Corey Graves is back on commentary alongside Vic Joseph and
Booker T.
NXT North American Champion Tony D’Angelo (with The Family)
defeated Ridge Holland to retain his title
Lots of closed fist punches back and forth from the start.
The match goes through a commercial break with a split-
screen. As the show cuts to commercial, out comes Shawn
Spears.
During the break, Holland posted D’Angelo twice. Holland
then smacked an arm on the ring post, and Holland went to
work on the arm. Holland is working the arm as the show
returns from the break.
D’Angelo makes a comeback, and “The Don” gets a near fall
with a fisherman’s buster suplex. Slugfest starts again,
before D’Angelo is dropped on his head. “The Don” still
comes back with a spear. Spears soon gets involved in the
match.
Spears jumps on the apron and gets punched by D’Angelo. That
brings out Spear’s goons, which includes Brooks Jensen and
Niko Vance. They brawl with The Family at ringside. That
takes the referee’s attention away from the the ring.
That allowed Izzi Dame to suddenly interfere, after she got
in the ring. She boots Holland in the face with a high kick.
D’Angelo delivers a spinebuster, and he covers Holland for a
three count. Dame at ringside says she and “The Don” are now
even.
A locker room skit sets up two singles matches for Wes Lee.
One against Dion Lennox for tonight, and another next week
with Trick Williams. In the skit, Williams gives Lee an open
hand slap.
Bayley is up next for a monologue. Her and Roxanne Perez has
an altercation in a cliffhanger angle from last week. Bayley
is here to address that.
Bayley said she was there last week to talk with Perez,
because Bayley cares about all that Perez has done. That
that got her was a slap in the face.
Bayley goes on to talk about Perez confronted her from the
front row on Raw and Smackdown. At some point, Bayley name
drops Giulia. So, out comes Giulia to join Bayley.
Giulia says Perez may not look up to Bayley, but Giulia
herself does. Bayley and Giulia sing each other’s praises
until they are interrupted by Cora Jade and Perez.
Both Perez and Jade cut promos on Bayley. Perez claims the
current NXT exceeded anything the Four Horsewomen did, and
that is really way Bayley is here. That ignites a brawl, and
the fight is on. The heels powder as Bayley and Giulia stand
tall. This angle clearly sets up a tag team match.
Cut to the women’s locker room, where Kelani Jordan is
arguing with Jaida Parker. Karmen Petrovitch wants to calm
them down since she is in love now.
Cut back to ringside and the brawl between the two teams is
on again.
Wes Lee defeated Dion Lennox
Lee pinned Lennox in a short match that was more of a
backdrop for the angle that followed with Trick Williams.
Lennox did get a close near fall, but Lee strikes with a
Cardiac Kick. Lee then covers Lennox for a pinfall.
Lee in a post-match promo says he is going to handle Trick
next week since Trick slapped him earlier. That brings out
Trick, and he is a house of fire. Williams drops Tyson
Dupont and Tyreik Igwe, who both were at ringside with Lee.
Trick then storms into the ring and lays out Lee. Trick
grabs the microphone and accepts the challenge for next week
at Center Stage in Atlanta.
Lexis King is the focus of a video package, and he defends
the Heritage Cup up next.
But first, an interview with Stephanie Vaquer. Sarah
Schreiber conducts the interview. Vaquer cuts a decent
promo. It is not her fault they do not have her in a focused
angle.
NXT Heritage Cup Champion Lexis King defeats Charlie Dempsey
(with No Quarter Catch Crew) to retain the cup
This match got a lot of time, but that was somewhat a given
with the round system. The match went through a commercial
break, and they did a fall during the break. When the show
returned from the break, Vic Joseph on commentary remarked
how that shows you have to pay attention during the split-
screen break.
King is saved by the bell in the first round. Dempsey
applied a crossface chicken wing that would make Bob
Backlund proud. Time runs out on the round with King still
locked in the hold. The closing moments of this round were
really good.
A camera shot shows brass knuckles in King’s corner as the
show cuts to commercial. That is when they did the finish
during the break. King scores a pin he counters a sunset
flip into a pinfall. King is up 1-0.
Dempsey evens the score in round 3, as Dempsey scores pin
using a butterfly suplex. Between rounds, King teases using
the brass knux. But he thinks better of it.
Later on, King fires up and leaps over the ropes with a flip
dive on No Quarter Catch Crew. They go back-and-forth in the
closing moments. After deciding against the knux, King still
wins with a heel move. King with a mule kick low blow, and
the ref didn’t see it. King then executed the Coronation,
and King scores the deciding pinfall.
WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions Bianca Belair & Naomi cut
promos on Meta-Girls (Lash Legend & Jakara Jackson). Next
week in Atlanta, Meta-Girls challenge for the tag titles in
a featured match.
Karmen Petrovic enters with her love interest, Ashante
“Thee” Adonis. Petrovic has a match up next.
Andre Chase is followed around in a skit, but he is
depressed. Some trainees are watching old Chase promos, but
Chase is still super depressed.
Karmen Petrovic defeated Jaida Parker
Petrovic rolled up Parker to score the pin, after
interference by Kelani Jordan. Parker looked strong
throughout much of the match.
Jordan shows up and she goes to slap Parker, but Parker
blocks the slap. The referee is right there the whole time,
but somehow this is not a disqualification. Petrovic then
rolls up Parker, and the referee counts the pin.
Petrovic celebrates after the match with Adonis.
A locker room skit has Sol Ruca and Zaria talking with Meta-
Girls. Tatum Paxley and Gigi Dolan are also there. This was
a waste of time I will never get back.
Brooks Jensen & Niko Vance defeated Channing “Stacks”
Lorenzo & Luca Crusifino
Vance pinned Stacks to win the match. For the finish, Jensen
with a somersault kick and Vance follows up with a lariat.
Stacks does a flip to sell it, and Vance covers him for the
pinfall. This was a great way to introduce Niko Vance.
NXT Tag Team Champions Nathan Frazier & Axiom are being
interviewed by Sarah Schreiber. Josh Briggs & Yoshiki
Inamura interrupt the interview. Briggs is upset they went
to TNA when Briggs claims they had “next” up. This did not
go anywhere as the director cuts away to a brawl happening
backstage. Then, the show cuts to commercial.
More melodrama after the break, this time within The Family.
Stacks is upset that “The Don” was not out there with them.
D’Angelo responds that Stacks has been Underboss for a while
now. He needs to figure it out on his own. “The Don” then
leaves.
Ethan Page is cutting a sadistic promo on Je’Von Evans in a
video package sponsored by an insurance company. Would have
made sense if it was medical insurance, but it was
automobile insurance.
Evans is then in GM Ava’s office. Evans is still selling his
jaw, but he wants a match with Page. Ava says he is still
hurt, which he clearly is selling like he is hurt. Evans can
barely talk. Ava then brings in Cedric Alexander, who is
booked against Page in a match next week at Center Stage.
In comes Austin Theory & Grayson Waller. Apparently, next
week at Center Stage is “The Grayson Waller Effect” in
Atlanta. What have we done to deserve this?
Oba Femi is heading to the ring for his match when he
crosses paths with Trick Williams backstage. They exchange
glances just before the show cuts to a commercial break.
After show returns from the break, Diamond Dallas Page is
shown sitting front row ringside.
NXT Champion Oba Femi defeated Eddy Thorpe to retain his
title
This wasn’t Flair-Steamboat, but thank goodness it wasn’t
another skit. It was actually pretty good too, especially by
the end. At least for action. Psychology might be another
story.
For a champion who’s nickname is “The Ruler”, Femi ends up
selling a lot. Maybe too much, but as champ I guess he has
to give the illusion he might lose. Him selling so much
takes away from his aura. Thorpe cuts off Femi before the
show’s final commercial break, and Femi is in peril during
much of the picture-in-picture. Why is Femi fighting from
underneath?
Back from the commercial break, and comeback by Femi. Led to
a near falls after Femi delivers a spinebuster. Thorpe
counters an attempted chokeslam with a triangle. Femi tries
to power out, but Thorpe counters that into a hurricanrana.
Two count for Thorpe.
Thorpe again counters Femi. This time Thorpe uses a stunner
after blocking a suplex attempt. Thorpe climbs to the top
rope and he leaps off with a mighty flying elbow drop. Near
fall.
Thorpe and Femi trade strikes and moves. Femi goes off his
feet after Thorpe gives him a snap German suplex. Thorpe
goes for another flying elbow, but Femi blocks it to deliver
a chokeslam. Thorpe gets a shoulder up to break the count at
two and three quarters.
Femi posted himself on a missed charge in a corner. Femi
looks to be in trouble, until he tossed Thorpe across the
ring. Femi then executes his pop-up powerbomb, and Femi
covers Thorpe for a pinfall.
The psychology seemed way off in this match, but the work
itself was really good. Grayson Waller & Austin Theory were
watching from a perch overlooking the ring. They are trying
to jaw with Femi. Meanwhile, Trick Williams is in the ring
to confront Femi.
Williams then drops Thorpe when Thorpe goes for a cheap
shot. Williams an Femi are face-to-face as the show goes off
the air
