NXT heats up towards Toronto!

While both men want the NXT North American Championship, the Bruiserweight and the Savior of the Backbreaker still have unfinished business with each other! Who gains momentum towards the championship Triple Threat?

OFFICIAL RESULTS

• Tyler Breeze VS Jaxson Ryker w/ The Forgotten Sons; Breeze wins.
• NXT Breakout Tournament Semifinals: Cameron Grimes VS Bronson Reed; Grimes wins and advances to the finals at NXT TakeOver: Toronto.
• Pete Dunne VS Roderick Strong; Dunne wins.

PLAY BY PLAY

Tyler Breeze VS Jaxson Ryker w/ The Forgotten Sons!

Prince Pretty was called out for being the “old guard” of NXT, but he prefers OG to stand for “original gorgeous.” But either way, Breeze looks to show them that new doesn’t mean better. Will he succeed or fail to do so against the Gunner of the Forgotten?

The bell rings and Ryker glares a hole through Breeze while talking some trash. They tie up and Ryker shoves Breeze back. Fans troll Ryker with “Stay Forgotten!” Breeze comes back and ties up again but Ryker pushes him back, then tosses him across the way! Breeze gets to the corner and circles with Ryker again. Breeze gets the waistlock then shifts to a headlock, but Ryker powers out! Ryker kicks low then grabs Breeze by his hair. Breeze fires off with fast hands and a mudhole stomp! Breeze backs off to come back with forearms, but then runs into Ryker’s arms for an urenage! Ryker drops ax handles over and over, then drags Breeze up to put in the corner. Ryker stomps and punches Breeze down but the ref backs him off. Ryker just comes back to knee Breeze into buckles! He hauls Breeze up for a backbreaker! Cover, TWO!

Breeze crawls but Ryker is right on him with a rough chinlock. Ryker thrashes Breeze about but fans rally up. Breeze fights up and out, but Ryker clubs him down. Ryker gives Breeze another backbreaker! Ryker toys with Breeze, but Breeze knees back! Breeze enziguris Ryker, then mule kicks. But Ryker clamps on with a choke grip! Ryker lifts but Breeze wheelbarrows through to a victory roll! Breeze wins!!

Winner: Tyler Breeze, by pinfall

But Breeze doesn’t get to celebrate as Ryker clobbers him! The Forgotten Sons jump in to talk trash Breeze. Breeze fights back but that’s 3v1! The Forgotten Sons stomp a mudhole into Breeze in the corner, then feed him to Ryker. But to the rescue, it’s FANDANGO!! Fandango dumps Ryker out then drops a leg on Wesley Blake! He brawls with Cutler and tosses him out onto Ryker! Fandango stands tall with his best bud, and together they SUPERKICK Blake right out of the ring! Full Sail fires up as #Breezango hugs it out! Are they going to bring some fashionable justice to NXT?

Candice LeRae waits outside the arena.

The Evil Genius got away before Mrs. Wrestling could exact her full revenge, but she won’t let that chance slip past her this time. Will Candice be there to “greet” Io Shirai when she arrives?

NXT Breakout Tournament Semifinals: Cameron Grimes VS Bronson Reed!

Jordan Myles is all smiles as he waits for an opponent in Toronto. But will it be #CountryConfidence or #AussieStrongStyle that meets the real-life anime hero in the finals?

Both men want at each other already but the ref keeps the peace. The bell rings and “Aussie Aussie Aussie! OI OI OI!” begins. Reed and Grimes tie up and Reed powers Grimes to a corner. Reed lets up and Grimes comes back to tie up again. Reed gets Grimes in a waistlock and tosses him! #Auszilla dares “Grimey” to get up, and Grimes goes at him with clubbing forearms! Grimes headlocks but Reed powers out to run Grimes over with a shoulder! Cover, ONE, but Reed is on Grimes with a chinlock. Reed thrashes Grimes around but Grimes works his way up to his feet. Grimes stomps Reed’s feet then clubs away on his back. Grimes has the headlock and grinds, but Reed powers out with a back suplex. Grimes lands on his feet, and clubs Reed back. He then runs, only for Reed to run him over with an elbow!

