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Hello everyone, I am one half of your Irn Bruiser weights bringing you your NXT Review. So let's get into it.
We are just under two weeks away from Battleground and the show is starting to come together. The main event would still likely seem to be Trick Williams defending the NXT Title against Noam Dar but last week saw a bit of a confusing result as Gallus got involved. Other than that, Sexyy Red is here.
Ava introduces rapper Sexyy Red (Booker seems to be a big fan) and says Red will be hosting Battleground. Red unveils the Women’s North American Title (it’s just the men’s version with a white strap) but here is Tatum Paxley to take it away. Michin runs in and we’re ready to go.
Match 1 - Women’s North American Title Qualifying Match: Michin vs. Tatum Paxley
It’s a brawl to start with Michin knocking her into the corner but missing a boot. Paxley stomps away and chokes with a boot as Jaida Parker comes out to watch. Michin knocks her to the apron and hits a baseball slide as we take a break. Back with Parker on commentary and Michin headbutting away in the corner. Eat Defeat is countered into something like a powerslam for two and Paxley belly to backs her for the same. Another suplex is escaped though and Michin hits Eat Defeat for the win at 9:11.
Official Winner - Michin
Official thoughts - I can’t quite imagine Michin winning the title but adding in a little main roster star power isn’t going to hurt things. I’m a bit surprised Paxley lost here, as she was at least involved in a story around Stand & Deliver. For now, Michin moving forward is the better move though. At the same time, Parker continues to come off like a star in the making as she has a certain poise to her.
Gallus isn’t happy but Meta Four come in to ask why they jumped Noam Dar. It wasn’t Dar, though Lash Legend insists it wasn’t Trick Williams either. Dang NXT LOVES this mystery attacker stuff.
We look at Shayna Baszler vs. Lola Vice in NXT Underground being set up for Battleground.
Arianna Grace begs Vice to not do this but Vice threatens her. Grace: “Oh s***.”
Match 2 - Riley Osborne vs. Ridge Holland
Chase U is here with Osborne, who slugs away to start. Holland knocks him down and grabs a chinlock. Osborne tries to fight up but gets dropped with a clothesline. A spear through the ropes sends Osborne crashing out to the floor and we take a break. Back with Osborne fighting out of a chinlock but getting dropped with a hard clothesline for two.
Osborne knocks him to the floor but a div is knocked out of the air. Holland takes too long getting the steps though, allowing Osborne to make an actual comeback. That’s broken up just as fast, with Holland kicking him off the ropes and hitting the lifting DDT (which might be called the Redeemer) for the pin at 11:18.
Official Winner - Ridge Holland
Official thoughts - Osborne was trying to make his comebacks here but Holland kept smothering him with the power and high impact offense. That made for a nice enough story, with Holland taking him out in the end. I’m still not sure what the big endgame is going to be or Holland, but at least they are keeping him somewhat warm on the way there.
Post match Holland offers a handshake but Osborne leaves.
The OC are ready to win the NXT Tag Team Titles and beatdowns will continue until they get their shot.
Oro Mensah has been attacked.
Match 3 - Edris Enofe and Malik Blade vs. OC
Brinley Reece is here with Enofe/Blade. Anderson jumps Blade to start but Enofe comes in off a blind tag to double team Anderson down. Hold on though as Enofe stops to say something Reece gets knocked off the apron and into her as we take a break. Back with Gallows chinlocking, and then hammering away on, Blade as Enofe is all worried about Reece.
Anderson sends him hard into the corner and Gallows rips at the jaws. Blade slips out of a belly to back suplex though and makes the tag off to Enofe to pick up the pace. Enofe misses something off the top though and gets chokeslammed. The Magic Killer gives Anderson the pin at 9:06.
Official Winners - OC
Official thoughts - They’re big names, but my goodness it’s hard to get interested in whatever the OC is doing. You can probably pencil them in for a title shot at Battleground and that should be a nice win for Axiom and Nathan Frazer, but it doesn’t make for the most interesting stories on the way there. As much as I like them, Enofe and Blade do not seem to be going anywhere anytime soon and the Reece relationship might be in danger too.
Post match Axiom and Nathan Frazer run in and clear the OC out before giving them the title match at Battleground.
Video on Dante Chen, who has been around here for a long time but finally got his chance last week.
Chen thanks some wrestlers for thanking him but Lexis King comes in to say that will never happen again. The rematch is set for tonight.
Trick Williams and Je’Von Evans get along with Sexyy Red.
