Date: 04/27	7:00 PM
Views: 386

Nickolye's WWE NXT recap for April 27, 2021 at 8 PM ET. Last week, Kushida and Santos Escobar went at it with Legado Del Fantasma and MSK getting involved, so tonight they compete in a 6-man tag team match. Mercedes Martinez wants the women's title, but first she must go one-on-one with Dakota Kai. We will also get words from Adam Cole. NXT is back in the Capitol Wrestling Center, now on Tuesday night! Hit F5 or refresh as often as you like for the latest updates!

* Dakota Kai vs. Mercedes Martinez

The NXT Women's Champion Raquel González will be ringside for this match in support of Kai. The match begins with a classic collar-and-elbow tie-up, Kai starts with technical wrestling, Martinez counters every move and slaps her early on. They collide when Kai goes for a leapfrog but Martinez covers it up as if it was done on purpose and hits a suplex, a couple of clotheslines and a spinebuster for a near-fall. Kai counters a powerslam for a DDT, gets a 2-count, hits a running kick to the face, and covers for a 2-count again. Kai takes control of the match trying to wear down her more powerful opponent, hits a backbreaker, and gets another near-fall as Raquel González cheers her on. Martinez ducks the run-around boot, starts to fight back, they battle on the top rope, Martinez hits a move that Wade Barrett calls the Cliffhanger, but only gets a 2-count. Kai trips her into the turnbuckles, connects with the run-around big boot, and Martinez falls out the ring as we take our first commercial break.

We get picture-in-picture for the break and Kai is all over Martinez as she rolls back into the ring. She puts Mercedes in the surfboard stretch with knee to the back then transitions to the body scissors to keep her down. Kai sits on her back fo an armbar and the champ likes what she sees from her friend as she maintains control over the next possible contender. Kai works the shoulder with another armbar, and Martinez rolls her up for 2.

When we come back, Martinez gets thrown out the ring, but she comes back with a big forearm and drives her back into the edge of the ring. Kai is the captain of kicks and shows it with several kicks, hits a facebuster, covers for 2, and kicks her around. Martinez fights back into it, Kai headbutts her, Martinez hits a rolling elbow, forearms and chops in a corner, butterfly suplex, and a dead-lift butterfly suplex! Kai rolls out the ring to get a breather, González steps up to Mercedes so that Kai can get back into the ring, Martinez ducks a swing by the champion and clocks her, then gets back in the ring to finish her work on Kai with a big knee to the face. González gets in the ring and blatantly boots Martinez in the face! WINNER by DQ: MERCEDES MARTINEZ.

González throws Martinez out the ring and beats her down at ringside, throwing her into the barricade and yelling at her in Spanish. "Yo soy la campeona!" González launches her into the plexiglass barricade and they stand over her in their own version of victory.

The NXT Womens Tag Team Champions get interviewed next, and it's revealed they will defend their championships next week. Tonight, they have The Robert Stone Brand tonight, and they're not afraid or worried about them or any other tag teams. Both Ember Moon and Shotzi Blackheart receive a bouquet of flowers, and Franky Monet shows up with her dog. She reads the card as from Dexter Lumis, and the champs freak out passing off the flowers. "Nope!"

After the break, Cameron Grimes enters a jewelry store with a big smile to buy himself something expensive and shiny. He's asks the clerk for a watch, rushes the clerk, and to be continued...

The Grizzled Young Veterans are in the ring in suits. James Drake speaks first about tonight's 6-man tag main event, and complains that MSK are not defending the tag titles against them. Zack Gibson adds that MSK are a great tag team, but calls themselves the leaders that the tag team division needs. "We are Grizzled Young Veterans, sssssSOON to be recognized as the next and most important NXT Tag Team..." The music of Tommaso Ciampa cuts in and he comes out alongside Timothy Thatcher. Ciampa mentions that both teams have similarities with each other. "We're grizzled. We're veterans. Y'all talk about wanting to be the leader of tag team division, well once again Toothless Timmy and I, we know a thing or two about being leaders. All of us wanna face MSK, and we all wanna be the next NXT Tag Team Champions." Thatcher has been watching footage of the GYV, and what he found was a lot of strengths, but at NXT UK TakeOver: Cardiff and repeated the chant of "Shoes off if you hate Gibson" and proceeds to sing it. Ciampa takes his shoe off and conks Gibson with it, and they knock down Drake as well! They hold up a shoe each as GYV take off.

