NXT puts on its fourth PLE of the year on Sunday, July 30 live from Cedar Park, Texas. First introduced in 1985, and adopted by the NXT brand in mid-2020 The Great American Bash is one of the most respected events in all of professional wrestling. The NXT edition of The Great American Bash has become of the most highly anticipated offerings from the NXT roster annually.
The Great American Bash takes place on Sunday, July 30, and is available to watch on Peacock. The main card is set to start at 8 pm ET/5 pm PT with the pre-show set to begin at 7 pm ET/4 pm PT.
The 2023 edition of The Great American Bash has seven matches on the card, with four of those being title matches. It promises to be an exciting action-packed night that could shift the entire landscape of the NXT. The pre-show will feature eight-person mixed tag team action to get the action started. Once the event gets underway, Olympic gold medalist Gable Steveson is set to finally make his in-ring debut, and he will do so against Baron Corbin. The women’s division will prove just how violent they can get as Roxanne Perez and Blair Davenport will compete in a weapons wild match. Davenport was successful in their first meeting at the beginning of July and they look to put an end to their rivalry with an assortment of weapons at their disposal.
WWE NXT Great American Bash 2023 Full Card
- Carmelo Hayes (c) vs. Ilja Dragunov [NXT Championship Match]
- Tiffany Stratton (c) vs. Thea Hail [NXT Women’s Championship Submission Match]
- Dominik Mysterio (c) vs. Wes Lee vs. Mustafa Ali [NXT North American Championship Match]
- Gallus (c) vs. The Family [NXT Tag Team Championships Match]
- Roxanne Perez vs. Blair Davenport [Weapons Wild Match]
- Gable Steveson vs. Baron Corbin [Singles Match]
- Dragon Lee, Nathan Frazer, Yulisa Leon, and Valentina Feroz vs. Meta-Four [Eight-Person Mixed Tag Team Match] (pre-show)
Will The Family Prevail?
One of the titles on the line is the NXT Tag Team Championships. Gallus captured the championships at NXT Vengeance Day and, ever since then, has been reigning at the top of the tag team division with sheer dominance. This time, they will be going up against Tony D’Angelo and Channing ‘Stacks’ Lorenzo. The two tag teams have been feuding for weeks now, and it will all come to a head at The Great American Bash, with the gold of the tag team division on the line.
‘Dirty’ Dom Has His First Major Title Defence
The NXT North American championship will also be on the line as Dominik Mysterio makes his first PLE defense of the gold. Mysterio has been making appearances on NXT, Raw, and SmackDown, with challengers all threatening to claim the gold but ‘Dirty’ Dom has managed to keep the gold in The Judgement Day camp. His first PLE title defense will be quite the challenge as he will be in the ring against not just one opponent but two formidable challengers. Wes Lee is looking to regain the championship whilst Mustafa Ali hopes to win his first championship in the WWE. Each of these fighters has their own motivation to have the championship, and this makes for an interesting match-up.
Stratton and Hail in Submission Stipulation Match
Tiffany Stratton won the NXT Women’s Championship at NXT Battleground, following an eight-women elimination tournament. On the second week of Gold Rush, Stratton made her first title defense against Thea Hail. That fight had a controversial ending as Stratton tapped but, due to the referee being distracted and not seeing the tap, the fight continued with Stratton coming out the victor. The two agreed to have a rematch at The Great American Bash but this time, Hail wanted it to have a submission stipulation, so she can finally get the tap she was denied.
Though Stratton was adamant that would not happen, the champion was forced to yield and accept the stipulation. This match-up is highly advantageous for Hail, as the Chase University member is known for her Kimura Lock which has put away several opponents. Stratton will surely look for a way to keep the gold but, in a match that favors her opponent, it will be interesting to witness how crafty she might try to get, so as to keep the gold. If not, Chase U will get their first taste of gold with the women’s championship.
NXT Great American Bash Main Event: The HIM Era Under Threat
NXT Champion, Carmelo Hayes, recently celebrated 100 days as the titleholder. Beyond that, Hayes has effectively found ease in being the face of NXT. From joining NXT in 2021 and going on to win that year’s NXT Breakout Tournament, Hayes has had a meteoric rise through the NXT ranks. Hayes has held NXT gold, having been the Cruiserweight and North American champion, but this era of Hayes has been on a whole different level. Hayes has even caught the attention of several main roster stars, promising that the HIM era could be getting an upgrade soon. Before that though, Hayes will face a wrestler that is possibly the biggest threat to his reign – Ilja Dragunov. Being the former NXT UK champion, Dragunov is no stranger to being at the top and leading an entire brand.
Since first joining the main NXT roster in late 2022, Dragunov has been on a quest to capture the NXT championship, consistently making sure he is in the conversation. At The Great American Bash, Dragunov will have his first one-on-one opportunity to capture the gold, which is an opportunity that the Russian-born wrestler hopes to accomplish. Dragunov believes this is now his time and, in order to steer NXT, he needs to lead at the forefront and Hayes is his only obstacle now. The match between Hayes and Dragunov promises to be a hard-hitting affair and the result is a very crucial one for the NXT. At the end of it, Carmelo Hayes could keep the HIM era going, or the eccentric Ilja Dragunov could switch things up in a major way.
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