WWE NXT Review – July 18, 2023
Kicking off this week’s NXT with a video recapping the events of the NXT Title #1 Contenders match between Bron Breakker & Ilja Dragunov last week as well as the Tag Team match between Judgment Day & NXT Champion Carmelo Hayes & Trick Williams.
Williams wastes no time and introduces Hayes to the NXT Universe. Hayes then says he wants to do the whole I Am Him thing but admits he missed last week. He says the match between Judgment Day & himself & Williams was 4 on 2 rather than 2 on 2 then addresses Ilja Dragunov’s help in the match.
Dragunov’s music hits, and he makes his way down to the ring. He explains that while he didn’t mean to interfere in Hayes’ business in the event that Priest were to cash in his Money In The Bank briefcase he wanted to prevent him from taking the NXT Title to the main roster. He says Hayes let him down because he lost control and Hayes doesn’t take too kindly to his statement. He says he had everything under control and no one is more ready for their title match at Great American Bash than he is. Dragunov says no one gives more than he does and fans feel something when he competes in the ring. He says all he will make Hayes feel at The Great American Bash is defeat.
Hayes says he feels the weight of what his championship represents and the criticism he receives from the world. He says him & Dragunov will have a fight but no one is more qualified to face him than Dragunov is. He says he plans on having a long NXT Title reign and he’ll be swimming in wins when all is said and done. He calls himself Mr. PLE and says he’ll hit different, Dragunov says Hayes will have to hit harder than ever before unless he wants everything he’s built to fall apart. He says Hayes won’t be able to control him at Great American Bash but Hayes promises that he will. He says for one of them it will be champagne but for the other it will be just pain.
After the break we head over to a video of Tony D’Angelo being released from jail and picked up by Stacks earlier today.
Tag Team Match
Heritage Cup Champion Nathan Frazer & Dragon Lee vs. Los Lotharios
Los Lotharios blindside Dragon Lee & Nathan Frazer on the outside. Humberto Carrillo dumps Frazer inside the ring and the bell sounds. Angel Garza tags in and Frazer sends him into the ring post shoulder first then delivers a sunset flip and a single leg dropkick before he tags in Lee.
Lee & Frazer deliver a double arm drag, Garza sends him crashing into the mat then tags in Carrillo. Carrillo attempts to rip off Lee’s mask but is unsuccessful then executes a suplex but Lee responds with a hurricanrana and tags in Frazer.
The action spills to the outside and Frazer goes flying to level Los Lotharios then Valentina Feroz & Yulisa Leon appear at ringside as Frazer looks to do fly for a 2nd time but Los Lotharios catch him and send him crashing into Lee as we go to a break.
After the break Garza prevents Frazer from tagging Lee but Frazer escapes his grasp and manages to tag in Lee & he hits a tornado DDT to Garza then rocks him with a knee to his jaw before ascending to the top rope but Garza trips him and tags in Carrillo.
Los Lotharios deliver a double Gorilla press slam off the top rope before Carrillo follows it up with a moonsault. Carrillo sits Lee on the top rope but Lee delivers a double stomp then Garza rocks Lee with a kick but Frazer levels him. Carrillo then takes out Frazer before Lee hits him with a powerbomb and goes for a pin.
Carrillo kicks out and delivers a clothesline then tags Garza back in & Los Lotharios mock Lee allowing Frazer to send them crashing out of the ring and deliver a crossbody off the top rope then he tosses Garza back in the ring and Lee hits Destino for the win.
Winners: Heritage Cup Champion Nathan Frazer & Dragon Lee
After the match Garza chews out Carrillo & an angered Carrillo then shoves him down to the floor and leaves through the crowd as Garza chases him.
Baron Corbin walks in a forest before meeting with another Baron Corbin saying that he would thrive in NXT as himself from now on.
Booker T gave a pep talk to Roxanne Perez telling her to step her A Game against Blair Davenport for their next encounter in a video posted by NXT Annonymous. Booker T was irate by the video being posted without his permission demanding stricter security.
Gigi Dolan vs. Kiana James
Gigi Dolan & Kiana James go back & forth with forearms before James sends Dolin into the top turnbuckle face first then she rolls up Dolin but Dolin kicks out and delivers a hurricanrana then follows it up with a dropkick that sends James crashing to the outside then delivers a knee to her face off the apron.