Drake Maverick and Killian Dain get interviewed next about their tag match tonight. Dain simply says he asked for this match. Maverick questions if his partner will turn on him or if he'll walk off, and Dain tells him to have faith. Maverick: "Did he just quote George Michael at me?" Xia Li speaks in a dark room where only her face is lit along with Boa, and TIAN SHA displays on the screen.

After the break, we see Isaiah "Swerve" Scott talking from his studio. He directs this promo at Leon Ruff, and proposes a Falls Count Anywhere match. "You wanna play this game, Leon? I'm gonna continue to play. This time I'm playing with your life!"

Toni Storm has something to say before her match. "Zoey Stark, you owe me a thank you. At TakeOver, I made you famous! When history is written, you will merely be a footnote in my legendary career. My next chapter reads 'Toni Storm ends Zoey Stark.' I hope you're watching, because every time I slap this rookie, I'm gonna imagine it's you."

* Toni Storm vs. Zayda Ramier

Storm hits a big boot, another big boot, tosses her around with a hairmare, hits the sliding clothesline in the bottom rope, backbreaker, and stretches her over her knee. Ramier tries to fight back, Storm uppercuts her, ducks under kicks, delivers a German suplex, hits the running uppercut, the hip attack, but declines the Storm Zero finisher. Zoey Stark comes down to the ring, Storm swipes at her, Ramier fights her off, hits a SHOOTING STAR PRESS HALFWAY ACROSS THE RING, AND GETS THE 1-2-3!!! WINNER: ZAYDA RAMIER!!

WHAT AN UPSET!!! This "rookie" just defeated Toni Storm!

Backstage, Legado Del Fantasma are steaming over MSK stopping them from putting Kushida in the hospital, and complain that the titles are in the wrong place. Joaquin Wilde and Raul Mendoza want the NXT Tag Team Titles, while Santos Escobar wants the Cruiserweight Championship back.

Bronson Reed comes face-to-face with Johnny Gargano and Candice LeRae before his match, while Austin Theory wonders why they're in the dark. That match is next, where Reed could end up the next contender for the North American Championship. Breaktime.

After the break, we get an interview from LA Knight, and he blabs about Kyle O'Reilly coming out of the shadows but instead he boasts his win over Dexter Lumis last week. Knight says to Indi Hartwell that she had a twinkle in her eye for him, but he's just delusional. "That's not an insult; that's just a fact of life. Yeah!" Ever-Rise show up quickly to plug their Saturday morning talk show. The Way come out next and Indi is visibly upset.

* Bronson Reed vs. Austin Theory
  [If Reed wins, he earns opportunity for the NXT North American Title.]

Reed overpowers him in the lock-up, clean break in a corner, lock-up again, Theory shows off, lock-up a third time and Reed puts him in the side headlock, but Theory reverses it, and Reed hits a shoulder block. Theory tries to fight the big man, but Reed just knocks him out of thin air and knocks him off the apron, leaving Theory hanging by his ankles. Gargano tries to help him up but Reed bulldozes past him with a shoulder tackle and tells him to stay back. Theory hits a high rolling dropkick, Reed charges at him and falls to the floor, Gargano superkicks him behind the ref's back, and Theory dives onto him. Reed sends him towards the steps, but Theory blocks it and sends Reed into the ring steps.

After the commercial break, Reed fights out of a chinlock, but Theory puts him back in it. Reed powers out, fires back at him, avoids an elbow drop, catches him rolling in with a military press slam, forearm shots, hits a body block, avalanche in a corner, plants him with a choke slam, then squishes him with a senton for a 2-count. Theory trips him into the turnbuckles, hits a rolling blockbuster, covers for 2, tries to pick him up, Reed hits a Samoan drop and gets a near-fall. Theory connects with a superkick, Reed suplexes him, and both men are down. Dexter Lumis inches his way down the ramp, Johnny Gargano notices him and pulls Candice back, warning Indi to run away too. Instead, Indi walks away but Lumis gets closer walking behind her. Indi gets in the ring, Lumis stands on the apron, and he moves her out the way sacrificing himself as Theory crashes into him. Reed fights off Gargano, clotheslines Theory, and hits the Tsunami for the 3-count! WINNER and #1 Contender for North American Title: BRONSON REED!

