NXT Recap – Adam Cole Hits The Emotions To Justify Himself

Hey gang!  So did you watch some rasslin’ tonight?  Oh, you were watching AEW: Dynamite?  That’s cool, cause I got you covered on what went down on tonight’s episode of NXT!  So now that we know Kyle O’Reilly didn’t actually suffer a seizure and is just damn-good at selling, how will his new rivalry with Adam Cole (bay-bay!) progress tonight?  Will Adam Cole (bay-bay!) finally explain himself?  Let’s find out.

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Dexter Lumis vs. Johnny Gargano (with The Way)

Dexter Lumis vs. Jonny Gargano on NXT.

We open with Dexter Lumis thoroughly creeping everyone at home out and crawling into the ring, while backstage Johnny Gargano is rallying his troops before they enter.  The crowd lets Johnny Wrestling hear it with “Johnny Sucks!” chants.  Gargano opens the bout with offense that has no effect on Lumis, who then hides under the ring to get in Gargano’s head.  He reappears behind Gargano and proceeds to lay into him.  Lumis uses his size and power advantage to pound on Gargano, who keeps retreating outside the ring to save himself.  He plays possum a bit on the outside, luring Lumis out, and takes advantage by slamming him onto the ramp.  It doesn’t last long, though, as NXT’s Michael Myers gets right back into it and tosses him back in.  The Way gets involved, including Candace LeRae trying a hurricanrana off the apron, but Lumis catches her.  This allows Gargano to get a running dive in at Lumis and take advantage.  Gargano carries this momentum back into the ring and pummels Lumis.  Lumis and Gargano have some back and forth strikes before Gargano tries some actual wrestling moves and begins trying to get a pin.  This doesn’t work cause Lumis is big and scary, and things can never be that easy in wrestling.  Lumis takes a prolonged beating from Gargano but eventually overpowers him and takes the advantage in the match.  Lumis hits some suplexes and almost gets a pinfall on Gargano, who kicks out at two and a half.  They have a back and forth on the mat, trading reversals before Lumis hits Gargano with a big spinebuster and, again, almost get three before a kick-out.  They have another back and forth on their feet with a couple more near-falls before Gargano again signals for reinforcements.  Austin Theory throws a chair into the ring, which is intercepted by Lumis.  Gargano avoids all this and distracts the ref while Theory gets on the apron with another chair, but Lumis stares him dead in the eyes and scares the shit out of him, allowing Gargano to bump Lumis into Theory.  No luck, though, as Lumis locks him into the silencer and Gargano passes out.

Winner: Dexter Lumis

Outside the arena, William Regal is looking for Santos Escobar, who still hasn’t arrived.

We now get a video package recapping MSK winning the Dusty Rhodes Classic.  We learn about their journey and their personal histories.  Some decent emotional stuff here, as we learn about their family tragedies and their struggles.

Backstage interview with MSK, which is immediately interrupted by the Grizzled Young Veterans, who beat the hell out of them.

We see earlier in the day, Malcolm Bivens finding Leon Ruff in the trainer’s room and trying to get him on board with him.

Tyler Rust (with Malcolm Bivens) vs. Leon Ruff

Leon Ruff vs. Tyler Rust on NXT.

Malcolm grabs the mic and tells the crowd how Tyler Rust is like a son to him and talks some trash about Leon Ruff.  Ruff enters but is assaulted by Swerve Scott, knocking him out before the match can begin.  Bivens raises Rust’s hand and claims victory anyways.

Winner: No Contest

Zoey Stark tries cutting a backstage promo, but the show has some technical difficulties and cuts away.  The show immediately moves on, and the world somehow continues without her generic face promo.

WWE celebrates Black History Month; they chose to leave DX impersonating the Nation in blackface out of the promo.

Backstage, Cameron Grimes watches a classic clip of Ted DiBiase challenging a kid to dribble a basketball for money and screwing him over, which inspires him to try it himself with some backstage personnel.  It doesn’t work for Grimes, who loses his money and throws a fit.

Zoey Stark vs. Io Shirai

Io Shirai vs. Zoey Stark on NXT.

