WWE NXT Gold Rush Week One Results 6/20 - Two Title Matches, Triple Threat #1 Contenders Match
Welcome to Wrestling Inc.'s results of "WWE NXT: Gold Rush" Week One on June 20, 2023, coming to you live from the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida!
Before he puts the World Heavyweight Championship on the line against Finn Balor at the Money In The Bank Premium Live Event on July 1, Seth "Freakin" Rollins will defend against former "NXT" Champion Bron Breakker. Breakker threw out the challenge to Rollins a couple of weeks ago, and Rollins accepted last week as his quest to be a fighting champion continues.
Another title will be on the line tonight, as Wes Lee defends his North American Championship against Tyler Bate with Mustafa Ali serving as the special guest referee. The two men have found allies in one another over the past few weeks as a result of their ongoing issues with Schism.
The new number one contenders for Gallus' "NXT" Tag Team Championship will be determined, as Josh Briggs and Brooks Jensen collide with Edris Enofé and Malik Blade, and Hank Walker and Tank Ledger. Briggs and Jensen have bounced back from a rough patch in their alliance in recent time while the members of the latter two teams have met their teammate in one-on-one competition over the past few weeks in an effort to strengthen their bond.
Before Carmelo Hayes defends the "NXT" Championship against Baron Corbin during Week Two of Gold Rush, the duo will meet toe-to-toe in the ring tonight. Corbin has made his intentions of capturing gold crystal clear over the past few weeks after blindsiding Hayes, and Hayes hasn't taken too kindly to his actions.
Thea Hail is set to face Tiffany Stratton for the "NXT" Women's Championship next week, but before she does, Duke Hudson will be hosting a pep rally for her with some help from the other students of Chase U. Hail secured her spot in the match after winning a Number One Contenders Battle Royal a couple of weeks ago.
Elsewhere in the women's division, Cora Jade will be going head-to-head with Dana Brooke. Jade has been looking to get her hands on Brooke for eliminating her from the aforementioned Battle Royal. Lash Legend and Jakara Jackson will also be joining forces to take on Valentina Feroz and Yulisa Leonn after encountering one another during the Heritage Cup match between Nathan Frazer and Oro Mensah last week.
We are live! Vic Joseph and Booker T greet audiences at home as Tyler Bate, Wes Lee, and Mustafa Ali wait inside the ring
Wes Lee (c) vs. Tyler Bate for the North American Championship (w/ Special Guest Referee Mustafa Ali)
The bell rings and the two lock up. They go back and forth with submission holds before Bate lands an arm drag. Bate cinches in a side headlock, but Ali counts a fall after Lee's shoulders are down. Bate becomes caught off guard, and stares down Ali. He then rolls up Lee, but Lee kicks out. Lee shoves Bate, and Bate does the same to him. The pair wind up outside of the ring, where Bate lands a pair of uppercuts.
Back from the break, Bate and Lee level one another with clotheslines. Bate lands an uppercut, but Lee fires back with an open palm strike and a series of right hands. Bate delivers a couple more uppercuts, but Lee lands a shotgun dropkick on Bate's spine. Bate delivers a suplex before Lee delivers an enziguri. Bate delivers a rebound lariat and ascends to the top, but Lee meets him up there and the two come tumbling down. Lee lands on the outside while Bate lands on the inside, and Ali gives some words of wisdom to both men. Lee then gets back in the ring and executes the Kardiak Kick for the win.
Winner (and still): Wes Lee
Back from the break, Duke Hudson is waiting in the ring.
Duke Hudson Hosts A Pep Rally for Thea Hail
Hudson says it is his honor as the MVP of Chase U to welcome everyone to Thea Hail's pep rally. He says while she has been in the agony of defeat, she has also been in the thrill of the victory. He says she will become the youngest champion in "NXT" history next week and introduces her.
Hail makes her way down to the ring, with cheerleaders from Chase U right behind her cheering her on.
Hail says this is the best day of her whole life, and says looking up and down the "NXT" roster, everyone has major college accomplishments. She says while she decided not to college, she doesn't need national championships or a Master's degree because she will still become "NXT" Women's Champion.
Drew Gulak and Charlie Dempsey ask what they've gotten themselves into after finding out Hail decided not to go to a post secondary institute. Hail then thanks Hudson, Gulak, Dempsey, and Andre Chase for giving her an opportunity.
