Impact Wrestling
Date: March 27, 2025
Location: El Paso County Coliseum, El Paso, Texas
Commentators: Matthew Rehwoldt, Tom Hannifan

We are coming up on Unbreakable and that show has some open spots on the card. World Champion Joe Hendry doesn’t seem to have an obvious challenger for the title, with Elijah being one of the only people in his orbit at the moment. Other than that, we seem to be on the way to a Hardys vs. Nemeths showdown. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening recap.

Tatum Paxley/Gigi Dolin vs. Ash By Elegance/Heather By Elegance

Non-title and the Personal Concierge is here with By Elegance. Dolin takes Ash down without much trouble to start and it’s Paxley coming in for something like a Dream Sequence. Meta Four is watching from behind as Paxley gets the reverse surfboard on Heather. The Concierge breaks up a dropkick though and Ash stomps away, both on the ropes and in the corner. That’s broken up and Paxley comes back in to clean house. The Concierge shoves Paxley off the top though and Rarefied Air finishes at 4:58.

Rating: C. This didn’t have much time to go anywhere and it didn’t exactly make Paxley and Dolin feel like the biggest team. By Elegance did need a win though as they aren’t the most established team in the world. Meta Four might be the ones to get the titles from them, as some titles have to cross over to another promotion at some point.

Post match, By Elegance’s cake is brought out but a double noggin knocker lets Dolin and Paxley send Ash into it.

Leon Slater promises a fight with Nic Nemeth tonight.

Ash By Elegance panics over the cake.

First Class/Frankie Kazarian vs. Aztec Warriors/Chavo Guerrero

Chavo and Kazarian start things off with Chavo grabbing a headscissors. Navarro comes in and gets dropkicked down before it’s off to Laredo Kid for an even harder dropkick. We take a break and come back with Octagon Jr. kicking Navarro down, only to be sent outside. Navarro’s big running flip dive connects and it’s Francis coming in for a change.

Octagon’s forearms don’t do much good as Francis crushes him in the corner and bends the neck around the rope. Francis plants both Warriors with the World’s Strongest Wasteland and it’s Navarro coming back in for a chinlock on Octagon. That’s broken up as well and it’s back to Laredo to pick up the pace. The real hot tag brings in Chavo to clean house and we get Four Amigos before Francis gets the traditional Three. The Warriors hit nice dives to the floor and Chavo adds a Gory Bomb into the frog splash to pin Navarro at 15:08.

Rating: B-. Chavo looked a good bit better than I was expecting here and he more than held his own rather than just being there as the hometown star. The Warriors are the latest lucha tag team and that’s not a bad way for them to be used. I’m not sure what kind of a future it has, but this was a good showing from everyone. That being said, Kazarian being in there was kind of a weird call as he should be near the World Title sooner than later.

Rosemary is all evil and wants Xia Brookside to be evil too. I think.

Santino Marella has a sitdown with Mance Warner, with Steph de Lander, and Sami Callihan. They argue over their recent issues, with Callihan saying Marella is going to have to fire one of them. Callihan insults Steph, who throws a drink in his face, which is a bit more impactful than you might expect.

Jacy Jayne vs. Masha Slamovich

Non-title. They fight over a lockup and go against the ropes to start until Jayne pulls her down by the hair. Back up and Slamovich sends her to the floor for a corkscrew dive. They get back in but Jayne is smart enough to roll away from something off the top. Jayne knocks her down back inside and hammers away in the corner, setting up a running shot for two.

A knee to the face and some right hands have Slamovich down again and we hit the reverse chinlock. That’s broken up and Slamovich hits a rolling kick to the head but Jayne knees her down for two more. More kicks to the head send Slamovich outside, where she drops Jayne face first onto the apron. Back in and Jayne superkicks her into a running neckbreaker, only for Slamovich to grab the Snowplow for the pin at 8:43.

Rating: B-. Jayne was trying here and those kicks got her further along than I was expecting. Slamovich certainly didn’t squash her, but there wasn’t much doubt about this one. Tessa Blanchard is waiting for Slamovich and that is going to be a heck of a showdown for the title when we get there.

Post match Tessa Blanchard runs in and beats Slamovich down. Xia Brookside and Lei Ying Lee make the save.

Video on Mike Santana vs. Mustafa Ali, with Ali cheating to escape multiple times.

Eric Young vs. Ace Austin

The Northern Armory is here with Young. An early arm crank has Austin down so Young turns his back and the Armory comes in. That’s broken up so Austin takes Young down and kicks him in the head. They strike it out until Young grabs a spinebuster for two. The neck crank goes on but Austin fights up and hits a Russian legsweep.

A springboard spinning kick to the face gives Austin two but Young knocks him off the top. The top rope elbow gives Young two but Austin is right back up. The Fold is loaded up, only for Austin to have to go after the Armory. Young uses the distraction to grab a piledriver for the pin at 7:12.

Rating: C+. Nice enough match here with Austin getting in some offense before the numbers game got the best of him. Austin is going to need some help if the feud continues and the Rascalz would seem to be a good choice for the spot. Young winning again isn’t a surprise, but hopefully he doesn’t go much further up the card.

Here is Joe Hendry for a chat. Hendry is glad to be back in Texas and now he’s willing to defend the title against anyone from any company. Cue Elijah, who makes it clear that he is not the next challenger. Actually he’s here for a song, which is about how the two of them are friends. Cue Frankie Kazarian with his own (bass) guitar, saying it’s time for his own concert. We get a few notes but the fans think he sucks. Kazarian’s song is about how much he hates El Paso so Hendry issues some threats of violence. That’s enough for Kazarian to leave, complete with the Goodbye Song.

Nic Nemeth vs. Leon Slater

Ryan Nemeth is here with his brother. Nic wastes no time in wrestling him down and getting in a little hip gyration. Back up and Slater knocks him down, which earns an eye rake over the ropes. A handspring elbow sends Nic outside, setting up the big running flip dive as we take a break. Back with Nic raking the eyes and grabbing a chinlock. That’s broken up and Slater hits a running boot to the face into a suplex for two.

Back up and Slater slams him down for two but the Fameasser gives Nic the same. Nic’s sleeper is broken up so he takes Slater up top. Slater knocks him away but gets crotched, setting up a superplex to bring Slater crashing down. A quick Twist Of Slate looks to set up the Swanton 450 but Nic blocks it and gets two off a rollup. The Danger Zone is blocked as well but Ryan grabs Slater’s foot. A superkick into the Danger Zone finishes Slater at 15:06.

Rating: B-. Another solid performance from Slater here as he is getting more and more established in the main event scene. He’s not all the way ready for that kind of a spot yet, but he’s also managing to hang in there against bigger and more experienced opponents. Losing to Nic isn’t a big shot against him and they had a good match on the way there.

Post match the Nemeths go after Slater but the Hardys return for the save. Matt issues the challenge for Rebellion to end the show.

Overall Rating: B-. I’m not sure what to think of this one, but it did keep me invested for the most part. You can see things coming together for Unbreakable and probably even Rebellion, so at least the things are going in the right direction. Other than that, we had some nice enough matches, with Slater again doing well for himself in a big spot.

Results
Ash By Elegance/Heather By Elegance b. Gigi Dolin/Tatum Paxley – Rarefied Air to Paxley
Aztec Warriors/Chavo Guerrero b. First Class/Frankie Kazarian – Frog splash to Navarro
Masha Slamovich b. Jacy Jayne – Snowplow
Eric Young b. Ace Austin – Piledriver
Nic Nemeth b. Leon Slater – Danger Zone

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: February 6, 2025
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Booker T., Corey Graves

We are just over a week away from Vengeance Day, which is going to be the night of the triple threats. Last week it was announced that both NXT Champion Oba Femi and Women’s Champion Giulia will defend their titles in triple threat matches, which makes things more interesting. Other than that, we have to fill out the rest of the card so let’s get to it.

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

Jacy Jayne vs. Stephanie Vaquer

The rest of Fatal Influence is here with Jayne. Vaquer wrestles her down without much effort before sending Jayne face first into the buckle. Some facewashes in the corner have Jayne in more trouble and they go outside. Fallon Henley gets in a cheap shot and we take an early break. Back with Vaquer putting her on top for a superplex and hitting some running knees in the corner. Jayne’s knee to the face gets two and, after Jazmyn Nyx’s interference fails, the SVB finishes Jayne at 11:21.

Rating: C. Take a challenger, have her beat the champion’s friend on the way to the title match. That’s as simple as you can get and it worked out well here. Vaquer is on the way to a big time title match and very well could wind up becoming the new champion. This was a good way to build her up and it worked out well.

Various women argue over recent losses.

Oba Femi is ready for A-Town Down Under tonight and he doesn’t owe Trick Williams a thing.

Here is Lexis King for a chat. He can’t be humble when he is on the path to becoming the biggest star in wrestling history. King plays by his own drums and why wouldn’t he? The King’s blood doesn’t run with that of a normal person and he wanted to be anything but his father. He has felt at his best when he is being his father’s son and the reality is the Heritage Cup has been mistreated. Therefore, he is now going to get rid of the old rules and turn title matches into regular one on one matches, one fall to a finish.

Cue Fandango (TNA’s JDC) of all people, who talks about how weird he got around here. They insult each other and he introduces himself as JDC (despite the Fandango music/graphics) before saying the title match is set for next week. Fandango coming back is a nice moment, but he’s still not the biggest TNA name to come over as part of the crossover.

Tony D’Angelo is in the CW series Wild Cards and the Family is excited. Except Stacks, who says this is what D’Angelo is doing but he doesn’t have time for them. D’Angelo tells him to worry about Ridge Holland tonight.

