Date: 05/04	7:00 PM
Views: 382

Nickolye's WWE NXT recap for May 4, 2021 at 8 PM ET. Last week, Legado Del Fantasma made a lasting statement in a 6-man tag team match. What's next for the trio of lucha libre? Leon Ruff and Swerve Scott look to settle their feud in a Falls Count Anywhere match. After losing the NXT Title, Finn Bálor makes his return to the brand. The NXT Women's Tag Team Titles are on the line as the champs defend against The Way in a Street Fight in the main event! 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!

* Falls Count Anywhere Match: Leon Ruff vs. Isaiah "Swerve" Scott

Ruff charges at the bell and Swerve sticks his knee up in his face! The fight is on and when one tries to gain the upper hand, the other has a counter for him. Swerve blocks the springboard cutter, Ruff counters the JML Driver with an armdrag sending him to the floor, Swerve catches him from a suicide dive and gives him a death valley driver into the ring apron. Swerve throws him into the plexiglass barricades, delivers a sidewalk slam onto the steel ramp, and covers right there for a 2-count. Swerve throws him back into the ring, sets him up top, and delivers a STANDING TOP ROPE SUPERPLEX! Swerve scoots to make the cover but gets a near-fall! "This is Swerve's house. He must think he playing with me." Ruff side-steps a soccer kick and dropkicks him as he hung in the ropes. Swerve swats him out of the air and LAUNCHES a toolbox at him just missing his head!

We get picture-in-picture during the first commercial break. Swerve throws a couple of tools at Ruff, slams him into the ring apron, Ruff avoids the steps and crawls away to the back. The fight continues behind the curtain, Swerve powerbombs him into the lockers, stands on his chest as a cover, gets a 2-count, rams an equipment box at him, sits next to him mocking him, throws Ruff into the lockers again, they end up on the stage, Ruff is crawling away, but Swerve mocks him into the camera gloating that he's in control.

When we come back full-screen, Ruff shines a stage light into his eyes and kicks him off the stage into a truss, then somersaults off the stage onto him and covers for 2. Swerve rolls back into the ring, pushes him off the ropes, hoists him up for a suplex on the ropes, but Ruff counters with a Crucifix Bomb from the middle ropes, and makes the cover for 1-2-KICKOUT! They battle in the ropes, Ruff slides under him for a powerbomb, Swerve blocks, so Ruff runs up the steps and hits a REVERSE 'RANA FROM THE APRON TO THE FLOOR!! Ruff starts to crawl for the cover, but too much time has passed and Swerve is rolling away smiling. Both men are back up, Swerve catches him for the JML Driver on the floor, and covers for 1-2-NO!! Swerve's smile is now a scowl as he drags Ruff towards the steel steps, Ruff avoids the attack, hits him in the back of the knee with the toolbox, goes up top, hits the frog splash, and covers for a near-fall. Ruff applies a heel hook, uses a wrench to enhance the pressure, Swerve back hands him in the face to break the hold, Ruff hits the springboard cutter, Swerve rolls out the ring, then Ruff hits another cutter from the apron on the floor! Ruff clotheslines him over the barricade, goes up to the top of the production area, and then dives... onto another man who catches him!? "You must be outside your mind," shouts the random man who commentary recognized as AJ Francis. This man from Swerve's entourage just gave Ruff the death valley driver onto the top edge of the barricade! Swerve throws Ruff back into the ring, hits the JML Driver, and gets the 3-count. WINNER: ISAIAH "SWERVE" SCOTT!

Swerve heads up the ramp with his crew including AJ Francis, Ashante "Thee" Adonis, and a woman with long white braids. The Prinxe has arrived! Finn Bálor is seen entering the building before the break.

Backstage, Johnny Gargano is complaining as usual with Austin Theory looking for Mr. William Regal, but he is already in his office having a meeting with Scarlett. Gargano barges in whining about his problems but Regal tells him later. Austin Theory is commenting on Scarlett's huge... nails, asking if they are real... on her glove. Gargano pulls him away telling not to touch people, then walks off bickering with him.

* Asher Hale vs. Cameron Grimes

Grimes slams him on the mat, picks the leg, Hale puts him in a side headlock, Grimes reverses and hits a shoulder block. Hale dropkicks him in the knee, kicks him in the hamstring, Grimes clotheslines him, uppercuts and kicks him down. Hale connects with an enzuigiri, does a double-leg dragon screw, Grimes counters a tornado DDT, but Hale connects with a top rope missile dropkick for a near-fall. Grimes knees him in the midsection, plants him with a swinging sidewalk slam, hits the Cave-In, and cashes in the victory. WINNER: CAMERON GRIMES.

Kacy Catanzaro and Kayden Carter get interviewed next and they are done concerning themselves about Xia Li and her problems. Right now they want to focus on the tag team division and the gold that comes with it, and they want the next shot at the titles no matter who wins the street fight in the main event. Franky Monet and her pup show up and she mockingly says she believes in them.

