NXT – July 1, 2025: Constructing The Hydra

NXT
Date: July 1, 2025
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Booker T., Vic Joseph, Corey Graves

We’re officially in the second half of the year and less than two weeks away from the Great American Bash. The card is starting to come together and we are going to be seeing some more added this week. In addition, TNA’s Joe Hendry is here to face Wes Lee, which should be a fun one. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening recap.

Joe Hendry vs. Wes Lee

Trick Williams is on commentary and the rest of High Ryze is here with Lee. Hendry takes him down by the arm to start as Williams says his challengers (Hendry and Mike Santana) need to be the ones getting ready for Slammiversary. Lee rolls around and kicks him in the ribs before sending Hendry outside. That’s fine with Hendry, who blasts him with a clothesline.

We take a break and come back with Hendry glaring at the High Ryze, allowing Lee to hit a suicide dive. A middle rope phoenix splash gives Lee two but Hendry suplexes his way out of trouble. The comeback is on quickly but Lee slips out of the Standing Ovation. A fireman’s carry slam gives Hendry two so High Ryze gets up. Cue Santana to cut them off though and the Standing Ovation finishes for Hendry at 9:29.

Rating: B-. Well Hendry wasn’t going to lose here so this was about giving him a victory on the way to his big rematch with Trick Williams at Slammiversary. The good thing is that Lee is someone who can make just about anyone look good. Hendry’s charisma and star power are more than enough to carry him but he can back it up in the ring well enough, which was on display here.

Santana and Hendry stand tall as Williams doesn’t look happy.

We look at Tatum Paxley seemingly joining the Culling, with Zaria and Sol Ruca letting her go.

Here is Luca Crusifino for a chat. He wants to talk to Tony D’Angelo, who comes out to say the tables have turned. They argue over who has done what to whom in the last few weeks but Crusifino doesn’t want to hear it. Crusifino talks about the things he has sacrificed for D’Angelo and the Family and that is loyalty. Cue Stacks to interrupt but Crusifino doesn’t want to hear it. Crusifino decks D’Angelo…and then does the same to Stacks, saying his loyalty belongs to himself. There’s your big moment, with another betrayal/surprise likely coming sooner than later.

Oba Femi wants to see if Yoshiki Inamura has the fire to come after him. Inamura, with Josh Briggs, comes in to say he’s ready, but Femi says he is the hunter rather than the hunted.

Lexis King vs. Myles Borne

They fight over wrist control to start and King steps on his back a bit for some mind games. Borne takes him down and does the Florida Gator chomp, only for King to nail a dropkick on top. A top rope superplex brings Borne down for two and a running corner dropkick gives King two. The seated abdominal stretch goes on for a bit before King hits a running slap in the corner. That’s enough for Borne to fight up, including an Angle Slam for a breather. Borne’s big dropkick sets up a Zig Zag for the pin at 4:40. Well at least it’s a finisher.

Rating: C+. Good enough match here as the idea is to turn Borne into something more important. He had his big moment against Oba Femi and now the goal is to do something to keep him at a higher level. A clean win like this is a good way to start and I could go for seeing more of him. It’s nice to see NXT trying with someone who got a nice reaction and they’re doing it again here, which has potential.

Darkstate says everything that happens around here is because they allow it. They know what they’re going to do next, but we don’t.

Thea Hail vs. Lainey Reid

Hail isn’t happy and takes her down to start for some forearms to the face. Reid drops her face first into the corner and chokes away, followed by a spinning clothesline. A double underhook shoulderbreaker gives Reid two but Hail is back with a Codebreaker to the arm. The Kimura is blocked and Reid grabs a rollup but gets caught caught with her feet on the ropes. Hail’s rollup gets two so Reid kicks her away, setting up a running knee for the pin (while grabbing the rope and with Hail’s hand under the rope) at 4:22.

Rating: C+. And that’s another loss for Hail, who doesn’t really seem to win much of note…ever really. They’ve tried a few things with her but ever since that whole ordeal of Andre Chase throwing in the towel, Hail hasn’t felt like anything important. Reid isn’t that much further ahead, but she seems to be going in a rather different direction than Hail at the moment.

Tavion Heights isn’t happy with still being in the No Quarter Catch Crew. Charlie Dempsey agrees to give him one more “win and you’re out” match but this is his last chance.

Jasper Troy says you should fear him and Oba Femi knows what is coming for him if Troy wins tonight.

Sol Ruca/Zaria vs. Tatum Paxley/Izzi Dame

The rest of the Culling is here with Paxley and Dame. Ruca tries to talk some sends into Paxley to start but Zaria and Dame come in to argue as well. Ruca and Zaria clear the ring without much trouble and it’s Ruca grabbing a waistlock on Paxley. Some arm cranking has Paxley in more trouble and it’s off to Zaria to yell at Dame. They trade forearms until Paxley breaks it up with a high crossbody for two. Back up and Ruca and Zaria clear the ring again and we take a break.

