NXT
Date: April 4, 2023
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Booker T.

We’re done with Stand & Deliver and quite a few things have changed. We had a pair of title changes, with the biggest being Carmelo Hayes taking the NXT Title from Bron Breakker. That should make for some interesting futures for multiple people around here 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 new NXT Women’s Champion Indi Hartwell to get things going. She can’t believe she’s finally champion and thanks the fans for having her back. Hartwell talks about going from nothing to something and then falling right back down but the fans never gave up on her. She wants Roxanne Perez to have the first title shot but here is Zoey Stark to interrupt. Stark hasn’t heard anything from Perez so Hartwell should give Stark the title shot instead. Hartwell says it’s on.

Yesterday at the airport, Axiom interrupted Wes Lee and again asks for a one on one title match. Sure.

Tony D’Angelo/Stacks vs. Pretty Deadly

Stacks rolls Wilson up to start and hits a springboard forearm to take him down. D’Angelo comes in with a knee lift and a yell to Wilson as everything breaks down. Stacks gets sent into Wilson in the corner but a non-tag allows Wilson to come back in and take over on Stacks in the corner.

Prince comes in off a tag and sends Stacks into the corner again for two but it’s right back to D’Angelo. House is cleaned but Pretty Deadly changes places under the ring skirt. The distraction is enough for D’Angelo to be sent into an exposed buckle to give Prince the cheating pin at 7:08.

Rating: C+. That’s all it needed to be as Pretty Deadly gets to keep their roll going and D’Angelo and Stacks get to save some face due to the cheating. Pretty Deadly is one of those teams who work very well with everything they’re doing and have figured out exactly how to do everything they’re doing. That’s a hard trick to pull off and they’ve made it work so well.

Jacy Jayne laughs at the idea of Gigi Dolin winning the Women’s Title.

Odyssey Jones vs. Dijak

Dijak gets crushed in the corner to start as Jones uses the size advantage. With that not working, Jones heads up top but gets kicked in the head, allowing Dijak to hit a Death Valley Driver for two. The top rope moonsault finishes Jones at 2:47. The moonsault looked good.

Post match Dijak says he’s mad.

Video on Dragon Lee.

Gallus says this is their kingdom.

Nathan Frazer vs. Dragon Lee

Before the match, here is the returning Noam Dar with the NXT UK Heritage Cup. Dar talks about how he is back after months away and brags about how awesome the Cup is. Feeling out process to start with Frazer’s headlock not working so well. They flip to an early standoff and we take a break.

Back with Frazer being sent into the corner. Frazer fights out but gets caught again, with Lee hitting the top rope double stomp. Back up and Frazer kicks him down, setting up a Phoenix splash for two. Lee catches a charging Frazer in a sitout powerbomb for two more, followed by a running knee to finish Frazer at 10:10.

Rating: B-. This is the kind of match that lets both of them shine as they have the talent to go in a slightly longer than usual sprint. These two were trading their big spots and moves until Lee won to establish himself a little bit around here. Frazer might never be a star in NXT, but he is going to have a job for a long time by making people look good in competitive matches.

Chase U is pleased with the win at Stand & Deliver, with Andre Chase thanking Tyler Bate. Duke Hudson asks about his credit when Chase reminds Hudson that he doesn’t like awards. Hudson gets up and talks about everything he did, so Chase says next week, Hudson is getting the MVP trophy!

Alba Fyre and Isla Dawn are ready to defend their Tag Team Titles against all comers. Drinking ensues.

Wes Lee is proud of what happened on Saturday and calls it the proudest match of his life. He knew he picked the right guys, but there is still Axiom to deal with tonight.

Women’s Title: Zoey Stark vs. Indi Hartwell

Hartwell is defending and slips away to start. Stark hits a running kick for two and gives us a stunned kickout look face. Hartwell gets sent into the corner but comes out with a hard right hand for two. Another hard shot puts Hartwell down though and we take a break. Back with Hartwell fighting out of the cravate but getting taken down with a clothesline for two. Hartwell makes a quick comeback and hits a top rope elbow for two. The spinebuster gets the same but Stark is back with the flipping knee to the face, which sends Hartwell outside. Back in and Stark covers for two but Hartwell rolls her into a cradle for the pin at 10:38.

Rating: C. I’m still not wild on Hartwell winning the title after being so miserable for so long, but at least she picked up the pace a bit here. Giving her a win over someone like Stark does at least help reestablish her without going too far over a big time challenger. Not a bad match, but like most of Hartwell and Starks’ stuff, it was just kind of there.

Post match Tiffany Stratton comes out to stare at Hartwell but Cora Jade comes in to jump Hartwell and say the title is hers. Stratton isn’t impressed.

Brooks Jensen begs Kiana James for forgiveness when Fallon Henley comes in to say James is cheating on her. James says she was dating around and playing the field. Then they had their first kiss and it was special. James leaves and Henley/Josh Briggs say James is trying to make him the bad guy. Jensen yells at them to stay out of his relationship.

Commentary acknowledges the passing of Bushwhacker Butch.

Cora Jade is leaving when Lyra Valkyria pops in to threaten her about trying to run away from fate.

Tatum Paxley vs. Ivy Nile

Nile goes right after her to start but Paxley knocks her into a headlock on the mat. Back up and Nile unloads in the corner, setting up something like a spinning Big Ending. A spinebuster lets Nile hammer away some more, followed by the Diamond Chain Lock to make Paxley tap at 4:24.

Rating: C-. This is what it needed to be, as Nile, the much more polished star, gets to run over Paxley to end their feud (at least in theory) and move on to something else. There was no reason to believe that Paxley was a threat to Nile and they didn’t bother trying to make her one. The match was little more than a squash and it went as it should have.

Ilja Dragunov is disappointed in losing at Stand & Deliver but promises to come back. Von Wagner comes in to challenge him but Mr. Stone pops up. Stone will get him the match for next week, but if Wagner loses, they’re done. Thank goodness, as this story has been on repeat for weeks.

North American Title: Wes Lee vs. Axiom

Lee is defending. They go with the grappling to start and Axiom gets a rollup for two. A test of strength goes to the mat with Axiom getting the better of things, setting up a springboard armdrag. Lee is sent outside and gets dropped by a dive, only to pop back up with a knockdown of his own as we take a break.

Back with the two of them slugging it out until Lee takes him down for a basement dropkick. A rolling double stomp gives Lee two but he has to fight out of Axiom’s choke. Axiom grabs a small package for two and knocks Lee back. The Golden Ratio misses though and Lee hits the Cardiac Kick for the pin at 10:38.

Rating: B-. Much like the Frazer vs. Lee match, this was something that was going to work well just due to the people involved. Let them go out there and have an entertaining match because they’re both skilled and work well together. Other than that, it should put an end to Axiom coming for the title, which could open the door for someone interesting to come after Lee.

Post match Lee shows respect and leaves. Cue Scrypts to jump Axiom but he gets dropped with a quick kick. Axiom says he’s going to expose Scrypts.

Nathan Frazer is upset by a tough loss but seems to have an epiphany about what he needs to change.

Coming to NXT: Tank Ledger, Dani Palmer and Oba Femi. They’re all regulars on NXT LVL Up.

Here are Trick Williams and Carmelo Hayes for the big championship celebration. Hayes brags about his accomplishments and Williams declares it the HIM Era. Hayes says he’s a great champion but he has to give Bron Breakker his credit too. If Breakker is back there, Hayes would like him to come to the ring, so here he is. Things are fine here and Hayes thanks Breakker for the show of respect after the title change. On behalf of Hayes and everyone in NXT, thank you.

Breakker says every champion loses to the new guy and it was his job to pass the torch to the new man. That’s why he did what he did, just like Tommaso Ciampa did to him. Breakker tells the crowd to show respect for the new champion and goes to leave but Hayes stops him for a handshake….and then Breakker turns on both of them and lays them out. The fans chant ONE MORE TIME to end the show. If Breakker is staying in NXT, he had to do this.

Overall Rating: B-. Unlike Raw, this felt like a show that was coming off a big event and actually did something. You had promises of debuts, a big turn in the end, and some nice action throughout. This came off like a show that was planned in advance and I’ll take that over things being made up on the fly. Pretty solid effort this week, and as usual, they set things up for the future, which is so important yet not done nearly often enough elsewhere. As usual, NXT is dependable and that’s great to see.

Results
Pretty Deadly b. Tony D’Angelo/Stacks – Ram into exposed turnbuckle
Dijak b. Odyssey Jones – Moonsault
Dragon Lee b. Nathan Frazer – Running knee
Indi Hartwell b. Zoey Stark – Rollup
Ivy Nile b. Tatum Paxley – Diamond Chain Lock
Wes Lee b. Axiom – Cardiac Kick

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

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AND

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

Stand & Deliver 2023
Date: April 1, 2023
Location: Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, California
Commentators Vic Joseph, Booker T.

It’s probably the biggest NXT show of the year as they get to set the table for tonight’s Wrestlemania. This show is solid enough on its own though with multiple title matches, including the closest thing the modern NXT has to a dream match. The main event will see Carmelo Hayes finally challenging Bron Breakker for the NXT Title so let’s get to it.

Kickoff Show: Chase U vs. Schism

The winners control Chase University. Chase starts with Fowler and hammers him into the corner so it’s off to Reid instead. Hudson tags himself in, which doesn’t sit so well. Hail comes in and gets to face the debuting Ava. Or maybe not as Ava hands it off to Gacy, which brings Chase in for the fight. Gacy knocks him down and tries his own spelling stomps, which is going too far for Chase.

With Chase in control, Hail comes back in, meaning Ava has to join her. Ava powers her down but Hail gets in a knockdown. A springboard backsplash connects so Fowler makes the save and comes in to face Bate. Some interference helps put Bate in trouble so he muscles Fowler up into a suplex and dives over for the tag to Chase.

Everything breaks down and Bate is sent to the floor as Hudson FINALLY comes in for the save. Bate hits Bop and Bang on Gacy but Hudson big boots Bate down by mistake. The handspring lariat connects but Gacy Chase makes the save. Schism takes everyone but Hudson down and Gacy offers him a shirt.

The Chase U shirt comes off (that gets the fans’ attention) and the Schism shirt goes on, but the rest of Chase U stands up to fight anyway (that was good). Then Hudson rips off the shirt and the real fight is on, with quadruple Bop and Bangs into quadruple spelling stomps. Bate and Hail hit dives to the floor, setting up the Fratliner to finish Fowler and save the school at 11:16.

Rating: C+. The crowd reaction here was a good sign as the fans have long since wanted to see Chase U get the big win. Hudson changing shirts twice was a heck of a roller coaster sequence and that is what they were trying to have. This should finish off the Schism feud for good and that is not a second too soon. Now get them on to some kind of title feud already, as it is LONG overdue.

The opening video looks at the major matches, with Pretty Deadly throwing in some comments about what we’re going to see and how important it is.

Women’s Title: Tiffany Stratton vs. Gigi Dolin vs. Roxanne Perez vs. Lyra Valkyria vs. Zoey Stark vs. Indi Hartwell

Perez is defending in a ladder match. The fight is on to start with Perez headscissoring Stark into Stratton in the corner. Perez hammers Valkyria down and low bridges Stark to the floor, setting up the dive on Hartwell. The ladder is picked up but a baseball slide drives it into Perez instead. Dolin tries her own ladder, which is baseball slidden into her as well. Perez and Valkyria get back in and fight over control of a ladder until Perez gets crushed into the corner.

Back up and Valkyria kicks Dolin in the head before suplexing her into the corner. Valkyria starts to go up but gets broken up, with Hartwell getting to kick Stark in the face a few times. Perez cuts off Hartwell from going up and slugs it out with Stratton on the ladder until Hartwell shoves it over. Dolin is back in with the ladder around the head helicopter spot before sending Valkyria onto a ladder laid up in the corner.

The big ladder is brought in and Perez, after avoiding a ladder being thrown at her, goes up. Stratton is there to cut her off though and both of them get knocked down. Hartwell is back in with a spinebuster to put Stratton on the ladder but gets knocked down by Stark. A ladder is bridged between the big ladder and the corner and Perez gets to make a save. Perez hurricanranas Stratton to the floor and goes up but Dolin makes the save.

Dolin swings her into the standing ladder, setting up the abdominal stretch bomb. Valkyria gets tied in the standing ladder so Dolin can go up, only for Valkyria can pull herself up. Dolin sends Valkyria crashing down but….Jacy Jayne pops up to knock Dolin down onto the bridged ladder. Referees get rid of Jayne so Stratton pops up the ladder, which is pushed over by Hartwell, leaving Stratton to basically Swanton the floor as she lands near some other people. Back inside and Hartwell can’t bring herself to climb….but here is Dexter Lumis to help her up and win the title at 17:01.

Rating: B. Are you kidding? After months of Hartwell’s “oh well, guess I’m wrestling today, doesn’t matter if I do though”, she gets the title for the sake of an InDex reunion? I can’t imagine Hartwell keeping the title for very long, but after all of the interest that I’ve lost in her over the last several months, this is really hard to care about.

The rest of the match was your usual multi person ladder match with people crashing all over the place, but thankfully they didn’t do anything too crazy. These matches have been done to death but they did things well enough to be a high energy opener that didn’t do a lot of the bad things that happens in these things.