Ridge Holland vs. Stacks

The rest of the D’Angelo Family is here with Stacks, who jumps Holland before the bell. Holland snaps off an overhead belly to belly suplex and sends Stacks outside for a ram into the steps. Stacks’ Codebreaker doesn’t get him very far as Holland grabs a belly to belly suplex. Izzi Dame’s distraction lets Stacks grab two but the Redeemer finishes Stacks at 3:44.

Rating: C. Much like the opener, they kept this to the point and didn’t try to do anything weird here. What matters the most is having Holland look strong, likely on the way to a title match with Tony D’Angelo. Stacks is still having issues with his boss and that could make for an interesting situation down the line.

Fraxiom is interrupted by Josh Briggs and Yoshiki Inamura, who say they could win the Tag Team Titles in their one show. Fraxiom isn’t overly impressed.

Zaria/Sol Ruca vs. Gigi Dolin/Tatum Paxley

Ruca and Paxley start things off with an exchange of quickly broken headlocks. A faceplant puts Paxley down and it’s quickly off to Zaria vs. Dolin. Everything breaks down and Ruca gets dropkicked, allowing Paxley to drop a backsplash for two. Paxley gets underneath Ruca and lifts her up for a choke (that’s a new one) before handing it off to Dolin for a twisting Swanton. Ruca manages to headscissor her way to freedom though and it’s off to Zaria to clean house. Everything breaks down and Ruca gets shoved into Zaria but Zaria pulls Paxley out of the air. The F5 drops Paxley onto Dolin and the Sol Snatcher finishes at 4:22.

Rating: C+. I’m not sure what happened with Zaria but it feels like she came in on fire and then just fell through the cracks. This doesn’t feel like a major feud as she’s just kind of thrown into a tag team with Ruca. The match was energetic but it doesn’t feel like something that matters all that much.

We look at some NXT women in the Royal Rumble.

Trick Williams hasn’t seen Oba Femi tonight but the game plan is to show that he deserves the Vengeance Day title shot.

Here are Bayley, Roxanne Perez and Giulia for a chat. Well hold on as Perez wants to talk about her success in the Royal Rumble, where she broke Perez’s longevity record. Bayley cuts her off, talking about how she built the first ring in this arena with her bare hands. In this arena, Dusty Rhodes taught her how to hold a microphone. Bayley is fine, but what happens if Perez doesn’t win at Vengeance Day? Perez threatens to win all of the titles but here is Giulia to say she’ll keep the title.

Cue Charlotte to interrupt, saying Mama is home. This will always be her home and the last time she won the Women’s Royal Rumble, she cashed in and won the NXT Women’s Title. Perez had a nice performance at the Royal Rumble but she’ll finish second place again if she faces Charlotte. Giulia, the hype is real but Charlotte is still better. Oh and she’ll beat Bayley too. Cue Cora Jade to clear the ring, with Charlotte glaring at them. While I can’t imagine Charlotte coming after the NXT Women’s Title, it’s nice to see them teasing it.

Ava has Je’Von Evans and Ethan Page held apart. Evans is suspended, but Page would rather they face each other at Vengeance Day. Ava makes the match, if Evans can get cleared.

Josh Briggs gets a tag match with Hank and Tank next week.

Ridge Holland comes up to the D’Angelo Family and wants a North American Title match. The solution? A cage match.

Kelani Jordan vs. Karmen Petrovic

They shove each other around to start and Petrovic’s arm doesn’t work very well as Jordan powers her into the corner. The armbar goes on again but Jordan is sent outside and takes out Ashante Thee Adonis. Back in and a springboard DDT gives Petrovic two as we take an early break.

We come back with Jordan knocking her down and nipping up as Jaida Parker is watching from ringside. Petrovic strikes away and gets two off some clotheslines. Back up and Jordan knocks her down, setting up a pair of One Of A Kinds. A glare at Parker and a choke finish Petrovic at 10:20.

Rating: C. This Adonis/Petrovic stuff just isn’t interesting and it’s getting worse every week. I’m not sure what the appeal is supposed to be and while Jordan is getting somewhere, the other two are kind of there. Parker and Jordan could be an interesting feud for both though, as Parker continues to rise up the ranks.

Post match Jordan keeps up the choke and the result is reversed.

Stephanie Vaquer is coming for the Women’s North American Title and isn’t worried about Fatal Influence.

Bayley gets Cora Jade next week.

Fraxiom is ready for either Hank And Tank or Yoshiki Inamura/Josh Briggs.

Here’s what’s coming next week.

A-Town Down Under are ready to team tonight but then argue over who will be the next NXT Champion.

Vengeance Day rundown.

Oba Femi/Trick Williams vs. A-Town Down Under

Williams tags himself in to start so Theory fires off some shoulders in the corner. Femi isn’t pleased and Theory’s rolling dropkick to Williams makes it even worse. Williams chops his way out of trouble and hits a hard slam before it’s off to Femi for a harder slam. Femi and Williams keep arguing though, with Femi pulling him to the floor. A dive takes the good guys out and we take a break.

Back with a jumping knee to the face and rolling neckbreaker putting Williams down for two. Femi gets knocked off the apron so Williams has no one to tag after he jawbreaks his way out of a chinlock. A pop up right hand gives Williams a needed breather, allowing the tag off to Femi for a double Samoan drop. Williams tags himself back in and hits a spinning kick to Waller’s head for two. Cue Eddy Thorpe with a strap to Williams, allowing Waller to hit a rolling jumping Downward Spiral for the pin at 12:08.

Rating: C+. This was exactly what it was supposed to be with Femi and Williams not getting along, though I’m still not sure what appeal Thorpe is supposed to have. The guy isn’t overly interesting and yet he’s still in the main event scene no matter what. Other than that, you have Femi being ready to crush the annoying villains, which is how things should go.

Post match the whipping continues.

We get the test pattern again but this time it transitions into four people in the shadows to end the show.

Overall Rating: C+. The main event picked it up a bit but I’m not feeling Vengeance Day so far. Maybe it’s the two triple threats on top but there isn’t much about the show that is making me overly interested. This week’s show didn’t help very much and I’m still not exactly thrilled with what we’re going to be seeing. Femi continues to look like a monster and his match with Williams is likely going to be headlining Stand & Deliver, but we’ve got something else to get through first. Not a terrible show here, but not something that hooked me.

Results
Stephanie Vaquer b.. Jacy Jayne – SVB
Ridge Holland b. Stacks – Redeemer
Zaria/Sol Ruca b. Gigi Dolin/Tatum Paxley – Sol Snatcher to Dolin
Karmen Petrovic b. Kelani Jordan via DQ
A-Town Down Under b. Oba Femi/Trick Williams – Rolling jumping Downward Spiral to Williams

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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AND

Remember to check out Wrestlingrumors.net for all of your wrestling headline needs.

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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AND

Remember to check out Wrestlingrumors.net for all of your wrestling headline needs.

NXT
Date: September 10, 2024
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Booker T., Vic Joseph

We are on the way to the CW and the show is already looking up. Last week saw Giulia challenging Roxanne Perez for a Women’s Title shot on October 1, with Perez accepting. Giulia is making her in-ring debut tonight against Chelsea Green, plus TNA Knockouts Champion Jordynne Grace is here for an open challenge. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening recap.

Tag Team Titles: Axiom/Nathan Frazier vs. Street Profits

The Profits are challenging after the Rascalz were taken out under “conspicuous circumstances”. The fans want the smoke as Ford and Axiom start things off with Ford hitting a running shoulder. Ford flips over a clothesline and grabs a headlock on the mat before it’s off to Dawkins and Frazier. The pace picks up and Frazier hits a running shot to send Dawkins outside.

Back in and stereo basement superkicks drop Dawkins for two but he breaks out of Axiom’s chinlock. Ford fires off some clotheslines and Rock Bottoms Frazier into a People’s moonsault for two. Dawkins tosses Axiom into a German suplex from Ford for two more but Frazier is back in with a 450 for two on Ford. Everyone is knocked down until Dawkins goes up, only to get caught in the super Spanish Fly. Ford breaks up the 450 though and it’s a Doomsday Blockbuster to plant Frazier….and Tama Tonga pulls Ford out for the DQ at 7:50.

Rating: B-. This was getting going at the end but the interference is what matters the most here. The Bloodline being here is weird enough but it makes things feel that much more important. Either way, good start to a match here, and it wouldn’t shock me to see the Bloodline be the “circumstances” that took out the Rascalz.

Post match the Bloodline (Tongas and Jacob Fatu) come in and wreck both teams.

Tony D’Angelo has paid someone we can’t see to take out Oba Femi.

Video on Giulia’s debut and challenge to Roxanne Perez.

Giulia vs. Chelsea Green

Giulia knocks her down to start, followed by a middle rope dropkick to send Green flying again. Green comes back with a facebuster and a pump kick but Giulia grabs a Spider Web (something like an Octopus Hold). That’s broken up so Green chokes in the corner, setting up a German suplex.

A lifting Downward Spiral gives Green two and we hit a full nelson with the legs. Giulia flights out and sends her to the apron for a neckbreaker to the floor as Green can’t get away. Green manages to send her over the announcers’ table but a missile dropkick misses back inside. Giulia’s running knee sets up a northern lights bomb for the pin at 6:51.

Rating: C+. This wasn’t a squash but it was a fairly dominant victory for Giulia, which is what it should have been. Green isn’t the most accomplished star in WWE but she’s been around long enough that beating her means something. Giulia felt like a star here and once she turned it up in the end, Green was overwhelmed. It was a good, effective debut and did what it needed to do.

