Will the #WesSide defy #HardJustice?

Before Heatwave hits, Wes Lee and Dijak look to light it up in a match to name a NEW #1 Contender to the NXT Championship!

OFFICIAL RESULTS

• NXT Tag Team Championships: Tony D’Angelo & Channing “Stacks” Lorenzo VS The Dyad w/ The Schism;  Tony & Stacks win and retain the titles.
• Dana Brooke w/ Kelani Jordan VS Blair Davenport; Blair wins.
• Trick Williams VS Drew Gulak w/ Charlie Dempsey & Damon Kemp; Trick wins.
• NXT Championship #1 Contender’s Match: Wes Lee VS DIJAK; Wes wins and will challenge Carmelo Hayes for the title next week at Heatwave.
• Tyler Bate VS Joe Coffey w/ Gallus; Bate wins, by disqualification.
• Thea Hail w/ Chase U VS Jacy Jayne; Jacy wins.

PLAY BY PLAY

NXT Tag Team Championships: Tony D’Angelo & Channing “Stacks” Lorenzo VS The Dyad w/ The Schism!

The Family that fights together reigns together, and The Don & Underboss of NXT are ready to fight! But will they be able to hold together against a united Schism? Or will Rip Fowler & Jagger Reed finally bring gold to the Schism’s tree?

The introductions are made, the belts are raised, and we see if The Dyad reaps the fruits of the Family’s labor!

The teams sort out and Jagger goes right after Tony! Tony hits back, they fire off hands and Tony DECKS Jagger! And DECKS him again! Tony fires off in the corner, then whips corner to corner. Jagger goes up and out but Tony BLASTS him off the apron! Tony goes out after Jagger but The Dyad has back-up from the yellow masks. Tony says okay, hide behind them! Tony slides into the ring, Jagger returns, and he tags Rip. Rip and Tony circle now, they tie up, and Rip wrenches the arm. Fans chant “You Still Suck!” but Tony powers out to then scoop and SLAM! Fans cheer, Tony tags in Stacks.

Stacks & Tony double whip, then body shot, knee lift and down goes Rip! Stacks waits on Rip, then he fires off haymakers! Stacks whips, Rip reverses but Stacks goes up and over, ducks ‘n’ dodges and DROPKICKS! Fans fire up and Stacks wrenches to tag Tony back in. The Family mugs Rip in the corner! The ref counts, Stacks lets off and Tony scoops. Rip slips free, waistlocks, but Tony switches. Rip backs Tony down, tag to Jagger. Jagger runs in to back elbow! Rip adds a clothesline, and then feeds to a DROPKICK! Jagger drags Tony up, taunts the fans, but Tony snap suplexes first! Fans fire up and Stacks tags back in.

Stacks brings Jagger round, KNEES him, trips him, then gives a leg splitting leg drop! Very Brother Nero style. Stacks CHOPS, whips, but Jagger reverses, only for Stacks to hit a flying-mare! Fans fire up and Stacks grinds the headlock. Jagger fights up, powers his way over, tag to Rip. Rip arm-drags, but Stacks counters with a headlock! Then he gets Jagger in headscissors! The Dyad holds firm but Tony pushes them over! Fans fire up as the Dyad stands up, into DOUBLE HOCKEY SCRUMS! Fans count along, but The Dyad power out at 7. But then The Family clotheslines them both out!

Fans fire up as Tony tells Stacks to run. Stacks runs, and Tony gives him a boost, HIP TOSS TOPE! Direct hit on both Dyad, and fans are thunderous! Stacks puts Rip back in, climbs up the corner, and FLYING UPPERCUTS! But then Ava distracts from the apron! Stacks tells her to quit playing, and he gets Rip’s arm. Rip knees Stacks low, then BLASTS Tony! Rip then wrenches Stacks, Jagger tags in and they whip Stacks to trip and basement dropkick! Stacks ends up in enemy territory, and The Dyad set up, MAYHEM IN MOTION takes out Tony! Fans boo but then Jagger runs so Rip can give him a boost, Jagger BLASTS Stacks off the apron and he hits the desk!

Fans boo while Stacks writhes but The Schism is in control as NXT goes picture in picture.

Ava says this is what happens, and Gacy just smiles while shaking his head. There are more yellow masks than before, and Jagger SMOTHERS Stacks into the desk! Jagger CLUBS Stacks, DECKS Stacks, then puts him in the ring. Jagger then puts Stacks on the apron to CLUB him on the chest! Jagger then slides in, so he can get the legs, and ROPE GUILLOTINE! Stacks sputters, Jagger taunts him, but Tony coaches Stacks. Jagger CHOKES Stacks, CLUBS him, then tags in Rip. The Dyad drags Stacks up to whip him to ropes, and DOUBLE LARIATS! Rip stays between Stacks and Tony while Ava soaks up the heat.

Rip has Stacks in a chinlock stretch, then CLUBS him with a crossface forearm. Rip drags Stacks up but Stacks fights off the suplex! Fans rally, but Rip CLUBS Stacks down! And again! Rip drags Stacks up, to suplex high and hard! Cover, TWO! Rip clamps on with a chinlock and Stacks endures. Fans continue to rally, Stacks fights up, and Stacks throws body shots! But Rip ROCKS him, and Stacks falls to the apron! The ref keeps Ava and Gacy back but Rip drags Stacks back up. Stacks RAMS into Rip! And slingshots up and over, but Rip stays up in the sunset! Tag to Jagger, and Jagger CLUBS Stacks in the head!

Jagger taunts Tony, Tony shouts back, and Jagger snapmares Stacks to stomp Stacks’ face! Jagger keeps talking trash, then he fishhooks Stacks’ face! The ref reprimands, Jagger ELBOWS Stacks in the head, then stands Stacks up to ROCK him again. Jagger scoops Stacks to put him in the Tree of Woe, and he soaks up the heat from the fans. NXT returns to single picture, Jagger taunts Stacks, then drags him up for headlock punches! Fans boo and the ref counts but Jagger lets off at 4. Stacks gets himself out of the Tree, Rip talks a lot of trash, and Jagger LARIATS! Cover, TWO! Jagger clamps onto Stacks with an armlock.

