It’s a history-making night in Edinburg, Texas! AAA and NXT share the day for a double-event in the same building today with NXT taking the second half. Every match is a title match, so a lot is on the line! Tony D’Angelo defends his NXT Title against Cruz Montana, Grayson Waller and the debuting Zilla Fatu! Kendal Grey defends her NXT Women’s Title against Kelani Jordan! Myles Bourne pulls double-duty as a double-champion when he defends the North American Title against Jackson Drake, as well as the NXT Tag Team Titles with Tavion Heights against the rest of The Vanity Project! Also, we’ll see a triple threat unification match when Kali Armstrong challenges Zaria for the Women’s North American Title and Wren Sinclair for her Women’s Speed Championship also on the line! Join us for the live recap of NXT Heatwave as the show is streamed live on Sunday, August 30th at 3 PM ET/2 CT on the CW and ESPN Unlimited, and on Netflix worldwide. Hit F5 or refresh as often as you like for the latest updates!
We get the opening video package that showcases all of tonight’s matches, which are all title matches plus one submission match. We are live for NXT Heatwave following AAA Ola de Calor came to a close. Vic Joseph and Booker T welcome us to the event, and we start with Mike Rome announcing the first match is the unification triple threat match! Zaria heads out first with her Women’s North American Championship. Wren Sinclair comes out next with her WWE Women’s Speed Championship. Finally, out comes Kali Armstrong who earned her way into the match with nothing to lose and everything to gain. The referee for this match is Gary Wilson.
* Unification Match for the NXT Women’s North American & WWE Women’s Speed Championships:
Zaria {Women’s North American Champ} vs. Wren Sinclair {Women’s Speed Champ} vs. Kali Armstrong
All three women go for pinfalls in the opening as if it was a Speed Match, which there are no speed stipuations in this match. Wren slams their heads on the mat, Zaria counters a double suplex, and clotheslines both women. Kali with jabs and a big punch to Zaria, knocks Wren off the apron, clotheslines Zaria out the ring, Wren trips her and pulls her out the ring. Kali bounces her off the apron to punch her, and runs around the ring to hit Zaria with a shoulder tackle. Kali runs back around the ring, but Wren side-steps her and Kali crashes into the steel steps.
We go picture-in-picture as the match continues, and Zaria gets back in the ring to throw Sinclair into the turnbuckles. Wren retaliates, trips her up, Zaria blocks the double chickenwing, but Wren delivers a snap suplex, rolls over, another suplex, rolls over, but Kali gets back in the ring to break it up. Zaria tosses her over the ropes, she chokes Wren while on the turnbuckles, Kali comes from behind to put her in a chinlock, Zaria counters, Kali slips off back into the ring, Wren comes from underneath but she’s unable to follow through.
When we come back full screen, Wren knocks Armstrong down, delivers a double-underhook superplex to Zaria, and Kali plants her with a spinebuster for a near-fall. Kali scrambles to pin Zaria and gets a 2-count. Kali hits running shoulder thrusts to both women in opposite corners, Wren floats over Kali, backslide to Zaria for 2, slaps her on the chest, slaps Kali on the chest, Zaria with a forearm smash to Armstrong, Wren sends Zaria into Kali then dropkicks the latter to make her DDT Zaria! Wren covers Kali for 2, covers Zaria for 2, gets sent to the corner, puts up a back elbow and a boot, then hits a diving crossbody to both women, and covers Zaria for 2. Zaria blocks the Final Wrench, ducks a clothesline, German suplex to Armstrong, Wren counters with a sleeper, but Zaria cannonballs Sinclair into Armstrong!
All three women are down, they crawl to their knee, trading punches to their feet, Wren fights them off, but they both headbutt her. Zaria and Kali battle each other trading blows, Kali scoops her up for a sit-out powerbomb, Wren rolls her up for 2, Kali blocks the Final Wrench, Wren counters the spinebuster with an inside cradle for 2, and Zaria spears both women! Wren counters the F5 with an O’Connor roll, Kali blasts Sinclair with the KALI KONNECTION, picks up Zaria for the powerslam, then runs the ropes but Zaria scoops her up on her shoulders, but Kali counters with the victory roll to get 1-2-NO! Both women punch each other at the same time, both clothesline each other, and both headbutt each other that knocks Kali out the ring. Wren plants Zaria with the X FACTOR, rolls her over, locks in the Final Wrench, rolls around for more pressure, and Kali pulls Sinclair out the ring. Wren leaps off the steel steps but Kali powerslams her onto the floor. Zaria spears Armstrong when she gets back in the ring, picks her back up, hits the F-5, and covers for the 3-count! WINNER, and NEW, Unified WWE Women’s Speed Champion & NXT Women’s North American Champion: ZARIA!!
Backstage, Sarah Schrieber interviews Cruz Montana about his championship match tonight. He reminds us of his struggles as young Puerto Rican in the Bronx to make it to this moment. He’s ready and willing to go to hell and back to become the NXT Champion.
We get a promo for WWE Saturday Sunday Night’s Main Event next week. The next match is for the NXT Tag Team Titles, and The Vanity Project will get their first opportunity tonight. Jackson Drake stayed in the back, but Myka Lockwood is out here with Brad Baylor and Ricky Smokes. Tavion Heights bursts out the entrance first with his NXT Tag Team Championship, followed by his partner Myles Borne the double-champion in his first title match today. Felix Fernandes is the referee assigned to this match.
* NXT Tag Team Championship: The Vanity Project vs. Tavion Heights & Myles Borne {C}
