NXT
Date: April 15, 2025
Location: Capitol One Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Booker T., Corey Graves

It’s the last show before Stand & Deliver and there are still some spots that need to be filled in. The main thing that needs to be done is filling in the final spots in the women’s ladder match, but there is always the chance that another match can be added. Other than that, the already announced card has some build to be done so let’s get to it.

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

Ethan Page vs. Eddy Thorpe vs. Lexis King vs. Wes Lee

Non-title and the winner gets a North American Title shot on Saturday, so here is Ricky Saints to join commentary. It’s a brawl to start until King gets triple teamed for an early beating. Thorpe drops all of them and a suplex gets two on King. Lee gets to take over for a bit and drops everyone but King avoids some charges to send everyone else into the corner.

Thorpe gets low bridged to the floor and a Codebreaker in the ropes gives King two on Lee. Back in and Lee puts everyone else down with a Tower Of Doom before a running shooting star press gets two on Page. Lee’s suicide dive hits King and Page sends Thorpe into Saints. That’s enough for Saints to get ejected and we take an early break.

Back with Page cleaning house and getting a Boston crab on King. Thorpe puts a crossface on King at the same time so Lee has to dive in to break up the tap. With the holds broken up, King gets caught in an electric chair, with Lee adding a Whisper In The Wind to take everyone out. Page and Lee slug it out until Thorpe Meteoras Lee, only to get caught with the Coronation. Page is right back up with the Twisted Grin to pin King at 12:21.

Rating: B. Fast paced and action packed opener here, with Page getting the title shot in the match that had already been set up. The good thing is that they had enough going on here to make you think there was a chance someone else could win, which is a nice bonus. Page makes the most sense though and it should make for a good title match.

Post match Page taunts Saints, who runs back in for a spear.

Jordynne Grace talks about starting out in wrestling and knowing she needed something else. This involved turning her body into a wall of muscle and becoming something that you couldn’t find anywhere else. She got to TNA and is now in WWE and knows what she has to do to win her first WWE title this weekend.

Various women talk about how they’re going to win the Women’s North American Title.

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

Gigi Dolin is here with Paxley. Vice takes her down to the mat to start but can’t get something like a crossface. Paxley reverses into an armbar but has to get out of a triangle choke. We take a break and come back with Vice cutting off a charge in the corner, setting up some rapid fire kicks. The running hip attack gets two on Paxley, who is right back with a running crossbody in the corner. Paxley catches her on top and pulls her down but the Psycho Trap is blocked. Instead, Vice hits the spinning backfist for the fast pin at 9:59.

Rating: C+. It feels like Vice hasn’t been around much lately and hopefully this is the start of something else for her. I’m not sure how likely she is to win the title, but at least she’s going to be on the show again. Paxley and Dolin are seemingly just a low level tag team at the moment and I don’t quite see a ton of upside there.

Giulia was tired of waiting for Stephanie Vaquer and she’s back for revenge and her title. Jaida Parker is confident but Giulia will show her how to take pain. Jordynne Grace is strong, but Giulia will introduce her to strong style.

The women’s division argues in the back so Ava makes a four way women’s tag match for Stand & Deliver, with the winner getting a Women’s Tag Team Title shot next week. Roxanne Perez needs a partner.

Tag Team Gauntlet Match

For the title shot at Stand & Deliver. Hank & Tank is in at #1 and Tyson DuPont/Tyriek Igwe are in at #2. Vic says this is the matchup that we have all been waiting for and…I really don’t think that’s true. Anyway Tank and DuPont lock up to start with DuPont taking over and handing it off to Igwe. That’s broken up and it’s back to Hank for the house cleaning, including the powerslam/neckbreaker combination to pin Igwe at 1:40.

The Culling is in at #3 with Hank & Tank taking it right to them. A running seated senton gets two on Jensen and we take a break. Back with Hank in trouble but getting in a clothesline to drop Vance. The referee doesn’t see the tag though and an assisted powerslam gets two on Hank. As tends to be the case, Hank breaks away rather shortly thereafter and the hot tag brings in Tank. House is cleaned but Tank gets caught in an electric chair. Jensen goes up but Tank powerslams him out of the air for the pin at 10:10 total.

The No Quarter Catch Crew are in at #4 and go right after the tired Hank & Tank. Heights grabs a chinlock but Tank jawbreaks his way to freedom, allowing Hank to come back in to make the comeback. Borne hits a big flip dive to take Hank & Tank down though and we take a break.

Back again with Heights suplexing Tank and hitting a crossbody for two. Hank pulls Borne outside though and Tank gets a rollup pin on Heights at 17:59. Josh Briggs and Yoshiki Inamura are in at #5 (the last team) and start hammering away on Hank. Everything breaks down and Hank & Tank pull themselves up, with Hank getting a quick small package to pin Briggs and win at 20:47.

Rating: C+. I still don’t care much for Hank & Tank but they did have a story here and it fits to see them coming back and beating so many teams who had beaten them. The fans are getting into them as well and it makes sense to have them get the shot here. It was a bunch of rollups and quick wins, but I’ll take it over a team being randomly thrown out there.

Evolve’s Kali Armstrong is ready for her main event but Ava teases that she has a surprise for the qualifying match for the final spot in the Women’s North American Title ladder match.

Oba Femi arrives….and Darkstate is following him.

Jaida Parker knows that looking the part isn’t the same as being the best. She knows the pressure and is ready to move up to the next level. She lost her best friend when her uncle passed away and she knows she can lose anyone. Now she just needs the big game situation.

The D’Angelo Family, minus Tony D’Angelo (as this was Stacks’ call) gets in a fight with Darkstate in the parking lot, which goes inside. Various weapons are used and some Evolve wrestlers are beaten up before they crash through a wall. A fire extinguisher goes off and Luca Crusifino is slammed onto a car. Cue D’Angelo himself with a crowbar to clear out Darkstate. Cops arrive and D’Angelo yells at Stacks for going over his head. D’Angelo has gotten the match set up for Stand & Deliver. Stacks understands that he went too far.

Stephanie Vaquer is ready for the biggest match of her life. We see her going back to her native Chile as champion and talking about how important this was for her.

Hank & Tank are ready to win and Fraxiom come in to say they’re ready.

Roxanne Perez has found a tag partner: herself! That doesn’t work for Ava, but Cora Jade comes in to tease being her partner.

Stand & Deliver rundown.

Andre Chase is scared about ruining Uriah Connors and Kale Dixon but Thea Hail comes in to say Chase didn’t ruin her. She’s ready to win the Women’s North American Title. This would have been a better surprise if Hail hadn’t been shown in a graphic before the break.

Women’s North American Title Qualifying Match: Karmen Petrovic vs. Thea Hail

Ashante Thee Adonis is here with Petrovic and they trade rollups to start. Petrovic gets knocked to the floor but cuts off Hail’s dive. Hail makes the comeback without much trouble and a spinning double underhook slam plants Petrovic. The Kimura finishes Petrovic at 2:41. That’s a great return, but it gets Hail into a ladder match, which doesn’t work as well.

Here is Trick Williams to say he’ll win the NXT Title. Cue Oba Femi to say that Williams is a broken record, saying the same things he has said for months. No one is singing along though, because the spotlight has moved on. Williams seems ready to fight but Je’Von Evans comes in to tell Williams to shut up. Evans says Williams is dismissed and turns his attention to the Rules. Evans has dropped Femi a few times lately and knows it is a matter of time before Femi goes up to the main roster.

Femi was a star at the University Of Alabama (Femi: “Roll Tide.”) but Evans is a kid from North Carolina and shouldn’t have gotten here. Femi says being champion means he is the top dog and Evans is a CHILD. Williams is ready to fight again and Evans is sent to the floor so the other two can brawl. Evans dives in to take both of them out though and holds up the title to end the show. This was about all you needed for a final push towards the title match, with Evans getting a chance to shine over the two much bigger stars.

Overall Rating: B-. This was a more active than usual go home show as they had a return with Hail and some matches being added. Other than that, we had a few more qualifying matches, because it’s Wrestlemania season so there will be qualifying matches everywhere. Finally though, you had the usual final push towards the show and I’m more interested in seeing Stand & Deliver than I was coming in so call it well done.

Results
Ethan Page b. Eddy Thorpe, Lexis King and Wes Lee – Twisted Grin to King
Lola Vice b. Tatum Paxley – Spinning backfist
Hank & Tank won a tag team gauntlet match last eliminating Josh Briggs/Yoshiki Inamura
Thea Hail b. Karmen Petrovic – Kimura

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

http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6

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

We are less than two weeks away from Stand & Deliver and this week’s show is going to be focused on the main event. In this case we have a six man tag between the three people involved in the Stand & Deliver main event and the debuting Dark State. That could go in a variety of ways so let’s get to it.

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

Stephanie Vaquer will announce her opponent for Stand & Deliver after this match.

Jordynne Grace vs. Jaida Parker

Stephanie Vaquer is on commentary. They get in a fight to start and head outside for some rams into the apron. Back in and Grace hits a Death Valley Driver for two before heading out to the apron. Neither can drop the other so Parker hits a TKO onto the top rope. A Blockbuster gives Parker two and she sits on Grace in the corner (setting up that high step, which is an awesome signature taunt).

We take a break and come back with Parker blocking a sunset bomb but getting caught in….well Grace loaded her up for a Tombstone but flipped her backwards onto her back (that was cool). Grace drops her face first onto the turnbuckle and gets two off a neckbreaker. The Juggernaut Driver is blocked so Grace sends her to the floor, where a suicide dive doesn’t work as her foot gets caught in the ropes. Thankfully she’s ok as Parker slaps Vaquer, who swings and hits Grace by mistake. That’s enough for the referee to throw it out at 10:03.

Rating: B-. As much as I like both of them, my goodness I do not want another triple threat over Wrestlemania Weekend. They are hammering those things into the ground this year and that’s where it seems we’re going with this one too. Parker continues to feel like a star and if she can back it up in the ring, they have something special with her. Grace isn’t exactly bad either, but please don’t just throw them both in there with Vaquer.

Post match the brawl stays on but Giulia makes her return and helps Vaquer clear the ring. Then Giulia lays out Vaquer and holds up the title. Vaquer never announcers her challenger.

We look back at Ricky Saints winning the North American Title last week in a star making performance, only to be taken out by Ethan Page after the match.

Swipe Right interrupt Hank & Tank and offer them advice after their match tonight. Hank: “We’re not that desperate…are we?” Tank: “No Hank.”

The Culling wants the North American Title back but Shawn Spears says he is happy with what he did and it’s time for the rest of the team to succeed.

Fraxiom vs. Swipe Right

Non-title and Swipe Right (Brad Baylor and Ricky Smokes) are the heel pretty boy team from Evolve. Smokes dropkicks Axiom off the apron to start and Baylor comes in for a Hennig necksnap on Frazer. Back up and Axiom helps clear the ring, with Fraxiom hitting stereo dives to the floor. Axiom hammers away on Baylor in the corner but Smokes comes in off a blind tag and hits a spear.

A springboard X Factor gives Baylor two as Graves busts out a Julius Smokes reference for your obscure independent wrestling name drop of the week. Frazer comes back in and hits a running shooting star press but gets kneed in the face. An assisted swinging double underhook neckbreaker drops Frazer but Axiom is back in to clean house. The super Spanish Fly into the Phoenix splash finishes Smokes at 5:12.

