NXT – February 7, 2023: Eh, They’ve Got Time

NXT
Date: February 7, 2023
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Booker T.

We’re done with Vengeance Day and just shy of two months away from Stand & Deliver. It looks like we have a title match set up, as Carmelo Hayes stared down Bron Breakker, who retained the NXT Title in the main event. That should give us a clear path to Los Angeles so let’s get to it.

Here is Vengeance Day if you need a recap.

We open with the long recap of Vengeance Day.

Here are Trick Williams and Carmelo Hayes to open things up. Williams talks about how Hayes turned seer Apollo Crews into Stevie Wonder before Hayes brags about his win too. Hayes knows his destiny and there is one man waiting for him. Cue JD McDonagh to cut him off and say Hayes is entitled. While Hayes wants a private room at the club, McDonagh sends people to the emergency room. The match is made for later.

Fallon Henley isn’t happy that Kiana James cheated to tin the titles and insists on a rematch. James isn’t sure, so Henley says they’ll talk about James possibly cheating on Brooks Jensen. Before they can get to that, it’s time for a surprise party in their dressing room.

We look at Grayson Waller interrupting Shawn Michaels’ post Vengeance Day media call, earning a week’s suspension as a result.

Sol Ruca vs. Zoey Stark

They run the ropes to start until Ruca sends her outside. Back in and Stark grabs the rope and throws a big forearm to take over. Ruca can’t roll out of a cravate but she can flip over into a sunset flip for two on Stark. A running dropkick sends Stark into the corner and there’s a forward flip splash. Stark superkicks her to the apron and pulls her back in for the flipping knee to the face and the pin at 3:43.

Rating: C. This didn’t have much time to go anywhere but it is fun to watch Ruca move around in the ring. She has a different movement to her and it shows off her athleticism. At the same time, seeing her lose was a bit surprising, as she has been on a bit of a roll. That being said, Stark is a bigger deal and Ruca beating her would have been a big upset.

Post match the beatdown stays on but Ruca manages a Sol Smasher to leave Stark laying.

We go to the surprise party, where Kiana James doesn’t want to talk about the Brooks Jensen thing. Pretty Deadly, looking a big disheveled, come in, saying they haven’t slept since Vengeance Day. They blame Chase U and a match is set for tonight (with Chase swearing included).

Dabba-Kato vs. Dante Chen

Chops, faceplant, shrugging off Chen’s chops, sitout chokebomb to finish Chen at 2:40. Kato sold way more than he should have there.

Post match Kato promises to break Apollo Crews.

Earlier today, Diamond Mine was regrouping after their loss to Indus Sher last week. Alba Fyre and Isla Dawn came in to mock them, setting up a match later.

Roxanne Perez is happy with keeping her title but Katana Chance and Kayden Carter are upset about their title loss. Perez is going to make a phone call and get a partner.

Isla Dawn vs. Tatum Paxley

Alba Fyre is here too. Paxley slugs away to start but Dawn knees her in the chest and hits a running Meteora for two. Back up and Paxley slugs away to little avail, with Dawn hitting something like a Nightmare On Helm Street for the pin at 2:58.

Post match Dawn and Fyre tease the beatdown but Ivy Nile runs in for a save. Why Dawn and Fyre, the latter of whom had a baseball bat, ran off isn’t clear.

Video on JD McDonagh vs. Carmelo Hayes.

JD McDonagh vs. Carmelo Hayes

Trick Williams is here too and it’s a feeling out process to start. McDonagh seems to taunt Williams and the pace picks up, with McDonagh sending him into the corner. A faceplant puts Hayes down and McDonagh drops him ribs first across the top as we take a break. Back with McDonagh sending him into the corner and hitting a standing Spanish Fly for two.

Hayes grabs a cutter for two and a spinning faceplant gets the same. We hit the crossface but McDonagh makes the ropes. A Codebreaker gives Hayes two more but McDonagh headbutts him down. Cue the returning Ilja Dragunov to take out Williams though and a rollup finishes McDonagh at 13:17.

Rating: C. McDonagh stopped being interested a long time ago and that was on full display here. Hayes feels like the hot new heel and McDonagh feels like a remnant of the 2.0 days. Hayes winning via a distraction finish was even weirder, as they were both down when the whole thing happened. Not a bad match, but Hayes is heading to Stand & Deliver and this was an annoying pit stop for him.

Post match Dragunov teases going after Hayes but jumps McDonagh instead.

