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Ciocco’s WWE NXT Review 1.13.26
Image Credit: WWE
Loading...NXT Universe! It’s Tuesday, you know what that means! NXT is, after multiple weeks of taped episodes so the talent could have the Holiday Season off, LIVE from the Mother Base AKA The Performance Center! Tonight’s show features a nice mix of title matches and other matches that scream GRUDGE!
Two titles will be on the line tonight, as the WWE Men’s Speed Championship will be defended, as Jasper Troy looks to turn back the challenge from Tavion Heights. Also, the TNA International Championship is on the line, as Stacks will defend the title against the winner of LFG Season 2, Shiloh Hill.
Last week, Joe Hendry asked Ava for a No-DQ match with Dion Lennox, and the NXT GM begrudgingly granted his request. Now, however, we know that Hendry has recruited OTM to have his back to help and negate the other members of the DarkState. Speaking of grudge matches, Lola Vice will go one-on-one with Kelani Jordan. And speaking of Ava, she will make an official announcement about the NXT Men’s World Title, as Oba Femi seemingly gave up the title so he could make the traverse to the main roster. All of this and, I am sure, so much more in store for us tonight!
So, how is everyone doing tonight? I’m just fine. Absolutely fine. Yep, definitely NOT still smarting over the Eagles loss on Sunday, sandwiched by not one but TWO Flyers losses to the Lightning. At least the Pacers have a winning streak, and the Phillies are in serious contention to land Bo Bichette. So, yay!
But enough about me and enough about you, let’s get ready to take it to the N(E)XT level!
Tonight, NXT is LIVE from the Performance Center! Vic Joseph and Booker T are on the call!
THEN!
NOW!
FOREVER!
TOGETHER!
Video package of highlights from last week’s New Years Evil event. Preceding it, Vic says that we have more questions than answers. I would say that’s an understatement.
Ava has the title in the middle of the ring and the talent around the ring. Ava sees this as the perfect opportunity, because the men’s division is wide open. And she can’t wait to see who steps up. Whether you have been grinding at this, whether you have been overlooked, or whether you just got here, there is no better time than now!
Ricky Saints has arrived! Ricky wants to say thank you for coming out here tonight, and he wants to thank Ava for holding this. He told you! He sold the Stand and Deliver main event, and that is what you call an absolute hat trick! These guys he has beaten, they are in the past! The intro doesn’t lie; it is about Ricky then, now, and forever! As he looks around the ring, he sees future champions. But that is the future. He is going to be the 2-time NXT Champion. He will let Ava do the honors and hand the title over to him!
Ava says he is a funny guy, and he does deserve an opportunity. But so do the other men who came into my office and said the exact same thing. On February 3rd, there will be a six-man ladder match, with the winner pulling the title down. Qualifying matches will start next week.
Ava gets out of the ring, and we have a ROSTER FIGHT on our hands! A guy by the name of Keanu Carver shows up and trashes the field. Like, this dude is a one-man wrecking crew. He chucked fools, he punched fools, and he put one through the announce table!
Lola Vice and Kelani Jordan are walking in the back! Their match is up next!
COMMERCIALS!
Ava is on her phone in the back. She says she will see someone later. Mr. Stone arrives to let her know that Blake Monroe is here and she has a lot to get off her chest. Ava says I know.
It’s time for the ladies!
Kelani Jordan vs. Lola Vice
Jordan is in no mood to wait for Vice, as she attacks her before the bell. Jordan goes to the top, but Vice catches her with a kick to the gut. The ref checks on her and rings the bell officially. Vice with an arm drag a kitchen sink to Jordan. Kelani sneaks in a flash roll-up for a two. Jordan turns the tides as we see The Culling walking in the back.
Jordan with a whip and a clothesline, and a pin for two. Jordan stalks Vice across the ring and to the corner. She whips Vice again, but Lola holds on and knees her in the gut. She rushes Jordan across the ring and hits another running knee. A third one is countered by a roll-up for Jordan. Roll-up attempts get traded, as Vice switches to an arm bar. Jordan makes the ropes for a break.
