WWE NXT Heatwave Results 8/22 - NXT Championship Match, Trick Williams Vs. Ilja Dragunov

Welcome to Wrestling Inc.'s results for "WWE NXT" Heatwave on August 22, 2023, coming to you live from the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida!

For the first time on television since successfully retaining the "NXT" Championship over Ilja Dragunov at "NXT" The Great American Bash, Carmelo Hayes will be defending against former North American Champion Wes Lee. Wes secured his spot in the match after defeating Dijak in a Number One Contenders match on last week's episode of "NXT", and came face-to-face with Hayes later that night during an explosive contract signing between the pair.

Speaking of Dragunov, he is set for a major match of his own tonight as he collides with Trick Williams. The animosity between the duo has not remained any secret, with the pair confronting one another in the ring two weeks ago in a heated exchange of words which ultimately ended with them both agreeing to tonight's match.

A huge mixed tag team bout is set for tonight, as Women's World Champion Rhea Ripley teams with fellow Judgment Day member and North American Champion Dominik Mysterio to square off with Lyra Valkyria and Dragon Lee. Dragon has taken issue with Dominik since Ripley helped to ensure he would come up short against him for his title two weeks ago while Valkyria has come face-to-face with Ripley in some less than favorable encounters on a number of occasions.

Nathan Frazer will be putting his "NXT" Heritage Cup will be on the line as he faces Meta-Four's Noam Dar. Despite his best efforts to convince himself and the "NXT" Universe that he is still the legitimate Heritage Cup Champion, Dar admitted two weeks ago that the Cup he'd been carrying around was a sham in order to earn a shot at capturing the real deal (per Frazer's terms).

Additionally, Baron Corbin will be going head-to-head with Von Wagner following a heated exchange last week, and Ivy Nile will be taking on Ava as her quest for retribution on Schism continues after they sent The Creed Brothers packing. "NXT" Women's Champion Tiffany Stratton will also be making her return to programming following her successful defense against Thea Hail on July 30 with something to share.

We are live! Vic Joseph and Booker T greet audiences at home as Ilja Dragunov makes his way down to the ring. Trick Williams follows.

The bell rings and the pair waste no time. Dragunov delivers a boot and a chop, then fires off forearms and delivers another chop. Williams fires back with a few forearms of his own and a back elbow, but Dragunov delivers a kick to Williams' head and several more chops. Williams lands a forearm and sends Dragunov crashing into the mat, then delivers a dropkick. The action spills to the outside, and Dragunov delivers a boot to Williams' face, then sends him crashing to the floor with a German suplex before dumping him back in the ring.

Back from the break, Dragunov fires off machine gun chops. Williams responds with a major chop of his own, and Dragunov fires off more machine gun chops. The two then go back and forth with forearms before Williams plants Dragunov with a kick. He fires off a series of right hands and a kick to his head, then connects with a flapjack and a running knee. He goes for a pin, but Dragunov kicks out. Dragunov delivers a pair of DDTs and sits Williams on the top rope. He sets up for a superplex, but Williams counters into a uranage and goes for a pin.

Dragunov kicks out at the last second, and Williams looks for a kick. Dragunov catches it and plants Williams with a German suplex, then follows it up with a powerbomb and a right hand. He ascends to the middle rope and delivers a flying right hand for the win.

Winner: Ilja Dragunov

We head backstage to Nathan Frazer, who asks Tyler Bate to be at ringside for his Heritage Cup match against Noam Dar. Bate agrees to do so.

Back at ringside, Ivy Nile heads down to the ring. Schism follows. 

The bell rings and Ava clocks Nile from behind. She sends her into the middle turnbuckle face first, then delivers a pair of bodyslams and a splash in the corner. Ava connects with a backbreaker and sends Nile into the corner, then charges at her. Nile ducks out of the way and Ava is sent crashing into the corner before Ava lands a kick and sends her into the mat face first. She follows it up with a shoulder tackle, but Nile manages to lock in a Dragon Sleeper. Ava taps.

Winner: Ivy Nile

After the match, the masked Schism members hop up on the apron and surround Nile. Nile levels them before two of them pull Ava out of the ring and carry her to the back.

We then head backstage and see a heated confrontation between Wes Lee and Ilja Dragunov.

Back at ringside, Meta-Four heads down. Nathan Frazer and Tyler Bate follow.

