Posted on 4/01/126 by Bob Magee
NXT is on the air from The Theater at MSG. The brand’s
champions and their next challengers arrive to the building
in footage from earlier today.
Live in the arena is the entrance of DarkState for the
opening tag match, and their opponents — OTM — entered next.
Following them was OTM’s partner, who gets a hometown
reaction. Billed from The Bronx in NYC, TNA World Champion
Mike Santana has a superstar entrance.
DarkState (Dion Lennox, Osiris Griffin & Saquon Shugars) vs.
TNA World Champion Mike Santana & OTM (Lucien Price & Bronco
Nima)
—
Santana was clearly the star of the match, and the match
itself is a really good opener. The crowd was hot as well.
They loved Santana.
Heat on Price as the show goes through a commercial break,
which led into a hot tag where Nima ran wild after the show
returns from the break. Nima gets a near fall on Griffin
after a uranage slam. Santana then came in to clean house,
and he was over big with the crowd.
Santana with a great sequence that included a pop-up cutter,
a suicide dive sailing through the ropes on OTM at ringside.
Santana follows up with a frog splash for a near fall.
Santana is soon cut off until OTM jumps back into the ring
for a save. Griffin and Shugars double team powerbomb gets a
two count on Santana. Shugars goes on to have a great
closing sequence with Santana before they all go home.
Santana catches Shugars with a DVD, and he follows with a
lariat. Shugars sells big as he turns inside out taking a
bump. Santana then leaps over the ropes to the floor with a
swan dive on OTM. In the ring, Shugars takes OTM’s finisher.
Price covers Shugars for a three count.
Match result: OTM & Mike Santana defeated Darkstate when
Price. pinned Shugars
— Vic Joseph sits down with NXT North American Champion
Myles Borne for an interview ahead of Stand & Deliver. This
led to Johnny Gargano interrupting and cutting a helluva
promo on how he has to win the title from Borne at the PLE
this Saturday.
Gargano with his charisma and deliver sort of stole the
segment, but Borne did very well for himself before Gargano
runs in. Borne once again thanks No Quarter Catch Crew for
helping him, and Borne also thanks Ethan Page for giving
bringing out the edge in Borne that he needed to become
champion.
Borne puts over Gargano and his achievements, and Borne
really hopes that “Johnny Wrestling” shows up in the ring at
Stand & Deliver.
In comes Gargano, and he sits down with a mean look on his
face. Gargano cautions Borne. Careful what you ask for.
Before there was Stand & Deliver, there was NXT Takeover.
They called him “Johnny Takeover”, and Gargano says if that
man is still inside him then Borne better pray. Gargano
warns Borne he will eat him alive. But this is not personal.
What is personal is the North American title.
If Gargano wins, he returns to Smackdown and gets his life
back. If he loses, Gargano is unsure what happens. One thing
Gargano does know is he will take Borne “into deeper waters”
than Borne has seen, and Gargano will show him what it means
to be a champion. For the first time in two months, Gargano
will not lay down and die.
“I will stand and deliver like only I can, because I have
to,” Gargano says in conclusion. “More than you know.”
— Wren Sinclair has some encouraging words for Kendal Grey
Los Americanos (Bravo Americano & Rayo Americano) vs.
Birthright (Uriah Connors & Stacks with Arianna Grace, Lexis
King & Charlie Dempsey) in a number contender’s tag team
match
—
The match goes through a commercial break. Grace gets
involved in the match, which also involves some comedy
spots. The match also has some intensity and plenty of
action. El Grande Americano appears just before the finish
to play a part in the outcome.
During the match, Shiloh Hill storms to ringside with a
metal folding chair. Hill stalks Lexis King, who flees with
Hill on his trail.
El Grande Americano distracts the refereee so that Bravo &
Rayo came load their mask with gimmicks. Rayo headbutts
Stacks off the apron, and Bravo hits Connors with a flying
headbutt with the loaded mask. Bravo then covers Connors for
a pinfall.
Match result: Los Americanos defeated Birthright when Bravo
Americano pinned Connors to become number one contenders for
the NXT Tag Team Championship
In winning, Los Americanos earns a title shot against
champions Vanity Project for the NXT tag titles at Stand &
Delver on Saturday. Vanity Project look on from a box seats
overlooking the ring. They have a staredown with Los
Americanos.
Jaida Parker vs. Kelani Jordan
—
Parker shines early on until Jordan traps her in the ring
skirt. Parker then takes a bump into the ring steps, and she
sells her arm as the show cuts to a commercial break. Jordan
is working over Parker as the show returns from the break.
Jordan continues to target the arm. She goes to springboard
into a split-legged moonsault, Parker blocks her. That leads
to a spot on the top rope where Jordan takes an avalanche
suplex from Parker. Sit-out tree slam by Parker, and Parker
cradles Jordan for a pin. Really good bout.
Match result: Jaida Parker defeated Kelani Jordan via
pinfall.
— Vanity Project tries to flirt with Blake Monroe, and they
offer to protect her from Tatum Paxley. Monroe recently
stole the Women’s North American Championship belt from
Paxley.
Contract Signing for the NXT Championship Fatal Four Way
Seating behind two tables in the ring are NXT Champion Joe
Hendry, and his three challengers — Ethan Page, Ricky Saints
and Tony D’Angelo. NXT General Manager Robert Stone is
hosting the segment.
D’Angelo steals the show with a great promo on all three of
his opponents. There is plenty of bickering, as usual with
contract signing segments in WWE. Joe Hendry with a good
babyface promo, but D’Angelo still outdoes them all on the
microphone. D’Angelo talks about NXT being in his blood.
Tony D vows to run all three over like a freight train. This
leads to a wild brawl and the breaking of two tables.
