WWE NXT Champion Trick Williams will team with Bubba Ray
Dudley against former champion Ethan Page and Ridge Holland
as part of tonight’s live debut from the former ECW Arena.
Dudley and Holland got into a verbal altercation at last
month’s Halloween Havoc leading to Dudley getting physically
involved in defending Williams on last week’s NXT TV.
The show is taking place on a different night as well, going
head-to-head with AEW Dynamite.
In an all-star 10-woman tag team match, former TNA Knockouts
Champion Jordynne Grace returns to team with Stephanie
Vaquer, Giulia, Kelani Jordan and Zaria against NXT Women’s
Champion Roxanne Perez, Cora Jade, and all three members of
Fatal Influence.
In an homage to the now-2300 Arena, Lola Vice will go one-
on-one with Jaida Parker in a hardcore match with former ECW
manager Dawn Marie as special guest referee.
In an anticipated singles bout, Je’Von Evans will go to
battle with Wes Lee.
**********
The show begins with a canned intro that uses the ECW “This
is Extreme!” theme song, along with clips from NXT action.
NXT is live on the air from the corner of Swanson and
Ritner, from the former home of the ECW Arena.
In the crowd is someone dressed like Hat Guy, and his seat
is nearly in the same spot. Opening the show is a “hardcore”
match.
Jaida Parker defeated Lola Vice in a hardcore match with
Dawn Marie as special guest referee
Parker pinned Vice after a hip attack finisher. They steal a
page from the Friday script, except in this version the heel
grabs a brick and hits the babyface. That set up the finish.
Metal folding chairs are used early and often in the match.
There are spinning back fists into chairs, chairs wedged
between the ropes, chairs scattered in the ring, and also
chair shots of course. Vice tries to get a table from
underneath the ring, but Parker shoves the table back under
the ring.
Double clothesline on the floor, and a double down as the
show cuts to its first commercial break. When the show
returns, ladders, trash cans, and kendo sticks (or
“Singapore canes” since this is an ECW tribute show).
Vice is put on a ladder bridged in the ropes, and Parker
jumps off a standing ladder in the ring. Parker with a
“teardrop” senton and crushes the ladder bridge, and Parker
gets a near fall. Vice fights back to apply a choke, yet
Parker is able to escape. They took turns hitting each other
with the Singapore canes, and they took some big bumps.
Just before they go home, Vice has Parker trapped in a
chokehold. Parker is able to pick up a gimmicked brick that
is laying in the ring, and Parker hits Vice with the brick.
The hold is broken of course, and Parker gets to her feet so
she can run the ropes. Parker delivers her hip attack
finisher, and Parker covers Vice for a three count.
Ridge Holland and Ethan Page are together to cut promos on
their opponents for tonight. Notably, Page says there will
be no tables in their match.
Wes Lee ambushes Rob Van Dam in a backstage skit. RVD is
giving some advice to Kelani Jordan, who points Rob in the
direction of Ava’s office. Suddenly, Wes Lee runs in to
attack RVD. The skit is shot in a way that chair shots are
not seen, but heard instead.
Adrianna Rizzo against Nikkita Lyons in a singles match is
official for next week, which is first mentioned in a skit
where Nunzio (Little Guido) and Tony Mamaluke meet up with a
Tony D’Angelo and his Family for not checking in. Nunzio is
apparently now a gangster from Philly. It was silly, but not
in the fun way when Little Guido ran with the FBI.
Je’Von Evans defeated Wes Lee
Evans pinned Lee, in a match where RVD shows up at ringside.
This was a pretty dang good match, and it was more in the
spirit of the original ECW than anything else on the show so
far.
The match goes through a commercial break. The show cuts to
commercial after Lee drops Evans with a brain buster on the
ring steps.
Less brawling after the break, and more high spots. Lots of
flying. Evans does his double springboard into a cutter, but
Lee rolls out of the ring before Evans can make a cover.
Evans then sails through the ropes with tope suicida that
sends him crashing over the announce desk.
Lee gets a chair and goes to hit Evans, but the ref takes
the chair away. Moments later, Lee gets the chair again.
That brings out RVD, who made a miraculous recovery. Lee
confronts RVD, and RVD ducks a chair shot. Evans then dives
over the ropes on Lee.
Rolling back into the ring, Lee takes a flying cutter from
Evans. RVD cheers on Evans as he does a frog splash, and
Evans covers Lee for a pinfall.
Eddy Thorpe wants to speak with Ava, but she makes an excuse
and says it can wait. Ava is headed to the ring alongside
Stevie Turner and Robert Stone.
