WWE NXT 03 17 2021

WWE NXT Results
March 17, 2021
Orlando, Florida (Capitol Wrestling Center)
Commentary: Wade Barrett, Vic Joseph, and Beth Phoenix
Results by: Mike Tedesco of Wrestleview.com

“Then. Now. Forever.” The WWE video leads us into the show.

Footage is shown of last week’s main event with Finn Bálor successfully retaining the NXT Championship against Adam Cole.

NXT Champion Finn Bálor is in the ring. Bálor says he’s still the NXT Champion on St. Patrick’s Day 2021. He’s beaten Kyle O’Reilly, Pete Dunne, and Adam Cole. Now only one man remains: Karrion Kross… Bálor has been waiting for him. At TakeOver: Stand and Deliver, his time is up.

Karrion Kross storms down to the ring with Scarlett. Kross says this whole situation wouldn’t have happened if they didn’t handle their separate fights. Now they have to know who the real NXT Champion is. The entire world needs to know it. Bálor says everyone wants to be a champion until the real champion walks into the room. Bálor says he’ll tell Kross what no one has the balls to tell him. Kross walks and talks like a champion, but Bálor is the champion and he doesn’t have what it takes to beat him in the main event. Kross promises at NXT TakeOver, Bálor will know what it feels like when he squeezes the oxygen out of his skull and chokes him out. Bálor says he’ll know what it feels like to be in the main event of TakeOver and choke.

Scarlett says she’s already seen this in the cards. This right here… two champions, both draped in gold. It all happens for a reason.

NXT Tag Team Champions Oney Lorcan and Danny Burch angrily walk out. Burch says they’re out here spewing words. Lorcan puts over Pete Dunne as the best technical wrestler in the company. They know Pete Dunne can beat Bálor. They know Pete Dunne can beat Kross as well. Plus if he wants to talk about time, sooner or later Pete Dunne will become NXT Champion.

Scarlett says there are moments in time… moments like this… that lead us to an inevitable future. Moments like this where those two put their Tag Titles on the line against them (Bálor and Kross). Lorcan and Burch look unhappy about that. Scarlett seductively gets out of the ring and says they are confident. They know what they want. They both know what they bring to the table. Scarlett is rubbing herself on them. They couldn’t stand the word “coward” being associated with their names. Burch says they’re not cowards… they’re putting the titles on the line against Bálor and Kross tonight! They walk off while the crowd chants, “NXT.” Scarlett says every moment happens for a reason. You can’t change fate.

The commentators talk about what just happened.

Dexter Lumis makes his way to the ring. Austin Theory is shown backstage talking to Johnny Gargano and Candice LeRae on FaceTime on his iPad. Gargano says Theory has to go it alone and remember The Way.

Dexter Lumis vs. Austin Theory

They lock up, and Theory knees Lumis in the midsection and throws him out of the ring. Theory bounces Lumis off the commentary table and talks some trash.

-Commercial Break-

We come back from the break to see Theory whip Lumis hard to the corner and clothesline him. Theory scoops Lumis up and hits a fallaway slam for a two count. Lumis quickly counters into the Silence (Kata Gatame), but Theory elbows out. Theory hits a scoop slam and drops a nice elbow for a two count. Theory attacks and does a somersault, but Lumis counters into a vicious spinebuster.

Lumis connects with a pair of clotheslines and an uppercut. Lumis hits a running clothesline followed by a bulldog. Lumis follows up with a back suplex and hits a leaping leg drop for a near fall. Theory counters out of a suplex and rolls him up for a two count. Lumis quickly uppercuts him and hits a slingshot suplex. Lumis goes to the top rope and leaps, but Theory moves. Lumis crawls to him, so Theory knees him in the face. Theory hits a fisherman’s neckbreaker onto the knee for a near fall. Theory continues to hit Lumis, but Lumis soon floors him with a clothesline.

