Rhea Ripley vs Dakota Kai
NXT 8/5 opened up with Ozzie vs Kiwi in a #1 Contender’s Match with the winner facing Io Shirai at Takeover. Dakota Kai gets a little full of herself after an early exchange but finds out quickly that she may not be smart or slick enough to be on the short end of the strength and power stick. Rhea is actually playing the bully here, using a lengthy scissors lock to torture Kai and stops every attempt to fight back with huge slams. In fact, the New Zealand native comes off more like face Shawn Michaels than heel Shawn Michaels, kicking out after an electric chair drop face first on the ring apron! A trip to the corner lets Dakota get in a few running knees and a chance to gain control.
A long stay in a straight jacket hold and a signature high kick can’t keep the towering Ripley down, however. Rhea fights back with big strikes but Dakota goes into her bag of kicks to keep up. Riptide gets reversed into a DDT but only a two count. Kai flings Rhea into the turnbuckle to escape the Prism. Rhea tosses Dakota down from a superplex attempt but Mercedes Martinez slips in like a thief in the night to attack Rhea. She’s out of sight before the ref gets an eyeball on her. A rope hung Go 2 Kick and Dakota Kai is going to Takeover! Mercedes gives Rhea Ripley another shot for good measure after the match and it looks like the Australian isn’t done with The Robert Stone Brand just yet.
Winner: Dakota Kai
NXT cameras picked up a quick convo between the punter GOAT, Pat McAfee, and (in my humble opinion) the all-time GOAT, Shawn Michaels. Many consider Adam Cole to be a spiritual successor to HBK so maybe he’s got some tips to keep McAfee in one piece tonight.
Bronson Reed vs Shane Thorne
Bronson Reed is looking to climb the ladder, literally and figuratively, at Takeover but old rival, Shane Thorne, will not be left behind so easily. Both of these men are on the bigger end of NXT’s size chart but Bronson certainly more so. Thorne seemingly has one avenue of advantage and goes ¾ lucha to start the match with a tope, top rope enziguri, and a running cannon ball senton! Bronson slows him with a press slam and a senton of his own and now it’s a fight. They trade blows but a clothesline by Reed turns Thorne inside out. A running DVD and the big Tsunami off the top rope would get Bronson Reed over a tank and Shane Thorne is just a man today.
Winner: Bronson Reed
Breezango arrived at the Performance Center earlier today but didn’t make it through the front door before they were accosted by given the Raging Bull treatment by El Legado de Fantasma. Fandango got the Raging Bull car door treatment before being thrown in the back of El Legado’s SUV and abducted.
Outside the PC, Robert Stone confirms that Rhea Ripley may be done with him but Robert Stone Brand isn’t done with her.
Damian Priest vs Oney Lorcan vs Ridge Holland
Ridge Holland gets the final entrance to help sell him to the non-UK viewers. Oney Lorcan might well be the toughest man in NXT but he’s the smallest in the ring and gets thrown out by Holland with an impressive suplex. He and Priest play hooligan vs black belt for a bit but Oney comes right back in with a diving senton onto both men and follows up with the double blockbuster! Oney keeps going demolition derby but Holland intercepts with a shoulder block that sends him off his feet. Holland headbutts Priest and follows with a gutwrench powerbomb.
These three beat the ever-living hell out of each other but, impressive as Holland’s debut is, he can’t stop Damian Priest from laying out Lorcan with The Reckoning and securing his place in the North American Title Ladder Match at Takeover.
Winner: Damian Priest
Cameron Grimes vs NXT Champion Keith Lee
Grimes has been looking for a title shot but Keith Lee is looking to unload his frustrations over the mind games by Karrion Kross. Grimes has moxie … but the champ hates that. Grimes can’t keep his feet under him for very long but has better luck on the outside. He introduces Lee to the ring steps to set up an Asai moonsault reminiscent of his X-Division days. It only seems to piss Keith Lee off and he flattens Grimes over and again back in the ring but Grimes keeps coming.
Cameron Grimes actually comes within a beat of winning multiple times (both legitimately and dastardly.) He seems to have an answer for everything the champ has to offer. His own offense doesn’t fare any better, though. He gasses out trying to batter Lee with forearms and runs out of options when The Spirit Bomb bounces him two feet off the canvas.
Winner: Keith Lee
After the match, Karrion Kross, comes on the screen and says that, since William Regal hasn’t made anything happen, it’s up to Keith Lee. The camera pans out to show a choked out Oney Lorcan, who gets dropped on the pavement. Tick. Tock.
Speaking of William Regal, he gives us an update on the North American Championship ladder match. Unfortunately, Dexter Lumis sustained an ankle injury and will not be able to compete. To rectify the problem, the participants not pinned or submitted in their triple threats (Finn Balor, Johnny Gargano, Ridge Holland, and a player to be named later) will face off in two singles matches with the winners becoming the final two participants.
