Opening Segment: Dakota Kai vs. Santana Garrett

Arm-twisting and wristlocks to start from both women. Garrett breaks that up with a shoulder tackle when Kai tries to run at her off the ropes. On the second pass, Kai hits a dropkick to knock Garrett off her feet. Garrett responds with arm drags when Kai attempts to follow up.

Russian leg sweep by Garrett and she transitions into a 2 count pinfall. Beauty front roll into a bridging rear chinlock by Garrett. Fans clap for Kai to crawl to the rope and she does get the rope break after a few painful moments.

Kai blocks the roundhouse attempt and nails a step-up enziguri. She follows it up with continued kicks to the bosom and head. Corner to corner facewash kicks! Garrett’s crouched over and Kai flips over her and hits an impressive double knees backbreaker

Winner: Dakota Kai via pinfall in 4 minutes

One cool point for Kai’s innovative finisher, which McGuinness nicknames the Kai de Grace. Both wrestlers were moving kinda slowly to start this match off, but the ladies were well-matched. Kai needed a win like this to remind fans that she should be taken seriously in the Women’s Division.

Outside the arena, EC3 arrives and, some moments later, Johnny Gargano does too. They will be facing one another in tonight’s main event.

Earlier today, in the WWE Performance Center, it’s Heavy Machinery! Otis Dozovic is filming him and Tucker Knight working out. Dozovic talks about grilling a nice, juicy piece of meat as he wanders through the weight room. Suddenly, you hear someone shout out in pain. Dozovic hustles back to Knight, who is on the ground, clutching his leg. The camera drops and that’s it.

Second Segment: nXt Women’s Champion Shayna Baszler returns to FSU

Shayna Baszler says when the dog goes rabid, you put it to sleep, referencing how people questioned whether she could beat the “crazy” Nikki Cross. She reminds fans that she is the most dominant force in the Women’s Division.
She reads Twitter and sees fans talking up other options, like Belair, Sane and LeRae. None of them can beat her. That’s why WWE is having a second Mae Young Classic because they have to scour the world for new opponents for her. The answer will be the same every time people ask who will beat her. Baszler will put them all to sleep.

Announce Team Update

The team review the injury Oney Lorcan received during his and Danny Burch’s nXt Tag Team Championship match against the Undisputed Era at Takeover: Chicago. Cathy Kelley interviews Burch for an update. Burch says Lorcan’s looking at a 3 month recovery after surgery.

Suddenly, all 4 members of Undisputed Era saunter into the room. Roderick Strong pokes fun at Burch. Kyle O’Reilly says they are invoking their rematch clause against Tyler Bate and Trent Seven aka Moustache Mountain.

Burch reminds them of what they’re missing: the nXt Tag Team Championships. Adam Cole responds, asking what’s with this giant head? Ever since Lorcan got a North American Championship title shot, they’ve been like this. Burch says, alright then. How about giving me a title shot? Cole laughs and flippantly agrees.

This is followed by a highlight package for the War Raiders.

A review of Tommaso Ciampa and Aleister Black’s encounter from last week is shown. Ciampa requests a nXt Championship match. Well, nXt General Manager has signed that match to take place in 3 weeks, on July 25th.

Third Segment: Otis Dozovic vs. The Mighty

This has become a handicap match, following Knight’s injury during an attack that was likely executed by Thorne & Miller.

Dozovic wastes no time showing his strength against both Miller and Thorne, tossing both of his opponents through the ropes to the floor below. Watson says he ain’t messing around. Dozovic yells “nobody messes with my brother!”
Dozovic with a brutal forearm club on Thorne. Thorne makes Dozovic eat the top turnbuckle and Dozovic intimidates him in return, making him question that decision. Miller attacks from behind, which sends Dozovic to the floor below. Thorne retrieves him, rolls him into the ring and gets a 2 count. Tag is made.

Miller mounts Dozovic and dishes punches to the face and neck. Fans are not impressed. Tag is made. Double team back elbows and a double back drop for a 2 count only. Thorne pulls on Dozovic’s beard and head. He shoves him into their home corner and we see a series of quick tags. The Mighty go for a suplex but Dozovic counters and successfully suplexes the two of them!

Clotheslines to Miller and Thorne, followed by more forearms. Beauty of an overhead suplex throw by Dozovic on Thorne. He and Miller lean against a turnbuckle and Dozovic bulldozes the two of them. He catches Miller and slams him down. Crowd gets hyped for the caterpillar! Diving elbow drops on both Mighty members.
Dozovic climbs the turnbuckle but can’t connect with the Vader Bomb because Miller pulled Thorne out of the ring at the last moment.

The tides have turned. Miller smashes Dozovic in the back of the head with a strong lariat. It’s over.

Winners: The Mighty via pinfall in 6 minutes

One cool point for Dozovic because he defended himself very well for this impromptu handicap match. Rare that he gets an opportunity to show off his full offense, but he did tonight, and it was quite enjoyable. One cool point for the mischievous ways of The Mighty, who are rousing up a consistent response of boos from the FSU faithful.

Earlier this week, Bianca Belair is filmed, on her honeymoon, reading about what’s going on in the Women’s Division back in Florida. She talks trash about Sane and LeRae. She reminds us that she’s undefeated and these girls need time to catch up to her.

