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NXT Great American Bash Recap: Who Survived O'Reilly vs Cole II?

Hey gang!  It's a special night of NXT action tonight, as they're throwing their now annual Summer event, the NXT Great American Bash.  While it's free on the USA Network, we're being treated to a pay-per-view atmosphere and card, with lots of title matches and a big rematch involving the brand's biggest feud.  Enough out of me, let's get to the Bash!

MSK vs Tommaso Ciampa & Timmothy Thatcher – NXT Tag Team Championship

We start the night off with some Tag Team Championship action!

Carter and Ciampa start it off and exchange some lock-ups.  Ciampa gets chops in, but Carter responds with a springboard corkscrew crossbody.  Thatcher tags in and gets Carter in a strong wristlock.  Lee tags in and MSK hits him with double kicks, until Ciampa and Thatcher get ahold of the champs and hit double chest blasts to them.

Thatcher is all-over Lee with holds and stretches.  Ciampa tags in and is all over Lee with chops and a running knee.  He gets Lee in a side headlock, but Lee dropkicks him and tags Carter.  Carter unloads on Ciampa with kicks and hits a moonsault to Thatcher on the outside, but Ciampa clotheslines him down hard right after.

They get back in the ring and Carter escapes a backdrop to tag Lee, who lays into Ciampa with kicks.  He goes to bounce off the ropes, but Thatcher pulls them and Lee falls over to the outside.  He gets back in and Ciampa knees him in the back for a two-count.

Thatcher tags in and so does Carter and MSK are all over him with a double team.  MSK hits the lifting moonsault for two.  Ciampa tags in and hammers Carter with chops, before tagging out and Thatcher hits Carter with uppercuts.  Ciampa tags back in and continues the chops, but Carter fights back until Ciampa hits a big knee to the jaw.

They exchange punches and Carter hits a big jumping kick to the face and tags Lee.  Lee goes for a handstand strike to Thatcher in the corner, but Ciampa dropkicks him and hits a powerbomb into double knees for a near tw0-count.

Thatcher tags in and so does Carter.  Carter hits a knee and Ciampa gets the tag.  Ciampa gets Carter on the top turnbuckle, but Carter escapes and superkicks Ciampa in the corner.  MSK hits running strikes on Ciampa and then Carter hits a Swanton Bomb from the top rope, followed by Lee hitting a corkscrew splash from the top rope.

Lee goes for the pin, but Thatcher pulls him to the outside.  Carter runs at him, but Thatcher uppercuts him.  He gets Lee in the ring and Ciampa hits the Fairytale Ending.  Thatcher gets the ankle lock on Lee, but Carter tackles Ciampa into them.

Lee then grabs Thatcher and gets an inside cradle for the pinfall.

Winners and still Champions: MSK

NXT General Manager William Regal and Samoa Joe are in the ring.  Regal says they're tired of what has been happening between Karrion Kross and Johnny Gargano, so he demands they both come to the ring, which they do.  Security surrounds the ring and Gargano tells Kross he sucks and that he's living in Kross's head.

He says Kross is terrified of him.  Regal says that next week, it will be Kross vs Gargano for the NXT title (I thought that was supposed to be tonight?!)

Kross goes on about his goals, which include main eventing Wrestlemania and being WWE Champion (this guy is main roster-bound very soon!).  Kross then insults Gargano and tells him he's going to destroy him next week.  Regal then says Samoa Joe will be the special guest referee next week, which Gargano loves.  Kross tries to charge him, but Joe gets in the way and he and Kross have a staredown.

We now see a video promo of Kushida saying he was proud of his match with Kyle O'Reilly, but then he was attacked from behind by Diamond Mine.  He challenges them and says he's ready.

LA Knight vs Cameron Grimes – Million Dollar Championship

Grimes immediately hits a big boot and clotheslines Knight out of the ring.  He tosses him back in and hits a top rope flying crossbody for two.  Grimes locks in a side headlock, but Knight throws him off and hits him with a back elbow.  Knight stomps him and beats him in the corner.

Knight goes for a vaulting shoulder, but Grimes punches him in the air.  Grimes hits a standing moonsault for two.  Grimes gets another headlock in and gives Knight a noogie.  Knight thrusts Grimes into the turnbuckle and hits him with a scoop slam.  Knight then elbows Grimes on the apron.

Knight tries a foot choke on Grimes, but the ref breaks it.  Grimes hits a running crossbody and goes for another running move, but Knight hits a neck breaker on him.  Knight hits a running knee to Grimes and goes to the turnbuckle to taunt the crowd.  He stomps Grimes around the ring, before slingshots him into the bottom rope.