Rating: B-. For a pair of rookies who are from the most minor of minor league shows, Swipe Right looked pretty good in there against one of the best teams going today. This was a rather nice performance from the newcomers and while they might not be ready to move up, they certainly made a nice first impression. That’s a good thing to see, though I’m almost worried about who is coming for the titles next.

Fatal Influence bickers over who will get the Women’s North American Title.

Women’s North American Title Qualifying Match: Sol Ruca vs. Jazmyn Nyx

The rest of Fatal Influence and Zaria are here too. Ruca starts fast by fighting out of a headlock and sending her into the corner. A suplex into something like a moonsault Meteora gives Ruca two but a springboard splash hits raised boots. Nyx stomps away and grabs a fisherman’s suplex for two. A running knee gives Nyx two more but Ruca is back with a spinning belly to back faceplant. Ruca’s running knee gets two but Henley offers a distraction, allowing Nyx to kick Ruca in the face for two. Back up and the Sol Snatcher finishes Nyx at 5:04.

Rating: C+. Fatal Influence is starting to fall apart and that isn’t the best sign for their future. Other than that, Ruca moving on is a good idea to go with, as having her hit the Sol Snatcher off a ladder should be fun. I’m not sure if she’s going to win the title, but it’s nice to see her getting a win in a match that matters in some way.

Je’Von Evans is coming for the NXT Title but tonight, he’s taking out Dark State.

Giulia wants a rematch with Stephanie Vaquer at Stand & Deliver.

Culling vs. Hank & Tank

Hank & Tank start fast to clean house until we settle down with Tank working on Jensen’s arm. Vance breaks it up though and Jensen comes back with a neckbreaker for two. Tank fights out of the chinlock and Hank gets the tag to fight back. Everything breaks down though and Vance sends Hank into the barricade. Hank is right back up and misses a Swanton, setting up a top rope knee/Dominator combination to give Vance the pin at 3:26.

Rating: C. Not much to see here but the point was giving the Culling a win. Hank & Tank are flailing, which very well could lead to something changing for them in the near future. Other than that, neither of these teams feel like they’re coming for the Tag Team Titles, but that didn’t seem to be the goal here anyway.

Here is Ricky Saints for a chat. Saints appreciates the reception and says the revolution will be televised again. He’s happy with his win but he’s not pleased with Ethan Page. Saints gets that Page isn’t ok with someone showing him up so get out here right now. Instead it’s Lexis King, who says he loves gold…and here is Eddy Thorpe to interrupt.

Thorpe wants a title, and it should be the one that represents the land stolen from his people. Cue Wes Lee, who says he was the best champion the title has ever seen so the conversation starts with him. Starks is ready for any of them but here is Page to drop him. The four challengers get in a brawl and Lee hits a big flip dive to take them out.

Ava, Robert Stone and Stevie Turner are in the back when Stephanie Vaquer comes in. She wants to face everyone at Stand & Deliver, so it’s a four way with Giulia, Jordynne Grace and Jaida Parker. As they somehow get bigger than a triple threat.

Trick Williams is ready to get the NXT Title back and he’s not sweating Dark State.

Wes Lee vs. Yoshiki Inamura

Tyson DuPont, Tyriek Igwe and Josh Briggs are here too. Lee kicks him in the face to start fast but gets dropped with a running shoulder. Some choking on the ropes has Inamura down again but it’s too early for a 450. Inamura strikes away in the corner and muscles him up for a fisherman’s suplex. Lee fights up and takes out Briggs but Inamura pulls him out of the air for a spinning slam. Briggs goes after DuPont though and Lee hits the Cardiac Kick for the pin at 3:54.

Rating: C+. Neither of these two have much going on at the moment but Lee could at least be in the running for the North American Title shot. I still don’t get the appeal of Inamura, who hasn’t done much in his time around here and has only had some flashes of interest. Maybe that changes in the future but for now, he’s just kind of there without doing much.

Oba Femi is ready to wreck Dark State and keep his title at Stand & Deliver.

Women’s North American Title Qualifying Match: Izzi Dame vs. Wren Sinclair

The Culling and the No Quarter Catch Crew are here too. Dame drives her into the corner to start so Sinclair grabs a wristlock. A rollup gives Sinclair two but the octopus is broken up rather quickly. Dame hits a clothesline and hammers away, setting up a crossface chickenwing. Sinclair fights up and hits some clotheslines for two, followed by a crucifix for the same. Back up and Dame grabs a Sky High for the quick pin at 4:28.

Rating: C. Not much to see here, with Dame being another name without much chance to win, though it would be a nice surprise. The Culling is having a good night here and that’s a nice thing to see, as the team is at least getting a chance. Sinclair is still good in the ring but she isn’t exactly doing much lately, which is another annoying thing to see.

A bunch of women are in Ava’s office and she announces a last chance qualifying match for the Women’s North American title match.

Uriah Connors and Kale Dixon finally get Andre Chase to agree to help them. Hank & Tank come in but run into the Street Profits, who tell them to be themselves. The Profits want them in next week’s gauntlet match for a Tag Team Title shot at Stand & Deliver.

Here’s what’s coming next week.

Dark State vs. Je’Von Evans/Oba Femi/Trick Williams

Dark State charges the ring and the fight is on, with Dion Lennox starting against Oba Femi. Lennox sends him into the corner so Cutler James can come in for a clothesline. Williams comes in to go after Saquon Shugars, who pulls him down by the hair. A jumping neckbreaker hits Shugars but James comes in for a sleeper on Williams.

James slams him down but gets hit with a heck of a backdrop. Williams chops away at Shugars in the corner and hands it off to Evans, who snaps off a hurricanrana. Everything breaks down and Dark State is knocked to the floor, giving us a standoff as we take a break. Back with Evans hitting a springboard high crossbody on Shugars but Cutler comes in with a clothesline.

Lennox grabs a chinlock and the villains take turns beating on Evans. An elbow misses though and Evans hits an enziguri, allowing the tag off to Femi. House is cleaned until Shugars is tossed Williams, meaning the brawl is on. Evans hits a frog splash for two on Lennox as Williams and Femi fight up the aisle. A triple bomb, with Shugars diving off the top to put Evans down (cool) is good for the pin at 13:33.

Rating: B. For a team of people who came from pretty much nowhere with little success before this, Dark State did rather well here. That finish had quite the impact and I liked what they were doing together. They have the D’Angelo Family to deal with and this makes their feud that much more interesting as they had a strong in-ring debut here. The other three brawling into a fight isn’t a big surprise, but this was more about Dark State and they did well.

Post match Stacks pops up on the screen to issue the challenge for a fight in the parking lot next week. Well that ups the danger significantly.

Overall Rating: B-. This show was more about setting up things for Stand & Deliver, with matches being made and some qualifying matches being covered. That being said, the show isn’t feeling like the most must see card as all of the multi-person matches don’t really come off as special. Stand & Deliver is supposed to be the biggest show of the year and that doesn’t often mean a bunch of matches with all kinds of people running around. It should be good, but it doesn’t feel special and that’s not a positive thing at all.

Results
Jordynne Grace vs. Jaida Parker went to a double DQ when Stephanie Vaquer interfered
Fraxiom b. Swipe Right – Phoenix splash to Smokes
Sol Ruca b. Jazmyn Nyx – Sol Snatcher
Culling b. Hank & Tank – Top rope knee/Dominator combination to Hank
Wes Lee b. Yoshiki Inamura – Cardiac Kick
Izzi Dame b. Wren Sinclair – Sky High
Dark State b. Oba Femi/Trick Williams/Je’Von Evans – Triple Bomb to Evans

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

http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6

NXT
Date: April 1, 2025
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Booker T., Corey Graves

It’s another title show as Shawn Spears is defending the North American Title against Ricky Saints. Other than that, we need to find out some of the matches for Stand & Deliver as we are just over two weeks away from the biggest show of the year. There is a good chance that we find out some of those matches this week so let’s get to it.

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

Here is Stephanie Vaquer to get things going for a chat with Ava. After Ava praises her for her recent efforts, she announces that Vaquer has agreed to vacate the Women’s North American Title. Therefore, the new champion will be crowned in a six woman ladder match at Stand & Deliver (ERG), with qualifying matches beginning tonight.

Hold on though as Vaquer says she will give up the title if she gets to pick the challenger for the Women’s Title. Cue Jordynne Grace, who says she wants us to have the title match the fans are demanding. Cue Jaida Parker, who says she dropped Grace last week, but Grace brings up Parker losing to Vaquer last week. The brawl is on, with Grace LAUNCHING one of them over the top. Parker backs off a bit and a match seems likely. As usual, Parker feels like a star and that is going to take her places.

Trick Williams wants to face Oba Femi at Stand & Deliver.

Femi arrives and is ready to deal with Williams tonight.

The women’s locker room bickers over the ladder match.

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

Zaria actually loses a test of strength to start but gets her over with a sunset flip. They chop it out, with Legend’s getting quite the response. Legend knocks her down again but Zaria grabs a victory roll for two. Back up and a pump kick sends Zaria outside, where a lot of bickering ensues as we take a break.

We come back with Legend getting frustrated as Zaria makes the comeback, including a kick to the face in the corner. Zaria’s middle rope crossbody is pulled out of the air but she reverses a powerbomb into a hurricanrana. A German suplex drops Legend again but she’s right back with a chokeslam for two. Zaria is back up with a spear and the F5 finishes at 11:45.

Rating: C. Maybe I’m missing something with Zaria but there isn’t much to her that is keeping me interested at the moment. She’s a powerhouse but that’s not really making her stand out. At the same time, Legend has come a VERY long way and looked like a star here. I could have gone for her winning, which is something I never would have bet on just a year or so ago.

Josh Briggs and Yoshiki Inamura want to get to Stand & Deliver but Wes Lee, Tyriek Igwe and Tyson DuPont interrupt. Arguing ensues and Inamura challenges Lee. Game seems to be on.

Kelani Jordan seems interested in getting into the ladder match but Roxanne Perez comes in to say she wants to win the title so she’ll have every women’s title in NXT. Ava puts them in a qualifying match tonight.

The D’Angelo Family has gone looking for information on Dark State. They have found out the members: Dion Lennox, Osiris Griffin, Cutler James, Saquon Shugars. We get mini bios on them, most of which involve college athletics and intelligence. Tony D’Angelo sees potential in them, but has to calm Stacks down. The last plan Stacks put together didn’t go so well, but Stacks says he trusts D’Angelo. Tension seems to be high. This was a creative way to introduce the members rather than just having commentary say what’s going on.

Hank And Tank have new gear, courtesy of Pretty Deadly, but they’re not sure it’s the right look.

The members of the Culling want Shawn Spears to succeed tonight.

No Quarter Catch Crew vs. Hank And Tank

Hank And Tank are in their regular gear rather than the Pretty Deadly attire. Evolve’s Swipe Right is sitting in the front row as we hear about some bad weather in the area. Borne can’t get very far with Tank to start so Heights comes in to grind away on a headlock. It’s back to Borne, who gets taken down for a Pretty Deadly style double team.

Heights comes back in but Borne makes a quick blind tag and clotheslines Hank to the floor. Back in and the chinlock doesn’t last long and Hank gets over for the tag to Tank to pick up the pace. A spinebuster gets two on Heights with Borne making the save. Everything breaks down and Borne has to break up a Pretty Deadly Spilled Milk. A TKO/DDT combination finishes Tank at 5:38.

