WWE NXT Results: Winners, Grades, Reaction and Highlights from June 13

For the June 13 edition of WWE NXT, the gold brand presented a night that would test its key players.

Mustafa Ali teamed up with NXT North American champion Wes Lee and Tyler Bate to test the resolve of Schism, including giving Joe Gacy one last chance to prove his value.

Ilja Dragunov stepped up to a motivated Baron Corbin, while Bron Breakker watched on following his attack on The Czar last week.

Breakker also promised a follow-up to his challenge to WWE world heavyweight champion Seth Rollins.

The new No. 1 contender to the NXT women's champion, Thea Hail, would face her biggest test in a match with Cora Jade. Roxanne Perez looked for revenge against Tatum Paxley.

This was only the foundation of an episode that would continue a chaotic period in NXT.

Wes Lee, Tyler Bate and Mustafa Ali vs. Schism

After a messy final sequence in which Joe Gacy nearly pinned Wes Lee, Tyler Bate ran in to knock out Jagger Reid with the Tyler Driver 98 to win.

As always, Schism perform at a high level in the ring no matter how much the gimmick cannot get over. Reid and Rip Fowler sold well for the babyface team, and Gacy got a little credibility with a near-win.

If Schism do not drastically change after this loss, the group will have nothing left to bring to the main roster despite the talent involved.

Mustafa Ali was the star of the match, working as though he hasn't had a real opportunity in years. He looked near-unstoppable and picked up his second win in NXT.

The longer he stays in NXT, the more likely it is that he dethrones the NXT North American champion. Lee will first need to beat Bate, who is a phenomenal performer in his own right.

Result

Bate, Lee and Ali def. Schism by pinfall.

Grade

B+

Notable Moments

• A brawl broke out before the bell. Once it calmed, Ali took the ring and was welcomed by the crowd with a "Prince Ali" chant. He is a top guy to the NXT crowd.
  
• Lee, Bate and Ali hit a triple Bop and Bang followed by simultaneous dives onto their opponents on the outside. They showed chemistry as an oddball trio.
• Reid ducked the 450 splash and sent Ali hard into the turnbuckle, The veteran's sell on this impact made it look vicious.
• The referee did not see Bate tag in after kicked Fowler into him, and Schism nearly beat Lee with a swing into a powerbomb. However, a second referee stopped it.
• Backstage, Ali convinced Lee to defend against Bate next week with him as the special guest referee to guarantee a fair result. Ali has a plan forming.
  

Seth Rollins Agrees to World Title Match Next Week Against Bron Breakker

Ilja Dragunov tried to rush the ring after Bron Breakker arrived, but officials pulled him back. Seth Rollins interrupted on the titantron and agreed to a match next week in NXT for his World Heavyweight Championship.

Last week's challenge was a big deal, and confirming it will happen gives NXT a must-see match next Tuesday. It's just a shame that The Visionary could not appear in person to answer the challenge instead of sending a video.

Given The Czar in the room, Breakker will not win. However, he can prove he is ready for the big time when the next call-ups from NXT happen.

Grade

C+

Notable Moments

• The crowd sang Rollins' theme without prompting even while Breakker's music was still playing.
• Shawn Michaels announced that the next two weeks would be a two-week event: NXT Gold Rush. The first main event would be Rollins vs. Breakker, and the second will be Carmelo Hayes defending against the winner of Baron Corbin vs. Ilja Dragunov.

Cora Jade vs. Thea Hail (w/ Duke Hudson)

Cora Jade tried to hurt Thea Hail with her kendo stick, but the referee took it away from her.

While the official was distracted, Dana Brooke sent Jade into the steel steps. This set up Hail to lock in a Kimura Lock to force a submission.

This match did get nearly enough time to sell its importance. Hail picked up an emphatic submission win (with help from Brooke), but this contest should have allowed fans a stronger view of what she can do in the ring.

Tiffany Stratton will be Hail's ultimate test, though it will also be an important match for the NXT women's champion. She must prove she can build up young talent rather than just beat them. This is an essential role for NXT titleholders.

The Generation of Jade losing by submission in four minutes, no matter the circumstances, is a step back. Brooke may be around to ultimately put her over, but NXT has played a dangerous game with the stop-and-start booking.

Result

Hail def. Jade by submission.