Tag Team Titles: Gallus vs. Creed Brothers vs. Tony D’Angelo/Stacks

Gallus is defending and agree to not drink to be ready. Julius, D’Angelo and Coffey start things off with Julius starting fast. It’s quickly off to Stacks, who gets small packaged and slammed down. Everything breaks down and the Creeds take over on the floor as UFC Hall of Famer Daniel Cormier approves from the crowd.

Back in and Mark knees Brutus and decks D’Angelo, allowing Wolfgang to get the tag. Wolfgang and D’Angelo slug it out until Brutus hands it back to Julius for a bunch of suplexes into nipups (cool sequence). Stacks comes back in to run some people over until he gets sent to the apron.

Mark picks Stacks up on his shoulders….so Julius lifts BOTH of them onto his shoulders for a double electric chair (albeit as they hold the ropes but still). Brutus comes off the top and completely misses the Brutus Ball (the fans could tell too) and everyone crashes down before they go back inside. D’Angelo clotheslines Wolfgang to the floor and a double spinebuster drops Mark to give Stacks two…..as Joe Coffey returns to make the save. Gallus’ fireman’s carry flapjack/big boot combination finishes Stacks at 8:15 to retain.

Rating: C+. This was a step down from the opener and the ending was all about the big Joe Coffey return. Aside from that (and the not so great, yet still impressive) electric chair spot, it was pretty much your run of the middle triple threat match. There isn’t much you can do with that standard formula and while it was a fine way to get the teams on the show, it wasn’t exactly great.

Pretty Deadly wants to interview Bron Breakker…..but decide to give him his space instead.

We recap the North American Title match. Champion Wes Lee wants the best so he has requested four challengers (cut down from ten), meaning Wes got to pick his opponents to get us here.

North American Title: Wes Lee vs. Dragon Lee vs. JD McDonagh vs. Axiom vs. Ilja Dragunov

Wes is defending and it’s one fall to a finish. McDonagh and Dragunov go outside to start with Wes sending Dragon out there soon after. Wes takes Axiom down but McDonagh and Dragunov are back in for the rapid fire chops. Dragon breaks that up and takes them both down into the corners for the running dropkicks.

We settle down (kind of) to Dragon vs. Axiom with Dragon knocking him outside for the big running flip dive. Wes is back in to strike away at Dragon, setting up a basement dropkick to the back of the head. Dragunov comes in to go after Wes, who sends him straight into the corner. McDonagh comes back in and takes over until Wes knocks him to the apron. That just means a moonsault onto Dragunov and Axiom on the floor.

Back in and the Devil Inside hits Wes but Dragunov grabs the referee’s arm at two. Everyone but Wes goes after McDonagh to take him out, leaving all five down. Most of them get back up and it’s Dragunov getting to clean house, including the Constantine Special (619 into a clothesline) to Axiom. Dragunov (bleeding a bit from the forehead) clotheslines Wes and then Death Valley Drivers him into Dragon in the corner.

Axiom is back up and sends Dragunov outside for the moonsault onto Dragunov and McDonagh. Dragon ties Wes’ knee up in the ropes and hits a big top rope double stomp to take him out. Back in and Axiom beats up Dragunov and McDonagh but Dragon makes the save. Dragunov powerbombs Axiom onto the other two and covers all three, with Wes diving in for the save. Axiom kicks Wes out of the air and Dragunov blasts Dragon with a knee.

Wes makes the save and moonsaults onto Dragunov for two of his own. McDonagh is back up to Rock Bottom Axiom onto Dragon for two but Axiom manages the springboard moonsault DDT to drop McDonagh for two more. With McDonagh on the apron, Axiom hurricanranas him onto Wes but Dragunov superplexes Axiom from the apron to the ring for two, with the Lees making the save. Dragunov gets caught between Dragon and Wes but manages to kick his way out of trouble. The Torpedo hits Dragon, only to have Wes hit the Cardiac Kick on Dragunov at the same time for the retaining pin at 19:19.

Rating: B. This was the kind of action and drama packed match that you would have expected, as it was all about people coming in and making saved and going for a bunch of falls. The good thing is that multiple people were real options to take the title but Wes gets to retain to look even better. What felt like it could have been a nothing reign coming in has turned into one of the best the title has had and has elevated Wes to a much higher level. Pretty sweet match here and it didn’t need all of the shenanigans or violence.

Pretty Deadly (in different clothes) want to talk to Carmelo Hayes but can’t decide which knock to use. Trick Williams pops up to say leave them alone. Hayes is ready to win the title though.

We recap Grayson Waller vs. Johnny Gargano. Waller is a disrespectful jerk and wanted to face Shawn Michaels. Instead, Michaels brought back Gargano to fight for NXT. Then Waller made it personal, so this is unsanctioned.

Video on Gargano, in case you forgot/have never seen him around here.

Johnny Gargano vs. Grayson Waller

Unsanctioned and Gargano jumps him before the bell to send it outside. Waller twists the knee around so Waller can go yell at Vic Joseph. Back up and Gargano unloads with trashcan shots to the back, with a big one sending Waller to the floor. The big dive is cut off by the trashcan lid though and Waller sets up a bunch of chairs at ringside. They’ll be for later though as Waller takes him inside for a buckle bomb.

Gargano is back up and suplexes Waller over the top and onto the chairs for the nasty crash. It’s time to set up a table, allowing Waller to get in his own shot. Sweet Chin Music is loaded up but Gargano knocks him to the floor. Waller drives him hard into the apron to take over but can’t follow up after the crash. Gargano takes too long going after the table, allowing Waller to hit his rolling Stunner.

They slug it out back inside with Waller taking over, including some kendo stick shots. Waller goes over to Candice LeRae and Gargano’s son, which is too far for Gargano. With the baby handed off, Gargano fights back and Candice jumps the barricade to beat on Waller with the stick.

Back in and One Final Beat gets two and Waller fights back again. A Van Terminator into a trashcan (there’s one of your big spots) gets two on Gargano and Waller isn’t happy. They go back to the floor where Waller puts him on the announcers’ table, only to take FOREVER to go up top. That lets Gargano pelt a chair at him and start hammering away again. Waller manages a quick rolling Stunner for two and yells a lot, only to get hit low. Gargano unloads with a chair over and over until the Gargano Escape finishes Waller at 18:19.

Rating: B-. This is what it should have been, as Waller is more about the hype and talk than what he can do in the ring (where he’s good enough). On the other hand you have Gargano, who is one of if not the most successful NXT star ever. Gargano stood up for NXT and beat down the loudmouth who kept running the place down. Waller is going to be fine after the loss and can talk his way right back to where he was. For now though, Gargano gets another nice moment, which is what he has been needing in recent months.

Post match InDex comes out for the big Way reunion.

Stacks is upset about losing but Tony D’Angelo says it’s ok. Pretty Deadly comes in to mock them and a big fight breaks out.

Women’s Tag Team Titles: Fallon Henley/Kiana James vs. Isla Dawn/Alba Fyre

Henley and James, with Brooks Jensen and Josh Briggs, are defending. It’s a brawl on the floor to start before they head inside. Fyre trips Finlay from the floor so the villains can take over, with Fyre’s superkick getting two. Henley manages a knockdown though and it’s James coming in to clean house.

A belly to back gets two on Fyre and it’s back to Henley, who gets choked by Dawn in the corner. James trying to break it up only makes things worse but Henley fights out anyway. A middle rope Blockbuster gives Henley two and everything breaks down. James is sent outside but pulls Dawn out with her.

Back in and a powerbomb/missile dropkick combination gets two on Fyre with Dawn making the save. Fyre gordbusters James and Dawn comes in for a double superkick and a near fall. Everyone is down and James tells Jensen to give her the purse. Briggs says no and the distraction lets Dawn and Fyre take the champs down. A Backstabber/Swanton combination to James gives us new champions at 8:42.

Rating: B-. This was a good bit better than I was expecting as they brought the energy throughout. They also got the ending right, as changing the titles was the only way to go here. Henley vs. James in a showdown is all but guaranteed and now they have cleared away the big thing that was holding it back. Solid stuff here, as Fyre FINALLY wins something in NXT (not UK).

We recap Carmelo Hayes vs. Bron Breakker for the NXT Title. Breakker is unstoppable but Hayes has been successful against everyone else. This is treated as a dream match and I can actually see that for once.

NXT Title: Bron Breakker vs. Carmelo Hayes

Trick Williams handles Carmelo’s entrance, saying he needs the fans to stand so Hayes can deliver. Hayes makes sure he is completely beloved here by having a Lakers themed entrance. After the Big Match Intros we’re ready to go, with Hayes not being able to get anywhere with a power attempt. With that not working, Hayes tries to pick up the pace but his springboard is knocked out of the air.

Breakker grabs a front facelock and lifts Hayes up in quite the power display. Hayes sends him into the corner for the break and stomps away, setting up a springboard clothesline for two. The Fujiwara armbar goes on to keep Breakker down until the power helps him get back up. A shoulder gives Breakker two and he tries a torture rack, only to have Trick pull Hayes to the ropes.

That’s enough for an ejection and Breakker uses the distraction to flip dive onto both of them. Back in and Hayes hits a pump kick into a pretty sweet springboard suplex (Breakker was standing on the bottom rope and Hayes bounced off the middle rope to pull him in. Hayes goes up so Breakker jumps to the top and Frankensteiners him down. They pull themselves up and slug it out in the middle with Breakker getting the better of things.

The Steiner Recliner is blocked though and Hayes pulls him into a Crossface. That doesn’t last long either so Breakker hits the spear….right into the referee. Now the Recliner goes on to make Hayes tap but there’s no referee. Trick is back with a belt shot to Breakker for a rather close two. Breakker tries the gorilla press but Hayes switches into a Codebreaker. Nothing But Net gives Hayes the pin and the title at 16:15.

Rating: B+. I liked this one a lot as it felt like a main event level match between two guys who were working well beyond their experience level. Hayes even won close to clean, as Breakker kicked out of the belt shot and Hayes beat him on his own after that. Hayes has been ready to be the guy around here and there is a long list of people who could defend against right off the bat. Heck of a match and a worthy main event

Post match Breakker glares at Trick and then hands Hayes the title in a show of respect. That feels quite a bit like a goodbye from Breakker and it’s not like he has anything else to do around here anyway.

Overall Rating: B+. This was getting into the same feeling of a Takeover (it’s not THAT good but it’s getting there) with nothing bad, wrestlers doing better than you might have expected, and the very good matches in different parts of the card. I had a rather good time with this and it’s probably the best NXT show since the original was blown up. They certainly, ahem, delivered here.

Results
Chase U b. Schism – Fratliner to Reid
Indi Hartwell b. Zoey Stark, Tiffany Stratton, Roxanne Perez, Lyra Valkyria and Gigi Dolin – Hartwell pulled down the title
Gallus b. Creed Brothers and Tony D’Angelo/Stacks – Fireman’s carry flapjack/big boot combination to Stacks
Wes Lee b. Dragon Lee, JD McDonagh, Axiom and Ilja Dragunov – Cardiac Kick to Dragunov
Johnny Gargano b. Grayson Waller – Gargano Escape
Isla Dawn/Alba Fyre b. Fallon Henley/Kiana James – Swanton/Codebreaker combination to James
Carmelo Hayes b. Bron Breakker – Nothing But Net

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

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

NXT has come a long way in the last few months, having gotten away from the 2.0 stuff and trying to get back to where it was before everything went coconuts. A good portion of that is getting on the road again and that is what they are doing here with the biggest show of the year. As was the case last year, this is a glorified warmup to Wrestlemania, but it is also a heck of a card on its own with a major showdown in the main event. Let’s get to it.

Women’s Tag Team Titles: Kiana James/Fallon Henley(c) vs. Alba Fyre/Isla Dawn

This is one of your classic tropes of partners, or even champions in this case, who can’t stand each other but have to work together. Henley and James don’t like each other over what James might be doing to Henley’s friend Brooks Jensen and James isn’t exactly being open about things. Now they have to fight these monsters and that could be quite the problem for them.

I’ll go with new champions here, as James and Henley don’t feel like they are supposed to be long form champs. Fyre needs to win SOMETHING in NXT and this is about as good as it is probably going to get or her. That being said, it would not shock me a bit to see the angle drawn out even more, as there is a love of dragging out stories that could be over in about five minutes if someone would watch the TV show. But yeah, Dawn and Fyre win.

Tag Team Titles: Gallus(c) vs. Creed Brothers vs. Tony D’Angelo/Stacks

This is a match that has been set up over a few weeks, mainly due to drinking and shooting pool at a local bar. Gallus are the big brawlers, the Creeds are the big wrestlers and D’Angelo and Stacks have mob ties so they can get whatever shot they want. Oddly, D’Angelo and Stacks have been leaning more towards the good side of late and it’s strangely working for them. I’m not sure that’s enough to win the titles though.

I’ll take Gallus to retain here, as they haven’t really done much with the belts so far. Their look alone is enough to get them a chance, but they can back it up well enough. The Creeds have already had their title reign and don’t need another so soon, but D’Angelo and Stacks winning would make some sense too. For now though, I’ll go with Gallus retaining, as they can lose them in a big regular tag match later.

