Date: 06/01	7:00 PM
Views: 284

Nickolye's WWE NXT recap for June 1, 2021 at 8 PM ET. A new #1 contender for the NXT Championship will be determined tonight. After Kyle O'Reilly vs. Pete Dunne vs. Johnny Gargano in a triple threat match, the winner will have the next title shot against Karrion Kross at NXT TakeOver: In Your House. Also, the NXT Tag Team Championship will be on the line when MSK defend against Legado Del Fantasma! 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!

* #1 Contender's Match for NXT Title: Pete Dunne vs. Johnny Gargano vs. Kyle O'Reilly

Oney Lorcan and Austin Theory have been banned from ringside for this match. O'Reilly strikes early at the bell, but then all three men start slugging it out. Gargano throws O'Reilly out the ring, so Dunne strikes Gargano down, then works on O'Reilly's arm bending it back. O'Reilly catches Dunne with a back drop into a cross armbreaker, catches Gargano in a leglock, Dunne puts an armbar on O'Reilly, and Gargano throws O'Reilly out the ring. Dunne and Gargano go back and forth in the ring by themselves, O'Reilly gets back in to break it up, then O'Reilly and Gargano go at it. Dunne traps BOTH men in a double joint manipulation and hand stomp! Every man charges at each other in corners, occasionally side-stepping one another. O'Reilly catches both men for a double dragon screw, puts Dunne in the ankle lock, Dunne counters, and O'Reilly kicks him out the ring. Gargano attacks both men, goes for One Final Beat, Dunne breaks it up with a finger bend, O'Relly gives Dunne the dragon screw in the ropes and that domino effectcauses him to snap Gargano's fingers! Gargano kicks Dunne in the head to propel himself into a tornado DDT on O'Reilly and gets a 2-count before our first commercial break.

We go picture-in-picture for this match to see Gargano take control with a dropkick to the back of the neck for a near-fall. O'Reilly blocska suplex, Gargano delivers the suplex, Dunne gets back in to clothesline Gargano, then applies a ubmission bending the left arm of O'Reilly behind him. Dunne kicks Gargano off the apron then puts O'Reilly in the head scissors with elbows to the noggin, even throws Gargano into the barricade, and keeps the pressure on O'Reilly.

O'Reilly and Gargano fight each other after wiping out Dunne when we come back. O'Reilly hits a combination knees, kicks and legsweep to Gargano, armbreaker to Dunne, double-arm suplex, floats over, another double-arm suplex, floats over again, double-arm slam to Gargano dropping him on Dunne, and he covers, but Gargano breaks the count with a kick to the ear. O'Reilly hits a sliding knee to Gargano, Dunne fights him on the outside, O'Reilly takes him down with a flying knee from the apron, and Gargano hits both men with suicide dives. Back in the head, Gargano hits the slingshot spear for 2, hard chops, O'Reilly blocks the lawn dart, Dunne trips both men with their arms behind their backs, kicks both men in their heads, stomp and kick to O'Reilly, sit-out powerbomb, Gargano breaks the count, O'Reilly covers and Gargano breaks that count too, Dunne plants the X Plex, and Gargano kicks out.

Dunne goes for the Kimura Lock, Gargano makes the save, O'Reilly dumps Dunne out the ring, Gargano with a schoolboy roll-up for 2, goes for the roll-up kick, O'Reilly counters into the heel hook, Dunne breaks it up, kneedrop to Gargano's arm, Gargano counters The Bitter End with a spike DDT, hits the Lawn Dart into O'Reilly, and gets a near-fall! Gargano and Dunne battle it out kneeling, then standing, O'Reilly joins in the fight with kicks, O'Reilly gets caught in a sandwiched kick from both men, Dunne stomps on Gargano's hands, Gargano hits an enzuigiri, O'Reilly hits the Axe & Smash, then Dunne dropkicks O'Reilly, Gargano superkicks O'Reilly, but O'Reilly rebounds with a clothesline to both men!! (Shoutout to Vic Joseph on play-by-play commentary keeping up with the action!) All three men are down, and "This is awesome!"

