We are just a few days away from Heat Wave so this is our “go home” show. Can NXT stoke the bonfire? How about another match or two for the show? We shall see.
Rey Fenix, EK Prosper, Tony D’Angelo, Wren Sinclair and Wren Sinclair arrive at the arena.
The show begins with a steel cage but I want some blood. What’s the point of a cage match without it? I don’t have much faith in WWE but we can hope that Michaels will rebel.
Dion Lennox versus Saquon Shugars – Weaponized Steel Cage Match
As soon as Shugars enters the cage Lennox throws a garbage can at him. They start brawling. They each block each other from being tossed into the cage. Dion hits Shugars with a steel chair in the stomach and across the back for a two count.
Dion throws Shugars into the cage twice and into a steel chair hanging in front of part of the cage.
Dion whips Shugars with his own belt. Man, that just sucks. Dion hangs a chair from the cage but it falls to the mat. Dion slams Shugars onto the chair for a nice pivot.
Shugars clocks Dion in the stomach with a trash can. Shugars puts a can over Dion’s head and hits it with a trash can lid. Shugars drop kicks the trash can. Shugars smashes a steel chair over Dion’s back. The chair is bent.
Dion sets up one chair on top of another then slams Shugars on it. Dion finally gets the spot he was looking for throwing Shugars into a chair hanging in the cage.
Dion puts Shugars’ head on a chair and stands on it. Shugars gets whipped and choked with a kendo stick. Shugars throws the kendo stick at Dion and then forearms it into his face.
Shugars pitches Dion three times into the cage. Dion regains the kendo stick. He puts it in the turnbuckle so it is poking out. He gets thrown into it though. Backbreaker, head to a steel chair for a two count for the “Sugar Man”.
Shugars is ripped off the cage. He lands hard on his back. Spinebuster on a trash can. A two count for Dion. Dion puts three kendo sticks into the cage hanging a chair from them.
Shugars has his ball bat. Dion swings a chair but Shugars knocks it out of his hands with a bat. Shugars puts his bat to Dion’s throat and slams it to the mat.
Dion puts Shugars on the Tree of Woe whacking his injured knee with a steel chair. Dion uses the baseball bat to intensify his submission move on the knee. Shugars rolls around on the mat holding his knee.
Shugars misses powerbombing Dion through a table. The commentators chalk it up to his knee. Shugars hits Dion in the head with his bat. Dion falls on the table. Shugars sits Dion on the table with a trash can on his head. He super kicks Dion and the table breaks. Shugars hits a flying crossbody from the top of the cage for a three count.
No blood. Booo! But, Saquon Shugars is a great diamond in the rough. It was a very smart decision to break him away from Dark State.
Winner: Saquon Shugars
Nattie and Jaida Parker are heading to the ring.
NXT Champion Tony D’Angelo is interviewed backstage. He thinks his challengers have forgotten who they are stepping in the ring with. He is the only grand slam champion in NXT history. He reminds people that he defeated Oba Femi.
The Vanity Project are interviewed by Sarah Schreiber at a bowling alley. They chat about how much of a bond they all have over the champs at Heat Wave.
Nattie is in the ring. She came to NXT to fight Jaida but then she realized that Jaida is soft now. Jaida comes down to the ring. She says she has proven herself in NXT and Nattie is just trying to break her down. She has reminded Jaida of who she really is.
Keanu Carver versus Kam Hendrix
Earlier in the day, Carver met with GM Stone. Stone makes the match with Hendrix. An excited Carver heads off to get ready.
Carver pins Hendrix with a bridging suplex after Mason Rook interferes.
Winner: Keanu Carver
A Kelani Jordan segment followed by a Zilla Fatu segment. His last name is a blessing and a curse. He mocks fun of himself screwing up nepo baby.
Zaria versus Kali Armstrong
If Armstrong wins she will join the Triple threat unification match for both the NXT Women’s North American Championship and the WWE Women’s Speed Championship at Heat Wave.
Zaria gives Armstrong a German Suplex. Armstrong gets up and hits back with a standing powerslam. Armstrong runs the ropes to get ready for her Kali Connection. Zaria just spears her. As Zaria lifts Kali up for an F5, Kali rolls her up. Ugh. Not another three-way match.
