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NXT Recap: The Tuesday Night Era Has Officially Begun!

Hey gang!  So after a fantastic event that in my opinion easily outdid Wrestlemania, we have new champions and lots of issues to be settled as NXT premieres on its new home on Tuesday nights.  NXT Takeover: Stand & Deliver left the landscape changed and a lot to be dealt with, so let's see how things look after the big event.

We kick things off with the newly crowned NXT Champion Karrion Kross, accompanied by Scarlett.  The new champ tells us it was only a matter of time until he became champion again.  Kross pays respect to Finn Balor's run with the title but says he is in command of NXT until he says so.  He then mentions how the brand has the hungriest roster in the company and invites anyone to challenge him for the title because he will destroy them all until there is no one left.

Nice strong promo from the new champ.  The crowd seemed to be really into it.

MSK vs Killian Dain & Drake Maverick – NXT Tag Team Championship

Carter and Dain start it off with Dain taking Carter with some hard slams and a couple of pin attempts before tagging Maverick in for some double teamwork.  Lee tags in and takes over against the smaller Maverick, but Maverick can hold his own with his speed.  He hits Lee with a Whisper in the Wind from the top rope for a two count.

Carter tags back in and Lee sets him up to hit the Bronco Buster on Maverick.  MSK try a double backdrop, but Maverick slips out and tags Dain.  Dain takes Carter out with a urinagi and Lee knocks him from the apron to the outside.  Lee then tries a suicide dive on him, but Dain catches him and then hits him with a running cross-body on the outside.

Back from commercial break and Dain is all over Lee in the ring. Maverick tags in, allowing Lee to get the hot tag to Carter who takes it to Maverick and Dain.  He tags Lee and they hit the standing moonsault for two before Dain stops the count.  They double team Dain with stomps and kicks before Lee hits the top rope corkscrew splash for a two-count.  Carter tags in and tries a sunset flip, but Dain flattens Carter for a pin attempt, but Lee stops it.

Dain powerbombs Carter and tries power bombing Maverick onto Carter, but Lee makes the save and Maverick eats the move.  Dain gets hit with a flipping cutter off the ropes from Carter and Lee kicks him out of the ring.

MSK then hit Maverick with their version of a Hart Attack and Carter flips over the top rope onto Dain while Lee rolls up Maverick.

Winners and still Tag Team Champions: MSK

After the match, Dain is checking on Maverick when Alexander Wolf appears in the ring.  Dain approaches him before he's jumped by the other members of Imperium, who promptly takes him out.

We see from earlier today, Robert Stone with Aliyah saying he's going to William Regal's office to get her and Jessi Kamea a Women's Tag Title shot.  He's interrupted by Mercedes Martinez, demanding her money promised to her a couple of weeks ago.  She chokes Aliyah hard against the wall, still demanding her money when Kamea shows up and breaks them up.  They challenge each other to a match tonight.

Next, we see Roderick Strong and his wife arriving at the building before we get a run-through of the unsanctioned match between Adam Cole and Kyle O'Reilly at NXT Takeover: Stand & Deliver.  We then see what happened after the match, including Shawn Michaels and the medical staff working on Cole in the ring and O'Reilly collapsing backstage.

They're both loaded into ambulances and brought to the hospital and when they're wheeled in on stretchers, Cole is screaming at O'Reilly that he's dead and he'll get him for this.

Mercedes Martinez vs Jessi Kamea, with Robert Stone & Aliyah

Kamea jumps Martinez right off the bell.  She stomps all over her and hits her with a hard dropkick.  Kamea chokes Martinez on the ropes before tossing her across the ring.  She hits Martinez with a vaulting elbow drop from the ropes before trying a diving strike from the top rope, which Martinez avoids, and then hits a Celtic Cross for the quick pinfall.

Winner: Mercedes Martinez

After the match, Martinez jumps out of the ring and goes after Stone, slamming him into the crowd barrier.  He gives her her money and she throws him down.  She then goes to the announce table and sends a message to NXT Women's Champion Raquel Gonzalez, saying she's coming for her.

Backstage, McKenzie Mitchell is interviewing The Way.  Johnny Gargano takes over and says Regal is sticking it to them with their match tonight and that they'll prevail.  Austin Theory then promises to get revenge on Dexter Lumis in the match, before Candice LeRae says they'll get their revenge on Shotzi Blackheart & Ember Moon.  Indi Hartwell then says she hopes she's in there with Dexter Lumis so she can take care of her business.  This pisses off Gargano and he says the only business they're handling tonight is showing that The Way is the best in the business.

Next, we see Isaiah "Swerve" Scott in a mixing studio, where he cuts a promo telling us he stole the show in the Gauntlet Eliminator match and that he's the star of NXT.  He says he wants to move on, but can't until he finishes off Leon Ruff tonight.

NXT Cruiserweight Champion Santos Escobar hits the ring with Legado Del Fantasma.  He says that one year ago, this title was the face of a forgotten division, but no more.  He says he made it prime time and that he stole the show at Stand & Deliver.  He says he'll never back down and will always fight, which is why right now, he's laying down an open challenge for the title, which is immediately answered by Kushida.

