wrestling / TV Reports
Ciocco’s WWE NXT Review 3.17.26
Image Credit: WWE
Loading...NXT Universe! The Tuesday Night Delight hits the road (Jack) and will take place from the 713 Music Hall in Houston, Texas! Luckily, everyone was able to make it given the mega storm that has hit a large portion of the United States, and so the show must and will go on!
As one comes to expect from NXT, the ladies will be the focal point of the show, seeing as to how all woman’s titles areon the line tonight! We’ll start with the Speed Title, as Fallon Henley will defend the belt against the winner of the most recent Speed Tourney in Wren Sinclair. Will Sinclair add a title to the WrenQCC, or will Henley keep gold within Fatal Influence?
Speaking of Fatal Influence, Women’s Champion Jacy Jayne will be defending her title against not one but two opponents in the form of Zaria and Sol Ruca, otherwise previously known as ZaRuca. With their relationship as friends and as a team breaking down along the way, there looks to be no alliance amongst any of the competitors in this match, making things even for challengers and the champion alike.
Usually, the crown jewel for a company is the World Title, whether it is the Men’s or the Women’s. But tonight, the NXT Women’s North American Title will be contested by two former friends and stablemates in the Culling turned hated rivals. Champion Tatum Paxley, who recently dethroned Izzi Dame for the title, will not only defend the belt against her in a rematch, but this match will take place within the confines of a SALAD Steel Cage. One way or another, this will end tonight!
When it comes to the men on the show, tag team matches are all the rave tonight. We’re getting the start of that proposed tag team title tourney, with the winners facing Vanity Project at Stand and Deliver next month, and up first, Hank and Tank will face the Birthright, with the winners moving on to the semifinals.
Speaking of the Vanity Project, just because teams are vying for their tag team titles doesn’t mean that they are going to head into S&D on repeat bye weeks, as Robert Stone booked the trio in a 6-man match tonight. Their opponents? None other than El Grande Americano, Rayo, and Bravo! Will Vanity Project build momentum heading towards S&D, or will the Americano Trio show why they are so awesome? All of that and, of course, so much more in store for us tonight!
So, how is everyone doing tonight? This weather is whack. Over the weekend, the temperatures were in the 70’s and raining. Now it’s down in the 20’s and we’re getting snow. I guess that meddling groundhog wasn’t wrong after all. Also, Happy St. Patrick’s Day, to us folks who are Irish and to the folks who celebrate like they are!
But, enough about me and enough about you, let’s get ready to chant the letters of N-X-T!
THEN!
NOW!
FOREVER!
TOGETHER!
Tonight, NXT heads out of the Performance Center and over to Houston, Texas, the hometown of Booker T! Even though we are going to have Booker T appreciation night, he will still be on the call with Vic Joseph!
Booker T arrived earlier today in a Cybertruck. I don’t know how I feel about that. In better news, we see Tatum Paxley and Izzi Dame walking!
Dang, we’re NOT wasting anytime tonight!
NXT Women’s Title Match: Jacy Jayne (C) vs. Zaria vs. Sol Ruca
The bell rings with a tentative start. Fans are behind Ruca. Jayne opens with a SUPERKICK to Zaria. Jayne and Ruca lock up and trade pin attempts. Ruca bridges out of a backslide to do her own backslide. Zaria is back, and she gets the sunset flip treatment from Ruca.
Zaria chokes Ruca from the top rope. Jayne rushes in, but she gets kicked away. Ruca breaks free, and Jayne is back with a knee to head of Ruca and a snap German to Zaria! The cover, but Ruca dives in for the save.
Zaria pulls Jayne out of the ring and slides back in, but Ruca skips on by her and she kind of takes out Fatal Influence on the floor. She looks at Zaria, but before they can get at it, all of Fatal Influence attack because, remember, in this match there is no DQ! FI pose on the apron, and that’ll take us to the break.
Jayne and Ruca fight during the break. Jayne dispatches of Ruca, so here comes Zaria. She hits a belly-to-belly and scores a two. Jayne and Zaria trade hands in the middle of the ring before they both hit the mat. That allows Ruca to capitalize with a springboard crossbody to both Zaria and Jayne! We see Los Americanos in the back!
Zaria and Ruca finally come face-to-face. Zaria drops Ruca, but here comes Jayne with a back splash. Rolling neckbreaker to Zaria. Jayne picks up Ruca, but here comes Zaria for a SPEAR on Jayne! Ruca with a SPEAR to Zaria! Ruca to the top but she takes WAY too long and Zaria stops that.
