WWE have revamped the headers for the shows on their website and they look much better. Tonight, Mercedes Martinez will try to remove Dakota Kai as an obstacle between her and Raquel Gonzalez. MSK and Kushida face Legado del Fantasma. Bronson Reed needs to go through Austin Theory to get another go at Johnny Gargano’s NXT North American Championship. And Arash Markazi will interview Adam Cole.

 

 

Results

Mercedes Martinez def. Dakota Kai (DQ)

Zayda Ramier def. Toni Storm

Bronson Reed def. Austin Theory

Imperium def. Drake Maverick & Killian Dain

Legado del. Fantasma def. MSK & Kushida

 

 

Review

Mercedes Martinez vs Dakota Kai, with Raquel Gonzalez

Mercedes Martinez made it all sound so simple in her promo last week. She was going to run through Dakota Kai on her way to a shot at Gonzalez’ title.  Kai didn’t make it that easy for her. It’s easy to forget after Gonzalez having protected Kai for so long, that Kai really doesn’t need the protection, she’s more than capable.

Great opening match for the show, but Raquel Gonzalez just couldn’t stay on the sidelines. She stepped in front of Kai when they were on the outside and, while Kai distracted the ref, tried to punch Martinez. Martinez ducked and punched her then got back in the ring and kneed Kai in the face. Gonzalez followed her in and kicked her in the chest while she was trying to finish Dakota Kai off. Kai was disqualified and Gonzalez beat Martinez up at ringside. She threw her into the barricades and ringpost, then launched her into the plexiglass one final time.

 

Shotzi Blackheart and Ember Moon aren’t looking past the Robert Stone Brand, but they’re not worried about facing Candice LeRae and Indi Hartwell next week. The arrival of some flowers interrupted their interview, followed by Franky Monet. Money read the card and found they were from Dexter Lumis. She left Moon and Blackheart arguing they must be for the other one.

 

Cameron Grimes was rude and patronising to the salesman in a watch shop.

 

Grizzled Young Veterans accused MSK of avoiding them. Tommaso Ciampa and Timothy Thatcher interrupted their ranting. Ciampa talked about the similarities between the two teams and Timothy Thatcher tried to get a ‘Shoes off if you hate Gibson’ chant going. Ciampa took one of his shows off and used it to start the inevitable brawl. Gibson and Drake escaped and Ciampa and Thatcher waved their shoes at them from the ring.

 

Drake Maverick is convinced Killian Dain is going to join Imperium. Killian Dain said, ‘In the words of a great man, you’ve got to have faith’. Maverick was not expecting to have George Michael quoted at him.

 

Xia Li spoke in a little vignette for Tian Sha, but I have no idea what she said.

 

Swerve is proud of Leon Ruff for attacking him after their match. He didn’t think he had it in him. He’s suggesting a falls count anywhere and, as it’s already been confirmed for next week, I’m guessing Ruff accepted.

 

Toni Storm vs Zayda Ramier

Before the match Storm said Zoey Stark owes her a thank you for making her famous, and that no one would know who she was if it wasn’t for her. She also said Stark would just be a footnote in Storm’s legendary career, and her next chapter is to end Stark. She hoped Stark was watching because every time she slaps ‘this rookie’ she’d be imagining it was Stark.

Zayda Ramier was one of the newbies who were going to be built up, but there was no building for her in the body of this one. She got her ass kicked relentlessly. There was a thirty second flurry of comeback for her, but that’s it. Or it should have been.

Instead of finishing her off with Storm Zero when she should have, Storm picked her up and sat her on the top turnbuckle to deliver it from there. Zoey Stark came out and got on the apron. Storm went towards her and Stark jumped down. When Storm went back to Ramier, Ramier punched her to the mat and got the win with a shooting star press.

 

Legado del Fantasma are not happy with MSK or Kushida. Santos Escobar wants his Cruiserweight title back. Joaquin Wilde and Raul Mendoza want the tag titles back. Tonight’s main event is their first step.

 

LA Knight thinks everyone is talking about him because… well, why wouldn’t they be. He propositioned Indi Hartwell for after Dexter Lumis disappoints her. Poor McKenzie Mitchell got accosted by Ever-Rise after dealing with Knight. They wanted to know if she had any questions for them about their new show. She did not.

 

Bronson Reed vs Austin Theory

Candice LeRae and Johnny Gargano stared down Reed on his way to the ring, then Theory bounced out to ask why they were standing in the dark. Indi Hartwell was doing a very good impression of a sulking teenager during The Way’s entrance.

It was all Reed until he stopped to talk some trash to Gargano. Theory got a dropkick in after that and tipped Reed out of the ring, then feigned an injury so Gargano could superkick him before he launched himself over the top. Reed charged himself into the steps going into a break, and Theory was in control. It was a good match for Theory, but he couldn’t quite turn it into a win.

Dexter Lumis came to see Indi Hartwell during the match, but she didn’t and to talk to him and she ended up in the ring. He pushed her aside to stop Austin Theory crashing into her and took the hit himself. Reed punched Gargano when he got up on the apron, then finished Theory with a tsunami splash.

