Posted on 5/07/125 by Bob Magee
The show begins with footage of wrestlers arriving at the
building that houses the Performance Center in Orlando,
where NXT is filmed before a live studio audience.
Arriving is Jordynne Grace and Giulia, ahead of their number
one contender’s match. Also arriving are male wrestlers in
the scheduled battle royal. A group from NXT is met by
wrestlers from LFG and TNA.
Opening the show is a trios match.
DarkState (Dion Lennox, Osiris Griffin & Cutler James with
Saquon Shugars) defeated TNA Champion Joe Hendry & NXT Tag
Team Champions Hank Walker & Tank Ledger in a six-man tag
team match
Cutter James pinned Tank Ledger to win the match, after
interference at ringside by Trick Williams and Shugars.
Trick brawls with Hendry to further their feud. Likewise,
the finish in this trios match seems to set up DarkSate
getting a title shot, since the tag champs dropped a fall to
the heel faction.
Hendry poses with Hank & Tank before the match starts as
part of their entrance, and they also strike a pose during
the match as well. Smart booking to partner an over Hendry
with a team looking to get over.
Whatever mystique DarkState had since their unique debut is
fleeting fast the more they wrestle on television. They are
now just another faction in NXT, albeit with a good push.
Hendry joins Hank & Tank in cleaning house before the show
cuts to its first commercial break. The babyface trio
strikes a pose as the show cuts to picture-in-picture.
Momentum shifts, and the heels are working over Hank as the
show returns from the break.
Hot tag and Tank runs wild, and he gets a near fall. Bedlam
erupts and everyone gets involved. Melee with all six, when
Shugars interferes at ringside. Shugars posts Hank, and Hank
sells it the rest of the match.
Hendry is signaling for a finisher when Trick Williams runs
down and trips Hendry. Trick and Hendry brawl their way off
stage, which leaves Tank alone in the ring against
DarkState. Triple powerbomb on Tank, and Cutter James hooks
a leg to cover Tank for the pinfall.
Thea Hail is talking with Karmen Petrovic in a locker room
skit when Jaida Parker eavesdrops on them. Parker chimes in
and cuts a promo on Petrovic, which sets up a singles match
between the two.
Shiloh Hill and Chris Island from LFG are seen warming up
for the battle royal. Meanwhile, Timothy Thatcher (making
his return to NXT television) and Sean Legacy are also
warming up as they represent Evolve in the battle royal
later tonight.
Kelani Jordan vs. Zaria (with NXT Women’s North American
Champion Sol Ruca)
Zaria pinned Jordan to win after a stunt where Zaria speared
Jordan through a section of the barricade.
The match goes through a commercial break with picture-in-
picture. Jordan as a babyface in peril fought from
underneath. She makes a comeback on Zaria, and they trade
near falls.
Jordan gets a near fall with a tornado DDT. Jordan leaps to
the top rope like Rob Van Dam by jumping from the mat all
the way to the top rope. Jordan then goes for a 450. No
water in the pool, but she rolls through. Zaria then cuts
off Jordan with a spear.
Near falls continue in the closing moments. Jordan does an
Asai moonsault. She overshoots Zaria, but Zaria sells it
nonetheless. At ringside, Zaria shoves Jordan towards the
barricade. Jordan is inadvertently saved by Ruca, but Zaria
still spears Jordan through a gimmicked section of the
barricade. Ruca acts shocked at the stunt, but Ruca cheers
on Zaria as she gives Jordan the F6 finisher. Zaria then
scores a pinfall.
Tony D’Angelo and Wes Lee exchange tense words in a locker
room skit, which sets up a singles match between the two for
next week on NXT. That bout is later made official for next
Tuesday.
Trick Williams gets a full entrance before the show cuts to
a commercial break. The battle royal is “next” on the show,
but first another skit.
Lola Vice talks with NXT Women’s Champion Stephanie Vaquer
in a skit, and Giulia interrupts with a word of warning to
the champ.
Ethan Page gets a full entrance for the battle royal.
In a surprise, “The Drifter” is back in NXT as a returning
troubadour. Elias is back in WWE, although he is now billed
as “Elijah” from TNA. Of course, Elijah has his guitar. The
arena lights dim and a spotlight shines on Elijah as he
performs a song on his way to the ring. Big pop for Elijah,
and the studio audience chants “welcome home” as the
troubadour himself does his catchphrase. In the form of a
question: “Who wants to walk with Elijah?”
Ethan Page confronts Elijah as the bell sounds to start the
battle royal.
Myles Borne wins a 25-man battle royal to become number one
contender for the NXT Championship
Borne out of nowhere becomes the number one contender with
the upset win, as Borne last eliminates Ethan Page and Shawn
Spears en route to winning the battle royal.
The battle royal ran through two split-screen commercial
breaks. An inter-promotional gimmick match, participants are
from TNA and three WWE brands — NXT, LFG and Evolve. It was
indie-rific at times and over-booked, but the battle royal
has lots of action.
Joe Hendry gets an entrance with his theme song during the
middle of the match, as Hendry confronts Trick Williams.