After a commercial break, Ava and company are in the ring.
The crowd is tough as Ava announces the next NXT PLE will be
Deadline. Robert Stone butts in to cut a promo on Philly
fans. Stone puts over New York fans over Philly fans. Stone
keeps cutting a promo on Philly when the arena lights go
dark. The lights come back on and Rhino is in the ring.
Rhino gores Stone, and the crowd pops.
Ridge Holland & Ethan Page defeated NXT Champion Trick
Williams & Bubba Ray Dudley
Holland pinned Williams to win the match. With Holland
pinning the champion, that likely sets up a title bout for
the near future. D-Von Dudley made a cameo in a post-match
angle.
Holland shoves Bubba early on, so they square off. Later on,
Bubba cleans house after a mildly hot tag. The crowd was
nonetheless hot for Bubba. The heels are reeling as the show
cuts to a commercial break.
When the show returns from the break, Bubba is crotched on
the ring post. Holland & Page then get heat on Bubba, as
they work him over. Bubba is audibly calling spots clear as
day, as he sets up to deliver a spear. Hot tag to Trick, and
he is a house of fire. All four are involved in the match
just before the finish.
For the finish, Holland dodges Trick’s knee strike finisher,
and Holland rolls up Trick for a pinfall.
Page jumps Trick after the match. Holland then joins in to
team up on Trick. Page & Holland are beating down Trick when
Bubba makes a save. Bubba and Trick do the “wazzzup” and the
“get the tables” spots, which were actually not part of ECW
lore. Whatever, though. It got over with the live crowd.
When Trick went to get a table, he could not find a table
under the ring. They wondered what to do when the Dudley’s
theme song blares, and out comes D’Von Dudley with a table.
Page is then put through a table. D-Von then presents Trick
with a pair of Dudley glasses.
The love story between Ashante “Thee” Adonis and Karmen
Petrovic continues to blossom. Slow burn here.
NXT North American Champion Tony D’Angelo (with The Family)
defeated Nunzio (with Tony Mamaluke)
D’Angelo pinned Nunzio after a spinebuster. Nunzio looked
very thin in tights, but he can still work pretty well. He
did a few of his signature spots, before getting a crowbar
to use. The ref takes the crowbar from Nunzio, and D’Angelo
finishes him off. D’Angelo executes his finisher, and he
covers Nunzio for a pinfall. Tony D and Nunzio embrace after
the match after shaking hands.
Backstage, Shawn Spears tells Brooks Jensen that he is
“feeling Italian” next week in Orlando.
In footage from last week, Mr. William Regal shakes hands
and says farewell to Lexis King. Regal the runs into Charlie
Dempsey and the No Quarter Crew. Regal remarks to Dempsey
that King is not his father’s son. Regal asks Dempsey is he
is his father’s son. Dempsey says time will tell. The inside
joke here is Dempsey’s actual father is Regal.
Francine is shown in the front row of ringside.
TNA Knockouts Champion Jordynne Grace, Stephanie Vaquer,
Giulia, Kelani Jordan & Zaria defeated NXT Women’s North
American Champion Fallon Henley, Jacy Jayne, Jazmyn Nyz,
Cora Jade & NXT Women’s Champion Roxanne Perez
Zaria pinned Perez to win the match. This was a good match
where everyone got to shine or get some spots in. Giulia and
Vaquer worked together with tandem moves, since they are an
established team. Zaria eventually tags in, and she looks
strong.
All ten face off in a standoff that turns into a slugfest.
Jordan does a moonsault off the top rope to the floor, just
before the show cuts to its final commercial break. A replay
shows the moonsault in slow motion as the show fades into
commercials.
After returning from the break, heat on Jordan. She is kept
away from her corner, as Jordan is in peril. Hot tag to
Grace, and she is a house of fire. She gets a near fall on
Jade.
Lash Legend & Jakara Jackson come down to ringside, and they
are wiped out with high flying from Vaquer & Giulia.
Everyone gets involved with a parade of high spots in the
closing moments. Zaria inadvertently spears Grace in the
match, which was a very notable spot.
For the finish itself, Perez goes for Pop Rocks. Zaria
blocks the move, and Zaria gives Perez the F-5. Zaria then
covers Perez to win the match.
The babyfaces celebrate with their hands’ raised, as the ECW
theme song plays before the show fades to black.
There was some really good wrestling on the show, but this
was the lamest ECW tribute I have seen. As a fan of the
original ECW, this show had none of the magic of past
tribute shows.