Tiffany Stratton's music hits and she appears. She calls the pep rally amazingly horrible and tells Hudson the set-up is tacky. She says no one picked her to win the Number One Contenders Battle Royal a couple of weeks ago, but she has a zero percent chance of dethroning her as "NXT" Women's Champion. Hudson says Hail will become the new titleholder and while she doesn't believe in Hail, he does along with the rest of Chase U and the WWE Universe.
Stratton says Hail won't make her tap out next week, but Hail surprises her and cinches in the Kimura Lock. Stratton taps.
We then head to a video of Joe Gacy chewing out The Dyad following their loss last week. Ava tells them that they need to stay together, and The Dyad storms off.
Back at ringside, Josh Briggs, Brooks Jensen, and Fallon Henley head down. Hank Walker, Tank Ledger, Edris Enofé, and Malik Blade follow.
Josh Briggs & Brooks Jensen (w/ Fallon Henley) vs. Edris Enofé & Malik Blade vs. Hank Walker & Tank Ledger in a Triple Threat Number One Contenders Match for the NXT Tag Team Championship
Walker, Blade and Briggs begin the action. The bell rings and Briggs sends Walker crashing out of the ring, then goes after Blade. Blade fires back with a dropkick, then tags in Enofé. Jensen tags in and wears down Enofé, then tags Briggs back in. Briggs and Jensen deliver a double bodyslam to Walker as we see Gallus watching on from backstage. Briggs runs the ropes, but Walker and Jensen trip him. Ledger tags in and delivers a splash in the corner to Enofé before Jensen lands a kick on Ledger.
Back from the break, Jensen delivers a back elbow to Blade in the corner. Briggs tags in and delivers a boot to Walker before himself and Jensen deliver a double right hand to Enofé. Enofé catches Walker with a dropkick, but Briggs levels the two men. Walker delivers a back elbow before Blade tags in and delivers a Blockbuster to Briggs. Ledger tags in and levels Briggs, then delivers a suplex to Blade. Jensen tags in and catches him with a back elbow, then delivers a kick and a neckbreaker. He trips Blade and plants him on top of Ledger, then tags Briggs back in. Briggs and Jensen deliver their finisher. Briggs then pins Ledger, but Enofé breaks the fall. Blade then lands a Frog Splash off the top on Ledger and pins him for the win.
Winners (and new Number One Contenders): Edris Enofé and Malik Blade
We head backstage and see Damon Kemp approach Eddy Thorpe. Kemp tells Thorpe that he'll be bringing back "Raw" Underground in two weeks so the two of them to have a match and walks off. A loud crash then happens and we see Roxanne Perez being pulled away from Blair Davenport after attacking her.
Back at ringside, Cora Jade heads down. Dana Brooke follows.
Cora Jade vs. Dana Brooke
The bell rings and Jade shoves Brooke. Brooke sends her crashing into the corner, then delivers several shoulders to her midsection. She trips Jade and sends her head repeatedly crashing into the mat. She delivers a hip toss and a kick to her chest, then follows it up with a bodyslam. Jade delivers a knee to Brooke's midsection, then delivers a series of kicks to her midsection. Brooke lands an Airplane Spin and a single leg dropkick that sends Jade crashing to the outside. She joins Jade out there, but Jade slides back in the ring and catches Brooke on the side of her face as she looks to get back inside. She sets up for the DDT, but Brooke escapes her grasp and sends her crashing into the corner. She sets up for a springboard elbow, but her knee gives out.
Back from the break, Brooke delivers a forearm to Jade on the outside. She sends her head bouncing off the ring apron, then tosses her back in the ring. Her knee gives out once again, but she slides back inside to join Jade and rolls her up. Jade kicks out and delivers a chop block to Brooke's injured knee, then sends it crashing into the mat. Brooke responds with a Flap Jack and goes for a pin, but Jade kicks out.
Brooke sets up for a suplex, but Jade kicks her injured knee to escape. She looks for a Vader Bomb, but Jade moves out of the way and locks in a Single Leg Boston Crab. Brooke almost makes it to the bottom rope, but Jade pulls her back to the center of the ring. Brooke writhes out in pain, and the referee calls for the bell.
Winner: Cora Jade (via referee stoppage)
We then head over to a video of Von Wagner opening up to Mr. Stone and discussing his journey with battling Trigonocephaly as a baby.
Back from the break, Carmelo Hayes and Trick Williams head down to the ring. Baron Corbin is already waiting inside.