Rating: C+. Hank And Tank continue to do very little for me so it was nice to see them lose here. That being said, it did seem like they were trying to find something with the Pretty Deadly impressions so maybe some changes are coming. I could go for more of the Crew, with Heights continuing to look good in there. Borne is as well, which is a nice little bonus.

Here is Trick Williams to say that he is still the man around here. No matter what Oba Femi has said, there is nothing stopping Williams from getting back to the top of the mountain. Cue Je’Von Evans to interrupt, but Williams says the adults are talking. Evans asks Williams when he knew it was his time (which is what Williams asked John Cena, launching his singles run), which must sound familiar.

Evans wants the #1 spot but he doesn’t have to step out of anyone’s shadow to do it. Williams says Evens has no idea what it’s like to be the champion. Evans: “You ain’t Trick Williams. You’re Carmelo Hayes.” That gets Williams’ attention, with Evans saying this is the exact same stuff that Hayes told Williams last year. Evans brings up dropping Oba Femi, which brings Femi out to tell Evans to say it to his face. Evans talks about getting so close to winning at Deadline and threatens to jump Femi again.

Williams isn’t interested but Femi tells him to shut up. Femi says the now belongs to him and Williams tells Evans to get out. Femi says Williams is talking too much so here is Ava to announce….the triple threat title match for Stand & Deliver (erg). Williams decks Evans but gets knocked to the floor, only for the lights to go out and Dark State to appear. Femi tells them to bring it so here they come to beat him down. Evans and Williams are laid out too.

Andre Chase is banged up and has a cracked rib, which has no timetable for recovery. He doesn’t have a ride home, but Uriah Connors and Kale Dixon show up with a wheelchair to help him out. Chase thinks they might not be so bad after all but they back up when they see Jaida Parker and Jordynne Grace fighting.

Fraxiom kind of mocks Hank And Tank over their Pretty Deadly stuff, but Axiom wishes he and Frazer were such close friends. Swipe Right (Ricky Smokes/Brad Baylor) come in to ask for a match against Fraxiom. Frazer accepts but Axiom isn’t impressed. Swipe Right are more interested in Roxanne Perez walking by, calling her a smoke show.

Women’s North American Title Qualifying Match: Roxanne Perez vs. Kelani Jordan

They lock up to start with Jordan taking her down into a headscissors. That’s broken up and Jordan flips to her feet as we take an early break. Back with Perez slamming her head first into the mat and flipping over her for an exchange of glaring. Jordan drapes her over the middle rope for a handstand spinning Fameasser (that was impressive) for two. Perez gets in a rake to the eyes though and Jordan is sent shoulder first into the post.

A big stomp onto the arm has Jordan in more trouble and Perez stays on the arm. Jordan gets two off a rollup but the kickout sends her arm into the buckle. Perez hits a northern lights suplex onto the arm for two and we take another break. Back again with Jordan getting in a kick but missing One Of A Kind. Perez’s cartwheel knee to the head (ouch) gets two but Jordan plants her with a DDT. One Of A Kind connects to put Perez away at 14:41.

Rating: B. Good stuff here with Jordan having to work hard to overcome the odds in the end. That’s the kind of win she has been needing lately and it’s a good sign for her future. I’m not sure if she’s going to win the title but at least she got a nice win on the way there. Perez very well may be on her way out of NXT, as she seems ready to be called up to the main roster.

Stevie Turner apologizes to Ava for Swipe Right but Robert Stone brings up the matches announced for Stand & Deliver. Ava is more worried about Dark State so she puts three of them in a six man against Oba Femi, Je’Von Evans and Trick Williams.

Ricky Saints isn’t worried about what Shawn Spears has been saying about his past. Tonight is about the future, when he wins the North American Title.

Zaria wants Sol Ruca out there with her at Stand & Deliver. Kelani Jordan comes in to say she’s winning the ladder match but Zaria isn’t impressed. Ruca says she’ll win….and Zaria doesn’t like that either.

Dark State is down for next week’s match but says no one is safe.

North American Title: Ricky Saints vs. Shawn Spears

Spears, with the Culling, is defending and goes straight to the floor to start. Saints is right there with a dive to take him down and hammers away to start fast. Back in and Saints hits a nice dropkick before unloading with right hands in the corner. Saints hits something like a dancing Old School off the barricade, including kissing his fingers and putting them on the forehead of a VERY happy fan.

We take a break and come back with Spears sending him hard into the corner. Saints catches him on top though and slugs away, setting up a top rope Jackhammer of all things, leaving both of them down. Back up and Saints strikes away, setting up a heck of a spinebuster for two.

It’s back to the floor for a tornado DDT off the apron to plant Spears again. Izzi Dame slips Spears the belt though and a shot to the face gets two. Spears loads up the C4 but Saints reverses into one of his own. Saints takes out the Culling and hits a spear into the Roshambo is good for the title at 10:17.

Rating: B-. This might not have been a great match but it was an absolute star making performance from Saints, who not only won the match and the title but showed all kinds of fire on the way. That’s what is going to make him into a bigger deal and it worked very well here. Saints is instantly a player and this will make people notice him. Great stuff for Saints here and I was impressed.

Post match Saints celebrates with the title but Ethan Page runs in to take him out.

Overall Rating: B. Good show this week as they set up stuff for Stand & Deliver (as annoying as some of it may be) and had a big moment in the end. This was the show that NXT has been needing and they made it work here, with a lot of stuff taking place in the span of two hours. You can tell that things are picking up for the biggest time of the year, which is exactly what needed to happen.

Results
Zaria b. Lash Legend – F5
No Quarter Catch Crew b. Hank And Tank – DDT/TKO combination to Tank
Kelani Jordan b. Roxanne Perez – One Of A Kind
Ricky Saints b. Shawn Spears – Roshambo

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

http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6

NXT
Date: March 25, 2025
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Booker T., Corey Graves

We’re getting very close to Stand & Deliver and that means it’s time to start putting the show together. There is a good chance that we’ll see some more of the matches set up this week, though first both women’s titles are on the line as Stephanie Vaquer is defending twice. Let’s get to it.

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

The opening video looks at Stephanie Vaquer’s attempts to defend both of her titles in one night, which isn’t something you often see attempted, let alone done.

Women’s Title: Stephanie Vaquer vs. Jaida Parker

Vaquer is defending and gets slammed down as Booker talks about his two TV Title defenses at Superbrawl VIII (not quite). Parker shrugs off a wristlock and slams her down before they trade rollups for two each. A hurricanrana sends Parker into the corner but she drops Vaquer as we take a break.

Back with Parker hitting a Backstabber for two but Vaquer knocks her into the ropes. The 619 sets up the figure four necklock faceplants. The STB is broken up though and Parker plants her with a Falcon Arrow for two. Parker’s hip attack connects in the corner but here is Jordynne Grace for a distraction. That’s enough for Vaquer to roll her up and retain at 9:24.

Rating: C+. Parker isn’t the most experienced star just yet but she has a certain swagger to her that you either have or you don’t. That’s one of those things that can take you a long way and now it seems that she is going to be doing something with Grace. Good enough opener here, even though Vaquer seemed to be saving some of herself for later, which is fine.

Post match Parker and Grace have to be held apart. Cue Fatal Influence to jump Parker and leave her laying.

Trick Williams still doesn’t want to hear from Je’Von Evans, saying there’s a difference between having potential and having a title. Evans is ready to prove him wrong.

Meta Four want to know why they’re not getting a TNA Knockouts Tag Team Titles and get in an argument with Tatum Paxley/Gigi Dolin, who do have such a shot this week.

Earlier today, there was a sitdown interview with Ricky Saints, who thinks people are having trouble dealing with his self confidence. For awhile he had to live in his car and the only thing he had was his self confidence, which helped get him here. Then Shawn Spears interrupted, saying that Saints’ confidence is driving people crazy. Spears has friends, but Saints says that’s how he won the North American Title. Spears suggests that Saints can always go somewhere else if it doesn’t work out, but then brings up all of the burned bridges. Saints: “I guess I better win then.”

Ethan Page runs his mouth and gets into it with Andre Chase, who talks about teaching the younger people about how to deal with people like Page. Insults ensue as Chase sounded like his old self.

The Motor City Machine Guns give Hank And Talk a quick pep talk.

Tyriek Igwe/Tyson DuPont vs. Hank And Tank

Wes Lee is here with the villains. We’re joined in progress with everything breaking down and Hank And Tank hammering away in the corners. A camel clutch/running dropkick combination gets two on DuPont before a suicide dive hits Igwe on the floor. Back in and Igwe stomps on Hank’s arm and DuPont plants him down for two. The full nelson is broken up and it’s back to Tank to clean house. Tank plants Igwe for two but Lee offers a distraction meaning it’s the Heartstopper to finish Hank at 6:25.

Rating: C+. Igwe and DuPont are getting some more exposure as of late and that’s the kind of thing that can give them some better hope in the future. I’m not sure I can imagine them doing much of note anytime soon, but it’s better than nothing. Hank And Tank still don’t have much going on, but that has been the case for a good while now.

Stephanie Vaquer insists that she can face Fallon Henley tonight, despite Ava being worried.

Fraxiom has another of their mini arguments about Axiom not inviting Nathan Frazer to Spain. Oba Femi arrives and Axiom leaves.

Heritage Cup: Je’Von Evans vs. Lexis King

Evans is challenging and grabs a headlock to start. That’s reversed into a headscissors before a belly to back suplex drops Evans. Back up and a high crossbody gives Evans two and a suicide dive sends King into the announcers’ table. We take a break and come back with King hitting a fisherman’s driver for two, with the kickout leaving King frustrated.

Evans knocks him down and hits a frog splash (with some height) for two of his own but King goes after the bad jaw. A running shot sends King outside though and Evans nails a heck of a dive. Cue Oba Femi to take Evans down though and King retains the cup via countout at 10:43.

Rating: C. The ending keeps the Cup with King, even through some shenanigans, and that’s the best thing for him at the moment. This wasn’t so much King cheating as much as King capitalizing on someone going into business for themselves. Evans vs. Femi could be a fun David vs. Goliath match, but Trick Williams seems to be the next challenger for the title.

Post match Dark State is teased but Femi goes after Evans again. Trick Williams comes in for the save but has to be held back from Femi.

Gigi Dolin/Tatum Paxley vs. Meta Four

Dolin and Jackson lock up to start as Zaria and Sol Ruca are here to watch. Dolin sends her into the corner for a running shot from Paxley. A reverse surfboard has Jackson in trouble it’s off to Legend to take over. Paxley gets slammed for two but it’s a quick tag back to Dolin, who hits a high crossbody on both villains. Granted it was near their legs but close enough. Everything breaks down and the Cemetery Drive finishes Jackson at 3:58.

Rating: C. They didn’t have much time here and it took away what they could do. There was no reason to have Dolin and Paxley lose just before their title shot on Thursday so at least they have some momentum. Zaria and Ruca didn’t do anything here but there is a good chance that they’ll wind up facing Meta Four at some point in the future.

Tony D’Angelo wants information on the Dark State. The Family goes to find it when Stacks is asked to stay. D’Angelo brings up saving Stacks when he was a kid, which Stacks will never forget. D’Angelo: “I can always trust you, right?” Stacks: “You can always trust me T, always.” I’m sure.

