WWE NXT Results: Winners, Live Grades, Reaction and Highlights From Sept. 10

WWE Week on the USA Network continued with a stacked September 10 edition of WWE NXT.

Trick Williams and Pete Dunne clashed in a Last Man Standing match, with the winner getting an NXT Championship shot against “All Ego” Ethan Page at the gold brand’s debut on the CW Network on October 1.

Giulia made her NXT debut, facing Chelsea Green. A win would give the newcomer momentum for her NXT Women’s Championship challenge of Roxanne Perez.

With The Rascalz deemed unable to compete, Nathan Frazer and Axiom were left without challengers for the NXT Tag Team Championship. The Street Profits stepped up for an exciting battle of top teams.

Jordynne Grace returned to NXT to defend her TNA Knockouts Championship in an open challenge, while Charlie Dempsey faced a tough first challenger for his Heritage Cup as Je’Von Evans wanted the opportunity.

Duke Hudson looked for revenge against Ridge Holland, and Oba Femi faced a mystery opponent paid off by Tony D’Angelo.

Who would step up? Could new champions be crowned on NXT television? This was a must-watch episode for the gold brand.

Montez Ford and Angelo Dawkins were working at a different level to Nathan Frazer and Axiom, who could not keep up with them.

However, after The Street Profits hit a super blockbuster on Frazer, The Bloodline attacked.

Tama Tonga, Tonga Loa and Jacob Fatu laid out Ford and Dawkins to cause a disqualification and stood tall.

The Supersonic Duo and The Street Profits have chemistry to explore, but this was just getting good when the interference happened.

It was an odd choice for this title match to open the show with such an anticlimactic ending. The Bloodline in NXT was a surprise, but it’s unlikely to be more than a one-off appearance.

Hopefully, a future bout between these teams is in the offing. Especially with Frazer and Axiom outmatched by the veterans, a rematch could reinforce the talent of The Supersonic Duo.

Result

No-contest; Frazer and Axiom retain the NXT Tag Team Championship.

Grade

C+

Notable Moments

Giulia faced a capable challenge in former women’s tag team champion Chelsea Green, but she just hit harder.

A G-Trigger into a Northern Lights Bomb won the match.

While Green has credibility as a main roster competitor, the pace of this bout did not work. Giulia was too often on the defensive in a match that should have been a showcase.

However, the two did have a solid contest, working a much less structured style than usual for NXT. It got chippy in spots, but it was also a varied showcase for The Beautiful Madness.

What was on display should deliver against a great competitor like Roxanne Perez. It was obvious throughout that Giulia has a much higher ceiling for success against the right opponents.

Result

Giulia def. Green by pinfall.

Grade

B

Notable Moments

Charlie Dempsey’s experience played out early as he sent Je’Von Evans into the turnbuckle followed by a bridging dragon suplex for the first fall in Round 2.

In the third round, The Young OG knocked down Dempsey out of the corner to set up a springboard diving corkscrew for his own first fall.

Evans had the edge in Round 5 until Tavion Heights planted The Young OG outside with a belly-to-belly suplex. Dempsey stole the final fall off the impact.

The Heritage Cup match structure remains difficult for NXT to book, leading to awkward quick falls and interrupted strong sequences.

However, to the credit of both Dempsey and Evans, this worked for the most part. After the messy first two rounds, the two got moving, especially in rounds four and five.

The home stretch sold Evans’ path to victory, and it genuinely felt like a title change could happen. It was not to be, though, after the return of Heights.

No Quarter Catch Crew needed Heights, who showed out during the N1 Victory in Pro Wrestling Noah. His presence felt different from the rest of this stable on Tuesday night, carrying himself with confidence.

Result

Dempsey def. Evans by pinfall to retain the Heritage Cup.

Grade

B+

Notable Moments

TNA’s Hammerstone stepped up to challenge Oba Femi. He matched The Ruler’s power and nearly won with a chokeslam.

However, Femi responded with a pop-up powerbomb for the victory.

The NXT-TNA partnership has been moving slowly and steadily to highlight a variety of names. Hammerstone is an interesting man to focus on due to his impressive size.