Lumis looks down at Theory and offers a hand to help him up. Theory looks confused, but takes Lumis’ hand. They’re staring at each other. Theory then hugs him, so Lumis goes for Silence. Theory punches out and lifts him. Theory says Johnny Gargano was right — Lumis is not the Way. Lumis gets out and slams Theory before applying Silence for the win.

Winner by Referee’s Decision: Dexter Lumis

McKenzie Mitchell is outside NXT General Manager William Regal’s office for a comment on the NXT Tag Team Championship match tonight. Tommaso Ciampa walks up to her and tells her to find Imperium. They won’t be able to find Alexander Wolfe. When the bell rings tonight, only one of them will be standing.

-Commercial Break-

Adam Cole is in the ring. Cole says last week, Kyle O’Reilly made the biggest mistake of his life. BEfore last week, he wasn’t mad at O’Reilly. Cole just didn’t need him anymore. Then O’Reilly cost him the NXT Championship. O’Reilly is jealous of Cole because he knows he’ll never be as successful as him. O’Reilly has written his death warrant. Cole doesn’t give a damn if O’Reilly is medically cleared or not. Cole isn’t leaving until O’Reilly comes out and they can finish this once and for all.

NXT General Manager William Regal walks out. Regal is furious. Regal says O’Reilly is not in the building because he’s further damaged his neck. O’Reilly appears on the screen. O’Reilly says he’s not there for Cole’s safety. O’Reilly says he knows a lot about Cole. Cole tried to end his career. O’Reilly will find him wherever he is.

Cole is furious about O’Reilly threatening him. Cole gets out of the ring and gets in Regal’s face. O’Reilly will not threaten him. Cole will find him first. Cole storms off, and Regal follows.

Highlights are shown of Shotzi Blackheart and Ember Moon winning the NXT Women’s Tag Team Championship.

NXT Women’s Tag Team Champions Shotzi Blackheart and Ember Moon are being interviewed by McKenzie Mitchell. They’re excited to be champions. Robert Stone walks up with Aliyah and Jessi Kamea. They challenge the champions. Blackheart and Moon accept before telling Stone that his suit sucks.

NXT Cruiserweight Champion Jordan Devlin drives up to the Capitol Wrestling Centre.

-Commercial Break-

Legado del Fantasma makes their way to the ring.

Tag Team Match
Legado del Fantasma (Raul Mendoza and Joaquin Wilde) w/ NXT Cruiserweight Champion Santos Escobar vs. Breezango (Tyler Breeze and Fandango)

Fandango sidesteps Raul Mendoza and punches away at him. Fandango punches him and sends him to the ropes. Mendoza flips through a hip toss, but Fandango clotheslines him down immediately. Fandango attacks and gives him a front suplex on the top rope. Tyler Breeze tags in. Breezango double-teams Mendoza for a two count. Mendoza reverses a whip, rolls through a sunset flip, and kicks Breeze. Joaquin Wilde tags in, hits a snapmare, and knees him. Wilde hits a splash for a two count. Wilde whips him to the corner and charges, but Breeze boots him down. Breeze takes Wilde down, but Wilde fights him. Fandango tags in and dropkicks Wilde for a near fall. Wilde hits a jawbreaker to stun Fandango. Wilde clubs the back and mocks Fandango before applying a front facelock. Mendoza tags in and puts Fandango in the corner before hitting a corner clothesline. Fandango reverses a whip and goes to the top rope, but Mendoza sweeps the feet. Mendoza goes for a superplex, but Fandango punches him down. Wilde distracts Fandango, so Wilde kicks Fandango off the top rope to the floor.

-Commercial Break-

We come back from the break to see Fandango whip Mendoza over the barricade to the concrete. Fandango gets in the ring and crawls toward Breeze. Breeze and Wilde tag in. Breeze takes Wilde down and attacks Mendoza. Breeze goes back to Wilde and dropkicks him. Breeze clotheslines Wilde in the corner and kicks him in the face before hitting an enzuigiri. Mendoza runs in, but Breeze clotheslines him out of the ring. Breeze then takes Wilde down and applies a single leg crab. Breeze cinches it in, but Wilde manages to turn over. Breeze then catapults Wilde over the top rope. Breeze hits the ropes, but Mendoza grabs the foot. Fandango goes to attack Mendoza, but he misses. Breeze takes Wilde down, but Mendoza breaks it up.

