NXT Great American Bash Night 2 Results and Grades: A top star is born

WWE NXT Great American Bash’s second night more than lived up to the hype.

NXT Great American Bash Night 1 was a rousing success, highlighted by a thrilling main event between Io Shirai and Sasha Banks. Night 2 would be headlined by Keith Lee and Adam Cole in a unification match for the North American and WWE NXT Championships. The rest of the card looked stacked as well, featuring a Street Fight between Mia Yim and Candice LeRae – two great rivals who helped put on a show in Night 1’s opener.

Here are the full results and grades for the show.

Candice LeRae vs. Mia Yim, Street Fight

Result: Candice LeRae wins by pinfall

Grade: A, This was a strong opener. Mia Yim and Candice LeRae made great use of all the weapons available to them. It was difficult to predict who would win throughout, as both women had a strong showing. Great psychology in this match.

The match didn’t start with the bell ringing, as Candice LeRae walked down the ramp with her awesome new heel entrance and was immediately slammed from behind by Yim. Once the fight got near the ring, Yim started throwing EVERY weapon imaginable into the ring. Steel chairs, kendo sticks, a garbage can…Yim was bringing it ALL out before LeRae could collect herself and the bell rung.

LeRae picked up the kendo stick and tried to bring the pain to Yim, but Yim caught it and started using it to perfection.

The Performance Center recruits – I have to get my terminology right otherwise Kevin Dunn will push my bosses to get me canned – chanted for tables, so Yim obliged. But LeRae was able to hit a dropkick on Yim, allowing her to set up the table in the corner.

LeRae started using the ringpost perfectly to target Yim, but Yim managed to counter, sending LeRae into the crowd of wrestlers (and chairs). But it seemed like Yim had tweaked her right shoulder from all those ringpost smashes.

We had a mini-food fight, too, which undoubtedly made the producer of the Money in the Bank cinematic ladder matches happy.

All of a sudden, LeRae took a page out of Carmella’s playbook by using the fire extinguisher on Yim, using that to gain and advantage. She tried to use that advantage to suplex Yim through the table, but she ended up getting dropkicked into the table!

After the commercial break, Yim tried to put a move on LeRae after tying her up into a steel chair, but LeRae countered, driving Yim into the steel chair. And Yim had to kick out at two after being dropkicked into the same chair. Both women were hitting some big moves using the match’s weaponry!

LeRae brought out MORE chairs, as if there already weren’t enough weapons around! But instead of reaching for the chairs, she actually used the trash can lid to wreck Yim’s ribs some more, making it difficult for her babyface opponent to breathe!

Of course, Yim put a trash can over LeRae and lined her up with a kick and a cannonball! She wanted to follow that up with brass knuckles, but LeRae spotted it perfectly, using the steel chair to hit the brass knuckles! And then she piled up ALL the chairs over her! She climbed the top rope for a big move, but she was hurt too much by the match to get there in time.

So Yim took advantage, setting up the chairs herself and ascending the top rope for a move. LeRae was able to get the brass knuckles off and take them for herself, as the two teetered on a table perched precariously on the top rope. And LeRae hit the diving swinging neckbreaker for the win! Wow! What a shocking finish!

https://twitter.com/WWEUniverse/status/1281023731033346048

Bronson Reed vs. Tony Nese

Result: Bronson Reed wins by pinfall

Grade: B-, A simple, effective match with a story that was easy to follow. Bronson Reed and Tony Nese are both impressive athletes.

Former Cruiserweight Champion Tony Nese’s atrocious conduct during his match with NXT newcomer Leon Rush drew the ire of Bronson Reed, who wanted to put Nese in his place after his disrespectful actions. Nese is a former Cruiserweight Champion and is currently one of the most disliked wrestlers in NXT due to his arrogant attitude.

Reed’s strength was far too much for Nese to handle, and Nese really should have spent less time talking trash about his abs and pecs before the match and more time focusing on how to get in early offense – other than grabbing the hair or taking cheapshots in the corner. Arrogant as ever, Nese even started doing jumping jacks in the ring!

But Reed did an even more impressive exercise, hitting Nese with a perfect military press! Just as Reed thought he had an advantage, Nese used the apron to briefly stun Reed, following that up with some fists to the face.

A huge highlight came when Nese snapped Reed’s head on the ropes and then followed that up with an AMAZING springboard moonsault! It’s easy to forget how good Nese is when he shows off his athleticism, especially when he hits a high-flying move like that.

