NXT 2/10/2021: Grimes Returns; Three Dusty Classic Semi-Final Matches!
Here's what's on tap for tonight:
NXT Champion Finn Balor and Pete Dunne will meet face-to-face
Semi-Final Match of the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic: Timothy Thatcher & Tommaso Ciampa vs. Grizzled Young Veterans
Semi-Final Match of the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic: MSK vs. Legado del Fantasma
Semi-Final Match of the Women's Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic: Shotzi Blackheart & Ember Moon vs. Candice LeRae & Indi Hartwell
Austin Theory vs. Kushida
Xia Li returns along side Tian Sha
Karrion Kross & Scarlett will be live
Cameron Grimes returns!
We're in the Capitol Wrestling Center and starting with Dusty Classic action!
Semi-Final Match of the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic
MSK vs. Legado del Fantasma
Lee and Wilde start it off. Good exchange between the two to start as they trade counters with neither man getting an advantage. Carter makes a blind tag and they hit a series of nice double team manuevers. Carter's athelicism is great as he sends Wilde to the corner. Mendoza tags in. Mendoza attempts to ground Carter. More mat wrestling. Carter avoids a spring board and tags Lee. MSK picks up the pace. Carter hits a double stomp and Lee gets a near fall. LDF turns the tide and isolates Lee in the corner. Quick tags by LDF. as they take turns clotheslining Lee in the corner. Double suplex by LDF. Standing moonsault by Wilde for a near fall. More quick tags by LDF but Carter also gets a tag. Carter picks up the pace. A kick to the face gets a near fall. Wilde tags back in and Mendoza sends Wilde into the air hitting a dropkick to Carter that sends him to the outside. LDF clears the ring as we go to a break.
Back from the break, Mendoza tries a German but Carter lands on his feet and makes a tag. Lee tags in. Quick strikes takes down Mendoza. Wilde comes in and as back dropped to the floor. CARTER DOES AN ASSISTED SHOOTING STAR PRESS FROM THE APRON ONTO LDF!! LEE DIVES TO THE OUTSIDE AS WELL TAKING OUT EVERYONE. LDF regains control on the outside. Back in the ring, Mendoza hits a missile drop kick to Lee followed by a reverse rana!! MENDZOA WITH A BRAIN BUSTER!! 1...2...NO!! It's broken up! Wilde hits a 450 by jumping off of Lee's back who was on Mendoza's shoulders. Sorry if that's hard to follow. LDF is in firm control as things are breaking down. LDF goes for their finish but Carter pulls Mendoza out of the ring. LEE WITH A SUPER KICK TO WILDE! MSK HITS THEIR NECK BREAKER SPINE BUSTER COMBO TO WIN IT!! Good match with the right team winning in my opinion.
W: MSK via pin @ 12:58
Xia Li with Tian Sha is up next!
A Mercedes Martinez vignette airs. She vows to win the NXT Women's Championship on Sunday.
Xia Li w/ Boa & Tian Sha vs. Kora Jade
Kacy Catanzaro and Kayden Carter are here to distract Li. Jade attacks Li from behind but it doesn't last. XIA LI DESTROYS HER AND HITS A SPIN KICK TO WIN! Squash and more about the post match angle.
W: Xia Li via pin @ 0:46
Post match, Xia Li looks at Kacy and Kayden. KAYDEN GETS IN THE FACE OF TIAN SHA and asks what she did to Xia Li. Xia Li attacks Kayden from behind. TIAN SHA GRABS BOA BY THE THROAT. Xia Li attacks Kacy as well. Tian Sha lets go of Boa. Li tells Sha that won't happen again,
McKenzie talks to William Regal backstage. Regals congratulates MSK. Regals walks into his office to find Scarlett. She's here to tell Regals that Santos Escobar's time is up. She proposes Kross vs. Escobar for next week and Regal grants it.
The Way is backstage with Johnny Gargano in a wheelchair. The women's Dusty semi-final is next!
