We're here, folks. NXT Great American Bash Night Two!
Tonight's main event was epic in every definition of the word. A Winner Take All bout between the NXT North American Champion and the NXT Champion. Adam Cole and Keith Lee would clash in one of the most important matches in NXT history.
We kicked off NXT Great American Bash with the second-ever NXT Women's Street Fight, and it was a rivalry that rightfully deserved that stipulation.
NXT Great American Bash Street Fight: Candice LeRae vs Mia Yim
Candice LeRae couldn't even get down the ramp before she was blindsided by the Blasian Baddie. Mia Yim laid out LeRae and sent her into the ring before tossing a vast array of weapons inside.
LeRae was the first one to connect with a foreign object, pelting Yim with a handful of shots from the kendo stick. Yim eventually caught it and turned the weapon back on the Poison Pixie, battering her across the ring.
Yim introduced a table but was cut off before she could set it up. LeRae placed it in the corner, looking to toss Yim through to end everything early. Yim caught her in a dragon suplex then German suplex attempt, but LeRae avoided both.
LeRae baited Yim out to the floor and drove her opponent face first into the ring post. She continued to work with the post, attempting to use it to tear Yim's shoulder out of her socket.
Yim fought her off, leading to the two taking a walk in the crowd. They found themselves standing on a stage, with Yim attempting to drive LeRae through a catering table. LeRae sprayed her with a fire extinguisher, but couldn't take Yim over to the table.
LeRae lost control, and Yim launched LeRae through the air and the table with a dropkick. Yim dragged LeRae's nearly limp body back to the ring and covered, only getting a two-count.
Yim wore LeRae out with another kendo stick, but was sent face first into a steel chair with a drop toe hold. LeRae then focused on the injured ribs, driving the chair into her sternum. More chairs were tossed into the ring, as LeRae began setting up for something incredibly vicious.
LeRae adjusted the table in the corner, but it gave Yim enough time to mount a comeback. A trash can was placed over LeRae's head, and Yim crushed it with her iconic Timbs. A cannonball senton earned Yim a two-count at Great American Bash.
Yim and LeRae found themselves standing on the hanging table, a long fall away from a pile of chairs. LeRae got the better of Yim, and took her all the way to the chairs with an avalanche swinging neckbreaker at Great American Bash.
Results: Candice LeRae defeated Mia Yim via pinfall at NXT Great American Bash.
Grade: A
After the bout, Mia Yim exited to a standing ovation from the crowd at the Great American Bash.
Following a heinous attack on Leon Ruff, Tony Nese was placed into a match with Bronson Reed at NXT Great American Bash. The big man hoped to pound a little respect into the Premier Athlete.
NXT Great American Bash: Bronson Reed vs Tony Nese
AUSZilla, much like the Papa Johns Shaq-eroni Pizza, was too much for one man to handle. Bronson Reed overpowered Tony Nese early on, looking to rip the former Cruiserweight Champion's arm off.
Nese attempted to outrun Reed but was caught in mid-air, getting slammed with a pop-up spinebuster. Reed followed up with a running senton across the chest. However, the Premier Athlete managed to bounce Reed's face off the apron, putting him in the driver's seat.
Bronson Reed seemingly put a full stop to Nese's offense, though, catching him coming off the top-rope. Nese responded with a shot to the throat and managed to hang Reed's neck on the top rope. The triangle moonsault earned him a two-count.
Reed responded with a devastating clothesline, turning Nese inside out. Following that, a big diving splash from the top was all that was needed to put Nese away.
Results: Bronson Reed defeated Tony Nese via pinfall at Great American Bash.
Grade: B-
Backstage at NXT Great American Bash, Robert Stone and Aliyah hoped to find another signing in Shotzi Blackheart. NXT's resident Tank Girl immediately declined, forcing Stone to toss his coffee in anger. Sadly for Stone, he hit the wrong target.
Killian Dain walked into frame and launched Stone into the wall. As he crumbled to the floor, Blackheart ran over his ankle with the tank, leaving him screaming in agony at The Great American Bash.
NXT Great American Bash: Isaiah "Swerve" Scott vs Johnny Gargano
Johnny Wrestling took Swerve down to the mat, keeping him trapped in various submissions. Isaiah Scott broke away, forcing a game of speed. Both men avoided each other's patented offense.