Kushida and MSK get interviewed next about their match tonight and they're ready for it. MSK respect Kushida enough to help him last week, and now it's 3 vs. 3 and the champions are on the same page as M-S-Kushida with hi-fives all around. Breaktime.

The Way are complaining in the hallway. Gargano is whining that now he has to defend his championship and blames it on Dexter Lumis. Candice blames it on Shotzi and Ember for trying to steal Lumis from Indi, and this fires Indi up. Next week, Finn Bálor returns to NXT after his little vacation in Mexico.

* Imperium vs. Killian Dain & Drake Maverick

Alexander Wolfe will be at ringside for Imperium. Maverick is still has reservations about Dain turning on him, so Dain starts the match against Fabian Aichner and throws him across the ring. Aichner is strong, but he's unable to move the great Dain, and he gets blasted by a crossbody from the big man. Marcel Barthel is able to get the tag from Aichner, jumps on Dain's back, but Dain just slings him off and clotheslines him out the ring. Dain body slams him, tags Maverick in, and hiptosses him onto Barthel. Maverick is able to dropkicks him in the knee and the side of the head, but the taller Barthel quickly takes him down. Maverick uses his speed to evade him and hits a hurricanrana, Barthel throws him from the top rope, Aichner tags in, hits the running dropkick, and Dain is so fired up the referee has to hold him back before a commercial break.

Maverick is struggling to get back in this match as we come back, but Barthel just manhandles him in the corner. Maverick trips him up, knocks Aichner off the apron, side-steps Barthel, Aichner tags in and Maverick kicks him off. Barthel knocks Dain off the apron, Aichner gives Maverick a backbreaker, swings him around by the pants, Maverick fights back, nearly reaches his partner, but Aichner body slams him with force. Dain back drops Barthel off the apron, Maverick avoids an elbow drop, crawls to his corner... but Barthel pulls Dain off the apron to block it. There's nobody for Maverick to tag out to, Aichner kicks him in the back of the head, Imperium beat him down, Dain gets back in and cleans house. Barthel boots Dain in the face outside the ring, gives Alexander Wolfe some orders, Wolfe grabs a chair, rears back... and pauses. Barthel yells at Wolfe for the hesitation, Maverick hits Barthel with a suicide dive, Dain tosses his partner back into the ring, Wolfe stands in his path, and Barthel shoves Dain into the steps. Meanwhile, Maverick goes for a crossbody, but Aichner rolls through, Imperium hit the Euro-Bomb, and they get the 3-count. WINNERS: IMPERIUM.

Pete Dunne gives a promo saying nobody says his name because the locker room is shook. He mentions Kushida being the Cruiserweight Champion and says that title can belong to himself whenever he wants. Maybe he will go back to UK and take back the United Kingdom Title. "And then there's the North American Title. Johnny you step to me, and we both know +The Way+ it goes. Bitter End." The NXT Champion Karrion Kross is also on Dunne's list of champions that he warns as the baddest man in NXT. "Try and prove me wrong. I dare ya."

Back to the jewelers from earlier, and Cameron Grimes complains that a watch is not saying tick-tock so Karrion Kross would hate it. He accepts the watch, says that he loves it, but then someone holds up a $1 Million watch. IT'S TED DiBIASE in the flesh! "HAHAHAHAHA!" Grimes freaks out again, and that's the payoff for this segment.

Ember Moon and Shotzi Blackheart receive chocolates, candy and more flowers at ringside, but they get jumped by Candice LeRae and Indi Hartwell! The Way throw the champs over the barricade to beat them down by stuffing their faces with the cupcakes and hitting them with the glass flower vase. Aliyah, Jesse Kamea and Robert Stone are parading around the ring with one of the NXT Women's Tag Team Championships as if they won it but the match never even started and was non-title to begin with. It's pandemonium all over the place.

* Interview with Adam Cole

We go to an exclusive interview with Adam Cole. After his brutal match, he says he's been better and also been worse before. He doubts it was a mistake to betray the Undisputed Era, and claims he was the one carrying them on his back. Kyle O'Reilly opened NXT and main event the show last week, but Cole says that O'Reilly is not ready for that main event spot. Cole is asked for his thoughts on Karrion Kross being the new champ, and he says Kross is good but not great yet. "Kross hasn't dealt with me yet, so if and when I decide to go after the NXT Championship, wel then for Karrion Kross the clock's ticking." Cole says he is pissed off that people think Kyle O'Reilly is better than him. As the interview wraps up, we see Kyle O'Reilly it watching on a TV and shakes his head at Cole's ludicrous comments.

