WWE NXT
Episode 532
Original Air Date: October 30, 2019
Event Date: October 30, 2019
(aired live on USA)
City: Winter Park, FL
Venue: Full Sail University
Commentary: Mauro Ranallo, Nigel McGuinness, Beth Phoenix
Ring Announcer: Alicia Taylor
Ring Area
Poppy sings “I Disagree” live at Full Sail as the show’s intro video plays on the screen behind her. Poppy then plays Io Shirai to the ring. It’s pretty fantastic.
Match 1
Io Shirai vs Candice LeRae
(referee: Jessika Carr)
Result: Io Shirai wins via pinfall after LeRae misses a springboard moonsault and landing on a steel chair
Time: 9:16 (1 break)
Match Thoughts
Very good match. Shirai seemed fired up tonight (possibly because of her live-music intro), but LeRae was ready for a fight. There were some pretty brutal-looking shots given and taken by both women, and it was back and forth until the end. This was a good chapter in their feud.
Ring Area
After the match, Shirai attacks LeRae. Shirai goes for a chair, but Rhea Ripley runs out and takes the chair away. Shirai leaves the ring and backs away as Ripley looks on.
Video
A look at Finn Balor’s return to NXT and his attack on Johnny Gargano.
Ring Area
Finn Balor heads to the ring. Balor says everyone has their opinions, but there’s too many fans in the locker room who should be sitting in the crowd. Balor doesn’t watch this business, the business watches him. Balor says that if Johnny Gargano wants to fight then he won’t be “Johnny Wrestling,” he’ll be “Johnny Watches Wrestling.”
Video
A look at the Kabuki Warriors set to “Karate” by BABYMETAL.
Video
A look at Tyler Bate.
Match 2
Shane Thorne vs Bronson Reed
(referee: DA Brewer)
Result: Bronson Reed wins via pinfall after a diving splash
Time: 4:23
Match Thoughts
This was fun. Thorne started quickly with a series of dropkicks, but Reed came back with some huge strikes. After a chopping session in the middle of the ring. Reed started to hit a series of big moves on his way to a fun finish.
Backstage
Kathy Kelley welcomes Dakota Kai and Tegan Nox. They’re both excited for their opportunity at the women’s tag titles.
Video
A look at Mia Yim.
Match 3
Women’s Tag Team Title Match
Tegan Nox & Dakota Kai vs The Kabuki Warriors (Women’s Tag Champs)
(referee: Darryl Sharma)
Result: Kairi Sane pins Dakota Kai after the Insane Elbow (and green mist from Asuka)
Time: 17:15 (2 breaks)
Match Thoughts
Great match. The bulk of the match had Dakota Kai isolated and punished as Kairi and Asuka repeatedly tagged and both worked on Kai’s left knee. The Kabuki Warriors were confident to the point of cockiness, and that led to a fest-paced final act of the match with all four women involved. I’m glad that these four women were involved in the first women’s tag title match on NXT, and I’m glad they were given the time to deliver a memorable match. This was all very good.
Ring Area
After the match, Shayna Baszler, Jessamyn Duke, and Marina Shafir head to the ring. Dakota Kai is still down after the end of the tag match, so Tegan Nox gets triple-teamed. Shayna sets up to stomp on Nox’s arm, but Rhea Ripley comes out to distract Baszler.
As Ripley heads to the ring, Io Shirai attacks her from behind. Bianca Belair quickly joins the brawl and attacks Ripley, then Candice LeRae joins and attacks Shirai. Everyone starts fighting except for Baszler. Baszler invites Ripley into the ring, so Ripley enters. All the women at ringside, including Dakota Kai, join the fight in the ring.
Referees and security try to separate the women at William Regal yells from the balcony. Regal has a solution to the problems in the ring: WarGames.
Match 4
Tyler Bate vs Cameron Grimes
(referee: DA Brewer)
Result: Cameron Grimes wins via pinfall after the Cave In (and a distraction from Killian Dain)
Time: 9:38 (1 break)
Match Thoughts
Good match. I liked how Grimes and Bate worked together. This was fun, though it seems like they’ll both be headed in different directions considering the presence of Killian Dain at the end of the match.
Ring Area
After the match, Killian Dain enters the ring and hits Bate with a senton. Dain then hits a running cannonball on Bate into the ring steps. Dain tells Bate to tell Pete Dunne that they have unfinished business.
Backstage
Matt Riddle and Keith Lee warm up for their match.
Backstage
Bobby Fish and Kyle O’Reilly take turns kicking a pad held up by Roderick Strong as Adam Cole looks on.
Video
A look at Angel Garza and his family.
Ring Area
In the balcony, Cathy Kelley announces that Shayna Baszler and Rhea Ripley have been named as team captains for the women’s WarGames match.
Match 5
Keith Lee & Matt Riddle vs Bobby Fish & Kyle O’Reilly (NXT Tag Champs)
(referee: Drake Wuertz)
Result: Bobby Fish pins Matt Riddle after Total Elimination
Time: 11:46 (1 break)
Match Thoughts
Very good match. Fish and O’Reilly had fantastic teamwork as usual, and they had to be in top form to deal with Riddle and Lee. Fish and O’Reilly isolated Riddle for a while, but the individual efforts of Lee when he got the tag and Riddle when he tagged back in later were still a lot to handle for the champs. Cole and Strong provided some distractions late in the match, and that finally gave one team a sustained and serious advantage. This was a pretty close match, and it was a fun main event.
Ring Area
After the match, Undisputed Era attacks Lee and Riddle. After a few seconds, Tommaso Ciampa runs to the ring and attacks Undisputed Era with his crutch. Cole escapes without taking damage from Ciampa, but O’Reilly takes the full force of an attack from Ciampa, Riddle, and Lee. With Undisputed Era watching from ringside, Ciampa tells Goldie that she’ll have to wait because “daddy’s going to war.”
Show Impressions
This was a great show. From the introduction to the final segment, I loved every bit of this episode. NXT has been really good, but this was one of my favorite shows in recent memory.
Match of the Night
Nox & Kai vs Kabuki Warriors
I’m really happy that The Kabuki Warriors are using the titles to enhance their status, and I’m happy that the women’s tag titles finally feel like they actually mean something. I hope they keep this up.
Official Results: https://www.wwe.com/shows/wwenxt/2019-10-30