NXT
Date: July 8, 2025
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Corey Graves, Booker T., Vic Joseph

It’s the last show before both the Great American Bash and Evolution, both of which will have some NXT involvement. Therefore, it’s time to see who is going to be in the Evolution battle royal, plus finding out any last minute additions to the shows. That should make for a nice evening so let’s get to it.

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

Ricky Saints vs. Vanity Project

Gauntlet match, Jackson’s Drake’s Evolve Title isn’t on the line, and if Saints wins, he gets to pick the stipulation for his match with Ethan Page (here too). Brad Baylor starts for the Project and Saints strikes away, including a middle rope dropkick. Baylor gets in a shot of his own though and hammers away, including a spinning butterfly suplex. Saints makes a quick comeback though and hits the springboard tornado DDT for the first pin at 3:09.

Ricky Smokes is in second and grabs a quick suplex for two on Saints. We take a break and come back with Smokes hitting a fireman’s carry backbreaker for two more. Saints comes back again and grabs an overhead belly to belly for two of his own. An atomic drop into a jackknife rollup gives Saints the pin at 8:38 total.

Drake is in third and stomps away in the corner to start fast. A kick to the back gives Drake two and he grabs a surfboard. The fireman’s carry gutbuster gets two more and Drake is getting a bit frustrated. Drake misses a running kick to the chest and Saints gets his knees up to block a springboard Swanton. The Roshambo gives Saints the pin at 12:13 total.

Rating: C+. The Vanity Project is a good choice for something like this as they’re still a level beneath the NXT roster so it’s not like they lose any status here. Saints gets to run through some people and head on to his big match with Page at the Bash. For now, good enough opener for the show and it sets up some things for the future.

Post match Saints makes it an anything goes, falls count anywhere match with Page at the Bash.

Zaria and Sol Ruca are fired up for the Women’s Tag Team Title match at Evolution but Lainey Reid says she should be in the battle royal. She’s asked what she’s done to earn that spot and doesn’t have much of an answer.

Earlier today, Blake Monroe blew off a training session with Jordynne Grace, who wants her to have a glamorous workout. Grace agreed, and we’ll see more of this later.

Tavion Heights vs. Charlie Dempsey

If Heights wins, he is out of the No Quarter Catch Crew. Heights armdrags him down a few times to start and they take turns sending each other to the floor. Back in and Dempsey grabs a cravate to frustrate Heights. That’s broken up so Heights tackles him down and hammers away. They head outside again and knock each other down as we take a break.

We come back with Heights fighting off a crossface chickenwing and throwing him down a few times. They crash out to the floor again, but this time Dempsey crushes the knee with the steps. The half crab goes on back inside, followed by a stepover toehold. Dempsey turns it into an STF and Wren Sinclair throws in the towel at 9:39.

Rating: B-. The idea of Heights trying to get out of the team but not being able to do it is a good way to set something up for him, especially here where he didn’t give up. Sinclair could be going either way here and I like what they’re doing with the story. The match itself was a nice technical vs. power showdown as well, so we’ll call this a nice outing.

Hank & Tank are ready for their match while Lexis King messes with stuff behind them. Je’Von Evans comes in for a pep talk but gets jumped by Jasper Troy.

Mike Santana/Joe Hendry vs. High Ryze

Wes Lee is here with High Ryze. Hendry and Igwe take each other down for an early standoff and it’s off to Santana for a dropkick. DuPont gets sent flying with the fall away slam and we take an early break. We come back with Hendry getting two off a rollup but a clothesline drops him for the same. A series of splashes get two as we see Natalya and Maxxine Dupri arriving in the back.

Hendry muscles Igwe up for a suplex and the tag brings in Santana to clean house. The Rolling Buck Fifty (rolling cutter) hits Igwe and a big flip dive to the floor takes him out again. Everything breaks down and Hendry hits a dive to the floor of his own. Cue Trick Williams for a distraction but Santana hits Spin The Block (discus lariat) to pin DuPont at 8:45.

Rating: B-. Good enough match here, though it continued to show that Hendry isn’t quite as interesting as Santana no matter how he is presented. Santana is just on fire right now and Hendry has already had his moment, but Hendry being there adds some star power to the title match. I’m not sure Santana wins the title, but dang it’s fun to see him in the ring every time.

Post match Williams drops Santana so Hendry goes after him. High Ryze comes back in for the beatdown.

We look at Yoshiki Inamura becoming #1 contender to the NXT Title last week. Various Japanese stars, including THE GREAT MUTA and Iyo Sky say they believe in Inamura.

Darkstate brags about invading TNA and suggest they’re coming for the Tag Team Titles.

Here are Oba Femi and Yoshiki Inamura, with Josh Briggs, for a face to face chat. Inamura says Femi is his greatest challenge but he is ready. He has the support of his friends and family and now he must make them proud. Femi says it’s good that Inamura has support, because maybe those people can pick up his pieces. No one is taking the title from him, but Briggs says Inamura beat Jasper Troy a lot more easily than Femi did.

