The final WWE NXT episode before No Mercy airs tonight with a go-home show.
TNA star Joe Hendry will attempt to win the NXT Championship when he challenges Ethan Page for the title this Sunday. Tonight, Hendry will follow up his concert from Great American Bash by giving another musical performance.
Kelani Jordan has an NXT Women’s North American Championship defense against Wendy Choo set for No Mercy. Before that, Jordan will be in action tonight against an opponent hand-picked by Choo.
A new match could become official for No Mercy when former best friends Wes Lee and Zachary Wentz meet for a face-to-face following Lee’s recent betrayal.
The D’Angelo Family will continue their war with No Quarter Catch Crew as Stacks, Luca Crusifino & Adriana Rizzo face off against Charlie Dempsey, Myles Borne & Wren Sinclair in a six-person tag match. Lash Legend & Jakara Jackson vs. Fallon Henley & Jacy Jayne is also set for the episode, along with Karmen Petrovic vs. Izzi Dame.
A tribute graphic for Sid Eudy preceded the “Together” intro.
NXT tonight was taped from a sound stage at the WWE Performance Center in front of a live studio audience.
The trio recently dubbed “Fatal Influence” cuts a promo backstage before their match tonight. Their opponents, Jakara Jackson & Lash Legend of Meta-Four, answer back with a promo of their own.
Jacy Jayne & Fallon Henley with Jaxmyn Nyz defeated Jakara Jackson & Lash Legend
Henley pinned Legend to win the match, after tandem knee strikes and a little help from Nyz.
Legend shines a lot in the match before dropping the fall. In a feat of strength, Legend carries around both Henley & Jayne. Legend tosses aside Jayne, and then Legends swings Henley around like she was a human ladder in the famous Terry Funk ladder spot. Some tandem offense from Legend & Jackson, and Jackson does a suicide dive through the ropes. From there, the show cuts to a split-screen commercial break.
Hot tags when the show returns from commercials break, and Legend with more feats of strength. Chokeslam by Legend for a near fall. Legend & Jackson do a terrible version of the Doomsday Device, and Jackson gets a near fall. Jayne tags in and the momentum shifts momentarily.
Henley low-bridges Jackson when she and Legend are attempting a double-team move, and Jayne gets a two count on Legend. At ringside, Nyz tries to interfere by kicking Legend, who blocks it. Legend then delivers a pump kick to lay out Nyz. However, the interference at ringside caused enough of a distraction for Jayne to catch Legend in a trap. Jayne with a Kerry Von Erich tornado punch to Legend. Tag to Henley. She and Jayne run the ropes and deliver stereo knee strikes to Legend, and Henley covers Legend for a three count.
A video package tells the story that set up Wes Lee vs. Zachary Wentz at No Mercy, which also details the reunion and break-up of The Rascalz.
During a skit with Eddy Thorpe and Ashante “Thee” Adonis, Brooks Jensen is seen in the background ambushing someone with a phantom chair shot.
Karmen Petrovic defeated Izzi Dame
Petrovic pinned Dame in a grudge match. This match was set up on the previous episode of NXT, when Dame attacked Petrovic in the parking lot. The attack on Petrovic caused her to sit out the contender gauntlet, so Petrovic has a score to settle. For the finish, Petrovic counters Dame in a tilt-a-whirl sunset flip, and Petrovic scores a pinfall.
Jaida Parker sits down with Sarah Schreiber ahead of Parker challenging for a women’s title at No Mercy. Parker talks about her journey from LSU soccer player to signing with WWE. Parker then cuts a great promo before NXT Women’s Champion Roxanne Perez crashes the interview. Perez bullies Schreiber and orders her to leave. Perez then sits down to face off with Parker. Perez cuts a promo on Parker, and Parker warns Perez she will slap the taste out of her mouth. Perez goes to speak again, and Parker slaps her hard across the face. Parker then looks off camera, and issues a warning to that person too.
The D’Angelo Family (Adrianna Rizzo, Channing “Stacks” Lorenzo” & Luca Crusifino with Tony D’Angelo) defeated No Quarter Catch Crew (Wren Sinclair, Charlie Dempsey & Myles Borne) in a mixed six-person tag team match
What looks to be mobsters ordered on Temu try to talk with “The Don” before the match, but Tony D’Angelo tells them they will talk after the match. The mobster also come down to ringside during the match trying to talk with D’Angelo, and he leaves with them.
The match itself goes through a commercial break. The Family is standing tall before the break, and they are running wild as the show returns from the commercials. Stacks is soon cut off from his team, and the the Catch Crew work over Stacks. Hot tag to Crusifino, and he cleans house. Crusifino with a hip toss/neck breaker combo, and he goes for a cover. Sinclair jumps in to break up the pin. Crusifino confronts Sinclair, and Borne saves Sinclair by jumping Crusifino. The fight then spills outside the ring.
At ringside, Sinclair tries to slap Crusifino. He blocks it, which allows for Rizzo to hit Sinclair with a dive through the ropes. Dempesy charges in, and Rizzo gives him a fireman’s carry slam on the floor. Stacks and Crusifino then execute a Shatter Machine on Borne. Crusifino then covers Borne for a pinfall.
In a backstage interview with Kelly Kincaid, Pete Dunne cuts a promo on Trick Williams, in which Dunne challenges Trick to a match next week.
NXT Champion Ethan Page is bugging NXT General Manager Ava in a skit in her office.
Zachary Wentz and Wes Lee have a face off in the ring, with referees and security flanking them. Wentz begins by lamenting on the breakup of The Rascalz. Why laments thinking it would different as every faction or team in wrestling has a break-up. Wentz asks Lee if he is willing to “piss away” nine years just because Lee thinks he is a star.
