WWE NXT Results – August 26th, 2020

Welcome to Ringside News’ coverage of WWE NXT. Please keep refreshing throughout the show for constant updates once it kicks off at 8:00 PM EST.

Off the heels of NXT TakeOver: XXX and the crowning of two new champions, what direction will NXT head in moving forward? 2 matches have been announced tonight, along with 2 other segments, so let’s look at the card.

First up, Imperium will defend their NXT Tag Team Championships against Breezango. Breezango defeated Legado del Fantasma and Danny Burch and Oney Lorcan at NXT TakeOver to become the #1 contenders for the titles. Imperium and Breezango have faced off once before, but one must wonder if Imperium will be losing the tag titles with NXT UK making its return soon.

In more tag team action, Rhea Ripley will team up with NXT Women’s Champion Io Shirai to take on the tag team of Dakota Kai and Raquel Gonzalez. Gonzalez and Ripley had a stare down at TakeOver, and this match could end up determining who will be in the title picture for Io Shirai’s championship moving forward.

Also set for tonight, Tomasso Ciampa will make his return to NXT tonight. Ciampa hasn’t been seen since his loss to Karrion Kross at NXT TakeOver: In Your House, and many people thought that Ciampa might be a part of Retribution, but that idea looks to be squashed as Ciampa seems to be re-entering the black and gold roster tonight.

Finally, the new NXT Champion Karrion Kross will open the show. It was announced soon after TakeOver: XXX that Kross suffered a separated shoulder during his title match. Kross underwent an MRI on Monday, but the results of it were not announced. Kross will likely address his future as NXT Champion to kick off tonight’s show. It would be a disappointment to see Kross have to relinquish his NXT Championship, but hopefully his injury isn’t too serious.

Tonight will be an important show for the direction of NXT going forward, so be sure to check out our coverage when NXT goes live at 8:00 PM EST!

Opening Segment

We get a recap from NXT TakeOver; XXX with a recap of every match.

Karrion Kross comes out in a suit with his NXT Championship around his waist. Scalett accompanies him as always. When he enters the ring, it becomes clear that his shoulder is severely injured, as he has his right arm in a sling.

He hands his title off to Scalett and grabs a mic. Kross stares into the camera and says that he warned everyone and told us that he was going to become champion and everyone was going to suffer. He kept his word at TakeOver: XXX when he beat Keith Lee.

Kross says that, when you go to war, you expect casualties. He announces that his shoulder is separated and it is searing pain. He loves the pain, but he understands that, with his injury, he would not be allowed to defend his championship in his current condition. He grabs the title and looks at it, He sets the belt down in the ring and Scarlett sets an hourglass behind it.

Kross says this changes nothing, and “Doomsday is still coming.” He says, “God help the obstacles that will be in my path.” Scarlett flips the hourglass over, and Kross has relinquished the NXT Championship. He walks away, leaving the belt and the hourglass in the middle of the ring.

Vic Joseph welcomes Wade Barrett to NXT commentary. Joseph announces that, not only will the NXT Tag Team Championships be defended tonight, but so will the NXT Cruiserweight Championship, but he does not say who Escobar will defend against.

Breezango vs. Imperium for the NXT Tag Team Championships

Breeze and Fandango attack Barthel and Aichner before the match can even begin. Fandango decides to start the match against Fabian Aichner. Breezango Barthel tags in and takes Fandango down, barring Dango’s left arm. Barthel runs the ropes, and Fandango takes Barthel down with a dropkick as we go to commercial break.

Back from commercial and Barthel tags Aichner back in. Fandango treis to get to his corner, but Aichner and Barthel hit Fandango with an uppercut/clothesline combo to take him back down, then pin him for two. Aichner hits a butterfly suplex on Fandango, who kicks out at two again.

Aichner tags Barthel in and Breeze tags in. Breeze takes Aichner down with a superkick and Barthel takes Breeze down with a clothesline. He whips Breeze into the corner, then hits an uppercut and suplex, taking Breeze down. Barthel comes off of hte top rope and Breeze hits him with a spinning heel kick, then pins Barthel for two.

Breeze goes for the Unprettier, but Barthel backs him into the corner, then hits an enziguri. Aichner tags in, but Breeze catches him with a enziguri. Breeze tags in Fandango and they hit the Fashion Faux Pas on Aicher.

Barthel drags Aichner out of the ring before he can be pinned. Fandango hits a dive to the outside on Aichner, but Barthel hits Fandango from behind and sends him to the floor as we go to another commercial.

Back from commercial and Aichner has Fandango in a headlock. Fandango fights to his feet and goes for a diving crossbody onto Aichner, who catches hit and hits a dive onto him, pinning him. Breeze breaks up the pin, but Barthel takes him out, throwing him into the plexiglass on the outside.

