Thea Hail challenges Zaria for the NXT Women’s North American Title

Zaria will defend the NXT Women’s North American Championship against the high-energy Thea Hail. A former NXT Women’s North American Champion, Hail is determined to prove that her title win was not a fluke. Can Hail take down Zaria and win the championship for the second time, or will the Australian powerhouse walk away the victor?




— The show kicks off with a video hyping up the 20 Woman Number One Contenders Battle Royal for the NXT Women's Championship.

— Vic Joseph and Booker T greet audiences at home as Zilla Fatu and BirthRight send messages to one another and make their way to the ring.

Zilla Fatu vs. Lexis King (w/ BirthRight)

The bell rings and Zilla shoves King at the bottom of the entrance ramp. He sends him bouncing off the ring apron face first and delivers an overhand chop to his chest, then gets in Charlie Dempsey, Channing "Stacks" Lorenzo, Uriah Connors, and Arianna Grace's faces at the bottom of the entrance ramp.

Zilla levels King with a spinning back heel kick, then delivers a crossbody off the top rope to take out King, Connors, Stacks, and Dempey as the latter three men and Grace regroup with King on the outside. Zilla dumps King back in the ring, but Dempsey and Stacks pull him back out as King distracts the referee. Grace hops up onto the apron, but King lands a knee on Zilla's midsection and delivers a dropkick to him through the middle rope.

King sends Zilla bouncing off the top rope and follows it up with a Blockbuster off the top. He berates Zilla and wears him down with a sleeper hold, but Zilla breaks free and looks to land a sit-out on King.

King moves out of the way and fires off Yes Kicks on Zilla, but Zilla responds with a Samoan Drop to King and levels him with a clothesline. He drapes King across the middle turnbuckle and lands a charging headbutt on him, then knocks Dempsey off the ring apron. King rocks Zilla with a superkick, but Zilla sends King crashing into the mat face first and follows it up with Triple Z for the win.

Winner: Zilla Fatu

— After the match, Stacks, Connors, and Dempsey beat down Zilla. King hands Dempsey a chair and orders him to hit Zilla, which he uses on Zilla's midsection and cracks it across Zilla's spine. Dempsey then sends Zilla crashing into the ring steps shoulder first on the outside, and BirthRight uses the ring steps to wedge Zilla's thumb between the back of the ring steps and the ring post.

— We head backstage, where Emily Agard asks Kelani Jordan about her feelings with the upcoming 20 Woman Number One Contenders Battle Royal for the NXT Women's Championship later tonight. Chantel Monroe crashes the interview to say she'll prove she's one of one tonight, but Layla Diggs appears to put Jordan on notice and say she'll be the new Number One Contender for the NXT Women's Championship by the end of the night. Jordan then calls the other women on the NXT roster desperate and walks off.

— We go to a video from Dion Lennox, who shares that he understands why Cruz Montana's story was powerful after hearing it two weeks ago in the ring. He says he uses his past to build a machine that can take hits and won't run out of gas, then says he's not wasting the opportunity he has. He says his football career was mapped out for him eating, sleeping, and mapping out football plays and says the sacrifices he made to play football made his dreams. Lennox says Montana is being patted on the back for telling his story, then says something that's sad is that it took him two years to make it to NXT television while it took Montana twenty years.

— We see Montana's reaction to the video backstage as he's just watched it on television, but Lizzy Rain approaches him and Montana gives her some words of encouragement ahead of the 20 Woman Number One Contenders Battle Royal for the NXT Women's Championship later tonight.

— Back at ringside, Hank Walker and Tank Ledger make their way out. Shido Ash and Viktor Zanov follow.

Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic First Round Match: Hank & Tank vs. Shido Ash and Victor Zanov

Walker and Ash begin the action. The bell rings and the two lock up. Ash cinches in a submission on Walker, but Walker fights him off and Ash delivers a Hip Toss to Walker. Zanov and Ledger tag in, and Zanov sends Ledger crashing into the mat.

Back from the break, Zanov lands a back elbow on Walker in the corner. Ash sends Walker crashing into the mat and pins him, but Walker kicks out and rolls up Ash. Ash kicks out as we see Julius Creed and Brutus Creed watching the action from backstage as they await to find out their quarterfinals opponents.

