams, Jakara Jackson, Lash Legend & Oro Mensah.
Dani Palmer says she can’t leave the ring until she finds out who’s been attacking members of the women’s division. She demands they show their face and the assailant appears on the screen with clips of their attacks interspersed. They suddenly blindside Palmer in the ring and hit a Falcon Arrow then pull down their hood and mask to reveal themselves to be Blair Davenport then delivers a kick to Palmer’s face and stands tall.
Joe Coffey vs. Stacks
Stacks wastes no time as he fires off right hands but Joe Coffey lands a high arm drag and whips Stacks into the corner then lands a knee and a 2nd arm drag but Stacks sends him tumbling to the outside and executes a right hand as we go to a break.
After the break Coffey sends Stacks into the top rope face first. He follows it up with a back body drop and a pair of right hands then lands an uppercut and a neckbreaker then they teeter on the top rope before Coffey executes a superplex. Stacks responds with a back body drop but Coffey clotheslines him out of the ring.
Stacks charges at him on the outside but Coffey ducks out of the ring and Stacks collides with the ring steps shoulder first then gets him back in the ring and lays Stacks out with All The Best For The Bells for the win.
Winner: Joe Coffey
We then head over to a video of Ilja Dragunov preparing for his Battleground match as well as what transpired between him & Dijak in their Last Man Standing Match.
Cora Jade vs. Ivy Nile
Match starts off with Cora Jade & Ivy Nile lock up then they go back & forth with submission holds before Nile gets Jade up on her shoulders. Jade escapes then executes a hair whip and sends her onto the apron then lands a chop and a dropkick then goes for a pin but Nile kicks out.
Nile then delivers a kick to Jade’s face and plants her then Ava appears at ringside while the referee is distracted but Nile overpowers her. Jade takes advantage and lands a knee then hits a DDT for the win.
Winner: Cora Jade
NXT Title Match
Carmelo Hayes (c) vs. Heritage Cup Champion Noam Dar
Match starts off with a lock up then they go back and forth with submission holds before Dar lands a shoulder tackle as we go to a break.
After the break Carmelo Hayes delivers a flying forearm in the corner then follows it up with an enziguri and Fade Away then goes for a pin but Dar kicks out. Dar then trips Hayes on the apron and delivers a dropkick that sends him crashing to the floor.
He tosses him back in the ring and goes for a pin but Hayes kicks out then Dar lands an elbow before firing off knees on Hayes’ midsection then hits an uppercut. Hayes manages to plant Dar before Jakara Jackson, Lash Legend, Trick Williams & Oro Mensah get in one another’s faces on the outside.
The referee ejects Williams from ringside allowing Dar to deliver a back elbow then rolls through and locks in a kneebar but Hayes fights his way out and locks in a Crossface.
Dar grabs the bottom rope to break the hold but Hayes lands a cutter and ascends to the top. Mensah trips him as Legend & Jackson distract the referee but Dragon Lee & Nathan Frazer appear at ringside to get in Mensah’s face.
Dar joins the commotion before Hayes takes out Dar & Mensah with a crossbody off the top rope then he tosses Dar back inside the ring and nails Nothing But Net for the win.
Winner & Still NXT Champion: Carmelo Hayes (STILL CHAMPION!!!!!)
After the match Hayes looks to head to the back but Baron Corbin blindsides him. He tosses him in the ring & hits End Of Days and holds up the NXT Title to close out this week’s NXT.
Matches Of The Night
Weaponized Steel Cage Match- 7/10
Tag Team Match- 7/10
NXT Title Match- 7/10
