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

We’re done with Stand & Deliver and it was certainly an eventful show. Trick Williams defeated Carmelo Hayes to win the main event and show that he’s ready to be one of the top stars around here. Roxanne Perez got the Women’s Title back by defeating Lyra Valkyria and Oba Femi continues to show that he is a dominant force in the making. Tonight we start getting ready for whatever is next so let’s get to it.

Here is Stand & Deliver if you need a recap.

We open with a long Stand & Deliver recap.

Here is Roxanne Perez to get things going. Perez can’t believe anyone is surprised because what happened on Saturday was justice being served. She saw Lyra Valkyria’s arm being banged up and took advantage of it. Valkyria said she was honorable but Perez found it stupid. No one can take the title from her because the next time she loses the title is when she gives it up to go to Raw or Smackdown.

Cue Valkyria, with her arm in a sling, saying she wants her rematch tonight. Perez rolls her eyes but Tatum Paxley pops up to say she’s ready. Then Paxley sends Valkyria into the steps and walks off. Perez says we won’t be seeing a title match tonight but here is Natalya (who told Perez she was going to see her tonight) to say she’ll face Perez tonight. That’s a no, but here is Ava to say yes. Natalya getting a title shot just because? I thought this was a new era.

Nathan Frazer and Axiom are getting their last Tag Team Title shot tonight. If they don’t win here, they’re done as a team.

Andre Chase gives Kelani Jordan and Fallon Henley honorary degrees for their win at Stand & Deliver. Jacy Jayne and Jazmyn Nyx come in with Jayne revealing why Chase U was in debt in the first place: Chase had put a big bet on Thea Hail to win the Women’s Title at the Great American Bash (where Chase threw in the towel to save Hail) but cared more about her than the school. If Hail hadn’t been such a loser, the school wouldn’t have been in trouble. Chase says it’s true and Hail storms off.

Fallon Henley/Kelani Jordan vs. Kiana James/Izzi Dame

The villains jump them to start but Jordan grabs a headscissors out of the corner to drop James. Dame comes in and gets sleepered for her quick efforts. Everything breaks down and the villains are sent outside, with Jordan hitting a big slingshot dive. Back in and Dame takes over on Jordan, with James getting in some shots of her own.

Dame’s running elbow gets two and a flapjack gets the same. An abdominal stretch doesn’t last long and Jordan rolls over for the tag off to Henley. The pace picks way up and the spinning superplex puts James down. Henley has to save Jordan from a cheap shot but walks into the 401K to give James the pin at 6:59.

Rating: C+. Henley and Jordan work together fairly well and have gotten to showcase themselves over the last few shows. In this case, it makes sense to have the villains get a win to even things up a bit after losing on Saturday. The match was fairly high energy and it worked well enough here for not having much time in the ring.

Je’Von Evans is ready to go. This is the same video we saw at Stand & Deliver.

OTM is ready to deal with Evans.

The No Quarter Catch Crew (no Drew Gulak in sight) talk about Bloodsport (an independent event over Wrestlemania Weekend where some WWE stars got to compete) but the D’Angelo Family comes in. Insults are exchanged and a match is made.

Je’Von Evans vs. Scrypts

Evans is a 19 year old who has done rather well on NXT LVL Up and the rest of OTM is here with Scrypts. They flip around to start with Evans getting two off a rollup but missing some right hands. Scrypts trips him off the middle rope though and a standing shooting star press gets two. The chinlock doesn’t last long and Evans is back up with a springboard kick to the face. A Cody Cutter gives Evans two so Scrypts bails outside, where Evans hits a big dive. Back in and Evans kicks him down, setting up a springboard spinning splash for the pin at 4:32.

Rating: C+. Evans isn’t someone who is doing something new but he looked good doing what he was doing out there. NXT needs to bring in some fresh names at some point and that is what they are doing here. Yeah it’s just a win over Scrypts but it’s a place to start and that is more than some people get.

We look at Ridge Holland, on the broadcasting team, attacking Joe Gacy on the Stand & Deliver Kickoff Show.

Holland says he lost it but Gacy pops in to mock Holland for his career falling apart. The LWO comes in to say they don’t buy the apology tour. Holland walks by Joaquin Wilde and slams a door on his arm.

Women’s Title: Natalya vs. Roxanne Perez

Perez is defending and gets taken to the mat to start. They head outside with Natalya hitting a clothesline as we take an early break. Back with Natalya fighting out of an abdominal stretch and grabbing a surfboard. The fight heads outside again, this time with Natalya being sent into the steps.

A bodyscissors keeps Natalya in trouble but she’s right back out with a German suplex for two. The Sharpshooter is broken up and they trade rollups for two each. The crossface doesn’t work for Perez either and Natalya blocks Pop Rox, setting up the Sharpshooter. Perez makes it over to the rope and cue Lola Vice for a cheap shot, allowing Pop Rox to retain the title at 11:28.

Rating: C+. The ending likely sets up something for Natalya and Vice in the future, which should be fine enough. The more important thing here though is Perez getting a win to start off her new title reign. Perez is starting to to feel the heel stuff and if she can turn that into a more long term thing, she’ll be a star for a very long time.

The Wolfdogs still can’t agree if they’re a good team but they know it’s working.

Lola Vice says she’s tired of waiting for her chance so she made it herself. Natalya jumps her from behind and it’s broken up.

No Quarter Catch Crew vs. D’Angelo Family

Kemp takes Crusifino down without much trouble to start and hands it off to Borne. That means Stacks can come in to fire off some knees in the corner as everything breaks down. Charlie Dempsey pulls Borne out of the way of a charge though and Kemp comes back in with a suplex to take over. Stacks rolls away though and it’s back to Crusifino, who sends the Crew into each other. Dempsey is brought back inside for a distraction, meaning it’s a Shatter Machine to finish Kemp at 4:02.

Rating: C. This was a bit of a wild match which didn’t have much time to go anywhere. What matters is the Family getting a win back after Tony D’Angelo lost his big title shot at Stand & Deliver. I doubt this is going to lead anywhere bit for them but it’s better than losing again, with the interference making it a bit more impressive.

Here is Oba Femi to say that while Dijak and Josh Briggs are tough, his dominance was inevitable. Cue Ivar of all people who said he loved seeing those three monsters beating each other up for that title, which is exactly the type of fight that he is looking form. He wanted in the fight because he knows he can chop Femi down and take the title. Femi seems game and the fight is on with Ivar knocking him down and holding up the title.

Meta Four brags about their hosting prowess but Dijak interrupts to complain about their recent skit. This is their one warning.

Jaida Parker vs. Brinley Reece

The rest of OTM and Edris Enofe/Malik Blade are here too. Parker powers her into the corner to start and knocks Reece down as we take an early break. Back with Reece not being able to fight out of an armbar. Parker lets her go and hits a middle rope Blockbuster for two. The chinlock with a knee in the back keeps Reece in trouble but she comes back up with some shoulders. A running clothesline gets two on Parker, followed by a spinebuster for the same. Back up and Parker hits a running hip to the face out of nowhere for the fast pin at 7:53.

Rating: C. Parker continues to feel like someone who could be a star if given the chance and getting a win here should help her move forward. She has a long way to go but every step helps. At the same time you have Reece, who is doing well with being all positive, but she needs to actually beat someone.

Arianna Grace tells Sol Ruca that she’s almost ready to unveil Gigi Dolin but Lola vice comes in to rant. Ruca doesn’t think much of it and sneering ensues.

Tag Team Titles: Axiom/Nathan Frazer vs. Wolfdogs

The Wolfdogs are defending. Breakker works on Axiom’s arm to start but Axiom scores with a quick dropkick. Back up and Breakker hits a heck of a running shoulder so it’s off to Corbin for a choke throw to Frazer. Frazer fights up and the champs are cleared out, with Axiom hitting a big moonsault out to the floor.

We take a break and come back with Corbin hitting a powerslam for two on Axiom. Some kicks get Axiom out of trouble and it’s back to Frazer, who reverses Breakker’s gorilla press into a DDT for two. The springboard 450 gets two more but Breakker isn’t having this. The gorilla pres powerslam gets two on Axiom, who gets back over for the tag to Frazer. Everything breaks down and the Steiner Bulldog gets two on Frazer, with Axiom having to make the save.

Frazer’s dive to the floor is cut off and he gets sent hard into the steps, leaving Axiom to Golden Ratio Breakker. That doesn’t keep him down for very long but Breakker’s spear almost hits Corbin. Axiom kicks them together though, meaning it’s a Golden Ratio to Corbin, setting up the 450 to give Frazer the pin and the titles at 11:34.

Rating: B-. It wasn’t quite as good as the match at Stand & Deliver but it still felt like a big deal, especially with the title change. I’m not usually big on the idea of doing a rematch so soon after the pay per view but maybe this was a way to give Breakker a win on the big stage while avoiding the likelihood that he got a big post-Wrestlemania Raw appearance. What matters is Breakker is freed from the Wolfdogs and can go on to become an even bigger star on Smackdown, as he should be.

Post match the new champs celebrate….and the Final Testament is here to jump them.

Here’s what’s coming next week.

Here is Trick Williams after his win over Carmelo Hayes at Stand & Deliver. Williams is happy for his win but there is no Hayes here this week. He might not agree with Hayes, but Hayes is Him. That’s why he had to show Hayes who Williams really is, but now we need to know what is next for him. That would be winning the NXT Title by defeating Ilja Dragunov.

Cue Dragunov to praise Williams for his success and charisma. He’s exactly what NXT needs, but Williams says we need these two for the title one more time. That’s going to be a no, because Williams has already had his shot. Williams can go with that and asks who he has to beat next. Dragunov is willing to give him his title shot in two weeks, but if Williams loses, he leaves NXT.

Williams is in so Dragunov goes to leave, but here is Carmelo Hayes to jump Williams from behind, knocking him into Dragunov. Hayes stomps away and says it’s a cage match with Williams next week. He holds up the title to end the show. Williams almost has to win the title given those stipulations, but dang they are moving through that rather quickly.

Overall Rating: B-. It was a fast moving show and it went well, with a quick recap from Saturday and things being set up for the next few weeks. The title change felt like a big deal and there are enough things coming to keep things interesting. The wrestling worked well too and it made for a better show than I would have expected. It’s nice to have what feels like a regular show rather than another big recap with a little bit happening, though I’m not surprised as NXT made it work.

Results
Kiana James/Izzi Dame b. Fallon Henley/Kelani Jordan – 401K to Henley
Je’Von Evans b. Scrypts – Springboard spinning splash
Roxanne Perez b. Natalya – Pop Rox
D’Angelo Family b. No Quarter Catch Crew – Shatter Machine to Kemp
Jaida Parker b. Brinley Reece – Running hip attack
Axiom/Nathan Frazer b. Wolfdogs – 450 to Corbin

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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Monday Night Raw
Date: April 8, 2024
Location: Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Commentators: Michael Cole, Pat McAfee

It’s the last show of Wrestlemania Weekend and we’ve got a lot of fallout to deal with this week. The biggest story is of course Cody Rhodes defeating Roman Reigns to end the three and a half year WWE Universal Title reign and finishing the story. Now we got to see where things go from here and it should be interesting. Let’s get to it.

Here is Wrestlemania Night One and Night Two if you need a recap.

I was in the arena for this show, sitting in the corner of the arena with the entrance on my upper left.

Here is HHH to get things going and the fans are rather thankful for him. Ironically, he was coming out here to thank them! Looking at all of the numbers, we just got done with the biggest and greatest Wrestlemania of all time. On Saturday, he welcomed us to a new era, and here is the man leading us into that new era.

Cue Cody Rhodes to quite the hero’s welcome. Before HHH leaves, he congratulates Rhodes for ending one of the greatest title runs of all time at the greatest Wrestlemania of all time. On his first night as champion, Rhodes is responsible for a record gate of over 20,000 people. In addition, on his first night as champion, some people in the production office have made a little something for him. There’s no Titantron, so Rhodes has to watch a musical tribute to him on a portable monitor (with HHH making a joke about it).

After some tears are shed, HHH leaves and Cody asks what the fans want to talk about. First, he has Samantha Irvin announce him as the new champion one more time. Two years ago, Cody returned to WWE and announced his dreams, but now those dreams are reality. He and the fans are on top of the mountain and the previous man on top of that mountain has to be acknowledged as well.

That gives us a THANK YOU ROMAN chant before Cody shows us a clip of his daughter telling him to finish the story. Cody wanted his daughter to know that when her daddy goes to work, he’s going to work as champion. He was once undesirable, then he was undeniable, and now he is undisputed.

Cue the Rock and the fans know this is about to get serious. The fans won’t let him talk, with an UNDERTAKER (McAfee: “TOO SOON!”) chant, followed by SHUT THE F*** UP. Rock says he is a lot of things but “sucks” is not one of them. Rock finally gets some words in by saying he is here to deliver flowers to Cody Rhodes but there is another announcement to make: Philadelphia has set the record for the largest gathering of trailer part trash in history. Rock tells the fans they can keep going with their “SHUT THE F*** UP” chants (muted on TV, not in the arena, which is bizarre to hear in WWE).

Rock gets a bit more quiet and talks about their history, including how happy Mama Rhodes was last night. You know who else was smiling? Dusty Rhodes up in Heaven. Dusty was Rock’s hero and their dads ran the roads together. Maybe Rock’s daddy wasn’t happy with what Rock did to Cody….but he doesn’t care.

Rock talks about Cody’s belt and says the People’s Title he has is real too. But maybe….could he hold Cody’s title? He’s held every title, except for that one. Cody says Rock can hold his if Cody can hold Rock’s, so they switch off for a bit. Rock puts the title on his shoulder (fans: “THIS IS AWKWARD!”) and says it feels right before they switch back.

As Cody knows, the Rock has got to go away for a little while, but he loves wrestling and the two of them made it cool again. The fans sing the Goodbye Song but Rock says he’ll be back for Cody one day. While Cody might have beaten Roman Reigns, Rock beat Cody the night before.

Cody talks about Rock being the Boss, but he’s the champion. He’s the people’s champion and the Rock’s champion. Rock agrees and says he has something for Cody. He reaches into his pocket and hands it to Cody without us seeing it. Rock says don’t you ever break his heart again, if you smell what he’s cooking. Rock leaves and we still don’t know what he handed Cody.