Vice with body blows to Jordan in the corner. She backs off and gets slapped in the face by Kelani. Jordan sneaks out of the ring, so Vice gives chase. Vice tries to get back into the ring, but Jordan hits her with a baseball slide, sending Vice into the announce table. Jordan talks that mad smack as we head out for the break.
Jordan maintains control during the break, even pulling out from the Eddie Guerrero playbook. Booker T has Vic all flustered lol. Jordan with a body scissor, but Vice sits back into the pin to break the hold. Both ladies to their feet, but that doesn’t last long, as they both look for the pump kick, and both hit the mat.
Both ladies to their feet, forearms are traded. We switch gears to kicks, and Vice with a snap German. Vice with kicks, a round kick, and more kicks. She ducks Jordan’s strike and gets on the kick machine. Vice charges the corner, but Jordan escapes to the floor. Undeterred, Vice heads out to the apron and lays out Jordan on the floor. She screams LATINA HEAT and returns Jordan to the ring.
Vice hits the hip attack and continues to smash her booty into Jordan’s face. I am jealous, officially. Vice with the arm bar, but Jordan escapes the hold and hits a big dropkick. Jordan to the top, she’s feeling Froggy! Vice, though, didn’t feel like staying down and kicks out at two. Jordan back to the corner, looking for One of a Kind, but Vice opens her legs (giggity) and waits for Jordan to come down and applies the Triangle!
Jordan rolls out finally and catches a flash pin for a two. Back on their feet, Vice looking back fist, but Jordan cuts her off with an Angle Slam. Jordan to the corner, but her move misses. Jordan rolls up Vice, but she has her hand on the rope, and the ref stops the count! She argues the point, but Lola nails her with the backfist! The pin, the win!
WINNER: Lola Vice
TIME: 11:20
THOUGHTS: A great opener. The animosity between these women was real and palpable, but the match was not sacrificed for quality. Lola winning is the right call, as it sets her up to face Izzi Dame for the North American Title.
RATING: ***1/2
Video package for Tavion Heights. He broke out and showed us what he is capable of in 2025. And in 2026, he will soar to new Heights. He is coming for Jasper Troy, and he will win his first title in NXT.
Jasper Troy congratulates Heights on earning five minutes in the ring with him. But Troy won’t need five minutes to take care of business. He will send Heights away a loser.
COMMERCIALS!
Vic shills for the WWE approved Podcasts as we return from break.
In the ring, our match is about to begin!
WWE Men’s Speed Title Match: Jasper Troy vs. Tavion Heights
Both men waste no time and get it on at the bell. Small TAVION chants as pins are traded. Heights with a front face lock to Troy, but Jasper picks him up and charges him into the corner. Troy’s follow-up misses, but he doesn’t miss a lariat. Troy proceeds to spam standing splashes, as Heights rolls out of the ring.
Heights tries to return to the ring, but Troy stomps on him repeatedly. Corner whip and incoming smash from Troy. Troy with another charge, but Heights moves and lays in some kicks to the gut. Troy eats them and delivers a clubbing blow to Heights. Troy gets a two on the pin as we see Shiloh Hill getting ready for his match later.
Troy grounds Heights for a bit before he strikes him in the ribs. He kicks him in the gut, as Heights tries to fight Troy off with some wild kicks. Strikes from Heights now as we hit the TMW. Heights gets Troy up and hits a body slam. Heights with a running flying elbow. Overhead belly-to-belly from Heights! Tavion to the top rope and he hits a splash for a two.
The final minute is upon us, as Troy fights back with a goozle. Heights breaks the hold, runs the ropes, but runs into the Bossman Slam (Booker calls it the Black Hole), and Troy retains!
WINNER: Jasper Troy (Still Champion)
TIME: 4:08
THOUGHTS: Fairly good match. It was power against speed and structure, and Troy wasn’t about to lose his title just yet.
RATING: ***
Post-match, Lexis King is here and he attacks Heights.