Reed showed he can go to the top rope, too, though! He won the match with a top-rope move, in fact, nailing a splash with heavy impact to put away Nese and teach the former champion on 205 Live a lesson.

Isaiah “Swerve” Scott vs. Johnny Gargano

Result: Johnny Gargano wins by pinfall

Grade: A+, Please make some time to watch this one. Johnny Gargano was as good as ever, but Swerve was super impressive. His counters, technical skills, and selling were tremendous.

Isaiah “Swerve” Scott is a wrestler ready for stardom in NXT. And this would be his biggest career match in WWE, created on the first night of NXT Great American Bash.

As expected, Gargano and Scott, two of the most technical wrestlers in the company, started the match feeling each other out with some chain wrestling. Gargano, as the more experienced competitor in NXT, won the opening battle, locking the 205 Live standout into a submission.

The match picked up the pace after the submission battle finished, as the two wrestlers showed they are also capable of wrestling a high-flying style. Scott’s counters were INCREDIBLE. Like, even Hall of Famer Beth Phoenix asked how the physics of Scott’s moves worked!

After the break, Scott started to string some big moves together, including a sick move where he jumped off the top rope and hit the small of Johnny Gargano’s back. Finally, Swerve was getting a real edge in this match.

Gargano went for a springboard rolling elbow that Scott countered INTO a kip-up. WOW. Like, how did he do that???

Swerve got a 2.5-count on Gargano to hang on after being placed in a devastating submission. Gargano and Scott were fighting at such a stalemate for most of the match, as it seemed like each man had the right counter for the other!

In the end, though, Gargano hit his DDT finisher for the win. But he was pushed to the limit, despite picking up another victory and more momentum.

Santos Escobar, Joaquin Wilde, and Raul Mendoza vs. Tyler Breeze, Fandango, and Drake Maverick

Result: The heels win, as Escobar pins Maverick

Grade: A-, A six-man tag with great storytelling worth your time. Fandango’s selling was mighty impressive, as were his moves in the ring. And Drake Maverick’s tag had me on the edge of my seat before Santos Escobar took advantage for the win.

Another match set up at NXT Great American Bash, this six-man tag match was much less hyped than Isaiah “Swerve” Scott vs. Johnny Gargano.  But with the Fashion Police and Drake Maverick on the same team, anything can happen.

Drake Maverick convinced Tyler Breeze and Fandango that he wanted to start the match, as he wanted to get revenge on Santos Escobar for his heel turn on him after Escobar won the NXT Cruiserweight Championship. But Escobar, of course, had other plans, not intending to start.So Breeze and Fandango had to calm him down so that Fandango could start against Joaquin Wilde.

Raul Mendoza and Breeze then got involved, with Breeze gaining the advantage for his team with some tremendous agility. So he brought Drake Maverick in the match. Maverick made the mistake of focusing too much on Escobar and not Mendoza, but he recovered as Escobar kept cooly smiling, unperturbed by Maverick’s anger.

Escobar tagged in for Mendoza, but he was toying with Maverick, immediately tagging out. He was just in there to help Mendoza and Wilde get some double-team moves to isolate Breeze.

When Breeze tagged out, he brought Fandango into the match, and Fandango cleaned house, even hitting his beautiful Falcon Arrow on Wilde! Things broke down quickly afterward, and Fandango military-pressed Maverick onto Legado del Fantasma! And then Fandango followed it up with a dive! But Fandango was selling a knee injury! And then Mendoza hit him knee-first into the steps!

Escobar came into the match for a lengthier spell as Legado del Fantasma looked to further isolate Fandango and target his injured left knee. Fandango’s selling was excellent, as it became uncomfortable and dramatic watching him struggle. He earned himself an opening by kicking Mendoza into the barricade out of desperation, and then Maverick and Escobar both tagged in for the big moment everyone was waiting for!

Maverick’s intensity carried the day, as he kept unleashing strikes onto Escobar. Although Maverick had the advantage, the match then broke down, which led to Maverick getting caught on the top rope by Escobar. And Escobar hit his finisher for the win.

Santana Garrett vs. Mercedes Martinez

Result: Mercedes Martinez wins via pinfall

Grade: B-, A short match, but the wrestling action before it ended was excellent. Told the right story to put over Mercedes Martinez, but many fans waiting for Santana Garrett to get her chances. Martinez looked amazing here.