Stacks endures even as Jagger rains down elbows! Fans rally but Jagger shifts to a chinlock. Stacks fights up, throws body shots, but Jagger shifts sides to keep him back! Stacks fires more shots, reaches out, but Jagger knees low! Then sucker punch for Tony! Tony is pissed but then Stacks gets the cradle! The ref is still busy with Tony, they would’ve won by now! And then Rip CLOBBERS the cover apart! Jagger ROCKS Stacks, but Stacks fights back with elbows and boots! Stacks fires off hands on Jagger, staggers for Tony but Jagger keeps him back! Stacks fires more hands, reaches out, and fans rally up!

Jagger reaches and tags Rip! Rip runs in and CLOBBERS Stacks! Rip grins at Tony and blows a kiss but the fans boo. Rip stands Stacks up to ROCK him again. Rip talks more trash, ROCKS Stacks again, but Stacks fires hands in return! Rip CLUBS Stacks’ neck, brings him up, and grins at Tony as he back suplexes. Stacks lands on his feet! Then goes up and over! But Rip grabs a leg! Stacks ENZIGURIS free! Fans fire up as both men crawl, hot tag to Jagger! He gets Stacks’ legs, but Stacks BOOTS free! Hot tag to Tony! The Don rallies on The Dyad and the fans are loving it! Tony dodges Jagger to OVERHEAD SUPLEX!

Tony sees Rip coming, TACKLES him, then stomps away on his stomach! Jagger storms up but Tony DECKS him! And then just stomps him on top of Rip! The fans are fired up again and Tony CLOBBERS Rip in a corner! Then he CLOBBERS Jagger in the other! Rip runs in, into a SPINEBUSTER! Jagger kicks but Tony ducks it to FISHERMAN BUSTER! Roll to a cradle, TWO!! Jagger escapes but Tony storms up on Rip. Rip gets away, Jagger clinches. Rip tags in during the whip and Rip trips Tony to drag him out! But Tony DECKS Rip! Jagger DIVES onto Tony! The Dyad regroups and gets Tony in.

But wait! Ivy Nile is here! She gets at Gacy, Ava and the yellow masks. But wait, two hang back, and one of them CLOBBERS Jagger! The other hits a ROLLING SPINEBUSTER on Rip! Are those the Creeds!? They put Rip in, for Tony’s FOGEDABOUTIT! Cover, The Family wins!

Winners: Tony D’Angelo & Channing Lorenzo, by pinfall (still NXT Tag Team Champions)

Ivy grins as the Schism fell for it hook, line and sinker! The obsession with the Diamond Mine just bit Schism in the butt! Is the tree about to fall? Or will someone chop it down?

Eddy Thorpe speaks.

“Hoka hey. To move forward without fear. It’s one thing to say it, it’s another to act on it.” NXT is on fire and Eddy will not be left behind. But how does he move forward without fear? He listens to his life force. The magic tied to his heart, showing in his fighting spirit. But that is not alone to overcome pain, so there is additional treatment he must seek. He will dance, just as his ancestors did. Each vibration is a healing reverberation. As eddy moves in the ring, he feels the energy of the fans and they feel his energy. Now, with his spirit repaired, Dijak will be a target of his focus. They will meet again, and when that time comes, Eddy will move forward without fear. Will the Alpha Wolf be ready to fight again?

Other NXT stars talk about Eddy Thorpe.

Carmelo Hayes, as he signs autographs, admits the Alpha Wolf is nice. But in walks Wes Lee. Champ doing champ things, he must’ve been so busy. It’d explain why he didn’t answer Wes’s phone calls or texts. But he still has time to sign all this? That’s part of the job, man. And why’s Wes coming at Melo with this? Doesn’t he have Dijak to worry about? Well don’t tell Wes what to worry about, he’s got this. Melo should focus on finishing all this up cuz when Wes is done beating Dijak, the next thing Melo will be signing is the title contract for Heatwave.

Melo says okay, then Wes can go do that and come back to talk to the champ. Wes gets it, #SayLess. But who will have the final say between Wes and #HardJustice?

Andre Chase and Duke Hudson talk backstage.

Professor Chase has lost count of how many times he’s apologized to Thea Hail, but what she needs is to get back out there. That’s why Chase got her a match with Jacy Jayne tonight! Duke says that’s a great idea! Get Thea back on the winning track! That’ll do it. Yes, Chase thought so. And she’s been so upset since #TowelGate, and perhaps rightfully so, but this is gonna give her a chance to get that anger out. Thea asks what they’re talking about, and Chase lets her know about the match with Jacy. She can work out these emotions. Right, cuz Professor Chase always knows what’s best for her. Why would he do this?

Duke says that is a good question. Why did Chase do that? Duke…! This is so Thea can work through the anger and frustration. He wants her to be happy. Whatever. Just try not to throw the towel. Thea storms off and Chase asks WTF, Duke? Well he’s still the one who threw in the towel. Duke says he’ll talk with Thea about it. But will this really be the key to fixing things between teacher and student?

Dana Brooke w/ Kelani Jordan VS Blair Davenport!

The Flex Appeal has been wanting to unleash her aggressions, and it would seem the very aggressive Ichiban Gaijin is the perfect choice. Will Dana’s dark side get the better of Blair tonight? Or just the better of Dana herself?

NXT returns as Dana makes her entrance, protégé Kelani by her side. The bell rings and the two tie up. Blair pouts Dana on the ropes, the ref counts, and Blair shoves Dana. Dana shoves back and even shoves Blair down! Then things speed up and Dana RANAS Blair to ropes! Dana runs in to clothesline Blair against ropes! Blair flops out, Dana goes to the apron and she CROSSBODIES! Direct hit and Dana rains down fists! Fans fire up, the ref starts a ring count, and Dana tells Kelani to take notes. Kelani nods and Dana puts Blair back in. Dana goes up but Blair RAMS into her! And has her in the ropes!

Blair goes up, GUILLOTINE DOUBLE STOMPS! Cover, TWO! Blair runs, to SLIDING KICK Dana against ropes! Cover, TWO! Fans rally while Blair grits her teeth. Blair kicks Dana around, scuffs her, and then runs, but Dana ducks the Penalty Kick! Roll-up, TWO! Dana stomps Blair’s legs! Dana then stomps away on Blair’s stomach, then BOOTS her down! Cover, TWO! Fans rally, Dana scowls and she stalks Blair. Blair is in a corner, Dana runs in, handspring, but Blair dodges! Blair comes back to ROCK Dana with a forearm! Fans duel as Blair climbs up, and Blair grins, but Dana YANKS her into buckles!