We come back with Paxley tying Zaria up in the ropes for a running dropkick from Dame. A chokeslam drops Zaria again and a running flipping ax kick gives Paxley two more. The chinlock doesn’t last long so Paxley knocks her down again and puts it on for a second go. Zaria powers out without much trouble and it’s Ruca coming in to clean house.

A quick tag brings Zaria back in to clean house and an assisted splash from Ruca gives Zaria two. Dame hits a Codebreaker but there’s no Paxley, only for her to run back in and shove Dame out of the way. That means Zaria spears Ruca by mistake and Zaria is sent outside. A Sky High finishes Ruca at 13:17.

Rating: B-. Zaria and Ruca’s issues continue and it would not stun me to see them split for good in the near future. At the same time, Paxley seems to be finding a place with the Culling, though they don’t feel like the most trustworthy team in the world. There is a good chance that Dame gets a shot at Ruca out of this, and things might change even more once we get to that one.

Ethan Page, with the Vanity Project, and Ricky Saints are in Ava’s office. Page agrees to let Saints get a title shot if he can run the Vanity Project gauntlet (which happened recently on Evolve). Saints is in, but if he wins, he gets to pick the stipulation for the title shot. Deal.

We go to Chase U where Andre Chase actually apologizes. As a result, he has gotten Kale Dixon a match for next week and they hug. Chase does his swearing pep talk, but he does it WITH Dixon rather than at him.

Joe Hendry thanks Mike Santana, who says they’re uniting to fight for TNA. They’re not friends, but they’re fighting together against High Ryze next week. Works for them.

Josh Briggs gives Yoshiki Inamura a pep talk before his #1 contenders match, though Inamura says he has this.

Tatum Paxley is happy with their win and here is Ava to say Izzi Dame gets a Women’s North American Title shot at the Great American Bash. Hank & Tank come in to accuse the Culling of attacking them last week and Paxley talks them into giving the Culling a Tag Team Title shot next week.

Jasper Troy vs. Yoshiki Inamura

For an NXT Title shot at the Great American Bash. Inamura strikes away to start but Try gives him a hard whip into the corner. The chinlock is already on but Inamura powers out and shrugs off some clotheslines. A headlock grinds away at Troy and Inamura hits him with a sumo charges but Troy is right back with a side slam. Back up and Inamura knocks him to the floor as we take a break.

We come back with Troy hitting three straight splashes for two and a World’s Strongest Slam gets the same. The abdominal stretch goes on but Inamura is quickly out for a ran into the post. Inamura unloads with shots to the head but walks into a swinging Boss Man Slam (appropriate as commentary compared Troy to Abyss earlier). Inamura muscles him up for a slam and the top rope splash connects for the pin at 11:38.

Rating: B-. I’m a bit surprised by the result but maybe they’re going with the idea of “Inamura isn’t here long, get what we can out of him”. He’s gotten a bit more interesting lately, though maybe that’s due to having him actually get in the ring rather than just talking about it most of the time. Troy is still a good monster, but that aura goes away quickly if he keeps losing.

Post match Oba Femi comes in to stare at Inamura as Je’Von Evans comes in to drop Troy.

Here’s what’s coming next week.

Here is Jordynne Grace for a chat. Getting here is the hardest thing she has ever done but last week reminded her that she thrives on pressure. Evolution is a major event for women’s wrestling and she will be making history. She’s terrified of being vulnerable though and she has been asking herself if she belongs here. She did everything to get here and became someone you can’t ignore.

Cue Fatal Influence to interrupt, with Jacy Jayne asking if Grace is done yet. Grace can bench press more than Jayne but she can’t carry as much as Jayne. Grace tells her to shut up and says it won’t be a surprise when there is a new champion at Evolution. The beatdown is on but Blake Monroe runs in for the save. Ava comes out to make the tag match for the Great American Bash. Jayne and Fallon Henley run back in and get knocked back down just as fast.

Overall Rating: B-. This show was much more about getting ready for the future with the Great American Bash, which is something that has been needed. At the same time, we’re building towards a big match at Slammiversary and likely some things at Evolution. That’s a tricky path to walk and they did it well enough here. NXT has found quite the balancing act of not having boring television while still setting things up for later. Other shows can’t make that work so well done for figuring out a nice formula.

Results
Joe Hendry b. Wes Lee – Standing Ovation
Myles Borne b. Lexis King – Zig Zag
Lainey Reid b. Thea Hail – Running knee while holding the rope
Tatum Paxley/Izzi Dame b. Sol Ruca/Zaria – Sky High to Ruca
Yoshiki Inamura b. Jasper Troy – Top rope splash

 

 

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