NXT – November 18, 2025 (Gold Rush Week One): They Who Hath It
NXT
Date: November 18, 2025
Location: Theater At Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Booker T.
It’s the first week of Gold Rush, meaning we’ll be seeing title matches from multiple companies defended over the next two weeks. That should make for quite the cards and hopefully they live up to the hype. We’re also coming up on Deadline next month so it’s time to start getting ready for one of the more unique shows of the year. Let’s get to it.
Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.
The opening video focuses on the importance of gold and looks at the matches on this week’s half. The show taking place at MSG (close enough) makes it feel even more important.
AAA Mixed Tag Team Titles: Joe Hendry/Thea Hail vs. Chelsea Green/Ethan Page
Green and Page are defending. Green kicks at Hail to start but Hail snapmares her down, with Green being forced into a Hendry style wave. Hendry comes in to headlock takeover Page, followed by a running shoulder. A delayed suplex gets two on Page with Green making the save. Everything breaks down and Green is dropkicked into Page. Hendry and Hail pose as we take a break.
We come back with Hendry slugging away on Page and grabbing the fall away slam. Green and Page are sent outside for a trust fall from Hail, who gives Green an exploder suplex back inside. Everything breaks down and the Un-Pretty-Her…I have no idea actually as we cut to a law firm commercial. We quickly cut back to Hail getting the Kimura but Hendry is shoved into them for the save. Green grabs the Un-Pretty-Her for the pin to retain at 10:43.
Rating: C+. Good, fast paced opener here and I’m not overly surprised that another company’s titles didn’t change hands at an NXT event. I’m not thrilled that Hendry and Hail, who are about as perfect of a pairing as you can get, lose so soon, as it’s not like there is anything else they can go after. Just let them stay together, if nothing else for the fun energy they bring together.
Lola Vice and Jordynne Grace are ready to take the Knockouts Title from Kelani Jordan. Cue Jordan, who says jealousy doesn’t look good on Grace and she’ll be champion for a long time. See you next week.
Ava announces that John Cena will be picking the entrants for the Iron Survivor matches at Deadline.
Tavion Heights is in the crowd for an interview about how much things have changed for him in 2025. The reality is that he’s here in New York City and he wants to be in the Iron Survivor Challenge. If John Cena picks him, he knows that’s all the validation he needs. Cue Josh Briggs for the brawl in the crowd.
Zaria isn’t sure if Sol Ruca should go through with this match but Ruca insists.
Women’s North American Title: Blake Monroe vs. Sol Ruca
Ruca, with Zaria, is challenging and takes Monroe down with an early headlock takeover. A running boot to the head staggers Monroe but she’s right back with a spinning side slam. Ruca gets out of an early half crab attempt and kicks her away, only to miss a charge into the corner. Monroe wraps the recently healed up knee around the post and we take a break.
We come back with Monroe staying on the knee but Ruca fights up and hits a missile dropkick. Monroe is sent outside and Ruca hits a step up moonsault, only to tweak her knee again in the process. Back in and Monroe grabs a half crab and even takes off the knee brace. Monroe cranks on the knee and Zaria throws in a towel, despite Ruca being pretty close to the ropes and begging her not to, as Monroe retains at 13:21.
Rating: B-. This was about the storytelling with Ruca fighting through the pain and Zaria taking matters into her own hands. It’s quite the way to go and I liked what we got, as it should finally lead to the Ruca vs. Zaria split. Monroe got a nice boost here as well, as she came off as much more sadistic and violent for the sake of retaining her title. That’s been missing and it helped a lot.
Fatal Influence is ready to leave with all of the gold.
We look at Oba Femi returning last week to stare down Ricky Saints.
Here are Saints and Femi for a face to face chat. Saints isn’t surprised that Femi has returned, because he knows that Femi was getting worn down and then lost the title as a result. Saints was fighting against TNA and then retained in Last Man Standing. Femi says he’s back and wants to be more than just best dressed.
The sun is setting on the Revolution era and Femi is the one casting the shadow. The title rematch is set for Deadline…and here is Trick Williams to interrupt. Cue Myles Borne to chair Williams from behind and say he’s going to win the Iron Survivor Challenge and come for the title at New Year’s Evil. Borne is feeling more and more like someone to take seriously and it’s rather impressive to see him come this far.