Dana brings Blair off the corner, for a BATISTA BOMB!! Cover, TWO!! Blair survives and Dana is furious! Dana grabs at Blair but Blair bails out. Dana seethes, storms up, but Blair avoids the dropkick to RAM Dana into steel steps! Dana winces, Blair puts her back in the ring. Kelani cheers Dana on but Blair runs up. Dana LARIATS first! Dana is raging even while she looms over Blair. Dana goes out to get the ring bell!? Kelani stops Dana, this isn’t how to win! Dana says she doesn’t care! But Kelani still gets the bell away from her. Dana runs in, gets around Blair, O’Conner but Blair slips free!

Blair CLUBS Dana, Dana throws body shots and haymakers! Dana has Blair in the corner, fires furious fists from all sides, but the ref has her stop. Blair ROCKS Dana back! And then Blair FALCON- NO, Dana slips out, rolls Blair up, TWO! BLAIR TRIGGER! And then KAMI-GOYE!! Cover, Blair wins!

Winner: Blair Davenport, by pinfall

Dana’s fire inside ended up burning her, and Blair takes the win! The frustrations are only growing for Dana, and that scowl is partially direct at Kelani now. Does Dana blame her own protégé for what just happened?

Drew Gulak gets last minute sparring in.

He and Charlie Dempsey fight over grapple control while Damon Kemp watches on. Myles Borne appears with water, and Gulak tells him to open it. Myles does as told, and then Gulak just slaps the bottle away! Will Myles ever do right in Gulak’s eyes? Will Gulak #WhoopDatTrick, or get whooped by Trick?

Carmelo continues signing autographs.

Dijak’s big hand slaps down on the table! Save one of those pictures for yourself, Melo. Because after Heatwave, Melo won’t have the title to take pictures with. Okay, why not focus less on Melo and more on Wes? Cuz right now, Melo’s the only one going to Heatwave, not Dijak. Not yet. Dijak storms off and Melo shakes his head. Will the contenders be able to focus on themselves tonight?

Trick Williams VS Drew Gulak w/ Charlie Dempsey & Damon Kemp!

While Carmelo Hayes is doing his thing, Trick wants to prove he is his own man. Kemp wears a shirt that calls Trick the NXT Champions Purse Holder, and has even left a handbag on the ramp for Trick. Trick kicks that bag out of the way, will he kick the Philly Stretcher to the curb as he prepares for Ilja Dragunov?

The bell rings and the two circle. Fans rally, they tie up, and Gulak headlocks. Trick powers out, hurdles, drops down then hurdles again, but Gulak sunset flips! TWO, and the two reset. Fans rally, the two approach and Gulak throws body shots! Gulak CLUBS Trick, whips him, but Trick gets past the boot to LEAPING LARIAT! Fans fire up, Trick leans on the ropes a moment, and Kemp SUCKER PUNCHES him! Fans boo as Kemp gets away with that, and Gulak fires hands! Gulak wrenches, whips, but Trick reverses to hurdle and DROPKICK! Fans fire up and Trick whips. Gulak reverses but Trick reverses to pop-up SHORYUKEN!

Fans fire up with Trick and he storms out after Gulak. Gulak wants a timeout but Trick puts him in the ring. Kemp distracts the ref, and Dempsey GERMAN SUPLEXES Trick! Fans boo but Dempsey drags Trick up to put him in the ring. Kemp lets off now, and Gulak runs up to SHOTGUN Trick down! Trick goes to a corner, Gulak whips him corner to corner hard, and Gulak then whips back the other way! Trick boots but Gulak blocks! Gulak swings but Trick fires counter punches! Gulak trips Trick to stomp him, then he has the leg for the HALF CRAB! Gulak stands on Trick’s head but Trick endures.

Fans rally, Trick fights around, and he kicks with his free leg! Gulak grabs that leg but Trick ENZIGURIS with the other! Trick throws body shots and forearms, and he has Gulak on the ropes! Trick whips and DROPKICKS Gulak! Fans fire up as Trick then spins Gulak, knees low, and FLAPJACKS on the rebound! Trick kips up and he runs up on Gulak, SWINGING NECKBREAKER! Fans rally and Trick drags Gulak around. Trick cartwheels to deadlift BOOKEND! Fans fire up but Dempsey swipes at Trick! Trick BOOTS Dempsey! Trick goes out, and he LEAPS to CLOBBER Kemp! Fans fire up but Dempsey storms over.

Trick slides into the ring, the ref stops Dempsey & Kemp, and then Briggs & Jensen rush out to trip up Dempsey & Kemp! Fans fire up as the Country Boys take the fight to Gulak’s goons! Gulak rolls Trick up! Trick rolls through, blocks a kick, and spins Gulak to BOOT him! Cover, Trick wins!

Winner: Trick Williams, by pinfall

A huge win for Trick Willy! But will this momentum help him against the Mad Dragon? Or will Dragunov continue to show he is UNBESIEGBAR?

Baron Corbin is headed for gorilla position.

Sarah finds him first and asks if he’s heading to the ring with something to say. Wow, what gave that away? Does she really wanna know what he has to say? Yes. Good. Corbin continues on to gorilla, what will the #NoMoreBS Corbin have to say here tonight?

NXT returns and Baron Corbin is in the ring.

Corbin has the mic and says, “The great thing about coming out here and getting to be me, is I can say whatever the hell I want and I don’t have to worry about the repercussions!” Fans cheer that, and Corbin says that whatever he says, he means. Like how he took an Olympic Gold Medalist and ran him out the building! No one’s seen Gable Steveson here since Great American Bash! He got that small taste of what pro-wrestlers do, and Corbin is sure Steveson ain’t coming back for seconds.

Now, Corbin could stand here and tell us that everyone else in that locker room, everyone else watching the monitors are a bunch of soft ass little B*TCHES, and that week after week, day after day, hour after hour, they continue to prove him right! Corbin said #BurnTheShips because he is ushering in a new era. Not of NXT, he doesn’t care about this place. He is ushering in a new ear of Baron Corbin! One where he takes his place back in the main event, exactly where he belongs! But wait, here comes Von Wagner! Robert Stone is with him, and he has the mic to tell Corbin “Did you really just make fun of everyone in the NXT locker room?”