The Motor City Machine Guns tells Hank And Tank to stay with it. Trust your partners and don’t compare yourselves to the Guns, because they’ve been a team for a long time.

Ethan Page vs. Andre Chase

Ricky Saints comes out to join commentary, which Page doesn’t like. Kale Dixon and Uriah Connors are here with Chase, who doesn’t want them doing the Chase U pose. Chase tries some early rollups to start and grabs a headlock. That’s reversed into a belly to back suplex but Chase sends him to the floor and adds a superkick from the apron.

We take a break and come back with Chase grabbing a swinging neckbreaker into the Russian legsweep. The Spelling Stomps are blocked but Chase knocks him down for two more. Page is back with an Iconoclasm into a Codebreaker for two of his own but Chase neckbreakers him on the apron. A tornado DDT gives Chase two, only for Chase to crotch him on top. The super powerslam gives Page two, followed by the Twisted Grin to pin Chase at 9:58.

Rating: B-. I was getting into this one as Chase continues to be a likable guy no matter what he is doing. I could go for his story taking a bigger step forward, but you can see the old version of him still alive inside there. Page vs. Saints is likely going to be a big showdown at Stand & Deliver, which is a good way to get Saints on the biggest show of the year.

Post match Saints looks up at Page but Shawn Spears and the Culling jump him.

Dark State says when they strike, no one is safe.

We get a clip of the debut of Stephanie’s Places.

Trick Williams calls Je’Von Evans a distraction, just like Eddy Thorpe. He wants Oba Femi next week and calls Dark State none of his business.

Women’s North American Title: Fallon Henley vs. Stephanie Vaquer

Henley, with the rest of Fatal Influence, is challenging and drives Vaquer into the corner to start. Vaquer fights up and hits a running dropkick for an early two. A superkick sends Henley into the ropes but she’s back up with a knockdown as we take a break. Back with Henley hitting a running forearm and kicking Vaquer between the shoulders.

Vaquer catches her on top with a superplex and Eat Defeat staggers Henley again. The running knees connect in the corner but Henley rolls through a rollup attempt. Henley throws her outside for a cheap shot from Jazmyn Nyx but Vaquer sends Henley into Nyx for the knockdown. The SVB retains the title at 10:03.

Rating: C+. I was a bit surprised that Vaquer didn’t lose one of her titles here but doing the whole two title defenses in one night is a nice feather in her non-existent cap. Henley gets her rematch and is cleared out so now we can move on to another challenger. It wasn’t a particularly good match, but you can see how far Henley has come in the last few months.

Post match Fatal Influence beats Vaquer down but Jordynne Grace makes the save. Grace teases challenging Vaquer but here is Jaida Parker to jump Grace, only to be cleared out again.

A bunch of women plead their case for a future shot at Vaquer and Ava doesn’t get to make an announcement.

Vaquer and Grace have one more staredown to end the show.

Overall Rating: B-. This was a show that wasn’t so much about the wrestling but rather moving the pieces around on the way to Stand & Deliver. The show might not have anything announced yet, but you can probably guess some of the matches that are coming on the show. That is a big deal and this was the kind of show that you need on the way there. I’m looking forward to seeing those matches coming together, as there is just enough time left to still add a few surprises.

Results
Stephanie Vaquer b. Jaida Parker – Rollup
Tyriek Igwe/Tyson DuPont b. Hank And Tank – Heartstopper to Hank
Lexis King b. Je’Von Evans via countout
Gigi Dolin/Tatum Paxley b. Meta Four – Cemetery Drive to Jackson
Ethan Page b. Andre Chase – Twisted Grin
Stephanie Vaquer b. Fallon Henley – SVB

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

http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6

NXT
Date: March 11, 2025
Location: Theater At Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Corey Graves, Booker T.

It’s another special show with Roadblock, which seems to be the last major event before Stand & Deliver. In this case we have a bunch of champion vs. champion matches, including some involving guest stars from TNA. That should make for a major night and we are on the way to the biggest show of the year. Let’s get to it.

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

TNA Tag Team Titles: Hardys vs. Fraxiom

Only the Hardys are defending. Matt sends Axiom into the corner to start and pulls him back into a sitout powerbomb for an early two. A jawbreaker into a clothesline gives Matt two and the headlock goes on. Everything breaks down and Fraser hits a dive, followed by another from Axiom as we take an early break.

Back with Jeff coming in to clean house but having to counter a cross armbreaker. The Side Effect plants Fraser on the floor and the Plot Twist gets two on Fraser. The Twist Of Fate is broken up though so it’s the super Spanish Fly into the Phoenix splash. Matt breaks it up and the Whisper In The Wind hits Fraxiom. A Twist Of Fate gets two on Fraser and Axiom’s top rope knee accidentally takes him out. The Swanton retains the titles at 12:12.

Rating: B. The fans were into this one, though it was a bit of a weird thing to see the rather red hot NXT champions lose to the Hardys. Yes they’re legends, but does that mean they should be going over the current big team? The action was rather good though, as the Hardys can still work well when they are in there with the right opponents, just like here.

Mickie James gives Jaida Parker a pep talk before her eventual title match, hinting that it might take place at Stand & Deliver.

Stacks apologizes to Tony D’Angelo for costing him the North American Title last week but D’Angelo says it wasn’t his fault. On top of that, Stacks has set up a six person tag next week, with D’Angelo eventually giving it his blessing.

Roxanne Perez vs. Jordynne Grace

A chase doesn’t go well for Perez to start as Grace is right there to hammer away. Back up and Perez gets in a cheap shot, setting up a Russian legsweep for two. It’s time to work on the leg but Grace pulls her into a rear naked choke. Perez goes after the leg to escape and wraps it around a post in the corner as we take a break.

Back with Grace sending her flying but the knee gives out again. Grace slams her down a few times but Perez goes right back to the leg in a smart move. A rollup is reversed into a sitout powerbomb for two on Perez but she flips out of a Death Valley Driver and hits a superkick. The frog splash gets two and Perez grabs a crossface while cranking on the leg at the same time. Pop Rox is countered and Grace Death Valley Drivers her into the Juggernaut Driver for the pin at 11:27.

Rating: B-. It feels like we’re seeing Perez getting cleared out of NXT as she is moving up to the main roster. That would be a good way to go as there is nothing left for Perez to do here, but what matters seems to be Grace’s push, as she appears to be the future. That’s hardly a bad idea as Grace has hit the ground running, and Perez is helping to make her into a star.

Oba Femi runs into the Undertaker, who says he has been watching him for awhile (hopefully he means Femi in the ring and not like, as he was getting dressed). Undertaker has been impressed and this match is important, so go out there and defend your yard.

Trick Williams is training for NXT Underground because it’s time for him to be back on top where he belongs.

NXT Title: Moose vs. Oba Femi

Femi is defending and Moose’s TNA X-Division Title isn’t on the line. They take their time to start and lock up against the ropes until Femi chops away. Femi runs him over but Moose is waiting on him with a clothesline to the floor. One heck of a chokeslam sends Moose onto the apron and we take a break.

Back with Femi fighting out of a chinlock and sending Moose outside again. Moose gets in a whip into the steps and a pump kick connects back inside. Moose’s top rope spinning shot is uppercut out of the air for two and Femi gets the same off an AA. Femi goes up but gets superplexed down, only to pop back up with a regular suplex.

A powerbomb gives Moose two so Femi gives him a gorilla press over the top to the floor. Back in and they slug it out before a Cactus Clothesline takes them outside again. This time Moose posts him and hits a Rock Bottom through the announcers’ table as the fans have to be muted. Moose’s spear gets two so he tries it again, only to get countered into the Fall From Grace to retain the title at 13:36.

Rating: B+. This was two big guys beating the fire out of each other until one of them couldn’t get up. That’s what this needed to be and it was a heck of a hoss fight and that’s what it needed to be. The match was billed as something close to King Kong vs. Godzilla and dang they got close. I had a great time with this and they beat each other up really well, with Femi looking like a star again.

Zaria takes Sol Ruca to a rage room to burn off some steam.

Fatal Influence still wants Fallon Henley to get a rematch for the Women’s North American Title. Ricky Starks interrupts again and asks Ava for a match with Ridge Holland. It’s on for next week but Ethan Page comes in to say NXT doesn’t like outsiders.

Ethan Page vs. Je’Von Evans

Street fight and Page kicks him in the face at the bell. They fight to the floor where Evans hits a dive and punches Page in the face a few times. A chair shot misses for Evans but a second connects back inside. A table is set up on the floor and the fans approve. Evans slams him onto the chair for two but gets planted onto the chair as well as we take a break.

Back with Page punching a springboard dive out of the way, setting up the Ego’s Edge for two. Evans fights up and slugs away before sending him knees first into the steps. Back in and Evans kicks a chair into his face, setting up the running cutter over the top and through the table. One heck of a no hands dive sends Page onto the announcers’ table, followed by the twisting top rope splash for two. A Pillmanizing on the neck is blocked so Evans hits an RKO onto the chair. The springboard cutter onto the chair finishes Page at 14:45.

Rating: B. That was the best Evans has ever looked and that’s because he came off like he wanted to beat the fire out of Page and get his revenge. Page was right there with him with the violence and that made for a good brawl. What matters the most is Evans getting the biggest win of his career and looking serious in the process, which is what they pulled off.

Post match the lights go out and the four men are back for a toss powerbomb to Evans.

Shawn Spears’ group, now called the Culling, talks about how they are here to purge the weak. Shawn Spears says next week, they take the D’Angelo Family’s heart.

Eddy Thorpe is in the crowd and promises to take out Trick Williams next week. Cue Williams for the brawl, with the fans rather approving.

Here’s what’s coming next week.

Women’s Title/Women’s North American Title: Giulia vs. Stephanie Vaquer

Title for title. They trade early counters and wind up looking over their shoulders for a unique standoff. Giulia bounces off the ropes into a rollup before they fight over leglocks. Neither can get very far so they roll outside for a slugout before Giulia comes back in with a missile dropkick. Vaquer knocks her to the floor though and that means a springboard dive as we take a break.

Back with Vaquer hitting Eat Defeat, setting up the running knees in the corner. The figure four faceplants keep Giulia in trouble but she catches Vaquer on top with a butterfly superplex. Giulia’s spinning sitout powerslam gets two but Vaquer gets in a dragon screw legwhip out of the corner. The SVB gets two so Vaquer goes up, only for her twisting moonsault to land in the Rings Of Saturn. Giulia’s running knee gets two but Vaquer hits a superkick. Back to back SVB’s make Vaquer a double champion at 11:23.

Rating: B. Somehow that might be a bit of a disappointment, as it could have been an epic fight and instead it was just a good, back and forth match. The best part is it could have gone either way and that left some interesting chances for drama in the end. Vaquer has impressed me more since the two of them debuted so this is a nice thing to see. There is a good chance that we’ll see the North American Title vacated but we’ll get to that when we get there. Good win for Vaquer here though, as she gets her even bigger push.

Confetti falls as Vaquer celebrates to end the show.

Overall Rating: A. Well that worked. This was an absolutely awesome show with the worst match being more than good enough to get by. You do not get this kind of content on most pay per views and they made it work this well as a free special. It’s definitely worth a look with some nice variety and a bunch of strong action. Awesome show here with Stand & Deliver still to come.