The match opens with some tight grappling and a lot of wrist lock reversals.  A bunch of Irish whip reversals follow, and Shirai locks in some submission holds before moving into some striking.  They move to the apron, where Stark tries to get some momentum going, but Shirai is ahead of her.  Shirai moves to the top of the turnbuckle, but Stark knocks her to the outside.  There feels like a mismatch already here, as every time Shirai is getting revved up, she has to slow down to work with Stark.  Stark gets in some offense now, but Shirai is able to absorb it and get some reversals in.  Stark tries a 450 splash off the top rope, but Shirai dodges it, and they knock each other down with a double crossbody.  Stark gets a couple of two-counts, but Shirai kicks out of both.  Shirai begins to take advantage now and lays in some strikes.  She goes back to the top rope and hits a missile dropkick for a two-count.  Stark reverses a powerbomb with a backdrop before both head to the corner, where Shirai hits a top rope hurricanrana and then a double underhook back-breaker for a near two-count.  Stark now gets some suplexes in before Shirai again takes advantage before hitting the moonsault and getting the pinfall.

Winner: Io Shirai

Post-match, they share a handshake and hug before being interrupted by Toni Storm.  Storm calls out Shirai for avoiding her and saying she’s afraid of her.  Storm says Shirai knows she can’t beat her before Io responds, saying she can beat her anytime, anywhere.  Storm demands she go find Regal and demand the match then.

Backstage, The Way is trying to leave before being asked for an interview.  Gargano screams at Theory, asking why he won’t get revenge on Lumis for kidnapping him?  Indi Hartwell tells Gargano she thinks Lumis is hot, which stuns Gargano and LeRae.  Gargano then demands Theory start going to therapy.  The segment was kinda awkward and not funny like it was intended to be.  Moving on…

We now see Cameron Grimes from earlier in the day, where he’s outside and challenges a young woman to the dribbling gimmick again.  He thinks he has it in the bag until she stands up and towers over him.  He tries to kick the ball ala DiBiase, but she dribbles between her legs, again defeating Grimes.  He throws another tantrum, and we move on to the next match.

Kacy Catanzaro (with Kayden Carter) vs. Xia Li (with Mei Ying & Boa)

Xia Li vs Kacy Catanzaro on NXT.

Immediate action here as they exchange blows.  Kacy takes the early advantage, but Xia reverses and begins working her over with stomps in the corner.  Xia hits a suplex and gets Kacy in a chin lock.  Kacy reverses a suplex and gets a two-count.  Xia regains control and continues getting her opponent in holds.  Kacy reverses in the corner and begins working her body with strikes as she takes control.  Kacy gets another two-count before Xia rolls out of the ring.  Kacy follows her before Xia throws her face-first into the crowd barrier.  She follows that by stomping on her injured knee, which has Kacy in terrible pain.  Xia then drags her back into the ring by her hair as the ref calls for the bell.

Winner: Xia Li

After the match, Kayden tries charging Mei on the stage but is stopped by Boa.  Inside the ring, Xia strikes Kacy’s knee again as she’s helped by the refs and trainer.

Outside, Regal is again looking for Escobar but is informed he’s still not there.  Regal is PISSED!

We see that next week Nia Jax & Shayna Baszler will be facing Dakota Kai & Raquel Gonzalez for the WWE Women’s Tag Team Titles.  So we can only assume Dakota and Raquel will be scheduling their respective hospital visits in advance, as anyone does when given advance notice that they’ll have to be in the ring with Nia.

Live outside, a pissed-off Grimes now finds a random guy and again challenges him to the DiBiase angle.  He accepts, but as he dribbles, Grimes punches him out and thinks he won.

Drake Maverick & Killian Dain vs. Grizzled Young Veterans

Grizzled Young Veterans vs. Killian Dain & Drake Maverick on NXT.

As they enter, the GYV cut a promo where they announce they injured MSK, for which they will be fined, and that they will be challenging for the tag titles now.  Dain takes the early advantage with some powerful strikes.  Maverick tags in and gets some wristlocks in before getting double-teamed. Dain enters and throws both of their opponents outside before throwing Maverick as a human missile at them over the top rope to the outside.  As they get back in the ring, Dain again shows his power as he slams both Veterans at the same time.  Maverick tags in and gets some top rope dives in.  Gibson gets a blind tag in and knocks out Maverick.  Dain responds by dragging him to the outside before being hit with a running dive by Drake.  The Veterans hit their finish on Maverick in the ring and get the pinfall for the win.

Winners: Grizzled Young Veterans

Outside the arena, we see an SUV pull up announcing the arrival of Escobar.

