WWE NXT Results for 5/18/21 Big Steel Cage Match Reed vs. Gargano, Ted DiBiase Returns, and more

Welcome to Fightful.com’s live coverage & discussion for NXT. We’ll be bringing you full, fight-by-fight coverage of every match on the card. Follow us on Facebook! Facebook.com/FightfulOnline.

The show begins with a run-down of the matches that are set for tonight’s NXT. Vic Joseph welcoming viewers to the Capitol Wrestling Center in Orlando, Florida. He is joined by Wade Barrett and WWE Hall-of-Famer Beth Phoenix.

Toni Storm vs. Zoey Stark

This match begins with Toni Storm, and Zoey Stark looks around the crowd, and Storm slaps Stark; Stark then leashes out a fury of strikes. Stark hits Storm with a big missile dropkick; Storm recovers on the outside and throws Zoey Stark into the steel steps. Storm now hits Stark with a running knee; Stark gets back into the ring after the referee got to an eight-count. Toni Storm is controlling the match and hits Stark with a snap suplex.

Stark is trying to make a comeback as she hits Storm with a few strikes in on Storm, but Storm does not let it last as she lifts Stark and hits her with a backbreaker. Storm goes for the pin, only gets a two-count. Stark hits Storm with stepping enzuigiri. NXT is going to their first picture-in-picture commercial break with both competitors lying on the mat.

Toni Strom was in control of the match during the break. Stark is now getting some offense in; she drops Storm with a kick to the chest. Storm went for the Storm Driver out of nowhere; however, Stark counters it into a pin. Storm kicks out, Storms hits a superkick and then hits Stark with the Storm Zero and goes for the pin, but Stark kicks out. Toni Storm is shocked that Stark kicked out; Storm goes right at Stark with a backbreaker and slingshot DDT combo. Stark goes for the pin and gets the win.

Winner: Toni Storm

– We get a promo from Legado Del Fantasma minus Santos Escobar saying that they have MSK within their sight. Tomasso Champa and Timothy Thatcher interrupt them, and they challenge Legado Del Fantasma.

– We get a promo with Cameron Grimes parking outside the CWC, and security informs him that he parked Mr. DiBiase’s spot.

– They come back from a commercial break with Candice LeRae and Indi Hartwell getting a manicure; they are talking about Dexter Lumis, saying he is a “freak.” Lumis was the one massaging Hartwell, but she did not know. Lumis ended up walking away, sulking.

– A really well-done video package of next week’s main event Finn Balor and Karrion Kross is being promoted, featuring Pat McAfee, and he predicts Finn Balor. Paul Heyman is asked for his prediction and says that “it is too close to call

Jake Atlas vs. Cameron Grimes

Cameron Grimes walks out and introduces Ted DiBiase; video highlights are being shown. Cameron Grimes is laughing as DiBiase was not there. The crowd begins chanting for DiBiase, and Grimes tells them to stop. The bell rings, and Atlas hits Grimes with a big dropkick, and we go to commercial break.

Atlas is controlling the match; he hits Grimes with a hurricanrana. Grimes hits Atlas a big knee into the midsection. Grimes hits Atlas with a deep cleaning clothesline; Grimes is getting more kicks in on Atlas. Grimes delivers a big Irish whip to Atlas, and Atlas hits the turnbuckle hard.

Jake Atlas and Grimes exchange strikes; they cut to a shot, and the limousine is pulling up. Grimes goes to finish it, and then The Million Dollar Man’s music goes, and DiBiase walks out. Grimes takes his focus off of Atlas, and Atlas pins Grimes. Grimes goes chasing DiBiase, and DiBiase tells Grimes “that he was good but not as good as the Million Dollar Man.”

Winner: Jake Atlas

– Bronson Reed is doing a video promo about how his match-up against Johnny Gargano is the biggest match of his career.

– Arash Markazi interviews Pete Dunne, and Markazi asks him what his goals are and who he gets his fighting style from, and Dunne says it is a mixture of different people ranging from Europe to the United States.

