NXT Gold Rush Review – June 20, 2023
North American Title Match
Wes Lee (c) vs. Tyler Bate
Match starts off with a lock up then they go back & forth with submission holds before Tyler Bate lands an arm drag. Bate cinches in a side headlock but Mustafa Ali counts a fall after Wes Lee’s shoulders are down. Bate becomes caught off guard and stares down Ali. He then rolls up Lee but Lee kicks out. Lee shoves Bate & Bate does the same to him before they wind up outside of the ring where Bate lands a pair of uppercuts as we go to a break.
After the break Bate & Lee level one another with clotheslines. Bate lands an uppercut, but Lee fires back with an open palm strike and a series of right hands. Bate delivers a couple more uppercuts but Lee lands a shotgun dropkick on Bate’s spine. Bate delivers a suplex before Lee delivers an enziguri.
Bate delivers a rebound lariat and ascends to the top rope but Lee meets him up there and they come tumbling down. Lee lands on the outside while Bate lands on the inside and Ali gives some words of wisdom to both men. Lee then gets back in the ring and nails the Kardiak Kick for the win.
Winner & Still North American Champion: Wes Lee (12:59) (STILL CHAMPION!!!!)
Rate: 8 (Recommend)
There was a vignette of Gigi Dolin & she says that she has always gravitated to Graffiti as it allows her to be more creative.
We go backstage where McKenzie Mitchell is with Kiana James & she talks trash about Gigi Dolin by saying that she is fueled by winning and not by art. James then said that Dolin was happy to swim in a pool of mediocrity.
Duke Hudson says it is his honor as the MVP of Chase U to welcome everyone to Thea Hail’s pep rally. He says while she has been in the agony of defeat, she has also been in the thrill of the victory. He says she will become the youngest Women’s Champion in NXT history next week and introduces her.
Hail makes her way down to the ring with cheerleaders from Chase U right behind her cheering her on.
Hail says this is the best day of her whole life and says looking up and down the NXT roster, everyone has major college accomplishments. She says while she decided not to college, she doesn’t need national championships or a Master’s degree because she will still become NXT Women’s Champion.
Drew Gulak & Charlie Dempsey ask what they’ve gotten themselves into after finding out Hail decided not to go to a post secondary institute. Hail then thanks Hudson, Gulak, Dempsey & Andre Chase for giving her an opportunity.
Women’s Champion Tiffany Stratton’s music hits and she appears & she calls the pep rally amazingly horrible and tells Hudson the set up is tacky. She says no one pick her to win the #1 Contenders Battle Royal a couple of weeks ago but she has a 0% chance of dethroning her as Women’s Champion. Hudson says Hail will become the new Women’s Champion and while she doesn’t believe in Hail, he does along with the rest of Chase U and the WWE Universe.
Stratton says Hail won’t make her tap out next week but Hail surprises her and locks in the Kimura Lock & Stratton taps out.
We then head to a video of Joe Gacy chewing out The Dyad following their loss last week. Ava tells them that they need to stay together and The Dyad storms off.
Diamond Mine saw the vignette and agreed to not take The Schism lightly before promising to send them packing then the 3 bantered around with each other.
There was a video of NXT Anonymous showing Jacy Jayne & Lyra Valkyria arguing backstage after Jayne’s comments on Valkyria. Jayne said that she should just kick Valkyria in the face.
NXT Tag Team Titles #1 Contenders Triple Threat Match
Josh Briggs & Brooks Jansen vs. Edris Enofe & Malik Blade vs. Hank Walker & Tank Ledger
Josh Briggs sends Hank Walker crashing out of the ring then goes after Malik Blade but Blade fires back with a dropkick then tags in Edris Enofé. Brooks Jensen tags in and wears down Enofé then tags Briggs back in. Briggs & Jensen deliver a double body slam to Walker. Briggs runs the ropes but Walker & Jensen trip him. Ledger tags in and delivers a splash in the corner to Enofé before Jensen lands a kick on Ledger as we go to a break.
After the break Jensen delivers a back elbow to Blade in the corner. Briggs tags in and delivers a boot to Walker before himself & Jensen deliver a double right hand to Enofé. Enofé catches Walker with a dropkick but Briggs takes down both men. Walker delivers a back elbow before Blade tags in and delivers a blockbuster to Briggs.
