Toni Storm vs Zoey Stark
In traditional NXT fashion, NXT 5/18 opens right into a banger of a match. Zoey Stark is fired up to prove her win over Storm was no fluke but one bad landing on the ring apron and a face-first hip check into the steel ring steps by the global veteran begins to suggest otherwise. Toni grinds Stark down throughout the commercial break but Zoey bangs her way out of it with educated feet. Toni hits the Tiger Driver version of “Storm Zero”and Stark kicks out! There’s more where that came from, though, as Toni executes what looks like some type of modified judo throw that drives Zoey down to the mat in wicked fashion. Three count by the referee and Storm and Stark are 1-and-1.
Winner: Toni Storm
Toni is still in the ring when Franky Monet’s entrance goes off to put the women’s division on notice one week before her in-ring debut.
Raul Mendoza & Joaquin Wilde are backstage telling McKenzie Mitchell that, with or without Santos Escobar, they’re up for taking the tag belts from MSK. Tommaso Ciampa & Timothy Thatcher come in and, after a quick Rosetta Pebble lesson from Thatcher, a match is made.
It’s that quick to happen in NXT. That’s further proven when we see Cameron Grimes pull up in a Rolls Royce earlier today and asks Jake Atlas to park it. Atlas says that Ted DiBiase has that spot, inspiring Grime sto throw down the challenge for later tonight.
New NXT Women’s Tag Team Champions, Candice LaRae and Indi Hartwell are having a spa day when the topic of discussion changes from The Way’s successes to how Candice opened Indi’s eyes to how much of a “loser” Dexter Lumis is. If her eyes didn’t have cucumber on them, she could plainly see that her masseuse is Dexter Lumis who seems dejected by the whole thing.
Hype package for Balor vs Kross II. Jimmy Smith, Pat McAfee, and even Paul Heyman give their two cents to inspire us to buy in next week.
Jake Atlas vs Cameron Grimes
Grimes wants his music cut to show us the “real” Ted DiBIase. A video plays of DiBiase insulting people and then getting his ass kicked. Grimes chuckles but the crowd around the barriers start up a “Di! Bi! As! E!” chant. His preoccupation allows the athletic acumen and fighting spirit of Jake Atlas to frustrate him further. Grimes is as Beth Phoenix describes, “a technical savage,” though. He’s all set up to hit the Cave In when Ted DiBiase’s limo is shown outside and his music hits. Jake Atlas takes advantage and hits a sunset flip for the win!
Winner: Jake Atlas
Cameron Grimes runs out to the parking lot to confront The Million Dollar Man but is left cursing in the limo’s exhaust.
Bronson Reed takes us on his 14 year journey from Australia to Japan to the UK to NXT. He’s ready for his biggest test yet when he faces Johnny Gargano fr the North American title tonight.
Pete Dunne sits down to explain his current mindset. He doesn’t care about the fans’ respect. He doesn’t care which champion he dethrones first. WALTER. Kushida. Karrion Kross. They’re all on notice.
Alexander Wolfe vs Killian Dain
Wolfe is accompanied by Imperium’s Barthel & Aichner at ringside. The Beast of Belfast has his wary tag partner, Drake Maverick with him. The two former SAnitY members go at it while their entourages do so as well. The chaos gives enough opportunity for a chair to be placed in front of Wolfe. He’s a bit too slow and Dain picks up the win with a running cross body. After the match, Aichner & Barthel beat down Wolfe for failing Imperium.
Winner: Killian Dain
Raquel Gonzalez & Dakota Kai explain their disagreements and the aftermath of Raquel’s match against Mercedes Martinez last week. They’re set on regaining the NXT Women’s Tag Team Championship. NXT’s hit Saturday morning social media stars, Ever Rise, have plenty to say about it. It unwittingly earns them a trip on the sucker punch express.
Legado del Fantasma vs Timothy Thatcher & Tommaso Ciampa
Thatcher and Ciampa try to keep Legado grounded so as to use their technical acumen and size to their advantage. Raul Mendoza nose injury but battles on to be the workhorse of the match. Both teams interfering from the outside and breaking up three counts. Joaquin Wilde barely survives a Willow’s Bell from Ciampa who, immediately after, gets attacked by The Grizzled Young Veterans! A mouth full of ring apron makes him easy pickings for Legado’s assisted Russian legsweep.
Winners: Legado del Fantasma
Bobby Fish is backstage and says that last week’s rescue of Kyle O’Reilly has nothing to do with O’Reilly and everything to do with Pete Dunne and Oney Lorcan. Months ago, they put him on the shelf to watch Undisputed Era implode. Now that he’s back, he’s only got one thing on his mind and one match he wants to make happen.
