What a night kicking off NXT Breakout Tournament, basking in the glory of Keith Lee, and the NXT Women’s Championship steel cage match. Well, let’s not waste time and kick it off with the first match of the NXT Breakout Tournament in your NXT Recap.
The NXT Recap (6/26/19)
NXT Recap: BREAKOUT INDEED
Joaquin Wilde vs Angel Garza was the perfect first match to kick off what is sure to be a wonderful tournament. Both men were allowed to show off their terrific ring work with their highly innovative offense.
This match embodied what this tournament was designed for as both men are sure to have a solid place on NXT programming moving forward. Wilde was able to showcase his high-flying offense, with the standout being a dive from the ring apron through the middle and top turnbuckle into Garza.
Angel Garza was the better overall performer displaying high-level in-ring acumen and blended it tremendously with his cocky arrogant persona. I would have to imagine that is the main reason for his advancement in the tournament as Garza went over with a double underhook backpack drop for the win
NXT Recap: THE NXT TAG TEAM CHAMPS IN ACTION
NXT Tag Team Champions Montez Ford and Angelo Dawkins took on The Forgotten Son’s Wesley Blake and Steve Cutler. The Street Profits cut a brief promo, stating that they would put their titles on the line in this match (although we never received clarification if it was indeed a title match).
With the x-factor of Jaxson Ryker at ringside, The Forgotten Sons worked over the reigning champs early in the contest. They did well at keeping Ford isolated from his partner, and using quick tags to control the pace. Unfortunately, one small misstep as Dawkins jumped off the apron when Blake attempted to knock him off was all the opening the champs needed.
After getting the hot tag from Ford, Dawkins entered the ring and cleaned house. After Ford nailed Cutler with his frog splash, Ryker pulled him from the ring to force the DQ. The Street Profits were saved from a post-match attack by Oney Lorcan and Danny Burch. Lorcan and Burch pick up the tag team title, before handing them back to the Street Profits with Burch stating, “You owe us”
NXT Recap: ALL BASK IN HIS GLORY
Keith Lee looked to continue to showcase why the masses should bask in his glory, and he obliterated Nykos Rikos to do so. This was the definition of a squash match as Lee hit the debuting Rikos with a pounce and Limit Breaker for the win.
The true highlight was Lee’s connection with the audience as they are firmly behind him with the chants getting stronger by the week. I do hope we see him face off with Adam Cole before he gets called up Bay Bay!
NXT Recap: BASZLER RETAINS AND SHIRAI SNAPS…AGAIN
Io Shirai looked to finally capture the NXT Women’s Championship as she faced her longtime rival, Shayna Baszler. The early portion of this match was all Baszler using both her MMA background and the steel cage environment to punish “The Genius of the Sky”.
One brief slip from Baszler was all Shirai needed, as she took firm control with a series of running dropkick knocking Bazler into the cage. Baszler’s fellow Horsewomen Jessamyn Duke and Marina Shafir both made their way to the ring in an attempt to help their leader retain her title. They were very swiftly taken out by Candice Lerae knocking off Shafir, but diving onto Duke from the top of the cage.
The end of the match truly began with Shirai hitting Baszler with a moonsault from the top of the cage. Io attempted to crawl out of the cage, but Shayna quickly caught her with a choke. Shirai showed her determination slamming the cell door into Baszler’s head in an attempt to escape the choke. That would, unfortunately, be her undoing as Baszler almost unconscious rolled forward out of the ring, escaping the cage, and retaining the championship.
Following a brief celebration from Baszler and the Horsewomen, Shirai unloaded a series of strikes on her friend Candice Lerae. She followed that up with a series of chair shots, before hitting a suplex to Lerae on a steel chair. As she exited the ring she continuously said, “I don’t need friends.” The final images as the show went off the air was of the officials checking on the surely injured Lerae.
Stay tuned to the Last Word on Pro Wrestling for more on this and other stories from around the world of wrestling, as they develop. You can always count on LWOPW to be on top of the major news in the wrestling world, as well as to provide you with analysis, previews, videos, interviews, and editorials on the wrestling world. And make sure to watch NXT every week on the WWE Network
