– The Independence Day edition of WWE NXT opens up on the USA Network via tape delay. Vic Joseph welcomes us to the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida. He’s joined at ringside by WWE Hall of Famer Booker T.
Blair Davenport vs. Roxanne Perez
We go right to the ring and out comes Blair Davenport as Alicia Taylor does the introductions. Roxanne Perez suddenly attacks from behind and beats Davenport up, taking it into the ring. The referee checks on Davenport and we get the bell.
Perez goes right to work on Davenport, then hits a big suicide dive to the floor. Perez controls at ringside and brings it back in for 2. Davenport ends up turning it around and nailing a sliding knee to the face. Davenport with more offense for the next several minutes. Perez turns it back around at one point with a big dropkick.
More back and forth until Davenport sends Perez out to the floor, then hits a big double stomp from the apron to the floor. Davenport stands over Perez at ringside as we go to commercial.
Davenport controls after the match and hits a suplex for 2. Davenport goes on and shuts down a comeback attempt. Davenport takes them up top but Perez counters and they both land hard.
Fans do dueling chants while they’re down. They get up trading strikes but Davenport levels Perez with a huge right for 2. Davenport ends up dodging Pop Rocks into the corner. Perez ends up sending Davenport out but she puts the brakes on before trying a suicide dive. Perez still comes out but Davenport counters and sends her into the steel ring steps, then hits a big knee strike into the steps.
Perez makes it back in at the 9 count. Davenport with a Falcon Arrow for a close 2 count while fans rally for Perez. Davenport holds Perez up by her arms, then nails two stiff knee strikes for the pin to win.
Winner: Blair Davenport
– After the match, Davenport stands tall as the music hits and we get replays. Davenport stands tall to boos now.
– McKenzie Mitchell is backstage with Ivy Nile. She’s nervous about tonight’s Losers Leave NXT Match but says The Creed Brothers are more focused than ever. Nile says The Schism is dangerous enough to take over NXT. NXT Women’s Champion Tiffany Stratton interrupts. She asks McKenzie why she’s talking to Nile instead of asking her about last week’s title defense. Nile says everyone saw Stratton tap out to Thea Hail. Stratton says the referee didn’t see it. They have words and Nile says she would’ve won. Stratton dismisses Nile and she goes off to be where she needs to be. Stratton wants to know if Nile also leaves NXT if The Creeds lose, but it’s just The Dyad or The Creeds.
Mustafa Ali vs. Tyler Bate
We go back to the ring and out comes Mustafa Ali. Back to commercial.
Back from the break and we get a vignette from Baron Corbin. He says last week sucked, he didn’t win the NXT Title like he thought, so now he’s pissed off and embarrassed. He miscalculated the nostalgia of The Lone Wolf and thought it would pay off. He’s got it all… family, fame and money, but he’s just seen as good. Good? Are you kidding me? Corbin needs to be feared and respected. He goes on and says to dictate his future he can’t go back to the past, he has to kill it. He doesn’t want people bowing down to him, he doesn’t want a position of authority, he doesn’t care about his pockets or what’s in them, he damn sure doesn’t want a manager. Corbin hasn’t worked hard for the past 8 years just to go back. He needs to burn it all down, he refuses to go back. No gimmicks, no nonsense, no bullshit. We go back to the ring and out comes Tyler Bate.
Bate and Ali lock up and trade offense and counters for the first few minutes, then we have a stalemate. Fans do dueling chants as they lock up and go at it again.
Ali drops Bate with a shoulder and mocks him at one point. Bate with a back-slide for 1. They trade more pin attempts. Ali with a Crossface but it’s countered into an ankle lock. Ali blocks that for another stalemate as fans cheer. They trade big chops in the corner as the referee warns them. Bate with a big dropkick and a big uppercut. Ali fights but Bate stays on him with more quick offense.x
Bate clotheslines Ali over the top rope to the floor. Ali tries to recover but Bate charges with a big flying uppercut as we go back to commercial.
Back from the break and there’s lots of high impact back & forth offense for the next several minutes. Bate goes up top but Ali shoves him and Bate lands hard. Ali goes back up and hits a 450 Splash for the pin.
Winner: Mustafa Ali
– After the match, Ali stands tall and celebrates as the music hits and we go to replays. Ali looks at the camera now and addresses NXT North American Champion Wes Lee. Ali says it is time my friend… he challenges Lee to a title match at Great American Bash as fans pop.
