NXT The Great American Bash
July 30th, 2023
By: John Siino
H-E-B Center in Cedar Park, TX
Commentary: Vic Joseph & Booker T
Dragon Lee, Nathan Frazer, Valentina Feroz & Yulisa Leon vs. Meta-Four (Noam Dar, Oro Mensah, Lash Legend & Jakara Jackson) (Kickoff)
Meta-Four with a pretty cool entrance as both versions of the Heritage Cup are brought out for this match. Noam Dar & Nathan Frazer start the match, as Frazer takes down Dar with a couple of dropkicks as he tags out to Lash Legend. Yulisa Leon ends with a top rope crossbody for two, before tagging out to Valentina Feroz who goes to work on Legend. Still, Legend is able to out-power her before tagging out to Jakara Jackson, who tries to wrestle with sunglasses before finally giving up on them. Leon & Jakara go at it until Dragon Lee and Oro Mensah tag in but a distraction from Legend causes Mensah to take control and keep Lee in their corner as Dar tags in. Frazer knocks Dar to the outside with a dropkick and tries to dive on him. Still, Legend gets in his way just for Feroz to take her out with a hurricanrana, as Leon tosses Veroz to the outside on top of Legend followed by a dive from Leon and more crazy offense from Lee & Frazer as everybody ends up on the outside. As Frazer tries to top rope dive onto Dar back inside, Jakara gets in the way. Leon hits a missile dropkick on Legend followed by a DDT from Veroz, but Dar breaks up the count. Feroz starts attacking Dar, but Legend pulls her off. Lee comes in and hits a Dragonscrew on Dar. Mensah comes in and flapjacks Lee back for a two as the crowd starts chanting for ‘NXT’. Frazer hits a Spanish Fly off the ropes to Mensah, before diving onto Dar on the outside as Lee hits his driver to Mensah to get the pin and the win.
Winners: Dragon Lee, Nathan Frazer, Valentina Feroz & Yulisa Leon by pinfall at 10:51
The Realization of a Dream
The main show starts with clips of Dusty Rhodes with narration from Cody Rhodes who says the Great American Bash is the realization of a ‘dream’ and the influence of Dusty Rhodes is palatable. Cody talks about how NXT has returned to the place of Dusty’s birth here in the Lone Star State before hyping up tonight’s card talking about careers being defined and destiny being on the doorstep. Cody’s advice is to hold on to it and shoot for the stars before welcoming us to The Great American Bash.
NXT Tag Team Championship: Gallus (Wolfgang & Mark Coffey) (c) (w/ Joe Coffey) vs. Tony D’Angelo & Channing ‘Stacks’ Lorenzo
Tony D’Angelo & Channing ‘Stacks’ Lorenzo’s entrance graphic shows rats on the screen scurrying around as they come out wearing orange to represent Tony’s time in prison. Gallus gets a video before they come out as well, as Wolfgang and Stacks start the match before D’Angelo quickly tags in and goes after Coffey with stomps as the crowd cheers for him. On the outside, Wolfgang clotheslines D’Angelo before Gallus starts double-teaming Stacks in the ring. Joe Coffey takes a cheap shot on Stacks, as the referee is distracted. Stacks is able to fight off Gallus and make the hot tag to D’Angelo who goes after Gallus, clotheslining Wolfgang to the outside and hitting two belly-to-belly suplexes on Mark Coffey, before hitting a spinebuster and getting a two count. Stacks & D’Angelo start hitting body punches to Gallus before D’Angelo places Coffey on the top rope, hitting a superplex followed by a top rope splash by Stacks, but Wolfgang runs in and breaks up the count. Wolfgang takes out Stacks before tossing Coffey onto D’Angelo on the outside and hitting a moonsault off the ropes on Stacks for two. Joe Coffey gets on the apron with a stick and gives it to Wolfgang, but during this distraction, Gallus hit their finisher on Stacks, but D’Angelo is able to run in and break up the count. D’Angelo goes to the outside with Wolfgang and power bombs Coffey onto him, as they both go spilling into the steel steps. Joe Coffey goes into the ring to attack Stacks, but D’Angelo takes out Joe with a crowbar before D’Angelo tosses Stacks onto Gallus on the outside. Back inside, D’Angelo & Stacks hit Bada-Boom Bada-Bing on Wolfgang, as D’Angelo gets the pin and the win.
