Lyra Valkyria returns to WWE NXT tonight for her first appearance as Women's Champion.
At Halloween Havoc night one two weeks ago, Valkyria picked up the biggest victory of her career by defeating Becky Lynch for the NXT Women's Championship. It was a historic match with two Irish women facing off for a WWE championship for the first time ever.
Lynch, whose NXT run has come to an end, has said that the future is in good hands with Valkyria as champion. We'll see who emerges as Valkyria's first challenger.
With NXT Deadline a month away, Iron Survivor Challenge qualifying matches begin tonight. Tiffany Stratton faces off against Fallon Henley in a women's qualifier. Dijak clashes with Tyler Bate in a men's qualifier.
A grudge match between Von Wagner and Bron Breakker is also set for the episode.
In tonight's opening match, Akira Tozawa challenges Noam Dar for the Heritage Cup Championship. Alpha Academy's Chad Gable & Otis will be appearing on NXT to support Tozawa in his Heritage Cup challenge.
Our live coverage starts at 8 p.m. Eastern time.
Opening the show is a singles championship match.
Noam Dar (with Oro Mensah, Jakara Jackson & Lash Legend) defeated Akira Tozawa (with Chad Gable, Otis & Maxxine Dupri) for the Heritage Cup Championship
Dar retained his Heritage Cup in a really good bout. In past Heritage Cup matches, there have been seconds in the corners. Tonight they each had an entourage. Meta-Four interfered during the finish.
First round ends with no falls. They did a superplex just before the bells rings to end the round. The entourages bicker with each other between falls. which would come to a head later in the bout.
Dar scores the first fall, after a schoolboy roll-up on Tozawa in the second round. Dar held the trunks, and he got an underhanded three count to go up by one fall. Dar then drops Tozawa with a cheap shot just before the show cuts to a commercial break.
Third round went the entire split-screen commercial break. Lots of action as time winds down on round three, but neither can capitalize. Round ends just as the break is over.
Round four begins after the show returns from the break. Tozawa does a big flip dive the outside that takes out Mensah at ringside. Dar posts Tozawa, but Dar then kicks the ring post when Tozawa ducks out of the way. Dar is selling his ankle as they roll back in the ring.
Tozawa evens the score, after submitting Dar in round four. Tozawa applies an ankle lock, and Dar taps out. Tozawa is on fire as round five begins, but he is soon cut off by Dar.
Tozawa thwarts interference by Mensah, but that serves as a distraction. The referee is distracted with Mensah, and the ref does not see Legend pull Dar out of harm's way as Tozawa is going for a senton. Tozawa crashes and burns. Dar then delivers his shining wizard finisher, and Dar scores the deciding pinfall in the fifth round.
Mensah argues with Dupri after the match, and she slaps him. Gable then gives Mensah a German suplex, and Otis does a splash on Mensah.
The announcers, Vic Joseph and Booker T, plug tickets being on sale for NXT Deadline in Bridgeport, CT. Featured on that is show is a gimmick match called the Iron Survivor Challenge.
The announce team then throws to a clip of Mick Foley, who is a booking qualifying matches on tonight's card. Foley's picks include Tiffany Stratton facing Fallon Henley in the women's qualifier, and a men's qualifying matches with Tyler Bate against Dijak.
New NXT Women's Champion Lyra Valkyria enters the sound stage for her first monologue since winning the title. Pretty decent promo by Valkyria as she puts over the former champ (Becky Lynch), and Valkyria also compliments the live studio audience.
Xia Lee, from the Raw roster, comes down to ringside through the crowd. Valkryia tells security to let Lee into the ringside area. Xia Lee attacked Becky Lynch last night on Raw, and the now Lee is back in NXT to confront Valkyria.
Lee warns Valkyria that she is here to take her title. A security geek tries to push Lee back, and he eats a superkick from Lee. He goes down like fallen timber. Valkyria and Lee get face to face as the segment ends.
Tyler Bate cuts a promo ahead of his qualifying match later tonight against Dijak.
Alpha Academy is coming back to NXT next week as guest on Noam Dar's Supernova Sessions. A backstage skit also sets up Drew Gulak against Otis for later on.
A referee coming out of Shawn Michaels' office says Michaels instructed the ref to use his discretion in the match tonight with Von Wagner against Bron Breakker.
Ava is seen in the background going to Michael's office as the referee is being interviewed.
Tiffany Stratton defeated Fallon Henley in an Iron Survivor Challenge qualifying match
Stratton is the first to qualify, after pinning Henley in a pretty decent match.
Henley looked strong in the first half of the match. She stands tall before the show cuts to a commercial break. Henley worked over Stratton's leg with a half crab, and Stratton would soon turn the tide and work over Henley's leg.
Henley takes a wild bump after the the match, when Stratton dumps Henley out of the ring through the ropes. Henley takes a nasty bump on the floor. It got a "holy s**t" chant from the studio audience, but the bump was unnecessary. Geez, this is supposed to be a work.
After Henley takes that ugly bump, Stratton smacks Henley's leg on the ring post. Stratton works the leg for a short time, until Henley makes a comeback.
Stratton goes for moonsault finisher, but no water in the pool. She rolls through, only to be rolled up Stratton for a near fall. Stratton then targets Henley's injured leg with a chop block. Henley's knee buckles, and Stratton executes her "Prettiest Moonsault Ever." Stratton goes on to cover Henley for a pinfall.
