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Hello everyone, I am one half of your Irn Bruiser weights bringing you your NXT Review. So let's get into it.
We’re back stateside after Heatwave and the big story is that we have a new NXT Champion as Ethan Page accidentally won the title after being knocked out by Trick Williams. That sounds primed for a one on one rematch but stranger things have happened. For now, though, we are about a month out from the Great American Bash.
Long Heatwave recap.
Here is Ethan Page to brag about his title win at Heatwave. It took a lot of talent, preparation and skill, but also a big EGO. The entire locker room hates him so he has extra security out here just in case. Cue Oro Mensah to try to jump Page but security cuts him off. Page, talking over the WHOOP THAT TRICK chants, talks about how he’s going to fight off these outsiders because HE IS NXT.
It is no longer the Whoop That Era, but cue Trick Williams to interrupt and ask for a rematch. That isn’t going to happen, but here is Shawn Sears to say Page owes him a thank you. He can’t let Williams have a rematch either because Williams is going to the back of the line. Cue Je’Von Evans to interrupt and the fight is on with Williams and Evans clearing the ring. Everything made sense here and Page running from challengers is the right way to go for him. His promo was good too as he would brag exactly this way.
We recap Arianna Grace and Karmen Petrovic cheating to win on the Heatwave Kickoff Show, setting up a match between them tonight.
Lexis King is ready to take the Heritage Cup from Tony D’Angelo
Tony D’Angelo isn’t ready to let King take the Heritage Cup.
Match 1 - Karmen Petrovic vs. Arianna Grace
Grace shoulders her down to start and declares her better. Petrovic kicks away as Jacy Jayne and Jazmyn Nyx come out to watch. A middle rope elbow to the back of the head gives Grace two and we hit the chinlock. Back up and Petrovic sweeps the leg, setting up a spinning kick to the back for the pin at 2:38.
Official Winner - Karmen Petrovic
Post match Fallon Henley runs in to beat down Petrovic and tells Jayne and Nyx that she is sick of these rookies.
We get the sitdown interview between Brooks Jensen and Ava. Jensen apologizes for his actions and says he cracked under the pressure. Ava says she and Shawn Michaels were ready to release him but some people vouched for him. Jensen is sticking around, but he needs to remember that he is a WWE Superstar full time. He seems to get it.
Match 2 - Heritage Cup - Lexis King vs. Tony D’Angelo
D’Angelo is defending and the rest of the D’Angelo Family is here too, plus Eddy Thorpe is DJing because this match needs a DJ. Round One begins with D’Angelo grabbing a headlock and then running him over with a shoulder. An armbar has King down for a bit, only to have him come up with some forearms in the corner. Another armbar is broken up so D’Angelo chops him in the corner. A Boston crab has King in more trouble and the round ends.
Round Two begins with Thorpe annoying King, allowing D’Angelo to grab Forget About It for the pin at 15 seconds of the round and 3:48 overall. We take a break and come back with D’Angelo suplexing King but walking into the Coronation to tie it up at 2:53 of the round and 8:07 overall. Round Four begins with King jumping him in the corner and stopping away but D’Angelo hits a hard clothesline. A belly to belly suplex puts King down again, only to have him come back with a middle rope DDT. Another Coronation is blocked and a spinebuster finishes King to retain the Cup at 2:22 of the round and 10:59.
Official Winner - STILL Heritage Cup Holder - Tony D’Angelo
Official thoughts - This was more about King vs. Thorpe, which is at least a feud for both of them, but it was a nice way to give D’Angelo a nice defence at the same time. That’s the kind of smart booking that you do not get to see very often and it’s nice to have that kind of efficiency. Nothing much to the match, but it was just a one off title defence without much of a story in the first place.
Brooks Jensen jumps Je’Von Evans, with Josh Briggs breaking it up, saying he stuck his neck out for Jensen and this is how Jensen thanks him.
Ridge Holland tries to make amends with Chase U and has gotten them some title matches. Duke Hudson gets a North American Title match against Oba Femi next week! Hudson: “…thanks Ridge.”
Match 3 - Tyriek Igwe and Tyson DuPont vs. Gallus
It’s a brawl before the bell with Igwe getting caught in the wrong corner before Mark Coffey can even get his jacket off. Igwe fights out and makes the tag off to DuPont to pick up the pace. Everything breaks down and Joe Coffey low bridges Igwe to the floor. That leaves DuPont to walk into the flapjack/big boot combination for the pin at 3:13.
Official Winners - Gallus
Official thoughts - It was fun while it lasted but this was your normal Gallus numbers game win. It’s something they’ve done for years now and you’re only going to be able to get so much out of seeing it happen again. Igwe and DuPont have something to them but they need WAY more experience and something to make them stand out before it’s going to matter.
Trick Williams is ready to fight on his own if Je’Von Evans is hurt, but maybe he should try to find a partner.
Here is a serious Wes Lee to address his future. Lee believed he could beat Oba Femi at Heatwave and get his North American title back. Getting his title back is what got him through rehab but that’s not what happened. He isn’t sure where to go from here, because this isn’t like his normal losses.