O'Reilly counters the slingshot spear with a guillotine, Dunne puts O'Reilly in the sleeper, Gargano slips out as O'Reilly fades, and does a tilt-a-whirl into the Gargano Escape on Dunne! Dunne counters by snapping back Gargano's fingers, plants him with The Bitter End, makes the cover, and O'Reilly hits Dunne with the Flying Kneedrop to break the count! O'Reilly and Dunne kick each other on the apron, both men fall to the floor, and they clothesline each other. O'Reilly gets to his feet, and ADAM COLE HITS O'REILLY AND DUNNE WITH A STEEL CHAIR, AND THROWS THE CHAIR AT GARGANO'S HEAD!! Adam Cole beats up O'Reilly, knocks the referee down, shoves Dunne into the ref against the barricade, gives Dunne the BRAINBUSTER on the floor, then The Last Shot to O'Reilly! Cole gets in the ring and hits The Last Shot to Gargano, standing tall after wiping out all three men. GM Mr. William Regal storms down with security telling Adam Cole to get out of the ring. Cole stares down Regal, superkicks O'Reilly one more time, and then he finally leaves before a commercial break. I'm unsure of the official ending since nothing was announced, in a triple threat match no less. So... NO CONTEST? 

When we come back, Regal and security are still trying to eject Adam Cole from the stage as he leaves slowly while being defiant. Ember Moon storms out past them as Cole gets dragged away by security. She calls out Raquel González in defense of what happened to Shotzi Blackheart last week. González stomps down the ramp, but Regal is back out to restrain the NXT Women's Champion, but she rushes past him and fights Moon in the ring! Moon superkicks and punches her back out the ring, and the security is back out to hold her back. Now Dakota Kai blasts Ember Moon from behind and another fight has broken out! Regal is still preoccupied with González, so he didn't even realize what was happening behind his back, but after Kai boots Moon in the head to knock her out, that's when Regal checks on the situation. Kai and González finally leave as the champ says that Moon asked for it.

We go back earlier today with Legado Del Fantasma. Santos Escobar said he will be at ringside for his crew when they challenge the tag champions. Raul Mendoza and Joaquin Wilde claimed they will win the titles tonight. We cut backstage to LA Knight cutting a promo on his way to the curtain, and he continues as his music plays and he walks to the ring. Knight claims The Million Dollar Man Ted DiBiase will be watching his match tonight. "And that's not an insult, that is just a fact of life!" Breaktime.

We cut to Drake Maverick when he arrived in the parking lot earlier asked about being involved with directing Indi Hartwell to Dexter Lumis last week. Ever-Rise showed up to chastise him, then Hit Row arrived and they all traded barbs at each other (sans Maverick). Swerve noted that Maverick was laughing and wants to know why, so Maverick tells him he needs a new dentist. Killian Dain stepped in just in time to prevent anything and said, "You got a problem with him? You've got a problem with me." After that little face-to-face, Hit Row bounced and we go back to the ring.

* LA Knight vs. Jake Atlas

Knight gloats after one ugly armdrag, that exposes him to a schoolboy rollup for 2, Atlas gives him a better armdrag and dropkicks him. Atlas gets a 2-count, takes most of the offense at this point with armdrags, armbars and an armbreaker, and counters a sunset flip for a near-fall. Knight comes back with a hotshot onto the top rope, hits a neckbreaker, and Ted DiBiase strolls down the ramp to watch the match up close. Knight tries to impress the Million Dollar Man, but Atlas does a springboard sunset flip and gets a close near-fall. Knight hits a falling body slam, hits the DiBiase fist drop, starts to get aggressive in his offense choking him on the ropes, hits a running knee to the head, and connects with a slingshot shoulder tackle before a commercial break.

