NXT – 10.20.26

Words on graps. Evolve Succession IV | Impact | Smackdown | AAA | Raw

Last week on NXT: Dion Lennox assaulted Cruz Montana and then called Montana’s mother to tell her about it!

NXT is back on the CW airwaves from The Performance Center in Orlando, FL as we continue on the ROAD TO HALLOWEEN HAVOC. The announcing team for this evening’s card includes Vic Joseph and Booker T on match calls and analysis, Mike Rome on ring introductions, and Emily Agard on news and interviews. We’re eleven days away from the annual night of frights, so let’s watch some wrestling!

We open with a new-style preview of tonight’s big Cruz Montana vs Dion Lennox showdown. Montana and Lennox’s arrivals to the show are up next, and then we’re in the arena.

Here’s Tony D’Angelo out with his hair in a bun again, for some reason. D’Angelo wastes no time in calling out NXT Men’s Champion Grayson Waller. Waller says he knew it was always going to come back to D’Angelo, and then talks about their shared history within the promotion. D’Angelo says Waller doesn’t know and won’t find out until Halloween Havoc whether or not he could have taken the title from D’Angelo in a one on one match. D’Angelo says he never liked Waller and all he was about at the time was viral moments and championships. Waller acknowledges he was like that but D’Angelo was chosen because of his athletic ability and not the love of the game. D’Angelo calls Waller a hypocrite because he’s still the guy who hides behind memes and one-liners because of his desperation for attention. Waller says all he has to do to D’Angelo is take him to the deep end and let him drown. D’Angelo calls him and Waller “foundation guys” and it had to be them in the end. Waller puts over D’Angelo beating Oba Femi twice and says it doesn’t mean anything. D’Angelo points out that he’s already been the champion and promises to drag Waller through hell where his “deep waters” have a shark in them.

EARLIER TODAY Izzi Dame was disappointed to see that Zaria’s locker has been cleaned out, before being told to lighten up on Zaria by Skylar Raye and Layla Diggs. Dame says if she has to move distractions out of the way like Diggs, she’ll handle that while handling Zaria too.

Here’s Birthright in the parking lot to mention that it’s their….birthright….to win the Dusty Classic. We go to commercials.

Here’s a vignette on Chantel Monroe. She’s going with “show-stopping diva” and “reflection of perfection” as her tag lines.

Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic Quarterfinal: AAA Tag Team Champions El Dinastia Wagner (El Hijo del Dr. Wagner Jr. and Galeno) vs Birthright (Charles Dempsey and Lexis King)

Arianna Grace and Uriah Connors are out with Birthright. Jeremy Marcus is your referee. Joseph mentions Stacks Lorenzo’s injury over the weekend Canada loop and that he’s not medically cleared. It’s Dempsey and DW3 to start, and Dempsey takes control before DW3 rolls through. They grapple to a standoff and DW3 fires off a couple of armdrags when they lock up again. Galeno tags in and King follows. King tries to slap Galeno but gets caught coming off the second rope. King gets trucked by Galeno and DW3 tags back in for some double-team mayhem before DW3 covers King for two. Galeno’s senton gets a two count. King charges and gets dumped and the Wagners are cut off by Grace who intervenes briefly. DW3 doesn’t care and he hits a tope con hiro that wipes out all the Birthright men. We go to commercials.

Dempsey and DW3 are grappling when the show returns. Dempsey is working an arm submission and DW3 makes the ropes to break it up. Dempsey grabs a rear chinlock but DW3 breaks out to start slugging it out with Dempsey. DW3 hits a belly to back suplex and King and Galeno tag in. Galeno blasts King and Dempsey in opposite corners and drops a charging King with a bodyslam. Galeno hits a huge splash and covers King for two. Galeno drags KIng to their corner and tags in DW3. They hit a double team dropkick and DW3 covers King for two as Dempsey breaks it up. Dempsey tags in and DW3 didn’t see it. Dempsey slaps on an octopus and Galeno comes in to break things up. Everyone is down as we reset. DW3 and Dempsey start slugging it out and King tags in for a superkick/full nelson suplex combo that gets two. DW3 ascends but his dive meets King’s knees. Here’s Zilla Fatu out to truck Connors and menace Grace. DW3 mashes King with a Michinoku Driver and Galeno follows with a splash that ends things.

This was really good, but I wish the finish had been cleaner and less overbooked. I figured Zilla was going to make an appearance during this but I was hoping it was going to be after it ended. Regardless, this was a solid back and forth and I think Dempsey in particular is making strides. Galeno and DW3 are veteran pros and worked the grappling style to accommodate Dempsey’s strengths. Good solid tag match right here. 3.5*

Winners – El Dinastia Wagner (Galeno splash on King)

Post-match sees Zilla Fatu continuing to smash the Birthright goons around before nailing Dempsey with a pop-up Samoan Drop.

Here’s Darkstate watching a Cruz Montana promo with Osiris Griffin and Cutler James saying Lennox’s actions were even too far for them. Lennox vows to take Montana to a dark place and wants to chat with James and Griffin on how they can accomplish that. We go to commercials.