Zaria heads to the top to bring Ruca down, but Jayne sneaks in from behind with a German! Jayne heads to the top and we have Zaria return with a powerbomb that drops everyone to the mat! We have a reset, as Jayne takes over and hits a CANNONABLL to both Zaria and Ruca. Zaria intercepts Jayne and hits the F-5! The cover, but Ruca with the save.
Zaria catches Ruca with a headbutt, but her F-5 is countered into an X-Factor from Ruca! Sol clotheslines Zaria out of the ring and she hits a Sol Snatcher to Jayne! The ref takes forever and a day to get down to count, allowing Zaria the chance to make the save. Zaria hits an F-5 on the floor to Ruca, but Reid and Henley attack Zaria! She hits an F-5 on both of them, but Jayne drapes her arm over Ruca and she steals it!
WINNER: Jacy Jayne (Still Champion)
TIME: 10:45
THOUGHTS: Interesting match to start the show with, and it should have telegraphed the lack of a title change honestly. Jayne retains, but Zaria and Ruca can continue their feud away from the title.
RATING: ***1/2
In the back, Wren Sinclair and Kendal Grey are discussing Wren’s title shot tonight. The Birthright are here, and Wren wants to know why Charlie ghosted her and joined these people. Dempsey says you need people you can relate to, and that is what you got here. They leave, and Grey hypes up Wren and says she gave up her Evolve Title for another shot at Jacy. Lola Vice is here! She hypes up Wren but says she knows Kendal is looking at that title, but so is she!
Ricky Saints is walking. We will hear from the man himself next!
COMMERCIALS!
The Revolution is here post-break! Corner posing from Ricky, and it almost looked like he fell on his balls lol. Ouch! Great save lol!
Ricky has the mic and Booker T throws in random laughs. Ricky says he may slip but he never falls, because the real main event is here. Even through a three-hour trip from Austin, things are looking up. Ethan and he are great pivotors! They know how to pivot! They are on the same page again after they defeated Hendry and Borne last week. If Vanity Project weren’t the tag team champions, they would be the champions, but the roster is safe because they are focused on singles titles. Ricky gets the WHAT chants, and he says to save it for when Myles Borne is out later. Ouch.
With Stand and Deliver coming up, Ricky is focused on becoming a two-time champion! But here comes Ethan Page! He knows Ricky means well and he loves the tag team name, but it must have slipped Ricky’s mind that he was the one who defeated Hendry last week. Saints says that’s okay, because he knows Ethan has lost to Borne twice. Page says he COULD call out Borne and become a two-time North American Champion, but he is going to become a two-time World Champion when he beats Joe Hendry.
They are about to argue this point, but they said his name and he is here! Hendry says that Ethan does have some good points. Page did defeat Hendry last week, and maybe Ricky doesn’t want the World Title as much as Ethan. Ricky says so you are going for the World Title, but Hendry says you are both going to need medical attention if you come for me.
Hendry mocks Ricky’s Absolute Experience, and Ethan says cut him a break it was his first time. Hendry trolls some more by saying that Page and Saints faced each other last year at Stand and Deliver. Ethan says he defeated Ricky and went on to become the longest reigning North American Champion. Ethan says Ricky should challenge Hendry tonight. Ricky says that he will, and they both go to attack Hendry! He fights them off but here comes Tony D’Angelo! He spears Hendry and then hits a chokeslam to both Page and Saints! D’Angelo looks into the abyss.
The Progressive Spotlight is on the Birthright, along with William Regal and Fit Finlay! They say that if Charlie and Uriah want to be in the Birthright, they need to win the tag team tournament. Robert Stone arrives, and Regal wants to talk to him privately. He applauds the job that Stone has done, and he says he is going to talk to Shawn Michaels about making this permanent. Stone is honored and thanks Regal as they shake hands.
OLE! Los Americanos are here for their match up next!
COMMERCIALS!
I don’t know how we get bored crowd shots in Houston, but here we are! Oh, maybe it was in anticipation of The Vanity Project arriving lol.
Los Americanos vs. The Vanity Project
The bell rings, as Rayo and Ricky Smokes will start us off. That doesn’t last long, as Bravo is in now with a double axe handle to the arm of Smokes. Ricky quickly turns the tables but Bravo fires back with a punch combination, flooring Smokes. Bravo does the corner punches as the fans count along in Spanish, but Brad Baylor comes over and guillotines Bravo. They take out Americano himself before Vanity Project do some Texas Two Steps, according to Vic.