Zanov tags back in, but Walker lands a jawbreaker on him and trips up Ash on the ring apron. Zanov charges at Walker in the corner, but Walker moves out of the way and tags in Ledger. Ledger fires off strikes on Zanov in the corner, then lands a back suplex on him and flies off the ring apron to take down Ash and Zanov on the outside. Walker then sends Ash crashing over the announce desk with a shoulder pounce, and Ledger lands a Swanton Bomb on Zanov back inside the ring.

Walker tags in, and looks to double team on Zanov with Ledger. Ash trips up Ledger from outside the ring and tags in, but Walker and Ledger land a flying shoulder tackle-right hand combination on him. Walker follows it up with a spinning sidewalk slam on Ash, then lands a Hip Attack on him as Ledger flies out of the ring to take out Zanov on the outside. Ledger then tags in, and delivers a double splash on Ash with Walker. Walker and Ledger then deliver a shoulder tackle-over the shoulder powerslam, and Ledger pins him for the win.

Winners: Hank Walker and Tank Ledger

— We're shown updated brackets for the Dusty tournament. Another first-round match is coming up later.

— Cut to a shot of NXT Champion Grayson Waller walking down stairs, looking smug after his first title defense last week. Vic Joseph suddenly sounds alarmed and tells the cameras to cut to a different scene. BirthRight is shown in a backstage area, attacking Sean Legacy and Dorian van Dux with pipes. Uriah Connors looks into the camera and says, they took out Zilla and now it looks like Legacy and DVD aren't making the Dusty Classic. Stacks says if you mess with BirthRight, they will leave their mark.

Grayson is on his way to the ring. He's thrilled with the outcome from last week when he defeated EK Prosper in the open challenge. He said he's up to any challenge. He praises EK for the match last week. Says he got the "Grayson Waller rub" last week, and one day EK will get the chance to hold the championship. He says there's no man who can take the title from him now. Waller said he is restoring the NXT Championship to its former glory. Then he asks who is next. Myles Borne's music hits.

Waller passes a microphone to Borne. Borne says he deserves to be a champion and now that he doesn't have the "dead weight" of Tavion Heights, it's time to pursue the one championship in NXT that he's never held. Borne says he has learned to be selfish and ruthless, just like Waller has learned. Waller says finally someone is learning and listening from him. Tony D'Angelo's music hits. He has a mic and says he has unfinished business with Waller. He says Borne chose the wrong time to make his move. Waller says to Tony that there was an open challenge and "where were you?" Tony says he knows Waller would've made excuses last week if he tried to take the open challenge. So he's taking his shot now.

Waller suggests that Borne and D'Angelo "figure it out" next week, and whoever is leftover can face him later. They seem to agree when Borne steps forward to Waller, then turns and punches D'Angelo, knocking him down. Coins spill in the ring and we realize that Borne had a roll of coins in his hand. Borne and Waller face off. Looks like we'll see Tony and Borne next week to earn a shot at Waller.

— We see Shiloh Hill walking to the ring for his match against Naraku.

— EK Prosper is sitting backstage, looking down and thinking to himself.

William Regal walks up to EK, shaking hands with him and introducing himself. Regal asks EK why he seems upset. EK says he is disappointed in losing his shot against Waller last week. Regal says EK should never look down upon himself. He has championship material written all over him and he will be a star, he just has to keep working.

We see Robert Stone hurrying by, talking into his phone and trying to figure something out. Regal calls out to him. Stone stops to talk, says he and Regal need to talk about BirthRight. He's trying to find replacements for Sean Legacy and DVD in the Dusty Classic match later tonight. Regal says he noticed that Stacks and Connors were eliminated from the tournament, but his "lad" Charlie and Lexis were never entered into the tournament. Stone says he can't reward bad behavior. Regal says sometimes you have no choice. Stone relents. Charlie and Lexis are in the tournament.

Shiloh Hill vs. Naraku

The bell rings and the two lock up. Hill delivers a bodyslam to Naraku and wears him down with a side headlock, but Naraku cinches in a side headlock of his own on Hill and executes a hair whip on him. Naraku rocks Hill with a shoulder tackle and a right hand, then lands a headbutt on him before both men level one another with clotheslines.