Trick Williams is ready for Pete Dunne tonight and then he’s coming for his NXT Title again.

Jordynne Grace talks about how important the TNA Knockouts Title really is, which is why she wants the best from NXT to come after it.

Lexis King is at a barber shop and shows us a highlight reel of his greatest hits. Then Oro Mensah jumps him.

Lola Vice and Jacy Jayne argue over who is going to step up to Jordynne Grace.

Heritage Cup: Je’Von Evans vs. Charlie Dempsey

Dempsey is defending. Round one begins with Dempsey taking him down into an armbar but gets caught in a wristlock. Dempsey tries to slip out but can’t shake Evans away. Instead he takes Evans into the corner and stomps away. They trade monkey flips and Evans grabs a hurricanrana as the round ends. Round two begins with Evans missing a charge into the corner but coming out with a middle rope sunset flip for two. They fight over a backslide until Dempsey gets a dragon suplex for the pin at 1:01 of the round and 4:39 overall.

We take a break and come back with Evans small packaging Dempsey for two, followed by the top rope spinning splash for the pin at 2:51 of the round and 8:51 overall to tie it up. Round four begins with Evans hitting a running forearm in the corner and knocking Dempsey outside. A neck snap over the rope cuts Evans off for two and some neckbreakers keep Evans in trouble. Evans is back out with a suplex but a butterfly suplex has him in trouble as the round ends.

Round five begins with Evans’ sunset flip getting two and a rollup gets the same. A springboard clothesline gets a delayed two, with Miles Borne putting the foot on the rope. Cedric Alexander brawls with Borne to the back so Evans knocks him to the floor for a huge dive over the top. Cue Tavion Heights to jump Evans though and Dempsey gets the pin to retain at 2:09 of the round and 15:10.

Rating: B-. Heights being back was a good way to keep Evans looking strong in defeat. Dempsey needed to win here after just getting the Cup back, making this a good enough way to go. The round system still works well as a way to set this stuff apart and it feels like its own division, even if there are only a few people involved with it at a time.

Rosemary and Wendy Choo want to destroy Lyra Valkyria and Tatum Paxley. They have made their bed but have forgotten to look underneath it.

Ethan Page is happy to see Pete Dunne and Trick Williams beat each other up because he can pick up the scraps on October 1.

Bianca Belair and Jade Cargill will be in Chicago on October 1.

Oba Femi vs. ???

Non-title and it’s…..HAMMERSTONE (a powerhouse from TNA) answering, apparently the person Tony D’Angelo paid off earlier. Hammerstone gets backed up against the ropes to start but pushes Femi away. Femi is knocked outside, where he hits a jumping clothesline to knock Hammerstone off the apron.

Back in and another clothesline sets up a chinlock, with Hammerstone getting up fast. A fireman’s carry toss gives Femi two but Hammerstone blocks a stomp on the mat. Hammerstone fights back and hits a running clothesline into some suplexes and a chokeslam for two. Femi is up again with a belly to back toss and a pop up powerbomb for the pin at 5:26.

Rating: C+. This one is going to depend on what you know about Hammerstone. He was a force in MLW and has shown flashes of success in TNA but this was quite the disappointment. Hammerstone was beaten up for the most part and then lost clean in the end. Of course you don’t have an outside beat your unstoppable monster, but I was expecting a hoss fight and got a five minute match with Femi mostly dominating.

The D’Angelo Family is not pleased.

Hank Walker and Tank Ledger are ready but Chase U walks in, with Duke Hudson promising to hurt Ridge Holland.

Wren Sinclair isn’t sure which title she should go after and asks if Kelani Jordan has ever considered an open challenge. They both leave so Lola Vice and Jaida Parker can talk about how they want to beat up Fatal Influence. Vice sounded rather serious here.

CM Punk was impressed by Giulia’s debut and is going to call Ava with an idea.

Ridge Holland vs. Duke Hudson

Hudson starts fast and takes it outside, with Holland being sent into the steps. Back in and a suplex has Holland in more trouble but he drives Hudson back first into the barricade. A running clothesline drops Hudson for two and a crossbody against the ropes cuts off his comeback. Something like a Jackhammer puts Hudson down and the lifting DDT finishes for Holland at 4:11.

Rating: C. Hudson was fighting for his school here but it’s too early for Holland to get what is coming to him. That is going to come when Andre Chase is back, which mans Holland is going to have to run through Riley Osborne first. For now, it was short and to the point, with Hudson getting in what he could before Holland took him apart.

Post match Holland beats him up even more, including another lifting DDT onto a piece of the barricade.

Jordynne Grace runs into Giulia for a cool visual.

Pete Dunne is ready to fight Trick Williams and move on to become NXT Champion.

MizTV will be in Chicago on October 1.

We look back at the Bloodline wrecking the Street Profits and Axiom/Nathan Frazier.

Wes Lee comes in to commentary and says he took out Trey Miguel so the Rascalz couldn’t get the title shot. He wants Zachary Wentz in a street fight in Chicago.

TNA Knockouts Title: Jordynne Grace vs. ???

Grace is defending against….Sol Ruca. Grace gets taken down to start but avoids a low superkick. A gutwrench suplex drops Ruca but it’s too early for the Juggernaut Driver. Instead Ruca pulls her outside, followed by the awesome springboard splash for two back inside. We take a break and come back with Ruca slipping out of a MuscleBuster but getting pulled down onto the turnbuckle.

Ruca is right back up with a high crossbody but Grace rolls through and tries a swinging Rock Bottom, which is reversed into a DDT to give Ruca two. Grace is back up with a World’s Strongest Slam into a Vader Bomb for two, followed by the MuscleBuster. And never mind as the lights go out and Rosemary/Wendy Choo are here to jump Grace for the DQ at 8:56.

Rating: B-. Ruca got in a few shots but this was more of Grace dominating until the DQ ending. That was a wise way to get out of having Grace beat a talented start like Ruca so this had to be done. As usual, Grace feels like she could be a major star here at the drop of a hat and odds are she will the second she is allowed to sign. Nice match here, with the ending that had to take place.

Post match Grace gets choked out.

Tatum Paxley shows Lyra Valkyria her dolls of various villains, with Valkyria telling her to be calm. A tag match against Choo and Rosemary seems set for next week.

Giulia, with Funaki, is in Ava’s office when Roxanne Perez comes in to say Giulia isn’t taking anything over. Giulia teases violence but Ava says save it for Chicago.

Dion Lennox warns Brooks Jensen about Shawn Spears (who is there too). With Lennox gone, Jensen and Spears seem to be ok.

Ashante Thee Adonis and Eddy Thorpe argue over Thorpe’s friendship with various women.

Trick Williams vs. Pete Dunne

Last Man Standing for the NXT Title shot on October 1. They slug it out to start with Williams getting the better of things. The fight heads outside with Williams being whipped into the steps and suplexed onto the apron as we take a break. Back with Williams hitting some leg lariats but Dunne rolls to the floor. The chair is brought in and a neckbreaker onto it gives Williams a six.

Dunne is back up with a German suplex and wedges the chair in the corner. They head outside again with Williams being put on the steps for a running boot to the head. The floor mats are peeled back (you don’t see that much anymore) and Dunne plants him with a DDT for nine (yes off a DDT on exposed concrete).

Back in and Williams hits a pop up right hand but the Bitter End gives Dunne another eight. Dunne gets the chair but Williams kicks it into his face for eight of his own. Williams pulls the cover off of the announcers’ table, only to get powerbombed through it. They fight out into the fans and onto the platform, with Dunne hitting a Russian legsweep down through some tables. Cue Ethan Page to mock them both until Williams bats the count to win at 14:17, backdropping Page through the table in the process.

Rating: B. The ending to this was a bit of a weak spot as Williams just popped up to win, but the rest of the match took a different path than most of these matches. Until the last few minutes, they mostly kept this basic, with just the chair being used. I like the change of pace over what you would expect from this kind of a match, with all kinds of weapons and such. Williams very well may get the title back in Chicago and this was a fine way to set it up.

Ava gets off the phone with CM Punk, who will be here next week.

Overall Rating: B. Despite a lot of the wrestling just being ok, this show was PACKED with either guest stars or important matches. I was impressed by how many things they managed to fit into the show and it was a lot of fun, even with the main event being the only match worth seeing. Sure it’s to help drum up interest before the big move in a few weeks, but it worked very well for a show that didn’t have a ton of hype.

Results
Street Profits b. Axiom/Nathan Frazier via DQ when Tama Tonga interfered
Giulia b. Chelsea Green – Northern lights bomb
Charlie Dempsey b. Je’Von Evans 2-1
Oba Femi b. Hammerstone – Toss powerbomb
Ridge Holland b. Duke Hudson – Lifting DDT
Jordynne Grace b. Sol Ruca via DQ when Rosemary and Wendy Choo interfered
Trick Williams b. Pete Dunne when Dunne could not answer the ten count

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NXT LVL Up
Date: August 23, 2024
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Byron Saxton, Blake Howard

We are still in the short form shows as the main roster going to Germany changes things up around here. In a way it makes things a bit more interesting, as it manages to make the already short show even shorter. Things have been changing enough around here to make it more interesting and hopefully that continues here. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Jazmyn Nyx vs. Dani Palmer

Fallon Henley and Jacy Jayne are here with Nyx and this is Palmer’s return after a long injury hiatus. Nyx takes her down with a headlock before cranking on the leg. Back up and Palmer snaps off an anklescissors into a monkey flip for two. Jayne stomps away in the corner though, leaving Jayne and Henley to dance in celebration. The figure four necklock keeps Palmer down but she fights out and gets two off a neckbreaker. That doesn’t work for Nyx though, meaning it’s the Nyx Kick to finish Palmer at 4:11.