The bell rings as round one kicks off, and the two lock up. They go back and forth with submission holds before Frazer rolls up Dar. Dar counters into a submission, but Frazer quickly escapes. Dar slaps Frazer, but Frazer sends him crashing into the mat and fires off right hands as the clock runs out.

Round One: Frazer 0-0 Dar

Back from the break, round two has ended with Dar picking up a pin. We see Tyler Bate being checked on and taken to the back by medical officials after he was choke slammed on the apron by Dabba-Kato.

Round Two: Frazer 0-1 Dar

Round three kicks off and Frazer locks in a crossface on Dar. Dar makes it to the bottom rope to break the hold, and delivers a kick to Frazer. He follows it up with a second to his chest. Frazer looks for an enziguri, but Dar counters into an Ankle Lock. Frazer escapes a hold, then delivers a tope suicida on the outside and dumps Dar back in. He plants him, then delivers a standing Shooting Star Press and goes for a pin. Dar kicks out, and delivers an elbow to Frazer after the bell sounds.

Round Three: Frazer 0-1 Dar

It's time for round four, and Frazer delivers a kick to Dar. He follows it up with a chop and a slam, then ascends to the top and looks to go flying. Dar rolls out of the way and delivers a back elbow, then goes for a pin. Frazer kicks out and Dar climbs up to the top. Frazer meets him up there and delivers a superplex. He rolls through and delivers a corkscrew cutter for the win.

Round Four: Frazer 1-1 Dar

Back from another break, round five is coming to a close as Frazer ascends to the top and levels both Dar and Mensah on the outside. He looks to slide back in the ring, but Lash Legend prevents him from doing so. He escapes her grasp, and pins Dar. Dar kicks out at the last second.

Round Five: Frazer 1-1 Dar

Round six begins, and the pair go back and forth with forearms and kicks to the thigh. Frazer gains the upper hands and fires off right hands, but Dar trips Frazer and delivers several kicks to his head. Frazer delivers a kick to Dar's head before Dar ascends to the top. Frazer ducks out of the way and Dar cinches in a knee bar. Frazer escapes the hold and delivers a kick to Dar's head, then ascends to the top and looks for a Phoenix Splash. Mensah looks to push Frazer off, but Frazer fights him off. This opens the door for Dar to duck out of the way and lands a modified enziguri for the win.

Round Six: Frazer 2-1 Dar

Winner (and new): Noam Dar

We then head backstage to a video from Ava (and the two masked individuals who carried her away from ringside earlier tonight) sending a message to Ivy Nile. She tells Nile that she knows where to find her.

Back from the break, Tiffany Stratton is in the ring.

Stratton brags about her recent wins, and says as summer comes to an end, the fall of Tiff-Tiff has arrived. She says perfection comes easy, and her "NXT" Women's Championship isn't going anywhere. She says she will go down as one of the best titleholders in history, and says for now, she will end at the Tiffy Top.

Gigi Dolin's music hits, and she tells Stratton to quiet down. She says she's dying to see the fall of Tiffany, then says to look no further for her next challenger. Stratton shoots her down, and Dolin reminds her that she's tapped out before.

Kiana James appears and tells Dolin she doesn't deserve an "NXT" Women's Championship match given Dolin's history with her. She says that she deserves a title shot before Blair Davenport appears and says it's been a cool summer over the Women's division because of her. She says she deserves to be next in line for a title shot, and Dolin says she needs to go through the division to be on top. Dolin says no one has forgotten what happened with her and Roxanne Perez in the convenience store, and Davenport tells Dolin that if she thought Jacy Jayne's beating with her was bad, then she should wait to see what she does to her.

Roxanne Perez's music hits, and she tells Davenport she thought she ended things with her at The Great American Bash. All four women begin brawling with one another as Stratton rolls out of the ring.

Rhea Ripley and Dominik Mysterio then head down to the ring. 

We then head over to Ava and the two masked Schism individuals. Ava runs her mouth, and Ivy Nile appears. The two masked members reveal themselves to be...The Creed Brothers! Ava gets clocked, and The Creed Brothers challenge The Dyad to a Steel Cage match next week, with the catch being if they win, then they are reinstated to "NXT". 

We then head over to Meta-Four celebrating Noam Dar's win. Dar receives an envelope informing him of a Global Eight Man Heritage Cup Tournament for a shot at the Cup at "NXT" No Mercy in September.