Chase U/Tyler Bate vs. Schism

Here we have a match that should go one way but very well may go in the stupid way instead. Schism continues to be one of the least interesting, most annoying and useless things I have seen in wrestling in a very long time and they have already dragged Chase U down with them over the last few weeks. The winner of this gets control of Chase U and Duke Hudson isn’t exactly happy with what he has been doing lately. This doesn’t instill me with hope.

For the sake of my sanity, I’ll go with Chase U, as I absolutely cannot take Schism getting another featured role. Schism talking as much as they do now is annoying as all goodness and it would be hard to fathom them getting to talk even more. Chase U really needs a win too and it would be great to see them FINALLY get to shut these pests up. I’m completely unsure if they will, but for the love of all things good and holy do the smart thing here.

North American Title: Wes Lee(c) vs. Ilja Dragunov vs. Dragon Lee vs. JD McDonagh vs. Axiom

For once this isn’t a ladder match and that was quite the relief to see. Instead it’s a scramble, with Wes wanting to face ten challengers at once but only getting four. In this case I could see a bunch of people walking away as champion, with Wes being right in the middle after having a rather strong reign with the title. It’s nice to have something this wide open as it leaves you with a bunch of options.

I’ll go with…..I think I’ll go with McDonagh winning, as he has been teased to win something big for a long time now and they might as well let him steal the pin here. Wes has held the title long enough that he doesn’t need to hold it much longer and a bunch of people could chase McDonagh very quickly. This is wide open and that makes for a fun match, which at least doesn’t involve a ladder.

Johnny Gargano vs. Grayson Waller

This is the personal match of the show as Waller is the huge pain and Gargano is standing up to fight for NXT. The match seems to be unsanctioned, even though Waller didn’t seem to sign the contract to make it official this week. What matters is getting Gargano back to his roots as it doesn’t seem to be working so well on the main roster. At least he is getting a chance here and it should be good.

I’ll take Gargano here in the big feel good moment as Waller has shown he can find a way to get back on top just by complaining enough. He is one of those people who will never shut up and he can do that all over again after Gargano wins. If nothing else, this ends the Gargano/Shawn Michaels issues with Waller and we can move on, as I’m sure Waller can find another target quickly enough.

Women’s Title: Roxanne Perez(c) vs. Tiffany Stratton vs. Zoey Stark vs. Gigi Dolin vs. Lyra Valkyria vs. Indi Hartwell

NOW we get to the ladder match and Perez is back to defend her title after missing a few weeks. As usual, you can eliminate some names right off the bat from this, as I can’t imagine Stark or Hartwell getting the title. At the same time, Dolin is shaky at best but could be an X factor. That leaves a few names as possible winners and that makes things more interesting.

I’ll go with Stratton winning here, as her winning the title and bragging about it would be perfect for her. You can then have Perez chase the title that she was never pinned for while also playing into her recent medical issues. Dolin or Valkyria winning isn’t out of the question, but this feels like it should be Stratton or Perez. I’ll take the former, in another match that could be wide open.

NXT Title: Bron Breakker(c) vs. Carmelo Hayes

This is the match that has been set up for months now because there is no one left for Breakker to face. Hayes has felt like the next big thing around here and can back it up as well as anyone else. He has the athleticism, the talking and the resume to make him feel like a star, but Breakker is another kind of force. This is a toss up match and I have a feeling that the loser is going to be making it up to the main roster.

I’ll go with….Hayes to win here, as there is just no reason to keep the title on Breakker much longer. While Hayes would be fine on the main roster at the moment, putting him on top of NXT for a bit feels like something he has earned. There is no bad ending here though and that is a great thing to see. This feels like a special match and I want to see how well they can make it work.

Overall Thoughts

The potential is here for a major show and that is great to see. What matters here is having the top talent around and the main event feels like a huge showdown. Going on the road makes the show feel that much bigger as this show is just a few hours before Wrestlemania. NXT has come a long way and they are looking like they deserve everything they are getting here. Now just make it work.

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NXT
Date: March 28, 2023
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Booker T.

It’s the go home show for Stand & Deliver and there are a few spots that still need to be filled, albeit in multi person matches. Other than that, we get to find out if Grayson Waller vs. Johnny Gargano will be sanctioned or not, plus probably a lot more on Bron Breakker vs. Carmelo Hayes for the NXT Title. Let’s get to it.

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

Battle Royal

Apollo Crews, Axiom, Dabba Kato, Hank Walker, Dante Chen, Xyon Quinn, Edris Enofe, Scrypts, Nathan Fraser, Jinder Mahal, Dijak, Charlie Dempsey, Quincy Elliott, Oro Mensah, Damon Kemp, Malik Blade, Odyssey Jones, Drew Gulak, Javier Bernal, Bryson Montana

The winner is the final entrant in the Open Challenge for the North American Title at Stand & Deliver, with champion Wes Lee at ringside. Scrypts flips in to hit Axiom as the bell rings, with Elliott being tossed out. The brawling ensues and Chen is kicked out as well. Montana is tossed and Kemp is kicked out as well. Enofe and Blade get together and send Dijak to the apron, where Jones gets rid of him.

Dijak pulls Jones to the floor and sends him into the steps before throwing him back in. That lets Mahal toss the banged up Jones, with Blade and Enofe fighting Mahal to the apron. Crews dropkicks Enofe out and Blade is sent as well, with Scrypts being tossed too. Mahal gets back in as Crews tosses Bernal out.

We take a break and come back with Dempsey tossing Walker but eliminating Gulak at the same time. Mahal is knocked out and we’re down to Axiom, Fraser, Kato and Dempsey. Everyone else gets together to get rid of Kato before knocking each other down. Axiom knocks Dempsey to the apron and then out, leaving us with two. They trade shots to the face until the Golden Ratio is cut off. Another superkick knocks Axiom silly but he sends Fraser to the apron anyway. Fraser skins the cat but gets superkicked anyway, which oddly brings him back in. Axiom tosses him out to win at 14:33.

Rating: C+. This was more fun than most battle royals, at least partially due to how fast they kept the pace. Axiom winning wasn’t a guarantee, as they had me wondering if someone would cost him the match and have him come back later in some way. It’s the right call though, as he has been chasing the title shot for a good while now.

Post match Lee gets in the ring and everyone in in the title match appears for a staredown.

Pretty Deadly, in matching hats, pick JD McDonagh to win the North American Title. More on this later.

Andre Chase thanks Tyler Bate for the great performance last week. They’re ready for Stand & Deliver, but Duke Hudson doesn’t seem thrilled.

Brooks Jensen is worried about his relationship with Kiana James but Josh Briggs says it’s cool. Cue James and Fallon Henley, with James saying she has gotten the guys a match tonight. If they win, they’re in the Tag Team Title match at Stand & Deliver. Henley is skeptical but the guys are happy.

Tyler Bate vs. Von Wagner

Chase U and Mr. Stone are here too. Wagner kicks him in the face to start and grabs a neck crank. Bate is sent into the corner but gets a boot up to cut Wagner off. A knee lift staggers Wagner again, setting up a middle rope elbow. There’s a rebound forearm into Bop and Bang. Stone grabs the leg though and Chase isn’t happy. Thea Hail jumps Stone and Hudson gives a half hearted low bridge so Bate can dive onto Stone. Back in and Bate drops Wagner, setting up the Spiral Tap for the pin at 4:04.

Rating: C. Nothing out of the ordinary here as Wagner is a punching bag and Bate is one of the more talented stars in NXT. It’s nice to see Bate getting a chance to do something for a change, even if sliding him into Chase U is a bit weird. For now though, he’s the ace in the tag match on Saturday and that should be enough.

Chase U celebrates but Schism pops up on screen with a video of how Chase U will be under Schism’s control. Some of the students seem to have already embraced the changes. Screwing up Chase U would be bad enough, but PLEASE don’t put even more focus on Schism. I can’t take it.

Roxanne Perez is looking for Shawn Michaels but he just stepped out.

Post break, Perez talks to Shawn, saying she is cleared to return. Shawn says her health is the priority though and defending the title in a ladder match isn’t the best idea. We can get a new champion crowned and she’ll get the first title shot. Perez talks about having anxiety, which has Shawn wondering if she is all cleared mentally instead of physically.

She needs to know that there are other chances but Perez wants to steal the show like he did at Wrestlemania. Shawn finally relents and lets her in the match but sends her away before he has a nervous breakdown. That’s a very different way to go and it could be interesting and/or a disaster depending on which way they take things.

Elektra Lopez vs. Valentina Feroz

Lopez powers her into the corner to start and it’s time to work on the leg. Feroz fights up and kicks her down, only to get pulled out of the air. Electric Shock (sitout chokebomb) finishes Feroz at 1:53.

Eddy Thorpe is ready to represent his people as an alpha wolf.

Eddy Thorpe vs. Myles Borne

Borne grabs the wrist to start before hammering away to stagger Thorpe a bit. A belly to belly cuts off Thorpe’s comeback but he kicks Borne in the face in the corner. Thorpe hits a jumping elbow for two and a Saito suplex makes it worse. Back up and Thorpe grabs a rolling neckbreaker for the pin at 2:55. Thorpe looked dominant in the second half but he gave up a god bit of offense here.

Pretty Deadly predicts problems for Johnny Gargano.

Gallus doesn’t care how many teams they have to face because they’ll win.

Indi Hartwell vs. Sol Ruca vs. Ivy Nile

The winner is in the Women’s Title ladder match at Stand & Deliver. Ruca and Nile brawl to start until Nile and Hartwell are sent to the floor. Ruca’s big flip dive connects but Nile grabs an armbar back inside. Hartwell makes the save and gets springboard splashed by Ruca for two. Ruca’s flipping splash this Nile in the corner but Hartwell is back with the spinebuster for two. The Sol Snatcher drops Nile but Hartwell kicks Ruca to the floor. The running forearm to the back of the head gives Hartwell the pin on Nile at 4:04.

Rating: C. I am having a really hard time caring about Hartwell and her “oh well, I guess I’m wrestling here, doesn’t matter if I do or not though” moroseness over the last several months. Putting her in the title match seems to designed to give the match another powerhouse, but dang it would be nice if she did something else. Or if Nile and/or Ruca got a chance of their own, which granted would be better served outside of a multi person ladder match.

Post match all of the women come out to stare each other down.

Pretty Deadly pick Tiffany Stratton to win.

Grayson Waller teases not making his match with Johnny Gargano unsanctioned.

We get a special video on Bron Breakker vs. Carmelo Hayes. They came in as part of the new NXT recruiting class and now it’s time for a showdown. Hayes has an incredible resume but he’s training harder than ever for this match. He even turned down extra celebrating time in order to hit the gym more. Breakker talks about all of the training that he does and isn’t worried about going to the deep water. Breakker has been doing this for years and Hayes isn’t going to have an answer for a Steiner Line. Hayes says he’s the king now give him his f****** crown. As usual, this was excellent, as WWE knows just how to put them together.

Alba Fyre and Isla Dawn are ready to win the Women’s Tag Team Titles.

Drew Gulak vs. Hank Walker

Charlie Dempsey is here with Gulak. Walker takes him down by the arm to start but can’t get a cross armbreaker. Back up and Gulak runs him over and hits a clothesline to the back of the head as Booker goes on an insane rant about how Walker doesn’t deserve to wear a singlet. Walker fights out of a crossface and hammers Gulak down, setting up a running shoulder for two. Gulak reverses a wheelbarrow slam into another crossface, which is reversed into an armbar. That’s broken up as well and a Dempsey cheap shot sends Walker into a small package to give Gulak the pin at 5:55.

Rating: C. I don’t know if they’re going for some kind of everyman deal with Walker, but it isn’t quite working. The idea of presenting him as this run of the mill guy who is trying to hang with submission masters is weird to say the least and it isn’t exactly making me want to keep watching. Thankfully he isn’t beating them or anything, but it is still a strange way to go for someone who doesn’t really stand out.

Pretty Deadly talk tag teams and say they’ll see us Saturday.

Tony D’Angelo/Stacks vs. Josh Briggs/Brooks Jensen

If Briggs and Jensen win, they’re added to the Tag Team Title match. Jensen and Stacks lock up to start with Jensen grabbing a rollup for two. D’Angelo comes in to wrestle Briggs down as Fallon Henley and Kiana James are watching in the back. James takes credit for the match but Henley threatens to tell Jensen what she knows, which has James panicking. Briggs and Jensen hit matching sliding uppercuts and we take a break.

Back with Jensen getting caught in something like a Demolition Decapitator (not a Doomsday Device Booker) with Briggs having to make the save. Jensen gets over to Jensen for the tag as Henley and James are at ringside. For some reason Jensen wants back in for a Doomsday Device (spinwheel kick instead of a clothesline, which wound up being more of a hip attack than anything else) but D’Angelo makes a save. D’Angelo sends Briggs outside and it’s a double slam to finish Jensen at 9:55.

Rating: C+. I’m glad they didn’t add another tam to the title match and make it even messier, as six wrestlers in a match at once is enough. Other than that, this was almost entirely about the romance stuff as D’Angelo and Stacks had nothing to prove. Briggs and Jensen are a completely serviceable team and the James/Henley issues make them a bit more interesting. It’s nice to see an actual story, even if it has more than a few flaws.