Well, sorry, man, but Stone, Von and everyone else here, and in the whole world, disagree! Corbin says thanks for the irrelevant input. But Corbin is proud to see Stone is no longer dressing like bootleg Happy Corbin. Stone could’ve ironed his suit but it is what it is. OMG good one Corbin! So good! Does insulting others make you feel better/ Stone knows what Corbin wants: to be at the top of this place. And see, he could! He has the qualifications. But the problem is, there’s someone standing in your way. That guy put Bron Breakker through a table last week, and that man is VON WAGNER!

Fans cheer and Corbin says yeah, he watches the show. Good! Because Stone promises that Von is just getting started! Oh, wow, really? He’s on a roll, gets people excited, puts superstars through tables! Oh, wait, why is Corbin talking to Stone? Can Von talk? Is he able to talk? Give him the mic and let’s see. Stone says okay and hands it over to Von. Von looks the mic over and Corbin says oh sorry, his mistake. Von, here’s something he’ll explain to you. If Von wants to make it in the business, you gotta learn to talk on the stick.

Take Corbin for example! The very first episode of SmackDown Live on Fox, in front of four MILLION, Corbin was toe to toe with The Rock! He didn’t step back, he stepped up! That’s what superstars do! That’s why Corbin makes the big bucks. If Von wants that, then follow Corbin. Otherwise, you’ll have a very, very, very long career of standing in the background with “security” on your chest, both here and RawDown every time they come through town. Von paces, and says y’know what? Maybe he hasn’t talked a lot, but maybe Corbin talks too much!

And Von has a friendship with Stone and his fancy lingo! Corbin comes out again and again, same old sob story! He’s tired of it, the fans are tired of it, EVERYONE is tired of it! So Corbin can come out with one of his ten gimmicks, whether it’s Happy Corbin, Sad Corbin, Bumass Corbin, I Ain’t Gonna Burn a Ship Down Corbin! Von doesn’t even remember the others, cuz they all SUCKED! Von is moving up the ladder around here, and Corbin’s just in the way. Next week, on Heatwave, Von has a reservation for one. And a table for one. And Corbin’s bald ass is gonna get tabled! Corbin swings but Von counter punches! And then clotheslines Corbin out!

Fans fire up for “TABLE! TABLE!” and Stone says go and do it! Von drags Corbin up, SMACKS him off the desk, and fans fire up! Von looks at the desk, and he clears it off! Von drags Corbin up, brings him in, but Corbin RAMS Von into the apron! Security rushes in and the fans boo as they work to separate the behemoths! “LET THEM FIGHT! LET THEM FIGHT!” They will fight, but just next week at Heatwave!

Rhea Ripley & Dominik Mysterio are backstage.

She says that last week, they made his dad watch in horror as Dom proved he IS the greatest NXT North American Champion ever. Dom says he could see the jealousy through the mask. But as for Lyra Valkyria, Rhea says she should’ve been satisfied with the endorsement. But instead, she decided to kick Rhea in the face! She kicked MAMI in the face! So now, how does Dom feel about them dropping in on Heatwave and showing these losers how it’s done? Yes, Mami. Dragon Lee, Lyra Valkyria, hopefully you two can work as a team against Dirty Dom & Mami Rhea. The challenge is set, don’t keep them waiting.

Mustafa Ali speaks.

The Beacon stands on a stage at a podium, and welcomes the “esteemed citizens of North America.” “In recent times, the prestigious North American Championship has been carried by individual who, regrettably, did not represent our great continent in the manner in which it deserves! I speak of the former champion, Wes Lee. I speak of the current champion, Dominik Mysterio, who spits in the face of family values and is a convicted criminal! Ladies and gentlemen, the people of North America deserve better. They deserve someone who is a champion both inside and outside of the ring.

“I am the North American Champion that we need! I will elevate the North American Championship to unparalleled heights, all while inspiring millions across the continent that they, too, can do incredible things the right way. So I look to you. I ask you, to open your ears, raise your heads, realize that the time for a new North American Champion is now! You will rise, you will reach out, you will take my hand and believe in a greater North American Champion, believe that in Ali, you can trust!” The audience applauds, but will The Beacon finally and truly shine with gold?

NXT Championship #1 Contender’s Match: Wes Lee VS DIJAK!

Both men have put HIM on notice, but only one gets to follow through! Will the Must See Kid defy Hard Justice and have a shot at the top title? Or will Dijak put everything on lockdown going into Heatwave?

NXT returns as Dijak makes his entrance. The bell rings, the two circle and feel things out, and Wes avoids Dijak’s grip. Fans rally for Wes as he evades Dijak but ends up cornered. Wes KICKS Dijak in the leg then gets away. And KICKS again! Dijak kepes in pursuit, he corners Wes again, btu Wes slips out to the apron! And under, and around, and then gets away from the big back elbow. Dijak runs in, Wes drop toeholds but he can’t take Dijak down! So Wes KICKS away at the leg! Wes then fires off hands, but Dijak shoves him. Wes dropkicks the leg out! And SMASHES the knee on the mat!

Fans fire up as Wes has the standing toehold. Dijak endures, reaches out, but Wes keeps him from ropes. Dijak crawls, fans rally, and Dijak kicks with his free leg. Wes lets go, Dijak runs in but Wes ducks ‘n’ dodges and slides under to KANGAROO KICK the leg! Fans rally as Wes watches Dijak go to the corner. Wes runs in to RAM into Dijak! Wes has the leg, he pulls but Dijak has the ROPEBREAK! Wes lets go and Dijak bails out. Wes keeps his eyes on Dijak, but Dijak hears the ring count. Dijak hobbles back over, refreshes the count and gets more time to rest. Wes storms up but Dijak grabs a leg! Wes grabs hair! Dijak HOTSHOTS Wes!

Dijak storms in to CLOBBER Wes! Dijak clamps onto Wes’s arm to CLUB away on it, and drop elbows! Fans rally, Wes endures as Dijak shifts to a top wristlock. Wes throws body shots, then a PELE! Dijak staggers, Wes KICKS Dijak again! Wes stands to BACKHAND, then he runs, to ROLLING KICK! Dijak staggers and drops to a k nee, but he grabs Wes’s hair! Dijak POSTS Wes! Wes slumps to the apron and Dijak storms over. Dijak drags Wes in, CLUBS the arm, and fans rally up. Dijak drops a BIG elbow on Wes’s chest! Cover, TWO! Dijak twists Wes’s arm, and bends it around into the top wristlock!