Santos Escobar vs Kushida – NXT Cruiserweight Championship

Kushida immediately dropkicks Escobar out of the ring.  Escobar laughs it off and charges back.  They exchange reversals and dodges until Escobar tries a sunset flip and Kushida tries to turn it into the Hoverboard Lock.  Escobar escapes and rolls out of the ring. Escobar takes his time and finally gets to the apron.

Kushida grabs his arm and immediately begins working on him with an armlock.  He gets Escobar to the ropes and tries tying his arm up around them, but the ref breaks it.  Kushida then tries running at Escobar, but he's back body dropped over the ropes to the apron. Escobar then dropkicks Kushida off the apron to the outside.

Escobar rolls out after him, holding his arm.  He slams Kushida into the crowd barrier and the apron over and over.  He rolls him onto the apron and stretches him around the ring post.  He then hits Kushida with a twisting suplex for a two-count.  They roll back outside and Escobar again smashes Kushida into the crowd barrier before tossing him back in the ring.

He gets Kushida into the corner and splashes him.  Kushida rolls out of the ring again and Escobar follows. Escobar swings him by his legs into the ring steps, before locking him in a Boston Crab on the steps.

They get back in the ring and Escobar hits him with kicks for a two-count.  He then gets Kushida in an armlock and threatens to break his arm as he punches him in the face. Escobar gets him into the corner and hits him with a running knee strike followed by a top rope hurricanrana for another two-count.

Escobar locks in a bow and arrow stretch.  Kushida powers out and hits Escobar with some chops before Escobar responds with a dropkick.  He goes for a Phantom Driver, but Kushida gets out and rallies with a series of kicks and dropkicks.  He then focuses on the arm again and hits Escobar with a running palm strike.

Escobar goes to the top rope, but Kushida meets him there and hits him with a top rope double under hook suplex, which he then rolls into a standing Northern Lights Suplex with a bridge for two before Escobar gets his foot on the rope.  Kushida goes for the Hoverboard Lock again, but Escobar fights it and hits him with an enziguri and Kushida hits him with a Pele kick to drop both of them.

They exchange punches and kicks as they get to their feet.  Kushida goes for a running move, but Escobar hits him with the backstabber. Escobar then tries the Phantom Driver again, but Kushida rolls him up, which Escobar reverses for his own roll-up for two, which Kushida reverses for the pinfall!

Winner and new Cruiserweight Champion: Kushida

What a match!  Incredible back and forth action and reversals and what a fun surprise ending.

Backstage, Tommaso Ciampa and Timmothy Thatcher cut a promo.  Ciampa says life has always tested them and even if they don't win, they come out stronger.  They threaten MSK that they're coming for them.

Kushida is recovering after his match when Regal congratulates him.  Jordan Devlin then approaches and congratulates him as well, though he diminishes his win over Escobar and says he's just lucky.  Devlin says he'll be away for a while, but when he gets back, he's coming for that title.  Kushida tells him any time!

Dakota Kai is in the ring and introduces the new NXT Women's Champion, Raquel Gonzalez.  Gonzalez enters with her new title and gets a mic.  Gonzalez says when NXT debuted on tv, she wasn't ready.  But she trained and worked harder and a year and a half later, she's the champion.  She credits Kai with helping her accomplish everything.  Kai says they've dominated for 14 months and Gonzalez credits Io Shirai with being a great champion but announces that the Raquel Gonzalez era has begun.

The lights go out in the arena and when they come on, we see Franky Monet (with the little dog in her arms) on the stage.  She enters the ring and congratulates Gonzalez and formally introduces herself.  She says with her arrival, the best division on the planet has now gotten shinier and better and tells Gonzalez that she'll be seeing a lot more of her.  Gonzalez tells her that if she interrupts her again, she'll shove the dog up her chulo.  Monet laughs it off and says she'll see her every Tuesday.

Then they're interrupted by Raw Women's Champion Rhea Ripley.  Ripley enters the ring and the two champions get face to face. They then smile and hug each other, until they're interrupted by Smackdown Women's Champion Bianca Belair.  She joins them in the ring and the three of them pose with their newly won titles in front of a photo of them from back in the day on the screen behind them.  Nice little moment.

Backstage, Pete Dunne cuts a promo saying that at Stand & Deliver he proved he's the best technical wrestler.  He says it's time for him to get refocused on Championship gold.

We see a video promo with William Regal talking about their recent signing of Sarray from Japan and how great she is and that she will be debuting on NXT next week.

Then backstage, Regal is in the hallway and makes his way to his office to find Roderick Strong, who hands him an envelope and says he's done.  Regal asks him if he's sure?  Strong confirms he is and is leaving NXT.