Results
Hardys b. Fraxiom – Swanton Bomb to Fraser
Jordynne Grace b. Roxanne Perez – Juggernaut Driver
Oba Femi b. Moose – Fall From Grace
Stephanie Vaquer b. Giulia – SVB

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

http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6

NXT
Date: February 25, 2025
Location: Andrew J. Brady Music Center, Cincinnati, Ohio
Commentators: Corey Graves, Vic Joseph, Booker T.

We’re on the road again and on the way to Roadblock in a few weeks in New York. Things are also getting interesting again around here as we have the new mysterious group of people attacking various stars, including Mr. Stone at the end of last week’s show. Throw in some big TNA names, such as Moose and the Hardys in action this week, and we should be in for a fun night. Let’s get to it.

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

Women’s North American Title: Stephanie Vaquer vs. Karmen Petrovic

Petrovic, with Ashante Thee Adonis, is challenging. Vaquer takes her down to start but Petrovic kicks out of trouble, setting up a full nelson with the legs. That’s broken up so Petrovic hits something like a Shining Wizard for two. A tilt-a-whirl backbreaker and legdrop give Vaquer two but the running knees in the corner miss. Back up and Vaquer is sent outside, setting up a big dive and we take a break.

We come back with Vaquer striking away and grabbing the figure four necklock for the faceplants onto the mat. Vaquer goes up but gets hurricanranaed back down, setting up a spinning kick to the head for two. Petrovic superkicks a springboarding Vaquer out of the air for two but Vaquer gets smart by taking out the leg. The SVB retains at 11:42.

Rating: B-. Petrovic was working here and has come a long way since being little more than a bunch of kicks. That’s still the majority of her offense but there is enough to make her feel like a more complete worker in the ring. Vaquer feels like a star and the fans are reacting to it as well and it could be a long time before she drops the title.

Post match here is Giulia to interrupt. She congratulates Vaquer but says that she (Giulia) is the real best champion. The result: a challenge for a title vs. title match.

Ariana Grace and Santino Marella are happy with what is going on but Lola Vice comes in, saying she wants a fight. Vice is willing to fight Grace, assuming someone in her family taught her to fight. The match is on.

Lexis King tells Oba Femi that he’s ready for Moose. Femi doesn’t seem so sure.

TNA X-Division Title: Lexis King vs. Moose

Only Moose’s title is on the line. The much bigger Moose powers him into the corner to start and they trade slaps to the face. Moose puts him on the top and hits a dropkick out to the floor (that’s always impressive). King is whipped hard into the steps but he gets in a shot of his own. Back in and Moose release Rock Bottoms him out of the air, followed by a big backdrop onto the ramp.

Moose kicks him in the face (as it seems like we came back from a break though we never went to split screen or anything else) but King is back with a superkick as the fans approve. A high crossbody gives King two but Moose runs the corner and hits a spinning high crossbody for two of his own. Moose grabs a powerbomb for two, with the fans way behind the hometown King. The Coronation connects out of nowhere to give King two more but Moose is back with the spear to retain at 9:32.

Rating: B-. This crossover is going in something of a weird direction as you regularly see someone winning another promotion’s title. That hasn’t happened (yet) in this whole thing and I keep waiting to see it. King got in some hope spots here, but the idea was to push Moose as someone who could smash through good competition on his way to a showdown with Oba Femi down the line.

Post match Oba Femi comes out and says that in two weeks at Roadblock, it’s title vs. title when he faces Moose. Well that was quick.

Shawn Spears talks about how he is transforming people such as Brooks Jensen, Niko Vance and Izzi Dame. They are the new Family running NXT and next week, it’s time to take the North American Title.

Jaida Parker and Kelani Jordan got in an argument on a bus earlier today.

Here is Jordynne Grace for a chat. From the moment she first set foot in a WWE ring, she knew she belonged. Now it is time for her to become a champion and it is a matter of time before she is facing either Stephanie Vaquer or Giulia. Cue Roxanne Perez to interrupt, saying she knows everyone wants to be part of the best women’s division in wrestling, the division that Perez runs.

Grace says if this is Perez’s division, where is her title? Perez threatens to win the Women’s Title at Wrestlemania and then come back here to win the NXT Women’s Title again. Grace brings up the saying about having a plan until you….and then she hits Perez in the face. Putting Grace against someone who seems to be moving up to the main roster is a smart way to start her off.

Trick Williams and Je’Von Evans talk about what they both want and Williams does not seem impressed. Things are about to get physical but Ricky Saints comes in to introduce himself. Williams gives him a fist bump and then leaves, with Saints wondering why everyone is so angry around here.

Jaida Parker is annoyed at Kelani Jordan and while there might be a Him in WWE, Jordan is not the “Her” in NXT. Parker is getting a feel for her promos and they’re working well.

No Quarter Catch Crew vs. Hardys

The Hardys’ TNA Tag Team Titles aren’t on the line. Even Wren Sinclair is doing Jeff Hardy’s dance during his entrance. Jeff and Heights start things off with Jeff hammering away as the fans tell the Hardys that they still have it. The double elbow and fist drop/flipping splash combination get two on Heights but it’s Borne coming in for armbar. One heck of a clothesline drops Matt but he’s quickly over to Jeff, who uses Heights for Poetry In Motion.

That’s not it though as another Poetry On Motion off the ramp hits Borne and we take a break. Back with Matt in trouble as Fraxiom is watching from the ramp. Matt fights out of a chinlock and walks over for the tag to Jeff. The Whisper In The Wind takes the Crew out and the Plot Twist (Twisting Stunner into a neckbreaker) gets two on Borne. The Twist Of Fate into the Swanton Bomb finishes Borne at 11:11.

Rating: C+. The match was fine but there was a grand total of no chance that the Hardys were losing here. That’s not a bad thing at all as this was all about having the Hardys make their NXT debuts. Like them or not, the Hardys are indeed living legends in tag team wrestling and it is a good thing to have them around on a show like this.

Post match Fraxiom gets in the ring to show respect, with Frazier saying they’re the best team in the world today and standing in the ring with the best team ever. Jeff cuts to the chase and issues the challenge so here is Santino Marella (to his old WWE music) and the match is on for Roadblock for the TNA Tag Team Titles. Dang that is a stacked show.

The D’Angelo Family has a meeting and D’Angelo is proud of Stacks for trying, even if he came up short. D’Angelo is banged up but he has to try to deal with Shawn Spears next week.

Zaria and Sol Ruca are in the trainer’s room but Piper Niven comes in, saying Chelsea Green is in the building. Green comes in and isn’t impressed, with a tag match being made for next week. Green: “Wait. What did I just agree to?” Niven: “We have a match next week.” Green: “Well that was stupid!”

Ariana Grace vs. Lola Vice

Grace gets in a jab to start and is quickly struck down in the corner. The running hip attack connects but Grace manages to strike away. A swinging neckbreaker puts Vice down and Grace grabs the cravate. Grace kicks her down again and finishes with the spinning backfist at 2:27.

The mystery group has attacked the No Quarter Catch Crew.

Eddy Thorpe is walking through Cincinnati and talks about how his people were once forced out of their land and moved out west. Somehow, this is like him having to face Trick Williams again, so name the time and place.

Ava is here for some announcements. She seems to clarify that Oba Femi vs. Moose is only for the NXT Title and NOT title for title.

Here’s what’s coming next week.

Wes Lee/Ethan Page vs. Ricky Saints/Je’Von Evans

Tyriek Igwe and Tyson DuPont are here with the villains. Apparently Cody Rhodes has called Saints “the most naturally talented wrestler since Barry Windham.” That’s….probably not accurate. Evans hammers on Page to start so it’s quickly off to Lee, who gets dropkicked down. Saints comes in for the first time and elbows Lee in the face and slugs away in the corner. Page and Lee are sent outside and we take a break.

Back with Evans getting caught on top but Igwe and DuPont get involved so Page can hit a backbreaker onto the turnbuckle. The Boston grab stays on the back, with Lee adding a shot to the back of his own. A powerslam out of the corner gives Evans two but Evans is back with a spinning kick to the face.

The tag brings in Saints to pick up the pace with a tornado DDT and a spear gets two on Lee. Evans and Page brawl into the crowd but Saints is sent into the post. Igwe and DuPont offer another distraction so Lee can hit a Meteora for two. The Cardiac Kick is loaded up but Saints reverses into the Roshambo (running Dominator) for the pin at 12:47.

Rating: C+. Nice enough match here but this was all about getting Saints in the ring to introduce him to the NXT audience. He did perfectly fine as well, overcoming the odds at the end and winning over someone with some status. It wasn’t supposed to be some great match and it did exactly what it needed to accomplish.

A preview for next week’s show wraps us up.

Overall Rating: B. This was a good, well thought out show which covered quite a few things that need to be done as they move forward. Roadblock is suddenly looking like one of the biggest shows of the year and a title change seems fairly likely. Setting up so much stuff and adding in some good enough matches in a single week is quite the feat and they pulled it off here. Nice stuff, as NXT knows how to set things up for the future.

Results
Stephanie Vaquer b. Karmen Petrovic – SVB
Moose b. Lexis King – Spear
Hardys b. No Quarter Catch Crew – Swanton to Borne
Lola Vice b. Ariana Grace – Spinning backfist
Ricky Saints/Je’Von Evans b. Ethan Page/Wes Lee – Roshambo to Lee

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

http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6

NXT
Date: February 18, 2025
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Booker T., Corey Graves

We’re done with Vengeance Day and that means it is time to start getting ready for Stand & Deliver in about two months. The big story from Vengeance Day seems to be Jordynne Grace coming after the two Women’s Titles, which could lead to some big showdowns. Other than that, Oba Femi will need a new challenger so let’s get to it.

Here is Vengeance Day if you need a recap.

Long Vengeance Day recap, including four Performance Center wrestlers attacking Oba Femi and Fraxiom.

Here is Oba Femi and he wants the four guys to come get him now. Instead, here is TNA X-Division Champion (and fellow monster) Moose for a big man staredown. Moose says this has to happen and Femi seems ready for the whole thing. They stare each other down and hold up their titles. Works for me.

Earlier today, Kale Dixon and Uriah Connors invited Ava and Eddy Thorpe to their after party. That’s a no from both, with Thorpe saying they should be at Chase U. That sets up a match for later tonight.

Jaida Parker vs. Karmen Petrovic vs. Kelani Jordan

Ashante Thee Adonis is here with Petrovic. Jordan and Parker slug it out until Jordan sends the other two outside for a dive. Back in and Parker chokes Jordan on the ropes before a snap suplex gets two. We take a break and come back with Parker hitting a reverse suplex on Jordan but Petrovic jumps Parker in the ropes.

Jordan hits a standing legdrop for two on Parker (no Booker, that isn’t innovative, as Big Show did it before) but Parker runs Petrovic over. Jordan breaks up the cover with a frog splash and everyone is down. They slug it out from their knees until Parker hits a Hipnotic on Jordan. Adonis pulls Petrovic to the floor and Parker hits the Tear Drop on Jordan…but Petrovic grabs a rollup to pin Jordan at 11:32.

Rating: C+. They were doing well here with everyone getting in something, as Parker continues to feel like a future star. There is something of an “it” factor to her which is carrying her a long way and makes me wonder where she’s going. Other than that, Petrovic kind of steals a win, though the stuff with Adonis is still not doing much for me at all.

Post match Fatal Influence runs in to beat Petrovic down as we take a break. Back with Fatal Influence beating down Giulia and Stephanie Vaquer but Jordynne Grace runs in for the save. Grace clears the ring and issues the challenge for the six woman tag later tonight.