Rating: C. This was Palmer getting back in the ring after such a long time away but ultimately there was no way she should have been beating someone like Nyx, who is at least being featured. The action was good enough, but this was more about Palmer being back, which is nice to see after such a hiatus. She is starting again, but it could work.

Tyson DuPont and Tyriek Igwe are ready for the D’Angelo Family.

Dani Palmer says things have changed around here, but she has changed too.

Tyson DuPont/Tyriek Igwe vs. D’Angelo Family

Adrianna Rizzo is here with the Family. Crusifino and Igwe fight over wrist control to start, with Igwe taking him down for a headscissors. DuPont comes in and gets double teamed into the corner but he’s back with a rather big dropkick. Stacks gets splashed in the corner and suplexed down by Igwe, allowing DuPont to come in and rock on the knee. Crusifino shoulders his way out of trouble, only to get run over by DuPont for two more. Everything breaks down and Stacks flips out of a powerbomb, setting up a jumping enziguri. A Shatter Machine finishes DuPont at 6:11.

Rating: C+. Another not very long match here as the Family, who aren’t doing much at the moment, gets a win over a team who still shows a lot of promise. That isn’t a great sign for Igwe and DuPont, but they need something more to lift them above their current status. They kept this moving too, which is often quite appreciated.

Overall Rating: C. Not the best show here, but there is only so much that you can do when your show, featuring a commercial in the middle, only lasts nineteen minutes. As usual, this was about getting people in the ring to give them some reps, which is nice to see, but there is still a lack of stories or reasons for these matches happening. A brief feud shouldn’t be that much to ask, but apparently it is around here.

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NXT
Date: August 13, 2024
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Booker T.

We’re done with the Great American Bash and on the way to No Mercy, which is going to need a card. That is going to take some time to set up and there are only three shows left before it’s off to Denver, meaning the build will likely start today. If nothing else, Ethan Page is going to need a new challenger for the NXT Title so let’s get to it.

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

We open with a recap of last week’s second half of the Great American Bash.

Wes Lee ignores a question about why he turned on the Rascalz. With Lee gone, Ethan Page pops in to say he’s here to address the NXT Universe.

Here is Page in the ring for a chat. He brags about his win last week and promises that no one is taking this title from him. Not Trick Williams, not Pete Dunne and not Wes Lee. Cue Joe Hendry to interrupt, saying he is here without anyone even saying his name. It is clear that Page is the talk of NXT….or at least he was for ninety seconds, until Hendry’s name showed up and stole the show.

Page doesn’t know why Hendry is here, but Hendry says he’s here to win the NXT Title. Page knows that everyone believes in Hendry, from NXT to TNA, but Page himself doesn’t believe in him. Hendry is on the 14th minute of his fifteen minutes of fame and Page is ready to prove that Hendry is a flash in the pan. Hendry talks about the legends who believe in him, from Kurt Angle to Booker T. to Shawn Michaels before going into his theme song. Page leaves and Lee jumps Hendry from behind.

Wren Sinclair annoys Charlie Dempsey before Dempsey’s Heritage Cup shot, saying she’s not staying out of anything now that she is officially on the team.

Ava, with her assistants, announces a gauntlet eliminator next week, with only women who have never challenged Roxanne Perez eligible. We get three of the six names being drawn for the match: Wren Sinclair, Adrianna Rizzo and Sol Ruca, with three more being named later.

Heritage Cup: Tony D’Angelo vs. Charlie Dempsey

D’Angelo is defending and they both have multiple associates here too. Round one begins with D’Angelo taking him down and hammering away before hitting a running shoulder. Dempsey goes after the arm but has to counter the spinebuster. D’Angelo drives him into the corner but gets pulled into something like a triangle choke. Dempsey switches into a kneebar as the round ends. Round two begins with some grappling on the mat and neither being able to get anywhere. Back up and D’Angelo hits Forget About It for the first fall at 56 seconds of the round and 4:22 overall.

We take a break and come back with round three ending but Dempsey gets in what might have been an after the bell knee. Sinclair yells at him and gets in a few slaps between rounds, which isn’t a great way to ingratiate yourself with your new team members. Round four begins with Dempsey hammering him down in the corner until D’Angelo clotheslines his way out of trouble. Forget About It is blocked and D’Angelo is sent into the corner, allowing Dempsey to grab a rollup for the pin at 1:53 of the round and 11:02 overall to tie it up.

Round five begins with D’Angelo hitting the spinebuster for two but Dempsey pulls him into a triangle choke. That’s broken up and D’Angelo puts him on top, where the seconds get into a brawl. Sinclair trips D’Angelo down and Dempsey grabs a bridging butterfly suplex for the pin and the Cup at 2:02 of the round and 13:30 overall.

Rating: B-. That’s a good way to go as Sinclair pays instant dividends for the team and Dempsey gets the Cup back, which makes a good bit more sense. There is a good chance that this feud continues and that isn’t a bad idea. If nothing else, points for bringing Sinclair into something more important after she has just been kind of there for such a long time.

Lola Vice and Kelani Jordan think they should help Tatum Paxley, who is going a bit nuts with her dolls. Paxley yells about Vice having everything handed to her, which isn’t well received.

Video on Eddy Thorpe vs. Lexis King in their battle over music.

Eddy Thorpe vs. Lexis King

King jumps him in the aisle to start and the fight is on fast. Thorpe fights back but gets sent shoulder first into the post to put him in early trouble. King starts in on Thorpe’s bad hand but Thorpe backdrops his way out of trouble. The implant DDT is broken up and King goes after the arm again, setting up the Coronation for the pin at 3:08.

Rating: C. This was certainly a match that happened and it was only so good. You can only get so far out of a match with so little time and while they’re going for the culture clash between the two, it has only been so interesting. I do like King getting a win, though it wouldn’t surprise me if this feud keeps going as well.

Trick Williams wants Pete Dunne.

Dunne talks about how he’s moving forward to the NXT Title.

Meta Four argue with Jacy Jayne and Fallon Henley.

Tatum Paxley vs. Lola Vice

Kelani Jordan is on commentary. Vice takes her down to start and dance a bit but Paxley is back up with an enziguri. Cue Wendy Choo to choke Jordan, with Paxley using the distraction to jump Vice. A Swanton misses though and Vice hits a spinning backfist for the pin at 2:18. Short and to the point, which was Choo attacking Jordan.

The other three women in the gauntlet match are Jaida Parker, Kendal Grey and Karmen Petrovic. Brinley Reece wishes Petrovic good luck but Izzi Dame comes in to say she should have gotten the shot. Dame can’t stand Reece either.

Here is Wes Lee for a chat. Lee says last week’s turn started when Zachary Wentz let him down and broke up their team for the first time. People were asking about what was next for Lee, because he was just a tag guy. Then he worked hard and became the greatest North American Champion of all time.

The rest of the Rascalz became a team in TNA and turned into a success, all while Lee broke his back becoming a singles star. Lee is done caring about what Wentz is going to say or do because he is tired of being the adult for Wentz. The only reason his friends came back was for WWE and he knows he’ll have to face Wentz one day. Like maybe at No Mercy. Then Wentz can go back to TNA and Lee will wish him the best in his future endeavors. Cue Pete Dunne to interrupt, saying he wants the NXT Title…and here is Joe Hendry to interrupt. Hendry goes after Lee but it’s quickly broken up.

Axiom and Nathan Frazier are ready to focus on the Tag Team Titles again tonight.

Tony D’Angelo is upset about his loss…but Oba Femi walks in, saying he’s ready for battle.

Chase U is fired up for their Tag Team Title match and Duke Hudson says it doesn’t matter which part of the team wins the gold. Ridge Holland is ready to prove himself to the team.

North American Title: Oba Femi vs. Otis

Otis, with the rest of the Alpha Academy, is challenging. They fight over a lockup to start with Femi grabbing a headlock but not being able to take him over. A running shoulder puts Femi on the floor and we take a break. Back with Otis fighting out of a chinlock and grabbing a side slam for two.

Femi knocks him outside though and an uppercut sends him into the steps. Some elbows give Femi two more and he knocks Otis outside to cut off a comeback bid. Otis is back up with a running shoulder though and some elbows to the face rock Femi back inside. The Caterpillar gets two and a Vader Bomb gives Otis the same but Femi powerbombs him out of the corner to retain the title at 10:40.

Rating: C+. This got going near the end, even if there wasn’t much in the way of doubt over who was leaving with the title. The match was about giving Femi another win over an established name and the fans are always going to be behind Otis. The match itself was an ok enough power match, but the Caterpillar doesn’t exactly fit with the idea of two monsters slugging it out.

Brooks Jensen talks about the mistakes he has made but says there was one person always looking out for him….and it’s Shawn Spears.

Malik Blade and Edris Enofe aren’t sure about this and neither are Hank Walker and Tank Ledger. Walker and Leger are facing the OC next week.

We look at the NXT tryout over Summerslam weekend.

Izzi Dame vs. Brinley Reece

These two were both part of the 2022 Summerslam weekend tryout. Reece takes over on the arm to start and drops Dame with a hard shot for two. Dame is back with a backbreaker and drives her into the corner with a running shoulder to the ribs. A Sky High gives Dame two but Reece slips out of an over the shoulder backbreaker. Reece’s suplex gets two, only for Dame to kick her in the face. Something close to a swinging Side Effect finishes for Dame at 4:08.

Rating: C+. Again they didn’t have much time here but what mattered is getting some of the long list of women around here something to do. There are a ton of talented women in NXT but so many of them have just been kind of spinning their wheels. While I’m not sure this is going to be some breakout win for Dame, it’s better than being stuck on LVL Up or trading insults backstage.

