Juggling NXT, TNA and main roster wrestlers, the black-and-silver brand buckled up for a busy month: TNA Emergence in Baltimore on August 15, NXT in Philadelphia on August 19 and NXT Heatwave in Lowell on August 24. Maybelline New York branded the ring on tonight’s episode of NXT, completing the month-long Northeastern U.S. takeover.
Blake Monroe vs Kehlani Jordan
Jordan jumpstarts with what commentary calls newfound “grit” – the same she’s stagnated with for a year. Cameras catch unknown boots entering the Performance Center parking lot while the competitors trade offense. Monroe eventually catches Jordan with a headbutt and knee strike for two, and Jordynne Grace arrives as the mystery entrant. Monroe retreats into a conveniently ready SUV, and Jordan picks up the countout win.
Winner: Kehlani Jordan
Andre Chase tells Kale Dixon and Uriah Connors they have a “one in a million” chance at winning the NXT Tag Team Championships tonight, which they take optimistically.
Chase University vs Hank Walker and Tank Ledger (c) – NXT Tag Team Championships
Chase University is a shell of itself, much like the NXT tag team division has been since Fraxiom’s call-up. Dixon and Connors start with a flurry of kicks, a springboard stunner and an assisted powerbomb. The former hits a smooth Fosbury Flop, and Connors sacrifices himself on the champions’ Honk Honk. Walker and Ledger hit their double-team finisher in what should’ve capped an action-packed showing, but the referee mistakenly calls a lifeless two-count. The champions hit Honk Honk and another finisher – ending the next referee-fumbled title match after Jasper Troy and Oba Femi’s debacle. Darkstate surrounds the ring, pouncing the four competitors and Chase. It’s time to crown them.
Winners: Hank Walker and Tank Ledger
The Personal Concierge of TNA’s Ash by Elegance tells TNA Knockouts Champion Jacy Jayne that the challenger will take her belt this Thursday, and he’s here to shine it. Lainey Reid jokingly says that’s Jazmyn Nyx’s job, and Jayne makes the latter shine it.
Former No Quarter Catch Crew Members Myles Borne and Tavion Heights congratulate each other, saying it’s time to make an impact. After break, Izzi Dame motivates Tatum Paxley to beat Sol Ruca tonight for the betterment of The Culling.
An Instagram montage shows Thea Hail trying out a coffee shop in Baldwin Park, Florida – named Baldwin Perk after “Friends” of course. She disses Nia Jax in the process in a Gen Z version of a promo.
Myles Borne vs Lexis King
For weeks, King has attempted to prove that Borne isn’t really deaf and will prove it by beating him in a wrestling match. “Randy’s baby” and “RKO” chants are directed at Borne, and a familiar dropkick supports the parallels. King controls through picture-in-picture and stomps Borne’s ear on top of the steel steps. Borne makes an Orton-esque comeback and switches to a Zig Zag for victory, proving that he’s really deaf.
Winner: Myles Borne
Backstage, Darkstate reveals they jumped Walker and Ledger two weeks ago. They tough-talk the champions until Cutler James speaks up. “We’ve been on your ass for a while now, right up your butt,” he says. “I promise you we’re gonna stay right there until you just can’t handle it.”
Thea Hail vs Nia Jax
A big fish returns to a small pond for her first NXT singles match since 2016. Hail is peppy from the caffeine trip, but Jax stops her with a Samoan Drop. She tosses Hail to the floor, and the latter uncomfortably grasps her foot before break. Jax returns with a leg drop for two, and the former WWE Women’s Champion moves with purpose. Hail hits a tornado DDT and springboard senton for two, but Jax rips her from the top rope. Jax hits the Annihilator for three to Orlando’s delight as if they watched a coliseum lion. Kelly Kincaid attempts to interview the victor, but Jax takes offense to Lash Legend calling herself the most dominant woman. Jax and Legend erupt in a pull-apart brawl to “let them fight” chants.