Ledger tags in and levels Briggs then delivers a suplex to Blade. Jensen tags in and catches him with a back elbow then delivers a kick and a neckbreaker before he trips Blade and plants him on top of Ledger then tags Briggs back in.
Briggs & Jensen hits Hart Attack then Briggs then pins Ledger but Enofé breaks up the pin by hitting a elbow drop off the top rope then Blade lands a Frog Splash on Ledger to score the win.
Winners & #1 Contenders To The NXT Tag Team Titles: Edris Enofe & Malik Blade (9:12)
Rate: 7
Backstage Los Lotharios confronts Gallus by saying that they were lucky Los Lotharios were not in the #1 Contenders Match because they would be winning the NXT Tag Team Titles off them.
We head backstage and see Damon Kemp approaches Eddy Thorpe. Kemp tells Thorpe that he’ll be bringing back Raw Underground in 2 weeks so the 2 of them to have a match and walks off. A loud crash then happens and we see Roxanne Perez being pull away from Blair Davenport after attacking her.
World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins & Heritage Cup Champion Nathan Frazer talk backstage with Rollins saying that he was proud of the champion he has become & after that NXT Champion Carmelo Hayes & Trick Williams met with Seth Rollins backstage with Rollins saying that if he wanted to be a champion to focus on his title.
Dana Brooke vs. Cora Jade
Cora Jade shoves Dana Brooke before Brooke sends her crashing into the corner then delivers several shoulders to her midsection then she trips Jade and sends her head repeatedly crashing into the mat.
She delivers a hip toss and a kick to her chest then follows it up with a body slam. Jade delivers a knee to Brooke’s midsection then delivers a series of kicks to her midsection.
Brooke lands an airplane spin and a single leg dropkick that sends Jade crashing to the outside then she joins Jade out there but Jade slides back in the ring and catches Brooke on the side of her face as she looks to get back inside.
She sets up for the DDT but Brooke escapes her grasp and sends her crashing into the corner. She sets up for a springboard elbow but her knee gives out & medical team comes out as we go to a break.
After the break Brooke delivers a forearm to Jade on the outside then she sends her head bouncing off the ring apron then tosses her back in the ring. Her knee gives out once again but she slides back inside to join Jade and rolls her up.
Jade kicks out and delivers a chop block to Brooke’s injured knee then sends it crashing into the mat. Brooke responds with a flapjack and goes for a pin but Jade kicks out.
Brooke sets up for a suplex but Jade kicks her injured knee to escape. She looks for a Vader Bomb but Jade moves out of the way and locks in a single leg Boston Crab but Brooke almost makes it to the bottom rope but Jade pulls her back to the center of the ring. Brooke writhes out in pain and the referee calls for the bell.
Winner By Referee Stoppage: Cora Jade (10:46)
Rate: 5
We then head over to a video of Von Wagner opening up to Mr. Stone and discussing his journey with battling Trigonocephaly as a baby.
Backstage Eddy Thorpe, Scrypts & Axiom watched the tape of Raw Underground before Thorpe was confronted by Gable Stevenson. Stevenson told Thorpe that if he needed someone to practice with, he was game.
Corbin calls for Hayes’ music to be cut and says he doesn’t have time for his showmanship. He tells Hayes that having the NXT Title doesn’t mean you made it, and says there’s nothing he can do next week that he hasn’t seen. He says they’re no longer in Hayes’ hometown and he doesn’t care what anyone thinks of him.
Hayes says he thinks Corbin feels as though he can walk into his home and come after his title to make himself relevant again. He says he’s not new to this and has defended his territory against main roster guys that he sent packing. He tells Corbin that there’s no difference between them and him, then brings up Happy Corbin. Corbin says Happy Corbin bought him a $1.8 million house and dares Hayes to compare bank accounts and WrestleMania moments. He says all of his fortunes came from being a main roster star for nearly a decade.
Hayes says Corbin used to be that and asks him what happened. He says he won the NXT Breakout Tournament at 26 years old and won the North American Title & CuriseWeight Title while Corbin was being cut from the Arizona Cardinals at that age. He gives Corbin and the other NXT originals credit but says he creates new expectations. He says since Corbin’s left, he’s built a couple more rules, pushed in windows and put up a new roof because he tore down the old one.
