WWE NXT 5/9/2023

WWE NXT 5/9/2023

Last week's show is here: https://prowresblog.blogspot.com/2023/05/wwe-nxt-522023.html 

NXT Women's Title Tournament 1st Round - Tiffany Stratton vs Gigi Dolin

Tiff said she should have just been given the title and calls her Chucky. She said she doesn't know what she will do, but she will beat her and go on to become women's champ. Gigi did an inset too and said she hopes Jacy makes the next round of the tournament so they can fight. She said she will make Tiff her punching bag.

Gigi hits some shots and Tiff bridges out of a lariat. Gigi does a pin attempt on her then knees her. Tiff running double stomps Gigi as she is seated. Tiff works on Gigi's arm then Gigi rolls her up. Gigi hits some knees and a lariat then pump kicks her. Tiff codebreakers her arm then cartwheel backflip elbows her for 2. Gigi hits a high kick then STO's her. Tiff hits a top rope moonsault and wins it.

Tiff working the arm all match just to win with a moonsault didn't make that much sense. I didn't like the booking of this math as neither one really needed to lose here and it really hurts Gigi to lose clean, when Jacy could have interfered and made it look less bad.

Gacy talks to Dyad. He said he sacrificed himself so they could get a shot. He said he would not be out there with them and told Ava to guide them as he would.

We go to Melo's barbershop. Melo said he isn't 100% and said he appreciates Melo standing up for him. Trick said he's on a whole new level.

NXT Tag Titles - Gallus (c) vs The Dyad

Mark back elbows Jagger. Wolf works Jagger's arm and prevents him from tagging out. Wolf suplexes Rip then Mark is tripped into a baseball slide. Mark takes an enzugiri into a flatliner for 2 and we go to PiP break. We return and Mark takes a super kick and double throat thrust. Diamond Mine are watching in the back and the Creed's put on blue masks mocking Schism and Ivy gets mad. Tony and Stacks are watching on the riser. Wolf gets in and beats up Dyad then he top rope double axe handles Jagger. Wolf sentons Jagger then Jagger takes a double uranage.

Gallus goes for a double team but Dyad stops it. Rip has his head banged off the table outside. Ava gets on the apron and distracts Wolf. Wolf catapults Jagger into Mark and Jagger catches Mark with a ddt. Ivy Nile comes out and beats up Ava, then the Creeds break it up. Rip takes a face kick + samoan drop and Gallus get the win.

This really wasn't anything super interesting for special. I thought Dyad had a chance of winning this one due to Gallus not being super over, but it wasn't to be.

Chase U is in the back and Thea talks about getting drafted. Javier Bernal comes in and asks Thea if Chase U has classes on making the women's title tournament, mocking her since she isn't in. Duke comes in and said Thea got an 88 on a test. Javier accused Duke of having alterior motives and said Chase wouldn't know what hit him when Duke goes through with it. Duke said he's only temporary and says, how dare Bernal disrespect Duke Uni...erh Chase University. Duke said he will get a match between them made tonight and the graphic for it is immediately posted.

We see a video of the anonymous attacker in the hood watching footage of her victims.

Duke Hudson vs Javier Bernal

They shove each other and JB gets down. Duke runs him over with a shoulder and then slams him. JB hits a ddt and a sliding lariat for 2. Duke makes his comeback with a back elbow and a side slam. Duke does a slingshot into a german. Duke then hits a razor's edge and wins it.

It was a short one and was what it needed to be. JB got a little in before being destroyed.

Von Wagner and Mr. Stone talk in the back. Von is asked about his favorite foods and then shown the photo of the sick kid. Someone comes in, makes a joke saying Von wanted to get "a head" and Von threatens him. The guy then calls Von a freak and leaves. The guy may have been Luca Crucifino, but I'm not sure.

Gallus are singing in the back and they run into Diamond Mine. They argue and Gallus makes jokes at them before leaving. Brutus has an odd haircut today with his hair being spiked up.