Post match Henley wants James to tell Jensen the truth….so James kisses him. Joseph: “BROOKS IS ON BASE!”

Stand & Deliver rundown.

Here is Grayson Waller to decide if he will sign to make his match with Johnny Gargano unsanctioned. Vic Joseph hands him the contract (which Gargano left with him last week) and Waller gets in the ring, which is surrounded by security. Waller talks about what he has done during hi time in NXT, including Gargano getting the spotlight after Waller dove off the WarGames cage. That’s why he jumped Gargano during the farewell speech, and he hit his mark. Waller: “Johnny, you are the biggest mark in this business.”

Now Waller has Gargano begging him for a match at Stand & Deliver. Gargano is the greatest big match star in NXT history and is Mr. NXT, but just like Mr. Wrestlemania would do, Gargano is going to lose. Cue Gargano……’s music, because Gargano is a disguised cameraman. The big brawl is on, with security eventually holding them apart. Vic says it’s unsanctioned, though I didn’t see Waller actually sign the contract.

Overall Rating: C+. This was a bit of a different show than Raw last night, as they had more action rather than focusing so much on talking. Granted it helps that this show was taped and they could probably make some time saving adjustments if needed. For now though, Stand & Deliver is looking good, though they need to be pretty tight to make everything work. Nice enough go home show though, and hopefully it pays off this weekend.

Results
Axiom won a battle royal last eliminating Nathan Fraser
Tyler Bate b. Von Wagner – Spiral Tap
Elektra Lopez b. Valentina Feroz – Electric Shock
Indi Hartwell b. Sol Ruca and Ivy Nile – Running forearm to the back of Nile’s head
Drew Gulak b. Hank Walker – Small package
Tony D’Angelo/Stacks b. Josh Briggs/Brooks Jensen – Double slam to Jensen

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 21, 2023
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Booker T., Vic Joseph

We have two shows left before Stand & Deliver and things have been picking up around here. That should make for some interesting moments on the way forward and we should be in for two nice weeks of NXT on the way to Los Angeles. NXT does know how to build up a show and hopefully they do it again here. Let’s get to it.

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

We open with a recap of Johnny Gargano vs. Grayson Waller, including Waller invading the Garganos’ house last week.

Here is Pretty Deadly for a chat. They are your Stand & Deliver hosts so they are erasing all footage of last week’s beatdown from the NXT archives. Cue Carmelo Hayes and Trick Williams to interrupt, setting off an argument about titles. A challenge is issued for tonight with Williams accepting on behalf of….Hayes and Bron Breakker? The fight is on with Hayes getting double teamed, drawing out Breakker for the save.

Post break Hayes rants about how they didn’t need Breakker’s help. He doesn’t want to team with Breakker but Williams says this is a front row seat to study Breakker up close, which seems to work for Hayes.

Roxanne Perez has sent out a tweet saying she will be back, but she doesn’t know when.

Women’s Title Qualifying Match: Tiffany Stratton vs. Indi Hartwell

Stratton clotheslines her down to start but Hartwell hits some of her own. They fight to the apron with Hartwell being dropped on the apron as we take a break. Back with Hartwell fighting out of a chinlock as Booker T. can’t remember who Razor Ramon fought in a ladder match (thinking it was the 1-2-3 Kid, which never happened). Stratton double stomps her down but gets caught in a belly to back suplex. The kickout has Stratton frustrated so she misses a springboard Swanton, allowing Hartwell’s spinebuster to get two. Stratton Regal Rolls her to set up a moonsault for the pin at 9:16.

Rating: C. Hartwell has fallen so far in recent months and Stratton shrugging off her signature spinebuster with commentary not even making it a big deal tells you a lot. Stratton seems ready to move up to the title scene and getting into the ladder match is a good start. Not a great match, but it did what it needed to do.

Gallus is playing pool when the Creeds show up and want to shoot some pool. Gallus wins but lose at darts. A Tag Team Title match is set up for Stand & Deliver. The four go to leave but Tony D’Angelo and Stacks are outside. They would like to discuss some Stand & Deliver business, with Julius saying it’s going to be a long night.

Lyra Valkyria trains in what seems to be an empty building.

Gigi Dolin doesn’t feel bad about Jacy Jayne being hurt because she can watch Dolin win the Women’s Title. Tiffany Stratton comes in to laugh off the idea of Dolin winning. She’ll climb the ladder to the tippy top!

Wes Lee is in the ring to talk about having to give it everything he had, hence all of the challenges. He needs four challengers for Stand & Deliver….and here is Dragon Lee (no relation) to interrupt. Dragon wants to prove himself as well and wants in, with Wes saying he’s fine with that. Cue JD McDonagh to say he wants in as well but they both mock him for the upcoming beating at the hands of Ilja Dragunov. Cue Dragunov and we’re ready for our scheduled match.

Indi Hartwell is livid at her loss and Zoey Stark makes fun of her.

Kiana James watches the Hartwell outburst when Fallon Henley comes in to yell about what she found in James’ office last week. As you might expect, James is livid about the invasion of privacy but Henley is more upset about how James is treating Brooks Jensen.

Ilja Dragunov vs. JD McDonagh

Dragon Lee is watching at ringside. Dragunov knocks McDonagh down hart to start but McDonagh takes over and hits the slingshot spinning splash. Back up and they both avoid shots to the face before an exchange of hard forearms leave them down. Dragunov grabs some rolling German suplexes (the fans approve) before the 6 1 Line gets two. McDonagh sends him outside in a heap though and we take a break.

Back with McDonagh’s leg wrapped around Dragunov’s neck until he turns it into a Brock Lock (from the mat) to escape. McDonagh strikes him down and ducks the jumping enziguri before kicking away at the face. Now the jumping enziguri gives Dragunov a breather as the fans are rather interested in AEW’s (surely soon to be released) Fight Forever game. Dragunov plants him down but gets caught with a German suplex. Back up and Dragunov kicks him in the head but has to fight off McDonagh’s Twister. They fight to the floor again and both get into it with Dragon Lee, which is enough for the no contest at 14:34.

Rating: B-. This was two guys hitting each other rather hard until they went to the ending to save both of them. Normally that would be annoying but it is a good idea here, with both guys needing to be kept strong as they (likely) head to the ladder match in Los Angeles. Sometimes you need a hard hitting fight and that is what you got here.

The brawl is on with Wes Lee taking them out and helping Dragon up.

Carmelo Hayes and Trick Williams come in to see Bron Breakker. Bron says they have the chance to do something special at Stand & Deliver but accuses Pretty Deadly (and Trick) of being clowns who can screw it up.

Wes Lee grants Ilja Dragunov and JD McDonagh spots in the North American Title ladder match. There is one spot left and here is Axiom to claim it. Wes says a lot of people want the match so next week, we’re going to have a battle royal for the last spot. Axiom is cool with that because all he wanted was a chance.

Here is Johnny Gargano……’s music, as we get Javier Bernal instead. Bernal wants to know why people love Gargano instead of him. What does Gargano have that Bernal doesn’t? Cue a ticked off Gargano to beat Bernal down before grabbing a microphone. Gargano has a contract for Grayson Waller to sign to make their match unsanctioned. Waller pops up on screen to say he’ll sign it…next week, as long as Gargano isn’t in the building. Gargano leaves the paper with Vic Joseph and knocks Bernal down again.

Eddy Thorpe (better known as Karl Fredericks) is coming next week and wants to honor his people (which appear to be Native Americans). Then he plays some DJing equipment (that’s certainly a combination). He’s here next week.

Ivy Nile is upset after what Tatum Paxley did to her last week but is ready to go to Stand & Deliver.

Video on Hank Walker.

Drew Gulak and Charlie Dempsey watch the Walker video, with Gulak wanting Dempsey to be a good student, seemingly telling Dempsey to hurt Walker.

Women’s Title Qualifying Match: Ivy Nile vs. Lyra Valkyria

Nile rolls her up to start before going after the arm and kicking her in the face. Valkyria sends her into the corner but Nile is right back with a snap suplex. The Diamond Chain Lock is broken up though and Valkyria nails a spinning kick to the head for the pin at 2:53. I know they’re pushing Valkyria and that makes sense, but dang that didn’t make Nile look very strong.

Isla Dawn and Alba Fyre jump Fallon Henley in the back, with Kiana James making the save.

Wes Lee is looking forward to the battle royal when Jinder Mahal, Dijak and Daba Katto take turns coming up to him, threatening to win next week.

And now, Chase U and Schism have a debate. First up, Rip Fowler talks about how much inclusion matters to the Schism. They even offered Duke Hudson a chance to take off his mask of school spirit. Hudson mutters something about taking off his mask and sits down, with Andre Chase asking what the f*** was that.

Next up we have Ava and Thea Hail talking about safety. Ava is happy to be under the Schism Tree and Hail…recites (rather quickly) a statement that sounds like it’s from a Chase U handbook. Then she goes into quite the rant about how evil Schism is, which has Chase rather impressed.

Finally we have Andre Chase and Joe Gacy talking about how prepared their associates are to be on their own. Gacy cuts Chase off and mocks the students before Tyler Bate comes out of the crowd. Bate goes into a big speech about how you need a prepared mind to be ready, and that is something you get at Chase U, not with Schism. The match is…not on, as Gacy says they have already beaten Chase U. Hudson offers to put up the school and that’s enough for the match to be set. Schism talking isn’t a good thing, but that should set up the blowoff match for good.

At the bar, Gallus, the Creeds and Tony D’Angelo/Stacks seem to have done a lot of drinking. Now a triple threat match is set for Stand & Deliver, as the bar is wrecked.

Stand & Deliver rundown.

Bron Breakker/Carmelo Hayes vs. Pretty Deadly

Trick Williams is here too. Hayes takes Wilson into the corner but Prince comes in to knock Hayes outside. Back in and the ring is cleared, with Hayes and Breakker looking a bit nervous about each other as we take a break. We come back with Hayes cleaning house but double teaming takes him down.

Wilson grabs a chinlock with a knee in the back and a clothesline keeps Hayes in trouble. Hayes misses an enziguri but gets over to Breakker anyway. Everything breaks down and Breakker almost charges into Hayes in the corner. Instead Hayes hits a Codebreaker so Breakker can spear Wilson down. Breakker hands it back to Hayes for Nothing But Net and the pin at 12:01.

Rating: C+. This was a pretty run of the mill tag team formula match and while I’m not wild on Pretty Deadly taking another fall, at least it was two two juggernauts whose combined forces could be pret….never mind. Nice match here and Breakker can feel like a monster when he is let loose. Throw in Hayes looking as smooth as anyone in NXT and this worked well as a main event.

Hayes hands Breakker the title to end the show.

Overall Rating: C+. Much like Raw and Smackdown, there isn’t much left to do for Stand & Deliver outside of filling in a few empty spots. They added enough this week to make the show feel important, though Stand & Deliver needs to get here before they lose momentum. For now though, this was a good enough nudge in Los Angeles’ direction. Just don’t screw up next week and get to the big show safely.

Results
Tiffany Stratton b. Indi Hartwell – Moonsault
JD McDonagh vs. Ilja Dragunov went to a no contest when Dragon Lee interfered
Lyra Valkyria b. Ivy Nile – Spinning kick to the head
Bron Breakker/Carmelo Hayes b. Pretty Deadly – Nothing But Net to Wilson

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 7, 2023
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Booker T.

This is the Roadblock special, because we need a special event less than a month before what is probably the biggest NXT event of the year. Since the NXT Champion is in a six man tag, the real main event is probably Shawn Michaels appearing on the Grayson Waller Effect. NXT has teased Michaels fighting Waller, so odds are we see who is doing it in Michaels’ place this week. Let’s get to it.

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

We open with Tiffany’s Epiphanies, as Tiffany Stratton runs down the card and talks about how we got here. In her own style of course.

Tony D’Angelo vs. Dijak

This is the Jailhouse Street Fight, meaning a casket match with a jail cell (weird choice of name). Dijak tries a nightstick to start but gets clotheslined to the floor instead. It’s way too early to send Dijak into the cell but D’Angelo fights his way out of it too. After Stacks gets knocked down, they head back inside where Dijak hits High Justice onto a chair. Dijak throws in a bunch of chairs as commentary makes Big Boss Man references.

A bunch of chair shots put D’Angelo down but he catches Dijak on top with a chair shot. The flipping belly to back superplex sends Dijak crashing (that looked good) and we take a break. Back with Dijak hitting a springboard elbow to put D’Angelo through a table on the floor (that looked good). D’Angelo is back up with the belly to back Rock Bottom on the floor and they’re both down.

Dijak is sent into the cell but brings Stacks with him for the save. A discus boot to the face puts Stacks over the barricade so D’Angelo throws Dijak down. D’Angelo explodes with chair shots but a low blow gets Dijak out of trouble. Stacks dives into the cell to keep the door from closing, allowing D’Angelo to come back with a bunch of crowbar shots. The door is slammed onto Dijak’s head and D’Angelo locks him in for the win at 11:22.