Inamura may be a man of honor but Briggs isn’t, so he will do everything he can to make Inamura champion. This is “their” chance and the brawl is on, albeit quickly broken up. This was a good showing from Inamura, who feels like someone who is trying to prove he belongs here. At the same time, this is the second straight major event where Femi is defending against a pretty low level challenger, but it brings up a big issue in NXT: who else is there to come after the title?

Jordynne Grace shows up for Blake Monroe’s makeover and rips the sleeves off the robe she is given. They get their nails done and a massage, plus makeup. Grace admits she kind of likes this and they’re ready for the tag match at the Bash.

Kelani Jordan vs. Lainey Reid

They trade early takedowns to start with Jordan grabbing a monkey flip and dropkick out to the floor. Back in and Reid ties her leg up in the ropes and cranks away but a Figure Four attempt is blocked. Reid’s spinebuster gets two and the half crab goes on. Jordan tries to use the free leg to kick her way out but Reid just pulls her into a Boston crab for a smart counter. That’s broken up as well and Jordan hits a handspring elbow into a nipup (impressive after having her leg and back cranked). Reid catches her up top but gets shoved down, setting up One Of A Kind to give Jordan the win at 4:23.

Rating: C. I wasn’t wild about Jordan’s lack of selling but the ending was a nice touch which showed off Jordan’s rather impressive athleticism. The win gives her a boost going into the battle royal, which she isn’t likely to win but at least she could have a good showing. Reid is still finding her footing around here, but she’s far from a lost cause.

Post match here is Thea Hail to brawl to the back with Reid.

Jasper Troy jumps Je’Von Evans in the trainer’s room.

We have a meeting of the former D’Angelo Family, with all four members showing up. Riz tries to talk but gets shut down by Stacks. Riz isn’t having that and talks about what happened between Stacks and Tony. She realizes this can’t be fixed but she has set up a triple threat next week. While she doesn’t know if their paths will cross again, this will be the final battle. Stacks says he’s bigger than all of them and they can’t take it. Next week, he’ll prove it. D’Angelo says he’s done here and everyone stares at each other. That could go in a few different ways and that’s a good thing.

Here is Jasper Troy, who wants in on the NXT Title match. Cue Je’Von Evans to jump him and hit a big dive onto both Troy and security.

Tatum Paxley likes being part of the Culling, who are ready to win the Tag Team Titles.

Tag Team Titles: The Culling vs. Hank & Tank

Hank & Tank are defending and charge in to start the fight fast. We settle down to Spears stomping on Hank, allowing Vance to send him into the turnbuckle. Tank comes in for some dancing into a double splash but Spears is back with a neckbreaker. That doesn’t last long as the champs fight back, only for Hank to miss a top rope clothesline. The Culling runs Hank over on the floor and we take a break.

We come back with Hank knocking Vance off the top, allowing Tank to come in and clean house. Everything breaks down and Vance’s top rope headbutt hits Tank for two. Izzi Dame gets in a cheap shot so Spears can grab an implant DDT for two more. Cue Zaria and Sol Ruca to take out Tatum Paxley and Dame, leaving the champs to hit their powerslam/neckbreaker combination on Spears to retain at 10:49.

Rating: C+. Hank & Tank still don’t feel like the most serious champions, but they’ve at least figured out something that fits for them. That’s a good thing for them to have and it would be nice to see it continue to grow. That being said, if Darkstate comes after the belts, there is no reason to believe the title reign will be lasting much longer.

Great American Bash rundown.

Kale Dixon couldn’t wrestle as scheduled due to high blood pressure, caused by nerves. Andre Chase isn’t happy but seems to understand.

Here is Ava, who talks about the original Evolution, which took place when she was in high school. She’s so proud that NXT will be all over Evolution, with Jaida Parker, Lola Vice, Kelani Jordan, Lash Legend, Izzi Dame and Tatum Paxley being in the battle royal. Cue Fatal Influence to interrupt, with Ava saying she just talked about Jacy Jayne. We get a rant from Jayne about how she’s the focal point of the show, but cue Jordynne Grace saying she’ll take the title.

Lash Legend comes out to say she’s going to win the battle royal. Stephanie Vaquer returns to NXT and says Grace will win. Maxxine Dupri and Natalya come out to say they’ll be the last two in the battle royal. Jaida Parker pops up in the crowd to say she’ll win. Everyone gets in and the big brawl is on to end the show. This was more than Raw and Smackdown have done for the show, and that’s not surprising given how much of a focus the women’s division has received around here.

Overall Rating: B. I came into this show not particularly wanting to see either Evolution or the Bash and I left a lot more interested in both. They did a heck of a job building up both shows and there is even some stuff set up for next week’s regular show. That’s a very nice way to go, even if the wrestling was pretty middle of the road this week. What mattered was everything else, and that stuff was quite well done.