Here is Roxanne Perez to find out her challenger at Battleground. She has been proud of this title forever while no one else has. Perez began training at 13 years old and has wanted the title for nine years. It represents future greatness instead of present greatness, even though greatness is in front of you. She isn’t happy with Ava for making this happen but here is Ava to interrupt and introduce the new challenger: TNA Knockouts Champion (with belt) Jordynne Grace. Commentary (and the swearing fans) lose their minds and Grace talks about being ready to become a double champion at Battleground.
Eddy Thorpe has been reborn.
Riley Osborne complains to Chase U about Ridge Holland and Duke Hudson gets it. Everyone but Chase leaves and Holland comes in, asking to talk to Chase later.
Match 4 - Lola Vice vs. Arianna Grace
They fight over rollups to start until Vice trips her down and hits a kick to the back. Vice strikes away in the corner but gets suplexed down. Not that it matters as a spinning fist gives Vice the pin at 2:13.
Official Winner - Lola Vice
Post match Vice promises to beat Shayna Baszler, who runs out but gets held back by security.
Video on Carlee Bright, a former college cheerleader who is bringing her skills to NXT.
A bunch of women compliment Bright but Izzi Dame comes in to mock her. Karmen Petrovic isn’t having that and a brawl breaks out.
The No Quarter Catch Crew wants the Heritage Cup back and Charlie Dempsey thinks they need to be like the D’Angelo Family. Damon Kemp is getting the title shot.
Oro Mensah is getting checked out by the medical staff but Lash Legend doesn’t believe it was Trick Williams.
Match 5 - Lexis King vs. Dante Chen
King strikes away to start and shouts a lot but gets small packaged for a fast two. A Jackhammer gives King two but Chen crucifixes him for the pin at 1:43.
Official Winner - Dante Chen
Post match King lays Chen out and hits the Coronation on exposed concrete.
Josh Briggs looks back at his career history and says he wanted to win on his own but needed a team first. He hasn’t won just yet, but he’ll find out what he is going to be.
Shawn Spears sees a bunch of misguided people, with one person in particular. He’ll be their answer.
The D’Angelo Family is ready for the No Quarter Catch Crew, with Tony saying they’ll beat them at their own game next week.
Match 6 - Women’s North American Title Qualifying Match: Kelani Jordan vs. Wren Sinclair
Fallon Henley is on commentary. Sinclair takes her down to start and Jordan is a bit surprised. Back up and Jordan hits a dropkick before elbowing Sinclair out to the floor. They fight over a sunset flip back inside and then a backslide until Jordan grabs a suplex. The split legged moonsault gives Jordan the pin at 3:13.
Official Winner - Kelani Jordan
Official thoughts - This was more of a gymnastics routine than anything else and it worked, despite a few mishaps with the counters. Jordan’s minor push continues and she has the athleticism to turn into something. Sinclair continues to be something odd, as she is continuously presented on television but has yet to win anything important (or perhaps anything at all). They didn’t have time to go anywhere, but they got in a lot of nice looking stuff in the time they had.
Stevie Turner is in Ava’s office (along with Mr. Stone, who seems to be working there now) and complains about not getting a shot at anything. Jordynne Grace comes in and a match is made for next week.
Wes Lee isn’t worried about Gallus. Oba Femi comes in to say he’s keeping the North American Title at Battleground but Lee is ready to prove him wrong.
Match 7 - Gallus vs. Je’Von Evans and Trick Williams
Sexyy Red is here with Williams and Evans but there is no Wolfgang. Williams runs Mark over to start and gives him a slam before handing it off to Evans. Joe gets taken down and we pause to pose with Red. The delay lets Evans get knocked into the steps and we take an early break.
Back with Evans still in trouble and Mark slamming him for two. Evans flips out of a suplex and dives over to Williams for the hot tag. A headbutt and double slam cuts Williams off as everything breaks down. Mark kicks Evans in the face for two but Joe tries to grab the NXT Title. Red stops him so Evans can take him out, leaving Williams to hit the Trick Shot for the pin on Mark at 8:26.
Official Winners - Trick Williams and Je’Von Evans
Official thoughts - The time factor killed this one as about half of the match took place in the break. The big deal here though continues to be Evans, who has been put in a pretty prominent spot and done well with it. He didn’t feel like Williams’ little buddy or lackey but rather a young guy who was holding his own. Nice stuff here, though Williams beating Gallus leaves me wondering who is going to get the title shot. Unless Noam Dar pops back up, this is a bit weird.
Post match Lash Legend comes out to ask if Trick Williams was the one who attacked her friends. Before he can say anything, Ethan Page (Vic: “WASN’T HE IN A…..”) of AEW/TNA fame jumps Williams and says he took out Meta Four. Page holds up the title to end the show. I’d certainly call that a surprise and why not see what they can get out of Page if AEW wasn’t going to use him.
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