NXT – May 21, 2024: It Works For Them

NXT
Date: May 21, 2024
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Booker T.

We are getting closer to Battleground and the card is starting to take shape. You can probably guess some of the matches from here, but before we get to the show, we have the returning Gallus, who attacked a bunch of people last week. That is likely going to be a big story this week so let’s get to it.

Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.

Opening recap.

Women’s North American Title Qualifying Match: Fallon Henley vs. Thea Hail

Chase U and Ridge Holland are here with Hail, who starts cranking on the arm to start. Henley gets taken down for a standing moonsault, only to come back with an armbar of her own. That’s broken up and Hail sends her to the floor for the suicide dive, setting up some heavy shots to Henley’s face. Henley grabs a chair so Holland takes it away, earning himself and all of Chase U an ejection as we take a break.

We come back with Henley getting two off a running faceplant before a double headbutt puts them both down. Hail fights up with some Polish Hammers and a World’s Smallest Slam gets two. The Kimura almost goes on but they fall out to the floor, where Henley sends her into the barricade. Back in and Henley hits a quick Shining Wizard for the pin at 10:29.

Rating: C+. Henley getting another win is nice, though I’m not sure if she is bringing it to the next level, even with her new style. She’s far from bad, but there is something lacking that is keeping her from being a top star. At least she is winning, which is a step in the right direction for anyone.

Post match Henley leaves and Jazmyn Nyx runs in to beat Hail down again.

Earlier today, the D’Angelo Family arrives and runs into Axiom and Nathan Frazer. Tony D’Angelo mocks Axiom for never winning the cup (not like some guy named A-Kid) and the Family gets a Tag Team Title match tonight.

Ivar is injured and Joe Coffey has taken his place in the #1 contenders match for a shot at the North American Title.

Gallus is happy with what they did and Joe Coffey is ready to get the North American Title.

Tag Team Titles: Axiom/Nathan Frazer vs. D’Angelo Family

The Family (Stacks/Luca Crusifino) is challenging and the rest of the team is with them. Crusifino cranks on Axiom’s arm to start and it’s quickly off to Stacks to elbow Frazer in the face. Frazer is right back with a drop toehold so Axiom can hit a basement dropkick to take over. The Family knocks Frazer outside though and Stacks drops an elbow off the apron as we take a break.

Back with Frazer hitting a springboard moonsault into a reverse layout DDT to drop Crusifino. Axiom comes in and makes Crusifino DDT Stacks before firing off kicks to Stacks’ chest. A brainbuster gives Frazer two as everything breaks down. The Family plants Frazer with a double slam, setting up Stacks’ top rope superplex. Axiom superkicks Crusifino out of the air as the No Quarter Catch Crew comes out to go after the rest of the Family. The distraction lets Frazer grab a small package to pin Stacks and retain at 10:36.

Rating: B-. Good fast paced action here as the champs get another win, even with something of a distraction for the finish. Axiom and Frazer are a rather nice team who are getting somewhere together, as their chemistry has been growing in recent weeks. They should be in for a big title defense at Battleground and that should help them even more.

Post match the OC runs in to beat down Axiom and Frazer because the OC has to be a thing.

Lexis King offers his services to Mr. Stone, who isn’t impressed. Ava comes in and tells King he has a match tonight against…someone.

Riley Osborne tells Andre Chase that Ridge Holland is costing the team. Holland comes in to defend himself and Chase tells them to settle it in the ring.

Josh Briggs vs. Wes Lee vs. Joe Coffey

The winner gets a North American Title shot against Oba Femi, on commentary, at Battleground. The rest of Gallus is here too and Briggs starts fast by hiptossing Lee at Coffey. A tornado DDT gives Coffey two on Briggs but Lee sends Coffey outside for the big running flip dive. Briggs throws Lee into the ropes and knocks him out of the air as we take a break.

Back with Lee moonsaulting onto Briggs, who DDT’s Coffey as a result. Lee is sent outside but goes up, only to dive into a chokeslam into the corner. Briggs chokeslams Coffey as well for a double near fall but Coffey is back with a springboard spinning high crossbody for two of his own. Lee is back up with a suicide dive to Coffey as the rest of Gallus takes out Briggs. All The Best For The Bells hits Lee…who falls on Briggs at the same time as Coffey, meaning it’s a double pin at 10:48.

Rating: B-. The ending wasn’t exactly great as it sets up yet another triple threat, which has been done quite a bit recently. I could also go with Briggs not getting pinned so often as it’s killing the momentum he has built up, but Lee and Coffey getting the shot is a different way to go. Good match, though I could have gone with a singles match instead of another triple threat.

Natalya and Karmen Petrovic are ready for Shayna Baszler and Lola Vice.

Edris Enofe and Malik Blade are so scared of their bad luck that they aren’t coming to the ring with Brinley Reece.

