NXT Results – Aug. 26, 2020 – Two Title Matches, Kross Vacates Title

Aug 26, 2020

August 26, 2020
Winter Park, Florida (Full Sail University)
Commentary: Wade Barrett, Vic Joseph, and Beth Phoenix
Results by: Mike Tedesco of Wrestleview.com

Quick Match Results

NXT Tag Team Championship: Breezango defeated Imperium (Fabian Aichner & Marcel Barthel) (c) via diving double leg drops to become the NEW champions
Tommaso Ciampa defeated Jake Atlas via Widow’s Bell
Shotzi Blackheart defeated Mia Yim via to rope senton
NXT Cruiserweight Championship: Santos Escobar (c) defeated Isaiah “Swerve” Scott via headbutt
Kyle O’Reilly defeated Drake Maverick via heel hook submission
Dakota Kai & Raquel Gonzalez defeated Io Shirai & Rhea Ripley via one armed slam by Gonzalez on Ripley

In-Ring: Karrion Kross, Scarlett

NXT Champion Karrion Kross makes his way to the ring with Scarlett. Kross has his arm in a sling. Scarlett hands him a microphone. Kross says, “I told you again and again that I would become NXT Champion and I warned you that on the way there everyone would suffer.” At NXT TakeOver XXX, he kept good on his word when he ripped the NXT Title off Keith Lee’s carcass like flesh from bone.

When you go to war, you should expect casualties on both sides. Kross says his shoulder is separated and is giving him searing pain, but he loves it. It gives him life. However, he’s a realist and understands the reality of the situation. There’s no way they’ll let him defend the NXT Championship in this condition, so on the path there are obstacles. For him, the obstacles are the path. Kross puts the NXT Championship down on the canvas, relinquishing the title.

Kross says this changes absolutely nothing. Doomsday is still coming. No matter what, everyone pays the toll. God help the obstacles that will be in his path. Tick tock. Kross and Scarlett walk off, leaving the NXT Championship behind with an hourglass behind it.

Wade Barrett is on commentary for tonight, making his first appearance since 2016. Barrett says he had to relinquish a title for the same reason Karrion Kross did and his heart goes out to him.

NXT Tag Team Championship
Imperium (Fabian Aichner & Marcel Barthel) (c) vs. Breezango

Breezango attacks Imperium as they finish their entrance. The referee regains order and sends them to their respective corners.

It’s Fandango starting against Fabian Aichner. Aichner hits an arm drag and wrenches the arm. Marcel Barthel tags in and hits an arm drag. Barthel applies an arm bar, but Fandango fights up. Fandango whips him into the ropes, but Barthel shoulder blocks him down. Barthel hits the ropes, but Fandango leapfrogs him and dropkicks him down.

We come back from the break to see Imperium double-team Fandango with a European Uppercut and a clothesline. Aichner bounces Fandango off the turnbuckle and tags Barthel in. Fandango kicks Barthel and sends Aichner out of the ring.

Breeze tags in, but Barthel quickly cuts him off. Breeze superkicks Aichner and kicks Barthel back. Breeze sends Barthel to the corner and forearms him. Breeze hits the ropes, but Barthel attacks him. Breeze connects with a high knee to the face. Barthel nearly sends him into the referee, but Breeze slingshots over him. Barthel uppercuts him to the corner and hits a suplex. Barthel goes to the second rope and jumps off, but Breeze spin kicks him out of mid-air for a near fall.

Breeze goes for an Unprettier, but Barthel backs him to the corner and elbows him. Barthel viciously kicks Breeze, but Breeze takes him down with a single leg. Barthel kicks him back and tags Aichner in. Breeze immediately hits Aichner with a step-up enzuigiri. Breeze catapults Aichner into Fandango, who tagged in, causing Aichner to fall back onto Breeze’s knees. Fandango hits a diving leg drop.