Damon Kemp vs Eddy Thorpe

Kemp wrestles him down then takes a headlock takeover. Eddy leapfrogs then crossbodies him. Kemp uppercuts him then does a slingshot jackhammer for 2. Kemp works his arm then takes strikes. Eddy hits some running elbows then back enzugiri's him. Eddy germans him then grabs the ring skirt in a hold. Eddy face kicks him then does a jumping elbow for the win.

This wasn't that good and Eddy continues to not look that great out there.

Kiana James is interviewed. She said whoever put the bracket together did her no favors. She said she has done everything she wanted to do here except win the women's title. She said her first year was incredilbe and asks her if she can imagine how much better her second year will be?

Bron Breakker is interviewed in the back. Bron says there's no change in attitude, he just stopped caring. He said he carried NXT on his back and it got him nowhere. He said the WWE fans chose Melo over him and told the interviewer to leave if they don't like his attitude. Bron said he's putting Trick in the same hospital he put Melo in.

Ilja Dragunov vs Dijak

Drag hits big chops early then hits machine gun chops. Drg 2nd rope kneedrops him then is thrown hard over the top. They trade forearms, Dijak facekicks him then Dijak enzugiri's him. Drag high kicks him and both fall down. Dijak throws him hard by the head then hits a spinning facekick. Dijak gets a chair and throws the ref down with it when he tries to grab it. Dijak hits Drag with the chair and is DQ'd.

What we got of this looked good with both guys being stiff with each othe, but we didn't get that much before the finish.

Dijak slams him into the post then chokeslams him on the floor. Dijak puts the steps on him and stands on the steps but he puts him in where the hole is and it doesn't look like it hurts much at all.

Tyler Bate is meditating in the back and Wes Lee goes up to him. Wes thanks him for helping him last week. Wes tries to get his attention and Bate finally wakes up. Bate said he didn't her any of it as he was on another planet then they head out to the ring together.

Dani Palmer is doing a twitter video with Briggs, Jensen, Hank and Tank. She asks what she can do to get better and they tell her to keep working on it. Hank and Tank said they need reps and challenge Briggs and Jensen to a match tonight.

Charlie Dempsey vs Tyler Bate

They trade euros to start and bounce off the ropes with them. Bate suplexes him and does a standing ssp for 2. Bate back elbows him then CD hits a beautiful double underhook suplex for 2. Bate tries to roll him up but CD reverses it and rolls him up. Bate cartwheels out of a headstand headscissors and they bump heads. CD octopus stretches Bate then Bate airplane spins him. Joe Gacy comes out to talk to Wes Lee. Drew Gulak then talks to Wes also and Bate ends up hitting a tope on Gacy and Gulak. Bate goes for a bounce off the ropes but he is hit by Gacy and CD wins with a dragon suplex.

It wasn't that long and the finish sucked but the work was good and much better than most of the stiff you will see on here. As personalities, they aren't the best, but as workers, they are main roster ready.

We go to Twitter and Melo is listening to Bron's promo on him. Melo said he's going to take off from the barbershop and said he's not letting Trick do this by himself tonight.

Dragon Lee is interviewed. He said Dar sees him as a threat and wanted JD to injure him. Noam Dar interrupts on the tron. He said they got off on the wrong foot and said let me be the bigger man - he says he will be his first guest on the relaunch of Supernova Sessions. Lee said he will be there. 

Josh Briggs and Brooks Jensen vs Hank Walker and Tank Ledger

Briggs running facekicks Tank to start. Hank and Jensen fight on the outside. We go in and Hank hits a hard shoulder on Briggs then hits shots. Hank takes a backdrop hen a stiff double shoulder. Hank then is double slammed and takes elbows from both opponents. Jensen lariats and forearms Hank then Hank shoulders him over. Tank splashes Jensen in the corner then slams him. Briggs hits a stiff facekick on Tank (who has new and much better looking gear). Tank spits out a tooth and puts it back in his singlet. Tank grabs Briggs by the throat  then Briggs hits a hard lariat on Tank as Jensen holds him. Jensen picks up the win. This was short, stiff and action packed. They hit each other hard here and were real aggressive with each other. I really liked this. 

