NXT Women’s Championship Tournament: Cora Jade VS Lyra Valkyria
All four women competing in the Semi-Finals of the NXT Women’s Championship tournament talked up their chances in a pre-taped video before Cora Jade battled Lyra Valkyria in the first Semi-Final of the evening. This match was alright, but it did feel a little bit rushed. The match couldn’t have gone much more than 5 minutes and it suddenly ended when Valkyria landed a big kick on the head of Jade to the shock of the crowd. Whilst Lyra was celebrating after the match, Cora attacked her rival’s knee from behind before she hit her with her kendo stick. This was ok, I was happy that Lyra won, but this match should’ve gotten more time.
Grade: C
Axiom VS Dabba-Kato, The Creed Brothers interrupt Gallus, Tyler Bate VS Eddy Thorpe
Dijak arrived at the building just to be attacked by Ilja Dragunov. Dragunov tried to do what Dijak did to him a few weeks ago, but referee’s arrived to stop that from happening. Axiom’s music then hit as he was about to face Dabba-Kato. This match was alright, Axiom is a superb talent and he did a really good job at making the former Commander look good. In the end, though, the masked Superhero didn’t have enough as Kato picked up the win with his really good finisher. After the match, Dabba-Kato continued to beat down Axiom before an unmasked Scrypts (now Reggie) sent the giant to the outside. Despite his help, Axiom didn’t seem particularly happy with the acrobat.
Grade: C+
Tony D was being questioned by the Police before he denied it was him in a video that was shown to him. I’m guessing the video was him trying to kill Pretty Deadly. Bron Breakker then cut a cool promo about how he’s going to end Carmelo Hayes in front of his family at NXT Battleground before the Gallus Boys were in the ring. Gallus took the mick out of Tony D’Angelo and Channing “Stacks” Lorenzo before the Creed Brothers arrived and told them they were taking their NXT Tag Team Championships at Battleground. However, once again, Joe Coffey didn’t seem interested in this before the two teams brawled. Stacks then arrived to even the odds. This was another fine segment, but it definitely wasn’t anything special.
Grade: C
Wes Lee was speaking to McKenzie Mitchell backstage before Tyler Bate walked in. The NXT North American Champion made it clear to the Big Strong Boi that he wasn’t happy with him at all before he left whilst Bate said he still has massive respect for Lee. This was good timing as Tyler Bate took on Eddy Thorpe in the next match of the night. This match was decently competitive as Thorpe got in quite a lot of offense against his more experienced opponent. However, it wasn’t enough for Thorpe as Tyler Bate delivered the Tyler Driver 97 to get the victory. After the match, Joe Gacy attacked Tyler from behind before Wes Lee accidentally punched his “mate” whilst trying to make the save. This allowed Gacy to nail both of his competitors with the upside down before he held the NXT North American Championship in the air which means he definitely isn’t winning. Wes and Tyler started pushing each other after the ad break as well. I am excited for the match on Sunday and I feel like any three of these men could win and it would make sense.
Grade: C+
Nathan Frazer VS Noam Dar, Hank Walker VS Tank Ledger
McKenzie Mitchell spoke to Lyra Valkyria in the trainers' room backstage and Valkyria said whilst her leg is bruised, she’ll be fine to compete for the NXT Women’s Championship at NXT Battleground. Lyra then said that she hopes she faces Roxanne Perez in the final. The NXT Heritage Cup Champion Noam Dar was then in the ring as he was about to go one-on-one with Nathan Frazer. This was definitely the match of the night, it was fast-paced and Nathan Frazer is definitely one of my favourite wrestlers to watch from an in-ring standpoint. That’s not to say that Noam Dar didn’t bring it as well and he looked like he was going to win until Dragon Lee arrived and picked up his Heritage Cup. This distraction allowed Frazer to drop Dar before Nathan hit his brilliant Phoenix Splash to get the victory. I’m really happy that Nathan Frazer finally got himself a victory and even though the Champion lost just 5 days before his big title defense, the NXT Heritage Cup is defending in much different rules so this shouldn’t hurt him too much.
Grade: B-
Ilja Dragunov cut a promo in the men’s locker room before Dijak arrived and the two brawled once again. Lots of superstars had to break the fight up. We then got a really cool video which showed Carmelo Hayes doing different interviews in Massachusetts to hype up his big homecoming at NXT Battleground. This was really good and it made Melo feel like an even bigger star than he already is. Hank Walker and Tank Ledger then came out at the same time, but not for a tag team match, for a singles match against one another. This match was weird because not a lot happened and it ended with Hank Walker getting a pinfall after hitting Tank with an in-ring crossbody. I know that’s Walker’s finish, but it just felt like a sudden end. After the match, both men got wrecked by a Bron Breakker Spear as the challenger for the NXT Championship told Melo “he’d see him Sunday”.
Grade: C-
Jacy Jayne interrupts Gigi Dolin, Von Wagner VS Luca Crusifino
Channing “Stacks” Lorenzo went up to Diamond Mine backstage and asked them if they want him to have their backs at Battleground. However, the Creeds and Ivy Nile rejected this offer as they’ve been stabbed in the back too many times before. Smart babyfaces. Gigi Dolin then talked about her struggles growing up as a child before Jacy Jayne walked in and highlighted that she was standing where the “Toxic Lounge” used to be. Both women then cut a good promo on their history together and the best thing about it was everything the two were saying was correct. In the end, Jacy Jayne challenged Gigi Dolin to a Steel Cage match for next week which Dolin responded by upping the stakes and making it a Weaponized Steel Cage match. Even though I feel sorry for the two not getting on NXT Battleground, that match should be fun, especially if it’s the Main Event.
Grade: B
The guy in the suit’s name was finally revealed as Luca Crusifino and he told Von Wagner he should’ve sorted everything out in the courtroom whatever that means. We then got a video package to highlight the history and rules of the NXT Heritage Cup which was cool before Luca Crusifino made his NXT in-ring debut against Von Wagner. Wagner was in control for the most part before Luca grabbed the picture of Von from Mr. Stone’s suit. This lit a rage inside Von who destroyed Crusifino to the point where he was disqualified. Stone tried to plead with him, but it fell on deaf ears as Wagner powerbombed his opponent through the table (it didn’t break) to end the segment. This was the most likeable Von Wagner has ever been. Why? Because you’ve given him a story arc that makes him relatable to so many people and the anger in which he showed was realistically.
Grade: B- (mainly because of the ending)
NXT Women’s Championship Tournament: Tiffany Stratton VS Roxanne Perez, Dijak and Ilja Dragunov brawl to end the show
Tony D’Angelo was officially arrested in a video before Roxanne Perez battled Tiffany Stratton for the right to head to NXT Battleground to become the brand-new NXT Women’s Champion. Both Perez and Stratton showcased why they are probably the two female superstars in NXT after the draft as they didn’t put a single foot wrong in an entertaining encounter. Despite Valkyria’s win earlier in the night, it was unclear who was going to win this match which definitely made it better. However, in the end, it was Tiffany Stratton who picked up the win after she delivered the “Prettiest Moonsault Ever” to the Prodigy. Tiffany Stratton and Lyra Valkyria then stared down one another before Roxanne Perez was attacked by the hooded figure who continues to show up at the PC without any problems. Ilja Dragunov and Dijak then brawled around ringside and it ended with both men signing the contract for their Last Man Standing match. NXT then played a really cool video package hyping up NXT Battleground.
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