This led to a stalemate on the floor, and both had to rush to get back inside the ring before the ten-count. Gargano baited Scott for the Final Beat, but Scott countered it, sending Gargano back to the floor for a dive at The Great American Bash.
During the break, Gargano took over, leading to a neckbreaker/gourdbuster combination followed by a roundhouse kick. Scott kicked out. He fired up, landing a diving uppercut to the back of the head and stomping Gargano out on the apron.
Swerve lit up Gargano with a punching combination before dropping him with a rolling flatliner. Gargano kicked out and delivered a nasty slingshot spear. He brought Scott to the corner, battering the up-and-comer. A mule kick sent Scott to the other side of the ring, but he came back with a kick and a spinning suplex.
House Call missed, and the two strikers began trading shots. Superkicks, roundhouses and more were thrown, leading to the eventual House Call by Swerve. Gargano managed to roll Scott over for the Garga-No Escape. Though Swerve escaped, he was caught by a superkick.
Scott escaped another attempt at Gargano's submission and turned Gargano over with the JML Driver, but couldn't get the win. He moved up for the Swerve Stomp but was cut off by Gargano, who was kicked to the floor for his trouble. Swerve wanted to make a statement, and it cost him. The Swerve Stomp to the floor missed, leading to Scott injuring his knee.
Gargano launched Scott into the ring post and followed up with the Poison Rana. The One Final Beat connected, giving Gargano a much-needed win at The Great American Bash.
Results: Johnny Gargano defeated Isaiah "Swerve" Scott via pinfall at Great American Bash.
Grade: A-
Next up on the Great American Bash was a six-man tag. Legado Del Fantasma has terrorized the NXT Cruiserweight division for weeks now. Breezango came to Drake Maverick's aid last week, leading to this match.
NXT Great American Bash: Legado Del Fantasma (Santos Escobar, Raul Mendoza, & Joaquin Wilde) vs Drake Maverick & Breezango (Tyler Breeze & Fandango)
Joaquin Wilde and Fandango kicked off the match, with Wilde getting taken to school by the veteran. Wilde was hung up on the top rope, leading to a tag to Tyler Breeze and a pair of kicks to the jaw.
Wilde forced Breeze into his corner, bringing in Raul Mendoza. Breeze avoided a nasty roundhouse, responding with a Supermodel Kick and a quick swinging neckbreaker. Drake Maverick was in next, and NXT's Ultimate Underdog left Mendoza dazed with an enziguri.
Breeze was in next and managed to finally get some offense in, taking out Breeze to tag in Escobar, for the first time at Great American Bash. Wilde tagged in immediately after, leading to a trios tandem assault on Breeze.
Breeze found a way to get to his corner, bringing in a fired-up Fandango, who managed to take on all of Legado Del Fantasma by himself. Drake Maverick wanted his huge Great American Bash moment, demanding Fandango launch him over the ropes onto the group.
Fandango followed with a dive of his own. However, Mendoza sent him knee first into the steps, damaging his leg. Joaquin Wilde was the legal man and tortured Fandango by focusing on that damaged knee.
Escobar was in next, wanting to taunt Maverick while dishing out some serious punishment. Fandango fought out of a leg-trapped abdominal stretch but was beaten back into the corner of Legado Del Fantasma.
Mendoza took over and snapped Fandango's leg with a leg drop. However, Fandango found a way to send Mendoza to the floor, blasting him to the barricade in the process. Escobar and Maverick finally got in the ring together.
Maverick struggled to keep up with Maverick's wild offense, and a wheelbarrow bulldog dropped the NXT Cruiserweight Champion. As Maverick moved to the top, he was met by a superkick. The Phantom Driver put Escobar up another win over Maverick.
Results: Legado Del Fantasma defeated Drake Maverick & Breezango via pinfall at Great American Bash.
Grade: B-
Legado Del Fantasma made another impressive statement at NXT Great American Bash. Who will be able to stop Santos Escobar and his disciples?
Johnny Gargano and Candice LeRae both emerged victorious at Great American Bash tonight. They declared themselves the greatest power couple in the world...nay...the universe!
LeRae stated that they still had some unfinished business, and Gargano claimed that they still had some "fireworks" to set off at Great American Bash tonight.
At Great American Bash, Mercedes Martinez made her return to NXT. Santana Garrett, sadly, was her first opponent.
