WWE NXT continues to evolve with the summer, setting the final stage for Great American Bash with its July 23 edition.

Thea Hail would sit down to discuss her upcoming challenge of NXT women's champion Roxanne Perez.

Former friends Josh Briggs and Brooks Jensen would look to settle their differences in the ring in a No Disqualification match.

Ashante "Thee" Adonis would return to an NXT ring to face Oro Mensah, who hoped to prove himself as a future challenger to his number one rival, NXT champion "All Ego" Ethan Page.

After over a month of arguments between them, Eddy Thorpe and Lexis King would finally clash in the ring.

What other surprises did NXT have in store? Could more TNA stars make their presence felt, particularly The Rascalz or Joe Hendry?

This show was certain to be eventful and must-watch for all NXT fans.

Trick Williams and Cedric Alexander Agree to Fight Tonight

Trick Williams called out "All Ego" Ethan Page. Instead, Cedric Alexander warned him to avoid a mistake. Ashante "Thee" Adonis interrupted to tell Alexander that he wasting his time.

Trick told Alexander that he was better than him, which frustrated Alexander. The two agreed to a match followed by Trick sending Adonis to the floor.

This was an odd way to start the night as the only interaction between Alexander and Trick before this show was in the background of last week.

The angle was not backed up by what has been built on TV. The problem is that Alexander and Adonis lack established characters due to years of mismanagement, and it would have been good to get a firmer sense of their motivations before this moment.

However, NXT is already doing more with Adonis and Alexander than any brand has done in years, which is a nice change. Trick vs. Alexander is an intriguing match on paper, particularly because this is such a reset for the former Cruiserweight champion.

This might be a chance to truly establish the credibility of Alexander in a way that he has lacked since 205 Live went off the air.

Grade

C-

Notable Moments

• Alexander tried to stop Trick from heading to the ring, but the former champion blew past him to start the show.
• Trick mocked Adonis by mentioning his failure with Hit Row.
  
• Tyriek Igwe and Tyson Dupont made fun of "All Ego" Ethan Page on his way to the arena. The champion said he did not have time for them.
• Page told Mr. Stone and Stevie Turner that he wanted to "deal with" his Oro Mensah problem.
  

No Disqualification: Josh Briggs vs. Brooks Jensen

Brooks Jensen attacked Josh Briggs on his way to the ring, and the big man made him pay. However, a distraction from Shawn Spears allowed Jensen to batter Briggs with a steel chair followed by a DDT on the chair to win.

While this is a match that could have used a little more build to sell the heat between these competitors, Briggs and Jensen fought hard to sell this moment.

It was a fun brawl where the more experienced Briggs worked over time to get over his friend. While Jensen only won with Spears' help, he came off as a much more dangerous competitor this time around.

Jensen is the perfect man to work with Spears. He has been established as a young loose cannon that needs direction. The Chairman will benefit by teaching him all the wrong lessons on his way back to the top.

Since Briggs is headed to Japan to work the NOAH N-1 Victory tournament, Spears and Jensen will have a whole month to build their dynamic before a heated rematch.

Result

Jensen def. Briggs by pinfall.

Grade

B

Notable Moments

• Briggs sent Jensen through the announce table with a chokeslam.
• The big man sent his former friend onto the steel steps with a Russian leg sweep that started a chant that USA Network needed to censor.

Eddy Thorpe vs. Lexis King

Lexis King kept calling for the Coronation, but Eddy Thorpe fought out and hit Manifest Destiny to win.

After the result, King attacked Thorpe and smashed his fingers between the steel steps with his cane.

Two five-year veterans clashed after a month of build. The result was a two-minute bout that could barely be called a sprint as the two barely got going before they went for the finish.

This was a disappointing showcase of two men that should be building momentum toward NXT title opportunities. Thorpe at least came out on top to get him back in the win column, but he will need to win this whole feud to truly stand tall.

Given the post-match attack, Thorpe and King will fight again, and the winner of round one will be fighting with a disadvantage. Hopefully, they get more spotlight next time.

Result

Thorpe def. King by pinfall.

Grade

D

Notable Moments

• Thorpe fought out of the Coronation then went for Manifest Destiny, but King fought out and landed a running knee to the back of the head.
  

