Posted on 2/25/126 by Bob Magee
NXT is on the air in front of a live studio audience from a
sound stage at the Performance Center in Orlando. Vic Joseph
voices over a live introduction, and he throws it to NXT GM
Robert Stone. He plays carny barker as he hypes tonight’s
card. Opening the card is a tag team title match.
Vanity Project (Ricky Smokes & Brad Baylor with NXT Evolve
Champion Jackson Drake) vs. Darkstate (Saquon Shugars &
Osiris Griffin with Dion Lennox & Cutler James) for the NXT
Tag Team Championship
—
The tag title bout goes through a commercial break.
Darkstate tosses Baylor & Smokes around like ragdolls before
the show cuts to picture-in-picture. Drake interferes during
the break, which allows Vanity Project to gain an advantage
by the time the show returns from the commercials.
Heat on Shugars as Vanity Project work him over. This builds
to a hot tag, and Griffin cleans house. Griffin is fired up
like Robert Gibson getting the hot tag from Ricky Morton.
Wacky to see since Darkstate have been heels during their
run. Griffin goes on to chokeslam both members of Vanity
Project, leading to a near fall.
Darkstate go for a Doomsday Device, and Shugars delivers a
missile dropkick. Shugars goes for a cover, but Drake
interferes by putting Baylor’s foot on the bottom rope to
break the hold. Cutler James and Dion Lennox then confront
Drake, and referees pour out to separate them at ringside.
Griffin leaves the ring to join the melee with a flying
crossbody.
With the melee going on the side of the entrance ramp,
Shugars is outside the ring on the opposite side. Tony
D’Angelo suddenly runs in to slam Shugars on the apron. Tony
D then rolls Baylor into the ring so he can cover Shugars
for a three count. And new…
Match result: Brad Baylor & Ricky Smokes defeated NXT Tag
Team Champions Saquon Shugars & Osiris Griffin to win the
titles when Baylor pinned Shugars after interference by Tony
D’Angelo.
— Sarah Schreiber interviews Myles Borne about him
challenging tonight for the NXT North American Championship.
Borne cuts a good promo about how he can beat Ethan Page for
the title.
Keanu Carver vs. Sean Legacy
—
Carver looked good here despite being green in the ring.
Legacy was a great opponent for Carver, who was able to look
very strong with Legacy bumping for him. Carver is getting a
monster push, so he pummeled Legacy during much of the
match. Legacy started strong until Carver cut him off and
began to pummel him. Carver also used moves like slams and
backbreakers, while he also heaved Legacy across the ring.
Carver went to spear Legacy through the barricade, which is
a callback to a spot they did weeks ago to set up this bout.
Legacy countered with a superkick that put Carver on rubber
legs. Springboard 450 splash by Legacy for a near fall.
Springboard into a missile dropkick, and Legacy attempts
sliced bread. Carver cuts off Legacy, and Carver hit him
with a Monty Brown Pounce. Carver then lifts Legacy with a
vertical suplex, and Carver drives Legacy into the mat with
a powerslam. Carver covers Legacy for a pinfall.
Match result: Keanu Carver defeated Sean Legacy via pinfall.
— WWE Women’s Evolve Champion Kendal Grey is giving Wren
Sinclair a pep talk ahead of her match tonight. Kelani
Jordan enters to gloat about herself before bad mouthing
Lola Vice. Chaos erupts as Vice rushes in trying to kick
Jordan. Security and referees try to separate everyone.
Jasper Troy vs. Eli Knight vs. Elio LeFleur in a triple
threat match for the WWE Speed Championship
—
They had a great fast-paced match. Troy looked strong and
powerful throughout the seven-minute time limit, despite him
dropping the fall. Just before they go home, LeFleur what
looked like an awkward tilt-a-whirl trying to counter a
black hole slam. LeFleur does not panic, as he simply takes
takes Troy down with a leg lariat. Knight then moonsaults
off the top rope on Troy, but Knight sells the impact. That
allows LeFleur to rush in and covers Troy for a three count
in the closing minute of the time limit. And new…
Match result: Elio LeFleur defeated WWE Speed Champion
Jasper Troy and Eli Knight in a triple threat match to win
the title when LeFleur pinned Troy.
— NXT North American Champion Ethan Page is the trainer’s
room getting his ankle taped, which plays on the cliffhanger
from last week that set up tonight’s main event. Ricky
Saints is talking with Page in the trainer’s room when in
walks the new NXT Tag Team Champions Brad Baylor & Ricky
Smokes. They brag on them winning the title before Saints
vows to add to that when he wins the singles title at
Vengeance Day. Saints also says they will ensure Page retain
his title tonight.
— NXT Champion Joe Hendry is the focus of “NXT Chronicle”,
which was a great personality profile hyping up Hendry.
— Damian Priest is featured in a video package that
highlights his run in NXT, and he talks about what he
learned in developmental.
— Lola Vice storms into Robert Stone’s office, and Vice
demands Stone book her and Kelani Jordan in an Underground
match. That was easy enough, as Stone books the match for
Vengeance Day.
Sol Ruca (with Zaria) vs. Jacy Jayne (with Fallon Henley &
Lainey Reid) for the NXT Women’s Championship
—
Turns out this was more an angle than a match. After the
ring introductions, the referee holds up the title belt to
display what is at stake. Suddenly, Zaria spears Sol Ruca.
Zaria then delivers a F5, and Ruca is out on her feet. The
bell rings to start the match. Ruca gets to her feet, only
for her to walk into a Rolling Encore from Jayne. She covers
Ruca for a pinfall in seconds. And still…
Match result: NXT Women’s Champion Jacy Jayne defeated Sol
Ruca via pinfall to retain her title.