In the back, we see Wren Sinclair and Kendal Grey standing outside of Ava’s office. Grey says it took all three members of Fatal Influence to keep her down last week, so she is going ask for another title shot. Zaria and Sol Ruca arrive. Zaria says if anyone deserves that title shot, it is one of them, but Wren says that Kendal should shout out Jacy. The door opens, and Jacy Jayne herself says pipe down, we’re having a discussion in here. Everyone enters Ava’s office, and a full-on argument ensues, ending with Ava setting up a multi-tag team match. Jayne says that’s great, because Fatal Influence is bringing home more gold!
COMMERCIALS!
Lexis King is walking in the back. He wants to see if we saw what he did. That was majestic! Andre Chase has his guys with him. Andre says that is not how to handle business. King says BUZZ, wrong answer!
Stacks and Ariana are here. He says that he wouldn’t have won the International Title without King. Lexis asks if Stacks is good facing the Toothless Wonder tonight, and Stacks says with his Queen by his side, he’s got this.
Mr. Stone walks by and admonishes King for attacking Heights. Myles Borne stops him, grabs him, and demands one of the matches to qualify for the NXT Title ladder match. Mr. Stone says he will see what he can do.
Video package for Elio LeFleur, the White Eagle.
Ava is checking her phone in the back, and Ethan Page arrives. Page wants to know who he is facing and when. Ava says no one and never. Page says that’s good; he is going to skip right to the ladder match! Ava says he isn’t in. Page says that’s not fair. Ava says if he wants in, then give her the North American Title. Page says no way. Ava says you will be defending the North American Title next week against the debuting Elio LeFleur! Page protests this, but Ava says he is a fighting champion, so he should have this!
We see The Glamour Blake Monroe walking in the back. We’ll hear from her next!
COMMERCIALS!
(Because we totally did NOT just come back from a commercial break!)
It’s awfully Glamourous right about now! Blake Monroe is here, and she wants to talk about it. Last week, she came out here with every intention of reclaiming her North American Championship. Yes, she attacked Thea Hail, but so what? All she did was bring out a little bit of Hell to play. It was a travesty that she had to compete for her title again. Instead of letting Blake rise to the challenge, they turned it into chaos and controversy. She was right in the middle of the conversation, but she ended up getting walked out of the building.
She is going to let us in on a little secret. When you are as talented as I am, people don’t always know what to do with you. They’ll call you controversial. They’ll debate about you on commentary. Blake Monroe is the standard. She is the most complete woman in NXT. Ava goes on and on about the future, but no one compares to The Glamour. She is the moment, and it sends you into a frenzy. The spotlight exists because I want it to, and when you take her out of the equation, you see how fragile it becomes.
All of these women are pathetic, fighting for the scraps that she leaves for them. She knows that no one is on her level.
Jaida Parker is back! She goes to talk, but Monroe asks if she can help her? Both ladies drop their mics and a fight ensues, and it ends with Parker hitting some hypnotic action, sending Monroe from the apron and to the arena floor.
The Progressive Spotlight focuses on Shiloh Hill. So, when he was seven years old, at Christmas Time, he took in a family of flying squirrels. His sister Darkness freaked out, and the squirrels chewed through everything. He bets we didn’t know that he could dance like he did last week with Ariana. His teeth fell out by happy coincidence! He has to focus, but he will be beating Stacks tonight!
Speaking of Stacks and Ariana are here, and they make their entrance as it is time for another, yes, you guessed it, break!
COMMERCIALS!
We get some game show sounding music as we return, just to go to a DarkState promo. All you have to know is that DarkState aren’t here to compete, they are here to takeover.
Shiloh Hill has been downloaded!
TNA International Title Match: Channing “Stacks” Lorenzo (C) W/Ariana Grace vs. Shiloh Hill
Mike Rome with the in-ring introductions, because apparently this title is worth it.
Stacks with the big kiss for Ariana. Grace slaps Hill before the bell rings, so Hill attacks Stacks. The bell rings officially, and Stacks takes over. He beats Hill from corner to corner. He gets too overzealous, however, and hits the corner. Hill rolls him up for a two. Stacks takes advantage of the situation and bars the arm of Hill and throws him into the corner. Vic makes fun of Booker for letting the Boogeyman chase him lol.
