Want more wrestling news, rumors, and results? Be sure to visit PWInsider.com and PWInsiderXtra.com.
Good evening, folks, and welcome to PWInsider’s live coverage of next on the CW Network in the U.S. and Netflix up here in Canada and beyond.
It’s the last stop before NXT Halloween Havoc on Saturday night, and we’re set to find out which teams advance to the finals of the Dusty Rhodes Tag Classic.
Vic Joseph and Booker T are ringside, calling tonight’s action.
Match #1: Dusty Rhodes Tag Classic Semi-Final: WWE NXT Tag Team Champions Vanity Project with Myka Lockwood vs. Noam Dar & Romeo Moreno
Vic Joseph notes Dar’s bandaged head and says that, while injured over the weekend, Dar is cleared to compete but clearly not at 100%.
Vanity Project is quick to attack and isolate Dar. Moreno tags in after a few minutes and takes advantage for his team. Lots of fast action early.
Smokes pulls Dar from the ring and smashes him into the ring steps, recreating how he was injured on the weekend. As Joseph puts it, “Dar has been rocked.”
Moreno is on his own as Vanity Project tags in and out, slowly wearing him out while Dar recovers outside the ring. Finally, Dar is standing, waiting for the hot tag but clearly hurting.
Dar finally tags in, and he takes on both members of Vanity Project. Dar with a German suplex and a bunch of body blows on Smokes.
After a bunch of fast action, Smokes grabs Dar’s injured forehead and the staples in his head while the ref wasn’t looking, hurting Dar and regaining the advantage for Vanity Project.
Double ankle locks from Dar and Lockwood. All four guys in the ring; it’s chaos.
Outside the ring, Lockwood tried to interfere, but Dar ducked the attack.
Moreno with a huge dropkick from the top on Baylor.
Smokes went to the top for a double-team move while Baylor held Moreno, but Moreno was able to counter, and Smokes hit his partner. Dar with a huge elbow on Smokes. Dar and Moreno hit their finisher for the pin! As Joseph put it, “the Cinderella story continues!”
Your winners: Romeo Moreno and Noam Dar
Moreno and Dar celebrate outside the ring, then we go to general manager Robert Stone’s office where an upset Tony D’Angelo is screaming: “That son of a bitch went to my house! If he lays one hand on them, I’m going to kill him!” Stone sympathizes, but says he can’t have chaos like last week, and he pleads with Tony to calm down. Tony tells him to shut up. He says he’s going “over there” right now, and he stomps away. Stone sends the cameraperson after Tony.
In a pre-taped promo, Cruz Montana says the worst part about last week wasn’t the embarrassment or being escorted from the building by security. The worst part was how Cruz felt in the moment. He wasn’t the man he is today. He was “the other guy.” He was the guy he has tried to keep buried. Cruz warns Dion Lennox that the next time he sees him, no one will be able to stop Cruz. The worst thing Dion could have done was bring Cruz’s family into their feud.
Match #2: Chantel Monroe vs. Lizzy Rain
This is Chantel’s NXT debut. She’s cocky early as she trades blows and holds with Rain. Rain takes her down with a headlock, but Moore reverses. They’re going back and forth, with Moore trying to keep up with Rain. Finally, Moore gets the advantage with a neckbreaker.
Moore is punishing Rain. Rain turns things around, driving Moore’s face into the apron on the outside. Rain with a German suplex and spinebuster; she’s fired up. Moore with blows to Rain’s neck, then they trade roll-up attempts. Moore grabs rope when the ref can’t see and she gets the surprise pin!
Your winner, Chantal Rain!
In a pre-taped segment, Izzi Dame says she was right about Zaria all along. All she’s ever done is hide. She says Zaria is now hiding behind makeup and ring gear. She said that Sol Ruca broke down all of the walls Zaria put up. Izzi said Zaria is now hiding behind the NXT North American’s Championship. Dame said she will hold the NXT North American Women’s Championship again “when the time is right.” Dame and Zaria will fight at Halloween Havoc.
Match #3: Saquon Shugars vs. Sean Legacy
Shugars is angry at Legacy’s alleged disrespect from last week, and he’s aggressive early. Sean returns the offense with a huge body drop and standing moonsault.
