Posted on 5/14/125 by Bob Magee
Opening the show is Myles Borne and No Quarter Catch Crew.
Borne enters the sound stage at the Performance Center for
an in-ring promo. Borne is flanked by Charlie Dempsey,
Tavion Heights and Wren Sinclair.
Borne is morphing from a development wrestler into a
superstar before our very eyes. Borne first talks about
shocking the world by winning the battle royal last week,
thus earning a title shot at the NXT Championship.
Borne shifts his monologue to address something “we have
been dancing around for awhile now.” Borne says he is
partially deaf, which affects the way he talks. Last week,
Borne heard the crowd so crazy when he won the battle royal.
Borne does not “want be to known as the deaf kid.” He wants
to be judges for his “ability, not his disability.”
“That is what everyone with a disability wants to be judged
by,” says Borne.
Borne goes on to admit he is the underdog at Battleground
against Oba Femi for the NXT title.
“I am facing a dominant champion, but I am fighting for all
the kids out there who are struggling, fighting their own
fight,” says Borne. “To prove that you too can achieve
success.”
Borne vows to shock the world again at Battleground against
Femi. Borne says he might be hard of hearing, but he will
hear is name announced as the new NXT champion.
Ethan Page interrupts the promo, since no monologue in NXT
can hardly go uninterrupted. Page says “enough with all the
sentimental crap” as Page also accuses Borne of “pandering
to these basic civilians.”
Page gets in the ring saying Borne won the battle royal on a
fluke. Page then offers to talk slow so Borne can read his
lips, while Page tells Borne he cannot beat Femi. Page says
he is not on Femi’s level. Page then challenges Borne to put
the number one contender status on the line in match
tonight.
Charlie Dempsey chimes in as he tries convincing Borne to
accept the challenge from Page, and Borne agrees to the
match. Out comes NXT General Manager Ava, who makes the
match official for tonight. She says that match is scheduled
for later, as Dempsey’s match against Femi is scheduled for
right now.
NXT Champion Oba Femi defeated Charlie Dempsey (with No
Quarter Catch Crew) in a non-title match
Femi pinned Dempsey with Fall From Grace. The match itself
begins just before the show cuts to its first commercial
break. They wrestle through picture-in-picture.
Dempsey is getting ragdolled until he targets an arm. He
works Femi’s arm, and Dempsey gets a near fall after a
German suplex. Dempsey then applies a short arm scissors,
but Femi powers out with a feat of strength.
Comeback by Femi as he mows down Dempsey with a series of
uppercuts. Femi tosses Dempsey around the ring before
delivering the Fall From Grace (pop-up powerbomb). Femi then
covers Dempsey for a pinfall.
Backstage in a skit, Karmen Pertrovic and Thea Heal are
walking and talking when they come across a distraught Tatum
Paxley. She is freaking out about Gigi Dolan leaving her,
although that name is never mentioned. Paxley warns the new
friends they will only be betrayed.
Ethan Page is confronted backstage by NXT North American
Champion Ricky Saints. Page is warming up for his match
later on, and Saints remarks that Page loves “raining on
people’s parade.” Page admits to getting pleasure in
stealing people’s moment. Page then insults Saints before
leaving.
Wes Lee (with Tyson Dupont & Tyriek Igwe) defeated Tony
D’Angelo
Lee pinned D’Angelo, after “The Don” was distracted by a
pre-taped video from Channing “Stacks” Lorenzo.
The match goes through a commercial break. Just before
cutting away to picture-in-picture, Lee takes a hip toss
over the ropes into the waiting arms of Dupont and Igwe.
“The Don” then jumps off the apron with a high cross on all
three.
Few rest holds during the break, as Lee sails through the
ropes with a tope suicida. Lee gets in D’Angelo’s face to
taunt him about Stacks. Lee screams that D’Angelo will lose
The Family. That fires up D’Angelo.
On the floor, they do a spot where “The Don” clotheslines
Dupont & Igwe. Lee tries to steal a pin, but “The Don” kicks
out. Lee bumps and feeds for D’Angelo. Near falls for
D’Angelo after a powerslam.
Lee counters D’Angelo finisher with a hurricanrana. D’Angelo
then counters Lee’s finisher, as “The Don” blocks a Cardiac
Kick with a spear. Lee was almost dumped on his head. At
that point, Channing “Stacks” Lorenzo appears on a video
screen.
Stacks is at Adrianna Rizzo’s safe house. A distracted
D’Angelo is then hit with a Cardiac Kick from Lee, and Lee
hooks a leg while covering D’Angelo for a three count.
As Lee is announced as the winner of the match, the pre-tape
with Stacks continues to play on the video screen. Stacks
vows to pay Rizzo a visit. D’Angelo rushes out of the ring
and exits the sound stage.
For the second consecutive week, OTM is featured in a
vignette sponsored by an insurance company.
NXT Women’s Champion Stephanie Vaquer is headed to the ring.
Vaquer is cutting a promo in English and Spanish when she is
interrupted by two members of Fatal Influence — Fallon
Henley and Jacy Jayne.
