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The NXT before Battleground kicked off with some promos from the NXT Women's Title tournament competitors before we headed to the first match in the series between Cora Jade and Lyra Valkyria.
WWE NXT Results (May 23, 2023): Lyra Valkyria vs. Cora Jade - NXT Women's Title Tournament
Jade started off strong and took Valkyria down early on before they traded rollups. Valkyria was caught up on the ropes, and Jade hit a big dropkick before locking in a headlock.
Lyra fought out of the hold and got a missile dropkick before trying for a bridge pin off a suplex. Jade missed a knee in the corner and took the big finisher but managed to kick out.
Valkyria was caught on the ropes once more but managed to dodge an elbow strike before getting the spinning heel kick for the win.
Result: Lyra Valkyria def. Cora Jade
Jade attacked Valkyria after the match with her steel pipe and took her knee out.
Grade: B
Dijak showed up in the arena and immediately got attacked by Ilja Dragunov, who beat him with a steel chair in the parking lot and tried to crush him with the garage door like Dijak did weeks earlier. Officials came in to break up the fight and managed to drag Ilja away before he was able to drop the garage door on Dijak.
Dabba-Kato vs. Axiom on NXT
Dabba-Kato was tossing Axiom around the ring off the bat and dropped him on the announcers' desk outside as well. Back in the ring, Axiom got some big kicks but was swatted out of the sky before Kato hit the double-handed chokeslam and picked up the win.
Result: Dabba-Kato def. Axiom
Kato attacked Axiom after the match, and Reggie came out of nowhere to make the save. Reggie chased Kato out of the ring, but Axiom wasn't too happy about the help.
Grade: C
We saw security footage of Tony D'Angelo being interrogated by the law enforcement agency that approached him at the restaurant last week. Tony was refusing to answer their questions, and the officers left the room before NXT continued.
Gallus were out next, and The Creed Brothers interrupted their promo to challenge them to a tag title match. They ended up in a two-on-three brawl before Stacks came out and joined the Creeds. The champs were driven out of the ring and retreated while The Creed Bros and Stacks stared them down from the ring.
Eddie Thorpe vs. Tyler Bate on NXT
Thorpe got some big moves in early on and locked in a hold while Wes Lee was on commentary talking about Bate's title challenge. Bate broke out of the hold and got some uppercuts before coming back with a kick and a forearm from the top rope.
Bate got a near fall off a crossbody before Thorpe countered a powerbomb. The two countered each other's moves for a bit before Bate finally got the powerbomb and picked up the win.
Result: Tyler Bate def. Eddie Thorpe
Joe Gacy attacked Bate after the match, and Wes Lee came in and hit Bate by mistake before Gacy took both of them out and posed with the North American Title.
Grade: B
Lyra Valkyria was injured but will hopefully be fine by Battleground this Sunday. She said that she wanted to face Roxanne Perez in the finals since she "is the best NXT has to offer."
Nathan Frazer vs. Noam Dar on NXT
The two traded takedowns before Frazer took control with a big boot, and we headed for a break. Back on NXT, Dar got some big strikes before taking an inverted DDT.
Frazer got a near fall before going up top, but Dar dodged the dive. Dar got a big slam and locked in an armbar, but Frazer broke out of it. Frazer got a near fall off a superkick before Dragon Lee came out to admire Dar's trophy.
Dar went out to defend his cup, but the distraction caused Dar to take a dive from Frazer. Back in the ring, Dar took the Phoenix Splash before Frazer got the win.
Result: Nathan Frazer def. Noam Dar
Grade: A
Dijak and Ilja started a brawl once more in the lockers before NXT continued.
We got a promo from Carmelo Hayes talking about preparing for Battleground on Sunday while at different landmarks in his hometown of Boston.
Tank Ledger vs. Hank Walker on NXT
Tank sent Hank into the corner before getting a big slam and an elbow drop. Hank came back with some strikes and got some slams of his own before picking up the easy win.
Result: Hank Walker def. Tank Ledger
Bron Breakker attacked the duo after the match and hit spears on both of them before walking out.
Grade: B
Backstage on NXT, Stacks offered his help to the Creed Brothers for Sunday, but they refused.
Gigi Dolin was out next and said that she wanted to destroy Jacy Jayne. Jayne showed up on the balcony and said that she outgrew Gigi and wanted to move on to better things.
Jayne gloated about her win in the grudge match, and Gigi proposed a rematch. They decided on a Weaponized Steel Cage match for next week.
We learned from a promo that the guy that Von Wagner beats up backstage every week was suing him.
Von Wagner vs. Luca Crusifino on NXT
Wagner was beating Luca up and down the ring early on, but Crusifino came back with some strikes in the corner and a hip toss. Wagner was tossed outside before Luca went after Mr. Stone at ringside and stole Wagner's baby photo from him to make fun of it.
Wagner came back and was pounding away at Luca before the referee called it off. Wagner was about to put the guy through the announcers' desk, but Stone tried to stop him. The crowd cheered Wagner on until he slammed Luca on the table.
Result: D.N.F
Grade: C
We saw that Tony D was arrested, and the officers that were interrogating him cuffed him and took him away.
Roxanne Perez vs. Tiffany Stratton - NXT Women's Title Tournament
Perez was in control early on and hit a big dive before Stratton was sent outside with a Rana. Perez drove Stratton into the apron before Tiffany got a counter and took control on the outside.
Tiffany got a big dive in the ring before Perez came back with some forearms but took a big powerbomb. Stratton slammed Perez on the mat by her hair before they traded rollups.
Perez got a near fall before Tiffany countered the Pop Rox and hit her own finisher for the win!
Result: Tiffany Stratton def. Roxanne Perez
A hooded figure attacked Roxanne Perez after the match while Stratton and Valkyria were posing near the title on the stage.
Grade: B
Dijak was out for the match contract signing, and Ilja attacked him once more before a brawl broke out. Dijak signed in the middle of the fight, and Ilja sent him over the barricades before signing himself. The steel steps came into play, and the brawl continued as NXT went off the air.
Episode Rating: B
We got a big gimmick match announced for next week while Tony D was arrested on the NXT before Battleground.
