Results
- Lola Vice def. Kelani Jordan (11:28)
- Jasper Troy def. Tavion Heights (WWE Speed Championship) (4:09)
- Stacks def. Shiloh Hill (TNA International Championship) (10:39)
- Joe Hendry def. Dion Lennox (No Disqualification) (13:25)
Ava reveals the future of NXT’s top men’s title
This week’s episode of WWE NXT (Episode #1 A.F. – After Femi) from the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida, picked up right where the previous episode left off: With the men’s world title in the middle of the ring.
NXT General Manager Ava got on the microphone to address how main roster-bound Oba Femi officially relinquished his title last week following a win over Leon Slater. The ring was surrounded by the top men’s roster, including Joe Hendry, as Ava discussed how it’s time for NXT to find a new champion.
Ava’s speech was interrupted by former NXT Champion Ricky Saints, who made it clear last week that he’s still after gold on the Tuesday-night show. Getting showered with boos, Saints claims that he ran Femi out of NXT. “He didn’t want the rematch with me because The Ruler is afraid,” he said.
Saints boldly asked for Ava to just hand him the title and declare him champ again. Ava had other plans, announcing that the new NXT Champion will be determined with a six-man ladder match on February 3’s episode. Qualifying matches for the title bout will begin as part of next week’s show. Saints didn’t like this reveal.
Shortly after Ava left the ring, the entire NXT roster started brawling. Keanu Carver picked up one wrestler at ringside and tossed him into the crowd, then launched another out of the ring and to the outside!
Cameras continued to follow him as he powerbombed Brooks Jensen through a commentary table, then did a few more big spots. Saints retreated to the ramp as the tussle calmed down, and Carver was the one who stood tall in the ring. While the main focus of the title picture will be Saints, it looks like NXT will be using the build to help introduce Carver, who has been an NXT Level Up and EVOLVE product since early 2024.
Lola Vice eyes gold after taking down Kelani Jordan
The first bout of the evening was a grudge match, which saw Lola Vice go head-to-head with Kelani Jordan.
Jordan caught Vice off guard, dropkicking her off the ring apron then following her to ringside with a dive before the match officially started. Jordan came off the top with a move in the ring, but Vice countered with a punch to the midsection.
Jordan had control of the match as the show was in a break, hitting a Three Amigos at one point. A striking exchange between the two women ended after Vice hit Jordan with a German Suplex, kicking off a comeback run.
Vice unloaded with a series of kicks to Jordan then tried for a hip attack in a corner of the ring, but Jordan rolled out of the ring to escape the move. Vice followed her to ringside, coming off the ring apron with a dive.
A kick from Jordan was caught from Vice, then the former Bellator MMA fighter locked her into a rear naked choke. Jordan escaped the hold by trying for a roll-up pin. Jordan took down Vice with a kick then connected with a Five-Star Frogsplash, but Vice kicked out at two.
Jordan returned to the top rope, this time trying for a Split-Legged Moonsault, but Vice caught her with a triangle choke immediately after she landed. Again, a pin attempt bailed Jordan out.
Jordan scored an Olympic Slam then tried for a 450 Splash, but Vice avoided it. Jordan tried for a roll-up and, in her best Becky Lynch impression, grabbed a rope while searching for the three-count. The referee saw this and stopped his count – caught red-handed! Jordan briefly argued with the referee but then turned around and ate a backfist from Vice, earning her the pinfall win in 11 minutes.
Vice mentioned afterward that she’s coming after Izzi Dame and her NXT Women’s North American Championship. This was an okay match, a very by-the-numbers singles bout.
Jasper Troy still has the Speed title
In the first of two title matchups tonight, Tavion Heights faced off against WWE Speed Champion Jasper Troy. This was the first time Troy had defended his title since he surprisingly dethroned El Grande Americano in November. For anyone who doesn’t know what Speed matchups are, essentially, this was a five-minute time limit bout.
Heights came running off the ropes for a move, but was floored by Troy, who ran into him and then scored a pair of standing frogsplashes. Heights started to get back into the match near the two-minute warning, picking up Troy for a bodyslam. He tossed Troy with an overhead belly-to-belly suplex.
