Results
- Brad Baylor & Ricky Smokes def. Dorian Van Dux & Sean Legacy (NXT Tag Team Championships) (13:09) (Recommended)
- Naraku def. Tate Wilder (8:57)
- Zaria def. Nikkita Lyons, Izzi Dame & Lizzy Rain (Fatal Four-Way) (NXT Women’s North American Championship) (12:46)
- Jackson Drake def. Tavion Heights (10:35)
- Lola Vice def. Kelani Jordan & Kali Armstrong (Triple Threat) (NXT Women’s Championship #1 Contenders Match) (14:18)
Vanity Project retain in electric tag opener
This week’s episode of NXT, live from the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida, opened with the first of two title showdowns of the night. NXT Tag Team Champions Brad Baylor and Ricky Smokes of The Vanity Project put their belts up against the newly-formed duo of Sean Legacy and newcomer Dorian Van Dux. Royalty was in the building tonight, as ring announcer duty was assigned to Lilian Garcia this evening!
Both Van Dux and Legacy got quite a strong spotlight early in this match. Van Dux helped springboard Legacy off the middle rope for an absolutely gigantic crossbody to the floor onto both Vanity Project members before the show went to a break. This spot is worth checking out if you have a minute. A referee distraction from Myka Lockwood allowed the champs to regain control during the break.
Van Dux got the hot tag shortly after the show returned. He went on a long run of moves that showcased his impressive mix of heavy-hitting striking along with high-flying. For example: At one point he dropped Smokes with a lariat, then got a near fall on Baylor with a springboard moonsault.
A double-team attempt from Vanity Project was avoided by Van Dux, who climbed to the top rope and gave Smokes a superplex. Van Dux came off the top with a frogsplash, then Legacy followed up with a 450 Splash. A near fall was broken up by Baylor. The crowd was red-hot by this point.
Vanity Project rolled to the outside after taking moves in the ring. Legacy and Van Dux hit stereo tope suicidas, then Legacy came flying over the top rope with another dive. As the referee was looking away, Lockwood peeled down the top rope, causing Van Dux to take a hard tumble to the floor. He was then thrown back into the ring, where Vanity Project hit a double-team Coup de Grace type chest stomp out of the corner for a pinfall win. This was a very fun match. While the result was expected, it was a big showcase for all four prospects. Quite the perfect high-octane match to open the show.
Backstage, Kam Hendrix teased that he would try to get a match against North American champ Myles Borne.
Shiloh Hill warns Tristan Angels of ‘the fog,’ new title match booked for tonight
Backstage, Saquon Shugars was seen trying to find partners for his trios match against DarkState next week. Trying to recruit OTM didn’t go too well, as the tag duo remained skeptical whether he has become a trustworthy figure. OTM confronted Birthright, claiming they were more focused on trying to make sure they don’t win in last week’s #1 contenders match than actually trying to win the match themselves (the two teams brawled to the back late in the four-way bout). Lexis King said OTM should focus on the issues within the group, as Lucien Price has been spending time away from the group to work on AAA shows.
We went to the ring, where Tristan Angels revealed that he had stolen Shiloh Hill’s dentures. Yes, these two are still feuding. Angels said that Hill was lying to the public by wearing a fake tooth. He put the fake tooth on the steel stairs then stomped it.
Hill appeared on the titantron and said that losing his tooth wasn’t really a big deal.
“I can fix my smile. You can’t fix the fact that now? The fog is coming.” Hill laughed maniacally as the venue flashed lights and fog played out. Sure.
Backstage, NXT General Manager Robert Stone was trying to figure out who he could assign as Women’s North American Champion Zaria’s opponent tonight. It was originally scheduled to be Layla Diggs, but plans changed after she got injured at a house show over the weekend.
Nattie argued that, since one wrestler from her group earned a title shot last week, the opportunity should be deferred to another member of her posse, EVOLVE Women’s Champion Nikkita Lyons. Lizzy Rain and Izzi Dame, who competed in last week’s #1 contenders match, opposed this. Stone settled on tonight’s bout being Zaria vs. Rain vs. Lyons vs. Dame. This is an alright matchup – Diggs’ injury is a real, last-minute change, so I’m sympathetic to the fact that they don’t have a great replacement lined up.
Tate Wilder still can’t win, Tony D’Angelo still hates Naraku
Risk-taker Tate Wilder arguably bit off more than he could chew once again this week, as he accepted a bout against recent NXT title challenger Naraku. Wilder is, of course, still chasing his first win on NXT.
Naraku faked an injury during the commercial break so he could land a cheap shot on Wilder. A really cool Slingblade into a backbreaker was scored by Wilder as he started to mount a comeback late in the bout. Naraku prevented a top-rope moonsault from Wilder, pushing the babyface and causing him to take a huge fall to the floor.
Naraku brought Wilder back into the ring and connected with Enter The Abyss for the pinfall in just under nine minutes. This finish felt flat. I sure hope they have some plan for how this “Wilder is a fun wrestler but seemingly cannot win” storyline ends. It’s kinda losing me.
Tony D’Angelo hit the ring and attacked Naraku for a post-match brawl. Security was pulling these two apart as the show went to a break.
Saquon Shugars’ attempt to try and recruit tag partners continued with a chat to EK Prosper and Hank & Tank. They all respectfully declined his offer.
Zaria survives four-way match to retain North American title
NXT North American Champion Zaria looked to overcome the odds in a four-way match next, defending against Lizzy Rain, Izzi Dame, and Nikkita Lyons. Dame was announced as representing “The Culling,” so it seems maybe that group will continue as just her and Niko Vance?
