Hello everyone, I am one half of your Irn Bruiserweights bringing you your NXT Review. So let's get into it.
It’s time for another night all about the guest as we have a battle royal to crown the next no 1 contender to Trick Williams and the NXT Title. The catch is that there will be wrestlers from other locker rooms, which likely means people from the main roster or elsewhere. That opens up some possibilities so let’s get to it.
Match 1 Battle Royal
Shawn Spears, Je’Von Evans, Tank Ledger, Angel, Berto, Joe Coffey, Tyler Bate, Frankie Kazarian, Ridge Holland, Dragon Lee, Lexis King, Tony D’Angelo, Damon Kemp, Myles Borne, Apollo Crews, Eddy Thorpe, Edris Enofe, Malik Blade, Charlie Dempsey, Tavion Heights, Joe Hendry, Ethan Page, Nathan Frazer, Oro Mensah, Dante Chen
For the next shot at Trick Williams and the NXT Title. I think that’s everyone and we have two TNA entrants, with Frankie Kazarian and my goodness Joe Hendry, who get a reaction. He gives his usual speech about being 252 pounds of pure motivation and just let him sign with NXT already as they would be crazy not to take him the second they could.
The bell rings and we get a Page vs. Hendry showdown but Mensah (I think he’s in at least) tackles Page and they fall through the ropes for a brawl to the back. Everyone else brawls and Hendry is out in about twenty seconds. The fans are not happy and Enofe is tossed soon after him.
Thorpe misses a big boot and gets tossed out by Spears. Kemp gets rid of Blade but eliminates Dempsey at the same time, seemingly by mistake. Kazarian takes advantage of the arguing and tosses Kemp and Borne at the same time.
Crews is out and we take a break. Back with Heights and Chen fighting on the apron until Holland gets rid of both of them. King saves Berto and Angel before tossing the former on his own.
Angel throws out King but gets tossed as well, leaving Bate to hit a heck of an airplane spin to Ledger. That’s enough to get rid of Ledger, followed by Frazer kicking D’Angelo out. Frazer and Lee fight on the apron with Lee kneeing him out. Bate and Lee knock Holland out as we’re down to Evans, Kazarian, Bate, Spears and Lee (Page went through the ropes but hasn’t been seen since and I’m still not sure if Mensah was ever in).
Spears knocks Bate out and tries to toss Kazarian, who manages to get back in. Evans throws Kazarian out instead and we’re down to Evans vs. Lee, with Spears on the floor but not out. They trade snap German suplexes but Spears breaks up a springboard to get rid of Lee. Evans slips out of a C4 attempt and clotheslines Spears to the apron but Spears is back in. A kick to the face lets Evans get rid of Spears for the win at 16:32.
Official Result Je'Von Evans wins and new no 1 Contender for Trick Williams Title
Rating: B-. This went a bit long and I’m somewhat confused about Hendry being out so early, but the important thing is getting a fresh star into the main event scene. NXT is clearly very high on Evans and that could make for some interesting twists going forward. I can’t imagine him winning the title, but just getting a shot so soon on this big of a stage is impressive.
Fallon Henley doesn’t think much of Carlee Bright, who calls her out for losing at Battleground. Henley yells at most of the locker room.
Roxanne Perez accuses Lola Vice of coming for her title but Vice says she isn’t…yet. They’re in a tag match tonight.
Chase U consoles Ridge Holland over his loss and gives him his official shirt. The OC come in to mock Holland and a tag match is made, with Thea Hail having to be held back.
Match 2 Meta Four vs. Jacy Jayne/Jazmyn Nyx vs. Lola Vice/Roxanne Perez
Perez, Jackson and Jayne start things off and they trade rollups for two each. Legend comes in and picks up Perez and Jayne for some stereo throttling. Nyx comes in to kick Legend and everything breaks down, with Perez diving onto Jackson as we take a break.
Back with Perez cleaning house with a DDT/Russian leg sweep combination. Vice comes in and kicks away at Jackson, setting up the running hip attacks. Legend isn’t having that and suplexes Vice and Jayne at the same time. Back up and Vice back fists Jackson, only to have Perez tag herself in and grab Pop Rox for the pin at 9:58.
Official Result Roxanne Perez & Lola Vice Win
Rating: C+. This was a bit of a different way to go and Vice has been pretty clear as the next big challenger for a long time now. We certainly seem to be on the way there and that ending should get them along the right path. Other than that, Legend continues to feel like a star, and if she can get more polished, she could be ready to break through to the next level rather quickly.
Post match Perez drops Vice.
Ava congratulates Je’Von Evans on his win but Ethan Page comes in to complain about never being eliminated. A match is made for later tonight.
Sol Ruca gives Kelani Jordan a pep talk.
Match 3 Women’s North American Title: Kelani Jordan vs. Michin
Michin is challenging and they show respect to start. Jordan grabs a rollup to start as the OC comes out to watch. Michin misses a charge and falls out to the floor, allowing Jordan to hit a dive as we take a break. Back with Michin Pouncing Jordan down for two and grabbing the bearhug. Jordan gets in a crossbody and they’re both down for a breather.
Michin’s German suplex gets two but Jordan gets in another shot. Michin catches her on top but gets caught with a poisonrana for two. The split-legged moonsault misses and Michin hits Sittin Pretty for two…as OTM comes out for a distraction. Cue Jaida Parker to shove Michin off the top and Jordan hits the split-legged moonsault for the pin at 9:58.