Alexander Wolfe (w/ Imperium) vs. Killian Dain (w/ Drake Maverick)

Alexander Wolfe begins getting a few punches in, but Killian Dain delivers some too. They exchange strikes, but it does not go too well as Dain now has control. Marcel Barthel tosses a chair in, but the ref catches, and Wolfe still decides to use it. Dain takes Wolfe down with a spear of sorts before he can use the chair. Dain goes for the pin and gets the win. After the match, Imperium members Marcel Barthel and Fabian Aichner attack Alexander Wolfe.

Winner: Killian Dain

– They go to a backstage promo with Raquel Gonzalez and Dakota Kai talk about how they finished off Mercedes Martinez. Ever Rise interrupt the promo, and they tell Raquel who they are and how they are a big deal. Matt Martel says that Raquel looks like she wants to punch him, but she won’t. Raquel does hit him, laughs, and walks away.

Legado Del Fantasama (Joaquin Wilde and Raul Mendoza) vs. Tomasso Ciampa and Timothy Thatcher

The match begins with Timothy Thatcher taking control of the match right away against Joaquin Wilde. Ciampa and Thatcher exchange tags and they pretty much are taking both members down with some ground and pound. Mendoza gets a few shots in on Ciampa, but Ciampa comes back with a flurry of strikes. Mendoza could have tagged out, but he did not. Mendoza is busted open after Ciampa opens him up. Mendoza now delivers multiple kicks to the chest of Thatcher.

Thatcher gets control again after hitting Mendoza with a heavy punch. Thatcher has Mendoza in an ankle lock; Wilde saves, but Ciampa cuts him off. Ciampa and Thatcher have both members of Legado Del Fantasma in ankle locks.

They come back from commercials, and Ciampa runs from turnbuckle to turnbuckle multiple times and hitting both Mendoza and Wilde. Vic Joseph said that Mendoza was checked by medical during the commercial break.

Wilde and Escobar begging double-teaming on Ciampa. Wilde goes to deliver a shoulder to Ciampa, but Ciampa moves, and Wilde goes right into the ring post shoulder first. Thatcher and Ciampa double-team Raul Mendoza. Thatcher and Ciampa are delivering a ton of heavy strikes to Mendoza. The ref gets Thatcher back to his corner. Mendoza takes control after he delivers a flurry of strikes.

Raul Mendoza goes to finish the match after Wilde holds up Ciampa; Thatcher trips up Mendoza. Thatcher delivers a hard right to the face of Mendoza. Thatcher gets control again after hitting Mendoza with a heavy punch. Thatcher now hits rolls Mendoza into the ring; Ciampa hits Willow’s Bell. Ciampa goes for the pin, but Wilde breaks up the tag. The referee is distracted by both Wilde and Mendoza; The Grizzled Young Veterans attack Ciampa and throw him back into the ring and runoff. Wilde pins Ciampa to get the victory.

Winner: Legado Del Fantasma (Joaquin Wilde and Raul Mendoza)

– After the match, we get a backstage promo with Bobby Fish, and he says he has his sights on Oney Lorcan and Pete Dunne.

– We get another promo with Hartwell and LeRae, and Hartwell finds out that Lumis still loves her after she finds out that Candice bought flowers three weeks ago for Indi. The Way made Hartwell feel uncomfortable.

Sarray vs. Alliyah (w/ Robert Stone Brand)

Sarray takes control of the match right away. She drops Alliyah and gets some more strikes in. Alliyah now gets a flurry of strikes in on Sarray. Alliyah grabs Sarray by the hair and throws her about five feet. Sarray takes control after she hits a nice spinning heel kick and then a German suplex. Sarray hits a missile dropkick; Sarray then hits a big low dropkick. Sarray finishes it with a Fisherman’s suplex.

Winner: Sarray

– We get a promo from Ember Moon and Shotzi Blackheart saying they were not done with The Way.

– Another Diamond Mine vignette is shown.

