WWE NXT Results (May 27th, 2020): Winners, Grades and Video Highlights
We're well on our way to NXT TakeOver: In Your House. With Adam Cole worrying about Velveteen Dream, One-Two calling out Imperium, Charlotte Flair defending her title against Rhea Ripley and Io Shirai, and Johnny Gargano stalking Keith Lee, we've got a great selection of title bouts set up.
Tonight, though, was all about the implosion of the BroserWeights 2.0. Timothy Thatcher turned his back on Matt Riddle weeks ago, allowing Imperium to pick up the NXT Tag Team Titles in a two-on-one beatdown. That same night, Riddle picked up a pinfall victory over Thatcher. Tonight, Thatcher wanted redemption, and he'd get his chance in the first-ever NXT Fight Pit!
Last week, Drake Maverick picked up the biggest win in his WWE career, knocking off Kushida to move onto 2-1 in Group A of the Interim Cruiserweight Championship Tournament. However, with Kushida and Jake Atlas also sitting at 2-1, this left NXT with a tough decision. Who advanced to the finals of the tournament? Who will face El Hijo del Fantasma to crown the new champion?
Easy enough, make it a Triple Threat.
Group A Triple Threat for the Interim Cruiserweight Championship Tournament: Drake Maverick vs Jake Atlas vs Kushida
Jake Atlas launched Drake Maverick overheard, sending him into Kushida for a dropkick. A backbreaker took the former 205 Live GM down, and Kushida took advantage, sending Atlas to the floor to try and lock maverick in the Hoverboard Lock.
Atlas broke it up and sent Kushida to the floor, taking him out with a moonsault. He rolled inside to cover Drake for a nearfall. As Maverick recovered, Atlas and Kushida battled on. Kushida hit the hip toss/basement dropkick combo on Atlas, then set up both competitors in opposite corners for running palm strikes.
As Kushida took Maverick to the top, Atlas stopped the superplex. Kushida managed to roll up Atlas with the O'Connor roll, and countered an attack from Drake, turning it into a bridging suplex and nearly pinning both men at the same time. Maverick forced a break just in time.
Back from the break, Drake had the momentum, taking out both of his opponents with a series of kicks. Maverick avoided da handspring double kick from Kushida, which ran into Atlas. Kushida followed up with a dive to Atlas before jumping back inside to spike Maverick with a tornado DDT.
Kushida's cross armbreaker was countered with a roll-up, but he broke out. As Maverick stood up, he was hammered with a running knee to the jaw by Atlas. Kushida was taken down with a spinning reverse suplex as well, but Atlas couldn't get the pinfall.
With Maverick in the corner, Maverick ran in but was sent into the ring post. Maverick hit the Underdog and would've got the win had Kushida not been there to break it up. Kushida knocked out Maverick with the wind-up punch, and was immediately slammed on his neck with a German suplex by Atlas.
Atlas moved up for the Rainbow DDT and spiked Maverick. Kushida, though, pulled him to the floor. Atlas rocked Kushida with a boot that nearly took his head off and set his sights back on Maverick.
Kushida stopped another Rainbow DDT, following the newcomer to the top rope. Maverick ran in as they were brawling, knocking Atlas off with a leaping uppercut. Kushida locked in the Sakuraba Lock, but it was immediately broken when Atlas knocked Maverick down with a roundhouse.
Kushida turned Atlas over for the cross arm breaker from the top, synching it in right in the middle of the ring. Just as Atlas was going to tap out, Maverick covered Atlas, securing the win.
Results: Drake Maverick defeated Jake Atlas via pinfall.
Grade: A
NXT's resident underdog picks up yet another incredible win for Drake Maverick. In a block that held some of the greatest talents in the world, Maverick was able to emerge on top. His next opponent, El Hijo del Fantasma, met him ringside, shaking his hand and staring him down.
Johnny Gargano and Candice LeRae came out next, with Gargano claiming himself as the face of NXT. Tonight was the beginning of the Gargano Invitational. Gargano's first opponent? EVOLVE's Adrian Alanis!
