NXT LVL Up
Date: July 12, 2024
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Blake Howard, Byron Saxton

It’s another one of these shows and I’ve again given up trying to figure out what to expect on here. Odds are we’ll be seeing a bunch of the same stuff from most of the same people, but there is still the chance of getting a new face in there somewhere. That at least opens up some doors, though I’m not sure I’ll get my hopes up. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Malik Blade vs. Cutler James

Brinley Reece and Edris Enofe are here with Blade, whose early drop toehold attempt is blocked. A monkey flip is blocked as well and James hits a rather nice backdrop. Back up and Blade’s rollup is countered into a faceplant as he can’t get anything going here. An elbow in the corner sets up a clothesline to put James down though and a middle rope Blockbuster does it again. A frog splash finishes James off at 3:45.

Rating: C-. This was actually a bit disappointing as they were setting up something with James cutting him off over and over but then it just went nowhere as Blade won. I was thinking they might be trying something new here but never mind instead. It’s still weird to see Blade on his own, though it’s not like the team is going anywhere.

Hank Walker and Tank Ledger use football talk to prep for their tag match.

Layla Diggs vs. Tatum Paxley

This is Diggs’ singles debut and she takes Paxley down into an early armbar. Paxley can’t nip up her way to freedom as Diggs keeps taking her back down into the armbar. Back up and a Code Red out of the corner gets two but Paxley starts in on the leg to take over. A running crossbody in the corner gives Paxley two and she grabs something like a Stump Puller, albeit with all four limbs tied up (it’s a weird one). Diggs fights up but her knee is hurt…so badly that she cartwheels into a moonsault for two. Possibly offended by the lack of selling, Paxley is back up with the Psycho Trap for the pin at 4:48.

Rating: C. Diggs showed some promise but there are all kinds of women around here with some kind of gymnastics background who are in great shape. That is only going to get her so far and you’re only going to get so much out of that in a four minute match. Paxley is starting to get some more ring time too and if she gets elevated a bit as a result, cool.

Dion Lennox and Uriah Connors are ready for the main event, even against better competition. You usually only get one of the main event’s participants commenting so this is a nice change of pace.

Uriah Connors/Dion Lennox vs. Hank Walker/Tank Ledger

Walker and Lennox start things off with the former hitting a running shoulder and grabbing a quickly broken chinlock. Back up and Lennox shoulders him down, setting up a backsplash from Connors. Ledger comes in to run Connors over for two and a double running body block crushes him again.

Lennox knocks Walker outside to take over, setting up a belly to back suplex for two back inside. Connors stomps away before Walker hits Lennox, which just annoys him. Walker fights out of the corner though and hands it back to Ledger to pick up the pace. A spinebuster gives Lennox two but Walker and Ledger are right back with the Collision Course for the pin on Lennox at 7:27.

Rating: C+. Lennox and Connors got more in here than I would have expected and that was nice to see. This could have been little more than a squash but they put in some more effort to make it better. Walker and Ledger are treated as a much bigger deal than most acts around here so having them in the main event made the show feel better.

Overall Rating: C. This was as all over the place as LVL Up is going to be as you had a lame opener, a mediocre middle match and a good enough main event. You can only break a show like this down so much as it isn’t like there is anything worth seeing most of the time. I could go for more development of personalities and talking segments though, with the second interview being nice to see.

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NXT
Date: July 2, 2024
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Booker T.

It’s the last show before Heatwave and that means it is time to firm up everything that is already on the card. The biggest story continues to be the four way NXT Title match and this week’s show will feature the contract signing, because you can’t have a big match without one. Other than that, Jaida Parker and Michin are having a street fight. Let’s get to it.

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

Jaida Parker vs. Michin

Street fight so Michin brings out the trashcan full of weapons and starts the fight on the floor. Parker is sent into the steps so Michin grabs a chain but only hits steps. Michin knocks her down again though and sends Parker, and a bunch of other stuff inside, with Parker blasting her with a trashcan lid. A Samoan drop puts Michin down for two but she’s right back with a German suplex.

Michin whips off her belt and whips away but Parker sits her on the ropes and sits on the stomach for two. They go outside with Michin getting in a chair to the ribs and posting Parker to put her down again. Michin loads up some chairs on the floor and puts Parker in the middle but the ensuing dive only hits chair for a NASTY landing. Parker’s running hip attack only hits (and breaks) barricade though and we take a break.

Back with Michin piling up chairs and pouring a bunch of bolts onto them. A package piledriver is countered into a backdrop to send Michin onto them instead but she’s right back up with some kendo stick shots. Parker has a trashcan put over her head for a cannonball in the corner and a near fall. Michin grabs a steel pipe but Parker blasts her with a fire extinguisher and hits a hip attack through a wooden wall. Back in and a running hip attack finishes Michin at 12:32.

Rating: B. I wasn’t expecting much from this one and they wound up beating the fire out of each other with some rather intense brawling. Parker gets a nice win as well and looked like more of a star than she ever has before. This was a very nice surprise and I was pulled into it by the end. Nice job.

Arianna Grace annoys Karmen Petrovic in the back and complains about Sol Ruca snatching her soul last week. Jacy Jayne and Jazmyn Nyx come in to mock Petrovic but bail from her issuing a challenge.

Je’Von Evans is excited for his first premium live event and is ready to come back over the border as the new NXT Champion.

Video on Kelani Jordan and her gymnastics background.

Hank Walker/Tank Ledger vs. New Catch Republic

Bate and Walker start things off with Bate taking over off a headscissors. Dunn comes in but gets run over by Ledger, setting up the double standing body blocks. It’s back to Bate for a suplex on Ledger and Walker comes in again as we take a break. Back with Walker coming back in to beat up Dunne, including a running boot to the face.

Bate gets dropped onto Dunne, setting up a powerbomb/top rope clothesline for two. Bate is back up to send both of them outside but they cut off a flip dive through the ropes. Walker and Ledger hit running body blocks to knock both of them off the apron, followed by a toss into a belly to back suplex for two on Dunne. Bate comes back in and drops Ledger, setting up a Spiral Tap for the pin at 11:30.

Rating: B-. I get what they’re going for with the team, but I have never gotten the appeal of Walker and Ledger. It feels like a team that has been done better multiple times and that they were given this style because nothing else was going to work for them. It doesn’t help that they’re only so good in the first place, but they did at least have a good showing here against a better team.

Respect is shown post match.

Video on Shawn Spears, who is back to win the NXT Title in his hometown.

Earlier today, Oro Mensah met with Stevie Turner and Mr. Stone, who tell him what he has to do tonight (face Myles Borne) and bicker a lot. Mensah is also barred from Heatwave after his attacks on Ethan Page, which doesn’t seem to bug him.

Brinley Reece vs. Izzi Dame

Dame slams her to start and hits a swinging Side Effect to take over early on. Reece fights back up with a flipping clothesline and they head outside, where Tatum Paxley crawls through the broken wall from the street fight. The distraction lets Reece grab a rollup for two, followed by a rollup for two. Dame is back with a Falcon Arrow for the pin at 2:47. Not much to this one.

Chase U talks about the history of NXT in Toronto but Duke Hudson and Ridge Holland keep talking in the back. Hudson talks about how Holland gave them an assist, even if he didn’t want one. We see the photos from last week, showing Holland cheating, which doesn’t sit well with anyone. Holland talks about how he wanted to be part of the family and helped in any way he could, but Andre Chase asks Holland to stay here while everyone else goes to Heatwave. Please let them win the titles already. They could use the boost.

Here is Lola Vice to call out Roxanne Perez, who comes out with extra security. They have an awkward exchange about how Vice is an MMA fighter and Perez would have gotten wrecked in NXT Underground, but this isn’t Bellator. Vice gets emotional and talks about how we all know Perez’s story but Vice has never told her own story. She talks about being in training for the Olympics….and she can’t speak because of the tears.

By the time she was 20 she was fighting in Madison Square Garden and now she’s going to win the title on Sunday and call her mom to thank her. Perez isn’t sure how to respond to that but says the reality is that everyone in the locker room wants to make that phone call. Those calls don’t happen when Perez is involved though and Vice will find out why she’s called the Prodigy.

Perez isn’t giving up her title to anyone but Vice says she’s taking it from her. Vice has knocked her out again and she’ll show how great she is again on Sunday. Vice promises to become the first ever Cuban American Women’s Champion…and then beats up one of the security guards. This was an incredibly emotional promo from Vice, but it didn’t make for the best segment as Perez didn’t have much of a follow up. This would have been MUCH better as a pre-taped vignette from Vice, but she definitely got some fans behind her here.

Ethan Page is ready to win the NXT Title.

The No Quarter Catch Crew is giving Myles Borne a pep talk before his match tonight when Damon Kemp comes in with some brass knuckles. Charlie Dempsey isn’t pleased in a funny bit.

