Posted on 2/26/125 by Bob Magee
NXT is on the air from The Andrew J Brady Music Center in
Cincinnati, OH. Opening the show is a women’s title match.
Part of the set includes a ramp level with the ring, which
gives me WCW vibes.
NXT Women’s North American Champion Stephanie Vaquer
defeated Karmen Petrovic (with Ashante “Thee” Adonis) to
retain her title
Vaquer pinned Petrovic after the SVB. Good opener. After the
match comes a major angle to set up a title vs. title match
with Giulia against Vaquer.
They match goes through a split-screen commercial break.
Petrovic dives through the rope with a flying crossbody on
the floor, just before the show cuts to the break. Some of
the best chain wrestling in the match happened during
picture-in-picture, while commercials blared.
Vaquer begins a comeback as the show returns from the break,
and Vaquer does some of her signature offense. On
commentary, Vic Jospeh says Vaquer was a champion in both
CMLL and New Japan. Petrovic regains the advantage Vaguer
and gets a near falls with a great kick.
Vaquer soon cuts off Petrovic, but Vaquer takes a superkick
from Petroovic for another near fall. They trade strikes and
kicks. Vaquer flips off Petrovic just before Vaquer executes
a dragon screw. Vaquer follows up with her SVB (package
neckbreaker) finisher, and Vaquer covers Petrovic for a
three count.
NXT Champion Giulia comes out after the match is over for an
angle. Giulia gets into the ring to confront Vaquer. Giulia
gets the crowd to cheer for Vaquer, only for Giulia to bring
up Vaquer saying she is the best champion. Giulia insists
she is the best champion.
Vaquer reiterates that she is the champion of champions.
Giulia says why don’t we find out who is the best. Vaquer
remarks they are friends, but Vaquer then proposes a
champion vs. champion match. Giulia and Vaquer hold both of
their title belts overhead for a stare down.
A skit begins with Arianna Grace talking with Santino
Marella about the NXT-TNA partnership when up walks Lola
Vice. She wants a match on either show, and Grace tries to
dismiss Vice. This leads to Vice challenging Grace to a
match
TNA X-Division Champion Moose defeated Lexis King to retain
his title
Moose pinned King after a spear. Moose looked like a
superstar, and King fought from underneath. The biggest news
was the post-match angle that set up Oba Femi defending the
NXT title against Moose at NXT Roadblock.
Crowd reactions were muted on the CW feed because of
language, like “holy s***” chants. King took a back drop on
the ramp. Moose was dominating much of the match, with King
selling throughout. King fires up and starts fighting back.
They exchange kicks and King uses a hurricanrana for a near
fall. King then does a flip dive.
Moose leaps to the top rope and springboards into a flying
crossbody. Powerbomb by Moose for a two count. Moments
later, King executes a Coronation for another near fall.
Moose counters a second attempt at a Coronation. Moose then
cuts down King with a spear. Moose then scores a pinfall to
retain his title.
NXT Champion Oba Femi enters after the match for an angle
with Moose. Femi confronts Moose and sarcastically
congratulates him on beating King. Femi then challenges
Moose to a title match at The Theater in MSG for NXT
Roadblock. They made it seem like a title vs. title, but
apparently this will be Femi defending the NXT title against
Moose.
Jordynne Grace is in the ring for a monologue. She knew
exactly where she was supposed to be when she first came to
NXT. Grace says she carried a company on her back, but she
wanted to be in NXT after feeling the hunger in the locker
room.
Grace has one goal, which is become the champion of what she
calls the greatest women’s division. Grace is cutting a good
promo when she is interrupted by Roxanne Perez, because
hardly any in-ring promo in NXT can go uninterrupted.
Perez confronts Grace in the ring, and Perez cuts a promo on
Grace. Perez event insults TNA, saying Grace was a big fish
in a small pond. Grace responds that everyone has a plan
until… and Grace punches Perez in the face. Grace gets Perez
in a fireman’s carry, but Perez escapes. Clearly, these two
are on a collision course for a match very soon. Maybe
Roadblock?
Trick Williams is sulking in the locker room. He is
basically Diesel in late 1995-early ’96 where he is upset
about losing the title, so he’s heeling on people. Le’Von
Evans has words with Trick, and they get face-to-face. In
walks Ricky Saints, and he is not feeling the love.