Knight locks in a headlock, but Grimes drops him on his jaw and then hits a running flipping crossbody.  They get to their feet and exchange punches until Grimes takes over and pummels Knight.  He hits a couple of running forearms and then a scoop slam into a side slam for two.

Knight tries tossing Grimes over the top rope, but Grimes Shawn Michaels himself back over, only to get a reverse Death Valley Driver from Knight for two.  Knight appears to go for the BFT, but Grimes reverses into a backslide for two.

He then roundhouse kicks Knight and goes to the top turnbuckle, but Knight leaps up and superplexes Grimes for a two-count.  Knight goes outside and grabs the title belt.  He brings it inside and the ref grabs it from him.  Grimes rolls up Knight, but as the ref gets there for the count, Knight reverses into his own roll-up holding the tights for two.

Grimes hits a Poisonrana for a near two-count.  Knight rolls out of the ring and trips Grimes onto the apron and then hits a DDT off the apron onto the title belt.  The ref counts, but Grimes gets back in at nine and a half.

Knight hits the BFT for the pinfall.

Winner and still Champion: LA Knight

After the match, Knight taunts Grimes from the stage, as Grimes now must become his butler.

NXT Women's Champion Raquel Gonzalez and Dakota Kai are interviewed backstage, where they express how much they hate Ember Moon and Shotzi Blackheart and they swear revenge on them for costing them an opportunity at the NXT Women's Tag titles.

Next on the stage, they introduce the competitors in the NXT Breakout Tournament, including Trey Baxter, Carmelo Hayes, Andre Chase, Josh Briggs, Ikemen Jiro, Joe Gacy, Odyssey Jones, and Duke Hudson.  The tournament begins next week.

We now see Adam Cole getting ready backstage.

Zoey Stark & Io Shirai vs The Way – NXT Women's Tag Team Championship

Hartwell and Shirai start it off and Hartwell slams her, but Shirai responds with speed and hits a couple of dropkicks.  LeRae tags in and tries a couple of roll-ups, to no success.  Hartwell tags in and Shirai hits a top rope missile dropkick for two.

Stark tags in and they hit a double suplex on Hartwell for two.  Stark tries a backslide and hits a kick, but Hartwell fights back front suplexes Stark onto the top rope.

Hartwell drags Stark to the mat with a shoulder lock, but Stark tosses her off and hits a spin kick.  Shirai and LeRae both tag in and exchange fists.  Shirai hits a 619 and a vaulting missile dropkick for two.  She hits a running elbow on LeRae in the corner and double underhook backbreaker and tags Stark.

Stark hits a running knee for two and tags Shirai.  Shirai goes up top and does the moonsault but, LeRae rolls out of the way and locks her in the Gargano Escape.  Hartwell hits Stark with the Silencer at the same time, but Shirai rolls LeRae over for a two-count.

Shirai palm strikes LeRae and goes to the top rope.  Hartwell tries to grab her, but Shirai kicks her away, but this allows LeRae to run up and German Suplex Shirai from the top rope.  She goes for the pin, but Stark breaks it up.

Hartwell tags in and hits a spinning back suplex on Shirai for two.  LeRae tags in and Shirai gets her with an inside cradle for two.

The lights go out in the arena and the charging icon that has been on TV for weeks hits the screen.  When the lights come back on, we see Tegan Nox on the stage.

This has The Way in disbelief.  Shirai kicks Hartwell down and then dropkicks her into LeRae, knocking her out of the ring.

Stark tags in and hits a 360 knee to the face for the pinfall.

Winners and new NXT Women's Tag Team Champions: Io Shirai & Zoey Stark

After the match, Nox unloads on LeRae, pummeling her in the ring. LeRae runs away through the crowd and Nox follows her.  Shirai and Stark pose with their new titles in the ring.

Next, Toni Storm cuts a backstage promo where complains that she isn't getting a championship match.  She says Sarray challenging her was "cute" but that she's not on her level and she won't face her.

We now see that after the last match, Dexter Lumis picked up Indi Hartwell from the ring and carried her backstage.

Now we have Hit Row rapping on the stage.  The crowd is dead silent and doesn't know what to make of this.  They each get a chance to pretend to be rappers and then make their way to the ring to sing their theme song.  And that's it.  No run-in by Bronson Reed or anyone.  They just did a little concert.  It was 10 minutes long and we're not getting that time back.  Damn it.

Next, we have Regal and Samoa Joe being interviewed backstage, where Regal says he's very happy with the show thus far.  Joe says that in the title match next week, as long as he's not provoked, everything should be ok.

Kyle O'Reilly vs Adam Cole

They lock up and get each other in a series of grapples.  O'Reilly tries a roundhouse kick, but Cole ducks and rolls out of the ring.  Cole gets back inside and tries a Sunset Flip on O'Reilly, but O'Reilly drops into an armbar and then an ankle lock.