However, the crowd did not seem too familiar with him. His attempts to bring the fans into the action did not work, and they simply wanted The Ruler to dominate. That made the length of this match awkward.

Contests like this are carried by presence and fan reaction. Hammerstone struggled to sell himself to be at the same level as Femi despite working a competitive contest.

It might have helped to pit Hammerstone against a competitor he could defeat first to build a reputation before this clash.

Result

Femi def. Hammerstone by pinfall.

Grade

C-

Notable Moments

Ridge Holland overwhelmed Duke Hudson with his power and ruthless energy.

The Englishman finished it off with the Redeemer.

Afterward, Holland broke the barricade with The MVP’s back and then used it to hit a second Redeemer.

Thea Hail was left heartbroken as the attack continued.

The promise of this match was not fulfilled as it was more a complete squash than a battle of big men. Holland was treated as a much bigger star and threat than The MVP, which felt unnecessary.

Hudson could have given Holland a better challenge and still put him over big.

Since Holland has now wiped out every member of Chase U with dominance, it’s hard to imagine anyone in the U can successfully retaliate.

Hail also deserves better than to look like the scared damsel. Hopefully, NXT has a bigger plan for Chase U than just creating a new monster heel.

Result

Holland def. Hudson by pinfall.

Grade

D

Notable Moments

Sol Ruca was the woman to step up to challenge Jordynne Grace. It was a tough fight, but The Juggernaut connected on the SOS to set up the win.

However, the lights went out, and Wendy Choo and Rosemary arrived. The former choked out Grace to stand tall and cause a disqualification.

Ruca has shown her massive upside when competing against veterans, and that was no different here. She competed at the highest level, and Grace let her show out with her impressive speed.

This was by far the best action of Tuesday before the main event. With the Knockouts Championships on the line, the stakes felt clear and heavy.

Unfortunately, the result was a wasted opportunity. Two title matches on the same night ending in a disqualification was a repetitive tactic that did not work.

Choo had attacked Grace twice in one week between TNA Impact and NXT. Clearly, this is a match that matters to both brands. Hopefully, it will be a better showcase of The Sleepy One than her bout with Kelani Jordan.

Result

Grace def. Ruca by disqualification to retain the TNA Knockouts Championship.

Grade

B

Notable Moments

Trick Williams and Pete Dunne hit their best shots, but both men kept getting back up.

The two fought onto the stage where a Russian leg sweep sent them both through a table.

Trick was the only man who could get back up and did so emphatically as he back body-dropped “All Ego” Ethan Page through the announce table.

The problem with Last Man Standing matches is typically the pacing. A slow count can break up the action too much. The referee took the opposite approach with a consistently fast count.

This became a problem because neither could seriously sell the impact of the offense. It became too much of a moves match rather than an intense final chapter in a physical rivalry.

The emotion of both men though did come through, especially in the closing stretch. It was almost a better segment than match with an emphatic conclusion that had the crowd jumping.

Trick was the right man to win, and the CW Network premiere is the right time for him to face All Ego again.

While nothing is certain, it feels like Trick will be regaining the NXT Championship on October 1.

Result

Trick def. Dunne by 10-count to earn an NXT Championship match at The CW premiere.

Grade

B-

Notable Moments

NXT promised a night of great action and instead delivered strong moments with inconsistent in-ring action.

This was despite giving more time to the majority of matches on the card. It felt like a special-event show, just one more focused on the future than the present.

Trick Williams and Pete Dunne did their best with a Last Man Standing format that held the action back, relying too heavily on fast counts to push along the action.

Still, it was cathartic to see Trick beat The Bruiserweight and earn his next shot at the NXT Championship.

Giulia vs. Chelsea Green was solid but did not showcase enough of what makes The Beautiful Madness special.

Nathan Frazer and Axiom vs. The Street Profits was just getting good when it was interrupted. Jordynne Grace vs. Sol Ruca was great but lacked a definitive finish due to another DQ finish.

The show had too much going for it not to deliver memorable spots, but the booking could have been stronger to highlight the action rather than repeating chaotic finishes.

Grade: B-