WWE NXT live results: Women’s North American title qualifiers begin
Tonight, qualifying matches begin to determine who will be competing for the inaugural NXT Women’s North American Championship.
The first champion will be crowned in a ladder match at NXT Deadline on June 9. A combine took place last week to decide which 12 wrestlers would get to compete in qualifying matches. Those begin tonight with Ivy Nile vs. Lash Legend and Sol Ruca vs. Izzi Dame.
Thea Hail, Jaida Parker, Brinley Reece, Michin, Fallon Henley, Kelani Jordan, Tatum Paxley, and Wren Sinclair have also earned their places in upcoming qualifying bouts.
The feud between No Quarter Catch Crew and The Family continues tonight with Tony D’Angelo challenging Charlie Dempsey for the Heritage Cup Championship. Je’Von Evans vs. Noam Dar and Malik Blade & Edris Enofe vs. Bronco Nima & Lucien Price are also part of tonight’s lineup.
Plus, we’ll hear from Wes Lee following his return from a serious back injury. After spending nearly six months out of action, Lee returned last week and defeated Josh Briggs. Lee has his sights set on regaining the NXT North American Championship that’s currently held by Oba Femi.
Join us for live coverage starting at 8 p.m. Eastern time.
The show opens with a recap from last week, featuring highlights of the women’s combine.
Kiana James is hyping up Izzi Dame in the locker room, ahead of Dame’s match tonight. James says she is going to run Monday Night Raw, after being called up recently. James then says Dame will run NXT. James tells Dame to go out there and win her qualifying match. Dame then leaves, heading for the ring.
Sol Ruca is also heading to the ring, and what an entrance she makes. Ruca cuts a total babyface promo into the camera just before she enters through the curtain. Ruca then walks on her hands as she enters the sound stage at the Performance Center in Orlando. Unique entrance to say the least.
Sol Ruca defeated Izzi Dame in a NXT Women’s North American Championship qualifying match
The first to qualify for the championship ladder match, Ruca won via pinfall. The match was good by the end, and they had a great flashy finish.
The match itself starts off clunky, but it improves greatly to end with a hot finish. Ruca gets launched outside the ring, and then thrown hard onto the announce desk. The big bump outside the ring was among the many wild bumps Ruca took in the match. She is worked over by Dame, until Ruca makes a fiery comeback. Dame cuts her off, just before the go home.
For the finish, an Irish whip sends Ruca into a corner. Ruca springs off the ropes to catch a charging Dame in a headscissors. Ruca then flips inside out to deliver a cutter. Called a Soul (or maybe “Sol”) Snatcher by the announcers, it was a great finish out of nowhere. Ruca hooks a leg and covers Dame for a three count. Ruca now advances to the ladder match.
After a good match comes some bad community theater. The D’Angelo Family meets with NXT GM Ava in her office. “The Don” was fined $2,000 by the GM. Ava is paid off in a large envelope. Tony D says it is all there, “and then some.” He tells Ava she can maybe spruce up the office. As far as tonight goes, D’Angelo insists to Ava there should be no “funny business” in the Heritage Cup match later on.
Malik Blade & Edris Enofe are in the locker room. Blade is pumped up, but Enofe is skeptical since he has a stretch of bad luck lately. Enofe even has a rabbit’s foot for luck. Brinley Reece burst into the room, and she is hyped for them. She tosses the rabbit’s foot aside, and says to go get the “W.” Good luck with that.
Shayna Baszler is on NXT again, this time for an interview alongside Lola Vice. Sarah Schreiber interviews them. Suddenly, Karmen Petrovic and Natalya attacks Baszler and Vice. The interview ends with a pull-apart brawl.
OTM (Bronco Nima & Lucien Price with Jaida Parker) defeated Edris Enofe & Malik Blade (with Brinley Reece)
Enofe drops the fall, as his run of bad luck continues. In this match, he almost loses his boot.
The match goes through a commercial break, after Parker and Reece gets into a brawl at ringside. The two team leave the ring to separate the two women, who wrestle next week against each other in a qualifying match. Things settle down, only for a flare up when the show is back from the break.
Referees and officials pour out to ringside, trying to separate Parker and Reece. Soon thereafter, Enofe gets ragdolled in the ring and double teamed. Enofe’s boot is super loose, which would play into the match.
Hot tag to Blade, and he begins to clean house. High cross off the top on both of OTM, and Blade is pumped up. He quickly tags out to Enofe, but his boot is barely hanging on. Blade signals for a double team finisher. Before they can, Blade is booted over the top rope with a kick by Nima.
Enofe tries to fight off Price, but Enofe’s boot is falling off. He eats a superkick instead. OTM hammer Enofe into the mat with a double team spinebuster. Nima then covers Enofe for a pinfall. OTM win in a dominate manner.
