Hello everyone, I am one half of your Irn Bruiser weights bringing you your NXT Review. So let's get into it.
We’re done with the Great American Bash and on the way to No Mercy, which is going to need a card. That is going to take some time to set up and there are only three shows left before it’s off to Denver, meaning the build will likely start today. If nothing else, Ethan Page is going to need a new challenger for the NXT Title.
We open with a recap of last week’s second half of the Great American Bash.
Wes Lee ignores a question about why he turned on the Rascalz. With Lee gone, Ethan Page pops in to say he’s here to address the NXT Universe.
Here is Page in the ring for a chat. He brags about his win last week and promises that no one is taking this title from him. Not Trick Williams, not Pete Dunne and not Wes Lee. Cue Joe Hendry to interrupt, saying he is here without anyone even saying his name. Page is the talk of NXT….or at least he was for ninety seconds until Hendry’s name showed up and stole the show.
Page doesn’t know why Hendry is here, but Hendry says he’s here to win the NXT Title. Page knows that everyone believes in Hendry, from NXT to TNA, but Page himself doesn’t believe in him. Hendry is on the 14th minute of his fifteen minutes of fame and Page is ready to prove that Hendry is a flash in the pan. Hendry talks about the legends who believe in him, from Kurt Angle to Booker T. to Shawn Michaels before going into his theme song. Page leaves and Lee jumps Hendry from behind.
Wren Sinclair annoys Charlie Dempsey before Dempsey’s Heritage Cup shot, saying she’s not staying out of anything now that she is officially on the team.
Ava, with her assistants, announces a gauntlet eliminator next week, with only women who have never challenged Roxanne Perez eligible. We get three of the six names being drawn for the match: Wren Sinclair, Adrianna Rizzo and Sol Ruca, with three more being named later.
Match 1 - Heritage Cup - Tony D’Angelo vs. Charlie Dempsey
D’Angelo is defending and they both have multiple associates here too. Round one begins with D’Angelo taking him down and hammering away before hitting a running shoulder. Dempsey goes after the arm but has to counter the spinebuster. D’Angelo drives him into the corner but gets pulled into something like a triangle choke. Dempsey switches into a kneebar as the round ends. Round two begins with some grappling on the mat and neither being able to get anywhere. Back up and D’Angelo hits Forget About It for the first fall at 56 seconds of the round and 4:22 overall.
We take a break and come back with round three ending but Dempsey gets in what might have been an after the bell knee. Sinclair yells at him and gets in a few slaps between rounds, which isn’t a great way to ingratiate yourself with your new team members. Round four begins with Dempsey hammering him down in the corner until D’Angelo clotheslines his way out of trouble. Forget About It is blocked and D’Angelo is sent into the corner, allowing Dempsey to grab a rollup for the pin at 1:53 of the round and 11:02 overall to tie it up.
Round five begins with D’Angelo hitting the spinebuster for two but Dempsey pulls him into a triangle choke. That’s broken up and D’Angelo puts him on top, where the seconds get into a brawl. Sinclair trips D’Angelo down and Dempsey grabs a bridging butterfly suplex for the pin and the Cup at 2:02 of the round and 13:30 overall.
Official Winner - NEW Heritage Cup Holder - Charlie Dempsey
Official thoughts - That’s a good way to go as Sinclair pays instant dividends for the team and Dempsey gets the Cup back, which makes a good bit more sense. There is a good chance that this feud will continue and that isn’t a bad idea. If nothing else, points for bringing Sinclair into something more important after she has just been kind of there for such a long time.
Lola Vice and Kelani Jordan think they should help Tatum Paxley, who is going a bit nuts with her dolls. Paxley yells about Vice having everything handed to her, which isn’t well received.
Video on Eddy Thorpe vs. Lexis King in their battle over music.
Match 2 - Eddy Thorpe vs. Lexis King
King jumps him in the aisle to start and the fight is on fast. Thorpe fights back but gets sent shoulder first into the post to put him in early trouble. King starts in on Thorpe’s bad hand but Thorpe backdrops his way out of trouble. The implant DDT is broken up and King goes after the arm again, setting up the Coronation for the pin at 3:08.
Official Winner - Lexis King
Official thoughts - This was certainly a match that happened and it was only so good. You can only get so far out of a match with so little time and while they’re going for the culture clash between the two, it has only been so interesting. I do like King getting a win, though it wouldn’t surprise me if this feud keeps going as well.
Trick Williams wants Pete Dunne.
Dunne talks about how he’s moving forward to the NXT Title.
Meta Four argues with Jacy Jayne and Fallon Henley.
Match 3 - Tatum Paxley vs. Lola Vice
Kelani Jordan is on commentary. Vice takes her down to start and dance a bit but Paxley is back up with an enziguri. Cue Wendy Choo to choke Jordan, with Paxley using the distraction to jump Vice. A Swanton misses though and Vice hits a spinning back fist for the pin at 2:18. Short and to the point, which was Choo attacking Jordan.
Official Winner - Lola Vice
The other three women in the gauntlet match are Jaida Parker, Kendal Grey and Karmen Petrovic. Brinley Reece wishes Petrovic good luck but Izzi Dame comes in to say she should have gotten the shot. Dame can’t stand Reece either.