THE NXT SPOTLIGHT PRESENTED BY PROGRESSIVE is on Kam Hendrix. Hendrix says he’s the best athlete in NXT and makes a series of one-handed football catches. Hendrix then blinds himself while making another one handed catch, and promises that he’s the future.

Here’s Tavion Heights out for a chat. Heights mentions his ankle being Pillman-ized by Myles Borne during a supposed apology. Heights talks about Borne doubling down so he could attack Heights again. Heights then talks about Borne’s failure to win the number one contenders match while saying Borne is not who he says he is. Heights calls Borne a “backstabbing bug-ass bitch” and here’s Myles Borne out to start a fight. They go all the way under the Roost to the parking lot and a bunch of Security and refs pour out to break it up.

Here’s Chantel Monroe running into the Vanity Project backstage. NXT Tag Team Champion Ricky Smokes confirms he saw and liked Monroe’s earlier vignette before being cut off by Myka Lockwood. The Project head into NXT GM Robert Stone’s office and he wants a word about what happened last week and mentions Mini Vikingo isn’t cleared for action tonight. NXT Tag Team Champion Brad Baylor promises to defeat Noam Dar and Romeo Moreno next week because they aren’t a real team. Stone then mentions that NXT Men’s North American Champion Jackson Drake will defend his title against EK Prosper next week. We go to commercials.

Izzi Dame vs Layla Diggs

Diggs entrance theme is catchy as hell. Dame trucks Diggs and invites her to suck it. Dame works a side headlock and Diggs rolsl out of it to work an elbow. Dame slugs Diggs and rams her shoulder-first into a turnbuckle a couple times. Dame slams Diggs and gets two. Dame gets reversed into a turnbuckle slam and Diggs goes back to working Dame’s elbow. Diggs hits a wheelbarrow roll thru and then slips a Dame kick attempt. Dame gets dumped and Diggs runs right into a Dame right forearm. Dame gets kicked away and Diggs hits a reverse 360 elbow drop on the floor. We go to commercials.

Dame gets caught by a Pele kick when the show returns. Diggs fires off a back elbow and a leg lariat before mashing Dame with a roundhouse kick. Diggs lifts a knee and drops Dame with a sit-down facebuster. Diggs ascends and crushes Dame with a frog splash that gets two. Diggs ascends but Dame springs up to crush her with a crucifix bomb that gets two. They start slugging it out and Dame nails Diggs with a backbreaker. Dame’s reverse flapjack gets two. Dame pulls Diggs up but Diggs rolls through and gets two. Dame nails Diggs with a high boot and leaps into a Diggs pump kick. Diggs misses a top rope move and Dame nails Diggs with a running knee to the jaw that finishes things.

Boy this thing just kept on going. Diggs was game here but there was no real psychology to any of this, it was just a series of moves with almost no heat or attempts to engage the crowd. Ah well, they can’t all be classics. 2*

Winner – Izzi Dame (Running knee to the jaw)

Post-match sees NXT Women’s North American Champion Zaria make an appearance. Zaria doesn’t know what Dame is searching for by going through Zaria’s past. Zaria says she’s done with the mind games and wants Dame for the title at Halloween Havoc. Dame says she’ll see Zaria at Havoc, but they don’t have to do it for the title. Okay, sure. We go to commercials.

Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic Quarterfinal: Hank & Tank vs The Creed Brothers (Julius and Brutus)

It’s Julius and Tank to start. Julius shoots the half and dumps Tank over. Tank gets walloped from behind with a lariat and Burtus tags in for a double team backstabber/fall-away slam combo. Brutus gets caught by a flying shoulder tackle as Hank tags in. Hank clubbers away and Tank tags back in. Tank snapmares Brutus over and covers him for two. Hank tags in and slugs Brutus before Brutus reverses an irish whip. Brutus clubbers away on a downed Hank as we go to commercials.

Tank gets a tag after Hank drops Brutus with a lariat as the show returns. Tank drops Brutus and Julius grabs a tag. Tank ascends and Julius leaps up to slug it out for a brief period. Julius drops Tank and crushes him with a knee to the gut. Brutus tags in and he yanks Tank up for a gutbuster over his knee. Brutus pounds on Tank as Julius tags in. Julius fires off another gutbuster and yanks Tank into a stretch. Tank rolls out of it and can’t make a tag. Tank fights out of the Creeds corner but Julius cuts him off with a spear. Tank fights both Creeds off again and eats a Julius dropkick before he can make a tag. Julius runs Tank back in and Tank finally escapes to make a tag. Brutus has tagged in and Hank goes to work on pounding him around before dropping him with a lariat. Hank nails Julius with a running splash and a big forearm. Hank POUNCES Brutus on the floor and then flies back in to drop Julius with a Bossman slam. Julius mashes Tank with a knee but misses a charge. After some floor chaos, Tank and Hank hit their high-low finisher and Hank covers Julius for three.