Results
Ricky Saints b. Vanity Project last eliminating Jackson Drake
Charlie Dempsey b. Tavion Heights when Wren Sinclair threw in the towel
Mike Santana/Joe Hendry b. High Ryze – Spin The Block to DuPont
Kelani Jordan b. Lainey Reid – One Of A Kind
Hank & Tank b. The Culling – Powerslam/running neckbreaker combination to Spears

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

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NXT
Date: January 14, 2025
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Booker T.

We’re back to a normal show this week after New Year’s Evil saw a big shakeup around here. Oba Femi is the new NXT Champion and is going to need a challenger for Vengeance Day in about a month. We also have a new Heritage Cup holder and Women’s Champion, plus the Tag Team Titles are on the line tonight. Let’s get to it.

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

Long New Year’s Evil recap, and no it still can’t make what Rock said sound like anything.

Here is Oba Femi to get things going. Femi brags about being able to take his rightful place on the throne and he has been backed by destiny since he arrived. The fans think Femi deserves it before Femi talks about how Trick Williams put in a lot of work. Williams has a ceiling, unlike Femi himself. As for Eddy Thorpe, he can go annoy someone else, but here is Tony D’Angelo to interrupt.

D’Angelo brings up beating Femi twice so he can come after the NXT Title as well. Femi brings up Ridge Holland taking out D’Angelo, who promises to take care of Holland. This brings out Holland, who has a photo of himself as Santa Claus attacking D’Angelo. The fight is on, with Thorpe running in to jump Femi and hits him with what looks like a strap. They have a bunch of options in there, but getting rid of Thorpe in a hurry needs to be near the top of the list.

Ethan Page mocks Dante Chen and shoving ensues. A match seems teased, but I’m more curious about why the three man Gallus team apparently shares one locker.

Stephanie Vaquer vs. Shotzi

For a future Women’s North American Title shot. They go with the grappling to start and get nowhere so that’s a show of respect. Shotzi’s armdrag is blocked and Vaquer grabs a rollup for a fast two. An enziguri hits Vaquer and Shotzi grabs an upside down to keep her in trouble. Vaquer is right back with the figure four faceplants into the mat and we take a break.

Back with Shotzi snapping off a super hurricanrana but getting caught with Eat Defeat. A tiger suplex gives Shotzi two and it’s time to trade forearms. Cue Jacy Jayne for a distraction, allowing Fallon Henley to come in and deck Vaquer (Shotzi didn’t see it) to give Shotzi the win at 11:06.

Rating: C+. I wasn’t betting on that one but it’s a bit of a nice surprise. They did a nice job of making it clear that Shotzi didn’t know about the cheating and there is a good chance that it is going to set up some kind of a triple threat later on. The action itself was just ok, but they did a good job with the story they were telling.

Zaria gives Kelani Jordan a pep talk bout Cora Jade comes in to mock Jordan. That earns Jade a hard slap.

Oba Femi wants Eddy Thorpe and nearly ends Mr. Stone to get the match for next week.

Ethan Page vs. Dante Chen

Page jumps him before the bell but Chen says ring the bell. The brawl is on but Chen can’t hit his double chop. Instead Page hits the Twist of Fate for the pin at 57 seconds. You mean he could have saved LVL Up that fast???

Post match Page crushes Chen’s leg with the steps. Je’Von Evans tries to make the save but Page hits him in the bad jaw and tells him to smile.

Oba Femi doesn’t want to listen to Dion Lennox.

Riz and Izzi Dame don’t want to listen to Shawn Spears.

Ashante Thee Adonis apologizes to Karmen Petrovic and gives her a rose. She says it’s about time and kisses him.

We look at Giulia winning the Women’s Title last week.

DIY has heard so much about Fraxiom and they’re here to scout future competition.

Meta Four vs. Unholy Union

For a future title shot. Fyre takes Jackson down by the arm to start but Jackson wristdrags her out of the corner. Dawn comes in and gets dropped by a Sling Blade and it’s off to Legend. A cheap shot from Fyre slows her down but Legend breaks up a Tarantula attempt. Fyre takes out Legend’s knee to send Jackson crashing into the corner, allowing Fyre to hit a top rope flip dive.

We take a break and come back with Legend chokeslamming Fyre for two and slamming Dawn for a bonus. A Backstabber/Swanton combination gets two on Jackson as everything breaks down. The Gory Bomb is broken up though an it’s a wheelbarrow faceplant/running cutter combination (that was slick) to finish Fyre at 12:53.

Rating: C+. The Legend push continues, but at some point she’s going to have to get some gold. I’m not sure if that is what we are going to see from the title match, but this was a big showcase match for Legend to look like a killer. She has come a very, very long way in a few years and deserves a lot of credit for the development she has undergone.

Lexis King is proud to win the Heritage Cup but Charlie Dempsey and Wren Sinclair come up to talk about a rematch. Ava is interested…but has to go break up a fight between Ridge Holland and Tony D’Angelo. That freaking parking lot.