Corbin says if Hayes has to tell people every week he is him then he isn’t him. He calls Hayes insignificant and says he would normally leave him laid out. He says he doesn’t need to do that because he’ll be treating himself next week after he wins the NXT Title.
Backstage Yulisa Leon & Valentina Feroz warm up before Dragon Lee & Heritage Cup Champion Nathan Frazer talks to them. Frazer thanks Feroz & Leon for stopping the Meta 4. Dragon Lee & Nathan Frazer spoke backstage with Frazer gifting Dragon Lee a shot at the Heritage Cup Title next week.
In the Parking Lot Stacks attacks Joe Coffey before kidnapping him.
Tag Team Match
Jakara Jackson & Lash Legend vs. Valentina Feroz & Yulisa Leon
Valentina Feroz & Yulisa Leon waste no time as they go straight after Jakara Jackson & Lash Legend in the ring. Jackson tosses Leon in the ring then Legend pulls her out of the ring. Legend tags in and holds Leon in place as Jackson fires off right hands.
She then delivers a standing splash and sends her head crashing into the mat as Lola Vice & Elektra Lopez appear at ringside. Jackson tags in and herself and Legend deliver a facebuster/neckbreaker combination. Leon lands a hip toss and tags in Feroz.
Legend tags in, and Feroz fires off kicks on Legend’s thigh then she ascends to the middle rope and delivers a hurricanrana then hits a Meteora. Oro Mensah tries to interfere but Feroz stomps on his hand then she looks for a crossbody but Mensah catches her.
Leon then levels him after going flying over the top rope then Feroz then gets back in the ring and Legend catches her with a boot for the win.
Winners: Jakara Jackson & Lash Legend (3:22)
Rate: 4
World Heavyweight Title Match
Seth Rollins (c) vs. Bron Breakker
Seth Rollins looks for the Curb Stomp but Bron Breakker ducks out of the way and Rollins sets up for the Pedigree but Breakker escapes and Rollins dumps him out of the ring then lands a knee off the apron as we go to a break.
After the break Breakker executes a hurricanrana then follows it up with a suplex and sends him into the corner then delivers a German suplex and goes for a pin but Rollins kicks out and Breakker charges at him in the corner. Rollins ducks out of the way and Breakker is sent crashing into the ring post.
Rollins dumps him out of the ring and lands 3 tope suicidas then gets Rollins back in the ring and sets up for the Curb Stomp but Breakker rolls out of the ring and Rollins sends him crashing into the floor.
Rollins clears the announce table and delivers a superkick that sends Breakker toppling on top of the announce table. He ascends to the top rope and delivers a Frog Splash & that takes us to a another break.
After an another break Rollins delivers a forearm to Breakker then follows it up with a superkick and ascends to the top rope as he sets up for a Frog Splash but Breakker rolls out of the way and locks in the Steiner Recliner.
Rollins escapes and Breakker plants him. Rollins then lands a knee and follows it up with a Pedigree then goes for a pin but Breakker kicks out at the last second. Breakker ascends to the top and goes flying but Rollins lands a superkick and follows it up with a Pedigree then hits Curb Stomp for the win.
Winner & Still World Heavyweight Champion: Seth Rollins (17:06) (STILL CHAMPION!!!!!)
Rate: 8 (Recommend)
After the match Rollins looks to head to the back but Finn Balor blindsides him & Balor sends him crashing into the ring apron then grabs a chair and cracks it across his spine. He ascends to the top and sets up for the Coup De Grace but Carmelo Hayes & Trick Williams run down to provide Rollins with a hand to close Night 1 of Gold Rush.
Matches Of The Night
North American Title Match
World Heavyweight Title Match
NXT Tag Team Titles #1 Contenders Triple Threat Match
Gold Rush Night 2 Card (June 27th)
NXT Title Match
Carmelo Hayes (c) vs. Baron Corbin
Women’s Title Match
Tiffany Stratton (c) vs. Thea Hail
NXT Tag Team Titles Match
Gallus (Mark Coffey & Wolfgang) (c) vs. Edris Enofe & Malik Blade
Heritage Cup Title Match
Nathan Frazer (c) vs. Dragon Lee
Gigi Dolan vs. Kiana James
