WWE NXT live results: Flag match, title bout, new number one contenders
A title match, a stipulation bout, the crowning of new number one contenders, and more are part of the WWE NXT lineup for tonight.
The NXT Tag Team titles will be on the line with DarkState defending against Hank & Tank. It’s a rematch from NXT Heatwave, where Osiris Griffin & Dion Lennox became the new champions.
A rare flag match will go down as Ethan Page (representing Canada) battles Tavion Heights (representing the United States). It’s the first time WWE has presented a flag match since 2017.
New number one contenders for WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions Charlotte Flair & Alexa Bliss will be decided with Fatal Influence, The Culling, and Sol Ruca & Zaria facing off in an elimination match.
At No Mercy later this month, Ruca will defend her Speed Women’s Championship against the winner of a four-woman tournament. Candice LeRae advanced last week by defeating Xia Brookside of TNA Wrestling. Tonight, Lucha Libre AAA’s Faby Apache takes on Lainey Reid.
Je’Von Evans vs. Josh Briggs is also slated for tonight. Plus, WWE will follow up on the feud between Trick Williams and DIY ahead of NXT’s return to Full Sail University next week.
Join us for live coverage starting at 8 p.m. Eastern time.
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The show begins with footage from earlier today, where teams arrive set for a triple threat number one contender’s match.
NXT is then on the air in front of a live studio audience inside a sound stage at the Performance Center in Orlando.
Je’Von Evans storms to the ring to call out Josh Briggs. No introductions of ring entrances. Straight to fighting as Evans meets Briggs in the aisle. The fight is on, and it is wild from the start.
NXT General Manager Ava is also at ringside, trying her best to restore order. Good luck as Evans and Briggs brawl at ringside.
Josh Briggs vs. Je’Von Evans
Briggs tries to counter Evans early on, but Evans is on fire. Evans jumps from the floor, past the apron, and springs off the bottom rope into an Asai moonsault. Back in the ring, Evans strikes with a spinning kick and a frog splash for an early near fall.
Briggs cuts off Evans with clubbing blows, and the studio audience drowns him in boos. Bossman slams by Briggs for a two count. Briggs grounds Evans, but Evans comes back with hurricanrana, and then another after springing off the top rope. The fight spills outside as Briggs cuts off Evans.
Evans is sent face first into the announce desk. Briggs with a gozzle as he teases a chokeslam through the table. Evans escapes and sails through the ropes with a tope suicida that sends him and Briggs crashing over the desk. From there the show cuts to its first commercial break with picture-in-picture.
Briggs with heat on Evans during the break, and Briggs has Evans grounded again when the show returns from commercials. Evans fires up on Briggs, but Briggs cuts him off. Briggs goes on to taunt and slap Evans. That only serves to fire up Evans, and Evans hulks up. Evans springboards into a flying clothesline for another near fall.
Briggs gets a stunner after trying for a powerslam, and Briggs is on rubber legs. Evans boots Briggs with a field goal kick, and Briggs still kicks out at two. But Briggs is soon dropped with a kick. Evans goes coat-to-coast with a Swanton.
Evans is posted on the floor, and the tide seemingly shifts. Not for long. Briggs tries to use a chair, but the ref stops him. Evans then boots Briggs in the face. Evans then goes for a signature double springboard into what was presumably a stunner. Briggs blocks it by clubbing Evans with a loaded right hand. Briggs then covers Briggs for a three count. A replay afterwards shows Briggs use his chain necklace as a weapon to lay out Evans.
Match result: Josh Briggs defeated Je’Von Evans via pinfall
Great opener, but Evans drops another fall. Briggs did cheat to win. So, Evans will hopefully go over at some point. After such a good match, I was disappointed with Evans losing another match. Especially because Evans has another stellar performance. Maybe Briggs will get his comeuppance soon enough.
— NXT Champion Oba Femi and his next challenger, Ricky Saints, argue in Ava’s office. She then books them in a face-to-face segment for next week to air their grievances.
TNA World Champion Trick Williams enters, and he wants to know if everything they talked about is still on ahead of the DIY segment that is up next. That led into a talking segment with DIY and a surprise appearance after a commercial break.
