Generation NXT 2.0 - NXT 2.0 recap for July 26, 2022

Zoey Stark heads to the ring to start tonight's show. Stark says it feels good to be back in the ring and that she was never sure if she would be here ever again after tearing her ACL straight off the bone at Halloween Havoc, and doctors told her she would be out for well over a year. She says that was a hard pill to swallow, but she knew she could beat that timetable and got straight to work at physical therapy. She also says that her only concern would be whether or not the fans would still remember her. Stark says she got back four months ahead of schedule, and when she returned in last week's battle royal, the fan reaction made all the hard work and hard times worth it. Now that she is #1 contender to the NXT Women's Championship, Toxic Attraction (Mandy Rose, Gigi Dolin, Jacy Jayne) - the same women who took her out and nearly ended her career - stand in her way. Suddenly, Cora Jade is on the balcony. Cora Jade makes it clear she is not happy to see Zoey Stark, and says she would have been #1 contender if nineteen people were not chasing after her and Zoey Stark ruined her moment. Zoey says Cora is the piece of trash, not the tag team title belt she threw in the garbage, but as Cora says she did more with the NXT women's tag team titles in one week than Zoey ever did, Toxic Attraction show up. Mandy says Cora and Zoey talk a big game, but when it comes to the NXT Women's Championship, only she wins, and tomorrow, she becomes the fourth-longest reigning NXT Women's Champion in history. As Mandy demands respect be put on her name, Zoey tells Mandy to put the title up on the line against her tonight, but Gigi Dolin tells Zoey she does not call the shots and that she will put her back on the shelf.

Backstage, Grayson Waller brags about his social media clout and tells everyone to watch when the Grayson Waller effect kicks in as he embarrasses Wes Lee.

Backstage, Tony D'Angelo talks with his family. He says that he likes the direction the family is going, but he says that respect is not a "one-and-done thing." He says they will crush Diamond Mine, which he says is just business.

Grayson Waller beats Wes Lee after Wes Lee is knocked out near the guardrail by a disguised Trick Williams.

Backstage, McKenzie Mitchell interviews The Schism (Joe Gacy, Jagger Reid, Rip Fowler). Jagger Reid says they have stepped into the light and they can see and reach potential they have never knew existed. Rip Fowler says they are now in a community where they have been recognized. Joe Gacy says he sees the loss of a father figure and that he can be that father figure for Cameron Grimes if he just reaches out.

Backstage, Ariana Grace expresses her irritation with Indi Hartwell from last week's battle royal with the women's division when Indi shows up and says she would have done the same thing and that NXT is not a beauty pageant.

Apollo Crews beats Xyon Quinn.

Backstage, McKenzie Mitchell interviews Toxic Attraction (Mandy Rose, Gigi Dolin, Jacy Jayne). Mandy says that tonight, Gigi will put Zoey Stark back in the hospital when Sarray shows up wanting a title opportunity. Jacy entertains beating her up, and Mandy says she did not forget her ruining her face. She says that next week, she does not care which version of Sarray she gets.

We hear from Solo Sikoa, who gives Von Wagner props for being able to scrap. He says that if Von Wagner wants to throw the rules out the window, then they can keep that going in a Falls Count Anywhere match.

Zoey Stark beats Gigi Dolin, then superkicks Jacy Jayne and nearly gets her hands on Mandy Rose. Afterwards, Zoey Stark is attacked from behind with a Kendo stick by Cora Jade, then Roxanne Perez shows up and chases Cora Jade out of the ring.

JD McDonagh is seen entering the arena.

We see Wendy Choo having nightmares about Tiffany Stratton before remembering how she landed on her body pillow in last week's battle royal. She then drops her body pillow before eventually waking up. Wendy Choo says this is not over and that it will be lights out for Tiffany Stratton when they meet again.

JD McDonagh cuts a promo from the crowd to re-introduce himself to the fans. After telling a fan about the odds of choking to death on popcorn, he cuts a promo on how a timekeeper's hammer can break a human finger. After complimenting ring announcer Alicia Taylor's voice and mentioning the calcium deposits on Wade Barrett's hands, he threatens to break Vic Joseph's collarbone for mentioning his family before calling out Bron Breakker. Bron Breakker shows up and says that JD McDonagh will get acclimated to him in the next three week and that he will not like it. McDonagh headbutts Bron, but Bron fights back with a shoulder tackle and gives him a taste of his own blood. McDonagh smiles.

Backstage, Thea Hail, Andre Chase and Bodhi Hayward cannot seem to get why Giovanni Vinci is such a jerk. Nathan Frazer shows up asking to be the honorary flag bearer, which everyone is in agreement with as Andre Chase promises to give Giovanni Vinci a Chase University-style ass-whupping.

We see a comic book-style video package of Axiom's debut.

Backstage, McKenzie Mitchell interviews Roxanne Perez, who says that Cora Jade can break up their friendship and hurt her with words, but throwing half of the women's tag titles in the garbage is crossing the line. After Roxanne says that the women's tag team titles should be treated with respect, Alundra Blayze shows up with a trash can, which Roxanne Perez pulls the other belt out of. Alundra talks about how she threw the WWF Women's Championship in the trash and how it took years to crown a new champion, then announces that a Fatal 4-Way Tag Team Match where the winners becomes the next NXT Women's Tag Team Champions will happen next week.

Giovanni Vinci beats Andre Chase. Nathan Frazer is seen watching the match from the Chase U student section during the match.

After the match, Nathan Frazer comes out from the Chase U student section and chases Vinci out of the ring when Vinci attacks Andre Chase again.

Diamond Mine trains and celebrates the fact that they are a united front once again. Justin Creed says that The D'Angelo Family may have knocked them down, but they are getting back up.

Backstage, Valentina Feroz and Yulisa Leon talk virtually about their entry in the Fatal 4-Way Tag Team Match next week. Sanga shows up and says that they are ready, but tells them not just to become champions, but to become inspirations.

Backstage, McKenzie Mitchell interviews Kayden Carter and Katana Chance. Kayden says Cora Jade does not deserve to be a champion, and Katana says the NXT women's tag titles deserve respect. Ivy Nile and Tatum Paxley show up, and when Kayden says they are not a tag team, Ivy says they will look like one next week. Elektra Lopez soon shows up and says Diamond Mine will lose tonight until she gets punched, starting a backstage brawl.

Indi Hartwell beats Arianna Grace after Arianna gets caught putting her feet on the middle rope for leverage.

We hear from Robert Stone and Von Wagner. Mr. Stone says that Von Wagner has no remorse and that he is doing Solo Sikoa a favor by declining, but Von Wagner stops him and tells Solo that if he wants his crown back, he can come get it next week.

We see Kiana James deliver a PowerPoint presentation on what is wrong with the NXT Women's Division. She says that Nikkita Lyons' parents are far from role models and that her education come a tour bus. She also says that Nikkita Lyons does not fit the model of what a woman should be, especially through her behavior and dress, and that she will peel away at the layers of Nikkita Lyons and report back with her findings. We see a video package chronicling the feud between Alba Fyre and Lash Legend.

The D'Angelo Family (Tony D'Angelo, Channing "Stacks" Lorenzo, Joaquin Wilde, Cruz del Toro) beat Diamond Mine (Roderick Strong, Julius Creed, Brutus Creed, Damon Kemp) in an eight-man tag match.

Backstage, Alundra Blayze says all four teams in the Fatal 4-Way are excellent and that the last team standing will be champions. Gigi Dolin and Jacy Jayne show up and say that is them, then tell her to give her the title belt. Alundra tells them to fight for the titles and leaves.

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