The Way comes out to the ring. They all help Johnny Gargano get into the ring. Theory carries him to his wheelchair once it is setup in the ring. He has an arm injury but supposedly can't walk. Gargano grabs a mic and says he has unfortunate news. What you see is the result of a vicious assault by Kushida. The crowd chants he deserves it. Gargano said he was minding his own business when Kushida attacked him for no reason. Gargano claims his arm is broken. We see highlights of the attack. Gargano says his arm is fractured in four places. He's a lefty and a power walker so this is all just bad! "Johnny Wheelchair" chants now! Gargano says he can't defend his NXT North American Championship against Kushida this Sunday. Gargano wants Regal to suspend Kushida. WILLIAM REGAL IS OUT NOW! Regal claims the medical team cleared Gargano! Regal tells Gargano to stop the games. Gargano says he went to his own doctor and has x-ray proof. Regal asks Gargano which bone he broken. Regals points out how the x-ray is fake. Regal will give Gargano two options: 1) Austin Theory vs. Kushida can be for the championship tonight or 2) Gargano can forfeit. KUSHIDA SHOWS UP BEHIND THE WAY! Regals asks Kushida what he thinks. Kushida decks Theory. GARGANO PULLS HIS TITLE FROM KUSHIDA AND HIS ARM COMES OUT OF THE SLING REVEALING THAT IT'S PERFECTLY FINE!!
The match begins next!
Semi-Final Match of the Women's Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic
Candice LeRae & Indi Hartwell vs. Shotzi Blackheart & Ember Moon
The match was already started after a commercial. Moon and Blackheart isolate LeRae. Near fall for Blackheart. Blackheart with a knee to the face of LeRae before tagging Moon. LeRae is isolated in the corner but is finally able to tag Hartwell. Hartwell attacks Blackheart and hits a side walk slam for a near fall. Hartwell takes Blackheart to a corner and stomps. Near fall there. LeRae tags back in. LeRae takes Blackheart down by her hair and gets a near fall. LeRae works the arm. Blackheart fights to feet but LeRae takes her down again with a snap mare and a jackknife cover for a near fall. Hartwell tags back in and catches Blackheart with a back elbow for a near fall. LeRae back in with shoulder breaker and more arm work. LeRae plants Blackheart but only gets a near fall. LeRae is frustrated. Jaw breaker by Blackheart and she tags Moon. Moon builds momentum. Moon and Blackheart hit a Code Breaker kick combo for a near fall. Blackheart locks in her hanging submission and Moon hits a drop kick for another near fall. Blackheart and LeRae battle on the outside where Blackheart is send into the announce table. LERAE DOES A RANA ON THE APRON SENDING MOON TO THE OUTSIDE INTO BLACKHEART!! We go to a commercial.
During the commercial, LeRae and Hartwell remain in control by isolating Moon.
We're back and Moon sends Hartwell to the outside. LeRae and Blackheart get tags. All Blackheart as she hits a forearm and her senton to LeRae across the middle rope. Near fall there. Moon tags back in. Some unique offense by Moon and Blackheart. Hartwell breaks ups a cover and eats a pump kick from Moon. Hartwell and LeRae weather the storm. Hartwell holds Moon up in the ropes and HARTWELL WITH A MOONSAULT!! LeRae dives to the outside onto Blackheart while Hartwell gets a near fall on Moon! LeRae tags back in but misses a charge in the corner. Moon makes a tag. Enziguri to Hartwell. Blackheart runs into a boot for LeRae and then a super kick. Hartwell tags in. WICKED STEP SISTER BY LERAE TO BLACKHEART!! HARTWELL WITH A SPRING BOARD ELBOW DROP!! 1....2...MOON BREAKS IT UP!! Blackheart tries a roll up with no luck. Blackheart hits Hartwell with a knee. BLACKHEART WITH AN AWESOME DDT ON HARTWELL! MOON WITH AN ECLIPSE TO LERAE!! Blackheart goes to the top looking for a Senton. Hartwell tries to cover LeRae to protect her and BLACKHEART HITS THEM BOTH WIN A SENTON AND PINS HARTWELL FOR THE WIN!! Good stuff here especially down the stretch.
