3/3/2021: WWE NXT Results, Reviews, and Rankings

Mar 4, 20216 min read

Updated: Apr 9, 2021

It's Wednesday, and you know what that means - another night of great professional wrestling. We have a lot on the agenda tonight for WWE NXT, so let's get right to it. Welcome to NXT!

The show begins.

We start off the show with a promo package recapping the breakdown of the Undisputed Era. Roderick Strong will be on the show later to discuss the incidents of the past couple of weeks. Is Undisputed Era fine?

Non-Title Match: Oney Lorcan (c.) and Danny Burch (c.) vs. Tommaso Ciampa and Timothy Thatcher

Our first contest of the night was brought about on Tuesday after it is announced that one member of MSK has come down with an injury after the grueling beatdown from Grizzled Young Veterans last week on NXT. Tommaso Ciampa told Lorcan and Burch that he would find a buddy to challenge the NXT Tag Team Champions on NXT Television, and that partner would be Timothy Thatcher.

This match was a great way to start off this show. Danny Burch and Oney Lorcan are incredibly entertaining, and I always enjoy witnessing a Thatcher-Ciampa showcase. Ciampa and Thatcher make an incredible team and got some solid tag team offense in. At one point in the match, Thatcher had Burch in a headlock and Ciampa decided to place Lorcan in one as well. This moment leads to simultaneous clubbing blows to the chests of Lorcan and Burch. In the end, Imperium stood on the stage to distract Thatcher and Ciampa, leading to an elevated DDT from Lorcan and a pinfall victory.

This was an excellent contest.

Match Result: Oney Lorcan and Danny Burch defeated Tommaso Ciampa and Timothy Thatcher via Pinfall in 9:46.

Match Rating: 3.25 Stars

Roderick Strong calls out Adam Cole; earns a non-title match

Roderick Strong arrived on NXT TV to call out Adam Cole after his actions the past weeks. Instead of Adam Cole, we see the NXT Champion, Finn Balor, make his way to ringside. Balor claims he knows how to get Cole to arrive, and offers Adam Cole an NXT Championship match for next week. Balor tells Strong that he needs to "become selfish." These two are set for a one-on-one non-title match tonight.

The Way Are Seeking The Help

After Gargano announced last week that Austin Theory is going to therapy, we now see this plan come to fruition. Austin Theory called his disappearance a "vacation," while Indi doodled on a notepad, fantasizing of Lumis in the process. Johnny Gargano's aggression toward Dexter Lumis gets him thrown out of the room, and we cut to our next match... to be continued.

Ember Moon vs. Aliyah

Our second contest of the night is Aliyah (accompanied by Jessi Kamea and Robert Stone) taking on Ember Moon (accompanied by Shotzi Blackheart.) Aliyah's cockiness got the better of her in the early going's of this contest. Stone and Kamea attempted to distract Moon multiple times, but Blackheart put an end to that quickly. Moon pinned Aliyah after hitting her finish.

This match felt like a throwaway - but it was a decent way of showcasing Aliyah and Ember Moon. I am sports entertained.

Match Result: Ember Moon defeated Aliyah via Pinfall in 4:53.

Match Rating: 1.5 Stars

NXT Women's Championship Announcement

It is announced that the NXT Women's Champion, Io Shirai, will be defending her championship next week on NXT against her rival Toni Storm. A solid hype promo package plays.

WWE Women's Tag Team Championship Match: Nia Jax (c.) and Shayna Baszler (c.) vs. Dakota Kai and Raquel Gonzalez

After their victory in the NXT Women's Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic at NXT TakeOver: Vengeance Day, Dakota Kai and Raquel Gonzalez are now receiving their obligatory WWE Women's Tag Team Championship match. This match happens now.

Dakota Kai and Shayna Baszler start off the match together. Vic Joseph, on commentary, calls back to Dakota Kai and Shayna Baszler's NXT Women's Championship feud where Baszler referred to Kai as "a little girl." Kai is hoping to prove that this "little girl" had grown up. Baszler and Jax wear down Kai until Raquel Gonzalez manages to make the hot tag.

