WWE NXT 2.0 Results: Winners, Grades, Reaction and Highlights from August 30

The battle of WWE NXT and NXT UK is reaching a fever pitch. After the announcements of Bron Breakker vs. Tyler Bate and Mandy Rose vs. Meiko Satomura vs. Blair Davenport, the August 30 edition of NXT 2.0 was set to establish the rest of the NXT Worlds Collide card.

Gallus made a statement by attacking Diamond Mine in their NXT debut, but now they would face the consequences. Joe Coffey, Mark Coffey and Wolfgang would battle The Creed Brothers and Damon Kemp in a six-man tag team match that was set to get explosive.

In another six-person tag team match with serious heat, Josh Briggs, Brooks Jensen and Fallon Henley would face Pretty Deadly and Lash Legend.

Grayson Waller has taunted Apollo Crews constantly over the past month, finally leading to the former intercontinental champion getting a shot at the loudmouth one-on-one.

NXT women's tag team champions Katana Chance and Kayden Carter have promised to take on all-comers, and their first challengers stepped up in the form of Ivy Nile and Tatum Paxley, who wanted to prove themselves in a non-title bout.

Tuesday's show had plenty more to establish with NXT Worlds Collide fast approaching on Sunday.

Grayson Waller found a weakness against Apollo Crews and exploited it. He poked The Nigerian Warrior in the eye to make sure he could connect on the rolling cutter to win.

While Waller went to the eyes a couple times in this match, this was a relatively clean win for the heel. He outmatched and outmaneuvered his opponent to set up the biggest win of his career to date. It was a good contest but lacked energy, especially given the buildup.

This could well set up Waller as the next challenger to the NXT Championship whether Bron Breakker or Tyler Bate walk out with the gold at Worlds Collide. Meanwhile, Crews is struggling to deliver on his early hype.

Result

Waller def. Crews by pinfall.

Grade

C+

Notable Moments

• Waller raked Crews' eyes early in the match, which was bad enough for officials to check on The Nigerian Warrior.
• Crews connected on a blockbuster for a near-fall and then went for a military press, but Waller ducked outside.
  

Toxic Attraction watched this match closely until Gigi Dolin and Jacy Jayne attacked Ivy Nile. The distraction allowed Katana Chance and Kayden Carter to hit the neckbreaker/450 splash combo on Tatum Paxley to win.

After the match, Doudrop and Nikki A.S.H. arrived to challenge the NXT women's tag team champions at Worlds Collide.

This was far too short, but the women did everything in their power to make the most of it. It was an energetic sprint that highlighted what makes the NXT women's tag team champions special.

Doudrop and Nikki are too important to leave WWE Raw, but they will be a great addition to Worlds Collide. This will be a major test for them, playing the veterans and favorites given their history. It should be a match that benefits everyone.

Result

Chance and Carter def. Nile and Paxley by pinfall.

Grade

C+

Notable Moments

• Diamond Mine argued backstage, especially saying they did not trust Roderick Strong, until Nile told them to focus on the match and nothing else.
• Paxley worked this bout with a face guard due to training with Nile.
  
• NXT showed a video package on Meiko Satomura's history.
  

Before heading to the ring, Joe Gacy told Cameron Grimes this was his chance to join The Schism. The Richest Man in NXT arrived and told Gacy he needed no one.

Finally, Grimes said he was not interested in joining the group, which at least moves this story in a clear direction. Gacy is pining after Grimes, but we shouldn't see it lead to him getting another gimmick change to join Schism.

This story still makes little sense, though. Gacy has not won anything yet taunts Grimes about failing to hold onto NXT gold. The group offers nothing to the former champion. If there is a point to all this beyond Grimes vs. Gacy, it is unclear.

Grade

D

Notable Moments

• During the segment, Gacy gave happy pins to Rip Fowler and Jagger Reid for defeating Legado del Fantasma.
  
• Roxanne Perez told Cora Jade she was not done with her and promised to make her pay for betraying her trust.
• Finn Balor warned Bron Breakker in the locker room to not underestimate Tyler Bate. Later, Butch told Bate that he needed to win for the legacy of NXT UK.
• Bate found Gunther backstage, further putting over what Bate was fighting for. Ciampa found Breakker and explained what NXT meant to him.
  

Fallon Henley was too much for Lash Legend early, forcing Elton Prince and Kit Wilson to take over. Pretty Deadly had some trouble until Gallus arrived.

Mark Coffey and Wolfgang distracted Josh Briggs before Joe Coffey booted Brooks Jensen in the face to set up Prince for the roll-up win.

The pace of this match was off. Henley started things off fast, but it slowed to a crawl all the way to the ending when Gallus arrived. Without distractions, this would have been much better.