Back at the spa, the staff has a problem with Candice LaRae’s credit card regarding charges for flowers and chocolates made three weeks ago. Indi is able to put the pieces together and realizes that Candice sent those gifts to Ember Moon and Shotzi Blackheart. Forget manipulating her emotions, Indi is just happy that Dexter still loves her!
Johnny Gargano cuts his promo on Bronson Reed, saying that he was able to leave Karrion Kross laying on the canvas two weeks ago and he’ll do the same to the thicc boi from down under.
Aliyah vs Sarray
A cheap shot off her offered handshake and a trip up by Jessi Kamea at ringside put Sarray on defense early. She manages to survive with unique moves like a Matrix escape kickout and wins with a Saito suplex after a running dropkick to the jaw.
Winner: Sarray
Ember Moon and Shotzi Blackheart state their intentions to get the NXT tag titles back, saying that Dakota Kai & Raquel Gonzalez are trying to jump the line and The Way needs to stop looking past them.
Ashante Adonis & Top Dolla vs Ariya Daivari & Tony Neese
What’s sure to be Hit Row’s signature pairing, Adonis and Top Dolla make quick work of Neese and Daivari. They kept up enough to showcase some of Adonis’ 205 Live talent but the former nose tackle tossed them around like extra hotel pillows. He ends it with an AA-type move that ends in a neckbreaker. After the match, Isaiah “Swerve” Scott runs down the main event for the North American title and lets it be known that that’s a future stop on his planned tour.
Winners: Hiiiiit Rooooow
The announce team reveals that, next week, we’ll be treated to a “Million Dollar Face Off” (whatever that is) between Cameron Grimes and Ted DiBiase!
Main Event of NXT 5/18 Bronson Reed vs Johnny Gargano (c) in a steel cage match for the NXT North American Championship
Obvious size and power advantage for Reed but he’s also quick and agile enough to match Johnny. The champ has to be smart and wear him down. That’s after an immediate dive for the cage door, though! Bronson does repeated Kevin Nash impressions with Gargano playing the Rey Mysterio lawn dart. Johnny gets caught on the cage during his slingshot spear attempt but not on his chop block or follow up moonsault. It’s too soon to climb out the cage, though. Johnny learns by being pulled down by Reed. Reed learns by getting distracted by Austin Theory which allows Johnny a free shot at the back of Bronson’s knee.
Gargano maintains control for several minutes, including a rather novel assist by Austin Theory helping to sandwich Reed between the cage and a dropkick. Reed recovers enough to hit a Samoan drop from the turnbuckles but takes too long to cover for a three count. Bronson tries to climb out but Johnny stops him with a sunset flip power bomb! He, too, takes too long to cover. Austin Theory tries to drag Johnny out of the cage and later hold it closed for Bronson but gets tossed from the ring steps. Reed goes for a power bomb but Johnny grabs the cage and hits a reverse-canrana! Bronson Reed is reeling but aware enough to shrug off One Final Beat. He gets the cage door shut on him again but kicks out when One Final Beat hit him!
Both men try to climb out in the corner but a Thicc Boi Bomb puts Gargano down. Austin Theory keeps Bronson occupied but he knocks down Theory and Gargano with a mid-rope splash to a crawling Johnny. Heading out the door isn’t the Aussie’s style. If he can beat Johnny with the Tsunami, he will. And he does! A new champion!
Winner and new North American Champion: Bronson Reed
Five Takeaways from NXT 5/18
1. Big main event in so many ways. Great talents. High stakes. Good story. Bronson Reed has such a connection with the fans that I actually regret (as loathe as I am to admit it) that there were no “You! De! Serve! It!” chants.
2. NXT has something huge in Swerve and Hit Row. You hate to make these sort of comparisons but AJ Francis could end up being the biggest NFL-to-wrestling transition since Moose, and Swerve has a character that seems to blend Jeff Jarrett, MVP, and Attitude Era Triple H. This guy used to stay quiet under a mask. This has been a quantum leap in his evolution.
3. No North American title and a distracted Indi. The Way has been so very good for a good long while but is it headed for a change of direction?
4. Smart play in the men’s tag team division. Legado del Fantasma cement their claim to face MSK and a protected Ciampa & Thatcher will have some bangers against The Grizzled Young Vets.
5. What in the blue hell is Diamond Mine! Give me something. A silhouette. A voice-over. Something!