Stacks tells the rest of the D’Angelo Family that he has to deal with Shawn Spears on his own tonight.

Sol Ruca/Zaria vs. Meta Four

Ruca and Legend miss kicks to the face to start and it’s off to Jackson for a quick dropkick. Ruca takes Jackson down just as well though and moonsaults into a Meteora for two. Legend and Zaria take turns exchanging gorilla presses until Jackson missile dropkicks Ruca to the floor.

We take a break and come back with Ruca fighting her way out of trouble, allowing the tag to Zaria for the house cleaning. Zaria suplexes Jackson for two and Ruca comes back in for a superkick. A running hurricanrana and armdrag drop Jackson and we get the big Zaria vs. Legend showdown. Zaria muscles her up but can’t keep a fireman’s carry. Jackson comes back in and gets speared into an F5. The Sol Snatcher finishes for Ruca at 11:39.

Rating: B-. This was better than I was expecting as Zaria and Ruca work well enough together. I can go with Zaria being put into a team if Vaquer and Giulia are already doing something in the singles ranks. It lets Zaria do something else and that’s better than nothing. I’m not wild on the Meta Four getting pinned, but I can’t imagine they’re long for NXT anyway.

Wes Lee and company are talking about how things are wild around here but the still unnamed Ricky Starks pops in to say he’ll answer your questions out in the arena.

Here are Ava and Ricky Starks for the contract signing. Starks is glad to be here and he’s ready to take this place by storm and win everything there is to win. The revolution is ready to begin and he’s ready to sign but Ethan page interrupts. Page says Starks is following his playbook and is probably guaranteed a title match in his contract.

Starks doesn’t buy this and is ready to take the show to a new level but Page isn’t convinced. Starks thinks Je’Von Evans will be coming back to get his revenge on Page…and here is Evans to jump Page and brawl with him to the back. Now it’s Wes Lee interrupting the signing so Starks offers to face him next week. Lee tries to cut off the signing but gets clotheslined to the floor. We see the contract and his name is officially Ricky Saints. Eh I’ve heard worse.

The No Quarter Catch Crew interrupts Fraxiom…and call out the Hardys (the TNA Tag Team Champions) for next week in Cincinnati.

Ricky Saints has gone to the back…and a bunch of people (Hank And Tank, Josh Briggs, Yoshiki Inamura and perhaps others) have been attacked. Saints: “D***, this place is crazy.”

Shawn Spears vs. Stacks

Spears’ associates and the D’Angelo Family are here too. Starks starts the fight on the floor and hits a running boot to the face inside. Spears sends him to the apron though and grabs a hanging DDT. A regular DDT plants Stacks again and Spears hammers away on the mat. Stacks comes back with a slingshot Codebreaker for a breather as the goons almost get into it on the floor. A spinebuster gets Stacks out of trouble but Spears brainbusters him onto the knee. The C4 gives Spears the pin at 5:08.

Rating: C+. They were speeding through this and it seems like we are gearing up for a big Spears vs. Tony D’Angelo title match down the line. That should make for a nice showdown, though I’m still not overly interested in whatever Spears talks about most of the time. At least this is getting into more of a normal feud, which should go better for him.

Lexis King introduces himself to Moose and doesn’t like what he has been doing so far. Moose says if King wants an X-Division Title shot next week, he’s on.

Andre Chase is almost fired up over what Eddy Thorpe said but comes back to reality.

Andre Chase vs. Eddy Thorpe

Thorpe stomps away in the corner to start but Chase snaps off a hurricanrana. Chase takes him out on the floor as well but gets dropped back inside. Cue Uriah Connors and Kale Dixon in Chase U shirts to cheer Chase on from the student section, which is enough for Chase to fight back up. A big boot and Russian legsweep look to set up the spelling stomps but Chase can’t do it. Thorpe hits a German suplex into the impaler DDT for the pin at 4:26.

Rating: C. This was the next step in the story of Chase, as you can see that the magic is still in there but something is going to have to pull it out. That very well may be the return of Thea Hail down the line but I’m not sure how that is going to go. It’s a long term story, but for now it would have been a stretch for Chase to beat someone who took out Trick Williams over the weekend.

Post match Trick Williams pops up on screen to say this isn’t over with Thorpe.

Ethan Page interrupts Ava and Ricky Saints to complain about Je’Von Evans. Wes Lee and Evans come in so Ava makes it a tag match next week.

The Hardys are down to face the No Quarter Catch Crew next week and invite Fraxiom to watch.

Stephanie Vaquer/Giulia/Jordynne Grace vs. Fatal Influence

Vaquer rolls Henley up to start before it’s Nyx coming in to face Giulia. Nyx’s right hands don’t work as Giulia takes her down, allowing Grace to come in for a German suplex. Everything breaks down and it’s a six way brawl with the villains being sent outside. Grace hits a big dive but Jayne pulls Vaquer down by the hair back inside. Henley grabs a quick distraction and Jayne drops Vaquer as we take a break.

Back with Vaquer fighting out of a chinlock, setting up a rollup for two. The tag attempt is broken up and Henley kicks Vaquer in the face. Jayne gets in another shot and mocks Grace before the tag, only for Vaquer to get over for the tag a few seconds later. Everything breaks down and Grace MuscleBusters Nyx for two with Jayne making the save. Jayne is back with a running knee for two on Grace and Henley adds a Blockbuster. Giulia plants Jayne and grabs a belly to back suplex, followed by a dive from Vaquer. The Grace Driver finishes Nyx at 13:03.

Rating: B-. This was about giving Grace her first win as part of the NXT roster and it worked out well. Grace got to run through some people here and Fatal Influence are just good enough to feel like a challenge for her. Odds are Grace will be put into a bigger story sooner than later, but for now, she’s off to a nice start.

The winners post and Grace looks at the titles.

There is a brawl in the parking lot and Ava’s office has been trashed. Mr. Stone is down and the words “NO ONE IS SAFE” have been painted on the wall. Ava isn’t sure what happened to end the show. She’s not overly bright is she?

Overall Rating: B. This show did a nice job of making me want to see what is going to happen next week, while also giving us a nice cliffhanger to end the show. I was worried about the lack of impact from the four guys but they got involved well enough at the end. The action was good enough, but more than that, I’m interested in where things are going. That’s a sign that they are doing something right, so we’ll call this a rather nice success.

Results
Karmen Petrovic b. Jaida Parker and Kelani Jordan – Rollup to Jordan
Sol Ruca/Zaria b. Meta Four – Sol Snatcher to Jackson
Shawn Spears b. Stacks – C4
Eddy Thorpe b. Andre Chase – Impaler DDT
Stephanie Vaquer/Jordynne Grace/Giulia b. Fatal Influence – Grace Driver to Nyx

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NXT
Date: February 11, 2025
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Booker T., Corey Graves

It’s the go home show for Vengeance Day and the card is mostly set. This week is going to be about building up the rest of the show, which could use some work at this point. Bayley is here again this week to face Cora Jade so odds are we’ll be seeing Roxanne Perez and Cora Jade as well. Let’s get to it.

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

Bayley vs. Cora Jade

Jade misses the kendo stick shot to start and Bayley hammers away early on. They go outside with Bayley beating her up against the barricade, followed by a ram into the announcers’ table (Booker: “LET’S KEEP IT LEGAL!”) for two. A basement elbow to the back gives Bayley two more but the Rose Plant is blocked. Jade is sent outside for a big dive but she ties Bayley up in the ropes for some knees as we take a break.

Back with Bayley hitting the Twisting Stunner over the ropes and the Bayley To Belly gets two. Some knees in the corner set up another suplex for another two but Bayley can’t quite get a sunset bomb into the corner. Instead Jade rolls her up for two in a nice save as that would have been ugly otherwise. Bayley knocks her into the corner…and here is Roxanne Perez as Hugger Bayley for a distraction. With Bayley going after Perez, Jade gets in Jaded on the floor, followed by Jaded inside for the pin at 10:41.

Rating: B-. That’s probably the biggest win of Jade’s career and that is quite the move, especially when she is chasing the TNA Knockouts Title. I’m not sure I can see her winning the title, but this is the kind of win that could give her some strong momentum in that direction. Bayley does add some star power around here though, and the Hugger deal was rather good.

As Jade celebrates, we go back stage where Ava whispers something to Giulia, who nods. Cue Ava, who adds Jade to the Women’s Title match at Vengeance Day. Bayley lays out the surprised Perez.

Nikkita Lyons mocks Sol Ruca and Zaria so a match is set for later.

Here is Oba Femi for a chat. Femi is ready to face both members of A-Town Down Under at Vengeance Day, even if it’s really a handicap match. They can make the mistake of trying to get together to take him out…and here is A-Town Down Under to interrupt. The two of them aren’t impressed with Femi, with Theory talking about how Waller doesn’t get the respect he deserves around here.

Waller says Theory can ride shotgun when he becomes NXT Champion, which lets Femi say it sounds like both of them want to be champion. Waller is tired of hearing about Theory being US Champion and beating John Cena but Theory points out Waller never doing anything on his own. They agree to go after Femi and manage to put him down, only to argue over who gets to hold the title. They aren’t really hiding that this is going to be Femi retaining the title, but it’s still not the most interesting story.

Video on Trick Williams vs. Eddy Thorpe, with Thorpe wanting a strap mach at Vengeance day.

Je’Von Evans is medically cleared to return, but if he gets hurt again, he could be out of action for months. Don’t tease me like that.

Evans signs a liability waiver for his match with Ethan Page at Vengeance Day.

Hank And Tank vs. Josh Briggs/Yoshiki Inamura vs. No Quarter Catch Crew

Inamura cleans house to start until Heights clotheslines Hank. Everything breaks down early on and Briggs hits some running dropkicks to send the Crew outside. Tank comes in and backdrops Borne to the floor as this is all over the place. Hank And Tank crush Borne on the floor but Heights Samoan drops Hank for two as Fraxiom is watching from the balcony.

We take a break and come back with Heights breaking up Hank’s tag to Tank. Instead, Hank hands it off to Inamura, who cleans house with Briggs. Hank and Heights slug it out but Briggs kicks both of them down. A powerbomb gets two on Hank, with Tank making the save. That leaves Hank to hit a big dive onto the pile outside and the fans are impressed. Back in and Hank knocks Briggs off the top but Inamura breaks it up. A top rope splash gives Inamura the pin on Hank at 12:10.

Rating: B. They didn’t really bother with the tagging stuff here and it wound up being totally wild throughout. That’s not a formula that works all the time but they were having a very fun match here, which is better than watching most of these guys try to go technical. If nothing else, points for having Inamura and Briggs actually win something after talking for weeks on end.

Post match Fraxiom thinks Briggs and Inamura deserve a title shot, so they’ll see them at Vengeance Day.

Stacks apologizes to Tony D’Angelo, who says everything is cool, which everything seems to be.

Heritage Cup: JDC vs. Lexis King

King is defending, JDC is better known as Fandango (now in TNA) and the Cup is now one fall title matches. Feeling out process to start with King grabbing a front facelock, only to be taken down into an armbar. A sunset flip out of the corner gives JDC two and he sends King outside for a big dive.