Barthel pulls Aichner out of the ring. Fandango hits Aichner with a somersault senton, but Barthel got away. Barthel immediately uppercuts him down. Aichner then grabs Fandango and hits a German Suplex on the floor!

We come back from the break to see Fandango fight up for a chin lock applied by Aichner. Fandango gets out and dives off the second rope, but he’s caught. Aichner hits a rolling fireman’s carry followed by a moonsault. Breeze breaks up the pin. Barthel quickly uppercuts Breeze out of the ring and sends him into the plexiglass. Barthel then hits Breeze with a tilt-a-whirl slam on the floor!

Barthel lifts Fandango up for a suplex, but Fandango lands on his feet and hits a jawbreaker. Aichner bounces into a tag by Barthel. Barthel viciously knees him. Barthel connects with an over-the-shoulder piledriver for a near fall. Barthel cannot believe it. Aichner tags in, and Imperium goes for a double-team, but Fandango avoids it.

Breeze tags in, but Aichner clotheslines him down. Imperium goes for a European Bomb, but Breeze gets out and hits Aichner and Barthel with Supermodel Kicks! Fandango follows up with a diving double leg drop on Imperium for the win!

Winners by Pinfall and new NXT Tag Team Champions: Breezango

Breezango celebrates winning their first titles in not just NXT, but WWE.

Backstage: Damian Priest, Timothy Thatcher

McKenzie Mitchell is backstage with NXT North American Champion Damian Priest. Priest says he’ll answer some questions in due time, but the afterparty is still going. Timothy Thatcher comes up and says Priest isn’t a good wrestler and he should be first in line. Priest isn’t sure who he is, but assures Thatcher that he is well equipped.

NXT General Manager William Regal, Triple H, Shawn Michaels, and Matt Bloom are shown talking in a conference room about the NXT Championship.

Jake Atlas vs. Tommaso Ciampa

They lock up, and Ciampa powers him to the corner. Atlas gets in his face, so Ciampa head-butts him and viciously beats him down. Ciampa stomps away at him before putting him on the apron. Ciampa connects with the Widow’s Bell for the win.

Winner by Pinfall: Tommaso Ciampa

Ciampa drags Atlas out of the ring and sends him into the ring steps before sending him into the plexiglass. Ciampa throws him into the ring steps and viciously punches away at him. Referees run out to keep Ciampa back. Ciampa has a red welt on his head from the head-butt he gave earlier. Ciampa runs back and boots Atlas in the head. Ciampa puts him under ring and signals for a catapult into the metal beams, but thinks better of it. Ciampa then grabs him and gives him the catapult. Referees immediately signal for the medics. EMTs run over with a stretcher as Ciampa sits on the apron and watches this unfold with a blank expression.

The medics put Atlas in a neck brace and on the stretcher. Ciampa then grabs Atlas and gives him a Widow’s Bell off the stretcher to the floor! Ciampa psychotically smiles and walks off.

Video: Candice LeRae

Candice LeRae talks about her friendship with Tegan Nox, but mentions Nox wasn’t there when she needed her. If Nox doesn’t want to do things the Gargano Way, then c’est la vie.

Backstage: Bronson Reed, Austin Theory

McKenzie Mitchell asks Bronson Reed about Timothy Thatcher’s ambition. Reed says he respects Thatcher’s ambition, but he’s actually beaten Damian Priest. Austin Theory walks up and says he went right to WrestleMania because he’s so good. If Reed keeps reaching for the stars, he can be a champion by 55. Reed slaps Theory in the face and walks off. Theory smirks.

Mia Yim vs. Shotzi Blackheart

Mia Yim is in the ring ready to face Mercedes Martinez. Robert Stone comes out with Aliyah and says there’s no way he’d allow Martinez to fight after what happened to her last week. All of a sudden Stone goes down and has his leg run over by Shotzi Blackheart’s mini tank! Stone screams in pain. Blackheart gets in the ring to take Martinez’ place.