Distracted by the entrance of Hendry, Trick is then
eliminated by Elijah. Trick and Hendry then have a pull-
apart brawl.
Shawn Spears eliminates Elijah, leaving five men in the
ring. Je’Von Evans and Sean Legacy get to shine in a series
of high spots and sequences between the two. Legacy is then
eliminated by Evans, with some help from a low-bridge
courtesy of Ethan Page.
Final four is all NXT. Comes down to Page, Evans, Spears,
and Myles Borne, as they run through a series of
entertaining spots. Borne shows fire as he gets to shine in
the closing minutes. Borne then takes a springboard cutter
from Evans. On a second springboard attempt, Evans goes for
a double cutter on both Page and Spears. Instead, they
eliminate Evans by tossing him out of the ring.
Page and Spears make a pact to team up on Borne, but Page
immediately double-crosses Spears. Holding on to the top
rope, Spears tries to skin the cat. Meanwhile, Borne
dropkicks Page, and Page goes sailing over the ropes. On his
way down, Page catches Spears with a cutter on the floor.
Borne is the last man standing in the ring, and Borne wins
the battle royal to become the number one contender.
No Quarter Catch Crew storms the ring to celebrate with
Borne after his win. Tavion Heights rushes in to hug Borne,
with Wren Sinclair in tow. Charlie Dempsey is dragging up
the rear, as Dempsey looks less than thrilled with Borne
getting the spotlight.
Sarah Schreiber is interviewing Jordynne Grace when they are
interrupted by Izzi Dame. Lash Legend also arrives to
interrupt Dame. When she becomes the number one contender,
Grace will see them on the other side. Whatever that means.
Jaida Parker defeated Karmen Petrovic
Parker pinned Petrovic after a running knee strike. Setting
up the finish, Petrovic misses a kick. Parker then lands the
knee strike, and she covers Petrovic for a clean pinfall.
Parker jumps Petrovic after the match, and Parker signals
for her signature hip attack. Thea Hail runs down to take a
bullet for Pertrovic. Hail takes the hip attack from Parker,
which sets up a match between Parker and Hail.
TNA Champion Joe Hendry is in NXT General Manager Ava’s
office, where she announces Hendry is defending the TNA
Championship in a title match against Trick Williams at
Battleground. Ava notes this is the first time the TNA world
title is on the line at a WWE PLE. Ava also announces a
contract signing for next Tuesday on NXT.
A vignette featuring OTM is part of a promotional tie-in
with an insurance company. Bronco Nima and Lucien Price cut
a promo within a music video.
Wes Lee is on a phone call as Lee is flanked by Tyson Dupont
and Tyriek Igwe. Lee apparently has a match booked, and he
is thrilled with the news. Remarking to Dupont and Igwe, Lee
borrows from Ted DiBiase’s catchphrase. “Every man has a
price,” Lee says with a smirk.
Josh Briggs and Yoshiki Inamura talk as part of a backstage
skit. Inamura apologizes to Briggs for failing him, and
Inamura informs Briggs he is heading back to Japan. Inamura
gives Briggs his vest, and says “goodbye my friend.”
As Inamura leaves, up walks Brooks Jensen and The Culling.
Jensen is a former tag partner of Briggs, and Jensen makes a
sarcastic remark about being there before in this same
position. Jensen blames Briggs for being the problem.
Charlie Dempsey, as leader of No Quarter Catch Crew, tells
the group he needs their help to get ready for his match at
Battleground against NXT Champion Oba Femi. Myles Borne, who
actually became number one contender earlier in the show,
takes exception to Dempsey claiming the title match.
Insisting Borne won for the good of the group, Dempsey also
insists he himself gets the title shot.
In walks Femi, and he congratulates Borne. Dempsey chimes in
to again insist he will face Femi in the title match. Borne
says the match is his, but he basically calls out Dempsey in
front of Femi. This sets up Dempsey against Femi in a non-
title match for next Tuesday on NXT.
Jordynne Grace defeated Giulia in a number one contender’s
match
Grace pinned Giulia to win what was a really good bout.
Clean finish and a strong match to determine the number one
contender to Stephanie Vaquer, who came out after the match
with her NXT title belt for a stare down with Grace.
Giulia and Grace start the bout with a safe version of Frye-
Takayama, before they settle into a match. Grace and Giulia
work well together, and they have a good match.
They wrestle through a commercial break, with Giulia giving
Grace a neckbreaker on the floor just before the show cuts
to its last break.
They trade near falls on the home stretch. Grace executes a
delayed vertical suplex off the middle rope. Grace holds on,
rolls through, and she powers up to deliver a jackhammer.
Giulia kicks out at two and a half. Moments later, Giulia
spikes Grace with a DDT. Giulia with a pump handle into a
Norther Lights driver for another near fall.
They counter each other several times as they go home.
Overhead suplex by Grace, only for Giulia to hulk up.
Fighting spirit exchange before Grace delivers Beast Mode.
Grace then hooks a leg to cover Giulia for the deciding
pinfall. Grace is now the number one contender for the NXT
women’s title.
NXT Women’s Stephanie Vaquer enters the ring after the
match. The show ends with a staredown between Vaquer and
Grace.