– McKenzie Mitchell is backstage with Joe Gacy and Ava now. She asks why The Dyad was put in this Losers Leave NXT Match. Joe would never put someone in a situation if their hearts were not in it. Ava and Gacy are confident The Creeds are done after tonight. Gacy says the right team will win tonight and it will strengthen them… tonight they will eliminate a big problem from NXT forever. Back to commercial.
Kelani Jordan vs. Tatum Paxley
Back from the break and Tatum Paxley is already in the ring, wrapping up her entrance. Out next comes Kelani Jordan making her main show in-ring debut, and she’s accompanied by Dana Brooke. They stop at the entrance way and hug, then Brooke goes to her spot at ringside.
The bell rings and they go at it. Paxley strikes but Jordan blocks the next knee attempt and rolls her up for 2. Jordan fights out of a hold and nails a dropkick, then an arm drag into an arm bar.
More back and forth for the next several minutes. Paxley mounts offense with strikes, then a forearm and kicks. Jordan blocks a suplex and nails a big float-over Stunner for the pin to win in the middle of the ring.
Winner: Kelani Jordan
– After the match, Brooke comes in to hug Jordan and they celebrate. Cora Jade interrupts and mockingly congratulates Jordan, then says it’s so cute how gymnasts stick together. Jade says any friend of Brooke’s is an enemy to her. Jade trash talks the fans until Jordan interrupts and says she has one more match in her tonight, so how about we settle this in the ring now? Brooke asks Jade what she thinks of that. Jade says do not tell me what to do, ever. Fans boo as Jade leaves.
– We go to a Chase University segment. The students chant “welcome back!” Thea Hail missed Chase and he missed them all. Before the lesson, Chase wants to recognize some people. He brings up Duke Hudson and praises him for stepping up in his absence, proving why he’s the MVP of Chase U. Duke stands there with Chase but Chase tells him he can sit down. Chase calls Hail the uncrowned NXT Women’s Champion and says we all saw her make Tiffany Stratton out. Chase says she would be champion if it weren’t for these two clowns. We see a photo of Drew Gulak and Charlie Dempsey on Chase’s screen. Chase says last week when he saw them get involved, he couldn’t take it any longer, he had to come out and stop them. Chase lashes out at a student who asks if we’ll see Gulak and Dempsey giving guest lectures any longer. Duke says he’s got this… Duke turns around in his seat and also yells at the guy. They say we won’t be seeing Gulak and Dempsey unless they’re receiving a Chase U-sized ass whopping. The students pop. Chase says damn it feels good to be back. The students chant “Chase U!” to end the segment.
– The ring crew is setting up for NXT Underground as we go back to commercial.
NXT Underground Match: Eddy Thorpe vs. Damon Kemp
Back from the break and out comes Eddy Thorpe with Gable Steveson to a pop. The ring has no ropes, and is surrounded by recruits from the WWE Performance Center, as well as Dante Chen and others. Damon Kemp is out next to boos. They meet in the middle of the ring as Alicia Taylor goes over the rules and does introductions. There are no pins and no count outs, the only way to win is by submission or TKO.
Thorpe with kicks as they go at it. Kemp with a takedown and forearms. Kemp goes on and hits a Uranage, then a rear naked choke on the mat. Kemp keeps Thorpe down but he escapes a body scissors.
More back and forth for the next several minutes. Lots of strikes between the two. They end up on the floor and Kemp sends Thorpe into the barrier. There was a moment where Kemp grabbed a woman standing around the ring, then used her as a shield and shoved her into Thorpe, then attacked him. At one point the real-life brothers, Damon and Kemp, face off until Kemp sends Thorpe back to the floor. Thorpe locks in a Triangle but Kemp overpowers and powerbombs Thorpe into the edge of the apron. Kemp brings it back in and hits a big German suplex.
Back from a break and they trade more punches and headbutts. Thorpe gets out of another rear naked choke, then unloads with kicks to the head. Thorpe with a big German suplex. Thorpe fights Kemp off and hits a Doomsday Saito suplex for a big pop. Kemp comes right back with a stiff shot to the head but they both go down.
The match goes on for several minutes until Kemp launches Thorpe to the floor with a belly-to-belly throw. Referees and Gable come over to check on Thorpe now. Gable comically tries to hype Thorpe up with his Olympic gold medal. Kemp ended up dropping a random recruit with a shoulder, sending him into the barrier as Gable gets out of the way.
