WWE NXT: The Great American Bash: Night 2 Review - August 6, 2024

By Graham "GSM" Matthews

Pete Dunne def. Trick Williams

It's cool that Dunne is still doing stuff in NXT while also feuding with Sheamus on Raw. That made it pretty obvious he was winning here, but at least Williams was made to look credible in defeat following a competitive contest. Williams will have to bounce back at some point after losing the NXT Championship last month, but he could afford a loss here to a main roster star. I'm happy we're finally getting heel Dunne for the first time in years.

NXT Women's North American Champion Kelani Jordan def. Tatum Paxley

This was the third title opportunity Paxley has gotten this year (if you include the TNA Knockouts World Championship as well), and although she again came up short, I appreciate that she's getting these opportunities because she's making the most of them. Meanwhile, this was Jordan's third consecutive quality title defense. They worked well together and the crowd was into the nearfalls down the stretch. It looks like Wendy Choo is next up for a shot at the strap based on what happened afterward.

NXT Champion Ethan Page def. Oro Mensah

Amazingly, there was more build to this bout than Page's feud with Trick Williams. Page attacked Mensah shortly before officially debuting in NXT two months ago and Mensah has been out for revenge since then. Mensah was largely portrayed as a stepping stone prior to the program, so while it was difficult to take him seriously as a threat to the title, I applaud the effort he put forth here. He and Page had a really good match that exceeded my expectations.

Joe Hendry def. Joe Coffey

The battle of the Scottish Joes! Coffey was the perfect opponent for Hendry for his first singles match on NXT TV. He's been around long enough and is established but clearly isn't a priority, so Hendry beating him was logical. They had a solid match where the crowd was behind Hendry the whole time. Hendry indicated in his post-match promo that this wasn't the last of him in NXT, but I am curious what he does next.

Wren Sinclair def. Kendal Grey

It's been encouraging to see Sinclair get a ton more television time lately. She was an enhancement talent without a real character for the longest time, and now she's finally getting a chance to show more of her personality as part of this angle with No Quarter Catch Crew. There was nothing out of the ordinary about the match, but I'm glad it resulted in another win for Sinclair.

NXT Tag Team Champions Axiom and Nathan Frazer def. MSK

It's awesome that MSK got a rematch for the NXT Tag Team Championship they were never beaten for over two years ago. This was a fantastic, fast-paced main event, though I was really hoping MSK would pull out the victory so they could defend the tag titles across both NXT and TNA. I thought Zachary Wentz and Trey Miguel might turn on Wes Lee afterward, but the fact it was the other way around surprised me. We'll see how Lee fares as a heel, but they certainly have my attention.

Overall Show

Night 2 of The Great American Bash was far superior to Night 1. Sinclair vs. Grey was easily the weakest match of the night, but even that was passable and served a purpose. Everything else was enjoyable and there was a lot to like throughout the two hours. The main event was excellent and the post-match angle was a shocker. This felt like a mini NXT live special and was one of NXT's strongest shows of the year so far.

SEE MORE: NXT Reviews