WWE’s developmental program NXT has seen the production of some of its greatest stars. From greats like Kevin Owens to Bayley, the pathway to success straight out of NXT has almost become a guarantee.
On Sunday, NXT had a pay-per-view event titled “Great American Bash” that highlighted the caliber of stars that the product has to offer. They are main roster talents in the making, just waiting for the full call-up to shows like Monday Night Raw or Friday Night Smackdown.
Here are the top pro wrestling matches from the past week:
Carmelo Hayes vs. Ilja Dragunov (NXT Great American Bash, July 30)
They don’t call Carmelo Hayes “HIM” for nothing. There was high-flying, technical wrestling, reversals, chops that caused welts on both competitor’s chests and everything else you would want in a fierce match. There were times I was sure the match was over, but Hayes or Dragunov would kick out at the last second. This was easily a match I could watch over and over again and never get tired of. Hayes’ friend Trick Williams motivating him outside the ring was also a nice touch that really gave the storytelling piece of a wrestling match. Hayes truly is the NXT Champion for a reason, and though Ilja Dragunov put on quite a spectacular performance of his own, Hayes was the better man in the end.
Roxanne Perez vs. Blair Davenport (NXT Great American Bash, July 30)
In a weapons wild match, Roxanne Perez and Blair Davenport absolutely destroyed each other. A match that not only told a true story but also didn’t leave much to be desired with the amount of physicality involved. There were cowbells, belts, chairs and even tables used in this brutal competition. Perez’s mom and sister were even ringside, and Davenport wasted no time taunting them and attacking Perez right in front of them, even making Perez’s little sister cry. Perez fully embraced a new side in this match to defeat Davenport and took the victory after a table spot and her “Pop Rox” finisher over a bed of steel chairs.
Dominik Mysterio vs. Wes Lee vs. Mustafa Ali (NXT Great American Bash, July 30)
In a triple-threat match for the North American Championship, these three put it all on the line. While this match was every man for himself, it started off with Wes Lee and Mustafa Ali both targeting Dominik Mysterio. Lee and Ali even hit a variation of Mysterio’s own (originally Eddie Guerrero’s) three amigos suplex. Of course, it wouldn’t be a Mysterio match without interference from Rhea Ripley, who got in the way of Lee and Ali multiple times and even slammed Lee into the ring announcer’s table after he landed an outside dive on Mysterio. In triple-threat rules, this interference meant nothing except for the match turning back in Mysterio’s favor. Mysterio pulled off the victory with a frog splash on Lee after Ripley pushed Ali out of the ring to stop him from making a pin.
“Sports Entertainment Solidified” is a pro wrestling column by Maddy Myer that runs every Monday.