Winner: Nia Jax
In Ava’s office, the general manager tells Jordynne Grace she’ll face Blake Monroe at Heatwave on August 24. “On behalf of me and a lot of other women, I think she deserves to get her ass kicked,” Ava says.
NXT Champion Oba Femi enters the ring, once again asking for a new challenger. “The future is not looking very bright,” Femi says before TNA Champion Trick Williams interrupts. Williams wants to officially be the man who carries two brands, and Je’Von Evans appears to propose a match: Evans versus Williams with the winner challenging Femi, which the TNA Champion pushes to Philadelphia on August 19. TNA’s Moose walks in, reminding Williams about their title match at Emergence on August 15. Darkstate returns, but the superteam opposition rightfully fends them off.
Wren Sinclair tries consoling Charlie Dempsey for Borne and Heights’ exits, thinking that singing Joe Hendry’s theme song will cheer him up. As the lore goes, Hendry appears from the refrigerator to a chilling pop. Dempsey calls him a virus, and Hendry looks to cheer him up with a match next week.
Yoshiki Inamura vs Channing “Stacks” Lorenzo
Real couple Lorenzo and Arianna Grace chat up backstage before Jax and Legend brawl through them. Afterwards, Lorenzo blindsides Inamura during his entrance, retaining control to “he’s a rat” chants. Inamura fights back with rapid strikes until Grace comes from behind with a slap. With the referee distracted, Josh Briggs drops Inamura with a big boot, allowing Lorenzo to capitalize for the win. “I don’t know that I’ve ever seen Arianna clothed quite like that,” Corey Graves says about her extra Italian appearance.
Winner: Channing “Stacks” Lorenzo
Speaking of Italian, North American Champion Ethan Page knocks down Santino Marella for his loss last week. Page calls himself the greatest Canadian of all time and begins singing the national anthem until Tavion Heights interrupts. Finally a singles wrestler, Heights speaks about representing Team USA at the Olympics and directing pent-up energy towards Page. Chelsea Green and The Secret Hervice back up Page for inspiring fellow Canucks and calls Heights a “lowlife, trashy American.” She goads him into punching Page, and Heights vows to find a woman to punch Green too.
Lola Vice and Kehlani Jordan call Fatal Influence the most dysfunctional team in the locker room as Jazmyn Nyx returns with her shined belts. Nyx got Jacy Jayne and Fallon Henley a tag team match next week with newfound opponents.
Zaria promises Sol Ruca she’ll handle The Culling before Jax and Legend fight through them, and Ava makes Jax versus Legend official for next week. After break, in her office, Ava also confirms Evans versus Williams in Philadelphia with the winner challenging Femi. Plus, Evans, Williams, Femi and Moose will face Darkstate next week, as the faction typically does before big events. Hank Walker and Tank Ledger storm in, getting the consolation of defending against Darkstate at Heatwave.
In a sit-down interview with Kelly Kincaid, Ricky Saints agrees to having a constant target on his back from people like Ethan Page and Jasper Troy. He confidently says he’ll be wrestling on Mondays and Fridays but wants the NXT Championship and a win over Troy at Philadelphia first.
Tatum Paxley vs Sol Ruca (c) – Women’s North American Championship
Ruca still sports the WWE Women’s Speed Championship, so it isn’t completely dead just yet. Orlando starts the wave as Ruca applies a Surfboard Stretch, and the champion hits an outside moonsault onto The Culling before picture-in-picture. Ruca cartwheels out of a DDT to begin her comeback, and Paxley recuperates with a springboard corkscrew moonsault. The competitors trade near-falls, and Paxley delivers a top-rope neckbreaker as Shawn Spears brings out her toy doll. Izzi Dame stops him, and Jax and Legend still can’t be contained, crashing through the barricade. Meanwhile, Ruca capitalizes with Sol Snatcher for victory in a standout main event.