As one would expect, Los Americanos take this personally, and after they take care of Vanity Project, they show how dancing really works. Rayo and Bravo corner Smokes and hit some double team moves. Blind tag by Baylor, and they drop Rayo on his head. Another tag to Jackson Drake, who hits a bridging German for a two. Vanity Project mock Los Americanos as we head out for break.
Rayo gives Drake the business in the corner with more than ten punches and hits a snap rana during the break. Bravo and Baylor are in now, and Bravo drops him with a flapjack. Rayo back in, but he takes too long pandering to the crowd, and Baylor tags in Smokes. Ricky with a SPEAR for a two. Smokes stomp on Rayo and yells at him before tagging in Drake. Jackson with a high angle suplex for a two. He dusts off his shoulder like it’s nothing and goes to stretch Rayo.
Drake has a headlock, but Rayo gets to his feet, prompting Drake to apply an abdominal stretch. He switches into a suplex, and he has Three Amigos on his mind. But Rayo has other plans in mind, as he cuts off the third suplex with an X-Suplex! Americano is in for the first time, as he takes care of Vanity Project on his own. He hits a Blockbuster on both Smokes and Baylor, but the cover is broken up by Drake. Drake with a handstand springboard, but he ends up getting an airplane spine from Bravo!
Bravo puts on the cowboy hat, and he takes care of Drake and Smokes on the floor. Air Raid Crash to Baylor! The cover, but he’s out at two. El Grande has something in mind, but he is grabbed by Smokes. Burning Hammer attempt from Drake for a two. A couple of tags ensue, and Drake hits a 450 Splash! The cover, and El Grande kicks out at two.
Drake with some kicks, but Americano wants more! Big single leg dropkick from Americano! Drake rolls up Americano with Baylor’s help, but Rayo gets the ref’s attention, and the count doesn’t take place. Americano is putting the steel in his mask! After some back and forth, Americano with the loaded headbutt for the win!
WINNERS: Los Grande Americanos
TIME: 12:35
THOUGHTS: A really fun match, and it’s always a great time when the Americanos are here! The loss by Vanity Project shouldn’t set them back in the slightest and, if anything else, sets them up for a future tag team title match assuming that Swipe Right are still champions after S&D
RATING: ****
Stone is in the back with Elio LeFleur. Here comes Sean Legacy and Eli Knight. Sean is on crutches, and he cannot compete in the tag team tourney. Stone says he needs to find a partner, or he will have to forfeit his spot. Elio offers to take Sean’s spot since he is still waiting for a challenger for his title.
Booker T appreciation is coming up next! AWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW YEAH MAN! HAHA!
COMMERCIALS!
Vic Joseph is in the middle of the ring as we return. He says tonight is about checks and championships, and we still have two titles on the line tonight. But tonight is about a man who has been a six-time champion, a man who has been a King of the Ring, and a man who is a 2-time Hall-of-Famer. So, help Vic in welcoming Houston’s favorite son, Booker T!
Booker T gets into the ring, where his family and some other people are waiting for him. WHAT UP Y’ALL, asks Booker. Vic says three years ago, he asked him what he wanted his legacy to be. Booker looked him in the eye and said it wasn’t about the championships, but it was about the moments and earning the respect of his peers.
We get a video package with comments from random people from Booker’s past and from the current day in WWE and NXT. Heck, we even get WCW footage and the Supermarket Brawl! Good times!
A standing ovation and chants of BOOKER T follow the video package. Oh, those students from the Reality of Wrestling, I wasn’t sure who the other two people were lol. Vic says it is his honor to present Booker T with a plague to honor his achievements. YOU DESERVE IT chants as Booker T tears up some. It’s been a crazy 35 years, it’s been an amazing ride, and he wants to thank the fans for their support.
Yep, we knew Keanu Carver would show up lol. He keeps telling everyone to shut up while the ROW students get Sharmell and their kids out of the ring. Carver beats up all the students and says in ten seconds he will take out Booker as well. Jasper Troy is here, and he goes right after Carver, allowing Booker to escape. Troy clotheslines Carver out of the ring, but he is still on his feet. Staff come out and escort Carver to the back, while the roster comes out to the stage.
Booker’s music plays, but he tells them to cut it, and he says Stone has to do something about this. The music plays again anyway, the audio as a whole goes out, and Booker acts like nothing ever happened. Troy and Booker celebrate in the ring.
We’re going right into our next match!
WWE Speed Women’s Title Match: Fallon Henley (C) vs. Wren Sinclair
Booker says he has a lot of friends at the HPD, and if Stone can’t handle Keanu, then they will. I don’t think that was the threat that Booker thought it was. Booker asks what about me like he’s Raven or something.
