WWE put on a special edition of NXT with the 2021 Great American Bash. The special was filled with great moments and showcased the talents of the NXT roster.
MSK (c) vs. Timothy Thatcher & Tomasso Ciampa [NXT Tag Team Championships]
To start off the evening, we had an NXT Tag Team Titles match. MSK, although being the champions, walked into this match being the underdogs. Judging by the intensity brought by the champions, it was clear they had something to prove. Ciampa does well as a singles competitor but, as proven in the past and in this match, he can also work well in a team. MSK, as per usual, were explosive as ever but Ciampa and Thatcher really held their own and kept up. Thatcher, towards the end of the match, had an ankle lock cinched in but MSK ultimately retained by a simple roll-up. This leaves the possibility of a rematch open. Ultimately, this was a great match to get the night started with.
Johnny Gargano and Karrion Kross‘ Antics
NXT General Manager, William Regal, came out with Samoa Joe (as well as security by ringside) to demand answers from Johnny Gargano and Karrion Kross. Gargano continued antagonizing the NXT Champion, which led to Regal setting an NXT Title match between the two next week Tuesday. To ensure no more antics, Samoa Joe will be the special guest referee for that title match. Kross was about to attack Gargano following more patronizing words but the special enforcer stared him down. The main event for next week is set.
LA Knight (c) vs. Cameron Grimes [Million Dollar Championship]
This match was interesting because of the stipulation that “If Grimes loses, he becomes Knight’s personal butler. Once the bell rang, Grimes wasted no time and immediately took charge. Knight was looking to use dirty tricks and use the title to his advantage but the referee saw this and put a stop to it. That didn’t stop Knight from planting a DDT on Grimes on the title, which was on the mat though. Grimes showed a lot of heart by beating the count but ultimately suffered defeat following Knight’s BFT. After the match, Knight let Grimes know that he already has some tasks for him as his personal butler.
NXT Breakout Tournament Competitors
The NXT Breakout Tournament begins next week on NXT and the competitors were formally introduced. Here is the full list:
- Trey Baxter
- Carmelo Hayes
- Andre Chase
- Josh Briggs
- Ikemen Jiro
- Joe Gacy
- Odyssey Jones
- Duke Hudson
Wrestling tournaments are always fun and exciting. They also have a tremendous amount of potential put on display.
Candice LeRae & Indi Hartwell (c) vs. Zoey Stark & Io Shirai [NXT Women’s Tag Team Championships]
The Genius of the Sky took to the ropes early on in this bout. LeRae had managed to stay out of Shirai’s path but, once a perfectly timed tag was made, the two had a brief staredown. Shirai was on display as she showed a lot of heart surviving multiple attacks. The lights went out and everyone waited in anticipation. The battery sign on the screen flashed and showed the bar getting full. When the lights came on, Tegan Nox appeared – much to LeRae’s shock. With Nox watching on from the ramp, Stark got the win for her team. That prompted Nox to chase down and beat up LeRae. Also, during the break, Dexter Lumis was reunited with Indi Hartwell.
Isaiah “Swerve” Scott’s Celebration
Isaiah Scott was here to celebrate his NXT North American Championship. In order to have a celebration, you need to have your squad. Hit Row came through and dropped bars to celebrate the moment with their friend. It was an awesome break from all the action too!
Kyle O’Reilly vs. Adam Cole II
Cole showed up with his left knee bandaged up – following weeks of attacks between him and his friend-turned-foe. The tension between the two was palpable and, as the audience, we already knew the match would be awesome. Cole and O’Reilly have great wrestling chemistry and that was on full display as the two engaged. The match, as expected, was highly technical and had several moments that had fans screaming. Cole ultimately got the victory with a combination of a Panama Sunrise and a Last Shot. Now, it’s almost certain that the war between these two is not done. It will be interesting to see how this all plays out in the coming weeks.
