The NXT 2.0 Rewind: November 23, 2021 – Tiffany’s Epiphanies

Previously on the NXT 2.0 Rewind: Poker!

We kick right off with Grayson Waller in the ring in all pink. He says Ciampa isn’t a superstar like him and mocks the fans for turning on him just like they did John Cena. “Speaking of Hollywood, what about we talk about The Rock? He’s the biggest star in the industry, all the followers and you boo him right out of town. And don’t you dare get me started on Roman Reigns. He gave everything for you and you booed him and now he’s Head of the Table. So what that teaches me is that you Twitter freaks with 80,000 tweets and three followers don’t matter, superstars do.”

NXT Champion Tommaso Ciampa vs Grayson Waller

Ciampa is happy to get on to a match as the fans chant that Ciampa is going to kill Waller. Non-title match. Ciampa pounds down Waller early before going outside with him, chopping him in the timekeeper’s area and tossing him back in the ring. The chops continue until Waller slips under Ciampa’s legs and pulls them out from under him. A bad case of the Kevin Dunn zoomies hit as the camera crew try to film Waller pounding away on Ciampa. Waller offers up a People’s Elbow that Ciampa avoids. Waller’s all-pink gear was great, by the way. Ciampa batters Waller with clotheslines and knocks him out to the announce table. Ciampa runs around the ring with another clothesline and tosses Waller into the announcers’ chairs, clapping himself on the back to send us to commercials.

We come back to Ciampa chopping away at Waller’s chest. They collide in the corner, letting Waller leap right into Ciampa’s knee. The men trade chops and Ciampa pulls Waller into a DDT. Waller cancels Fairytale Ending for a series of near falls before Ciampa knees him in the head. Waller scoops up and plants Ciampa for a near fall. He heads to the second rope and Ciampa bounces up, trying to superplex Waller. Waller shoves Ciampa down, Ciampa comes back with a chop and scoops Waller up for a Air Raid Crash that can only get the two. Waller finds his way to the ropes again, walking across the second rope and leaping off with his flying elbow. Waller flies outside on Ciampa and rolls him in before rolling in for his move, Ciampa catching him with a DDT. This time, the Fairytale Ending hits and Ciampa wins.

Tommaso Ciampa pins Grayson Waller. Really great match here. Early Waller is fantastic to watch and Ciampa always wrestled with something to prove. Watch this one.

L.A. Knight is watching backstage and McKenzie Mitchell asks for his response. Knight knew Waller would cost himself the match and that Waller sucks. Joe Gacy walks up and calls Knight’s talk destructive and harmful. Gacy offers him a safe space in the ring and Knight calls him a creep.

Here’s a look back at last week’s Poker Showdown.

Toxic Attraction arrives and make jokes about Cora Jade’s skateboard. Gigi: “She doesn’t even know Tony Hawk.” Sorry, that’s a great line. Dakota Kai stumbles up, working through whatever is going on in her head, and walks with them. As they walk past a mess of broken things, Kay Lee Ray swings a bat and destroys a glass.

Cameron Grimes joins us in the arena, beard and hair trimmed and looking upset about it. He made it in the industry and struck it rich but kept the hair and beard to remind him of his humble beginnings. Duke Hudson took that away from him but messed up because it made him angry. He calls out Duke because he is done talking. Duke Hudson joins us via video screen, getting a touch-up in the barber’s chair. He says Grimes took a lot of money from him and got a free haircut last week and should be thanking him. He’s trying to transform him from a troll to a decent, normal human being. Grimes calls Duke “gutless and nutless” and says they need to go all in. He challenges Duke at War Games in a hair vs hair match. Duke rises out of his chair and says it is on and at War Games, he’s taking the rest of Cameron’s hair.

Vic Joseph, Wade Barrett and WWE Hall of Famer Beth Phoenix greet us from ringside. We also have the great Alicia Taylor on the ring mic.

Pete Dunne joins us backstage, telling us he has waiting too long to hold a championship in NXT and tonight that changes. He’s sending Gargano packing and making Hayes pay his dues.

McKenzie talks with Indi Hartwell and Persia Pirotta, asking Indi for a medical update on Dexter Lumis. He’ll be out about a month. “Dexta, this one’s for you. I love you.”

Journal entry: Tiffany’s epiphanies. We meet Tiffany Stratton who tells us daddy has paid for her tennis lessons since she was born. “I wasn’t born with a silver spoon in my mouth because silver is tacky.” Daddy told her she is ready to take over NXT. Coming soon.