Reed drags Grimes up to headbutt and CHOP him in the corner. Reed puts Grimes in another corner and CHOPS more. He rams his shoulder in and then throws big clubbing hands from all sides! The ref backs Reed off and reprimands him, but Grimes gets to the apron. Grimes pie-faces Reed, but Reed just glares back. Reed chases Grimes but Grimes baits him into a basement dropkick! Grimes stomps but Reed gets up. Reed blocks the whip with size and strength to reverse it. But Reed misses in the corner, and Grimes runs to LARIAT Reed down! Cover, TWO! Grimes keeps on Reed with raking fingers in the face. Grimes digs an elbow into Reed’s shoulder while holding an arm. Fans rally up and Reed powers up to throw forearms back. But Grimes dropkicks Reed back! Reed only staggers, but Grimes drags him down into an armlock and chinbar.

Grimes fish hooks a bit, but Reed fights his way up. He throws Grimes off and scoops but Grimes slips out to throw more forearms. Grimes runs but into a powerslam! Both men are down but slowly standing. Reed DECKS Grimes and whips him to a corner. Reed runs in for a big splash! Then Samoan Drop! And a big Samoan senton! Cover, ROPEBREAK! Grimes survives and Reed is shocked. Reeds drags Grimes but Grimes holds the ropes. The ref counts and Reed lets go, only for Grimes to get him with a rope slingshot! Then a Superman forearm! Reed gives a forearm back. Grimes ROUNDHOUSES Reed! But Reed still forearms through! Straps down, Reed rebounds Grimes off the ropes, but Grimes leaps for double stomps!! Cover, Grimes wins!!

Winner: Cameron Grimes, by pinfall; advances to the finals

If Bronson Reed was #Auszilla, then Cameron Grimes just became #CountryKingKong! Will Grimes be able to take this momentum all the way to a tournament win? Or will Jordan Myles use his incredible speed and agility to take that golden opportunity for himself?

NXT Media catches up to Matt Riddle.

The Original Bro’s response to Killian Dain returning to NXT by brutalizing him is that Dain should fight Riddle face to face so he can return the favor. This showdown of Bro and Beast will happen next week!!

Shayna Baszler is here!

The NXT Women’s Champion returns, but is clearly without her Horsewomen. She grabs a mic right away to address what’s been happening. “Mia Yim. You went over there [to commentary] and delivered a message.” Message received. Mia attacks Marina and Jessamyn from behind in turn. This is not the street, they are professional fighters! But that’s exactly why Mia won’t even need to board the plane to Toronto to lose to Shayna. Because NXT is NOT the streets, it is NOT the back alley, this is THE biggest stage of Mia’s career. “And under those lights in front of tens of thousands of fans,” Shayna will put Mia to sleep. “Because street rats don’t survive very long in my world.” The HBIC has had enough of Shayna’s trash talk, and she appears on stage!

Mia asks Shayna if she’s scared. Where are her friends at? What happened to them? Mia ain’t seen nothin’. But as Mia hops in the ring, she tells Shayna has been playing a game. Game recognizes game, but Shayna looks real unfamiliar right now. Mia ain’t got nothing to lose and everything to gain! So this street rat is bringing a fight Shayna can’t train for! Full Sail is behind Mia as she dares Shayna to do something. Shayna says Mia isn’t special. She’s under the lights, and everyone will see that Mia is nothing but trash. Shayna holds the belt up high, but Mia ain’t scared. Will Shayna still make Mia #TapNapOrSnap? Or is Mia going to finally be the one to dethrone the Queen of Spades?

William Regal talks to Candice LeRae.

He can see what she’s up to, but she isn’t going to find what she wants. Regal told Shirai to stay home tonight. Well then if Candice can’t get Shirai tonight, she wants her at TakeOver. Regal doesn’t blame Candice. Then it will be Candice VS Shirai. Now please, Candice, go home, too. Candice accepts, only having to wait a month for what she wants. But will something go down between her and the Evil Genius somewhere along the way?

Next week, NXT will have a TakeOver: Toronto contract signing!

The Street Profits want to continually prove they’re worthy of the NXT Tag Team Championships, and have already taken care of The Forgotten Sons and the One Two Combo of Lorcan & Burch. But now, as the Undisputed Era looks to fulfill their own prophecy, Kyle O’Reilly & Bobby Fish get their turn! Will Montez Ford & Angelo Dawkins get out of this contract signing in one piece? Or will reDRagon lay a trap for the champs?

Pete Dunne VS Roderick Strong!

Speaking of the Undisputed Era, this animosity dates back to over a year ago, in the 2018 Dusty Rhodes Classic that led to TakeOver: New Orleans! Just as the Bruiserweight and Savior of the Backbreaker were poised to be NXT Tag Team Champions together, Roderick Strong would betray Pete Dunne to join the Undisputed Era! And now, this rivalry comes back around just as the Undisputed Era is poised to be #DrapedInGold! Will the former WWE United Kingdom Champion play a part in denying Strong the NXT North American Championship? Or will Strong only grow stronger on the way to Toronto?