Fans rally for “WES SIDE!” and Wes throws hands! Dijak holds onto the arm but Wes throws more shots. Dijak SHOVES Wes to a corner, runs in, but Wes dodges! Dijak’s boot gets caught up on the ropes and he tumbles over and out! Wes then DIVES, but Dijak catches him! Dijak scoops Wes, to LAWN DART him into the post! Wes goes down in a heap and Dijak laughs as NXT goes picture in picture.

Dijak doesn’t laugh long, his leg still bothers him. Dijak hobbles as he stalks Wes to the desk. Dijak drags Wes up, puts Wes in the ring, and then covers, TWO! Wes is still in this but Dijak slaps his bad leg into working. Dijak stalks Wes, drags him up, and ROCKS him with a forearm! Wes drops to a corner, Dijak storms up and throws back elbows! Dijak brings Wes in, TIME TO FLY! Wes crash lands at center, Dijak covers, TWO! Dijak keeps on Wes and that bad arm with a chinbar armlock combo. Wes endures the stretch while fans rally up. Dijak CLUBS Wes, throws down elbows, then clamps on another top wristlock.

Wes endures and fans continue to rally. Wes fights up to his feet, but Dijak pulls on the arm! Dijak then punches the shoulder! And CLUBS it with an elbow! Wes resists but Dijak gets another top wristlock clamped on. Wes endures, even as Dijak leans on the hold. NXT returns to single picture and fans continue to rally. Wes fights back up, but Dijak inverted suplexes! Wes uses that to TORNADO DDT! Fans fire up while both men are down, and they rally behind Wes. Wes and Dijak go to opposite corners, then Dijak runs in! Wes dropkicks the leg and Dijak hits buckles! Wes then SHOTGUNS Dijak!

Wes fires off hands, but Dijak CLUBS the bad arm! Dijak boots but Wes gets under it, to POWERBOMB!?!? Wes then rolls Dijak through to SUPERKICK! And METEORA!! Cover, TWO!! Dijak survives and Wes grows frustrated. Wes stands and fans fire up for “NXT! NXT!” Wes aims from a corner, Dijak stands, and Wes handsprings, CARDIAC- NO, the bad arm gives up! Dijak grins as he drags Wes up! Torture rack, FEAST YOUR- NO, the bad leg gives up! Wes BOOTS Dijak! Both men wobble, and Dijak choke grips! HIGH JUSTICE!!! Cover, TWO!?!? Wes survives, that bad leg must’ve held Dijak back!

Fans are thunderous and declare “This is Awesome!” as both men are down. Dijak rolls to the apron and walks off the pain. He drags Wes out to join him, but Wes KICKS away again! Dijak has the legs, Wes fires hands! Dijak ROCKS Wes, then SWINGS Wes into the steel steps! Fans lose their minds and the ref checks on Wes. Wes is somehow okay to continue, so Dijak drags him up to TOSS him over the barriers! Wes is stuck in that gap, fans rally up, but then Dijak pulls the steel steps apart? But then Eddy Thorpe is there! The Alpha Wolf will not let Dijak do what he wants. Dijak swings, Eddy dodges, and Wes FLYING RANAS Dijak into the steps!

Fans fire up as Wes SUPERKICKS Dijak into the ring! Wes goes to the apron, and pops his own arm back into place! Handspring, CARDIAC KICK!! Wes goes up top, to SKY TWISTER!! Cover, WES WINS!

Winner: Wes Lee, by pinfall (NEW #1 Contender for the NXT Championship)

The Alpha Wolf smiles, having served real justice to Dijak. Will Eddy have proper vengeance in a rematch of his own? And as for Wes, he tells Melo that he’ll see him next week. Will the Cardiac Kid burn HIM down?

Lyra Valkyria is watching backstage.

Dragon Lee walks over and asks if she saw that earlier. Yes, she did. They’ve been challenged to a big Mixed Tag Match! Dragon says if not for Mami, HE would be North American Champion now. Lyra agrees, but tells him not to worry about Rhea. Lyra will kick her so hard, Dom feels it! Yeah, Dom and his stupid face. Lyra agrees again, Dom does have a stupid face. But those two get along so well, Lyra & Dragon need to be like that. Whoa whoa whoa, tranquila, chiquita! He’s taken! No no no, not like that. Just that Rhea & Dom are always on the same page. They don’t even know a thing about each other.

Oh, well, Dragon knows this about her. But he says it in Spanish and she no habla. Sorry, in English: You were born for greatness. Oh, well, then Lyra returns the favor, but in Gaelic. Something something taco? No, not taco. Let’s jsut say that next week, they will be equipo, a team! Yeah, that much they can agree on! Well, things might be getting lost in translation, but will what they do to Rhea & Dom be universally understood?

Backstage interview with Tyler Bate.

McKenzie Mitchell is with the Big Strong Boi, and notes that he is moments away from a match with Joe Coffey, a match that springs up from an incident that happened at an NXT house show this past Friday. The footage is provided by NXT Anonymous, and it shows the entirety of Gallus getting at Tyler about juts giving up his Heritage Cup not even 20 MINUTES after winning it! That is PATHETIC! Tyler says they can go and see who is pathetic. NXT security got this to break up before it got physical, but that’s what the match is for.

Tyler says he has known Joe Coffey for a long time, he knows what Joe is about. But if he wants to come at Tyler like that, Tyler would prefer it not be during quality time with the fans. Clearly, Joe is still bitter about his boys losing the tag titles. On Tyler’s journey, he has learned not to react to an angry person with a fiery comeback, even if they deserve it. Tyler will not let Joe’s anger become his own, because Joe needs to learn balance. The music hits, and Tyler says he’ll help Joe with that up next. Will the Iron King cool off? Or will he explode this close to Heatwave?

Ilja Dragunov speaks.