Leon Ruff vs Isaiah "Swerve" Scott

They start screaming at each other right away, before Ruff slugs Swerve and starts pounding him.  Swerve lands awkwardly on his shoulder at one point.  He knocks Swerve out of the ring and they fight more before getting back in the ring.  Swerve hits a scoop slam before hitting a diving elbow from the ropes for two.  Ruff rallies and hits Swerve with a series of running strikes.  After a series of reversals, they wind up on the ropes, and Swerve hits Ruff with a Russian Leg Sweep from the ropes and kicks Ruff out of the ring.

Swerve locks in a rear headlock before throwing Ruff into the corner and hitting him with a hard couple of chops, mixed with some serious trash talk.  He hits a third chop, which causes Ruff to rage at him with his own chops.  Ruff goes for a running move, but Swerve counters with an X-Factor.  Swerve tries to lock in an armbar, but Ruff gets out and hits a springboard cutter.

Swerves rolls outside and Ruff hits him with a diving flip and then tosses him back in the ring.  They both climb the turnbuckle and Ruff hits him with an enziguri before hitting him with a jumping hurricanrana off the top rope for a two-count.

They get to their feet and exchange punches before Ruff head scissors Swerve into the corner and Swerve responds with a lariat, but Ruff rolls him up for two.  Swerve goes to the top rope and Ruff follows.  Ruff tries another hurricanrana, but Swerve counters to smash him into the top turnbuckle.

Swerve then hits an inverted sit-down powerbomb for the pinfall.

Winner: Isaiah "Swerve" Scott

Backstage, Zoey Stark is interviewed and she says how she struggled to get where she is and is now focused on the Women's title.  Mercedes Martinez interrupts her and says she's next in line for the title, not some rookie.  Stark says we'll see about that.

Swerve is interviewed in the locker room but is jumped by Ruff and knocked out with a carrying case.  Refs get Ruff away from Swerve and check on him.

Dexter Lumis, Bronson Reed, Shotzi Blackheart, & Ember Moon vs The Way

Lumis and Theory start us off.  Theory tries some offense on Lumis, but the psycho just lets it all bounce off of him.  LeRae and Moon tag in and Moon drops LeRae before tagging in Blackheart, who slams LeRae.  They double team LeRae before Gargano tags in and the tag champs punch him out and tag in Lumis.

Lumis knocks around Gargano and punches Theory off the apron.  Hartwell then tries flirting with Lumis, but LeRae pulls her away and Gargano beats on Lumis from behind.  He tags in Theory, who whips Lumis between the corners.  Theory snap suplexes Lumis and taunts Reed, before stomping on Lumis and going for a quick pin attempt.

He then locks Lumis in a rear chin lock, but Lumis powers out.  Theory scouts this and side slams Lumis for two.  He then applies a rear headlock on Lumis, bringing him to the mat.  Lumis powers up and backdrops Theory before tagging Reed.

Reed brings it to Theory and tosses him around.  Gargano gets in and Reed splashes him.  Reed tosses him into Theory in the corner and splashes both, before hitting both men with a double Samoan drop.  He goes for the pin, but Hartwell & LeRae break it up.  Moon and Blackheart then charge in and the women are slugging it out.

LeRae goes to the top rope, but Reed tells her not to try it.  She jumps anyways and just bounces off of Reed.  Theory then hits Reed with a dropkick before eating a hard spinebuster from Lumis.  Gargano pulls Lumis out of the ring, but Moon hits him with a suicide dive to the outside.

LeRae then hits Lumis with a diving tornado DDT to the outside.  The only two in the ring are Reed and Blackheart and she tells him to throw her outside on them, which he does and she takes everyone out as a human weapon.  Reed then tries to do a running move but catches a superkick to the face from Gargano.

Lumis enters the ring and Gargano tries to superkick him, but Lumis catches his leg and hits him with the Silencer.  As Gargano struggles in the hold, Hartwell enters and pretends to kick Lumis and then just falls on her back next to him and pretends to be knocked out.  This distracts Lumis, who checks on her.  But Theory kicks Lumis down and begins hitting him.  Hartwell then throws Theory out of the ring and again lays down pretending to be out cold by the apron.

Lumis sees her again and checks on her.  He picks her up and carries her backstage as Hartwell looks at the camera and gives a smiling wink and a thumbs up.  This is actually really funny!

In the ring, Theory ties jumping at Reed, but Reed catches him with a forearm before Moon stands on his shoulders and hits Theory with an Eclipse.  LeRae jumps in and throws Moon out of the ring as Reed goes to the top rope.  Gargano crotches him on the turnbuckle and tries to superplex him, but Reed throws him onto Theory.  LeRae now tries to superplex the massive Reed, but it doesn't work and Blackheart slams her onto Theory before Reed hits the Tsunami onto Theory for the pinfall.

Winners: Bronson Reed, Dexter Lumis, Shotzi Blackheart, and Ember Moon.

Reed celebrates in the ring with Moon & Blackheart on his shoulders as NXT goes off the air for the night.

A pretty fun first Tuesday night show with an amazing match from Kushida and Escobar!

We'll see you next Tuesday for more NXT action.

Till next time friends!

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