Gonzalez sends Jax to the outside, knocking the referee down in the process. Gonzalez and Jax go toppling over the NXT announce table, taking each other out for the rest of the match. Baszler locks Kai in the Kirifuda Clutch for the second time in the night, only for WWE official... Adam Pearce to make his way to ringside. Adam Pearce brings a RAW referee forward and the referee rules a technical submission, awarding the victory to Nia Jax and Shayna Baszler. Adam Pearce screwed Dakota Kai and Raquel Gonzalez.

Despite my podcast co-host, Ethan Karnes, begging me to rank every segment involving Nia Jax a 0 Star ranking, that would be doing a major disservice to Kai, Gonzalez, and Baszler, who put in a very good showing. I enjoyed this match and I am interested to see where this goes.

Match Result: Nia Jax and Shayna Baszler defeated Dakota Kai and Raquel Gonzalez via Submission in 13:18.

Match Ranking: 2.75 Stars.

The Debut of L.A Knight

The former Eli Drake, L.A Knight, arrived and cut a promo about why he now runs NXT. He runs down different members of the NXT roster. He claims that he won't talk about "the boyhood dream" because it's not a dream, it is a business. His business involves "kicking ass" and that's what he is going to do. Solid promo from L.A Knight, he carries himself like a star and I am very excited for his future in WWE NXT.

Isaiah "Swerve" Scott is Built Different

We cut backstage to see Swerve in a recording studio. He has a woman by his side who listens to whatever fire track he just produced. She is impressed, and Swerve tells the world that NXT is about to be impressed by what he can really do. It's always nice to see Isaiah Scott.

Cameron Grimes vs. Bronson Reed

After going on a gambling spree backstage, Cameron Grimes was informed that he would be competing in a match against "The Colossal" Bronson Reed. This is that match. Cameron Grimes started this match attempting to bribe Bronson Reed until Reed landed a big right hand on the Bitcoin Extraordinaire.

Bronson Reed is NXT's new Keith Lee, and I am absolutely here for it. Reed is an incredibly agile, athletic big man and he is an absolute class act.

After a solidly competitive contest between Grimes and Reed, L.A Knight makes his way back down to ringside. Knight tosses Grimes bowler hat into the ring, prompting the referee to toss the hat outside. Knight crotches Reed on the turnbuckle and Grimes capitalizes, landing the Cave-In for a victory.

Match Result: Cameron Grimes defeated Bronson Reed via Pinfall in 5:06.

Match Ranking: 3 Stars

Breezango (Fandango and Tyler Breeze) vs. Ever-Rise (Matt Martel and Chase Parker)

Haha, just kidding! You know this match you were super excited for because you are also a mark for Ever-Rise?! It's not happening!

In the midst of Breezango's entrance, Legado del Fantasma (Raul Mendoza and Joaquin Wilde) attacked Breeze and 'Dango. The two rush the ring and attempt to attack Ever-Rise, but Ever-Rise, wisely, return to the stage. Halting the retreat, Santos Escobar rushes and attacks Ever-Rise. Both tag teams are laid out, and Santos Escobar cuts a scathing promo putting the NXT tag team division on notice.

This was a good segment, but dang it, I really wanted to see an Ever-Rise match. They're one of my favorite NXT tag teams.

Non-Title Match: Finn Balor (c.) vs. Roderick Strong

The match set-up earlier in the night happens now, the main event, it's NXT Champion Finn Balor vs. Roderick Strong.

Roderick Strong comes out to new music and entrance graphics, something which Vic Joseph mentions on commentary. I somewhat missed Strong's old look, but it was a little jarring seeing it for the first time since 2018.

Finn Balor worked Strong's shoulder for a majority of the match. "The Messiah of the Backbreaker" managed to hit a plethora of trademark backbreakers on "The Prince." These two went back and forth until Balor finally landed a Coup de Grace and a 1916 for the victory. After the match, Adam Cole came out and had a staredown with Balor on the ramp.

This match was entertaining. It's exactly what you would expect from a Finn Balor match-up. Nothing special, but always entertaining.

Match Result: Finn Balor (c.) defeated Roderick Strong via Pinfall.

Match Ranking: 3 Stars

Final Grade: A-

This show was great. It's exactly what you would want from a professional wrestling product. We had surprises such as L.A Knight's interference and Adam Pearce's NXT debut. We had a championship match. We had comedic backstage segments. We had action-packed professional wrestling. This is exactly what I wanted to see. I am very excited for next week's monumental episode of NXT on USA Network.

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