Cameron Grimes is backstage gloating about his victory, then Ever-Rise show up, and Grimes wants to party "with me, myself, and Cameron Grimes! I'm going TO THE V.I.P. section!" The GYV are in the ring already. James Drake calls the crowd samp creatures, and says his partner is a gift to NXT. Zack Gibson complains about the people taking their shoes off and threatens to take the next plane out of the country. They get interrupted by their opponents for tonight.

* Grizzled Young Veterans vs. Tommaso Ciampa & Timothy Thatcher

Drake and Ciampa start the match for their respective teams, they lock up, clean break in a corner, Ciampa with a headlock and shoulder block, then puts him in a head scssors and transitions to an arm wringer and chop to the chest. Thatcher tags in, headbutt to the gut, puts him in an armbar, Drake escapes and makes it to his corner for Gibson to tag in. They lock up, Gibson with a waistlock, Thatcher counters with a double wristlock, hits a shoulder block, covers for a 1-count, takes him down and shoots the half for an armbar submission. Thatcher knees him in the back and shoulder, Gibson puts him in a leglock, Thatcher pops up to counter for a sleeper hold, Drake comes in and kicks Thatcher in the jaw to break the hold, but Thatcher doesn't release the hold! Ciampa boots Drake down and they both club the GYV on their chests before a commercial break.

When we come back, Thatcher is delivering uppercuts in a corner. Drake walks the apron and high-fives Gibson, but that's not a legal tag since Drake wasn't inside the ring, and Gibson complains to the referee that he tagged in. Thatcher yanks Drake back in, but Drake sends him into the ropes, and makes the legal tag this time to hit a missile dropkick while Gibson hits a flatliner. Gibson gets a few near-falls before wearing him down with a chinlock and a cravate. Thatcher throws him off and they bump heads, Drake gets the tag, Thatcher kicks him off and makes the hot tag.

Ciampa clotheslines Drake twice, clotheslines Gibson, clotheslinees Drake in a corner, clotheslines Gibson in a corner, ducks a double clothesline from both, and hits a jumping clothesline to both men! Ciampa chops Drake in the corner repeatedly, Thatcher tags in and hits forearms repeatedly, tag Ciampa in, hits an uppercut to Drake's back, and the both slap him across the neck with a follow-up running knee by Ciampa for a 2-count. Thatcher tags in, Drake kicks him off, makes the tag, Thatcher hits a belly-to-belly suplex on Gibson, Drake breaks the count, Ciampa comes in and they all start battling. Ciampa hits the Cactus Clothesline to Drake and they fall out the ring, leaving Gibson and Thatcher to continue fighting in the ring with many European uppercuts. Thatcher delivers a double underhook suplex for 2, transitions to the armbar, Gibson trying to fight it, Drake kicks Ciampa into the announce table, Thatcher uppercuts both, Gibson chops his throat, and Drake wipes out Ciampa with a suicide dive sending him over the announce table. Gibson hits the spinning suplex for a near-fall, Ciampa pulls Drake off the apron, Thatcher with a schoolboy rollup for 2, Gibson uppercuts him, the referee yells at Ciampa to get out the ring, Thatcher hits Gibson with a shoe and makes him tap out to the armbar! WINNERS: THATCHER & CIAMPA!

Wade Barrett comments that that was HIS shoe! The Way are in the hallway again looking for Regal, Theory knocks on his door, but Regal is in the halls asking Johnny about his issue. Gargano complains about his title match against Bronson Reed, but Regal tells him the match is still on. By the way, Austin Theory now a match with Karrion Kross next week. "Good luck."

After a commercial break, Swerve and his crew are in good spirits in the hallway. Swerve says, "I done told y'all I was gonna beat Leon Ruff tonight. That's exactly what Swerve did. Hahahaha!" The commentators talk about the match from earlier, then we get a video package for the newest members to the NXT women's division: Sarray and Zayda Ramier. These two women face off later.