Hill levels Naraku with a clothesline off the middle rope. Naraku responds by sending Hill bouncing off the top rope face first and sends him crashing into the mat, then fires off headbutts on him and rocks him with a chop on his chest. He delivers a running senton to Hill and pins him, but Hill kicks out and Naraku transitions into a crossface on Hill.

Hill crawls over to the bottom rope to break the hold, but Naraku catapults him into the bottom rope face first and delivers a sit-out powerbomb to Hill. He goes for a pin, but Hill kicks out and Naraku delivers a senton to him. Naraku looks to spit blue mist into Hill's face, but Hill ducks out of the way and the blue mist blinds the referee to cause the disqualification.

A second referee hands the first one a towel as Hill brawls up the entrance ramp with Naraku and officials try to break up the two men.

Winner: N/A (referee stoppage)

— We then head over to Kendal Grey in another therapy session, where she reflects on her negative self-talk and reveals while she thought she would hate therapy, it's not as bad as they thought. The therapist tells Grey that he thinks this is a good stopping point for their sessions seeing as Grey has completed the three she was required to.

— Back at ringside, BirthRight makes their way out. Tokyo Bad Boys follow.

Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic Match: Lexis King vs. Charlie Dempsey vs. Tokyo Bad Boys

Dempsey and Kento begin the action. The bell rings and the two lock up. Kento delivers a dropkick to Dempsey, but Takuma tags in and delivers a double back body drop to Dempsey with Kento. King tags himself in, but Takuma lands a chop on his chest and connects with a hurricanrana on King. Kento tags back in and lands a crossbody on King off the top rope, then looks to fly into the ring from the ring apron with Takuma. Dempsey knocks Takuma and Kento off the ring apron and dumps Kento back in the ring.

We see El Hijo de Dr. Wagner Jr. and Galeno Del Mal watching the action from backstage as they await to see who their quarterfinals opponents are. Dempsey tags in, but Takuma delivers a Spanish Fly to Dempsey and follows it up with a 450 Splash to him off the top rope.

Dempsey and Takuma teeter on the ropes, but Dempsey pulls Takuma off them and lands a back suplex on him for the win.

Winners: BirthRight

— The competitors in the 20 Woman Number One Contenders Battle Royal for the NXT Women's Championship then make their way to the ring.

— Vic Joseph highlighted the following right before the 20-woman battle royal:

  • Tony D'Angelo will face Myles Borne to determine who will challenge NXT Champion Grayson Waller at Halloween Havoc
  • Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic quarter-finals begin with Vanity Project vs Chazz "Starboy" Hall and Mini Vikingo, and Noam Dar & Romeo Moreno vs Fraxiom.
  • Saquon Shugars will face Tristan Angels.

— Myles Borne is in the back, talking to the camera. Says he will go through Tony D'Angelo first, then Waller.

20 Woman Number One Contenders Battle Royal for the NXT Women’s Championship

The bell rings and everyone begins brawling with one another. Lizzy Rain brawls with Nikkita Lyons as M By Elegance and Kali Armstrong look to eliminate La Catalina. Izzi Dame dumps Layla Diggs out of the ring to eliminate her first.

Eliminated: Layla Diggs

Zaria dumps Dame out of the ring to send her to the back and mockingly says goodbye to her. Dame looks to get back in the ring to go after Zaria, but two referees and security hold her back. Dame starts clocking security guards, but two of them carry her to the back.

Eliminated: Izzi Dame

M looks to eliminate La Catalina as Skylar Raye is draped across the top rope by Reina Volcan. Raye gets back in the ring and looks to eliminate Volcan with Adelicious. Volcan levels both women as Rain looks to eliminate Armstrong. Adelicious delivers a Bronco Buster to Raye in the corner, but Armstrong dumps Rain onto the ring apron. Adelicious tries to eliminate Raye and pulls her over the top rope, but Raye lands on the ring apron. Volcan then knocks Adelicious and Raye both off the ring apron.

Eliminated: Skylar Raye and Adelicious

Back from the break, we see that Ivy Nile eliminated Chantel Monroe during the commercial break.