The bell rings and NXT is on the Bruiserweight’s side. Dunne and Strong circle and tie up. They go around the ring and Strong puts Dunne in a corner. Dunne turns it around but Strong fights out to a waistlock. Strong rolls Dunne but Dunne sprawls, only for Strong to get away. Fans cheer as the two stare down. Strong then grabs a leg and goes for a cover but Dunne blocks. Strong headlocks instead while trapping an arm. Dunne works on his escape and rolls Strong over! ONE, and Strong still has the headlock. Dunne pops out and has a leg but Strong kicks free with the other. Fans duel now as Strong and Dunne stare down again. Dunne and Strong approach but Strong is wary of the fingers Dunne once snapped. Strong gets a facelock but Dunne pries free and gets those fingers!

Dunne pulls the arm around, tucks it in, and hops on for an Octopus! Strong hobbles over and gets the ropebreak. Dunne lets off, but Strong boots and enziguris back! Strong rains down rights to beat Dunne down! Strong drags Dunne up and into a corner for a CHOP! Dunne CHOPS back and we have a CHOP fight! Strong knocks Dunne down again and stomps away! The ref backs Strong off and Strong shakes out the bad hand. Strong drags Dunne back up but Dunne grabs at a leg. Strong clubs and knees Dunne back, then drags him up. Fans rally and Dunne throws hands. Strong headlocks but Dunne powers out. Things speed up and Dunne hurdles then ducks to LARIAT Strong down! Strong staggers to a corner but Dunne is on him and that bad hand!

Dunne hammerlocks and puts Strong on the mat, to STOMP the arm! Strong reels back in pain but Dunne is on his bad arm again. Dunne bends and twists the fingers all around and Strong screams in pain. Dunne wants to do it again! But Strong resists, so Dunne Penalty Kicks the arm instead! Dunne whips Strong corner to corner but Strong manages a reversal. Dunne goes up but Strong clubs him before he can go over! Strong then drags Dunne off the top in a torture rack, for the backbreaker drop! Strong doesn’t cover from pain in his arm, but fans rally up as he stomps Dunne more. Dunne crawls but Strong stays on him by grabbing his hair. Strong scoops Dunne for a backbreaker! Strong covers, a leg in Dunne’s face, TWO!

Strong grinds Dunne into the mat, then pulls him against the bottom rope by his hair! The ref counts and Strong lets up at 4. Strong stomps Dunne more then kicks him while he’s down. Strong stomps more, then eggs Dunne on! “Who do you think you are?!” Strong stomps more but the fans rally up for Dunne. Dunne stands to kick away on the leg! Dunne runs but into a dropkick! But Strong clutches that beat-up leg now. Strong still covers, TWO! Strong drags Dunne back up as fans rally up. He CHOPS Dunne in the corner, then throws a forearm. Dunne fires back but Strong ROCKS Dunne with a right! Strong backs off to catch his breath, then brings Dunne up to the top rope. Strong CHOPS Dunne again and again, then climbs up to join Dunne. He brings Dunne up but Dunne gets the bad hand!

Dunne gourd busters Strong down! Then adjusts, the missile dropkick the bad leg! Fans fire up while both men are down. Fans rally up as Strong goes to the far corner. Strong comes back but gets decked by the forearm! And tripped up by that kick! Dunne whips but Strong reverses, but this time Dunne goes up and over! To hit an enziguri! Dunne has Strong for the X-PLEX! And Penalty Kick! Cover, TWO!! Strong gets out of that matchbook stack, and Dunne is shocked. Fans rally again as both men stir. Dunne stands in the corner and runs out at Strong to stomp and buzzsaw! Dunne waistlocks but Strong standing switches. Strong has the half nelson but Dunne grabs that arm, only for Strong to make it a German Suplex! But Dunne lands on his feet, to buzzsaw Strong even harder!

Dunne hauls Strong up, sit-out powerbomb! Cover, TWO!! Strong survives again and Dunne is too tired to be frustrated. Fans still cheer and rally as Dunne and Strong crawl. Strong goes out of the ring to recover, but Dunne runs to the corner. Dunne hops up but Strong anchors his feet! Dunne grabs Strong’s nose, but Strong yanks Dunne off for an apron backbreaker! The referee checks on Dunne, and somehow Dunne is okay to continue, despite gasping for air. Strong puts Dunne in to cover, TWO!! Strong grows frustrated but this is why Dunne had that WWE UK Championship for so long. Strong drags Dunne back up, and knees low. He fires off forearms from all sides, then runs into the corner for a big knee! And another backbreaker, to the side slam! Cover, TWO!

