WWE NXT Results: Winners, Live Grades, Reaction and Highlights From Aug. 13 (2024)

The August 13 edition of WWE NXT was a big night of title defenses with three separate championships on the line.

Nathan Frazer and Axiom defended the NXT Tag Team Championship for the second week in a row, this time facing Chase U's Andre Chase and Ridge Holland.

Otis planned to answer the open challenge of Oba Femi for a North American title match, while Tony D'Angelo offered Charlie Dempsey a shot at redemption in a clash for the Heritage Cup.

Wes Lee also explained his heinous attack of his friends, Zachary Wentz and Trey Miguel.

Lexis King faced Eddy Thorpe again. "All Ego" Ethan Page and Joe Hendry were both expected to be in attendance for the night.

This was a packed show that would rely on its champions to carry the gold brand forward.

Interviewer Sarah Schreiber tried to get a word with Wes Lee, but he refused to explain his actions from last week.

Instead, "All Ego" Ethan Page took the microphone to talk about potential challengers such as Trick Williams and Pete Dunne.

Joe Hendry interrupted to lay claim to an NXT Championship shot, but Page dismissed him and walked out. Lee appeared to superkick Hendry.

Page carried this segment with his facial expressions. He has stood out every week in his ability to adapt to his rivals and play to the crowd.

Page vs. Hendry was an inevitable match after the TNA star defeated Page and Shawn Spears in July alongside Trick. It is a good idea that will guarantee an invested crowd.

It is highly unlikely anyone from TNA will win NXT gold, but if anyone was going to do it, Hendry would make the most sense at this time.

Lee's involvement continued his rise as a new top heel for the gold brand. It will be interesting to see how far he can rise with this new brutal character.

Grade

B

Notable Moments

Tony D'Angelo made a statement quickly with Forget About It in Round 2 for the first pinfall.

After sending The Don shoulder-first into the turnbuckle, Dempsey stacked up his rival with a bridge for his own first pinfall.

Wren Sinclair knocked D'Angelo off the second rope to set up Dempsey for a bridging butterfly suplex to take the second fall and the win.

This was a solid match with inconsistent pacing but a compelling story. Dempsey has finally found his way back to the Heritage Cup after obsession overtook him in recent months.

NXT could have done more to solidify Dempsey as a serious competitor before giving him the Heritage Cup back, but Sinclair's inclusion clearly means this is a turning point for the No Quarter Catch Crew.

If the plan is to fully commit to NQCC from this point on, it is vital that the group keep winning. Random losses previously left Dempsey in a hole that he still has not fully crawled out of.

D'Angelo had a solid run with the Cup. Last week's teases with Oba Femi could be a sign he will shift his focus to a different championship after this loss.

What matters most is to keep The Don relevant in NXT until there is an opening for him to get a main roster call-up.

Result

Dempsey def. D'Angelo 2-1 to become the Heritage Cup champion.

Grade

B

Notable Moments

Lexis King attacked Eddy Thorpe during the latter's entrance, targeting the cast on his injured hand.

He used the injury to set up the Coronation for a swift win.

NXT has shown limited faith in King's in-ring skill in 2024. Too many of his contests are over in what feels like seconds rather than minutes.

This was a complete squash, selling that Thorpe's injury severely hampered him. This is a fine angle, but he squashed King in their previous match. It was time to see more from both.

A rubber match with a stipulation will likely end this in typical NXT formula, and that bout needs to be more than just a quick segment if either man is to get anything out of this.

Result

King def. Thorpe by pinfall.

Grade

D

Notable Moments

Kelani Jordan joined commentary for this fight, but Wendy Choo attacked and choked her out.

The distraction almost allowed Tatum Paxley to rally, but Lola Vice caught her with a spinning back fist to win.

Afterward, Vice showed respect to Paxley while Choo stood over Jordan with the Women's North American Championship.

Vice vs. Paxley should have been an easy win. Both have shown they can work longer competitive matches, and this was supposed to be about highlighting future title challengers.

Instead, the two got less time than King vs. Thorpe without an injury excuse. There was no reason to rush this contest, even if it needed to wait for next week instead.

Vice came off poorly as the babyface who hardly cared about her friend, Lani, getting beaten down outside. She gained some sympathy back by helping Paxley, but that was a story that needed more time to develop.