D’Angelo chokeslams Saints through a table, while Page drops
Hendry with a Razor’s Edge through the other table.
Fisticuffs between Page and D’Angelo in a pull-apart brawl.
Jasper Troy vs. Keanu Carver with Josh Briggs as special
referee
—
Booked like a hoss fight, this is what Gorilla Monsoon might
have dubbed as the unstoppable force meeting the immovable
object. They brawl around ringside before the bell, and they
tussle over Troy’s chain he brings to the ring.
Briggs lets things slide as ref, but he also gets in
Carver’s face early on to threaten him as the referee in
charge. Carver shoves a planted fan at ringside, and Briggs
intervenes to shove Carver back. Carver then stalks Vic
Joseph at the commentary booth before pointing his finger
and issues a warning to Booker T. All of that walking and
talking allows Troy to recover, and he gives Carver a
chokeslam on the announce desk. The booth implodes. Troy
follows up with a Bossman slam on Carver for a two count.
Upset over the two count, Troy shoves Briggs. He as referee
responds by booting Troy with a high kick. Troy takes a
Monty Brown Pounce from Carver, before Carver hoists him up
to deliver a running powerslam. Carver then covers Troy, and
Briggs counts the pinfall.
Match result: Keanu Carver defeated Jasper Troy via pinfall.
After the match, Carver insists that Briggs raise Carver’s
arm as the winner. Briggs at first agrees, but is a swerve.
Briggs instead hits Carver with a short-arm clothesline.
Still wearing the zebra stripes, Briggs then exits the ring
with Carver down selling in the ring.
Following a commercial break, Tatum Paxley enters the ring
for a confrontation with Blake Monroe.
NXT North American Champion Tatum Paxley challenges Blake
Monroe
Paxley cuts a promo that ultimately leads to her issuing an
ultimatum to Monroe. Paxley wants Monroe to bring her the
title in NYC, which Monroe recently stole from Paxley. Out
comes Monroe holding the title belt. Monroe is soon
challenged for a title match at Stand & Deliver by rightful
champion, who plays on Monroe’s ego to convince her to
accept the match.
Paxley warns Monroe her bad side will come out. Paxley says
she can be the “goth to your glamour” or “the fire to your
hell.” Paxley will allow Monroe time to think on the offer,
but Paxley demands the title belt from Monroe.
They fight over the belt itself in a tug-o-war. Paxley then
elbows Monroe and the fight is on. Monroe powders, and she
snatches the title belt again as she flees the ring.
— Sarah Schreiber interviews Robert Stone, and they hype the
card for Stand & Deliver. Stone announces that a ten-person
mixed tag team match for the pre-show on Saturday. All of
the members of Birthright against Eli Knight, Shiloh Hill,
Wren Sinclair, and Hank & Tank. This was also set up earlier
in a locker room skit with the babyfaces.
Keanu Carver storms into interrupt the interview. Carver
demands a match against Josh Briggs. Stone remarks that he
also spoke to Jasper Troy, and Carver screams he does not
give a damn about Troy. Stone instead books a triple threat
match with Carver vs. Troy vs. Briggs. Stone then hears a
loud commotion off camera. Stone rushes to find Kelani
Jordan was ambushing Jaida Parker. That would seem to set up
a return match between the two.
— Sol Ruca and Zaria are the focus of a video package that
highlights their backstory as teammates turned rivals. This
hypes their match at Stand & Deliver.
— NXT Women’s Champion Jacy Jayne is backstage with talking
with her Fatal Influence cohorts — WWE Fallon Henley and
Lainey Reid. Izzi Dame was eavesdropping and she interrupts
to tell Jayne that she will tell her exactly what she wants.
Sure. Okay.
— Hard sell for Stand & Deliver as the Vic Joseph voices
over a rundown of the NXT card on Saturday.
AAA Mixed Tag Team Champion Lola Vice vs. Kendal Grey (with
WWE Women’s Speed Champion Wren Sinclair) in a NXT Women’s
Championship number one contender’s match
—
Chain wrestling at the start, and this is good from the
start. They wrestle through a commercial break. Vice
delivers a hip attack in a corner, but misses a follow-up
attempt. She is still able to kick Grey off the apron, and a
seated senton off the apron by Vice just before the show
cuts to a split-screen commercial break. Near falls during
the break during picture-in-picture.
Grey fires up after the show returns from the break, and
Grey goes to bar an arm for a submission hold. Vice fights
to block the hold, and Vice counters to apply a sleeper.
Grey escapes only to walk into a spinning back fist. Grey
takes a bump out of the ring selling the back fist. On cue,
out comes the Fatal Influence trio.
Jacy Jayne enters ringside flanked by Fallon Henley and
Lainey Reid. The heel trio distracts Vice, which allows Grey
to recover enough to fight back. Vice goes for a hip attack,
but Grey moves out of the way. Vice crashes into the ring
steps, and Grey rolls Vice back into the ring.
Grey climbs the turnbuckles, and she leaps off the top rope.
Vice cuts her off with a superkick for a near fall. In
closing moments, Grey lands a roaring elbow for a close near
fall. They struggle to their feet as they rise and trade
strikes. Punches and kicks. Vice does her signature series
of kicks, but Grey counters by trapping Vice’s leg in an
ankle lock. They go on to trade near falls.
For the finish, Vice locks in a guillotine chokehold. She
cranks on it as Grey tries to roll free. Grey with a
Northern Lights suplex while Vice has the guillotine locked
on. The referee counts a pinfall while a ref on the floor
sees Grey tap out to the submission hold.
Disputed finish as Shawn Michaels comes to help sort things
out. Cliffhanger ending as the show goes off the air with no
announced winner.