TNA Knockouts Champion Masha Slamovich is here.

Cora Jade vs. Kelani Jordan

Jordan starts fast and hammers away before elbowing Jade down. Jade catches her on top though and stomps away, setting up a running dropkick against the ropes. Jade’s chinlock doesn’t last long as Jordan knocks her down and stomps away as well. Jordan unloads in the corner so the referee breaks it up, allowing Jade to rake the eyes. The double arm DDT finishes Jordan at 5:12.

Rating: C. I’m a bit surprised to see Jordan lose here as she is kind of taking a step back from the heelish tendencies over the last few weeks. Other than that, Jade gets a needed win as she has only done so much since her big return. I’m not sure where this is going, but Jordan is at least getting to do something rather than just win random matches as champion.

Eddy Thorpe is ready to win the NXT Title next week.

Josh Briggs and Yoshiki Inamura want a Tag Team Title shot at Fraxiom (maybe they could try having a match). OTM comes in to say they’re getting the titles tonight. Insults lead to a brawl.

Tag Team Titles: Fraxiom vs. OTM

OTM is challenging and Frazer is taken into the corner to start. Shoulders to the ribs have Frazer down and double teaming makes it worse as DIY is watching from the platform. Frazer fights up and brings in Axiom to clean house, though he looks up at DIY. That lets Nima drop him with a heck of a clothesline and we take a break.

Back with Frazer coming in off a hot tag to clean house, including a running shooting star press for two on Price. Everything breaks down and OTM get caught in stereo holds. That’s broken up when Nima suplexes Frazer onto the other two and we settle back down. Frazer comes in off a springboard tag but Nima Rock Bottoms him onto Axiom. It’s time to clear off the announcers’ table but Frazer fights up. A frog splash sends Nima through the table and the Golden Ratio to Price retains the title at 13:13.

Rating: B. As annoying as the will they/won’t they stuff with Fraxiom can be, they can have some exciting matches. The tension issue does a nice job of making you wonder if this is the time where they are going to lose and that was the case here. They have to lose the titles eventually, but that DIY tease means we might be waiting a good while longer.

A pair of shoes arrives.

Here is Roxanne Perez for a chat. When she won the Women’s Title at Stand & Deliver, no one thought she was going to hold it that long. She wanted to make women’s wrestling special and give the people something they can take pride in every week. This is the best women’s wrestling every week, but here she is without her title. Last week, Giulia was better but that’s what the people wanted. Giulia isn’t going to take the title to the same heights she did and it doesn’t deserve her…and Bayley is back (the fans seem to remember her).

Bayley is here with some advice, but Perez doesn’t want to hear it. Bayley mocks her for wanting advice when she was shorter than she even is now. Perez laughs it off because while Bayley set records, Perez broke them. Maybe she should be Bayley’s role model. Bayley says Perez will be stuck here while Bayley goes on to win the title on Smackdown. The brawl is on and we are way out of time so it’s cut off fast.

Overall Rating: B. This was a show that did a lot of things and covered quite a few stories in a single night. The main event was good and Dante Chen got wiped out in short order so there is little to complain about in at least two matches. I liked the Bayley return too as she is an absolute legend around here. Solid work this week, with about a month to go before Vengeance Day.

Results
Shotzi b. Stephanie Vaquer – Rollup
Ethan Page b. Dante Chen – Twist Of Fate
Meta Four b. Unholy Union – Wheelbarrow faceplant/cutter combination to Fyre
Cora Jade b. Kelani Jordan – Double arm DDT
Fraxiom b. OTM – Golden Ratio to Price

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

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NXT LVL Up
Date: October 4, 2024
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Blake Howard, Byron Saxton

NXT has officially moved over to the CW and, well, things didn’t really change that much. I’m not sure what it is going to mean around here, but last week’s show was pretty fun so it would be nice to replicate that this week. Then again you never know what you’re getting around here so let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Adrianna Rizzo vs. Lainey Reid

The rest of the D’Angelo Family (minus Tony) is on commentary as Riz hits a Thesz press and hammers away. Some left hands in the corner don’t do much to Reid though, as she slips away and pulls Riz onto the turnbuckle. A hammerlock slam works on Riz’s arm but she sends Reid into the corner for two. Riz fights out of the armbar and snaps off a northern lights suplex to start the comeback. A springboard elbow sends Reid out to the apron but she’s back with a springboard kick to the face. Reid’s twisting suplex gets two but Riz is back with A Taste Of Risotto for the pin at 5:41.

Rating: C. Riz continues to look better and better each week and is becoming something other than the woman of the Family. If she can keep growing at this rate, she could be something in the title picture one day. On the other side you have Reid, who WWE certainly sees something in given how often she’s out there these days.

Harlem Lewis is a former college football player and is ready for Dante Chen. Well so much for his career.

Lainey Reid is upset at another loss but Riz says she’ll get her next time. This doesn’t seem to go well.