Johnny Gargano w/Candice LeRae vs Adrian Alanis
Gargano caught Alanis with a cheap shot, but was taken to the mat with a strong right hand. However, a superkick nearly turned Alanis inside out.
Immediately, Gargano locked in the Garga-No-Escape, ending the match in less than a minute.
Results: Johnny Gargano defeated Adrian Alanis via submission.
Grade: D
Following the match, Mia Yim and Keith Lee appeared in a spoof of the "Gargano Dinner Time" segments, with Yim calling out LeRae for failing to capture any gold in NXT.
Keith Lee went after Gargano's cowardice and small stature. It's a battle between the top two couples in NXT, and Lee and Yim plan on making the Garganos pay.
There was some controversy regarding Maverick's win. Atlas had actually tapped out while getting pinned, which was caught by other cameras. However, when Maverick claimed that he had no problem facing Kushida one final time to prove himself, the Time Splitter himself turned down the offer. Maverick had earned Kushida's respect, and he told the winner of Block A to go on and win the title.
Maverick thanked him, stating that Kushida would be the first person in line for the title shot when he wins the NXT Cruiserweight Championship.
Imperium cut a promo, with the NXT Tag Team Champions claiming that they've conquered NXT. Oney Lorcan and Danny Burch challenged them last week. Fabian Aichner and Marcel Barthel stated that they set the pace, and they'll put an end to anyone who doesn't take the mat seriously.
Shotzi Blackheart vs Raquel Gonzalez w/Dakota Kai
Raquel Gonzalez tried to dominate the punk rocker, but Shotzi Blackheart took time working over the arm, seriously hampering Gonzalez's moveset. Blackheart rocked Gonzalez with a question mark kick and a step-up enziguri.
However, Dakota Kai helped Gonzalez escape an attack on the ropes. As Gonzalez punished Blackheart, Dakota Kai damaged her tank. It didn't take long for Tegan Nox to rush to ringside, taking out Kai and saving the tank in the process.
Gonzalez began working over the back of Blackheart, slamming her with a powerslam and locking her in a bear hug. A pendulum backbreaker nearly broke her in half. Still, she managed to fight back, sending Gonzalez to the floor and dropping on both Gonzalez and Kai with a...Coffin Drop??
It was a rough landing, but she seemed to get the most of it. However, a distraction from Candice LeRae allowed Kai to prevent a sliced bread attempt. Gonzalez spiked Blackheart with a powerbomb for the win.
Results: Raquel Gonzalez defeated Shotzi Blackheart via pinfall.
Grade: B-
Candice LeRae is all over the NXT women's division tonight. Between Mia Yim and Tegan Nox, she could be a few big wins away from a shot at Charlotte Flair's NXT Women's Championship.
Prior to this match, it was revealed that Finn Balor would battle Damian Priest at NXT TakeOver: In Your House. The former NXT Champion was attacked by the Archer of Infamy months ago, with Priest considering Balor a prize akin to a title.
Charlotte Flair doesn't exactly have a lot of friends on any brand. Still, she managed to find a partner tonight, and it was none other than Robert Stone's Chelsea Green! If this goes well, Robert Stone may be managing the NXT Women's Champion soon.
Rhea Ripley & Io Shirai vs Charlotte Flair & Chelsea Green w/Robert Stone
Rhea Ripley thought she was starting off with Charlotte Flair, but the Queen pulled a fast one, leaving for Chelsea Green to take on the Nightmare. Green avoided some big strikes but would fall to a savate kick to the gut and a back suplex.
A headbutt to Green stunned her but sent Ripley stumbling into her corner. Io Shirai tagged in and lit Green up with a series of dropkicks and hip attacks. Green countered a 619, sending Shirai to the floor. She followed up with a suicide dive and tagged in Flair.
Flair taunted Shirai and Ripley, more than anything, before tagging Green back in. They found themselves on the floor, with both women driving one another into the steel barricade.
