Vic Joseph and Booker T do a stand-up intro at ringside
welcoming viewers to the show from a sound stage at the WWE
Performance Center in Orlando. Opening the show is a
qualifier for the Iron Survivor.
Lots of Chase U shirts among the live studio audience. Also
among the audience are several tag teams watching the match.
More appear as the opener progresses. Some are even at
ringside.
Before his match tonight, Nathan Frazier is with NXT Tag
Team Championship co-holder Axiom. Frazier is pumped for the
qualifier. Axiom not so much. Gallus is seen behind them. A
tag team stalking the scene is foreshadowing what unfolds
during the opener.
Nathan Frazier (with Axiom) defeated Eddy Thorpe in an Iron
Survivor qualifying match
Frazier pinned Thorpe after a Phoenix Splash. They had a
good match, but it was a backdrop to all the tag team drama.
All the teams from the NXT roster come down to ringside.
They are all apparently scouting the tag champs, including
when one of the champs is in a singles match. With all of
them out there, a brawl breaks out just before Frazier and
Thorpe go home.
All of the tag teams start closing in on the ringside area
as the match cuts to a commercial break. When the show
returns from the break, the teams are all around ringside as
if it was a lumberjack match. A huge brawl erupts at
ringside. Frazier does a dive on to a pile of bodies on the
floor. Back in the ring, Frazier counters Thorpe. Frazier
then climbs the turnbuckles and leaps off the top with a
Phoenix Splash. Frazier then scores a three count.
The teams brawling continues as security pours out for a
pull-apart.
Great vignette with Andre Chase giving an impassioned speech
as clips highlight the success of Chase U.
Another video package has Giulia delivering a promo with her
using the “Beautiful Madness” moniker.
In a backstage skit, Kelani Jordan asks Robert Stone or
Stevie Turner to get her an Iron Survivor qualifying match
against Giulia.
Stephanie Vaquer defeated Jaida Parker in an Iron Survivor
qualifying match
Vaquer pinned Parker after Vaquer’s package neckbreaker
combo finisher. Lola Vice comes down to ringside just before
the finish, and Vice is carrying a brick. That is a call
back to a previous match. Parker had Vaquer set for the hip
attack finisher, but Parker is distracted by Vice being at
ringside. Vaquer capitalizes and executes her finisher on
Parker. Vaquer then scores a three count.
They had a good match, and they were given time. The match
goes through a commercial break. Parker got a near fall just
before they went home, getting a two count after a Falcon
Arrow. Soon thereafter, out comes Vice. Parker and Vice seem
likely to clash again soon, while Vaquer moves on to the
Iron Survivor Challenge.
Brinley Reece and Dion Lennox are in the locker room dressed
in Oregon State gear. This was cross-promotion with CW to
hype a college football game on Saturday, which is part of
CW’s Pac 12 football package. Lennox and Reece deliver some
bad lines ahead of their mixed tag team match.
Later in the show, another locker room skit has Karmen
Petrovic and Ashante “Thee” Adonis dressed in Washington
State merch. That school is plays Oregon State on CW this
weekend. Adonis and Petrovic deliver their lines decent
enough, and then they compliment each other’s appearance.
NXT Women’s Champion Roxanne Perez was cutting a promo on
the beach in video uploaded to social media. Sol Ruca photos
bombs Perez and confronts her on the beach, much to the
chagrin of Perez.
Tony D’Angelo (with Adrianna Rizzo) defeated Brooks Jensen
(with Shawn Spears)
D’Angelo pinned Jensen after a spinebuster. “The Don” teases
hurting his knee in the match, which played into a post-
match angle. Jensen got his heat back by chop blocking
D’Angelo in the injured knee. Spears had offered a handshake
to D’Angelo, which set up the sneak attack by Jensen.
Karmen Petrovic & Ashante “Thee” Adonis defeated Brinley
Reece & Dio Lennox in a mixed tag team match
Petrovic pinned Reece to win the match. Adonis wanted a kiss
on the cheek, but Reece slaps him instead. However, that
distraction allowed Petrovic to land a roundhouse kick on
Reece. Petrovic then covers Reece for the three count. This
was more gaga than anything else so far.
Lots more plugs for the Pac 12 football games on CW, and
even more to come.