El Legado de Fantasma make their way to the ring, dragging Fandango with them. Santos Escobar says “No mas” to the disrespect that Breezango has shown the Lucha Libre culture. Tyler Breeze comes in for the save but gets laid out on top of his tag team partner as a warning to the rest of NXT: “Mostra respeto… or else.”
In the parking lot, Damian Priest is asked about his win tonight, the upcoming ladder match, and Dexter Lumis. He’s interrupted by Bronson Reed who congratulates him. The two have a stare down and set up a one-on-one match next week.
Pat McAfee is with our announce team and happy to be “in the good graces” of NXT again.
Teagan Nox vs Indi Hartwell
A little jawing to start and Indi keeps Teagan on the mat as much as she can. Hartwell lands a running knee and tries to add Nox to her upset list with Shotzi Blackheart but the Shiniest Wizard comes pretty quick.
Winner: Teagan Nox
Next week, the final triple threat qualifier for the North American Title ladder match will take place with Kushida vs Cameron Grimes vs a mystery opponent.
Fabian Aichner & Marcel Barthel vs Bobby Fish & Kyle O’Reilly
The main for NXT 8/5 sees a once-again-whole Undisputed Era enter, and the convo turns toward McAfee’s past dealings with Adam Cole and Undisputed Era. He plays it off and says that the whole thing was overblown and now it’s blown over.
O’Reilly and Aichner look like they’re having an underground Muay Thai fight until Bobby Fish comes in. Aichner slows it down, looking to make use of Imperium’s size advantage. McAfee also makes a point to mention size, comparing Adam Cole to a child’s body! Tom Phillips and Beth Phoenix warn him about Cole’s proximity and their own feelings towards his disrespect. Beth walks away from the booth as Imperium begins a hard-hitting rally inside the ring.
Hard to tell while listening to a Rocket Mortgage commercial but, judging by Adam Cole’s facial expressions in the little window, McAfee has kept it up. Roderick Strong even steps in to tell Cole to keep his eyes on the match. Fish doesn’t need him as he clears Barthel and Aichner so he can tag in Kyle O’Reilly who turns into an absolute buzzsaw. O’Reilly hits a knee drop and an Achilles lock on Barthel but Aichner comes in with a double jump moonsault!
McAfee continues his litany of short jokes until Adam Cole has had enough. He comes over to the announce desk and orders him to cut it out. McAfee feigns innocence, unaware of what could have made the “angry elf” get upset. Cole throws water in his face and challenges him to do something about it. Triple H and Shawn Michaels come out to settle things down. Inside the ring, Imperium takes advantage of Fish & O’Reilly being distracted. European Bomb to end it all.
Winners: Fabian Aichner & Marcel Barthel
Cole starts blaming McAfee for the loss, prompting him to walk back to the announce desk and call him a “tiny itty bitty short baby bitch!” Cole scrambles across the desk, threatening to kill him, but McAfee winds up and punts him directly in the face! Triple H himself shoves McAfee halfway to the door and the former Indianapolis Colt exits while remarking about the “unprofessional work place.”
Top Five Takeaways from NXT 8/5:
1. Six matches in two hours. Multiple stories that make sense, aren’t overblown or overwritten, and use success and/or pride as the motivations. This. Is. Wrest-ling. Clap clap clapclapclap.
2. The recent revelations about general unpleasantness in independent wrestling and especially the UK scene, including allegations of bullying and sexual harassment may be as damaging as the creation of NXT:UK and the wholesale poaching of the talent pools. By my count, nearly 40% of tonight’s competitors are sons and daughters of the empire. With this trend, how much longer before these rosters are consolidated … or liquidated?
3. It’s a shame to hear of Dexter Lumis being out of the ladder match. The guy’s career has had a stall due to injuries before and new faces always make these things stand out. Still, having a chance to get Gargano or Finn into the match could add some stability.
4. Both Dakota Kai and Cameron Grimes were in matches with opponents that seriously outclassed them in size. They each had a competitive match that showed that but allowed them to believably continue fighting throughout the match without mini-hulking. That’s a refreshing rarity these days.
5. The Pat McAfee thing. It get why some people don’t like it. There are a few reasons. It mocks an established roster member. It brings in a professional dudebro against said talent. Said dudebro arguably doesn’t have the name recognition to make this worth it. But I’m good with it. McAfee may not be Stephen A. Smith but I’m loathe to name more than six sports media guys with more recognition right now. His reaction to the stunt on his show belied the worked nature a bit too much but he played the part at the announce desk masterfully.
The stunt itself did something very few things in wrestling can do anymore: It made us wonder. Most of us were like … 90% sure it was a work? But an hour later, it was more like 70%. Then absolutely sure. Well… 99% sure. I mean… maybe? That little doubt is so rare, it’s almost a novelty. It was worth it. And every angle needs a blow off and that gets us to Takeover. Boom.