Oro Mensah (w/ Meta-Four) vs. Ashante "Thee" Adonis

Ashante "Thee" Adonis was too focused on Jakara Jackson at ringside, allowing Oro Mensah to make quick work of him with a corner spinning heel kick to win.

Afterward, Oro Mensah called out "All Ego" Ethan Page to no answer, getting the crowd to chant "1-2-3" in remembrance of him pinning the NXT champion the previous week.

It was another short match on NXT, but at least Mensah and Adonis fought hard to make the most of the brief minutes. The two fought hard to maximize their minutes and kept it clean while rushing.

This loss does not help in the goal to acclimate Adonis to the NXT roster, but it was the right call for Mensah to keep building momentum. He should be the next man up for Page's NXT Championship.

Result

Mensah def. Adonis by pinfall.

Grade

C+

Notable Moments

• Before the bell, Adonis tried to chat up Jackson at ringside, but Mensah wiped him out with a big tope.
  
• Vic Joseph said Jackson cared more about her lollipop than Adonis, setting up a Booker T sexual innuendo that both men moved quickly past.
• Adonis focused on Jackson at ringside as he set up a dive, but the distraction once again set up Mensah to take him out.
• Backstage, Adonis convinced a few NXT women to help him find the trainer's room, feigning an injury from his match.
  

Wren Sinclair (w/ No Quarter Catch Crew) vs. Carlee Bright (w/ Kendal Grey)

Charlie Dempsey saved Wren Sinclair from a near-pinfall then helped her hold down Carlee Bright for a three count on a roll-up.

While the outside storytelling of Dempsey reluctantly helping Sinclair was fun, the action in the ring was a mess. This may have been the sloppiest that Bright has looked in the ring so far.

With three minutes to work, Bright did not look completely comfortable leading the action, and Sinclair was more focused on the drama than the in-ring.

It was not terrible, but this was a chance to stand out for two women looking to prove themselves in a rapidly evolving division. Neither impressed.

Result

Sinclair def. Bright by pinfall.

Grade

D+

Notable Moments

• Sinclair warned NQCC that she might talk if she lost to Bright. The Family enjoyed the drama and headed out to watch from the stage.
• After Dempsey saved Sinclair from a pinfall, Kendal Grey got in the face of the NQCC and knocked down Myles Borne.
• Tony D'Angelo told Tavion Heights that he would put the Heritage Cup on the line against the Olympian next week.
  

Trick Williams vs. Cedric Alexander

Cedric Alexander started strong but was overwhelmed by the power and speed of Trick Williams. Trick finished it with a Trick Shot.

Afterward, Pete Dunne blasted the former NXT champion from behind and stomped him into the mat.

Rushing Trick vs. Alexander may have been a mistake as the former Cruiserweight champion looked rusty throughout this battle. He hit some great individual moves but did not find his chemistry with the former NXT champion until the end.

This got sloppy, including multiple missed shots. The action got better though down the stretch hinting that something much better would have been possible if Alexander had a couple warm-up bouts before this.

Alexander is immensely talented and can do great things with this NXT roster. Hopefully, a sloppy start and a first-bout loss are minor bumps in the road.

Trick vs. Dunne is an exciting match to keep the former NXT champion hot while he waits for his shot at "All Ego" Ethan Page. The Bruiserweight will push him to work a very different style than he is used to.

Result

Trick def. Alexander by pinfall.

Grade

B-

Notable Moments

• In the locker room, The Bruiserweight questioned if Trick was ready to regain the NXT Championship.
• Trick showed respect to Alexander after the victory, hoping to ease the tension from the start of the show.
  
• Thea Hail sat down with Kelly Kincaid to tell everyone that she has grown up since her last title opportunity. She also put over Ridge Holland as a great friend. Hail has become a very confident promo, selling her credentials.
  

• Trick yelled at Shawn Michaels to get him a match with Dunne. Roxanne Perez then ran down HBK for giving Hail a sit-down interview.
  

Meta-Four vs. Sol Ruca and Karmen Petrovic

Lash Legend and Jakara Jackson showed off their chemistry as a tag team. While Sol Ruca and Karmen Petrovic were rolling, it took Legend one opportunity to plant Petrovic with for the win.