When we come back, both men try to suplex each other, neither gets the delivery, Atlas tries for it again but Knight counters with a neckbreaker. Knight makes sure DiBiase is watching so he could apply the Million Dollar Dream, but Atlas blocks it, Knight goes for it again, Atlas counters, and hits a crossbody for 2. Knight throws him out of the ring right in front of Ted DiBiase, the referee starts his count, Atlas makes it back into the ring at 9, Knight is all over him as he got back in, and Atlas punches him in the gut to counter a diving ax handle. Atlas gives him a jawbreaker, clothesline from the left side, and hits a pump knee. Cameron Grimes made his way down to meet with DiBiase on the ramp as Atlas hits a brainbuster for 2. Atlas hits the rolling death valley driver, standing moonsault, covers for a 2-count, and Grimes is pleading with DiBiase. Atlas goes up top, Knight cuts him off, jumps up, Atlas crotches him on the ropes, hits the Cartwheel DDT and gets the 1-2-3!! WINNER: JAKE ATLAS!

WHAT A WIN FOR ATLAS! Cameron Grimes is laughing up a storm at Knight's loss, and Ted DiBiase shakes his head at Knight. We cut to the trainer's room where Pete Dunne, Kyle O'Reilly and Johnny Gargano are receiving ice packs and medical attention. Austin Theory is checking on Gargano, while Oney Lorcan is with Dunne. Lorcan spots the cameraman and kicks him out, and claims that if it wasn't for Adam Cole, Pete Dunne would've won the match. Theory steps up to him to say that it would've been Gargano to win, they start shoving each other, and security has to separate them this time.

We go backstage to Ted DiBiase who says that LA Knight dropped the ball tonight, while Cameron Grimes has stepped up. Adam Cole storms past the camera and heads to the stage! He was kicked out earlier! This is such a chaotic night. Next week, NXT's favorite artist POPPY returns for another appearance on the brand.

Adam Cole: "Two years ago to the day, I became the NXT Champion. Whether Regal wants to admit it or not, you are looking at the real #1 contender. I've been gone for two months, and for two months I watched everybody try to live up to my legacy. Surpise surprise, everybody failed. I just took out three of NXT's top starts, and I did it in one night. So you know what that means boys and girls? That means old Adam Cole bay-bay wants the NXT Championship BACK! Which brings me to you, Karrion Kross. People think that you're some kind of monster but I see right through you. To me, you're nothing but a big overrated muscle-head who doesn't deserve to be in the same ring as me. You think it was a mistake that I held the NXT Champion for 403 days? You think that happened by accident?" Call him out, expect him to show up - here comes the NXT Champion! Karrion Kross: "Little man! Your motives tonight, understandable. You wanna be the NXT Champion again. It's not yours, first of all. And second let me explain something to you. No matter what you ever you, it's never gonna change things in the grand scheme. When I signed here at NXT, you no longr became special, and you know that. We can talk about it out here. But hey, humor me, tell me a story, entertain me Mr. Cole!" Adam Cole: "I would be happy to, Mr. Overrated! The truth is you ain't Adam Cole bay-bay and you never will be. This brand has done everything in their power to make you fel special. You got the cool music, you got the lights, you got the fog machine, you got the girl. You know what they do to make Adam Cole feel special? They ring the frickin' bell! Because on your best day, you couldn't lace my boots! You can't hang with me, you aren't on my level, and anybody who watches pro-wrestling knows that. You are not special, I'm special. You're just a guy who ha my property."

Mr. Regal is back out and tells Adam Cole is trying to weasel his way into a title match, but Kross tells Regal to shut up and says, "What I want at TakeOver is EVERYONE in the match! Give me Kyle O'Reilly, give me Johnny Gargano, give me Pete Dunne, and give me this gas station weasel Adam Cole. I promise you no matter what kind of politicking you think you can do today until then, you're not getting out of this ass kicking." The crowd chants for Regal as he makes the match. "Done." Cole walks out the ring to dismantle the announce table just to stand on it and shouts at Kross (even after he was just in the ring with him) and throws a bottle of water at Kross and Scarlett before scuttling away.

The NXT Women's Tag Team Champions are backstage. Indi Hartwell has headphones on and looks sad while Candice LeRae is snapping at the interviewer McKenzie Mitchell for talking about Karrion Kross and Poppy. LeRae gets on Indi's case now for listening to 80's ballads and they walk off. The commentators (Vic Joseph, Wade Barrett, Beth Phoenix) try to get back to work on a messy table to talk about Kushida's open challenge being answered. Barrett explains that the man who impressed Mr. Regal and other trainers at the Performance Center named Christian Casanova is now known as Carmelo Hayes and he will take on the Cruiserweight Champion next. Breaktime.

