Welcome back to NXT 2.0! Your host tonight is the best play-by-play reporter in sports entertainment today, Mike Hogan 1.0 We’ve got a great show lined up for us tonight so go ahead and bookmark this page as it’ll transition to LIVE results coverage shortly before broadcast.
Our official preview is up, listing five matches including a trio for championship gold! In singles competition, former tag partners Cora Jade and Roxanne Perez look to settle things in the ring. Tony D’Angelo and Santos Escobar are also in singles action with a special stipulation: if Escobar loses, he leaves NXT but if he wins? Legado del Fantasma will be freed from the control of the D’Angelo Family! North American Champion Carmelo Hayes puts his strap on the line against former Imperium alum Fabian Aichner, now known as Giovanni Vinci. In the women’s division, NXT Women’s Champion Mandy Rose defends against the recently-returned Zoey Stark–who’s also working in a tag team with Nikkita Lyons in the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship tournament. And listed last, but never least, NXT Champion Bron Breakker defends his gold against “Jordan Devlin” JD McDonagh.
Carmelo Hayes; Giovanni Vinci |
Santos Escobar; Tony D’Angelo |
Mandy Rose; Zoey Stark |
Roxanne Perez; Cora Jade |
All this and more tonight on NXT Heatwave!
WWE NXT Heatwave Live Results (August 16, 2022) – Capitol Wrestling Center, Winter Park, FL
Opening Video: Paul Heyman Introduces NXT Heatwave!
The legendary promoter, mouthpiece, and check-bouncer Paul Heyman welcomes us to Heatwave by narrating a video that quickly recaps our five announced matches. Great little opening that sees the Special Counsel encourage us to crack open a cold one. It’s time for the first of three championship matches tonight!
NXT North American Championship Match: Carmelo Hayes(c) w/ Trick Williams vs Giovanni Vinci
The former IMPERIUM staple makes his way out to a mild reaction from the crowd. Our champ is out next and we’re reminded by Vic Joseph on commentary that Melo don’t miss. Trick escorts Melo out and co-commentator Wade Barrett hypes the two-time champ. The crowd starts off firmly behind our champ but as the match progresses, the bipolarity of the crowd rears its rowdy head. Hayes takes us into an early break with a commanding lead, driving Vinci into the mat before executing a lengthy stretch of mat-based offense centered around working holds. Vinci finds his neck constantly under assault from the champ, all while Trick Williams is shown ringside encouraging “the A Champ” on. The crowd fires up with this match quickly as Hayes and Vinci put on a clinic of their own. Hayes showcases his insane agility, executing a reverse-motion springboard leg drop on Vinci for a near fall. Hayes uses a Superkick to great effect but Vinci holds in and catches Hayes mid-air and counters a double-axe handle smash into a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker and nearly picks up the win. Hayes again takes control and goes back to working holds, briefly, before a suplex driver nearly secures the win. Hayes changes tactics and looks for another top-rope attack but Vinci fires up a comeback sequence, countering Hayes mid-air and sending him flying to the outside! Williams barely avoids getting clobbered by Hayes! In a moment that has the crowd on their feet screaming “holy shit,” Vinci streaks across the ring as Hayes and Williams check on each other. Vinci leaps off the turnbuckle, turning 180 mid-air and flying to the ringside where he lays out both men in a nearly perfectly-executed spot! The action picks up the pace as Vinci takes it back inside and Hayes attempts a rally. Williams attempts to interfere but Vinci executes a huge Last Ride Powerbomb on Williams! Vinci turns to hit Hayes with one but Hayes rolls through and rolls up Vinci, stealing the win after an exciting helluva match!
Your Winner and STILL North American Champion, Carmelo Hayes!
Earlier Today: Toxic Attraction & Bron Breakker Arrive; Julius Creed’s the Rain Man
We’re shown a clip from earlier today when Toxic Attraction and Bron Breakker arrive, separately. Both champs exchange comments, with Rose challenging Breakker to see who leaves tonight with the gold still around their waste. We’re then shown Julius Creed’s post previously on social media, claiming he’s been re-watching footage of the eight-man match from weeks ago on loop and has realized what “the problem is.” He’ll address that later tonight. We’re shown the Diamond Mine walking backstage and we head to break!
