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Night 2 of the NXT Great American Bash attempted to trump Night 1 that saw a great match between NXT Women’s Champion Io Shirai and WWE Women’s Tag Team Champion Sasha Banks. To make this possible, WWE had booked a huge Winner Takes All Match between NXT Champion Adam Cole and NXT North American Champion Keith Lee to crown its first Double Champion.
That wasn’t all, as Mia Yim and Candice LeRae were set to collide in a Street Fight, while Drake Maverick found unlikely partners in Breezango to compete against Legado del Fantasma.
Mercedes Martinez was advertised to make a much-anticipated return to the NXT ring, while Johnny Gargano looked to silence Isaiah "Swerve" Scott during the course of the night.
All these matches were set to light up the night on the second and final day of the NXT Great American Bash, and we’d be lying if we said that WWE did not deliver on its commitment.
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In this article, we will look at the five things WWE got right on the second night of the NXT Great American Bash.
#5 Mercedes Martinez’s return on WWE NXT
This was a late addition to this week’s show, but it was most definitely a welcomed one. Mercedes Martinez looked to make a comeback in WWE NXT after competing in her last match back in February this year.
She took on Santana Garrett and looked to make an impression for the NXT Universe to notice her again. Martinez took control of the bout from the opening bell and cornered the babyface to keep control.
She took her out with some great strikes before a Fisherman’s Buster helped her pick up a relatively quick victory over the babyface on NXT. This was a good way to allow Martinez to make her return, as the Great American Bash allowed her to get more exposure than regular NXT shows. Putting the match in the middle of the card ensured that she got some more spotlight.
At a time when Shayna Baszler is far away from NXT and Dakota Kai is still building, it’s good to see someone as focused and ruthless as Martinez step up. With Io Shirai as the NXT Champion, the possibility of Martinez rising in the ranks and aiming for the top soon seems highly likely.
While Martinez is a great addition to the women’s division of WWE NXT, the brand also needs to start honing Garrett, who can become a force in the coming years for the company.
#4 Johnny Gargano continues to grind on WWE NXT
After Isaiah "Swerve" Scott stepped in backstage to save Mia Yim from an attack from Candice LeRae and Johnny Gargano last week on WWE NXT, the two men agreed to a match on the second night of the Great American Bash.
Gargano is one of the biggest stars of NXT and it wouldn’t have made any sense to not have him competing in the ring on either night of the Great American Bash. Both men are extremely athletic and they put on a decent match in the middle to keep the crowds entertained.
Scott tried to outdo Johnny Wrestling in different departments, but he was no match for the veteran’s skills and experience who continued to keep him down.
The two men continued to trade blows before Gargano delivered the Poison Rana at ringside before getting the slingshot DDT in the ring to pick up the victory.
This was a good encounter that showed how good Scott can be against the bigger Superstars while giving Gargano the boost he needs to rise in NXT once again. We’ve seen NXT exhaust all feuds with Johnny Wrestling and it could be beneficial to book him with some mid-card talent to allow him to head into another direction.
However, he still needs to hit top gear in the ring as he seems a little bland since his heel turn.
#3 Legado del Fantasma's victory
Legado del Fantasma arrived on NXT as Santos Escobar led Joaquin Wilde and Raul Mendoza to the middle to take on Drake Maverick, Tyler Breeze, and Fandango. All six men looked to make an impression in this one as it was the first time that both of the two teams were working together in a match.
Fandango started for the babyfaces and took control of the match against Wilde before he tagged Breeze in. Escobar got his team back in the contest as he kept Prince Pretty down along with his teammates.
It took a while before Escobar and Maverick shared the ring, but Maverick showed the heart of a lion in this one too to confirm that his NXT Cruiserweight Championship performances weren’t a fluke.
After a major brawl, Escobar put Maverick away with the Phantom Driver to pick up the win for his team and get one over the babyfaces. The match allowed us to see that Maverick and Breezango really can work together and aren’t an odd team at all.
A victory for the heels was required as WWE NXT needs to build them further before giving Maverick a chance to take them down.
#2 The Poison Pixie gets her victory on WWE NXT
We were all prepared for the final match of the night as the NXT Champion and the NXT North American Champion were set to collide in a Winner Takes All Match at the end of the night. However, this particular encounter was the unexpected starter that really set the pace for the rest of the night.
Candice LeRae and Mia Yim have had their differences for some time now, and they decided to settle them in the ring this week on the NXT Great American Bash in a Street Fight.
Yim attacked LeRae right away and threw her into the steel steps to get the party started for the NXT Universe. The two women used a lot of weapons during the match and threw caution to the wind in an attempt to get back at each other.
The Poison Pixie did not have the size advantage but used her power against Yim for some impressive moves that kept The HBIC at bay. In the latter stages of the match, Yim got a set of brass knuckles out, but LeRae was able to block her attack with a steel chair.
She took the knuckles from her and struck her in the face with it before hitting a swinging neckbreaker form the top rope onto a pile of chairs to pick up a big victory.
This will likely end the rivalry between the two women and it seems like Yim has once again been sacrificed to put another heel over after a great performance. LeRae could now get in contention for the NXT Championship once again in the coming weeks.
#1 Keith Lee wins it all on WWE NXT
Where do we begin with this one? This was arguably the biggest match WWE NXT has ever built towards, and they did not get too much time to hype the clash. NXT North American Champion had his eyes set on the NXT Champion in the Winner Takes All Match, and even though the ending of the match may have been spoiled for a few of the viewers, they tuned in regardless to watch what went down in the middle.
While Keith Lee had the absolute power advantage in the match, Adam Cole used his cunningness to ensure that The Limitless One never gained control for too long. One of the highlights of the matches saw Lee run towards Cole to take him out outside the ring, but Cole moved out of the way at the right time to send Lee through the plexiglass divider.
While The Panama City Playboy did a good job of keeping the big man grounded, Lee kept on making comebacks and finally got in his zone to keep the longest-reigning NXT Champion down.
A series of superkicks and The Last Shot couldn’t keep Lee down as he survived the Panama Sunrise attempt and delivered a Spirit Bomb followed by the Big Bang Catastrophe to become the first Double Champion in the history of WWE NXT.
While many will argue that Cole did not deserve to lose the title, we can all agree that he will remain a Champion in our heart for as long as he wrestles.
As for Lee, this will be the moment that will make him one of the hottest wrestlers in the entire industry and give him the chance to aim for the top of RAW or SmackDown whenever he drops his titles and switches brands.