Back at ringside, Lyra Valkyria and Dragon Lee head down.

Dragon and Dominik begin the action. The bell rings and the two lock up. Dragon rains down right hands on Dominik before Dominik does the same. Dominik delivers a vicious chop, but Dragon plants him and tags in Ripley. Valkyria gets in the ring and shoves Ripley. Ripley does the same, and Valkyria gives her another push. She executes an arm drag, but Ripley delivers a right hand to her midsection and follows it up with a shoulder tackle. Valkyria looks to land a roundhouse kick, but Ripley avoids it and sends her crashing into the mat. Ripley looks for a vertical suplex, but Valkyria escapes and delivers a double chop to her spine. She follows it up with a kick to her midsection before Ripley gets her up on her shoulders. Valkyria escapes.

Dominik tags in and stands behind Valkyria. Dragon comes out of nowhere and delivers a kick to his head before Valkyria catches him with a crossbody. She then delivers a hurricanrana to Ripley, and levels Ripley on the outside with a dropkick through the middle ropes as Dragon goes flying over the top to level Dominik.

Back from the break, Ripley has a submission locked in on Valkyria. Valkyria escapes with a few back elbows and lands a headbutt, but Ripley plants her with a vertical suplex and follows it up with a kick to her chest. She fires off right hands and looks for another vertical suplex, but Valkyria counters into a DDT and follows it up with a roundhouse kick. Dominik tags in, and the now legal Dragon delivers a pair of back elbows to him. He follows it up with a hurricanrana and drapes Dominik on the top rope, then ascends to the top rope and delivers a double stomp to his spine. Dominik sends Dragon into the middle rope, then dials it up for the 619. Dragon escapes and delivers the Desnucadora to Dominik, then goes for a pin. Ripely breaks the fall, and Valkyria dumps her out of the ring. She looks for a hurricanrana off the apron, but Ripley catches her and sends her crashing into the barricade.

Ripley hops back up on the apron, but Raquel Rodriguez appears at ringside and pulls her down. She brawls with her to the back, opening the door for Dragon to plant Dominik for the win.

Winners: Lyra Valkyria and Dragon Lee

Back from the break, we head to a conversation between Carmelo Hayes and Trick Williams. Williams eyes up Hayes' "NXT" Championship, then hands it over to him and the two do a handshake.

Back from the break, Von Wagner and Mr. Stone head down to the ring. Baron Corbin blindsides Wagner on the ramp and delivers a clothesline off the apron before Wagner sends him crashing into it and sends him colliding with the ring post. Corbin sends him into the ring steps face first, but Wagner returns the favor and clears the announce desk. Corbin blindsides him and delivers a back suplex to him on the floor, then gets Stone up on his shoulders. Wagner saves Stone, then delivers a big boot to Corbin. He looks for a powerbomb, but Bron Breakker appears out of nowhere and Spears him.

We then head over to a video from an angered Joe Gacy, Rip Fowler, and Jagger Reid who accept The Creed Brothers' challenge for a Steel Cage match next week.

Back from the break, Wes Lee heads down to the ring. Carmelo Hayes follows.

The bell rings and the two lock up. They level one another with dropkicks and exchange forearms, then take one another down with a double pump kick before Hayes delivers a standing Spanish Fly.

Back from the break, Wes delivers a kick to Hayes. Hayes fires back with Fade Away and a forearm. Lee fires back with one of his own, and the two go back and forth once again before Hayes delivers a chop and a boot to Wes' midsection. He follows it up with a clothesline and sends Wes into the corner face first, but Wes fires back with a meteora and a superkick. He plants Hayes, then ascends to the top and lands a corkscrew. He then delivers a kick to his spine and looks for the Kardiak Kick, but Hayes catches him and delivers a cutter. He delivers a Codebreaker.

The action spills to the outside, and Hayes gets Wes onto the announce desk. He then goes flying off the apron with a modified DDT and sends Wes crashing through the announce desk. He gets him back in the ring and looks for Nothing But Net, but Wes avoids the maneuver and delivers the Kardiak Kick. Hayes rolls out of the ring before he can be pinned, and Wes looks to level him on the outside. Hayes ducks out of the way and both men slide back in the ring before the referee can finish the ten count. Hayes then ascends to the top and delivers Nothing But Net for the win.

Winner (and still): Carmelo Hayes