W: Shotzi Blackheart & Ember Moon via pin @ 14:19
Blackheart and Moon celebrate and Dakota Kai and Raquel Gonzalez are out to talk trash. William Regal comes out and says the winners will not only win the cup but also get a WWE Women's Tag Team Championship match!
Commentary says the other men's semi-final match will be the main event. Timothy Thatcher and Tommaso Ciampa cut a promo about the Grizzled Young Veterans. Ciampa says they will whip their asses and then win the cup Sunday.
Black History Month video airs.
McKenzie Mitchell is backstage with Santos Escobar to ask about Karrion Kross. Legado del Fantasma comes in to apologize to Escobar. Escobar says they can make it up to him but tracking down and taking care of Karrion Kross.
A video package shows the build up for Finn Balor vs. Pete Dunne. It's really well done to no surprise.
Austin Theory w/ Johnny Gargano vs. Kushida
The match starts and they immediately brawl! Gargano gets on the apron to distract Kushida allowing Theory to take advantage. Nice drop kick by Theory. Theory beats on Kushida in the corner but runs into a boot. Kushida takes down Theory and hits a cartwheel drop kick. Kushida takes down Theory with an arm breaker. Stomps by Kushida now. Another kick by Kushida but Theory hits a knee to the gut. Kushida goes back to the arm. Theory tries to stop the attack and they go to the ropes. Kushida remains on the offensive. Another arm breaker by Kushida as he stares down Gargano. Theory back drops Kushida to the apron. Kushida tries to spring board but Theory knocks him off the ropes and to the floor as we go to a commercial.
Back from the break, Theory is in control and hits a back breaker for a near fall. You have to love Wade Barrett on commentary still insisting that Gargano's arm is broken. Fall away slam by Theory. Theory tries a cocky pin but only gets 2. Theory mounts and delivers punches to Kushida. Theory with chops and punches to ground Kushida. Snap mare by Theory but misses a stomp. Kushida with an inverted atomic drop followed by a spring board back elbow. Kushida sends Theory into the turnbuckle. Kushida builds momentum with a suplex and a stiff kick to the head. Kushida with multiple arm breakers to Theory. Theory rolls out of the ring to Gargano. Kushida leaps off the apron but Theory ducks it and wipes out Kushida. Theory tries a power bomb but Kushida counters into an arm bar. GARGANO HITS KUSHIDA WITH A SUPER KICK FORCING A DQ!!
W: Kushida via DQ @ 11:57
Post match, Theory and Gargano beat down Kushida! Gargano says he wants to break Kushida's arm. Someone pulls Theory under the ring. Gargano pulls what he thinks is Theory out from under the ring BUT IT'S DEXTER LUMIS!! Gargano runs away. Kushida locks Theory in the Hoverboard Lock!! Gargano comes to help. KUSHIDA LOCKS GARGANO IN THE HOVERBOARD LOCK AND LUMIS LOCKS THEORY IN SILENCE!
Toni Storm vignette airs. She says every times she's in the ring with Io Shirai, Storm beats her. Storm says it'll be no different this Sunday when she walks out as women's champion.
An Imperium vignette airs hyping each of their members and what each brings to the table. To them, the mat is sacred.
We see backstage where Karrion Kross destroyed Legado del Fantasma. Kross tells Escobar if you want something done, you should do it yourself. Kross vows to do to Escobar what he did to Legado del Fantasma next week.