Shugars slows things down with a modified headlock. Sean gets out, but Shugars prevents him from getting momentum. Shugars holds the advantage and continues punishing Sean, but Legacy keeps fighting back. Sean with a huge superkick that takes down Shugars.
Shugars hits the F-12, but they’re close to the ropes and Sean gets his foot on the ropes. Shugars is frustrated. He goes to the top, but Sean meets him there. Shugars goes for F-12 again, but Sean rolls him up. Shugars kicks out. Sean hits a Spanish fly for the win!
Your winner, Sean Legacy!
Shugars is stunned. Legacy is celebrating.
We’re shown a promo that originally aired during the opening tag match that shows Grayson Waller outside Tony D’Angelo’s home. He says he appreciates the trip down memory lane that Tony D’Angelo provided him last week. This is why Tony was so angry in Stone’s office earlier (I apologize for missing this earlier; I believe my Netflix missed this segment but I’m not entirely sure).
We cut to live footage. Tony is outside his home now. His cell phone rings and it’s Grayson. We hear Grayson say he’s already left Tony’s home. He merely wanted to apologize for how he’s going to embarrass Tony at Halloween Havoc. Waller says he got hungry and went to a restaurant. Tony tells him to wait there.
We see a promo for “Showtime” Kam Hendrix. He’s in a basketball gym. He calls out EK Prosper and then shoots ball after ball. He says he’s the future and continues playing basketball. He shows a lot of charisma and a Mr. Perfect-level of basketball accuracy.
Ringside, a “Spin The Wheel, “Make The Deal” wheel is unveiled. Tavion Heights and Myles Borne are in the ring, separated by five security guards. Myles says security is there to protect Heights. Tavion says he’s glad Myles showed him his true colours. Tavion says Myles would never accept Tavion gaining success.
Myles says Tavion failed on his own while Myles has succeeded when he’s been solo. Myles tells Tavion he’s “welcome” for the bit of success that he’s had. “I’m done letting Tavion Heights leech off of me,” says Heights.
Tavion says he thrives under pressure, and he’s going to show Myles the weapon that he can be.
They try to fight, but security gets in the way. Suddenly, the lights start to flicker, and spooky music hits. We hear a laugh and Danhausen’s voice. He says he’s the host of Halloween Havoc, and this is the perfect match to raise the stakes. He asks for the druids ringside to “Spin the ‘wheelhausen.’” It lands on a “Weapons Wild Match.” Heights and Myles accept their fate and mouth off at each other in the ring.
We cut to DarkState, with Dion Lennox thanking his partners for their help with Cruz last week. He asks if they are good. Cutler James says he’s still feeling the effects of Cruz’s attack, but he’ll be fine.
Robert Stone appears and asks Dion about last week. He said Cruz now wants “to end” Dion. Lennox says Cruz can’t control himself and he’s just proving Dion right. Stone asks what’s wrong with him. Dion tells Robert to make the match for next week. Stone says he won’t put his name on it. He says it will have to be unsanctioned. Dion has no problem with that.
After a break, we’re in a restaurant kitchen. Tony comes in, upset and yelling for Waller. Tony is asking the staff if anyone has seen Waller. No one has seen him. Then someone tells him that Waller just left the restaurant, but he left a note behind. It says, “Meet me where it all started. The Champ.” Tony storms out.
Match #4: Dusty Rhodes Tag Classic Semi-Final: AAA Tag Team Champions El Hijo de Dr. Wagner Jr. & Galeno vs. Hank & Tank
We’re shown Dr. Wagner Jr. in the arena.
Galeno and Hank start things off with lots of power spots and testing each other out. It’s two big teams. “Lot of meat here tonight, Vic!” notes Booker.
Wagner Jr. is in, but Hank and Tank tag in and out early on, isolating him.
We’re shown Vanity Project backstage, upset after their loss. Robert Stone walks into their room and asks them not to get involved in tonight’s main event. He wants the North American Championship Match to run smoothly.
Galeno is tagged in. He backdrops Wagner Jr. over the top rope and onto their opponents.