Harlem Lewis vs. Dante Chen

Chen works on the arm to start as the fans are already in his corner. Back up and Lewis runs him over and mocks the fans for their fandom. A running neck snap across the middle rope has Chen down again and Lewis hits some shoulders in the corner for two. Lewis’ big boot gets two more and we hit the neck crank. Chen fights up but gets suplexed back down for two more. They fight over a suplex until Chen gets the better of things and the comeback is on. A superkick sends Lewis outside for a bit, only for Chen to run him over back inside. The Gentle Touch finishes for Chen at 6:56.

Rating: C. It was a Dante Chen math, meaning it was all about giving Lewis his first chance. I’m not sure what they have with Lewis here, but at least he got the chance to get out there. He was antagonizing the crowd a bit and could easily be seen as unlikable, so maybe there is something there, though you can only get so much out of that with such a short match. In other words, what else are you supposed to get out of about seven minutes?

Overall Rating: C. Not much to see here with the shorter version of the show. Riz continues to look like she could be something in the future but there wasn’t much else of note this week. As usual, it’s such a guessing game of what you’re going to see around here and that was on full display here.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

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NXT
Date: August 20, 2024
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Booker T.

We are rapidly closing in on No Mercy and the show is going to need a main event. That is what we get to find out this week, with a triple threat match to crown a new #1 contender for the NXT Title, as Joe Hendry, Wes Lee and Pete Dunne face off for a shot at Ethan Page. Let’s get to it.

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

Izzi Dame jumped Karmen Petrovic in the parking lot and injured her hand in the process.

We look back at Chase U regaining the Tag Team Titles last week.

Here is Chase U for their championship celebration. Duke Hudson thanks Ridge Holland and admits he was wrong, with Andre Chase joining in the thank you. Cue Axiom and Nathan Frazier to say they’re the best team in NXT, which the fans don’t seem to like. Frazier talks about running themselves into the ground, which let Chase U get the perfect time for a title shot.

Now they want a title shot of their own but Holland cuts them off. Holland talks about how he was looking for a way to find himself. That’s what he found in Chase U and he worked that hard to become a champion. Hudson suggests himself and Riley Osborne vs. Axiom/Frazier, and if Axiom and Frazier win, they might get a title shot at No Mercy. The workout pants are ripped off and we’re ready to go. That was a little heelish from Chase U and I’m not feeling that in the slightest.

Chase U vs. Axiom/Nathan Frazier

Osborne dropkicks Axiom to start but everything breaks down in a hurry, with Hudson putting both of them down on the floor. Osborne hits a big running lip dive and we take an early break. Back with Hudson sending Axiom flying with a German suplex and hitting a swinging Boss Man Slam for two on Frazier.

A wheelbarrow faceplant/flipping faceplant combination gets two with Frazier making the save. Frazier avoids a shooting star from Osborne and hits a springboard reverse Spanish Fly (that was cool). The Phoenix splash misses but Axiom is right there with the Golden Ratio/brainbuster combination to finish Osborne at 9:18.

Rating: C+. Pretty run of the mill idea here and that’s all it needed to be. They needed to set up a title match at No Mercy and that should get them there, though I’m a bit surprised that Axiom and Frazier’s longstanding issues seem to be just fine. For now though, there is still the chance of Chase U falling apart, which should add some drama to the title match.

Ava says Karmen Petrovic is injured and out of the gauntlet match. Izzi Dame comes in and says this is Ava’s chance to fix the mistake, but Ava isn’t going to reward bad behavior. Brinley Reece is in instead. Of note: Kelani Jordan could be seen behind them looking for something.

Brinley Reece is in the gauntlet match but Wren Sinclair comes in to say she’s winning.

Wendy Choo vs. Lola Vice

Choo jumps her to start and slowly hammers away. That’s broken up with some shots to the face and Vice sends her outside, with some dancing taking us to a break. Back with Choo choking away and shrugging off Vice’s rollup. A neckbreaker gives Choo two and we hit the neck crank, with Vice not taking long to fight back.

The rapid fire kicks set up the running hip attack in the corner for two but Choo grabs a sleeper. That’s broken up with a backpack Stunner and they’re both down. Cue Kelani Jordan…who gets inside for some reason and accidentally gets hit with Vice’s spinning backfist. The distraction lets Choo get in a pillow shot for the pin at 11:02.

Rating: C. I’m going to assume the pillow is loaded, but my goodness I cannot bring myself to care about the Choo stuff. It feels like such a try hard with making her weird or whatever and the whole sleep deal was bad enough before her injury. It wouldn’t surprise me to see her beat Jordan for the title anyway, even if Jordan feels like she could be something if given the chance (and a lot more time).

Post match Jordan challenges Choo for No Mercy and then hits her with the pillow. Said pillow contains….the Women’s North American Title, which Choo apparently stole.