Earlier this week, Lexis King interrupted Eddy Thorpe’s DJing and says it should be more about old school rock. Thorpe says not so fast and a match seems to be set.

Myles Borne vs. Oro Mensah

The rest of the No Quarter Catch Crew and Meta Four are here too. They go to the mat to start with Mensah getting the better of things to frustrate Borne. Mensah grabs a headlock takeover and talks some trash on the mat but Borne fights up. Borne sends him throat first onto the top rope and grabs a neckbreaker for two.

We take a break and come back with Mensah knocking him down and hitting a moonsault. A t-bone suplex into a rolling Liger kick drops Borne but he’s right back with a heck of a dropkick. Kemp offers Borne the brass knuckles but the distraction lets Mensah hit the running spinwheel kick (more a spinning knee to the arm) for the pin at 8:25.

Rating: C+. So I guess Mensah is getting a push now. I’ve heard worse ideas, as Meta Four is a popular act, even with Noam Dar on the shelf. The team could use someone else if they’re going to be dealing with the Crew, but at least they’re off to a good start with a nice first win for Mensah.

Wes Lee is ready to win the North American Title back but Oba Femi doesn’t see it the same way.

Tyson DuPont/Tyriek Igwe and Gallus get in a fight in the back.

Edris Enofe and Malik Blade aren’t happy with Brinley Reece’s loss so she’s ready to leave. If they want to come with her, they can.

The OC wants revenge on OTM.

Wendy Choo vs. Carlee Bright

Kendal Gray is here too. Bright kicks away to start but Choo cuts her off and hits a rolling Downward Spiral. Choo ties her in the Tree of Woe for a running dropkick but Bright makes the clothesline comeback. Choo gets her knees up to cut Bright off though and the cobra clutch makes Bright tap at 4:05.

Rating: C. Bright (and Gray) is in a weird place as they’re still so new that they don’t have the experience or skill to carry a match. At the same time, she don’t have much in the way of backgrounds or character work beyond “I was an athlete in college”. Maybe that development can come later, but for now, there isn’t much to go on.

Trick Williams is ready for Heatwave.

Commentary throws us to Shawn Michaels talking about the Brooks Jensen situation, including a variety of the clips and incidents that have taken place. Jensen has been asked to step away from NXT to clear his head but he is also invited to show up here next week to speak with Ava. It’s a big story, but they’re going to need a home run to get around the fact that it’s Brooks Jensen.

Karmen Petrovic vs. Jazmyn Nyx

Jacy Jayne is here with Nyx. They fight over wrist control to start with Petrovic knocking her down, setting p a running basement Blockbuster for two. Jayne’s distraction doesn’t really work but Nyx gets in a kick to the ribs to take over. A Shining Wizard gives Nyx two and she grabs a figure four necklock. Petrovic gets a rollup for….two, though it seemed that Nyx was pinned. Anyway, Petrovic fires off some elbows but Jayne offers another distraction, allowing Nyx to kick Petrovic in the face for the pin a 3:47.

Rating: C. Jayne and Nyx are fine enough as a pair but they feel pretty low level around here. Giving them some wins can help and their association with Fallon Henley gives them a boost, but that’s about all they have at the moment. They need something to make them stand out and I’m not sure what that could be.

Axiom and Nathan Frazer argue over team vs. singles goals.

Karmen Petrovic comes in to see Ava, who makes a tag match with Arianna Grace/Petrovic vs. Jacy Jayne/Jazmyn Nyx. Petrovic has a headache.

Video on Sol Ruca and her athletic background.

Heatwave rundown.

It’s time for the contract signing for the NXT Title, with champion Trick Williams, Ethan Page, Shawn Spears and Je’Von Evans. Williams says the other three are going to bring it in Toronto but the fans are going to be chanting WHOOP THAT TRICK. Page loves the swagger but he saw this at Battleground and knows he can beat him at Heatwave.

Williams promises to win, with Spears saying he loves the emotion. That emotion is going to bring Spears the title, just like it got him a win last week. Evans mocks Spears, who calls him out for being young. Evans signs, with Spears talking about how Evans is at his first major event. Spears signs and hands the contract down before Evans promises to win the title.

Spears shrugs that off and hands Williams the contract, but Page takes it away and signs anyway. Williams says it’s everyone for themselves and praises Evans, but promises that no one can take the title from him. The argument, and the fight, is on, with Page and Spears being put through tables to end the show. They’re in a weird place with this story as it’s only so interesting in the first place, but this was a nice effort to make the title felt like the important thing, along with Williams being in danger.

Overall Rating: C+. This wasn’t the strongest go home show, though it did have some high points. The street fight and big closing segment were good, but some of the matches felt like they were throwing anything they could out there to fill in time before they could head to Toronto. Not a bad show, but I’m not overly excited for Heatwave and this didn’t do much to change that feeling.

Results
Jaida Parker b. Michin – Running hip attack
New Catch Republic b. Hank Walker/Tank Ledger – Spiral Tap to ledger
Izzi Dame b. Brinley Reece – Falcon Arrow
Oro Mensah b. Myles Borne – Running spinwheel kick in the corner
Wendy Choo b. Carlee Bright – Cobra clutch
Jazmyn Nyx b. Karmen Petrovic – Kick to the head

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: June 11, 2024
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Booker T.

Battleground has come and gone and the biggest story is Kelani Jordan winning the inaugural Women’s North American Title. It wasn’t the most eventful show but now we have less than a month before Heatwave. That means we’re going to need to set things up rather quickly and odds are it starts tonight. Let’s get to it.

Here is Battleground if you need a recap.

We open with a long Battleground recap.

Here is Kelani Jordan to say she is so proud of winning her first title. There is no legacy to this title so it is up to her to establish one. Cue Jaida Parker to interrupt, seemingly wanting to be the first challenger, after she beats Michin that is. Cue Michin to jump her from behind and we’re ready to go.

Michin vs. Jaida Parker

They’re immediately brawling to start, with Parker being knocked into the corner. Parker fights out of a choke and avoids a Cannonball in the corner, setting up a hip attack. We take a break and come back with Parker working on the arm and getting two off a running shoulder. Michin fights up and hits a running dropkick in the corner, setting up a running DDT. Parker’s hip attack sends Michin outside and cue the OC to check on her. That doesn’t work for Parker, who grabs a chair. The OC isn’t letting that happen, which is enough for Michin to grab the rollup pin at 9:50.

Rating: C. I’m a bit surprised that Parker took a loss, as she had seemed to be coming up the ladder in recent weeks. It’s a loss to a main roster star, but Michin is far from the most successful name on Smackdown. On top of that, the OC is still around and that is just downright unpleasant on a variety of levels.

We look at Gallus attacking Wes Lee at Battleground.

The New Catch Republic aren’t going to let Gallus get away with that.

Chase U (with the classroom back) argues with Ridge Holland. Thea Hail: “WILL EVERYBODY SHUT THE F*** UP???” She reminds everyone of their flaws and says Chase U is about giving chances. No one is going to argue with that.

Gallus vs. New Catch Republic/Wes Lee

Bate headscissors Mark down to start and it’s off to Dunne to work on the arm. Dunne snaps the fingers and it’s back to Bate for the airplane spin. The good guys stand tall and we take a break. Back with Wolfgang hitting a backsplash for two on Bate with Dunne making the save.

Bate fights up and hits his rebound lariat to Mark but Joe breaks up the tag attempt. Then Bate rolls over and makes the tag anyway, with Lee coming in to clean house. Everything breaks down and we hit dives so fast that the camera misses some of them. Lee’s running Meteora gets two on Mark but Joe is back up with All The Best For The Bells and the pin at 9:47.

Rating: B-. That’s the kind of win Gallus has been needing. They can go in and do all of the beatdowns and such that they want, but the team hasn’t had a good win on their own in a while now. Beating a main roster team and a successful star like Lee makes the team look that much better and hopefully they can go somewhere else as a result.

Jaida Parker tells OTM that she’s running Michin out of NXT.

Brinley Reece isn’t worried about Wendy Choo, but Edris Enofe and Malik Blade aren’t so sure.

We look at Sol Ruca training for Battleground, as well as getting her gear made.

Wendy Choo vs. Brinley Reece

It’s the evil version of Choo, complete with dark pajamas, a lot of makeup and the pillow. Choo charges at her to start and runs Reece over, though Reece gets in a knee to the face. Choo is right back with a hammerlock lariat and a cobra clutch makes Reece tap at 1:46. It’s better than…whatever Choo was before the injury. I think.

We look at Oro Mensah attacking Ethan Page in recent weeks. As a result, Mensah has been banned from the building.

Roxanne Perez is here for the state of the women’s division address but won’t tell Mr. Stone what she has to say.