The Diamond Mine Caves In
The Diamond Mine make their way out to a great pop. Julius Creed gets on the mic and addresses the fact that they’re tag champs and they’ve been beaten, bruised, stitched up but they keep coming back for more. And he also addresses the fact that someone’s been sabotaging the DM and attempting to destroy them. He states he wants to call them out and they all face up the ramp. He then addresses Roderick Strong, the Diamond Mine’s Gambit. Strong tells him he’s being silly as he (Strong) founded the DM and has worked hard to develop young talent like them. Brutus Creed asks Julius his brother if he’s sure and Julius says he is, so Brutus states he’s got his brother’s back. Strong questions him and Julius tells them to roll that beautiful bean footage. We get footage of the Diamond Mine/D’Angelo Family eight-man tag match from a few weeks back. The finish of the match saw Strong accidentally clock Julius with a running knee after Tony D’Angelo ducked. The Diamond Mine watch the footage and ask about a tick D’Angelo had, and a supposed hand gesture. Strong tells him he’s being paranoid and ridiculous. Strong compares the Creeds to the Usos, praising them highly, and they basically tell him where to put the praise Suddenly, NXT UK’s Gallus attack! Joe & Mark Coffey and Wolfgang beat the crap out of the Creed Brothers and Damon Kemp while Strong stands back in a corner, in shock! Gallus turn to Strong and then beat the crap out of him, too, proving he’s not affiliated with them. Gallus leaves as the crowd cheers for them and the entire Diamond Mine is down.
Backstage Interview: Mackenzie with Roxanne Perez
Roxy addresses this match, stating she never thought she’d be standing across the ring from her best friend but Cora ended their friendship. Cora’s new theme music interrupts Perez and we’re off! t
Singles Match: Roxanne Perez vs Cora Jade
Jade’s out first for this match. If you’re familiar with Type O Negative’s Black Sabbath cover, around the six minute mark there’s a riff quite similar to hers (as far as my old-man ears can tell). We head to break! When we return, the black-clad Jade awaits her former tag team partner and co-champion. Perez hits the ring and immediately goes after Jade, not waiting for the bell. Jade is sent outside and eats a pair of suicide dives before Perez takes it back into the ring. The ref called for the bell as soon as Perez engaged, and Perez looks for an early cover. Perez attempts a whip but jade slaps on the brakes via the top rope and sends Perez into the middle rope. Jade hits a running back elbow to the small of Roxy’s back, then covers for two. The more I hear Wade Barrett talk, the more I question if he hears himself when he says things like Cora jade’s always finding herself spread too wide. I mean…c’mon, Vince Wade…any who. We get back to the action and we’ll ignore Barrett’s pseudo-creepy commentary. Jade takes the lead into our first break, grounding the agile Perez by focusing on alternating suplexes and working holds. Jade covers frequently, hoping to wear down the core stamina of Perez, who struggles with each attempt to get her shoulder up. Jade takes the battered Perez into a corner and chokes her as the ref issues warning after warning, completely disregarded as Jade moves to using the middle ropes to choke Perez before switching back to the corner once again. Jade continues to batter Perez with kicks to the gut, alternated with a random Bronco Buster and a few knee shots. Jade drags Perez out as we come back from break, looking for another pin but getting only a deuce.