We take a break and come back with JDC missing a middle rope dropkick. King grabs a Canadian Mapleleaf (with commentary getting in the Lance Storm reference) but JDC makes the ropes for the easy break. A Falcon Arrow gives JDC two and King bails to the floor, where a big flip dive takes him down again. Back in and Down And Dirty (guillotine legdrop) gives JDC two but he gets caught on top. A hanging Coronation retains the title at 9:40.

Rating: C+. On one hand, I do get the idea of getting rid of the Heritage Cup rules as they didn’t mean much around here, but at the same time, now it’s just another title. We already have the North American Title and I really don’t think there is much of a need to have two midcard titles around here. Maybe it doesn’t last much longer, but I’m not sure how much sense this whole thing makes.

Roxanne Perez rants to Ava about Cora Jade being added to the title match. Bayley doesn’t want to hear the complaining, but does say this is the best that Perez has ever looked. Jade comes in and doesn’t like what Perez said, but says she’ll win on Saturday.

Fatal Influence is ready for Fallon Henley to defend the Women’s North American Title at Vengeance Day. Kelani Jordan and Jaida Parker both come in to say they want title shots but Ashante Thee Adonis comes in to say Karmen Petrovic should be getting the shot. Bickering ensues.

Zaria vs. Nikkita Lyons

Zaria starts fast with some clotheslines but Lyons snaps off a hurricanrana. A double knockdown gives us a breather and Lyons is back up for a camel clutch. That’s broken up with straight power but Lyons misses a Vader Bomb. The spear into an F5 finishes Lyons at 2:47. Well that was abrupt.

Video on Ethan Page vs. Je’Von Evans.

Trick Williams is in for the strap match with Eddy Thorpe.

Vengeance Day rundown….and here is former AEW star Ricky Starks in the crowd. He isn’t given a name, but he does acknowledge the RICKY STARKS chants by saying “you obviously know who I am.” Starks says you need an absolute star around here and he is here to turn this place upside down. So there’s your big moment, and dang that’s a fast turnaround after Starks left NXT. I’m not sure what he’s going to do around here, but egads please just let him be called Ricky Starks and not Lance Wigglesworth.

Giulia and Stephanie Vaquer wish each other luck at Vengeance Day, with Vaquer hinting that she’s coming for Giulia’s title.

Andre Chase says meets Uriah Connors but can’t party on a school night. Kale Dixon says he thought Chase U was dead, and Chase says it is, but old habits die hard.

North American Title: Ridge Holland vs. Tony D’Angelo

D’Angelo, with the Family, is defending in a cage with pin/submission only. Holland slugs away to start but D’Angelo fires back with the uppercuts to the ribs. A clothesline puts Holland into the corner but he rakes the eyes for a breather. Back up and D’Angelo sends him into the cage and we take a break.

We come back with D’Angelo fighting out of a chinlock before a clothesline puts him back down for two. Holland misses a top rope splash and D’Angelo starts sending him into the cage a few times. D’Angelo grabs a belly to belly but charges into a boot to the face for a breather. They slug it out from their knees until D’Angelo powerbombs him into the cage for two. Izzi Dame tells Stacks to help so he throws in a crowbar, which Holland takes away and drops D’Angelo. Another shot gives Holland two but D’Angelo goes to the eyes. A crowbar shot and spinebuster retain the title at 10:59.

Rating: B-. The cage didn’t really add much here, but I’ll take it over another street fight or weapons based match. D’Angelo is definitely turning into something, and even though his gimmick would be death on the main roster, he’s doing far better than I would have expected around here. Holland losing again is a bit much, but he certainly wasn’t crushed. Just have him win something already if you’re going to though?

Post match Holland and the Family (minus Tony) brawl to the back. Cue Shawn Spears and company, with Dame decking Tony to put him down. The big beatdown is on and the Family is held off with a chair as Tony is destroyed.

We get a long video on Vengeance Day, complete with a look at the four mystery people, complete with a skull mask. Interesting, as I was thinking it was Spears and company after that ending.

Overall Rating: B-. They are trying hard with Vengeance Day but I really can’t get into it. Having Jade added to the Women’s Title match makes it a bit more intriguing, but she feels like she is there for the sake of giving Giulia someone to pin. Other than that, the NXT Title match isn’t doing much for me and the Tag Team Title match was thrown onto the card out of nowhere. This show was a nice try at a go home show, but the show they’re going home to isn’t doing it for me and that’s a big problem.

Results
Cora Jade b. Bayley – Jaded
Josh Briggs/Yoshiki Inamura b. Hank And Tank and No Quarter Catch Crew – Top rope splash to Hank
Lexis King b. JDC – Hanging Coronation
Zaria b. Nikkita Lyons – F5
Tony D’Angelo b. Ridge Holland – Spinebuster

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NXT
Date: January 21, 2025
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Booker T., Corey Graves

We’re less than a month away from Vengeance Day and that means it is time to start getting ready for the show. So far we don’t have a card set for the show but we should be able to start adding some things this week. On top of that, we have three title matches so let’s get to it.

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

Corey Graves is back. That’s good to see, as he’s far too talented to blow up his career.

North American Title: Tony D’Angelo vs. Ridge Holland

D’Angelo, with his Family, is defending and after the Big Match Intros….we talk about Booker T.’s time as a TNA Legends Champion. Graves: “I believe in Joe Hendry.” Even after this partnership has been going on for months, this still feels weird. D’Angelo runs him over early to start but Shawn Spears comes out for a distraction as we take an early break.

Back with D’Angelo fighting out of an armbar and taking over, with a fisherman’s suplex getting two. The spinebuster is broken up so D’Angelo goes with a spear for a knockdown instead. Cue Nico Vance and Brooks Jensen to go after the Family, but Izzi Dame comes in to kick Holland in the head. The spinebuster retains the title at 7:26.

Rating: B-. That was a heck of a spinebuster at the end, but what was more impressive was they had a good match with so little time. You can only get so much out of a seven and a half minute match with a break in the middle. For now though, the important thing is D’Angelo continues to look like a big deal and it would not surprise me to see him being NXT Champion by the end of the year.

Wes Lee, with Tyriek Igwe and Tyson DuPont, aren’t happy with Dion Lennox. Trick Williams comes in and Lee mocks him, earning an immediate right hand in a funny bit.

Here is Bayley for a chat. She’s here to talk about her issues with Roxanne Perez, who could be great but slapped her in the face. Perez thinks Bayley is like Natalya or CM Punk, but that might be a compliment? Last night, Perez interfered on Raw and that makes Bayley think Perez just isn’t ready. This women’s division has a lot going on and with a champion like Giulia at the top…and here is Giulia to say she certainly respects Bayley.

Giulia hopes to hold the title with as much honor as Bayley did. Bayley is appreciative as Roxanne Perez and Cora Jade interrupt to insult her. The fans boo them out of the building and suggest that Bayley wants the Women’s Title, because this era has exceeded the Four Horsewomen era. The brawl is on and the villains are quickly cleared out. Odds are this sets up a tag match, though I’m not sure I can imagine Perez or Jade as a serious threat to Giulia.

Jaida Parker and Kelani Jordan argue but Karmen Petrovic interrupts and gets in a fight with Parker over Ashante Thee Adonis.

Bayley and Giulia are still brawling with Jade and Perez.

Wes Lee vs. Dion Lennox

Lee is ticked off after being slapped by Trick Williams (Joseph: “Williams slapped Lee so hard he thought his name was Desmond.”) and jumps Lennox to start, knocking him to the floor. Back in and Lennox runs him over, setting up a spinebuster for two as they’re going fast so far. That doesn’t last long though as the Cardiac Kick gives Lee the pin at 2:24. They’re trying with Lee, but I just can’t picture him as a top star.

Post match Lee calls out Trick Williams for next week so here is Williams to chase him off and accept.

We recap Lexis King winning the Heritage Cup for good last week.

Stephanie Vaquer wants the Women’s North American Title and doesn’t care who has it.

Heritage Cup: Lexis King vs. Charlie Dempsey

King is defending and Round One begins with a technical off going nowhere. King snaps off a dropkick into an armbar to work on the arm. They trade rollups for two each and it’s a standoff, with King trying another rollup. That’s reversed into a choke and then a crossface chickenwing but the round ends before a tap.

We take a break with King having gotten a pin in the second round to go up 1-0. Round Three begins with King working on the arm until a quick shot lets Dempsey take over. Dempsey gets two off a rollup and cranks on the arm some more before a bridging butterfly suplex ties it up at 2:28 of the round and 9:31 overall.

Round Four begins with King pulling out some brass knuckles but throwing them down with a shake of his head. Dempsey goes after the arm but gets suplexed out for his efforts. King hits a high crossbody for two, only to get suplexed for the same. Another tease of the knuckles doesn’t go anywhere so King knocks him outside for a big flip dive. Back in and the referee almost gets crushed in the corner, allowing King to get in a low blow. The Coronation retains the Cup at 2:50 of the round and 12:56.

Rating: C+. They’re definitely telling a story with King and his efforts to be good but getting pulled back into the dark side. That being said, this story feels like it is going to continue, even though it isn’t the most thrilling. Both of them need to move on to something else, though that low blow is likely going to result in another match.

Naomi and Bianca Belair are ready for Meta Four next week.

Andre Chase tells Hank And Tank to break up now because all teams split. As Kelani Jordan walks in the background, Chase goes to another room and sees people watching a Chase U video. Kale Dixon says Chase was great but Chase says Chase U is dead and leaves. Dixon: “But it doesn’t have to be.” It could be a long road from here, but dang the idea of Chase restarting the school and winning the NXT Title could be an all time NXT moment.

Karmen Petrovic vs. Jaida Parker

Ashante Thee Adonis is here with Petrovic, who takes him down by the arm to start. Parker catches her in an electric chair drop out of the corner and then hits the Tear Drop in the corner. A quick rollup gives Petrovic two and a Sling Blade gets the same. Parker gordbusters her down and loads up the Hipnotique, only to have Kelani Jordan come in for the distraction. Petrovic grabs a rollup for the pin at 5:09.

Rating: C. I’m still not sure what the appeal of Petrovic and Adonis is supposed to be but the story is probably the least interesting thing in NXT at the moment. I can go for more of Petrovic as she has something about her, but Parker losing isn’t the best thing to see. Not much of a match either, and it’s part of a less than interesting story.

Sol Ruca and Zaria give Meta Four something of a pep talk before next week’s Women’s Tag Team Title match. As usual, this sounded so scripted that it was painful.

Brooks Jensen/Nico Vance vs. D’Angelo Family

It’s a big brawl to start and a Stacks is hiptossed over the top onto Jensen and Vance. We settle down to Jensen suplexing Crusifino for two. Everything breaks down and the Family fights up, only for Crusifino to be sent outside. Back in and a spinwheel kick into a lariat from Vance finishes Stacks at 4:25.

Rating: C+. They kept this moving and it was nice to see a new team getting a chance. That being said, it’s also quite the big step for them to beat the D’Angelo family so soundly. It wasn’t a great match, but it did a good job of saying that Jensen and Vance, with Shawn Spears controlling them, could be a threat.

Fraxiom is happy with their win last week and they’re ready to go to Impact to defend against the Rascalz. Josh Briggs and Yoshiki Inamura interrupt to say they want a title shot. OTM runs in and the brawl is on.

Dion Lennox is annoyed and throws a bunch of stuff.

The D’Angelo Family isn’t happy with Tony D’Angelo not being out there but he blames Izzi Dame for not shutting up. D’Angelo says Stacks has been the underboss for two years. He can do something on his own. Fair point.

