“Tonight will change this brand forever,” Vic Joseph said in the opening of NXT, where Naraku – formerly known as New Japan Pro Wrestling’s EVIL – made his in-ring debut. Plus, the talk of social media Mason Rook – U.K. indy standout Will Kross – signed his NXT contract. “He’s big, he’s bad, he’ll bodyslam your dad!” chanted Orlando, just like 17-time world champion John Cena tweeted.
Tatum Paxley and Lizzy Rain vs Nikkita Lyons and Zaria
“Heavy metal is immortal, and so is Lizzy Rain,” the newcomer says in her entrance. Booker T reciprocates the energy with comments about headbanging and drumsticks. Rain and Paxley hit stereo dropkicks to ringside before picture-in-picture, where Zaria and Lyons of course reverse momentum. Rain brings her indy wrestling rapid-fire chops with her, and Lyons halts the comeback with a spinning heel to Paxley. Zaria walks out on her partner – “you can’t trust snakes,” Booker T says, and Rain connects with the Thunderstruck knee for victory.
Winner: Tatum Paxley and Lizzy Rain
In the locker room, Women’s Speed Champion Wren Sinclair tells Kendal Grey she doesn’t want to have a ZaRuca split, as Kehlani Jordan insinuated last week. NXT Women’s Champion Lola Vice walks in, and Grey eyes the title after facing Jordan tonight.
Lince Dorado vs Naraku
“This is my moment to strike,” Naraku says in a translated vignette. He faces the returning Lince Dorado, who wrestles on WWE Evolve and coaches – notably iShowSpeed – at the Performance Center. Vic Joseph notes Naraku is the only New Japan Pro Wrestling competitor to be a triple champion, knocking down the prohibited portal. Orlando eats up Naraku’s suplexes and chinlocks, and Dorado gets a couple springboard maneuvers in. The latter connects with a handspring stunner, but Narauku hits two fisherman suplexes and an STO for the win. “I am pure evil!” the victor says.
Winner: Naraku
EK Prosper thanks Sean Legacy and Tate Wilder for backing him against Birthright. Dorian Van Dux looks forward to recovering from injury next week, and Wilder vows to bring the “wild side” tonight.
Footage from earlier shows a Nattie interview about WWE LFG, interrupted by Jaida Parker. Nattie declines to talk and says Parker’s having a bad hair day.
Birthright vs Tate Wilder, EK Prosper and Sean Legacy
“This is the year of opportunity,” Vic Joseph says about the former WWE Evolve competitors. Wilder makes his NXT in-ring debut, and Legacy gains control with a rare, successful drop-down. Prosper pops Orlando with lightning speed and a picturesque moonsault, knocking down Uriah Connors with a dropkick before break. Wilder makes a comeback that underwhelms compared to his partners, and Charlie Dempsey catches him with a double-underhook superplex. Connors hits a Death Valley Driver to Prosper on the apron to loud “NXT” chants, Wilder connects with a cutter, and Stacks breaks the pin. Wilder hits Birthright with an outside dive, ignores Legacy and Prosper’s pleas for a tag and misses a moonsault. Stacks and Connors capitalize with double dropkicks for the win, evidently keeping up with the highlight-reel opposition.
Winners: Birthright
Tatum Paxley gives Lizzy Rain a match for the Women’s North American Championship next week, and Shiloh Hill congratulates them on the win. He talks about researching “Mr. England” Tristan Angels, and Rain says she can’t escape his sheep-sheering and beauty-pageanting. Angels interrupts, promising to show “a class of his own” in next week’s in-ring debut.
“The Culling is always stronger together,” Shawn Spears says in an NXT Focus package. Izzi Dame subtly disagrees, and Niko Vance admires her for cutting out the weak. She asks Vance to stay behind, saying she’ll keep an eye on NXT Women’s Champion Lola Vice tonight.
Security surrounds the ring as Robert Stone introduces Mason Rook for his NXT contract signing. “He’s big, he’s bad, he’ll bodyslam your dad!” Orlando chants with his metal entrance music. “John Cena sees me… it’s pretty hard not to notice a flying human tank,” Rook says. “Am I satisfied with going viral multiple times?… I want more!” NXT Champion Tony D’Angelo interrupts, quickly blindsided by Kam Hendrix. Orlando screams as Rook moonsaults onto the mass of men, coming back to sign the contract over aura-filled “Mason Rook” chants.
Romeo Moreno fans-out over Noam Dar’s career moments in the Obama Administration, such as the classic “Alicia Fox” promo. Dar wonders if he’s still got it, returning to the ring after yet another injury.
Emily Agard goes back into the field, this time joining OTM at a cookout. She asks Lucien Price to reveal something about Bronco Nima; the latter lost his mother at a young age and currently looks after his younger brother, present at the table. “OTM is the embodiment of overcoming adversity,” brother JJ says.
Jackson Drake vs Noam Dar
Drake comes out on Myka Lockwood’s shoulders accompanied by Vanity Project. Dar, still only 32 years old, doesn’t show ring rust and connects with a bicycle kick before break. Drake, the fresher 22-year-old, comes back with a superplex and handspring cutter. They trade strikes, a Dar specialty, and Drake ducks the spinning backfist. The latter connects with an enziguri and gutbuster for a two-count, eventually targeting the braced left knee. Dar knocks Brad Baylor and Ricky Smokes into each other, but a blatant interference from Lockwood allows Drake to hit the 450 Splash for victory.
Winner: Jackson Drake
The lights dim on Drake’s celebration, and DarkState stares down the NXT Tag Team Champions from the stands. Naturally, the broadcast cuts to break. NXT returns backstage to North American Champion Myles Borne and Tavion Heights, and the latter takes offense to next week’s partnership: Borne and Tony D’Angelo versus Kam Hendrix and Mason Rook.
DarkState appears in-ring while Vanity Project escapes ringside. Orlando starts cheering DarkState like their predecessors in The Shield, and Saquon Shugars says the champions are “tripping, big shoes.” Baylor and Smokes talk tough, defeating DarkState for the titles, and Cutler James looks to cash in their rematch. Robert Stone approves for next week, and James and Osiris Griffin force Shugars and Dion Lennox to get on the same page. The Shield formula expands.
Backstage, Stone congratulates Naraku on his in-ring debut, and the latter cackles while shaking his hand. The general manager finds Hendrix and Rook in his office, unhappy with their tag team match, before Tate Wilder asks for a match next week. Keanu Carver timely steps in, and Wilder accepts his death wish.
Kehlani Jordan vs Kendal Grey
Blake Howard interviews Kali Armstrong backstage, and the former Evolve competitor says she’ll be watching tonight’s main event. “You didn’t run through everybody,” Grey, the former Evolve Women’s Champion says. Adding Armstrong to Lola Vice and Izzi Dame, Booker T calls the match a locker-room sellout. Jordan keeps up with Grey’s collegiate wrestling prowess with collegiate gymnastics agility, and both connect with ringside dives before break.
Grey comes back with textbook suplexes, Jordan hits a sit-out powerbomb, and the former reverses a moonsault with an ankle lock. Meanwhile, Dame attacks Vice backstage as Jordan connects with an Avalanche Spanish Fly. The brawlers spill into ringside and inadvertently knock down Wren Sinclair, distracting Grey enough for Jordan to deliver the split-legged moonsault for victory.
Winner: Kehlani Jordan
Grey shoves Vice for hurting her injured friend, and Dame capitalizes with a big boot to the champion. “It Izz what it Izz,” Vic Joseph says as Dame holds up the NXT Championship belt.
