NXT 8/10/2021: Dragunov vs. Dunne Main Events; Two Takeover Matches Added; More!
Here's what's on tap for tonight’s NXT:
Sarray vs. Dakota Kai
Raquel Gonzalez responds to Dakota Kai
Ilja Dragunov makes first NXT appearance
Kyle O'Reilly and Adam Cole meet face-to-face
Breakout Tournament - Semi-Final Match: Odyssey Jones vs. Trey Baxter
A special look at the Karrion Kross/Samoa Joe rivalry
It was announce earlier today that Ember Moon is not medically cleared to compete. Dakota Kai will now be facing Sarray tonight. We're in the Capitol Wrestling Center for NXT and a video package hypes what's going down tonight. No Beth Phoenix on commentary tonight. Kai We're kicking the show off with that match!
Dakota Kai heads to the ring and grabs a mic. Kai hopes Raquel Gonzalez is watching but she claims she's about to beat the undefeated Sarray. Kai says she'll be the next champion.
Dakota Kai vs. Sarray
Sarray offers a handshake to begin and Kai slaps it away. Kai goes to work an arm and Sarray turns it around to focus on the arm of Kai. Kai escapes and slaps Sarray! Kai beats on Sarray in the corner. Sarray turns it around and slams Kai hard to the mat. Sarray ties up the legs of Kai and bridges back into a chin lock. Kai escapes and hits Sarray with a scissor kick. Boots by Kai to Sarray in the corner. Near fall for Kai. Kai pounds on Sarray and chokes her on the bottom rope. Snap mare by Kai and she gets a near fall. Another suplex by Kai and a near fall. Pin again for another near fall. Off the ropes, Sarray rolls up Kai and transitions to a leg submission. Kai makes it to the ropes. Sarray stomps Kai repeatedly now and gets a near fall. Fisherman suplex by Sarray for a near fall as we go to a picture in picture break.
During the break, Sarray remains in control. Kai turns things around and controls the rest of the commercial break.
We come back to Sarray battling back and gets a near fall on Kai. Kai hits Sarray with back elbows but Sarray hits a German for a near fall with a bridge. Kai hits Sarray with elbows and a nice kick in the corner! Near fall for Kai. Both ladies trade right hands in the middle of the ring. Kai wins the exchange with a kick. Sarray answers that and hits a big drop kick in the ropes! Sarray wants another but misses. Kai takes advantage. They trade near falls. Sarray with two spin kicks in the corner. KAI FIRES BACK WITH A BIG KICK TO THE HEAD AND THAT GETS THE WIN!!! Solid stuff here to open the show.
W: Dakota Kai via pin @ 13:08
Post match, Kai goes to attack Sarray but RAQUEL GONZALEZ HERE TO RUN HER OFF!!
Gonzalez has a mic now and says that if Kai wanted a title shot, all she had to do is ask for it! Gonzalez promises to tear apart Kai at Takeover!
We go to The Way in their house. Gargano and LeRae are talking when the door bell rings. It's Lumis with a bouquet of flowers for Indi. Gargano sits Lumis on the couch for a talk. Indi comes out to accept the flowers and leaves with Lumis. Gargano says they have a 10pm and no funny business. Gargano and LeRae are tracking them so they plan on following them.
Hit Row is backstage for a promo about Legado del Fantasma. They burn a luchador mask.
Ilja Dragunov make his way to the ring. Dragunov gets a mic and says he's not a man of a lot of words. Where he comes from, words don't mean anything. Dragunov hypes the chaos of his match with WALTER at Takeover. PETE DUNNE INTERRUPTS!! Dunne tells Dragunov not to get ahead of himself. Dunne talks about carrying all of Europe on his back. Dunne says Dragunov shouldn't be the hold challenging WALTER. Dunne says if he was still in UK, he would put Dragunov in his place. Dragunov says he will make the impossible possible which is something Dunne never done. DRAGUNOV CHALLENGES DUNNE TO A MATCH TONIGHT! DUNNE ACCEPTS!!
McKenzie Mitchell is backstage with LA Knight and Cameron Grimes. Let me talk to ya! McKenzie asks Knight about walking out on Grimes. Knight spins it and says Grimes let him down. Knight says Ted DiBiase is filling Grimes' head with lies. Knight says Grimes is a great butler. Knight asks Grimes who's game it is? Grimes reluctantly says Knight's game. Knight is in action next!
