WWE NXT Results, Highlights, Winners, & Reactions For January 13, 2021

Welcome to Ringside News’ live results, highlights, winners and reactions for this week’s WWE NXT!

Tonight’s NXT marks the beginning of the 2021 Dusty Rhodes Classic. Of course, this year there will also be a women’s Dusty Classic but that’s coming later in the year. So tonight is the men’s tournament and we’re kicking things off with two matches; Ever-Rise Vs. Grizzled Young Veterans and Breezango Vs. Adam Cole & Roderick Strong of The Undisputed Era. Who will progress and who will fall at the first hurdle? Let us know your predictions in the comments below!

That’s about all we know for this week’s NXT so far, but we can assume there will be all the fallout from last week’s New Year’s Evil where Finn Balor successfully defended his NXT Championship against Kyle O’Reilly, Karrion Kross defeated Damian Priest, and the Gargano clan lost to Shotzi Blackheart and Kushida. Where do the storylines go tonight? And can you predict some of the matches for the upcoming NXT TakeOver on Valentine’s Day? Let us know below!

That’s the rundown for tonight’s NXT. It should be a pretty decent show as always and we always want to hear what you’re thinking. So drop a comment, follow us on all the socials, and enjoy the show!

NXT

This week’s NXT opens with a look back at last week’s New Year’s Evil and tonight is all about the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic.

Shotzi Blackheart Vs. Candace Lerae w/Indi hartwell

The match begins and Candace butts heads with Shotzi, but Blackheart hits a double-leg takedown and unloads with right hands. Shotzi knocks Candace onto the middle rope and runs but LeRae counters her. Shotzi comes off the top rope with a crossbody to Candace, then applies a modified armbar and rolls around the ring with it held on. Candace reaches the bottom rope to force the break. Candace kicks Shotzi away and climbs the ropes but Shotzi yanks her foot and she collapses onto the buckles. Blackheart applies a unique submission until LeRae rolls her over for a two-count.

Shotzi moves to a wristlock but Candace backs her into the corner to force the break. Candace tosses Shotzi to the apron and heads out herself. They’re on opposite sides of the ring post and Shotzi pulls Candace shoulder-first into the steel and she falls to the floor. Indi Hartwell prevents Blackheart from doing any damage to LeRae on the floor, then stops her from getting back into the ring. Candace then comes off the apron with a crossbody to Shotzi as we head to the break.

*Commercial Break*

Back live and Shotzi immediately drops Candace with an enziguri for a two-count. Blackheart drops Candace on the middle rope and hits her with a senton for a near-fall. LeRae rolls to the apron and Shotzi gives chase. LeRae counters Shotzi initially, but then gets caught with a DDT on the apron. Indi moves to check on Candace but Shotzi wipes them both out with a suicide dive! Blackheart gets Candace back inside for two, then LeRae dodges an incoming Shotzi in the corner and dropkicks her into the buckles.

LeRae attempts a springboard but Shotzi stuns her on the ropes. Candace locks-in the Gargano Escape and Shotzi struggles, but then counters with a spinning facebuster! Shotzi hits a tornado DDT and moves to the top rope but Indi jumps on the apron and Blackheart punches her down. The distraction allows Candace to jump up and hit a swinging neckbreaker from the middle rope for the win!

Winner: Candace LeRae

We see Finn Balor walking to the ring where he’ll be addressing the Universe after the break.

The camera cuts outside and a black SUV pulls-up. Pete Dunne, Oney Lorcan and Danny Burch get out and talk trash to the camera before heading inside.

*Commercial Break*

The WWE Champion, Finn Balor enters the ring as we come back from break. He reminds us that he is still the Champion but he wants to talk about Kyle O’Reilly. Balor says he’s great but he’s not on his level. He stood up and just like TakeOver 31, he got put down. The only difference is that now Kyle is the one eating through a straw. Finn points to his shirt, which has a red X on it, and says he wears it because he has the biggest target on his chest. But remember this, “they no longer manufacture the fabric they cut me from.”

Pete Dunne, Oney Lorcan, and Danny Burch come down the ramp and Dunne says Finn should know he’s next in line. He sat last week and watched his match and he always knew it would come down to them. They surround the ring and Dunne gets on the apron. He says Finn has always been the poster boy for European wrestling, but the only reason he is still NXT Champion is because he hasn’t come for it yet. Well he’s done waiting.

