Results
- Osiris Griffin & Saquon Shugars def. Bronco Nima & Lucien Price (NXT Tag Team Championships) (11:06)
- Jaida Parker def. Nikkita Lyons (5:16)
- Dion Lennox def. Myles Borne (NXT Championship Ladder Match Qualifier) (10:42)
- Lexis King def. Tavion Heights (3:54)
- Thea Hail def. Zaria (9:16)
- Keanu Carver def. Andre Chase (NXT Championship Ladder Match Qualifier) (4:05)
NXT starts with a trio of attacks: re-match, mid-match, and post-match
This week’s episode of NXT from the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida, the final episode before a new men’s champion is crowned next week, was scheduled to start with one of the many qualifying matches to determine who will be competing in the six-way ladder match for the vacant title.
However, plans changed just moments into the show. While Joe Hendry was scheduled to face Jackson Drake in the first of three qualifying matches tonight, we went backstage and found out that the former TNA star was laid out and not able to compete. The Orlando crowd, who popped hard for Hendry’s theme, was quite upset about this development. It was teased that the Vanity Project attacked him, but we were also told that Tony D’Angelo, who has been jumping everyone and anyone on the show recently, had arrived at the venue.
We’ll hear more about the status of that Hendry match later, it seems, as we then went right into the sole title contest of the week, DarkState’s Osiris Griffin and Saquon Shugars wagering their tag titles against Bronco Nima and Lucien Price of OTM. In a fun little piece of immersion, Shugars was still tweaking and adjusting his ring gear during their entrance, not prepared for their match getting bumped up on the card.
Nima (who was incorrectly identified by Booker T as Price) scored a crafty move halfway through the match, tossing Shugars into the air for a spinning back elbow. The OTM member found himself isolated as the show returned from a break, having to kick out of a pin attempt after taking a neat double-team neckbreaker from DarkState.
Nima was able to finally tag out of the match after scoring dual cross-bodies with Griffin. Price had a great hot tag run, at one point slamming Shugars onto Griffin’s back for a near fall.
As Price started closing in on a pinfall victory, The Vanity Project suddenly ran down to the ring and distracted him. This allowed Shugars to score a Sunset Flip into a pin attempt for the win. He tried to put his legs on the ropes for leverage during this pinfall, but kinda botched that. Lame finish, but otherwise this was a fun one – both of these teams are big, hard-hitting groups who kept a fast pace for 11 minutes and had some crafty exchanges. Can’t complain.
Hank & Tank and The Culling came down to the ring for a post-match brawl, trying to prove the point that many teams are vying for the tag titles in NXT currently.
Jaida Parker wins in return, Blake Monroe teases future match
Backstage, Nikkita Lyons said that she is doing a favor for Blake Monroe by facing Jaida Parker tonight. “How do I repay you?” Monroe said. “I don’t know, call my ‘Nikita the Saint,” she replied. Okay.
In her first appearance on main NXT TV in nearly a year, Nikkita Lyons faced Jaida Parker next. Lyons has remained active through the last 12 months, but has mainly been working NXT house shows and EVOLVE tapings. More importantly, this was a return match for Parker, who has been out of the ring for a while (her last TV bout was in October).
Lyons’ attempt to score a win in Monroe’s honor was unsuccessful. While she got ahead early with her striking-based attacks, Parker eventually took control of the match. She scored her high-step hip attack in a corner of the ring, the Hipnotic, then what seems to be a new slam finisher for the pinfall win in five minutes.
Monroe appeared in the post-match (now at home, a slight continuity error), saying that Parker’s performance wasn’t “glamorous.”
“Nobody takes the spotlight from Blake Monroe and gets away with it,” she said. “So I’ll be seeing you very, very soon.”
The Elegance Brand sent in a promo about the TNA Knockouts Tag Team Championships #1 Contenders, ZaRuca.
Backstage, Zaria was on the phone with Sol Ruca asking where she is. Thea Hail tried to comfort Zaria about how “Friends come and go,” but this discussion turned into an argument between the two. Zaria mentioned that Hail “stumble[s] upon championships,” which she was offended by. So we’ll be seeing them face off later.
