WWE NXT Results - February 24, 2021: Adam Cole's Betrayal of Undisputed ERA Continues

Multiple storylines continued on this week's edition of NXT and the rivalry between Karrion Kross and Santos Escobar came to an end. 

Kross and the NXT Cruiserweight Champion faced off in a No Disqualification Match in the final bout on the show, but the match quickly became a three-on-one beatdown of Kross after Joaquin Wilde and Raul Mendoza got involved. The Herald Of Doomsday tried to fend off Legado del Fantasma in the parking lot and around the Capitol Wrestling Center and he eventually managed to take care of Wilde and Mendoza before turning his attention firmly to Santos Escobar. The former NXT Champion then proceeded to put Escobar through the announce table with a Saito Suplex before delivering another one in the ring and connecting with a clubbing blow to the back of the cruiserweight's head for the 1-2-3. 

Following Kross's victory, Adam Cole made his way to the ring to close out the show. The former NXT Champion said he came to the Capitol Wrestling Center to explain his actions, but he felt sick to his stomach after watching himself Suplex O'Reilly on the steel steps. He admitted the NXT Championship meant everything to him but he didn't like the person he had become over the past few weeks. Cole said at first he was "p*ssed off" because O'Reilly received opportunity after opportunity at the NXT Title and continued to fail. This doesn't excuse his actions, though, and Cole said he was ashamed of himself and told an absent O'Reilly that he was sorry and would do everything in his power to make amends. 

Cole's promo ultimately brought out Roderick Strong, who lambasted the former NXT Champion for shattering the trust within the Undisputed ERA. Strong couldn't finish, though, as Finn Balor interjected himself in the drama and went straight after Adam Cole.

Balor hit the former NXT Champion with repeated shots to the head, but Strong dragged The Prince from Cole, which gave the Undisputed ERA leader the opening to connect with a Superkick and put Balor out of commission for the night. 

Strong and Cole then entered the ring and Roddy knocked his friend to the floor with a right hand. Cole immediately began to plead for forgiveness and Strong eventually knelt next to him. Both men admitted they loved each other and embraced in the ring, but Cole's antics were ultimately a ruse as he suddenly Low Blowed Strong, told him he was stupid and Superkicked his head off to end this week's show. 

The storyline between Dexter Lumis and The Way also continued on last night's NXT and The Tortured Artist and Johnny Gargano squared off in the opening contest. 

The Way repeatedly interfered during the 13-minute match, but they only quickened Gargano's downfall as the NXT North American Champion was sent crashing into a steel chair in Austin Theory's hands by Lumis, who then locked in the Silence for the submission victory. 

The storyline took a turn later in the show, though, as Austin Theory said Lumis was just a "misunderstood guy" who didn't deserve to be hit with a chair and Indi Hartwell admitted she thought The Tortured Artist was "kinda hot." Gargano and LeRae were less than impressed with these developments and they told Theory they were sending him to therapy to help him with his Stockholm syndrome. 

Multiple mid-card storylines continued elsewhere on the show as Isaiah "Swerve" Scott laid out Leon Ruff before the former NXT North American Champion's scheduled match with Tyler Rust, and Xia Li defeated her former friend Kacy Catanzaro by referee stoppage. The Chinese Superstar then told Kayden Carter she was next after she tried to get at Tian Sha. The Grizzled Young Veterans managed to regain some momentum on the show as well and they defeated Killian Dain and Drake Maverick in just over four minutes. 

Cameron Grimes' new gimmick continued to provide comical moments throughout NXT as he replicated the antics of The Million Dollar Man Ted DiBiase. The Technical Savage made multiple appearances on the show during skits in which he told people he would give them $1000 if they could bounce a basketball 10 times. Grimes picked wrongly the first two times, though, and he was humiliated by former WNBA player Anriel Howard and a backstage official before he finally kicked the ball away from a male trainee at the third attempt. 

An NXT Women's Championship match between Io Shirai and Toni Storm was also made official for March 10. Following Shirai's hard-fought victory over Zoey Stark, Storm entered the Capitol Wrestling Center and claimed The Genius Of The Sky was scared of her. This only angered Shirai, though, who said she would defend the title against Storm anytime, anywhere. William Regal then sanctioned the match for two weeks' time.  

Check out the full results for NXT below:
• Dexter Lumis def. Johnny Gargano
• Io Shirai def. Zoey Stark
• Xia Li def. Kacy Catanzaro
• Grizzled Young Veterans def. Killian Dain & Drake Maverick
• Karrion Kross def. Santos Escobar - No Disqualification Match