Non-Title Match
LA Knight (Million Dollar Champion) w/ Cameron Grimes vs. Andre Chase
Go behind by Chase to begin but Knight quickly gets control. Shoulder tackle by Knight. Chase answers with a hip toss. That's the end of his offense as KNIGHT FINISHES HIM WITH A BFT! Total Squash.
W: LA Knight via pin @ 0:32
Post match, Ted DiBiase makes his way to the ring. Grimes has a mic and says this has gone too far. DiBiase grabs a mic and says he knows Grimes is a man of his word, but he could be doing a lot more. DiBiase believes in Grimes as does the people. "To The Moon" chants! Knight asks DiBiase what he's trying to do here. DiBiase tells Knight to shut his mouth. DiBiase tells Grimes to follow his heart and he can be whatever he wants. DiBiase thinks Grimes can be a champion if Knight puts the title on the line one more time. Knight objects. Knight proposes at NXT Takeover 36 that it's him vs. Grimes. If Grimes wins, he's the champ. If Knight wins, DiBiase is now his butler. DiBiase claims he's a gambling man with a lot of money so it's a deal!
Gigi Dolin promo backstage. She says this isn't just a job for her and plans to run through the competition in NXT. She won't be doing it alone.
Gigi Dolin w/ Jacy Jane vs. Amari Miller
Dolin with a takedown early. Go behind by Miller now but Dolin counters with a snap mare. Slap by Dolin. Another go behind by Miller and then an elbow strike. Takedown by Miller and Dolin goes to the apron. Dolin rakes Miller's arm across the ropes and then stomps it. Both ladies trade strikes now. Forearms by Doling before HITTING ABOMINAL STRETCH SLAM FOR THE WIN!! Easy win for Dolin.
W: Gigi Dolin via @ 2:06
O'Reilly and Cole face-to-face is next!
Indi and Lumis are out for Mexican food. They hear Gargano and LeRae nearby. Indi busts LeRae and tells Gargano on the radio to leave them alone. LeRae and Gargano abort. Indi goes back to the table with Lumis.
William Regal is in the ring with security. Regal announces O'REILLY VS. COLE III for Takeover 36! Regal asks that they come out. Cole comes out first. O'Reilly is out next. Regal says their Takeover match will be 2-out-of-3 falls. They each get to choose one. If it goes to a third fall, Regal will choose. O'Reilly chooses first. He says the loss at Great American Bash doesn't sit well with him so the first fall will be a straight up match. Cole says he must of shattered O'Reilly's ego for him to choose that. Cole says he's proven for 13 years that he's better than O'Reilly in every way. Cole says O'Reilly's win over him doesn't even count because it was unsanctioned. Cole chooses street fight for the second fall. Cole says it won't matter what Regal's choice is because he'll end O'Reilly in two falls. O'Reilly says he has his priorities straight now because he'll do anything to put Cole down for good. Cole calls him a moron and says O'Reilly has followed in his footsteps his whole career. Cole says he's the greatest NXT superstar in history. Cole says O'Reilly's problem is he doesn't have a killer instinct. Cole says O'Reilly is nothing and A BRAWL BREAKS OUT!!! They're separated and Regal says a third fall, if needed, will be inside a steel cage.
Tommaso Ciampa and Timothy Thatcher cut a promo on Dunne and Lorcan. That brings Ridge Holland into the discussion. They put over Holland but say he's not Ciampa or Thatcher. They say they define everything that's good about this business. Ciampa and Thatcher jokingly argue over who gets Holland first.
MSK vignette now where they mock Imperium.
Breakout Tournament - Semi-Final Match
Odyssey Jones vs. Trey Baxter
Go behind by Baxter but Jones shoves him away. Jones over powers Baxter as Baxter tries to use his quickness. Quick strikes by Baxter but Jones catches and launches him. Baxter avoids a charge by Jones. Jones regains control and launches Baxter again. Baxter is able to get a sleeper but Jones swats him away. Baxter hits an enziguri. Another one but Jones is still on his feet. Baxter hangs up Jones on the ropes and takes him down with a DDT for a near fall. Jones powers out. Jones squashes Baxter in the corner and HITS A SPINNING SLAM FOR THE WIN!! Dominant win.
W: Odyssey Jones via pin @ 2:52
Post match, Jones is interviewed. He plays to the crowd and he's excited for the world to see what he can do.