Hill reverses Stacks and takes him to the mat. Stacks back to his feet, he takes Hill to the ropes and lands some gut punches. Stacks charges in, but Hill sends Stacks crashing to the floor. Stacks heads up the ramp, but Hill rolls out and brings Stacks back to the ring. Stacks eats a kick to the head from Hill, but Stacks reverses it and sends Hill around the ring post and to the floor. Ariana and Stacks have a moment, but Hill is back with a running lariat to the champion. That’ll take us to break.
The Champion is in complete control during the break, as Vic mentions that Lorenzo has been TNA International Champion for 38 days. Booker T says that TNA President Carlos Silva should want more men like Stacks on his roster. Booker T says Stacks is a man and proceeds to wheeze out of control. Let’s Go Shiloh chants, because the NXT Universe is insane.
Hill is caught in the Tree of WOAH as the break ends proper. Stacks heads to the top and he hits a flying back elbow for a two. Stacks with a snapmare, he runs the ropes, and he hits a basement flying shoulder tackle for a two. Stacks off the ropes, but Hill catches him out of the air and hits a tilt-a-world slam. We see Joe Hendry and OTM in the back, as Hill takes his teeth out!
Hill with clotheslines, and he plays the back of the champion like it is bongos. Hill with a standing slam into the standing front flip splash for a two. Stacks trips up Hill into the ropes and he hits a crossbody block. Gutbuster from the champion gets him a two.
Hill back to his feet, he slides out of the ring, as Ariana is oblivious to what is going on. He puts his tooth back in and puts his arm around Ariana, who freaks out. Stacks heads to the outside, so Hill ends back in. Grace trips up Hill, and Stacks rolls him up, but the ref sees Stacks holding onto Grace. He kicks the arms of Stacks away, allowing Hill to roll him up for a two. Hill with a small package, but Grace shoves the pile, and Stacks counters the pin to steal it.
WINNER: Channing “Stacks” Lorenzo (Still Champion)
TIME: 10:30
THOUGHTS: The match was fine, I guess. Given how some of these titles get passed around, I assumed that they were going to put the belt on Hill, but it didn’t happen. It shouldn’t stunt his push, however.
RATING: **3/4
We will hear from the new North American Women’s Champion Izzi Dame next!
COMMERCIALS!
Iyo Sky video package for season two of Unreal, debuting on January 20th on Netflix! 😍
The Culling have arrived, as Izzi proudly holds up her Women’s North American Title! Ladies and Gentlemen, and everyone who thought they understood how this division works! Welcome to your new reality! She is the new North American champion! Not Tatum, not Thea, and not Blake! She won’t bore us with her story, because that is what people say when they stumble into success. No, this was calculation and outsmarting people. She wants to point out how everyone was so happy when she lost to Tatum last week. What did they think she would do? Cry? Go hide in the shadows, like you would? She doesn’t waste losses, she studies them. She studies everyone, who will run, who will fight, and who has weaknesses to exploit.
That loss last week brought her clarity, and it made her realize that the Culling are here to remove the weak. Every move, every step, it is all a part of her plan, and she is always three steps ahead. She engineered this moment, and as a result, she is a champion. She knows Lola Vice wants a shot at her, but wanting and deserving are two different things, Mama Cita. And she hears Thea Hail screaming, but it will take more than that for her to get a shot. And then there is Tatum, who never seems to understand that the world does not revolve around her. She will dictate the terms and who gets a shot at her title.
Well, maybe it does, because Tatum is here. Refs try to hold her back, but she breaks through and attacks Dame. Dame escapes, and Paxley pops one of the refs.
Kelly Kincaid has Ricky Saints in the back. Ricky says that he had a good conversation with Ava, and he will NOT be partaking in a qualifying match, meaning he is going right to the ladder match. He will, however, be at ring side to watch two of the qualifiers next week, those being Eli Knight and Jackson Drake, and Josh Briggs and Shiloh Hill.