Afterward, Meta-Four challenged Alba Fyre and Isla Dawn for the Women's Tag Team Championships next week at Great American Bash.

This was an impressive sprint, highlighting the athleticism of all involved. It could have gone a couple minutes longer at least, but the four maximized their minutes.

It is a shame NXT has not built up Legend and Jackson more as an in-ring tag team because the two do not come off as worthy challengers for the Women's Tag Team Championship this fast.

Still, Meta-Four is the most established group in NXT's women's division in terms of story spotlight, so this was the best option for Dawn and Fyre to face on short notice.

Result

Legend and Jackson def. Ruca and Petrovic by pinfall.

Grade

B-

Notable Moments

• Ruca took out Jackson outside with a moonsault off the apron, but she left Petrovic alone in the ring too long with Legend.
  
• Backstage, Ruca, Petrovic and Lola Vice talked up the future of the women's division, watching Stephanie Vaquer's WWE house show debut. Legend and Jakara interrupted when they started talking about the Women's Tag Team Championships.
  

Oro Mensah Pins "All Ego" Ethan Page... Again

"All Ego" Ethan Page brought a referee out to the ring to put all the questions to rest about Oro Mensah's three count against him last week.

Instead, Mensah stacked him up, and the referee counted another three against the NXT champion.

This running gag with Mensah proving himself with unofficial three counts is working, adding another layer to NXT's best story. Hopefully, the build will pay off with a great match soon.

Even if Mensah has no chance of dethroning All Ego, NXT has done more than enough to prove why he needs a title shot despite a less-than-impressive in-ring record.

Grade

B+

Notable Moments

• Joe Hendry promised a concert next week. In the parking lot, Gallus was livid to hear about the concert.
  

• Ava agreed with Page that the feud needed to be settled, announcing a contract signing for the NXT Championship match next week.
  

The Rascalz vs. Nathan Frazer, Axiom and Je'Von Evans

The Rascalz set the pace for this main event, and it never slowed. Even the fastest trio in NXT, Nathan Frazer, Axiom and Je'Von Evans could not keep up.

Trey Miguel superkicked Axiom to set up Zachary Wentz with an assist from Wes Lee to pick up the pinfall off a Hot Fire Flame.

The pace of this match was beyond everything else on the show by a wide margin. Everyone was flying and moving in sync. It was a true showcase of six of the best high-fliers in the world today.

The chemistry between Lee, Wentz and Miguel is unlike anything typically seen in WWE. It was more TNA X-Division than NXT tag division.

On the same night that most of the card got less than five minutes, this probably did not need as much time as it got, but it is hard to complain about such pure action.

The Rascalz picked up a big win that should set up The Supersonic Duo vs. MSK sooner than later, which will be special.

Result

Rascalz def. Frazer, Axiom and Evans by pinfall.

Grade

A-

Notable Moments

• The Rascalz confronted Frazer and Axiom, challenging them to a six-man tag team match. Axiom surprise Frazer by telling him he would compete in WWE Speed.
  
• Je'Von Evans found the NXT tag team champions arguing backstage and agreed to team with them.
• Evans showed some attitude when he got into it with Lee, taunting him and wiping him out with a dropkick.
• Vic Joseph hammered on the point that Lee and Wentz never lost the NXT Tag Team Championships they once held as MSK.
• Miguel took a Phoenix Splash, but Lee and Wentz charged the pinfall and broke it up to save the match.
• Everyone shook hands after the result.
  

Overall Show

NXT chose an interesting tactic to build up Great American Bash. It was a chaotic show where the women's division took a firm backseat for the week.

The NXT Championship scene was on full display as Trick Williams stayed in the conversation and Oro Mensah finally pushed Ethan Page into giving him his match.

None of it was great in-ring action, but much of the story was solid, mixing in comedy and drama. Mensah has especially risen considerably in status.

The main event was, by far, the best match of the night. The Rascalz have looked unstoppable both in NXT and TNA since reuniting, and the promise of Nathan Frazer and Axiom vs. MSK is enticing.

It would have been nice to see more out of the build to Roxanne Perez vs. Thea Hail, but it is a near-lock to steal the show next week with the talent involved.

Hopefully, the key matches for Great American Bash get more time than the majority of this card, and there are more wild surprises to come.

Overall Grade: C