Wes Lee doesn’t like Joe Hendry coming in here and trying to seal the NXT spotlight. We go split screen with Hendry not liking Lee talking down about TNA. The Rascalz were back here to help boost Lee up, but Lee says he’ll see Hendry tonight. Hendry says tonight is the biggest match of his life, because a #1 contenders match for the NXT Title is apparently bigger than headlining a TNA PPV for the TNA World Title.

Fallon Henley and Jacy Jayne rant about the lack of respect for the veterans. They only have one person who listens to them, and that’s Jazmyn Nyx. They came up together in this business and they are the Fatal Influence. That’s not a bad name and it’s better than…whatever word salad they use for the new women’s group on Raw.

Gauntlet Eliminator

Six women, three minute intervals, elimination rules for the Women’s Title shot at No Mercy. Wren Sinclair is in at #1 and Sol Ruca is in at #2 and they exchange arm control to start. Ruca is back up with a full nelson but Sinclair pulls her down into a half crab. Sinclair makes it even craftier with the surfboard but Ruca is up again for a collision. Both of them are down and Adrianna Rizzo is in at #3 with a double high crossbody.

Sinclair is back up with a choke but Ruca drives her into the corner for the break. Rizzo hits something like an AA into a basement Molly Go Round, with Sinclair breaking up the cover (for some reason). Back up and Ruca plants Rizzo for the elimination at 4:58 and we take a break. Back with Brinley Reece in at #4 and hitting (kind of) a flipping double clothesline. Kendal Grey comes in at #5 and starts cleaning house, including knocking Reece silly for the elimination at 10:02.

Grey gets caught in Ruca’s electric chair for a faceplant, allowing Ruca to grab the completely logical surfboard. Sinclair is back in but gets caught in an X Factor, allowing Ruca to throw Grey onto Sinclair outside. The moonsault takes both of them down but it’s Jaida Parker in at #6 to complete the field. House is cleaned again and Parker hits her seated senton in the corner to Grey, setting up the gordbuster for the pin at 13:35.

Sinclair rolls Parker up for two, only to have Ruca grab the Sol Snatcher for the elimination at 13:58. It’s Ruca vs. Parker for the title shot with Ruca grabbing some rollups for two each. Parker’s powerbomb falls down but Ruca’s cradle doesn’t count as she’s in the ropes. A cross arm German suplex gets two on Parker but she avoids the springboard splash, setting up the running hip attack to end Ruca at 15:41.

Rating: B-. That ending sequence did NOT look good as Parker seemed to have the wind knocked out of her. Other than that, there was enough good action to make it work, but the important thing is putting someone new in the title picture. Parker has felt like a breakout star for a long time now and she might have a shot at the title here. At the same time, Ruca continues to feel like the next big thing, and it wouldn’t surprise me to see her as the next challenger after No Mercy.

Post match Parker, with OTM around her, says she has next for the Women’s Title.

Ethan Page is ready for the main event, when Pete Dunne comes in to talk about how long he holds titles. Dunne is going to break Page’s fingers and ego at No Mercy.

Hank Walker/Tank Ledger vs. OC

Anderson drives Ledger into the corner to start and slowly hammers away. Walker comes in for a shot shot of his own and the double standing splash gets two on Anderson. Gallows is up with a big boot to Walker and the beating ensues on the floor. The chinlock goes on back inside but Walker fights up, allowing the tag off to Ledger…who gets booted down by Gallows. The Magic Killer is broken up and Ledger is back up with a springboard spinning clothesline. The powerslam/running shoulder combination finishes Anderson at 4:24.

Rating: C+. I’m not a fan of either of these teams but points for at least going with someone new. Walker and Ledger have been presented as a bit more important in recent weeks and giving them a win over an established team is a good move. I’m not sure if it leads anywhere (and I hope it doesn’t) but at least they’re inching in a direction.

Post match Walker (a former security guard) celebrates with security while Gallows and Anderson yell.

Edris Enofe and Malik Blade say they see through Shawn Spears manipulating Brooks Jensen. Spears says they’re both lost souls but makes them mad with a reference to Brinley Reece. The brawl is on and the camera goes down, with Spears seemingly getting hit with something made of metal. Jensen runs in for the save.

Here is the No Quarter Catch Crew to celebrate getting the Heritage Cup back. Charlie Dempsey talks about how the Heritage Cup is what the team needs to live and now order has been restored. Wren Sinclair cuts him off and doesn’t know who “Lou Robinson or Billy Thesz” are, but if Dempsey likes them, they must be good. Sinclair: “Charles will defend the title against anyone, anytime.”

Cue Oba Femi (Sinclair: “I AM SO SORRY!” She’s the funniest Sinclair since Earl.) to say he’d love to face Dempsey, but cue the D’Angelo Family to interrupt. Tony D’Angelo says he has his eyes on something else, meaning he stares at Femi. A snap of the fingers has the Family beating up the Crew, and D’Angelo spinebusters Femi to stand tall. I’ve heard worse ideas.

