WWE NXT Live Coverage - May 30th, 2023
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Gigi Dolin and Jacy Jayne to wage war in a Weaponized Steel Cage Match!
Gigi Dolin and Jacy Jayne square off in a Weaponized Steel Cage Match and fallout from Battleground featuring NXT Champion Carmelo Hayes and the new NXT Women's Champion, Tiffany Stratton.
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– The post-Battleground edition of WWE NXT opens up on the USA Network, live from the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida as Vic Joseph welcomes us. He’s joined at ringside by WWE Hall of Famer Booker T. Fans chant “NXT!” as Vic sends us to a video package for tonight’s opener while we see the Steel Cage around the ring.
Weaponized Steel Cage Match: Gigi Dolin vs. Jacy Jayne
We go right to the Weaponized Steel Cage and out comes Gigi Dolin while Alicia Taylor does the introductions. There are weapons placed all around and onto the cage. Jacy Jayne suddenly attacks from behind and here we go.
Jayne destroys Dolin at ringside and slams the cage door on her, then brings it in as we get the bell. Jayne goes to work with kendo stick shots. Vic says both women wanted this to be won by pinfall or submission only, no escape.
Dolin grabs a steel chair and turns it around. Dolin with a big boot to kick Jayne out of a chair. Dolin unloads with leather strap shots now. Dolin places a trash can over Jayne and kicks away. Dolin slaps and taunts Jayne, then dropkicks a trash can into her for a close 2 count.
Dolin chokes Jayne as fans chant for tables. Dolin grabs her custom baseball bat with thorns, and goes to work on Jayne in the corner but Jayne won’t quit. Jayne ducks a bat shot and spikes Dolin into a trash can with a Spinebuster. Jayne talks some trash as we go to a picture-in-picture commercial, or just a commercial for other viewers.
Back from the break and Jayne is using a chain to ground Dolin by the face. Dolin breaks free and unloads for 2. Dolin makes a pile of chairs now. They tangle and Jayne slams Dolin onto the chairs with a neckbreaker for a close 2 count. They fight up to their knees, then to their feet trading big strikes, now they unload.
Jayne sends Dolin back into a corner trash can, then superkicks it. Jayne with a corner cannonball into the can for 2. Fans chant for tables and Jayne brings one into play after working Dolin over to keep her down. They trade suplex attempts on the table. Jayne launches Dolin into the cage wall. Jayne sends Dolin’s face into the top turnbuckle. Jayne climbs up for a superplex. They climb to the very top and go at it now.
Dolin slams Jayne’s face into the steel a few times, then chokeslams her through the table down below. Dolin comes down from the top and covers Jayne for the pin to win.
Winner: Gigi Dolin
– After the match, Dolin recovers to a standing ovation. The music hits and we go to replays. Dolin climbs back to the top to pose while Jayne lays on the table debris down below.
– Vic leads us to a video of highlights from NXT Battleground.
– We see video from earlier today of NXT North American Champion Wes Lee backstage with McKenzie Mitchell. Lee talks about his record-breaking reign until The Dyad interrupts, looking for a fight. They say Lee retaining at Battleground proves nothing, and Joe Gacy sent them as a reminder. Tyler Bate rushes in to stand with Lee, evening the odds. Bate says if they want to fight Lee, they also have to fight him. The Dyad storms off. Bate says like he mentioned at Battleground, Sunday’s match was all about the spirit of competition, and they are still mates. Bate says he still has Lee’s back. Lee appreciates it.
– Still to come, the NXT Champion is here. Back to commercial.
– Back from the break and we get a vignette on Tony D’Angelo being photographed for his mugshots to continue last week’s arrest storyline. Gallus is backstage now, bragging about the Battleground win and mocking Tony D. Channing “Stacks” Lorenzo walks up and accuses them of ratting on Tony D. They have words and Stacks says “snitches get stitches,” then a brawl breaks out. Gallus triple teams Stacks, then officials order NXT Tag Team Champions Wolfgang and Mark Coffey out of the arena.
– We go back to the ring and out comes NXT Champion Carmelo Hayes and Trick Williams to a big pop.
Trick praises Hayes for winning in his hometown. Hayes says Battleground was just that with Bron Breakker. He goes on about how tough the match was but says he never misses when it comes to the NXT Title. This was just another brick laid in Hayes’ legacy… the music hits and out comes NXT Heritage Cup Champion Noam Dar, Oro Mensah, Lash Legend and Jakara Jackson. Fans boo.
