While multiple matches set up Great American Bash on June 28, three segments followed Shiloh Hill and Tristan Angels’ quest to become Mr. NXT in the first-ever Mr. NXT Pageant. Fans and judges watched Hill and Angels compete over attire, talent and public speaking in a highlight night for both. Meanwhile, reminiscent of a bygone era of NXT, tonight’s card was judged favorably on in-ring wrestling too.
Fraxiom vs Noam Dar and Romeo Moreno
Axiom and Nathan Frazer return to the NXT tag team division, which they once spearheaded for more than a year. Temporary or not, social media footage shows Moreno and Axiom suggesting the match last week. The makeshift duo of Dar and Moreno enter with Meta-Four-esque graphics, speaking of bygone NXT tag teams. It’s a European showcase of agility, even for Dar, who’s been stuck in NXT for close to a decade. He follows Moreno’s box-jump springboard dive with a ringside moonsault before break.
Sean Legacy and Dorian Van Dux watch the monitors as the Spaniards, Moreno and Axiom, finally meet in-ring. Springboarding with ease at 6 foot 3, the 23-year-old Moreno fits in and more. Fraxiom hit consecutive, stereo ringside dives, and Dar stays alive with pinfall reversals. He and Moreno apply stereo ankle locks, but Frazer regroups with a superplex. Axiom inadvertently superkicks Frazer, who kicks out of a double powerslam to “this is awesome” chants – heartier than usual. Fraxiom catch Moreno with mid-air superkicks, followed by Golden Ratio and a Phoenix Splash for victory.
Winners: Fraxiom
“You said you weren’t a tag guy – we weren’t either,” Frazer says to Dar. “I think you just found your new tag team partner.” Dar and Moreno embrace, and Frazer argues over Axiom’s superkick despite resuscitating the NXT tag team division once again.
In the locker room, Wren Sinclair insists she’d be a distraction to Kendal Grey tonight. She goes to Robert Stone about defending the Women’s Speed Championship before NXT Women’s Champion Lola Vice steps in. Grey plans on handling Vice after defeating Kehlani Jordan later on.
Sarah Schreiber hosts the pre-recorded Mr. NXT Pageant – where “Mr. England” Tristan Angels and Shiloh Hill compete over attire, talent and public speaking. A QR code allows fans to vote alongside three guest judges: Evolve Champion Aaron Rourke, Smackdown’s Kit Wilson and comedian Matt Mathews. A runway montage pits Angels’ class against Hill’s menagerie of outfits, similar to his thrown together kitchen-sink gimmick. Mathews likes Angels from the neck down, Wilson calls Hill tacky, and Rourke begrudgingly gives it to the Englishman.
Mason Rook vs Naraku
For a chance to challenge NXT Champion Tony D’Angelo at Great American Bash, Mason Rook competes in his first NXT singles match. “He’s big, he’s bad, he’ll bodyslam your dad” chants accompany Rook, who overpowers his opponent early on. Naraku just barely lifts the hoss for a bodyslam, retaining control through picture-in-picture. Rook comes back with a second-rope powerslam for a two-count, luckily for Naraku, not spiking him like he prefers. He connects with an effortless Blue Thunder Bomb, and Naraku regroups with a fireman’s carry powerbomb and fisherman’s suplex.
The latter barely applies a sleeper hold, and Rook schools him with a backpack cannonball into the corner. Kam Hendrix appears on the apron, and Naraku rolls up Rook for a two-count. Rook pushes Hendrix off, but Naraku capitalizes with The Abyss for victory. Naraku advances to Great American Bash, but with Orlando behind him, Rook’s impact was heavier, bigger and badder.
Winner: Naraku
Tavion Heights complains about Myles Borne’s attention towards the North American Championship like a jealous girlfriend. NXT Tag Team Champions The Vanity Project say belts aren’t a charity case, and Heights challenges Jackson Drake next week; the winner faces Borne at Great American Bash for the North American Championship.