Thea Hail comes up to Tiffany Stratton and they get in an argument over whether Chase U is cool or tacky. Hail goes on a rant and tells her to suck it but gets pulled off by Ava Raine.

Back at the party, Brooks Jensen is ready for Valentine’s Day with Kiana James, so Fallon Henley can’t bring herself to say anything.

Lyra Valkyria vs. Valentina Feroz

Wendy Choo is here with Feroz. Valkyria takes Feroz down without much trouble to start as Elektra Lopez comes out to watch. Feroz gets in a shot of her own so Lopez throws her some brass knuckles. Valkyria is back up with a pair of kicks to the head for the pin at 2:44.

We see Wes Lee coming back home after Vengeance Day and meeting his wife at the airport. It’s a rather emotional moment for him because he has worked so hard and is going to keep the title as long as he can. This was rather well done and a more personal look at Lee.

Lee is fired up and wants a challenge. Tony D’Angelo and Stacks come in to say they wants payment for helping him against Dijak. That’s cool with Lee, who is having an Open Challenge for the title next week.

Tyler Bate wants Grayson Waller next week.

Stacks vs. Odyssey Jones

Tony D’Angelo is here too. Jones throws Stacks around to start and the size is already crushing him. A huge slam plants Stacks and he has to roll outside for an early breather. Back in and Stacks gets in a DDT to rock Jones for a change, setting up a running forearm to do it again. Stacks hits a Stomp for the (somewhat surprising) pin at 5:14.

Rating: C-. That’s quite the surprise as Jones has seemed to be getting something of a push, only to lose clean here. Stacks is seemingly getting a bit of a push of his own and I’ve heard worse ideas. I’m not sure what that means for D’Angelo, but they’re trying something new and that’s often a good thing. The match wasn’t so much, but at least they seem to be going somewhere.

Roxanne Perez has a partner for next week: Meiko Satomura.

Pretty Deadly vs. Chase U

Thea Hail isn’t here as she is busy being kidnapped. Pretty Deadly is barely functioning here and Hudson grabs Prince for an early headlock. Wilson comes in and tries to walk off but Chase brings him back in for a tie up in the ropes. Prince is sent face first into Wilson’s feet as the one sidedness continues. They go outside with Hudson missing a charge into the steps and we take a break.

Back with Chase coming in to clean house but an assisted gutbuster takes him down. Hudson makes the save and it’s the Spelling Stomps to Prince for two. Cue a screaming Thea Hail, holding her knee, with Hudson grabbing her to see what’s wrong. The distraction lets Spilled Milk finish Chase at 9:24.

Rating: C. And yes, Chase loses again. Losing to Pretty Deadly is one thing, but if this leads to them losing to Schism, I’m not sure where NXT has been. At the same time, Hudson is getting to be really good as the hot tag man and Chase is still almost as over as anyone else in NXT. Just let the team win something, please.

Hank Walker wants to take Wes Lee’s open challenge next week but Charlie Dempsey comes in. Drew Gulak thinks Walker is ready for a rematch with Dempsey, who implies Gulak cheated to beat him.

It’s time for Ding Dong Hello, with Bayley (arm in a sling) ranting about Lita showing up and costing her last night. The guests are Toxic Attraction, who wipe their feet coming in. They get straight to the argument over who cost who at Vengeance Day, with Jacy saying that Gigi was dressed like a “hobo who banged a Chuckie doll”.

Bayley thinks the split is coming but wonders what happens to both of them after that happens. That’s enough for the two of them to agree that there is strength in numbers, ala Damage Ctrl, so maybe they should go after the Tag Team Titles. Like….the WWE Women’s Tag Team Titles. Bayley says calm down and they hug it out, only to have Jayne drop her. Dolin gets sent into the door and Jayne stands tall to end the show. That was a way to go, though Toxic Attraction moving up was a better option.

Overall Rating: C. I wasn’t feeling this show as much this week, but maybe that’s just due to taking a big breath after their special show. We still have several weeks before Stand & Deliver so there is still a long time to get things going. What matters is that they didn’t completely bomb here and what we got was a passable enough show, but it didn’t have anything that you need to see.

Results
Zoey Stark b. Sol Ruca – Flipping knee to the face
Dabba-Kato b. Dante Chen – Sitout chokebomb
Carmelo Hayes b. JD McDonagh – Rollup
Lyra Valkyria b. Valentina Feroz – Kick to the head
Stacks b. Odyssey Jones – Stomp
Chase U b. Pretty Deadly – Spilled Milk to Chase

 

 

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