Aichner goes for a suplex on Fandango, but Fandango escaped. Fandango goes for the tag, but Breeze is still out. Barthel tags in and he hits an air raid crash on Fandango, pinning him for two. Barthel puts Fandango in the ropes in the corner, then tags in Aichner. Aichner and Barthel go for a tag team dropkick, but Fandango avoids it and tags in Breeze.

Aichner takes out Breeze and they go for the European Bomb, but Breeze escapes. Breeze takes out Aichner and Barthel with superkicks and tags in Fandango. Fandango hits a diving leg drop from the top, hitting both men. Fandango pins Aichner for the win.

Winner: Breezango

Breezango celebrate on top of the commentary booth.

Damian Priest is interviewed backstage. Before the interviewer can ask her questions, Priest says that there isn’t time for an interview, because the after-party is still going on.

Timothy Thatcher appears and says that Priest is an embarrassment and challenges Priest for the title. Thatcher says that Priest is unequipped to be champion, but Priest laughs him off.

Backstage, Triple H, William Regal, Shawn Michaels, and Matt Bloom are shown in a board room, and Vic Joseph tells us that they are trying to figure out how to crown a new NXT Champion following Karrion Kross relinquishing the belt. We are told that Tommaso Ciampa will be back in action, up next, right after this commercial break.

Back from commercial, we head right into the next match.

Jake Atlas vs. Tommaso Ciampa

Ciampa comes down with a mask, giving him a new look. Commentary build up Ciampa as a new man compared to who he was the last time we saw him.

Ciampa’s intensity follows his look. Ciampa pins Atlas in the corner, and Atlas pushes him out. Ciampa hits Atlas with a headbutt, then stomps away at Atlas continuously. Ciampa hits Atlas with a Widow’s Bell, and Ciampa covers him for three.

Winner: Tommaso Ciampa

Ciampa attacks Atlas after the match, tossing him into the plexiglass and the steel steps. Ciampa mounts Atlas and pounds away at him. A group of NXT referees come out and force him off of Atlas, but Ciampa runs at him and kicks him in the head. Ciampa picks up the ring apron and slingshots Atlas’ head and neck into the underside of the ring.

Ciampa sits on the apron and blankly stares at Ciampa. Paramedics come out and load Atlas onto a stretcher. The medical team starts to take Atlas away, but Atlas hits another Widow’s Bell DDT on Atlas, hanging Atlas from the top of the stretcher. A sadistic smile creeps across Ciampa’s face before he heads to the back.

We get a response from Candice LeRae after Tegan Nox extended an olive branch to her last week. We see a video package of them being best friends. Candice says that she had Tegan’s back, but Tegan wasn’t there when Candice needed her. We see shots from Candice’s match against Kai where Kai was beating Candice. Candice says that Nox just needs to stay out of her way, and we go to commercial break.

Back from commercial, Bronson Reed is asked about Timothy Thatcher’s challenge of Damian Priest. Reed says that he has beaten Priest and he should have the next shot at Priest. Austin Theory appears behind Reed and taunts him, saying that he appreciate’s Reed’s passion, and Reed could maybe reach WrestleMania by the age of 55. Reed slaps Theory and walks away.

Mia Yim comes out for a match, but Robert Stone comes out and say that his client will not be competing tonight. Shotzi shows up behind Stone, running over him with her tank, and she becomes Yim’s opponent.

Mia Yim vs. Shotzi Blackhearet

Yim gets a wristlock on Blackheart, who takes Mia Yim down. Yim gets back to her feet and runs the ropes, taking Shotzi down with a hurricanrana. Shotzi goes for a monkey flip, but Yim blocks. Shotzi rolls up Yim for a two count. Yim rolls Shotzi up for a two.

They trade kicks. They each grabs each other’s legs before agreeing to them back down. They hit a fist bump and seem to be friendly, but Yim jabs Shotzi in the thraot, then covers her for two.

Yim takes Shotzi down with a snapmare, then goes for a bow and arrow submission. Shotzi rolls into a pinfall, but Yim kicks out at two. Yim runs at Shotzi in the corner, but Shotzi gets her feet up and hits a slingblade on Yim. Shotzi hits a discus forearm, then a side suplex. Shotzi covers Yim for two.

Shotzi picks up Yim and runs the ropes, but Yim grabs her and hits an overhead butterfly suplex. Yim goes for a dropkick from the top rope, but Shotzi avoids it and hits an elbow drop on Yim. Shotzi goes to the top and hits a senton on Yim from the top rope, then pins Yim for three.

Winner: Shotzi Blackheart

William Regal is shown leaving his office. He is asked if he, Triple H, Shawn Michaels, and Matt Bloom have arrived on a solution for what to do about the NXT Championship. Regal says that they have, and he is heading to the ring to announce what they will do. After that, we go to commercial.