“Trick Williams, you want to slay the Mad Dragon? Very courageous of you. But if you believe that Heatwave is some kind of noble crusade, and you’re the night in shining armor, I promise next week, fantasy will not become reality. The heat you fill, it’s not your warming up, no. It’s your own hubris burning you down. I expect you to bring that supreme confidence, the charismatic swagger and that admirable courage, because I’m bringing the raging fire! Next week will be a fight, a difficult one, to overcome. But next week, Trick, you will understand that I am more dangerous than you can imagine.”

The Czar has spoken, will he burn Trick down?

Wes Lee leaves Shawn Michaels’ office.

Wes smiles as he holds up the Heatwave NXT Championship contract. That shoulder’s still bothering him, though, will he be in any shape for that fight next week?

Tyler Bate VS Joe Coffey w/ Gallus!

NXT returns as Gallus make their entrance, and the Iron King steps into the ring with the Big Strong Boi. The bell rings and the two circle. They tie up, Joe wrenches to a wristlock but Bate cartwheels and slips through to wrench back. Fans rally behind Bate as he wristlocks, but Joe knees low. Joe hits a takeover, and then he pulls back on the headlock! Bate fights up, fans rally, and Bate powers out. Bate drops under, comes back to headlock, but Joe pushes him to a corner. Bate uses that to hit a tornado takeover! Joe flails, Bate BOPS Joe with his boot over and over! Joe rolls to a cover, ONE!

Joe fights up, powers out, and RAMS shoulders with Bate! Joe stays up and crosses his arms, but Bate DROPKICKS him down! Mark Coffey gets on the apron to distracts the ref and Wolfgang hurries up and in, but Bate DECKS him! But then Joe CLOBBERS Bate! Fans boo as Joe whips Bate into a corner hard! Then scoops for a BACKBREAKER! Cover, TWO! Joe CLUBS away on Bate, clamps onto the shoulders, then he shifts to a seated full nelson. Fans rally, Bate fights up and Bate powers the hold open! Fans fire up but Joe powers up! Only for Bate to jump and victory roll! TWO, and Joe runs up to scoop again!

Bate slips out, ROCKS Joe, UPPERCUTS, then UPPERCUTS again! Bate fires off fast hands, fans fire up, and Bate whips. Joe reverses but Bate FLYING UPPERCUTS! Fans fire up more as Bate runs, but Joe alley-oops him! Bate lands safe, KNEES Joe away, then goes up the corner. Bate FLYING UPPERCUTS again! Both men stand, Joe runs in but into an EXPLODER! Bate kips up, and STANDING SHOOTING STARS! Cover, TWO! Joe staggers up but Bate fireman’s carries! AIRPLANE SPIN! Fans fire up as Bate goes around and around then SLAMS Joe down! Gallus coaches Joe up and he goes to a corner.

Bate runs in but Joe dodges! Bate stops himself, goes up the corner, and FLYING- NO, Joe catches him for a GERMAN SUPLEX! Bridging cover, TWO! Joe stands Bate up, but Bop, then BANG! But Joe HEADBUTTS! Bate ROLLING KICKS on the rebound! Then he underhooks, but Joe back drops free! Bate lands on his feet and runs, REBOUNDER! Joe flops out of the ring and fans fire up as Bate builds speed! Bate FLIES and takes out Joe! But then DABBA-KATO BOOTS Bate down?!

Winner: Tyler Bate, by disqualification

And then Dabba-Kato puts Joe in the ring!? Fans boo but Gallus saves Joe! Bate gets in but Kato gets Bate for the SKY HIGH BOMB! Fans boo, what is Dabba-Kato’s beef with Bate!?

NXT Media catches up with Corbin.

They ask him about what went down with Von Wagner earlier tonight. Corbin says it was obvious. He steps in the ring, says how it is, someone got offended. That’s their problem, not his. But at least Von had the balls to speak up. Next week at Heatwave, Von will- Wait, Bron steps in. He asks about “this crap” about Von VS Corbin next week. Bron isn’t finished with Von yet. Oh, Bron isn’t finished? He looked pretty finished after Von put his ass through the table. Bron says okay then. Good luck next week. Just know that Bron will be watching. Corbin says Bron may intimidate everyone else here, but Corbin isn’t everyone. Corbin heads out, will Bron make Corbin like everyone else?

NXT presents an all-new Hard Hitting Home Truths.

Nathan Frazer is back on the set of his talk show, and welcomes us to HHHT. Now, if you didn’t know, Florida is “really freakin’ hot” right now, and those temperatures will reach a boiling point at the annual sizzler that is NXT Heatwave. It’ll be one hell of a show, but Frazer has a vested interest in himself, when he defends his true and legitimate Heritage Cup against the Scottish Supernova, the Mouth of Meta Four, the professional fraud himself, Noam Dar. Now, it took some negotiations with Tyler to get Dar to admit his cup is not real, but-

“Hello, hello, hello! Is this thing on?” The Meta Four hijacks HHHT with Supernova Sessions! Hear him now, live from the moon, welcome to their show that is interrupting their scheduled programming, “which appears to be some freaky speedy lunatic ranting about me!” Frazer says he is always ready for these kinds of scenarios, and he knew Dar would pull this eventually. Dar always was a weird one. He’s cradled that cup ever since he was actually champion. What does he mean, “Actually?” Dar IS the champion! The greatest Heritage Cup Champion of all time! Most reigns, longest reigns, most handsome, cosmic left foot! Dar only deals in facts! Meta Four deals in only facts!

And that means Meta Four is done with Frazer’s dumb conspiracy theories. Next week, normality returns. Conspiracy theories? Well, then, here is a very simple question: which cup is real? Dar’s or Frazer’s? Why does it matter? Frazer didn’t beat Dar, he beat Oro. Oro gets upset and Dar apologizes but Frazer wants a simple, straightforward answer. They all said it last week. Dar admits to nothing! Then roll the tape. Footage replays as Frazer made the deal: Undisputed Heritage Cup Championship match IF Dar admits that his is a fake. Dar admitted that technically, Frazer has the original cup that Oro lost but Frazer never beat Dar for.