Ava makes the North American Title match at Battleground a triple threat match with Wes Lee and Joe Coffey both getting shots.

Women’s North American Title Qualifying Match: Brinley Reece vs. Jaida Parker

OTM is here with Parker. Reece drives her into the corner to start but dives into a knee to the ribs. Parker fires off some forearms in the corner as Booker sings her praises. Reece bridges back up to grab a backslide for two but Parker’s butterfly suplex gets the same. A bodyscissors keeps Reece in trouble but she powers up again. Cue Enofe and Blade to watch…as Parker hits the running hip attack for the pin at 4:53.

Rating: C. Parker is becoming more and more complete every week and I’m curious to see just how far she can go. There is something to her that makes her stand out and that is always worth a look. Reece might have something with the motivational deal, but at some point she needs to win some matches.

Jazmyn Nyx likes Fallon Henley’s new attitude and says it must be nice to get a win (Like the one she got two weeks ago?). Nyx likes it so much that she waited for after the match with Thea Hail to get revenge for Jacy Jayne’s broken nose. Henley isn’t sure what to think of that.

The snoring person isn’t revealed, but she’s wearing Wendy Choo’s pajamas.

Roxanne Perez is ready for anyone because she’s better than everyone.

Ava is on the phone with someone and says Nick Aldis and Adam Pearce are happy with Perez’s next challenger. She’ll find out who that is next week.

Lexis King vs. ???

Before the match, King talks about being on a hot streak and knowing that whomever comes through that curtain is falling to the King. Cue Robert Stone, who introduces….Dante Chen. Well of course he does. Chen sends him into the corner but King nails a quick dropkick for two. King chops and chokes in the corner but Chen comes back with a clothesline. The clothesline comeback is on and an atomic drop into a pump kick sends King outside. A half nelson slam gives Chen two but King knocks him down again. Stone’s distraction breaks up the Coronation, allowing Chen to grab a rollup for the pin at 4:58.

Rating: C. For the life of me I do not get the appeal of Chen. I’ve watched him on LVL Up for what feels like ever and for some reason WWE seems to see something in him. He’s not bad for the most part but man alive is he uninteresting. Seeing him as the reveal had me more confused than anything else, as there almost has to be someone more interesting than him for this spot.

Shayna Baszler wants Lola Vice to be serious tonight.

Here is Trick Williams to say he did not attack Noam Dar. Cue Meta Four to say they don’t believe him but Lash Legend stands up for Williams. Mensah: “Are you shaking this man’s dreads?” Cue Joe Coffey, with the rest of Gallus joining him to attack Williams. Je’Von Evans tries to make the save but gets beaten down as well. Well that should answer a fairly obvious question after last week but points for covering it.

Ava is happy with Robert Stone and Dante Chen.

Shayna Baszler/Lola Vice vs. Natalya/Karmen Petrovic

Natalya and Baszler start things off with an early Vice distraction letting Baszler get in a knee. Natalya kicks her away and brings Petrovic in to pick up the pace as everything breaks down. The villains are dropped with stereo discus lariats and we take a break. Back with Baszler dropping Petrovic for two and it’s off to Vice for some short form dancing.

Petrovic fights up and brings in Natalya (I get what they’re going for but saying “IT’S THE BOAT” will never sound good) to clean house. Vice gets in a knockdown though and dances a bit more before getting pulled into the Sharpshooter. That’s broken up and Hart Attack pins Vice at 12:14.

Rating: C+. I’m a bit surprised at Vice (or her team for that matter) losing as Vice has seemed to be one of the new projects around here and Baszler is in line for a main roster title shot. Natalya is still rather smooth in the ring and can work well with anyone, which has me wondering how long it will take her to get a trainer’s job after she retires. If it takes WWE more than three seconds to offer it to her, I’m not sure what they’re waiting on.

Post match Baszler goes to help Vice up but gets kicked in the head. Vice dances and gets caught in the Kirifuda Clutch. The fight is on but Ava comes out to make the match at Battleground, with Baszler making it NXT Underground. That explains the surprising finish.

Overall Rating: C+. NXT is at a nice place as they aren’t going to blow the doors off with anything new and they certainly have a style they like, but it makes for some rather nice weekly TV. It’s kind of refreshing to have such a steady, even keel show that doesn’t do many stupid things while setting up their bigger events down the line. That is what we got here and I’m looking forward to seeing where some of these things go. I’ll call that a win.

Results
Fallon Henley b. Thea Hail – Shining Wizard
Axiom/Nathan Frazer b. D’Angelo Family – Small package to Stacks
Wes Lee and Joe Coffey b. Josh Briggs – Double pin
Jaida Parker b. Brinley Reece – Hip attack
Dante Chen b. Lexis King – Small package
Natalya/Karmen Petrovic b. Shayna Baszler/Lola Vice – Hart Attack to Vice

 

 

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