Wilde goes for the Unprettier, but Wilde counters out. Mendoza blind tags in and snaps Breeze off the top rope. Legado del Fantasma hits a side leg sweep/kick to the head combo for the win.

Winners by Pinfall: Legado del Fantasma

Santos Escobar says NXT belongs to Legado del Fantasma. Where is this Jordan Devlin guy? He thinks he’s the Cruiserweight Champion. Has anyone seen him?

Jordan Devlin’s music hits, and the NXT Cruiserweight Champion walks out to the stage. Devlin gets in the ring. Devlin says Escobar has been running around for a year saying he’s this and that, but what’s in the ring right now is what a real champion looks like. Escobar is standing on the commentary table. Devlin says he didn’t come here to jump him from behind. Devlin told the world he would call him out and he doesn’t need two stooges with him to do it.

Escobar says he’s got this. Escobar gets on the apron. Devlin says Escobar can take his replica title and toss it in the trash. The real Cruiserweight Champion is back. Escobar gets in the ring laughing. Escobar says he’s redefined what it means to be a Cruiserweight. Escobar made history as the Cruiserweight Champion and has proven it time after time after time. The reason Devlin still has the title is because everyone forgot he had it in the first place. Escobar tells Devlin to wrap up his business in the UK and come back to face him. Escobar challenges Devlin to a match at NXT TakeOver: Stand and Deliver. They’ll settle this once and for all.

Devlin legit head-butts Escobar in the mouth and hits the Devlin Side. Devlin runs off as Wilde and Mendoza check on Escobar. Escobar is gushing blood from his mouth! Devlin holds up the Cruiserweight Championship and leaves.

McKenzie Mitchell catches up with Adam Cole backstage. She asks if he’s concerned about Kyle O’Reilly’s threat. Cole says he’s not worried. He’ll find O’Reilly and do what he said. That is not undisputed. It is promised.

Zoey Stark battles Dakota Kai, next.

-Commercial Break-

Sarray is coming to WWE NXT soon.

Fake pictures of Cameron Grimes supposedly on vacation are shown.

Zoey Stark vs. Dakota Kai w/ Raquel Gonzalez

They lock up, and Stark powers her to the corner. Kai takes her down in the lock up. They stay locked up and get back to their feet. Kai wrenches the arm, but Stark rolls through to reverse the pressure. Stark applies an overhead wristlock and bends Kai back. Kai kips up, but Stark hooks a side headlock. Stark cinches it in. Kai pulls the hair and applies a side headlock. Stark sends her into the ropes, goes up and over Kai, and hits a pair of arm drags. Stark applies an arm bar to Kai, but Kai fights up and punches out. Kai follows her into the ropes, but Stark counters with a clothesline for a two count. Kai gets out of a scoop slam and pulls her down by the hair for a two count. Kai forearms away at her for a two count. Kai knocks her to the corner and hits a running boot to the face for a near fall. Kai applies a body scissor. Stark gets out and fights back, but Kai sidesteps her. Kai forearms her and pulls her over the apron. Stark avoids a boot and kicks Kai. Stark then hits a nice plancha.

-Commercial Break-

We come back from the break to see Kai taking it to Stark. Stark avoids a big boot, and they take each other out with a double clothesline.

Stark pulls herself up and hits a pair of clotheslines before kicking away at Kai. Stark hits the ropes and misses a kick. Stark quickly connects with a half and half suplex before hitting a running knee for a near fall. Kai quickly hits a drop-toe-hold into the ropes before taking her down and kicking her in the head. Kai pulls Stark up on the apron, but Stark superkicks her. Stark goes for a German Suplex on the apron, but Kai fights it. Kai charges, but Stark drops her into the ring. Stark goes for a springboard, but Kai hits a big superkick to counter. Kai hits a Helluva Kick in the corner for a near fall.