Here is Cody Rhodes for a chat and yeah the fans seem to like him. Rhodes talks about his upcoming title defense against AJ Styles and says that while Styles is a lot of things, after Saturday, he’ll also be a quitter. Cue NXT Champion Trick Williams to say he was on the way to the ring but had to defer to Cody. They’re both champions and they both had similar paths to get where they are today.

Now that they have their championships, everything feels different now that people are coming after them. So how do you deal with being the hunted? Cody implies that Williams could come after his title, but he has some business here. Tonight, he has been given the authority to announce that Williams’ next challenger will be determined next week in a 25 man battle royal…..and some of the entrants might be coming from different locker rooms. Williams is ready but has one question: is Cody coming to the 4th of July cookout? Sure he is, so posing can ensue.

We look at Je’Von Evans brawling with Shawn Spears last week.

Dante Chen is ready to end Lexis King.

Wendy Choo scares some of the other women.

Dante Chen vs. Lexis King

Singapore Cane match, meaning they weapons are legal. Chen jumps him during his entrance and the fight is on fast, with Chen striking away. King fights up though and cracks him over the back with a stick. King chokes with the stick in the corner and then again in the middle, with the fans staying behind Chen.

It seems to work as Chen fights up and chokes as well but King unloads on him with stick shots. Back up and Chen sends him into a stick in the corner and goes nuts with a series of shots. They go outside and King gets in some shots with his own cane, which apparently is more impactful. The Coronation, with the cane, finishes Chen at 6:27.

Rating: C. This match did absolutely nothing to get around the biggest problem with Chen: he has nothing to make him stand out. Other than being from Singapore, I could not tell you anything about Chen whatsoever. He’s perfectly fine at what he does, but I need something, or anything for that matter, that makes me care about him in the slightest.

Cody Rhodes runs into Jazmyn Nyx and the injured Jacy Jayne in the back. As luck would have it, Cody has a present for Jayne: a clear mask to protect her broken nose. Looks rather dashing.

Eddy Thorpe is ready to fight again after a long time healing.

Michin leaves Ava’s office and tells the OC that she’s the first challenger for Kelani Jordan’s Women’s North American Title.

Someone grabs Vic Joseph and while we see a glimpse of the side of his face (it might have been Brooks Jensen) no name is said. Ok then.

Eddy Thorpe vs. Tavion Heights

Heights takes him down with a front facelock to start and Thorpe gets over to the rope. Back up and Thorpe grabs a belly to back suplex for one as Heights is up fast. Heights’ standing belly to belly suplex (it was almost a backdrop) sets up a fireman’s carry faceplant as Thorpe is in trouble. Something like a Coronation sets up a dragon sleeper but Thorpe fights out and hits an elbow to the face. An implant DDT finishes for Thorpe at 4:17.

Rating: C+. Thorpe had to start his comeback somewhere and it makes sense that he had a bit of rust to shake off first. Heights isn’t the biggest name around but he’s someone who can give Thorpe enough of a sweat. I could go for more of both of them so they were off to a nice start in the comeback here.

No Quarter Catch Crew is impressed with Tavion Heights, so Charlie Dempsey tells Myles Borne to go get him as the team might need a new member. Damon Kemp isn’t sure, so Dempsey says he didn’t like Kemp losing two straight to Tony D’Angelo (Borne’s WOW face is great).

Stevie Turner interrupts Ava and Mr. Stone, saying that Roxanne Perez is going to demand an apology from Ava tonight. Ava doesn’t seem impressed.

Shawn Spears vs. Je’Von Evans

Evans chops away to start and snaps off a running hurricanrana. Spears gets in a shot of his own though and chokes on the ropes. Back up and Evans hits a dropkick to the floor, followed by another one through the ropes as we take a break. We come back with Spears working on a half crab until Evans crawls over to the rope. Evans fights up and hits a kick to the head into a spinning belly to back slam to start the comeback.

Spears catches him with a kick of his own though and a top rope hanging DDT gets two. The C4 is countered and Evans hits a top rope Cody Cutter, with Spears rolling out to the floor. Evans’ spinning springboard crashes into the corner of the announcers table and he’s in big trouble. Back in and the C4 finishes for Spears at 9:48.

Rating: B-. They had a hard hitting match and Evans looked good in defeat, but I’m surprised at said defeat. Spears might be moving up the ladder a bit, but at the same time, Evans feels like someone who might be on the way to the next level. That makes a loss here look a bit weird, though I can’t imagine this is anything more than a bump in the road for someone who is receiving the reactions Evans is getting.

The D’Angelo Family interrupts the New Catch Republic and Axiom/Nathan Frazer. The Family isn’t impressed, but Frazer seems interested in getting the Heritage Cup back. Axiom reminds him that they’re still the Tag Team Champions, but Frazer looks like he wants more gold.

Shawn Spears, Ethan Page and Lexis King want to win the battle royal next week. Cody Rhodes comes in to say they’re in a good place.

Here is Roxanne Perez to brag about retaining the Women’s Title, just like she promised she would do. She wants Ava to come out here and apologize but here is to say that isn’t likely to happen. Cue Jazmyn Nyx and Jacy Jayne to say not so fast because Jayne has been a star for a lot longer. Lash Legend and Jakara Jackson come in to talk about what they have been doing lately. Now it’s Lola Vice to brag about her win at Battleground and the brawl is on. Perez and Vice clear the ring to end the show. That wasn’t the most eventful segment but Vice getting into the title picture seems like the most obvious choice.

Overall Rating: C+. This was in that weird place of being the show before the important show, which is nice to see coming off Battleground. They let some of the dust settle and covered a few things here, but the real stories and developments are coming next week or shortly thereafter. That’s a good way to go, as there is still more than enough time to get ready for Heatwave. You didn’t need to see a lot of this show, but it was a nice breather on the way to the important parts.

Results
Michin b. Jaida Parker – Rollup
Gallus b. Wes Lee/New Catch Republic – All The Best For The Bells to Lee
Wendy Choo b. Brinley Reece – Cobra clutch
Lexis King b. Dante Chen – Coronation with a cane
Eddy Thorpe b. Tavion Heights – Implant DDT
Shawn Spears b. Je’Von Evans – C4

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: May 28, 2024
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Booker T.

We are just under two weeks away from Battleground and the show is starting to come together. The main event would still likely seem to be Trick Williams defending the NXT Title against Noam Dar but last week saw a bit of a confusing result as Gallus got involved. Other than that, Sexyy Red is here so let’s get to it.

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

Ava introduces rapper Sexyy Red (Booker seems to be a big fan) and says Red will be hosting Battleground. Red unveils the Women’s North American Title (it’s just the men’s version with a white strap) but here is Tatum Paxley to take it away. Michin runs in and we’re ready to go.

Women’s North American Title Qualifying Match: Michin vs. Tatum Paxley

It’s a brawl to start with Michin knocking her into the corner but missing a boot. Paxley stomps away and chokes with a boot as Jaida Parker comes out to watch. Michin knocks her to the apron and hits a baseball slide as we take a break. Back with Parker on commentary and Michin headbutting away in the corner. Eat Defeat is countered into something like a powerslam for two and Paxley belly to backs her for the same. Another suplex is escaped though and Michin hits Eat Defeat for the win at 9:11.

Rating: C. I can’t quite imagine Michin winning the title but adding in a little main roster star power isn’t going to hurt things. I’m a bit surprised Paxley lost here, as she was at least involved in a story around Stand & Deliver. For now, Michin moving forward is the better move though. At the same time, Parker continues to come off like a star in the making as she has a certain poise to her.

Gallus isn’t happy but Meta Four come in to ask why they jumped Noam Dar. Apparently it wasn’t Dar, though Lash Legend insists it wasn’t Trick Williams either. Dang NXT LOVES this mystery attacker stuff.

We look at Shayna Baszler vs. Lola Vice in NXT Underground being set up for Battleground.

Arianna Grace begs Vice to not do this but Vice threatens her. Grace: “Oh s***.”

Riley Osborne vs. Ridge Holland

Chase U is here with Osborne, who slugs away to start. Holland knocks him down and grabs a chinlock. Osborne tries to fight up but gets dropped with a clothesline. A spear through the ropes sends Osborne crashing out to the floor and we take a break. Back with Osborne fighting out of a chinlock but getting dropped with a hard clothesline for two.

Osborne knocks him to the floor but a div is knocked out of the air. Holland takes too long getting the steps though, allowing Osborne to make an actual comeback. That’s broken up just as fast, with Holland kicking him off the ropes and hitting the lifting DDT (which might be called the Redeemer) for the pin at 11:18.

Rating: C+. Osborne was trying to make his comebacks here but Holland kept smothering him with the power and high impact offense. That made for a nice enough story, with Holland taking him out in the end. I’m still not sure what the big endgame is going to be or Holland, but at least they are keeping him somewhat warm on the way there.

Post match Holland offers a handshake but Osborne leaves.

The OC are ready to win the NXT Tag Team Titles and beatdowns will continue until they get their shot.

