Posted on 4/16/125 by Bob Magee
WrestleMania weekend is upon us, and this episode of NXT is
the go-home ahead of Stand & Deliver. Opening the show is a
four-way match to determine the number one contender to the
NXT North American Championship.
The winner of the fatal four-way goes on to face North
American Champ Ricky Saints at Stand & Deliver. Saints gets
a full entrance on this episode, as he comes to ringside for
guest commentary. His potential challengers are already in
the ring ready for the bell to start the match.
Ethan Page defeated Lexis King and Wes Lee and Eddy Thorpe
in a fatal four-way North American number one contender
match
Page pinned King to win the match, which was a good opener
for this episode. Page is now gets a title match against
North American Champ Ricky Saints.
Saints is on commentary until the show cuts to its first
commercial break. Page shoved Thorpe into Saints, and Saints
went to retaliate. A similar spot happened on a recent
episode of NXT with NXT Women’s Champion Stephanie Vaquer.
In that match, the champ threw hands. Here on this episode,
the referee ejects Saints from ringside before Saints can
attack Page.
The four-way match goes through the commercial break, and
returns with them building to a quadrupedal submission spot.
That and similar submission spots from multi-person matches
are a takeoff of a spot from Sabu vs. Terry Funk vs. Shane
Douglas in the original “three-way dance” from ECW’s The
Night the Line Was Crossed.
In this bout, they also built to a unique Tower of Doom
spot. Page was King on his shoulders in an electric chair,
while Page also has a front facelock on Thorpe. Lee
springboards off the top rope with a Whisper in the Wind on
King. When London Bridge comes falling down, Page and King
take back bumps while Thorpe tales a DDT.
Parade of high spots in the closing moments, with each of
the floor looking to finish. Lee lays out Page with an
enzuigiri. When Lee again leaps to the top rope, King
thwarts him this time. King shoved Lee off the top, and Lee
bumps on the floor. King with a senton bomb, but Thorpe
breaks up the pinning attempt with a flying elbow drop off
the top. Lee off the top with meteora to thwart Thorpe. King
breaks up the pin to deliver his finisher on Thorpe. Before
King can capitalize, Page delivers Twisted Grin on King.
Page then covered King for the deciding pinfall.
Page gets the house microphone, and he cuts a promo on
Saints. Suddenly, Saints interrupted the promo by spearing
Page out of nowhere. Saints gets his heat back.
Jordynne Grace is featured in a personality profile, where
she narrates her journey in pro wrestling. This was really
good video package that highlights Grace. It features clips
from her days on the indie scene and TNA.
Lola Vice defeated Tatum Paxley (with Gigi Dolan) in a
Women’s North American Championship qualifying match
Vice pinned Paxley to win the match and qualify for the
ladder match on Saturday in Las Vegas.
During this match, Paxley and Dolan set a trap for Vice just
before the show cuts to a split-screen commercial break.
Paxley targets an arm. Vice makes a comeback when the show
returns from the break. Vice fires up on Paxley but only
gets a near fall.
They trade near falls in the closing moments. Superplex by
Paxley for two and a half. Paxley does an odd spot on the
ropes, and Vice cuts her off. Spinning back fist by Vice,
and she covers Paxley for the pinfall.
Giulia is a subject of a video package that that hypes the
NXT Women’s Championship match at Stand & Deliver. Giulia,
who is the former champion, cuts a promo in Japanese. Unlike
the video package on Grace from earlier in the show, this
was more about current events than Giulia’s journey to NXT.
Regardless, it still builds interest in the women’s title
bout on Saturday.
— NXT Tag Team Championship Number One Contender’s Gauntlet
Match —
The first tag bout was rather short as well. The big news is
Hank & Tank snap their losing streak. This is their tale of
redemption.
Hank Walker & Tank Ledger defeated Tyriek Igwe & Tyson
Dupont
Han scores a pinfall after Hank & Tank execute their tandem
finisher.
Hank Walker & Tank Ledger defeated Brooks Jensen & Niko
Vance
Hank & Tank were over with the live studio audience. Heat on
Hank, which builds to a hot tag for Tank. The finish of this
tag match spoofs a high spot from Steiner Brothers against
Headshrinkers at WrestleMania IX, which was featured in the
recently-released documentary on the ‘Mania in 1993. The
Culling has Tank set for a Doomsday Device. Tank is on
Vance’s shoulders when Jensen leaps off the top rope, and
Tank counters a flying crossbody into an avalanche suplex.
Tank then hooks a leg and covers Jensen for a pinfall.
Hank Walker & Tank Ledger defeated Tavion Heights & Myles
Borne
Good heat for this bout, as the crowd is solidly behind Hank
& Tank. For the finish on this leg of the gauntlet match,
Tank pinned Heights with a schoolboy.
Hank Walker & Tank Ledger vs. Josh Briggs & Yoshiki Inamura
Briggs & Inamura started strong and dominated on offense.
Hank with an small package to pin Briggs in a sudden finish.
Hank & Tank ran the gauntlet and move on to a tag title
match this Saturday at Stand & Deliver.
Jaida Parker is the subject of a good video package.
The Family fought Dark State in the parking lot
This was more of a cinematic match, similarly shot by
cameras as other cinematic bouts during the pandemic days.
No commentary for the parking lot brawl.
The two factions face off in the parking lot. Luca Crusifino
asks Channing “Stacks” Lorenzo the whereabouts of Tony
D’Angelo. Stacks says not to worry as this is his call.
The four members of Dark Sate are pacing as they set to
collide with The Family. A wild brawl ensues with weapons
galore. Crowbars were initially used at the beginning, and
then again in the end. Fire extinguisher were also used,
along with a plethora of other gimmicks.
The factions brawl from the parking lot to a backstage area.
There people put through tables along with bodies thrown
through sheetrock. They used a lot of props for weapons and
also the setting itself. The fight returns to the parking
lot, where Crusifino was powerbomb onto the hood of a van.
Suddenly, “The Don” arrives to clean house. Tony D’Angelo
jumps out of a car with a crowbar in hand. He runs through
them like a Ninja Turtle through the Foot Clan. After making
the save. “The Don” yelled at Stacks for setting up parking
lot and going over his head. D’Angelo cuts a promo on
Stacks.
NXT Women’s Champion Stephanie Vaquer is the focus of a
vignette that hypes her title match on Saturday.
Thea Hail gives her blessing to Andre Chase, which seems to
set the stage for a character makeover for Chase. Hail then
heads to the ring for her match tonight.
Thea Hail defeated Karmen Petrovic (with Ashante “Thee”
Adonis) in a Women’s North American Championship qualifying
match
Hail submitted Petrovic with an armbar. This was a fun
match.
NXT Champion Oba Femi in a “final face-off” with Trick
Williams and Je’Von Evans
This played out more like an in-ring interview segment than
a “face-off” as advertised. Trick Williams gets a full
entrance out first in the segment.
Trick cuts a good promo before NXT Champion Oba Femi comes
out to “face-off” with Trick. Femi cuts a promo on Trick.
Out next is Je’Von Evans, who cuts a promo on both Femi and
Trick. This segment was more about getting Evans over more
than anything. Femi and Trick team up to toss Evans outside
the ring. Femi and Trick then face off. Slugfest develops,
and they once again tosses Evans out of the ring. Evans
follows up by leaping off a top rope to deliver stereo
stunners on Femi and Trick. Evans poses with the NXT title
belt as the show goes off air.