WWE NXT Great American Bash Night 2
July 8, 2020
Full Sail University, FL

Watch: USA Network

Meet Our Previewer

Garrett Kidney: Garrett hosts the weekly Wednesday War Games podcast on the (probably) award-winning Voices of Wrestling Podcast Network. He watches NXT so you don’t have to.

Damian Priest challenged Cameron Grimes to a match last week but at the time of press, it wasn’t actually announced so if it does happen on this show Priest wins and another of Cameron Grimes’ two week pushes comes to an end.

Johnny Gargano vs. Isaiah Scott

This was added literally as I started typing this preview. They had a backstage brawl last week out of nowhere to set this (and another match on this show) up but NXT Great American Bash was definitely planned long in advance and not a last-minute reaction to Fyter Fest. Gargano was on the losing end of his feud with Keith Lee and Scott is one of the guys NXT frequently features but never pushes so a Gargano win probably makes the most sense. Johnny Gargano is so much better as a massive dork you’re supposed to think is a dumb nerd rather than his old NXT character of a massive dork you’re supposed to think is cool. Prediction: Johnny Gargano

Mercedes Martinez Match (Probably?)

Mercedes Martinez had a video package on Great American Bash Night 1 saying she’s coming “Next Week” so I assume she’ll have a match of some sort – likely a squash. Fresh blood is welcome in the NXT Women’s Division right now – otherwise, we may have to watch Tegan Nox and Dakota Kai have their fifth blow-off match. Prediction: Mercedes Martinez wins the match she’s probably but not yet officially having

Breezango and Drake Maverick vs. Legado del Fantasma

The most interesting thing about Legado del Fantasma – the trio of Santos Escobar (the former El Hijo del Fantasma), Joaquin Wilde and Raul Mendoza – is them potentially having a bunch of cool trios matches. Even if Escobar doesn’t really excite me as a singles act, the group has a cool aesthetic and it’s long overdue that Wilde and Mendoza are doing something of actual substance on this show. While Maverick has seemed like a bit of a nerd lately – losing the Cruiserweight title tournament and then getting beaten up by Legado del Fantasma twice – there’s no way Escobar and company should be losing their first match as a trio. This was another match only thrown together last week but at least it should be really good. Just give me a Legado Del Fantasma vs. Undisputed Era trios match. Prediction: Legado del Fantasma

Street Fight
Mia Yim vs. Candice LeRae

And the last of the matches hastily added last week, though at least Mia and Candice have been at odds for a month or so now as part of the Keith Lee vs. Johnny Gargano dispute. Tegan Nox won the four-way last week putting her first in line for a shot at Io Shirai, so this may set up the next challenger after that. Candice has seemed like a bit of an afterthought since her turn which is a shame given she’s been doing good work along with Gargano. A Street Fight plays into Yim’s strengths and this should be a lot of fun if it’s just wild plunder with no staring at hands. Prediction: Candice LeRae needs this win more

Winner Takes All – NXT North American Championship vs. NXT Championship
Keith Lee (North American Champion) vs. Adam Cole (NXT Champion)

This is clearly a one-match show, but it’s a big match. For all my jabs about how haphazardly assembled these Great American Bash cards have been, this is probably the biggest match NXT has to offer. Not just because Keith Lee has clearly been positioned as the man to take down Adam Cole since his star performance at last year’s Survivor Series (despite some stumbles along the way) but also with the added stakes of title vs. title. NXT has felt stale on top for a while now, obviously, Karrion Kross looms over the winner but Adam Cole has done about all he can on NXT. Were it not for the move to USA and the need for stars on the brand, Cole would have surely moved on from NXT by now. Keith Lee may not have an abundance of fresh headlining matches ready and waiting for him either but programs with Finn Balor and Kross should at least carry NXT through much of the rest of the year.

NXT’s next major project should be to build the middle of the card up to being title contenders because there’s truly not much left to challenge Lee after the departure of Matt Riddle for Smackdown. There’s only so many times they can go back to the same Gargano, Ciampa and Balor wells. The likes of Priest, Thatcher, Escobar, Grimes and Swerve all desperately need to be honestly elevated – not pushed for two weeks and given up on. Nor will Dexter Lumis be the man to carry NXT on his back. But that is a problem for the future, right now NXT has a hell of a main event on their hands. This is Keith Lee’s time. Undisputed Era and especially Adam Cole has run their course on NXT and needs to move on. Prediction: Keith Lee

Powered by RedCircle