Posted on 4/08/126 by Bob Magee
NXT is back on the air in front of a live studio audience on
a sound stage at the Performance Center in Orlando. Opening
the show is the entrance of the new NXT Champion Tony
D’Angelo.
Billed as the first “grand slam champion” in NXT history,
D’Angelo gets into the ring for an opening monologue. The
studio audience chants “you deserve it” before D’Angelo
begins to speak.
Tony D says some people on the audience have seen him since
day. Now is not just a man, but he is the man. He has
finally become NXT Champion. D’Angelo goes on to say he is
the first grand slam champion in history.
D’Angelo says along the way he made a lot of decisions. Some
good and bad, but he would not change any of those decisions
because they made him who he is now.
Tony D says his hands have an iron grip on the title. He
says no one can take it from him, and he name drops Joe
Hendry. Of course, when his name is said he appears as per
his gimmick.
Out comes Joe Hendry and the studio audience that just gave
D’Angelo a standing ovation is now gleefully clapping along
to Hendry’s theme song.
Hendry says to say his name and he appears, but without the
NXT title. Hendry congratulates D’Angelo on winning the
title, and says he was the better man that night. But that
is only one night, and they had to deal with “those two
clowns.” If not for Ricky Saints and Ethan Page, would have
D’Angelo still have won the title? Or would we still all be
singing “we believe”?
Interrupting them is Ethan Page, who wants a one-on-one
title match. Page uses air quotes when saying if he was not
preoccupied by his “best friend”, then Page claims he would
have beaten Hendry to become champion. Instead we have the
“knockoff Punisher” as champ.
Ricky Saints enters to interrupt his so-called friend Page.
Saints says that Page attacked him first, so do not blame
his shortcomings on Saints. Had Page put his ego aside,
Saints claims he would be the champ.
D’Angelo interjects to tell them all to get in line. The end
result will still be D’Angelo winning. With that the lights
go dark inside the sound stage and out comes Darkstate. They
four members of Darkstate storm the ring under a strobe
lights. A huge brawl breaks up as the show cuts to its first
commercial break.
Security and wrestlers from the roster pour out to trying to
separate the brawlers. After a commercial break, NXT General
Manager Robert Stone is angry. Before screaming “that’ not
how we start a show,” Stone orders D’Angelo, Hendry, Page
and Saints to put their gear on because they are teaming up
in an eight-man tag team match against Darkstate at the top
of the hour.
Sol Ruca vs. Izzi Dame (with The Culling)
—
Like Dennis Stamp, part of the story of the match is Dame
was upset she did not get booked in a match at Stand &
Deliver.
The match itself goes through a commercial break. Ruca
springboards into a corkscrew tornillo splash on the outside
just before the break. When the show returns from
commercials, the match continues. Ruc a soon springboards
into a Buckshot Lariat of sorts.
Ruca fires up before delivering a missile dropkick for a
near fall. They would go on to trade near falls, with Dame
leaping off the top rope for a super codebreaker.
Dame takes a spear (which is foreshadows the arrival of
Zaria), and Dame powders. Ruca goes for a moonsault. She
lands on her feet after Niko Vance pulls Dame to away to
safety while Shawn Spears distracts the referee. Suddenly,
Zaria runs in to spear Ruca on the floor. Dame rolls Ruca
back into the ring. Dame then uses a Liger bomb as a
finisher before pinning Ruca.
Match result: Izzi Dame defeated Sol Ruca via pinfall after
outside interference by The Culling and Zaria.
After the match, Zaria yells at a fallen Dame. “I say when
this is over!”
— Vanity Project is in Robert Stone’s office along with
Blake Monroe. The faction presents Monroe with a replica of
the Women’s North American Championship. Stone objects to
this, and he books a mixed tag team match where Monroe can
choose any member of The Vanity Project as her partner.
Monroe picks Jackson Drake as her tag partner against Tatum
Paxley and Shiloh Hill.
— Elio Lefleur, with his arm in sling, joins Dorian Van Dux
and EK Prosper (formerly Eli Knight) in a locker room skit.
Van Dux thanks Lefleur for the opportunity that he gave him.
Prosper says not so fast, because Van Dux must first defeat
him.
Keanu Carver vs. Josh Briggs vs. Jasper Troy in a triple
threat match
—
This is a three-way hoss fight, and the pummel each other
like unstoppable forces meeting immovable objects. The match
also goes through a commercial break.
Tandem offense at times, but each man for himself most of
the time. Broken up pinning attempts and thunderous strikes
throughout the match.
Troy gets a close near falls on Briggs after a chokeslam. He
goes for another attempted chokeslam on Briggs, but Carver
rushes in with a pounce that sends Troy crashing outside the
ring. Another pounce by Carver, but this time the victim is
Briggs. Carver follows up with a vertical suplex into a
powerslam (which looks like a modified jackhammer), and
Carver pins Briggs.
Match result: Keanu Carver defeated Josh Briggs and Jasper
Troy when Carver pinned Briggs.
— NXT Women’s North American Champion Tatum Paxley is
backstage talking with Shiloh Hill. There is some comedy
until Ricky Saints walks up to chastise them for being
weird. They make fun of him, and Saints calls them freaks.