Kemp charges but hits the ring post when Thorpe moves. Thorpe fights and hits a big German suplex on the floor. They bring it back in and Thorpe catches Kemp with a Triangle but Kemp powerbombs him in trying to break the hold. Thorpe holds on and unloads with elbow strikes until the referee calls the match.
Winner by Referee Stoppage (TKO): Eddy Thorpe
– After the match, Gable pops as he enters the ring to celebrate with Thorpe. A tall Performance Center recruit, which appears to be Kale Dixon, comes from behind and taps Gable on the shoulder. Gable turns around but doesn’t know the guy, so he turns back to Thorpe. Dixon taps Gable on the shoulder again and touches his Olympic gold medal, and says a few words. This doesn’t sit well with Gable, who takes his medal off now to prepare for a fight. Dixon sees this and backs away but Gable attacks and launches him with a big suplex for a pop. Gable with two more big throws to other recruits, including Tavion Heights, as they charge him. Gable yells out and celebrates. A larger man comes from behind and stands there. Gable turns around and they face off but Gable delivers another big suplex to a big pop. Gable and Thorpe celebrate to end the segment.
– We get a promo from NXT Champion Carmelo Hayes and Trick Williams. Hayes addresses The Judgment Day and says he doesn’t take their threats lightly. He appreciates Finn Balor sending WWE Women’s World Champion Rhea Ripley to NXT but she really didn’t say much. Hayes says he will tread lightly because Damian Priest has his Money In the Bank briefcase, but beware because it’s a different ball game in NXT. Hayes invites all of The Judgment Day to come to NXT and follow up on those threats, including Dominik Mysterio. Hayes and Trick say they are the judge, jury and executioners. You want to go toe to toe? That will be your judgment day because… that’s all it is, and all it’s gonna be.
Lyra Valkyria vs. Jacy Jayne
We go back to the ring and out comes Jacy Jayne. Back to commercial.
Back from the break and we see Channing “Stacks” Lorenzo visit Tony D’Angelo in jail. Tony asks what happened last week. Stacks thinks he’s talking about the match but Tony refers to the tapes of Stacks saying he’s the New Don. Stacks says he made a hell of a deal for them. Joe Coffey sits down next to Stacks. Tony hopes Stacks didn’t make a deal with rats, and Stacks says he would never betray Tony. Stacks explains the deal – it will be Joe vs. Stacks next week and if Stacks wins, Tony’s charges will be dropped and they will earn a shot against NXT Tag Team Champions Gallus. If Coffey wins, Tony must stay in jail until his trial begins, which means he will probably be locked up for a long time because he will be convicted. Tony can’t believe Stacks agreed to this. Joe says this was Stacks’ idea. Stacks says Tony acts like he can’t make his own decisions now… he says business has been good while Tony has been jail and the envelopes are full, The Underboss is making moves. Tony is not happy. Stacks says Tony is in here, it was Stacks’ decision, and Tony has to live with that. Stacks leaves. Joe picks up the phone and says, “goodbye Don!” Joe leaves as an angry Tony slams the phone against the wall over and over. We go back to the ring and out comes Lyra Valkyria to a pop as Jayne stares her down.
The bell rings and they go at it back & forth for the next several minutes. Jayne ends up dropping Valkyria face-first to the floor. Valkyria holds her nose as Jayne poses over her to boos as we go back to commercial.
More action after the break as they trade offense and submissions. At one point Valkyria nails a dropkick through the ropes. Valkyria brings it back in and goes to the top but Jayne avoids the big leg drop. Jayne keeps control and hits a senton for a close 2 count. Valkyria blocks a Cyclone Kick and nails a flying kick to the head. Valkyria levels Jayne with a big spin kick for the pin to win.
Winner: Lyra Valkyria
– After the match, Valkyria stands tall but Jayne immediately attacks with a cheap shot. Jayne beats Valkyria down to boos, then grabs Valkyria’s sacred feathers and taunts her with them. Jayne destroys the feathers and then exits as the boos continue. Valkyria is down on the mat recovering and she is not happy.
