WWE NXT Results: Winners, Live Grades, Reaction and Highlights From July 23

WWE NXT continues to evolve with the summer, setting the final stage for Great American Bash with its July 23 edition.

Thea Hail would sit down to discuss her upcoming challenge of NXT women’s champion Roxanne Perez.

Former friends Josh Briggs and Brooks Jensen would look to settle their differences in the ring in a No Disqualification match.

Ashante “Thee” Adonis would return to an NXT ring to face Oro Mensah, who hoped to prove himself as a future challenger to his number one rival, NXT champion “All Ego” Ethan Page.

After over a month of arguments between them, Eddy Thorpe and Lexis King would finally clash in the ring.

What other surprises did NXT have in store? Could more TNA stars make their presence felt, particularly The Rascalz or Joe Hendry?

This show was certain to be eventful and must-watch for all NXT fans.

Trick Williams called out “All Ego” Ethan Page. Instead, Cedric Alexander warned him to avoid a mistake. Ashante “Thee” Adonis interrupted to tell Alexander that he wasting his time.

Trick told Alexander that he was better than him, which frustrated Alexander. The two agreed to a match followed by Trick sending Adonis to the floor.

This was an odd way to start the night as the only interaction between Alexander and Trick before this show was in the background of last week.

The angle was not backed up by what has been built on TV. The problem is that Alexander and Adonis lack established characters due to years of mismanagement, and it would have been good to get a firmer sense of their motivations before this moment.

However, NXT is already doing more with Adonis and Alexander than any brand has done in years, which is a nice change. Trick vs. Alexander is an intriguing match on paper, particularly because this is such a reset for the former Cruiserweight champion.

This might be a chance to truly establish the credibility of Alexander in a way that he has lacked since 205 Live went off the air.

Grade

C-

Notable Moments

Brooks Jensen attacked Josh Briggs on his way to the ring, and the big man made him pay. However, a distraction from Shawn Spears allowed Jensen to batter Briggs with a steel chair followed by a DDT on the chair to win.

While this is a match that could have used a little more build to sell the heat between these competitors, Briggs and Jensen fought hard to sell this moment.

It was a fun brawl where the more experienced Briggs worked over time to get over his friend. While Jensen only won with Spears’ help, he came off as a much more dangerous competitor this time around.

Jensen is the perfect man to work with Spears. He has been established as a young loose cannon that needs direction. The Chairman will benefit by teaching him all the wrong lessons on his way back to the top.

Since Briggs is headed to Japan to work the NOAH N-1 Victory tournament, Spears and Jensen will have a whole month to build their dynamic before a heated rematch.

Result

Jensen def. Briggs by pinfall.

Grade

B

Notable Moments

Lexis King kept calling for the Coronation, but Eddy Thorpe fought out and hit Manifest Destiny to win.

After the result, King attacked Thorpe and smashed his fingers between the steel steps with his cane.

Two five-year veterans clashed after a month of build. The result was a two-minute bout that could barely be called a sprint as the two barely got going before they went for the finish.

This was a disappointing showcase of two men that should be building momentum toward NXT title opportunities. Thorpe at least came out on top to get him back in the win column, but he will need to win this whole feud to truly stand tall.

Given the post-match attack, Thorpe and King will fight again, and the winner of round one will be fighting with a disadvantage. Hopefully, they get more spotlight next time.

Result

Thorpe def. King by pinfall.

Grade

D

Notable Moments

Ashante “Thee” Adonis was too focused on Jakara Jackson at ringside, allowing Oro Mensah to make quick work of him with a corner spinning heel kick to win.

Afterward, Oro Mensah called out “All Ego” Ethan Page to no answer, getting the crowd to chant “1-2-3” in remembrance of him pinning the NXT champion the previous week.

It was another short match on NXT, but at least Mensah and Adonis fought hard to make the most of the brief minutes. The two fought hard to maximize their minutes and kept it clean while rushing.

This loss does not help in the goal to acclimate Adonis to the NXT roster, but it was the right call for Mensah to keep building momentum. He should be the next man up for Page’s NXT Championship.

Result

Mensah def. Adonis by pinfall.

Grade

C+

Notable Moments

Charlie Dempsey saved Wren Sinclair from a near-pinfall then helped her hold down Carlee Bright for a three count on a roll-up.

While the outside storytelling of Dempsey reluctantly helping Sinclair was fun, the action in the ring was a mess. This may have been the sloppiest that Bright has looked in the ring so far.