Xia Li is with Boa watching back her first-ever wrestling match in the Mae Young Classic when she faced Mercedes Martinez in the first round and was embarrassed. This explains last week when Mercedes had the mysterious mark on her hand. "Mercedes, TakeOver, I will hurt you." This was a message from Tian Sha. Backstage, Dexter Lumis finds the headphones, puts them on, and listens to the songs with a tear down his cheek.

It's official, Karrion Kross will defend the NXT Championship against Adam Cole, Pete Dunne, Johnny Gargano and Kyle O'Reilly in a fatal 5-way match at NXT TakeOver: In Your House!

* NXT Cruiserweight Championship: Kushida {C} vs. Carmelo Hayes

At 195 pounds, Hayes is making his NXT debut to compete in a Cruiserweight Title match. The bell dings, they lock up, Hayes gets a quick 1-count, they lock up the knuckles, Hayes pops up with a rollup for 1, puts him in a side headlock, Kushida leapfrogs over him, Hayes leapfrogs, thrust kick to the gut, armdrags, and a dropkick. Kushida chops his chest in a corner, Hayes kips up for an overhead kick, and covers for 1. Kushida takes him down with a side headlock, hits the handspring back elbow, Hayes catches his leg and swings him on the ropes, kicks him in the back of the head and comes backwards on a springboard legdrop. Kushida kicks out at 2 as we take a commercial break. blocks it

Hayes is in control when we come back, and we see that he hit a spinning neckbreaker during the commercial break. Kushida hits the handspring kick to knock him off the apron, does a flying knee to the left shoulder, brings him back into the ring, Hayes hits a superkick, fireman's carry facebuster on the knee, hits a springboard clothesline, and gets a near-fall. We get official word that Cameron Grimes faces LA Knight at NXT TakeOver. Kushida takes a couple of chops, kicks him again and again, hitts a palm strike, Hayes does a tilt-a-whirl facebuster, and gets a near-fall. Kushida counters the tilt-a-whirl, hiptosses him, cartwheels into a low dropkick, and hits the wind-up punch. Hayes tries for the German suplex, but Kushida counters for the Hoverboard Lock, Hayes springboards into the wind-up punch, Kushida kicks the arm, applies the Hoverboard Lock, and Hayes taps out! WINNER and STILL NXT Cruiserweight Champion: KUSHIDA!

Post-match, Kushida checks on Hayes and applauds him, they shake hands, and Kushida gives him the ring. The NXT Tag Team Champions MSK are backstage preparing for their title match, and they're ready to defend their championship. Breaktime. Franky Monet reads positive reviews about her debut to her personal assistants, and she says she's just getting started.

* Zoey Stark & Zayda Ramier vs. The Way {NXT Women's Tag Team Champions}
  [non-title match]

Hartwell and Ramier start the match and the taller Indi takes control easily with a body slam. LeRae tags in for a neck snap and gets a 2-count, Hartwell tags in, hits a European uppercut and big boot, LeRae tags back in and covers for 2. LeRae applies a chinlock, Hartwell tags in and kicks her in the back to prevent the tag, then Ramier dropkicks her to finally get a break. LeRae blocks the tag, hits Stark with a back elbow, Ramier fights back, and makes the hot tag. Stark clotheslines both women, hits a jumping enzguigiri, gets a 2-count, Ramier tags back in and Stark slams her on top. Hartwell breaks the count, tosses Stark out the ring, LeRae hits Ramier with a running back elbow, Hartwell tags in, LeRae hits the Wicked Stepsister, and Hartwell finishes up with the springboard elbow drop for 3. WINNERS: THE WAY.

Mercedes Martinez talks about being marked as Tian Sha's next victim. She says she's been marked for entire career, agrees that Xia Li is not the same girl from the Mae Young Classic, notes that Xia is more badass, and says she is too. Martinez still has her eyes set on the NXT Women's Championship, but for now she says that she will run through Li at NXT TakeOver. The tag titles will be on the line coming up next.