Dar says he also retained at Battleground. Hayes barely beat Breakker while he dominated Dragon Lee. Trick knocks them for interrupting. Hayes gives Dar some props but says the NXT Title has him on a higher plane. Hayes says Dar may have pinned Dragon twice, but he can’t beat Hayes once. Dar challenges Hayes to a NXT Title match tonight and admits he’s trying to take advantage of Hayes’ condition following Battleground. Dar and Lash take shots at Hayes but he won’t have anyone call him low management. Hayes says Dar is on for tonight’s NXT Title shot.
– Cora Jade is backstage complaining to others in the NXT women’s locker room about how her tournament match with Lyra Valkyria went last week. Jade says we should be celebrating her tonight, not Tiffany Stratton. Ivy Nile interrupts and says everyone is tired of Jade’s whining. They have words and Jade taunts Nile over The Creed Brothers losing on Sunday, and how Ava attacked her. Nile wonders where Jade was on Sunday, then knocks her again as she walks off.
The Dyad vs. NXT North American Champion Wes Lee and Tyler Bate
We go back to the ring and out comes The Dyad – Rip Fowler and Jagger Reid with Ava. Back to commercial.
Back from the break and we see stills from Battleground. We go backstage to Axiom now. Reggie, or Scrypts, walks in and says he means no harm. Reggie says he will explain the Scrypts name some other time, which “his people” called him when he was growing up, but he thanks Axiom for removing his mask and opening his eyes. Because Axiom helped him, he felt the need to help Axiom with Dabba-Kato last week. Reggie thanks Axiom again, then bows out. Axiom says any time. We go back to the ring and Tyler Bate is out. NXT North American Champion Wes Lee joins him and they head to the ring together.
The bell rings and Reid locks up with Bate. Back and forth to start. Fowler takes over but Lee comes in with a double team roll-up for 2. Lee mounts more offense and levels Fowler for a 2 count.
The Dyad with quick tags now. Reid joins Fowler for the double team but Bate fights them off and crawls to make the tag. Bate and Lee with stereo dropkicks to their opponents now. The Dyad rushes back in and we have a stalemate.
Free agent Mustafa Ali suddenly appears in the crowd, which causes fans to go wild. This also distracts the competitors and stops the match. Fans chant “Ali!” as he takes a seat and we go back to commercial.
Back from the break and Ali is on commentary. Reid controls Bate in the middle of the ring. Ali talks about being a free agent, so he can show up anywhere he wants. Bate fights off a double team. Lee comes in and he also fights off both opponents for a big pop.
Lee with a big tornado DDT to Fowler as Ava looks on. Lee unloads on Reid but misses the Cardiac Kick to Fowler. Fowler drops Lee. Lee keeps going and hits a double Cardiac Kick to both opponents. Bate tags in and comes flying off the top, while Lee does the same, as they hit stereo Spiral Taps on their opponents.
Lee sends Fowler out to the floor with a big dive, which allows Bate to hit the Tyler Driver 97 on Reid for the pin to win.
Winners: Wes Lee and Tyler Bate
– After the match, Ivy Nile runs down and beats up Ava at ringside. The Creed Brothers come out and end up brawling with The Dyad. Joe Gacy suddenly attacks Lee from behind, beating him down. Ali rushes in to save Lee, sending Gacy out to the floor. Fans chant “Ali!” as he raises Lee and Bate’s hands in victory.
– We see Tiffany Stratton walking backstage. Back to commercial.
– Back from the break and we see the backstage Battleground segment with Charlie Dempsey and Drew Gulak humiliating Thea Hail in front of the other Chase U students while teacher Duke Hudson is overwhelmed. We now see footage of an in-ring training session from earlier today. Duke gives Hail a pass for how she acted before, and she says she never wants to be made like she feels that way again. Hail tells Duke she can do this, let her go. He tells her to give them hell. Hail steps in the ring and is told no crying by Gulak and Dempsey. The segment ends as Hail begins to lock up.
– We go back to the ring and out comes new NXT Women’s Champion Tiffany Stratton for her “Tiffybration” segment. The ring is set up with several large photos of Stratton.
Stratton takes the mic and brags on her big Battleground tournament finals title win. She says future WWE Hall of Famers have held this title, and tonight she will show what a true champion is. Stratton goes on with major praise for herself. Stratton calls out the NXT women’s locker room so they can acknowledge her as champion.
No one comes out until she mentions possibly revealing her first challenger. Stratton asks the fans but then says she doesn’t care what they think. Stratton says she might as retire as champion because none of these women can even sit with her. Stratton says this is so awkward. She had a Tiffany Epiphany after Battleground – there will be a #1 contender’s Battle Royal but it doesn’t matter who wins because she will beat them all to it… because as far as she’s concerned, it’s Tiffy Time forever.