Stacks arrives and is belligerent that Hill is getting a qualifier before him and he just defeated Hill. Ricky says that technically his girl helped him to win, but he tells Stacks not to worry about it, because he still has the title and his girl! He leaves, as Lexis King arrives. He says let’s talk, and King and Stacks head off.
The main event is next!
COMMERCIALS!
Blake Howard in the back, as we see Tatum Paxley being kicked out of the arena for hitting an official. The Vanity Project is here, and apparently, they are the new talent that was being teased. They signed their NXT contacts, Jackson Drake will be getting a qualifier for the Ladder Match, and Swipe Right will face Chase U next week. They run away, though, because Keanu Carver is here. He tells Howard to get out of his face and shoves the cameraman away.
DarkState has arrived.
No-DQ Match: Dion Lennox vs. Joe Hendry
DarkState leave the ring and approach Hendry. OTM arrive, and the DarkState back off. Booker T sounds like Macho Man singing Joe’s theme song as the bell rings.
Lennox and Hendry struggle for control, as they battle around the ring. Lennox takes Hendry to the corner and lands some clubbing blows. Lennox throws Hendry out of the ring next to DarkState, but Hendry makes it back in before they can attack. Hendry takes over with kicks and a suplex. Lennox is sent out of the ring by OTM, but Lennox makes it back in.
Hendry waits with a kick and a DDT to Lennox for a two. Dion stops Hendry’s offense and kicks Hendry, who is on the mat. Lennox with a back breaker for a two. Lennox with a lariat into a pin for another two. Lennox to the top rope, but Hendry cuts that off. Fists fly, as both men teeter, but Dion wins out and sends Joe to the mat. Hendry pops right back up though and he hits a Superplex from the top! That’ll take us into what should be our final break!
Lennox is in complete control during the break. Hendry looks to create some distance, but Lennox grounds him and applies the dreaded chin lock. Hendry to his feet, but Dion takes him right back to the mat. Hendry back up, but his offense stalls out, and Lennox with a hard Irish Whip into the corner. Saquon Shugars gets on the top rope with a chair and yells for Lennox. Hendry ends up shoving Lennox into Shugars and the chair, as Saquon crashes to the floor.
OTM give Hendry brass knuckles. Lennox ducks the first punch, but not the second one. Hendry into the pin for a two. Fallaway Slam from Hendry, as he tunes up the band! Standing Ovation, but Cutler James hands Lennox a kendo stick! He cracks Hendry with it, but Joe cuts it off eventually and returns favor. The cover, but DarkState pull Lennox to safety. DarkState go under the ring as Lennox hits a springboard powerbomb to Hendry! The cover, but OTM pull Lennox out of the ring.
DarkState and OTM get into the ring, and all Hell breaks loose. They fight up the ramp, leaving Hendry and Lennox alone. Both men get chairs, AND THE SLIM JIM TABLE IS IN THE CORNER OF THE RING, GUYS! Lennox overpowers Hendry and hits a spinebuster onto a chair, but Hendry kicks out at two. Hendry with the Standing Ovation onto the chair! The cover, but that’s just a two.
The fans chant TABLES, so Lennox hits Hendry with a SPEAR through the table! The cover, but just a two. Lennox grabs a chair, we hear some cheers, and Tony D’Angelo is here! He smacks Lennox from behind with a chair and chokeslams him! Tony feigns he is going to help Hendry up, but he hits him with a chokeslam as well! Tony pulls Hendry over Lennox, and he wins the match.
WINNER: Joe Hendry
TIME: 13:30
THOUGHTS: Hendry winning was the right call, and I am glad that, with the backing of OTM, that it turned into a match without DarkState running amuck. D’Angelo’s involvement continues this arc of a Punisher-like character, holding no allegiances and taking out heels and faces without prejudice.
RATING: ***1/2
Post-match, Ava arrives with Security, but Tony lays waste to them, proving that no matter the company, they are utterly useless. D’Angelo leaves the ring, stares down, Ava, and walks on by. And with that, we are done!