Rating: C+. The elbow alone gets this a boost but otherwise, I have no idea why this needed to have the jail cell deal. It didn’t add much of anything and Dijak getting knocked cold in the cell isn’t much better than having him get pinned. This was a weird way to go, but a face D’Angelo could be….I’m not sure what actually.

Roxanne Perez is nervous about facing Meiko Satomura tonight and she has pushed herself harder than ever. She’s ready.

Josh Briggs comes in to Kiana James’ office to talk about Brooks Jensen and Fallon Henley. Briggs points out the flowers that someone (who he assumes to be Jensen) sent her and says his friends’ happiness is his own happiness. After pulling away the name card and hiding it under her planner, James seems concerned and agrees to call Jensen tonight.

Here is Gallus for a chat. They waste no time in calling out Pretty Deadly, who pop up on the platform. Gallus wants them down here face to face and ask what it is going to take to make that happen. Gallus lays the titles down and say come take them, so here is Pretty Deadly. The beating doesn’t take long and Pretty Deadly runs off without much of a fight. The eventual match should be interesting.

Lyra Valkyria isn’t pleased with Stevie Turner because she is here for a fight. Valkyria wants the Women’s Title too.

New signing Dragon Lee is here.

Indus Sher vs. Bron Breakker/Creed Brothers

It’s a brawl on the floor before the bell with Indus Sher taking over. We start with Veer and Breakker hammering on each other until Julius comes in to take over. Brutus slams Julius onto Veer for two before it’s off to Mahal. A suplex drops Mahal in a hurry and it’s off to Breakker to slug it out with Sanga. Everything breaks down and the good guys send them outside for the big flip dive, allowing them to pose as we take a break.

Back with Mahal kneeing Julius in the face for two but Julius flips out of a belly to back suplex. Sanga comes in to run Julius over but something like an Angle Slam gets Sanga out of it. Breakker gets the tag and scores with a moonsault before Julius hits a heck of a 450 for two. A Doomsday Deice is broken up though and Sanga runs Julius over. A side slam/middle rope elbow drop gets two and everything breaks down again. Everything breaks down and Breakker spears Sanga and Mahal. Julius slams Veer down, setting up a Doomsday Brutus Ball for the pin at 11:13.

Rating: C+. That should be the end of the Creeds vs. Indus Sher unless they run back the regular tag match one more time. Other than that, this was Breakker smashing people and the Creeds holding their own against the monsters. Mahal continues to add nothing, but that hasn’t stopped them for a long time now.

Long video on Gigi Dolin vs. Jacy Jayne.

It’s time for the Grayson Waller Effect. We waste no time in having Shawn Michaels come out as the guest, with Waller saying he would have freaked out if he was here at 12 years old. Waller brings up being a Bret Hart guy though, and Shawn says “we’re going there”? As the fans chant HB Shizzle (that will never get old), Shawn talks about how they used to be cool and wants to know what changed.

Waller talks about how he won the Iron Survivor Challenge, he was taking over. For some reason though, Shawn treats Waller the same as people used to treat Shawn in his day. Shawn was told he was too small and not a draw but look what happened. That doesn’t work for Shawn, who says Waller cashed in his title shot and lost. To see the problem, Waller needs to look in the mirror.

Waller says Shawn is only in the Gorilla Position every week because HHH had a heart attack. Shawn can give him that one, but Waller needs to understand something: HBK is directing this ship. Waller accuses Shawn of trying to get rid of him, maybe even cutting him after Wrestlemania, because they don’t want a star. That doesn’t work for Shawn, who says NXT has always been about the collective.

We hear a list of names who helped build the place (including the Undisputed Era) and the current stars, which includes Waller. The thing is, Waller is just a part of it. Waller: “I’m a part of it! I’m a part of it!” Waller doesn’t buy this team player stuff from SHAWN MICHAELS, but Shawn says that isn’t true of him now.

That sends Waller out of his chair, because Shawn doesn’t see what is right in front of him. Shawn: “ENOUGH!” People a lot bigger than Waller have been running him down for 40 years, but do not ever run NXT into the ground. Waller: “Then do something about it.” Waller issues the challenge for Stand & Deliver for Shawn to put on the HBK had one last time.

Shawn takes off his jacket and says that for over a decade, he has had people challenging him to a Wrestlemania dream match. People have been asking for dream matches for so long that they have backed the Brinks truck to his door. Heck the drivers know his address! Waller is just a guy and he’ll come and go. Everyone wants to fight Shawn, and nothing would make him happier than to beat Waller up at Stand & Deliver.

The reality is there is someone who wants to take Waller out even more, and that man is…..Johnny Gargano. The brawl is on and Waller bails in a hurry. Ok they needed someone big if Shawn wasn’t going to do it and Gargano fits. And remember: Waller interrupted Gargano’s NXT farewell and it was never followed up on, so well done for some continuity.

Gigi Dolin vs. Jacy Jayne

Dolin (who didn’t get an entrance) takes her to the floor to start and the brawl is on. Back in and Dolin cranks the arm and yells a lot before going right back to the floor. Dolin knocks her down again and we take a break. Back with Dolin fighting out of a chinlock but getting dropped with a clothesline for two. Dolin fires off kicks to the chest but Jayne grabs a neckbreaker. Dolin is right back with an abdominal stretch, which she swings back like a crucifix bomb….for the pin at 7:58. Well ok then.

Rating: C-. I’m not sure what happened here but it wasn’t an interesting or even important feeling match. The ending came out of nowhere and felt more like Dolin caught Jayne rather than beating her. This match showed one major problem: outside of having different hair color, there isn’t much to make these two stand out from each other. Save for a few moments here and there, they have never done anything other than stand behind Mandy Rose and be a team. That doesn’t work well when you need to make a new star and it wasn’t working here.

Post match Jayne shrugs off the impact of the abdominal stretch bomb and loads up a Pillmanization but referees break it up. So this is going to continue?

Brooks Jensen apologizes to Fallon Henley about the Kiana James stuff. Josh Briggs comes in to compliment him on the roses idea, but Jensen seems a bit confused. Anyway, James calls him (Jensen: “Hey girl.”) and they seem to have a date, with Henley being astounded by how he was talking. Henley and Briggs pick up on the roses deal and have an idea.

Here is Bron Breakker to say it’s time to set up the biggest match on the biggest stage. At Stand & Deliver, he wants Carmelo Hayes, and calls him out right now. Cue Hayes to say that yes, it is time for these two to go at it. Breakker says he has been going through challenger after challenger but he kept wanting it to be Hayes. They’re both ready to fight and they’ll do it at Stand & Deliver. This felt like they were building up a battle of titans rather than a personal feud and that is a good way to go.

Thea Hail is meditating with Tyler Bate when Chase U comes up. Hail is making progress in her recovery and she’s ready to be out there for now. Duke Hudson doesn’t buy Bate’s “snake oil” for a second.

Joe Gacy vs. Andre Chase

Joined in progress with Chase hitting a running clothesline and hammering away as Chase U is rather happy on the floor (Schism on the other hand is unhappy). Gacy knees him in the face and gets two off a brainbuster. Chase comes right back with the spelling stomps but gets caught on top. A sunset bomb gives Chase two but Thea Hail goes after Ava on the floor. That’s enough of a distraction for Gacy to hit the handspring lariat for the pin at 4:26.

Rating: C-. I’m out of ways to get upset at Chase losing and Gacy winning over and over. For the life of me I don’t get what NXT sees in Gacy and Schism but there is a chance that it involves the father of one of the team’s members. This didn’t have time to go anywhere and involved far too healthy of a dose of Gacy to be very good.

Isla Dawn and Alba Fyre are in the woods under the full moon and get rather spooky.

Post match Andre Chase tells Thea Hail he’s proud of her but Duke Hudson reminds Chase that he lost. Hudson says Chase U is a bunch of loses and a bloody joke before walking off.

Wes Lee issues another open challenge for next week. Cue Axiom to say he’s getting the shot, though Lee says get to the ring first. Seems cool with Axiom.

Women’s Title: Meiko Satomura vs. Roxanne Perez

Satomura is challenging. Bell, handshake, break nine seconds in. Back with Satomura taking her down with a test of strength but Perez pulls her into a chinlock. That’s reversed into an ankle crank before Satomura starts striking away at the face. A running forearm just wakes Perez up and she dragon screw legwhips Satomura down. Perez knocks her outside for the dive but a super Russian legsweep is blocked.

Satomura kicks away but Perez sticks the landing on a Death Valley Driver. Another attempt works and Satomura hits the cartwheel knees to the back. They head outside with Pop Rox not exactly working so Satomura hits Scorpio Rising for two, with the foot on the rope saving the title. Perez is fine enough to grab a rollup for the pin at 14:00.

Rating: B. This was the best match of the night and it was hyped up more than any other match, but it didn’t exactly feel epic. Part of that is due to Satomura being explained to us rather than shown to us. She is absolutely a legend and by far the best in-ring star in the division, but her only time under the WWE banner was in NXT UK. No one saw her there, so what is there for fans who haven’t seen her to go off? She’s clearly great if you just watch her in the ring, but you need more than that to make this feel like some huge accomplishment for Perez.

Post match respect is shown…and Perez collapses. Referees and medics come out, with Booker T. getting in the ring to check on her as well. Perez is taken to the back on a stretcher and into the ambulance to end the show. This feels like it is tying into the “I’ve never trained harder” promo from earlier.

Overall Rating: C+. I’m really not sure why this needed to be a special. There were some matches that felt bigger than normal, but giving the show a name and talking about it like it was something important didn’t really work. Having so much Stand & Deliver talk didn’t help either, as that show felt so much bigger than anything else that was going on here. What we got was good, but this certainly didn’t feel like a must see show, no matter what catchy name it had.

Results
Tony D’Angelo b. Dijak – Dijak was locked in the cell
Creed Brothers/Bron Breakker b. Indus Sher – Doomsday Brutus Ball to Veer
Gigi Dolin b. Jacy Jayne – Abdominal stretch bomb
Joe Gacy b. Andre Chase – Handspring lariat
Roxanne Perez b. Meiko Satomura – 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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NXT
Date: February 21, 2023
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Booker T.

We are on our way to Roadblock and then Stand & Deliver, which means we should be in for some big stuff over the next few weeks. That includes this week, as Bron Breakker defends the NXT Title against Jinder Mahal. Ok so not everything can be the biggest deal in the world. Let’s get to it.

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

Trick Williams vs. Ilja Dragunov

Before the match, Williams says that if pain makes Dragunov feel alive, he’ll be on cloud nine tonight. Williams hits him in the face before the bell so Dragunov starts angry. That means an angry headlock on the mat, with Williams having to bail to the ropes. Back up and Dragunov hits a running knee in the corner for two, followed by another such knee to keep Williams down. Dragunov goes up but gets kicked in the leg, allowing Williams to knock him to the floor. Cue JD McDonagh to watch as we take a break.

Back with Dragunov fighting out of a cravate and hitting a 61Line for the double knockdown. With McDonagh on commentary, Dragunov knocks Williams down again and drops a middle rope knee. An enziguri staggers Dragunov, who is fine enough to hit a powerbomb for two more. The Torpedo finishes for Dragunov at 13:09.

Rating: C+. Dragunov is probably going to become a pretty big deal around here as he has the talent and bizarre charisma that makes fans care about him. At the same time, Williams continues to be one of the biggest unsung heroes of NXT. He’s smooth in the ring and knows how to talk. It’s a great combination and compliments Carmelo Hayes while also being his own thing. Williams deserves some more attention, as well as praise.

Jinder Mahal brings up Bron Breakker getting shaken up by the fans booing him. Tonight, he’ll win the NXT Title.

Fallon Henley tries to get in touch with Brooks Jensen after last week. Josh Briggs says Jensen needs time and Henley was wrong about the whole thing. She needs to go apologize to Kiana James, which she reluctantly agrees to do.

Earlier today, Meiko Satomura held a training session in the Performance Center, with Roxanne Perez joining in. Perez was the only one to make it to the end…..of the warmup, which seems to have her quite shaken.

Here is Tyler Bate for a chat. He wasn’t sure about coming to the United States but the love he had received from most of the fans tell him that he made the right decision. Bate has faced some very tough challengers, and now it is time to join a mystical journey. Cue Schism to interrupt, with Joe Gacy seeming to offer him a spot on the team. Bate is going to turn that down but Gacy threatens m him with gang violence. Cue Chase U to chase Schism off.

Chase U vs. Dyad

We’re joined in progress with Hudson coming in to drop an elbow on Reid. Chase gets driven into the wrong corner though as Booker has flashbacks about Boogeyman abducting his wife. A hard clothesline gets two on Chase and we hit the chinlock. Reid’s shoulder breaker gets two on Chase and we’re right back to the chinlock. Chase fights up and Hudson comes in to clean house. It’s back to Chase as everything breaks down, with Reid hitting a suicide dive on Hudson as we take a break.

Back with Chase getting the hot tag and cleaning house, including taking down Reid and Fowler at the same time. Chase dives onto Fowler on the floor and hits a high crossbody for two on Reid. The Russian legsweep sets up the Spelling Stomps but we stop for Chase to get between Thea Hail and Ava. The distraction lets Hudson get caught with the double Codebreaker for the pin at 12:33.