Oro Mensah has been attacked.

Edris Enofe/Malik Blade vs. OC

Brinley Reece is here with Enofe/Blade. Anderson jumps Blade to start but Enofe comes in off a blind tag to double team Anderson down. Hold on though as Enofe stops to say something Reece but gets knocked off the apron and into her as we take a break. Back with Gallows chinlocking, and then hammering away on, Blade as Enofe is all worried about Reece.

Anderson sends him hard into the corner and Gallows rips at the jaws. Blade slips out of a belly to back suplex though and makes the tag off to Enofe to pick up the pace. Enofe misses something off the top though and gets chokeslammed. The Magic Killer gives Anderson the pin at 9:06.

Rating: C. They’re big names, but my goodness it’s hard to get interested in whatever the OC is doing. You can probably pencil them in for a title shot at Battleground and that should be a nice win for Axiom and Nathan Frazer, but it doesn’t make for the most interesting stories on the way there. As much as I like them, Enofe and Blade do not seem to be going anywhere anytime soon and the Reece relationship might be in danger too.

Post match Axiom and Nathan Frazer run in and clear the OC out before giving them the title match at Battleground.

Video on Dante Chen, who has been around here for a long time but finally got his chance last week.

Chen thanks some wrestlers for thanking him but Lexis King comes in to say that will never happen again. The rematch is set for tonight.

Trick Williams and Je’Von Evans get along with Sexyy Red.

Here is Roxanne Perez to find out her challenger at Battleground. She has been proud of this title forever while no one else has. Perez began training at 13 years old and has wanted the title for nine years. It represents future greatness instead of present greatness, even though greatness is in front of you. She isn’t happy with Ava for making this happen but here is Ava to interrupt and introduce the new challenger: TNA Knockouts Champion (with belt) Jordynne Grace. Commentary (and the swearing fans) lose their minds and Grace talks about being ready to become a double champion at Battleground.

Eddy Thorpe has been reborn.

Riley Osborne complains to Chase U about Ridge Holland and Duke Hudson gets it. Everyone but Chase leaves and Holland comes in, asking to talk to Chase later.

Lola Vice vs. Arianna Grace

They fight over rollups to start until Vice trips her down and hits a kick to the back. Vice strikes away in the corner but gets suplexed down. Not that it matters as a spinning fist gives Vice the pin at 2:13.

Post match Vice promises to beat Shayna Baszler, who runs out but gets held back by security.

Video on Carlee Bright, a former college cheerleader who is bringing her skills to NXT.

A bunch of women compliment Bright but Izzi Dame comes in to mock her. Karmen Petrovic isn’t having that and a brawl breaks out.

The No Quarter Catch Crew wants the Heritage Cup back and Charlie Dempsey thinks they need to be like the D’Angelo Family. Damon Kemp is getting the title shot.

Oro Mensah is getting checked out by the medical staff but Lash Legend doesn’t believe it was Trick Williams.

Lexis King vs. Dante Chen

King strikes away to start and shouts a lot but gets small packaged for a fast two. A Jackhammer gives King two but Chen crucifixes him for the pin at 1:43.

Post match King lays Chen out and hits the Coronation on exposed concrete.

Josh Briggs looks back at his career history and says he wanted to win on his own but needed a team first. He hasn’t won just yet, but he’ll find out what he is going to be.

Shawn Spears sees a bunch of people who are misguided, with one person in particular. He’ll be their answer.

The D’Angelo Family is ready for the No Quarter Catch Crew, with Tony saying they’ll beat them at their own game next week.

Women’s North American Title Qualifying Match: Kelani Jordan vs. Wren Sinclair

Fallon Henley is on commentary. Sinclair takes her down to start and Jordan is a bit surprised. Back up and Jordan hits a dropkick before elbowing Sinclair out to the floor. They fight over a sunset flip back inside and then a backslide until Jordan grabs a suplex. The split legged moonsault gives Jordan the pin at 3:13.

Rating: C. This was more of a gymnastics routine than anything else and it worked, despite a few mishaps with the counters. Jordan’s minor push continues and she has the athleticism to turn into something. Sinclair continues to be something odd, as she is continuously presented on television but has yet to actually win anything important (or perhaps anything at all). This didn’t have time to go anywhere, but they got in a lot of nice looking stuff in the time they had.

Stevie Turner is in Ava’s office (along with Mr. Stone, who seems to be working there now) and complains about not getting a shot at anything. Jordynne Grace comes in and a match is made for next week.

Wes Lee isn’t worried about Gallus. Oba Femi comes in to say he’s keeping the North American Title at Battleground but Lee is ready to prove him wrong.

Gallus vs. Je’Von Evans/Trick Williams

Sexyy Red is here with Williams and Evans but there is no Wolfgang. Williams runs Mark over to start and gives him a slam before handing it off to Evans. Joe gets taken down and we pause to pose with Red. The delay lets Evans get knocked into the steps and we take an early break.

Back with Evans still in trouble and Mark slamming him for two. Evans flips out of a suplex and dives over to Williams for the hot tag. A headbutt and double slam cuts Williams off as everything breaks down. Mark kicks Evans in the face for two but Joe tries to grab the NXT Title. Red stops him so Evans can take him out, leaving Williams to hit the Trick Shot for the pin on Mark at 8:26.

Rating: C+. The time factor killed this one as about half of the match took place in the break. The big deal here though continues to be Evans, who has been put in a pretty prominent spot and done well with it. He didn’t feel like Williams’ little buddy or lackey but rather a young guy who was holding his own. Nice stuff here, though Williams beating Gallus leaves me wondering who is going to get the title shot. Unless Noam Dar pops back up, this is a bit weird.

Post match Lash Legend comes out to ask if Trick Williams was the one who attacked her friends. Before he can say anything, Ethan Page (Vic: “WASN’T HE IN A…..”) of AEW/TNA fame jumps Williams and says he took out Meta Four. Page holds up the title to end the show. I’d certainly call that a surprise and why not see what they can get out of Page if AEW wasn’t going to use him.

Overall Rating: B. Not the strongest wrestling, but it’s very rare that I’m actually surprised twice in any given show. This was the kind of show that felt like it breathed some life into some fairly dull situations and that is great to see. While Grace is likely gone after Battleground, it gives the show a feeling of “who else is going to show up”. See also Page, who probably wasn’t on many people’s radar. While you can’t do it every week, having a show with some big surprises every so often can be a great shot in the arm. I had a lot more fun with this show than I expected and that is a great thing.

Results
Michin b. Tatum Paxley – Eat Defeat
Ridge Holland b. Riley Osborne – Lifting DDT
OC b. Edris Enofe/Malik Blade – Magic Killer to Enofe
Lola Vice b. Arianna Grace – Spinning fist
Dante Chen b. Lexis King – Crucifix
Kelani Jordan b. Wren Sinclair – Split legged moonsault
Trick Williams/Je’Von Evans b. Gallus – Trick Shot to Mark

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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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NXT LVL Up
Date: May 17, 2024
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Byron Saxton, Blake Howard

We’re back in Orlando and things have actually been getting a bit more interesting around here. There have been a few bigger names around here in recent weeks and that has helped quite a bit. However, this is a bit different than most weeks as it is part of a double taping, meaning a shorter show. Let’s get to it.

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

Tavion Heights vs. Jasper Troy

Troy is 6’8 and 340lbs so we have a new big man. Heights gets caught in an early front facelock before going to an armbar to slow Troy down. Back up and Troy just runs him over with a shoulder but charges into a shot to the face. A big side slam plants Heights again and we hit the chinlock. Heights fights up and hits an overhead belly to belly but Troy powerslams him right back down. Not that it matters as Heights is back up with the spinning belly to belly for the pin at 5:16.

Rating: C. This worked fairly well as a big debut for Troy, who wrestled a nice enough big man match. He wrestles a bit slowly, but that can work for someone his size. Heights is still someone who feels like a project around here and his belly to belly is becoming a nice enough finisher. Not a great match, but they both looked decent.

Brinley Reece and the debuting Layla Diggs are rather positive.

Brinley Reece/Layla Diggs vs. Carlee Bright/Kendal Grey

This is Diggs’, a former track star, in-ring debut. Grey and Diggs start things off with Diggs taking her down into a headscissors. Grey gets her over to the corner for the tag to Bright, who spins around a lot. Diggs drops down into the splits and pulls her into a front facelock, allowing the tag off to Reece. Bright tries to crawl to the corner so Reece grabs her by the legs and swings her into the corner for a basic yet clever counter. Everything breaks down and Reece hits a cartwheel DDT to pin Grey at 4:01.

Rating: C. This was short and much more about the getting the four relative newcomers into the ring. Reece is fairly far in front of the other three but is still pretty new herself. They were smart to keep things short and to the point here, as none of them are ready for a long match, but what we got was just ok enough.

Everyone poses together to end the show.