Back from commercial, Dakota Kai is with Raquel Gonzalez and they are asked about Rhea Ripley and Io Shirai. Kai says that Rhea should have stayed out of Kai’s business, and she isn’t worried because Rhea and Io aren’t even friends or a proper team. Gonzalez says that Rhea messed up by getting in Gonzalez’s face, and they walk away.

In the ring, William Regal recaps how Karrion Kross has had to relinquish the NXT Championship. Regal wishes Kross “best wishes on his long recovery.” Regal says that they have a solution for who the NXT Champion will be. Next week, on a Tuesday edition of NXT, there will be a fatal four way to determine the NXT Champion. The four men are Johnny Gargano, Tommaso Ciampa, Finn Balor, and Adam Cole.

Regal says that, for the first time in history, the NXT Championship will be determined by a Fatal Four Way, 60 Minute Iron Man.

NXT Cruiserweight Champion Santos Escobar vs. Isaiah “Swerve” Scott for the NXT Cruiserweight Championship

Scott and Escobar tie up, but Scott takes Escobar down with an armdrag. Scott goes to the apron and goes for a PK, but Escobar backs up out of Scott’s reach. Scott laughs and stares down Escobar, and we go to commercial break.

Back from commercial and Escobar has Scott in a headlock. Scott picks up Escobar and hits a back suplex, covering him for two. Escobar kicks out, but keeps the headlock in. Scott escapes and takes Escobar down with a hurricanrana, and follows it up with a suplex, covering Escobar for two.

Scott picks up Escobar and locks in a submission hold, then transitions into a backslide pinfall attempt for two. Escobar kicks Scott in the midsection, but Scott takes Escobar down and goes for an armbar but Escobar escapes and rolls out of the ring. Scott goes to the apron to give chase, but Escobar grabs Scott and throws him into the plexiglass.

Escobar picks Scott up in a fireman’s carry and drops him face first onto the steel steps. Escobar tosses Scott back in the ring, then takes him down with a kick. Escobar pins Scott for two. Escobar picks up Scott and chops him back down, then kicks away at Scott’s upper body. Escobar picks up Scott and shoves him into the corner.

Escobar follows it up with a double running knees to Scott. Escobar covers Scott for two. Escobar picks up Scott and pushes him against the corner. Scott goes for a monkey flip, but Escobar blocks. They both get to the middle rope. Scott goes for a hurricanrana from the middle rope onto Escobar, but Escobar catches him and blocks, hitting a power bomb onto Scott. Escobar pins Scott for two, and we go to commercial break.

Back from commercial, Escobar takes Scott down with a knee to the face. Escobar spits in Scott’s face, then kicks him. Escobar kicks Scott, but Scott blocks the kick and unleashes a flurry of strikes on Escobar. Scot goes to the top rope and hits a diving elbow to Escobar’s back.

Escobar rolls out of the ring and Scott goes to the apron, kicking Escobar in the face. Scott hits a flip over the top rope, then rolls Escobar back in the ring. Scott hits Escobar with his rolling flatliner, pinning Escobar for two. Joaquin Wilde comes out of the crowd and distracts the referee, and Raul Mendoza comes out from the back and grabs Scott’s leg, allowing Escobar to takes Scott down. Escobar pins Scott for two.

Breezango come down and attack Mendoza and Wilde, taking them to the back. Scott hits Escobar with a running kick and German suplex, pinning Escobar for two. Scott hits Escobar with the House Call, pinning Escobar for two. Scott picks up Escobar and hits a power bomb on Escobar, pinning Escobar, but Escobar grabs the bottom rope, forcing the tag.

Escobar rolls out of the ring and puts on a luchador mask that Wilde brought out. Scott reaches out and grabs Escobar’s head. Escobar hits Scott with a headbutt, knocking Scott out. Escobar pins Scott for three.

Winner: Santos Escobar

Johnny Gargano is backstage, talking about how life can change and how he almost ended his career at TakeOver. He said that, if he lost his career, he wouldn’t have been able to fulfill his promise to fix NXT. Gargano says that it is his time to remind everyone who he is. Up next, Kyle O’Reilly and Drake Maverick will face off, right after this commercial break.bac

Back from commercial, Finn Balor cuts a promo backstage about he will rise to the occasion to prove that he is not just a cornerstone, but the centerpiece of NXT, and he will become NXT Champion.

Kyle O’Reilly (w/Roderick Strong and Bobby Fish) vs. Drake Maverick

Adam Cole does not accompany O’Reilly to the ring. We see the footage from weeks ago when Undisputed Era attacked Killian Dain and Drake Maverick..