Earlier today, Kairi Sane is approached by reporters, asking about Borne’s comments from last week. Sane says she will gladly take a match against Borne, make her walk the plank, and then focus on taking the nXt Women’s Championship. That match will happen NEXT WEEK.

Also happening next week, Adam Cole will fight Danny Burch in a non-title match.

Fourth Segment: The Velveteen Dream vs. Chris Dijak

Dream’s getting cheers against Dijak, especially after Dijak points to his physique and yells, “Feast your…”. Dream puts a finger to Dijak’s lips, silencing him, and then shows off his own physique.

Dream and Dijak trade high kicks. Dijak tells Dream it’s time to fly and he executes a high hip toss. These two are hitting each other with everything they’ve got, punches, kicks, etc. Dijak transitions Dream from the turnbuckle to his shoulders, over his head to his arms, and then he tosses Dream to the mat. Dream crawls to the apron. Dijak climbs the turnbuckle and gets tripped up. Dream responds with hard rights, axe handles and kicks.
Dream tries to get the Rude Awakening. Dijak fights it. Dream hits him with a neckbreaker. Leg drop and a quick 1 count only.

Rear chinlock by Dream but it only slows Dijak for a few moments. He punches his way out of it, following that with slaps and a hard lariat to the face of Dream. He continues to strike Dream. Off the ropes, 360 spin and a big kick which sends Dream to the mat. 1-2- kickout.

Dream’s on the floor now. Dijak can’t climb the turnbuckle because Dream cuts Dijak’s leg out from under him, and Dijak falls HARD, face-first, on the ring steps. Yikes! There were screams from the crowd on that one.

The referee gets to 6 before Dijak rolls in. DDT by Dream! 1-2-3.

Winner: The Velveteen Dream via pinfall in 5 minutes

OK. One cool point for Dream and Dijak. The trash talking to start out the match hooked this fan. Good on Dijak for trying to outdo Dream because, already in one match, I know more about his attitude and personality than we ever did about Ember Moon for much of her nXt run. Dream is Dream and that trip up on to the steps was nasty.

EC3’s music hits while Dream is still lounging in the ring. Dream is none too pleased about this, taking his sweet time leaving the ringside area as EC3 poses and parades in the ring.

Moments ago, Moustache Mountain are asked about what the Undisputed Era said earlier. Seven says, you know what’s not a joke? That he and Bate beat O’Reilly and Strong, clean as a whistle, for the nXt Tag Team Championships. They will prove that it was not a fluke next week in a Championship rematch.

Final Segment: Johnny Gargano vs. EC3

Gargano is looking for a quick pace in tonight’s match. EC3 wants to settle things down. Gargano aggressively throws EC3 off the ropes and receives a stiff shoulder block for his efforts. Off the ropes again, Lou Thesz press by Gargano! He follows up with elbows and chops to the upper body of EC3. Front leg sweep on Gargano slows him down for a few moments.

EC3 follows up with chops of his own. Gargano fights back. EC3 hits him with a clothesline and then a somersault neckbreaker! 1-2- kickout.

The announcers play up the neck injury sustained by Gargano at Takeover: Chicago, as EC3 squeezes and wrenches Gargano’s neck. They remind us of how Gargano interrupted EC3’s match some weeks ago, which EC3 took as a sign of disrespect.

Reversal on the Irish whip, EC3 nails Gargano with a back elbow. Gargano stumbles to the corner. EC3 waits, opposite him, and he connects with a corner avalanche. He continues to apply pressure to Gargano’s neck, forcing him to sit on the mat, grimacing in pain.

Gargano fights back to his feet but he’s powerslammed. EC3 asks the crowd to say his name before dropping an elbow on Gargano. Gargano’s given time to stand up and he begins to build some momentum. Spear from the apron through the middle ropes! Topé con hilo to the outside on EC3!

EC3 doesn’t let that phase him and he replies with a stiff clothesline for a 2 count. Gargano’s brought to his feet by EC3. The two trade punches before EC3 attempts, possibly a pile driver, and Gargano hits him with a step-up enziguri.

From the second rope, Gargano dives. EC3 catches him, but can’t do anything because Gargano climbs down EC3 and applies the Garga-NO escape. No! EC3 reverses his way out of it with a quick roll, lifts Gargano up and POWERBOMB! 1-2- kickout. Beauty transition there, showing EC3’s strength.
Gargano stares down EC3 as they both sit on the mat. Gargano seems to have snapped. He superkicks EC3 once, twice, and waits in the corner for EC3 to stumble to his feet.

Gargano exposes his right knee as EC3 waits on his knees. EC3 fools him and gets him up in in the fireman’s carry. Gargano counters and brings EC3 to the mat for the Garga-NO escape! EC3 struggles to get the rope break. Referee counts to 5. Gargano barely listens to him.

Gargano re-applies the submission until the max 5 count. He then rushes EC3 with a knee to the head. EC3 is stunned, barely getting to his feet on the apron. DDT through the ropes by Gargano. 1-2-3.

Winner: Johnny Gargano via pinfall in 10 minutes

Certainly EC3’s best match on nXt TV so far, thanks to Gargano snapping, late in the match. The announcers play up the fact that Gargano had to descend to a deeper level of hatred and violence to get that win, possibly becoming Ciampa-like in the process. That’s what this match was about and it doesn’t hurt EC3 to lose that one.

Looking forward to reading your cool point suggestions and comments on tonight’s nXt show.
Peace!!
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