Overall Rating: C. The show was only 18 minutes long and that makes it hard to get annoyed about some not so great matches. This show was about getting more newcomers into the ring for some ring time and it worked well enough. It’s just a quick show and it did what it was supposed to so we’ll call it right in the middle, as is often the case around here.

Results
Tavion Heights b. Jasper Troy – Spinning belly to belly suplex
Brinley Reece/Layla Diggs b. Carlee Bright/Kendal Grey – Cartwheel DDT to Grey

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NXT
Date: May 14, 2024
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Booker T., Vic Joseph

We’re coming up on Battleground and last week seemed to set the stage for the show’s main event. Noam Dar seems to be coming for Trick Williams and the NXT Title, but Lash Legend is in the middle of the whole thing. Other than that, the Heritage Cup is on the line as Tony D’Angelo challenges Charlie Dempsey. Let’s get to it.

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

Noam Dar has been attacked, with the rest of Meta Four arguing about it. Dar looks…confused?

We look back at last week’s combine, which set up the qualifying matches for the Women’s North American Title match.

Kiana James gives Izzi Dame a pep talk.

Sol Ruca won the combine and is ready to win the title too.

Women’s North American Title Qualifying Match: Sol Ruca vs. Izzi Dame

Ruca walks to the ring on her hands. Dame grabs an armbar to start but Ruca suplexes her way out rather quickly. A middle rope flipping X Factor sends Dame outside and another dive hits her on the floor. Back in and Ruca tries a headscissors but gets thrown over the top for a face first landing into the steps.

Ruca gets dropped onto the announcers’ table and Dame grabs a backbreaker back inside. The reverse chinlock goes on but Ruca fights up with a springboard elbow to the face. Ruca’s standing moonsault gets two but Dame’s big boot gets the same. Dame sends her into the corner, where Ruca tries another headscissors, with this one being flipped into the Sol Snatcher for the pin at 5:38.

Rating: C. There are certain moves where you know it’s over as soon as they connect and the Sol Snatcher is the newest on the list. I’m still not sure I can believe she’s doing it every time and you do not see a move like that very often. It’s pretty clear that Ruca is destined to be a star so her winning here was hardly a big surprise.

Ava isn’t happy with the D’Angelo Family for switching referees last week but they claim a bad case of bronchitis. Tony can still have his title match, but he’s getting fined $20,000. That’s fine, as an envelope full of cash (more than $20,000) is handed over.

Brinley Reece fires up a nervous Edris Enofe (with his rabbit’s foot) and Malik Blade.

Shayna Baszler, with Lola Vice implies she’s coming for the Women’s Title but Natalya and Karmen Petrovic run in for the brawl.

OTM vs. Edris Enofe/Malik Blade

Jaida Parker and Brinley Reece are here too. Nima picks Enofe up to start as it’s off to Blade for a double drop toehold. Some rapid fire elbows stagger Nima but he’s up for the tag to Price. Everything breaks down and OTM get caught with stereo hurricanranas and dropkicks. Parker grabs Enofe’s foot though and the women get in a fight on the floor as we take a break.

Back with the women getting into it again and this time they go up the aisle, with referees getting rid of them. Enofe gets knocked down out of the corner for two, setting up a standing camel clutch (with Enofe’s legs wrapped around the standing Price’s ribs). That’s broken up but Enofe, who is losing his boot, can’t get over for the tag. The assisted Alabama Slam to Enofe is enough at 10:43.

Rating: C. It’s a bit weird to see a team whose story is bad luck but it’s not like Enofe and Blade have anything else going on at the moment. They still feel like a team who could go somewhere if they were treated as a basic, athletic team but instead they’re in a spot like this. OTM is already better without Scrypts, as he really didn’t add anything to the team.

Meta Four is still arguing about Noam Dar but Lash Legend doesn’t have time for this.

Ridge Holland praises Chase U to Axiom and Nathan Frazer. The OC come in to mock him but Holland is willing to find a partner for a match tonight.

Women’s North American Title Qualifying Match: Ivy Nile vs. Lash Legend

Jakara Jackson is here with Legend who wastes no time in knocking Nile out to the floor. Nile fights up and glares at Jackson, followed by a spinning kick to Legend’s head. Legend’s super chokeslam is countered into a super bulldog for two and the Diamond Chain Lock goes on. Jackson offers a distraction though and Legend hits the pump kick for the pin at 3:56.

Rating: C. I’m not sure what happened to Nile but she has fallen through the floor. There was a time where she seemed primed for at least a title run but it never came together. Now here she is, more or less just a jobber to a potential big star like Legend. There wasn’t much to the match, but Legend has come a VERY long way in the last few months.

Je’Von Evans doesn’t know who attacked Noam Dar but he’s ready to face Oro Mensah.

Carlee Brights wants to face Lola Vice tonight but Ava isn’t sure after Bright’s combine score. Then she gives Bright the match anyway.

Oro Mensah vs. Je’Von Evans

Jakara Jackson is here with Mensah, who strikes away to start and rakes Evans’ eyes over the top rope. Mensah sends him crashing out to the floor and we take a break. Back with Mensah hitting Big Show’s old Alley Oop for two but Evans fights up. Evans goes up top and kicks Mensah down, setting up a springboard clothesline. A springboard cutter sends Mensah outside and of course Evans is right there with the dive. Cue Lash Legend with a chair but Trick Williams pops up to glare at her. Evans fights out of a powerbomb and hits a superkick into the corkscrew splash for the pin at 10:10.

Rating: C+. It was good, though not quite up to the levels of excitement that Evans has shown in his previous outings. He’s athletic and the fans like him, but right now he still needs wins like this one to boost him up. That is a necessary thing, but it might not make for the most riveting action.

Post match Williams shows respect to Evans.

Charlie Dempsey is on his own tonight and promises violence and revenge against Tony D’Angelo.

Here is Wes Lee for a chat. Last time he was in this ring with this mic, things were going very badly for him. He wasn’t sure if he was ever going to be able to get back but dang did he miss this. Fans: “WE MISS YOU!” He is back six months earlier than scheduled because he missed this so much. Lee needs a minute to compose himself but Oba Femi interrupts. Femi respects him but Lee has taken the title as far as he can. While Lee has shown the spirit of a warrior, Femi is a real warrior. Lee says he wants a title shot, but Femi tells him to prove it.

Cue Ivar to interrupt, saying he knows what it’s like to have a career ending injury. He and Lee even had the same spinal surgeon! They both want a title shot, but here is Josh Briggs to interrupt and try to get in on this too. He came this close at Stand & Deliver with broken ribs, but now he’s all healed up. Femi likes the arguments, so Femi says make it a fatal four way. Instead, Femi says fight among yourselves and the winner gets the title shot. This was really basic simple stuff but it did its’ job.

Chase U comes up to see Ridge Holland, who can have Riley Osborne as his partner tonight. Holland is very grateful.

We hear an alarm clock go off but see nothing.

Lexis King hits on some women when Jazmyn Nyx comes in with a get well soon card for Jacy Jayne. King signs but gets the name wrong.

OC vs. Ridge Holland/Riley Osborne

The rest of Chase U is here with Holland and Osborne. Holland trades shoulders with Gallows to start, with a jumping version putting Gallows down. Osborne comes in and is quickly taken into the wrong corner. Some dropkicks get him out of trouble in a hurry though and a standing shooting star press gives Osborne two. Gallows isn’t having that and knocks Osborne into the corner again and we hit the chinlock.

Osborne fights up again but gets sent hard into the corner. A quick flip dive out of the corner finally gives Osborne a breather and the diving tag brings Holland in to clean house. Holland loads up an Alabama Slam but Osborne misses a springboard dropkick and hits Holland by mistake. That’s enough for Anderson to roll Holland up for the pin at 5:10.

Rating: C. The OC might be stars but they’re not exactly the most thrilling addition to the show. They’re the same team they’ve been for years now, meaning they’re here to collect a check and follow the formula they’ve had for far too long. The ending was what mattered here, as it is going to be an issue for Holland and his path to redemption.

Video on Carlee Bright.

Carlee Bright vs. Lola Vice

Vice has Shayna Baszler in her corner. Bright tries some early rollups to start but Vice kicks her off the ropes. More kicks and strikes set up a dance, allowing Bright to grab a rollup for two. A front flip kick to the face in the corner gets two more but Vice kicks her out of the air. The spinning backfist finishes Bright at 3:10.

Rating: C+. Bright has been around on NXT LVL up in recent weeks and it’s nice to see her do some things that she hadn’t done around there. Right now though, she’s just another newcomer in great shape and that isn’t going to be enough to carry her to the next level. It was a nice match, but little more than a decent first step.

Post match Natalya and Karmen Petrovic come out for the brawl, with the villains bailing in a hurry. The tag match is made for next week.

Riley Osborne apologizes to Ridge Holland in the back but Holland says it’s cool. Holland hopes Chase U trusts him and that seems to be the case, albeit a bit tentatively.