Henley cuts a promo on Vaquer, and Jayne chimes in with a
snide remark. Tension between Jayne and Henley as they
bicker.
Out comes Jordynne Grace, and she gets in the ring to
confront everyone else. There is some bickering and quick
promos. Not sure what this accomplished as it just ended,
but it somehow sets up a tag match for tonight’s main event.
Charlie Dempsey is backstage on rubber legs. Myles Borne
tells Tavion Heights and Wren Sinclair they should take
Dempsey to the trainers’ room. Borne then says he will go
“take care of business.”
Cameos from LFG as Undertaker is backstage with Bubba Ray
Dudley. They are with Tyra Mae Steele and Zena Sterling from
LFG. This leads to a confrontation with Izzi Dame, Nikkita
Lyons, Lola Vice and Lash Legend.
Tony D’Angelo orders a camera operator to follow him as they
get into a SUV. They speed off, presumably heading to save
Rizzo.
Myles Borne defeated Ethan Page in a number one contender’s
match
Borne pinned Page clean to retain his status as number one
contender.
They wrestle a methodical match through a commercial break,
and they are given plenty of time. Borne not only looks
similar to Randy Orton, they have the most Randy Orton kind
of match they can have without Randy Orton himself.
As they go home, Page counters a Olympic slam (which they
established earlier in the match as one of Borne’s big
moves). Borne in turn counters Page’s finisher, and Borne
delivers a standing dropkick. Borne then flips over to
cradle Page’s leg for the deciding pinfall.
In a promo posted to social media, Sean Legacy politely
challenges Je’Von Evans to a singles match.
Evans and Ashante “Thee” Adonis then have words in a locker
room skit. Ricky Saints overhears Adonis say he can “smoke”
Evans, and Saints offers to grant the winner a North
American title match at Battleground. That match between
Evans and Adonis is later made official for next Tuesday.
Tony D’Angelo arrives at the safe house, and he gets out of
the SUV along with the camera operator. “The Don” tells the
driver to go get the rest of the boys. D’Angelo is
approaching the house when he is jumped by Stacks. “The Don”
is hit in the legs with a crowbar, and Stacks pummels him.
Stacks vows to finish the D’Angelo family for good at
Battleground.
Thea Hail defeated Tatum Paxley via disqualification
Paxley is disqualified for a blatant eye poke. Hail had
Paxley locked in an armbar when Paxley goes for an eye poke.
The referee stops the match, but a crazed Paxley keeps going
for the eye. Paxley is pulled off of Hail by a group of
referees.
Kelani Jordan and Zaria argue in a locker room skit, which
sets up a return match between them for next Tuesday. Sol
Ruca offers the winner a shot at the NXT Women’s North
American Championship in a title match at Battleground.
TNA Champion Joe Hendry and Trick Williams meet with Ava in
a conference room for a contract signing which is very tame
for a contract signing gimmick in WWE. Ava first puts over
the history and importance of the TNA Championship.
They exchange words and both stand up, presumably to fight.
Ava threatens to call security if they do not sit down. They
sit, and they proceed to cut promos on each other.
Hendry cuts a heckuva promo putting over TNA, while Trick
proclaims himself “Hollywood”. Trick vows to the Hendry’s
fame, his TNA title and his brand. Trick then signs the
contract. Hendry cuts a final promo on Trick, and Hendry
signs the contract.
Josh Briggs and Shawn Spears set up a singles match between
them in a locker room skit. Briggs is talking with NXT Tag
Team Champions Hank & Tank when Briggs is confronted by
Spears.
In another skit, Chase U’s Kale Dixon and Uriah Connors
convince Ava they need booked in a tag match. Ava agrees,
and she books them in their NXT debut tag match against OTM.
Along with the matches set up for next Tuesday is a live
concert from Joe Hendry, along with a rap performance by
Trick Williams.
NXT Women’s Champion Stephanie Vaquer & Jordynne Grace
defeated Fatal Influence (Fallon Henley & Jacy Jayne)
Grace pinned Jayne after Beast Mode. While good in the ring,
the tag bout was not exactly a captivating main event in
storyline. They set it up with a convoluted angle earlier on
the show, but the wrestlers made do with what they had, and
they worked hard to have a good match.
Before the final commercial break of the show, the heels are
in control after a few high spots. Jayne does a somersault
senton off the apron. Henley follows up with a springboard
off the middle rope into a high cross on the floor.
The heels work over Vaquer throughout the break, building
heat as the show returns from picture-in-picture. Hot tag to
Grace, and cleans house. They build to a spot where Grace
takes a bullet for Vaquer, when the heels go for a high/low
combo on the champ. Grace takes stereo knee strikes, but she
kicks out for a near fall.
Vaquer is down as she sells on the floor. Meanwhile, Grace
is being double-teamed in the ring. Grace make her own save,
and Grace fights off both heels. Beast Mode finisher on
Jayne, and Grace covers her for a pinfall.
Cut away to backstage where Ethan Page has apparently
ambushed Ricky Saints. Cut back to the sound stage as Grace
and Vaquer pose.
Next week is the go-home show ahead of Battleground.