Posted on 3/15/123 by Bob Magee
The show begins with a recap of NXT Roadblock from last
week, concluding with the surprise return of Johnny Gargano
and the cliffhanger where Roxanne Perez collapsed in a post-
match angle.
Opening the show live from the soundstage at the Performance
Center in Orlando is a "Johnny Wrestling" monologue. Out
comes Johnny Gargano to address the audience. He first asks
them to watch his back for a Grayson Waller sneak attack.
Last time he was in the NXT ring he promised to teach his
son to be the best man he can be, and to do that you have to
finish what you start. Gargano is back in NXT to finish his
story. On NXT 15 months ago his story ended on a
cliffhanger, after an injury angle where Waller attacked
Gargano. That was Gargano's swan song with WWE for the time
being, before he recently returned as part of the main
roster on Raw.
Gargano notes he won the NXT Championship, whereas Waller
failed on two attempts. Gargano says that Waller then began
blaming everyone but himself for his losses. Waller
disrespected the fans and the roster, and "most importantly"
Waller started disrespecting the NXT brand. Gragano takes
most exception to that.
"No matter what brand I am on," Gargano says, "NXT is my
home."
Gargano says Waller should not "screw with a man's home." A
producers rushes over to ringside to tell Gargano that
Waller is at Gargano's house. Waller is apparently
livestreaming from the Gargano house, so Gargano leaves in a
hurry. Gargano is later seen speeding away from the building
in a SUV. To be continued...
Earlier today, Axiom shows up to follow around North
American Champion Wes Lee. Axiom wants to answer the open
challenge later tonight, and he doesn't want anyone to steal
away his chance. So, Axiom is following Lee around all day.
The match is eight hours away at this time, so they go eat.
NXT Tag Team Champions Gallus (Mark Coffey & Wolfgang)
defeated Pretty Deadly (Kit Wilson & Elton Prince) to retain
their titles
Coffey pinned Wilson to win the match and retain the titles.
Good match.
Gallus were the protagonists in the match, in a bruising
babyface role. Gallus is rolling before the show cuts to a
commercial break. Pretty Deadly is working over Mark as the
show returns from the break. That builds to a hot tag where
Wolfgang cleans house.
When the fighting spills outside, Wolfgang is thrown over
the announce desk by Pretty Deadly. The heel challengers
then grip the championship belts. Prince distracts the
referee while Wilson hits Coffey with a belt shot for a near
fall.
Gallus fights back after the near fall, as Wolfgang low
bridges Prince to counter Spilt Milk. Coffey then nails
Wilson with a flying uppercut. Tandem combo finisher by
Gallus, and Wolfgang covers Wilson for a pinfall.
Fallon Henley and Josh Briggs break into Kiana James'
office. There is some comedy, including Briggs dressed in
camo. They find out James has dinner plans with someone
labeled "Sebastian."
Shawn Michaels tweeted that Roxanne Perez is out of the
hospital, but her health is still in question ahead of Stand
& Deliver. Michaels has an "obligation to announce we
possibly have to crown a new NXT Women's Champion." In case
of that, Michaels is booking a series of qualifying matches.
The winner advance to a ladder match for the women's title
at Stand & Deliver.
A medical doctor says he there is no timetable for Perez's
return.
Zoey Stark defeated Sol Ruca to qualify for the ladder match
at Stand & Deliver
Stark pinned Ruca. In winning, Ruca qualifies for the
championship ladder match over WrestleMania weekend.
Ruca continues to greatly improve with every match. Stark
seems beyond ready for the main roster with her ability.
Ruca made a comeback during the match, and she does a
moonsault to the floor off the middle turnbuckle. She stuck
the lady for a big pop.
As they head home, Ruca goes to follow up. She springboards
back into the ring where she is caught by Stark. Ruca takes
Stark's modified GTS finisher, and Stark pins her to win the
match. Stark is the first to qualify for the ladder match at
Stand & Deliver.
Scrypts has a cryptic message about wearing masks.
Up next is a triple threat women's tag match, where the
winners get a title shot at Stand & Deliver against NXT Tag
Team Champion Kiana James & Fallon Henley.
Isla Dawn & Alba Fyre defeated Kayden Carter & Katana Chance
and Ivy Nile & Tatum Paxley in a triple threat tag team
match
Fyre pinned Nile to win the match, after Paxley turned on
Nile.
In winning, Fyre & Dawn earn a title shot at Stand &
Deliver. Three wrestlers in the ring at once, meaning one
member of each team. So, there was a lot happening in the
match. Chance & Carter were strong favorites according to
Booker T, but they were thwarted by Fyre & Dawn.
Paxley turned on Nile at ringside, blindsiding her with a
kick and a sneak attack. Paxley then rolled Nile into the
ring, where Nile takes a tandem finisher. Dawn gives her a
backstabber as Fyre leaps off the top rope with a swanton
bomb. Fyre then covers Nile for a pinfall.
NXT Champion Bron Breakker is in a comedy skit with Tony
D'Angelo and Channing "Stacks" Lorenzo. This would lead to
D'Angelo saying he and Stacks plan to win the tag team
titles.