We look back at Noam Dar being attacked. NXT loves itself some mystery attacker stories.

Here’s what’s coming next week.

Heritage Cup: Tony D’Angelo vs. Charlie Dempsey

D’Angelo, with the Family, is challenging. Round One begins with D’Angelo taking over and grabbing an early rollup for two. Dempsey isn’t sure what to do to start and D’Angelo takes him down again to make it worse. A cravate finally slows D’Angelo down for a bit, only to have him reverse into a cradle for the first fall at 2:46.

We take a break and come back with just under a minute to go in Round Two. They trade forearms until Dempsey suplexes him into a cross armbreaker but D’Angelo survives until the round ends. Round Three begins with D’Angelo’s arm in trouble so Dempsey goes right for the cross armbreaker. With that broken up, Dempsey grabs a Fujiwara armbar. That’s reversed into a rollup but D’Angelo misses a charge into the post, allowing Dempsey to German suplex him and tie it up at 2:10 of the round and 9:14 overall.

Round Four begins with D’Angelo going right after the arm, including some stomps into a short armscissors. D’Angelo can’t quite roll out so Dempsey pulls him into a triangle choke. A powerbomb gets D’Angelo out and a belly to belly puts Dempsey down. D’Angelo grabs a spinebuster but can’t cover as the round ends. Round Five begins with D’Angelo grabbing a German suplex as the rest of the No Quarter Catch Crew, looking a bit banged up, arrives. They’re dispatched just as fast and Forget About It gives D’Angelo the pin and the cup at 1:08 of the round and 14:08 overall.

Rating: B-. I was a bit surprised by the ending as they seemed to be setting up the No Quarter Catch Crew interference to retain the Cup. D’Angelo needed to win something on his own and it’s nice to see him finally do it. He has the talent and has managed to get this rather stupid gimmick over, which is more than I would have expected. Solid stuff here, with the Crew’s run already looking to be in trouble.

We cut to the back where Wes Lee, Josh Briggs and Ivar have been attacked. The camera pans up to Gallus, as the trio is back (I wonder if they attacked Noam Dar) to end the show.

Overall Rating: C+. This wasn’t the strongest show from a wrestling standpoint but the main event was good and it had a nice surprise at the end. You can see at least some of the Battleground card coming together and there is almost a month to go before the show to fill in the gaps. Not their best show here, but it covered a bit of ground, including the first few qualifying matches.

Results
Sol Ruca b. Izzi Dame – Sol Snatcher
OTM b. Edris Enofe/Malik Blade – Assisted Alabama Slam to Enofe
Lash Legend b. Ivy Nile – Pump kick
Je’Von Evans b. Oro Mensah – Corkscrew splash
OC b. Ridge Holland/Riley Osborne – Rollup to Holland
Lola Vice b. Carlee Bright – Spinning backfist
Tony D’Angelo b. Charlie Dempsey 2-1

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NXT
Date: April 30, 2024
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Booker T.

The Draft is done and now it is time to wrap up Spring Breakkin. Last week’s card was absolutely stacked while this week’s show isn’t quite as big. The main even seems to be Natalya vs. Lola Vice in NXT Underground. Other than that, we might find out what is next for new NXT Champion Trick Williams. Let’s get to it.

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

We open with a recap of Trick Williams winning the NXT Title last week.

Here is Williams for his big celebration as champion. He likes the sound of hearing his name as champion but he wants to thank Ilja Dragunov. Raw is getting a good one, but this is officially the Whoop That Era. Cue Lash Legend to praise Williams, who thinks something is going on.

The last time they were in the same ring, she hit him in the face, but now he has some gold and now she wants him to be her Reese’s Cup: take the gold off and get to the chocolate inside. Legend is more into Kit Kats but she has an envelope, which means the end of his title reign. We don’t see what is in said envelope and Legend leaves. These two are funny together.

Gigi Dolin and Arianna Grace are at a fancy dinner so Dolin can learn dining etiquette. This turns into a preview for the show.

North American Title: Oba Femi vs. Ivar

Ivar is challenging. They slug it out to start with Ivar getting the better of things by clotheslining him to the floor for a dive off the apron. Back in and the spinning powerslam gives Ivar one but Femi is back with an Irish Curse. They’re already back on the floor, where Femi is sent into the steps, setting up a big crash against the barricade.

We take a break and come back with Ivar knocking him off the top again and hitting a big flip dive to the floor. Back in and Femi runs him over with a hard forearm for two but Ivar knocks him back down for the same. It’s too early for the Doomsault though and Femi pulls Ivar into a torture rack drop for two. Ivar is back up with another knockdown and now the Doomsault connects but Femi makes the ropes. Another Doomsault is loaded up but Femi cuts it off with an electric chair drop. The pop up powerbomb retains the title at 11:04.

Rating: B. I do appreciate a match that is exactly as advertised. This was always going to be two big, strong guys beating the fire out of each other and that’s exactly what it was. Ivar wasn’t likely to win the title here but he makes a nice addition to Femi’s resume. Good stuff here, with Femi’s star continuing to rise at an amazing rate.

Post match Wes Lee returns after several months away and the fans approve.

Thea Hail talks Fallon Henley into coming with her to ringside.

Thea Hail vs. Jacy Jayne

The rest of Chase U, Fallon Henley and Jazmyn Nyx are all here too. They slap each other in the face to start and go to the floor with Jayne taking over. We take an early break and come back with Hail springboarding into a neckbreaker for two. Jayne misses a Cannonball though and they’re both down. Hail is back up with a Michinoku Driver for two but Jayne kicks her outside. Henley shoves Hail out of the way from a kick from Nyx, allowing Hail to Kimura Jayne for the tap at 7:59.

Rating: C. This was the grudge match win that Hail needed to, at least in theory, wrap up the feud. There isn’t much left for them to do or say to each other, though Henley taking the bullet for Hail is interesting. Not a great match, but it did what it needed to do and wrapped up the feud with Hail getting the win.

Post match Henley decks Hail to turn on her and leaves on her own.

Tyson DuPont and Tyriek Igwe are coming to NXT tonight. They’re strong and smart.

Natalya and Karmen Petrovic are warming up.

OC vs. Tyriek Igwe/Tyson DuPont

Igwe powers Anderson into the corner to start, setting up the hard shoulders to the ribs. The bigger DuPont hits a splash for two but Anderson drives Igwe into the corner for the tag to Gallows. Some forearms to the chest set up the chinlock, with Igwe having to power up into a fireman’s carry. DuPont comes back in with a side slam to Anderson and everything breaks down. Anderson grabs a spinebuster and the Magic Killer finishes Igwe at 4:17.

Rating: C+. They had me thinking we might see a big upset here as the OC was getting beaten up for a good chunk of the match. At the same time, I do get the idea of not wanting to put a rocket on a team just yet, as they certainly started well enough. Hopefully they get a win next time though, as you don’t want them being branded as losers right out of the gate.

We look at NXT stars being Drafted. A bunch of the coaches talk about what it means to them too, which is a rather nice touch.

Here is Ava for a big announcement. We are indeed going to have a Women’s North American Champion, as crowned in….a ladder match at Battleground, with twelve wrestlers competing in qualifying matches. Oh joy. Cue Jaida Parker, Sol Ruca, Arianna Grace, Michin and a bunch of other women to say they should be champion. A huge brawl breaks out.

The Street Profits wish Axiom and Nathan Frazer luck against the AOP tonight. Never slow down.

Lola Vice and Shayna Baszler train for NXT Underground.

Shawn Spears vs. Ridge Holland

Spears sticks and moves to start before bailing to the floor for an early break. Back with Spears getting two off a neckbreaker and putting on a reverse chinlock. A front facelock is broken up with pure power and Holland drives some shoulders to the ribs in the corner. The mysterious QR code pops up on the screen as Holland hits a Death Valley Driver into the corner. A lifting DDT (Paige’s old Rampaige) finishes Spears at 7:35.

Rating: C. This wasn’t great but it gave Holland a win after a rather weird period. Odds are that isn’t over, but you can’t have him lose a bunch and then try to do something with him. Spears is interesting in an agent of chaos way and there is a good chance we’ll see him do more of the same going forward.

Roxanne Perez yells at Ava about not getting Drafted, even though champions were protected.

Josh Briggs mocks Ivar for losing to Oba Femi. Wes Lee comes in to say he’s coming for the title, but Briggs seems to be standing in his way.

The Final Testament is ominous. At least Paul Ellering gets to talk for a bit here.

The D’Angelo Family wants the Heritage Cup and it’s going to be a group effort.

Tag Team Titles: AOP vs. Axiom/Nathan Frazer

The AOP, with the Final Testament, are challenging. The fight is on before the bell with the champs superkicking AOP outside. Some dives connect as well and we ring the bell, with Akam throwing Frazer down. Frazer gets caught in the wrong corner and AOP fires off the hard knees to the ribs. Rezar’s neck crank doesn’t last long and it’s back to Akam for a hard German suplex.

