Posted on 3/05/125 by Bob Magee
(EDITOR'S NOTE: NXT didn't air in the New York and
Chicago markets, due to pre-emption for Donald Trump's
speech to Congress last night. NXT is scheduled to air in
those markets tonight at 8:00 pm local time).
Interestingly enough, a commercial for AEW Dynamite aired on
the CW affiliate in the Houston market just before NXT went
on the air. (EDITOR'S NOTE: the commercial also aired in
the Philadelphia market)
NXT is back at the sound stage at the WWE Performance Center
in Orlando, and NXT is taped before a live studio audience.
Opening the show this week is a women’s tag team match set
up by a skit on the previous episode.
Sol Ruca & Zaria defeated WWE Women’s United States Champion
Chelsea Green & Piper Niven
Ruca pinned Green to win the match. So, Ruca scores a
pinfall on the US champ, likely setting up a match. This was
a good opener. They all worked well together, and there were
possibly some seeds planted for an eventual turn. Green got
a bloody nose in the match.
Early on in the match, Zaria against Niven was a battle of
two powerhouses. Ruca does a wild dive over the ropes to the
floor, but Green responds with a senton. The heels take
control as the show cuts to a split-screen commercial break.
The heel duo gets heat on Ruca, building to a hot tag. Zaria
runs wild. Somewhere along the way, Green gets her nose
busted open. Green is lifted on Zaria’s shoulders, and Ruca
does a moonsault for a modified Doomsday Device. Zaria lifts
Niven and gives her a F5 on top of Green. Ruca then executes
a Sol Snatcher on Green, and Ruca covers Green for a three
count.
Ruca runs around the ring celebrating the win, and Zaria
briefly glares at her. Is that foreshadowing an eventual
turn, or am I reading too much into it?
Trick Williams is talking with NXT GM Ava when they are
interrupted by Uriah Connors and Kale Dixon. They have a
gift basket of office supplies for Ava. How thoughtful of
the young lads. Trick shoves the gift away, and Trick tells
them to come back later with their package. Dixon tells
Trick to call down, and Trick and shoves gift into Dixon’s
chest.
Trick then tells them to go bother Mr. Chase. Dixon remarks
that Trick was the reason Chase U was put on line in the
first place. Trick then snaps and shoves Dixon against a
roll-up door (likely for the sound effects it makes). Ava
orders Trick to let him go as Trick tells Dixon he will find
out tonight. This appears to set up a match tonight between
Trick and Kale Dixon. Yes, the dude is named Kale. Same as
the leafy member of the cabbage family.
Jaida Parker defeated Kelani Jordan
Parker pinned Jordan after a hip attack. The outcome would
seem to conclude the program between Parker and Jordan, and
what a match to end the feud if this is it. The match goes
through a commercial break, so they were given plenty of
time to deliver. And they delivered with a good match.
Jordan is currently on a losing streak, and the announcers
played it up on commentary. Nothing gets someone over like a
losing streak. Jordan still had a mean streak, but she still
does all of her babyface spots. They build to Jordan
executing a Spanish Fly off the top rope.
Moments later, Jordan tries to follow up with a 450 splash.
No water in the pool. Parker moved out of the way, and
Parker catches Jordan with a Parker’s hip attack finisher.
Parker then covers Jordan for a three count.
NXT Champion Oba Femi is at a kayfabe press conference. This
builds up the upcoming title defense against TNA X-Division
Champion Moose at NXT Roadblock.
TNA Tag Team Champions Matt & Jeff Hardy enter the sound
stage for an in-ring promo. Jeff says it is good to be in
NXT, and it is great to be “home” in WWE. They talk about
beating No Quarter Catch Crew. Hardy Boyz were over with the
studio audience, which should be no surprise.
Out comes Hank Walker & Tank Ledger to interrupt the promo.
Tank apologized for interrupting them, and he says they
wanted to get advice from two GOATs. Matt & Jeff put them
over, and Jeff says to get noticed they need to take it to
the extreme. He was not talking about high spots, but about
the hungry and whatnot.