Rating: C+. Just let them win something already! NXT was handed a crazy over act with Chase U and they lose over and over and over. Save for a one off Tag Team Title shot in a four way this month, I can’t remember the last time they won anything of note. Now they go down again, and to freaking Schism of all people. Pretty decent match, but the frustration continues.

Post break Hudson blames Hail for the loss. Hudson: “Is this a university or a charity?” Great, as we’re getting to the split.

Earlier today, Mr. Stone tried to fire up Von Wagner when Tony D’Angelo and Stacks came in to yell about him costing them last week. The result is a match between Wagner and D’Angelo, much against Stone’s wishes.

Drew Gulak and Charlie Dempsey don’t think much of Hank Walker. Gulak wants someone willing to hurt people, like Dempsey.

Sol Ruca talks about loving to try new things, often involving surfing or a skateboard.

Jacy Jayne vs. Indi Hartwell

Hartwell misses a clothesline to start and gets caught with a neckbreaker for two. Some low kicks give Jayne two and we hit the chinlock. Hartwell fights up but gets sent shoulder first into the post. With Hartwell in trouble, cue Gigi Dolin to jump Jayne for the DQ at 5:08.

Rating: C. That was a bit sudden for a Dolin comeback but this is likely headed to a showdown at Roadblock, Stand & Deliver, or both. It wouldn’t surprise me to see these two have some kind of a big street fight or something like that, which should let them beat the fire out of each other. That might be a lot better than trying to have them do a regular, long form match. Then you have Hartwell and she….well she certainly exists.

Back to the Meiko Satomura/Roxanne Perez training session, with Perez trying but running out of energy. Satomura approves of the effort though, saying that the win comes from the heart, not muscles. Their title match is in two weeks.

Zoey Stark isn’t happy with Meiko Satomura being handed a title shot or everyone accusing her of attacking Nikkita Lyons.

Gallus vs. Malik Blade/Edris Enofe

Non-title. Blade and Coffey take turns powering each other up against the ropes to start. Wolfgang comes in for the running uppercut but cue some guys in costumes, with a cake. Blade and Enofe hit something like a suplex into a Backstabber for two on Coffey. Wolfgang is back up with the running forearm into a powerslam for the pin on Enofe at 3:49.

Rating: C-. I still like Blade and Enofe but it doesn’t seem that WWE thinks very highly of them, as they were little more than cannon fodder here. Gallus aren’t the most inspiring champions but they can do the power stuff. Pretty Deadly vs. Gallus worked well enough in the UK so maybe they can make it work again here.

Post match the guys in costumes present the cake, which makes the two year anniversary of Pretty Deadly beating Gallus for the NXT UK Tag Team Titles. Gallus cleans house but the real Pretty Deadly comes in from behind to beat up Gallus with chairs. That’s a more aggressive side from Pretty Deadly and I think I like it.

Dabba-Kato says that while Apollo Crews has been looking to the future, he has forgotten his past. He is here to hurt Crews.

Stevie Turner interrupts the announcers and uses a randomizer to pick who she should talk about. It’s Lyra Valkyria, who has those weird feathers. The stream ends just as Vic Joseph is ready to ask his own question.

Tony D’Angelo vs. Von Wagner

Stacks and Mr. Stone are here too. Wagner powers him around to start, followed by a big boot to drop D’Angelo again. A clothesline cuts off D’Angelo’s comeback but Wagner misses a charge into the corner. D’Angelo hits a belly to belly and spinebuster, followed by a belly to back slam for the pin at 3:49.

Rating: C. This Wagner story needs to wrap up already, as he continues to be one of the driest stars that is regularly presented anywhere on wrestling TV. Other than an oddly shaped head, there is nothing about him that makes him stand out in the slightest. Let it go already and get someone with a brighter future in there instead.

Post match D’Angelo says he’s sick of Dijak and wants a Jailhouse Street Fight at Roadblock.

Nikkita Lyons has undergone successful surgery but doesn’t know what happened when she was attacked. Tiffany Stratton pops in to say she’s tired of Lyons’ whining, but Lyons thinks that sounds suspicious. Stratton’s solution: leave for a year and get better.

Tatum Paxley and Ivy Nile agree they’re still a team, despite what Isla Dawn and Alba Fyre said. Paxley doesn’t seem so sure.

Carmelo Hayes praises Trick Williams for his efforts earlier when Tyler Bate interrupts. Bate talks about how there are going to be issues at times and Williams seems to improve. Hayes is glad that Bate’s journey has nothing to do with the NXT Title. Bate smiles a bit as Hayes and Williams leave.

Alba Fyre vs. Ivy Nile

Isla Dawn and Tatum Paxley are here too. Nile throws Fyre into the corner to start and hammers away for an early two. The comeback is on with Nile grabbing the Diamond Chain Lock, drawing Dawn to the apron. Paxley gets up as well, only to have Nile driven into her. The superkick and Alba Bomb finish Nile at 2:58.

Video on Bron Breakker.

Fallon Henley apologizes to Kiana James over the allegations of cheating. James didn’t tell her the truth because he wanted Henley to trust her. The apology is accepted, but James accuses Henley of being jealous of her relationship with Brooks Jensen. Either way, they’re good for now.

Wes Lee loved the open challenge so much last week that he’s going to do it again next week. It’s just who he is.

NXT Title: Bron Breakker vs. Jinder Mahal

Mahal, with Indus Sher, is challenging and takes Breakker down to start. Breakker is back up with a shoulder and spinebuster but it is too early for the Steiner Recliner. With Mahal on the floor, Breakker busts out the big running flip dive to take out the villains. Indus Sher teases getting involved so here are the Creed Brothers to get rid of them.

We take a break and come back with Breakker being sent outside. A whip into the steps has Breakker in more trouble but he’s fine enough to hit a spinebuster back inside. Mahal bails to the floor before the spear can launch, allowing Mahal to hit a superkick into a suplex for two. Breakker is back with a spear and release suplex for two of his own, The Khallas is countered and another spear retains the title at 10:47.

Rating: D+. Yeah I’m not a bit surprised that this didn’t work. Mahal has never been a ring general and Breakker hasn’t even been wrestling for two years now. There was no one to lead here and the interest in any Mahal match is going to be limited at best most of the time. Pretty bad main event event here and Breakker needs to move on to anything else.

Carmelo Hayes pops up on stage for the showdown…..but Grayson Waller takes over the feed and says he’s the new Main Event, Showstopper and Mr. Stand & Deliver. No one can stop him, including Shawn Michaels, so maybe Shawn can meet him on the Grayson Waller Effect in two weeks. Again: I don’t know what they’re doing with Shawn vs. Waller, but unless they have a heck of a surprise to fight for Shawn, it’s going to feel like a letdown if he doesn’t fight Waller himself. That’s certainly what they have been teasing.

Overall Rating: C+. The wrestling was up and down (with the main event being rather down) but what matters is they moved things forward towards both Roadblock and Stand & Deliver. This show has me wondering what they have planned for those events as NXT is doing a good job of setting things up for later. Pretty nice show this week, which saw more seeds being planted or getting to grow a bit on the way to the important stuff.

Results
Ilja Dragunov b. Trick Williams – Torpedo
Dyad b. Chase U – Double Codebreaker to Hudson
Jacy Jayne b. Indi Hartwell via DQ when Gigi Dolin interfered
Gallus b. Malik Blade/Edris Enofe – Running forearm/powerslam combination to Enofe
Tony D’Angelo b. Von Wagner – Belly to back slam
Alba Fyre b. Ivy Nile – Alba Bomb
Bron Breakker b. Jinder Mahal – Spear

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

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AND

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

NXT
Date: February 14, 2023
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Booker T., Vic Joseph

It’s Valentine’s Day and that is not likely to mean much of anything here. We are about a month and a half away from Stand & Deliver and Carmelo Hayes is looking like a strong option to go after Bron Breakker’s NXT Title. Other than that, NXT has some work to do so let’s get to it.

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

In Memory Of Jerry Jarrett.

Grayson Waller vs. Tyler Bate

Waller takes him to the rope to start the choking, while shouting that Shawn Michaels bet on the wrong horse. Bate grabs his own foot and swings it into Waller’s face, followed by a dropkick for two. A quick shot lets Waller grab a cravate with the knee to the face getting two more.

The back and forth continues as Bate runs him over and hits a standing shooting star press for his own near fall. They go outside with Booker going on his latest long winded rant about how attitude will get you to Wrestlemania. Waller slides back in and then back outside for a hard clothesline and we take a break.

Back with Bate avoiding the rolling Stunner and hitting the rebound lariat for two more. A middle rope uppercut sets up the airplane spin for two on Waller and frustration is setting in. Waller is back with a leg lariat into an Unprettier for two of his own and more frustration sets in. With nothing else working, Waller Tunes Up The Band but Bate cuts him off with Bop And Bang. A superkick gives Bate two more with Waller having to grab the rope. Bate tries the sunset flip but Waller grabs the rope for two, only to have Bate break the grip and get the pin at 11:57.

Rating: B-. The Shawn stuff is interesting as I can’t imagine he’ll get back in the ring at an NXT show, but that is where they seem to be building towards. Unless Shawn has someone to fight for him, I’m not sure where that is going. Bate winning is a good thing as he needs to be rebuilt (again) and beating the most recent #1 contender is a good place to start.

Earlier today, Brooks Jensen was worried about Valentine’s Day with Kiana James, revealing that he has never kissed a woman before. Josh Briggs gives him an explanation (math is involved) and even starts to demonstrate when Fallon Henley comes in. Briggs explains what is going on and Henley says keep it simple: when Jensen drops off James at her door, if James plays with her keys, go for it. Jensen seems to feel better.

Jacy Jayne is coming to the ring but we can see Grayson Waller yelling at Shawn Michaels. Matt Bloom breaks it up and a furious Shawn says cut to the break.

Apollo Crews is up set at Dabba-Kato for returning and attacking him at Vengeance Day.

Here is Jacy Jayne for an explanation about turning on Gigi Dolin last week. Jayne says last week was the beginning of her story and now it is about her. She has been the talk of NXT for the last week and her name is on the tip of everyone’s tongue. Jayne has already watched the footage back 1000 times, so let’s make it 1001.

After that produced video rather than just the regular footage, Jayne calls Dolin Jannetty and says the days of Chuckie are over. Everyone needs to listen to her carefully: screw you. She is tired of being the third wheel in the most dominant faction in WWE history. But now, look who is the last woman standing. This wasn’t exactly original (the amount of “IT’S ALL ABOUT ME” promos over the years is astounding) but Jayne did deliver it well.

Chase U tells Thea Hail that she can talk to them about what Schism did anytime they want. She’s ready to go tonight though, and is going to say “Hi fear, I’m Thea.”

Video on Sol Ruca.

Thea Hail vs. Tiffany Stratton

The rest of Chase U is here too. Hail armdrags her down to start and hits a running dropkick for a bonus. Cue Schism (in different parts of the arena) to scare Hail though, allowing Stratton to knock her off the apron. Back in and Hail knocks her to the floor again, setting up the suicide dive. Ava Raine pops up for another distraction, allowing Stratton to plant Hail. The moonsault finishes for Stratton at 3:29.

Rating: C. This was all about keeping Hail vs. Schism going and that feels like it is going to last for a long time. Getting inside Hail’s mind is a good way to go, but at the same time, but Schism has a tendency to drag down almost anyone they work with. Hopefully that isn’t the case here, as Chase U has taken enough damage already. Stratton gets a win as her comeback continues and that is about as good as she can do right now.

Javier Bernal comes up to Tatum Paxley/Ivy Nile in the back and offers to let both of them be his Javytine. Paxley is taken but Nile actually says yes. Then she chokes Bernal out. Isla Dawn’s voice pops up to threaten Paxley and Nile, who don’t seem pleased.

Axiom vs. Damon Kemp

Fallout from Kemp attacking him a few weeks back. Axiom goes right for him to start as Booker talks about the Matrix. The big kick to the head misses so Kemp heads outside, with Axiom hitting a suicide dive. Back in and Kemp snaps off a wheelbarrow suplex and Axiom is in trouble in a hurry. A release German suplex does it again and Axiom gets knocked out to the floor. Axiom strikes away back inside but his high crossbody is rolled through for two. Another German suplex gives Kemp two more but Axiom hits him in the face. The Golden Ratio finishes Kemp at 3:31.

Rating: C+. Axiom is falling into his groove as a rather good midcard star as they have gotten rid of some of the bad things that he had been doing. The superhero deal works well for him and he can back it up in the ring. I’m still not sure what is going on with Kemp, who could be a decent star, but that Diamond Mine feud seemed to ruin him for some reason.

We see some Instagram posts about Brooks Jensen and Kiana James’ Valentine’s Day date.

Fallon Henley has to tell Brooks Jensen what is going on.

Grayson Waller has been thrown out and rants about Shawn Michaels, saying there is no more Heartbreak Kid and he runs this place.

Here is Bron Breakker for a chat. Breakker says it doesn’t feel right around here because the next challenge feels bigger. The match everyone wants to see is Breakker vs. him (not named) but here are Jinder Mahal and Indus Sher to interrupt. Breakker wasn’t expecting them, but Mahal says you have to expect the unexpected. The villains get inside, with Mahal talking about the stress that Breakker has been under for nearly a year now.