Back from the break, and Shirai managed to make the tag, leading to Ripley cleaning house. However, Flair was able to get a sneaky tag, and locked Ripley in the Figure-4. Shirai broke it up with a shotgun dropkick before tagging in.
Shirai rocked Flair with a 619, but her springboard dropkick hit the wrong target, as Green sacrificed herself, pushing Flair out of the way. The NXT Women's Champion capitalized on the confusion, pinning Shirai with the ropes.
Results: Charlotte Flair defeated Io Shirai via pinfall.
Grade: B-
Flair's got a victory over Shirai heading into their three-way NXT Women's Championship bout. That momentum may send her to another successful title defense.
Adam Cole and William Regal met via...probably Zoom...for some negotiations. Cole claimed that the Undisputed Era deserved a fair shot at the NXT Tag Team Titles, which is fine. However, He also demanded that Velveteen Dream never step in a ring with him for as long as he's champion.
Regal immediately denied that, stating that he'd probably be getting a title shot at NXT TakeOver: In Your House. He even compared the two, as they're both incredibly conceited. Cole didn't take kindly to the comparison and demanded that Velveteen Dream will never get another shot at the NXT Title as long as he holds it. Regal agreed.
Leon Ruff vs Tommaso Ciampa
As Tommaso Ciampa enters the ring, Scarlett appeared at ringside to watch Karion Kross's competition. Leon Ruff rolled Ciampa up quick, but couldn't get the pin. Eventually, Ciampa was able to rock Ruff with a running knee.
Another running knee in the corner nearly knocked Ruff out cold. For good measure, though, Ciampa planted him with the Fairy Tale Ending.
Results: Tommaso Ciampa defeated Leon Ruff via pinfall.
Grade: C-
Following the match, Kross appeared on screen to address some statements that Ciampa made last week. Kross agreed that Ciampa was on a whole different level, but at NXT TakeOver: In Your House, his time will run out. Tick...tock.
Kurt Angle entered the cage first, with the WWE Hall of Famer getting a "You Suck" chant from the NXT crowd. It wouldn't be the same without it, honestly.
This is it, the main event of tonight's NXT. It's the Fight Pit!
NXT Fight Pit: Timothy Thatcher vs Matt Riddle
Timothy Thatcher was caught off guard by a running Matt Riddle, who attacked Thatcher out of the gate. Thatcher was able to escape the ground game, getting back to his feet and locking Riddle into a sleeper.
Riddle walked up the cage, escaping the hold and spiking Thatcher with a German suplex followed by the Broton. A roundhouse off the steel cage knocks out several of Thatcher's teeth and leaves him a bloody heap. Still, he gets up at nine.
Back from the break, and Timothy Thatcher didn't give up. However, he was in a rough position, taking a serious pounding from Riddle, who was standing over him. Thatcher made it back to his feet again and caught Riddle with a Fujiwara armbar attempt.
A belly-to-belly suplex launched Riddle across the ring, and he was immediately trapped in a single leg Boston Crab. Riddle doesn't tap, leading to Thatcher stomping him out, forcing Angle to pull him back to start the count.
Riddle made the count and attempted the Bromission. Thatcher escaped it and continued to target the legs. Riddle turned it around, transitioning to a mount for some ground and pound offense.
Thatcher caught him in a triangle choke. Riddle lifted him up, forcing Thatcher to escape to the top of the cage. Riddle followed and was immediately met with a series of kicks to the back of the neck.
Thatcher trapped Riddle with an ankle lock, grapevine included, as Riddle hung off the cage. Riddle escaped again, and knocked Thatcher to the floor with a ripcord knee. A flying Broton connected, crushing Thatcher's sternum.
Somehow, Thatcher was able to trap Riddle in the RNC, putting the Original Bro to sleep.
Results: Timothy Thatcher defeated Matt Riddle via submission.
Grade: A+
Episode Rating: A
Timothy Thatcher walked away as the winner of the first ever NXT Fight Pit. I don't know when we'll see this stipulation again, but it can't come soon enough. Next week, NXT will have the final of the Cruiserweight Championship tournament.
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