Lyra Valkyria does a promo. She said the skyline doesn't resemble her home, but says she is evolving and adapting. She said she is not the same person who arrived last year and said 3 women are marked on her route to the women's title. She said Kiana James is the first.

We get a Nathan Frazer Hard Hitting Hard Truths segment. He says 17 NXT members got drafted to the main roster. He said this opens up new spots but they don't know for who. He talks about the various wrestlers from different countries they have. Frazer mentions how he is from Jersey in England, but not New Jersey. He said he made his first WWE appearance on Supernova Sessions and said the purpose of it is just to stroke Dar's ego. He shows us a clip of Dragon Lee superkicking Dar last week and said the Heritage Cup is Dar's baby. He said in the future, Dar won't have his baby anymore and the world will come crashing down. This was better than the last one of these he did but it's still not clear where it's going or how it will work.

NXT Women's Title Tournament 1st Round - Kiana James vs Lyra Valkyria

KJ bangs her head back off the apron then KJ shoulders her over. Lyra cartwheels out of a throw then does a great takeover by sliding her legs under her arms and flipping her. They try pin attempts and Lyra does a nice takedown from the electric chair position. KJ catapults her neck into the middle rope.

WE go to PiP break and return. KJ has her locked up then Lyra moneky flips her. Lyra rolls her up for 2 then takes a gutbuster on the knee. KJ hits corner spears then Lyra 2nd rope dropkicks her. Lyra hits a forearm and a high kick then hits various strikes. KJ is back body dropped over the top then Lyra dropkicks her through the ropes. Lyra step up enzugiri's her then hits a northern lights suplex for 2.  Lyra comes off the 2nd rope and eats knees then KJ powerbombs her for 2. KJ hits knees to the ribs then Lyra hits a nice spinkick for the win.

It really wasn't bad at all with Lyra looking good as usual. It did tail off some during the last 1/3rd of it.

Gallus is at the bar. Tony D and Stacks walk in. Stacks says they wouldn't be champs if it wasn't due to Joe getting involved. Tony said he wants the next shot at the titles and Joe says things have changed and they do business differently now. Joe tells them to leave while they can still walk. Tony says you don't want ot threaten him then says he will get his title match. Joe said they should leave then Gallus' buddies get behind Tony. Stacks says they are outnumbered and they should go.

Bron Breakker vs Trick Williams

Trick has new gear and we haven't seen him wrestle for a while I think. Trick takes a fireman's carry then hits two nice dropkicks. Trick hits corner spears then some decent punches. Trick hits a nice pump kick and facekicks him out. Trick pounds on him against the announcer's table then Trick takes a botched overhead suplex onto the table, rolling off of it. Bron hits mounted punches then suplexes him for 2.

Bron ties him up on the mat. Trick crossbodies him and is slammed out of it. Bron takes a facekick then a mcgillicutter. Trick hits shots then another nice dropkick. Trick flying clotheslines him then does a nice uranage for 2. Bron does a gorilla press into a powerslam on Trick then Trick upwards enzugiri's him from the mat. Trick spins and is speared. Bron then puts him in the camel clutch and gets the win.

This was the best match Trick has ever been in by far. Trick looked like a totally different wrestler here than we have ever seen him before and this was a good match. Has Trick finally figured this out? Bron was good as usual here too.

Bron camel clutches him again then Melo comes and pounds on him. Melo springboards and is hit with a nice spear. Bron then grabs the title and talks trash to Melo, then drops it on him.

Overall thoughts: There was some good wrestling here but I just didn't think it was a great show.