Posted on 3/11/126 by Bob Magee
In a prelude to tonight’s episode of NXT is a recap from
last weekend of Vengeance Day. The follow up tonight is in
front of a live studio audience at a sound stage from the
Performance Center in Orlando.
Opening the show is the newly-crowned NXT Women’s North
American Champion Tatum Paxley with an in-ring monologue.
She is excited to be the new champ, and the studio audience
chanted “you deserve it” for her. She credits them with
winning the title, and not because of The Culling or anyone
else. The fans reminded her to keep going.
Paxley says she won the title for “us”, and she realizes
something about Izzi Dame. With that, Dame interrupts the
monologue and throws to a video package recapping the
journey of Tatum Paxley in NXT. It includes footage from her
tryout and her turning on Ivy Nile in a previous angle from
some time ago. Dame uses that to claim Paxley current
persona is “just another mask” to hide herself as being a
“weirdo” in NXT. Dame sarcastically insists she is impressed
Paxley is such a chameleon, but Paxley will forever be the
girl trying to fit in.
Dame says she hopes Paxley enjoyed the last few days
“borrowing” Dame’s title. Dame warns Paxley that she wants
her North American title back from Paxley. Dame steps
towards Paxley, whose escape is blocked by Shawn Spears and
Niko Vance of The Culling. Dame boots Paxley with a high
kick and gives her a jackknife powerbomb. Dame then stands
over Paxley posing with the North American title belt
alongside, and she is flanked by Spears and Vance.
This whole segment would be better if they skipped the
banter and went straight to the attack. An opening angle
such as this is overdone in WWE. Speaking of something
overdone in WWE, up next is a triple threat match. But first
a skit from the men’s locker room.
— Ricky Saints is talking with Ethan Page in their locker
room, and Saints is trying to give Page a pep talk. Page
begins to agree with Saints their recent loses are a blimp
on their stellar careers, an they will soon be back in title
contention.
Jasper Troy vs. Eli Knight vs. Sean Legacy in a triple
threat match
—
Legacy and Knight wore gear with matching colors, which is
fitting since they both won the match in what became a de
facto handicap match.
Lots of high spots and action. Troy was a monster heel
against the two babyfaces, until he is ambushed by Keanu
Carver doing a run-in. Carver attacked Troy before
chokeslaming Troy on the broadcast booth, and the desk
implodes on impact. That takes Troy out of the match for a
little while. Carver, who has history with Booker T, has a
confrontation with Booker as the show cuts to a commercial
break
Back from the break, and Troy is still laid out on the
floor. Meanwhile, Knight and Legacy are having a good match
in the ring. Troy eventually rises and comes back to pummel
both Knight and Legacy. Troy gets a near fall after a
chokeslam, but Knight and Legacy work to cut him off.
For the finish, Legacy springboards into a 450 splash,
followed by a moonsault press off the top rope from Knight.
Both Legacy and Knight then covers Troy, and the referee
counts three. They shake hands and embrace as they both are
apparently declared winners of the match.
Match result: Sean Legacy and Eli Knight defeated Jasper
Troy when both pinned Troy in a triple threat match.
— In a backstage skit, Tatum Paxley is searching for Izzi
Dame. Paxley instead finds Shiloh Hill, who is holding a
four-way lug wrench. Hill offers Paxlety a solution and they
wander off together.
— The Birthright faction talk to Uriah Connors backstage,
and Lexis King asks Connors if he made the call. Connors
says he did not, but his dad made the call. “They” are on
the way, according to Connors.
Charlie Dempsey & Tavion Heights vs. Lexis King & Uriah
Connors (with Arianna Grace & Stacks)
—
William Regal and Fit Finlay appear in a cameo that led to
Dempsey turning on Heights. No Quarter Catch Crew is
apparently no more. This was more of an angle than a match,
although they did wrestle for several minutes. The match
itself was good, and so was the angle. Dempsey eventually
turns on Heights, and Dempsey joins Birthright.
Regal and Finlay appear at ringside as Dempsey and Heights
hug. That hug was a swerve, as Dempsey then executes a
German suplex on the floor when he turns on Heights. Back in
the ring, Lexis King uses his Coronation finisher on
Heights. King then pins Heights to win the match.
Match result: Lexis King & Uriah Connors defeated Tavion
Heights & Charlie Dempsey in a tag team match when King
pinned Heights.
After the match, Demspey looks at his father (Regal) and
Finlay. Dempsey proceeds to get into the ring to join the
Birthright faction as their newest recruit.
— Another silly backstage skit with Shiloh Hill and car
horns blaring, as Hill apparently used his four-way lug
wrench to take the tires off all the cars in the parking lot
because he did not know which belonged to The Culling. NXT
GM Robert Stone has his hands full as The Culling are
naturally upset about Hill’s actions.
— Tony D’Angelo is heading to the ring for a monologue.
After a commercial break, D’Angelo get a full entrance.
D’Angelo then cuts a promo where he sets his sights on the
NXT title.
Tony D’Angelo issues warning for NXT Champion Joe Hendry
D’Angelo told us he came back for two reasons. The first
involved Darkstate, and that ended at Vengeance Day when he
left them beaten and empty. They were looking for answers
just like he did.
The other reason D’Angelo returned is to win the NXT
Championship. While he was away from NXT, D’Angelo had to be
honest with himself about his future in NXT. There was one
thing he could not accomplish, so he basically reinvented
himself into the toughest son of a bitch in NXT. D’Angelo
then vows to win the NXT title.
D’Angelo says Joe Hendry is a sensation, and D’Angelo has no
issue with him — except Hendry is the champion. A year ago
D’Angelo and Hendry could have sat down to break bread
together, but nowadays if D’Angelo has to go through Hendry
then he will do so. D’Angelo would love to say it is just
business, but the title is personal to him.