Post break Ava yells at Myles Borne and gives him a match with Trick Williams next week. She gets a phone call and seems rather annoyed.
Josh Briggs and Tavion Heights are still brawling, with Heights being chokeslammed through a table.
Tag Team Titles: Leon Slater/Je’Von Evans vs. Darkstate
Darkstate is defending and get knocked to the floor to start, with Evans hitting a big dive over the top. Back in and a powerslam gets two on Slater, with Evans having to make a save. Griffin gets sent outside and a running hurricanrana gets two on Lennox back inside. Darkstate is tossed to the floor again for stereo dives as we take a break.
We come back with Evans in trouble and Lennox’s short DDT getting two. Evans flips away from Lennox though and kicks him down, allowing the much needed tag off to Slater. Everything breaks down and a spinning kick to the head takes Griffin to the floor and Lennox is kicked down as well. Slater busts out the big running flip dive out to the floor and the frog splash gives Evans two. The rest of Darkstate offers a distraction so Slater can get double powerbombed. Evans’ save lands on Slater by mistake and a Doomsday Device finishes Slater at 11:09.
Rating: B-. Slater and Evans are able to fly around and do all kinds of impressive looking things, which is why you put them in this spot. At the same time, it’s good to see Darkstate win a match and get in a nice title defense, which is what they needed. It’s a good enough match and I could go for more of this kind of Darkstate, who hopefully get to hold the titles that much longer.
Wren Sinclair gives Kendal Grey a pep talk before her title match next week.
LFG season 2 winner Shiloh Hill is a nerd and really smart, with interests in things like the dark web and quantum mechanics. Oh and he liked hitting people in football. More on this later. At least it’s a way to get introduced to someone new.
Here’s what’s coming next week.
Video on Jackson Drake defending the Evolve Title against Sean Legacy next week.
Sol Ruca is mad at Zaria for throwing in the towel, with Zaria saying it was for Ruca’s own good. Ruca doesn’t want to hear it and Zaria doesn’t seem pleased.
Women’s Title: Tatum Paxley vs. Jacy Jayne
Jayne, with Fatal Influence, is challenging while Paxley has the Culling with her. Paxley works on the arm to start before grabbing a rollup for two. Jayne kicks her into the corner but they switch places, with Paxley hitting a running crossbody. With Jayne sent outside, Paxley takes her down again with a moonsault and we take a break.
We come back with Jayne hitting a clothesline into a super hurricanrana. Paxley is right back up with a superkick though and they’re both down. A slugout goes to the champ, who snaps off a German suplex. The running flipping ax kick gives Paxley two but Jayne pulls her face first into the corner. A cannonball hits Paxley, who is right back with a fisherman’s spinebuster (exactly what it sounds like) for two.
The Culling offers a distraction and slides Paxley a chair but she turns it down and gets superkicked. Paxley slides outside and drops Lainey Reid, allowing Jayne to get in a big running boot to the face. Back in and the Rolling Encore gives Jayne two so it’s time to bring in the belt. That’s cut off on the floor….and Dame kicks Paxley’s head off. Another Rolling Encore gives Jayne the title back at 11:27.
Rating: B-. This was one of those turns where it wasn’t so much about would it happen but rather when it would happen, as they weren’t exactly hiding it. Paxley never felt like a long term champion but she won the title clean and definitely got elevated as a result of the whole thing. This should be a good next step for her and we’ll see what kind of staying power she has as a result.
The Culling glares down at Paxley to end the show.
Overall Rating: B-. It wasn’t the greatest show in the world but it did what it needed to, with the big angle at the end and some stuff being set up for the next few weeks. That’s what this kind of show needed to do, as we still have more title matches coming up next week. While it didn’t exactly feel like a major event, it did feel special enough and that’s good for a pass here.
Results
Chelsea Green/Ethan Page b. Joe Hendry/Thea Hail – Un-Pretty-Her to Hail
Blake Monroe b. Sol Ruca when Zaria threw in the towel
Darkstate b. Leon Slater/Je’Von Evans – Doomsday Device to Slater
Jacy Jayne b. Tatum Paxley – Rolling Encore
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Is it just me or was NXT Gold Rush week 1 a really depressing show? The heels won every single match! It does make me wonder if they will do the reverse for next week.
Yeah that wasn’t great. Maybe they do it better next week but I wasn’t overly thrilled with what we got here.