Ilja Dragunov is in the ring for a monologue. He wants to
rid himself of JD McDonagh. Out comes McDonagh for a
confrontation. They argue with each other as they have a
bitter feud. A bit of melodrama here as they face off in the
ring.
Despite McDonagh insisting their feud will never in,
Dragunov warns it will end next week when they make it
official. A brawl erupts and a slugfest ensues. They brawl
their way out of the soundstage.
Pretty Deadly in a backstage interview with McKenzie
Mitchell decide they should be the ones to host Stand &
Deliver. Off they go to meet with a special person to get
the okay.
McDonagh and Dragunov are still brawling backstage. Referees
and producers break them up. North American Champion Wes Lee
is headed to the ring when he has to pass through the pull-
apart. He has words with McDonagh and they come to blows.
They trade punches and are separated. Personally, I popped
for a Norman Smiley cameo during the skit.
Grayson Waller is at Johnny Gargano's house according to a
video posted on Twitter.
A huge brawl is happening backstage as wrestlers are
fighting their way to the ring looking to answer the open
challenge. Axiom fights his way into the ring, but his is
blindsided by Scrypts in a sneak attack.
As a bunch of wrestler brawl at ringside, McDonagh rushed
into the ring to hit Lee with a lariat. Dragunov follows
McDonagh into the ring and they are brawling once again. It
is a huge melee. An angry Lee does a running flip dive over
the ropes on a pile of bodies on the floor.
Dragon Lee is interviewed by McKenzie Mitchell, and Lee says
he is going to love it here in NXT. He aims to prove he is a
special talent.
In another backstage interview, Jacy Jayne is wearing a
sling on her right arm. Jayne says she eperated her shoulder
early in her match last week against Gigi Dolan. Jayne warns
Dolan that she will break her heart and face when Jayne
returns from the injury.
Dabba-Kato defeated Apollo Crews
The match goes through a commercial break, so it was rather
long. Heat on Crews as Dabba-Kato work him over until a
Crews comeback. They tease a countout when Crews takes a
tree slam on the ring steps. Crews barely breaks the ten
count as he jumps into the ring after nine.
Crews is able to break the count, but that was the beginning
of the end. Dabba-Kato with a sit-out tree slam, and Crews
is pinned by Dabba-Kato.
In a skit with Shawn Michaels and Wes Lee, a fatal five way
for the NXT North American Championship at Stand & Deliver.
Lee at first wanted to defend agaisnt ten wrestlers, but
Michaels offers a compromise where they book four against
the champ in fatal five way. Michaels will allows Lee to
pick the challengers.
Gigi Dolan defeated Kiana James to qualify for the ladder
match at Stand & Deliver
Dolan pinned James after a cobra twist into a crucifix bomb.
Dolan advances to the championship ladder matcha at Stand &
Deliver. James being in a qualifier is kind of silly, and it
telegraphed the finish, since James was already booked in a
tag title match at Stand & Deliver.
Alba Fyre & Isla Dawn jump James after the match, and Brooks
Jensen runs out to make a save.
Johnny Gargano finally returns home, where Grayson Waller is
waiting for him in an angle similar to other home invasions
on WWE television over the years. Steve Austin and Brian
Pillman had an infamous home invasion angle on Raw in 1996.
Others followed throughout the years, including a great
angle with Edge and Randy Orton. Tonight's angle was not the
best, but the angle tonight includes the WWE TV debut of an
infant that some on Twitter are already dubbing "Baby
Wrestling."
Waller attacks Gargano when Gargano arrives home. They brawl
in the yard, and the fight on the steps of the front door.
Candice LeRae is heard hollering at Gargano. She walks onto
the porch holding her and Gargano's infant child. Waller is
breaking a rake over Gargano's back as LeRae pleads with
Waller to stop.
LeRae continues to pleas with Waller as the child is in
tears. Gargano takes a curb stomp, and Waller taunts LeRae.
Waller leaves Gargano laid out face down in the yard, and
Waller leaves the property. LeRae, still holding the child,
rushes to Gargano.
Brooks Jensen is consoling Kiana James in the locker room
when Fallon Henley and Josh Briggs enter the scene. Henley
and James bicker with each other.
NXT Champion Bron Breakker and Carmelo Hayes are face-to-
face in the ring for a contract signing. They sit behind a
table, and they are about to sign a contract for a title
match at Stand & Deliver when Pretty Deadly interrupts.
Pretty Deadly just wants to host the contract signing, as
they are also looking to be the hosts of Stand & Deliver.
Hayes and Breakker compliment each other while also throwing
shade at the same time. Trick Williams flanks Hayes.
Breakker and Hayes both vow to win the title in a rambling
segment. Hayes does a good job on the microphone, and
Breakker holds his own.
The champion and challenger go nose-to-nose, but they shake
hands. The ending seems anti-climatic, so Pretty Deadly
chimes in. They want to see some drama and action. Breakker
and Hayes tear their shirts off, and Pretty Deadly gets
giddy at the thought of some drama. The joke is on them, as
Breakker and Hayes put Pretty Deadly through the table set
up in the ring.
Breakker and Hayes then have a staredown as the show goes
off air.