WWE NXT Results And Review (8/26): The Fate Of The NXT Championship Revealed, Returning Star Joins Commentary Team, And More

NXT

This episode of NXT was the fallout show from NXT TakeOver XXX. The show featured two championship matches including the Cruiserweight Championship as Santos Escobar defended against Isiah “Swerve” Scott and Imperium put their Tag Team titles on the line against the No. 1 Contenders Breezango. Plus, it was the return of former NXT Champion Tommaso Ciampa.

The show kicked off with the New NXT Champion Karrion Kross. Kross said that he told everyone he would be NXT Champion and he did it. He mentioned his shoulder is separated but he loves the pain. He said there is now way they are letting him defend the title in his condition. He placed the title in the ring along with the hourglass. He said this changes nothing and doomsday is still coming. He said in the end, everyone pays the toll. Kross and Scarlet left the ring afterwards.

Vic Joseph introduced guest commentator for the night, former Intercontinental Champion Wade Barrett.

Breezango Defeated Imperium To Become The New NXT Tag Teamย Champions

Review:ย This match was really good. I was surprised they had the title change here. I’m glad they put the titles on them and maybe we get more segments with them since they are an entertaining duo. Hopefully this will also help reignite the tag division for this brand.

McKenzie went to interview Damien Priest but Priest said he’s still got more partying to do. Timothy Thatcher confronted him saying that its embarrassing of how he acts like a champion should act. Timothy said he wants the first shot at the title. Priest said he doesn’t mind taking him on and that he is very equipped in his wrestling after he called Priest unequipped.

Tommaso Ciampa Defeated Jake Atlas

Ciampa attacked Atlas outside the ring, throwing him against the steel steps. Officials try to separate him but he landed a boot to Atlas and catapulted him into the steel beam underneath the ring. They loaded Atlas onto the stretcher but then Ciampa planted him with a DDT off the stretcher.

Review:ย Short match. It was what it needed to be with Atlas jobbing out to Ciampa on his return match. I wasn’t expecting Ciampa’s character to be this intense and be a heel. I don’t see where this is going with him but we’ll have to wait and see.

Candice LeRae talked about traveling around the world with Tegan Knox and being close friends. She said Tegan was nowhere to be found when she needed help. Candice said sometimes people have to be selfish and if she can handle that it’s her loss.

Bronson Reed was interviewed about Thatcher and Priest. He said he believed he should have the opportunity to face Priest. Austin Theory interrupted saying that Bronson will be a champion at 55 if he keeps chasing his dream. Bronson slapped him across the face and left.

Mia Yim made her way to the ring for her match. Robert Stone came out with Aliyah saying that she doesn’t deserve to face Mercedes Martinez. Stone gets ran over from behind by a tank thanks to Shotzi Blackheart. Instead, Mia was going one on one with Shotzi.

Shotzi Blackheart Defeated Mia Yim

Review:ย Good match. These two really put a lot into this match and made it work to a degree. I don’t know exactly what this does to with of them other than a showcase but I hope they do more with Shotzi. I don’t know where this leaves Mia though.

William Regal was asked if they have come to a decision concerning the NXT Championship. He said he has a decision and he is going out to the ring to address it.

Dakota Kai and Raquel Gonzalez were asked about their tag match against Io Shirai and Rhea Ripley. Dakota said she has no problem taking them on because she know Io and Rhea do not like each other. Dakota believed that she should be the NXT Women’s Champion. Raquel told Rhea that she shouldn’t have gotten in her business.

William Regal was in the ring with the NXT title. Regal wished Kross a speedy recovery. He announced that to determine the next NXT Champion, four men will compete in a fatal 4 way match next Tuesday on a special NXT episode. He announced that it will be Johnny Gargano vs. Tommaso Ciampa vs. Finn Balor vs. Adam Cole. He said it will be a first ever fatal 4 way 60 minute Iron Man match.

Santosย Escobar Defeated Isiah Swerve Scott To Retain The Cruiserweightย Championshipย 

Review:ย Really good match. I thought it was pretty creative way to have Santos cheat to retain the title. Other than that though, it wasn’t too exciting of a match since I didn’t really see a new champion being crowned.

Johnny Gargano was shown in a video promo saying that he was going to fix NXT but now fate has stepped in. He said its time to remind everyone who he is and he will prove he is the Iron man of NXT when he wins the NXT title next Tuesday.

Finn Balor was shown in a video promo saying that he is going to enjoy every second of that one hour match. He said he will become NXT Champion once again.

Kyle O’Reily Defeated Drake Maverick

Undisputed Era attacked Drake after the match. Bobby Fish grabbed a chair and was about to enter the ring with it until Killian Dain came to the rescue. Dain attacked them until they escaped the ring. Dain and Maverick looked at each other but then Dain clotheslined Maverick, leaving him lying in the ring.

Review:ย This was an okay match. There wasn’t really anything noteworthy about this other than it looks like there is a mini feud of Undisputed Era, Drake Maverick and Killian Dain and its kind of just there to fill in time. That’s just how I see it and its really not that much of a rivalry or anything that they need to fight for.

Rhea Ripley was interviewed about teaming with Io. Rhea said she’s not going to let her desire to be champion get in the way of teaming with her tonight. She said she did not save Io at TakeOver, she wanted to send Dakota and Raquel a message.

Adam Cole was in a video promo saying that now he has moved on past Pat McAfee he can go after the title again. He said the Iron Man match is up his alley and he will regain the title.

Dakota Kai and Raquel Gonzalez Defeated Rhea Ripley and Io Shirai

Review:ย Pretty good main event match. I wasn’t expecting Mercedes Martinez to interfere in the match to cost Rhea Ripley. I though their rivalry had come and gone. Raquel was an absolute beast here and I think she should be the next challenger for Io.

Overall Review:ย This was a really good show. It had a lot of exciting elements to it, not by the matches but by how the anticipation for what the future of the NXT Championship is and how it was presented differently. I feel so bad for Kross that he had just won the title just to have it relinquished because of his separated shoulder. He cut a great promo but its still such a shame that they had put the rocket ship on him and he had to give it up due to injury. I was so shocked to see Wade Barrett back on WWE TV. I think he has done a great job as a commentator when he was in NWA. It is fitting that he would be a commentator for NXT since he was there when NXT was first introduced in WWE when Chris Jericho was his pro. This show has gotten me pumped up for next Tuesday with this 6 tag street fight with Legado Del Fantasma facing Breezango and Isiah Swerve Scott and the fatal 4 way 60 minute Iron Man match. The matches were good but the segments were great and even the segment after the match with Ciampa really made things a whole lot interesting.

Overall Grade: 7/10

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