Winners: Tony D’Angelo & Channing Lorenzo by pinfall at 8:43, to become NEW NXT Tag Team Champions
Weapons Wild Match: Roxanne Perez vs. Blair Davenport
As Roxanne Perez is making her entrance and greeting her family at ringside, she gets attacked by a hooded individual, revealed to be Blair Davenport as the match starts. Perez takes her down with a dive off the barricade. Davenport tried to get into the ring with a chair to attack Perez, but she knocks her off and dives onto her before they finally get back in the ring, but as soon as they do, Perez clotheslines Davenport back to the outside. She tries to dive onto her again, but this time Davenport meets her with a trash can to the head. Davenport continues attacking Perez with chair shots before going back inside where she puts a trash can over Perez and attacks her with a branding iron. Davenport starts setting up chairs in the corner and tosses Perez into one of them. Perez is able to stop Davenport by using a chair on her and sending her back outside but Davenport is ready for her and starts attacking her and choking her with a belt right in front of Perez’s family including her little sister who starts crying. Perez is able to bounce back from this and use a cowbell that she got from under the ring before she starts whipping away at Davenport and ties the belt around Davenport’s wrist as she swings her against the barricades. Perez gets the crowd happy here by setting up a table but Davenport comes right back with the belt shots before they go back inside. Perez tries to hit Pop Rocks on a stack of chairs, but Davenport reverses it and slams Perez down on a trash can for two. Perez is able to dodge Davenport off the ropes and hits her with a Russian Leg Sweep. They start fighting on the apron, right near the table, but Davenport kicks Perez off. Perez takes out Davenport with a running knee against the steel steps and places Davenport on top of the table. Perez goes to the top rope and splashes right onto Davenport going through the table before tossing Davenport back inside. Perez follows with a kick and Pop Rocks on top of the stack of chairs to get the pin and the win.
Winner: Roxanne Perez by pinfall at 11:50
Baron Corbin vs. Gable Steveson
Baron Corbin finally has better music and new WRESTLING gear, all with the ‘Burn the Ships’ theme, as Gable Steveson has a nice reaction in his very ‘Olympic’ presentation in his debut pro wrestling match. A small portion of the audience starts chanting for Corbin, as he goes and attacks Steveson in the corner with punches and kicks. Steveson is able to fight him off and send Corbin to the outside, but as Corbin goes back in, Steveson puts on an ankle lock as Corbin uses the ropes to escape to the outside. Steveson follows him and hits a German Suplex on the outside, but Corbin fights him off by backing him against the ring post. Back inside, Corbin takes control as the ‘Baron Corbin’ chants get louder. Steveson starts fighting off Corbin hitting three back-to-back over-the-head suplexes and clotheslines Corbin to the outside, as the crowd seems to boo everything Steveson does. They start fighting on the outside, as Steveson tosses Corbin over the announce table. As they continue to brawl, the referee counts them both out as the crowd chants ‘bullshit’.
Winner: The match ends in a double count-out at 6:32
They continue to fight in and out of the ring, with security trying to separate them but Corbin & Steveson take them all out. Steveson ends up tossing Corbin through the barricade and goes back into the ring, just to get rained down with boos.
That’s What I Was Waiting For!
McKenzie Mitchell is backstage with Lyra Valkyria and asks her how she feels after her match with Rhea Ripley on Tuesday. Lyra says she’s thirsty and very curious about tonight’s NXT Women’s Championship match, but she gets attacked from behind by Jacy Jayne before security breaks them up. Rhea Ripley walks by and says ‘That’s what I was waiting for!’
NXT North American Championship: Dominik Mysterio (c) (w/ Rhea Ripley) vs. Wes Lee vs. Mustafa Ali
Mega heat for Dominik Mysterio for his entrance and introduction, but they love Rhea Ripley as they start chanting for ‘Mami’. Mysterio tells Wes Lee & Mustafa Ali to fight each other, but they turn their attention to Mysterio who just goes outside. Rhea grabs the North American title and gets in front of Dominik as Ali was trying to approach him. Lee joins in, as they start chasing Mysterio into the ring and stomping away at him. Lee and Ali argue a little but decide to continue chopping Mysterio and push him to the outside before going after each other. Ali & Lee go at it with multiple pin attempts before they have a forearm exchange. As they go battle in the corner, Mysterio joins in and pushes them both to the outside, and starts posing to boos. Mysterio starts the Three Amigos on Lee, before pushing him onto Ali and continuing the suplexes on Ali before trying to do it to both of them at the same time, just for them to reverse it and do a double Three Amigos. Lee hits a running Meteora to Mysterio, but Ali is there to break up the count. Ali hits a tornado DDT on Lee, and Mysterio breaks up with an elbow drop, hitting Lee instead. Ali puts on a Boston Crab/Camel Clutch combination on Lee & Mysterio that looked pretty crazy. Ali drapes Mysterio & Lee on the bottom ropes, goes to the top rope, and tries a 450 Splash, but they both get out of the way as Ali crashed onto the apron. Lee ends up diving onto Mysterio on the outside and dodges Rhea who ran towards him with a clothesline attempt. Lee goes to dive, but Rhea gets on the apron to try and stop him but Lee ends up diving over her and onto Mysterio anyway. During all this, the referee is checking on Ali as Rhea puts Lee through the announce table with the Riptide. Mysterio goes for the pin, but Lee kicks out. Rhea hands Mysterio the North American Title, but the referee takes it away. Instead, Mysterio uses her Women’s Title on Lee, but he still kicks out at two. Mysterio heads head to the top rope, but Ali runs in out of nowhere and takes Mysterio down with a dropkick. With Mysterio still tied up in the corner, Ali goes to the top rope and hits a 450 Splash on Lee. Rhea pulls Ali off on the pin attempt, as Mysterio follows that with a beautiful-looking Frog Splash to Lee for the pin and the win.