Dion Lennox qualifies for ladder match via pinfall, Jackson Drake qualifies via funky business
Backstage, Ava told The Vanity Project that Joe Hendry isn’t medically cleared to compete tonight. Suspicious that they attacked Hendry, Ava threatened to “rip up” their contracts. Since she can’t technically prove that they did the attack (no surveillance cameras in the PC, I guess), she won’t punish them. Instead, with Hendry unable to compete, Jackson Drake has been given a bye to next week’s ladder match for the NXT Championship. Nobody else on the roster is good enough to suit up against the EVOLVE champ? However, Ava included one important detail: If Hendry can be medically cleared by next week, he’ll be added to the ladder bout and it’ll become a seven-way contest.
Off topic, but it was also teased by Ava that some of the NXT women’s division will be in the Royal Rumble this weekend (the women’s match still has about a dozen open spots in it).
So, at the halfway point in the show, here’s a recap of everyone in the ladder match so far: Ricky Saints, Sean Legacy, Shiloh Hill, Jackson Drake, and possibly also Joe Hendry. Without Hendry, that’s a championship bout severely lacking star power thus far.
In the first qualifying match of the night for next week’s six-way ladder fight, Myles Borne faced off with Dion Lennox. Ethan Page was seen backstage scolding Borne, telling him if he wants to win tonight he should do it “by any means necessary.” Borne replied: “Don’t you worry how I handle my business.”
Page appeared at ringside roughly five minutes into the bout. Borne sent Lennox into a set of stairs at ringside, causing Page to voice his approval. Lennox was in control during the break, but Borne started to make a comeback as the show returned. Lennox tried to roll-up Borne, but the referee saw him trying to use the ropes for leverage. The referee didn’t see Lennox gouge the eyes of Borne moments later.
Page slid Borne his NXT North American Championship and told him to use it as a weapon. Page got on the ring apron to distract the referee, but the ref turned around before Borne could utilize the title. This sequence allowed Lennox to pick up Borne for a Michinoku Driver pinfall victory in 10 minutes. Frustrated by how the finishing sequence went, Borne dropped Page afterward.
Interesting storyline between Page and Borne brewing. But, wow, when are they ever gonna give Borne a real push? He has done some interesting stuff in NXT but so frequently comes out of everything as a loser. It’ll be really disappointing if he somehow comes out of this program with Page without anything of substance.
Backstage, Tony D’Angelo entered Ava’s office. After weeks of being silent and emotionless, was he finally going to speak? Yes, thank god. “Why’d you bail me out?” D’Angelo said, revealing that Ava freed him from custody after attacking the NXT roster last week.
Ava said he knows NXT better than anyone and asked, “Are you in, or are you out?”
D’Angelo said he will reveal his intentions next week. Ava urged him not to interfere with next week’s ladder match. I really haven’t liked this storyline so far, and nothing about this short interaction made me any more interested in what D’Angelo’s angle is.
Lexis King scores fast win over Tavion Heights
In a rematch from their WWE Speed battle from last month, Tavion Heights and Lexis King faced off next. These two had a dust-up backstage earlier on the show, causing the bout to get booked. Early in the match, TNA International Champion Stacks and Arianna Grace appeared at ringside for an up-close view of the action.
Heights went tumbling over the top and to the outside just a few minutes into the match and started favoring his left arm right after. He tried to get back into the ring with a springboard move but King dodged it, causing Heights to land on the arm again. King scored his Coronation for the finish in just four minutes. This was a really awkward finish: early, untimely, and the dodged springboard move from Heights leading to King’s finisher looked awful. This was either a DUD-level bout or someone got hurt here.
Thea Hail scores big win (albeit via distraction) ahead of next week’s title match
From one grudge match to another, the co-main event of the night saw Zaria and Thea Hail settle their locker room argument in the ring. Izzi Dame, who will be defending her NXT Women’s North American Championship against Hail and Lola Vice in a three-way next week, was at ringside on commentary.
Zaria came out of the corner with a move at the six-minute mark of the match, but Hail reversed it mid-air into a Codebreaker. Hail started to pick up some momentum following that move with a series of clotheslines. She tried for an exploder suplex, but the towering Zaria was able to resist it.
Hail again tried to pick up Zaria a minute later, successfully hitting a World’s Strongest Slam. She came off the middle rope with an attempted springboard senton, but Zaria caught her for a side slam.
Hail countered a move from Zaria into a kimura. Zaria lifted Hail into a back bodydrop to escape the submission, then followed up with a big spear. Zaria tried for another move, but Hail countered it into a DDT. The women dropped eachother with headbutts.