Perez suffers in a modified chin lock against the ropes and, again, the ref issues a warning. jade looks to bypass this with a running knee but Perez dodges and Jade bounces her knee off the rope! Perez with a running knee of her own! Roxy attempts to fire off a Side Russian Leg Sweep but Jade slaps on the brakes and hits a modified variant of her own, covering for two. Jade with a stiff elbow to Perez’s chest, then follows it up with a rear arm crank submission attempt. Perez powers forward, stretching her arms ahead of her and attempts to power to a vertical base. Jade quickly drops Perez to her ass and puts her knee in Perez’s back, wrenching the arms back again! Jade continues to shove her knee into Perez’s back for several more moments until Perez attempts to fight back! Perez uses an inside cradle for a close two; Jade escapes and attempts one of her own, but Perez reverses it into yet another attempt for herself! The two fight to a standing position and engage in a lengthy lock-up in which the two former friends, who know each other well from training together, attempt to jockey for a stronger grapple on the other. The sequence ends with both women down and the crowd cheers them on! Ultimately Jade resorts to dirty tactics, introducing a foreign object and performing a move on top of it to KO Perez and cover for the three!
Your Winner, Cora Jade!
Backstage: NXT UK Tag Team Champions Briggs & Jensen, Henley, Gallus, etc.
Sorry folks, even without a concussion I’d struggle to understand what the heck Gallus just said. Let’s go with “Gallus threatened Briggs & Jensen and stated they’re coming after their NXT UK Tag Team Championships to take them back home to NXT UK” or something close to that.
Singles Special Stipulation Street Fight Match: Santos Escobar w/ Legado Del Fantasma vs Tony D’Angelo
We cut to the back after a break and see Santos Escobar in his old El Hijo del Fantasma outfit and mask! He’s escorted into the ring by Elektra Lopez, Cruz Del Toro (fka Raul Mendoza) and Joaquin Wilde. Out next is Tony D’Angelo with Channing “Stacks” Lorenzo. The bell rings and Escobar immediately goes after D’Angelo! The crowd is ON FIRE for Escobar and Legado, chanting “le-ga-do” in timing with their theme and part of Tony D’s entrance. The NXT Universe are on their feet frequently as the three-year-veteran Escobar lays into Tony D. Escobar brings it, dropping D’Angelo with repeated attacks targeting Tony’s left knee. Escobar wedges a steel chair int eh corner and continues to focus on Tony’s left knee, executing a beautiful basement dropkick to the knee! The crowd is hot for everything Santos does. Escobar takes Tony D into the corner but slows for a breather. This opens him up to Tony D, who throws a few strikes and attempts to whip Escobar into the steel chair positioned in the corner! Escobar slaps on the brakes and fires off a leaping knee to Tony D’ s chin, nearly picking up the win! Escobar goes u top and hits a high cross-body dive on D’Angelo then summons for Legado to get involved. Stacks attacks Wilde & Del Toro, wiping them out and saving his boss! The action spills outside, where Tony D retrieves a trashcan lid and smashes Santos in the face, sending us to break!
Throughout the break, D’Angelo cements his control. Tony D focuses his strikes on Santos’ skull and back while he significantly slows the pace. D’Angelo attempts a few covers and when we return, he resorts to using a trash can to smack Escobar on the head, covering for two. The pace maintains slow and commentary discuss how this match can impact NXT for years–either the veteran Escobar is gone, or LDF become free agents and could institute a “power vacuum” that could impact NXT “for years” per Barrett. Any who. Escobar begins a comeback, digging deep into this luchadore playbook as he uses the ropes, the corners, the turnbuckles and gravity itself to fly all around the ring and batter Tony D! D’Angelo attempts to flee outside of the ring but Elektra Lopez smacks the shit out of him! The distraction buys enough time for an insane suicide dive from Escobar to D’Angelo that wipes him out once again and elicits another loud, raunchy “holy shit” and “this is awesome” chant from the NXT Universe!