Rain came off the top rope with a missile dropkick to Rain and Dame as the show returned from a break. Lyons got a near fall after giving Rain a sit-out powerbomb. Dame dropped Zaria and Lyons with a dropkick, landing a senton on Rain on her way down. She pinned all three of her opponents after, but they all kicked out in time.
The match picked up as it neared the end. Dame gave Zaria a German Suplex, but she powered up after taking the move and speared Dame! That nearly ended the bout. A brawl between Rain and Dame took place at ringside and made its way out of the venue (kind of lame to see this spot, considering it’s exactly what NXT booked during last week’s tag four-way).
Nattie and Karmen Petrovic appeared at ringside and attempted to attack Zaria, but Nattie rival Jaida Parker showed up for the save! Zaria speared Petrovic at ringside before returning to the ring.
Back in the ring, Zaria speared Lyons then gave her an F5 for the pinfall win in 12 minutes. The North American title isn’t going anywhere. This was a decent match, although the way they wrote off Dame and Rain here was frustrating.
Backstage, NXT Champion Tony D’Angelo was seen demanding that NXT security stops trying to prevent his brawls with Naraku. GM Robert Stone confirmed that they’ll rematch as part of next week’s show. “Good, but not good enough,” D’Angelo said. “That’s seven days away, I’m not waiting.”
Jackson Drake sneaks by Tavion Heights
The co-main event saw Jackson Drake of the Vanity Project go head-to-head with Tavion Heights.
This was a dominant showing from Heights early on. A Northern Lights suplex earned him a near fall as the show came back from a break. Drake took control after scoring a Dragonscrew leg whip, then locking in a leg submission. Heights escaped the move by trying for a roll-up.
Drake continued to target the leg, lunging forward with a headbutt to the shin before applying a Figure Four. Heights was able to flip over and reverse the hold onto Drake. Vanity Project’s Drake reached the ropes to get out of the move.
Heights gave Drake an overhead belly-to-belly suplex over the top rope and to the floor, causing him to land on his Vanity Project teammates – this looked great. Heights hit another overhead suplex. Brad Baylor was knocked off the ring apron from Heights. This slight pause allowed Drake to counter another suplex into a roll-up pinfall for the win in 10 minutes. They were cooking in this one! I enjoyed it.
We got another video package for Reina Volcan, who made her NXT debut two weeks ago with a surprise attack. “You see beauty? You mistake it for weakness,” she said. “You judge the cover because it’s less scary than accepting what’s inevitable.” She announced that she’ll make her in-ring debut next week.
Shugars finds teammates, title match confirmed for next week
Saquon Shugars finally found his tag partners for next week, as Romeo Moreno and Noam Dar said they would help him out. Moreno had to do a lot of convincing to get the skeptical Dar on board.
Jaida Parker got attacked backstage by Nattie and her crew.
We saw a video package where Shawn Spears was reflecting outside NXT’s old stomping grounds, Full Sail University. He revealed that he’ll be facing former Culling teammate Niko Vance next week: “Let’s find out just how much you learned.”
Here’s what the broadcast announced for next week:
- Tony D’Angelo vs. Naraku (NXT Championship)
- Dion Lennox, Culter James & Osiris Griffin vs. Saquon Shugars, Noam Dar & Romeo Moreno
- Reina Volcan vs. Skylar Raye
- Nattie vs. Jaida Parker
- Shawn Spears vs. Niko Vance
Lola Vice secures rematch against Kendal Grey in #1 contenders triple threat bout
The next opponent for NXT Women’s Champion Kendal Grey was decided via a triple threat match featuring Kelani Jordan, Lola Vice, and Kali Armstrong in tonight’s main event. Commentary pointed out that Jordan has an incredibly brutal record of 0-8 in #1 contenders matches.
Armstrong had the momentum heading into the show’s final break, scoring a huge dive off the top rope and to the floor. Vice connected with her running hip attack in the corner to both Jordan and Armstrong after the show came back.
Armstrong caught Vice with a spinebuster, but a pin attempt was stopped by Jordan. Jordan scored an Eat Defeat to both Armstrong and Vice at the same time. She gave Armstrong a release German Suplex, then a leg drop to Vice, who was suspended in the ropes.
Jordan tried for a split-legged moonsault, but Jordan fell right into a triangle choke from Vice. Jordan rolled into a pin attempt to break the hold. A powerbomb from Armstrong was reversed into a pin attempt from Jordan, which Vice broke up with a knee strike to the head. Vice and Armstrong traded pin attempts. Vice transitioned a pin into an armbar attempt, but wasn’t able to fully extend the arm. The hold was stopped by Jordan, who came off the top with a frogsplash for a near fall.
Armstrong gave Vice a powerslam, then scored her Kali Connection running shoulder tackle. The move knocked Vice out of the ring, making Armstrong unable to follow up with a pin attempt. Armstrong and Jordan went back and forth with pin attempts, including a try from Jordan which should’ve been a three.
Vice got back into the match and dropped Armstrong with a spinning backfist. Jordan came off the ropes with a springboard elbow into Vice. Jordan connected with a 450 splash off the top to Armstrong, but then was taken out with a spinning head kick from Vice.
Vice fell onto Armstrong and earned the pinfall win in 14 minutes, setting her up for another showdown with women’s champ Grey.
This was a fun match. While I’m definitely looking forward to Vice and Grey facing off again (they work so well as a combo), I was hoping we’d get an upset win for Armstrong, or a long-awaited opportunity for Jordan (who falls to 0-9 in #1 contender bouts).
Before the show went off air, we saw NXT Champion Tony D’Angelo jumping Naraku in the notorious Performance Center parking lot! An irate Robert Stone upped the stakes for next week: D’Angelo and Naraku will meet in a street fight next week!