Mahal asks if this is what Breakker expected as champion, and yeah it is. Breakker must be deaf if he doesn’t hear the small pocket of fans who are booing him. Mahal says you either die a hero or you become the villain. Breakker says the fans can think whatever they want, which Mahal refers to as arrogance. The tides are changing and Mahal issues the challenge for next week. The champ is in and says Mahal doesn’t need to waste time with the new 3 Man Band. Breakker: “Which one of you plays the guitar?” Mahal says he’ll still like Breakker after taking his title.

This was a good example of the problem being the messenger instead of the message. Jinder Mahal is someone fans are not going to take seriously and the 3MB joke didn’t help things. As a one off win it’s fine, but Mahal as generic villain isn’t helping him. Just have Breakker smash him and move on (which is probably what is going to happen).

Katana Chance and Kayden Carter confirm that they are down to face Roxanne Perez and Meiko Satomura. Perez and Satomura respect each other.

It’s time for an open challenge for the North American Title. Tony D’Angelo comes out to accept but Dijak jump him, with Stacks going to help. We have another challenger sneaking up on Lee though.

North American Title: Von Wagner vs. Wes Lee

Wagner, with Mr. Stone, is challenging. Lee fights back and tries to flip away in the corner, only to get dropped face first onto the apron. Stone reminds Wagner that he has to win back inside so it’s a clothesline for two on Lee. Back up and Lee ducks a big boot, setting up the standing moonsault to stagger Wagner. Lee’s tornado DDT is pulled out of the air and Wagner faceplants him for two. Lee slips out of a gorilla press, hits four straight superkicks, and finishes with the Cardiac Kick at 4:43.

Rating: C. This was power vs. speed 101 and as usual, it worked just fine. Lee is getting built up as someone who can over come the odds, which is going to make whoever beats him that much bigger of a deal. Then you have Wagner and I still don’t get it. He’s as generic of a monster as you can get and it still isn’t interesting no matter what.

Hank Walker has a new singlet but his old boots. Drew Gulak gives him some silver boots of his own.

Charlie Dempsey vs. Hank Walker

Drew Gulak is here with Walker, who shrugs off some forearms to the face to start. A collision goes to Walker but they trade big boots for a double knockdown. Walker tries a Fujiwara armbar but Dempsey reverses into his head and leg stretch for the tap at 1:41.

Post match Dempsey puts the hold back on but Gulak just stands there. Then Gulak and Dempsey leave together. Fair enough as Walker is kind of a loser.

Von Wagner is furious about his loss and Mr. Stone blames Wagner not having a connection to anyone. Wagner needs to break his walls down and Stone has time for the guy inside him.

Gallus is in the pool hall when Pretty Deadly comes in. A pool game breaks out and Pretty Deadly does well….albeit on the wrong balls. Gallus wins easily but Pretty Deadly wants a rematch. The deal is if Pretty Deadly keeps buying them drinks, they can keep playing, with Pretty Deadly getting a Tag Team Title shot if they win. Pretty Deadly loses at least seven games in a row and then get stuck with the (very long) bill. Gallus gives them the title shot anyway.

Ilja Dragunov talks about how pain makes you feel alive and he promises to hurt JD McDonagh. We cut to the arena, where Trick Williams calls out Dragunov. That works for Dragunov, who comes to the ring as Williams promises to drop Dragunov like a mix tape. Cue Dragunov to say Williams is an entertaining life of the party. Williams is dropped but here is JD McDonagh (with tape over his eye) to threaten Dragunov, allowing Williams to get in a cheap shot.

Post break, Trick Williams comes up to Carmelo Hayes and brags about what he just did.

We see Brooks Jensen taking Kiana James to her front door after their date. Jensen gives her astronomy trivia (which he gets wrong) and then goes to kiss her (following the key playing). Then Fallon Henley and Josh Briggs show up (How long have they been following them?) with Henley bringing up the phone call with an “I love you Zack” from a few weeks ago. It turns out Zack is James’ brother and he pops up at the door. James storms inside and Jensen leaves in heartbreak.

Here’s what is coming next week.

Meiko Satomura/Roxanne Perez vs. Kayden Carter/Katana Chance

Carter shoulders Perez down to start and hands it off to Chance, who trips Perez down. A sliding kick and slingshot hilo get two on Perez and we hit the armbar. Back up and Perez flips out of a hurricanrana but gets taken right back into the wrong corner. That doesn’t last long as it’s off to Satomura for the first time, including a handshake with Carter.

Everything breaks down with Perez and Satomura cleaning house with uppercuts. Perez dives through the ropes onto Chance and Satomura hits one on Carter as we take a break. Back with Perez fighting out of Chance’s abdominal stretch but getting dropkicked down. Perez jawbreaks her way to freedom though and it’s Satomura coming back in to strike away. Some kicks to the head get two on Carter and Perez adds a backflip moonsault for two more.

Carter grabs something like an STO to plant Perez but she Russian legsweeps her way out of trouble. It’s back to Satomura, who gets knocked into the wrong corner for a change. Everything breaks down and Perez is knocked to the floor. Satomura is right back with the moonsault knees to Chance, followed by a Pele to Carter. Perez comes back in for Pop Rox and the pin on Carter at 10:29.

Rating: B-. This was a “hey, look who’s here” match as Satomura being around is a cool thing to see. Carter and Chance still have some value as a team so Perez and Satomura beating them means a little something. You might as well make Satomura vs. Perez for the title now though, as it isn’t like Perez has another challenger at the moment.

Post match Satomura issues the challenge for the title match and it would be Perez’s honor.

Overall Rating: B. This is a great example of a show where the overall rating is greater than its individual parts. All kinds of things were advanced here and you even got some turning points in a few stories. It came off like they had a big checklist for the show and covered every single item. The show felt organized and well put together, as you can see a lot of Stand & Deliver coming from here. Heck of an episode this week and I could go for a lot more like this one.

Results
Tyler Bate b. Grayson Waller – Sunset flip
Tiffany Stratton b. Thea Hail – Moonsault
Axiom b. Damon Kemp – Golden Ratio
Wes Lee b. Von Wagner – Cardiac Kick
Charlie Dempsey b. Hank Walker – Head and leg stretch
Meiko Satomura/Roxanne Perez b. Kayden Carter/Katana Chance – Pop Rox to Carter

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NXT
Date: February 7, 2023
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Booker T.

We’re done with Vengeance Day and just shy of two months away from Stand & Deliver. It looks like we have a title match set up, as Carmelo Hayes stared down Bron Breakker, who retained the NXT Title in the main event. That should give us a clear path to Los Angeles so let’s get to it.

Here is Vengeance Day if you need a recap.

We open with the long recap of Vengeance Day.

Here are Trick Williams and Carmelo Hayes to open things up. Williams talks about how Hayes turned seer Apollo Crews into Stevie Wonder before Hayes brags about his win too. Hayes knows his destiny and there is one man waiting for him. Cue JD McDonagh to cut him off and say Hayes is entitled. While Hayes wants a private room at the club, McDonagh sends people to the emergency room. The match is made for later.

Fallon Henley isn’t happy that Kiana James cheated to tin the titles and insists on a rematch. James isn’t sure, so Henley says they’ll talk about James possibly cheating on Brooks Jensen. Before they can get to that, it’s time for a surprise party in their dressing room.

We look at Grayson Waller interrupting Shawn Michaels’ post Vengeance Day media call, earning a week’s suspension as a result.

Sol Ruca vs. Zoey Stark

They run the ropes to start until Ruca sends her outside. Back in and Stark grabs the rope and throws a big forearm to take over. Ruca can’t roll out of a cravate but she can flip over into a sunset flip for two on Stark. A running dropkick sends Stark into the corner and there’s a forward flip splash. Stark superkicks her to the apron and pulls her back in for the flipping knee to the face and the pin at 3:43.

Rating: C. This didn’t have much time to go anywhere but it is fun to watch Ruca move around in the ring. She has a different movement to her and it shows off her athleticism. At the same time, seeing her lose was a bit surprising, as she has been on a bit of a roll. That being said, Stark is a bigger deal and Ruca beating her would have been a big upset.

Post match the beatdown stays on but Ruca manages a Sol Smasher to leave Stark laying.

We go to the surprise party, where Kiana James doesn’t want to talk about the Brooks Jensen thing. Pretty Deadly, looking a big disheveled, come in, saying they haven’t slept since Vengeance Day. They blame Chase U and a match is set for tonight (with Chase swearing included).

Dabba-Kato vs. Dante Chen

Chops, faceplant, shrugging off Chen’s chops, sitout chokebomb to finish Chen at 2:40. Kato sold way more than he should have there.

Post match Kato promises to break Apollo Crews.

Earlier today, Diamond Mine was regrouping after their loss to Indus Sher last week. Alba Fyre and Isla Dawn came in to mock them, setting up a match later.

Roxanne Perez is happy with keeping her title but Katana Chance and Kayden Carter are upset about their title loss. Perez is going to make a phone call and get a partner.

Isla Dawn vs. Tatum Paxley

Alba Fyre is here too. Paxley slugs away to start but Dawn knees her in the chest and hits a running Meteora for two. Back up and Paxley slugs away to little avail, with Dawn hitting something like a Nightmare On Helm Street for the pin at 2:58.

Post match Dawn and Fyre tease the beatdown but Ivy Nile runs in for a save. Why Dawn and Fyre, the latter of whom had a baseball bat, ran off isn’t clear.

Video on JD McDonagh vs. Carmelo Hayes.

JD McDonagh vs. Carmelo Hayes

Trick Williams is here too and it’s a feeling out process to start. McDonagh seems to taunt Williams and the pace picks up, with McDonagh sending him into the corner. A faceplant puts Hayes down and McDonagh drops him ribs first across the top as we take a break. Back with McDonagh sending him into the corner and hitting a standing Spanish Fly for two.

Hayes grabs a cutter for two and a spinning faceplant gets the same. We hit the crossface but McDonagh makes the ropes. A Codebreaker gives Hayes two more but McDonagh headbutts him down. Cue the returning Ilja Dragunov to take out Williams though and a rollup finishes McDonagh at 13:17.

Rating: C. McDonagh stopped being interested a long time ago and that was on full display here. Hayes feels like the hot new heel and McDonagh feels like a remnant of the 2.0 days. Hayes winning via a distraction finish was even weirder, as they were both down when the whole thing happened. Not a bad match, but Hayes is heading to Stand & Deliver and this was an annoying pit stop for him.

Post match Dragunov teases going after Hayes but jumps McDonagh instead.

Thea Hail comes up to Tiffany Stratton and they get in an argument over whether Chase U is cool or tacky. Hail goes on a rant and tells her to suck it but gets pulled off by Ava Raine.

Back at the party, Brooks Jensen is ready for Valentine’s Day with Kiana James, so Fallon Henley can’t bring herself to say anything.

Lyra Valkyria vs. Valentina Feroz

Wendy Choo is here with Feroz. Valkyria takes Feroz down without much trouble to start as Elektra Lopez comes out to watch. Feroz gets in a shot of her own so Lopez throws her some brass knuckles. Valkyria is back up with a pair of kicks to the head for the pin at 2:44.

We see Wes Lee coming back home after Vengeance Day and meeting his wife at the airport. It’s a rather emotional moment for him because he has worked so hard and is going to keep the title as long as he can. This was rather well done and a more personal look at Lee.

Lee is fired up and wants a challenge. Tony D’Angelo and Stacks come in to say they wants payment for helping him against Dijak. That’s cool with Lee, who is having an Open Challenge for the title next week.

Tyler Bate wants Grayson Waller next week.

Stacks vs. Odyssey Jones

Tony D’Angelo is here too. Jones throws Stacks around to start and the size is already crushing him. A huge slam plants Stacks and he has to roll outside for an early breather. Back in and Stacks gets in a DDT to rock Jones for a change, setting up a running forearm to do it again. Stacks hits a Stomp for the (somewhat surprising) pin at 5:14.

Rating: C-. That’s quite the surprise as Jones has seemed to be getting something of a push, only to lose clean here. Stacks is seemingly getting a bit of a push of his own and I’ve heard worse ideas. I’m not sure what that means for D’Angelo, but they’re trying something new and that’s often a good thing. The match wasn’t so much, but at least they seem to be going somewhere.

Roxanne Perez has a partner for next week: Meiko Satomura.

Pretty Deadly vs. Chase U

Thea Hail isn’t here as she is busy being kidnapped. Pretty Deadly is barely functioning here and Hudson grabs Prince for an early headlock. Wilson comes in and tries to walk off but Chase brings him back in for a tie up in the ropes. Prince is sent face first into Wilson’s feet as the one sidedness continues. They go outside with Hudson missing a charge into the steps and we take a break.

Back with Chase coming in to clean house but an assisted gutbuster takes him down. Hudson makes the save and it’s the Spelling Stomps to Prince for two. Cue a screaming Thea Hail, holding her knee, with Hudson grabbing her to see what’s wrong. The distraction lets Spilled Milk finish Chase at 9:24.

Rating: C. And yes, Chase loses again. Losing to Pretty Deadly is one thing, but if this leads to them losing to Schism, I’m not sure where NXT has been. At the same time, Hudson is getting to be really good as the hot tag man and Chase is still almost as over as anyone else in NXT. Just let the team win something, please.