In a post-match attack, Zaria gives Ruca another F5. This
time it was on the announce desk. Zaria then taunts Ruca as
the show cuts to a commercial break.
— Back from commercial and Tatum Paxley is cutting a promo
alongside the studio audience. She puts over the fans for
having her back, as they did not want her to change. They
accepted Paxley for being herself, and she truly felt love
from them.
Paxley then talks about regaining the NXT Women’s North
American Championship from Izzi Dame. She wants Dame to come
out, and Dame does enter the sound stage to confront Paxley.
Dame goes into the crowd to confront Paxley, and the house
lights in the sound stage go dark so we are left to wonder.
Instead, we get the entrance of Blake Monroe.
Blake Monroe vs. Thea Hail in a Speed tournament match
—
After about a minute into the match, Jaida Parker runs down
to ringside where she hits Monroe with a hip attack.
Neckbreaker by Hail in the ring, and she covers Monroe for a
three count. In winning, Hail advances in the tournament to
meet the winner of Wren Sinclair vs. Nikkita Lyons to decide
the next contender for the WWE Women’s Speed Champion Fallon
Henley.
Match result: Thea Hail defeated Blake Monroe via pinfall to
advance in the tournament.
— “NXT Chronicle” continues with more about NXT Champion Joe
Hendry. He talks about his theme music becoming a hit song.
That was the final puzzle piece to him becoming a superstar.
Kale Dixon (with Andre Chase) vs. Uriah Connors (with Lexis
King, Arianna Grace & Stacks)
—
Two former teammates meet in this bout, albeit in somewhat
of a filler position. The match begins soon as the show
returns from a commercial break with both already in the
ring. They had a good match with lots of flying and high
spots.
For the finish, Connors counters a moonsault with knee up.
Dixon follows up by landing a running knee strike to set up
the pin.
Match result: Uriah Connors defeated Kale Dixon via pinfall.
— Zaria confronts the Fatal Influence trio in a locker room
skit, and Zaria says Jacy Jayne owes her a favor. Zaria
wants a title shot for the NXT women’s title next week, or
Zaria warns she will do to Jayne what she did to Sol Ruca.
— In another locker room skit, Ricky Saints invited Vanity
Project to his concert next week. This plays on Joe Hendry’s
gimmick of doing live musical performances, with Saints
promising an “Absolute” concert experience of his own.
Enter Shiloh Hill alongside Hank & Tank. They have what they
claim is a steering wheel, as they apparently took apart
Jackson Drake’s car. With that, a brawl erupts backstage.
Referees pour in as the camera shakes.
— Myles Borne is the focus of a personality profile ahead of
him challenging for a tile in the main event, which is up
next on tonight’s card.
— Sarah Schreiber interviews GM Robert Stone. He confirms
Jacy Jayne defends her NXT Women’s Championship against
Zaria next Tuesday on NXT. Also next week is Shiloh Hill
teaming with Hank & Tank in a six-man tag team match with
Vanity Project. Stone also confirms Ricky Saints will have
an “Absolute” concert next week.
NXT Women’s North American Champion Izzi Dame enters the
office to say she would agree to meeting with Tatum Paxley.
Stone is skeptical but seemingly agrees to the segment.
Myles Borne vs. Ethan Page for the NXT North American
Championship
—
The match begins with a tale as old as time in pro wrestling
psychology. Borne even had white flames on his trunks in his
role as the white hot babyface. That babyface challenger
shines at the outset until the veteran champ cuts him off
and turns the tables — almost literally with the table. Page
sends Borne crashing into the announce desk. Page then
executes a Razor’s Edge that plants Borne hard on top of the
desk. The match then goes through a commercial break.
Comeback by Borne, and he fires up on Page. Fisherman’s
buster by Borne for a near fall. Page cuts Borne off again,
and they trade near falls. Razor’s Edge in the middle of the
ring, but Borne kicks out. Slug fest as they duke it out.
They do a suplerplex that led to Page getting a near fall.
In the closing minutes they trade big moves, with Page
hitting a codebreaker, and Borne answers with a zig-zag a
moment later. Vanity Project runs down to ringside. New tag
champs Brad Baylor & Ricky Smokes distract the referee while
Jackson Drake hits Borne with Drake’s Evolve title belt.
Page goes for a cover, but Borne gets a shoulder up. Hank &
Tank, along with Shiloh Hill, run down to brawl with the
Vanity Project at ringside. Meanwhile, Ricky Saints runs in
and goes to climb the turnbuckles. Joe Hendry with a save as
he runs in to shove Saints off the turnbuckles. Hendry and
Saints brawl at ringside.
For the finish, Page goes for a Razor’s Edge. Borne escapes
his clutches, and Borne sends Page into an exposed
turnbuckle (which has the padding removed earlier in the
bout). Page blocks it at first and goes for Twisted Grin
(Twist of Fate), but Borne counters to send Page smashing
into the exposed turnbuckle. Borne then executes a zig-zag
(called “Borne Again”), and Borne hooks a leg while covering
Page for the deciding pinfall. This was a great television
main event, and they pulled the trigger and strapped a
rocket to Borne. No wonder we wore flames on his trunks.
He’s on fire. AND NEW…
Match result: Myles Borne defeated NXT North American
Champion Ethan Page via pinfall to win the title.
Borne celebrates his title win by posing with the belt and
hugging his family, who were watching from the front row.