Ava announces a triple threat between Wes Lee, Pete Dunne and Joe Hendry, with the winner getting an NXT Title shot at No Mercy. Roxanne Perez comes in to say she likes the idea of the gauntlet eliminator but no one is going to take the title from her.

Shawn Michaels announces (well, re-announces) that NXT will be on the road for October 1 and 8.

Ashante Thee Adonis continues his flirtations. With the women gone, he talks to Dion Lennox, who is more interested in reading.

Tag Team Titles: Chase U vs. Axiom/Nathan Frazier

Chase U (Andre Chase/Ridge Holland) is challenging. Chase knees Axiom down for an early two and it’s quickly off to Frazier, who runs the ropes and rolls Chase up for two of his own. Holland comes in and the champions clear the ring, setting up the dives as we take a break. Back with Chase and Frazier hitting a double clothesline for a double knockdown. The double tag brings in Holland to flip Axiom over into a DDT for two. Holland plants Axiom so Chase can get two with Frazier making the save.

Chase is put up top but Holland makes the save, only to be sent outside. Chasing The Dragon gets two on Chase but he’s back up with a big boot to Axiom. Holland powerbombs Frazier into Chase’s Backstabber for two as the fans are going nuts on these kickouts. Axiom comes back in and hits the super Spanish Fly on Holland but Chase shoves Frazier off the top and into the announcers’ table. Holland hits his lifting DDT on Axiom for the pin and the titles at 10:07.

Rating: B. You know what I loved about this match? It could have gone in a bunch of different ways. This could have been Axiom and Frazier splitting after weeks of teasing a breakup or it could have been Hudson turning on Chase U or it could have been the clean finish that we got, which could have gone either way. That is a very nice feeling to have and that’s on top of the match being a heck of a back and forth fight, with the fans being way into the near falls. Pretty awesome main event here and I was pulled into everything they were doing.

The celebration is on with the student section joining in as the confetti falls.

Overall Rating: B+. What more could you want from this show? They set up things for the next show which will set up a lot of No Mercy, advanced stories this week and gave us two title changes, with a special moment in the main event. The show might not be perfect, but it feels like they know what they want to do and then go out and do it. Nothing on here is revolutionary or anything close to it, but it’s consistently well booked with the action to back it up. I had a great time with this show and NXT’s roll continues as they are getting closer to the CW move.

Results
Charlie Dempsey b. Tony D’Angelo 2-1
Lexis King b. Eddy Thorpe – Coronation
Lola Vice b. Tatum Paxley – Spinning backfist
Oba Femi b. Otis – Sitout powerbomb
Izzi Dame b. Brinley Reece – Swinging Side Effect
Chase U b. Axiom/Nathan Frazier – Lifting DDT to Axiom

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

It’s the first night of the Great American Bash and oddly enough the card isn’t exactly stacked. There are some title matches, but only one of them feels like a big time showdown. Other than that, we have a contract signing for next week’s NXT Title match and the Women’s Tag Team Champions are here for a guest spot. Oh and Joe Hendry is giving a concert. Let’s get to it.

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

Hank Walker and Tank Ledger break into the Performance Center to host the show. This involves hacking a security system, dodging lasers and crawling through a dark room.

Women’s Tag Team Titles: Meta Four vs. Isla Dawn/Alba Fyre

Meta Four is challenging. It’s a brawl before the bell to start fast and Jackson is sent into the wrong corner. Fyre sends her into the buckle for two and a double suplex connects as well. Legend is back up to clean house and we take an early break. Back with Jackson hitting an enziguri, allowing the diving tag off to Legend.

A chokeslam gets two on Dawn but Fyre gets in a cheap shot from the apron to cut her off. That doesn’t last long though as it’s a wheelbarrow faceplant/cutter combination for to on Dawn with Fyre making the save. Back up and the Evil Touch to Jackson retains the titles at 7:52.

Rating: C+. The problem here is Jade Cargill and Bianca Belair are getting a title match on Smackdown, which was talked about extensively throughout this match. If I already know they’re getting the shot, it make it kind of difficult to buy a title change here. That being said, Legend’s pretty incredible transformation continues, as she is turning into a more impressive star every time she is out there.

Post match here is Ethan Page to mock Oro Mensah and promise he won’t win the NXT Title next week. Mensah pins him again.

Cedric Alexander is teaching some young wrestlers when Shawn Spears interrupts to talk about Brooks Jensen. Cue Jensen to argue but Spears holds him out.

Tavion Heights is ready for Tony D’Angelo.

Tony D’Angelo is ready for Tavion Heights.

Pete Dunne talks about Sheamus walking away from the Brawling Brutes so now he’s going to create havoc. He’ll start next week with Trick Williams.

Heritage Cup: Tavion Heights vs. Tony D’Angelo

D’Angelo is defending and their respective associates are here too. Round One begins with some grappling with Heights, the former Olympic wrestler taking over with a fireman’s carry. D’Angelo is back up with a headlock before switching to a leglock as the round ends. Here is Wren Sinclair to watch and we take a break. Back with D’Angelo hitting a superplex but time expires.

Round Three begins with D’Angelo hitting Forget About It for the pin at 28 seconds of the round and 8:13 overall. Round Four begins with Sinclair yelling at Heights, which is enough for Heights to grab the belly to belly and tie it up at 23 seconds of the round and 9:04 overall. Round Five begins with Heights getting two off a gutwrench suplex. Heights misses a charge into the ropes though and D’Angelo hits back to back spinebusters to retain at 1:39 of the round and 11:09 overall.

Rating: C+. You kind of know what you’re getting with these things and that was the case again here. Heights was a fine choice for a one off challenger but D’Angelo is going to be on to bigger and better opponents. They didn’t spend too long on this and what we got was good enough for a title defense.

Fallon Henley, Jacy Jayne and Jazmyn Nyx don’t like the new generation so the tag match is set for tonight.

Brooks Jensen vs. Cedric Alexander

Joined in progress Jensen charging into a boot in the corner and being knocked outside. Alexander hits a big dive but Jensen kicks him in the face to take over. A running shoulder in the Tree Of Woe gives Jensen two and we hit the chinlock. Back up and Alexander snaps off a suplex into a Michinoku river for two. Jensen knocks him off the top and a guillotine legdrop gets two. They head outside with Jensen dropping him onto the announcers’ table. The dive misses though and Alexander grabs the Lumbar Check to win at 4:47 shown.

Rating: C. As has been the case, the problem with Jensen boils down to him only being so interesting in the first place. It’s one thing if he starts winning matches like he did against Josh Briggs, but seeing him lose more often than not is taking away what little status he has. The match wasn’t anything noteworthy either, which isn’t helping Jensen’s case in the slightest.

Je’Von Evans talks about growing up watching wrestling and knowing he needed to do this.

Joe Hendry flirts with some women before his concert but then has to leave. Ashante Thee Adonis comes in to take care of the women.

The Rascalz re confused by being on a Tuesday but want the Tag Team Titles back.

Here is Joe Hendry for his concert, with the fans singing his theme song. Hendry’s song is about how he makes things better, how Booker T is a big fan, and how Gallus has bad facial hair. Hendry is ready for an encore but here is Gallus to interrupt. They didn’t like the song and Hendry is quickly beaten down. It continues to amuse me that Hendry is more or less a full on character around here despite still being a part of TNA (which was barely mentioned here, if at all).

Hank Walker and Tank Ledger annoy Roxanne Perez.

Ava is overseeing the contract signing between Ethan Page and Oro Mensah for next week. They bicker and both sign, with Mensah promising to win the title. Very short and to the point here.

Kendal Grey vs. Jaida Parker

OTM is here with Parker. Grey takes her down by the arm to start and is back up with a middle rope crossbody for two. Parker sends her into the corner though and drops her ribs first across the top rope. The seated abdominal stretch doesn’t last long as Grey fights up…and here are Miles Borne and Wren Sinclair. Grey takes Borne down and grabs an Angle Slam for two on Parker. Back up and another distraction lets Parker get in a gordbuster into a running hip attack for the pin at 4:02.

Rating: C+. Grey was trying here and they’re giving her something with the Borne stuff, but she still needs something more than “here’s another pretty rookie with an athletic background.” There are a lot of them on the roster and Grey isn’t standing out just yet. Parker on the other hand still feels like a star in the making and I could go for seeing her get a chance to show what she can do.

Chase U fires up Thea Hail.

Axiom is talking to the LWO about Speed when Ava comes in with a contract for a title match with the Rascalz. Axiom signs but Nathan Frazier isn’t happy with not being asked about it. Oh well.

Jacy Jayne/Jazmyn Nyx/Fallon Henley vs. Sol Ruca/Karmen Petrovic/Lola Vice

Henley takes Ruca down to start and surfs on her back, only for Ruca to come back with an X Factor and surfing of her own. Petrovic comes in to knock Nyx down, setting up a running basement Blockbuster. Vice comes in and gets rolled up to give Jayne two, only to come back with a spinebuster for two.

It’s back To Petrovic for a double shoulder and the villains are knocked to the floor. The series of dives take them down again and we take a break. Back with Vice getting the tag to clean house and Ruca hitting a springboard flipping double clothesline. Henley is left alone with Ruca, who hits a fireman’s carry into a powerbomb for two.

Jayne is back in with a cutter out of the corner and Nyx’s PerfectPlex gets two to leave everyone down. Nyx kicks away at Ruca but it’s back to Petrovic for the clothesline comeback. A Pele kick gets Nyx out of trouble though and Henley comes in with something like a belly to back suplex flipped into a cutter for the pin on Petrovic at 12:55.