They lock up, and Blackheart applies a waistlock. Yim reverses it and takes her down. Yim applies a hammerlock, but Blackheart takes her down and hits a double leg to the midsection. Robert Stone is carried off. Yim comes back with a hurricanrana, but Blackheart comes back with a monkey flip attempt. Blackheart avoids a big boot and hits a hurricanrana for a two count. Yim covers her for a two count. Yim blocks a kick, but lets it down. Blackheart goes to howl, but Yim punches her in the throat. Yim throws her off the ropes and covers for a two count. Yim hits a snapmare and kicks her in the back. Yim applies a bow and arrow stretch, but Blackheart fights out and covers her for a two count. Yim immediately dropkicks her into the corner, but Blackheart boots her back. Blackheart avalanches Yim down and hits a facebuster. Blackheart hits a knee, a forearm, and a kick. Yim is stunned. Blackheart connects with a suplex, but Yim kicks out. Yim connects with a full nelson suplex and goes for a dropkick, but Yim sidesteps her. Blackheart hits a senton splash. Blackheart then goes to the top rope and hits a diving senton splash for the win.

Winner by Pinfall: Shotzi Blackheart

Backstage: Dakota Kai, Raquel Gonzalez

Dakota Kai and Raquel Gonzalez are backstage. They’re not bothered by Rhea Ripley coming out on Saturday. They’re not worried about this tag match since Ripley wants what Io Shirai has. She deserves to be Women’s Champion and will prove it. Gonzalez says Ripley messed up getting in her face.

In-Ring: William Regal

NXT General Manager William Regal is in the ring with the NXT Championship. Regal says Karrion Kross had a tough match against Keith Lee and won the title after injuring his shoulder halfway through the match. Regal says the injury was too severe and Kross had to relinquish the title. As tough as that is, Kross handled this situation with conviction and ferocity. Regal wishes Kross best wishes on his long recovery.

Life moves on and we have to decide who the NXT Champion will be. After conferring with the NXT Advisory Board, next week on a special Tuesday night episode of NXT, four of the greatest superstars in NXT history – all four NXT Champions – will compete in a Fatal 4-Way Match to determine the new NXT Champion! These competitors have accumulated numerous accolades and could claim to be the face of NXT.

Those competitors are the first Triple Crown winner in NXT history, Johnny Gargano. The next is one of the most ferocious competitors he’s seen and never lost the NXT Title, Tommaso Ciampa. The first Universal Champion, Finn Bálor will also be in this match. Another Triple Crown winner and the longest-reigning NXT Champion Adam Cole will also take part. One of these men will make history on NXT Tuesday. This will be a 4-Way 60-minute Iron Man Match!

Wade Barrett says he’s coming back next week because he cannot miss that one.

NXT Cruiserweight Championship
Santos Escobar (c) vs. Isaiah “Swerve” Scott

Before the match begins, Escobar sends Legado del Fantasma to the back.

They lock up, and Scott quickly wrenches the arm before going to the ropes. Escobar knocks him down to the apron, but Scott quickly boots him in the face. Scott quickly grabs the arm and hits a springboard arm drag that sends him out of the ring. Scott goes for a dive, but Escobar backs up out of the line of fire.

We come back from the break to see Escobar applying a side headlock. Scott tries to whip him off, but Escobar holds on. Scott gets out with a back suplex for a one count, but Escobar kicks out and keeps the side headlock applied. Scott backs Escobar into the ropes and whips him off. Escobar shoulder blocks him down, hits a snapmare, and goes for a pin, but Scott twists out and hits a head-scissor takeover. Scott transitions into a nice suplex for a near fall. Scott applies a Gory Special before pinning him for another near fall. Escobar quickly kicks him back and punches him. Scott reverses a whip into an arm bar attempt, but Escobar gets out of the ring. Scott grabs him from the apron, but Escobar throws him off the apron into the plexiglass. Escobar then picks Scott up and drops him chest-first on the steel steps.