Wacky skit in the trainer’s room, as Dar is not cleared to wrestle tonight after an alleged sneak attack. Lash Legend is not worried about them, she has a match up next. She storms off, headed for the ring.
Another wacky skit, this time in the men’s locker room. Tag teams are the focus. NXT Tag Team Champions Nathan Frazier & Axiom are confronted by The Good Brothers, while Frazier & Axiom are talking with Ridge Holland. He has words with Karl Anderson & Doc Gallows. They challenge Holland to a tag match tonight.
Lash Legend (with Jakara Jackson) defeated Ivy Nile in a NXT Women’s North American Championship qualifying match
Legend is the second to qualify for the championship ladder match, after Legend pinned Nile to win this match.
Legend works an arm early on, as she targets Nile’s shoulder. The fight spilled outside at one point. From there, Legend slams her on the floor, and also slames her on the ring apron. Nile counters Legend, and Nile begins a comeback. High cross back into the ring, and Nile is firing up. Legend soon cuts off Nile, but Nile fights back.
They set up and execute an avalanche bulldog. Legend teases a chokeslam as the two are perched on the ropes, but Nile counters into a super bulldog off the top. Legend kicks out for a near fall. Nile had executed a tilt-a-whirl earlier in the match. Legend blocks the second attempt. Nile reveres into a submission hold, catching Legend in a Dragon Sleeper.
Nile is near the ropes with the hold locked in, and Jackson grabs at Nile’s feet. Nile lets go and dropkicks Jackson, but the distraction allows Legend to recover. Legend plants Nile into the mat, and Legend follows up with a pump kick. Legend then pins Nile.
In a backstage interview, Je’Von Evans denies attacking Noam Dar.
Newcomer to NXT television, Carlee Bright asks Ava for a match against Lola Vice. Ava grants her wish for later tonight, as Ava notes how well Bright did in the combine.
Je’Von Evans defeated Oro Mensah (with Jakara Jackson & Lash Legend)
Evans pinned Mensah in an exciting match. NXT Champion Trick Williams comes to ringside during the match for an interaction with Legend, when she tries to cheat. It would be the only live appearance of Trick on this episode.
Evans is a human highlight reel. He is cut off and sent outside the ring as the show cuts to a commercial break. The fighting only intensifies after the break. After a slugfest, Evans springboards into a Diamond Cutter. Mensah rolls out of the ring before Evan can capitalize. Evans follows up with a big dive over the ropes.
Mensah looks to be trouble again, leading Legend to get a metal folding chair from underneath the ring. Before she can do anything with the chair, out comes NXT Champ Trick Williams. He questions what Legend is doing. Meanwhile, Mensah is pummeling Evans.
Back-and-forth in the closing moments, as Evans fights back. Double springboard by Evans into a tornillo press. Evan then scored a three count on Mensah.
Kelly Kincaid interviews Charlie Dempsey, ahead of his match tonight defending the Heritage Cup against challenger Tony D’Angelo. His crew jumped Myles Borne and Damon Kemp last week, hurting them bad enough they could no wrestle tonight. That left Dempsey alone to defend the Cup, without the benefit of the Catch Clause.
Wes Lee is heading to the ring for a monologue. Lee gives a heartfelt speech about his desire to return in NXT. When Lee is seemingly at a loss for words in expressing his gratitude to the fan base, he is interrupted by NXT North American Champion Oba Femi. Since no monologue in NXT can go uninterrupted, out comes the champ to confront Lee.
Femi insists he is impressed with Lee. Femi touts Lee’s accomplishment in returning to NXT. Femi’s tone shifts more sinister. Femi says Lee has taken it far enough, as now is time to sit back and watch Femi take the title to new heights. Lee may have the heart of a warrior, but Femi insists he is an actual warrior.
Femi proclaims himself the ruler, the destroyer, and the bringer of war. He is the mountain Lee cannot climb, and so on. Femi tells Lee to prove he deserves a title shot.
Lee responds by saying that Femi checks all the boxes on what makes a superstar. As Lee is talking, he is interrupted again. This time, it’s Ivar of the Viking Raiders. Ivar says everyone is excited to have Lee back, including Ivar himself. Ivar empathizes with Lee, noting they have the same spinal surgeon. Ivar says he had to fight his way back when he returned from surgery, and Ivar wants Lee to do the same.
Ivar begins to challenge Lee to a match, when they are all interrupted yet again. Out comes Josh Briggs, and he cuts a promo on everyone being so emotional. Briggs notes he and Femi stole the show in their last meeting, and Briggs wants to run it back.
Femi says everyone has a good arguments. Lee insists that Femi book a triple threat, since he is the “ruler’ and all. Femi acts like he is making his own decision, only to book a triple threat number one contender’s match for next week. That is later made official.
A teaser of some sort has someone snoring. Cannot tell who, as it is only audio. Then an alarm sounds, and the show returns from commercial break.