Here is Wes Lee for a chat. Lee says last week’s turn started when Zachary Wentz let him down and broke up their team for the first time. People were asking about what was next for Lee because he was just a tag guy. Then he worked hard and became the greatest North American Champion of all time.
The rest of the Rascalz became a team in TNA and turned into a success, all while Lee broke his back becoming a singles star. Lee is done caring about what Wentz is going to say or do because he is tired of being the adult for Wentz. The only reason his friends came back was for WWE and he knows he’ll have to face Wentz one day. Like maybe at No Mercy. Then Wentz can go back to TNA and Lee will wish him the best in his future endeavors. Cue Pete Dunne to interrupt, saying he wants the NXT Title…and here is Joe Hendry to interrupt. Hendry goes after Lee but it’s quickly broken up.
Axiom and Nathan Frazier are ready to focus on the Tag Team Titles again tonight.
Tony D’Angelo is upset about his loss…but Oba Femi walks in, saying he’s ready for battle.
Chase U is fired up for their Tag Team Title match and Duke Hudson says it doesn’t matter which part of the team wins the gold. Ridge Holland is ready to prove himself to the team.
Match 4 - North American Title - Oba Femi vs. Otis
Otis, with the rest of the Alpha Academy, is challenging. They fight over a lockup to start with Femi grabbing a headlock but not being able to take him over. A running shoulder puts Femi on the floor and we take a break. Back with Otis fighting out of a chinlock and grabbing a side slam for two.
Femi knocks him outside though and an uppercut sends him into the steps. Some elbows give Femi two more and he knocks Otis outside to cut off a comeback bid. Otis is back up with a running shoulder though and some elbows to the face rock Femi back inside. The Caterpillar gets two and a Vader Bomb gives Otis the same but Femi powerbombs him out of the corner to retain the title at 10:40.
Official Winner - STILL North American Champion - Oba Femi
Official thought - This got going near the end, even if there wasn’t much in the way of doubt over who was leaving with the title. The match was about giving Femi another win over an established name and the fans are always going to be behind Otis. The match itself was an ok enough power match, but the Caterpillar doesn’t exactly fit with the idea of two monsters slugging it out.
Brooks Jensen talks about the mistakes he has made but says there was one person always looking out for him….and it’s Shawn Spears.
Malik Blade and Edris Enofe aren’t sure about this and neither are Hank Walker and Tank Ledger. Walker and Leger are facing the OC next week.
We look at the NXT tryout over Summerslam weekend.
Match 5 - Izzi Dame vs. Brinley Reece
These two were both part of the 2022 Summerslam weekend tryout. Reece takes over on the arm to start and drops Dame with a hard shot for two. Dame is back with a backbreaker and drives her into the corner with a running shoulder to the ribs. A Sky High gives Dame two but Reece slips out of an over the shoulder backbreaker. Reece’s suplex gets two, only for Dame to kick her in the face. Something close to a swinging Side Effect finishes for Dame at 4:08.
Official Winner - Izzi Dame
Official thoughts - Again they didn’t have much time here but what mattered was getting some of the long list of women around here something to do. There are a ton of talented women in NXT but so many of them have just been kind of spinning their wheels. While I’m not sure this is going to be some breakout win for Dame, it’s better than being stuck on LVL Up or trading insults backstage.
Ava announces a triple threat between Wes Lee, Pete Dunne and Joe Hendry, with the winner getting an NXT Title shot at No Mercy. Roxanne Perez comes in to say she likes the idea of the gauntlet eliminator but no one is going to take the title from her.
Shawn Michaels announces (well, re-announces) that NXT will be on the road for October 1 and 8.
Ashante Thee Adonis continues his flirtations. With the women gone, he talks to Dion Lennox, who is more interested in reading.
Match 6 - Tag Team Titles - Chase U vs. Axiom and Nathan Frazier
Chase U (Andre Chase/Ridge Holland) is challenging. Chase knees Axiom down for an early two and it’s quickly off to Frazier, who runs the ropes and rolls Chase up for two of his own. Holland comes in and the champions clear the ring, setting up the dives as we take a break. Back with Chase and Frazier hitting a double clothesline for a double knockdown. The double tag brings in Holland to flip Axiom over into a DDT for two. Holland plants Axiom so Chase can get two with Frazier making the save.
Chase is put up top but Holland makes the save, only to be sent outside. Chasing The Dragon gets two on Chase but he’s back up with a big boot to Axiom. Holland powerbombs Frazier into Chase’s Backstabber for two as the fans are going nuts on these kickouts. Axiom comes back in and hits the super Spanish Fly on Holland but Chase shoves Frazier off the top and into the announcers’ table. Holland hits his lifting DDT on Axiom for the pin and the titles at 10:07.
Official Winners - NEW NXT Tag Team Champions - Chase U
Official thoughts - You know what I loved about this match? It could have gone in a bunch of different ways. This could have been Axiom and Frazier splitting after weeks of teasing a breakup or it could have been Hudson turning on Chase U or it could have been the clean finish that we got, which could have gone either way. That is a very nice feeling to have and that’s on top of the match being a heck of a back and forth fight, with the fans being way into the near falls. Pretty awesome main event here and I was pulled into everything they were doing.
The celebration is on with the student section joining in as the confetti falls.
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