And with that, we’re 45 minutes into the show. This was a weird segment as they went on for a long time but didn’t actually say much. It was basically “Wrestlemania was great, thank you fans, Cody is great, Cody talks about how he did it, Rock comes out, says he’s leaving, awkward exchange, Rock gives him something. That was about a fourth of the show and they more or less just teased Rock vs. Cody for later.

Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Ilja Dragunov

Dragunov’s NXT Title is not on the line and we seemingly have our first cameo. Nakamura kicks him in the face at the bell and knocks him down again a few times. Dragunov is back up with a jumping kick to the head into a middle rope dropkick. A German suplex into the Constantine Special (a whip into the ropes reversed into a 619 to set up a clothesline) drops Nakamura again but he’s back up with a kick to the head.

Kinshasa is reversed into another German suplex but Nakamura hits a running knee into the back of the head for two. Dragunov knees him in the face and hits a powerbomb, followed by the H Bomb (a big dropping fist to the face). Torpedo Moscow (a running headbutt to the standing Nakamura) finishes for Dragunov at 4:13.

Rating: C+. Nakamura got in some offense to start but Dragunov fought back and took over before winning with all of his power offense. That’s where Dragunov tends to shine and he made it work here. He could survive on the main roster and it wouldn’t shock me to see him get just that chance.

We look at Drew McIntyre winning the World Heavyweight Championship, only to talk too much trash to CM Punk. As a result, Punk took him out, allowing Damian Priest to cash in Money In The Bank to win the title about five minutes after McIntyre won it in the first place.

Partial Wrestlemania recap.

Here is most of Judgment Day to brag about the team’s success at Wrestlemania. Cue Rhea Ripley (the fans seem to like her) to brag about retaining her title. With Ripley’s topness confirmed, here is Damian Priest for the big celebration. Fans: “YOU DESERVE IT!” Priest: “You d*** right I do.” The team poses with their titles but R-Truth pops up behind them. He brought the Tag Team Titles back to the team and thinks it’s time to induct Miz.

Cue Miz, who doesn’t want to be in the Judgment Day. He knows R-Truth doesn’t want to be in the team either (Priest: “He’s not in the Judgment Day!” R-Truth: “I am in the Judgment Day!”) and introduces Awesome Truth as the new champs. Finn Balor wants a title shot right now but R-Truth says there are three of them. The challenge is thrown out for a six man, with R-Truth saying they can team with “the guy you can’t see”. Works for Judgment Day, who don’t come off as very bright here.

Judgment Day vs. Awesome Truth/???

Awesome Truth is jumped and sent to the floor as we take an early break. Back with the match (billed as a handicap match) joined in progress and McDonagh kicking away at Truth. The chinlock doesn’t last long as R-Truth is up to avoid a splash in the corner. Miz comes in and kicks away, including a double DDT to Mysterio and McDonagh. The Skull Crushing Finale is broken up and Miz scores with a clothesline to take over.

We take another break and come back with Miz kicking McDonagh away but Mysterio pulls R-Truth off the apron. And here’s John Cena, which somehow only Judgment Day and commentary didn’t figure out. Cena gets the tag almost immediately and house is cleaned, setting up triple Shuffles and triple AA’s for the triple pin on Judgment Day at 10:05.

Rating: C. Oh this was fine with the match being nothing of note until Cena came out there for one of the most obvious reveals in a long time. That being said, this is what Cena is perfect for these days: he can be put in there as a hot tag guy and pop the crowd with his usual stuff. It’s nothing but a cameo but on this kind of a show, he’s the exact right option and didn’t hurt anything whatsoever.

We look at Bronson Reed winning the Andre The Giant Battle Royal.

Reed promises to break people in the ring. Tonight, he’s in a four way for a show at Damian Priest’s World Heavyweight Championship.

Rhea Ripley tells Dominik Mysterio to go deal with Andrade. Dominik goes off to talk to Adam Pearce…and Liv Morgan throws a chair at Ripley’s head, kicking off a beatdown.

Indi Hartwell vs. Roxanne Perez

Perez’s NXT Women’s Title isn’t on the line and Hartwell has Candice LeRae in her corner. Perez offers a handshake but slaps her in the face instead. Some forearms to the back let Perez shout at Hartwell a lot before she starts in on the leg. Hartwell makes the clothesline comeback but LeRae trips her up. Hartwell doesn’t like that so the referee goes to yell at LeRae. That leaves Perez to rake the eyes and grab Pop Rox (Code Red) for the pin at 2:44.

We look at more from Wrestlemania.

Sami Zayn and Jey Uso celebrate Zayn’s Intercontinental Title win.

Roxanne Perez runs into Natalya and a match for NXT is teased.

Here is Sami Zayn for a chat, though first we need the YOU DESERVE IT chants. He’s done some historic things in recent years at Wrestlemania and he wanted to do it again this year. Zayn thinks he did, but the real historic champion is Gunther, who is the best Intercontinental Champion of all time. Zayn: “But guess what? I BEAT HIM!”

Zayn thanks the fans for their help, along with his family and Kevin Owens. There is one more person who helped him…and here is Imperium before he can say anyone’s name. Ludwig Kaiser talks about how sickening it is to see Zayn holding that title so they are ready to do something about it. Cue Chad Gable and I think you know where this is going.

Sheamus is coming back. Yeah that’s where I thought the previous segment was going too.

Chad Gable/Sami Zayn vs. Imperium

Gable rolls Vinci up to start and armdrags him into an armbar. Kaiser comes in to send Zayn into the buckle but Zayn fights out of the corner. Imperium is sent outside and Gable takes them both down with a big dive. A high crossbody gets two in Vinci back inside but Imperium comes back with the Tree of Woe stereo dropkicks.

We take a break and come back with Zayn Blue Thunder Bombing his way to freedom, allowing the tag to Gable. The top rope headbutt gets two on Vinci but a kick to the head cuts Gable off. The Imperium Bomb gets two with Zayn making the save, only to be sent outside. Gable has to break up another Imperium Bomb and suplexes Kaiser out of the air. Stereo German suplexes have Imperium down and Zayn grabs an ankle lock of all things. That’s broken up so Zayn hits an exploder to send Vinci into the corner. The Helluva Kick sets up Rolling Chaos Theory to give Gable the pin at 12:24.

Rating: C+. This felt like a way to set up a Gable vs. Zayn title match down the line and that’s all it should be. That’s the story that has been established and now all we need to do is see where things go from here. Getting Zayn out there is a good idea and Gable getting the pin was a nice little perk for him. Nothing remarkable as a match but it will likely do what it needs to do.

Jey Uso is ready to give the other three a YEET down.

Andrade meets with the three General Managers but quickly leaves. They talk about the Draft and how great Wrestlemania went but Chelsea Green interrupts. She’s not happy with missing Wrestlemania and yes the bosses got her messages. Pearce has something planned for her and she can head to the ring right now, though she’ll have to escort herself.

We hear about the recent attendance success. That’s worth bragging about.

Chelsea Green vs. ???

It’s Jade Cargill, who finishes with Jaded at 31 seconds. That’s all it needed to be, though commentary did get in some escort jokes of their own.

More from Wrestlemania.

Sami Zayn comes up to Chad Gable and thanks him for his help. That means they’re even though, as Gable got to score the pin. Gable isn’t so sure….but Zayn was kidding. Gable can have a title shot next week in Montreal.

Here is Drew McIntyre for a chat before the main event and he is not happy. What happened last night was BS because his moment only lasted 5:46. The fans laugh but he says that’s five minutes longer than most of them last in bed. He respects Seth Rollins but then that bondage Undertaker messed everything up. McIntyre would whip Damian Priest but Priest would probably like it. The reality is that this is all CM Punk’s fault and the next time he sees Punk, it’s time for revenge. He’s going for Punk’s weakest part…which is his entire body. This was hilarious as McIntyre can be funny and angry at the same time.

Drew McIntyre vs. Jey Uso vs. Bronson Reed vs. Ricochet

For a future shot at Priest and the World Heavyweight Title. Everyone but Ricochet goes to the floor to start so he hits a big flip dive and we take a break. Back with a table in the corner and Reed dropping an elbow on Uso. Commentary says that this is one fall to a finish despite the introductions saying that this is under elimination rules, so things are already a bit confusing. Uso tries a spear on Reed, who sends him through the table as we take another break, 2:09 after coming back.

We come back again with Ricochet striking away at Reed until McIntyre sends him flying with a release belly to belly. We get the McIntyre vs. Reed showdown until McIntyre gets two off a Michinoku Driver. Uso and Ricochet start firing off the superkicks until Uso spears Reed for two. McIntyre and Uso go up top, with McIntyre doing his situp choke throw to send Uso flying.

Reed plants Ricochet for two but McIntyre breaks up the Tsunami. McIntyre and Reed brawl to the floor with the latter getting posted. Uso goes up but Ricochet kicks him down, allowing Ricochet to hit a 450 off the top through Reed through the table (though he BARELY made it). Back in and McIntyre Futureshocks Uso and loads up the Claymore, only to have CM Punk pop up for a distraction. Uso hits a superkick (mostly), a spear and the Superfly Splash to end McIntyre at 17:40.

Rating: B-. It was a fun match with multiple options to win, with Uso making the most sense. Priest needs a first challenger who can make him look good and that’s what Uso will be for him. At the same time, Punk costing McIntyre the win is exactly what should have happened and it worked well here. I’m not sure when that match is going to take place but they are setting it up as an amazing fight. For now though, Ricochet gets to do his flips and Uso gets the win he needs.

Overall Rating: C+. This is pretty much exactly what a post Wrestlemania Raw is going to be: one big thing (and in this case it was jumbo sized), a few previews of big things coming, a few cameos and one match that is a good bit bigger than the rest. I’m not sure where things are going from here, but they are at least off to a nice enough start after wrapping up Wrestlemania. There was only so much taking place here and what we got worked out well enough, with everything needing a breather after the last few days.

Results
Ilja Dragunov b. Shinsuke Nakamura – Torpedo Moscow
John Cena/Awesome Truth b. Judgment Day – Stereo Attitude Adjustments
Roxanne Perez b. Indi Hartwell – Pop Rox
Chad Gable/Sami Zayn b. Imperium – Rolling Chaos Theory to Vinci
Jade Cargill b. Chelsea Green – Jaded
Jey Uso b. Drew McIntyre, Ricochet and Bronson Reed – Superfly Splash to McIntyre

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

AND

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Stand & Deliver 2024
Date: April 6, 2024
Location: Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Booker T., Wade Barrett

It’s the biggest NXT show of the year and the main event is one of the things that NXT does best: a grudge match between two former best friends as Trick Williams faces Carmelo Hayes. That alone should be enough to make this work but we also have Tony D’Angelo challenging Ilja Dragunov for the NXT Title. Let’s get to it.

I was in the arena for this show, sitting in the upper deck and looking straight at the Titantron.

Kickoff Show: Joe Gacy vs. Shawn Spears

Hold on though as Ridge Holland (who was making his debut as part of the broadcast team) hits Gacy in the back with a chair during his entrance. Gacy is willing to fight anyway and sends a charging Spears outside as the bell rings. Spears is back in and tosses Gacy off the top to take over and a backbreaker gets two.

Back up and they trade running chops until Spears pulls him into a Boston crab. The rope gets Gacy out of trouble and he’s right back with a belly to back suplex. Gacy strikes away and grabs a German suplex, setting up a Lionsault for two. A dive is cut off though and Spears drops him onto the apron. Spears’ top rope hanging DDT gets two more but the C4 is countered. Gacy’s swinging Rock Bottom gets two and a backsplash on the apron hits Spears again. The Upside Down and the C4 are both broken up before Gacy hits the Upside Down for the pin at 9:05.

Rating: C. This was a good use of a Kickoff Show match as it didn’t overstay its welcome, it gave both of them something to do and it set up Gacy and Holland for the future. That’s not a bad way to go, as Spears is already finding his spot as someone there to help others look decent. Gacy continues to get more tolerable, and again that seems to have a lot to do with him not talking.

Here is Meta Four, your hosts for the afternoon, to get things going, which involves them dressing up as various people on the show/in NXT (the Chase U stuff was funny) and talking about the card.

Tag Team Titles: Wolfdogs vs. Axiom/Nathan Frazer

Axiom and Frazer are challenging and start fast with the dives to the floor. We get the opening bell so Frazier DDT’s Corbin for two. Corbin’s kick to the head lets Axiom come in with a kick of his own for a two of his own. Corbin runs Axiom down to take over though and it’s Breakker coming in to blast Axiom as well. Axiom fights up and grabs the Spanish Fly, which is enough to bring Frazier back in.

House is quickly cleaned, including a running shooting star press for two on Corbin. Back up and Corbin runs Frazier over, setting up a heck of a powerbomb. Axiom is right back up with the Golden Ratio for two on Breakker so Axiom heads to the top. That’s fine with Breakker, who snaps off a super Frankensteiner to send Axiom into something close to a powerbomb from Corbin.

Frazier makes the save though and everyone is down. Breakker heads up top but gets caught with Axiom’s super Spanish Fly. Frazier’s 450 gets two but Corbin is back up to take him out. Breakker takes Frazier up top for a belly to back superplex, with Frazier being flipped onto his face and possibly pulled into a cutter (either way it looked good).

In something that seems likely to be a bad idea, Corbin goes up top but scores with a top rope splash for two more. Breakker heads outside but misses a spear into the steps to knock him silly. That leaves Corbin to get double teamed, setting up a Phoenix splash for two, with Breakker diving in for a last second save. That’s enough for Breakker, who spears Frazier in half to retain at 11:26.

Rating: B. Yeah this worked rather well as it was a power vs. speed match with the rather fast challengers doing everything they could to hang in there against the monsters. They even got close with some of those near falls but dang there is something to Breakker going all force of nature. Awesome opener here and I was getting way into those near falls.

Meta Four, in Dallas Cowboys gear (I like these people), try to interview Oba Femi but don’t get very far.