D’Angelo quickly fires off a strike that stuns Escobar, however. Stacks looks for a weapon and Del Toro smacks him with a crowbar! Escobar rolls up D’Angelo for what appears to be three–and the crowd chants it loudly, that it was–but turns out to e a two. Tony attempts to use the distraction to take advantage but Escobar sends Tony back into the ring. Escobar asks Elektra to get a crowbar. She does and Tony D attempts to attack Escobar outside. Lopez shoves Santos out of the way and he collides, causing the crowbar to collide with Lopez’s skull! D’Angelo attacks Escobar and the crowd loudly chants “you fucked up!” D’Angelo takes it back into the ring and Santos fires off a desperate leaping Superkick! Both men are down and the crowd’s on their feet, going wild! Both men grab a fist full of each other’s hair while on their knees. Escobar yells he’ll never give D’Angelo control of his family! Both men realize they’ve got nearby weapons and they split! Escobar goes for his brass knuckles; D’Angelo goes for his crowbar! D’Angelo’s a smidge quicker and the crowbar’s reach proves the difference maker as he whacks Escobar across the skull! Escobar is pinned! Escobar is GONE from NXT! The remaining members of Legado Del Fantasma are in shock!
Your Winner, Tony D’Angelo! Santos Escobar Must Now LEAVE NXT!
Backstage: InDex Lives! Blair Davenport Arrives! Toxic Attraction Are Attractive Yet Toxic!
There’s your taste of Harry Knowles. We cut to the back and see Indi Hartwell opening a note–a picture drawn of InDex by Dexter Lumis! The crowd pops at this! Suddenly, NXT UK’s Blair Davenport (fka Bea Priestley) shows up and takes the image, destroys it, and puts Hartwell on notice that Davenport’s the future of the division. We see a very attractive, even if toxic, Mandy Rose, Gigi Dolin and Jacy Jayne walking backstage as the Women’s Championship bout is up next! We head to break!
NXT Women’s Championship Co-Main Event Match: Mandy Rose(c) w/ Toxic Attraction vs Zoey Stark w/ Nikkita Lyons
Jacy Jayne and Gigi Dolin dance Mandy Rose out to the ring, followed by fan-favorite Zoey Stark. Stark, recently returned just weeks ago after being out on the shelf with an injury for nearly a year, has made a quick impact in her return. She does not, however, make a quick impact in this match as Rose makes quick work of Stark, taking her down with a powerhouse offensive style-set that punishes the smaller Stark with strong suplexes and stiff strikes. Rose pounds Stark around the ring, taking her time by taunting the challenger with powerful kicks that stagger and keep Stark grounded. As we head into a break, Toxic Attraction are all shown taking time talking shit to Stark. At one point as we’re about to return from break, Rose whips Stark into the ropes (or Stark chooses to run off them–the NXT infographic got int he way). The ref catches the duo of Dolin and Jayne tripping up Stark and eject them from ringside! They initially refuse to comply but Nikkita Lyons, Stark’s tag team partner, hits the ring and beats both Dolin & Jayne to the backstage area! Rose continues to focus her offense on Stark, shutting down her attempt to come back with yet more stiff strikes and a huge knee-trapped leg breaker. Rose looks for a knee submission and struggles to get Stark into the middle of the ring. Stark shoves Rose off, sending the champ spilling to the outside.
Rose continues to batter Stark and Barrett reminds us that Stark “outlasted nineteen others” to earn this title shot. Both women rise and both start to slug it out as the crowd begins dueling chants. Stark fires off a kick out of nowhere and both women are down as the left knee that Rose has been focusing all night takes as much damage as Rose’s jaw! Stark looks to cover but Rose wisely rolls out. Stark looks to exit the ring but Rose uses the opportunity to attack Stark, catching Stark’s targeted left knee on the rope! Rose enters the ring and relentlessly pummels the knee as the ref warns her! Rose again goes after the knee, attempting to remove the brace and again pounding it as the ref count a warning! Rose looks for a running Big Boot but Stark ducks under and rolls up for two Stark with another roll-up for two, but as she rises Rose hits a running knee to the chin, rocking the challenger! Rose covers for two, seemingly in shock, and adjusting her outfit to prevent a malfunction as the crowd loudly chants for Zoey Stark! Rose puts on Stark’s knee brace then hits a running knee to Stark’s head, covering to pick up the win as it’s apparently legal. Okay. Rose had to adjust her new top (part of her new ring wear) repeatedly throughout the match. Might need a tailor to fix that before it goes TV-14 real fast.