Kacy Catcanzaro & Kayden Carter vs Indi Hartwell & Persia Pirotta

Indi is noticably distracted and staring at her wedding ring, thinking of her injured husband. Persia dominates Carter early and tries to tag in Indi who is not focusing. Kacy also tags in and the party girls double team Indi. Kayden backdrops Kacy onto Indi for a two count, Persia saving her partner. Indi tags in Persia who lawndarts Catcanzaro into the corner. Wade Barrett talks about Austin Theory getting ahold of Cleopatra’s egg on Raw and my eye twitches. Persia tries for the tag but Indi is again distracted. Indi comes in and is rolled up for a two. Catcanzaro climbs on top of Kayden’s shoulders who tosses her onto Indi in a very cool move.

Kacy Catcanzaro & Kayden Carter defeat Indi Hartwell & Persia Pirotta when Catcanzaro pins Hartwell. Kacy and Kayden were a really fun, inventive tag team. This was all about Indi being distracted by her man, but I liked it.

Andre Chase introduces new students into the Chase University medical facility when they come across Cameron Grimes. Grimes tells him to go to hell.

Santos Escobar (with Elektra Lopez, Raul Mendoza and Joaquin Wilde) vs Malik Blade

A very strong serving of squash here. Escobar nails Blade with a corner exploder, a running knee and the Phantom Driver.

Santos Escobar pins Malik Blade. Just a squash but Escobar looked great.

Elektra grabs a mic and says that Legado offered Xyon Quinn the opportunity of a lifetime and he said no, so they took him out. Now that Santos is back, she says Legado are stronger than ever. They’re interrupted by Von Wagner and Kyle O’Reilly. Kool Kyle says they also want the NXT Tag Team Championships. Wagner says they have unfinished business. NXT Tag Team Champions Imperium (Marcel Barthel and Fabian Aichner) follow up with their own interruption from the NXT balcony. Marcel calls them all little children, calls Von Wagner “Lurch,” and says neither team can stop them. Aicher tells them to figure out who gets the shot and they will meet them at War Games.

Cora Jade is met backstage by Raquel Gonzalez, Io Shirai and Zoey Stark. Cora tells them to stop arguing. “Are we really going to do the whole ‘can we co-exist’ thing? Boring. It’s outdated.” She tells them find a fourth (Zoey is injured) and says she’s heading out to kick some Toxic Attraction ass.

McKenzie talks with Tony D’Angelo. He’s keeping up with the odds for tonight’s match and his money is on Carmelo.

NXT Women’s Champion Mandy Rose vs Cora Jade

Non-title. Mandy doesn’t have her fellow Toxics out with her tonight, assuming she won’t need them to take down Cora. Mandy dominates the opening stretch. She hooks Cora in a leglock and adds a chinlock to the mix. Cora powers it into a pin and Mandy breaks it, continuing the assault. Cora rolls in a two count and ranas Rose, kneeing her in the corner. Cora misses a Swanton and we see Kay Lee Ray walking down the aisle with her bat. Ray smashes a few things at ringside with the bat and tosses it in the ring, where the referee catches it. Cora takes the distraction to roll up Mandy and get the pin.

Cora Jade pins Mandy Rose. This wasn’t very good, but it was short and sets up some War Games stuff so I approve.

Carmelo Hayes and Trick Williams talk backstage, Trick saying the disrespect stop tonight. Melo says it should have stopped weeks ago. He makes fun of Gargano being there for five years and Trick says Dunne looks 40. “Tonight, when I shoot, I won’t miss.”

Joe Gacy joins us from a darkened room, saying connection needs two people. He promises a new sense of belonging as a large hand rests on his shoulder.

The good girls talk backstage against and KLR says she’s in as the fourth member of the War Games team. She’s in an advantage ladder match next week as well.

Joe Gacy vs L.A. Knight

Grayson Waller attacks Knight as Knight enters and they brawl, the referee squad separating them before the brawl continues to the back.

Gacy grabs a mic and apologizes to the NXT Universe. “I wish we could have shown L.A. Knight how to handle his anger issues peacefully.” He is interrupted by the music of Diamond Mine. Malcolm Bivens says they’re stealing HIS spotlight tonight. “Joe, why don’t you take your thesaurus-reading ass and step out of our ring?” Gacy says he doesn’t have respect for Roderick Strong, saying his name alone is an example of toxic masculinity and the championship he owns is an example of exclusivity and weight shaming. Strong yells that he doesn’t care about weight levels and Gacy is his next money match. Bivens says he’ll make sure the match is set for December 5th. “Roderick Strong is gonna beat you like a Lil’ Jon track – yeaaaaaah!”