Just before a commercial break, there's a video promo for Diamond Mine, but I'm unsure what it's about, so we'll keep an eye on this. When we come back, it's announced that next week the NXT Women's Tag Team Championship between the champs Shotzi Blackheart and Ember Moon against the challengers Candice LeRae and Indi Hartwell will be contested in a street fight! Also, Swerve and Leon Ruff will battle in a falls count anywhere match. Now it's time for the main event!

* Legado Del Fantasma vs. MSK {NXT Tag Team Champs} & Kushida {Cruiserweight Champion}

Six of the top cruiserweights take the main event of NXT, and here we go! Joaquin Wilde and Kushida start the match for their respective teams. Kushida works the arm right away, Wilde slams him head by the hair, Kushida trips him, makes the tag to Nash Carter who hits a tope atomico, and Wes Lee tags in for a springboard atomico. Wilde hits a jawbreaker, tags Raul Mendoza in, they hit a double Alabama Slam, make a wish with Lee's legs, and hit a double basement dropkick. Wilde tags back in and beats him down, Lee dropkicks him, Carter tags in, MSK hit several kicks and stomps, Carter dropkicks Santos Escobar off the apron, Kushida tags in to dropkick Wilde in the face and hits a handspring kick to knock him off the apron into both Mendoza and Escobar. The team of champs control the match as we take our final commercial break.

We get picture-in-picture for this match and Escobar makes his first legal tag. The former champ squares off with Carter and kicks him in the shoulder and the back, then puts him in an armbar half of a chinlock applied. Escobar dropkicks him against the ropes, Carter throws him into the announce table, Escobar kicks him in the shoulder again, and puts him back in the armbar.

When we come back Escobar is still in control of Carter's left arm and does an armbreaker. Mendoza tags in, yanks his arm at the shoulder, Wilde tags in, they beat him down in their corner, Carter does an inside cradle for 2, but Wilde regains control of the pace. Mendoza tags back in to stomp him down, Wilde tags back in, hits a suplex and gets a 2-count, then Escobar tags in and stomps on him. It's official: Raquel González will defend her NXT Women's Championship against Mercedes Martinez in two weeks live on NXT! Escobar wears Carter down, but Carter lands on his feet from a suplex, and makes the hot tag! Kushida enters and takes out each member of Legado Del Fantasma with big strikes, a hiptoss into a low dropkick, hits a running armbreaker to Escobar, connects with the wind-up punch to Wilde and soccer kicks his arm.

Wes Lee tags in, Carter tags in, they hit the pushing moonsault, and Mendoza breaks the count. Kushida holds open the ropes for MSK to hit simultaneous suicide dives, but Santos Escobar grabs Kushida and delivers a POWERBOMB THROUGH THE ANNOUNCE TABLE! MSK are in a bad spot now, their partner is down, Mendoza throws Carter into the steel steps, and Wes Lee is on his own. Lee tries to fight them all off, but Wilde dropkicks him in mid-air, clotheslines him in the corner, Mendoza clotheslines him in the corner, Escobar clotheslines him in the corner, and they keep going and going until Escobar hits double knees. Several medical staff are checking on Kushida through the rubble of the table. Escobar delivers a brainbuster, Mendoza hiptosses Wilde for a slingshot moonsault, and that gets a near-fall! Mendoza tags in, Wes Lee fights them off, rolls away from a Escobar's frog splash, and he's all alone in the ring. Lee hits Wilde with a back elbow, superkicks Mendoza, jump kick to Escobar, and Carter finally gets up on the apron. Carter gets the hot tag, superkicks and knees all around, but he's knocked down with a dropkick. Kushida gets back in the ring, but Ecobar quickly gives him the Phanton Driver! Wilde and Mendoza wipe out Carter with the Russian legsweep and running kick, and Mendoza gets the 3-count! WINNERS: LEGADO DEL FANTASMA!

What an exciting main event to continue this feud. Kushida's heart and effort as the champion is to be admired, but it wasn't enough to make the save. Legado Del Fantasma hold up the titles that they want to close out the show.