Escobar gets Scott in the ring and kicks him down for a two count. Escobar chops the chest and kicks him down. Escobar attacks the injured elbow caused by the plexiglass. Escobar puts him in the corner and hits a running double knee to the chest for a near fall. Escobar grabs both hands and backs him into the corner a few times. Scott soon pulls him onto the second rope and goes for a super hurricanrana, but Escobar counters into a powerbomb for a near fall!

We come back from the break to see Escobar hit an inverted atomic drop and knee Scott in the face for a near fall. Escobar talks trash and viciously kicks him a few times. Scott angrily blocks one and wildly punches away at him in the corner. Scott throws him down and hits a diving elbow to the back. Escobar quickly gets out of the ring to recover, but Scott kicks him down from the apron. Scott then takes him out with a Fosbury Flop. Scott gets him in the ring and hits the 611 for a near fall!

Legado del Fantasma run down. Joaquin Wilde distracts the referee while Raul Mendoza distracts Scott by grabbing the foot. Escobar viciously kicks Scott in the head, but Scott kicks out. New NXT Tag Team Champions Breezango pull Wilde and Mendoza down and brawl with them to the back.

Escobar charges Scott, but Scott hits a high knee to the head for a near fall. Scott takes him down and hits a German Suplex for another near fall. Scott sizes Escobar up and hits a House Call. Scott covers, but Escobar just barely kicks out. Escobar shoves Scott to the corner. Scott goes for a back body drop to the apron, but counters into a JML Driver instead. Escobar grabs the bottom rope to break the count. Escobar rolls out of the ring and puts a luchador mask on. Escobar head-butts him, and Scott goes down like he’s unconscious. Escobar takes the mask off and picks up the win!

Winner by Pinfall and still NXT Cruiserweight Champion: Santos Escobar

Backstage: Johnny Gargano

Johnny Gargano says he knows life can change in a moment. Last Wednesday, he almost broke his neck and ended his career. It left him thinking what he would leave behind. An unfinished legacy. Gargano said he would fix NXT and rule it. Fate has stepped in. Karrion Kross’ injury has given him a golden opportunity. In a 4-Man 60-Minute Iron Man Match, he’ll show everyone who the hell he is. He’s been the Iron Man of NXT and will prove it on Tuesday.

Backstage: Finn Balor

Finn Bálor says all the pieces have fallen into place. This Tuesday, he’ll prove he’s not just the cornerstone of NXT — he’s the centerpiece. Everyone from the TV crew to marketing to the trolls online will know it is true.

Kyle O’Reilly vs. Drake Maverick

Adam Cole did not accompany the UE to the ring tonight.

Maverick kicks away at O’Reilly at the sound of the bell. Maverick punches away at him, but O’Reilly fights back. O’Reilly charges, but Maverick drops down to send him out of the ring. Maverick goes to the top rope and hits Bobby Fish and Roderick Strong with a somersault senton.

Maverick gets in the ring, but O’Reilly takes him down. O’Reilly punches away at Maverick and kicks him in the neck. O’Reilly takes him down, so Maverick angrily gets up and hits a snapmare followed by a kick. Maverick hits a running forearm in the corner followed by a bulldog. Maverick follows up with a senton splash. O’Reilly gets up in the corner and charges out to turn Maverick inside out with a clothesline. Maverick tries to fight back, but O’Reilly kicks and punches away at him. O’Reilly grabs the leg, but Maverick hits an enzuigiri. Maverick goes for Sliced Bread #2, but O’Reilly gets out. O’Reilly applies a vicious heel hook for the submission.

Winner by Submission: Kyle O’Reilly

Fish and Strong double-team Maverick after the match. Fish gets a chair in the ring, but Killian Dain runs down and helps Maverick clear the ring of the UE. Dain then wildly stares at Maverick. Maverick approaches him, but Dain clotheslines him down.

