Generation NXT - NXT recap for March 17, 2021

Finn Balor is in the ring to start tonight's show. He names all of the people he has beaten to keep the NXT Championship, then says Karrion Kross is the only one remaining, that he has been waiting for him and that Kross' time is up. Suddenly, Kross and Scarlett show up. Kross said that this match would never have happened until they settled their separate affairs, and now, it will be the two of them one-on-one, and that the entire world needs to know who the real champion is around here. Finn says everyone wants to be the champion until the real champion walks into the room, and says that while Kross walks and talks like a champion, he is the champion, not Kross, and that Kross does not have what it takes to be in the main event and beat him. Kross promises him that at TakeOver, Finn will know what if feels like when he squeezes all the oxygen out of his throat and chokes him out, while Finn says he will know what it is like to be at the main event of TakeOver and choke. Scarlett says that she has already seen this in the cards: two champions draped in gold with the fans in awe, and that is all happens for a reason. Suddenly, Oney Lorcan and Danny Burch show up. Burch says that all the words being said in the ring are just words, and Lorcan says that Pete Dunne is the real champion and can beat both Finn and Kross and become the real NXT Champion. Scarlett says there are moments in time like this that lead to an inevitable future, and that Burch and Locan will put their tag team titles on the line. She asks if Burch and Lorcan are confident and know what they want, and if they know what they bring to the table. She also asks if the two of them would like the word "coward" associated with them, which leads to Burch and Lorcan putting the NXT tag team titles on the line against Finn and Kross tonight. Scarlett reiterates that every moment happens for a reason, and tells Finn Balor that he cannot change fate.

Dexter Lumis beats Austin Theory with Silence after Theory almost rekindles his friendship with Lumis.

Backstage, McKenzie Mitchell hopes to get a word with General Manager William Regal when Tommaso Ciampa shows up and says that Alexander Wolfe is not here and that Timothy Thatcher has taken matters into his own hands, and that Fabian Aichner and Marcel Barthel are about to find out they messed up.

Adam Cole is in the ring. He says that Kyle O'Reilly made the biggest mistake in his life last week, and says that he did not need him anymore. After mentioning that O'Reilly cost him the NXT Championship, he says that O'Reilly knows he is jealous of him. Cole says that O'Reilly knows he will never be as successful as he is, and that he just signed his death warrant. He also says that he does not care if O'Reilly is medically cleared, and that he will not leave until O'Reilly gets in the ring. General Manager William Regal shows up and says that O'Reilly has been banned from the building due to not being medically cleared, then O'Reilly shows up on another video screen and says he will not rest until he ends him like Cole tried to end his career. O'Reilly says that he knows a lot about Cole, but not what he will do to him, and tells him that this is indeed a threat. Cole tells Regal that O'Reilly will not be able to hurt him if he finds him first, then heads to the back.

Backstage, McKenzie Mitchell interviews Ember Moon and Shotzi Blackheart. Ember Moon says she came back to NXT to make history and become a champion, then Robert Stone, Jessi Kamea and Aliyah show up. Kamea says the women's tag team titles will look better on them, and Aliyah challenges them to a tag team title match. Shotzi accepts, and Ember tells Stone his suit sucks.

Jordan Devlin is seen pulling up to the arena.

Legado del Fantasma (Joaquin Wilde and Raul Mendoza) beat Breezango (Tyler Breeze and Fandango). After the match, Santos Escobar wants to know where Jordan Devlin is, and Jordan Devlin soon shows up. Devlin tells Santos to take a good long look at a real champion after talking trash for a year, and says he did not need two stooges to call him out. Santos calls off Wilde and Mendoza, then steps into the ring with Devlin. Devlin says Escobar has said he is the king of his division, but "The Ace" is back in town, and he tells Escobar to throw his "replica title" in the trash, but Escobar says he has redefined what it means to be a cruiserweight. Escobar says he has made history as the Cruiserweight Champion and has proven it time after time, and says Devlin only has his title because everyone forgot he had it in the first place. Escobar then tells Devlin to wrap up his business in the UK before facing him to see who the true Cruiserweight Champion is at TakeOver: Stand and Deliver. Devlin answers with a headbutt followed by a Devlin-side.

Backstage, McKenzie Mitchell interviews Adam Cole, who says that he will leave the building, and that if he finds Kyle O'Reilly, he will end him as he promised.

We see a vignette for Sarray (formerly Sareee), who is coming soon to NXT.

Dakota Kai beats Zoey Stark. After the match, Io Shirai shows up with a contract in her hand, which she shoves at Raquel as she tells her to sign the contract before helping Zoey Stark to the back.

Backstage, Mackenzie Mitchell interviews General Manager William Regal, but a backstage worker tells Regal that something has happened to Adam Cole.

We get a closer look at MSK (Nash Carter and Wes Lee), courtesy of Dairy Queen.

We hear from Grizzled Young Veterans (Zack Gibson and James Drake). Drake says MSK (Nash Carter and Wes Lee) will know the consequences of their actions, and Gibson says MSK made the biggest mistake of their lives after hurting his hand.

Before the next match, Marcel Barthel is attacked from behind with a chair by Tommaso Ciampa.

Tommaso Ciampa beats Marcel Barthel despite the distractions and attempted interference by Fabian Aichner. After the match, Walter shows up, and Aichner and Barthel try to ambush Ciampa. Ciampa fights back, but he gets chopped by Walter, who soon powerbombs him.

Outside of the arena, Kyle O'Reilly and Adam Cole are both handcuffed and arrested by the police. Cole says that O'Reilly tried to run him off the road.

Backstage, LA Knight talks about his debut when Bronson Reed looks at him in disgust before entering the locker room.

LA Knight beats August Grey in his NXT debut. During the match, Bronson Reed shows up with one of LA Knight's jackets, and tears it up as he puts it on and flexes his muscles to rip it up further. This nearly costs Knight the match.

Backstage, Mackenzie Mitchell interviews Raquel Gonzalez, who says Io Shirai made a mistake giving her a contract, as it puts an expiration date on her championship reign. Dakota Kai shows up and says they have a match against Zoey Stark and Io Shirai next week. Raquel says she can have Shirai whenever she wants, but Dakota reminds her that they have back-to-back tag team losses and need to show the rest of the women's division who dominates.

We see a vignette for Xia Li, who says that resistance will not be tolerated and that obstacles will be removed according to Tien Sha as she stands next to Boa.

Backstage, General Manager William Regal says he hopes the police department will drop the charges against Adam Cole and Kyle O'Reilly and that he will soon have a solution to the situation to the Cole-O'Reilly problem.

Oney Lorcan and Danny Burch retain the NXT Tag Team Championships against Karrion Kross and Finn Balor after Danny Burch gets hurt during the match and Finn Balor inadvertently drop kicks Oney Lorcan into Scarlett, leading to Karrion Kross ramming Finn Balor into the barricade multiple times, allowing Lorcan to retain with a running European uppercut. After the match, Kross gets in the ring and decimates Oney Lorcan, then demolishes Finn Balor and puts him in the Kross Jacket. Scarlett stops Kross and gets Finn Balor up only for Kross to level him with a right hand. Scarlett then drapes the NXT Championship on Finn Balor, then says everything happens for a reason and that he cannot escape fate.

Here are the top ten moments from tonight's show!