NXT – September 2, 2025: The Loading Screen
NXT
Date: September 2, 2025
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Booker T.
We’re inching closer to No Mercy and that means it’s time to have a bunch of people get together to go after Darkstate. That could go in a few different ways, but the bigger issue seems to be Ricky Saints coming after Oba Femi and the NXT Title. Hopefully the rest of the card starts to come together so let’s get to it.
Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.
Lash Legend vs. Jaida Parker
Parker drives her into the corner for some shoulders to the ribs to start. Legend is back up with a slam and splash for two before rattling Parker’s head between the ropes. A rollup into an armbar gets Parker out of trouble and we go split screen to see Je’Von Evans arriving. The Tear Drop is broken up and we take an early break.
We come back with Legend missing another splash and Parker dropping her with a running shoulder. A running Blockbuster gives Parker two and now the Tear Drop can connect. Legend tries to bail to the floor, where she kicks Parker down. Parker gets dropped onto the announcers’ table with the Lash Extension and another one finishes Parker back inside at 11:35.
Rating: C+. This was about two rather strong women beating on each other until the finish, with Legend getting to move forward towards the title picture. Either of them would have made sense, but Legend has been doing some rather great work recently and deserves the chance. Parker needs to get there at some point too though, as she’s rather entertaining as well.
Post match Parker jumps Legend and Hipnotiques her through the barricade. So this isn’t done.
Arianna Grace meets Blake Monroe and believe it or not, they hit it off. Jordynne Grace storms in and Monroe runs, with Kali Armstrong not being pleased with Grace’s intrusion.
Here is Je’Von Evans for a chat. He knows everyone is expecting him to be all positive but he believed he was going to win the NXT Title at Heatwave. Evans feels like he let himself down because he felt like he had it in the bag…but a motorcycle arrives in the back. The gong sounds….and it’s Josh Briggs.
Was Evans expecting someone else? Undertaker wasn’t going to show up with some words of wisdom to save him. Evans is everything that Briggs hates about NXT because Evans should have demanded a rematch from Oba Femi but here he is instead. Evans doesn’t want to hear this but Briggs isn’t done. Briggs says Evans is good, though he’s never beating Femi. A big boot drops Evans and Briggs chokeslams him through an open chair.
Video on TNA’s Xia Brookside, who is here for the Speed Title tournament. Candice LeRae isn’t impressed.
Hank & Tank try to fire up Ricky Saints and Oba Femi for the eight man tag tonight but Saints and Femi aren’t overly interested. Saints tells Femi to be locked in tonight but Femi tells him to worry about himself.
Women’s Speed Title #1 Contenders Tournament First Round: Xia Brookside vs. Candice LeRae
Three minute time limit. Brookside snaps off a headscissors to start and hits a running dropkick. The running knees in the corner set up a Russian legsweep for two as we’re already a third of the way done. LeRae knocks her over the top and out to the floor, only to miss a Lionsault back inside. We’ve got a minute left as LeRae hits a tornado DDT into the Lionsault for the pin at 2:37. I really didn’t need to see this as a regular feature on TV, as it makes me wonder why people take their time in regular matches if they can get wins this quickly. See also most gauntlet matches.
Josh Briggs bullies the locker room but Chase U stands up to him. They’re ready to teach him a lesson, with Andre Chase getting to do it, even if he didn’t seem thrilled.
Fatal Influence comes in to see Ava, with a few women’s tag teams already there. Ava makes a triple threat match for next week with the winners getting a Women’s Tag Team Title shot.
Darkstate isn’t happy with how they have been treated, including how it went on LFG and NXT. They’re not waiting when they have the talent. Good, fired up promo here and it explained the team a lot better.
Here is Trick Williams for a chat. He’s the greatest TNA star of all time and the hottest NXT superstar to ever live. The fans don’t care about him though and he can’t blame them, because when he moves up to Raw and Smackdown, he’s never coming back here. The people the fans love don’t care about them…and here is DIY to quite the reception.
They heard that Homecoming is in two weeks but they wanted to show up early, because it is the ten year anniversary of their NXT debuts. So Williams is supposed to be the best NXT star ever? Well he is a two time NXT Champion….but so is Tommaso Ciampa. They talk about their own success in NXT, though Gargano says his partner got a bit grumpy at the end of shows.
Gargano talks about the people who have walked that aisle, like a demon, a hugger, the undisputed and the glorious, who were pretty great in their own right. Ciampa says two guys bled black and gold and defined an era but Williams says they were great. The problem is Williams is just that much better. The fans chant for Carmelo Hayes and Williams shoves Ciampa, earning himself Meet In The Middle. This was a cool moment and DIY felt like returning legends.
