Posted on 5/21/125 by Bob Magee
Among those arriving to the sound stage at the Performance
Center in Orlando is NXT North American Champ Ricky Saints.
He saunters into the sound stage down the aisle. Saints is
there for guest commentary, alongside the regular
commentators Vic Joseph, Booker T, and Corey Graves.
Ring announcer Mike Rome introduces the three wrestlers in
the opening match.
Sean Legacy defeated Ashante “Thee” Adonis and Je’Von Evans
in a triple threat match
In an upset, Legacy won a thrilling opener. Adonis dropped
the fall. Evans was able to save face after an Ethan Page
run in at ringside. Page attacked Saints, and a bunch of
security tried to pull them apart. Evans sailed over the top
rope to dive on the group at ringside.
Meanwhile, Adonis missed a splash off the top. Legacy
capitalizes and executes his “Shambles” finisher on Adonis.
One. Two. Three. Legacy wins. The match was good, and it
includes some great near falls.
Page and Adonis continue to brawl at ringside after the
match is over.
NXT General Manager Ava is in her office with Stevie Turner
and Robert Stone. Ava sends the two to find Page, as Ava is
apparently upset about the brawl at ringside.
Ava then turns to WWE LFG winners Jasper Troy and Tyra Mae
Steele, as they have signed their NXT contracts. Troy vows
to make an impact.
Jordynne Grace is a subject of a video package hyping her
match against NXT Women’s Champ Stephanie Vaquer this
weekend.
Meanwhile, Vaquer is backstage talking with Lola Vice.
Vaquer leaves and in walks Fatal Influence (Fallon Henley &
Jacy Jayne) to insult Vice. Clearly tension within Fatal
Influence, as Jayne dares Henley to have a match with Vice
after Henley snipes at Jayne.
Out comes Trick Williams for a live performance, but first
he insults Joe Hendry’s mother. That is definitely a heel
move. William raps about “never backing down to an average
Joe.”
After the rap song is over, Hendry is seen strumming his
guitar backstage.
Josh Briggs is interviewed by Kelly Kincaid. Briggs says
things are not as fun without his friend Yoshiki Inamura.
Briggs dedicates the next match to him.
The entrance of The Culling takes the show into a commercial
break. The next match begins during picture-in-picture. The
bout was joined in progress when it returns from the break.
Shawn Spears (with The Culling) defeated Josh Briggs
Spears pinned Briggs after outside interference from The
Culling. The referee is distracted by Brooks Jensen, who is
Briggs former tag team partner. Niko Vance tries to attack
Briggs, but Vance is thwarted and send crashing into the
ring steps. Izzi Dame then kicks Briggs in the head, and
Spears uses a small package to score a pinfall.
Jensen and Vance jump Briggs after the match in a post-match
attack. NXT Tag Team Champions Hank & Tank run down for a
save when they rescue Briggs. This would seem to set up a
six-man tag team match.
Kelani Jordan has word backstage with Zaria and Sol Ruca.
Andre Chase is joined backstage by Uriah Conner and Kale
Dixon. The new Chase U then heads towards gorilla.
Thea Hail, with a bandage over her eye, confronts Tatum
Paxley in a backstage skit. Hail is trying to empathize with
Paxley when Jaida Parker ambushes Hail. Parker taunts Paxley
and calls her stupid.
OTM (Bronco Nima & Lucien Price) defeated Chase U (Uriah
Connors & Kale Dixon with Andre Chase)
While Chase U was able to shine at a times, OTM won in
dominant fashion. OTM execute their finisher and Price
scores the pinfall.
Up next is a face-to-face between NXT Champion Oba Femi and
his challenger at Battleground, Myles Borne.
Borne is well dressed in a nice suit, and Femi is also
dressed nicely in business casual with his title belt over
his shoulder.
Femi ponders if Borne is brave or stupid, or possibly both.
Borne is now number one contender and that is admirable, but
Femi says it is also misleading. This is a cruel world, but
good things do not always happen to good people. Femi knows
in his heart that Borne is a good person, but this is not a
Disney movie. Borne does not get a happy ending or a dream
come dream.
Femi says Borne’s dream will die this Sunday. The dream was
his big wins the last two weeks, but the dream is over. Soon
Borne will understand he is “standing in the ring with the
ruler, destroyer, the bringer of war.” Femi vows to me
merciless and relentless. Borne’s fate will end in
destruction at the hands of Femi.