Hit Row (Ashante Thee Adonis and Top Dollar) (w/ Swerve Scott and Briana Brady) vs. Tony Neese and Ariya Daivari)

Ashante Adonis takes control over Tony Neese right away; Adonis delivers some big strikes before tagging Top Dollar. Top Dollar grabs Tony Neese, and Ariya Daivari tries to save, but Top Dollar grabs Daivari as well. He hits them with a double body slam. Daivari gets tagged in a short time later, and Adonis tags in Ashante. Daivari gets some strong strikes in on Ashante; Adonis then delivers a strong kick to the head of Daivari, and it slows Daivari down enough in which Ashante tags in Top Dollar then runs and hits Daivari with a big running splash in the corner. Top Dollar then finishes it with what appeared to be an Attitude Adjustment and suplex combo. Top Dollar pins Daivari for the win. After the match, Swerve Scott says his eyes are set for the North American title.

Winners: Hit Row (Ashante Thee Adonis and Top Dollar) (w/ Swerve Scott and Briana Brady)

– William Regal says that Legado Del Phantasma is the number one contenders for the NXT Tag-Team titles. He announces that Raquel Gonzalez and Dakota Kai will face Shotzi Blackheart and Ember Moon. Regal says he is bringing in multiple people to see who will be a challenge to Kushida.

Steel Cage Match
North American Championship
Bronson Reed vs. Johnny Gargano (C) (w/ Austin Theory)

Johnny Gargano raises his title in front of Bronson Reed, and he pushes Gargano down. The bell rings, and Gargano goes right for the door. Reed catches him and gives Gargano a beat down. Gargano soon gets a few strikes in on Reed. The offense did not last long for Gargano; Reed is tossing Gargano around like a ragdoll. Reed throws Gargano into the steel cage like he is a dart. Reed goes for a splash but misses and hits the cage. Reed recovers quickly, and he hits Gargano with a DDT, which was stuck between the ropes.

Gargano is back up and is getting control again; Gargano hits Reed with a moonsault. Reed grabs and slams Gargano down again as Gargano was trying to escape the cage. They go to their last picture-in-picture commercial break. Gargano is controlling the match now; Gargano hits a diving low dropkick on Reed. Reed recovers and hits Gargano with a huge power slam and then hits him an atomic drop. Reed now slingshots Gargano into the steel cage. Reed has Gargano on the top rope, and he hits Gargano with a Samoan drop.

Reed is attempting to escape, but Gargano starts attacking Bronson Reed’s left knee. Now, both Gargano and Reed are standing on the top rope. Gargano hits Reed with a huge power bomb! Gargano goes for the pin, and Reed kicks out. Gargano cannot believe he tries to escape, and Austin Theory is assisting him. Reed grabs Gargano, and he pulls him back toward himself, and that sends Theory flying as he lets go of Gargano. Reed then hits Gargano with an Earthquake Splash; he then goes to the door; however, Theory is there to stop him.

Austin Theory is holding onto the cage door; Reed pushes the door, and Theory holds on and hits the cage hard. Reed turns around and is met with a superkick; Reed is just stunned for a second and comes back with a strong right. Gargano grabs onto the cage and counters the powerbomb that he was about to receive into a poisonrana.

Reed lands hard; Gargano grabs the steel and pulls himself up. Reed is there to meet him, and he lifts him and throws him into the cage. Reed now goes to the door to make his exit; Austin Theory is there and slams the door right on Bronson Reed’s head. Gargano hits Reed with a swinging DDT. Gargano goes for the pin; Reed kicks out. Gargano is climbing the top, but Reed catches him, and Reed hits Gargano with a powerbomb from the top rope.

Reed hits a splash on Gargano from the middle of the top rope. Reed goes to the steel door and shuts it; he then goes to the top rope and hits the Tsunami. Reed goes for the pin, and he gets the big win. Reed is emotional as they go off the air.

Winner and New NXT North American Champion Bronson Reed