Grade

D

Notable Moments

• Drew Gulak and Charlie Dempsey taunted Hail about poor technique in the Battle Royal. Hudson called Andre Chase again, begging him to return.
• NXT showed a hype package for Brooke, and she spoke in an interview about making the most of any opportunity. Jade slapped Brooke before she headed to the ring.
• Jade added a purple streak to her hair, which fitted her presentation well.
• Gulak and Dempsey came out to clap for Hail after her submission win.
• Stratton vs. Hail was announced for two weeks at NXT Gold Rush. Stratton told her No. 1 contender that her underdog story would end soon.
  

Heritage Cup: Oro Mensah (on Behalf of Noam Dar) vs. Nathan Frazer

Noam Dar announced that he was attacked by Nathan Frazer backstage and would need Oro Mensah to step in to fight for his honor instead.

After more cheap tactics from Meta-Four, Valentina Feroz and Yulisa Leon took out Lash Legend and Jakara Jackson. This set up Frazer to win off a Phoenix Splash and become the new NXT Heritage Cup champion.

It is nice to finally see Mensah wrestling fully in an NXT ring again. However, it was a shame that the brand rushed a concept that should guarantee a longer match. It still got time but with messy pacing.

Dar's injury, assuming it is legitimate, dampened Frazer's win, but it was unavoidable. Hopefully, this is the chance the new Heritage Cup champion needed to break out.

The Meta-Four immediately lost steam as a stable here, but Mensah could not continue defending on behalf of The Scottish Supernova. The Heritage Cup will find new life with a hungry young Superstar defending it regularly.

Result

Frazer def. Mensah by a score of 2-1 to become the new NXT Heritage Cup champion.

Grade

B-

Notable Moments

• Dar picked up the first fall with a surprise roll-up near the end of the first round.
• A distraction from Jackson allowed Legend to grab Frazer and set up a spinning corner heel kick to pick up his first fall in the second round.
• Frazer nearly took the win off a superkick counter to a springboard moonsault in round three, but Mensah kicked out just before time expired. Time was probably supposed to run out before three, but the timing was off.
• Mensah ducked a first Phoenix Splash and then turned a second attempt into a German superplex. This was his last big shot at winning.
  

Dabba-Kato vs. Axiom and Scrypts

Axiom and Scrypts looked like a cohesive team together, taking down Dabba-Kato with each move they could land. Scrypts hit a diving moonsault followed by Axiom's Golden Ratio to win.

After the victory, Humberto Carrillo and Angel Garza laid out the superhero team.

This was terrible booking once again. The once-dominant monster has lost all of his heat in back-to-back losses. If Kato had beaten Scrypts last week, this would not have been as damaging. Now, though, he looks like a chump.

Once again, the heat of the win was tarnished by a surprise attack. This time, Los Lotharios took the shot. Humberto and Angel needed this fresh start, but it should have been set up on a different week as Axiom and Scrypts are barely a tag team yet.

This superheroes have some unique chemistry to explore and could be a force in the tag team division with time. The zero-sum booking is hurting rather than helping, though.

Result

Axiom and Scrypts def. Kato by pinfall.

Grade

D-

Notable Moments

• Axiom caught Scrypts on the ground and flipped him over his head and then over the ropes onto Kato outside.
  
• NXT showed a vignette for Lyra Valkyria. In the locker room, Jacy Jayne was not impressed, while Elektra Lopez and Lola Vice agreed to work together.
  
• Dijak taunted Von Wagner about his lack of wins, but Mr. Stone stood up for him. The big man decided he would explain his childhood to Stone soon.
  

Edris Enofé vs. Malik Blade

Edris Enofé and Malik Blade went to war to get closer as a tag team, and the latter stole the pinfall victory with a small package.

The teammates hugged it out after Enofé confirmed he knew Blade's birth date.

Booker T announced that Enofé and Blade, Josh Briggs and Brooks Jensen and Hank Walker and Tank Ledger would fight in a Triple Threat next week where the winners would face Gallus the following week. A brawl broke out between the competitors.

These series of singles matches between tag team partners have worked well to pad run time for NXT while keeping the tag team division relevant. However, none of the matches have had enough time.

This barely got going before Blade stole a fast one. Since Enofé has often been portrayed as the higher-level competitor of the team, Blade's win was a smart way to give him a rub.

Briggs and Jensen are still the only team with a real shot to dethrone Gallus, but anyone could win next week to set up a fun one-off clash.

Result

Blade def. Enofé by pinfall.