North American Title: Oba Femi vs. Josh Briggs vs. Dijak

Femi is defending and this is a three way hoss fight. The challengers start with some double teaming, which is quickly broken up with straight power. Some running shoulders put Femi on the floor but he catches a diving Dijak and rams Briggs down. Dijak is back up and superkicks Femi into a chair, with Briggs throwing Dijak into him for another hue crash. Back in and a double chokeslam gets a double two on Femi, who slams them both down at once with some scary power.

Briggs goes to the apron where he belly to backs Femi down before kicking a diving Dijak out of the air. We hit the parade of hard shots to the face with Femi being knocked outside, leaving Dijak to kick Briggs down for two. High Justice gives Dijak one and a Canadian Destroyer of all things gets a near fall. Dijak loads up a fireman’s carry and goes up…but Femi electric chairs them BOTH AT ONCE and drops them back, with Briggs rolling out to the floor. Well that was insane.

Feast Your Eyes gets two on Femi and Dijak avoids Briggs’ save. Another Feast Your Eyes gets two as Briggs pulls the referee out. The fans are NOT pleased so Dijak takes Briggs down again. Feast Your Eyes hits Briggs on the floor and Dijak throws him back inside for another one but Femi grabs Dijak by the throat. A powerbomb onto Briggs is enough for Femi to retain at 14:59.

Rating: B+. Oh yeah this was awesome as they beat the living daylights out of each other with Femi showing off his other planet levels of power. Briggs was working very hard in there too and got to show off a lot. I was impressed watching this live and it was even better watching it back. Heck of a fight here, with all three looking like monsters.

Meta Four asks Thea Hail why she believed Kiana James was her friend. Hail has to be held back.

Jacy Jayne/Kiana James/Izzi Dame vs. Thea Hail/Fallon Henley/Kelani Jordan

Jazmyn Nyx is with the villains and Chase U is here with the other team. James and company jump them before the bell and it’s Dame beating on Henley in the corner to start. That doesn’t last long as Hail comes in with a high crossbody, followed by a springboard dive to the floor…which only hits Riley Osborne. That’s enough for Hail to get sent into the wrong corner so the beating can be on again.

Hail manages to roll over for the tag off to Jordan, who picks the pace right back up. Jayne gets in a shot of her own though and it’s Dame coming back in to send Jordan face first into the mat. James’ shots to the ribs keep Jordan in trouble as Vic Joseph is getting annoyed with Booker T. on commentary. It’s back to Dame, who pulls Jordan out of the air, only to have her slip out and bring Henley in to clean house.

A spinning suplex gets two on James with Dame making the save. James catches Henley on top with a super Spanish Fly for two of her own and it’s back to Jayne. Hail comes in and goes after Jayne but gets tossed outside, with Duke Hudson catching her. Nyx gets in a cheap shot but Hail is back in for the staredown with Jayne. The brawl is on until Jayne manages a pump kick. Hail Thesz presses her down but James gets in a cheap shot. Dame comes back in and is quickly Kimuraed for the tap at 11:41.

Rating: C+. They kept things moving here and it was a fast paced match, as it needed to be. It was mainly a way to get multiple women on the card, which worked out fairly well. The Hail vs. Jayne showdown can come later, though Hail needed this kind of a win to boost her back up to a higher level.

Ava announces the introduction of the NXT Women’s North American Champion.

We recap the Women’s Title match, with a now evil Roxanne Perez challenging Lyra Valkyria. Perez says she hasn’t had success by being good and now she wants back the title that she never lost. Valkyria is fighting for the forces of good. And the title of course.

Former Stardom World Champion Giulia is here, with William Regal. That’s a big one.

Women’s Title: Lyra Valkyria vs. Roxanne Perez

Perez is challenging. They go right at it to start with Perez going after Valkyria’s bad arm. An early Nightwing attempt is broken up but Valkyria cartwheels out of a headscissors. Perez is sent outside for a dropkick through the ropes but comes right back with a shot to the arm to take over. The arm is cranked again, setting up a hammerlock northern lights suplex for two. Perez goes simple by just pulling at the arm but she misses a middle rope drop onto the arm.

Valkyria manages a middle rope crossbody but Perez rolls through, setting up a collision to leave both of them down. Back up and Valkyria kicks away, with her own northern lights suplexes getting two. A release fisherman’s suplex gets two and they go up top for a slap off. Valkyria grabs a Liger Bomb for two but her dive is cut off with a forearm to the face. Perez’s sliding tornado DDT sets up Pop Rox for two and it’s time to look stunned.

The bad arm is sent into the post twice in a row…so here is Tatum Paxley to check on Valkyria. Perez takes her out without any trouble and Valkyria’s arm is posted again. Back in and Valkyria manages a spinning kick to the head for two but misses a top rope splash. Perez can’t get Pop Rox so they trade rollups for two until Valkyria grabs a German suplex. That’s enough for Perez, who grabs a poisonrana into Pop Rox into a crossface to get the title back at 16:20.

Rating: B. This was another slugout with Valkyria trying to fight from underneath but the newly vicious Perez stayed on the arm throughout and finally won after Valkyria just couldn’t survive. It told a good story and gives Perez the win she needed. Valkyria is going to be perfectly fine as she has become a much bigger star thanks to this title reign. Good stuff here as the show is rolling.

We recap Ilja Dragunov defending the NXT Title against Tony D’Angelo. This is billed as a battle for power, with D’Angelo wanting the title to become the most powerful person in NXT, but Dragunov isn’t letting that happen.

NXT Title: Tony D’Angelo vs. Ilja Dragunov

Dragunov is defending and the D’Angelo Family is here too. Dragunov tries to slug away to start but his bad hand slows him down, leaving him to go with a waistlock instead. Since the grip isn’t at full strength, D’Angelo punches him down to take over. Back up and Dragunov tries the Constantine Special but the hand gives out and he falls to the mat. They head outside, where Dragunov’s chop hits post to put him in even more trouble.

The hand is good enough for Dragunov to hit a Death Valley Driver against the barricade and they head back inside. Dragunov rolls some German suplexes and a powerbomb out of the corner drops D’Angelo again. The H Bomb misses though and Stacks hands D’Angelo brass knuckles….which he throws away. Dragunov stomps away in the corner and gets two off a DDT. With D’Angelo down in the corner, Dragunov hammers away with forearms and shouts that D’Angelo is not in control.

Back up and Dragunov kisses him on the cheeks but gets headbutted down, followed by a belly to belly. One heck of a clothesline puts Dragunov down for two and they go up top. An overhead belly to belly superplex sends Dragunov flying before rolling outside. They both load up the announcers’ table before Dragunov wins a slugout. The H Bomb connects on the floor and another sends D’Angelo through the table. Back in and the top rope backsplash gives Dragunov two but D’Angelo goes back to the hand. Dragunov is right back with Torpedo Moscow and the super H Bomb retains at 17:06.

Rating: B-. This was good but it never hit a level where I believed D’Angelo was going to win the title. At the end of the day, D’Angelo just did not feel like a major threat to beat Dragunov, which is what happens when you have a longer term champion. Dragunov feels almost unbeatable despite selling like few others and that was the case again here. I’m not sure who takes the title from him, but D’Angelo could only be so convincing of a threat in a still good match.

Lyra Valkyria DOES NOT want to talk to Tatum Paxley.

Je’Von Evans is coming on Tuesday.

Here is Meta Four to announce a new NXT attendance record: 16,545.

We recap Carmelo Hayes vs. Trick Williams. They used to be friends but Hayes, the first to become a star, accused Williams of trying to become his own thing. Hayes then turned on Williams and attacked him, so now Williams is out for revenge and to prove he can do this himself.

Carmelo Hayes vs. Trick Williams

This has some slightly relaxed rules. Hayes takes him down to start and doesn’t seem overly impressed with Williams. That earns Hayes some shots to the face and they head outside, with Hayes being sent into the steps. They fight into the crowd with Hayes staggering away until he sends Williams into a wall. Hayes knocks a hat off a member of Williams’ family, earning him a shot to send him back to ringside.

There is something interesting about Williams opting to just hit Hayes in the face over and over. Williams hits a splash in the corner but Hayes knocks him off the top for a crash back to the floor. We seem to have a ribs injury so Hayes stomps away in the corner while managing to chew gum at the same time.

Williams gets in a shot of his own and they slug it out from their knees. The jumping neckbreaker and spinning boot to the face give Williams two and they head back outside. Hayes manages a springboard dive onto…what used to be the Spanish announcers’ table. Back in and Williams charges into a Codebreaker for two but the referee gets bumped.

Hayes grabs a chair but Williams takes it away for five shots. The referee grabs the chair and Hayes is IMMEDIATELY up (that was bad) with a low blow for two. Another referee bump (Barrett: “This is the unluckiest referee ever.”) sets up Nothing But Net for two from a second referee. The new referee takes the chair away from Hayes and the Trick Knee finishes for Williams at 14:48.

Rating: B. This was good but I was a bit disappointed at how short it was. They never had some big emotional moment and instead just started with the chair stuff to go to the finish. This was a match that needed to get violent and personal and instead it was a pretty standard brawl. Hayes is smooth enough to make anything work and he did well here, but less than fifteen minutes for what was supposed to be the biggest NXT match ever feels like a letdown.

Williams celebrates to end the show.

Overall Rating: A-. For a show that didn’t seem all that great in person, it was a completely different watch on the broadcast. There was nothing close to bad here with a string of rather awesome matches up and down the show. I had a great time with it and while there wasn’t that one match that got it over the top (though the triple threat came close), it was still an awesome show with NXT really finding itself again now that Shawn Michaels is getting into a groove.

Results
Joe Gacy b. Shawn Spears – Upside Down
Wolfdogs b. Axiom/Nathan Frazier – Spear to Frazier
Oba Femi b. Josh Briggs and Dijak – Femi pinned Briggs after powerbombing Dijak onto him
Thea Hail/Kelani Jordan/Fallon Henley b. Jacy Jayne/Izzi Dame/Kiana James – Kimura to Dame
Roxanne Perez b. Lyra Valkyria – Crossface
Ilja Dragunov b. Tony D’Angelo – Super H Bomb
Trick Williams b. Carmelo Hayes – Trick Knee

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

It’s the go home show for Stand & Deliver and the only thing left to do is figure out the Tag Team Title situation. The champs need their last challengers and we’ll figure that out this week. Other than that, Carmelo Hayes and Trick Williams are in the house before their Stand & Deliver main event. Let’s get to it.

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

Tag Team Titles #1 Contender Tournament Finals: Axiom/Nathan Frazier vs. LWO vs. OC

For the Stand & Deliver Tag Team Title shot. The OC gets jumped to start fast until Gallows hits Axiom in the mask to take over. Wilde takes Anderson down but Axiom grabs a standing Spanish Fly on Wilde to even things up. Wilde’s umping neckbreaker gets two on Frazier but the OC pulls Axiom and Frazier out of the corner. That leaves the LWO to hit stereo missile dropkicks on Gallows.

We take a break and come back with Wilde hitting a springboard DDT for two on Gallows with a bunch of people making a save. Frazier goes up and dives onto Gallows and Frazier on the floor but Axiom’s dive is shoved away by Anderson. Del Toro hits a dive onto the pile but a Magic Killer puts him own inside. The OC is taken out though and Frazier hits a 450 to pin Del Toro at 10:49.

Rating: B-. Well at least it wasn’t the OC. Axiom and Frazer have been built up as a team for a good while now and it is nice to see them getting a shot after a long time. I’m not sure if they’re going to win the titles, but at least they’re on the big show and in a prominent spot. It’s hard to imagine the Wolfdogs keep the titles much longer so Axiom and Frazier could be in a nice spot if the reign is already coming to an end.

Axiom and Frazier promise to win the Tag Team Titles.

Lexis King isn’t worried about Mr. Stone or Von Wagner because Wagner can’t do anything without Stone, who isn’t here this week.

Ilja Dragunov finds a boot on his car and has to accept a ride to dinner from some D’Angelo Family associates.

Fallon Henley vs. Jacy Jayne

Henley has Thea Hail and Kelani Jordan while Jayne has Izzy Dame, Kiana James and Izzi Dame. They go to the mat with a lockup to start and Booker goes into a ridiculous long rant about…something. Henley gets knocked outside and gets dropkicked in the face to make it worse. Back in and Henley is sent into the buckles a few times for two and we hit the chinlock. Henley fights up so James offers a distraction, meaning the brawl starts up outside. That’s enough to distract Henley so Jayne can knee her in the face for the pin at 3:59.

Rating: C. This still feels like the preview for a Kickoff Show six woman tag and that wouldn’t be a bad way to start. Henley was protected here as it took all of Jayne’s friends to distract her enough for the pin. Jayne is still firmly in the midcard, but putting her over a group of women is not the worst idea.

Post match Jayne and company go to the back with Jayne yelling about how she was never Thea Hail’s friend but now she’s back to where she should be. Ava, at the production desk, gets rid of them but hail and company come in. The six woman tag is set for Stand & Deliver. Ah there it is.

Video on Josh Briggs.

Lexis King vs. Von Wagner

Wagner charges in and starts fast with King being sent outside for a whip into the barricade. Back in and Briggs misses a charge into the corner, allowing King to drop some elbows for two. King’s right hands annoy Wagner but King pulls him down into a chinlock. Wagner fights up and hits a powerslam, followed by a big boot as the comeback is on. They go outside with Wagner setting up the announcers’ table but King reverses a powerbomb into a DDT. Back in and the Coronation finishes for King at 5:53.

Rating: C. This was nothing special as it was more about King getting a win over someone with some status. Granted Wagner’s status isn’t all that high but it means more than beating Mr. Stone. Wagner continues to be in a weird spot as it feels like he is ready for a big push and then something like this happens. Maybe it happens down the road but it’s not working yet.

Ava tells Carmelo Hayes that his match with Trick Williams will have slightly relaxed rules. Works for Hayes.

Natalya coaches up Karmen Petrovic before she faces Lola Vice. Roxanne Perez comes in to say there was a time when she would have listened to Natalya too.

Arianna Grace is ready to make Gigi Dolin over but Wren Sinclair says that might not be a good idea. Grace wants a match as a result.