Tian Sha promo in Chinese. Not sure what was said. Boa is up next.
McKenzie Mitchell interviews Regal about next week's NXT. Malcom Bivens comes out of the office. He announces a tag team championship match and a NXT Cruiserweight Championship match.
Boa w/ Tian Sha vs. Drake Maverick
All Boa to begin but Drake goes after the leg. It's short lived and Boa picks apart Maverick. Boa gets Maverick in an electric chair. Maverick counters with a rana followed by a basement drop kick. Maverick goes to the top and flips off onto Boa on the outside. Back in the ring, Maverick drives Boa's leg into the apron. MEI YING SPRAYS MIST INTO MAVERICK'S FACE!! A ROUNDHOUSE BY BOA FINISHES IT!! Got a win for Boa.
W: Boa via pin @ 2:59
Back to the Mexican restaurant, Indi says she always has room for desert. It's Gargano in disguise to bring out the desert. Indi and Gargano fight over the cake and it hits Lumis in the face!! Gargano bails. Indi tells him not to worry because she has room for desert.
Commentary hypes Takeover. That transitions to a video package that hypes Kross vs. Joe. They'll go face-to-face next week.
The main event is next!
Commentary hypes what's happening next week. You can see below.
Pete Dunne vs. Ilja Dragunov
Lock up and Dunne takes down Dragunov. Dunne works an arm. Dragunov is back up and counters with a fireman's carry. Dragunov controls an arm of Dunne now. Dunne counters and bends the fingers. Stand off. Dragunov takes Dunne to the mat. Dunne turns that around with a leg submission. Dragunov up and side head lock takedown on Dunne. Both men are up and Dunne catches him with an elbow. Boots by Dunne now followed by a slap. Dragunov answers with a clothesline. Dragunov wants a German but Dunne lands on his feet. Dragunov builds momentum now with a series of suplexes followed by a knee drop off the middle rope for a near fall. They battle on the top rope now where Dragunov jumps into a forearm from Dunne. Dragunov rolls out of the ring as we go to a picture in picture break.
Dunne controls the break by working on an arm of Dragunov.
We come back to Dunne still in control. Dragunov fights back and they trade rights. Dragunov wins the exchange and hits a series of clotheslines. Dunne gets turned inside out by one! More strikes by Dragunov. He lifts Dunne but Dunne goes after the bad arm. Dragunov fights him off with elbows and hits a suplex! 1......2......NO!!! Dragunov charges into a kick from Dunne. Dunne soccer kicks the arm of Dragunov. Dunne wants an arm bar but Dragunov rolls through. He hits Dunne with elbows. Dunne with knee strikes. Dragunov avoids an arm bar. Dunne wants a triangle. Dragunov fights it and lifts Dunne to slam him. He stacks him for a near fall. Dragunov hits Dunne with a forearm to the face for a near fall! Dragunov wants a suplex but Dunne stops that by bending the fingers. Dunne double stomps the hands. Another stomp and a forearm to the jaw. DUNNE WANTS THE BITTER END BUT IT'S COUNTERED. Dunne wants an arm bar but Dragunov rolls through to hit a SUPLEX WITH BRIDGE!! 1.....2.......NO!!! Dragunov goes up to the top rope. SENTON OFF THE TOP ROPE!! DRAGUNOV LOOKS TO FINISH THINGS AND WALTER IS HERE!!!! "WALTER" chants from the crowd. Dragunov throws Dunne out of the ring. DUNNE COMES BACK BUT DRAGUNOV AVOIDS BITTER END. DUNNE COUNTERS THE TORPEDO MOSCOW WITH A FOREARM!!! DUNNE HITS THE BITTER END THIS TIME TO WIN IT!!! This was awesome stuff. Just two guys who can go and they delivered.
W: Pete Dunne via pin @ 14:25
Post match, WALTER gets in the ring and stares down Dunne. Dunne leaves. WALTER looks to beat down Dragunov but DRAGUNOV COUNTERS AND HITS WALTER WITH TORPEDO MOSCOW!!! Dragunov stands tall to end the show!
Next Week:
NXT Tag Team Championship Match: Imperium vs. MSK (champs)
NXT Cruiserweight Championship Match: Roderick Strong w/ Diamond Mine vs. Kushida (champ)
Karrion Kross and Samoa Joe go face-to-face
Breakout Tournament - Semi-Final Match: Carmelo Hayes vs. Duke Hudson
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