Adrenaline-junkie Tate Wilder highlights his risk-taking in a vignette. From bull-riding, cliff-jumping and more, his next risk comes with every match on NXT.
Kehlani Jordan vs Kendal Grey
Backstage and on crutches, Wren Sinclair wishes Grey luck in the upcoming match, where the winner challenges Lola Vice for the NXT Women’s Championship. As Jordan controls, Booker T insists she’s growing, and Vic Joseph questions how she can take the next step. She delivers a ringside neckbreaker before break, and Grey eventually makes a comeback with textbook suplexes. The referee catches Jordan’s rope-leverage attempt, but she follows with a Crossface – without control of the arm. Grey powers out of Jordan’s offense, catching an armbar in mid-air. They trade pinfall attempts until Grey hits Shades of Grey, unbeknownst to all besides Joseph, for the victory. Orlando pops for Grey’s moment as she advances to Great American Bash.
Winner: Kendal Grey
The Mr. NXT Pageant returns to showcase special talent. Shiloh Hill solves a rubix cube, its validity questionable, and plays with a diablo set. Tristan Angels interrupts and fails to solve the rubix cube, instead opting for the three-ball juggling trick. Hill mogs him by juggling on a unicycle, earning a unanimous vote from the judges.
NXT Champion Tony D’Angelo is interviewed about facing Naraku at Great American Bash. “He’s gonna need to bring every ounce of evil in his body,” D’Angelo says. Naraku steps in with a black envelope, once again displaying bold Japanese lettering.
Jasper Troy vs Dion Lennox
Lennox is accompanied by Osiris Griffin, sans Cutler James after being attacked by Saquon Shugars. Troy adds some urgency, and Lennox briefly controls until Shugars appears on-screen. “Ayo, D, watch your back,” Shugars says. Lennox is aggressive after break, and 6-foot-5 Troy comes back with a kip-up. But Griffin provides a distraction, and Lennox capitalizes with a powerslam for victory.
Winner: Dion Lennox
Shugars reappears on-screen with a baseball bat, and the video buffers. He blindsides Griffin with multiple shots and retreats through the crowd. After, social media footage shows Jaida Parker’s attack on Nattie in the new Dungeon facility.
The Mr. NXT Pageant heads in-ring, where Tristan Angels and Shiloh Hill explain why they should win. Drowned out by jeers, humble shepherd Angels eloquently calls Orlando pigs on his 23rd birthday. Hill admits his struggle to find himself, crediting NXT for taking steps forward. On the podium, Matt Mathews empathizes with a fellow trailer-park boy, Kit Wilson calls both competitors toxic (but sides with a fellow Englishman), and Aaron Rourke ultimately gives the vote to Orlando. Combined with at-home results, Hill becomes the inaugural Mr. NXT before getting clubbed by Angels. The Englishman drives Hill into a steel chair, holding the sash over his body.
Robert Stone asks Naraku what his gift was before Keanu Carver interrupts. Carver gets impatient over the NXT Championship rankings, threatening to find his own next opponent.
Announced for next week, Nattie faces Jaida Parker, NXT Champion Tony D’Angelo comes face-to-face with Naraku, Arianna Grace challenges Layla Diggs and Izzi Dame challenges Thea Hail in the Women’s Speed Tournament.
Dame chastises Shawn Spears for entering her into the tournament, and the latter calls Hail a layup. Niko Vance and Dame agree, and Spears is safe within The Culling for now.
Zaria vs Tatum Paxley (c) – Women’s North American Championship
Zaria immediately hits a spear for a two-count and whips Paxley around ringside. The champion comes back with a stomp onto the steps and an apron moonsault before break. Paxley flips out of a suplex, Zaria avoids a 450 Splash and follows with a spear. They trade strikes until Paxley connects with Coast-to-Coast for a two-count. They escape each other’s finishers, but Zaria connects with F5 on the floor. In-ring, she hits a spear and F5 for victory, finally winning the championship that split ZaRuca.
Winner: Zaria