Hank Walker wants to take Wes Lee’s open challenge next week but Charlie Dempsey comes in. Drew Gulak thinks Walker is ready for a rematch with Dempsey, who implies Gulak cheated to beat him.

It’s time for Ding Dong Hello, with Bayley (arm in a sling) ranting about Lita showing up and costing her last night. The guests are Toxic Attraction, who wipe their feet coming in. They get straight to the argument over who cost who at Vengeance Day, with Jacy saying that Gigi was dressed like a “hobo who banged a Chuckie doll”.

Bayley thinks the split is coming but wonders what happens to both of them after that happens. That’s enough for the two of them to agree that there is strength in numbers, ala Damage Ctrl, so maybe they should go after the Tag Team Titles. Like….the WWE Women’s Tag Team Titles. Bayley says calm down and they hug it out, only to have Jayne drop her. Dolin gets sent into the door and Jayne stands tall to end the show. That was a way to go, though Toxic Attraction moving up was a better option.

Overall Rating: C. I wasn’t feeling this show as much this week, but maybe that’s just due to taking a big breath after their special show. We still have several weeks before Stand & Deliver so there is still a long time to get things going. What matters is that they didn’t completely bomb here and what we got was a passable enough show, but it didn’t have anything that you need to see.

Results
Zoey Stark b. Sol Ruca – Flipping knee to the face
Dabba-Kato b. Dante Chen – Sitout chokebomb
Carmelo Hayes b. JD McDonagh – Rollup
Lyra Valkyria b. Valentina Feroz – Kick to the head
Stacks b. Odyssey Jones – Stomp
Chase U b. Pretty Deadly – Spilled Milk to Chase

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NXT
Date: January 17, 2023
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Booker T., Vic Joseph

We’re done with New Year’s Evil and now all roads lead to Vengeance Day in about two and a half weeks. The show will feature Bron Breakker defending the NXT Title against Grayson Waller in a cage match but we’re going to need more than that. There is a lot of potential for the rest of the show though and we should hear more this week. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening recap, featuring all of the returns and surprises.

Trick Williams/Carmelo Hayes vs. Axiom/Apollo Crews

Williams works on Axiom’s arm to start and then runs him over for a bonus. A pop up right hand puts Axiom down again and it’s off to Hayes. An enziguri gets Axiom out of trouble though and it’s Crews coming in to clean house. Hayes gets knocked to the floor so Crews tosses Axiom onto both villains as we take a break.

Back with Axiom and Hayes clotheslining each other but it’ snot enough to get back over to Crews. Axiom get sent into the corner for the alternating beatdown before Hayes grabs a chinlock. That’s broken up and Axiom gets over for the corner, meaning Crews gets to clean house. The gorilla press into the standing moonsault gets two with Hayes making the save. Axiom and Williams go to the floor so Hayes goes up top. Nothing But Net doesn’t quite connect and it’s Crews with a cradle for the pin at 10:35.

Rating: C. Nice, fast paced match to open the show as Crews gets a win to build up some momentum. I’m surprised to see Hayes take the fall but you can only beat Williams so many times before it stops meaning anything. Hayes almost has to get into the title picture or move up to the main roster sooner than later, and I’m not sure which way he’ll be going.

Tony D’Angelo and Stacks go to the bridge where D’Angelo killed Two Dimes. D’Angelo isn’t happy with Stacks lying about the Dijak situation, so Stacks says do what you have to do. Instead of killing him, D’Angelo promotes him and makes him part of the family. He even gets a new jacket.

Tiffany Stratton isn’t happy and we see a clip from earlier in the day with Stratton not being able to get into her locker room. Indi Hartwell answered and said that it was really the women’s locker room, because she’s not better than anyone. Hartwell throws Stratton’s stuff out and tells her to dress somewhere else.

Here is Toxic Attraction to brag about their win in the battle royal last week. They had the fans in the palm of their hands and even if Jayne tried to eliminate Dolin last week, it’s all fine. The Toxic Attraction train is on the way to Vengeance Day where they will make Roxanne Perez regret ever winning the Women’s Title. Cue Lyra Valkyria, who says she is tired of all of this bragging. Jayne and Dolin tell her to get lost, but Valkyria says she isn’t here alone. Cue Roxanne Perez to help clear the ring.

The Creed Brothers are training when Ivy Nile and Tatum Paxley come in. Nile yells at the Creeds for not being what they used to be, including last week against Jinder Mahal and Sanga. GET IT TOGETHER! The women leave and the Creeds think they might be on to something.

Stevie Turner narrates a video about the battle royal. Of course she would have won if she was there.

Sol Ruca vs. Alba Fyre

Ruca manages to take her down fast to start and flips away to avoid the comeback. Fyre isn’t having that though and knocks Ruca down without much effort. Some kicks to the chest have Ruca in more trouble but she slips out of the Fyre Bomb. Sol tries a Razor’s Edge but gets caught with a superkick instead. Fyre is back up but cue Isla Dawn on the platform for a distraction. That’s enough for Ruca to get the Sol Snatcher (middle rope inverted backflip cutter, which looks amazing) for the pin at 3:19.

Rating: C. This was all about getting the cool finisher on television and that is not a bad thing. If Ruca has anything in the ring to back up that finisher, she could be quite the star. Fyre losing again isn’t great to see but at least there was a distraction. I would have thought Fyre vs. Dawn was done but apparently there is more to it, for whatever reason.

Dijak is ready to win the North American Title at Vengeance Day. He would just let Wes Lee hand him the title, but Lee is too stupid to take the offer. Lee is first to receive high justice and it means Dijak leaves as champion.

We get a sitdown interview with Grayson Waller. Last week, he faced the Bron Breakker he knew he was getting. Breakker is just as big, strong and stupid as Waller knew he would be. Waller had him beaten but someone on the ring crew couldn’t do his job and fix the rope. Waller knew he won so he even has his own title with him. Now it’s time for a rematch inside a cage and Waller will leave as champion.

Gallus and Josh Briggs/Brooks Jensen both say they’re ready.

Alba Fyre chokes a referee with the baseball bat until Kayden Carter/Katana Chance calms her down. They say be patience but Fyre says she’ll come for the Women’s Tag Team Titles herself.

Tyler Bate talks about how he had to find his new self. Now he’s back and not leaving.

Gallus vs. Josh Briggs/Brooks Jensen

Fallon Henley is here with Jensen/Briggs and it’s a big brawl to start. We settle down to Jensen vs. Mark to officially get things going but Briggs comes in for the double clothesline. Jensen gets taken into the wrong corner though and it’s Wolfgang coming in to hammer away. A leapfrog (or most of one at least) allows the tag off to Briggs. House is cleaned but a blind tag lets Coffey pull Briggs to the floor. The floor mats are pulled back but Briggs grabs the suplex on the exposed concrete instead.

We take a break and come back with Jensen getting cut off due to his banged up back, meaning the double beatdown can continue. Some shots to the back set up the front facelock, meaning Jensen has to fight up again. After a failed attempt, Jensen gets over to Briggs so house can be cleaned for a second time.

Everything breaks down and Jensen gets backdropped on the exposed concrete. The trainers check on Jensen as Briggs splashes Coffey for two. Kiana James comes out to check on Jensen, much to Henley’s dismay. The numbers game gets the better of Briggs though and it’s the enziguri/powerslam combination for the pin at 11:57.

Rating: C+. This got some more time to make it a bit better and they told a bit of a story in there too. Jensen and Briggs are the kind of team who can take more than a few losses as they are able to bounce back rather quickly. They have a little something with the Kiana James stuff, as it isn’t so much about wondering when she is going to mess things up but why and how. Gallus seems primed for a Tag Team Title shot so giving them a win here was necessary.

Thea Hail is getting ready for her first win on NXT when Andre Chase comes in to yell at Duke Hudson. We see a clip of Hudson talking about how Hail has to win and seemingly knocking Chase’s teaching. Chase says if Hudson has something to say, say it to his face. Hudson says it was taken out of context and wants to see Hail win.

Brooks Jensen is in the trainer’s room when Fallon Henley comes in to yell at him about Kiana James. Jensen insists they like each other and what could she be after? Henley already has the bar back, so there is nothing left. Henley has to get used to this.

Thea Hail vs. Valentina Feroz

The rest of Chase U is here with Hail, who starts fast but gets taken down in a hurry. The armbar keeps Hail down as Elektra Lopez comes out to watch. Hail fights up and gets a fast two, only to get rolled up for the same. Hudson glares Lopez away, but she slips Feroz some brass knuckles. Feroz doesn’t want them and throws them away, allowing Hail to hit a faceplant for the pin at 3:25.

Rating: C. Hail winning is a good thing as she has so much charisma that there has to be something for her to do. Even a win over someone as low on the totem pole as Feroz matters as Hail has to start somewhere. They even threw in a bit of a story for Feroz and Lopez, which could go somewhere interesting.

Apollo Crews mocks Trick Williams and Carmelo Hayes over the loss. Hayes calls it cheap but Crews thinks it’s time to celebrate.

Commentary announces the death of Jay Briscoe. That is a shock and seems to have been due to a car crash, which is a horrible way to go. Classy move by WWE to acknowledge it, but that’s far from what matters here.

Elektra Lopez asks Valentina Feroz why she didn’t take her help. Feroz wants to win on her own, but Lopez tells her to stop sulking about Sanga. Next week, Lopez is facing Wendy Choo and tells Feroz to pay attention.

Here is New Day for a chat. They are happy to be done with Pretty Deadly and now they are on to the winners of the gauntlet match: Gallus. Cue Pretty Deadly to say they have jumped through all of those hoops to get a title shot and now they want one. Cue Gallus, who says they won and the title match is theirs. Xavier Woods marks Gallus’ accents but New Day is ready for them. Pretty Deadly isn’t having this and the fight is on, with referees breaking it up. The triple threat seems imminent.

Lyra Valkyria and Roxanne Perez are sure they’ll be ok as a team because they have common enemies. Last week it was Cora Jade and now it is Toxic Attraction. They’ll be ready to fight but here is Javier Bernal with his guitar. Bernal is ready for their requests but both of them give him a cold shoulder.

We get a sitdown interview with Bron Breakker, who isn’t happy with how he beat Grayson Waller last week. The knee to the face caught him and he was seeing stars for a few seconds. Now they’re going to a cage and Breakker loves the idea, because there is nowhere to run and hide. Waller is the best trash talker around but can’t back it up in the ring. Violence is coming at Vengeance Day.

Here is Javier Bernal for a concert but someone cuts him off and wants a match.

Tyler Bate vs. Javier Bernal

Bate rolls him up or a fast two and they trade headlocks. Bernal takes him down and hammers away, with the fans not being pleased. Bate fights up and hits Bernal in the face, setting up Bop And Bang. He does it again, setting up the handspring lariat. The Tyler Driver doesn’t work so bate tried it again and drops Bernal on his head for the pin at 3:26.

Rating: C-. That ending really didn’t look good and pulled a lot of energy away from Bate’s big return. Bate is someone who has all of the tools but seems to slip up a few times too many. I’m not sure what doesn’t click for him, but he could use a long stretch of time without anything holding him back (even if it wasn’t his fault, like the visa situation).

Chase U celebrates Thea Hail’s win.

Fallon Henley comes up to Brooks Jensen and Josh Briggs and says that because she cares about Jensen, she’s going to try to get along with James. She has even gotten a tag match next week, with James as her partner. Jensen is happy and all three are off to drink.

Here’s what’s coming on various shows.

Lyra Valkyria/Roxanne Perez vs. Toxic Attraction

It’s a brawl to start with Toxic Attraction being sent outside. Perez dives onto Jayne and Valkyria dropkicks Dolin through the ropes. Back in and it’s time to work on Dolin’s arm, with Valkyria coming in with a top rope ax handle. Perez hits a running elbow but a blind tag lets Jayne come in to hammer away.

The forearms to the back keep Perez down and a clothesline gets two. Perez fights up with a swinging faceplant and Valkyria comes in to strike away. There’s a suplex to Jayne but here is Cora Jade to shove Valkyria off the top. Valkyria is right back up to hand it off to Perez before going after Jade, leaving Perez 2-1. Jayne kicks Dolin in the face by mistake allowing Perez to grab Pop Rox for the pin at 6:46.

Rating: C+. They didn’t have a lot of time here but it’s a bit weird to have Perez beat Toxic Attraction 2-1 here when that is the entire focal point of the upcoming title match. Jade vs. Valkyria should be a nice feud for both of them as Valkyria is certainly being thrown straight into a pretty decent sized spot on the card.

Overall Rating: C. After last week’s big show, this certainly felt like a bit of a breather, as there are only two more shows before the big one next month. There was nothing overly terrible here, but it definitely felt like a show that was more skippable than most around here. We do have more set up for Vengeance Day, but they could have used a better TV show to get there.

Results
Axiom/Apollo Crews b. Trick Williams/Carmelo Hayes – Rollup to Hayes
Sol Ruca b. Alba Fyre – Sol Snatcher
Gallus b. Brooks Jensen/Josh Briggs – Enziguri/powerslam combination to Briggs
Thea Hail b. Valentina Feroz – Bulldog driver

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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