Ashante Thee Adonis loses the women’s attention to Dion Lennox.

Wren Sinclair leaves the Heritage Cup with Je’Von Evans but Gallus comes up to say Evans knows nothing about technical wrestling. Violence is teased but Cedric Alexander comes in to even things up a bit.

Dion Lennox vs. Ashante Thee Adonis

Lennox hits a dropkick to start and tosses him into the air for a big crash. Back up and Adonis sends him outside for a dive before ripping at Lennox’s ears. Lennox fights up and grabs a spinebuster for two but Adonis pulls him off the top and onto the ropes. The Long Kiss Goodnight (Sweet Chin Music) finishes Lennox at 3:41.

Rating: C. This would be in the “and moving on” section as neither of them has done anything of note around here and then they had a completely average match. Lennox is pretty much known only for his glasses while Adonis is known for standing around with the women backstage. I’m not sure how much this enhanced Adonis but it was pretty much just there.

Lexis King is getting his throne polished when the women of Meta Four come in to complain about Fatal Influence. King pops in to say that while Fatal Influence is a cool name, the Meta Two…and that doesn’t sit well with them. With King gone, Oro Mensah comes in and everything is ok.

No Mercy rundown.

Joe Hendry vs. Pete Dunne vs. Wes Lee

For a shot at Ethan Page (on commentary) at No Mercy. Lee and Dunne jump the posing Hendry to start but Lee gets knocked out to the floor. Dunne stomps on Hendry in the corner as Lee comes back in, only to be catapulted head first into a low blow on Dunne. Back up and Lee kicks Hendry in the face, only to miss a dive. Dunne misses a moonsault to the floor onto Lee and they brawl until Hendry dives onto both of them.

The grin at the camera takes us to a break and we come back with Hendry cleaning house. A double fall away slam sends the villains flying but Lee drops both of them with a springboard moonsault. Back up and Dunne cranks on both of their fingers at once but Lee is back up with some kicks to Dunne’s head. A middle rope moonsault into a tornado DDT gives Lee two and frustration is setting in. Hendry gets dropped so Lee can hit a frog splash for two more.

Dunne snaps Lee’s fingers again but walks into the Standing Ovation, only to have Page pull the referee. Lee gets planted onto the announcers’ table but Page cuts off another referee. Dunne hits the Bitter End but Trick Williams runs in with the Trick Shot (in a GREAT bit of camera work as you didn’t see him coming) to drop Dunne cold. Hendry gets the pin and the title shot at 12:19 as Page can’t make the save in time.

Rating: B-. I really liked that ending as they filmed it perfectly and went with the surprise that actually worked. Other than that, Hendry getting the title shot is certainly a choice and I’m curious to see if they pull that trigger. He’s certainly the most interesting of the three options, though if he winds up winning the NXT Title before the TNA World Title, I don’t think I could laugh much harder.

Post match Zachary Wentz runs in to brawl with Lee to end the show with the crowd being VERY appreciative.

Overall Rating: B-. The last two minutes or so were rather good and the rest of the show was solid enough. This was a show built around the idea of setting up No Mercy and most of that was taken care of in one big night. The wrestling was passable, but they packed a lot into one show and I can go with that as a way to get things rolling towards the pay per view. That’s what NXT does and they made it work again here.

Results
Axiom/Nathan Frazier b. Chase U – Golden Ratio/brainbuster combination to Osborne
Wendy Choo b. Lola Vice – Pillow shot
Jaida Parker won the Gauntlet Eliminator last eliminating Sol Ruca
Hank Walker/Tank Ledger b. OC – Powerslam/running shoulder combination to Anderson
Ashante Thee Adonis b. Dion Lennox – Long Kiss Goodnight
Joe Hendry b. Pete Dunne and Wes Lee – Trick Shot to Dunne

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NXT LVL Up
Date: August 16, 2024
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Blake Howard, Byron Saxton

Unfortunately I’m right back to not being sure what to expect around here, as the show started to change format just enough to draw some interest, only to shift mostly back to the same stuff it had always been. There is some potential to the new version and it would be nice to see it again here. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Mark Coffey vs. Cutler James

Coffey slaps on a headlock to start but gets reversed into the same thing from James. An armbar doesn’t last long on Coffey so James clotheslines him down a few times. A wheelbarrow faceplant gives James two and Coffey is a bit shaken up. That doesn’t work for Coffey, who hits James in the face to take over.

A forearm to the back of the head gives Coffey two and he shrugs off James’ comeback, setting up the chinlock. Back up and Coffey misses a middle rope crossbody of all things, allowing James to grab a suplex for two. Ryback’s old Shell Shock (with commentary name dropping it) gets two but Coffey is back up with a heck of a right hand for the pin at 6:53.

Rating: C+. James got in a good bit more offense than I would have expected and it made for a nice enough match. If nothing else, it’s strange to see Coffey wrestling a singles match as it doesn’t tend to be his forte. Not bad at all here and something different than the norm, which is nice to see.

