NXT The Great American Bash
Promotional poster featuring Adam Cole and Kyle O'Reilly
PromotionWWE
Brand(s)NXT
DateJuly 6, 2021
CityOrlando, Florida
VenueCapitol Wrestling Center
NXT special episodes chronology
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2022

The 2021 NXT The Great American Bash was the ninth Great American Bash professional wrestling event produced by WWE, and 23rd Great American Bash event overall. It was held exclusively for wrestlers from the promotion's NXT brand division. The event aired as a special episode of WWE's weekly television series NXT, broadcast on the USA Network. Unlike the previous year, which aired as a two-part event, the 2021 event was a one-night event that took place on July 6, 2021, at the Capitol Wrestling Center, hosted at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida. This was the second Great American Bash to air as an annual television special of NXT.

Four matches were contested at the event. In the main event, Adam Cole defeated Kyle O'Reilly.

Production

Background

The Great American Bash is a professional wrestling event established in 1985. Following WWE's acquisition of World Championship Wrestling (WCW) in March 2001,[1] the promotion revived the event as their own annual pay-per-view (PPV) in 2004.[2] The event continued until 2009. Following this 2009 event, The Great American Bash was discontinued as a PPV. In 2012, WWE revived the event to be held as a special episode of SmackDown, but was again discontinued. However, in 2020, WWE again revived the event, this time for the developmental brand NXT to be held as a two-part television special of the NXT program. On June 13, 2021, during TakeOver: In Your House, WWE announced that the ninth Great American Bash under the WWE banner, and 23rd overall, would return as a special episode of NXT, thus becoming an annual event for NXT. Instead of a two-night event like the previous year, it was only a one-night event held on July 6, 2021, and aired on the USA Network.[3][4][5]

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic that began affecting the industry in mid-March 2020, WWE had to present the majority of its programming from a behind closed doors set. NXT's programming was initially held at NXT's home base of Full Sail University in Winter Park, Florida. In October 2020, NXT's events were moved to the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida, featuring the "Capitol Wrestling Center" setup, an homage to the Capitol Wrestling Corporation, the predecessor to WWE. Like the WWE ThunderDome utilized for Raw and SmackDown's programming, LED boards were placed around the Performance Center so that fans could attend virtually, while additionally, friends and family members of the wrestlers were in attendance along with a limited number of actual live fans divided from each other by plexiglass walls.[6][7] In April, fan capacity was increased,[8] and in June, WWE increased capacity further to nearly 300 spectators. Nearly all COVID-19 protocols were lifted including physical distancing requirements and the requirement to wear masks although anyone who had tested positive, within the preceding 14 days, were asked to stay home. The virtual audience was also removed with the increased live audience capacity.[9]

Storylines

The card included matches that resulted from scripted storylines, where wrestlers portrayed heroes, villains, or less distinguishable characters in scripted events that built tension and culminated in a wrestling match or series of matches. Results were predetermined by WWE's writers on the NXT brand,[10][11] while storylines were produced on WWE's weekly television show, NXT.[12]

The main feud heading into The Great American Bash was the conflict between former Undisputed Era members Adam Cole and Kyle O'Reilly. At the end of TakeOver: Vengeance Day, Cole attacked O'Reilly,[13] which would eventually lead to the breakup of The Undisputed Era. At Night 2 of TakeOver: Stand & Deliver, O'Reilly defeated Cole in an unsanctioned match.[14] Cole returned on the June 1 episode of NXT, where he interrupted a triple threat match involving O'Reilly to determine the number one contender for the NXT Championship at TakeOver: In Your House. This turned the title match into a fatal five-way match,[15] where they failed to win the title.[3] On the following episode of NXT, the two brawled backstage, and NXT General Manager William Regal scheduled a rematch between the two for The Great American Bash.[16]

At TakeOver: In Your House, LA Knight defeated Cameron Grimes to win the re-introduced Million Dollar Championship.[3] On the following episode of NXT, Ted DiBiase presented the title to Knight, who then cut a promo about winning the title before turning on DiBiase, who was then saved by Grimes.[16] In a video uploaded to WWE's YouTube channel, it was shown that Grimes had apologized to DiBiase following the match at TakeOver: In Your House.[17] The following week, Knight talked about his attack on DiBiase while also disrespecting Grimes.[18] On the June 29 episode, after Grimes' match, Knight confronted Grimes and called him a loser. Grimes then challenged Knight for the Million Dollar Championship. Knight accepted on the condition that if Grimes lost, Grimes would become Knight's butler. Grimes accepted the match for The Great American Bash.[19]

Results

No.ResultsStipulationsTimes[20]
1MSK (Nash Carter and Wes Lee) (c) defeated Tommaso Ciampa and Timothy Thatcher by pinfallTag team match for the NXT Tag Team Championship[21]11:53
2LA Knight (c) defeated Cameron Grimes by pinfallSingles match for the Million Dollar Championship
Since Grimes lost, he became Knight's butler.[22]		13:14
3Io Shirai and Zoey Stark defeated The Way (Candice LeRae and Indi Hartwell) (c) by pinfallTag team match for the NXT Women's Tag Team Championship[23]7:58
4Adam Cole defeated Kyle O'Reilly by pinfallSingles match[24]20:33
(c) – the champion(s) heading into the match