Stratton poses as the balloons and confetti come from the ceiling. Thea Hail suddenly rushes over to attack Stratton, unloading and screaming. Lyra Valkyria follows up with a dropkick to send Stratton to the floor. The NXT women’s locker room now poses together at the apron as Stratton throws a fit at ringside.
– Trick Williams is backstage on the phone, telling someone he and Carmelo Hayes will be there to celebrate later. Oro Mensah, Lash Legend and Jakara Jackson interrupt but Trick ends up dismissing them. Oro interrupts with some words for Trick. Trick says he will be keeping his eyes on them tonight.
– We see Noam Dar backstage warming up for the main event. We also see the NXT Champion backstage. Back to commercial.
– Back from the break and Dani Palmer is in the ring with a mic. She says she refuses to leave until this mystery attacker does as promised and show her face.
A video package plays showing how the woman has attacked Palmer, Roxanne Perez, Sol Ruca, Nikkita Lyons and Wendy Choo in recent months. The mystery woman suddenly attacks from behind to lay Palmer out. She removes her hood and it’s Blair Davenport making her return. Davenport decks Palmer again and then poses to a big pop.
– We see Edris Enofe and Malik Blade backstage with Eddy Thorpe last week, giving him props on his loss to Tyler Bate. Damon Kemp walks up and says that’s what happens when Thorpe doesn’t cheat, referring to Kemp’s loss to Thorpe on May 9. Kemp taunts Thorpe and walks off. Vic announces the rematch for next week.
Joe Coffey vs. Channing “Stacks” Lorenzo
We go back to the ring and out comes Joe Coffey of Gallus. Channing “Stacks” Lorenzo is out next. NXT Tag Team Champions Wolfgang and Mark Coffey were ejected from the arena, and Tony D’Angelo is in jail.
The bell rings and Stacks unloads, beating Coffey down in the corner. Coffey comes out of the corner but Stacks tackles him and works him over. Stacks drops a leg for a 2 count.
Stacks keeps control, grounding Coffey with a headlock. Coffey with a big hip toss to turn it around. Coffey beats Stacks around the ring now, then hits another big hip toss. Stacks turns it around and grabs Coffey but Coffey sort of collapses, clutching the side of his head. Stacks stomps Coffey for 2.
Coffey powers up with a big slam. Stacks dropkicks Coffey off the apron to the floor. Coffey stalls, still clutching his head, but Stacks follows out and connects with a big right hand. Back to commercial.
Back from the break and Coffey has been dominating in and out of the ring. Coffey slams Stacks for 2, but Stacks comes right back with a submission attempt. Stacks with two big slams now. Stacks with clotheslines and a corkscrew uppercut. Coffey runs into another uppercut.
Stacks with a neckbreaker for a close 2 count. Coffey climbs up with Stacks for a big belly-to-belly superplex. Stacks kicks out just in time. Stacks counters a charge with a big back-drop. Stacks charges with a clothesline but they both tumble over the top rope to the floor as the referee counts.
Coffey ends up sending Stacks into the steel ring steps. Coffey brings it back in for the Glasgow Send-Off, then All the Best for the Bells for the pin to win in the middle of the ring.
Winner: Joe Coffey
– After the match, Coffey stands tall as the music hits and we go to replays. Coffey poses at the entrance-way and barks some trash talk to Stacks as he recovers.
– We see footage from last week with Mr. Stone and Von Wagner backstage. Von talks about how Luca Crusifino got everything he had coming to him for how he’d been treating Stone. Stone says Von could be fired or suspended, which may mess up his free agency. Stone says don’t take this the wrong way but whatever went on with Von as a kid has left him with some serious anger management issues, so if he won’t listen to Von, maybe it’s time he saw a therapist. Von says why, so they can take his money? Stone says he will pay for the sessions. Please, do this for me. Von says he will think about it.
– We get a video package on Ilja Dragunov and his Last Man Standing match win over Dijak at NXT Battleground. Dragunov will be back on NXT next week.
Cora Jade vs. Ivy Nile
We go back to the ring and out comes Cora Jade with her kendo stick. Back to commercial.
Back from the break and we see more stills from Battleground. The music hits and out comes Ivy Nile while Jade looks on from the ring. The bell hits and they go at it. Jade suckers Nile in with a cheap shot to start.