Attention turned to ringside at this point, as Tatum Paxley emerged from the crowd to attack Dame. These two fought their way to backstage. This brawl distracted Zaria, allowing Hail to score a roll-up pin for the win in nine minutes. I was interested to see how they would book this, as both women have upcoming title matchups. The way this played out protected them both to an extent.
Hail tried to shake Zaria’s hand after the match, but Zaria batted her arm away. Fatal Influence came to ringside to intimidate the duo. Hail put her arm on Zaria’s shoulder, trying to convince her to team up and battle Fatal Influence. Zaria didn’t like this, picking up Hail for a huge F5 to end the segment.
Backstage, we saw Charlie Dempsey approached by Stacks, Arianna Grace and Lexis King. “You’re one of us,” Grace said to him before the scene abruptly cut away. Curious to see what this new faction forming is, and if they will turn Dempsey to get him in the group.
Keanu Carver decimates Andre Chase to secure NXT title shot
The main event of the night saw EVOLVE talent Keanu Carver make his NXT TV debut against Andre Chase, battling it out for the final spot in next week’s NXT Championship ladder match. Sidenote: When was the last time Chase headlined an episode of NXT?
Chase climbed to the top rope but was dumped to the outside in the opening minute. Carver ripped off a face mask that Chase was wearing to protect his nose, then pushed him face-first into a ringpost.
Back in the ring, Carver continued to target Chase’s nose with his attacks, running him face-first into the top rope at times. Chase tried to battle back into the match with strikes. He scored a tornado DDT then a top-rope crossbody for a near fall. Was Chase about to spoil Carver’s debut?
The fight went to ringside, where Chase tackled Carver and sent them both over the commentary desk. Chase celebrated on top of the table after the moment, but it became clear moments later that he wasn’t ahead enough to brag just yet. In an awesome spot, Carver jumped onto the top of the commentary table and lifted Chase for a huge side slam onto the desk. Back in the ring, he scored a crafty powerslam for the pinfall win in four minutes.
Carver continued to attack Chase after the match, bashing him face-first into an exposed turnbuckle at one point. As Chase was getting helped by numerous officials at ringside, Carver cut a quick promo about how he’s “going to pack everybody in that ladder match up.” Great debut for Carver here.
Here’s an updated look at next week’s show:
- M & Heather By Elegance vs. Zaria & Sol Ruca (TNA Knockouts World Tag Team Championships)
- Tony D’Angelo explains his actions
- Izzi Dame vs. Thea Hail vs. Lola Vice (NXT Women’s North American Championship)
- Ricky Saints vs. Sean Legacy vs. Shiloh Hill vs. Jackson Drake vs. Dion Lennox vs. Keanu Carver (Vacant NXT Championship) (Ladder Match)
Keanu Carver gets last laugh ahead of next week’s ladder match
In the headlining segment of the night, five of next week’s ladder match competitors hit the ring for a final face-to-face. Absent (for now) was Ricky Saints. Shiloh Hill talked about how Keanu Carver’s speech about how he’s going to beat everyone up excited him because he’s a weirdo. Dion Lennox told him to shut up. Sean Legacy said that the ladder match is the biggest opportunity of his life, and teased that he will be taking risks. Jackson Drake said that, unlike Legacy, he’s “calculated,” and that’s why he’s going to win next weekend.
The one missing man for this segment, Ricky Saints, appeared on-stage and set up a ladder, which he climbed before his promo. Saints said he’s the only one whose time is now: “I see a lot of future champions. But simply put, you guys are the seeds that have not sprouted yet.”
Carver said everyone is doing way too much talking, “And to be honest, we really don’t have to wait until next week.”
Just like that, a brawl broke out between the five in the ring. Carver stood tall after others were dumped out of the ring, but was dropped by Saints, who hit him in the head with a ladder. Saints started climbing the ladder to retrieve the title in the ring but was stopped after Joe Hendry’s music hit.
A hurt and limping Hendry made his way to the ring and took out Saints with a Standing Ovation. He posed for the hard cam, but then was picked up by Carver for a huge slam. Carver was the one who got to stand tall to end this segment, pretty neat.
Final thoughts
This was an alright episode of NXT. The show is certainly still hurting from not having any real focused major title programs going on, as this week felt like a whole lot of midcard action without any big things to look forward to. However, that will change next week, as a new champ will be crowned and a few other high-profile storylines will progress. If you didn’t watch this week’s episode, I don’t think you missed a whole lot. However, next week looks like a quite important program worth catching.