Grade

C-

Notable Moments

• Both Briggs and Jensen as well as Walker and Ledger came out to cheer on the teammates.
• Enofé missed a somersault senton to the floor then took one from Blade.
• Los Lotharios watched the brawl and told the world that they wanted to fight the best.
• Channing "Stacks" Lorenzo looked over evidence, convinced Gallus caused Tony D'Angelo's arrest. He promised to show The Don he was more than The Underboss.
  

Roxanne Perez vs. Tatum Paxley

Tatum Paxley tried every shortcut against Roxanne Perez, but it only seemed to motivate The Prodigy.

Paxley reversed Pop Rox into a roll-up, but Perez reversed it into a pin of her own for a three-count.

Afterward, Perez called out Davenport and promised to make her pay.

These two tried hard to make this more than a squash, but you can only do so much with three minutes. It was back-and-forth action in which The Prodigy was still far too much for Paxley.

The post-match promo from Perez continues to show her primary weakness as a performer, but she spoke with conviction to sell a big match to come.

Perez vs. Davenport is a future top women's bout, but both still have room to grow. For the time being, it will be a test to help both improve as character workers.

Result

Perez def. Paxley by pinfall.

Grade

C

Notable Moments

• Blair Davenport talked about why she attacked Nikkita Lyons, Wendy Choo and Sol Ruca, striking fear into the hearts of the locker room.
  
• Perez showed her rage, battering Paxley with forearms before sending her outside for a suicide dive.
• Damon Kemp harassed the referees' locker room about his loss to Eddy Thorpe. Thorpe arrived and said he would face Kemp in any kind of match.
  
• Gigi Dolin and Fallon Henley bonded over their hatred of Kiana James.
  

No. 1 Contender: Baron Corbin vs. Ilja Dragunov

Even with injured ribs, Ilja Dragunov had Baron Corbin on the ropes. A timely distraction from Bron Breakker set up The Czar for End of Days, which sealed the win.

Afterward, Carmelo Hayes took out The Lone Wolf and stood tall.

This had a chance to be special, but the two never hit the top gear that The Czar reaches in his best performances. Dragunov selling the rib injury did slow him down, but Corbin did not seem to have any interest in pushing the pace at all.

It was a fine main event but hardly the best part of the program. Corbin will need to step up his game against Melo in two weeks. This could be make-or-break time for him.

It was disappointing to end this match with a messy interference angle when Breakker should be focusing on Seth Rollins. Hopefully, Breakker and Dragunov will clash soon if they are going to ruin each other's matches each week until then.

Result

Corbin def. Dragunov by pinfall to become the new No. 1 contender to the NXT Championship.

Grade

C+

Notable Moments

• Before the main event, NXT showed a video package for Lucien Price and Bronco Nima, the newest tag team.
• Dragunov ripped off Corbin's shirt early and began battering him with chest chops.
• The Lone Wolf caught The Czar on the announce table and repeatedly smacked his bandaged ribs and then slammed him into the apron.
• Dragunov hit a diving knee drop into a diving senton, but the impact on his ribs slowed him. He followed up with a DDT, delayed vertical and low forearm smash, and only Breakker's interference could save Corbin.
  

Overall Show

The pieces of the puzzle have not come together in recent weeks as a good card fell short of expectations. Only the opener lived up to expectations.

Mustafa Ali feels different in NXT, and he is telling an interesting slow-build story with Wes Lee that has been tough to predict. Tyler Bate and Lee, as well as Schism, continue to steal the show every week in the ring.

However, Baron Corbin has yet to show his value at the same level. His run could be ending in two weeks, but he has not elevated Trick Williams or Ilja Dragunov so far. Actually, he has made them worse.

The tag team division is packed with talent and will have some good weeks to come despite a lack of TV time this past month. The women's division is also moving slowly but has elevated new names at the same time.

While the direction of NXT is still positive, the individual shows are falling into a familiar pattern, sacrificing match time for more variety.

At least one bout (Malik Blade and Edris Enofé or Axiom and Scrypts vs. Dabba-Kato) could have been cut to elevate another (Thea Hail vs. Cora Jade or Roxanne Perez vs. Tatum Paxley) on this show.

Luckily, NXT Gold Rush has a stellar card for both weeks that should make up for a slow start to June. In particular, it would make no sense to rush any of the title matches, which could be real showstealers.

Overall Grade: D