Kai rolls Stark up for a two count. They trade pin attempts for near falls. Stark knees Kai and hits a rolling senton. Stark goes to the top rope, but Kai cuts her off. Kai hits the GTK for the win.

Winner by Pinfall: Dakota Kai

Kai and Gonzalez talk trash to Stark following the match.

NXT Women’s Champion Io Shirai’s music hits, and she walks out to the ring holding a black folder. Shirai gets in the ring and walks right past Kai. Shirai stands at Raquel Gonzalez and shoves the black folder in her face. Shirai then leaves the ring and helps Stark to the back.

McKenzie Mitchell tries to interview NXT General Manager William Regal, but he’s pulled away in an emergency.

-Commercial Break-

The Grizzled Young Veterans are shown backstage. They’re furious over what MSK did to them last week. They will not forgive and forget what they did. There will be a receipt. They will be recognized as NXT’s #1 team.

Imperium are making their way to the ring. Marcel Barthel is with Fabian Aichner. Tommaso Ciampa takes Aichner out with a chair before attacking Barthel.

Marcel Barthel w/ Fabian Aichner vs. Tommaso Ciampa

The bell rings. Ciampa takes him down, but Barthel quickly puts him in a waistlock. Ciampa fights out, but Barthel wrenches the arm and hits an uppercut. Ciampa boots him back and chops the chest. Barthel backs him into the ropes and chops the throat. Barthel takes him down with a headlock and cinches it in. Ciampa fights up and tries to whip him off, but Barthel takes him down again. Barthel punches away at Ciampa and keeps the headlock applied. Ciampa starts to fight up and twists out. Barthel quickly kicks the knee and elbows him in the forehead. Ciampa forearms him and hits the ropes, but Barthel forearms him. Barthel hits a double underhook suplex and comes off the second rope, but Ciampa knees him in the face. Ciampa clotheslines him to the apron and rips his shirt off. Ciampa goes for Willow’s Bell, but Aichner makes the save. Barthel puts Ciampa in the tree of woe and dropkicks him. Barthel jams Ciampa’s jaw on the ropes and saunters around the ring. Ciampa blocks a kick and viciously knees him in the face. Ciampa head-butts him and clotheslines him down twice. Ciampa ducks a clothesline and knocks Aichner off the apron. Ciampa then hits a German Suplex on Barthel. Ciampa crushes Barthel with Willow’s Bell for the win.

Winner by Pinfall: Tommaso Ciampa

Imperium’s music hits… and NXT United Kingdom Champion WALTER is on the stage! Walter gets in the ring, and the rest of Imperium attacks Ciampa. Walter crushes Ciampa with a chop to the chest. Walter then destroys Ciampa with a powerbomb and stands over him. Imperium poses in the ring.

We go outside to see cops having Kyle O’Reilly in the back of a black SUV. Adam Cole, in handcuffs, is shouting that O’Reilly tried to run him off the road. NXT General Manager William Regal runs up and surveys the situation. Cole is screaming and cursing at O’Reilly.

LA Knight is shown backstage. He’s ready for his big debut.

-Commercial Break-

LA Knight vs. August Grey

Knight punches him at the sound of the bell before sending him into the ropes and forearming him down. Knight chokes him on the ropes and hits a running knee to the head. Knight connects with a slingshot shoulder block. Grey fights back, but Knight connects with a powerslam. Bronson Reed walks out to the stage with LA Knight’s jacket. Reed puts it on and rips the arm. Reed then destroys the jacket. Grey rolls Knight up for a two count. Grey fights and hits a neckbreaker. Grey goes to the top rope and walks on the ropes, but misses an aerial attack. Knight punches away at him and knees him in the face before hitting a headlock facebuster for the win.