Rating: B. Where the heck did that come from? This felt like it was going to be just another six person tag and they gave it everything they had and put on a pretty rocking match. This was FAR better than I would have expected with hard work from everyone and some great action. Good stuff here and the feud is likely going to continue for a bit.

Kelani Jordan doesn’t want to play with Tatum Paxley and her dolls. And she doesn’t know why Wendy Choo is behind them.

Joe Hendry is sick of Gallus’ jealousy so he’s going to take out Joe Coffey next week.

Here’s what’s coming next week.

Women’s Title: Roxanne Perez vs. Thea Hail

Hail, with Chase U, is challenging and goes for some early rollups to start. The threat of the Kimura sends Perez to the ropes before she has to flip out of an anklescissors. Perez bails to the floor and Hail hits a middle rope moonsault as we take a break. Back with Hail hitting a DDT to leave both of them down.

The World’s Smallest Slam sets up a missed backsplash so Perez grabs the crossface. Hail bails out to the floor but Perez argues with Chase U, allowing Hail to get in a dive. A Michinoku Driver gives Hail two but Perez goes after the arm. Pop Rox is countered into a backslide for two and the Kimura goes on, with Perez reversing into the crossface. That’s powered into a Samoan drop and the springboard backsplash gets two for an awesome sequence.

Perez goes for the eye but gets sent shoulder first into the post. The Kimura goes on again, with Perez getting to the ropes and out to the floor. Hail gets rammed into the steps and the crossface goes on again, only to be reversed back into the Kimura. That’s reversed into the crossface again so Hail goes for the ropes, leaving Perez to switch to Pop Rox to retain at 11:21.

Rating: B+. When an awesome sequence takes up almost half of the match, it stops being a sequence and turns into a good portion of what you’re seeing. This was the best thing on the show as they were showing some great chemistry together and had me wondering if Hail was going to get the miracle upset. Perez was more than carrying her side here too and it made for a great main event. Giulia and/or Stephanie Vaquer are probably waiting on Perez, but this made her feel more ready for either of them.

Overall Rating: B. This started slowly and felt like it was an only slightly bigger than normal show before the last two matches blew away all of my expectations. Those matches carried the show and the concert was a funny enough moment as well. I’m not sure this needed to be a two week special, but I wasn’t overly excited about this one and they really surprised me with how good it wound up being. Solid show this week, with the women carrying things.

Results
Isla Dawn/Alba Fyre b. Meta Four – Evil Touch to Jackson
Tony D’Angelo b. Tavion Heights 2-1
Cedric Alexander b. Brooke Jensen – Lumbar Check
Jaida Parker b. Kendal Grey – Running hip attack
Fallon Henley/Jazmyn Nyx/Jacy Jayne b. Sol Ruca/Karmen Petrovic/Lola Vice – Flipping cutter to Petrovic
Roxanne Perez b. Thea Hail – Pop Rox

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NXT
Date: July 9, 2024
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Booker T.

We’re back stateside after Heatwave and the big story is that we have a new NXT Champion as Ethan Page accidentally won the title after being knocked out by Trick Williams. That sounds primed for a one on one rematch but stranger things have happened. For now though, we are about a month out from the Great American Bash so let’s get to it.

Here is Heatwave if you need a recap.

Long Heatwave recap.

Here is Ethan Page to brag about his title win at Heatwave. It took a lot of talent, preparation and skill, but also a big EGO. The entire locker room hates him so he has extra security out here just in case. Cue Oro Mensah to try to jump Page but security cuts him off. Page, talking over the WHOOP THAT TRICK chants, talks about how he’s going to fight off these outsiders because HE IS NXT.

It is no longer the Whoop That Era, but cue Trick Williams to interrupt and ask for a rematch. That isn’t going to happen, but here is Shawn Sears to say Page owes him a thank you. He can’t let Williams have a rematch either because Williams is going to the back of the line. Cue Je’Von Evans to interrupt and the fight is on with Williams and Evans clearing the ring. Everything made sense here and Page running from challengers is the right way to go for him. His promo was good too as he would brag exactly this way.

We recap Arianna Grace and Karmen Petrovic cheating to win on the Heatwave Kickoff Show, setting up a match between them tonight.

Lexis King is ready to take the Heritage Cup from Tony D’Angelo.

Tony D’Angelo isn’t ready to let King take the Heritage Cup.

Karmen Petrovic vs. Arianna Grace

Grace shoulders her down to start and declares her better. Petrovic kicks away as Jacy Jayne and Jazmyn Nyx come out to watch. A middle rope elbow to the back of the head gives Grace two and we hit the chinlock. Back up and Petrovic sweeps the leg, setting up a spinning kick to the back for the pin at 2:38.

Post match Fallon Henley runs in to beat down Petrovic and tells Jayne and Nyx that she is sick of these rookies.

We get the sitdown interview between Brooks Jensen and Ava. Jensen apologizes for his actions and says he cracked under the pressure. Ava says she and Shawn Michaels were ready to release him but some people vouched for him. Jensen is sticking around, but he needs to remember that the is a WWE Superstar full time. He seems to get it.

Heritage Cup: Lexis King vs. Tony D’Angelo

D’Angelo is defending and the rest of the D’Angelo Family is here too, plus Eddy Thorpe is DJing, because this match needs a DJ. Round One begins with D’Angelo grabbing a headlock and then running him over with a shoulder. An armbar has King down for a bit, only to have him come up with some forearms in the corner. Another armbar is broken up so D’Angelo chops him in the corner. A Boston crab has King in more trouble and the round ends.

Round Two begins with Thorpe annoying King, allowing D’Angelo to grab Forget About It for the pin at 15 seconds of the round and 3:48 overall. We take a break and come back with D’Angelo suplexing King but walking into the Coronation to tie it up at 2:53 of the round and 8:07 overall. Round Four begins with King jumping him in the corner and stopping away but D’Angelo hits a hard clothesline. A belly to belly suplex puts King down again, only to have him come back with a middle rope DDT. Another Coronation is blocked and a spinebuster finishes King to retain the Cup at 2:22 of the round and 10:59.

Rating: C+. This was more about King vs. Thorpe, which is at least a feud for both of them, but it was a nice way to give D’Angelo a nice defense at the same time. That’s the kind of smart booking that you do not get to see very often and it’s nice to have that kind of efficiency. Nothing much to the match, but it was just a one off title defense without much of a story in the first place.

Brooks Jensen jumps Je’Von Evans, with Josh Briggs breaking it up, saying he stuck his neck out for Jensen and this is how Jensen thanks him.

Ridge Holland tries to make amends with Chase U and has gotten them some title matches. Duke Hudson gets a North American Title match against Oba Femi next week! Hudson: “…thanks Ridge.”

Tyriek Igwe/Tyson DuPont vs. Gallus

It’s a brawl before the bell with Igwe getting caught in the wrong corner before Mark Coffey can even get his jacket off. Igwe fights out and makes the tag off to DuPont to pick up the pace. Everything breaks down and Joe Coffey low bridges Igwe to the floor. That leaves DuPont to walk into the flapjack/big boot combination for the pin at 3:13.

Rating: C+. It was fun while it lasted but this was your normal Gallus numbers game win. It’s something they’ve done for years now and you’re only going to be able to get so much out of seeing it happen again. Igwe and DuPont have something to them but they need WAY more experience and something to make them stand out before it’s going to matter.

Trick Williams is ready to fight on his own if Je’Von Evans is hurt, but maybe he should try to find a partner.

Here is a serious Wes Lee to address his future. Lee believed he could beat Oba Femi at Heatwave and get his North American title back. Getting his title back is what got him through rehab but that’s not what happened. He isn’t sure where to go from here, because this isn’t like his normal losses.

We get the tease of him leaving and the required PLEASE DON’T GO chant….but here are TNA’s Rascalz (Zachary Wentz (Lee’s former partner in MSK) and Trey Miguel). He can’t believe they’re here and is proud of what they have become. Wentz and Miguel: “We know.” It’s time to get MSK back together and we get the big three way hug.

Thea Hail vs. Izzi Dame

Chase U is here with Hail. They start fast with Dame kicking her down and getting two off a backbreaker. An STF has Hail in more trouble as Tatum Paxley, in Chase U red, comes out of the crowd. Hail goes after her but posts herself as a result. Hail makes the comeback and the Kimura makes Dame tap at 3:33.

Rating: C. Hail, and Chase U for that matter, getting a win is nice to see and this should set Hail up for the Women’s Title match that Ridge Holland promised her. Tatum Paxley being all insane and driving Dame nuts works well enough, as it’s a good sign to see a feud going on that doesn’t have anything to do with a title. The division needs more of that and this works well enough.

Post match Oba Femi pops up to say he’ll destroy Duke Hudson, who says don’t underestimate him.

The Rascalz are happy to be back together but run into Gallus, who aren’t sure what to call the team. Apparently just Wentz and Lee are MSK but the three of them are the Rascalz. Makes enough sense. Gallus almost summons Joe Hendry but thinks better of it.

OTM is ready for the OC.

Ava yells at Brooks Jensen, who gets Je’Von Evans next week, assuming Evans is ok. With Jensen gone, Briggs says he wants Shawn Spears next week.

OTM vs. OC

Jaida Parker is here with OTM. Nima manages a rather impressive delayed vertical suplex on Gallows to start and it’s off to Price for a double elbow to Anderson. A release Rock Bottom plants Anderson but he jawbreaks his way to freedom. It’s back to Gallows for a jumping elbow as Michin comes out of the crowd to go after Parker. The distraction lets OTM hit the release Alabama Slam to pin Anderson for the big upset at 4:54.