— Saints was heading to the ring, but his ring entrance
comes during a commercial break. Joe Hendry gets a full
entrance before the show cuts to picture-in-picture. After
the break, everyone is in the ring ready for the eight-man
tag booked earlier tonight by Robert Stone.
Joe Hendry, Ricky Saints, Ethan Page and NXT Champion Tony
D’Angelo vs. Darkstate (Dion Lennox, Cutler James, Saquon
Shugars & Osiris Griffin) in an eight-man tag team match
—
Playing on prior tension, Ricky Saints and Ethan Page
bicker. They would argue a few times, which backfires for
their team. Good thing the story of the match was it was
thrown together impromptu, because it seems thrown together.
Both Hendry and D’Angelo get to clean house at different
times during the match. Lennox cuts off D’Angelo with a
spinebuster as the show cuts to a commercial break. D’Angelo
has recent history with Darkstate in their recent feud, and
they work him over during the break.
Hot tag during the break, and Hendry runs wild. When the
show finally returns from picture-in-picture, Hendry is
being worked over by Darkstate. He is fighting back when the
show returns to full screen, but Hendry is soon cut off.
More heat on Hendry as Darkstate work him over.
NXT Men’s North American Champion Myles Borne runs in at
ringside at one point wearing a suit. Borne attacks Lennox
and they brawl at ringside. The rest of Darkstate are
distracted by the attack on Lennox. Hot tag to D’Angelo, the
heels bump and feed for Tony D.
Parade of high spots that leads to Hendry doing a dive over
the ropes to the floor onto a group. Back in the ring,
D’Angelo spears Shugars. The spear is the frontrunner for
most overused move of the night. Anyway, D’Angelo gives
Shugars a spinebuster, but Page makes a bling tag. Page
boots D’Angelo out of the way, and Page delivers a Twisted
Grin (Twist of Fate) on Shugars. Page then covers Shugars
for a three count.
Match result: Joe Hendry, Ricky Saints, Ethan Page and NXT
Champion Tony D’Angelo defeated Darkstate when Page pinned
Shugars.
After the match, D’Angelo gives Page a spinebuster to get a
bit of comeuppance.
— Jaida Parker cuts a promo on Kelani Jordan. They meet next
week in a match.
Lexis King (with Birthright) vs. Chazz “Starboy” Hall in a
speed tournament match
—
New to the NXT audience, Chazz Hall gets an inset promo
during his entrance to introduce himself. Hall talks about
tearing up the West Coast indie scene since he was 11 years
old. In unrelated note, Hall looks like Spike Dudley with
his gear.
Hall looks good in the match. He goes for a shooting star
press, and King gets his knees up to block it. King then
executes The Coronation, and King pins Hall.
Match result: Lexis King defeated Chazz Hall via pinfall to
advance in the speed tournament.
Shiloh Hill & NXT Women’s North American Champion Tatum
Paxley vs. Blake Monroe & Jackson Drake (with NXT Tag Team
Champions The Vanity Project) in a mixed tag team match
—
Paxley and Monroe have a pose-off and tug-o-war at the start
over the North American belts. They are doing a take-off on
the Razor Ramon-Shawn Michaels feud from 1994 with the two
title belts. One being the real title and the other being a
fake.
Tandem offense at times. Paxley & Hill do stereo surfboards
at one point before the show cuts to a commercial break.
Heat on Hill as he is worked over until a hot tag to Paxley.
She runs wild on both Monroe and Drake. Brad Baylor tries to
interfere at ringside, but Paxley kicks him away. That led
to Hill doing a flip dive over the ropes on Vanity Project
at ringside. Meanwhile, Paxley for a 450 and rolls through
when Monroe evades the splash. Paxley and Monroe each tease
their finisher.
Drake jumps and gets kicked by Paxley. However, that
distracts Paxley enough that Monroe ambushes her with
headbutt. Monroe then executes her Glamour Shot DDT, and
Monroe pins the North American champ.
Match result: Blake Monroe & Jackson Drake defeated Tatum
Paxley & Shiloh Hill when Monroe pinned Paxley.
— Sarah Schreiber interviews Robert Stone in his office.
This led to Stone announces a two-week special called NXT
Revenge. Next week it begins with a main event where Tony
D’Angelo defends his NXT title against Ethan Page. Week two
is headlined by Sol Ruca against Zaria in a last woman
standing match. Joe Hendry will also be in concert, Kali
Armstrong debuts, and a new Speed champion crowned in the
next two weeks on NXT.
— Kali Armstrong (not relation to “Bullet” Bob and his sons)
is featured in a personality profile.
Fatal Influence confronts Lola Vice
—
NXT Women’s Champion Lola Vice enters the sound stage for an
in-ring promo celebrating her title win. She also has her
AAA Mixed Tag Team title belt with her.
Vice talks about winning the title until she is interrupted
by former champion Jacy Jayne. Joining Jayne is her cohorts
Fallon Henley and Lainey Reid. The studio audience boos
Jayne unmercifully as she cuts a promo on Vice.
Out comes Robert Stone to book a title rematch for next
week. The heels then jump Vice with Reid and Henley
ambushing her, but Vice fights them off. Jayne barely
escapes a spinning back fist from Vice as she flees the
ring. The champion stands defiantly as the show goes off the
air.