Lexis King is being a jerk again in a backstage skit. Jaxmyn Nyz enters the scene, looking to get people to sign a get well card for Jacy Jayne. No one wants to sign it, except King. He clearly only does it to hit on Nyz. As he leaves, Nyz reads his inscription. King mistakenly refers to “Jacky” instead of Jacy. Nyz in turn refers to King as an idiot.
Ridge Holland & Riley Osborne (with Andre Chase, Duke Hudson & Thea Hail) vs. The OC (Karl Anderson & Doc Gallows)
Anderson pinned Holland, after a miscue where Osburne hit Holland with a springboard dropkick.
The story going into the match is Holland trying to gain the trust of Osborne, thus teaming with him tonight. Osborne would go on to cost Holland the match.
For much of the match, Good Brothers work over Osborne. They are cut off when Osborne fights back. Hot tag to Holland, and he throws the heels around with power moves. Holland is a house of fire, and he saves Osborne in the closing moments of the match.
As they go home, Holland has Anderson ready for an Alabama slam. Osborne springboard off the top rope with a missile dropkick. Inadvertently or maybe on purpose, Osburne hits Holland. Anderson then rolls up Holland for a three count.
Lola Vice (with Shayna Baszler) defeated Carlee Bright
Bright is a cookie cutter babyface, even down to the music. She even got to shine some, but not for long. Vice eventually cut off Bright with a superkick, and Vice followed up with a spinning back fist. Vice then pinned Bright.
Vice and Baszler look to attack Bright more after the match. Natalya’s theme music blares, and in she runs alongside Karmen Petrovic. A melee ensues. Nattie and Petrovic clear the ring, and they challenge Vice and Baszler to a tag match next week on NXT. That is later made official for next Tuesday.
In a backstage skit, Riley Osborne shakes hands with Ridge Holland.
Matches announced for the next episode include:
- Thea Hail vs. Fallon Henley in a NXT Women’s North American Championship qualifier
- Jaida Parker vs. Brinley Reece in another NXT Women’s North American Championship qualifier
- Wes Lee vs. Ivar vs. Josh Briggs in a number one contender’s triple threat match for a shot at the NXT Men’s North American Championship
- Shayna Baszler & Lola Vice vs. Karmen Petrovic & Natalya
Tony D’Angelo (with Channing “Stacks” Lorenzo, Luca Crusifino & Adriana Rizzo) defeated Charlie Dempsey to win the NXT Heritage Cup
D’Angelo captures the Heritage Cup after winning two rounds, including the final round. Dempsey won a round, but he ultimately dropped the final fall. Thus, he dropped the title. His cohorts in the No Quarter Catch Crew would run during the match, but to no avail.
D’Angelo wins the first round, after catching Dempsey with a victory roll. A subplot in round one is D’Angelo outsmarting Dempsey in a grappling contest, and “The Don” goes up one fall to nothing. While they would grapple at a times in the later rounds, the first round looked much more like the technical wrestling seen in past Heritage Cup matches. The rest of the bout was much more pro wrestling than grappling.
Too bad much of the second round took place during a split-screen commercial break. Joined in progress after the commercials, time runs out on round two shortly thereafter. Dempsey has D’Angelo trapped in an arm bar, but time expires. “The Don” is saved by the bell.
Dempsey wins the third round, after targeting an arm. Dempsey works D’Angelo’s arm. D’Angelo fights back, and they trade near falls with roll-ups and such. That played off how “The Don” scored the pin in round one. On the latest attempt in round three, Dempsey is able to kick out and fight on.
Demspey is on the ropes when he sidesteps a charge. D’Angelo crashes into the post, and Dempsey executes a German suplex with a bridge. Dempsey is able to score a pinfall with the bridge, evening the score at one fall apiece.
No falls in the fourth round. Dempsey continued to work the arm, and Tony D tries to fight back. Comeback by D’Angelo as time expires to end round four. Although D’Angelo delivers a Ron Simmons spinebuster, he is unable to make a cover quick enough as time expired to end the round.
As the fifth round begins, Myles Borne and Damon Kemp run in. They are in tattered clothing, selling the kidnapping and beating from last week. They brawl with the D’Angelo Family at ringside. Borne is in the ring with D’Angelo, and “The Don” backdrops Borne out of the ring.
Near fall for Dempsey in the closing moments, with an O’Connor Roll and a bridge. D’Angelo goes on to counter Dempsey and execute Forget About It (twisting fisherman’s buster). D’Angelo then covers Dempsey for the deciding pinfall. D’Angelo wins the fifth round to capture the Heritage Cup. Not much time to celebrate, as it’s TO THE BACK!
Cut to the back like this an old episode of TNA (from those really bad years), and there was some sort of ambush. Bodies are strewn around. Wes Lee, Ivar, and Josh Briggs are all laid out. Gallus reveal themselves as the assailants, and the show goes off the air with their return as the cliffhanger.