Balor wastes no time and kicks Dunne off the apron, then takes the fight to Lorcan and Burch. Balor holds them off for a good minute but eventually the numbers overtake him and they stomp on his shoulder, which O’Reilly targeted last week. Kyle O’Reilly comes out to help, then he’s quickly joined by Adam Cole and Roderick Strong and they run Dunne and Co. off. Balor then stares down Kyle and TUE before leaving.

Johnny Gargano will be facing Dexter Lumis later tonight and he’s backstage for an interview. Gargano congratulates his wife and says soon enough they will both be holding the Dusty cups. The interviewer says he’s getting ahead of himself because he has to face Leon Ruff and Kushida tonight and he was pinned by Kushida last week. Gargano complains about that match and says he wasn’t planning on competing. Austin Theory appears and hands Gargano an envelope from Lumis, which has a picture of the two of them inside. Gargano storms off and Theory follows.

*Commercial Break*

Grizzled Young Veterans make their way to the ring and Zack Gibson says last year they made their debut in this tournament but this year they aren’t here to take part, they are here to win. They will soon be the Dusty Classic winners and the NXT Champions.

Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic

1^st Round

Grizzled Young Veterans Vs. Ever-Rise

We start the match with Gibson and Martel, and Matt forces Zack to the corner and slaps him. Gibson chases Martel but he backs up to his own corner and Chase Parker tags himself in. James Drake tags in and takes Parker down with a side headlock. Parker fights up but Drake ducks him and hits an arm-drag. They stand apart before going at it again and Parker beats Drake down until Gibson drags him out under the bottom rope and tells him to cool down.

Gibson tags in and locks-up with Parker but slams him down and knocks Martel off the apron. Drake tags in and teams with Gibson to hit a flurry of quick tag-team offense of running kicks and a poetry-in-motion to Martel on the apron. Drake beats Parker in the corner before hitting a bulldog. Drake knocks Parker out of the ring and tags Gibson so they can hit a double-team backbreaker on the floor. Gibson gets Parker back in the ring and takes a front facelock before transitioning to a back suplex and a single-leg Boston crab.

Drake tags in and they both hit elbows in the corner and Gibson whips Parker into a spinning heel kick from Drake for a two-count. Gibson tags back in and European uppercuts Parker in the corner, then tags Drake again but Parker drops them both and crawls to his corner…only for Drake to grab hold of him and prevent it. Parker decks Drake with right hands and desperately tries to tag, even drags Drake with him, and gets Martel into the match!

Martel hits both men with big right hands, chops, forearms and knocks Gibson off the apron. Martel hits a belly-to-belly to Drake, then lands a big lariat. He takes Parker and they look to hit a double-team flapjack but Gibson gets on the apron to cause a distraction. Ever-Rise manage to hit a double-team toss and spear to Drake, then beat Gibson into the corner and double-team him as well. Gibson constantly prevents the pinfall and GYV’s manage to separate them long enough to hit Ticket to Mayhem for the win!

Winners: Grizzled Young Veterans

Grizzled Young Vets are the first team to advance to the 2^nd Round, and they will face the winners of Gargano & Theory Vs. Kushida & Ruff.

We see a video package of the Raquel Gonzalez Vs. Rhea Ripley feud, which culminated in the big win for Gonzalez last week. Gonzalez says she’s looking ahead, towards Io Shirai.

*Commercial Break*

Shotzi Blackheart is interviewed backstage and she says she needs a partner for the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic. She says she needs a woman she can trust. Someone she went to war with it. Ember Moon appears and says she must be talking about her. They’re gonna be called TCB and invoking Ember’s Law.

Johnny Gargano W/Austin Theory Vs. Dexter Lumis

The bell rings and Gargano holds-up Lumis’ drawing and tears it so Lumis drops him with a right hand. Dexter shoots Johnny off and this a Thesz Press. Gargano counters Lumis rushing him in the corner but winds-up staring at Lumis doing his weird crawl. Gargano slides out of the ring and Lumis slides after him doing the crawl and sits on the floor.

Johnny is creeped out and swings for him but Dexter ducks it and kips-up. Gargano rushes into the ring and Lumis goes up top but Gargano meets him up there and trades shots. Lumis headbutts Gargano off the ropes, then leaps for a swanton bomb but nobody’s home! Both men are down as we head to the break.

