With SummerSlam just six days away, NXT The Great American Bash may go under the radar with main-roster news – much like the white-and-gold brand has done weekly the last few months. With names like Seth Rollins, Finn Balor, and Rhea Ripley besting NXT’s top competitors, the usual Tuesday roster has taken a back seat.
But tonight’s card focuses on that set of talent, as Ilja Dragunov challenges Carmelo Hayes for the NXT Championship in the headlining bout. Plus, Olympic gold medalist Gable Steveson makes his in-ring debut at the H-E-B Center of Greater Austin, Texas.
“The American Nightmare” Cody Rhodes narrates the opening package for the returning Great American Bash event name, continuing a trend followed by NXT No Mercy on September 30.
Tony D’Angelo and Channing “Stacks” Lorenzo vs Gallus (c) – NXT Tag Team Championships
The rats on The D’Angelo Family’s tron summarize a months-long story of snitches and prison, worthy enough for a deserved title change. American red, white and blue light up the H-E-B Center where Italians fight a crime war against the champion Scots, who gain control with Joe Coffey’s assistance ringside. D’Angelo makes a comeback with a Power-Plex and saves “Stacks” from the numbers game, hitting Coffey with his signature crowbar. The Family hits Bada Bing for the victory, becoming NXT Tag Team Champions in a crowning moment for a dark horse NXT 2.0 success.
Winners: Tony D’Angelo and Channing “Stacks” Lorenzo
Roxanne Perez vs Blair Davenport – Weapons Wild Match
Prevalent discourse argues that there aren’t enough women’s rivalries, but that’s far from the truth in NXT. Perez versus Davenport is one of many women’s filler feuds that NXT attempts to make intriguing, including a corner-store brawl in Orlando and a pull-apart at Dream Con in Austin. But a contrastingly real layer adds more in one night as Perez’ mother and sister watch in tears as Davenport entertainingly bullies her with steel chairs, garbage cans, and a leather belt. Perez eventually recuperates with a splash through a table and Pop Rox into a mound of chairs to win in her home state, although Davenport falls in her first return feud.
Winner: Roxanne Perez
Baron Corbin vs Gable Steveson
Olympic gold medalist Steveson makes his professional wrestling debut to rare “let’s go Corbin” chants, and the latter debuts a new entrance theme and a “burn the ships” tagline. The veteran dominates, and Steveson’s short bursts of suplexes and forearms are unanimously booed until the match disappointingly concludes in a double countout. But the brawl continues, and the competitors throw around miscellaneous security guards before Steveson stands tall, suplexing Corbin through the barricade. After a lackluster year of training, he expectedly isn’t Kurt Angle, but the go-away crowd reception may never allow him to be.
Winner: N/A
Lyra Valkyria is interviewed about her loss to Women’s World Champion Rhea Ripley until she’s attacked by Jacy Jayne. “That’s what I was waiting for,” Ripley says, smirking alongside “Dirty Dom” before the following match.
Wes Lee vs Mustafa Ali vs Dominik Mysterio (c) – North American Championship
Only “Dirty Dom” is more hated than Gable Steveson tonight, picking his spots with Ripley at ringside. Lee and Ali work together in temporary moments, but the match centers around their athletic exchanges. Speaking of which, Lee flips over Ripley to dive onto Mysterio, but the Women’s World Champion fires back with an evidently legal Riptide through the announce table. She pulls Ali out of a pinfall attempt proceeding a 450 Splash, and Mysterio capitalizes with a Frog Splash on Lee to retain his championship.
Winner: Dominik Mysterio
Trick Williams is interviewed about his issues with Ilja Dragunov and friendship with Carmelo Hayes, ultimately vowing that the NXT Champion will prove again why “he is him.” Behind the last match’s winner, “Trick Willy” may be NXT’s most improved wrestler of the year.
Thea Hail vs Tiffany Stratton (c) – Submission Match for the NXT Women’s Championship
Chase University signs decorate the arena in support of potentially the youngest women’s champion ever in 19-year-old Hail, accompanied by Andre Chase and Duke Hudson. Barbie-clad Stratton and challenger Hail trade early submissions, and the latter is Kimura-specialized by trainers Drew Gulak and Charlie Dempsey – lore in the surprisingly detailed storylines of Chase University. After taking an avalanche exploder suplex, Stratton escapes the Kimura, hits her finishing moonsault and locks in a Boston. Chase eventually throws in the red towel, and Stratton retains to the deflation of everybody – specifically the institution’s MVP Hudson.
Winner: Tiffany Stratton
A highlight montage recaps The Great American Bash kick-off match, where Dragon Lee, Nathan Frazer, Yulisa Leon and Valentina Feroz defeated the Meta-Four. Afterwards, Lee is approached by Rhea Ripley and Dominik Mysterio, who call him a knock-off Rey Mysterio. But in reality, he’s likely the next North American Champion.
Footage from last week shows dissension in Schism, and Ava Raine suggests a faction interrogation to find out who the two rebels, presumably the Creed Brothers, really are.
Ilja Dragunov vs Carmelo Hayes (c) – NXT Championship
“Get a dream, hold onto it, and shoot for the sky” is the Dusty Rhodes line featured on Hayes’ entrance tron, and tonight’s main event tagline tells the story of “destiny versus dynasty.” However, the actual build has been less epic with the cliche question of coexistence, and the action finally begins picking up with Dragunov’s signature explosiveness against the contrarily flashy offense of the champion. Hayes attempts to match the intensity of Dragunov’s strikes, but the champion is in his bag with springboard maneuvers and agile reversals, such as a mid-air Codebreaker from a Coast-to-Coast. He kicks out of a brutal powerbomb and flying forearm, and counters with a top-rope cutter for two. “Are you a fraud or are you a champion!” Trick Williams asks Hayes in the “fourth quarter” of the match, and the cornerman is inadvertently taken out with Torpedo Moskau. Hayes capitalizes with Nothing But Net to retain the championship, proving that despite taking time to get going, ‘Melo doesn’t miss.
Winner: Carmelo Hayes
NXT The Great American Bash
Austin, TX
The build to Great American Bash was pretty weak, although ironically the card was very storyline driven. Besides the main event, that only gained steam in the latter half, matches were what’d you see on a normal episode of NXT. But the change of scenery provided a big-fight feel, and the relatively short-and-sweet show was enjoyable nevertheless.