Winner: Dominik Mysterio by pinfall at 12:06, to retain
McKenzie is backstage with Trick Williams and calls ‘cap’ on Ilja Dragunov questioning his and Carmelo Hayes’ friendship and talks about how far they go back and how tonight Hayes will show Ilja that he is him.
NXT Women’s Championship Submission Match: Tiffany Stratton (c) vs. Thea Hail (w/ Andre Chase & Duke Hudson)
Thea Hail had a big ‘Chase U’ entrance as Tiffany Stratton was in full Barbie mode with hers which they are calling ‘the youngest Women’s Championship match in WWE PLE history’. Right away, Stratton takes down Hail and tries a surfboard, but Hail reverses it and pulls back on Stratton’s arm. Hail sends Stratton to the outside and tries to dive on her, but Stratton is able to counter it and send Hail into the ring post. They run the ropes until Stratton hits a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker and sends Stratton into the corner. Hail goes after Stratton hitting her with a suplex and tries a dive off the ropes, but Stratton catches her into the body scissors. Hail is able to power her way off and hit a bulldog off the ropes, dropkicks Stratton to the outside, and hits her with a dive. Hail continues on the attack, sending Stratton back inside, and tries a top rope crossbody, but Stratton hangs on and suplexes her into the corner as the crowd chants for ‘NXT’. Hail stops a Moonsault attempt from Stratton and hits an Exploder Suplex off the top rope, before putting on a Kimura Lock. Stratton is able to use the rope to escape and catches Hail off the apron, sending her into the corner of the barricade, before tossing her into the steel steps. Stratton follows this with the Prettiest Moonsault Ever and puts on a Boston Crab. Andre Chase & Duke Hudson yell at Hail to keep on fighting, as Stratton readjusts and sits back on the Boston Crab, with her knee on Hail’s back as Chase throws in the towel to end the match.
Winner: Tiffany Stratton by submission at 11:46, to retain
We see Dragon Lee walking backstage as Rhea Ripley calls him a ‘wannabe Rey Mysterio’. Lee calls Rey a legend and says he has his own story and Dominik knows who he is. Dominik says he made the Mysterio name relevant and his dad is a deadbeat who only helps those who look like him, not an original like him.
We see The Schism from last Tuesday’s NXT who said they are going to unmask all their followers until they see who betrayed them.
NXT 8/1 Line-Up
- The Schism Interrogation
- Lyra Valkyria vs. Jacy Jayne
- Eddy Thorpe vs. Dijak
NXT Championship: Carmelo Hayes (c) (w/ Trick Williams) vs. Ilja Dragunov
Iljaj Dragunov sporting the red contact lens again as Hayes has his special banner entrance. The match starts slow with each man trying to take the other down until Carmelo Hayes holds Ilja Dragunov down with an arm drag. Hayes sends Ilja to the outside, but he runs ran back in and goes on the attack on Hayes. Hayes stops him with a clothesline, but Ilja catches his foot and takes down Hayes with a kick of his own. Ilja catches Hayes trying to springboard off the ropes and hits him with a German Suplex and a clothesline. Ilja knocks Hayes with a hard slap and continues on the attack hitting a kick and a German for a two. Ilja continues the attack with chops and hits a Senton for another two. Ilja drives a couple of forearms to the back of Hayes, as Trick looks worried. Ilja hits machine gun chops to Hayes in the corner followed by a spinning back fist for two. Hayes tries to mount a comeback but Ilja hits the Constantine Special for a two. Ilja hits a short-armed clothesline but Hayes holds on to the arm and starts kicking away at Ilja’s face. Ilja hits a kick on Hayes, but he comes right back driving Ilja down on the mat as the crowd explodes with an NXT chant. Hayes starts punching away at Ilja in the corner before they start turning it into a chop exchange. Ilja counters The First 48 and drives Hayes down while driving down elbows. Hayes is able to fight his way out and drives elbows down himself before bouncing off the ropes and hitting a DDT for two. They fight in the corner until Ilja hits a top rope senton and gets a two on Hayes. Ilja tries Coast to Coast, but amazingly Ilja stops it by hitting The First 48. Hayes follows this by going to the top rope and trying Nothing But Net, but Ilja catches him and hits a vicious deadly-looking powerbomb, followed by his diving forearm but Hayes still kicks out at two. They head to the top rope, but Hayes turns a Superplex attempt into a cutter, getting a two-count. Trick grabs the title and starts yelling at Hayes that he is the champion and this is the fourth quarter, trying to amp him. They continue attacking each other until they hit a double kick sending them both to the outside. Trick goes to talk to Hayes, but Ilja takes out Trick with the Torpedo Moscow. Back inside, Hayes hits Nothing But Net on Ilja to get the pin and the win.
Winner: Carmelo Hayes by pinfall at 24:07, to retain