– Noam Dar is backstage talking to a photo of the NXT Heritage Cup. He’s losing his mind and just needs the Cup in his life. Dar is going crazy without the Cup and says he don’t know what he will do. Meta-Four’s Oro Mensah, Lash Legend and Jakara Jackson walk up. Dar says he has a Supernova Sessions segment planned for next week but doesn’t know how he will do it with no Cup in his possession. The other three agree they have to do something about this. They drag Dar away as he begs for just five more minutes with the Cup photo.
– Kiana James is at her office on the phone, bragging and laughing to someone about how she covered Gigi Dolin in paint last week. James hangs up and enters her office, which has a wet paint sign on the door. The office has been destroyed by vandals. There is paint and writing all over the walls, and a note that says you cannot outrun your past. James says it’s time to take the gloves off.
– We go back to the ringside area and Von Wagner is destroying Javier Bernal. Fans cheer as Mr. Stone looks on. Vic says Bernal was just in the ring talking trash when Von came out. Von goes for a powerbomb on top of the announce table but Stone talks him out of it. Von lifts Bernal to spike him into the barrier but Stone gets in the way. Von puts Bernal down. Fans chant for tables now. Von takes apart the announce table now, then puts Bernal through it with a big powerbomb. Fans cheer. Stone isn’t happy with Von but fans are cheering for Von. Von is all smiles as he poses at ringside and plays to the crowd as they cheer him on. Vic says to look at Von’s eyes.
– We get a new vignette for Bronco Nima and Lucien Price. They’re at a local convenience store, then riding in a Dodge Charger. They say NXT isn’t ready for them and they are ready to roll through the tag team division. They have athleticism and street knowledge, no one is like them. They are brothers… not by blood but by heart. Now they have a place to let out all this anger from their lives. They go on and say all NXT teams are about to feel it because they are on their way, no one is safe. Nima and Price say they will be on NXT next week as they drive away.
Losers Leave NXT Match: The Dyad vs. The Creed Brothers
We go back to the ring for tonight’s main event with a Losers Leave NXT stipulation. The Schism is out first – The Dyad’s Rip Fowler and Jagger Reid with Joe Gacy and Ava. Out next comes The Diamond Mine – Julius Creed and Brutus Creed of The Creed Brothers with Ivy Nile.
The Dyad attacks from behind to boos. Julius is double teamed, then Brutus is sent to the corner for the double team but Julius makes the save. Julius fights Reid as Brutus hits a big Brutus Bomb to Fowler on the floor.
The bell finally rings as Julius hits a big standing Shooting Star Press on Reid for a close 2 count as Gacy pulls him to safety at ringside. Fans boo Gacy. The referee ejects Gacy to the back for a big pop. Gacy argues with the referee as we go back to commercial.
Back from a break and Julius flies out to take down both opponents. They bring it back in and Reid tangles with Julius, allowing Fowler a roll-up for 2. Brutus comes in and gets double teamed as a worried Nile paces at ringside. Fowler ends up double teamed but Reid breaks it up by superkicking Brutus.
Julius is double teamed now. Reid talks trash in his face while keeping him down but Julius eventually breaks out with a big powerbomb. Fowler takes the knee out but this just angers Julius and Fowler is worried now. Julius attacks but Reid comes from behind. They end up at ringside and Fowler launches Julius into the steel ring steps knees-first. Julius clutches his knees as we go to commercial.
Back from a break and Fowler has Julius in a submission. Ava yells at Julius, telling him to tap out. Fans rally for Julius now but Fowler transitions into a new submission. Julius breaks out with kicks to the head. Brutus clotheslines Fowler, then knocks Reid off the apron. Brutus with big forearms to Fowler, then the big windmill strikes to keep him down in the middle of the ring. Brutus hoists Fowler up to his shoulders, then marches around for a big Musclebuster. Brutus goes to the apron and hits a big springboard 450 Splash for a close 2 count as fans pop big.
Brutus drops his straps as the referee checks on both of them. Brutus is fired up as he applies the ankle lock on Fowler. Fans chant “Tap!” and Fowler looks close to giving up but Fowler rolls out of the submission and kicks Brutus away. Fowler with a throat thrust now. Fowler goes to the middle rope and flies, catching Brutus in a big Codebreaker on the way down.
Fowler covers for a close 2 count as Nile looks on from ringside and she’s worried. Reid tags in and takes the tape off his fists, then works Brutus over to keep him down while talking trash. Brutus crawls to the apron and talks to his brother, who is standing there on the floor. Julius tells Brutus to keep fighting, and he loves him, and you got this.