Your Winner and STILL NXT Women’s champion, Mandy Rose!
NXT Championship Main Event Match: Bron Breakker(c) vs JD McDonagh
We get our entrances and official announcements. The NXT Universe shows its kindness by having a loud dueling chant for both men despite the fact a recent poll indicated 97% of NXT viewers did not have any fucks to give regarding this match. Breakker starts off strong, countering JD’s attempt at a technical onslaught by drawing from his NCAA days. Breakker takes JD down with an arm bar and frustrates the Irish Ace. Breakker counters a Gator Roll attempt into a beautiful stalling brainbuster suplex, followed by a kip-up that gets the crowd woofing! Breakker uses a strong Irish Whip to send JD into the corner and, paying homage to Ric Flair, JD flips over the ropes drunken-Flair style, landing on the apron, and gets a few woos from the boomers who get the reference in the NXT Universe. Breakker fires off a suplex with an arm-trapped carry, following it up with a standing Moonsault as he starts to focus his offense on the challenger’s left shoulder! The crowd again fires up dueling chants. Breakker and JD go off opposite ropes, picking up massive velocity and Breakker completely misses on a spear! Breakker recovers quick and sends JD out of the ring, then drops to all fours and barks as we go to break!
Throughout the break, Bron loses control and JD McDonagh takes a lengthy stretch of offense, focusing on Breakker’s neck. McDonagh uses his environment to great effect, executing a neckbreaker on Breakker on the steel steps and stalking the champ as he limps around the ring. The ref counts towards the count-out, and McDonagh is forced to take it back inside. McDonagh rapid-fires elbows to the neck of Breakker and Barret questions if Breakker can continue much longer as JD’s assault on Breakker’s neck seems to be “weakening” Breakker’s arm. This, however, seems to not be an issue moments later as Breakker begins his comeback sequence! Breakker shows us what Vic Joseph calls us his “4.3 speed” (referring the NFL combine speed test, presumably) as he uses multiple shoulder blocks and flying forearms to drop JD repeatedly! JD finally sidesteps a thrust and slaps an arm-trapped cross face on the champ! Breakker finally makes it to the rope and JD takes his time breaking the hold. Commentary constantly praise JD’s knowledge of “human anatomy” and praise him as, basically, the next Bret Hart. JD starts to climb the turnbuckles, slowly, and Breakker pops up the hits a leaping Frankensteiner off the top rope for a close cover!
Breakker posts up int eh corner, sitting on the top turnbuckle, and JD pops up and kicks Breakker to the chest! McDonagh climbs to the top rope and looks for a Spanish Fly off the top! Breakker attempts to block it but JD hits it! JD follows it up immediately with a brainbuster and covers for a 2.9! The crowd flips the fuck out! JD looks for a Moonsault but Breakker rolls through and hits a Spear! JD rolls to the outside wisely and Breakker follows him. The champ sends JD into the ring as the crowd loudly chants for JD. Breakker sizes him up and hits a Spear! Breakker pulls down his straps, taunts and looks behind him. JD rises, his face bloody, laughing like the Joker! HE challenges Bron to bring it! Bron Spears JD! Bron pulls JD backup and hits a Military Press Slam immediately, covering to pick up the win and retain!
Your Winner and STILL NXT Champion, Bron Breakker!
NXT UK Champion Tyler Bate Arrives in NXT! 2.0!
Vic Joseph questions if worlds could be colliding here in NXT, an obvious reference to the tournament of the same name that took place at WrestleMania weekend a couple of years back. The NXT UK Champ makes his way out and holds his title up,f ace to face with the NXT Champ who does the same. Joseph wonders if Gallus and Bates’ presence means more once again and we fade to black!
In Closing
And that does it for tonight’s special Heatwave episode. What were your thoughts about tonight’s show? Let us know down below. Stay safe out there, Rajahmaniacs and…well, ewrestling folks, once your comments section is restored, we’ll let y’all come up with your own name. See you Friday night for SmackDown!
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