We get the tease of him leaving and the required PLEASE DON’T GO chant….but here are TNA’s Rascalz (Zachary Wentz (Lee’s former partner in MSK) and Trey Miguel). He can’t believe they’re here and is proud of what they have become. Wentz and Miguel: “We know.” It’s time to get MSK back together and we get the big three way hug.
Match 4 - Thea Hail vs. Izzi Dame
Chase U is here with Hail. They start fast with Dame kicking her down and getting two off a backbreaker. An STF has Hail in more trouble as Tatum Paxley, in Chase U red, comes out of the crowd. Hail goes after her but posts herself as a result. Hail makes the comeback and the Kimura makes Dame tap at 3:33.
Official Winner - Thea Hail
Official thoughts - Hail, and Chase U for that matter, getting a win is nice to see and this should set Hail up for the Women’s Title match that Ridge Holland promised her. Tatum Paxley being all insane and driving Dame nuts works well enough, as it’s a good sign to see a feud going on that doesn’t have anything to do with a title. The division needs more of that and this works well enough.
Post match Oba Femi pops up to say he’ll destroy Duke Hudson, who says don’t underestimate him.
The Rascalz are happy to be back together but run into Gallus, who aren’t sure what to call the team. Just Wentz and Lee are MSK but the three of them are the Rascalz. Makes enough sense. Gallus almost summons Joe Hendry but thinks better of it.
OTM is ready for the OC.
Ava yells at Brooks Jensen, who gets Je’Von Evans next week, assuming Evans is ok. With Jensen gone, Briggs says he wants Shawn Spears next week.
Match 5 - OTM vs. OC
Jaida Parker is here with OTM. Nima manages a rather impressive delayed vertical suplex on Gallows to start and it’s off to Price for a double elbow to Anderson. A release Rock Bottom plants Anderson but he jawbreaks his way to freedom. It’s back to Gallows for a jumping elbow as Michin comes out of the crowd to go after Parker. The distraction lets OTM hit the release Alabama Slam to pin Anderson for the big upset at 4:54.
Official Winners - OTM
Official thoughts - This is the kind of win that might let OTM go somewhere, which is exactly what they need. At some point, it doesn’t matter to have this much potential without getting some wins and thankfully the team is getting somewhere. On top of that, the OC losing, and hopefully falling even further down the card, is a good sign.
Fallon Henley wants the Women’s North American Title and would have had a better showing against Sol Ruca. That doesn’t work for Ruca, who says you can either work or complain.
The No Quarter Catch Crew imply they’ve knocked Damon Kemp off. Wren Sinclair pops in but says she didn’t see anything.
Match 6 - Sol Ruca vs. Fallon Henley
Ruca grabs a front facelock to start but has to do her handwalk. That’s broken up with a kick to the ribs and Henley pulls her down by the arm. Back up and Ruca sends her into the corner for two but gets kicked in the arm for another near fall. The armbar is countered into a rollup for two but Henley breaks up a springboard. Ruca kicks away and hits the Sol Snatcher, only for Jacy Jayne and Jazmyn Nyx to run in for the DQ at 5:01.
Official Winner - Sol Ruca
Official thoughts - They didn’t have much time here but I do like having Henley protected from the pin. While she was more or less dead to rights, she didn’t get pinned, which is at least a bit better. The match itself was a bit messy, with more than a few points where they didn’t seem to be clicking. The Sol Snatcher made up for some of it though, as that looked awesome.
Post match Ruca gets beaten down again.
Tatum Paxley talks to a doll and says she’s going to play with Izzi Dame. Then she breaks the doll.
Cedric Alexander is in Ava’s office and is officially in NXT. Mr Stone comes in and welcomes Ashante Thee Adonis to NXT as well.
Match 7 - Ethan Page and Shawn Spears vs. Trick Williams and ???
Williams has a partner and it’s….Joe Hendry, who the fans seem to like. Williams slugs away at Page to start as the fans say THEY BELIEVE. A running splash in the corner and a big right hand rock Page and it’s off to Hendry for an even louder WE BELIEVE chant. Hendry suplexes Page and clotheslines him to the floor, allowing Williams to hit a big dive.
We take a break and come back with Page kicking Hendry in the bead and grabbing a DDT. Spears comes in to hammer away as well, allowing the villains to take turns chopping away in the corner. Page grabs the front facelock but Hendry suplexes his way to freedom. It’s back to Williams to clean house, only to get Rock Bottomed by Page.
Spears grabs a neckbreaker and a double suplex gives Page a quick two. The C4 is countered though and Williams grabs a jumping neckbreaker to put Spears down. Cue Oro Mensah to chase Page into the crowd, leaving Williams to bring Hendry back in to clean house. Hendry hits his own DDT into the all away slam, setting up the Trick Shot. The Standing Ovation (high angle spinebuster) finishes Spears at 10:13.
Official Winners - Joe Hendry and Trick Williams
Official thoughts - Hendry feels like the biggest star in the world right now and it wouldn’t shock me to see him doing something bigger around here rather soon. The fans respond to him and that is one of the hardest things in the world to make work. Page running off from Mensah is a smart move, as he’s already got a long list of people gunning for the title.
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