A slate of title matches is set for tonight’s episode of WWE NXT on The CW Network.
In his first defense since becoming NXT Champion, Oba Femi defends against Eddy Thorpe in tonight’s main event. Femi won the title from Trick Williams at New Year’s Evil two weeks ago in a triple threat match that also included Thorpe. Now Femi and Thorpe will attempt to settle their issues one-on-one.
Ridge Holland gets his shot at the men’s NXT North American Championship tonight when he challenges Tony D’Angelo. The Heritage Cup will also be on the line as Lexis King and Charlie Dempsey once again face off for the trophy.
Plus, new NXT Women’s Champion Giulia will make an appearance following her victory at New Year’s Evil. She dethroned Roxanne Perez to win the title.
We’ll see if WWE has any follow-up tonight after Perez was confronted by Bayley last week.
Join us for live coverage starting at 8 p.m. Eastern time.
Corey Graves is back on commentary alongside Vic Joseph and Booker T.
NXT North American Champion Tony D’Angelo (with The Family) defeated Ridge Holland to retain his title
Lots of closed fist punches back and forth from the start. The match goes through a commercial break with a split-screen. As the show cuts to commercial, out comes Shawn Spears.
During the break, Holland posted D’Angelo twice. Holland then smacked an arm on the ring post, and Holland went to work on the arm. Holland is working the arm as the show returns from the break.
D’Angelo makes a comeback, and “The Don” gets a near fall with a fisherman’s buster suplex. Slugfest starts again, before D’Angelo is dropped on his head. “The Don” still comes back with a spear. Spears soon gets involved in the match.
Spears jumps on the apron and gets punched by D’Angelo. That brings out Spear’s goons, which includes Brooks Jensen and Niko Vance. They brawl with The Family at ringside. That takes the referee’s attention away from the the ring.
That allowed Izzi Dame to suddenly interfere, after she got in the ring. She boots Holland in the face with a high kick. D’Angelo delivers a spinebuster, and he covers Holland for a three count. Dame at ringside says she and “The Don” are now even.
A locker room skit sets up two singles matches for Wes Lee. One against Dion Lennox for tonight, and another next week with Trick Williams. In the skit, Williams gives Lee an open hand slap.
Bayley is up next for a monologue. Her and Roxanne Perez has an altercation in a cliffhanger angle from last week. Bayley is here to address that.
Bayley said she was there last week to talk with Perez, because Bayley cares about all that Perez has done. That that got her was a slap in the face.
Bayley goes on to talk about Perez confronted her from the front row on Raw and Smackdown. At some point, Bayley name drops Giulia. So, out comes Giulia to join Bayley.
Giulia says Perez may not look up to Bayley, but Giulia herself does. Bayley and Giulia sing each other’s praises until they are interrupted by Cora Jade and Perez.
Both Perez and Jade cut promos on Bayley. Perez claims the current NXT exceeded anything the Four Horsewomen did, and that is really way Bayley is here. That ignites a brawl, and the fight is on. The heels powder as Bayley and Giulia stand tall. This angle clearly sets up a tag team match.
Cut to the women’s locker room, where Kelani Jordan is arguing with Jaida Parker. Karmen Peterovic wants to calm them down since she is in love now.
Cut back to ringside and the brawl between the two teams is on again.
Wes Lee defeated Dion Lennox
Lee pinned Lennox in a short match that was more of a backdrop for the angle that followed with Trick Williams. Lennox did get a close near fall, but Lee strikes with a Cardiac Kick. Lee then covers Lennox for a pinfall.
Lee in a post-match promo says he is going to handle Trick next week since Trick slapped him earlier. That brings out Trick, and he is a house of fire. Williams drops Tyson Dupont and Tyriek Igwe, who both were at ringside with Lee.
Trick then storms into the ring and lays out Lee. Trick grabs the microphone and accepts the challenge for next week at Center Stage in Atlanta.
Lexis King is the focus of a video package, and he defends the Heritage Cup up next.
But first, an interview with Stephanie Vaquer. Sarah Schreiber conducts the interview. Vaquer cuts a decent promo. It is not her fault they do not have her in a focused angle.
NXT Heritage Cup Champion Lexis King defeats Charlie Dempsey (with No Quarter Catch Crew) to retain the cup
This match got a lot of time, but that was somewhat a given with the round system. The match went through a commercial break, and they did a fall during the break. When the show returned from the break, Vic Joseph on commentary remarked how that shows you have to pay attention during the split-screen break.
King is saved by the bell in the first round. Dempsey applied a crossface chicken wing that would make Bob Backlund proud. Time runs out on the round with King still locked in the hold. The closing moments of this round were really good.
A camera shot shows brass knuckles in King’s corner as the show cuts to commercial. That is when they did the finish during the break. King scores a pin he counters a sunset flip into a pinfall. King is up 1-0.