Karmen Petrovic vs. Lola Vice

Natalya is here with Petrovic. Some kicks miss for Petrovic but she takes over on the mat instead. Back up and Vice takes her down by the leg but can’t get an ankle lock. Vice kicks her down again and we hit the chinlock. Petrovic fights up and fires off more kicks, including a spinning kick to the back for two. Back up and Vice strikes away again, setting up a Sharpshooter (with a glare at Natalya) for the tap at 3:48.

Rating: C. It’s kind of amazing how much the addition of Natalya brings down the interest in a match. That was the case here, as we seem to be coming up on a Natalya vs. Vice match and while that should help Vice, it’s not the most interesting thing in the world. Petrovic has some pieces that could work out well, but it’s not quite coming together just yet.

Ilja Dragunov arrives at a rather scary looking warehouse for dinner. Tony D’Angelo and the D’Angelo Family arrive, with Tony sitting down but no one says anything.

It’s time for Supernova Sessions with Lyra Valkyria and Roxanne Perez as the guests. Perez doesn’t like Valkyria, who says Perez isn’t Women’s Champion because Indi Hartwell can climb a ladder faster than her. Then Lola Vice cost her the title at Vengeance Day by cashing in her briefcase. It’s NEVER Perez’s fault but Perez promises to watch Valkyria fall off her high horse and take the title.

Perez has that in her now and no she isn’t broken. Losing the title only made her more dangerous but Valkyria is already ready for the excuses. Valkyria says Perez will have a lot to b**** about after Stand & Deliver but Perez promises to have a year’s worth of rage ready to go. Then Valkyria puts her through the table and holds up the title.

Video on Dijak.

Oba Femi is ready to crush Josh Briggs and Dijak.

Oba Femi vs. Joe Gacy

Non-title. Hold on though as Shawn Spears jumps Gacy from behind with a chair and tells him to laugh. Gacy wants to fight anyway so the bell rings, with Femi slugging him down and stomping away. Some elbows give Femi two and there’s a running elbow to send Gacy outside. With Gacy up on the apron, Femi hits a clothesline from the floor but Gacy manages a suplex back inside. Femi shrugs it off and hits Snake Eyes before throwing Gacy down with ease…and the referee stops the match at 3:47.

Rating: C. I could go for a monster like Femi who gets one win after another by just wrecking people. It worked well here and doing it again and again could develop quite the reputation. Femi already feels like a monster and beating up Gacy is something that will push him even higher up the ladder.

Tatum Paxley asks Lyra Valkyria what that was about, with Valkyria saying she’ll do anything to keep the title, even if it means not being herself.

Wren Sinclair vs. Arianna Grace

Sinclair rolls out of a wristlock to start and hits a sliding faceplant for two. Grace fights out of the corner but Sinclair goes old school with an atomic drop of all things. Back up and Grace knocks her into the corner, setting up a Boston crab to keep Sinclair in trouble. With that broken up, another Boston crab attempt is blocked, allowing Sinclair to hit a running clothesline. Sinclair misses a charge though and Grace rolls her up, with a grab of the ropes, for the pin at 3:55.

Rating: C. Another short and to the point match here with Grace cheating to win like a good villain should. Grace’s heel push is starting to come together and it’s going to go a lot better when the Gigi Dolin stuff is added. For now, not much of a match, which is the norm for Sinclair, who loses every time she’s out there but does well in defeat.

We run through the Wrestlemania Week schedule.

Stand & Deliver rundown.

We go back to the dinner, where Tony D’Angelo says he fixed Ilja Dragunov’s parking situation. Dragunov thinks D’Angelo will go a long way to make things happen and D’Angelo promises to make this look like nothing at Stand & Deliver. Dragunov says D’Angelo is the Don but he is Ilja Dragunov, the NXT Champion (that was a hero line if I’ve ever heard one). D’Angelo grabs Dragunov’s injured hand and leaves him alone. Enjoy the last supper.

Sol Ruca vs. Blair Davenport

Davenport jumps her to start but Ruca fights back with a rather devastating….uh, armbar. That’s the hold of revenge you see. Davenport fights up but gets caught in a fireman’s carry drop for her efforts. A clothesline puts Davenport on the floor, where she sends Ruca knee first into the steps.

We take a break and come back with Ruca hitting a dropkick but favoring her bad knee. Davenport goes after the knee, only to get suplexed over the top for a double crash out to the floor. Back in and a one legged springboard splash gets two on Davenport, followed by a top rope cartwheel DDT for two. Davenport is back up with the Falcon Arrow and tries the big knee, only to get rolled up to give Ruca the pin at 9:16.

Rating: C+. It was nice to see a match get some time for a change on this show as there is only so much you can get out of another short one. Ruca gets her revenge on Davenport for putting her out of action for so long, though I was expecting something more than just a rollup pin. It should do for now though as Ruca can get away from Davenport and move on to something else.

Dijak and Josh Briggs argue over who will be North American Champion. Oba Femi comes in to say he’ll still be champion after Stand & Deliver.

Ava is proud of the Stand & Deliver card when Joe Gacy, barely able to move, pops up to say he’s fine. She gives him Shawn Spears at Stand & Deliver.

Here are Carmelo Hayes and Trick Williams, surrounded by a bunch of security, for a chat. They are the first two black men to main event a Wrestlemania Weekend show ever but Williams doesn’t like that he is going to war with his brother. Hayes says they have come a long way from their Smackdown dark match in Virginia. They argue over whose fault their split was, with Hayes going into an analogy comparing the titles to their girlfriends. Williams lost his title and went after Hayes’ title instead.

Hayes thinks Williams believed the hype and tried to take Hayes’ spot. Williams says his days of taking a backseat are over but Hayes says Williams has been around for six months. Hayes has been around for three years and the people are going to turn on Williams fast. At Stand & Deliver, Hayes will show Williams how it works around here. The fight is on with security being cleared out, leaving the brawl to continue. The locker room breaks it up to end the show. This was pretty by the book as a way to wrap up a go home show but it’s a hot enough feud to overcome most of its problems.

Overall Rating: C+. This show was in a tough spot as Stand & Deliver, or at least the important parts, have been set for weeks. The six woman tag and Spears vs. Gacy are hardly major stories but we got a nice focus on the Women’s Title and the main event. Those matches alone should be enough to carry the show, and now we have the Tag Team Title match set as well. The action tonight was mainly filler and that is going to happen on a show like this. At the same time, they didn’t do anything too bad and enough was advanced so we’ll call this an acceptable show before the big day this weekend.

Results
Axiom/Nathan Frazier b. OC and LWO – 450 to Del Toro
Jacy Jayne b. Fallon Henley – Running knee
Lexis King b. Von Wagner – Coronation
Lola Vice b. Karmen Petrovic – Sharpshooter
Oba Femi b. Joe Gacy via referee stoppage
Arianna Grace b. Wren Sinclair – Rollup while holding the ropes
Sol Ruca b. Blair Davenport – Rollup

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

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AND

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NXT
Date: March 19, 2024
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Booker T.

We are just over two weeks away from Stand & Deliver and most of the card is already set. There is always the chance that we could be seeing something new on the show but for now we are waiting to see what happens in Philadelphia. This week will see the return to the ring for Trick Williams so let’s get to it.

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

Roxanne Perez vs. Tatum Paxley

They start fast with Perez choking on the ropes early on. A Downward Spiral plants Paxley and a Russian legsweep gives Perez two. Perez cranks back on the arm for two more but Paxley is back up with a dropkick. Some kind of flipping slam puts Perez down but she sends Paxley shoulder first into the corner. The crossface finishes for Perez at 4:03.

Rating: C. They were moving out there and this was the newly villainish Perez (complete with blue in her hair), which worked well. She’s been needing an edge of this kind for awhile now and it’s helping already. Paxley is the closest thing Lyra Valkyria has to a friend so Perez taking Paxley apart works well to set up their title match.

Post match Perez tells Ava to come out here and give her the title she never lost. Instead here is Lyra Valkyria, with her arm in a sling, to brawl with Perez. That earns her a crossface on the bad arm so Perez can hold up the title.

The Meta Four ask Lash Legend about the kiss from Trick Williams. The Alpha Academy of all people come in to ask the same, with Legend walking away.

Ava comes in to see Lyra Valkyria in the training room, with Valkyria demanding the title match against Roxanne Perez at Stand & Deliver. The match is on.

Oba Femi is scheduled to come out here for an announcement but Josh Briggs says come out here and try putting him through the ring. Cue Femi to say his results speak volumes but Briggs says he is just a little bit tougher. The fight seems imminent, only to have Dijak interrupt. Dijak says he’s got next but Briggs says cool it Shaft. Dijak: “Like Samuel L. Jackson Shaft? I don’t know if you can see this or not, but I’m white.” Femi isn’t impressed and it’s a three way brawl into a standoff.

Shawn Spears is watching and talks about the downfall of a man and his ego. Spears gets up to leave and Joe Gacy is watching him.

We look back at Trick Williams challenging Carmelo Hayes for Stand & Deliver. The match has been officially made.

Tag Team Titles #1 Contenders Tournament First Round: Axiom/Nathan Frazer vs. No Quarter Catch Crew

It’s Charlie Dempsey/Miles Borne for the Crew with Axiom and Dempsey fighting over arm control to start. Frazer comes in to grab a headlock but everything breaks down in a hurry. The Crew is sent outside for a pair of dives, only for Dempsey to wheelbarrow suplex Axiom back inside.

We take a break and come back with Axiom’s middle rope crossbody being countered into a tabletop suplex for two. Axiom wins a slap off though and brings in Frazer to clean house. A running shooting star press gives Frazer two but Borne is back up with a spinning powerslam. Everyone gets knocked down until Axiom takes Borne up top for a super Spanish Fly. Frazer adds the Phoenix splash for the pin at 9:49.

Rating: B-. It shouldn’t be a shock that this worked well as you had two talented teams out there with some time to get things going. Axiom and Frazer work well together and the Crew more than hung in there the whole time. Good match here with the right team going forward, and perhaps even further than that.

We look back at Lexis King beating Mr. Stone and Von Wagner having to make the save.

Stone yelled at Wagner for carrying him out like a baby. A split seems possible.

The Wolfdogs argue over who paid for dinner last night. The Alpha Academy come in to wonder why they aren’t in on the Tag Team Title shots so they get a match with the champs next week. If the Academy wins, they’re in the Tag Team Title match at Stand & Deliver.

Sol Ruca vs. Brinley Reece

Reece has Malik Blade and Edris Enofe with her. They trade takedowns to start until Reece is back with a headlock. An X Factor gives Reece two but Ruca is back up with a superkick. That earns her a flipping clothesline but Ruca Iconoclasms her off the top. Ruca sends her into the post and it’s the Sol Snatcher for the pin at 3:20.

Rating: C. As tends to be the case with Ruca, the big finish was the highlight here and it worked rather well here. Ruca is someone who could be moved up the ladder rather quickly and this was a good way to bring her back (since LVL Up doesn’t really count). That Sol Snatcher will take her a long way and she has the charisma to back it up.

Post match Blair Davenport runs in to knee Ruca in the face.

Wren Sinclair and Gigi Dolin aren’t happy with Dolin’s loss last week. Cue Arianna Grace to say it’s time to bring out the real lady in Dolin. To begin with, she gets a sash dubbing her Ms. NXT In Training.

Ridge Holland says he is going to do what everyone wants him to do.

Here is the D’Angelo Family for a chat. Tony D’Angelo talks about the power of the D’Angelo Family and introduces the new counsel: Luca Crusifino. We get a quick pledge of loyalty before Tony promises to break Ilja Dragunov at Stand & Deliver. Dragunov pops up on screen to say he’s ready but D’Angelo cuts him off, saying next week it’s Dragunov vs. Stacks. D’Angelo makes some threats to wrap it up.

The Women’s Title match is set for Stand & Deliver.

Thea Hail asks Riley Osborne if they can still be friends. That’s fine, though Osborne has to get to the ring for his match.

Lola Vice is ready to fight Karmen Petrovic.

Heritage Cup: Riley Osborne vs. Drew Gulak

Gulak is defending on behalf of the No Quarter Catch Crew and the rest of the team, plus Chase U, are here. Round one begins with a technical off until Osborne gets in an armbar. That’s broken up and they fight over arm control, with Osborne striking away in the corner. Osborne knees him out of the corner and hits a shooting star press for the first fall at 2:37.

Round two begins with with Gulak bailing to the floor and getting taken down with a big dive. Back in and Osborne kicks her in the face for two before they trade rollups for two each. They run the ropes until Gulak grabs a sunset flip for the pin to tie it up at 1:26 of the round and 4:40 overall.

Gulak decks him after the bell and we take a break. Back with Gulak choking away until Osborne escapes for an enziguri. As Jacy Jayne and Jazmyn Nyx are here to mock Chase U, Gulak is fine enough to grab the Gulock but the round ends. Round four begins with another Gulock attempt being reversed and they trade rollups for two each. Osborne small packages him for two and hits a heck of a chop. They go to the corner with Osborne loading up a superplex, only to have Thea Hail chase Jayne inside. The distraction lets Nyx trip Osborne, allowing Gulak to get the pin to retain at 2:14 of the round and 10:52 overall.

Rating: B-. They were keeping up the pace here and it was nice to see someone other than Noam Dar in there for a change. Osborne is someone who doesn’t do anything new but what he does looks nice. The Catch Clause keeps things fresh as well, and it’s nice to have that much variety after so long of the same stuff around this title for the better part of ever.

Brooks Jensen storms out of the arena when Fallon Henley comes up to ask how he is. Jensen says he’s tired of things going wrong and leaves. Kelani Jordan comes in to rant about Kiana James and Izzi Dame and a tag match seems likely.

Thea Hail storms into Ava’s office and gets a match with Jazmyn Nyx. Duke Hudson is there too and is told he’s in a match next week. If he wins, he might be in the North American Title picture at Stand & Deliver. Works for him.

Tag Team Titles #1 Contenders Tournament First Round: OC vs. Tank Ledger/Hank Walker

We’re joined in progress with the OC being cleared out of the ring and taken down on the floor. We settle down to Anderson being sent into the corner and crushed with stereo standing splashes. Ledger kicks Anderson a few times but it’s Gallows coming in to knock Walker off the top. Back in and Walker gets big booted, allowing Anderson to send him into the corner. The chinlock goes on until Ledger fights out and hits an enziguri, allowing the tag back to Ledger. A toss belly to back suplex gets two on Anderson but Gallows makes a save. The spinebuster into the Magic Killer finishes Ledger at 7:53.