Maverick lays into O’Reilly with strikes. Maverick dumps O’Reilly out of the ring. Maverick goes to the top rope and hits a dive onto Undisputed Era, but Kyle O’Reilly moved out of the way. O’Reilly gets back in the ring and Maverick follows, but O’Reilly grounds Maverick and lays into him with palm strikes.

O’Reilly picks up Maverick and hits him with a kick, but Maverick pops back up and hits a snapmare on O’Reilly, followed up with a kick, a bulldog, and a senton. Maverick runs at O’Reilly, but O’Reilly lays into Maverick with a knee to the face.

Maverick and O’Reilly trade strikes, but O’Reilly gets the upper hand, kicking Maverick’s leg out from under him. O’Reilly grabs Maverick’s leg, but Maverick hits an enziguri. Maverick goes for sliced bread #2, but O’Reilly counters into a knee bar. Maverick tries to fight out of it, but O’Reilly wrenches on Maverick’s leg and Maverick taps out.

Winner: Kyle O’Reilly

Bobby Fish and Roderick Strong lay into Drake Maverick, but Kyle O’Reilly seems to want them to lay off of Maverick. Strong goes out of the ring and grabs a steel chair, but before he can use it, Killian Dain comes down to the ring. Kyle O’Reilly gets out of the ring, and Dain takes down Fish and Strong, chasing them to the back. Maverick tries to thank Dain, but Dain hits Maverick. laying him out.

We get a recap of the match between Io Shirai and Dakota Kai, with the staredown between Ripley and Gonzalez.

Rhea Ripley is interviewed backstage about why she is tagging with Io tonight if she is only after Io’s championship. Ripley says that she came down to the ring at TakeOver to say that Io is her’s. She says that she heard Raquel Gonzalez earlier and, if Gonzalez wants Rhea to get out of her face, “why doesn’t she make me?” Then, we go to commercial.

Back from commercial, Adam Cole cuts a promo backstage about how he can now focus on getting the NXT Championship back now that he has dealt with Pat McAfee. Cole says that this Iron Man match is right up his alley, and he will hold the NXT Championship twice.

NXT Women’s Champion Io Shirai and Rhea Ripley vs. Dakota Kai vs. Raquel Gonzalez

Ripley and Kai start the match. Ripley takes Kai down and Kai goes for a rollup, but Ripley tosses Kai into her corner, telling Kai to tag in Gonzalez. Kai does so, and they come face to face. Gonzalez hits Ripley with a headbutt, sending Ripley to her corner.

Shirai tags in, much to Ripley’s surprise. Shirai hits Gonzalez with a hurricanrana, sending her to the outside. Kai gets to the apron and blocks Shirai from hitting a dive. Shirai kicks Kai off the apron, in the arms of Gonzalez, who catches her, as we go to commercial.

Back from commercial, Io tags in Rhea Ripley, who takes down Kai in the ring. Ripley lays into Kai with knees to the face. She picks up Kai in a fireman’s carry, but Gonzalez gets to Kai and makes the tag. Kai and Gonzalez are able to get Rhea out of the ring, where the attack her.

Back in the ring, Gonzalez whips Ripley hard into the corner. Gonzalez hits Ripley with a strike to the back, then drags her back into her corner. Kai tags in and rolls up Ripley for two. Kai bars Ripley’s arm. Kai releases the hold and kicks at Ripley before Kai drags Ripley back into her corner.

Gonzalez tags in, but Ripley kicks her in the head and both Io and Kai tag in. Io takes Kai down with shoulder tackles and a flapjack. Gonzalez runs into the ring, but Io blocks a kick form Kai and sends the kick into Gonzalez. Io hits Gonzalez with a meteora in the corner, then a Tiger Faint Kick on Kai for two.

Io hits Kai with a knee to the face, then a German suplex, bridging into a pin . Gonzalez breaks up the pin. Ripley comes in, but Kai takes her out. Gonzalez drags Kai into the corner, then tags herself in. Gonzalez picks up Kai over her shoulder. Kai kicks her in the head, and Gonzalez hits a power slam, pinning Shirai for two.

Io makes it to her corner, but Dakota Kai distracts the referee. Rhea tags in, but the ref doesn’t see it. He says Io is still legal. Mercedes Martinez comes out of nowhere and takes Ripley off of the apron. Gonzalez hits Io with a powerslam, covering her for two.

Ripley makes it back to her corner and saves Io from a facewash kick from Kai. Ripley tags in and Gonzalez tags in, but Rhea is not fully recovered from the attack from Mercedes Martinez. Gonzalez hits Ripley with a big boot and a single arm powerbomb, pinning Ripley for three.

Winners: Dakota Kai and Raquel Gonzalez

Kai and Gonzalez celebrate at the top of the ramp as NXT goes off the air.