Nile fights back and takes Jade down for a 2 count. Nile focuses on the arm and dominates now. Jade goes behind and slams Nile by her hair. Nile kicks out at 2. The referee warns Jade as she keeps using the hair to hold control.
Fans do dueling chants now. Jade rocks Nile, then drapes her over the middle rope. Jade with a running dropkick for 2. Jade grounds Nile in the middle of the ring as fans rally now. Nile breaks free and rolls Jade for 2. Nile stays on Jade and slams her out of the corner for 2. Jade cradles Nile for 2. Jade comes back but misses a big double stomp to the back. Nile with a big gutwrench slam.
Ava suddenly attacks from the apron but Nile fights her off. Jade takes control and charges Nile to turn it back around. Jade then drops Nile in the middle of the ring for the pin to win.
Winner: Cora Jade
– After the match, Jade stands tall as the music hits.
– We go backstage to Hank Walker and Tank Ledger. Hank asks how Tank’s shoulder is after their match last week, and Tank asks how Hank’s ribs are. They’re both getting better. They give each other props for crushing it last week in the match won by Hank. Tank talks about how the match worked as it made their connection stronger, they are now tighter than ever. Hank and Tank now start naming their favorite things, and they keep saying the same items. Edris Enofe and Malik Blade show up and hear about how Hank and Tank are closer now, but they’re skeptical. Hank and Tank show them and then walk off. Enofe and Blade try the same thing but they keep naming different favorites. Blade wonders if fighting would help their team but Enofe walks off and says they are not going to fight.
– We see Noam Dar walking backstage with his crew. Carmelo Hayes is also headed out. Back to commercial.
– Back from the break and we get a promo on NXT Great American Bash, which will take place on Sunday, July 30 from Cedar Park, Texas.
– We see how Mustafa Ali arrived earlier tonight. McKenzie Mitchell is backstage for comments but The Diamond Mine shows up and they are upset. Ivy Nile calls out Ava for next week while The Creed Brothers call out The Dyad for next week. The heels show up but officials hold the two sides back.
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NXT Title Match: NXT Heritage Cup Champion Noam Dar vs. Carmelo Hayes
We go back to the ring for tonight’s main event and out comes NXT Heritage Cup Champion Noam Dar with Oro Mensah, Lash Legend and Jakara Jackson. NXT Champion Carmelo Hayes is out next with Trick Williams. We get formal ring introductions from Alicia Taylor.
The bell rings and they size each other up and go at it, trading holds by their arms. Dar misses a cheap kick and Hayes rocks him, then applies a headlock in the middle of the ring. Dar reverses it.
Hayes immediately counters with a hold of his own. They break and Dar counters, then drops Hayes. Hayes comes right back and knocks Dar out of the ring with a springboard clothesline, right in front of the announcers. Hayes stands tall in the ring while Mensah tends to Dar at ringside. Back to commercial.
Back from the break and Dar fights Hayes off with forearms. Hayes mounts offense going corner to corner, then hits the big springboard Fade Away leg drop for 2. Dar mounts a comeback now as his stable rallies. Dar with two close 2 counts.
Dar and Hayes trade big strikes now. Dar with a stiff elbow for a close 2 count. More back and forth on their feet now but they both go down in the middle of the ring. They get back up and Hayes unloads with signature strikes. Hayes ducks strikes and drives Dar down for a close 2 count.
Legend and Jackson distract Trick at ringside now, until Mensah comes from behind but Trick drops him. Trick is ejected by the referee. Fans boo the decision. This leads to Dar dropping Hayes for 2. Dar with a close submission now but Hayes fights out and nails strikes.
Dar fights off the Crossface now. They get up and trade big strikes. Hayes drops Dar and goes to the op. Mensah hits the apron to crotch Hayes while the referee is distracted by Legend and Jackson. Dragon Lee and Nathan Frazer run down to face off with Dar and Mensah at ringside.
Dar and Mensah turn back around to a big top turnbuckle dive from Hayes on the floor. Hayes brings Dar back in and hits the Nothing But Net leg drop in the middle of the ring for the pin to win.
Winner: Carmelo Hayes
– After the match, the music hits as Hayes celebrates. We go to replays. Hayes raises the NXT Title on the entrance-way now until free agent Baron Corbin attacks from behind. Corbin destroys Hayes and brings him in for End of Days in the middle of the ring to loud boos. Corbin grabs the NXT Title belt and raises it in the air, then drops it on Hayes. The post-Battleground edition of NXT goes off the air with Corbin standing tall over Hayes as a “Bum-ass Corbin!” chant starts up.