He wrenches Cole's arm and turns into a wristlock, where he hammers him with knees and then a running knee to the elbow and back. O'Reilly goes right back to that arm, but Cole escapes and runs at him, but O'Reilly kicks him down.

They head outside and Cole hits a running neck breaker on O'Reilly.  They get back into the ring and Cole kicks him down for two.  Cole hits another neck breaker for two.  Cole slams O'Reilly into the corner and then hard whips him into the opposite one and O'Reilly hits it sternum-first.

Cole gets him in a leg choke on the mat, hitting him with elbows to the face at the same time.  Cole then lifts him on his shoulders, but O'Reilly escapes and hits a running knee to Cole's midsection.  He hits Cole with a series of Muay Thai strikes and a series of double underhook takedowns into a DDT for two.

O'Reilly hits a shin breaker and goes for an enziguri, but Cole reverses into a backstabber for two.  Cole yells at O'Reilly that he's always been better than him and insults his wife, which causes O'Reilly to snap and pummel Cole in the corner.  As O'Reilly goes for mounted punches, Cole escapes and kicks his legs out from under him.

Cole climbs outside and wraps O'Reilly's leg around the post.  Cole then gets in the ring and DDTs O'Reilly's leg, before wrapping it around the ropes for a hold, which the ref breaks.

Cole stomps on his leg on the mat and drops an elbow on it.  He then applies a leg lock, stabbing his elbow into the inside of O'Reilly's knee.  He gets O'Reilly in another leg stretch, focusing on the knee. O'Reilly kicks him in the face and breaks free.

Cole goes for a running clothesline, but they clothesline each other down to the mat.  On their knees, they exchange punches until they get to their feet, still punching each other. O'Reilly tries a spin kick, but Cole hits a boot to the face and gets him in a hold on the ropes.

O'Reilly breaks it and hits a Dragon Screw on Cole on the ropes, hurting his leg now. O'Reilly hobbles in and they each reverse a brainbuster attempt and then kick each other, before Cole hits a chop block and then a running knee to the face for two.

Cole goes up top to try for a Panama Sunrise, but O'Reilly dodges it and again hits a series of strikes.  He tries a leg sweep, but Cole dodges it and tries a superkick, but O'Reilly catches his foot and hits an inside-out suplex for two.

They get to their feet and exchange fists, but O'Reilly grounds Cole and tries an armbar.  Cole reverses and tries a spinning toe hold, but O'Reilly gets an inside cradle for two. O'Reilly then gets the heel lock on Cole, but Cole turns it into a Figure Four. O'Reilly tries to turn it over, but Cole keeps turning and has it on again.

O'Reilly kicks out of it and locks in a Figure Four heel lock until Cole grabs the rope.  Cole hits an enziguri, but O'Reilly responds with a series of hard kicks to the head. O'Reilly tries a German Suplex, but Cole enziguris him again, only for O'Reilly to hit him with a running kick to the face, making himself fall out of the ring.

Cole goes to the apron and hits a Panama Sunrise on the outside.  He rolls O'Reilly into the ring and goes for the pin, but O'Reilly puts his foot on the rope at two.  They exchange a series of reversals until Cole superkicks O'Reilly who bounces off the ropes into hitting Cole with a big lariat.

O'Reilly then hits the brainbuster on Cole and goes to the top rope.  He tries the flying knee drop, but Cole dodges it and hits the Last Shot for a near two-count.

Cole goes up for Panama Sunrise, but O'Reilly arm drags him off of the turnbuckle.  He tries a running move on Cole in the corner, but Cole dodges and hits him with a series of sidekicks to the leg.

Cole goes up again for Panama Sunrise, but O'Reilly knees Cole in the chest, hurting his knee in the process.  Cole goes up again and finally hits Panama Sunrise and the Last Shot for the pinfall.

Winner: Adam Cole

Not a bad show, but kind of oddly paced.  The Cole/O'Reilly match was great and the Knight/Grimes match was very good too.  The two NXT Tag Title matches felt a bit rushed, but hey, had to get that Hit Row rap concert in right?

Till next time friends!

NXT Great American Bash 2021

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Review by Ryan Fassett

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6.5/10

Is it an instant classic show? Nope. Is it bad? Nope. It's just kind of average. It's better than forgettable because I think the O'Reilly vs Cole match was better than the last one and told a great story. But the show overall felt unfocused and there was too much non-wrestling nonsense. Looking at you Hit Row! Pros: O'Reilly vs Cole, Knight vs Grimes Cons: Hit Row concert, rushed tag matches, too much outside stuff

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