Galeno with a huge splash on both opponents at once in the middle of the ring.
Galeno and Wagner are largely dominating. Their father looks on and leads a AAA chant.
Wagner Jr with a moonsault on Hank and then Galeno follows with a splash from the top. Tank breaks the cover. A few more minutes of back and forth and Wagner Jr is out of the ring.
Hank and Tank each hit splashes from the top on Galeno and Tank scores the pin.
Your winners, Hank and Tank!
The Dusty Rhodes Finals next Wednesday will be Hank & Tank vs Noam Dar and Romeo Moreno.
We see a recap of Kelani Jordan’s appearance on Monday Night RAW, where she faced off with Iyo Sky.
Kendal Grey and Wren Sinclair are backstage. Grey is livid after Kelani’s attack last week. Grey asks Wren to kick Jordan’s ass when they meet at Halloween Havoc.
Vic Joseph announces that John Cena will appear on NXT next week.
Zilla Fatu’s music hits, and he makes his way to the “wheelhausen,” where Sarah Schreiber waits for him. The druids are standing about, as druids do.
Zilla tells Sarah he is not worried about BirthRight. He’s going to get back at them. Arianna Grace interrupts, telling Zilla he would be nothing without his last name. Suddenly, a druid smashes Fatu in the back with a shovel. The druids reveal themselves to be BirthRight. They smash a shovel over Zilla’s injured hand and leave him writhing in pain.
We cut to a promo from Shiloh Hill, where he continues experimenting with an antidote to combat Naraku’s mist. Hill says Naraku can bring whatever mist he wants and we see that he appears to have his own mist.
Match #5: WWE NXT North American Championship Match - Jackson Drake (Champion) vs. EK Prosper (Challenger)
They lock up. EK dances a bit to show he’s not going to sweat the champ. They trade blows.
Lots of back-and-forth action, with EK getting to really shine with some cool spots.
Drake’s Vanity Project teammates pull him from the ring as EK gained the advantage, but EK follows it up with a splash on all of them on the outside. Myka then attacks EK and lays him out.
EK is hurting, but Drake can’t quite stop him.
Drake kicks EK in the face and attempts a pin for 2.
Drake continues pummeling EK with kicks. EK fights back with shots to the chest. He rolls up Drake for 2. They’re trading blows. EK lands a huge roundhouse kick to Drake’s head. Drake spins and falls. Another 2-count.
Drake with a cutter and another 2-count.
EK with a huge huracanrana from the top. Vanity Project tries to get involved. There’s chaos. EK with a poison rana on Drake. Myka is distracting the ref as EK goes to the top rope for a moonsault. Suddenly, Kam Hendrix appears and pushes EK from the ropes. He falls into the ring while Drake rolls away. Drake with a running knee to EK’s face for the pin!
Your winner, and still NXT North American Champion, Jackson Drake!
Kam Hendrix is outside the ring, happy with himself.
We see Grayson Waller walking into the Performance Centre.
After a break, we see Zaria. A reporter we can’t see asks her about Izzi Dame’s comments from earlier. Zaria is flustered. She says we’ll see what Zaria does to Izzi on Saturday at Halloween Havoc.
Vic Joseph tells us that Zilla Fatu and Charlie Dempsey will spin the “wheelhausen” for their match on Saturday night.
We’re ringside with Booker and Joseph. Grayson’s music hits, and he calmly strolls out.
“I needed you to know that I am always one step ahead,” Waller says. He is enjoying driving Tony crazy ahead of their Halloween Havoc match.
Waller says Tony’s future runs through Waller, and there’s nothing Tony or anyone else can do about the fact that Waller is the NXT Champ. He says there is no one on any roster who can touch him.
We’re shown Tony arriving in his truck. Grayson runs outside of the building to meet him. They’re fighting as referees and security try to pull them apart. Tony throws Waller into the back of his truck. They continue fighting as we go to credits.
If you enjoy PWInsider.com you can check out the AD-FREE PWInsider Elite section, which features exclusive audio updates, news, our critically acclaimed podcasts, interviews and more by clicking here!