They get back in the ring and James delivers a bodyslam to Dolin & Dolin delivers a pair of right hands to James’ midsection then follows it up with a few kicks and knees. She then delivers a Pump Kick and looks for another kick but James delivers a hair whip and reaches for her purse.
Dolin wrestles it away from her and looks to hit James with it, but the referee prevents her from doing so. Dolin looks to grab it back & that opens the door for James to hit 401K for the win.
Winner: Kiana James
After the break we see Ivy Nile ripping down the Diamond Mine flag in the dojo.
There was a vignette of Scrypts & Axiom challenging Bronco Lima & Lucien Price to match from last week where Axiom told Scrypts to not accept challenges on his behalf since they are not a full time tag team.
We then head over to McKenzie Mitchell is with Eddy Thorpe. Mitchell asks Thorpe if he feels like his victory in the NXT Underground match and Thorpe says it does before Meta 4 walks in and apologizes for Noam Dar having to cancel Supernova Sessions and his guest spot again. They hand him a picture of Dar as an apology gift and Thorpe rips it up & leads to a verbal confrontation.
Tag Team Match
Bronco Nima & Lucien Price vs. Axiom & Scrypts
Bronco Nima looks for a knee but Axiom ducks out of the way and lands a series of chops but Nima whips him into the corner. Axiom plants him and delivers a single leg dropkick then tags Scrypts in & he wears down Nima and tags out to Axiom.
He looks to double team with Axiom but Axiom stops him from doing so & Scrypts clocks Axiom from behind allowing Nima to fire off right hands. Lucien Price tags in and does the same before Nima whips him in the corner. Nima plants him with a running stomp to get the win.
Winners: Bronco Nima & Lucien Price
After the match Scrypts heads to the back with Nima & Price.
After the break Stacks says everything changed on May 25, 2023 for the D’Angelo family because Tony D’Angelo was locked up. He says the police came up with some meaningless charges then introduces D’Angelo.
D’Angelo then makes his way down to the ring and hugs his loved ones. D’Angelo shares his excitement with being back and shouts out Stacks. He says he wouldn’t be standing here if it wasn’t for him and credits him for coming up with his genius plan. He says while Gallus thought Stacks was the rat things aren’t always as they seem and throws it to a video of Stacks explaining his plan to D’Angelo.
In the video Stacks tells D’Angelo the only way to get their NXT Tag Team Title match is to convince them that Stacks betrayed D’Angelo. He says phase one included making sure he hears the audio clip.
Gallus’s music hits and Joe Coffey tells D’Angelo he’ll wish he’ll be back in his cell. He tells him that he’s more safe there on the outside, and Stacks promises that Gallus will lose their NXT Tag Team Titles at Great American Bash and take what’s rightfully theirs. Mark Coffey asks if they can really pull off another scam and Wolfgang says they won’t even make it to Great American Bash.
Gallus gets in the ring and begins brawling with The D’Angelo Family before they hit Gallus with crowbars then send Mark crashing through the table.
Backstage The Schism confronts NXT Champion Carmelo Hayes & Trick Williams. Ilja Dragunov confronts Joe Coffey and called him insufferable then both teams brawled before referees & producers tried to split them up.
Thea Hail vs. Elektra Lopez
Match starts off with a lock up then Elektra Lopez whips Thea Hail to the mat then follows it up with a pair of bodyslam and a series of shoulders to her midsection then Hail fires back with a suplex and cinches in Kimura Lock for the win.
Winner By Submission: Thea Hail
After the match Hail demands a rematch against Tiffany Stratton for the Women’s Title at Great American Bash and calls her out to the ring.
Stratton appears and says Hail doesn’t get to call out the champion because it’s rude. She then accepts her challenge before Hail demands that their rematch be a Submission Match. Stratton refuses to grant her wish and Hail responds by locking her in a Kimura Lock then Stratton accepts the stipulation.
Dominik Mysterio & Tony D’Angelo spoke backstage before D’Angelo wishes Mysterio luck against Wes Lee later in the night. After that Women’s World Champion Rhea Ripley confronts Lyra Valkyria and told her to get back at Jacy Jayne.
