One of the most popular tag teams in WWE history returns to the company tonight for a match on NXT.
TNA Tag Team Champions The Hardy Boyz are taking on Myles Borne & Tavion Heights in a non-title match on tonight’s NXT episode from Cincinnati, Ohio. It’s the first time Matt & Jeff Hardy have teamed together in a WWE ring in nearly six years.
Moose — TNA’s X-Division Champion — is also set to compete on NXT. He’s making a title defense against Lexis King.
In another title match, Stephanie Vaquer puts her Women’s North American Championship on the line against Karmen Petrovic. This is the first title defense for Vaquer since winning the belt from Fallon Henley at Vengeance Day.
One week after officially signing his NXT contract, the former Ricky Starks makes his WWE debut. It will be Ricky Saints & Je’Von Evans vs. Ethan Page & Wes Lee tonight. The match was set up last week when Page and Lee both interrupted Saints’ contract signing.
NXT is on the air from The Andrew J Brady Music Center in Cincinnati, OH. Opening the show is a women’s title match.
Part of the set includes a ramp level with the ring, which gives me WCW vibes.
NXT Women’s North American Champion Stephanie Vaquer defeated Karmen Petrovic (with Ashante “Thee” Adonis) to retain her title
Vaquer pinned Petrovic after the SVB. Good opener. After the match comes a major angle to set up a title vs. title match with Giulia against Vaquer.
They match goes through a split-screen commercial break. Petrovic dives through the rope with a flying crossbody on the floor, just before the show cuts to the break. Some of the best chain wrestling in the match happened during picture-in-picture, while commercials blared.
Vaquer begins a comeback as the show returns from the break, and Vaquer does some of her signature offense. On commentary, Vic Jospeh says Vaquer was a champion in both CMLL and New Japan. Petrovic regains the advantage Vaguer and gets a near falls with a great kick.
Vaquer soon cuts off Petrovic, but Vaquer takes a superkick from Petroovic for another near fall. They trade strikes and kicks. Vaquer flips off Petrovic just before Vaquer executes a dragon screw. Vaquer follows up with her SVB (package neckbreaker) finisher, and Vaquer covers Petrovic for a three count.
NXT Champion Giulia comes out after the match is over for an angle. Giulia gets into the ring to confront Vaquer. Giulia gets the crowd to cheer for Vaquer, only for Giulia to bring up Vaquer saying she is the best champion. Giulia insists she is the best champion.
Vaquer reiterates that she is the champion of champions. Giulia says why don’t we find out who is the best. Vaquer remarks they are friends, but Vaquer then proposes a champion vs. champion match. Giulia and Vaquer hold both of their title belts overhead for a stare down.
A skit begins with Arianna Grace talking with Santino Marella about the NXT-TNA partnership when up walks Lola Vice. She wants a match on either show, and Grace tries to dismiss Vice. This leads to Vice challenging Grace to a match
TNA X-Division Champion Moose defeated Lexis King to retain his title
Moose pinned King after a spear. Moose looked like a superstar, and King fought from underneath. The biggest news was the post-match angle that set up Oba Femi defending the NXT title against Moose at NXT Roadblock.
Crowd reactions were muted on the CW feed because of language, like “holy s***” chants. King took a back drop on the ramp. Moose was dominating much of the match, with King selling throughout. King fires up and starts fighting back. They exchange kicks and King uses a hurricanrana for a near fall. King then does a flip dive.
Moose leaps to the top rope and springboards into a flying crossbody. Powerbomb by Moose for a two count. Moments later, King executes a Coronation for another near fall. Moose counters a second attempt at a Coronation. Moose then cuts down King with a spear. Moose then scores a pinfall to retain his title.
NXT Champion Oba Femi enters after the match for an angle with Moose. Femi confronts Moose and sarcastically congratulates him on beating King. Femi then challenges Moose to a title match at The Theater in MSG for NXT Roadblock. They made it seem like a title vs. title, but apparently this will be Femi defending the NXT title against Moose.
Jordynne Grace is in the ring for a monologue. She knew exactly where she was supposed to be when she first came to NXT. Grace says she carried a company on her back, but she wanted to be in NXT after feeling the hunger in the locker room.
Grace has one goal, which is become the champion of what she calls the greatest women’s division. Grace is cutting a good promo when she is interrupted by Roxanne Perez, because hardly any in-ring promo in NXT can go uninterrupted.