Another training promo commercial airs for Diamond Mine opening soon. Ember Moon is backstage and she says she's livid after what happened at the beginning of the show. Ember Moon takes on Dakota Kai next week on NXT, then will challenge Raquel González for the NXT Women's Title at NXT TakeOver. Also, Poppy returns to NXT next week. Santos Escobar leads his crew Legado Del Fantasma to the ring for their match.

* NXT Tag Team Championship: Legado Del Fantasma vs. MSK {C}

Joaquin Wilde and Wes Lee start the match for their respective teams. Santos Escobar sits ringside to watch this match. Lee and Wilde go back and forth with headlocks and counters, Wilde slams him down, and Lee kicks him away. Nash Carter tags in, he comes up empty on the Bronco Buster as Wilde avoids it and clotheslines Lee. Raul Mendoza tags in, they stomp him down in their corner, slaps him on the chest, and boots him on the side of the head. LDF hit double back elbows, Mendoza suplexes his partner Wilde onto Carter for a 2-count, and Escobar has a big smile. Wilde hits a low running crossbody for 2, puts him in the half-nelson chinlock, but Carter counters and tags out. MSK hit the double team kick combination attacks followed by a double stomp to the back, Lee covers and Mendoza breaks the count. Carter hits a pump knee to Mendoza, Wilde throws Carter into the turnbuckles and dances, then Lee hits the backflip overhead kick. All four men are down as the Grizzled Young Veterans head down to cause a stir. Timothy Thatcher and Tommaso Ciampa run down to stop them and a brawl breaks out at ringside to the back! Carter wipes out Mendoza with a springboard moonsault to the floor, and Lee hits Wilde with a somersault dive as we take our final commercial break.

We get picture-in-picture for this to see Wilde avoid a 450 Splash attempt, but Lee rolls through, gives him an armdrag into an armbar in the middle of the ring, he does the majistral cradle for 2, then goes back to the armbar. Carter tags in, hits the tope atomico, gets a 2-count, then applies a front facelock, kneedrop to the arm, Lee tags back in for kicks in the corner, and Wilde throws him into the turnbuckles. Mendoza tags in, puts him in the arm-trap chinlock, and Lee tries to battle out.

When we come back full-screen, Mendoza is in control in a corner with chops, a head kick, and covers for 2. Wilde tags in, they hit a double spinebuster, make a wish with Lee's legs, and hit a double basement dropkick for a near-fall. Wilde puts him in the chinlock to wear him down, gets a 2-count, Mendoza tags in for the top atomico, and gets a 2-count. Wilde tags back in to hit a slingshot splash and a springboard monsault, covers for 2, Mendoza back in and chokes him with his boot. Lee counters a powerbomb with a spike DDT, and he has a chance, so he makes the hot tag.

Carter hits back elbows, kicks, jumping enzuigiri, rolling snapmart, superkick, penalty kick, and Lee tags in to hit the assisted push moonsault for a 2-count. Wilde crashes into an empty corner, Mendoza tagged himself in, Lee kicks Wilde in the back and delivers an inverted back suplex. Mendoza hits the rope-walk missile dropkick, a spinning suplex, and covers for a near-fall! Both of LDF tag in and out, taking turns on clotheslines in the corner, Mendoza tags in, Wilde hits a frankensteiner to Lee, and Mendoza catches him on the way down for a powerbomb! Mendoza kicks him in the back, Lee falls to the floor in front of Escobar, he throws Lee into the steel steps behind the ref's back, then puts him on the apron as if nothing happened. They hit their Russian legsweep/running kick combo finisher, and Carter breaks the count at the last second! Escobar is upset at ringside, but then Bronson Reed squashes Escobar against the plexigless barricade! Carter dropkicks Mendoza in the back off the distraction, they hit their assisted blockbuster, and that gets the 3-count! WINNERS and STILL NXT Tag Team Champions: MSK!

The NXT Tag Team Champions MSK and the NXT North American Champion Bronson Reed all stand tall in the ring to close out the show.