Backstage: Rhea Ripley

Photos are shown of the stare down between Rhea Ripley and Raquel Gonzalez at NXT TakeOver XXX.

McKenzie Mitchell finds Rhea Ripley backstage. She asks why Ripley is teaming with Io Shirai. Ripley says she wants to Io has, but that won’t stop her from tagging with her. She didn’t go out there to save Shirai. She just wanted Dakota Kai and Raquel Gonzalez to know that Shirai is hers. If Gonzalez wants Ripley out of her face, she can make her.

Backstage: Adam Cole

Adam Cole says next Tuesday, he takes on the NXT Mount Rushmore with Gargano, Ciampa, and Bálor. Now that he’s moved on from Pat McAfee, he can concentrate on getting back on top. That is undisputed.

Next week on Super Tuesday, Johnny Gargano, Finn Bálor Tommaso Ciampa, and Adam Cole will battle in a 4-Way 60-Minute Iron Man Match for the vacant NXT Championship.

Io Shirai & Rhea Ripley vs. Dakota Kai & Raquel Gonzalez

It’ll be Rhea Ripley starting against Dakota Kai. Ripley throws her down and sends her to the corner. Kai goes for a roll-up, but Ripley doesn’t go down. Ripley throws Kai to her corner and tells Raquel Gonzalez to tag in. Gonzalez tags into the match. They lock up before releasing. They try again before getting into their faces. Gonzalez taps her with a head-butt, so Ripley head-butts her hard. Shirai blind tags in and attacks Gonzalez. Shirai hits a flying hurricanrana on Gonzalez, sending her out of the ring. Kai gets in Shirai’s way before she can do a dive. Shirai kicks her off the apron, and Kai falls into the arms of Gonzalez.

We come back from the break to see Shirai double stomp Kai. Ripley tags in. Ripley hits Gonzalez before hitting Kai with a dropkick. Ripley puts Kai on the apron, but Gonzalez attacks. Kai and Gonzalez pull Ripley over the top rope. Gonzalez tags in and bounces Ripley off the apron. Gonzalez gets her in the ring for a two count. Gonzalez whips Ripley hard into the corner. Ripley fights back, but Gonzalez quickly punches her down. Kai tags in and rolls Ripley up for a near fall. Kai applies an arm bar to Ripley. Ripley fights out, but Kai stomps her and tags Gonzalez in. Gonzalez kicks Ripley in the chest and whips her to the corner. Gonzalez blocks a boot, but Ripley still knocks her back. Ripley then stuns Gonzalez with a kick.

Shirai and Kai tag in. Shirai hits a pair of shoulder blocks and a flapjack. Shirai attacks Gonzalez coming in and sends Kai’s boot into her. Shirai puts Kai on the ropes, hits Gonzalez with double knees, and hits Kai with a tiger feint kick. Shirai hits a springboard dropkick for a near fall. Kai hits a scorpion kick to buy some time. Kai goes for a move, but Shirai counters into a vicious knee to the face. Shirai hits a German Suplex, but Gonzalez breaks up the pin.

Ripley runs in and blocks a kick from Gonzalez, but Kai kicks Ripley out of the ring. Shirai is taken down, and Gonzalez tags in. Gonzalez holds Shirai up for Kai to kick her. Gonzalez follows up with a powerslam for a near fall. Gonzalez grabs the foot, but Shirai kicks her back. Ripley tags in, but the referee didn’t see it. Gonzalez continues to stomp away at Shirai. All of a sudden, Mercedes Martinez runs down and pulls Ripley off the apron into the steel steps. In the ring, Gonzalez slams Shirai down for a near fall.

Kai goes for a big boot in the corner, but Ripley struggles to the apron and pushes Shirai away. Ripley tags in, as does Gonzalez. Gonzalez big boots Ripley and hits a one-armed slam for the win.

Winners by Pinfall: Dakota Kai and Raquel Gonzalez