Dunne still lives and Strong is at wit’s end. But Full Sail still cheers as Strong clutches his bad arm. Strong hobbles up and goes to Dunne at the ropes. Strong runs to smash, smash and- Dunne ducks to forearm back! Strong enziguris, but Dnnne gives it back! Pump handle but Strong slips out to hit an Olympic Slam! He holds on, for another lift, but Dunne reverses to a DDT! Both men are down again and fans are loving “NXT! NXT!” for this main event! Strong crawls over to Dunne and drags him up again. Strong forearms and CHOPS, and repeat! He fires off in the corner but Dunne gives it all back! Dunne decks Strong then stomps away! The Bruiserweight fires up and the fans fire up with him as he climbs. But Strong stops Dunne with a forearm and CHOP!

Dunne kicks Strong right in the face over and over! Strong sits down and Dunne stands up, only for Strong to kick his legs out. Strong positions Dunne and climbs up to join him. Strong rains down rights then wants the Olympic again, but Dunne changes that to a sunset flip, but the bomb falls out the bottom! Dunne keeps going, pump handle but Strong slips out, STRONG knee! Strong has Dunne in underhooks, Tiger Driver! Cover, TWO!! Into the STRONG HOLD! Dunne endures his back being twisted and bent! But he slips out to get the bad hand again! Dunne kicks away on Strong’s face to then drag him into a Triangle Hold! Dunne even tortures the good hand! Dunne sits up, SNAP the fingers!! Strong taps out, Dunne wins!!

Winner: Pete Dunne, by submission

An incredible match, and this is just a sampler for Toronto! But while the Bruiserweight celebrates, Dream sneaks up behind Dunne! Dunne turns around just in time to see Dream try a belt shot. Strong shouts at Dream that the belt will be his after Toronto! Dream doesn’t care, he just poses. But Dunne grabs a hand to SNAP the fingers! BITTER END for Dream! Will the Bruiserweight break both Strong and Velveteen Dream to become the first man to have had the WWE UK and NXT North American Championship in his career?

My Thoughts:

What an incredible episode of NXT! Breeze VS Ryker was good, and it totally works that Breeze wins with the victory roll so that this rivalry will continue. Especially with the amazing surprise of FANDANGO! Breezango is back and this is going to be a lot of fun! I wonder if anyone joins them so that they can have a Six Man Tag blow-off with Forgotten Sons. The Breakout Tournament semifinals have been odd, with how quickly the matches end. I didn’t expect Myles to beat Garza with just a German Suplex bridge, and it was quite the surprise for the double stomp counter to Reed’s finisher to win. But at the same time, I felt Myles VS Grimes was going to be the finals, and now it is! Their TakeOver match is going to be great, and could go either way.

Candice VS Shirai for TakeOver is also going to be great, and could go either way. With a month left, there has to be at least one more brawl between them to build this. Riddle VS Dain next week is going to be great, and it might lead to another match later, at or after TakeOver. Shayna and Mia had a great segment, and it even works for Shayna’s Heel character to not see the hypocrisy. I can’t be sure who wins this, but it would be big for Mia to be the one to stop Shayna. And then maybe Shayna and the Horsewomen move on to main roster to freshen things up for at least Becky Lynch on Raw, as I’m confident Becky will still be champion even after SummerSlam. And it is rare we get a tag team contract signing, so getting one between the charismatic Street Profits and reDRagon will be great, especially if a brawl breaks out.

Tonight’s main event was title worthy in itself! Dunne and Strong really are strong superstars, and adding Dream to the mix for their Triple Threat will only make for an instant classic. Again, Toronto will be a make-or-break for the Undisputed Era’s prophecy, but with the hype and the Three Stages of Hell for THE NXT Championship match, I wonder if Strong takes advantage to take that title for Cole to be the one to fail. No offense to Street Profits, but I feel like they will lose for the sake of keeping the #DrapedInGold prophecy on everyone’s minds. Then things could go either way. Strong could fail and Cole gets an ego only to lose, or Strong wins and for just that moment, the Undisputed Era is golden, for Cole to still lose. At the same time, I really want WarGames III to be #WinnersTakeAll so maybe it’s a sweep in Toronto.

My Score: 8.7/10