Ava says if Je’Von Evans doesn’t interfere tonight, he can face Josh Briggs next week.
Video on Evolve Women’s Champion Kali Armstrong.
Tavion Heights gives Ethan Page the Canadian flag back and says he’s cool with Canada, but not one specific Canadian. The result is a flag match next week.
Kali Armstrong vs. Jordynne Grace
Non-title. Armstrong stomps away in the corner to start and hits a running shoulder to the ribs. Grace strikes away to come back before grabbing the camel clutch. That’s shrugged off and Armstrong sends her into the corner as we take an early break. We come back with Grace sending her into the corner again (they really like that move). The Grace Driver is blocked and Armstrong hits a powerslam for two. The Kali Connection (running shoulder) is blocked as well and the Grace Driver finishes at 7:50.
Rating: C+. I’m not sure how smart it is to put Armstrong out there for a loss, but also against another powerhouse. The idea is that Armstrong is incredibly strong, but that only works so well when she’s in there against someone like Grace. The match wasn’t bad and it’s far from a stretch to have Grace win, though I’m still not wild on a champion losing clean.
Post match Blake Monroe comes out for the brawl and security has to break it up. Monroe is busted open and seems shaken up by the whole thing.
Video on Lola Vice, who is back at her childhood home in Miami. Family means a lot to her and she’s glad to be back for a rare visit. Her family is rather proud of her. To be continued. These vignettes always work.
Andre Chase vs. Josh Briggs
Briggs runs him over to start but Chase is back with a kick to the floor. That earns Chase a drop onto the apron though and we take a break. We come back with Chase getting two but having to fight out of a superplex attempt. A Boss Man Slam sets up a suplex but Chase is back with a Stundog Millionaire. The high crossbody gives Chase two but Briggs chokeslams and hits a big boot for the pin at 7:21.
Rating: C+. I get the idea of pushing the new monster, but dang it’s sad to see Chase fall this far. He was the hottest thing in NXT for awhile and they just stopped everything they had with him. Now he’s doing nothing but jobbing and trying to relieve the past. Hopefully they find something else for him, because this is rather sad.
Post match Briggs beats up Chase U.
Trick Williams will see DIY next week.
Ricky Saints/Oba Femi/Hank & Tank vs. Darkstate
Shugars hammers on Hank in the corner to start and it’s off to Lennox for a running clothesline. Tank comes in and elbows James in the corner before handing it off to Saints for the arm cranking. Old School seems to annoy Femi, who comes in to stay on James’ arm. Femi teases tagging Saints but then does Saints’ pose to a rather big reaction. Everything breaks down and James is left alone, meaning it’s a four way crushing as we take a break.
We come back with Hank getting beaten down and Griffin grabs the chinlock. Back up and Tank saves Hank from a whip into the corner, allowing Tank to get the needed tag. Saints adds a springboard tornado DDT as everything breaks down. Femi tosses Shugars to Saints for a powerbomb but Saints and Femi get in a fight of their own. They fight to the back, leaving Darkstate to load up the triple bomb. Tank makes the save but James grabs Hank by the throat. Hank summons Joe Hendry, whose distraction lets Hank & Tank hit the powerslam/running shoulder combination to pin James at 11:52.
Rating: B-. The ending was a bit dumb with Darkstate looking pretty weak, as they couldn’t win despite having a 4-2 and then 4-3 advantage. I guess they had to get to Hank & Tank’s rematch though, because we just haven’t seen enough of the team. Femi and Saints brawling off is fine, as their match should be quite the showcase when we get there.
Saints and Femi have to be separated in the back to end the show.
Overall Rating: B-. This show started setting up No Mercy in a bigger way and I’m curious to see what else we’re getting. You can probably guess most of what is going to happen but this was a nice step forward towards the show. DIY’s special appearance was a great bonus and it has me wondering who else is going to show up for Homecoming. Good show here, with some stuff being set up for the next big night.
Results
Lash Legend b. Jaida Parker – Lash Extension
Candice LeRae b. Xia Brookside – Lionsault
Jordynne Grace b. Kali Armstrong – Grace Driver
Josh Briggs b. Andre Chase – Big boot
Hank & Tanks/Oba Femi/Ricky Saints b. Darkstate – Powerslam/running shoulder combination to James
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You hit the nail on the head about the Speed Titles. Also funny is how they never have any time-limit draws. Ruins the credibility of it all. Are you surprised they were brought over when X/WWE cancelled the weekly series? I can see them quietly being retired by the end of the year.