NXT Great American Bash: Santana Garrett vs Mercedes Martinez
Mercedes Martinez didn't even give Santana Garrett a chance to get going. Boots and knife edge chops left her dazed in the corner. Garrett tried to wrap up Martinez with an abdominal stretch, but was easily tossed away.
Garrett avoided a splash in the corner and connected with a handspring back elbow. However, Mercedes withstood it, responding with a deadly big boot. She mounted Garrett and rained down a series of strikes to the head.
Garrett escaped another rough situation, avoiding a double underhook maneuver. A rolling uppercut and a superkick didn't even phase Mercedes, though. A big clothesline knocked out Garrett.
Following a Fisherman Buster, Mercedes Martinez picked up her first official win at Great American Bash.
Results: Mercedes Martinez defeated Santana Garrett via pinfall at Great American Bash.
Grade: C+
Several women have made quite an impression over the two nights of Great American Bash. NXT's Women's Division has shifted quite a bit since Charlotte Flair's defeat.
It's time. Keith Lee's journey to the NXT Championship started back at Survivor Series when he stole the show with Roman Reigns in a fifteen-man elimination match. At Great American Bash, he put his NXT North American Championship on the line for the opportunity to become the first man to hold both titles.
Adam Cole, arguably the greatest NXT Champion of all time, wouldn't go down without a fight. The Great American Bash's main event certainly lived up to the hype, but who would walk away as Champ Champ, Bay-Bay?
NXT Great American Bash Winner Take All Match: Keith Lee (NXT North American Champion) vs Adam Cole (NXT Champion)
Adam Cole latched on a side headlock at the start, but Keith Lee easily broke the grip. The big man trapped Cole in an arm wrench, taking Cole to his knees. Cole responded with a kick, but was caught again.
Lee sent Cole to the floor with a shoulder block. He followed up with the Pounce, but Cole sidestepped, launching Lee through the plexiglass! Cole upped the pressure, driving Lee into the steps and ring post. Back inside, a big kick laid out the Limitless One.
Cole dropped Lee with a huge neckbreaker. However, after antagonizing Lee a bit too much, the big man laid into Cole with a series of clotheslines and a running forearm. Lee planted him with a Tour of the Islands, getting a two-count.
Lee scaled the turnbuckle, stating "I must break him." Cole caught him moving up, taking his legs out and hitting an elevated backstabber. Lee kicked out at one-nearly launching Cole through the ropes. Another big shot from Lee left Cole out on the apron. Lee followed that up with a deadlift suplex over the ropes!
Cole nearly lost his prized possession at Great American Bash but kicked out at two-and-a-half. A destructive Spirit Bomb nearly sent Cole through the mat. Again, he kept the fight going, just barely getting his finger on the rope.
The Pounce finally connected, as did a hellacious one-handed chokeslam! Cole still kicked out! Cole was left out on his back on the mat, and couldn't avoid a massive moonsault from Lee. And yet, he kicked out. Cole was picked up for the Big Bang Catastrophe, but the longest-reigning NXT Champion landed on his feet.
A pair of superkicks couldn't take out Lee, but two kicks to the knees did. The Last Shot connected, and Keith Lee powered out! The NXT North American Champion delivered a cataclysmic clothesline, turning Cole inside out and dumping him on his head.
Cole still, somehow, was able to get to the top for the Panama Sunrise, which still couldn't keep the big man down. Keith Lee was determined to leave Great American Bash as the new NXT Champion!
Three superkicks rocked Lee's jaw, but Cole just couldn't put Lee away. Another Last Shot left Lee down on the mat, but Cole knew he'd need to do a bit more. Setting up for one final Panama Sunrise, Lee countered with the Spirit Bomb! After that, the Big Bang Catastrophe drove Cole square into the middle of the ring! 1-2-3!!!
Results: Keith Lee defeated Adam Cole via pinfall at Great American Bash.
Grade: A+
At Great American Bash Night Two, Keith Lee made history! Keith Lee is a double champion, and the first to ever hold the NXT and North American Titles at the same time. Truly, Keith Lee is Limitless!
With that, the Golden Reign of the Undisputed Era is over at The Great American Bash.
Scarlett and Karrion Kross were watching Keith Lee basking in his glory at Great American Bash from up high. Looks like Lee won't have to wait long for his first challenger.
Episode Rating: A
What a night it turned out to be as Keith Lee created history at The Great American Bash. His title reign could be Limitless, unless karrion Kross will have a say on things!