Winner by Pinfall: LA Knight

McKenzie Mitchell is backstage with Raquel Gonzalez. Gonzalez says Io Shirai made a big mistake. When she puts pen to paper, Shirai’s title reign has an expiration date. Dakota Kai comes up and says she wants to have a tag match against Shirai and Zoey Stark. Gonzalez isn’t sure why she’d do that, but Kai says she needs this match. They lost two matches in a row as a team and need to show NXT that they run the Women’s Division. Gonzalez agrees.

The NXT Tag Team Championship will be on the line, next.

-Commercial Break-

NXT General Manager William Regal says he’s having Adam Cole and Kyle O’Reilly at the CWC next week. He’ll have a solution to their problem. Regal hopes the police drop their charges.

NXT Tag Team Championship
Oney Lorcan and Danny Burch (c’s) vs. Karrion Kross w/ Scarlett and NXT Champion Finn Bálor

The bell rings, and Karrion Kross starts against Oney Lorcan. Lorcan hooks a side headlock, but Kross easily whips him off and shoulder blocks him down. Kross then hits a back suplex. Kross calmly tells Danny Burch to get in the ring. Burch tags in, and Kross takes him down. Burch hits the ropes, but Kross takes him down again. Burch elbows Kross back, so Kross clotheslines him down. Kross puts a bear hug on Burch and cinches it in. Burch punches him, but Kross won’t let go. Burch punches some more before finally breaking the bear hug. Kross quickly grabs him and connects with a scoop slam. Kross goes for a suplex, but Lorcan cuts him off. Lorcan and Burch go for a double-team suplex, but Kross counters into a suplex on the two of them. Kross gets in Finn Bálor’s face before looking down at Burch. Burch appears to be legitimately injured.

-Commercial Break-

We come back from the break to see Lorcan punch Bálor. Bálor rolls through a sunset flip and dropkicks him. Danny Burch is nowhere to be seen. Burch landed badly on the double suplex from Kross. Bálor cinches in an arm bar on Lorcan. Lorcan backs Bálor to the corner and bounces him off the top turnbuckle. Lorcan uppercuts him and hits a back elbow. Lorcan bounces Bálor off the top rope and stomps him down. Lorcan digs a boot into Bálor’s neck. Lorcan connects with a snap suplex on Bálor for a near fall. Lorcan goes to a head and arm submission.

A trainer is checking on Burch at ringside. Burch is wincing every time his shoulder is touched.

Lorcan takes Bálor down and uppercuts him. Lorcan rips off his elbow pad and talks some trash. Lorcan uppercuts Bálor, bringing the NXT Champion to his knees. Lorcan stands over Bálor and taunts him. Bálor pulls himself up and hits a jawbreaker. Lorcan responds with a forearm, so Bálor drops down and hits a Pelé kick. Bálor goes to tag Kross, but Lorcan knocks Kross off the apron. Bálor attacks Lorcan and chops away at him. Bálor takes him down and hits a double stomp to the midsection. Bálor then clotheslines Lorcan over the top rope. Bálor hits Lorcan with a Sling Blade at ringside. Bálor looks at Kross and sizes Lorcan up before dropkicking him. Lorcan is sent into Scarlett, who goes flying!

Bálor kicks Lorcan and gets him in the ring. Bálor checks on Scarlett at ringside. A furious Kross grabs Bálor by the throat and drives him into the plexiglass surrounding the ringside area. Kross puts Bálor in the ring. Lorcan hits a running uppercut on Bálor for the win.

Winners by Pinfall and still NXT Tag Team Champions: Oney Lorcan and Danny Burch

Kross immediately hits Lorcan with a pair of Doomsday Saito Suplexes. Kross is infuriated over Scarlett being injured. Kross viciously attacks Bálor and punches him down. Kross then hits a t-bone suplex on Bálor. Kross applies a Kross Jacket and drops him to the mat. Scarlett gets in the ring and helps Bálor up. Kross then forearms Bálor in the back of the neck. They drop the NXT Championship on him and stand over him as the show ends.