This is Hendry’s one warning. Hendry better prepare for
D’Angelo because he will not be denied winning the NXT
title.
— Sol Ruca is warming up backstage for her match. Lola Vice
approaches her to offer a pep talk, and she says they will
be fighting for the women’s title at Stand & Deliver.
— Wren Sinclair and WWE Women’s Evolve Champion Kendal Grey
are in a backstage kitchen talking with NXT North American
Champion Myles Borne, who is looking for his tag team
partner for tonight — NXT Champion Joe Hendry.
They rush over to a refrigerator in a comedic callback to
Hendry jumping out of a fridge in previous skits when they
say his name and he appears. Instead of Hendry, in the
fridge is a cake. Hendry suddenly appears and he agrees to
talk strategy for his tag match tonight where he teams with
Borne. Grey eats cake with her hands in what was supposed to
be comedy.
Sol Ruca vs. Lainey Reid (with Fatal Influence)
—
Reid’s cohorts in Fatal Influence — NXT Women’s Champion
Jacy Jayne and NXT Women’s Speed Champion Fallon Henley —
are in her corner, and they play into the match. Jayne
defends her title against Ruca in an upcoming triple threat
match that also involves Zaria. That plays into this match
as Fatal Influence interferes in tonight’s bout.
The match goes through a commercial break. Just before the
show cuts to the break, Ruca springboard into a quebrada on
the floor. Soon thereafter, Henley distracts the referee
while Jayne interferes by grabbing Ruca’s leg. That allows
Reid to gain an underhanded advantage. Ruca is in peril as
the show heads into a break.
Ruca with a comeback when the show returns from the break.
Meanwhile, Zaria is shown watching the match from a
backstage monitor. Reid and Ruca go back-and-forth. Reid
looks to finish Ruca, but Ruca has a counter followed by a
Sol Snatcher. Ruca then pins Reid, much to the chagrin of
Jayne and Henley.
Match result: Sol Ruca defeated Lainey Reid via pinfall.
—
Thea Hail vs. Wren Sinclair in a Speed tournament final
—
Of course, the match was short with a three-minute time
limit. This tournament finale was fun while it lasted, and
Sinclair submitted Hail with under a minute remaining in the
time limit. For the finish, Hail applies an armbar. Sinclair
counters to apply cattle mutilation (which was called “The
Final Wrench”), and Hail submits. In winning, Hail earns a
title shot against WWE Women’s Speed Champion Fallon Henley
next Tuesday in Houston.
Match result: Wren Sinclair defeated Thea Hail vis
submission in the finals of the tournament to crown a number
one-contender for the Women’s Speed Championship.
— In yet another skit, Robert Stone announces a tournament
to determine number one contenders for the tag team titles.
The tag team roster is in his office, and this skit plays on
previous skit in the show. The tag teams all start brawling
as the show cuts away from the skit.
— Blake Howard interviews Fatal Influence. Jacy Jayne and
Fallon Henley cut promos vowing to retain their respective
titles. In comes Wren Sinclair and Kendal Grey to cut promos
on them, and Fatal Influence leaves.
— Tatum Paxley and Izzi Dame have a pull-apart brawl
backstage as they are separated by referees and security.
Robert Stone yells at them and announces Paxley defends her
North American title against Dame in a cage match next
Tuesday in Houston.
— Blake Howard interviews Robert Stone in what is a hard
sell for next Tuesday in Houston. Stone announces that
Darkstate and OTM are out of the tag tournament for their
actions last weekend and the brawl earlier in his office.
Vanity Project rolls up to gloat, and Stone surprises them
to announce Vanity Project has a six-man tag team match next
week against Los Americanos. Stone then throws to Vic Joseph
at the announce for an important announcement about next
Tuesday.
— Vic Jospeh, who does commentary alongside Booker T,
announces next Tuesday is also “Booker T Appreciation Night”
on NXT. I would expect an angle as well.
–Up next is the tag team main event that headlines tonight’s
card.
Ethan Page & Ricky Saints vs. NXT Champion Joe Hendry & NXT
North American Champion Myles Borne
—
The story of the match is Saints & Page remain in a slump.
Before the match goes through a commercial break, Saints
goes to slide the North American title belt to Page to
presumably use as a weapon. However, the belt slides way
past Page, and Page yells at Saints.
Heat on Borne, as the heel duo works him over. They do the
old Power & Glory tandem finisher on Borne, as Saints does a
superplex followed by Page doing a Superfly splash. That led
to a near fall.
Hot tag to Joe Hendry, and he cleans house. Olympic slam by
Hendry for a near fall on Saints. Page trips up Hendry,
which leads to a double down in the ring.
In a callback to earlier the match, Page slides Saints a
title belt to use as a weapon. The referee clearly sees it
and takes the belt away from Saints. While he protests to
the ref, Saints is rolled up by schoolboy, and Hendry gets
another near fall. Saints cuts off Hendry with a spear, but
Page makes a bling tag. Saints argues with Page about the
blind tag.
Meanwhile, the NXT title belt is still in the ring (since
the ref dropped it trying to count the roll up pinning
attempt). Borne rushes to dropkick Saints out of the ring.
The ref is distracted trying to get Borne out of the ring,
as he was not the legal man. Behind the ref’s back, Page
executes the Twisted Grin (Twist of Fate), and Hendry takes
a bump on his title belt. Page then hooks a leg to pin
Hendry.
Match result: Ethan Page & Ricky Saints defeated Joe Hendry
& Myles Borne when Page pinned Hendry.
Despite them being at odds at times, Saints & Page celebrate
their tainted victory.