The journey to NXT TakeOver 36 is well and truly underway. Tonight's edition of NXT aired on SyFy instead of USA Network, and it featured a long-awaited return, a long-awaited turn, and a pro-wrestling legend declaring his iminnent return to the ring after a 17-month hiatus.
Winners: Pete Dunne, Oney Lorcan, And Ridge Holland
This week's edition of NXT kicked off with Pete Dunne and Oney Lorcan vs. Tomaso Ciampa and Timothy Thatcher -- a match featuring four of the hardest-hitting psychopaths on any of WWE's rosters. As Wade Barrett pointed out on commentary, the match was akin to a UK pub brawl. It was a scrap. It was a slugfest. And the Capitol Wrestling Center crowd loved every minute of it.
It was an even contest early on, but Thatcher and Ciampa eventually gained the upper hand. Momentum was in their favor, but then a returning Ridge Holland -- in his first NXT appearance since October of last year -- emerged out of nowhere to help out his countryman Dunne, and Dunne's partner Lorcan. Dunne took advantage of the distraction and hit Ciampa with the Bitter End to steal the victory.
After the bell, Lorcan and Dunne restrained Ciampa and made him watch as Holland continued to beat down Thatcher.
Winner: Samoa Joe's In-Ring Return Confirmed
The seemingly perpetually irate Samoa Joe stormed down the ramp and threw a table and chair into the ring. He then requested the presence of NXT General Manager, who was attacked by NXT Champion Karrion Kross at the end of last week's NXT, much to Joe's chagrin.
Regal entered the ring and didn't say a word for the entire segment. But he didn't have to. His facials said more than words ever could. Joe encouraged Regal to hold off on firing Kross and then officially resigned as a member of the NXT management team. Joe then asked Regal to reinstate him as an active member of the NXT roster. Regal was clearly frustrated and angered by the whole situation, but was willing to go along with Joe's proposal nonetheless.
Before the segment ended, Joe pitched the final phase of his plan: he asked Regal to book Joe in a match with Kross at the upcoming NXT TakeOver 36. Regal obliged, making Samoa Joe's return to the ring after a 17-month hiatus official.
Winner: Dakota Kai Finally Turns On Raquel Gonzalez
"As long as I have your back, you will ALWAYS be champion!"
The moment everyone saw coming finally arrived. The alliance between Dakota Kai and NXT Women's Champion Raquel Gonzalez came to an end when Kai turned on Gonzalez and declared her intentions to challenge for her now-former friend's title.
The segment began with Kai and Gonzalez espousing Gonzalez's dominance. Kai said that Gonzalez had beaten everyone and that no more challengers remained. To make what came next even more obvious than it already was, Kai laid it on real thick.
The segment appeared to be over when Gonzalez's music played and she posed with the title belt, but then she turned her back on Kai, and Kai struck. Dakota Kai delivered a brutal kick to Raquel Gonzalez. As the champ was reeling, Kai picked up the NXT Women's Championship belt, and in doing so, declared her intentions to challenge for it.
Loser: Franky Monet and Robert Stone Brand
The strange and vague union between Robert Stone and Franky Monet continues, but probably not for much longer.
Monet and Robert Stone Brand client Jessi Kamea teamed up to take on the dynamic duo of Kacy Catanzaro and Kayden Carter. Catanzaro and Carter got the win when Robert Stone attempted to cheat on behalf of Monet and Kamea. The plan backfired as Monet -- who had the upper hand -- became distracted and confused by Stone's antics.
After the bell, an angry Monet chastised Stone while Kamea looked on.
Loser: LA Knight's Private Parts
In a series of on-location skits that aired throughout the show, Cameron Grimes continued to serve as the dogsboddy of Million Dollar Champion LA Knight. In tonight's skits, Grimes played caddy to Knight's golfer. The pair were on a golfcourse as Knight gre increasingly frustrated with his butler/caddy's chirpy attitude.
The second skit teased the a potential redemption story for Grimes when Ted DiBiase, who just happened to be playing on the same course, shared some encouraging words with him. In the final skit of the evening, Grimes and Knight made a bet with James Drake and Zack Gibson, who also just happened to be golfing on the same course as them because Orlando famously only has one golf course. When Grimes went to wack the ball, he accidentally hit Knigh in the testicles with his upswing and in the head with his downswing. Knight was reeling, but recovered quickly enough to chase Gibson and Drake away in a fit of rage.
Full Results
- Pete Dunne and Oney Lorcan def. Timothy Thatcher and Tomasso Ciampa via pinfall after Dunne took advantage of a distraction from Ridge Holland to hit Ciampa with the Bitter End
- Carmello Hayes def. Josh Briggs via pinfall with a top-rope leg drop
- Kacy Catanzaro and Kayden Carter def. Franky Monet and Jessi Kamea via pinfall when Robert Stone attempts to interfere on behalf of Kamea and Monet backfired
- Imperium (Fabian Aichner and Marcel Barthel) def. Hit Row (Top Dolla and Adonis) via pinfall following interference from Legado Del Fantasma
- Adam Cole def. Bronson Reed via pinfall following a knee to the back of Reed's head
Noteworthy Moments
- Ridge Holland returned to NXT TV after a lengthy absence due to an injury
- In a backstage promo, Hit Row put Legado Del Fantasma and Imperium on blast
- Samoa Joe resigned as NXT management and was reinstated as an active member of the NXT roster
- Regal confirmed that Joe will face Karrion Kross for the NXT Championship at NXT TakeOver 36
- Cameron Grimes served as LA Knight's caddy in a funny on-location segment in which LA Knight continued to grow frustrated with Grimes's annoyingly positive disposition
- Duke Hudson joined the announce team to provide commentary on the Hayes vs. Briggs NXT Breakout Tournament match. The match was won by Hayes, who Hudson will face in the next round
- In another Grimes/Knight golf segment, Ted DiBiase provided some words of wisdom to Cameron Grimes: "You were born to be a champion, not a butler"
- Dakota Kai and NXT Women's Champion addressed the NXT Universe. Kai praised Raquel and said she was the most dominant female wrestler in NXT history
- Dakota Kai turned on Raquel Gonzalez
- Mandy Rose, Gigi Dolin, and Jacy Jayne were filmed chatting backstage before shooing away the camera operator
- Wade Barrett interviewed Malcolm Bivens and Roderick Strong of The Diamond Mine in a pretaped segment in which they confirmed that Roderick Strong would go one-on-one with his former Undisputed Era colleague Bobby Fish on next week's edition of NXT
- Triple H, Willia Regal, and Shawn Michaels announced that NXT UK stars Walter and Ilja Dragunov would battle for Walter's NXT UK Championship at TakeOver
- The Way (Johnny Gargano, Candice LeRae, and Indi Hartwell) discussed Austin Theory's recent decision to part ways with "the family"
- Indi Hartwell asked Gargano and LeRae if Dexter Lumis could join "the family" but they declined. Hartwell suggested that Gargano face Lumis next week in a "Love HEr or Lose Her" match. If Lumis wins, Gargano has to give him a chance
- In the final Grimes/Knight segment, the pair was confronted by Grizzled Young Veterans (James Drake and Zack Gibson). The two groups agreed to a wager but Grimes accidentally knocked Knight out with his club
- After the main event, Kyle O'Reilly brutally attacked Adam Cole, suplexing him onto the steel stairs and hitting him repeatedly with a chair