Lee responds by smugly saying he is a “huge star.” Lee says he is a bigger star than Wentz, and Lee boasts of having accomplished more. Lee says he and Wentz are on “different levels.” Wentz owns to to his mistake, which cost he and Lee to NXT tag titles. Seeing Lee crying over it motivated Wentz to return. Lee again says they are not on the same level.
Wentz emotionally recalls helping Lee during his recovery from back surgery. Lee again says they are different levels. Wentz says Lee has underestimated him their entire lives. Wentz adds that while Lee was smashing records in NXT, Wentz and Trey Miguel were doing what he and Lee could not do. That was win the TNA tag titles. Lee says he wants Wentz to forget everything they know about each other. Lee threatens to show why he is a WWE Superstar and Wentz is “nothing but a TNA wrestler.” Wentz responds by threatening to beat Lee’s ass at No Mercy. They face off and exchange a few barbs off mic as referees step in between them.
Joe Hendry is chatting with Trick Williams in a backstage skit. Hendry promises to give Trick the first title shot if Hendry wins the NXT Championship at No Mercy. This skit really made me wonder why in the world they cooled off Trick so much as a character? He was their hottest act, and he was getting over huge with their audience. Trick then loses the NXT title, and he is later pinned clean by Pete Dunne. Now his playing second fiddle to Hendry, who is outside talent from TNA.
Rosemary from TNA is revealed as Wendy Choo’s handpicked opponent for Kelani Jordan.
NXT North American Women’s Champion Kelani Jordan defeated Rosemary in a non-title match
Jordan pinned Rosemary after a split-legged moonsault. Not sure what TNA is getting out of this inter-promotional deal, but wins do not seem to be part of it. Nevertheless, Rosemary stayed in the ring after the match to watch the post-match angle.
Eerie faces on the video screen and a maniacal laugh frighten Jordan after the match. Wendy Choo then ambushes Jordan. Choo chokes out Jordan while Rosemary looks on in approval.
Oro Mensah is trying to cheer up Lash Legend & Jakara Jackson. In comes Lexis King with jokes poking fun at Mensah. King and Mensah then get into a pull-apart brawl.
Nathan Frazier & Axiom interrupt a class at Chase U, and the former tag champs confront the current NXT Tag Team Champions — Ridge Holland & Duke Hudson. The two teams meet Sunday in a rematch for the titles.
Brooks Jensen defeated Malik Blade
Jensen pinned Blade after a flying elbow drop off the top rope. Although there was an angle to set this up, with Jensen attacking him earlier in the show, this still felt like filler. Maybe because the show was on tape, but there was no sense of urgency. Even with Jensen and the frantic nature of his current gimmick, this seemed to bore. It seems like filler, and it should have meant more, especially in getting over Jensen’s frantic character.
Je’Von Evans cuts a promo on his way to Gorilla.
Hank & Tank are talking backstage when they are confronted by OTM. This skit would seem to set up a tag match between the teams.
Joe Coffey (with Mark Coffey & Wolfgang) defeated Je’Von Evans
Coffey pinned Evans, thanks in large part to outside interference from Gallus. While this could set up a return match of some sort with Evans and Gallus, another rising star takes a loss. Nobody got over here, but at least the match was good.
Coffey tries to ground Evans, but Evans would explode with bursts of aerial offense. Wolfgang taunts Evans during the match, and Evans jumps off the apron for a splash on Wolfgang at ringside.
The match goes through a commercial break, and Coffey is working over Evans with a joint lock when the show returns from the break. Comeback by Evans, yet he stops to glare Wolfgang. Springboard crossbody by Evans for a two count. Coffey responds with a near fall of his own.
Coffey uncharacteristically goes for a springboard, and Evans cuts him off with a cutter. Evans then leaps off the top rope into an avalanche cutter. Coffey kicks out for a close near fall. Evans does a flip dive off the top on Wolfgang and Mark Coffey at ringside.
For the finish, Wolfgang distracts the referee while Mark Coffey jumps into the ring. Mark takes a bullet for Joe Coffey, as Mark pushed Joe out of the way. Mark takes a springboard cutter from Evans. Coffey then headbutts Evans, and Coffey winds up to deliver his finisher. Coffey hits Evan with All the Best for the Belles, and Coffey covers Evans for a pinfall.
NXT North American Champion Oba Femi is waiting for Tony D’Angelo at a restaurant, which was the message the Temu mobsters were trying to tell D’Angelo earlier in the show. The Don and Femi exchange barbs, which builds to their title match on Sunday.
Joe Hendry is headed to the ring for a concert. He gets into the ring and sits down with a guitar. Hendry hypes up his title match at No Mercy. Hendry thanks the audience for their support, and to will play a song to thank them more. Hendry begins to play a song about NXT Champion Ethan Page, and Hendry encourages the crowd to sing along.
Hendry begins singing and strumming a song making fun of Page, as embarrassing photos of Page appear on the video screen. Out comes Page to interrupt the concert. Page goes on to cut a promo on Page.
Page gets in the ring to confront Hendry. The studio audience chants that Page sucks, and they chant to believe in Joe. The chants drowned out Page as Page is trying to cut a promo on Hendry.
NXT GM Ava interrupts Page’s promo. Ava briefly mocks Page for the song about him, until Ava makes a surprise announcement for a guest referee for the NXT title match on Sunday.
Out comes Trick Williams wearing a referee shirt, and the studio audience is going wild for Trick. They chant “whoop that trick” as Trick enters the ringside area. Meanwhile, Page tries to attack Hendry with a belt shot. Hendry ducks and he grabs Page to deliver a chokeslam. Hendry covers Page as Trick counts to three.
As Trick is celebrating with Hendry, Pete Dunne is watching from afar. Dunne says that Trick might not make it to next Tuesday. Whatever that means.
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