Carmelo Hayes cameo sets up tag match with DIY
DIY — Tommaso Ciampa and Johnny Gargano — enter the sound stage to a pop. Ciampa says they feel at home in NXT, but tonight is extra special. Tonight marks ten years since he and Gargano first tagged together. Gargano also speaks, saying they have not forgotten where they came from. They are NXT for life, even if they are on Smackdown. NXT will always be home.
Ciampa says he hoped, and even kind of knew, his last match in NXT would not his last on the brand. Cue Trick Williams, who enters the sound stage to cut a promo on DIY.
Trick proclaims himself the greatest NXT superstar of all time. Trick claims that DIY is jealous because their NXT crew cannot hang with the current NXT crew. Trick is challenged by DIY to get in the ring and prove it. Trick says he will, but Trick is not alone.
Out comes Carmelo Hayes, as he returns to NXT in this surprise appearance. Hayes being there does make sense, though, and that is evident by the match this segment sets up.
Hayes gets a full entrance as he joins Trick in the ring to confront DIY. Hayes gets into the ring and look at Trick, as the Trick-Melo Gang is back together. The studio audience chants for them to “hug it out,” but Hayes instead cuts a promo on Trick.
Hayes counteracts Trick’s claim about NXT being Trick’s house. Hayes tells Trick that DIY built this house, and Hayes renovated it. Hayes goes on to accuse Trick of “squatting” in their house. Squatter chants ring out from the crowd.
Trick and Hayes bicker when they are verbally cut off by DIY. Trick-Melo Gang are then challenged to a tag match against DIY.
Natalya is front row for the next match, which features Faby Apache. Nattie and Faby collide in a match at When World Collide. Nattie being there plays into the finish of the next bout on tonight’s card.
Faby Apache vs. Lainey Reed in a Speed Championship Number One Contender’s tournament match
Both get pre-taped promos to get help get themselves over. Apache gets to shine, as she should. She is a legend. Reed still gets the win, after a distraction by Nattie at ringside. That made Faby miss a senton, and Reed delivers a running knee strike. Reed then scores a pin, and she advances in the tournament to face Candice LeRae in the tournament final.
Match result: Lainey Reed defeated Faby Apache via pinfall in a tournament semifinal
Short match of course, but good while it lasted.
— Sol Ruca & Zaria are in a somewhat silly skit with Hank & Tank. Both teams are pumped about their match later on.
— Blake Monroe is featured in a vignette where she laments her feud with Jordynne Grace. Monroe cuts a sinister promo on Grace.
Darkstate (Dion Lennox & Osiris Griffin) vs. Hank Walker & Tank Ledger for the NXT Tag Team Championship
The tag title match goes through a commercial break. Hank & Tank are on a roll as the show heads into the break. After returning from the break, Tank is being worked over by Darkstate. Hot tag to Hank, and he is running wild. Near fall for Hank after a unique flatliner.
Hank & Tank do a takeoff of the old Power & Glory finisher. Lennox takes a superplex from Hank, and Tank follows with a Swanton. Another near fall for the challengers. Hank & Tank signal for their own finisher. Darkstate members at ringside, Saquon Shugars and Cutler James, interfere to break up the attempted finisher.
Cutler James is punching Hank when he invokes the name of Joe Hendry. Of course, speak his name and he appears.
Out comes Hendry smashing through a wall like the Kool-Aid Man. James backpedals and flees. Hendry chases him into the ring, and the referee stops Hendry to scold him. Meanwhile, Lennox is rolled by Hank with an O’Connor Roll. Griffin jumps in to reverse the roll-up, and Lennox scores a pin on Hank.
Match result: Dion Lennox & Osiris Griffin defeated Hank Walker & Tank Ledger when Lennox pinned Walker.
Hank & Tank are becoming a popular tag team, and they had a decent enough match here with Darkstate. Joe Hendry being there is certainly a choice, but Darkstate has not been taken seriously anyway so the comedy works. They are still the tag champs… For now at least.
— The flag match later on tonight gets some hype in a great video package, albeit somewhat over the top.