References

  1. ↑ "WWE Entertainment, Inc. Acquires WCW from Turner Broadcasting". March 23, 2001. Archived from the original on March 13, 2014. Retrieved May 5, 2007.
  2. ↑ Sokol, Chris (June 26, 2004). "Bash provides surprise endings". Slam! Sports. Canadian Online Explorer. Retrieved July 15, 2008.
  3. 1 2 3 Wells, Kelly (June 13, 2021). "NXT TakeOver: In Your House 2021 Report 6/13: Wells's live results and match analysis for five-way NXT Championship match, Raquel Gonzalez vs. Ember Moon, Ladder Match for the Million Dollar Championship, more". Pro Wrestling Torch. Archived from the original on June 14, 2021. Retrieved June 13, 2021.
  4. ↑ Middleton, Marc (June 13, 2021). "WWE NXT Great American Bash Event Announced". Wrestling Inc. Retrieved October 17, 2021.
  5. ↑ Garretson, Jordan (July 6, 2021). "NXT Great American Bash results, July 6, 2021: Adam Cole outlasts Kyle O'Reilly in epic NXT Great American Bash showdown". WWE. Retrieved October 17, 2021.
  6. ↑ WWE.com Staff (October 4, 2020). "Capitol Wrestling Center to be unveiled tonight at NXT TakeOver 31". WWE. Archived from the original on February 28, 2021. Retrieved May 11, 2021.
  7. ↑ Defelice, Robert (October 4, 2020). "NXT TakeOver 31 To Feature The Debut Of The Capitol Wrestling Center". Fightful. Archived from the original on January 19, 2021. Retrieved May 11, 2021.
  8. ↑ Thomas, Jeremy (April 7, 2021). "Note On Audience Changes at NXT Takeover: Stand & Deliver". 411Mania. Retrieved April 8, 2021.
  9. ↑ Dias, Luke (June 13, 2021). "WWE Achieves Record High CWC Attendance for NXT TakeOver: In Your House". EssentiallySports. Retrieved June 15, 2021.
  10. ↑ Grabianowski, Ed (January 13, 2006). "How Pro Wrestling Works". HowStuffWorks. Discovery Communications. Archived from the original on November 29, 2013. Retrieved March 5, 2012.
  11. ↑ "Live & Televised Entertainment". WWE. Archived from the original on February 18, 2009. Retrieved March 21, 2012.
  12. ↑ Steinberg, Brian (May 25, 2016). "WWE's 'Smackdown' Will Move To Live Broadcast On USA (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Archived from the original on May 26, 2016. Retrieved May 25, 2016.
  13. ↑ Wells, Kelly (February 14, 2021). "NXT TakeOver: Vengeance Day Report 2/14: Wells's live results and match analysis for Balor vs. Dunne, Shirai vs. Storm vs. Martinez, Kushida vs. Gargano, men and women's Dusty Classic finals". Pro Wrestling Torch. Archived from the original on February 15, 2021. Retrieved February 14, 2021.
  14. ↑ Wells, Kelly (April 8, 2021). "NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver Night 2 Report 4/8: Wells's live results and match analysis for Balor vs. Kross, Cole vs. O'Reilly, Escobar vs. Devlin ladder match, more". Pro Wrestling Torch. Archived from the original on April 9, 2021. Retrieved April 8, 2021.
  15. ↑ Lindberg, Nate (June 1, 2021). "6/1 NXT on USA Report: Lindberg's Report on Kyle O'Reilly, Johnny Gargano & Pete Dunne vie for NXT title shot, MSK vs. Legado, more". Pro Wrestling Torch. Archived from the original on June 2, 2021. Retrieved June 7, 2021.
  16. 1 2 Wells, Kelly (June 15, 2021). "6/15 NXT on USA Report: Wells's report on Ciampa & Thatcher vs. Grizzled Young Veterans, Kushida Open Challenge, Willam Regal's major change to NXT, more". Pro Wrestling Torch. Archived from the original on June 17, 2021. Retrieved June 18, 2021.
  17. ↑ WWE (June 13, 2021). Cameron Grimes apologizes to Ted DiBiase: NXT TakeOver: In Your House. YouTube. Retrieved March 16, 2023.
  18. ↑ Wells, Kelly (June 22, 2021). "6/22 NXT on USA Report: Wells's report on Kushida vs. Kyle O'Reilly, Adam Cole in action, opening of the Diamond Mine, more". Pro Wrestling Torch. Archived from the original on June 23, 2021. Retrieved July 10, 2021.
  19. ↑ Lindberg, Nate (June 29, 2021). "6/29 NXT on USA Report: Lindberg's Report on Womens Tag Triple Threat, MSK vs. Thatcher & Ciampa, Atlas & Martinez vs. Li & Boa, more". Pro Wrestling Torch. Archived from the original on October 21, 2021. Retrieved June 30, 2021.
  20. ↑ Moore, John (July 6, 2021). "7/6 NXT TV results: Moore's review of the Great American Bash edition with Adam Cole vs. Kyle O'Reilly, MSK vs. Tommaso Ciampa and Timothy Thatcher for the NXT Tag Titles, Candice LeRae and Indi Hartwell vs. Io Shirai and Zoey Stark for the NXT Women's Tag Titles, LA Knight vs. Cameron Grimes for the Million Dollar Title". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Retrieved July 7, 2021.
  21. ↑ "MSK to defend against Tommaso Ciampa & Timothy Thatcher at NXT Great American Bash". WWE. June 22, 2021. Retrieved July 6, 2021.
  22. ↑ "LA Knight to defend Million Dollar Title in rematch with Cameron Grimes". WWE. June 29, 2021. Retrieved July 6, 2021.
  23. ↑ "Io Shirai & Zoey Stark set to challenge The Way for NXT Women's Tag Team Titles". WWE. June 29, 2021. Retrieved July 6, 2021.
  24. ↑ "Kyle O'Reilly looks to settle the score with Adam Cole once and for all at NXT Great American Bash". WWE. June 15, 2021. Retrieved July 6, 2021.
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