Karrion Kross: "Three weeks ago, I came out and made things clear. All you have to do is step right up and roll the dice. Instead, I was met with people saying they weren't afraid of me. Well guess what, I ain't afraid of you either. Now that we've established that, this begs the question, what are we waiting for? Let's give these people what they want! Let's give them a fight! That's how this works. I'm the NXT Champion. I don't need to go back there and prove anybody wrong; you have to come in here and prove yourself right. Next week, Austin Theory, I'm gonna dive bomb you on your head. I'm gonna leave you face-down unconscious." Cool Kyle O'Reilly is the first man to step up! Kyle O'Reilly: "I get it Kross, I get it. I get why you think everyone should be afraid - sheer dominance, right? I'm sensing a little hostility so let me make this perfectly clear. I came out here to tell you Karrion Kross to your face that I am not afraid of you. All due respect, you're the NXT Champion, so this is the match that I want. Something tells me this is the match you want too. So let's give the NXT Universe..." Pete Dunne has his own opinion. Pete Dunne: "Are you two having a laugh? I don't care who wants to see this match, and I don't care about the new Kyle O'Reilly. And trust me mate, I don't care that you stand there as NXT Champion. Because the truth is, I am the BADDEST man in NXT, and if either of you two think otherwise then try and prove me wrong. I dare ya!" Finn Bálor is back and in the mix! Finn Bálor: "Pete Dunne, been there, done that. Kyle O'Reilly, been there, done that, twice. Kross, once you're done with Theory-" Bálor strikes first and Kross punches him back! Dunne backs off so O'Reilly steps up to the champ, and Dunne attacks Kross from behind. Kross dumps him outside the ring, Bálor fights back, Kross attacks O'Reilly, Bálor dropkicks Kross into O'Reilly, security come down, Kross dumps Bálor in a corner and the fight continues wuth security getting involved. Kross clotheslines Bálor and knocks him off the apron, and gives one security member a Saito suplex! The NXT Champion stands tall in the ring, but then he's attacked by Austin Theory and Johnny Gargano from behind! Kross fights them off, hits Theory with an exploder suplex, Gargano superkicks him, Theory superkicks him, then they both superkick him together. Gargano gets the last word by hitting Kross with the NXT North American Championship laying out the NXT Champion! During the commercial break, Gargano and Theory took off instead of sticking around for Candice and Indi's match.

* Zayna Ramier vs. Sarray

A handshake to start, the two new superstars go back and forth, and Sarray gets the first advantage with a dropkick in the face. Zayda fights back with uppercuts, leapfrogs, and traps her in the STF! Sarray reaches the bottom rope, kicks her away, rolls her up for 2, drops her with a spinebuster, then pyers her in the Muta Lock until Zayda reaches the rope. Sarray hits a stiff dropkick to her face on the bottom rope, delivers a fisherman's suplex, bridges for a near-fall, and connects with a missile dropkick. Zayda fights back, Sarray dropkicks her again, but crashes into the ropes when Zayda ducks another dropkick attempt. Zayda covers for a 2-count, running uppercut, hits the sling balde, and covers for 2. Sarray hits a spin kick, delivers a German suplex, an exploder suplex, and covers for 3. WINNER: SARRAY.

Imperium are all backstage getting words from WALTER about the ignorance he's seeing. Alexander Wolfe gets up for something while the others continue talking. We get another commercial promoting Diamond Mine. Backstage, Sarray checks on Zayda and thanks her for a good match. Meanwhile, Toni Storm is power-walking towards them but Zoey Stark cuts her off getting in her face until they get separated.

* Jake Atlas vs. LA Knight

LA Knight blabbed on and on while making his entrance. Atlas gives him a couple of armdrags right away, Knight takes control, Atlas dropkicks him, Knight hits a slingshot shoulder tackle, but then Atlas gets his moment to shine with a jumping knee and German suplex for a 2-count. Atlas connects with a few kicks, but Knight hits the facebuster and it's all over. WINNER: LA KNIGHT.

Candice LeRae gives Indi Hartwell a pep talk, hides a drawing of Dexter and Indi, and Dexter is staring through a window pane with a bouquet of flowers. Candice shuts the blinds and tries to get Indi to block out any distraction involving Dexter Lumis. After a commercial break, Toni Storm is perturbed by Zoey Stark calling her a nobody and vows to take her out.

Legado Del Fantasma are in the ring dressed in suits and ties. Santos Escobar: "The measure of a man. You've heard me talk about blood, tradition, heritage, legacy. You've seen me become the NXT Cruiserweight Campeon, and the undisputed emperor of lucha libre. Last week, you all witnessed a part of a moment, an iconic moment, a vision - no, a premonition. I will recover what's rightfully mine, the NXT Cruiserweight Championship." Joaquin Wilde: "MSK, don't think that we forgot about you. When you won the NXT Tag Team Titles at TakeOver: Stand & Deliver, you didn't beat us. But last week, we did beat you! We beat you real bad. We embarrassed you! So I think we all know what needs to happen next." Raul Mendoza: "Well, as like Legado Del Fantasma always say - sangre, tradicion, orgullo, sacrificio, legado, oro. We want Legado Del Fantasma vs. MSK for the NXT Tag Team Titles." Escobar: "The measure of a man is not what he can do for himslf, but what he does for his brothers." Before Escobar can continue, Kushida appears on the big screen and tells him that next week he will defend his Cruiserweight Championship! Escobar responds with, "Proxima semana, you're on!"

