WWE NXT results courtesy of WWE.com.
WWE NXT results, July 31, 2019: The BruiserWeight gets the upper hand against Dream and Strong
Heading into his main-event showdown with Pete Dunne, Roderick Strong vowed to remove The BruiserWeight from the equation of TakeOver: Toronto. North American Champion Velveteen Dream, meanwhile, hoped to pick at the bones of his ravaged challengers. But when the smoke cleared, it was Dunne who was left with all the momentum.
Tyler Breeze def. Jaxson Ryker; afterward, Fandango saved Breeze from The Forgotten Sons
Breeze’s Fashion Police cohort made his unannounced return to the ring tonight after Prince Pretty claimed victory over The Forgotten Sons’ Jaxson Ryker, dealing the Sons’ muscle-packed punisher his first loss on NXT TV. Although Breeze endured an intense beating during the contest, he stayed patient and found enough of an opening to wrangle Ryker into a pinning predicament for the three-count.
Outraged over the outcome, Wesley Blake & Steve Cutler joined Ryker in jumping Prince Pretty after the bell, only for Fandango to race into the ring and even the odds. Fandango, who had been out of action since undergoing shoulder surgery last summer, showed no signs of rust as he and Breeze ejected the Sons from the scene and signaled an unexpected Breezango reunion that had the NXT Universe reveling.
Cameron Grimes def. Bronson Reed in the semifinals of the Breakout Tournament
Whether it’s leveraging his ring positioning or exploiting the element of surprise, Cameron Grimes knows how to win. The Technical Savage proved as much in his Breakout Tournament Semifinal Match against fleetfooted juggernaut Bronson Reed.
Grimes spent much of the match trying to take Reed off his feet in the hopes of neutralizing “Aus-zilla’s” incredible size advantage. Tactical as it was, Grimes’ grinding offense failed to wear down Reed past the point of no return. The 330-pounder fought back and smothered Grimes with a succession of moves that left the hirsute Carolinian flattened on the mat, but Reed’s subsequent pin attempt was called off when Grimes cleverly draped his foot over the bottom rope.
After winning a thunderous exchange of strikes, Reed charged at the ropes like a bullet train – but by the time he turned, Grimes had already leaped high in the air, ready to greet Reed with a devastating double-foot stomp for the three-count.
With the victory, Grimes advances to the Breakout Tournament Final, where he will take on Jordan Myles with an NXT championship opportunity hanging in the balance.
Matt Riddle declared he wants a face-to-face fight with Killian Dain
As Matt Riddle was finishing a grueling training session at an MMA gym, The Original Bro spared a few moments to comment on Killian Dain’s recent attack against him.
Riddle suggested that Dain try fighting him face-to-face instead of ambushing him from behind. The suggestion didn’t fall on deaf ears, as NXT fans found out shortly after that The Original Bro and The Beast of Belfast will go head-to-head next week on WWE Network!
Shayna Baszler vowed to put Mia Yim to sleep at TakeOver: Toronto
Incensed over Mia Yim’s recent out-of-ring strikes against Marina Shafir and Jessamyn Duke, NXT Women’s Champion Shayna Baszler glowered as she accepted Yim’s standing challenge to a title bout at TakeOver: Toronto.
The Queen of Spades promised to make short work of The Head Baddie in Charge when their rivalry moves from “the back alley” to the biggest stage of Yim’s career at TakeOver, saying “street rats” don’t last long in Baszler’s world.
Undaunted, Yim ventured into the ring to give Baszler a piece of her mind. The HBIC told Baszler that she has “nothing to lose and everything to gain,” and vowed to give the champion a fight that she can’t possibly train for. Baszler, meanwhile, held the title aloft as she boldly claimed that she will expose Yim as “nothing but street trash” on Aug. 10.
William Regal granted Candice LeRae a match against Io Shirai at TakeOver: Toronto
After spending much of the hour pacing in the Full Sail Live parking lot and waiting for Io Shirai to arrive, Candice LeRae received an unexpected visit from NXT General Manager William Regal, who informed “Tenacious C” that he had forbidden Shirai from coming to the building.
Realizing that she wouldn’t get her hands on Shirai this night, LeRae instead requested a showdown with her backstabbing former friend at TakeOver: Toronto, and His Lordship acquiesced, adding the sizzling new grudge match to the lineup on Aug. 10.
Pete Dunne def. Roderick Strong
With their NXT North American Title Triple Threat Match at TakeOver: Toronto less than two weeks away, Pete Dunne dealt a seismic blow to the egos (and bodies) of champion Velveteen Dream and fellow challenger Roderick Strong.
The BruiserWeight first buoyed his pre-TakeOver momentum with a stirring submission victory over Strong in a gritty main event. Although Strong unleashed a galaxy of backbreaking moves in the hopes of rendering Dunne unable to compete on Aug. 10, The BruiserWeight exhibited the same type of intestinal fortitude that made him the longest reigning U.K. Champion in history. Dunne’s pain threshold was tested late in the match when Strong trapped him in the back-bending Strong Hold, but The BruiserWeight reversed the move, grabbed Strong’s fingers like a wishbone from the Thanksgiving table and wrenched them in opposite directions, forcing the Undisputed ERA member to cry uncle.
The fireworks didn’t end with the bell. As Dunne celebrated the win, Velveteen Dream snuck in from behind and readied to strike the Birmingham slugger with the North American Title, only for Dunne to catch Dream red-handed. Dream quickly slung the title back over his shoulder and a defiant Strong told his TakeOver opponents that he’s taking the championship in Toronto.
Dunne, meanwhile, had one last exclamation point to put on his statement-making performance, and he snapped Dream’s fingers before hitting him with the Bitter End in what could end up being a precursor to TakeOver: Toronto.