Ridge Holland cuts a promo ahead of his match tonight
against Andrea Chase, who Holland vows to defeat. Holland
says Chase U will be lost without their leader.
Zaria defeated Wren Sinclair in an Iron Survivor qualifying
match
Zaria pinned Sinclair after a F-5. Zaria is still getting a
monster push, but Sinclair did get some counters and near
falls. Charlie Dempsey was also in her corner. Zaria still
got to win in mostly decisive fashion, and she is in the
Iron Survivor Challenge.
In a skit from the trainer’s room, Tony D’Angelo is angry.
NXT GM Ava sees the anger, and she makes a match next week
against Shawn Spears. That is, if D’Angelo is cleared to
wrestle (in storyline).
Eddy Thorpe throws a tantrum with Ava. Thorpe is such a good
character, but he is booked to look like such a jerk.
Fatal Influence are headed to the ring to deliver a promo.
After a commercial break, they are in the ring. Jacy Jayne,
Jazmyn Nyz and NXT Women’s North American Champion Fallon
Henley get to cut promos. Henley announces an open challenge
for her title next week, and out comes Lash Legend and
Jakara Jackson to interrupt the promo. They want to accept
the open challenge. Out comes Nikkita Lyons, and she too
wants to challenge Henley. More women enter the scene.
Adrianna Rizzo jumps Lyons, and a hug brawl erupts at
ringside with seemingly everyone involved.
As the smoke clears, Tatum Paxley is in the ring with
Henley. Paxley executes her finisher on Henley, and Paxley
poses with the North American title belt. This sets up
Henley defending the title against Paxley next Tueday on
NXT.
Karmen Petrovic and Ashante Adonis are chatting backstage
and there is a spark between them. Nikkita Lyons interrupts
to ask Adonis to text her back. Petrovic is upset by this,
and she storms off.
A really good video package hypes the Iron Survivor
Challenge.
Ethan Page vows to regain the NXT Championship in a
backstage promo, and that begins with qualifying for the
Iron Survivor.
In a separate (but related) locker room skit, Axiom tells
Nathan Frazier that Axiom is booked against Page in a
qualifying match. This plays on what sometimes seems like
the only tag team subplot in WWE, which the partners are not
on the same page.
Chase U is featured in another vignette with Andre Chase.
This was great like the other hype video earlier in the
show.
NXT Champion Trick Williams gets a full entrance as he comes
out in street clothes. Trick will provide guest commentary
for the main event.
Ridge Holland defeated Andre Chase in a number one
contender’s match
Holland pinned Chase after the Redeemer finisher. Chase
kicked out on a lot of near falls, until he could kick out
no longer. With that, Andre Chase must leave Chase U.
The Chase U Crew is watching on monitors backstage. Before
the show cuts to its final commercial break, Holland pulls
up the floor mats to expose the bare concrete. Chase fights
back with a somersault senton off the apron. Chase poses
with the crowd as the show cuts to the break.
Chase was doing well for himself when Holland went to fetch
a metal folding chair. Holland went to use the chair as a
weapon, but the referee took it from him. The ref turns him
back to get rid of the chair, and Holland kicks Chase in the
groin with a low blow. Holland then delivers an implant DDT
for a near fall. Duke Hudson, who along with Thea Hail, came
to ringside during the match, and he pulled the referee out
of the ring to stop the count. Somehow, this was not a
disqualification.
Hudson and Riley Osborne would both get involved as the
match progresses. Hudson is rammed through a wall on a
gimmicked section of the set. Osborne flew in on a flip dive
that wipes out Holland and Hail. Holland counters Osborne,
and Holland picks up Osborne with a military press. Holland
then tosses Osborne over the ropes to the floor like the
Ultimate Warrior might have done to some jobber in ’89.
In the closing moments, Holland faces off with Chase in a
slugfest. Comeback by Chase as he runs wild. Chase
powerbombs Holland off the middle rope for a close three
count. That would be the final near fall, as Holland soon
cuts off Chase.
Chase jumps off the top rope with a high cross, but Holland
hangs on with the roll through. Holland then executes his
Redeemer (implant DDT) finisher. Holland then hooks a leg
for the deciding pinfall.