Dempsey evens the score in round 3, as Dempsey scores pin using a butterfly suplex. Between rounds, King teases using the brass knux. But he thinks better of it.
Later on, King fires up and leaps over the ropes with a flip dive on No Quarter Catch Crew. They go back-and-forth in the closing moments. After deciding against the knux, King still wins with a heel move. King with a mule kick low blow, and the ref didn’t see it. King then executed the Coronation, and King scores the deciding pinfall.
WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions Bianca Belair & Naomi cut promos on Meta-Girls (Lash Legend & Jakara Jackson). Next week in Atlanta, Meta-Girls challenge for the tag titles in a featured match.
Karmen Petrovic enters with her love interest, Ashante “Thee” Adonis. Petrovic has a match up next.
Andre Chase is followed around in a skit, but he is depressed. Some trainees are watching old Chase promos, but Chase is still super depressed.
Karmen Petrovic defeated Jaida Parker
Petrovic rolled up Parker to score the pin, after interference by Kelani Jordan. Parker looked strong throughout much of the match.
Jordan shows up and she goes to slap Parker, but Parker blocks the slap. The referee is right there the whole time, but somehow this is not a disqualification. Petrovic then rolls up Parker, and the referee counts the pin.
Petrovic celebrates after the match with Adonis.
A locker room skit has Sol Ruca and Zaria talking with Meta-Girls. Tatum Paxley and Gigi Dolan are also there. This was a waste of time I will never get back.
Brooks Jensen & Niko Vance defeated Channing “Stacks” Lorenzo & Luca Crusifino
Vance pinned Stacks to win the match. For the finish, Jensen with a somersault kick and Vance follows up with a lariat. Stacks does a flip to sell it, and Vance covers him for the pinfall. This was a great way to introduce Niko Vance.
NXT Tag Team Champions Nathan Frazier & Axiom are being interviewed by Sarah Schreiber. Josh Briggs & Yoshiki Inamura interrupt the interview. Briggs is upset they went to TNA when Briggs claims they had “next” up. This did not go anywhere as the director cuts away to a brawl happening backstage. Then, the show cuts to commercial.
More melodrama after the break, this time within The Family. Stacks is upset that “The Don” was not out there with them. D’Angelo responds that Stacks has been Underboss for a while now. He needs to figure it out on his own. “The Don” then leaves.
Ethan Page is cutting a sadistic promo on Je’Von Evans in a video package sponsored by an insurance company. Would have made sense if it was medical insurance, but it was automobile insurance.
Evans is then in GM Ava’s office. Evans is still selling his jaw, but he wants a match with Page. Ava says he is still hurt, which he clearly is selling like he is hurt. Evans can barely talk. Ava then brings in Cedric Alexander, who is booked against Page in a match next week at Center Stage.
In comes Austin Theory & Grayson Waller. Apparently, next week at Center Stage is “The Grayson Waller Effect” in Atlanta. What have we done to deserve this?
Oba Femi is heading to the ring for his match when he crosses paths with Trick Williams backstage. They exchange glances just before the show cuts to a commercial break.
After show returns from the break, Diamond Dallas Page is shown sitting front row ringside.
NXT Champion Oba Femi defeated Edddy Thorpe to retain his title
This wasn’t Flair-Steamboat, but thank goodness it wasn’t another skit. It was actually pretty good too, especially by the end. At least for action. Psychology might be another story.
For a champion who’s nickname is “The Ruler”, Femi ends up selling a lot. Maybe too much, but as champ I guess he has to give the illusion he might lose. Him selling so much takes away from his aura. Thorpe cuts off Femi before the show’s final commercial break, and Femi is in peril during much of the picture-in-picture. Why is Femi fighting from underneath?
Back from the commercial break, and comeback by Femi. Led to a near falls after Femi delivers a spinebuster. Thorpe counters an attempted chokeslam with a triangle. Femi tries to power out, but Thorpe counters that into a hurricanrana. Two count for Thorpe.
Thorpe again counters Femi. This time Thorpe uses a stunner after blocking a suplex attempt. Thorpe climbs to the top rope and he leaps off with a mighty flying elbow drop. Near fall.
Thorpe and Femi trade strikes and moves. Femi goes off his feet after Thorpe gives him a snap German suplex. Thorpe goes for another flying elbow, but Femi blocks it to deliver a chokeslam. Thorpe gets a shoulder up to break the count at two and three quarters.
Femi posted himself on a missed charge in a corner. Femi looks to be in trouble, until he tossed Thorpe across the ring. Femi then executes his pop-up powerbomb, and Femi covers Thorpe for a pinfall.
The psychology seemed way off in this match, but the work itself was really good. Grayson Waller & Austin Thoery were watching from a perch overlooking the ring. They are trying to jaw with Femi. Meanwhile, Trick Williams is in the ring to confront Femi.
Williams then drops Thorpe when Thorpe goes for a cheap shot. Williams an Femi are face-to-face as the show goes off the air.
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