Dar says that’s faked. The stupid boy is trying to make Dar look stupid! No, Dar’s doing a fine job of that himself. Oh, reminder: Frazer got hooked up with something new from NXT: the Fraud Alarm! Every time someone says something fraudulent, Frazer presses the button. FRAUD!! Hey! You don’t need that. Dar doesn’t tell lies. FRAUD!! Okay, so where is Dar again? The moon. FRAUD!! And who is the real Heritage Cup Champion? IT’S DAR! FRAUD!! STOP~! FRAUD FRAUD FRAUD!! Meta Four calms down, Jakara holds the cup so Dar can get serious. Dar tells Frazer to enjoy his fun, the big thief! Because next week at Heatwave, Dar will rip him apart. FRAUD!!

It’s over for Frazer! Dar will take back what is rightfully his! FRAUD!! STOP~! Check please, thank you, buh-bye! Let’s get outta here. Frazer has a laugh and says that the REAL Heritage Cup stays in Frazer’s trophy cabinet. This has been enlightening. But will the British Rocket take off and leave the Supernova in the stardust?

Thea Hail w/ Chase U VS Jacy Jayne!

The attempt at making up for #TowelGate is here, but it doesn’t seem like Thea is excited about it. Jacy doesn’t seem excited about this, either. But one way or another, will Thea get the much needed W? Or will she be all but done with Chase U?

The bell rings and fans rally behind Thea as she circles with Jacy. They tie up, Jacy knees low, and she CLUBS her! Jacy CHOPS, talks trash, eggs Thea on and CHOPS again. Jacy whips, Thea ducks ‘n’ dodges and tilt-o-whirl arm-drags! Thea then wheelbarrow arm-drags! Thea ducks ‘n’ dodges again, tilt-o-whirl RANA! Jacy bails out, Thea DIVES onto her! Fans fire up with Thea but she still tells Chase to watch himself. Chase says of course, Thea has this, and NXT goes to break.

NXT returns and Jacy has Thea down with a chinbar armlock combo. Fans rally, Jacy leans on the hold, but Thea fights up. Thea moves around, Jacy shifts to just a chinlock, then she sends Thea into the corner. Thea ELBOWS Jacy away, leans against ropes, and Jacy runs in. Thea gets around to O’Conner Roll! TWO, and Thea hits ropes hard! Jacy ELBOWS Thea down! And SENTONS! Fans boo, Jacy covers, TWO! Jacy taunts Chase U, then rips a buckle pad down! Jacy smirks and goes back to Thea. Fans rally but Jacy CLUBS Thea around. Jacy kicks Thea around, drags her up, and whips her at the corner, but Thea wrenches to WRING Jacy!

Thea gets moving and she rallies on Jacy! Then back splash in the corner! EXPLODER! Fans fire up as Thea roars, and ROLLING SENTONS! Fans fire up for the IMPLODER SENTON! Cover, TWO!! Jacy survives and Chase coaches Thea up. Thea drags Jacy up, turns her, but Jacy slips out to mule kick! And RUNNING KNEE! Jacy grins, runs in, ROLLING- NO, Thea ducks the elbow, to get a KIMURA!! ROPEBREAK! Thea lets go, but runs in, into a SUPERKICK! Jacy runs up, SPINEBUSTER! Cover, TWO!! Thea survives and Jacy is furious. Fans rally up, but Jacy finishes what she started and pushes the buckle pad down more.

Jacy goes back for Thea as fans rally up. Jacy kicks Thea around but Thea glares up at her. Jacy says Thea is nothing, and runs at the exposed buckle! Chase is there to put the pad back up! And Thea bumps Jacy off it! She asks what Chase is even doing, but then turns around into a cradle!! JACY WINS!

Winner: Jacy Jayne, by pinfall

Even when he tries to help, he messes it up! Jacy laughs at Chase U, Thea is angry with Professor Chase again, but Chase tries to explain what happened. Will Chase ever make it right?

NXT looks at the legacy of Humberto Garza.

The lucha libre legend wishes his grandsons, Angel & Humberto, would remember what he always told them. “When we are on top of the world, we have family. When life knocks us down, we still have family.” The two have been at odds over how they go about things, and Humberto is the one who wants to get serious. But he wants them to know, that “if you lose your way, do not take it out on each other. If you lose, your cousin loses. The time has come. No more games, no more distractions. Tear away your past for a new beginning. But a new beginning together.”

Angel wakes up in the dead of night, as does Humberto. Did they hear the message from their grandfather? How will they take his words to heart?

Carmelo finishes up with the autograph signing.

Wes steps in and said he told Melo he’d be back. Here’s the contract to sign. The most important signature of the night. Well, congrats on doing it. See you next Tuesday. Melo hands the contract back, but Wes pushes aside the pictures and posters. He ain’t waiting. Wes even kicks the table down! Melo has security stand down. Wes says see you out there. Cuz he’s taking the table, right to the ring! We get an impromptu contract signing moment, after the break!

NXT returns and Wes has the table in the ring now, contract right on top. And Melo makes his entrance! Fans fire up as the NXT Champion goes right to the ring, just as Wes wants. Wes has the mic to have everyone quiet down and tell Melo to get in here already. Time to sign the most important thing here. Melo sets the belt down, and tells Wes that he is really close to turning Melo back to the old Melo, so chill. Wes doesn’t even know what that means. But he doesn’t really know anything about Melo’s lifestyle. Jet-settin’ vacations, sittin’ on the beach, drinkin’ champagne.

Yeah, stop there. That’s the problem. Everyone thinks that because Melo holds the title, it’s all luxurious. Yeah, it comes with perks, but also responsibilities. And there’s no doubt in Melo’s mind that Wes is one of the greatest North American Champions of all time. Fans cheer that, but Melo asks if Wes carried that title with the same prestige and honor Melo did before him. Melo says yes, he did. But until you step outta those shoes and walk a mile in Melo’s studded loafers, don’t talk about how easy someone has it. Wes takes a couple L’s, faces a little adversity, and he starts to fold like a chair on the Alabama boardwalk, let’s talk about it.

“So Wes, next week, it’s your shot to take that title. But I’m not convinced that you can be HIM.” Wes says, “Can’t be him?” What makes you think Wes wants to be him? Do you know how many times in Wes’s career, he has been told he can’t do something? When Melo got here, he was one of the chosen ones. It was all gravy for him. Not for Wes. Back when Wes as in the military, his supervisors found out he was even trying to do pro-wrestling, and they thought he was crazy for it. Not just because of the job itself, but because they took one look at him, and said he couldn’t. Fast forward and now Wes is here blazing his own trail to make it in the WWE, and again come the doubters saying, “You Can’t!”