Rating: C. Ledger and Walker were trying but there was only so much they could do against an experienced team like the OC. The OC might not be what they were at their peak but they’re still bigger than most of the teams in NXT. It’s a good idea to have them in the triple threat match next week, but that might be it for them in NXT.

Trick Williams is ready for Noam Dar tonight and tells Carmelo Hayes to stay out of it.

Kiana James and Izzi Dame approve of Jacy Jayne and Jazmyn Nyx’s recent efforts. With Jayne and Nyx gone, Fallon Henley and Kelani Jordan run in for the brawl.

Here’s what’s coming next week.

Trick Williams vs. Noam Dar

The rest of the Meta Four is here with Dar. Williams slams him down a few times to start but has to roll out of an ankle lock. A guillotine works a bit better for Dar but it’s broken up and Williams hammers away. Dar kicks him down again for a breather and we go split screen, with a security guard telling Carmelo Hayes “it’s time”. Williams is back up and knocks Dar outside as we take a break.

Back with Williams putting him on top for a slugout until Dar grabs a triangle choke. That’s broken up as Williams powerbombs his way to freedom, followed by a jumping clothesline. Dar is able to grab the ankle lock again, complete with the grapevine, but Williams makes the rope. Williams grabs a quick Rock Bottom into a flapjack but Lash Legend gets on the apron. Her slap attempt lets Dar grab a German suplex for two but the Trickshot gives Williams the pin at 11:12.

Rating: B-. This is the kind of win that Williams needs, as he’s getting ready for the biggest match of his career. He beat someone who had been a champion for a very long time and that is the kind of win that gives him some credibility. Williams has that aura that can take him a long way, but he needs to do something like this to make him more well rounded. It’s working so far, but he doesn’t have much time before Wrestlemania.

Post match Williams calls out Carmelo Hayes so here is…someone dressed like Hayes, with the real version disguised as a member of his own security. Hayes jumps Williams and takes him out to end the show.

Overall Rating: B. This show had a better mixture of wrestling and story advancement, which is what you need on the way to the biggest show of the year. NXT knows how to do weekly television and thankfully they are keeping it going on the way to Stand & Deliver. Rather good show here, with Hayes vs. Williams getting bigger and bigger each week.

Results
Roxanne Perez b. Tatum Paxley – Crossface
Axiom/Nathan Frazer b. No Quarter Catch Crew – Phoenix splash to Borne
Sol Ruca b. Brinley Reece – Sol Snatcher
Drew Gulak b. Riley Osborne 2-1
OC b. Hank Walker/Tank Ledger – Magic Killer to Ledger
Trick Williams b. Noam Dar – Trick Shot

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: March 12, 2024
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Booker T.

We are less than a month away from Stand & Deliver and things are getting more interesting. Last week’s Roadblock saw Tony D’Angelo crowned as the new #1 contender, with Trick Williams coming back to deal with Carmelo Hayes. That should set up a heck of a one two punch for the big show so let’s get to it.

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

Roadblock recap.

Tag Team Titles #1 Contenders Tournament First Round: OTM vs. LWO

This is the first of three first round matches with the winners going on to a triple threat match for the title shot at Stand & Deliver. OTM jumps them from behind in the aisle and it’s Price taking over on del Toro inside. The LWO fights back and knock the villains outside for stereo dives. Back in and Wilde takes over on Nima, only to get caught on top. One heck of a one armed superplex gives Nima two as Baron Corbin/Bron Breakker are watching from the balcony.

We take a break and come back with del Toro coming in to strike away as commentary talks about the qualifying matches for the main roster Tag Team Titles. Del Toro sends Price into the corner with a bit of a sloppy headscissors, followed by a top rope missile dropkick for two. Everything breaks down and del Toro enziguris Price to the floor. That leaves Wilde to jump onto Nima’s back and WAY into the air for a crash onto Price, who has to run up to catch him. Back in and a springboard 450 gives Wilde the pin on Nima at 10:40.

Rating: B-. As usual, a power vs. speed match works rather well and that was the case here, with the LWO bringing a bit of main roster star power. Watching the high spots and big dives will always be entertaining and Price/Nima were there to throw the LWO around as well. Nice opener here as they didn’t break any new ground but played the formula rather spiffily.

Earlier today, Oba Femi arrived and almost got in a fight with Brooks Jensen (his challenger tonight). A bunch of people break it up, including Josh Briggs, with Jensen not being happy about it.

Thea Hail, with Chase U, is jealous about Jacy Jayne and Jazmyn Nyx hanging out without her but she has other friends. Cue Kelani Jordan, who will team with Hail tonight.

Here is Roxanne Perez to explain her actions last week. The sweet, innocent Perez is gone and her attacking Lyra Valkyria last week was the culmination of a year of frustration. She defeated Meiko Satomura last year and then collapsed, mainly because she carried this brand for a year. That came after carrying the weight of the women’s division in all kinds of matches but people would rather talk about Tiffany Stratton or Becky Lynch. Not that it matters as she is the most decorated woman in NXT history at 22 years old. Then she helped Lyra Valkyria but never got the rematch that she deserved.

Now everyone wants to cheer her, but where were the people when Indi Hartwell was holding her title? The NXT fans remind her of little innocent Roxanne Perez. What a difference a year makes: now it’s Valkyria riding away in an ambulance and now it’s time to vacate the title so Perez can be champion again. Cue Ava to say not so fast but here is Tatum Paxley to charge at Perez, only to be quickly broken up. That was a good, angry explanation from Perez, though her small stature and voice make the heel style a bit more difficult.

The D’Angelo Family welcomes Luca Crusifino, who has taken care of some things. Stacks played Trick Williams’ music last week and now Tony D’Angelo is off to Stand & Deliver. Ilja Dragunov comes in and everyone but Tony leaves. Dragunov says Tony has everything but the title and that isn’t changing at Stand & Deliver. D’Angelo says no matter what happens, he likes Dragunov, who is then put in a car and driven away by Stacks and Crusifino.

Lexis King vs. Mr. Stone

Stone slugs away to start and is quickly beaten down, with King working on the ribs. A knee to the ribs and a rake to the back set up an abdominal stretch. That’s broken up and Stone knocks him off the top, only to get hit in the face. The Coronation finishes Stone at 3:31.

Rating: C. This was more angle advancement than a match and that’s not a bad thing. King messing with Stone and Von Wagner is a way to go for him as he continues to be something of an agent of chaos. At the same time, anyone can get the idea of a villain messing with someone’s family, though it’s likely going to be Wagner doing the beating instead.

Post match the beatdown is on but Von Wagner runs in for the save.

Logan Paul announced Summerslam will be in Cleveland.

Oba Femi is ready to slaughter Brooks Jensen. Dijak comes in to say he’ll be here after Femi is done playing around.

Ridge Holland is training but stops to call his family.

North American Title: Brooks Jensen vs. Oba Femi

Femi is defending. They fight over a lockup to start and Femi shoves him outside, followed by a headlock back inside. Femi beats on him up against the ropes but gets caught with a clothesline as we take a break. Back with Jensen dropkicking him to the floor and hitting an elbow off the apron.

They get back in, where Femi hits a pair of Irish Curses for two as Josh Briggs comes out to watch. Jensen fights up and hits a quick superkick into a powerslam for two. Femi shrugs that off and hits a backdrop, followed by a rather powerful toss. He does it again and Jensen is barely still in this. The pop up powerbomb plants Jensen but Femi looks at Briggs, setting up another powerbomb to retain the title at 11:42.

Rating: C+. This was more about Briggs and Jensen’s odd relationship and that could go in a few different directions. It would seem like they are destined to get back together and it wouldn’t stun me to see them in the title picture around Stand & Deliver. On the other hand you have Femi, who seems to be in for a match against Dijak sooner or later.

Briggs checks on Jensen post match.

The D’Angelo Family lets Ilja Dragunov out of the trunk on a bridge. Dragunov goes up to Tony D’Angelo, who says this wasn’t out of disrespect. The thing is Dragunov can’t just walk into D’Angelo’s restaurant uninvited. D’Angelo talks about bringing people to this bridge and leaving alone, but this isn’t one of those times. He can end everything with a snap of his fingers, so Dragunov tells him to show what he can do. D’Angelo says have a nice walk back and goes to leave, but Dragunov says he always finds a way. The Family leaves and Dragunov looks at the title.

Muhammad Ali is going into the WWE Hall Of Fame.

Arianna Grace vs. Gigi Dolin

If Grace wins, Dolin has to be more like her. Grace works on a headlock to start but gets sent outside without much trouble. Back in and Dolin hits a dropkick as Booker wonders why they can’t get along. Grace sends her into the corner and stomps away before dropping an elbow for two. The chinlock goes on until Dolin fights up and hits an STO for two of her own. Grace grabs the tiara for a cheap shot but Dolin hits her low…for the DQ at 4:28 (Grace’s face is rather amusing).

Rating: C-. Slightly odd ending aside, that wasn’t the best match as Dolin’s star has fallen a long way. She’s barely done anything since Toxic Attraction broke up and now she is going to be stuck with Grace for a bit. Grace is slowly growing on me as a heel, but that might be due to her not talking here.

Karmen Petrovic is happy to have Sol Ruca back and Ruca wants Blair Davenport. Lola Vice comes in and gets in an argument with Petrovic. Brinley Reece comes in and is rather pleased with Ruca for breaking that up. Edris Enofe and Malik Blade come in to get Reece away. There was a lot in this one and good acting wasn’t part of it.

Kiana James/Izzy Dame vs. Thea Hail/Kelani Jordan

Hold on though as Kelani Jordan has been attacked so Hail is on her own. Cue Fallon Henley to be Hail’s partner (that’s who I thought she meant by having a friend earlier) and house is quickly cleaned. Henley takes James down and hits a springboard armdrag on Dame. Back up and Dame chokes her on the ropes before grabbing the neck crank.

Cue Jacy Jayne and Jazmyn Nyx, which has Hail rather annoyed on the apron. Henley fights up and brings Hail in to clean house as everything breaks down. Hail’s Kimura to James is broken up and Jayne pulls Henley out of the way of a cheap shot but Hail gets hit in the face instead. That leaves Jayne to Bankrupt Hail for the pin at 4:34.

Rating: C. I still don’t get the appeal of James and Dame as a team but at least they’re an established unit. They weren’t the focus here as this was about Jayne messing with Hail, which has to be coming to a head sooner or later. For now, it wasn’t a great match, but Henley was kept strong and that gives me hope for her future.

Post match Hail asks what Jayne is doing because this isn’t who Jayne used to be. Hail thought Jayne was cool and her best friend but Jayne doesn’t seem impressed. Hail ignored the bad things from Jayne and idolized her like a sister. She is done though because this is Jayne, who Hail doesn’t want to be. The old Thea Hail is back and she runs around the ring to the Chase U fight song. Oh this should be fun.

Riley Osborne is rather pleased in the back when the No Quarter Catch Crew interrupts. The Crew isn’t impressed and threaten the Catch Clause. Nathan Frazer and Axiom come in to talk about their success, with Axiom saying he’s close to the first champion (“What ever happened to that guy?”) and vague threats are made.

The Good Brothers are ready to win the Tag Team Titles because they don’t think much of Bron Breakker and Baron Corbin.

Hank Walker and Tank Ledger know no one is taking them seriously so they’re ready to go on to Stand & Deliver against the Wolf Dogs. Corbin and Breakker come in and give them something of a pep talk.

Ridge Holland vs. Shawn Spears

Holland powers him into the corner to start and knocks Spears down a few more times. A missed charge lets Spears chop and punch away in the corner before he sends Holland outside. Holland picks him up for a ram into the post and Spears tells him to do it, which has Holland second guessing himself. Instead Spears posts him and then gives him a lecture as we take a break.

Back with Holland fighting up but Spears ties him in the ropes. Spears yells about how Holland has let everyone, including his wife, down. Holland fights up and hammers away but seems scared of a DQ. Instead he sends Spears outside for a ram into the barricade before loading up the steps. A chokeslam through the announcers’ table leaves Spears laying, which isn’t a DQ. They go inside with Holland grabbing a chair but the referee takes it away and puts it in the corner for no logical reason. The C4 onto the chair gives Spears the pin at 9:41.

Rating: C-. I’m not sure what I just watched. It was like some weird psychological experiment with a match going on in the background. The idea of Spears wanting Holland to embrace his inner violence makes sense, but this was an odd way to go about it. It’s different enough to overcome Spears’ limitations in the ring, but I’m not sure how long that is going to be the case.

Here’s what’s coming next week.

Here is Trick Williams for a chat. He’s having trouble putting this into words but he wants to know why Carmelo Hayes did all this. Williams went to Shawn Michaels’ office because he wanted to be at Hayes’ level. He had no idea it was going to go like this but Trick Willy was born. Then someone attacked him and Hayes lied to his face about it. Hayes has been lying for a long time and now they are going to have a match at Stand & Deliver.

Cue the Meta Four, with Noam Dar finding this interesting. Williams tells him to stay out of this but Dar talks about how they have both lost something. Dar says he is here to steal Williams’ heat, with Williams saying Lash Legend seems to know Williams has heat too. The match is made for next week and the brawl is on, with Williams stopping to kiss Legend (who does not seem to mind one bit). Williams stands tall to end the show.

Overall Rating: C. I really wasn’t feeling this show as the opener was the only good match, followed by a bunch of stuff that kind of came and went. The NXT Title match at Stand & Deliver got some build and we’re one step closer to Williams vs. Hayes, but a lot of the rest didn’t feel important. A sizable chunk of this show felt like it could have come at any time rather than less than a month away from Stand & Deliver and that’s off for NXT.

Results
LWO b. OTM – Springboard 450 to Nima
Lexis King b. Mr. Stone – Coronation
Oba Femi b. Brooks Jensen – Pop up powerbomb
Arianna Grace b. Gigi Dolin via DQ when Dolin hit her low
Kiana James/Izzy Dame b. Thea Hail/Fallon Henley – Bankrupt to Hail
Shawn Spears b. Ridge Holland – C4 onto a chair

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

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NXT
Date: February 27, 2024
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Booker T., Vic Joseph

The road to Stand & deliver continues as we have just over a month away from the biggest show of the year. We are also on the way to Roadblock and NXT Champion Ilja Dragunov wants Carmelo Hayes on the way there. At the same time, Trick Williams is probably on his way back so let’s get to it.