Bronson Reed has another shot at Johnny Gargano’s NXT North American Championship.

Backstage, Gargano was not happy about the loss. Gargano blamed Lumis. LeRae blamed Shotzi Blackheart and Ember Moon and managed to wind Hartwell up enough for her to go off looking for them.

 

MSK are excited about the six-man main event. They want to thank Kushida for taking them under his wing and making their transition into NXT easier. Kushida wants to show Legado del Fantasma why they’re all champions and named them MS-Kushida for the night.

 

NXT Superstars are still encouraging people to get vaccinated. It remains excellent advice.

 

Finn Balor has had a well-deserved holiday. He’s back next week.

 

Drake Maverick & Killian Dain vs Imperium

Drake Maverick was extremely paranoid at the start of the match. Dain took the opening bit of the match for a change, in an attempt to reassure him. When Maverick did come in, the paranoia was very much in evidence and was at least partially responsible for the beatdown he received. The one time he got close to a tag, Marcel Barthel knocked Dain off the apron.

Aichner swung Maverick around by the back of his jeans, which finally got Maverick fighting back. He really needed the tag because his belt came off and his jeans were undone. Again, Barthel took Dain off the apron but Maverick had his back to him and didn’t see it, so he thought had been turned on. Imperium dragged him back into their corner and stamped on him.

Dain had had enough, stormed the ring and took Barthel and Aichner out. He was laid out on the outside by a kick in the head from Barthel. Barthel went to distract the ref and Wolfe raised a chair over Dain but didn’t hit him. Maverick sailed through the ropes onto Barthel and it all got a bit chaotic. Dain got taken out at ringside and Drake Maverick took the European Bomb double-team finisher.

 

Pete Dunne is sure he can take whichever title he feels like, whenever he feels like. He says he’s the baddest man in NXT and dares anyone to prove him wrong.

 

Cameron Grimes chose a watch and was very pleased with his purchase, until Ted Dibiase told him it was not a bad watch, but it’s not a million-dollar watch.

 

Shotzi Blackheart & Ember Moon vs Jessi Kamea & Aliyah, with Robert Stone, didn’t happen. There were more gifts, flowers, chocolates, fruit, and cupcakes waiting for Moon and Blackheart at ringside. Indi Hartwell and Candice LeRae attacked them before they got in the ring. While LeRae and Harwell here beating the hell out of the tag champs, Robert Stone was celebrating like his team had just won the titles in a non-title match that never started.

 

Arash Markazi interviewed Adam Cole poolside. He asked about Cole’s recovery from the Unsanctioned match. Cole said he’s been better, but he’s been worse. He was offended by being asked if it was a mistake to turn on his brothers and said he doesn’t make mistakes. He was sick of carrying the Undisputed ERA like he’s been carrying the whole of NXT. Kyle O’Reilly got lucky at TakeOver but he’s not ready for the main event spot and he thinks O’Reilly must be suffering anxiety because he know he’s not ready. Time will tell if O’Reilly’s ready for a spot, but as long as Cole’s there, he’s not taking his.

The NXT Championship picture has one of the most competitive divisions on the planet. Kross is good, but he doesn’t know if he’s great yet, and he hasn’t had to deal with him yet. If and when he decides to go for the NXT Championship again, the clock is ticking for Kross. Cole knows exactly where he’s going, but it’s none of anyone’s business. At the moment he’s pissed off that people think O’Reilly’s going to replace him. Just know wherever he goes and whatever he does he’ll be the best damned Adam Cole that anyone has ever seen.

He bitched about the interview to finish things off.

The camera panned out to show Kyle O’Reilly watching the interview on a tv.

 

MSK & Kushida vs Legado del Fantasma

This was great. I’m not entirely sure what else I can say. Six extremely talented individuals. Some excellent teamwork. Bodies flying everywhere. You know the deal.

Wes Lee was left all alone after Kushida went through the announce desk and Nash Carter took a trip into the steps. Legado del Fantasma kept him in their corner and just took turns hitting him with stuff. Lee kept kicking out and fighting back, but it looked like a matter of time.

Escobar missed a splash and ate an enziguri. Mendoza was down from a superkick, Wilde from a smack in the face. Carter made it back to the apron for a very welcomed tag after Lee had done most of the hard work. And he still got put down with a dropkick.

Kushida was being tended to by medics but brought himself back into the match, only to take a Phantom Driver from Escobar. Nash Cater took Mendoza and Wilde’s double team finisher and got pinned. Wes Lee might have been better off on his own.

 

 

Final word

Another strong show for WWE’s strongest brand. Next week’s Women’s Tag Team Championship match will be a Street Fight. Also next week, Isaiah ‘Swerve’ Scott and Leon Ruff have their Falls Count Anywhere match. Next week is going to be brutal. Finn Balor’s back as well but it sounds like chatting rather than wrestling.