As announced, Mercedes Martinez would be in action on Night 2 of NXT Great American Bash, and this would be a dream matchup in WWE between two absolute legends in Martinez and Santana Garrett. You could feel the atmosphere in the room completely change when Martinez walked out into the ring; everyone knows who they are in the presence of when she steps foot inside the squared circle.

The match began with Garrett looking to lock up with Martinez in a respectful grappling battle, bt Martinez straight-up kicked her and then started laying in more harsh strikes of all varieties. Garrett stood no chance in the corner, until she started using her quickness and looked to use her technical ability.

Garrett’s handspring back elbow only seemed to irritate Martinez, who wiped her mouth and repeatedly fed Garrett blows to the head.

But Garrett showed her own striking ability with a couple of fists and a kick following another show of athleticism, but, once again, Martinez mowed her down and used that hit to slow the match down again.

Martinez then hit the Fisherman Buster to pick up the win.

Keith Lee vs. Adam Cole, Unification Match

Result: Keith Lee wins with the Big Bang Catastrophe

Grade: A+, This match. Everything about this match! A quintessential performance from both Adam Cole and Keith Lee with the best man winning. The era of Lee as NXT’s top star has begun.

THIS was the big match we were waiting for on an NXT Great American Bash Night 2 card stocked with big matches and sleeper matches. Keith Lee, the North American Champion, vs. the greatest NXT Men’s Champion of all-time in Adam Cole. And it was anyone’s guess as to who would pick up the defining victory. Talk about a big fight feel!

Cole started the match by putting Lee in a chin lock, clearly taking lessons from NXT brand manager Triple H. Trash-talking all the way, Cole soon realized that tactic only works if you actually have a strength advantage, with Lee swiftly (and, for Cole, painfully) erased.

Lee’s “crush grip” on Cole was devastating, as he was absolutely having his way with the leader of the Undisputed Era, who needed to put some strikes in to get out of his situation. But respite was only brief. Asking Lee to “put him down” also wasn’t the wisest decision.

The North American Champion bragged to the fans and camera, “Remember Johnny Gargano?”, telegraphing his plan to send Adam Cole through the plexiglass. The wily Cole dove out of the way, though, allowing him to turn the tables on Lee outside the ring.

Cole was tiring Lee in a submission, yelling at the resilient North American Champion to “quit”. Like that would ever be an option for the Limitless One! Judging by the massive powerslam he hit for a 2.5-count moments later, he had plenty of fight in him. And the two-handed chop he hit might have been even more powerful! Lee smiled and said, “I must break him” before ascending the top rope, but Cole caught him with a backstabber.

A big highlight came afterward when Lee did hit a huge top rope move, nailing Cole with a superplex! But because of the impact of the fall onto the canvas to Lee as well, he could only get a 2.9 when he collected himself for the pin attempt. Lee seemed to have the match won afterward with a HUGE powerbomb in which Cole’s body bounced off the canvas, but Cole saved himself with a FINGERTIP on the bottom rope.

Lee was throwing every move in the book at Cole, using so many amazing power moves to try and put away the former Bullet Club member, but Cole was finding a way to get out of everything. Beth Phoenix and Mauro Ranallo put over how good Cole is as a champion, knowing how to retain his belt by always knowing when to roll out of the ring or where he is in relation to the ropes.

It seemed like Lee finally had Cole put away with a ridiculous moonsault, but Cole somehow managed to kick out of that, too. But he was clearly in a great deal of pain.

The heart of Lee was on display as well, though, as he took superkick after superkick, screaming in defiance. Cole was able to follow those kicks up with the Last Shot, but Lee kicked out! That’s the amazing resilience of him as well! The Last Shot is one of the top finishers in WWE!

When Cole went for a second Last Shot, Lee got up at the right time and hit a jaw-dropping clothesline to wipe out Cole and buy himself valuable time. Cole landed right on his neck on that clothesline!

Another huge kickout came when Lee got out at two when Cole hit the Panama Sunrise! And the desperation on Cole’s face was striking! He was in disbelief, which quickly yielded way to anger.

Cole went for the final shot. He exposed the knee and hit a Last Shot. But he wanted more. He went into the corner, labored up to the middle rope, and set his sights on Lee, begging him to get up before yelling “The Title is mine!” Lee countered the Panama Sunrise, hit the Spirit Bomb, and finally hit the Big Bang Catastrophe for the win! What an incredible win to unify the titles!

The show closed with Killer Kross and Scarlett Bordeaux watching from above at Lee’s celebration. What a moment!