Fans fire up as Wes says, “It was a hell of a ride to get here. But dammit, I set up shop, become a TWO-TIME Tag Team Partner, and when I lost my tag partner, it all started again. ‘Wes, you can’t break out as a singles star. Wes, you will never become a champion! Wes, you can’t do this! Wes, you can’t do that!’ But Wes DID!” Fans fire up more and even Melo nods. Wes says he became North American Champion! He became the GREATEST North American Champion in history! Fans cheer that, and Wes asks if anyone had that on their NXT bingo cards. If you did, good job, Wes sure didn’t.

But as a matter of fact, who did he take that title off of? Whoa, no no no. Melo says no, hold on. Wes won the title but he didn’t beat Melo for it. That’s just the truth. The same title that Melo got the most eyes on! The title that no one was giving the time of day, until Melo put it on the map! Until Melo put on bangers in front of these fans for months, not once but twice! But this isn’t about the NAC, this is about THE NXT Championship, MELO’s title. And Melo agrees with 90% of what Wes is saying, and he feels him, but next week on Heatwave, Wes won’t, and can’t beat Melo. Wes says there we go with “can’t.”

Dog, do you know how many years Wes has made doubters into believers? Melo wasn’t even the biggest doubter! And it wasn’t any of the fans! It was Wes himself! Whenever someone said he can’t, it resonated in Wes. There was that voice deep inside Wes’s mind, but no more! Wes will NOT fail anymore. Wes signs his part of the contract and fans fire up. “Now sign the damn contract.” Wes pushes it at Melo, and Melo says gladly. Because everyone knows Wes earned this. It was only a matter of time. But just one more thing: don’t go chasing waterfalls; stick tot he rivers and the lakes that you’re used to. Because next time, it’s not Melo Don’t Miss, it’s Melo Can’t Miss.

Melo signs his part, fans chant “MELO’S GONNA MISS!” “NO!” and then Melo holds up the belt. And then Wes DOUBLE STOMPS the table apart!! “See you at Heatwave.” Melo is feeling the vibe, but will he be feeling the heat when Wes won’t stop?

My Thoughts:

Another great NXT episode, especially as a go-home to Heatwave next week. Mostly because there was no Go-Home Syndrome going on, just all action and build. The tag title match was a great opener, and I just felt Julius & Brutus were gonna attack again while in disguise. Ivy confirms she is in on this mind game as she is the major distraction. Tony & Stacks retain the titles to face any number of teams in the Fall stretch, and we are definitely getting one last Schism VS Diamond Mine tag match, perhaps with No Disqualifications this time, and then it’ll truly be Losers Leave NXT or something like that.

And speaking of tag teams, what a creative and well done vignette promo where the spirit of Humberto Garza speaks to Angel & Humberto. This could become a top story for NXT as these two get serious and blaze a trail up to the tag titles. Also very creative promo from Mustafa Ali that was very political-campaign-ad. I’ve said before and still feel that Ali needs to be a champion already. Ali VS I assume Dom at No Mercy in a month please. And also, good promo from Dom & Rhea to call out Dragon & Lyra, and great response from Lyra & Dragon. Though I perhaps would’ve liked subs, I’m not the best at Spanish and have no chance with Gaelic. But sadly, in this Mixed Tag, I don’t see Dragon & Lyra winning, Rhea & Dom aren’t just in sync, they know how to cheat!

Great promo stuff from Corbin, Stone, Von and Bron. I do feel that part of that promo was NXT testing Von on his promo skills, and he actually did good there. Using “Making a reservation for one/table for one” was a clever move but could’ve used some ironing out. Von VS Corbin will be good stuff, but I feel like Bron will want to get involved and we end up with some kind of Triple Threat for No Mercy or something. And while NXT Anonymous is still an odd gimmick, they are using it to give us more creative types of promos. The house show confrontation turning into a match here was clever, and we were getting good stuff from Bate VS Joe Coffey, but what a wild surprise for Dabba-Kato to go after everybody. Is Dabba getting in on the Heritage Cup Division or something?

Speaking of, pretty good Hard Hitting Home Truths turning into a crossover with Supernova Sessions to give us one last bit before the Heritage Cup Championship match next week. I just hope Yulisa & Valentina help keep Meta Four in check like before so Frazer can have a fair match. And personally, I want Frazer to win. Dar has done great things for the Cup, but he needs to move on to other titles now. He’d be great in either the North American or top title story after No Mercy. Dar having promos with Ali, Meta Four having promos with Judgment Day, either of those would be fun to see for a little bit there.

Good match from Dana VS Blair, with Dana showing that new aggression. But it was also clever to have Kelani try and keep her on the straight and narrow by not letting her just use the ring bell as a weapon. It does cost Dana, and that scowl definitely suggests Dana turning Heel and going after Kelani. Good promo from Chase, Duke and Thea to set up what ended up being the main event match. Thea VS Jacy was a good match but the main thing was Chase’s help backfiring. Thea has already had her verbal jabs and passive aggressive behavior towards Chase, but it feels like everyone wants to see Thea explode on Chase, maybe even punch him. And maybe that’s what it’ll take for Thea to get over this without her turning Heel and leaving the Chase U faction.

Great match from Trick VS Gulak, with Dempsey & Kemp of course getting involved. But also great to see Briggs & Jensen going after them, given how things went down between bar brawlers and grappling goons last week. And great promo from Dragunov to hype up his match with Trick. Trick stood tall tonight, feels like Dragunov will stand tall at Heatwave, and then Dragunov can go after whoever is top champion going towards No Mercy. Great contender’s match of Wes VS Dijak, with Eddy having a great part to play given his history with Dijak.

Wes winning was the right move, and he had great promos with Melo throughout the night. That contract signing was a great closing segment, both men being fan favorites and making good points. But Wes double stomping that table apart was probably the coolest punctuation on a contract signing segment. As great as Wes is, I feel like Melo still finds a way to win so he and Dragunov can have their rematch at No Mercy. But at the same time, not sure where Wes goes if he doesn’t win. He’s already had the NAC, he’s moved past it now, so he either tries his hand at the Heritage Cup or maybe moves up to RawDown. Probably SmackDown, so he can go for the US Championship.

My Score: 8.8/10