Official Result Kelani Jordan And Still Women's North American Champion
Rating: C. This match showed exactly why winning a title, especially an inaugural title, in a ladder match, is a bad move. I spent the whole match trying to care about the title or the wrestlers involved and I never got there because Jordan doesn’t feel like she won anything. Yeah, she won the ladder match, but she didn’t pin anyone to win the title. Why should I be invested in her when she hasn’t shown that she is the best when it comes to what the title is about?
Ethan Page says he’s still in the battle royal and he wants the NXT Title, but he’s also going to take out Oro Mensah.
Video on Izzi Dame, who is a former professional volleyball player and better than you.
Axiom isn’t happy with Nathan Frazer being in the battle royal because he thinks Frazer wants gold for himself. Luca Crusifino comes in with a contract for a Heritage Cup shot….and Frazer snatches it from him and instantly signs. Luca: “That’s not a bad signature.” Axiom: “Unbelievable.”
We look at Tatum Paxley showing up at TNA Against All Odds and losing to Knockouts Champion Jordynne Grace.
Here is Oba Femi to brag about retaining the North American Title. He beat up Joe Coffey and Wes Lee at Battleground because there is no one like him.
Cue Lee to interrupt, saying Femi never pinned him. Lee wants his title back (as the fans are distracted by what might be a fight in the stands) and tells a leaving Femi to not turn his back on him. Femi gives him the title shot, but it’s his first and last chance.
Hank Walker tells Tank Ledger that he is back from his shoulder injury. Next up: the New Catch Republic.
Tavion Heights is in the back with the No Quarter Catch Crew, with Charlie Dempsey offering him a spot. If Heights wins next week, he’s on the team.
Gallus is mad about Wes Lee getting another title shot when Tyriek Igwe and Tyson DuPont jump them.
Match 4 Fallon Henley vs. Carlee Bright
Kendal Grey is here with Bright. Henley grabs a headlock to start as commentary argues about Curt Hennig. Bright fights up and snaps off a head scissors but Henley powers her into the corner. Henley puts on an armbar but Bright is back up with a sleeper.
That’s broken up as Wendy Choo comes to ringside and chokes Grey out. Bright hits a dropkick but gets faceplanted down, setting up the Shining Wizard to give Henley the pin at 4:18.
Official Result Fallon Henley Wins
Rating: C. Henley’s heel turn has been ok and she looks like a star, but there is very little about her that makes her stand out in the ring. She’s more or less just an evil cowgirl at this point and that isn’t much to go on. Maybe she can adjust that a bit as there is something to her, but it’s not clicking so far.
Eddy Thorpe had a good run in the battle royal but wants to keep going. Maybe for a title.
Trick Williams congratulates Je’Von Evans and tells him to end Ethan Page tonight.
Match 5 Chase U vs. OC
Thea Hail, Ridge Holland and Michin are here too. Chase hip tosses Anderson down to start and there’s a hip toss to do it again. Hudson comes in to stay on the arm and an elbow drop gives Chase two. It’s off to Gallows for a boot to the face and some rather hard slams.
We hit the chinlock but Chase fights up and rolls over for the tag off to Hudson. House is quickly cleaned, including a super hurricanrana to Anderson. Everything breaks down and Hudson rolls Anderson up, with an assist from Holland, for the pin at 5:06.
Official Result Chase U Win
Rating: C. I will take the OC losing again as I do not get why I’m supposed to be interested in anything they do. Chase U needs a few wins to get back on their feet and even if it takes some cheating, this was a step in the right direction. Other than that, not much of a match, but I like the result.
Kelani Jordan is interrupted by Arianna Grace, who accepts an offer for a North American Title shot. There wasn’t an actual offer, as Jordan was thinking Sol Ruca. Ava makes Grace vs. Ruca for next week.
Andre Chase accuses Duke Hudson of cheating but he and Ridge Holland don’t know anything.
Fallon Henley, Jazmyn Nyx and Jacy Jayne aren’t happy with how things are going around here.
Here’s what’s coming on next week’s show.
Match 6 Je’Von Evans vs. Ethan Page
Trick Williams is on commentary. Evans, with his ribs taped up, slugs away in the corner but Page goes after the ribs in a logical move. Some shoulders to the ribs and a reverse fisherman’s suplex give Page two before he stays on the ribs. Evans is dropped ribs first onto the top rope but manages a superkick to the floor as we take a break.
Back with Page cranking on the ribs again and grabbing a power slam for two. The half grab goes on, with Evans bailing over to the rope. Evans fights up and bounces off the ropes for a kick to the face, setting up a clothesline for two. Page sidesteps the springboard cutter but gets caught with a spinning DDT. Back up and Page drops him hard onto the corner, setting up the Ego’s Edge for the pin at 10:28.
Official Result Ethan Page Wins
Rating: C+. They stuck to the point here, but it continued to show that Page is only so good in the first place. There is only so much that he does to stand out in the slightest in the ring and until that changes, I’m not sure how much higher he is going to go. Evans losing after having a much longer match earlier is a good way to start, but this felt like a way to set up a multi-man title match at Heatwave.
Page comes out to stare at Williams as Shawn Spears runs in to beat on Evans. Williams comes in but gets beaten down as well, with Evans making the save to leave everyone down to end the show (with the title in the middle of the ring to really hammer the idea home).
Overall Thoughts
This wasn’t their strongest show but it felt like they were trying something with a few new stories. A four-way title match at Heatwave could be a better way to go and Perez vs. Vice seems all but guaranteed. It’s hard to imagine we’ve seen the last of Joe Hendry either, which could be interesting for another one-off. Not the best show here, but points for trying to do something new in a few areas.
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