Rating: C+. This is the kind of win that might let OTM go somewhere, which is exactly what they need. At some point it doesn’t matter to have this much potential without getting some wins and thankfully the team is getting somewhere. On top of that, the OC losing, and hopefully falling even further down the card, is a good sign.

Fallon Henley wants the Women’s North American Title and would have had a better showing against Sol Ruca. That doesn’t work for Ruca, who says you can either work or complain.

The No Quarter Catch Crew imply they’ve knocked Damon Kemp off. Wren Sinclair pops in but says she didn’t see anything.

Sol Ruca vs. Fallon Henley

Ruca grabs a front facelock to start but has to do her hand walk. That’s broken up with a kick to the ribs and Henley pulls her down by the arm. Back up and Ruca sends her into the corner for two but gets kicked in the arm for another near fall. The armbar is countered into a rollup for two but Henley breaks up a springboard. Ruca kicks away and hits the Sol Snatcher, only for Jacy Jayne and Jazmyn Nyx run in for the DQ at 5:01.

Rating: C. They didn’t have much time here but I do like having Henley protected from the pin. While she was more or less dead to rights, she didn’t actually get pinned, which is at least a bit better. The match itself was a bit messy, with more than a few points where they didn’t seem to be clicking. The Sol Snatcher made up for some of it though, as that looked awesome.

Post match Ruca gets beaten down again.

Tatum Paxley talks to a doll and says she’s going to play with Izzi Dame. Then she breaks the doll.

Cedric Alexander is in Ava’s office and is officially in NXT. Mr. Stone comes in and welcomes Ashante Thee Adonis to NXT as well.

Ethan Page/Shawn Spears vs. Trick Williams/???

Williams has a partner and it’s….Joe Hendry, who the fans seem to like. Williams slugs away at Page to start as the fans say THEY BELIEVE. A running splash in the corner and a big right hand rock Page and it’s off to Hendry for an even louder WE BELIEVE chant. Hendry suplexes Page and clotheslines him to the floor, allowing Williams to hit a big dive.

We take a break and come back with Page kicking Hendry in the bead and grabbing a DDT. Spears comes in to hammer away as well, allowing the villains to take turns chopping away in the corner. Page grabs the front facelock but Hendry suplexes his way to freedom. It’s back to Williams to clean house, only to get Rock Bottomed by Page.

Spears grabs a neckbreaker and a double suplex gives Page a quick two. The C4 is countered though and Williams grabs a jumping neckbreaker to put Spears down. Cue Oro Mensah to chase Page into the crowd, leaving Williams to bring Hendry back in to clean house. Hendry hits his own DDT into he all away slam, setting up the Trick Shot. The Standing Ovation (high angle spinebuster) finishes Spears at 10:13.

Rating: B-. Hendry feels like the biggest star in the world right now and it wouldn’t shock me to see him doing something bigger around here rather soon. The fans respond to him and that is one of the hardest things in the world to make work. Page running off from Mensah is a smart move, as he’s already got a long list of people gunning for the title.

Overall Rating: B-. This show didn’t have any major moment, but there was nothing overly bad and it helped establish where we are following Heatwave. At the same time, Hendry showing up at the end was a big boost to everything, as he is as big of a star as there is around here at the moment. I’m curious to see where some of these things go and there are already matches set for next week, as NXT continues to be a pretty well oiled machine.

Results
Karmen Petrovic b. Arianna Grace – Spinning kick to the back
Tony D’Angelo b. Lexis King 2-1
Gallus b. Tyriek Igwe/Tyson DuPont – Big boot/flapjack combination to Igwe
Thea Hail b. Izzi Dame – Kimura
OTM b. OC – Assisted Alabama Slam to Anderson
Sol Ruca b. Fallon Henley via DQ when Jacy Jayne and Jazmyn Nyx interfered
Joe Hendry/Trick Williams b. Ethan Page/Shawn Spears – Standing Ovation to Spears

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NXT LVL Up
Date: June 28, 2024
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Byron Saxton, Blake Howard

Things were not exactly thrilling around here last week but one of the good things about this show is there is no reason to believe that will continue. The show is as week to week as you can get in wrestling and that means we have something of a hope spot. Or it means nothing and is as dull as ever. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Riley Osborne vs. Jasper Troy

The much bigger Troy chases Osborne around to start but a powerbomb is escaped. Osborne hits a dropkick, which earns him one heck of a toss over the top for a crash to the floor. Troy’s apron legdrop misses but he catches Osborne’s dive off the apron and throws him from the floor over the top in an impressive feat. Back in and Troy grabs an abdominal stretch of all things but Osborne slips out and kicks him in the face. A springboard kick to the face sets up the shooting star press to pin Troy at 4:29.

Rating: C+. I can always go for a big vs. little match and that is what we had here, with Troy’s power game on full display. There is something impressive about seeing Troy throw a grown man from the floor and over the top. I’m sure Troy will at least get a chance just due to that kind of power, while Osborne has already shown he has a future as a pretty decent high flier.

Jazmyn Nyx, with Jacy Jayne, is ready for Kendal Grey tonight.

Jazmyn Nyx vs. Kendal Grey

Jacy Jayne is here with Nyx. Grey trips her down for an early two as they start fast. They trade snapmares and we get an early standoff. Grey starts in on the arm with an armdrag into an armbar but Nyx sends her out to the apron. A knockdown onto said apron has Grey in trouble and Nyx stomps away in the corner. The Figure Four necklock goes on to keep Grey down but she avoids an elbow drop. Grey slips between the legs but gets caught with a great Pele Kick for the pin at 4:33 in a sweet ending.

Rating: C+. I liked that ending a lot as it made Nyx look like she was not only thinking on her feet but also that she was that far ahead of Grey. Nyx is someone who just showed up one day and happened to be pretty good so maybe there is something to her. If nothing else, the association with Jayne is only going to be an upgrade, at least for the time being.

Dante Chen vs. Myles Borne

Borne is on his own here. Chen grabs an armbar to start and they go to the ground in a hurry. Borne can’t fight out of the armbar so he drives Chen into the corner instead. Chen is right back with a splash and some right hands, only to have Borne pull him down for a crash. A snap suplex gives Borne two and it’s time to start in on Chen’s knee. That means something of a modified STF but Chen fights up and gets in a suplex of his own. They slug it out with Chen getting the better of things and kicking Borne in the face. A nice dropkick gives Borne the same but Chen double chops him down for the pin at 6:44.

Rating: C+. I’m not sure if you could have had a more LVL Up match if you had gone out of your way to make one. This was the combination of two people who are good enough to be a decent hand but not good, or at least interesting, enough to get much further than that. In other words, LVL Up main event it is.

Overall Rating: C+. This was a nicer than usual show with a consistent level of work from all of the matches. As usual, it doesn’t make any different to anything going forward, but I’ll take three perfectly nice matches as opposed to a bunch of low level people boring me for half an hour. Not great here, but nice enough for around here.

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Heatwave 2024
Date: July 7, 2024
Location: Scotiabank Arena, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Booker T.

It’s the last show of a busy weekend with a card that is only looking so strong. There isn’t much on this card, with the NXT Title being defended in a four way and Roxanne Perez defending the Women’s Title against Lola Vice. They could make it work but this isn’t the best starting point. Let’s get to it.

Kickoff Show: Jacy Jayne/Jazmyn Nyx vs. Arianna Grace/Karmen Petrovic

Evil vs. Canada. Jayne takes Grace into the corner to start but it’s Petrovic coming in for the strikes. A running neckbreaker gets two on Nyx and it’s back to Grace for a front facelock. Jayne comes back in off a blind tag for a running clothesline though and the villains take over on Petrovic. Jayne’s Cannonball in the corner gets two and a basement superkick cuts off the comeback.

Petrovic manages to low bridge Nyx to the floor and kicks Jayne away, allowing the tag off to Grace to clean house. Petrovic comes back in off a blind tag and it’s a Hart Attack (kick instead of a clothesline) for two with Nyx having to make a diving save. Nyx trips Petrovic down and a kick to the face gets two, with Grace having to make the save. Grace Codebreakers Jayne, leaving Nyx to roll Petrovic up. Grace pulls the hair to reverse it though and Petrovic gets the pin at 7:39.

Rating: C. They weren’t exactly going for anything great here and there is nothing wrong with that. It was little more than an ok TV match to warm up the crowd and sometimes that’s all you need. Petrovic and Grace might be the new oddball team, but I can go for this just being a one off for the sake of Canada too.

The opening video is designed like a streaming service with the match card being the options, sending us to the hype videos.

North American Title: Oba Femi vs. Wes Lee

Femi is defending. Lee slowly strikes away to start but gets powered into the corner. A few more shots stagger Femi and Lee springboards (albeit with a slip, though he recovered well enough) into an enziguri to rock the champion. A headscissors is blocked as Femi powers him out to the floor and Lee looks a bit shaken. He’s shaken enough that he comes back in with a springboard missile dropkick, only to get caught with a release F5 for a very impressive crash landing.

They head outside with Lee being sent into various things, including hard into the ring apron. Back in and a backbreaker puts Lee down again before Femi sends him flying as the beating continues. Lee gets tied in the Tree of Woe but manages to avoid a charge, sending Femi into the post. Back up and Lee low bridges him to the floor, where Femi chops him from the apron in an impressive comeback.

Another backbreaker lets Femi bend Lee’s back over his knee for two, meaning it’s time to get frustrated. Femi yells at him a lot and gets kicked in the head for his efforts. Lee knocks him to the floor for some suicide dives but a sunset flip is blocked back inside. Instead it’s a hurricanrana for two but Lee’s springboard is uppercutted out of the air for a rather near fall.