There was a video vignette showing that Gable Stevenson would make a decision on his future next week.
Oro Mensah vs. Eddy Thorpe
Oro Mensah & Eddy Thorpe lock up to get this match started then Thorpe delivers a crossbody before Mensah fires off right hand and a lariat before landing a suplex.
Thorpe delivers a series of chops and a kick to Mensah’s midsection then follows it up with an enziguri and a German suplex.
The action spills to the outside and Mensah executes a tope sucida & Lash Legend dumps Noam Dar into the ring and the referee pushes him back out to her & Jakara Jackson.
Thorpe dumps Mensah back in the ring before Dijak blindsides him allowing Mensah to deliver a spinning kick to Thorpe when he gets back inside the ring for the win.
Winner: Oro Mensah
There was a vignette of Dana Brooke & Kelani Jordan doing Gymnastics.
Backstage Cora Jade swung at a locker after watching Jordan & Brooke’s vignette.
Booker T & Vic Joseph then join Roxanne Perez & Blair Davenport. Perez says she saw a video posted to the NXT Anonymous Twitter page of Booker T giving her a pep talk ahead of their rematch at Great American Bash. Davenport says she will defeat Perez once again but this time in front of her friends and family. She say the women’s division is for grown ups and not little girls like Perez then says she doesn’t belong.
Joseph asks Perez what it’ll take for her to defeat Davenport & Perez says she’s tired of everyone thinking she’s an easy target. She says a rage has been building in her since she lost the Women’s Title and she’ll have to show a side of her never before seen in order to beat her. Davenport asks Perez how she fits such big dreams in a small body, and says she doesn’t believe her. She says Perez doesn’t believe what she said herself and Perez begins to protest. She tells Perez to go home when she’s finished with her because she doesn’t belong in NXT and Perez storms off.
North American Title Match
Wes Lee (c) vs. Dominik Mysterio
Match starts off with a lock up then they go back & forth with submission holds before Wes Lee delivers a dropkick then Dominik Mysterio slides out of the ring and Lee looks to go flying to level him but Rhea Ripley inserts herself between Lee & Mysterio to prevent him from doing so as we go to a break.
After the break Mysterio delivers 3 Amigos to Lee then follows it up with a dropkick and lands 619 then delivers a Michinoku Driver before ascending to the top rope and looking for the Frog Splash but Lee rolls out of the way and they go back & forth with forearms.
Mysterio then whips Lee into the corner and charges at him but Lee gets up his boot then follows it up with a series of kicks and a double stomp to Mysterio’s spine then delivers a boot to his face and follows it up with a tornado DDT off the middle rope.
Mysterio rolls to the outside to catch his breath and Lee looks to go flying to level him. Mysterio rolls out of the way and grabs the North American Title. He looks to leave with it but Lee goes flying to level him and ascends to the top. He lands Spiral Tap before Finn Balor appears and distracts the referee.
Damian Priest looks to blindside Lee from behind but Lee catches him with a Kardiak Kick then Ripley then hits Lee with her Women’s World Title to get the win.
Winner & New North American Champion: Dominik Mysterio (NEW CHAMPION!!!!!)
Matches Of The Night
Heritage Cup Champion Nathan Frazer & Dragon Lee vs. Los Lotharios- 7/10
North American Title Match- 7/10
Next Week’s NXT
6 Man Tag Team Match
NXT Champion Carmelo Hayes, Trick Williams & Ilja Dragunov vs. The Schism (Joe Gacy, Jagger Reid & Rip Fowler)
Kendo Stick Match
Dana Brooke vs. Cora Jade
The Great American Bash Card (July 30th)
North American Title Match
Dominik Mysterio (c) vs. Mustafa Ali
NXT Title Match
Carmelo Hayes (c) vs. Ilja Dragunov
NXT Tag Team Titles Match
Gallus (Mark Coffey & Wolfgang) (c) vs. The D’Angelo Family (Tony D’Angelo & Stacks)
Women’s Title Submission Match
Tiffany Stratton (c) vs. Thea Hail
Blair Davenport vs. Roxanne Perez
