Imperium def. Diamond Mine in a Six-Man Tag Team Match
Under Gunther's leadership, the new era of Imperium is off to a strong start following a statement victory over Diamond Mine in a punishing Six Man Tag Team Match.
The two heavyweight factions collided in an arduous and hard-hitting affair that had the NXT Universe chanting in admiration as Gunther and Roderick Strong dished out crushing blows while Julius & Brutus Creed showed Marcel Barthel & Fabian Aichner that they were genuine title threats if they can survive the Dusty Classic.
The trios shook the ring as they brutalized one another with unfathomable feats of strength until Imperium singled out Strong and Julius Creed, keeping them down for the count as Gunther chopped Brutus Creed to the floor and planted him with a powerbomb for the victory.
Raquel Gonzalez def. Cora Jade
Cora Jade may not have scored the pinfall, but her resilience was enough to prove to Raquel Gonzalez that she would make a formidable partner in the 2022 Women's Dusty Rhodes Classic.
Big Mami Cool threw everything she could muster at Jade, from devastating clotheslines to suplexes, but the young upstart would not stay down. Jade stunned the former NXT Women's Champion with a hurricanrana off the ropes before Gonzalez rallied and caught her with a Chingona Bomb to earn the win.
After the match, Gonzalez grabbed Jade and proclaimed that if she needed a partner for the Dusty Cup, then she's in it to win it.
Sarray def. Kayla Inlay
The sun was shining down on Sarray's in-ring return to NXT 2.0 as she made quick work of Kayla Inlay. The Warrior of the Sun had little rust as she showed off her unique offense and some vicious strikes before connecting with Sunray Dropkick and a suplex for the 1-2-3.
Joe Gacy def. LA Knight
Try as he might, LA Knight could not overcome the sheer number of enemies looking to get a piece of him, falling to Joe Gacy thanks to interference from the treacherous Grayson Waller and Sanga.
Gacy looked to help Knight move on from his fixation on "The Arrogant Aussie" as the two squared up in the ring in what started as a hotly contested bout before quickly dissolving into chaos as Gacy sent Knight flying to the arena floor. Harland went to add further punishment but was stopped by the referee, and Knight instead turned around to see Sanga staring down at him, allowing Waller to sneak up from behind and deliver a monstrous stunner.
Knight rolled back into the ring to barely escape the count-out, walking right into a backspring clothesline from Gacy for the cover. Afterward, Sanga and Waller continued their beatdown of Knight with Waller claiming that if Knight can beat Sanga, he would think about lifting the restraining order.
Wendy Choo def. Amari Miller
Tiffany Stratton's bribe was not enough to pay for a Wendy Choo beating, as Daddy's Little Princess' attempt to buy off Amari Miller backfired, resulting in Choo's victory.
During a spirited showdown between Miller and Choo, Stratton showed her face and slid daddy's credit card into the ring to remind Miller what was at stake. Instead, the distraction opened the door for the sleepy Superstar to land a clubbing blow and roll up Miller for the win. Choo also swiped Stratton's credit card as she exited the ring.
Andre Chase def. Draco Anthony
Andre Chase showed Draco Anthony he still has a lot to learn after spoiling the rookie's debut match on NXT 2.0.
Anthony was more than game for Chase in his first match, launching the founder of Chase University across the ring with a huge suplex, but the upstart made a costly mistake when he stomped on the Chase U flag. The disrespect sent Chase over the edge, as he stomped Anthony in the corner before hitting a modified facebuster for the pinfall.
After getting his hand raised, Chase stared directly into the camera and called out Von Wagner, challenging him to a match.
Bron Breakker & Tommaso Ciampa def. Legado del Fantasma
Former rivals Tommaso Ciampa and NXT Champion Bron Breakker put their old battles aside and worked together to defeat the troublesome duo of Joaquin Wilde & Raul Mendoza.
Ciampa looked as ferocious as ever in his first match since losing the NXT Championship, joining Breakker with a pair of in-stereo body slams. With Breakker & Ciampa rolling, Santos Escobar seized a small opening and tossed the NXT Champion into the steel steps to turn the tide.
Legado del Fantasma kept the pressure on Breakker, pummeling the champion to prevent him from tagging in his partner. But after Breakker earned some separation, The Blackheart came flying in for the rescue and cleared house. As Wilde set up for a high-risk maneuver, Ciampa snuck up, pushed him off the top rope and sent him flying through the announce table while Breakker speared and Gorilla Pressed Mendoza for the pin.
Kay Lee Ray strongarmed Mandy Rose into an NXT Women’s Championship Match
After hounding Mandy Rose throughout the NXT Arena, Kay Lee Ray finally got the NXT Women's Title opportunity she's been seeking. Ray stated her case early in the night to Rose but was promptly shut down, forcing The Forever Champion to do whatever it takes to get her match. Ray drove Gigi Dolin & Jacy Jayne away from the arena, dumped spaghetti and cake on Rose and chased the champion into the ring at bat point until Rose finally agreed to give Ray her match.