Heights came off the top for a frogsplash, but Troy kicked out at two. He had just over a minute left to work at this point. Heights fought his way out of a chokeslam but ran into a Black Hole Slam just moments later, giving Troy the pinfall win. Troy remains champ.
In a “kick him while he’s already down” moment, Lexis King attacked Heights afterward. If failing to take WWE’s worst title wasn’t enough, Heights had to get attacked after that?! Rough week for him.
Ava announced backstage that she has worked out a deal for one of NXT’s women’s tag teams to get a shot at TNA’s Knockouts Women’s World Tag Team Championships. The #1 contenders will be determined next week in a three-way between: ZaRuca (Zaria and Sol Ruce), WrenQCC (Wren Sinclair and Kendal Grey) and Fatal Influence (Fallon Henley and Lainey Reid).
Ethan Page approached Ava backstage about getting a qualifying match for the NXT Championship ladder match. Ava said that for him to pursue the main title, he would have to relinquish his North American title. The news went from bad to worse for Page with what Ava had to say next: He will put said title on the line next week against the French Luchador Elio LeFleur in his NXT TV debut.
This isn’t too surprising since reports have indicated that LeFleur has started working NXT house show matches against Page recently. I’m looking forward to that one – LeFleur has an interesting character and his in-ring skills seem legit.
Jaida Parker returns to confront Blake Monroe
Blake Monroe, who had a title matchup against Thea Hail thrown out last weekend after she initiated a brutal attack, hit the ring for a promo in the next segment.
Monroe’s response to her attack: “So what?” She doesn’t believe she did anything wrong last week.
“When you’re as talented as I am, people don’t always know what to do with you. They’ll call you controversial. They’ll debate about you on commentary … You’ll never really admit the obvious: Blake Monroe is the standard. I’m the most complete woman in NXT.”
Monroe’s boring promo was eventually interrupted by Jaida Parker, who got the first actual reaction out of the crowd in this segment. Parker tried talking, but Monroe interrupted: “Can I help you?”
Parker wasn’t going to let Monroe toy with her, and instead decided to fight her. Parker scored a her corner hi-step hip attack, then sent Monroe flying off the apron with another hipnotic. The crowd, who absolutely love Parker, chanted “Jaida don’t play that s***” – which I bet the CW loved to hear.
Well, after reports last week said that Monroe was being considered for a main roster spot, this segment makes it seem as though she isn’t going anywhere. And, considering how stale her promo was, it doesn’t seem like the worst idea to keep her down there for a little.
TNA international champ Stacks turns back the wild Shiloh Hill
Stacks put his TNA International Championship on the line in the co-main event of the night, defending against chaotic newcomer Shiloh Hill. This was Hill’s third TV match since joining NXT.
Arianna Grace slapped Hill, which made him smile. Hill started brawling with Stacks, and the referee rang the bell as Grace was still in the ring? As our upNXT hosts say, I guess it’s developmental for the referees, too.
Hill dodged a splash in the corner from Stacks then got a near fall with a roll-up attempt. He scored a dive at ringside shortly after, but Stacks gained control of the match during commercials.
Hill started working his way back into the match with a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker. Hill took out his removable tooth, his version of peeling down the straps of his singlet. A series of moves from Hill, including a standing senton, earned him another two-count.
Stacks had a run of moves, scoring an elbow to the back of Hill’s head then landing a gutbuster. He tried for a reverse Shining Wizard, but Hill dodged it. Hill rolled out of the ring mid-match to put his arm around Grace’s shoulder, making her scream in horror. Alright.
Hill came over the ropes for a Sunset Flip Powerbomb, but Stacks reversed for a roll-up. In the most blatant cheating attempt we have seen in a while, Stacks put his arm on the bottom rope while pinning, causing the referee to immediately stop his count. Not sure why that happened.
Hill tried for a roll-up, but a kick from Grace (which the referee didn’t see) reversed it into a roll-up attempt from Stacks, earning him the pinfall victory. This match had some odd moments but I still found it somewhat enjoyable.
Tatum Paxley follows Izzi Dame to a title program
In her first appearance before becoming the NXT Women’s North American Champion, Izzi Dame came to the ring for the next segment.