— In a locker room skit, Lexis King is in the locker room complaining about a post from social media. In the post by “NXT Anonymous”, Ethan Page is seen scolding Myles Borne over his loss to King. Borne appears with a metal folding chair. Playing off the blinded angle, Borne shuts off the lights and attacks King with the chair. This feud must continue!
NXT North American Champion Ethan Page vs. Tavion Heights in a non-title flag match
USA and Canadian flags are on a pole in their respective corners. Lots of climbing the turnbuckles trying to fetch the flag. In between the climbing were some risky high spots. Scary spot at one point when Heights spears Page, and Page takes an ugly bump on the floor. Page seems to land on his head and neck. Heights tries to help break the fall, but the bump still looked scary.
Looked like they are killing each other at times with the gnarly bumps they took. Psychology was all based on climbing for the flags, and that turned the match into a stunt show. To set up he finish, Page takes a suplex off the top rope. Heights then climbs the ropes and grabs “Old Glory” to win the match.
Match result: Tavion Heights defeated Ethan Page after retrieving the US flag.
They worked hard and had a helluva stunt show. This appears to blow off the feud, and the right guy won.
Heights hold the American flag while he also grabs the Canadian flag off the pole. Heights drapes the Canadian flag over Page in a callback to last week. Heights gets his revenge.
Tyler Breeze suddenly appears at ringside holding his selfie stick. Breeze gets into the ring and poses over a fallen Page. This sets up a North American title match for next week, which was officially confirmed later in the show.
— Lola Vice of the focus of a great personality profile. The video package was very well done.
— In a backstage promo with Fatal Influence, NXT Women’s Champion Jacy Jayne name drops Maybelline for some product placement with a regular sponsor.
Fallon Henley & Jazmyn Nyx vs. Izzi Dame & Tatum Paxley vs. Sol Ruca & Zaria in a triple threat number one contenders’ tag team match
This was like an old ECW three way dance, meaning on team was eliminated before the final two teams face off. Lots of action. Almost took much to call. Plethora of high spots and saves. The studio audience was hot throughout the match. This may have been more of a stunt show than the flag match, but the bumps here were at least much safer.
The triple threat goes through a commercial break before the first elimination.
Sol Ruca & Zaria are eliminated after Jazmyn Nyx pinned Zaria.
With one team eliminated, one would think the action would be less. Not the case here as the pace only quickened, and the spots came quicker.
Match result: Izzi Dame & Tatum Paxley won the triple threat after Dame pinned Paxley following a sit-out bomb.
This was an exciting, but difficult to follow at times with so many people.Triple threat matches are an overdone concept, but they did well here to have an action-packed match. The elimination aspect added something other WWE triple threat matches lack.
Rhea Ripley, Stephanie Vaquer & Tiffany Stratton return to NXT to set up trios match for Homecoming
NXT Women’s Champion Jacy Jayne cut a promo after the match where she heeled on her partners in Fatal Influence. She blamed them for losing, and Jayne claims she was carrying them on her back. Jayne goes on to claim she is the greatest NXT women’s champ ever. In between her rants, the show cuts to a commercial break. She is still ranting after the break.
Enter Stephanie Vaquer. She confronts Jayne and Fatal Influence. Vaquer gives Jayne credit, but Vaquer boasts about holding both the NXT women’s title and the North American title at the same time. Vaquer vow to win the WWE Women’s World title to prove she is the greatest.
Jayne threatens Vaquer, and Jayne warns Vaquer she is outnumbered. Vaquer asks what time is it… It’s Tiffy Time.
Out comes WWE World Women’s Champion Tiffany Stratton, who cuts a promo on Jayne. Stratton lists off her long list of accomplishments as evidence Jayne is not the greatest.
Out comes Rhea Ripley to a huge pop, and Jayne sells big. Mami is back home in NXT. Ripley cuts a promo on Jayne claiming to be the greatest. Ripley then books a match for NXT Homecoming next week, with Ripley teaming with Stratton and Vaquer against Fatal Influence.
The babyface trio of returning stars rush the ring and the heel trio powders. Fatal Influence beg off as the show goes off the air.