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

Here is NXT Champion Ilja Dragunov to call out Carmelo Hayes. Cue Hayes, complete with security, to say he isn’t getting in the ring with Dragunov without a contract for a title match. Dragunov can have until the end of the night.

Gigi Dolin asks Ava to talk about her future but runs into Jaida Parker, who wants her own version. Ava makes a match between them for later tonight.

Kelani Jordan vs. Kiana James

Izzi Dame is here with James. Jordan wastes no time in taking her out to the floor to start but Dame offers a distraction. That’s fine with Jordan, who moonsaults onto both of them at once. We take a break and come back with both of them hitting crossbodies to leave them both down. Jordan makes the clothesline comeback and hits an elbow to the face for two. A Downward Spiral gives Jordan two but Dame gets in a cheap shot. The Dealbreaker finishes for 8:12.

Rating: C. James and Jordan continue to do nothing for me as a team and that was certainly the case again here. They’re just generic heels who don’t have much else going on and win random matches. Jordan is someone who feels like she could become something down the line and she is already off to a nice start.

Roxanne Perez is mad at not getting the Women’s Title shot last week. Jakara Jackson comes in to mock her and the brawl is on.

OC vs. Edris Enofe/Malik Blade

Blade gets knocked into the corner to start but comes back with a dropkick to Anderson. Enofe comes in with a headscissors as Booker goes on such a rambling rant that Joseph says he has no idea what Booker is going to say next. Gallows comes in to choke Blade down in the corner and we hit the chinlock. It’s back to Anderson for a chinlock of his own but Blade fights up and hands it back to Enofe to pick up the pace. Blade dives into a spinebuster though and it’s the Magic Killer for the win at 5:24.

Rating: C. I don’t think the OC winning their first match back in NXT over the resident jobbing tam is a surprise and thankfully they didn’t take long in doing so. The OC continues to be a strange team as they have a great resume but they are almost never featured on the main roster. Maybe they can do something here, because it isn’t like they have much further to fall.

Post match Chase U and Axiom/Nathan Frazier pop up to argue over who gets to beat up the OC first. Cue the LWO to dropkick the OC down as Baron Corbin and Bron Breakker look on.

Oba Femi wants competition and runs into Ilja Dragunov. After a quick staredown, Dragunov says he needs to talk to Ava.

Jakara Jackson vs. Roxanne Perez

Lash Legend is here with Jackson and offers an early distraction to cut Perez off. Perez isn’t having that and knocks Jackson down, setting up a springboard moonsault for two. Pop Rox is broken up too so Jackson ties up the legs and pulls on the arm at the same time. That’s broken up and Perez slugs away, setting up the crossface for the tap at 4:11.

Rating: C. They still didn’t have much time to do anything here but it gets Perez back on track after some frustrations last week. Perez is still leaning more in the heel direction but beating a fellow heel in Jackson doesn’t quite continue her on that path. The crossface is a better finisher for her though, as Pop Rox doesn’t feel overly devastating.

Thea Hail is disappointed over her date with Riley Osborne not going well but Jacy Jayne tells her to ignore Fallon Henley. Cue Kiana James and Izzi Dame to congratulate them on the calendar, leaving Hail alone.

Baron Corbin and Bron Breakker run into the OC and bicker a bit, with a Tag Team Title match seeming likely.

Luca Crusifino vs. Dijak

Luca strikes away to start and they go outside, with Luca knocking him over the announcers’ table. Back in and Dijak slugs away but a chop wakes Luca up. Dijak hits a superkick but Luca strikes him down again and hits some clotheslines. The cyclone boot sets up Feast Your Eyes to finish Luca at 3:28.

Rating: C+. I’ve seen Luca since he showed up on LVL Up and I’ve never seen him show that kind of aggression. Luca’s biggest issue has long since been that he doesn’t really do anything to make him stand out and now he has this kind of a showing. Rather surprising match here and I liked it more than I would have expected.

Post match Joe Gacy, in a torn straitjacket, comes in to brawl with Dijak.

Tony D’Angelo tells Stacks to get him, but not right now.

Noam Dar is warming up for his title defense in the main event but he doesn’t care about the Catch Clause.

Here is Lyra Valkyria for a chat. She wishes Shotzi a speedy recovery and promises Shotzi a title match when she gets back. Valkyria praises Lash Legend for stepping up but now she wants Tatum Paxley out here for a special gift. Paxley says she has proven her loyalty to Valkyria, who says that they’re getting a Women’s Tag Team Title shot against the Kabuki Warriors last week.

Cue Ridge Holland of all people to say he has something to say so they can leave if they’re done. Holland talks about how he isn’t a violent man most of the time…..but here is the man with the weird fear vignettes to beat him down. It’s Shawn Spears (called that, rather than Tye Dillinger) to beat Holland down. Points for an actual surprise there as I don’t think he was on many guess lists.

Brooks Jensen challenges Oba Femi and gets an acceptance.

Carmelo Hayes isn’t coming to the ring without a contract for a title match.

Lexis King vs. Von Wagner

Mr. Stone is here with Wagner. King’s chops don’t have much effect to start so Wagner strikes away for a change. Wagner’s big boot misses though and King strikes away at the leg, including wrapping it around the post. Back in and Wagner hits a big boot anyway and they go outside again, where Stone gets crushed. They get back inside where King is right back to the leg. A running knee to the back of the head gives King two but Stone offers a distraction. Wagner grabs a rollup for the pin at 4:11.

Rating: C+. The ending wasn’t the best as Stone offering a distraction doesn’t exactly make him look like a hero. Wagner is in the middle of a weird cycle as he’s kind of all over the place without getting anywhere. King on the other hand feels like he is mainly an agent of chaos, though he didn’t really show that off here, as he was just kind of a person facing Wagner.

Post match King takes out Stone before leaving.

Video on the Kabuki Warriors.

Jaida Parker mocks Lyra Valkyria and Tatum Paxley but Arianna Grace wants peace. Valkyria points out that fighting is kind of what they do.

Joe Gacy jumps Dijak and a cameraman is taken out.

Gigi Dolin vs. Jaida Parker

They go to the mat to start with Dolin grabbing a rollup for a fast two. Parker is back up to stomp her down in the corner, including a running sit onto the ribs for two of her own. A running Blockbuster gives Parker two and we hit the neck rank. Dolin fights up but here is Arianna Grace for a distraction. That’s enough for Parker to hit a running forearm for the pin at 4:40.

Rating: C. They’re keeping up the trend of mediocre matches here but Parker continues to look like a star. She has a great look and that forearm looked solid, so giving her a win is a nice step forward. At the same time, Dolin’s fall continues as she is little more than a jobber to the stars these days.

Someone has written SEE YOU SOON on a beach and the Roadblock logo appears. Sol Ruca I’d assume?

Heritage Cup: Noam Dar vs. ???

Dar is defending against….Charlie Dempsey, with Jakara Jackson and the rest of the No Quarter Catch Crew here too. Round one begins with a feeling out process and neither being able to get very far. An exchange of arm control doesn’t work either but Dempsey grabs a backslide and flips forward for the pin at 1:48. Damon Kemp gets in a cheap shot to Dar as the round ends. Round two begins and we take an early break. Back with Dempsey hitting a suplex to end the round without much happening.

Round Three begins with neither being able to get very far with a hold, including Dar escaping an ankle lock. Dar wins a battle over the armbars before hitting a discus elbow as the round ends. Round four begins with Dar hitting a series of running shots to the face. The discus elbow sets up the Nova Roller for the tie at 22 seconds of the round and 9:50 overall.

Round five begins with Dar hitting a middle rope elbow to the back of the head for an early two. The seconds get into it on the floor though and Dar misses a corner dropkick, allowing Dempsey to grab a dragon suplex for the upset pin and the cup at 52 seconds of the round and 11:10 overall.

Rating: B-. I believe the term “it’s about time” is appropriate here, as Dar has held the Cup for so long that he had to lose the thing sooner or later. Dempsey getting the win is a nice surprise as well as he hasn’t done much so far in NXT. The Crew is kind of perfect to get the Cup as it is more or less their thing personified, and now Dar can move on to anything else for the time being.

Shawn Spears is back to mess things up.

Here is what’s coming next week.

Here is Carmelo Hayes, flanked by security, to sign the contract with Ilja Dragunov. Hayes apologizes for the security but he can’t have Dragunov getting hurt, which has Dragunov smirking. Cue Tony D’Angelo to say he’s tired of hearing Hayes wants a title shot. He respects Dragunov and is ready to earn a title match.

Dragunov is intrigued and D’Angelo proposes a #1 contenders match against Hayes next week, with Ava agreeing. Hayes gets up and the fight is on, with D’Angelo accidentally knocking Dragunov down. D’Angelo is put through the table to end the show. Again points for a surprise here, and that’s before Trick Williams is involved too.

Overall Rating: C+. This was about a few major moments, with the title change, Spears returning and D’Angelo being thrown into the title picture. I’m curious to see where some of those things go and that is a good sign. At the same time, the wrestling was not the best here as there was no match that stood out, though there is a good chance those come next week.

Results
Kiana James b. Kelani Jordan – Dealbreaker
OC b. Edris Enofe/Malik Blade – Magic Killer to Blade
Roxanne Perez b. Jakara Jackson – Crossface
Dijak b. Luca Crusifino – Feast Your Eyes
Von Wagner b. Lexis King – Rollup
Jaida Parker b. Gigi Dolin – Running forearm
Charlie Dempsey b. Noam Dar 2-1

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

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AND

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NXT
Date: February 20, 2024
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Byron Saxton, Vic Joseph

We’re taped this week and there is a guest star in the main event, with Smackdown’s Shotzi challenging Lyra Valkyria for the Women’s Title. Other than that, we have new Tag Team Champions in Baron Corbin and Smackdown’s Bron Breakker and they are going to need some challengers. Let’s get to it.

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

North American Title: Oba Femi vs. Lexis King

Femi is defending and we’re starting fast with both of them in the ring without entrances. King avoids a charge in the corner and hits an elbow to the face, followed by some kicks to the chest. That just earns him a choke shove to the floor, where Femi misses a charge into the post. Back in and King cranks away on the arm as we see Mr. Stone leaving Von Wagner because he wants to watch in person. King stays on the arm until Stone comes to ringside, earning himself a hard shove. The distraction lets Femi get in a heck of a backdrop, setting up the pop up powerbomb to retain at 3:59.

Rating: C. They kept this short and to the point, which is what you should be doing with someone as inexperienced as Femi. He has pretty much no experience at this point so letting him do his basics and stay down while King works on his arm is a good move. The ending keeps King vs. Wagner/Stone going while giving Femi another win, which isn’t bad for a match that didn’t even last four minutes.

Thea Hail hasn’t heard from Riley Osborne since their Valentine’s Day date but Arianna Grace comes in to mock her for not letting Osborne do everything for her. Jacy Jayne doesn’t want to hear this and tells Grace to stay out of this.

Lyra Valkyria checks on Tatum Paxley, who offers to thank her for last week. She’ll even attack Shotzi with a baseball bat! Valkyria wants her to just stay here instead, with Paxley saying she can do that.

Here are Baron Corbin and Bron Breakker for their big celebration. Breakker can’t believe how far they’ve come since No Mercy, with Corbin bringing up beating Breakker back then. They seem to like the team name of Spear Of Days but here is Chase U (complete with Andre Chase having gotten a haircut) to interrupt. They want the titles back because this is a TEACHABLE MOMENT.

Chase U were promised a title shot from the previous champs but here are Nathan Frazer and Axiom to interrupt. Frazer says the previous agreement is gone but Duke Hudson doesn’t want to hear it. Corbin and Breakker tell the two teams to figure this out, which brings out Ava to make the #1 contenders match for later tonight. They kept this short and that is the right way to go.

Roxanne Perez is ready to beat up Wren Sinclair, who shouldn’t just be happy to be here. Perez continues to lean towards the evil side.

We get another weird vignette talking about how the person will be a mirror to truth.

Roxanne Perez vs. Wren Sinclair

Perez takes her up against the ropes to start and they fall out to the floor with Perez hammering away. Back in and Sinclair grabs a spinning belly to back suplex for two, only to get knocked outside again. Perez starts in on the arm and wrenches away back inside. The chinlock goes on until Sinclair rolls her way out and makes the clothesline comeback. Another arm crank cuts her off though and Pop Rox sets up a crossface to make Sinclair tap at 4:19.

Rating: C. Sinclair has been dropped into NXT and is already fitting in rather well. She is doing well enough in the ring and already seems to be involved in some stories. That is better than most newcomers do this quickly so she is off to a nice start. On the other hand you have Perez leaning towards being a heel and that is already doing well, which is kind of surprising given her smaller stature.

Meta Four is ready for tonight when the No Quarter Catch Crew interrupts. Noam Dar is willing to give them a title shot but wants to know who it is. That isn’t happening though because the Catch Clause says the challenger is announced in the ring next week.

Josh Briggs vs. Brooks Jensen

They trade shoulders to start until Briggs sends him into the corner to take over. Jensen is right back with clotheslines and chops in the corner but Briggs sends him outside. That’s fine with Jensen, who slugs away and takes it back inside for a running faceplant. They go back to the floor with Jensen sending him into the barricade and stomping away with quite the aggression.

We take a break and come back with Briggs hammering him down in the corner Briggs says he’s doing this for Jensen, who hits him in the face for a breather. Jensen scores with a superkick and a missile dropkick gets two. Back up and Briggs kicks him in the face, setting up a chokeslam for two of his own. They slug it out from their knees until Jensen hits a spinning heel kick to the face. Briggs has had it with this and hits a pair of hard running clotheslines for the pin at 11:01.

Rating: B. This is a good example of a match that worked well because of the story behind it. They were having a hard hitting match, but the important factor is there is a reason to care about them fighting. You don’t get that very often and it made things that much more interesting. Nice fight here and Briggs gets a hard fought win.

