One year has passed since WWE NXT 2.0 debuted, giving the developing league new character and introducing new talents. The show’s September 13th installment would honor that legacy while providing the audience’s support.
Carmelo Hayes was scheduled to defend the NXT North American Championship against an unnamed foe in a fan-chosen match. Von Wagner, Joe Gacy, and Wes Lee were the available choices.
Pretty Deadly held the NXT Tag Team Championships, and The Creed Brothers sought to reclaim them. They will compete in a steel cage, as decided by the audience. To fight against Tony D’Angelo and Channing “Stacks” Lorenzo, Cameron Grimes had an unknown partner.
Kiana James and Arianna Grace would go up against Nikkita Lyons and Zoey Stark. Lash Legend and Fallon Henley, as well as Javier Bernal and Hank Walker, a security guard making his debut, would compete in the program.
It was also doubtful that champions Mandy Rose or Bron Breaker would skip this event. The first-anniversary concert for NXT 2.0 was a special occasion with all the makings of a memorable evening.
.@WWESoloSikoa is the one to dethrone @Carmelo_WWE. #WWENXT
Full results ➡️ https://t.co/UBP5vtSSJd pic.twitter.com/r5rqU0Uxms
— WWE NXT (@WWENXT) September 14, 2022
Steel Cage For NXT Tag Team Championships:
Pretty Deadly (c) Vs Creed Brothers
Pretty Deadly was prevented from fleeing frequently and early by the Creed Brothers. However, Damon Kemp’s intervention, which resulted in the handcuffing of Julius Creed, left Brutus Creed to face off against himself. He was defeated by the NXT tag team champions’ second Spilt Milk.
This was the minor technical match these teams had played, with a strong emphasis on the steel cage requirement. Even though the teams occasionally used well-known WWE cliches, it gave this unique addition to the rivalry a new feel.
This was always Pretty Deadly’s to lose, but the compelling narrative more than made up for the foreboding. Due to Kemp’s involvement, Brutus had to fight hard on his own and still maintained a great appearance despite losing by pinfall.
Result: Pretty Deadly for sure The NXT Tag Team Championships were retained by the Creed Brothers by pinfall.
Grade: A
Fallon Henley Vs Lash Legend
Lash Legend entered the ring with confidence, but she was quickly knocked out by a kick to the face from Fallon Henley. This was an incredibly one-sided match, especially considering all WWE has done with Legend and Henley.
Henley easily defeated the former WNBA player, catapulting her to the top of the leaderboard. It appears that Henley will soon challenge Rose after a brief tease backstage. More work must be done to position her as a credible opponent for the title.
Result: Henley def. Legend by pinfall.
Grade: C+
Quincy Elliott Vs Sean Gallagher
From the first bell, Sean Gallagher was outmatched by Quincy Elliott, who easily defeated him with a Banzai Drop. The presentation was more important here than the execution. Elliott must follow up his flashy entrance and display in the ring to stand out in the WWE.
This match was pure squash, and the finish was the all-too-familiar Banzai Drop. Watching how The Super Diva develops over time as a performer will be interesting. He must embrace his wild persona in his performance style.
Result: Elliott def. Gallagher by pinfall.
Grade: C-
The D’Angelo Family Vs Cameron Grimes (and Joe Gacy)
Joe Gacy entered the corner of The Richest Man in NXT after Cameron Grimes was defeated on his own. Gacy pinned Channing “Stacks” Lorenzo following a handspring clothesline after receiving the blind tag.
The group knocked Grimes down after the victory when he continued to reject The Schism, culminating in The Richest Man in NXT receiving a handspring clothesline. This intriguing section came at the wrong time in the conflict.
Although Gacy’s performance as a face in this fight was more intriguing than he has been as a heel, it was all just a front for a routine beatdown. This duel would have been more effective and demonstrated what Gacy could do to assist Grimes if it had been planned weeks earlier. The men’s singles match must be reached at this stage because the feud has already begun.
Result: Gacy and Grimes def. D’Angelo and Stacks by pinfall.
Grade: C+
Nikkita Lyons and Zoey Stark Vs Kiana James and Arianna Grace
While Kiana James and Arianna Grace managed to hang on for a while, they could not compete with Nikkita Lyons and Zoey Stark’s agility. Lyons connected with a roundhouse and split-leg drop for the pinfall victory over Grace after Stark delivered her GTS variation.
With so little to like, this went on much too long. The fact that James and Grace received so much attention did not help. Their offensive was uninteresting and unremarkable. The action began to move when Stark was in charge, although such instances were fleeting.
Lyons contributed very little to this game. Lyons and Stark need to develop their tag team chemistry to advance in the ranks and perhaps even be promoted to the main roster.
Result: Lyons and Stark def. James and Grace by pinfall.
Grade: D
Javier Bernal Vs Hank Walker
Hank Walker struggled valiantly to silence Javier Bernal with the support of the audience behind him. He effectively defeated his opponent with a running crossbody.
The buzz surrounding Walker’s effort to challenge Big Body Javi made for an entertaining position on the card even though there wasn’t much to this battle. Walker made a convincing every-man impression by selling his lack of ring experience.
Rarely does WWE create a genuine underdog star without any flair? He debuted with entrance music to compensate for his lack of star power. This functioned nicely after a month of construction. However, it was no more than a squash match.
Result: Walker def. Bernal by pinfall.
Grade: B-
NXT North American Championship: Carmelo Hayes (c) Vs Solo Sikoa
After hurting Wes Lee backstage, Carmelo Hayes left the venue with Trick Williams, confident he would avoid having to wrestle. Arriving to call, his shot was Solo Sikoa. Sikoa defeated The A Champion by planting him with a range and a Uso Splash.
This felt a bit hurried. Despite Melo and Sikoa’s long-standing rivalry, the newest Bloodline member appeared unstoppable in this situation. Melo was never in a position to win, even in charge.
Although this match may have been better, it was a beautiful occasion. For months, Sikoa has been vying for the NXT North American Championship. After going to SmackDown, it seemed as though he would never have his chance to run. Instead, he caused uproar everywhere.
Likely, The Bloodline member will now appear on SmackDown and NXT as champion, although it is difficult to say for sure. The important thing is that he received his due following a stellar run in NXT 2.0 on the anniversary.
Result: Sikoa def. Melo by pinfall to become the new NXT North American Championship.
Grade: B
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