They go up top where Lee’s super hurricanrana is countered into a powerbomb, which is countered into something like a super X Factor. The Cardiac Kick gives Lee two so he hits a frog splash, with Femi popping back up. They go outside again, where Lee’s moonsault is countered into a shoulderbreaker. Back in and Femi counters the Cardiac Kick into a hard toss to the mat, setting up a pop up sitout powerbomb to retain the title at 16:21.

Rating: B. This was straight out of the David vs. Goliath formula and it went well, lack of slingshot or beheading aside. Lee bounced off the rather impressive Femi to make the monster look more impressive and it was a very good choice for an opener. Femi is looking like the unstoppable monster and I could go for seeing just how good he could become. Lee should be fine, but it’s time for him to do something else.

We recap Kelani Jordan defending the Women’s North American Title against Sol Ruca, which is a battle of rather athletic people.

Women’s North American Title: Kelani Jordan vs. Sol Ruca

Jordan is defending and they trade flips and reversals to start. Jordan’s middle rope crossbody lands a bit low before she misses a flipping legdrop. Back up and Ruca drop toeholds her into a headlock to grind away a bit. Jordan fights up and gets one off a splash, only for Ruca to come back with an X Factor for two.

Ruca grabs the rather appropriate surfboard for about as long as you would expect, with Jordan fighting up for a hurricanrana. Back up and Ruca hits a springboard forearm into a springboard flipping clothesline (think a Buckshot Lariat from the top) for two. Jordan blocks a kick to the ribs and hits a spinwheel kick to the head.

A poisonrana sends Ruca outside for an Asai moonsault but she’s right back up with a moonsault of her own. Back in and they trade rollups for two each until Ruca powerbombs her for two more. Jordan gets in a knockdown of her own and goes up, only to land on raised knees. The Sol Snatcher is blocked (that’s a first) for two and a super poisonrana takes Ruca back down. One Of A Kind retains the title at 11:39.

Rating: B-. This was good enough but it was far from smooth with multiple parts where it felt like they were trying to get into position for whatever they had planned next. It makes sense with the stereo gymnastics backgrounds, but it didn’t make for the best looking match. Jordan needs some wins to establish herself and the title though and this accomplished both feats.

Respect is shown post match.

Gallus is ready to fight Tyriek Igwe and Tyson DuPont over their lack of respect.

We recap the Kickoff Show match.

Arianna Grace is ready to keep the team with Karmen Petrovic going, but Ava changes it to a singles match between them on NXT instead.

Tag Team Titles: Axiom/Nathan Frazer vs. Chase U

Axiom/Frazer are defending but have been having issues lately. Chase and Axiom trade rollups to start, with Chase getting to describe this as a TEACHABLE MOMENT. Frazer comes in to pick up the pace and gets in a cheap shot on Chase to give Axiom two of his own. Stereo basement superkicks give Frazer two and we hit the chinlock. Back up and Chase pulls Frazer out of the air for a Side Effect but Axiom is back with an ankle lock.

That’s broken up and Hudson gets the tag to start the house cleaning. The double Chase U elbows to the head and it’s a gutbuster/backsplash combination (that was impressive) for two on Axiom. Everything breaks down and the champs hit the back to back suicide dives. Back in and Hudson gets armdragged out of the corner, only to come back with a Stratusphere of all things. The swinging layout Rock Bottom gets two on Frazer, who is back with a springboard missile dropkick.

Hudson is sat on top for a super Spanish Fly. The Phoenix splash connects but Chase makes the save and hits a Canadian Destroyer on Axiom for the save. Chase and Axiom slug it out until Frazier accidentally superkicks Axiom, giving Chase two and leaving everyone out of breath. The spelling stomps get two and Chase goes up, only for Frazer to superplex him into Chasing the Dragon. Frazer flip dives onto Hudson and the Golden Ratio retains the titles at 16:50.

Rating: B. This started slowly but got going near the end, as everyone just went nuts and did a bunch of near falls and saves. Chase U continuing to be this over years after debuting is a near miracle and somehow they still don’t seem to be slowing down. Heck of a match here, with Axiom and Frazer overcoming their issues, at least for now.

Post match the champions are happy together.

Wes Lee is shaken up by his loss and doesn’t know where to go from here.

We recap the NXT Women’s Title with Roxanne Perez defending against Lola Vice. Perez is the rather evil champion while Vice is the new force who runs through everyone. Vice also wants to win the title for her mother, which Perez doesn’t care for all that much.

NXT Women’s Title: Lola Vice vs. Roxanne Perez

Perez is defending and we get Big Match Intros. Feeling out process to start with Vice knocking her down but not being able to get the cross armbreaker. The spinning backfist misses as well as Perez bails out to the floor. Vice takes her down with a flip dive from the apron and that means some dancing.

Back in and Perez takes over, including some choking on the ropes. Vice strikes away to send her into the corner but it’s too early for the hip attack. Instead Perez sends her into the corner for a running uppercut, only to get caught in a choke. That’s reversed into a rollup for the break but Vice is right back with the choke again. They go outside, where Vice’s backfist hits the post, allowing Perez to grab a quick hammerlock suplex to bang up the fist even more.

Back in and Perez goes after the hand again, with a belly to back suplex dropping Vice. A quick triangle choke gives Vice a breather and she hits the backfist, which sends Perez outside. Back in and Vice kicks away but Perez grabs Pop Rox for two, leaving Perez stunned. They go outside where another Pop Rox onto the announcers’ table connects to give Perez two back inside. The crossface on the bad arm has Vice in more trouble but she slips out, leaving Perez to hit three more Pop Rox to retain at 13:07.

Rating: B-. They were playing up the idea of Vice losing one of her big weapons with the hand injury but geez that was a lot of Pop Rox (some of which weren’t exactly great) to end things. It doesn’t help that when you see a move that many times, it stops looking like something with snap and power and is instead just kind of a fast sunset flip. They were trying here but it didn’t exactly get to that next level.

Video on the Brooks Jensen situation.

Tony D’Angelo is fine with defending the Heritage Cup against Lexis King on NXT.

We recap the NXT Title, which has Trick Williams defending against three challenges. Je’Von Evans won the title shot in a battle royal, but then Ethan Page beat him. Then Shawn Spears beat Williams, meaning it’s time for a four way.

NXT Title: Ethan Page vs. Shawn Spears vs. Je’Von Evans vs. Trick Williams

Williams is defending. Evans and Page go to the floor to start, leaving Williams to slam Spears back inside. They head outside as well, with Page and Spars sending Evans and Williams into the steps. Back in and we get the villains’ handshake, only to have them both go for a poke to the eye. Evans and Williams show respect before going at it, with Williams sending him outside.

Spears brings in a chair but Williams clears the ring with some Booker T. style side kicks. Evans springboards back in with a high crossbody to Spears and Page, only to walk into a Rock Bottom to give Williams two. Page suplexes Evans onto Spears and Iconoclasms Evans onto Williams and Spears for a big crash. We get something like a Doomsday Device/DDT combination to give the villains two each, leaving Williams and Page to slug it out. Spears grabs a chair to clean house (including a NASTY chair shot to Evans’ back) and a C4 onto the chair in the corner gets two on Williams.

An exchange of superkicks leaves all four of them down for a needed breather. Page loads up the announcers’ table but gets cut off by Williams, only to get caught by a HUGE flip dive from Evans, who breaks the barricade. Back in and Spears catches Evans with a super C4 but Page comes in and steals the near fall. Evans is back up with a super Spanish Fly to Page, followed by a top rope cutter for two with Williams making a diving save.

Evans and Williams slug it out until Evans knocks him to the floor. Spears breaks up a big dive but gets taken down by a top rope cutter. The twisting splash gets two with Williams making ANOTHER diving save. Evans loads up a springboard but Williams shoves him HARD through the announcers’ table, leaving him with a look of “sorry but I had to”.

Spears avoids a kick and gets a Sharpshooter on Williams, with Page having to make a save. Page hits the Ego’s Edge on Williams but Evans puts the foot on the rope. Williams is back in with a Trick Shot to Evans and another to Page….who falls on Evans, with Spears holding Williams back so Page can win the title at 17:23.

Rating: A-. This was WAY better than I was expecting and some of the near falls had me wondering where it was going. It was also pretty much all action, with everyone doing whatever they could. The ending was a great touch as well, with Williams clearly being the best of the four but getting caught by the numbers game. It doesn’t hurt Williams whatsoever and lets Page be the bragging champion who is in over his head for a little while. Excellent main event here that way overdelivered.

Page wakes up and is awarded the title, allowing him to give a great “well, I knew that would work” look.

Joe Hendry pops up on screen to end the show.

Overall Rating: B+. To say this show overdelivered would be an understatement, as there was nothing bad and a great main event. At the same time, it’s still a show where, outside of the main event, nothing really noteworthy happened. The titles were defended but other than the Women’s Title match, none of them were exactly must see showdowns. I can certainly go for an awesome show with a bunch of good or better matches though, especially with that last match going that far above expectations.

Results
Arianna Grace/Karmen Petrovic b. Jazmyn Nyx/Jacy Jayne – Rollup to Nyx
Oba Femi b. Wes Lee – Sitout powerbomb
Kelani Jordan b. Sol Ruca – One Of A Kind
Axiom/Nathan Frazer b. Chase U – Golden Ratio to Chase
Roxanne Perez b. Lola Vice – Pop Rox
Ethan Page b. Shawn Spears, Je’Von Evans and Trick Williams – Trick Shot to Evans

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