Earlier this week, Izzi Dame and Adrianna Rizzo got in an argument on Tik Tok.

Cutler James says Mark Coffey’s resume doesn’t make this loss any easier but it’s all about mindset. He’ll keep learning and moving forward.

Izzi Dame vs. Adrianna Rizzo

Most of the D’Angelo Family is here with Rizzo, who cranks away on the arm to start. Dame’s missed charge in the corner hits the post and Rizzo sends the arm into the rope. Dame is right back with a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker for two and she bends Rizzo’s knee around the post. An over the shoulder backbreaker keeps Rizzo in trouble but she slips out and hammers away. Something like a running flapjack gives Dame two but Rizzo is back with a running Molly Go Round for the pin at 4:51.

Rating: C. I was surprised by the result there as Rizzo has only done a little bit around here while Dame was seemingly being built up for a bigger role. It’s nice to have something of a surprise though and Rizzo did look solid in defeat. The women’s division around here has quite the depth of talent and adding Rizzo to it would make things that much better.

Overall Rating: C. Just two matches this week and it wouldn’t surprise me if something was trimmed, as they got out of there in a hurry after the main event ended. If they don’t have much to air this week, I would certainly prefer that they just get on with it like this, as stretching things out is rarely a good idea. Not much to see here, but it’s only about twenty minutes long so it can only be so bad.

Results
Mark Coffey b. Cutler James – Right hand
Adrianna Rizzo b. Izzi Dame – Basement Molly Go Round

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NXT LVL Up
Date: June 7, 2024
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Blake Howard, Byron Saxton

It’s time for the most unique WWE show of the week (other than Speed, but one match is barely a show) and I’m not sure what that is going to mean. There have been some bigger names around as of late and that should help a bit. That being said, you don’t really watch around here for continuity so maybe we can have a good match or two. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Tank Ledger vs. Tavion Heights

Hank Walker is here with Ledger. They fight over a lockup to start with Heights grabbing a headlock on the mat. Ledger fights up and is quickly put back down with a headlock takeover. Back up again and Ledger fires off some flying shoulders but charges into a backdrop, meaning it’s time for a breather on the floor. Heights sends him into the corner a few times and grabs a Russian legsweep for two, only to get sent into the corner. Ledger knees him in the ribs, setting up an atomic drop and spinning middle rope shoulder. A Bubba Bomb finishes Heights at 4:49.

Rating: C+. Not a bad power match here, though I could go for Heights winning a few more matches every so often. He has a good look and the skills to back it up in the ring, but so far he’s little more than a jobber to the stars. Or as big of a star as Ledger is going to be as part of a low level tag team.

Wren Sinclair is still looking for her first win and is ready to face Adrianna Rizzo.

Adrianna Rizzo vs. Wren Sinclair

The D’Angelo Family is here with Rizzo, who works on a hammerlock to start. A dropkick sends Sinclair into the ropes but she’s back with an abdominal stretch. That’s broken up and they trade rollup attempts for two each until Rizzo hits a running flipping seated senton for the pin at 3:22.

Rating: C. Rizzo hasn’t really gotten to showcase herself and it was made even worse by her not being around for a good while. I’m not sure how far she’ll go in NXT but she had a nice enough match here. On the other hand you have Sinclair, who isn’t exactly doing well when it comes to winning, but she isn’t bad at all out there.

Post match Rizzo helps her up to her feet and respect is shown.

Chase U vs. Javier Bernal/Drake Morreaux

Osborne and Bernal start things off with the former hitting a leg lariat. Morreaux comes in and runs Osborne over with a shoulder to it’s off to Hudson as well. A Rock Bottom out of the corner plants Bernal and Hudson drops Osborne onto him for two. It’s back to Morreaux for a big boot so Bernal can get two and Morreaux’s belly to back suplex gets the same. A flying mare gets Osborne out of trouble, allowing the tag off to Hudson. That means a big boot to put Bernal on the floor for a bit flip dive from Osborne (breaking Bernal’s foot in the process) and a reverse DDT finishes Morreaux at 6:46.

Rating: C+. I can always go for some more Chase U, even if it is the lower end of the team like this. Hudson can do rather well when he gets the chance, though unfortunately that is not often the case. Speaking of unfortunately, we have Bernal’s foot, which might not let him get back in the ring for a long time. Hopefully he gets better soon, but that really did not look good.

Overall Rating: C. The wrestling was just ok for the most part and that isn’t enough to make me that interested in such a show. The biggest deal here is Bernal’s foot injury and you don’t want to see anyone having to deal with that sort of thing. Other than that, it felt like a pretty bottom of the barrel show, which isn’t a great sign around here.

Results
Tank Ledger b. Tavion Heights – Bubba Bomb
Adrianna Rizzo b. Wren Sinclair – Running flipping seated senton
Chase U b. Javier Bernal/Drake Morreaux – Reverse DDT to Bernal

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

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