Borne calmly responds to Femi with a helluva promo. Borne
might be in the ring by himself, but he is not alone. Borne
says he was No Quarter Catch Crew to help him train night
and day. They are not the only one that have his back, as
Borne insists he is carrying with him an entire community.
Borne says every kid who feels different, or every parent
who worries their child will not fit in. Borne is going to
make a statement, so he dares Femi to underestimate him.
Doctors and nurses underestimated him. His opponents in
amateur wrestling underestimated him. Borne says even “some
coaches in my NXT tryout underestimated me.” But he proved
them all wrong.
Borne says Battleground will be the toughest match of his
career, but his whole life has been a battle. Borne agrees
this is not a Disney movie, but “every ruler falls.” Borne
might be hard of hearing, but “they are all going to hear
the one-two-three loud and clear.”
After such a great promo by Borne, there is suddenly a run-
in by Jasper Troy. Femi is attacked and slammed by Troy, but
Borne runs down to make a save as Troy flees. Femi then have
a standoff. Great segment aside from the errant run-in.
North American Champ Ricky Saints and Ethan Page are
shouting at each other in Ava’s office. Ava also yells at
them between all of the other yelling. Saints wants a match
but Page will not grant him one, until Saints offers a title
match. Then Page is interested. More yelling and Ava finally
lays down the law. She books a title match between the two
for next Tuesday.
Tony D’Angelo is focus of a video package, where he tells
his perspective on his feud with Stacks.
Lola Vice defeated Fallon Henley (with Jacy Jayne)
Vice pinned Henley after Henley collided with Jayne. The
match goes through a commercial break. Jayne was coaching
Henley from ringside during the match. Jayne jumps on the
apron at one point to argue with Vice, and Henley collides
into Jayne. Vice then deliver her signature backhand elbow,
and Vice scores a pinfall. Henley and Jayne argue after the
match.
NXT Women’s Champion Stephanie Vaquer is the focus of video
package. Vaquer sits down with Kelly Kincaid for an
interview that is mixed with photos and clips. Vaquer tells
her story in both English and Spanish. That leads into hype
for her title match on Sunday against challenger Jordynne
Grace.
DarkState is the focus of a vignette where they introduce
each other, and each one cuts a promo.
Kelani Jordan defeated Zaria (with NXT North American
Champion Zaria)
Jordan pinned Zaria after “miscommunication” between Zaria
and Ruca. In winning, Jordan earns a title shot against
Ruca.
The match goes through a commercial break, and it was pretty
good as they return from the break. Ruca catches Zaria in a
trust fall of sorts, and they are talking at ringside when
Jordan does a baseball slide to dropkick Ruca into Zaria.
Moments later with Ruca on the apron, Zaria inadvertently
spears Ruca. Jordan then rolls up Zaria with a schoolboy for
the pinfall.
TNA Champion Joe Hendry is headed to the ring with his
guitar for a live concert in the main event slot.
After the final commercial break of the show, Hendry is
seated in the ring. The mat is covered in a red carpet.
Hendry has some snide remarks about Trick Williams’ musical
performance earlier tonight. Hendry then dedicates the next
song to his challenger at Battleground — Trick Williams.
Hendry then sings a song about Trick while playing a guitar.
In the song, Hendry references old footage of Trick in a
haunted house with Carmelo Hayes, and the footage is spliced
into the musical performance.
Henry sings and repeats a chorus:
“Whoop that Trick
Whoop that trick
Everybody else said ‘Melo’s bitch‘”
Out comes Trick to interrupt the song. Some chants of “whoop
that trick” from the live studio audience were drowned out
by louder chants of “Melo's bitch” from the crowd towards
Trick. That hook on the song worked like a charm.
Trick says chant if you want to, but he heard someone say
“Average Joe” to Hendry. Trick hits Hendry with a cheap
shot, and Trick boots Hendry with a high kick. Hendry
measures for his running knee strike, but Hendry grabs a
gimmicked guitar that just happens to be in the ring (not
Hendry’s good guitar he played during the concert).
Hendry then hits Trick in the knee with the gimmicked
guitar. Hendry then choke slams Trick with a “standing
ovation” and sings one last refrain. Hendry then poses with
the TNA title over a fallen Trick.