Winner: Kali Armstrong
NASCAR’s William Sawalich is with Kendal Grey. She introduces him to the…NXT medical staff? Medical tells Grey she has to be careful with her injured ear at Heat Wave. It isn’t fully healed yet. In comes Wren to check in with Grey.
BirthRight versus Sean Legacy, Dorian Van Dux versus Noam Dar and Romeo Moreno
Legacy stands on the middle rope. Van Dux catapults him off onto everyone on the floor. What freaking air! Dempsey kicks Dux off the apron onto Legacy. Dar rolls up Dempsey for two. Dempsey suplexes Dar for the win.
Winners: BirthRight
GM Stone speaks to referee Victoria D’Errico. The summit tonight might get out of hand so Stone needs her and her team to be on call.
Carver meets with Stone. There is going to have to be a rematch because of Rook’s interference. Carver: The ref’s decision is FINAL, Stone!
Shiloh Hill is next to chat with Stone. He wants NARAKU next week. His wish is granted.
Rey Fenix (c) versus EK Prosper – AAA Cruiserweight Championship Match
EK kicks out of a Fenix Frog Splash. Fenix tries a cutter but EK suplexes him. EK whips Fenix off the ropes. Fenix bounces back with a cutter. EK sends Fenix crashing to the mat with a top rope hurricanrana. EK misses his moonsault. Fenix pins EK with the Mexican Muscle Buster.
Winner: …and still AAA Cruiserweight Champion, Rey Fenix.
Sawalich, who is in his racing suit by the way, chats to Myles Borne and Tavion Heights backstage. Heights insists he do the heavy lifting so that Borne can concentrate on Jackson Drake at Heat Wave. Hank and Tank show up. They are back in town and they want a shot at the titles.
At the Heat Wave summit, Grey says that Kelani Jordan can call herself “The Standout” but she is “The Benchmark”.
“There are people in this company who go hundreds of days without defending their title,” says Grey mocking Liv Morgan.
Jordan comes out. The Standout is going to take her title and put her ass right back on the bench where it belongs. Wren steps in saying they are bringing home all of the gold this weekend.
Zaria comes down to the ring. Wren is not winning anything this weekend. She is going to leave her laying once again.
Now, Kali Armstrong is out claiming she already beat these “heifers”.
Finally, Grayson Waller makes an appearance.
He loves the energy but the whining is hard to listen to.
“You girls used to be the highlight of the show until Grayson Waller decided to come back. I am NXT. At Heat Wave, you are going to do so well but the world isn’t going to be talking about that or lucha losers from AAA and their little stunt show. The world is going to be talking about one man and one thing. Grayson Waller conquering his demons and becoming NXT Champion,” says Waller getting into the ring.
That’s probably not a good idea.
NXT Champion Tony D’Angelo arrives. Waller is going to do the same thing he always is, a disappointment.
Cruz Montana comes though the crowd. “You all came here to talk. I came here to throw hands,” he says.
A massive brawl erupts. Grey lays out Jordan with a reverse elbow smash. Fatu rushes out splashing all the men and holding the championship up high as Grey and Wren do too.
NXT Heat Wave airs Sunday, August 30 at 3:00 p.m. ET. Here is the card.
| Match | Competitors | Stipulation / Title |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tony D’Angelo (c) vs. Grayson Waller vs. Cruz Montana vs. Zilla Fatu | Fatal Four-Way Match for the NXT Championship |
| 2 | Kendal Grey (c) vs. Kelani Jordan | Singles Match for the NXT Women’s Championship |
| 3 | Zaria (c-North American) vs. Wren Sinclair (c-Speed) vs. Kali Armstrong | Triple Threat Unification Match for the NXT Women’s North American Championship and WWE Women’s Speed Championship |
| 4 | Myles Borne (c) vs. Jackson Drake (with Myka Lockwood) | Singles Match for the NXT North American Championship |
| 5 | Myles Borne & Tavion Heights (c) vs. The Vanity Project (Brad Baylor & Ricky Smokes) | Tag Team Match for the NXT Tag Team Championship |
| 6 | Jaida Parker vs. Nattie | Submission Match |
