WWE NXT: Imperium retains tag team titles, Pat McAfee assaults Adam Cole

Imperium retains the titles while Pat McAfee punts Adam Cole in the head.

Another Wednesday came around, accompanied by yet another edition of WWE NXT. This night was meant to crown new contenders and potentially new tag team champions as stories were advanced heading into NXT TakeOver XXX.

Former NXT women’s champion, Rhea Ripley was up first, with a one-on-one match against Dakota Kai to figure out who would be the next challenger for Io Shirai. Ripley started the match off showing that she’s clearly the stronger of the two as she woman-handled Kai around the ring. Every time Kai was close to getting some momentum, Ripley would cut the energy out from under her, slowing things down.

Kai found a way to swing the advantage in her favor once she grounded Ripley. Even as Ripley fought back, Kai hit a nasty reversal into a DDT that looked like she’d put the former champion out. Ripley countered with a big kick and set up the Prison Trap but was unable to get the win again. It looked like Ripley was about to set up something big when Mercedes Martinez made her presence felt, attacking Ripley and giving Kai the space to pick up the win, making her the number one contender for the title.

Team Thicc was up next with Bronson Reed up for another match to prepare for the upcoming ladder match for the NXT North American title. Fellow countrymen, Shane Throne was out to face Reed and he got off to a strong start early against the big man. That came to a crashing end, especially when Reed hit the Tsunami from the top rope to get the pin.

The next match out was to determine who else would join the NXT North American ladder match at NXT TakeOver XXX. Damian Priest and Oney Lorcan welcomed NXT UK competitor, Ridge Holland. Priest established himself first in the match, but Holland wasn’t going to go away without a fight as the two big men stood center of the ring, exchanging blows. Holland had an exceptional showing, but it would be Priest who punched his ticket to the ladder match after hitting the Reckoning on Lorcan for the victory.

Keith Lee smashes Cameron Grimes

Cameron Grimes continued to antagonize NXT champion, Keith Lee, leading to their match on Wednesday. Lee’s anger toward Karrion Kross came out as he muscled Grimes around the ring. Even though he was the much smaller man, that didn’t stop Grimes from finding a way to get an advantage over the champion. Much to the surprise of everyone, including Grimes, he was able to maintain control of the match for extended periods of time.

Things didn’t stay that way for long, however. A series of short-armed clotheslines knocked all of the fight out of Grimes before a Spirit Bomb put him away for good.

Indi Hartwell was attempting to keep her winning streak going when she competed against Tegan Nox in a singles match. She would try her best, but Nox didn’t need much time to put her away with the Shiniest Whizzer.

The Undisputed Era was looking to reestablish themselves as the top table in NXT. To start that path, Bobby Fish and Kyle O’Riley challenged Imperium for the tag team titles.

O’Riley returned to action for the first time in months since COVID-19 rampaged the WWE roster and production. He started off hot, landing combinations of kicks and punches to give his team the upper hand early, but that momentum didn’t stay in their corner for long as the champions eventually gained control of the match.

Riley is a three-time NXT tag team champion and he put all of that on display during this match, getting the hot tag from Bobby Fish and tearing into the champions. A ruckus caused by Adam Cole and Pat McAfee outside the ring created enough of a distraction for Imperium to hit the European Bomb on Fish to get the win.

August 5 WWE NXT Results

• Dakota Kai defeated Rhea Ripley via pin fall
• Bronson Reed defeated Shane Thorne via pin fall
• Damian Priest defeated Ridge Holland and Oney Lorcan via pin fall
• Keith Lee defeated Cameron Grimes via pin fall
• Tegan Nox defeated Indi Hartwell via pin fall
• Imperium defeated the Undisputed Era via pin fall