Perez confronts Grace in the ring, and Perez cuts a promo on Grace. Perez event insults TNA, saying Grace was a big fish in a small pond. Grace responds that everyone has a plan until… and Grace punches Perez in the face. Grace gets Perez in a fireman’s carry, but Perez escapes. Clearly, these two are on a collision course for a match very soon. Maybe Roadblock?
Trick Williams is sulking in the locker room. He is basically Diesel in late 1995-early ’96 where he is upset about losing the title, so he’s heeling on people. Le’Von Evans has words with Trick, and they get face-to-face. In walks Ricky Saints, and he is not feeling the love.
Jaida Parker and Kelani Jordan has a kayface “incident” on a bus earlier today. Sarach Schreiber interview Parker, and she cuts a pretty good promo on Jordan.
A post on Instagram teases “The Mystery Four” are in the building, which is the very original name they are giving to the four mystery assailants for now. Surely they we get a better name, right?
TNA Tag Team Champions The Hardy Boyz (Matt & Jeff Hardy) defeated No Quarter Catch Crew (Tavion Heights & Myles Borne) to retain their titles
Matt Hardy pinned Myles Borne to win the match after a Swanton by Jeff Hardy. NXT Tag Team Champion Nathan Frazier & Axiom watch the match from the ramp, and they get in the ring for angle with the Hardys after the match. This set up another inter-promotional match.
The match itself went through a commercial break with heat on Jeff. Hot tag to Matt. For the finish, Twsit of Fate by Matt, Swanton by Jeff, and Matt follows up by covering Borne for the pinfall. The match was decent enough and the crowd adored the Hardys.
Fraxiom gets into the ring after the match to confront the Hardys. The NXT champs refer to the Hardys as the greatest tag team ever. The Hardys respond with a challenge for a match. Out comes Santino Marella to announce the Hardys will defend the TNA Tag Team Championship against Fraxiom at Roadblock in NYC. Another big match for the NXT PLE.
Tony D’Angelo and The Family are featured in a pre-taped skit for a family sit-down. Subtle teases of Stacks turning is what I took from this skit.
Another skit from backstage sets up a tag team match with Chelsea Green & Piper Niven against Sol Ruca & Zaria. Green & Niven tried to big league the NXT team, but Ruca & Zaira were having none of it.
Jaida Parker defeated Arianna Grace
Parker pinned Grace after a spinning back fist. Weakest match on the show so far, but it was not supposed to be the main event. While Grace got some offense, this match was more about getting Parker over.
This show is morphing into TNA, and I had flashbacks as it was TO THE BACK! Cut backstage and apparently The Mystery Four is wrecking shop again and attacking other wrestlers. Too bad there aren’t a bunch of cameras around to catch them in the act, but at least there are cameras for the community theater skits. Not sure what I would do without the skits. Anyway, this Mystery Four angle is like one long Tonya Harding angle. Who are these assailants?
Eddy Thorpe in a vignette cuts a promo near the Ohio River in Cincinnati. Thorpe mention is people once lived here until they were forced out. He likens that to his situation in NXT when he beat Trick Williams, but Thorpe is still somehow denied a title match. Thorpe wants another match with Trick. Name the time and place, Thorpe says to the camera.
Sarah Schreiber interviews NXT GM Ava, and Ava officially announced NXT Women’s Champion Guilia against NXT Women’s North American Champion Stephanie Vaquer in a title for title match at Roadblock. So, this is basically a unification match.
Ricky Saints & Je’Von Evans defeated Wes Lee & Ethan Page
Saints pinned Lee to win the match. Tyriek Igwe and Tyson Dupont were in Lee’s corner for the match. They would interfere at one point just before the finish.
The heel duo got heat on Evans for a long time. It felt like days. Eventually, Saints comes in off a hot tag. Saints runs wild on Lee, until Lee cuts him off after Saints is distracted by Igwe and Dupont. Saints thwarts their interference, but he is cut off when distracted. Not for long. They soon go home.
Just before the going home, Evans and Page brawl through the crowd and out of there. That is after Evans does a dive on Page, when Page breaks up a pinning attempt.
The crowd chanted “Ricky” at Saints. He executed a Dominator finisher they called “Roshambo” (probably spelled different to be cool and whatnot). Saints then scored the deciding pinfall on Lee.
Pretty dang good show overall. Also pretty some dang good matches announced for the coming weeks. There were some goofy skits, but that is to be expected on NXT. Being on the road outside the usual setting of the sound stage really made this NXT much better to watch. The matches also delivered, along with the angles.
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