Jordan vs. Choo is an intriguing angle that has been developed well, though. It should make the No Mercy card on September 1.

Result

Vice def. Paxley by pinfall.

Grade

D

Notable Moments

Wes Lee told Zachary Wentz that he was done playing caretaker to his friend.

Lee challenged Wentz to a match at No Mercy and said he would then move onto the NXT Championship.

Pete Dunne interrupted to make his own claim for the NXT title, and Joe Hendry arrived to fight Lee. Officials had to intervene.

The reasoning for Lee's betrayal of The Rascalz was clear, though he did not sell it with his delivery. Typically a confident promo, his words came off as insincere and toothless.

One of the most questionable aspects of this promo was how Lee made it sound like working for TNA was a lesser role to working in NXT. While The Rascalz may respond well, it comes off as insulting to WWE's primary talent partner.

Dunne and Hendry getting involved muddied the immediate story, even if Hendry needed to get his lick back after the opener.

Lee should not be challenging Wentz to a No Mercy match and asking for an NXT Championship shot at the same time.

Grade

C+

Notable Moments

Motivated by Maxxine Dupri and Akira Tozawa at ringside, Otis nearly took the win with a Worm and Vader Bomb.

However, Oba Femi kicked out and responded with a huge powerbomb to claim victory.

This was by far the most fun of the night so far. Otis continues to deliver in big moments and deserves more. While he was never going to win, he allowed Femi to work a different style that forced him to rally for the victory.

The North American champion remains the most compelling figure in NXT, but it's time to give him a clear rival again. If the teases are going to pay off, Tony D'Angelo would fit that role nicely.

Result

Femi def. Otis by pinfall to retain the North American Championship.

Grade

B+

Notable Moments

Brinley Reece showed that she could match the strength of Izzi Dame, but she was still not able to keep up with her impact offense.

Dame planted her with a spin-out side slam to win.

This was mostly just an enhancement match, highlighting Dame while allowing Reece more offense than usual. Nothing major stood out, but the contest did its job.

NXT has pushed Dame inconsistently in recent months, but she remains one of the more credible women outside of the title scene. She should be someone who takes the next step soon.

Result

Dame def. Reece by pinfall.

Grade

C

Notable Moments

Nathan Frazer and Axiom looked unstoppable for a long stretch of this match, but Ridge Holland refused to quit.

The Englishman planted Axiom with Northern Grit to win the NXT Tag Team Championship for Chase U.

Chase U rushed the ring to celebrate with Chase and Holland as confetti filled the arena.

This was a fun main event. The pacing was awkward due to the limited time left, setting up a repetitive series of near-falls, but the action was tight thanks to the talent involved.

Chase and Duke Hudson have better chemistry than Chase and Holland, but it made sense in story to pivot. Chase U should keep the gold this time for a while, hopefully start building a division around the group.

SmackDown or Raw could use a tag team like Frazer and Axiom, so hopefully this will not lead to the duo splitting up.

NXT is clearly trying to build buzz on the road to The CW Network, but this title change felt sudden. Chase U could not afford to lose again, but Frazer and Axiom won last week before losing this week with a one-week build.

This could have been built at least over a few weeks if not waiting for No Mercy. Still, Holland proved himself to Chase U and finally brought gold to the university. It was a nice climax to his story as Chase U's newest recruit.

Result

Chase U def. Frazer and Axiom to become the new NXT tag team champions.

Grade

B+

Notable Moments

This week's NXT was a step down from the explosive Great American Bash, but it was paradoxically more eventful with two title changes and major build to No Mercy.

The top matches of the night were great. Nathan Frazer and Axiom delivered once again before handing over the NXT Tag Team Championships to Chase U.

Oba Femi and Otis had a fun one that especially highlighted the talent of the veteran who has yet to win gold.

Charlie Dempsey rose back up the ranks to regain the Heritage Cup, and hopefully this run will be better than the last.

Wes Lee and Joe Hendry especially got time to shine on the microphone. The direction of "All Ego" Ethan Page vs. Hendry at No Mercy is a smart call based on the chemistry between them this week.

The rest of the show was the usual NXT filler. Nothing got enough time to stick. Even hyped matches like Lexis King vs. Eddy Thorpe were over in three minutes.

Still, for the typical weekly NXT fare, this was better than most, and it should keep fans talking for weeks to come.

Overall Grade: B