Eliminated: Chantel Monroe

La Catalina saves herself from elimination as Arianna Grace looks to form an alliance with M and Heather By Elegance. M and Heather instead decide to dump Grace over the top rope to send her to the back.

Eliminated: Arianna Grace

M decides to eliminate Heather, but Heather lands on the apron. Heather asks M what she was doing, but Hail sends M crashing into Heather to send Heather to the back. She then clotheslines M out of the ring over the top rope and onto the floor.

Eliminated: M By Elegance and Heather By Elegance

Hail celebrates her elimination and fires off stomps on James. Rain fires off chops on Zaria and Lyons in the corner, then levels Nile and delivers a suplex to Zaria. Catalina jams her boot into Lady Shani as Lyons dumps Rain over the top rope. Rain lands on the ring apron as Armstrong gets Shani up on her shoulders. Shani escapes as Rain brawls with Nile.

Several women look to eliminate Volcan, but Volcan fights them off to send them all crashing into the mat. Lyons looks to eliminate Rain, but Xia Brookside tries dumping them both out of the ring. Lyons and Rain save themselves from elimination as Armstrong fires off stomps on Indi Hartwell.

Rain and Nile teeter on the ring apron after going over the top rope and exchange right hands with one another. Rain lands a flying headbutt on Nile to knock her off the apron and eliminate her.

Eliminated: Ivy Nile

Rain rocks Volcan with a kick from the ring apron, and Hail, Shani, and Xia Brookside are among those who Rain calls to help eliminate Volcan. They all work together to dump Volcan over the top rope and onto the floor successfully.

Eliminated: Reina Volcan

Volcan pulls Shani out of the ring and lands a powerslam on her outside of the ring.

James eliminates Lyons by sliding her under the bottom rope and pulling her off. Zaria is also eliminated, with Dame sliding back into the ring looking to go after Zaria. Zaria dumps Dame back out of the ring over the top rope, but Armstrong takes advantage and pushes Zaria off the ring apron to eliminate her before Dame and Zaria brawl with one another. Hartwell also eliminates Brookside ahead of their TNA Bound for Glory Knockouts World Championship match on October 11, but Brookside pulls Hartwell over the top rope and onto the floor to eliminate her as well.

Eliminated: Nikkita Lyons, Zaria, Xia Brookside, and Indi Hartwell

We are down to five now: James, Hail, Armstrong, Catalina, and Rain. Rain dumps James onto the ring apron, but Hail looks to land a suplex on James to eliminate her. James counters by knocking Hail off the ring apron to eliminate her.

Eliminated: Kiana James

We are now down to four: Rain, Catalina, James, and Armstrong. James and Catalina exchange right hands as Rain and Armstrong do the same, and James delivers the 401K to Rain. Armstrong takes out Rain, but Catalina delivers a double missile dropkick to level Armstrong and Rain. Armstrong dumps Catalina onto the ring apron over the top rope, and Catalina lands on the floor to head to the back.

Eliminated: La Catalina

James fires off shoulders on Rain's midsection and lands a handspring back elbow shoulder on Armstrong's midsection in the opposite corner. Rain looks to eliminate James, but James hangs onto the top rope. Armstrong catches Rain with a scoop powerslam and delivers a shoulder to James' midsection to knock James off the apron and eliminate her.

Eliminated: Kiana James

Rain and Armstrong are the final two women left standing, and Rain delivers a cutter to Armstrong. Rain clotheslines herself and Armstrong over the top rope, but both women hang onto the top rope to save themselves from elimination. Armstrong and Rain exchange forearms with one another, but Armstrong eliminates Rain. Armstrong poses on the ropes thinking she's won, but Shani pushes Armstrong off the top rope to eliminate her and win the match. Shani pulls off her mask to reveal that she's actually Wren Sinclair in disguise!

Eliminated: Lizzy Rain and Kali Armstrong

Winner and NEW Number One Contender: Wren Sinclair

— Vic Joseph reminds us that Sinclair is suspended, but also points out NXT ring announcer Mike Rome declaring Wren Sinclair by her own name as the official new Number One Contender. Joseph and Booker T ponder what that means for Kelani Jordan's NXT Women's Championship as Jordan watches from the platform and the show goes off the air.