NXT The Great American Bash 2023: Carmelo Hayes and Ilja Dragunov Rescue a Good Show from Its One Terrible Idea

Tony D'Angelo and Channing "Stacks" Lorenzo enter with more emotional momentum than Gallus, so the match works best when the challengers are fighting toward the title change rather than trying to match the champions' grinding style. Gallus isolate Stacks early and force Tony to become the difference when he finally gets involved. The structure is simple and useful.

Joe Coffey's interference gives Tony a target outside the legal match, and the crowbar shot turns that distraction back against Gallus. The closing Bada Bing Bada Boom gives the challengers a clean enough final sequence after the ringside chaos. The crowd is ready for the change before it happens.

The Family win their first NXT Tag Team Championship and the opener accomplishes its most important task. The wrestling is solid rather than special, but the result gives the match enough purpose to work.

Davenport attacks before the bell and immediately makes the match feel like an extension of the feud rather than a scheduled stunt fight. Perez answers with urgency, and the weapons become tools for escalation instead of random decorations. The crowd responds strongly whenever Roxanne turns the aggression back on Blair.

The middle works because both women keep moving between objects instead of stopping to arrange elaborate setups. The cowbell, chairs and table each serve a different beat, and Davenport's Falcon Arrow onto the trash can gives her a believable near fall. Perez's comeback feels earned rather than sudden.

A splash through the table followed by Pop Rox onto a pile of chairs ends the match decisively. It is a very good grudge match and one of the night's clearest examples of a stipulation improving the rivalry.

Steveson's in-ring debut begins with obvious athletic credibility and almost no emotional connection to the audience. Corbin does the veteran work of organizing the exchanges, but the match never discovers a rhythm that makes Steveson feel comfortable or compelling. The crowd's hostility becomes the loudest part of the presentation.

There are flashes of the expected amateur-wrestling explosiveness, including the German suplex and ankle-lock attempt, yet the transitions around them are clumsy. Corbin keeps the bout moving as best he can, but six minutes is enough to expose the lack of chemistry. Then both men fight outside until the count reaches ten.

The double count-out receives the reaction it deserves. The post-match brawl has more energy, but it cannot turn a failed debut finish into a successful match.

The match works because Dominik is not asked to outwrestle Wes Lee and Mustafa Ali. The challengers provide speed, counters and high-risk offense, while Dominik survives, interrupts and waits for Rhea Ripley to tilt the numbers in his favor. That division of labor fits every character involved.

Ali's 450 splash attempt onto the apron and Wes' dives give the middle its biggest athletic bursts. Ripley's Riptide through the commentary table then changes the match completely, and because triple threats have no disqualifications, the interference becomes part of the legal strategy rather than a referee failure. The audience hates every second of it in the correct way.

Ripley later pulls Ali away from a winning pin, allowing Dominik to recover and hit the Frog Splash on Wes. The champion steals another defense, but the challengers lose nothing because they spend most of the match proving they are better wrestlers than he is.

The submission stipulation gives Thea Hail a believable path to the championship because the Kimura Lock has already been established as her equalizer. Tiffany Stratton controls more of the match and attacks the back, forcing Hail to chase the arm whenever she can create space. The basic story is sound.

The match becomes less convincing when Stratton moves to the Boston Crab. Hail refuses to submit, which is a strong character beat, but the hold never looks severe enough to justify the concern that follows. Andre Chase throwing in the towel protects Hail and simultaneously weakens the finish.

Stratton retains by technical submission without actually making Hail quit. The match is decent and purposeful, but the execution of the final hold keeps the ending from reaching the emotion the idea is aiming for.

Hayes and Dragunov establish the match's contrast immediately. Melo wants speed, space and counters, while Ilja keeps forcing him into violent exchanges where every chop, forearm and German suplex makes the champion work harder to regain control. Neither man abandons his identity to create drama.

The match gets better as the counters become more specific. Hayes blocks the Coast-to-Coast, Dragunov powers out of Melo's bursts, and the avalanche sequence produces a cutter counter that feels like the point where the champion finally proves he can meet Ilja physically as well as athletically. The near falls keep escalating without losing credibility.

The finishing sequence gives Dragunov a reason to lose without cheapening the match. He launches himself toward Hayes, misses and crashes into Trick Williams while Trick is holding the NXT Championship, allowing Melo to recover and land Nothing But Net. The accidental collision creates regret rather than robbery.

An elite NXT title match and the clear reason to watch the event. It makes Hayes look like a complete champion, makes Dragunov feel inevitable even in defeat and creates the demand for the No Mercy rematch.