Ethan Page is happy with hurting people and likes the sounds of people screaming in pain, including Je’Von Evans.

Je’Von Evans wants to fight Ethan Page but Ava says no due to his injury. Cedric Alexander comes in and is ready to face Page next week. Evans and Alexander leave but here is A-Town Down Under, who are supposed to be here next week. They want to offer the NXT Champion a spot on the Grayson Waller Effect next week. Maybe with some extra security. As for tonight, they’ll be watching the main event.

Here’s what’s coming next week.

Diamond Dallas Page is here.

NXT Title: Eddy Thorpe vs. Oba Femi

Femi is defending and powers him into the corner to start, only to miss a charge. Thorpe’s quick kick staggers Femi for two but he glares up at Thorpe for quite the look. One heck of a backdrop sends Thorpe flying but he gets in a dropkick off the apron. A-Town Down Under is watching from the balcony as we take a break.

Back with Femi powering him away again and hitting a heck of a spinebuster for two. A chokeslam is countered into a triangle choke and Thorpe even adds a hurricanrana for a near fall of his own. Thorpe stuns Femi with a Stunner and drops a top rope elbow for two more. Back up and Thorpe hammers away, including a slingshot German suplex for two. Femi powers up and hits a chokeslam for two of his own, only to miss a charge into the post. Thorpe tries to slug away but gets tossed with ease. The Fall From Grace retains the title at 10:18.

Rating: C+. I’m not sure I get this one, as it was mostly the monster Femi selling for Thorpe, who has cheated his way into everything he has. Femi won in the end, but he’s not the kind of champion who should be fighting from underneath for so long. It’s a good enough match, but I’m really not sure I get the thinking behind what they were doing. Also, you might want to not promote “the winner gets to be on the Grayson Waller Effect” over “the winner is the NXT Champion.”

Post match Trick Williams comes out for a Trick Shot to Thorpe before staring Femi down to end the show.

Overall Rating: C+. This show had a big card with three title matches and Bayley as a guest star, but it didn’t feel like a great show. They kept hyping up next week’s show in Atlanta and how big everything on that show was going to be and that didn’t keep me interested in what they were doing this week. It’s far from a bad show, but for what was included, it should have been better.

Results
Tony D’Angelo b. Ridge Holland – Spinebuster
Wes Lee b. Dion Lennox – Cardiac Kick
Lexis King b. Charlie Dempsey 2-0
Brooks Jensen/Nico Vance b. D’Angelo family – Lariat to Stacks
Oba Femi b. Eddy Thorpe – Fall From Grace

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: December 17, 2024
Location: Lowell Memorial Auditorium, Lowell, Massachusetts
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Booker T.

We’re on the way to the end of the year and we’re outside of the Performance Center for a change. In this case we are on the way to New Year’s Evil, with Trick Williams having to deal with the monster that is Oba Femi. Giulia is coming for the Women’s Title as well, which should make for a big title rematch. Let’s get to it.

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

We open with a look back at the history of WWE in Lowell, Massachusetts, including Shawn Michaels losing his smile, before moving on to a preview of tonight’s show.

Oba Femi vs. Axiom

Nathan Frazer is here with Axiom. They start slowly with Axiom trying some chops but getting smacked in the back to break up a springboard attempt. We take a break and come back with Femi knocking him down again. Some rapid fire chops in the corner have Axiom in more trouble but he gets fired up. Axiom dropkicks the leg out and a basement superkick gets two. A missile dropkick connects but the Golden Ratio is countered. The Fall From Grace finishes for Femi at 10:22.

Rating: C+. This was Axiom trying to handle himself against a monster but not being able to hang in there that long. Femi knows how to do this kind of a match and putting him out there week after week should help give him some more experience. As usual, Axiom can work well with anyone and he did just fine here, even up against a monster.

Eddy Thorpe is ready for his title match but Ava comes in to say Thorpe took a shortcut. Thorpe doesn’t care because tonight, you’ll be calling him champion.

Karmen Petrovic isn’t sure what to do but Dion Lennox thinks she should apologize to Nikkita Lyons. They hug, so here is Ashante Thee Adonis to not be impressed. He’s off to text Lyons, with Lennox says he’s going to mind his own business. And read.

Zaria/Sol Ruca vs. Meta Four

Jackson jumps Ruca to start but gets planted face first for her efforts. Ruca gets to surf on her back but it’s off to Legend to run her over. It’s off to Zaria, who actually gets slammed down by Legend in a bit of a surprise. Back up and Zaria lifts Jackson up onto her shoulders so Ruca can climb on top for a big dive.

We take a break and come back with Ruca rolling Legend up for two but Jackson comes in for a butterfly suplex. The crossarm choke goes on but Ruca flips out and hits a quick enziguri. The diving tag brings in Zaria to clean house, with a spear getting two on Jackson. Zaria eventually wins a fight over a suplex with Legend before Ruca adds a springboard splash for two. Jackson is back up with a dive onto Ruca though and Legend hits the Bully Drop (I think) to pin Ruca at 12:14.

Rating: C+. Meta four gets a bit of a step up here after not doing much in the last few weeks. It was almost weird to see Zaria getting powered around but Legend is one of the few people who could make it work. At the same time, Ruca taking the fall is something of a surprise, as she was seemingly on her way into a title picture not that long ago and then it just stopped.

Last week, Tyriek Igwe and Tyson DuPont argued over another loss but Wes Lee doesn’t see anything wrong with Igwe not being happy with a loss. Makes sense

Jaida Parker vs. Wren Sinclair

OTM and the No Quarter Catch Crew are here too. Parker sends her into the corner to start but Sinclair is back with a shot to the face. The Tear Drop into a Falcon Arrow gets two on Sinclair, who is right back with a full nelson. That’s broken up as well so Parker cranks on both arms and even sits down on the shoulder blades. Back up and Sinclair wins a chop off, setting up a butterfly suplex. The teams on the floor get in a fight and brawl to the back before Parker elbows Sinclair in the face. The Hipnotique finishes Sinclair off at 4:33.

Rating: C. Parker continues her rise up the card and that could see her go rather far given the talent and potential she is showing out there. She really does have a lot going on and it could be a big deal when she puts it all together. Sinclair is back to making people look good and that should do well for her, though I could go for seeing her do something more important.

Shotzi, Tatum Paxley and Gigi Dolin are in the back and Paxley is glad she has someone new to play with against Fatal Influence.

Fatal Influence finds this funny but Alba Fyre and Isla Dawn come in to mock the team’s lack of chemistry.

We get a look back at the history of the Women’s Title, going from the Horsewomen to Asuka to Shayna Baszler and through everyone else up to Roxanne Perez. She’ll have to defend the title against Giulia in two weeks.

Tag Team Titles: Gallus vs. Axiom/Nathan Frazer

Axiom (banged up from earlier) and Nathan Frazer are defending and Joe Coffey is here with Gallus. Frazer, with his protective mask, is wiling to start but Mark Coffey elbows him down in a hurry. Wolfgang comes in for a shot of his own but everything breaks down. Axiom is too banged up for a dive and Wolfgang drops him with a spear as we take a break. Back with Wolfgang running Axiom over for two and working on his arm.

Axiom manages to get over for the tag off to Frazer to pick up the pace, including the springboard moonsault into the reverse DDT on Wolfgang. A frog splash gets two on Mark but the jumping enziguri/powerslam combination gets the same on Frazer. The Howling connects with Axiom having to make the diving save for a change. The Golden Ratio hit Frazer by mistake but Axiom is back with a Canadian Destroyer, leaving Frazer to grab a poisonrana on Wolfgang. Axiom tags himself back in for the super Spanish Fly on Wolfgang, setting up the phoenix splash to retain the titles at 12:02.

Rating: B-. They’re in a weird place with this story as it’s gone on for so long now that it’s almost funny to see the team retain so long. At some point, they are going to lose but it’s gone on for so long that I’m not sure how the reaction will go. It’s reaching the point of “what took so long” and that isn’t a great way to go. For now though, another nice match from a good team, but either split up or don’t already. Just fine something new.

Je’Von Evans praises Hank Walker and Tank Ledger and promises to do more himself in the new year. Ethan Page walks past and doesn’t look happy.

Lexis King has to complete Charlie Dempsey’s playing card workout to get a Heritage Cup shot next week. King does it and gets his shot. This was just a minute of the two of them working out together.

Here is Ethan Page to say he’s sorry for interrupting but he has to get something off his chest. No one here understands what he is going through but he has lost everything. He can’t keep his promise of winning the big one to his daughter and he has broken promises to his family. Right now, he wants to talk to his wife, who is the reason he’s here. His daughter can’t find the NXT Title in his bag and his son cries when he loses. For now, he isn’t sure if he loves this anymore and he has lost his smile.

Cue Je’Von Evans to interrupt saying this isn’t the real Page. The real Page loves his family and the smile that Evans saw when Page was with them was genuine. Now he needs to drop the All Ego thing and show us who Page really is. Page says he should be worried about taking Evans’ smile and the beating is on. Evans’ neck gets Pillmanized and he spits up a bunch of blood. I’ll take this over Page trying to turn over a new leaf or pretty much anything involving Evans so we’ll call this a double win.

Trick Williams is ready to fight. Oba Femi comes in to say he hopes Williams retains because he wants to face Williams at New Year’s Evil.

Stephanie Vaquer has her sights set on Cora Jade.

NXT Title: Eddy Thorpe vs. Trick Williams

Williams is defending and takes Thorpe down with a headlock to start. Some running shoulders have Thorpe bailing out to the floor, where Williams chops him up against the barricade. Back in and Williams misses a side kick to crotch himself on the top. We take a break and come back with Thorpe working on a neck crank. Williams fights up and strikes away, setting up a Rock Bottom for two. Thorpe is back with a suplex for two of his own and they both get a bit of a breather.

They trade kicks to the head until Thorpe grabs a Randy Orton backbreaker. Thorpe tries the implant DDT but the referee gets dropped so there’s no count. Another referee comes in to count two off Williams’ rollup, followed by the Trick Shot for three…from both referees…as all four shoulders are down (Williams is on top but Thorpe does get a hand on his stomach to make it a double cover) and Thorpe’s foot is under the ropes at 11:19.

Rating: C+. Not exactly a classic here, but it was similar to the ending of the Shawn Michaels vs. HHH match in San Antonio in 2003. Shawn has a tendency to book things he’s done over his career but waiting over twenty years is acceptable enough. That being said, I’m not sure why they’re doing this kind of an angle three weeks ahead of a Femi vs. Williams showdown. Odds are this is cleared up with a rematch next week, because they’re having a show on Christmas Eve.

Confusion reigns to end the show with Ava wanting explanations from the referees.

Overall Rating: C+. I wasn’t feeling this one as much as most recent editions, with the majority just not being that interesting. The ending felt like it was a way to set up next week, but that show is not likely to have the biggest audience so it feels like a stretch. Other than that, Axiom and Frazer had their usual match with the same story, which didn’t leave much here to really draw you in. Not a terrible show, but pretty skippable this week.

Results
Oba Femi b. Axiom – Fall From Grace
Meta Four b. Zaria/Sol Ruca – Bully drop to Ruca
Jaida Parker b. Wren Sinclair – Hipnotique
Axiom/Nathan Frazer b. Gallus – Phoenix splash to Wolfgang
Trick Williams vs. Eddy Thorpe went to a double pin

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