Brutus gets up and they go at it. Brutus takes big strikes from Reid and just powers up, then levels Reid with a headbutt. Brutus yells out to a pop. Julius tags in now but Fowler yanks Brutus off the apron to the floor, putting Brutus on his shoulders at ringside. The distraction allows Reid to fight free from Julius. Reid unloads with elbow strikes to Julius.
Reid runs and dives out of the ring, knocking Brutus off Fowler’s shoulders with a Doomsday Device on the floor. The big sequence shocks some. Brutus goes down at ringside and Nile checks on him. Julius is still in the ring but he’s shocked at what he just saw. The Dyad stands together at ringside and Reid looks up at Julius in the ring, yelling about their 18 years together.
Fowler and Reid hit the ring but Julius fights them both, then launches them with a double Northern Lights suplex. Julius limps to the top and connects with the moonsault for a big pop. Julius regroups in the corner and prepares to attack. Ava runs in and confronts Julius in the corner. Nile quickly rushes in and sends Ava to the floor.
One of The Schism’s followers, a man with a red hoodie and a loaded mask, jumps up on the apron from out of nowhere, then smashes his face into Julius’ face while the referee is distracted. Was this Joe Gacy? Fans boo. Fowler and Reid then follow up with their double Codebreaker finisher, and Fowler covers Julius for the pin to win and stay in NXT.
Winners: The Dyad
– After the match, Nile checks on The Creed Brothers in the middle of the ring as the music hits and we go to replays. The Creed Brothers must leave NXT. Ava and The Dyad look on from the entrance as the masked man watches from across the arena on the bleachers. We go to commercial.
– Back from the break and we get a pre-recorded promo from Finn Balor. Balor addresses NXT Champion Carmelo Hayes and Trick Williams, and says, you’re not sweating me and The Judgment Day. Balor recalls when Hayes was sweating while Balor dragged him around the RAW ring a week ago. Balor says he gets it, they want the rub from The Judgment Day. He goes on and says there will be no happy endings and he will see them next week on NXT. Balor asks, how’s that for subliminal? Balor is apparently bringing The Judgment Day to NXT.
– The announcers hype next Tuesday’s NXT episode.
– We see footage of The Diamond Mine in the ring during the last commercial break. Fans gave them a standing ovation as The Creed Brothers waved goodbye.
– We go back to the ring and out comes Bron Breakker to mostly boos.
Bron takes the mic and brags about competing in the most-watched NXT match in over two years, all because he called out WWE World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins. Bron says they went to war but no one believed he had a chance until he hit a Spear on Rollins in the middle of the ring, and then he heard the energy in the area drop. He says Rollins would go on to prove how good he is but Bron can’t stress how close he was to winning the WWE World Heavyweight Title.
Bron says he was that close with only 78 matches in his career, while Rollins has had more Premium Live Event matches than he’s had period. Bron says he didn’t have the luxury of traveling the world and working in high school gyms to learn, everything Bron has learned has been right here on live TV every week. Bron says his first night on the job he beat one of the hottest Superstars in the world right now – LA Knight.
Bron says he’s only 25 years old and he proved he can hang with the very best in the business, and he is that good. Bron says get used to seeing his face for decades to come because he’s got a lot more people to beat and titles to win. Bron says people always want to know what’s next for NXT’s most intense Superstar, what’s next for The Badass Bron Breakker?
The music interrupts and out comes Ilja Dragunov to a big pop. Dragunov knows what is next for Bron… it is him. Bron is annoyed. Dragunov said he wanted to come out and confront Bron like a man, not with a cheap shot in the back. Dragunov says the only person standing between him and the NXT Title is Bron. Dragunov says he came to eliminate Bron. Dragunov says it’s funny Bron talks about danger when he’s now standing in the ring with the most dangerous man in NXT. Dragunov suddenly attacks with a high knee and they start brawling. Referees try to break it up but they have no luck.
WWE Performance Center recruits and NXT Superstars rush the ring but Dragunov and Breakker take them out. They trade more big strikes until Dragunov knocks Bron to the floor, and tumbles out with him. They keep fighting and yelling at each other, and breaking free when the others try to hold them back. Bron yells, I’ll kick your ass… you kidding me? NXT goes off the air as the brawl moves towards the backstage area.
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