We take a break and come back with Rezar missing a running boot but Akam comes in and gets Frazer into the corner. Frazer DDTs his way to freedom but Rezar sends Frazer into a knee to the face for two. The Last Chapter is broken up and Akam is taken up top, only to have Scarlett grab Axiom’s foot. Massive ejections ensue but here is the New Catch Republic for a distraction, allowing Frazer to superkick Akam into a rollup for the pin to retain at 9:34.

Rating: B-. Another match with a simple formula which worked out rather well. You don’t need to reinvent the wheel with teams like these two and they did rather well. The Republic interfering ties things into what they have been doing on the main roster so everything makes sense without making the champs look weak.

Ridge Holland of all people checks on Thea Hail, who is crushed by Fallon Henley’s betrayal.

Meta Four will reveal Lash Legend’s envelope next week.

Fallon Henley tells Kelani Jordan that she’s going to start putting herself first.

Edris Enofe and Malik Blade are worried about breaking a mirror last week but Brinley Reece has the solution: black cats!

Here’s what’s coming next week.

Natalya vs. Lola Vice

NXT Underground, meaning the ropes are gone and the ring is surrounded by wrestlers, with knockout/TKO/submission to win and Karmen Petrovic and Shayna Baszler are the respective seconds. Vice strikes away to start and they fight out to the floor before going with the grappling back inside. Natalya grabs a kneebar but Vice kicks her way out. A hip attack sends Natalya outside and we take a break.

Back with the fight heading to the floor again with Natalya sending her into the apron. A snap suplex on the floor has Vice in trouble but she trips Natalya on the announcers’ table. Back in and Vice grabs a triangle choke with some elbows to the head but Natalya slips out anyway. Natalya can’t power out of a guillotine so she drops it to the floor for the break in a smart move.

The Hartbreaker around the post has Vice in more trouble but Petrovic has to jump an invading Baszler. Back in and Baszler breaks up a Sharpshooter attempt, only to have the second attempt go on. Baszler Kirifuda Clutches Petrovic so Natalya breaks the hold like a moron, allowing Vice to get up and hit a spinning backfist for the knockout at 11:53.

Rating: B-. This is something that is only going to work with the right people and these two did rather well with it. Vice gets a pretty big time win to boost herself up and now we get to see where she can go from here. Natalya is at her best when she is helping make someone look better and that is exactly what she did here.

Ava announces that Roxanne Perez is defending the Women’s Title against Chelsea Green. Perez is livid but Green thinks she’ll like it here.

Overall Rating: B. For a show that didn’t seem like much on paper, this went rather well, with a bunch of stuff happening and some surprise cameos for a special touch. What matters here is they made me want to see where these stories are coming, which is a very important part of any show. Surprisingly awesome show here as NXT is already back up after the Draft gutted a lot of its bigger names.

Results
Obi Femi b. Ivar – Pop up powerbomb
Thea Hail b. Jacy Jayne – Kimura
OC b. Tyriek Igwe/Tyson DuPont – Magic Killer to Igwe
Ridge Holland b. Shawn Spears – Lifting DDT
Axiom/Nathan Frazer b. AOP – Rollup to Akam
Lola Vice b. Natalya – Spinning backfist

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NXT LVL Up
Date: April 5, 2024
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Blake Howard, Byron Saxton

It’s Wrestlemania Weekend and we might get to see some people who might be at Wrestlemania L or so. It would be nice to have them do something a little different for this show but odds are that isn’t what we’ll be getting to see. If nothing else, just some slightly bigger names could help a lot so let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Dante Chen vs. Drake Morreaux

The rather large Morreaux takes him down without much effort so Chen goes to the arm. A hiptoss is blocked and Morreaux drops him with a clothesline, setting up a splash to the back. Chen goes for the arm again but walks into a backbreaker for two. We hit the waistlock before Morreaux misses another splash. Back up and Chen strikes away, including a pump kick into the double chop to finish Morreaux at 5:43.

Rating: C. One day someone is going to have to explain the Chen thing to me. He’s nothing of note in the ring but even commentary was pointing out how he is the guy who gets to face all of the up and comers around here. That’s one thing, but then he beats those up and comers, which makes things all the worse. It’s hardly some career killer for Morreaux, though it doesn’t do much to make me want to watch the show.

OTM threatened Je’Von Evans at the Performance Center but Tyson DuPont/Tyriek Igwe made the save.

Brinley Reece vs. Tatum Paxley

Reece grabs the armbar to start but Paxley stops to talk to her. That earns Paxley an armdrag into another armbar, followed by a running shoulder in the corner. Back up and Reece misses a dropkick, allowing Paxley to go after the ribs. A reverse chinlock has Reece in more trouble but she fights up with the elbows. Not that it matters as Paxley pulls her into the Psycho Trap for the pin at 4:22.

Rating: C. Reece is something similar to the original Bayley crossed with Thea Hail but she doesn’t actually win anything. Having that kind of energy is nice to see but it isn’t going to matter if she doesn’t have some success. On the other hand you have Paxley, who is at least getting higher up in the women’s division due to her weird association with Lyra Valkyria.

OTM vs. Je’Von Evans/Tyrike Igwe/Tyson DuPont

Evans slugs away at Scrypts to start, meaning the flipping escapes ensue. Price and DuPont come in to trade shoulders with the latter getting the better of things. A splash gives DuPont two and it’s off to Nima, with Igwe working on the arm. Igwe gets taken into the wrong corner so the villains can take over. Scrypts is tossed at him for two and the chinlock goes on, only to have Igwe power out without much trouble. It’s back to Evans to pick the pace up with the dives but Price and Nima catch DuPont in the assisted Alabama Slam for the pin at 6:20.

Rating: C+. Commentary said this was only the second six man tag in the history of LVL Up and I have no idea how or why that is possible. On a show built around the idea of getting people as much ring time as possible, why wouldn’t you want to put more people out there? Just an odd bit of trivia but the match itself was decent, with Evans getting to pop the crowd again.

Overall Rating: C. I’m not sure if a six man tag counts as anything special for Wrestlemania Weekend but I’m not sure how many people in WWE know this show exists in the first place. Just having a quick angle at the Performance Center helps and at least it was something from a previous week. Nothing of note here, but that’s LVL Up for two.

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NXT
Date: April 16, 2024
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Booker T.

We have a big main event this week as it’s a Stand & Deliver rematch between Trick Williams and Carmelo Hayes. This time it’s in a cage, though there is also the chance that NXT Champion Ilja Dragunov will get involved. In addition, we have Spring Breakin starting next week and we need a card. Let’s get to it.

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

Noam Dar vs. Dijak

Dar, with the rest of Meta Four, kicks away to start before putting Dijak down with a running forearm. They go to the floor where Meta Four’s distraction doesn’t work, allowing Dijak to score with a springboard clothesline for two. A guillotine doesn’t work for Dar as Dijak launches him out to the floor in a heap.

We take a break and come back with Dijak elbowing him in the face a few times, setting up another clothesline. Dar goes flying off the toss suplex but Dar is right back with the guillotine. This one is broken up with High Justice for two and Dijak is stunned. Back up and Dar kicks away at the leg, setting up a fisherman’s buster for two.

Dijak is out of the cross armbreaker without much trouble and boots Dar in the face. Dar hits a spinning elbow to the face but the cyclone boot cuts him off again. Feast Your Eyes is loaded up but Meta Four offers a distraction, allowing the Nova Roller to finally finish Dijak off at 12:10.

Rating: B. This was the good guy version of Dar as he was fighting to avenge his friends against Dijak. I’m not big on Dar but that kind of charisma was only going to keep him a heel for so long. While this was far from a full on turn, it was definitely the biggest step Dar has taken in that direction and that could make for some interesting circumstances for the entire team.

Ilja Dragunov comes in to see Ava, who lets him pick his opponent tonight. The open challenge is on.

Tatum Paxley wanted to be good but no one wants to play with a girl like that. She wanted to be like everyone else and Lyra Valkyria let her in. Then Valkyria lost the NXT Women’s Title, which is what mattered to Paxley the most. Valkyria is nothing without the title and now she’s in Paxley’s way.

Sol Ruca vs. Lola Vice

Ruca takes her down by the arm to start but Vice kicks her way to freedom. Some kicks into the corner set up the running hip attack for two but a second only hits buckle. Ruca strikes away but it’s too early for the Sol Snatcher. With that broken up, Ruca kicks away until Blair Davenport pops up for a distraction. Vice scores with a spinning kick to the face for the pin at 4:15.

Rating: C. This Ruca vs. Davenport feud needs to wrap up already as it’s holding Ruca back. It feels like they have been feuding for months now and that isn’t the most interesting thing when Davenport is barely ever around. Not much of a match here, though it should help set up what is hopefully the final Ruca vs. Davenport match.