*Commercial Break*

Back live and Gargano has taken control of the match and drops repeated elbows to the back of Lumis. Gargano drills Lumis in the back with a forearm, then again. He attempts a third and Lumis counters him and rallies with right hands. Lumis bulldogs Gargano and hits a standing leg drop for a near-fall. Lumis signals for the end but Gargano elbows free from the submission and kicks him away. Gargano dives at him but gets caught, then transitions to a crucifix pin for a near-fall.

Gargano hits a kick to the head but Lumis pops back up, so Johnny does it again and scores a two. Theory runs interference and distracts Lumis but Gargano can’t take the advantage. Lumis backs Johnny into the corner but Theory jumps on the apron and Lumis drags him into the ring, only for Gargano to roll him up and score the win!

Winner: Johnny Gargano

After the match Theory is standing by the apron and Lumis slides over and grabs him with the Silence. Gargano breaks the submission and goes out to grab a chair, but before he can use it Kushida runs down and attacks him. Kushida applies the Hoverboard Lock and Theory tries to stop it but Lumis grabs him in the Silence again. Kushida relents and lifts the North American Championship, speaks in Japanese, then tosses it at Gargano.

Dunne, Lorcan and Burch are stopped backstage and asked about what happened tonight. Burch says Undisputed Era used to run the place but they should know by now they don’t anymore. Dunne says, as far as he is concerned, Kyle O’Reilly put himself between him and the NXT Championship, so they’re gonna take it like that.

Wade Barrett conducted a sit-down interview with Timothy Thatcher and Tomasso Ciampa. Thatcher says he is medically cleared and he’s ready to go. Ciampa asked what the details of the injury are but Thatcher says it doesn’t concern him. Barrett asks Ciampa if he regrets asking for the Fight Pit match. Ciampa says it might be a mistake, it’s Thatcher’s match. It might be brutal and Thatcher interrupts him to say he has no idea. They shoot daggers at each other and Barrett asks why they don’t like each other. Thatcher says he has no problem with Ciampa, he came after him.

Ciampa says Thatcher is a piece of garbage who takes advantage of young wrestlers. And inside the Fight Pit he’s going to take all the liberties he wants. Thatcher says he’s a different beast inside the Pit, and a Lion doesn’t need to explain itself to a zebra. Ciampa asks if he looks like a zebra and Thatcher says he looks like a man who doesn’t know if he’s still got it. Ciampa says next week Thatcher will find out.

*Commercial Break*

Undisputed Era are interviewed backstage and say they’re happy to prove themselves time and again. O’Reilly says he’s gonna be out there to have his boys’ backs and keep the peace. Cole says they’re gonna focus on Breezango tonight and progress to the next round of the Dusty Classic.

Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic

1^st Round

MSK Vs. Isiah ‘Swerve’ Scott & Jake Atlas

The match begins with Atlas and Nash Carter, and they exchange some quick mat wrestling and counters. Carter reverses Atlas and tags Lee for some fast-paced tag team offence, and Swerve gets the tag from Atlas. Carter dodges Swerve and drops him with a dropkick, then smiles at him. Carter then hits a springboard, spinning crossbody before tagging Wes Lee.

Lee takes a wristlock and tries to control Swerve but Isiah backs him into the corner and beats on him before tagging Atlas. Lee elbows himself free from a hold and hits the ropes but Swerve pulls the ropes down to cause him to fall out of the ring. Atlas then hits a suicide dive to send Lee over the announce desk. Atlas and Swerve put Lee back in the ring, then Carter runs off the ropes and jumps onto Atlas. Swerve boots Carter but then Atlas wipes both of them out with a tope over the ropes.

*Commercial Break*

We return to see Carter holding Swerve in an armbar but Scott lifts and slams him. Carter and Swerve both make tags and Lee comes in hot against Atlas and backs him into the corner. Lee reverses an Irish whip and hits some fast punches, then a dropkick and immediately kips-up. Tag made to Carter and he jumps up with a moonsault and Lee shoves him over to land on Atlas. They look to hit another double-team but Atlas shoves them away and hits a German suplex to Lee.

Swerve grabs Lee and Atlas superkicks him, then they hit a double-team powerslam/450 splash for a near-fall thanks to Carter. Swerve tosses Carter out of the ring, then makes a tag himself and both he and Atlas put Lee on the top rope but Lee knocks Atlas to the floor. Carter tags in and MSK team to hit an insane reverse hurricanrana to Swerve on the middle rope. MSK then hit a double-team spinebuster/blockbuster for the win!