Jaida Parker and Kelani Jordan has a kayface “incident” on a
bus earlier today. Sarach Schreiber interview Parker, and
she cuts a pretty good promo on Jordan.
A post on Instagram teases “The Mystery Four” are in the
building, which is the very original name they are giving to
the four mystery assailants for now. Surely they we get a
better name, right?
TNA Tag Team Champions The Hardy Boyz (Matt & Jeff Hardy)
defeated No Quarter Catch Crew (Tavion Heights & Myles
Borne) to retain their titles
Matt Hardy pinned Myles Borne to win the match after a
Swanton by Jeff Hardy. NXT Tag Team Champion Nathan Frazier
& Axiom watch the match from the ramp, and they get in the
ring for angle with the Hardys after the match. This set up
another inter-promotional match.
The match itself went through a commercial break with heat
on Jeff. Hot tag to Matt. For the finish, Twsit of Fate by
Matt, Swanton by Jeff, and Matt follows up by covering Borne
for the pinfall. The match was decent enough and the crowd
adored the Hardys.
Fraxiom gets into the ring after the match to confront the
Hardys. The NXT champs refer to the Hardys as the greatest
tag team ever. The Hardys respond with a challenge for a
match. Out comes Santino Marella to announce the Hardys will
defend the TNA Tag Team Championship against Fraxiom at
Roadblock in NYC. Another big match for the NXT PLE.
Tony D’Angelo and The Family are featured in a pre-taped
skit for a family sit-down. Subtle teases of Stacks turning
is what I took from this skit.
Another skit from backstage sets up a tag team match with
Chelsea Green & Piper Niven against Sol Ruca & Zaria. Green
& Niven tried to big league the NXT team, but Ruca & Zaira
were having none of it.
Jaida Parker defeated Arianna Grace
Parker pinned Grace after a spinning back fist. Weakest
match on the show so far, but it was not supposed to be the
main event. While Grace got some offense, this match was
more about getting Parker over.
This show is morphing into TNA, and I had flashbacks as it
was TO THE BACK! Cut backstage and apparently The Mystery
Four is wrecking shop again and attacking other wrestlers.
Too bad there aren’t a bunch of cameras around to catch them
in the act, but at least there are cameras for the community
theater skits. Not sure what I would do without the skits.
Anyway, this Mystery Four angle is like one long Tonya
Harding angle. Who are these assailants?
Eddy Thorpe in a vignette cuts a promo near the Ohio River
in Cincinnati. Thorpe mention is people once lived here
until they were forced out. He likens that to his situation
in NXT when he beat Trick Williams, but Thorpe is still
somehow denied a title match. Thorpe wants another match
with Trick. Name the time and place, Thorpe says to the
camera.
Sarah Schreiber interviews NXT GM Ava, and Ava officially
announced NXT Women’s Champion Guilia against NXT Women’s
North American Champion Stephanie Vaquer in a title for
title match at Roadblock. So, this is basically a
unification match.
Ricky Saints & Je’Von Evans defeated Wes Lee & Ethan Page
Saints pinned Lee to win the match. Tyriek Igwe and Tyson
Dupont were in Lee’s corner for the match. They would
interfere at one point just before the finish.
The heel duo got heat on Evans for a long time. It felt like
days. Eventually, Saints comes in off a hot tag. Saints runs
wild on Lee, until Lee cuts him off after Saints is
distracted by Igwe and Dupont. Saints thwarts their
interference, but he is cut off when distracted. Not for
long. They soon go home.
Just before the going home, Evans and Page brawl through the
crowd and out of there. That is after Evans does a dive on
Page, when Page breaks up a pinning attempt.
The crowd chanted “Ricky” at Saints. He executed a Dominator
finisher they called “Roshambo” (probably spelled different
to be cool and whatnot). Saints then scored the deciding
pinfall on Lee.
Pretty dang good show overall. Also pretty some dang good
matches announced for the coming weeks. There were some
goofy skits, but that is to be expected on NXT. Being on the
road outside the usual setting of the sound stage really
made this NXT much better to watch. The matches also
delivered, along with the angles.