MSK are still on their never ending journey to find the shaman. Stoner joke here, paranoia there and they are pulled over and they argue over who is going to hold the bag. The officer gives them a warning and they know the shaman is looking over them. Yawn.

Ivy Nile (with NXT Cruiserweight Champion Roderick Strong, Malcolm Bivens, Hatchiman, Brutus & Julius Creed) vs Yulisa Leon

This is the NXT TV debut of Yulisa and her third match ever, the first two televised on 205 Live. She sticks around until 2023 but very rarely will come out on top. She competes today as Julissa Mexa and has made two TV appearances on ROH this year, winning the most recent. Ivy, as we all know, seems banished to Main Event and hasn’t even been there lately. This is all Ivy who smashes her way through.

Ivy Nile defeats Yulisa Leon by submission. Ivy looked good here.

In a video package, Solo Sikoa tells us that he walks alone. He’s here to fight anyone new or old because they’ll all fall to the street champion.

The Grizzled Young Veterans walk backstage and come across a man, stealing his wallet. The Waller-Knight fight breaks into the area and they can’t be separated.

Boa tells us he doesn’t know how to control the strength and spirit of Mei Ying that has been passed onto him and blows mystical smoke in our face. Damn vaping kids.

Josh Briggs & Brooks Jensen vs Grizzled Young Veterans (Zack Gibson & James Drake)

The country boys start strong as Vic Joseph confirms the #1 contender’s tag match for the tag titles next week. Jensen shimmies and nails Drake with a big left. Drake offers a slap, Jensen responds by chasing him around the ring and getting kicked. Gibson tags in and a “you suck” chant greets him. Meanwhile, Knight and Waller are still brawling backstage. How will we ever stop them? Jensen backdrops out of a sleeper but can’t get the tag he needs. He does finally get that hot tag to Briggs who boots both Veterans down. Drake tweaks his knee on the way down and Briggs takes the chance to boot Gibson off the apron. It’s all a ruse as Briggs and Jensen take Drake down with a combo clothesline/leg sweep for the win.

Josh Briggs & Brooks Jensen defeat Grizzled Young Veterans when Briggs pins Drake. A good mid-range tag match. It is nice to have a tag division.

NXT North American Championship: NXT North American Champion Carmelo Hayes (with Trick Williams) vs Pete Dunne vs Johnny Gargano

Triple threat, so Hayes does not have to be pinned to lose the match. After all three men battle, Dunne locks both opponents into a submission at once until Trick pulls Melo out. Melo springs onto both men and covers Dunne for a two. Some good three-man stuff going on here, including Gargano bulldogging Hayes into Dunne. Gargano dives out onto Dunne, runs in and dives onto Melo on the other side of the ring before hitting Dunne with a rana to send us to commercials.

We come back to all three men down and the fans chanting for NXT. Hayes cutters Dunne on top of Gargano and covers Dunne for two. Lots happening here as we’re in a spotfest match. Gargano kicks Trick and then boots Dunne in the head, Dunne catches Gargano and nails the Bitter End until Tony D’Angelo appears to toss Dunne down. No DQ, of course. Hayes hits Gargano with a leg from the top and gets the pin. Hayes retains.

Carmelo Hayes pins Johnny Gargano to retain the NXT North American Championship. This was a very fast-paced, spot-filled match.

Williams and D’Angelo exchange pleasantries and then Waller and Knight brawl back into them as all the men brawl and the fans chant “War Games.” The heels stomp down Gargano until Ciampa’s music hits and he comes out with a chair for the save. Yes, we appear to have a plan for War Games as the 2.0 boys and the Black and Gold boys section off. The “War Games” chants hit again as the siren of Bron Breakker brings him out, aligning with Hayes, D’Angelo and Waller. Bron simply yells, “WAR GAMES!” into the microphone and the nine men (including Trick) brawl as the War Games siren sounds to end the show.

A good, fast-paced episode this week. There’s still some silly 2.0 stuff like MSK’s weekly stoner quest and Boa’s quest to control his powers, but there is some good stuff happening as we build to War Games.

Recommendations to watch: Ciampa vs Waller, Hayes vs Gargano vs Dunne