Backstage, Dain carries Maverick to the training room on his shoulder.  He’s met by Wolfe, who tries to remind him that he used to be a monster.

No Disqualification Match: Karrion Kross vs Santos Escobar

Karrion Kross vs Santos Escobar on NXT.

We see Kross’s entrance start in the arena, but outside, Kross jumps Wilde and Mendoza outside the SUV.  Escobar arrives and begins the fight with Kross.  The exchange blows in the parking lot before finding a box truck, where Escobar drops the truck’s rear door on Kross’s neck.  Kross takes it and keeps going as they make their way to the front of the truck, where Escobar gets inside to hide.  Kross rips the door mirror off and finds a pickaxe, which he uses to try and break through the door. Mendoza and Wilde jump Kross, and Escobar hits him with a trash can.  The three-on-one beatdown ensues, and they drag Kross into the arena.  They bring him to the side of the crowd, where Kross rallies and throws Mendoza and Wilde through the glass and metal crowd barrier.  Escobar is now on defense as Kross gets revenge on him.  Mendoza distracts Kross on the outside, right before Escobar bashes Kross with a chair and throws him into the steel steps.  Escobar gets Kross back into the ring and works on him with punches.  He gets Kross into the corner and pounds on him, with Escobar’s goons assisting him.  He gets Kross outside the ring and smashes Kross’s neck (with the chair wrapped in it) into the post.  He then drops Kross face-first into the chair on the outside.  Escobar drags him into the ring and tries to pin him but only gets a two-count.  They go back outside the ring, where Kross rallies a bit against his three enemies but is hit with a dive through the ropes by Escobar.  Back in the ring, Escobar works Kross’s arm and tries to get a submission.  Kross gets up, but Escobar catches him and hits him with a suplex.  As he tries to hit another, Kross reverses it into a series of his own suplexes.  They go back outside, and Escobar tries to break Kross’s arm in the post, but Kross reverses.  Wilde and Mendoza again interfere, but Kross wipes them out and powerbombs Wilde into the crowd barrier.  Kross gets Escobar to the announce table, and Saito Suplexes him through it.  They get back in the ring, and Kross hits another Saito Suplex.  He forearms Escobar from behind and gets the pinfall for the win.

Winner: Karrion Kross

Backstage, we see Adam Cole (bay-bay!) making his way to the ring.

LA Knight facetimes a promo from his car, where he assures everyone that his NXT debut is coming soon and that he will “stomp” everyone in NXT.  It legit felt like he was doing a Stone Cold Steve Austin impression here, but it worked and had good energy, so whatevs.

Adam Cole on NXT.

Adam Cole (bay-bay!…alright I’m done, I promise) enters to boos from the crowd.  He watches video footage of his attack on Kyle O’Reilly last week, and we learn O’Reilly has herniated disks in his neck (not a seizure!!!).  Cole says he was prepared to explain himself but is sick after seeing the footage.  He says he doesn’t like who he’s become recently.  He admits to being jealous of O’Reilly’s title opportunities, but that doesn’t excuse what he did to him.  He gets choked up as he speaks to Kyle through the camera, saying he was wrong and shouldn’t have done what he did, “I hate myself for it!”  He says how sorry he is and that he will do anything to fix it.  Roderick Strong interrupts and questions why Cole feels bad now?  He tells him everything is changed now and that Cole has ruined the Undisputed Era.  They built everything on trust, but Cole shattered that.  He tells him Kyle will heal but that he can’t save him from what Kyle will do to him.  Finn Balor charges the ring and attacks Cole.  Strong gets involved and attacks Balor.  They all get to the outside, and Cole superkicks Balor.  Back in the ring, Cole tries to appeal to Strong but is given a clothesline.  Cole apologizes to Strong from the mat and begs him to get everything back to normal.  Cole sobs, and Strong gets down to tell him he’s his brother and loves him.  They hug, and Strong helps Cole to his feet…before being low-blowed by Cole!  Cole tells him how stupid he is and rips the dog tag from his neck before superkicking him.  He stands over a beaten Strong as NXT goes off the air.  Damn that Adam Cole!  He doesn’t deserve a bay-bay!

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As a lifelong fan of movies, comics, wrestling, and collectibles, Ryan is excited to share his thoughts on all of it with you. He is also an active filmmaker and published comic book writer, along with being a connoisseur of soda.

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