Post match Natalya pops up to challenge Vice to NXT Underground in two weeks.

NXT Anonymous shows Ridge Holland choking Joaquin Wilde until Ava yells at him to break it up.

Earlier today, Arianna Grace took Gigi Dolin dress shopping. Dolin hates it but she wants to get this over with as fast as possible.

Joaquin Wilde vs. Ridge Holland

Wilde starts fast but they quickly head outside, where Holland punches the post. Back in and Holland grabs an armbar, which doesn’t get him very far. An overhead belly to belly suplex works a bit better and Holland runs him over, only to pull Wilde up at two. Wilde DDTs his way out of trouble as Shawn Spears is here to watch. Holland is knocked to the floor where a dive is powerslammed out of the air. A lifting DDT finishes for Holland at 3:52.

Rating: C. Holland’s story is starting to take some more shape as he is beginning to embrace more of the violence. That would seem to be his destiny in the whole thing and it could make for a more logical path for him. Holland isn’t likely to become a star, but having him be all violent and evil is a better way to go for him than anything else he could be doing.

Josh Briggs has bad ribs but he’s ready to face Oba Femi. Ivar comes in to say Briggs can rest up and get the first shot at the North American Title after Ivar wins it. Not happening, so they can fight tonight instead.

Brinley Reece is rather perky while working out with Edris Enofe and Malik Blade.

Andre Chase sits down with Thea Hail and explains how he lost everything betting on her but then cost her the match by throwing in the towel. Hail asks why he never told her because she was so mean to him but Chase says he believed in her. Everything seems cool.

Here is the D’Angelo Family for a chat. Tony D’Angelo talks about how things needed to change for the family and yeah he lost at Stand & Deliver. It’s about going one more round though…and here is the No Quarter Catch Crew to interrupt. We get an implication that the Family was paid to take care of Drew Gulak but we aren’t allowed to use specifics.

Payment is implied, but Charlie Dempsey has to ask if there is anything else D’Angelo wants to say. That makes D’Angelo bring up the Heritage Cup, with Dempsey telling him that’s off limits. The brawl is on and we go to break in a hurry. This covered both the informative (the Family got rid of Gulak on the Crew’s request) and the funny (D’Angelo seemingly forgetting his line).

Ilja Dragunov vs. ???

Non-title and a bunch of people try to get in the ring, only to have Je’Von Evans dive over the announcers’ table to get inside instead. The slug out goes to Dragunov but Evans is back up with a superkick for the knockdown. Evans is back up with a bouncing kick to the face but Dragunov hits a hard powerslam.

One heck of a clothesline gives Dragunov two, only to have the Constantine Special countered into a rollup for two more. Dragunov’s running knee gets two but he gets caught with a hard DDT. That sends Dragunov out to the floor so there’s the big dive to take him down again. Back in and Dragunov Death Valley Drivers him into the corner, setting up Torpedo Moscow for the pin at 6:05.

Rating: C+. While it’s not quite the same thing, they were going for the John Cena vs. Kurt Angle moment here and it did quite the big of good for Evans. He felt like someone who was stepping up and the fans were WAY into him, which is about all you could ask for here. Nice stuff, and it’s clear that NXT sees a lot in Evans, which might be validated.

Karmen Petrovic is ready to help Natalya train for NXT Underground but Lola Vice comes in. Vice teases a training partner of her own and we have a contract signing next week.

Sol Ruca wants Blair Davenport next week, No DQ. Ava seems interested.

Thea Hail vs. Tatum Paxley

The rest of Chase U is here with Hail, who gets scared by Paxley crawling around to start. Paxley sends her into the corner before grabbing an upside down surfboard (Paxley was laying on her back and had Hail’s limbs tied up, with Hail looking down at her). That’s broken up and Hail hits the World’s Smallest Slam but here is Jazmyn Nyx for a distraction. Jacy Jayne comes in for another distraction and Paxley grabs a crucifix for the pin at 3:08.

Rating: C. As much as I could go for Hail winning something, Paxley vs. Valkyria seems to be the next big match so they had to give Paxley something here. Paxley revealing that she only cared about the title instead of Valkyria is an interesting way to go and now we could be getting ready for an interesting story involving the title depending on how it falls out. For now though, Paxley gets a much needed boost.

Post match Lyra Valkyria runs in to brawl with Paxley.

Roxanne Perez laughs off the whole thing and says she’ll defend the title at Spring Breakin. Ava comes in to say we’ll make it a triple threat title defense with Lyra Valkyria and Tatum Paxley as the challenges. Perez does not approve.

AOP vs. Edris Enofe/Malik Blade

Blade gets knocked into the corner to start and the beating is on quickly. Akam gets in some clubbering and Rezar comes in to do the same. A missed charge allows the desperate tag to Blade, who tries to pick up the pace. Blade tries a dive to the floor but gets pulled out of the air. The Super Collider finishes for AOP at 3:08.

Rating: C. Another squash here and unfortunately against a team I want to see go further. That being said, giving the AOP a dominant win is why Enofe and Blade were out there in the first place and they did make the monsters look good. There are worse ideas than putting the AOP back in NXT as the big bad team, especially with the Wolfdogs gone.

Post match Nathan Frazer and Axiom come out for the staredown with the AOP.

Back to dress shopping and Gigi Dolin hates a green dress that Arianna Grace recommends. Dolin offers to try it on, though she uses some scissors to make it her own. Grace is aghast but has to pay anyway.

Josh Briggs vs. Ivar

Briggs has bad ribs coming in and kicks Ivar in the face at the bell. Ivar cartwheels over him and plants him down as Oba Femi is watching in the back. Back up and Briggs hits another big boot, setting up a splash, which only hurts his own ribs. Ivar goes back to the ribs, including the spinning powerslam to crush Briggs again. A tiger driver gives Ivar two but Briggs is back with a not very good Boss Man Slam for two of his own. They go outside with Briggs getting in a hard shot, only to get kicked in the head. Back in and the Doomsault finishes for Ivar at 4:11.

Rating: B-. Take two big guys and have them beat each other up for a bit before one of them gets the pin. It’s an idea that has worked for years in wrestling and it worked here too. Briggs has an out with the bad ribs as Ivar moves up for a match to make Oba Femi look like that much more of a monster.

Oba Femi is impressed. Then he leaves and knocks Oro Mensah down again, just like at Stand & Deliver.

Here’s what’s coming at Spring Breakin.

Video on Trick Williams vs. Carmelo Hayes.

Trick Williams vs. Carmelo Hayes

In a cage (pin/submission only) and Hayes says he’s ready to finish this. They start slowly with Williams grabbing a slam but Hayes flips over him. Hayes sends him into the cage and a security guard slips in a billy club. Some shots to the back have Williams down and we take an early break.

Back with Hayes hitting a Codebreaker on the arm for two before cranking on said arm. Williams fights up and is sent into the cage, only to avoid a charge to send Hayes into the steel instead. A super Rock Bottom plants Hayes again and the fans are getting behind Williams. Some kicks to the face into a flapjack set up a reverse suplex to drop Hayes again. Hayes is sent into the cage over and over, with a neckbreaker giving Williams two.

Another shot to the arm slows Williams down but he’s fine enough to grab another Rock Bottom for another near fall. A knee to the face connects and they’re both down for a double breather. They go up in the corner until Hayes tries a super bulldog, with Williams managing a block. Cue the security to distract Williams, who beats them up without much effort. Hayes grabs a chair but the Trick Shot sends the chair into his face to give Williams the pin at 12:20.

Rating: B. I liked this a bit better than the Stand & Deliver match, but it was still only so good. Maybe these two have too much pressure on them or something but they didn’t get to a high level in their first match and they didn’t do it again here either. Granted the short time didn’t help, though Williams seems primed for a real shot at the NXT Title at Spring Breakin. Good main event, though certainly not great.

Ilja Dragunov comes out for the staredown with Williams to end the show.

Overall Rating: B+. The opener and main event were both good as this is a rare strong show before we get to the big stuff. The thing that impresses me the most about this one is how much stuff they got into it. With eight matches over about two hours and ten minutes, they crammed in quite a bit without feeling like they were cramming it in. That’s not bad and they had a heck of a show as a result. Now just keep this up with the big shows over the next two weeks.

Results
Noam Dar b. Dijak – Nova Roller
Lola Vice b. Sol Ruca – Spinning kick to the face
Ridge Holland b. Joaquin Wilde – Lifting DDT
Ilja Dragunov b. Je’Von Evans – Torpedo Moscow
Tatum Paxley b. Thea Hail – Crucifix
AOP b. Edris Enofe/Malik Blade – Super Collider
Ivar b. Josh Briggs – Doomsault
Trick Williams b. Carmelo Hayes – Trick Shot into a chair

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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