Dame said that she didn’t stumble into success last week, but instead outsmarted the rest of the roster. She said everybody wants a piece of Dame, mentioning Lola Vice’s call-out earlier in the night and mentioning that Thea Hail likely wants a rematch. Dame was forgetting one person, however, and it was a woman who has a fair case for a match against her…
The speech was cut off by Tatum Paxley, who beat her in a singles match last week. Paxley briefly got her hands on Dame before a wave of referess got between them. Paxley headbutted a referee, causing her to get ejected from the building later in the program. It looks like gold will be on the line as part of their trilogy sometime down the line.
Ricky Saints confirmed in an interview that he will bypass the qualifying round and instead go straight through to the ladder match for the NXT title next month.
Here’s what was announced for next week’s episode:
- Josh Briggs vs. Shiloh Hill (NXT Championship Ladder Match Qualifier)
- Sean Legacy vs. Eli Knight (NXT Championship Ladder Match Qualifier)
- Ethan Page vs. Elio LeFleur (NXT North American Championship)
- Zaria & Sol Ruca vs. Wren Sinclair & Kendal Grey vs. Lainey Reid & Fallon Henley (TNA Knockouts World Tag Team Championship #1 Contenders)
Tony D’Angelo helps (but also attacks) Joe Hendry in No-DQ match against DarkState’s Dion Lennox
The main event of the night saw Joe Hendry face off against DarkState’s Dion Lennox in a no-disqualification match. As established last week, Hendry enlisted tag duo OTM to corner him for this match in an attempt to stop the rest of DarkState from getting the most out of a no-DQ stip.
Hendry scored a superplex just before the show went to its final break. Saquon Shugars attempted to help Lennox after the show returned, wedging a chair between two turnbuckles in the ring. Lennox tried to run Hendry into the weapon, but Hendry reversed the spot and instead sent Lennox flying into steel.
OTM had some tricks up their sleeves, too, handing Hendry a pair of brass knuckles to strike Lennox with. Hendry landed a fallaway slam then started to call for his Standing Ovation, but Lennox escaped it by using a kendo stick, which Cutler James handed him from the ring apron.
Hendry snatched the stick from Lennox and unloaded with his own series of shots, then scored a Standing Ovation. He went for the pin but was pulled out of the ring by Osiris Griffin to break up the count. Lennox scored a powerbomb and went for a pin, but this time it was OTM dragging Lennox out of the ring.
This built to a brawl between OTM and DarkState as Lennox and Hendry were down and out at ringside. The two factions fought their way backstage, making this a match without any more expected run-ins… Emphasis: Expected.
Back in the ring, Lennox connected with a Spinebuster onto a steel chair for a near fall. Hendry got up to his feet and reversed a move from Lennox into a second Standing Ovation but couldn’t get it done (we knew this wasn’t the finish because a yet-to-be-used table was set up in the ring).
Lennox speared Hendry through a table in a corner of the ring, but still Hendry kicked out. Lennox grabbed a chair and looked to put Hendry out with a shot, but was stopped by Tony D’Angelo! D’Angelo struck Lennox in the back with a chair of his own then scored a chokeslam.
D’Angelo helped up Hendry, then chokeslammed him too! D’Angelo dragged Hendry’s lifeless body on top of Lennox’ allowing him to earn the pinfall win in 13 minutes. I thought this was a fun match which utilized the no-DQ with wrestlers at ringside dynamic well. It seems D’Angelo’s appearance was a way to make a statement ahead of the upcoming NXT titele qualifying matches, and I’m curious to se how the build him for that.
Ava brought out a series of security guards to try and escort D’Angelo out. D’Angelo wiped them all out, then stormed out of the PC to end the show.
This was not a great episode of NXT. There was minimal wrestling (just four matches in two hours, including one which went less than five minutes), and a lot of that wrestling was just OK. Unlike last week, which had a pair of great title bouts, not much about this show stood out. The pacing here was horrid, making one of their weaker lineups as of late an even harder viewing than expected. It will be interesting to see the build to the upcoming ladder match, where NXT will look to put a new top men’s name in a division which has seen numerous key departures this month.