Carmelo Hayes and Baron Corbin Stand Toe To Toe With One Another
Corbin calls for Hayes' music to be cut and says he doesn't have time for his showmanship. He tells Hayes that having the "NXT" Championship doesn't mean you made it, and says there's nothing he can do next week that he hasn't seen. He says they're no longer in Hayes' hometown and he doesn't care what anyone thinks of him.
Hayes says he thinks Corbin feels as though he can walk into his home and come after his title to make himself relevant again. He says he's not new to this and has defended his territory against main roster guys that he sent packing. He tells Corbin that there's no difference between them and him, then brings up Happy Corbin. Corbin says Happy Corbin bought him a $1.8 million house and dares Hayes to compare bank accounts and WrestleMania moments. He says all of his fortunes came from being a main roster star for nearly a decade.
Hayes says Corbin used to be that and asks him what happened. He says he won the "NXT" Breakout Tournament at 26 years old and won the North American Championship while Corbin was being cut from the Arizona Cardinals at that age. He gives Corbin and the other "NXT" originals credit, but says he creates new expectations. He says since Corbin's left, he's built a couple more rules, pushed in windows, and put up a new roof because he tore down the old one.
Corbin says if Hayes has to tell people every week he is him, then he isn't him. He calls Hayes insignificant and says he would normally leave him laid out. He says he doesn't need to do that because he'll be treating himself next week after he wins the title.
Back from the break, Meta Four (Jakara Jackson, Lash Legend, Noam Dar, and Oro Mensah) heads down to the ring. Valentina Feroz and Yulisa Leon are already waiting in the ring.
Lash Legend & Jakara Jackson (w/ Noam Dar and Oro Mensah) vs. Valentina Feroz & Yulisa Leon
Feroz and Leon waste no time. They go straight after Jackson and Legend in the ring. Jackson tosses Leon in the ring, and the bell sounds. Legend pulls her out of the ring. Legend tags in and holds Leon in place as Jackson fires off right hands. She then delivers a standing splash and sends her head crashing into the mat as Lola Vice and Elektra Lopez appear at ringside. Jackson tags in, and herself and Legend deliver a facebuster-neckbreaker combination. Leon lands a hip toss and tags in Feroz. Legend tags in, and Feroz fires off kicks on Legend's thigh. She ascends to the middle rope and delivers a hurricanrana, then hits a meteora. Mensah tries to interfere, but Feroz stomps on his hand. She looks for a crossbody, but Mensah catches her. Leon then levels him after going flying over the top. Feroz then gets back in the ring, and Legend catches her with a boot for the win.
Winners: Lash Legend and Jakara Jackson
Bron Breakker then heads down to the ring. Seth "Freakin" Rollins follows.
Seth Rollins (c) vs. Bron Breakker for the World Heavyweight Championship
The bell rings and Rollins looks for the Curb Stomp. Breakker ducks out of the way and Rollins sets up for the Pedigree. Breakker escapes the maneuver, and Rollins dumps him out of the ring. He then lands a knee off the apron.
Back from the break, Breakker executes a hurricanrana. He follows it up with a suplex and sends him into the corner, then delivers a German suplex and goes for a pin. Rollins kicks out and Breakker charges at him in the corner. Rollins ducks out of the way and Breakker is sent crashing into the ring post. Rollins dumps him out of the ring and lands three tope suicidas, then gets Rollins back in the ring and sets up for the Curb Stomp. Breakker rolls out of the ring, and Rollins sends him crashing into the floor. Rollins clears the announce desk and delivers a superkick that sends Breakker toppling on top of the announce desk. He ascends to the top rope and delivers a Frog Splash.
Back from another break, Rollins delivers a forearm to Breakker. He follows it up with a superkick and ascends to the top. He sets up for a Frog Splash, but Breakker rolls out of the way and locks in the Steiner Recliner. Rollins escapes and Breakker plants him. Rollins then lands a knee and follows it up with a Pedigree. He goes for a pin, but Rollins kicks out.
Breakker ascends to the top and goes flying, but Rollins lands a superkick and follows it up with a Pedigree. He then hits the Curb Stomp for the win.
Winner (and still): Seth "Freakin" Rollins
Rollins looks to head to the back, but Finn Balor blindsides him. Balor sends him crashing into the ring apron, then grabs a chair and cracks it across his spine. He ascends to the top and sets up for the Coup De Grace, but Carmelo Hayes and Trick Williams run down to provide Rollins with a hand.