With three minutes to work, Bright did not look completely comfortable leading the action, and Sinclair was more focused on the drama than the in-ring.

It was not terrible, but this was a chance to stand out for two women looking to prove themselves in a rapidly evolving division. Neither impressed.

Result

Sinclair def. Bright by pinfall.

Grade

D+

Notable Moments

Cedric Alexander started strong but was overwhelmed by the power and speed of Trick Williams. Trick finished it with a Trick Shot.

Afterward, Pete Dunne blasted the former NXT champion from behind and stomped him into the mat.

Rushing Trick vs. Alexander may have been a mistake as the former Cruiserweight champion looked rusty throughout this battle. He hit some great individual moves but did not find his chemistry with the former NXT champion until the end.

This got sloppy, including multiple missed shots. The action got better though down the stretch hinting that something much better would have been possible if Alexander had a couple warm-up bouts before this.

Alexander is immensely talented and can do great things with this NXT roster. Hopefully, a sloppy start and a first-bout loss are minor bumps in the road.

Trick vs. Dunne is an exciting match to keep the former NXT champion hot while he waits for his shot at “All Ego” Ethan Page. The Bruiserweight will push him to work a very different style than he is used to.

Result

Trick def. Alexander by pinfall.

Grade

B-

Notable Moments

Lash Legend and Jakara Jackson showed off their chemistry as a tag team. While Sol Ruca and Karmen Petrovic were rolling, it took Legend one opportunity to plant Petrovic with for the win.

Afterward, Meta-Four challenged Alba Fyre and Isla Dawn for the Women’s Tag Team Championships next week at Great American Bash.

This was an impressive sprint, highlighting the athleticism of all involved. It could have gone a couple minutes longer at least, but the four maximized their minutes.

It is a shame NXT has not built up Legend and Jackson more as an in-ring tag team because the two do not come off as worthy challengers for the Women’s Tag Team Championship this fast.

Still, Meta-Four is the most established group in NXT’s women’s division in terms of story spotlight, so this was the best option for Dawn and Fyre to face on short notice.

Result

Legend and Jackson def. Ruca and Petrovic by pinfall.

Grade

B-

Notable Moments

“All Ego” Ethan Page brought a referee out to the ring to put all the questions to rest about Oro Mensah’s three count against him last week.

Instead, Mensah stacked him up, and the referee counted another three against the NXT champion.

This running gag with Mensah proving himself with unofficial three counts is working, adding another layer to NXT’s best story. Hopefully, the build will pay off with a great match soon.

Even if Mensah has no chance of dethroning All Ego, NXT has done more than enough to prove why he needs a title shot despite a less-than-impressive in-ring record.

Grade

B+

Notable Moments

The Rascalz set the pace for this main event, and it never slowed. Even the fastest trio in NXT, Nathan Frazer, Axiom and Je’Von Evans could not keep up.

Trey Miguel superkicked Axiom to set up Zachary Wentz with an assist from Wes Lee to pick up the pinfall off a Hot Fire Flame.

The pace of this match was beyond everything else on the show by a wide margin. Everyone was flying and moving in sync. It was a true showcase of six of the best high-fliers in the world today.

The chemistry between Lee, Wentz and Miguel is unlike anything typically seen in WWE. It was more TNA X-Division than NXT tag division.

On the same night that most of the card got less than five minutes, this probably did not need as much time as it got, but it is hard to complain about such pure action.

The Rascalz picked up a big win that should set up The Supersonic Duo vs. MSK sooner than later, which will be special.

Result

Rascalz def. Frazer, Axiom and Evans by pinfall.

Grade

A-

Notable Moments

NXT chose an interesting tactic to build up Great American Bash. It was a chaotic show where the women’s division took a firm backseat for the week.

The NXT Championship scene was on full display as Trick Williams stayed in the conversation and Oro Mensah finally pushed Ethan Page into giving him his match.

None of it was great in-ring action, but much of the story was solid, mixing in comedy and drama. Mensah has especially risen considerably in status.

The main event was, by far, the best match of the night. The Rascalz have looked unstoppable both in NXT and TNA since reuniting, and the promise of Nathan Frazer and Axiom vs. MSK is enticing.

It would have been nice to see more out of the build to Roxanne Perez vs. Thea Hail, but it is a near-lock to steal the show next week with the talent involved.

Hopefully, the key matches for Great American Bash get more time than the majority of this card, and there are more wild surprises to come.

Overall Grade: C