They are all soon interrupted by Josh Briggs & Yoshiki
Inamura. Those two cut promos on Hank & Tank. Briggs &
Inamura want a title shot. Hank asks Tank if he is thinking
what he is thinking, and then they both dive through the
ropes on Briggs & Inamura. The two teams brawl to the back.
Suddenly, in the ring with The Hardy Boyz is Fraxiom. NXT
Tag Team Champion Nathan Frazier & Axiom are there to
confront Matt & Jeff, but in a respectful way. They plug
their match in a couple weeks Roadblock. Fun segment, albeit
a bit long in the tooth.
Jordynne Grace defeated Cora Jade via referee stoppage
The referee stopped the match when Jade apparently suffered
an injury. Jade is backed into a corner during a commercial
break, and the ref moves in to break them up. The ref backs
Grace away as medical staff get into the ring to check on
Jade. This all happens before the show returns from the
break.
When the show does return from commercials, Jade gets up and
is escorted out of the ring. Grace smirks as she is
announced as the winner via referee stoppage.
Ethan Page and Je’Von Evans argue and cut promos on each
other in a segment where they are on separate satellite
feeds. This was similar to the old “Face-to-Face” segments
on WWF Superstars of Wrestling, except this was far more
serious. Evans cuts an impassioned promo on Page.
Trick Williams defeated Kale Dixon via referee stoppage
Williams smashes Dixon in a squash match, and the referee
stepped in to stop the match. Trick rocked Dixon with a
flying punch soon as the bell rang to start the match. Trick
began to pummel Dixon, and the ref stops the match.
After the match, Trick calls out Eddy Thorpe. This all led
to setting up a gimmick match. Thorpe appears on a perch
overlooking the ring, and Thorpe challenges Trick to have
their match under NXT Underground rules. Trick agrees, so
the match is not set with new stips.
Roxanne Perez apparently attacked Jordynne Grace in a
backstage angle.
TNA X-Division Champion Moose is present for a fake press
conference. This is for hyping Moose against Oba Femi for
the NXT Championship at Roadblock. Moose vows to leave
Roadblock as a dual champion.
Ava steps in to announce Roxanne Perez will face Jordynne
Grace a Roadblock. Ava says they will take one more question
at the press conference. Fatal Influence then crashes the
press conference, and Fallon Henley asks Ava why Fallon has
not gotten for rematch for the Women’s North American title.
Ava says they can talk about this later, and Fallon yells
they can talk about it right now. Ava then walks out of the
presser. Is that somehow spoofing US politicians at town
halls in recent weeks?
Ricky Saints is backstage when he runs into Ridge Holland.
Saints and Holland briefly have tense words after Holland
says Saints does not belong here. Saints then runs into
Shawn Spears, who is heading to the ring for the main event.
Shawn Spears defeated NXT North American Champion Tony
D’Angelo to win the title
Spears pinned D’Angelo to win the championship. Stacks
crashing into D’Angelo during the match played into the
finish, which furthers the growing rift between Stacks and
“The Don” himself.
The match plods through a commercial break. In the closing
moments, Spears locks in a sharpshooter. D’Angelo escapes
and delivers a fisherman’s buster. Izzi Dame at ringside
grabs Spears’ foot. Not sure if she was supposed to put the
foot on the rope, but Spears was too far away. So he kicks
out instead. Adrianna Rizzo then jumps Dame for interfering,
and all hell breaks loose.
The D’Angelo Family and Spears’ faction start brawling
around ringside. During the melee, Channing “Stacks” Lorenzo
is shoved by Spears into D’Angelo. “The Don” takes a Nestea
Plunge off the apron on and lands on a folded chair laying
on the floor. Spears screams “SO MUCH FOR FAMILY” as he
rolls D’Angelo back into in to the ring. Spears with a C4
for a close near fall, as D’Angelo kicks out.
For the finish, D’Angelo goes for a his pop-up finisher, but
“The Don” buckles as his back gives out. This plays on an
earlier spot in the match, and Spears hooks a leg to cradle
D’Angelo for the deciding pinfall. And new…