I had a thought that the Creeds would win this due to the earlier result so I was happy to be proven wrong there. Hank and Tank still work too fast for me but this was good for what it was. I’m not sure what might be next for the Creeds if they stick around in NXT but I guess we’ll see. Not quite as good as the other quarterfinal tonight but not bad either. 3*

Winners – Hank & Tank (High-low finisher)

Here’s Birthright screaming at Robert Stone about tonight’s results and Charles Dempsey wants Zilla Fatu one on one. As that bickering continues, here’s Kendal Grey and Wren Sinclair striding by on their way out to the contract signing. Here’s Chantel Monroe in to ask if they thought her video was “cute” and they reluctantly agree that it was. Monroe scampers away as Grey assures Sinclair she’s got this in terms of the contract signing. We go to commercials.

Here’s Wren Sinclair out as Joseph mentions hearing that there was some sort of incident backstage during the commercial break. We apparently have no further details on that. Sinclair says that it’s clear after last week that Sinclair can no longer sit back and watch Kelani Jordan run wild. Sinclair tells Jordan to stop hiding behind her title and get out here now. Here’s NXT Women’s Champion Kelani Jordan out to say that she got Sinclair a gift and it’s a devastated Kendal Grey. Grey has been busted open and Jordan skips away as Grey checks on her pal.

Here’s Robert Stone with Zilla Fatu who says he’s casted up and good to go if Dempsey wants to go. Fatu says it’s time to SPIN THE WHEEL TO MAKE THE DEAL with Dempsey at Halloween Havoc.

Here’s Sean Legacy, EK Prosper, Chazz “Starboy” Hall, Noam Dar, and Romeo Moreno in the locker room, and Legacy tells Prosper that Dorian van Dux should be back in two months. Prosper gets bumped up by Moreno about his title match next week, and Saquon Shugars iPad’s volume increases as he watches his loss back from last week. Shugars and Legacy have some verbals, and Prosper intervenes. Shugars warns Legacy to keep his mouth shut.

Here’s Emily Agard trying to get a word with Cruz Montana, and Osiris Griffin and Cutler James pull up. They break into the locker room and Cruz Montana promptly kicks both of their asses. Security and other wrestlers intervene, and we go to commercials.

Here’s NARAKU warning Shiloh Hill that he will not be able to hide from the mist for much longer. It turns out that NARAKU has a mist color he hasn’t used before, and vows to unleash THE BLACK MIST at Halloween Havoc.

Here’s Lizzy Rain and Shiloh Hill talking over what they just watched, and here’s Chantel Monroe in as Hill immediately powders out. Rain mentions that Monroe has managed to annoy everyone in the last two hours and next week, she can find out who Rain actually is.

Danhausen will be hosting Halloween Havoc! The Dusty Cup semi-finals and the Men’s North American Championship match will happen next week! EXCLAMATION POINTS!

Dion Lennox vs Cruz Montana

They go at it right at the bell and Montana gets top mount for some ground and pound. Montana trucks Lennox in a corner and starts firing off rights. Lennox fires up with some clubbering of his own before dropping Montana with a belly to back suplex that gets one. Lennox fires off a spinebuster and gets two. Montana trucks Lennox with a lariat and smashes him with a shotgun chop. Montana fires off some more chops but runs into a Lennox high boot when he charges. Montana shakes that off with another chop and a senton that gets two. Montana yanks Lennox up to ram him into a corner and follows with a cannonball. Montana clobbers Lennox with a sit-down powerbomb that gets two. Montana misses a pescado and Lennox drives him face-first into the ring steps. Lennox rips up the mats at ringside and pulls Montana up. Montana slips off and rams Lennox into a ring post. We go to commercials.

Lennox is working a rear chinlock when the show returns. Montana slips a charge and nails Lennox with a superkick. Montana nips up and calls Lennox in for some rights. Montana elbows Lennox down and mashes him with a corner kick. Montana nails Lennox with a rolling stunner that gets two. Montana fires off another chop and Lennox responds with a lariat. Lennox hits a hot shot back drop that gets two. Lennox yanks Montana over to a corner and puts the bad mouth on him. This proves to be a very bad idea as Montana goes berserk. Montana rams Lennox through the barricade at ringside, and both guys are counted out.

Montana fights off some Security guys and blasts Osiris Griffin and Cutler James before yanking Lennox up for a slam on the exposed concrete. Montana yanks the top part of the ring steps up, but then decides to curb stomp Lennox on the concrete. Montana goes back to the ring steps and pounds Lennox and James with them. Montana continues to destroy Security, and here’s Orlando PD in to cuff Montana as Lennox glares at him with Joseph setting up the idea that Montana has in fact gone back to the dark place Lennox promised to send him to. The credits roll and we’re out.

The main was trending towards 3.5* before the DCO ending. The main event and the first Dusty Cup semi-final were the highlights tonight for me. I like that Kelani Jordan showed a more evil side tonight and didn’t have to talk too much, and I guess the beating she laid on Kendal Grey will lead to Wren Sinclair wanting revenge for her friend? Kendal just got back, dammit! Anyway, decent show tonight, we’re moving towards Halloween Havoc in ten days, and we’ll have a big go-home show next week. I’m good with all of it.

Thanks for reading and commenting.