Post match Briggs says he did this for Jensen and he loves him.

Dijak comes to see Joe Gacy, who is in a straitjacket. Gacy says Dijak can’t stop him so Dijak offers some threats. Luca Crusifino comes in to say this is illegal but Dijak doesn’t care.

Carmelo Hayes goes to the barber shop and talks about how this is where it all started with Trick Williams. He didn’t get too big for his own boots and he wanted Williams to experience everything he could. But then Williams tried to become the #1 guy in NXT. Williams could have been #3, #5 or even #2 behind Hayes but then he went too far. Hayes knew it was coming so he attacked him first. So wherever Williams is, he should stay there, because he has nothing to talk about when it comes to the NXT Title. This heel turn continues to be as logical of a story as there is in wrestling right now.

Arianna Grace vs. Jacy Jayne

Jayne has Jazmyn Nyx and Thea Hail with her. They fight over arm control to start until Grace runs her over with a shoulder. Grace gets knocked to the floor for her efforts and Jayne hits a hard clothesline back inside. A backsplash gives Jayne two but Grace is back with a slam and elbow for two. The armbar goes on but Jayne is right back up to send Grace outside again. Nyx gets in a cheap shot and Jayne hits the big forearm for the pin at 3:19.

Rating: C. This was about getting Nyx involved as Jayne is still evil compared to Hail, who is still rather wholesome. That could lead to an interesting predicament for Hail, which very well could lead to her going back to the full Chase U style. Grace continues to be a pest, but at least she isn’t winning a bunch of matches.

Tony D’Angelo says the Family is going in a new direction and it’s time for him to really be the Don. That means the Tag Team Titles aren’t the focus right now.

We get a sitdown interview with Ridge Holland, who isn’t done with Gallus. Next week, he’ll be apologizing for what he did with a chair last week. Holland walks off.

Chase U vs. Axiom/Nathan Frazer

For the #1 contendership and the women of Chase U run into the men on the way in. Jacy Jayne doesn’t seem happy with Andre Chase and Riley Osborne gives Thea Hail a bit of a weird look. Chase and Axiom fight over arm control to start before grappling down to the mat. Stereo dropkick attempts give us a stalemate so it’s off to Hudson to work on Frazer’s arm. A hard shoulder drops Frazer again and it’s back to Axiom vs. Chase. Everything breaks down and Chase U is sent outside for the big dives as we take a break.

Back with Chase still in trouble until he catches Frazer with a Side Effect. Hudson comes in to clean house but his Razor’s Edge is broken up. Frazer hits a missile dropkick and Axiom’s top rope Spanish Fly gets two. Hudson is back up to clean house and Chase comes back in to get a rollup pin on Frazer at 11:27.

Rating: B-. I could go for Chase U being treated as something more serious and hopefully we are getting away from the rather insane gambling ordeal. I’m not sure I can imagine them getting the Tag Team Titles back but getting a clean win is a nice way to start. Axiom and Frazer are still capable of working well with just about anyone and that is a great thing to have.

Post match the OC of all people come in to wreck both teams. Well it’s better than yelling at AJ Styles about the old days. I think.

Ilja Dragunov is willing to give Carmelo Hayes an NXT Title shot at Roadblock, as long as Hayes will meet him face to face next week. Dragunov is coming for Hayes’ soul.

Thea Hail and Fallon Henley talk about how bad everything is going for them lately. Hail’s Valentine’s Day was awful and Henley talks about how bad hers was last year. They’re off for a chat.

Lash Legend vs. Kelani Jordan

Jakara Jackson is here too. Legend powers her up to start but gets cradled for a fast two. A kick to the chest knocks Jordan out of the air and a backbreaker makes things even worse. Something like a torture rack over the back has Jordan in more trouble but she gets the knees up to block a splash. Jordan flips out of a powerbomb attempt and there’s a dropkick to put Legend into the corner. Jackson offers a distraction though and Legend gets in a chokeslam for the pin at 4:24.

Rating: C. Legend has come a long, long way in recent months and a lot of that is due to the change in gear. She didn’t exactly have the best reputation for a long time so in addition to changing her style, she has a new look, which shakes away a lot of the bad memories. It’s one of those minor changes that makes a big difference, and Legend has gotten a lot better.

Post match Kiana James and Izzi Dame come out for the beatdown but Jordan escapes.

The OC are here to show that they’re different than anyone else. They’ll take the NXT Tag Team Titles too.

Here’s what’s coming next week.

NXT Women’s Title: Lyra Valkyria vs. Shotzi

Shotzi is challenging and we get the Big Match Intros. Valkyria fights out of a front facelock to start and takes Shotzi down with a headlock. An exchange of rollups gets two each before Shotzi drops her with a shoulder. A rope walk wristdrag has Valkyria in more trouble and Shotzi DDTs her onto the apron. We comes back and….the match has been stopped as Shotzi has blown out her knee. Cue Ava to announce that we have an open challenger for a title shot against Valkyria. I won’t rate the match we got as it was barely long enough to rate and then ended with the injury but it was going well enough.

NXT Women’s Title: Lyra Valkyria vs. Lash Legend

Valykria is defending and gets dropped with an early right hand. Legend’s chinlock doesn’t last long so she grabs a swinging backbreaker for two instead. A whip into the corner gives Valkyria two and we hit an over the shoulder backbreaker. Valkyria fights out as we see Roxanne Perez being furious over not getting the title shot. Legend’s chokeslam gets two and Valkyria’s high crossbody connects for the same. A pump kick gives Legend two more but Valkyria knocks her off the top and hits a splash to retain at 5:49.

Rating: C+. This is on a very lightened up scale as the match was barely anything but Legend was literally sent out there with no notice to have an impromptu title match. it might not have been great, but they did what they could under the circumstances. Good enough match here and nice touch by having Perez be made about not getting out there, but was she just not paying attention to a match for the title she wants more than anything?

Overall Rating: B-. This was absolutely feeling like a taped show to get us to the big shows down the line, but what matters is NXT continues to treat these things like they matter. Even if these were the lower level stories, they were treated as important and that is a very hard trick most of the time. It wasn’t the biggest NXT show, but it moved things forward and set some things up for later with completely good enough action. The big stuff can come later, but for now they’re doing well with the small stuff and that’s important as well.

Results
Oba Femi b. Lexis King – Pop up powerbomb
Roxanne Perez b. Wren Sinclair – Crossface
Josh Briggs b. Brooks Jensen – Clothesline
Jacy Jayne b. Arianna Grace – Forearm
Chase U b. Nathan Frazer/Axiom – Rollup to Frazer
Lash Legend b. Kelani Jordan – Chokeslam
Lyra Valkyria vs. Shotzi went to a no contest when Shotzi was injured
Lyra Valkyria b. Lash Legend – Top rope splash

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NXT
Date: February 6, 2024
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Byron Saxton

We’re done with Vengeance Day and that means the only thing standing between here and Stand & Deliver is next month’s Roadblock. The big story coming out of Vengeance Day is Trick Williams losing his shot at the NXT Title and then being attacked by longtime friend Carmelo Hayes. That is going to be a big deal so let’s get to it.

Here is Vengeance Day if you need a recap.

Here is Carmelo Hayes to get things going and he’s carrying a chair. Hayes sits in the chair, doesn’t like the chants from the crowd, stands up, says “not yet”, and leaves.

Vengeance Day recap.

Here are Baron Corbin and Bron Breakker to celebrate winning the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic, though Corbin can’t believe they were called the Wolf Dogs. Anyway, they want the Tag Team Titles.

Axiom/Nathan Frazer vs. Malik Blade/Edris Enofe

Baron Corbin and Bron Breakker are on commentary. Axiom rolls out of Enofe’s wristlock to start so Enofe snaps off a dropkick. Axiom’s dropkick connects as well but he gets sent outside for a dive. Back in and Blade runs Frazer over as we take a break. We come back with Axiom taking over on Enofe and grabbing a chinlock.

Frazer’s neckbreaker gets two and we hit another chinlock. The running shooting star press gives Frazer two more but Enofe knees him in the face. Blade comes in and powerbombs Axiom as the pace picks up quite a bit. Axiom drops Blade again though and Frazer hits the phoenix splash, with Enofe knocking Axiom into the cover for the save.

We take another break and come back again with Frazer running up the corner for a superplex. Frazer raises Blade into a brainbuster, with Axiom adding a superkick as Frazer drops him. Enofe makes the save but get sent outside, leaving Blade to get Phoenix splashed into the Golden Ratio for the pin at 16:42.

Rating: B. This was in the same vein as the old Nitro openers with the cruiserweight matches: let people go out there and fly around with some good action and a very fast pace. It worked back then and it still works today, which was certainly the case here. Axiom and Frazer work well together and it wouldn’t stun me to see them as some of the next challengers after the Corbin/Breakker vs. D’Angelo Family match.

Post match Breakker and Corbin jump Frazer and Axiom. The D’Angelo Family comes out and the challenge is issued for next week.

Ilja Dragunov wants answers from Carmelo Hayes.

Post break, here is Dragunov for a chat. Dragunov talks about going to war with Trick Williams and how Williams would have been a worthy champion. Now though, it is his duty to call out Carmelo Hayes. He has been attacking Dragunov with accusations for months and now he wants to go beyond breaking Hayes, who is a traitorous son of a b****. Cue Dijak to say he and Dragunov both won at Vengeance Day but Dragunov doesn’t want to hear it. Dijak talks about how he knows what it takes to break Joe Gacy but Dragunov tells him to get out of his way. The fight is on and quickly broken up.

Thea Hail and Jacy Jayne are really happy with the success of the Women Of Chase U calendar. Other than that though, Jayne wants Hail to play hard to get with Riley Osborne. Hail can do that.

Von Wagner is mad with losing to Noam Dar but Mr. Stone’s kids come in to talk them into a tag match against Meta Four.

Lexis King vs. Riley Osborne

The rest of Chase U is here but Thea Hail is missing from the student section. King takes him up against the ropes to start but gets dropkicked to the floor. That means a big flip dive from Osborne, who is knocked off the apron and into the announcers’ table. Back in and a slingshot double stomp to the ribs gives King two and we hit the seated abdominal stretch. That’s broken up and Osborne gets two off a leg lariat but the lack of Thea distracts Osborne on top. The hanging Coronation finishes for King at 4:04.

Rating: C. This was more about the absence of Hail than an important result, but King is slowly building himself back up. Granted he wasn’t exactly high up to begin with but winning is better than losing over and over. I’m not sure how well it’s going to work for him in the long run, though at least he’s building some momentum. As for Osborne, the issues with Hail seem to be the next step in the Chase U saga, which is at least continuing.

Video on Kelani Jordan.

Kiana James and Izzi Dame complain about the locker room and take a drink from the overly excited Brinley Reece. Then they pour the drink out.

Here is Carmelo Hayes, again sitting in the chair, and this time he says the villain is always the villain when the hero is telling the story. He allowed Trick Williams to succeed and wanted Williams to make his parents proud. Then he had to take it all away, because he wanted Williams to know where he was. They had an agreement: Hayes gets the NXT Title and Williams gets the North American Title.

Then Williams tried to act like they were on the same level and no way. So did he attack Williams months ago? Of course he did and he would do it again. Cue Williams……..’music, as Hayes laughs because Williams isn’t here. Williams got so caught up in the headlines that he pushed his friend to the sidelines. He wanted to be like Hayes so much but it was all just a trick. Williams was just a hype man and that’s all it was ever going to be. That was a pretty simple explanation and it worked just fine.

We get the Three Faces vignette from No Surrender.

Video on Oba Femi.

Riley Osborne is disappointed that Thea Hail wasn’t out there but they’re on for Valentine’s Day. With Osborne gone, Jacy Jayne says she’ll work with Hail for next week.

Lola Vice vs. Roxanne Perez

Vice interrupted Perez’s Vengeance Day title shot and they fought after the match. Perez chases her to the floor to start and hits a dive, only to have Vice take over back inside. The hip attack connects but Perez gets a boot up in the corner. That’s fine with Vice, who kicks her out to the floor as we take a break.

Back with Vice holding a chinlock before firing off some running knees to the ribs. Perez kicks her down and hits the double springboard moonsault for two but Vice is back with a choke. Pop Rox is broken up and Vice elbows her in the face for two more. Cue Tatum Paxley for a distraction so Vice kicks her down, only to walk into Pop Rox for the pin at 9:35.

Rating: C+. Vice might be limited in the ring but she has the charisma to make a lot of this work. That’s what matters more than a lot of what she is going to do in the ring and it went well enough here. Perez can move back into the title hunt as she wasn’t pinned on Sunday as Vice can deal with Paxley. That’s a nice way to send things into different directions and it went well enough as a match too.

Meta Four isn’t worried about either of their upcoming tag matches. The No Quarter Catch Crew comes in to say they want a Heritage Cup title shot but Noam Dar bails.

Fallon Henley/Wren Sinclair vs. Meta Four

Noam Dar and Oro Mensah are here too. Legend slaps Henley to start so it’s Sinclair coming in for a crossbody, with Henley adding a dropkick to the back. Jackson comes in and shrugs off a headlock, allowing Legend to crash onto Sinclair’s back. The villains take turns stomping away in the corner for two before Sinclair has to fight out of a double arm crank. The tag brings Henley back in to pick up the pace but Legend helps Jackson pull Henley’s throat into the ropes. Sinclair comes back in and is promptly powerbombed for the pin at 5:04.

Rating: C. It’s almost hard to fathom but Legend and Jackson feel like much bigger stars here. Granted Henley is mainly known for her friendship with Josh Briggs and Brooks Jensen and Sinclair has barely been around, but it’s still odd to see Legend and Jackson being so dominant. Not much of a match, though Legend looked good as a monster.

Josh Briggs and Brooks Jensen have a brief reunion, with Jensen saying he needs his friends. Briggs isn’t having this and tells him to grow up before someone takes his spot. Fair enough as Jensen has felt pathetic since the split.

Ava gives Jaida Parker a match with Riz next week, one on one. With Parker gone, Ridge Holland comes in to say he wants a match with Gallus, three on one. That can’t happen, but Holland can fight the one at a time. Works for him.

We look back at Carmelo Hayes’ comments.