We here a car horn beeping in the parking lot. It's a Lamborghini and IT'S CAMERON GRIMES!! He's wearing a suit and wants someone to park it as he is heading to the ring. Grimes hands out money on his way to the ring! Grimes wants everyone on their feet. He claims he's back and says two months ago Timothy Thatcher took him out. He went home and did what everyone would do. He thought of how he would come back and cave in Thatcher. He trained but also discovered video games in his time off. Grimes name drops Game Stop and it's pretty funny! He's responsible for GAME STOP GOING TO THE MOON!! Grimes is now unbelievably rich! Grimes claims he's the richest man in NXT now! No one can tell him anything now! Grimes tells Regal to kiss his grits! Grimes says money is power and he's got so much money that it isn't even funny. He throws a wad of cash and dances! Amazing stuff here.
McKenzie is backstage with a pissed Gargano. Gargano was simply doing Kushida a favor but trying to get the match thrown out. Gargano says this is a dream match for some. Gargano claims that he's not only "Johnny Wrestling" but he's "Johnny Takeover" and Kushida can't hang with him.
Grizzled Young Veterans and Tommaso Ciampa/Timothy Thatcher are heading to the ring. That match is the main event next!
NXT Women's Champion Io Shirai vignette airs now. She calls Toni Storm just another challenge. She says Martinez journey for the title will end without it. She claims to remain champion after Takeover.
Semi-Final Match of the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic
Timothy Thatcher & Tommaso Ciampa vs. Grizzled Young Veterans
GYV cut a promo on the way to the ring. Ciampa and Thatcher attack before the bell and a brawl spills to the outside. Ciampa and Thatcher beat the hell out of GYV. Order is restored and we officially begin with Gibson and Thatcher. Thatcher works an arm of Gibson and delivers knees to the ribs. Ciampa tags in for more arm work. Thatcher back in after another quick tag. Thatcher backs Gibson to the corner and hits an uppercut. Drake helps out Gibson and gets a tag. Drake with kicks and a short arm clothesline on Thatcher. Gibson gets a tag but Thatcher has uppercuts for both of them. Drake pulls Ciampa off the apron to keep Thatcher from tagging. Drake sends Ciampa into the steps. Drake blinds tags in. Good double team offense by GYV. They power bomb Ciampa onto the apron outside as we go to a picture in picture commercial.
Ciampa is down on the outside. Drake wears down Thatcher in the ring as GYV continue the quick tags to isolate him. Officials come out to check on Ciampa. Meanwhile the beat down on Thatcher continues.
We're back as Drake and Thatcher trade blows. Thatcher with a suplex and he looks for a tag but Ciampa is still down outside. Gibson tags in and slams Thatcher for a near fall. Another near fall. Gibson cranks on a chin lock. Thatcher fights to his feet. Gibson with an uppercut. Thatcher fights out of the GYV corner but they beat him right back down. Drake tags back in. They lift Thatcher for a Doomsday Device but Thatcher escapes. Still no Ciampa there. Ciampa finally makes it back for a tag. CIAMPA GOES WILD ON THE GYV! German suplexes for Drake and Gibson! All Ciampa right now! Chops to Drake now. Ciampa tries a Fairy Tale Ending by Drake blocks and backs Ciampa into the GYV corner. Gibson tagged in. They slug it out. Jumping knee by Ciampa but Gibson attacks the throat and hits a suplex. Drake tags in and takes out Thatcher to prevent a tag. Gibson lifts Ciampa. DOOMSDAY DEVICE!! 1...2...Thatcher saves it!! Gibson throws Thatcher out of the ring. They brawl outside. Drake suicide dives out onto Thatcher. Ciampa tries Willow's Bell on Drake. but Gibson blocks it. GYV HIT TICKET TO MAYHEM ON CIAMPA!! DRAKE STOPS THATCHER FROM ENTERING THE RING AND GIBSON PINS CIAMPA FOR THE WIN!! Great hard hitting bout. I think the right team won.
W: Grizzled Young Veterans via pin @ 11:38
Grizzled Young Veterans get into it with MSK on the stage. Commentary runs down the Takeover card. For each match they talk about, the opponents come out on the stage. The show ends with a stare down between Balor and Dunne!
Next Week:
Karrion Kross w/ Scarlett vs. Santos Escobar (NXT Cruiserweight Champion)
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