Winners: MSK

MSK have progressed to the 2^nd Round of the Dusty Classic, and they will face either Curt Stallion & August Grey or Drake Maverick & Killian Dain. We take a look at the Women’s Dusty Rhodes Classic, which kicks off next week!

*Commercial Break*

We see a video of Scarlett reading tarot cards and predicting the future for Karrion Kross, which ends with the Prince.

Xia Li W/Boa Vs. Unnamed Opponent

Li’s opponent runs across the ring and she drops her with a right hand. Li then hits a spinning kick to the chest and that’s all she wrote.

Winner: Xia Li

After the match Li and Boa make to leave but the creepy person in the chair on the stage holds up her hand, so Xia turns around and drags her opponent under the bottom rope and hangs her on the rope. Xia Li unloads a flurry of stiff offence and the creepy woman signals to end it, so Li turns and delivers a big knee to the jaw.

Kacy Katanzaro and Kayden Carter cut a promo about the Dusty Classic. They ask their opponents, Tony Storm and Mercedes Martinez to please underestimate them because they want to prove to the world how good they are. They’re going to win the first ever Women’s Dusty Classic.

*Commercial Break*

During the commercial break, Isiah Scott and Jake Atlas got into a brawl backstage and Bronson Reed breaks it up. Swerve then gets in Reed’s face before leaving.

Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Calssic

1st Round

The Undisputed Era Vs. Breezango

Kyle O’Reilly is at ringside and Adam Cole starts things off against Tyler Breeze. They lock-up and Breeze takes a headlock but Cole shoots him off, only to get dropped with a shoulder. Cole then leapfrogs Breeze, who in turn does the same, and both guys look for superkicks but pull back and slap hands. Breeze takes Cole down with a side headlock but Cole uses a headscissors to break free and they are again at odds, so they both tag out.

Strong and Fandango opt for a test of strength and Roderick forces him down, then takes a wristlock. Fandango turns the tables before hitting a Judo throw and dropping a knee on the arm. Strong breaks away but Fandango drops him with a spinning heel kick for a two-count. Fandango makes a tag to Tyler Breeze with Strong isolated in the corner as we head to the final commercial break of the evening.

*Commercial Break*

We return to find Cole being beat down by Fandango, and Breeze tags in to continue the assault. Cole hits Breeze with a leaping kick but Breeze quickly throws him out of the ring. Breeze looks for a suicide dive but Cole kicks him in mid-air. Cole gets inside and both men makes tags. Strong comes in hot and both men exchange hands but Strong hits a running kick, then a dropkick and a backbreaker.

Strong leans Breeze on the rope and hits running forearms to the face, then lifts Breeze and throws him onto Fandango. Cole tags in again and they hit a gutbuster into a running knee for a near-fall. Breeze tags in but Cole immediately drops him with a pump kick. Cole looks for Ushigoroshi but Breeze counters and hits an inverted backbreaker for a near-fall. Breeze tags Fandango and they hit a backbreaker/elbow drop but Strong breaks the pin attempt. We get a rapid sequence where every guy hits their moves and they’re all down and out.

Suddenly, Kyle O’Reilly gets assaulted on the floor by Dunne, Lorcan, and Burch. They push Kyle’s face against a steel girder and Dunne looks to kick it but Finn Balor runs down and makes the save. Finn is quickly overwhelmed and Dunne drops him. Dunne then hits a forearm to O‘Reilly’s jaw against the girder, then a running knee to the face. Meanwhile in the ring, Cole makes to leave the ring but Breeze superkicks him. Breezango look to finish the match but Cole knocks Breeze out of the ring. Cole goes up top and jumps for the Panama Sunrise but Fandango throws him off. Fandango then jumps at Cole but gets caught with a superkick and that’s that.

Winners: The Undisputed Era

As soon as the match ends Cole and Strong run out to check on O’Reilly, who is now bleeding from the mouth. Balor is lying beside him holding his shoulder. Undisputed Era progress to the 2^nd Round of the Dusty Classic, and the show comes to a close with Dunne, Lorcan and Burch posing on the stage with the Tag Team Title belts.

That’s it for this week’s NXT! Let us know what you thought of the show, particularly the debut of MSK. Be sure to check out our results for AEW Dynamite, and we’ll see you back here tomorrow for all your wrestling news. Until then, stay safe!