Ilja Dragunov vs. Dijak

Non-title. They go straight to the fight to start with Dijak going after the nose that he broke before. Said nose is sent into the turnbuckle but Dragunov chops his way out of trouble. Dijak manages a kick to knock Dragunov out to the floor but stops to look under the ring. With nothing found, Dijak decks him again and we take a break.

Back with Dragunov fighting out of a chinlock but having to block Feast Your Eyes. Dijak kicks him into the ropes but is quickly pulled into a Death Valley Driver into the corner. The top rope backsplash gives Dragunov two and he hits a running boot in the corner to rock Dijak again. A quick High Justice gives Dijak two of his own and a clothesline cuts off the Constantine Special. Dijak’s elbow, which was banged up at Vengeance Day, flares up again though and cue Joe Gacy to hit Dijak with….something. Dragunov uses the distraction (which he didn’t see) to hit the H Bomb for the pin at 12:58.

Rating: B-. This was something of reheating a feud that they had a few months ago for one night only and it went well enough for a main event. Gacy distracting Dijak to cost him the match keeps their feud going and now we get to see where Dragunov goes next. This was more about continuing Gacy vs. Dijak and if it gives Dragunov a win in the process, so be it.

Post match Carmelo Hayes comes in to jump Dragunov and holds up the NXT Title to end the show.

Overall Rating: B-. The action was good enough here, with the opener and main event being the best parts, but this was about Carmelo Hayes as the new top heel. It seems like we could be seeing Hayes challenging Dragunov in the near future, perhaps even at Roadblock, and that likely gets us to the main event of Stand & Deliver in one way or another. That’s by far the biggest thing in NXT at the moment and giving it so much time on this show was the right way to go.

Results
Axiom/Nathan Frazer b. Edris Enofe/Malik Blade – Golden Ratio to Blade
Lexis King b. Riley Osborne – Hanging Coronation
Roxanne Perez b. Lola Vice – Pop Rox
Meta Four b. Fallon Henley/Wren Sinclair – Powerbomb to Sinclair
Ilja Dragunov b. Dijak – H Bomb

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Vengeance Day 2024
Date: February 4, 2024
Location: F&M Bank Arena, Clarkesville, Tennessee
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Wade Barrett

It’s time for another NXT pay per view and this time the focus is on Trick Williams, who will be in action twice. First, Williams will be teaming with Carmelo Hayes in the finals of the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic before he challenges Ilja Dragunov for the NXT Title in the show’s main event. That’s in addition to everything else so let’s get to it.

The opening video looks at Valentine’s Day, but apparently prefers Vengeance. We get the usual preview for the show’s matches.

Wade Barrett is back on commentary for one night only.

Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic Finals: Trick Williams/Carmelo Hayes vs. Bron Breakker/Baron Corbin

Breakker and Corbin come to the ring on motorcycles for a nice touch. Hayes and Breakker lock up to start with the latter powering him away. Williams comes in (the fans approve) and everything breaks down, with Hayes and Williams clearing the ring. Back in and Hayes strikes away at Corbin, who misses a charge into the post. The Fade Away connects but Corbin hits a heck of a clothesline. It’s back to Breakker, who seems to slip up a bit coming off the ropes but is fine enough to catch Hayes in a toss powerslam.

The chinlock doesn’t last long and Hayes gets most of a cutter, allowing the double tags to Corbin and Williams. The latter gets to clean house and hands it back to Hayes for a Lionsault. A Codebreaker hits Breakker for two as Williams dives onto Corbin. Back in and Breakker suplexes both of them at once and then nips up (because that’s something he can do) before handing it back to Corbin.

This includes Breakker launching Corbin over the top onto both of them, leaving Hayes to have to make a save back inside. Deep Six plants Williams for two and Breakker hits a big flipping dive to the floor. Back in and Williams crotches Corbin on top and Hayes drops Breakker off the top. Nothing but Net is broken up and Breakker spears Hayes for the pin at 14:31.

Rating: C+. There were some less than smooths pots in this but they got to the ending that mattered. Hayes takes the pin and doesn’t get what he wants, which should make for some issues between them on the way to the main event. Other than that, even though Breakker seems main roster bound, he’s also seemingly getting one more run here, which should make for a good sendoff.

We recap Roxanne Perez challenging for the Women’s Title. She never lost it in the first place but then a series of title changes have left Lyra Valkyria as champion. Tonight, Perez says she’s not the same old girl and now she’s coming to get her title back. Valkyria doesn’t think it’s that simple.

Dijak vs. Joe Gacy

No DQ as Dijak wants to beat on Gacy as much as possible. Dijak pulls out a nightstick but Gacy evens it up with a metal rod. Gacy knocks him to the floor and hits a dive, meaning it’s time for a bunch of weapons. This includes a chair, which Dijak is say in for a cannonball from Gacy. The table is loaded up and Gacy covers it with toy cars and blocks, only to get kicked in the face for his efforts.

Back in and Dijak puts a trashcan onto Gacy and kicks him down, only to have Gacy ram himself into Dijak (still with can) for a double knockdown. Dijak goes up but it’s a heck of a shove to send him off the ropes and through the table (with toys) at ringside. Back in and a chokeslam gives Dijak two but Gacy German superplexes him off the top for a crash.

It’s time to get creative so Gacy wraps duct tape around Dijak’s eyes, only to get caught with Fast Your Eyes anyway. Since the tape is still around Dijak’s eyes, he can’t see to cover Gacy in a clever moment. The referee removes said tape but Gacy is back with a DDT. A top rope splash onto Dijak onto a chair gets two but the Upside Down is cut off with a nightstick to the ribs. Dijak hits Feast Your Eyes for the pin at 11:58.

Rating: B-. It wasn’t anything great but I liked them having some different spots in there. It’s also the kind of match that they set up well in advance, with Dijak wanting to hut Gacy and Gacy being fine with it. Good fight here, even if the toys fell off the table more than once before impact.

The Women Of Chase U calendar is selling well and they’re on sale on WWEShop tomorrow.

We recap OTM vs. the D’Angelo Family, which is actually a six person tag rather than a Tag Team Title match. Basically OTM attacked them so it’s time for a big group fight.

OTM vs. D’Angelo Family

Scrypts is here with OTM. The Family jumps them to start and it’s a big brawl at the bell. Nima stomps D’Angelo to officially get things going but everything breaks down, with the Family firing off right hands to the ribs. Stacks hits a Cannonball to Nima and Riz hits the same to Parker. Back up and Parker knocks Stacks and Riz off the apron as things breaks down again. Stereo forearms in the corner rock Stacks and a right hand knocks him over the top.

Parker and Riz get into a fight on the floor and a pop up powerbomb gives Nima two on Stacks. Back up and Stacks manages to get in a shot of his own, allowing the tag off to D’Angelo. House is cleaned, but Parker slaps the heck out of him to break up a suplex. Riz jumps Parker and they brawl to the floor, with D’Angelo cutting off an interfering Scrypts. A spinebuster hits Price back inside and the fisherman’s suplex gives D’Angelo the pin at 10:12.

Rating: C+. As has been the case with more than one match tonight, this felt like a match that belonged on the regular TV show and in this case, that’s ok. I’d rather have something different than a Tag Team Title match without much heat so they made the right decision. Breakker and Corbin are waiting on the Family anyway so they have something bigger coming up, meaning getting this out of the way makes a lot of sense.

Kiana James and Izzi Dame break down possible obstacles on their way to the Women’s Title. First up: Kelani Jordan.

A banged up Carmelo Hayes tells Trick Williams to go win the NXT Title. Williams can go with that.

Lyra Valkyria needs to beat Roxanne Perez.

Women’s Title: Roxanne Perez vs. Lyra Valkyria

Perez is challenging. Feeling out process to start with Valkyria grabbing a headlock and then an armbar to put Perez down. Perez reverses into a headlock takeover as they’re going move for move early on. Valkyria sends her outside but Perez cuts her off with a hard forearm and sends her into the corner for some forearms. That’s broken up and Valkyria knocks her to the apron, only to get caught with Pop Rox…and here is Lola Vice. After kicking an interfering Tatum Paxley down, the match is officially a triple threat.

Women’s Title: Roxanne Perez vs. Lyra Valkyria vs. Lola Vice

Valkyria is defending and Vice grabs a sleeper on Perez. That’s broken up and Vice kicks Perez in the head for two. A triangle choke goes on but Valkyria comes off the top with a splash for the save and two of her own. Vice sends them both into the corner for running hip attacks but Perez avoids another one.

Vice and Valkyria are sent outside for some dives, followed by a high crossbody to Valkyria. That’s fine with the champ, who rolls through into vanquish for two, with Vice making the save and getting her own near fall to leave them all down. Vice kicks Valkyria down for two but can’t get the cross armbreaker. Pop Rox hits Valkyria, only to have Paxley breaks it up. Night Wish to Vice retains the title at 13:35 (counting the original match).

Rating: B. This was a really weird mash up of two matches, with the first match being a rather nice technical off, followed by Vice turning the second half into a frenzy. The thing with Vice is that she isn’t polished in the ring yet but she’s a ball of energy and charisma, which makes things more interesting. Good stuff here, and now there’s no more random title match looming over our heads.

Riley Osborne asks Thea Hail to be his Valentine and that’s a yes, with Jacy Jayne not being overly impressed by Hail’s acceptance.

We get a weird vignette talking about how a man had three faces: the one the world sees, the one his family sees and the real one that no one sees but shows the evil he possesses.

North American Title: Oba Femi vs. Dragon Lee

Lee is challenging after losing the title to Femi via a surprise cash in. Femi doesn’t like the idea of hanging over the title so Lee starts fast and knocks him outside for a dive. Back in and Femi pulls a high crossbody out of the air, only to get kicked into the corner. Femi powers out again and plants him down as commentary talks about how impressive Femi is despite inexperience. Lee fights up again but Femi shoves him outside without much trouble.

A backbreaker has Lee in more trouble until he kicks his way to freedom. The tornado DDT into a running knee gives Lee two, followed by a running powerbomb for two. They had outside with Lee being sent onto the announcers’ table, followed by a toss into an open chair. Back in and Lee reverses a powerbomb into a hurricanrana for two, only to get blasted by a clothesline. The pop up powerbomb retains the title at 10:56.

Rating: B-. This took some time to get going but it was working by the end with the power vs. speed motif on full display. Lee is likely going up to the main roster full time while Femi feels like someone who is going to smash NXT for the time being. Femi is the kind of monster you do not get to see very often and he is on a roll despite having a very short career so far. He knows just how to be what he’s supposed to be and that is a great way to start.

Lexis King interrupts the Chase U calendar sales to hit on Thea Hail. Riley Osborne comes in for the brawl.

Ava brags about NXT’s success and promises more big shows coming.

Malik Blade and Edris Enofe give Brinley Reece their five good things about their recent loss, but have nothing for negatives. Axiom and Nathan Frazer come in to mock how ridiculous this is but Reece has an idea.

Roxanne Perez jumps Lola Vice in the back and the fight has to be broken up.

We recap Trick Williams vs. Ilja Dragunov for the NXT Title. Williams won the Iron Survivor Challenge and got his shot, though there is still the question of who attacked him a few months ago.

NXT Title: Trick Williams vs. Ilja Dragunov

Williams, with Carmelo Hayes, is challenging and starts fast with a dropkick. Dragunov, bleeding from the nose, is back up with a Constantine Special and they’re both staggered for a bit. Back up and Dragunov knocks him into the corner for some kicks to the face as Williams is bleeding from the mouth (as he was in the opener). Dragunov grabs a waistlock for a bit until they fight outside, where a German suplex drops Williams again.

Hayes helps Williams get back up before sending him back inside….where Dragunov missile dropkicks him down. A heck of a clothesline gives Dragunov two but Williams is back up with a Codebreaker for a double knockdown. Williams fires off some kicks to take over for a change but has to block another Constantine Special. The jumping clothesline hits Dragunov and they fight to the apron, where Williams hits something like a Rock Bottom to the floor (though Dragunov half landed on his feet, likely out of the need for survival).

Dragunov manages to send him into the steps and gets yelled at by Hayes, who misses a swing. Dragunov sends Hayes into Williams’ knee and Hayes knows he screwed up. Back in and Williams’ jumping neckbreaker connects and he hits his own H Bomb for two. Dragunov knocks him down again and hits a middle rope H Bomb for two and the fans are rather pleased.

Torpedo Moscow misses though and Williams’ spinning boot to the face connects for two. Hayes gets up on the apron and Williams accidentally knocks the referee into him, meaning the Trick Knee connects for….two from another referee. Another H Bomb knocks Williams silly, but a top rope version hits raised knee. Williams takes the hair tie out and goes to the corner, but the Trick Knee hits Torpedo Moscow and Dragunov retains at 17:58.

Rating: B+. That ending is a bold choice as the air went out of the building when Williams lost. That being said, the money match would seem to be in Hayes vs. Williams and it wouldn’t shock me if that winds up being the title match at Stand & Deliver. For now though, Dragunov hangs on for another few weeks, but other than Hayes, I’m not sure who is next for him.

Hayes consoles Williams…..and then turns on him with a shot to the knee to end the show. Hayes grabs a chair and unloads on the knee before sitting in said chair and posing to end the show. To say the fans were mad at Hayes would be the understatement of the day. The fact that his jacket looked a lot like the one Shawn Michaels wore during the Barbershop incident is just a coincidence I’m sure.

Overall Rating: B. The Hayes turn was needed as there wasn’t much else going on here. Other than the Dusty Cup finals and Vice getting rid of her contract, it was a pretty tame event with good matches but not much in the way of events. That being said, the ending had huge heat and likely gives us a Stand & Deliver main event so they certainly nailed the big stuff. Good show, but nothing really worth going out of your way to see, save for possibly the main event.

Results
Baron Corbin/Bron Breakker b. Carmelo Hayes/Trick Williams – Spear to Hayes
Dijak b. Joe Gacy – Feast Your Eyes
D’Angelo Family b. OTM – Fisherman’s suplex to Price
Lyra Valkyria b. Lola Vice and Roxanne Perez – Night Wish to Vice
Oba Femi b. Dragon Lee – Pop up powerbomb
Ilja Dragunov b. Trick Williams – Torpedo Moscow

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