McKenzie Mitchell interviews a returning Wes Lee. They are interrupted by Baron Corbin, who insults Lee. This sets up a match between Corbin and Lee.
Dijak cuts a promo ahead of his match tonight against Tyler Bate.
Bron Breakker defeated Von Wagner (with Mr. Stone)
Breakker pinned Wagner to win the match, but Wagner powerbombs Breakker on the announce desk after the match is over.
Gorilla Monsoon would have likely referred to this as the unstoppable force meeting the immovable object. Vinny V might call it a "hoss fight." It was definitely a grudge match.
Breakker was the aggressor early on, and he applied a Steiner Recliner. Wagner escapes the hold, and Wagner hulks up. Wagner with a spear for a near fall.
The fight spilled outside the ring. Wagner teases giving Breakker a powerbomb on the announce desk, but Breakker counters. Breakker sends Wagner crashing into the ring steps. Mr. Stone gets involved, and Breakker gives Wagner a low blow.
Breakker lifts Stone in a military press, but Wagner makes a save. Wagner is checking on Stone when Breakker delivers a spear to Wagner on the floor. Breakker does a second spear in the ring, and Breakker hooks a leg to cover Wagner for a three count.
After the match, Stone hits Breakker with a metal folding chair. Breakker stalks Stone and grabs him by the throat. Wagner steps in to again save Stone. Wagner then powerbombs Breakker through the announce desk. They play up Wagner doing it like it meant more than losing the match. Wagner and Stone hug after the table spot.
Carmelo Hayes denies attacking Trick Williams in the Tonya Harding incident from a few weeks ago.
Brawling Brutes — Ridge Holland & Butch — are featured in a vignette. This was part of a build to match against OTM next week on NXT.
Roxanne Perez & Kelani Jordan defeated Lola Vice & Elektra Lopez
This tag bout was set early in the show during a badly acted locker room skit. Arianna Grace comes out during her Miss NXT gimmick, and she wished both teams luck. She then watched the match from a chair set up in the aisle.
Perez carried the load for her team, but Jordan still did well for herself. Hot tag to Jordan, and she runs wild. Perez executes Pop Rocks on Lopez, and Perez takes out Vice with a tope suicida. Jordan botches her finisher at first, but ultimately she springboards into a split-legged moonsault. Jordan then scores a three count on Lopez.
Arianna Grace interrupts the post-match celebration by trying to take over the ring announcing duties. For her trouble, Grace is blindsided by Karmen Petrovic in a sneak attack. Petrovic shouts out Grace to shut up.
Not sure is Petrovic was supposed to be a babyface of a heel, but shutting up Grace is a babyface move in the context of this show.
Joe Gacy gives a creepy warning in a pre-taped promo. It was better than his cult leader stuff, but not by much. Regardless, Gacy has good delivery and plays his character well. He just needs a better character, so at least he is getting a makeover.
WWE Champion Ilja Dragunov cuts a promo on Baron Corbin, which is the next title program for better or worse.
Otis (with Chad Gable, Akira Tozawa & Maxxine Dupri) vs. Drew Gulak (with Charlie Dempsey, Damon Kemp & Myles Borne)
Otis pinned Gulak after a powerbomb. Good TV match that looked much more like something on the main roster than NXT. This bout was set up with a backstage skit earlier in the show.
Kiana James and Tiffany Stratton brag on each other while burying everybody else, but they are very catty with each other.
Jacy Jayne intercepts a package from Tony D's Family meant for Andre Chase. Jayne is caught by Chase snooping in the envelope. Jayne now knows something the rest of Chase U does not, but she keeps it a secret for now.
Dijak defeated Tyler Bate in an Iron Survivor Challenge qualifying match
Dijak pinned Bate to become the first qualifier for the men's Iron Survivor.
Good match. They played on the size difference at times, but that was not the story of the match. Back-and-forth action and they traded several near falls.
Bate eventually falls victim to a Feast Your Eyes. Bate was able to counter the first attempt at Dijak's finisher. Moments later, Bate leaps off the ropes into the arms of Dijak. That set up the Feast Your Eyes, and Dijak covered Bate for a pinfall.
The main event segment is a face-to-face confrontation between Trick Williams and Carmelo Hayes. They would be interrupted by Lexis King.
Before the interruption, Hayes starts by trying to plead his case. Williams rebuffed Hayes' reasoning, as Williams relays he wants Hayes to be there for him like he was there for Hayes.
Hayes insists he had Williams' back, but Williams asks Hayes where Hayes was when Williams needed him. Williams goes on to say he does not know who attacked him, but the first voice Williams heard afterwards was Hayes' voice. Hayes ponders that, and asks again if Williams never say his attacker. They would then soon have an interruption.
Williams eventually flat out asks Hayes if Hayes was the unknown attacker. Hayes was just about to answer when Lexis King interrupts. King looked like a modern version of Van Hammer, which I assume is not the desired look. But maybe it is.
King barges into the ring and gets between Hayes and Williams. King hints that he might be the unknown attacker. King then goads Williams into an act of violence.
Williams goes to seemingly punch King, but Williams instead punches Hayes. After being decked by Williams, Hayes sells big.
Williams to offers Hayes a hand up, but Hayes at first slaps away Williams' hand. After a second offer, Hayes accepts Williams' help up. They embrace, but Hayes has an angry look on his face as the show goes off the air.