Beth Phoenix hosts a split-screen interview with Raquel González and Mercedes Martinez. González says she will use pure power to defeat Martinez in their match. Martinez notes that she's been in this business for a long time and she has no fear of the champ. González basically passes her off, but Martinez says Raquel is the champ because of the work Mercedes has put in. González claims she sets the bar so high that no one can reach it, but Martinez is fired up claiming she will take the title from her.

Shotzi and Ember are backstage talking about being attacked last week, and they will take care of business in their match next. They spot the little pup in the tank and set it down to walk off, only to find something the dog left behind as a present. Looks like no tank tonight. Breaktime.

Cameron Grimes walks the streets looking for the V.I.P. room, but gets stopped by security at the door so he disrespects him. TED DiBIASE steps out of a limo and is immediately allowed in. DiBiase tells Grimes, "Don't just rent a booth, when you can buy the whole place! One more thing, always remember this. Everybody's got a price for the Million Dollar Man. HAHAHAHA!!" This, of course, makes Grimes flip out outside.

Scheduled for next week, Kushida will defend the NXT Cruiserweight Championship against Santos Escobar in a 2 out of 3 Falls Match! Also set for next week, Mercedes Martinez challenges Raquel González for the NXT Women's Championship! And Austin Theory takes on the NXT Champion Karrion Kross in a non-title match.

* NXT Women's Tag Team Championship Street Fight: The Way vs. Shotzi Blackheart & Ember Moon {C}

For whatever the reason, Shotzi comes out dressed as Freddy Kreuger, and Ember is dressed as Jason. The Way are not wasting any time, not even allowing the ring announcer to make the title match introductions! The street fight is underway and all four women are already brawling on the floor and Shotzi is pulling out a table. Indi cuts her off and throws her into the barricade. Candice throws Ember into the barricade too and pulls out a handful of chairs. Ember brings out a couple of trash barrels, hitting LeRae with one of them. Shotzi and Ember take out Candice, then the champs go after Indi in the ring, they hit a drop toehold, basement dropkick, senton, trash can onto Indi and they hit a double dropkick into the barrel! Candice breaks the count, throws Ember out the ring, superkicks Shotzi, the champs avoid a baseball and smash trash can lids at her! The champs put another table into the ring, Indi throws Ember into the barricade, drops Shotzi onto the apron, and kicks Ember in the head. Hartwell places four chairs up all facing each other, Ember drives her head onto the chair seats, Shozti places one chair on the top of the four, they seat Indi in the chair, and Candice saves her partner at the last second with a fire extinguisher!

We get picture-in-picture to keep up with this title match. The Way pull out a ladder from under the ring and bridge it across the barricade and ring apron. Back in the ring, Candice sets up the table in a corner, hits Ember in the back with the top edge of a chair, and walks across her to wedge the chair between the turnbuckles opposite the table.

Ember is fighting back when we return from break and dropkicks LeRae. Shotzi hits Indi with an enzuigiri, hits a senton across the back while Ember kicks them in the head, and Candice gets thrown into the ringpost. Ember throws a chair at Indi, hits her on the back, the champs hit a double team assisted dominator, and Hartwell breaks the count. Hartwell is knocked out, Ember and Shozti fire themselves up, Candice is laid out on the ladder, and SHOTZI HITS A TOP ROPE SENTON ONTO CANDICE THROUGH THE LADDER!! Ember rams Hartwell through the table, makes the cover, and Hartwell kicks out for a near-fall! Indi hits a big boot to a ladder knocking the champs down, The Way lay Blackheart on the ladder, Indi holds her up and Candice hits the springboard moonsault!! Candice quickly makes the cover, but Ember shoves her off to retain the titles for now.

Ember hits Indi with a pump kick, but Hartwell delivers a SPINEBUSTER ONTO THE LADDER!! Blackheart makes the save, Hartwell pulls her out the ring, throws her into the barricade, takes apart the announce table, Shotzi breaks a coffee mug across Indi's back, climbs up the structure and hits a DIVING SPLASH THROUGH THE ANNOUNCE TABLE!! "This is awesome! This is awesome!" Candice rolls Moon up for 2, Ember powerbombs her for a 2-count, she goes up top, Candice cuts her off, Shotzi is back in the ring already to bring her down, but Candice shoves Shotzi into Ember knocking her down, then lays Ember on the table outside the ring, and Blackheart superkicks LeRae. Indi hits a SPRINGBOARD ELBOW DROP to Moon THROUGH THE TABLE from the ring to the floor! LeRae punches Blackheart with purple brass knuckles, hits the Wicked Stepsister onto the steel chair, and pins her for the 1-2-3!! WINNERS and NEW NXT WOMEN'S TAG TEAM CHAMPIONS: INDI HARTWELL & CANDICE LeRAE!!

That was a brutal match, and we have new champions! Candice LeRae has finally won a championship in NXT! And that's The Way they like it.