It is not a smart decision to run the same screwy finish in back-to-back tag team matches. The talent is better than this and can sell stories for Worlds Collide and beyond without them.

Result

Pretty Deadly and Legend def. Briggs, Jensen and Henley by pinfall.

Grade

D

Notable Moments

• Henley worked this match heated, diving onto Legend early and then using the boys as a springboard to hit a crossbody outside on all three heels.
• Shayna Baszler warned Mandy Rose that failing on Sunday at Worlds Collide would hurt NXT and devalue all she has done so far. Alba Fyre told Meiko Satomura to win for NXT UK. Rhea Ripley encouraged Blair Davenport.
  

Charlie Dempsey was surprised by how well Andre Chase matched him in a technical show, but the physical style of the British Superstar was hard on The Professor.

Bodhi Hayward distracted Dempsey just enough for Chase to use a leg-trap roll-up to win.

Once again, Chase overperforms in his role. He has improved so much in the ring. While the grappling got a little clunky in moments, the story worked wonders. The Professor is a delightful fan favorite who will fight until his last for his students.

While it's disappointing to see Dempsey lose in his debut, it's not a terrible booking move. This could set up Dempsey for a longer feud with Chase U or even consider showcasing his comedic chops by joining the school for a time.

Result

Chase def. Dempsey by pinfall.

Grade

B-

Notable Moments

• Dempsey and Chase grappled in the ring without losing a grip on each other's hand, both bridging before standing up.
• Chase punched Dempsey into the mat and then hit a series of stomps into a uranage that the British Superstar transitioned into a series of submissions.
  
• JD McDonagh explained his pain philosophy and made fun of Wes Lee in an interview.

Kiana James lit a fire in Zoey Stark with trash talk before the match. Stark took it out on James, throwing her around. She ended it with a belly-to-back GTS.

This was luckily almost all Stark because James was off the entire time when in control. Stark carried her through this to the best result, creating new momentum after a devastating loss to Mandy Rose.

Stark and Nikkita Lyons are finally starting to build their connection. While their inclusion in the WWE women's tag team tournament was awkward, this is a pairing that can genuinely work. Help Lyons develop by working with a accomplished veteran.

Result

Stark def. James by pinfall.

Grade

C

Notable Moments

• James ran down Stark in a pre-taped interview ahead of their match.
• Stark nearly took the win off a running knee and then pulled her into a fireman's carry, but James battled out and hit a standing moonsault for a near-fall.
• After the match, James tried to cheap-shot Stark but was stopped by Lyons.
  

Diamond Mine and Gallus were an even match throughout this fight until Roderick Strong arrived. Damon Kemp was too focused on Strong, even taking the time to stomp his phone, leading to Kemp walking into a lariat from Joe Coffey to seal the win.

A brawl broke out in the ring as Pretty Deadly as well as Josh Briggs and Brooks Jensen arrived. Security flooded the squared circle to try to break up the fight.

This was a good match that again got cut short by a flat interference. It was still the best match on the card by a solid margin thanks to the time it was given and the chemistry between the teams.

The Creed Brothers have been fantastic for a while, and Kemp continues to show major upside.

Hopefully, Gallus will stick around for the long haul, so we get more matches like this. That can start with Mark Coffey and Wolfgang unifying the tag team titles at Worlds Collide.

Result

Gallus def. The Creed Brothers by pinfall.

Grade

B

Notable Moments

• Diamond Mine battered all three members of Gallus into the mat with forearms.
• Nathan Frazer and Axiom agreed to a best-of-three falls match at Worlds Collide.
  

Carmelo Hayes and Trick Williams stormed to the ring because the NXT North American champion was off the Worlds Collide card. Ricochet interrupted to make clear he wanted the title match, knocking both men down and grabbing the belt.

This was a fun surprise to close out the night. It was unclear what Melo would do on Sunday, but on a night of many surprise appearances, Ricochet returning to his spiritual home was probably the biggest for its implications.

The A Champion vs. The One and Only adds a match to Worlds Collide that could easily steal the show. Ricochet is a massive talent who needs a reset like this. One more big NXT match could set him and Melo up for main event success.

That said, this probably could have been set up better. Of all the people to interrupt Melo before Worlds Collide, Ricochet was not on the top-10 list. This may have been a better spot for a former NXT UK standout like Gunther or Butch.

Grade

C+

Notable Moments

• The crowd was chanting "Johnny Wrestling" before Ricochet's music hit.
  
• Ricochet's biggest burn for Melo was that no one remembered any of his title defenses. Of everyone in NXT 2.0, that insult is the most hollow when aimed at The A Champion, who has been the brand's saving grace.