ANYWAY, we get in-ring introductions for this match, which we did not for the opening match, and this is a five-minute match. Mike Rome dots on Wren being from Texas, which didn’t get as big a pop as I thought it would.
Lock-up at the bell and Wren scores a two off a roll-up. Both ladies trade roll-ups to follow to no avail. Wren with a shoulder tackle and a flying face buster for a two. Gator rolls on the mat, as Henley shakes off Sinclair and hits a pump handle suplex. Side Russian Leg Sweep from the champion for a two.
Sinclair ducks a punch and lands a kick and front face lock. Henley reverses, but double arm suplex from Sinclair gets a two. Three minutes left, as Henley sends Sinclair to the apron and then to the floor. Henley to the apron, she readjusts her knee pad, but she misses her kick, and Wren drops her face first on the apron.
Back in the ring, Sinclair misses a kick, but a hair grab toss from Henley connects. Two minutes left, as Henley looks for another suplex, but her shoulder gives out. Sinclair with chops and a roll-up for a two. Henley counters for a two. Sinclair counters with the Final Wrench! Henley taps out!
WINNER: Wren Sinclair (And NEW!)
TIME: 3:40
THOUGHTS: Henley came in with an injured shoulder due to the events of the opening match and Zaria throwing all of Fatal Influence around, and Sinclair was smart to target it. A new champion was made in her home state!
RATING: ***1/4
Ricky Saints and Ethan Page air their grievances to Stone in the back. They are in total agreement that Stone needs to do something about D’Angelo, and Page offers up Saints to take care of Tony next week! Ricky wants to know if he is insane, but they agree to it, as Ricky says Ethan will be in his corner. Stone says he needs to make a call and leaves.
COMMERCIALS!
IT’S BELLY TIME!
NXT Tag Team Title Tourney Match: Hank and Tank Vs. The Birthright
Looks like Uriah Connors and Stacks will be representing Birthright in this match.
Connors and Stacks launch an attack before the bell, but when the bell rings, Stacks gets the rough treatment from Hank and Tank. Bulldog and Senton Splash flattens out Stacks, and Connors eats a Military Press when he tries to interfere. Stacks gouges the eyes of Hank and hits a missile dropkick.
Connors gets the tag, as Birthright work over Hank in the corner and make some quick tags. Stacks with a two on the pin as we see Tatum Paxley in the back. Connors in and he applies a sleeper, but Hank gets back to his feet. He manages to break free and Tank gets the tag. Cartwheel from the big man and a clothesline to Stacks. He hits a lariat to Connors and lifts up his hockey jersey.
Back in the ring, and Hank gets the tag and he hits Stacks with a Superplex. Tank with a senton splash to Stacks! The cover, but Connors with the save. All four men are in the ring, Stacks kicks Hank in the head, but Tank with a Bossman Slam! Lexis King in the ring, but he eats the Belly Bash! In the confusion, Stacks sneaks in and rolls up Tank for the win!
WINNERS: The Birthright
TIME: 4:30
THOUGHTS: The right team won, but man, this was kind of janky. Hank and Tank are what they are at this point, while the Birthright has to prove itself still. Birthright competes in a hell of a lot of short matches, though.
RATING: **3/4
Hendry and Stone are walking in the back. Joe wants Tony D’Angelo in the ring next week, but Stone can’t give him that because Ricky Saints is facing Tony next week in the main event. We cut away to see DarkState beating up OTM. You know, Booker might be on to something here.
COMMERCIALS!
Tatum Paxley is so excited, and Thea Hail says she will kick Izzi’s ass! Tatum says don’t change, Thea, NXT needs more people like you. Kelani Jordan is here. She says to stop with the act because no one buys it. Jaida Parker is here, and she tells Jordan the only thing she knows is being tapped out by Lola Vice.
Jacy Jayne is thrilled that she defeated Sol Ruca and Zaria earlier tonight. Fallon Henley isn’t happy about losing her Speed Title, though, and Jacy says she will get it back. Apparently, they are going to take care of Wren and Kendal next week and, frankly, my interest has been piqued!
Backstage segments galore, as we have Stone and Myles Borne talking now. Myles wants to know who his first opponent will be for his North American Title. Enter the Birthright, and Lexis King says that he knows Stone will do the right thing.
Finally, our main event will take place but not before yet ANOTHER break!
COMMERCIALS!
Vic runs down the card for next week’s episode of NXT, which goes back to the Performance Center. Makes sense to hit the road for one show only to go back to the Mother Base (/Sarcasm).
NXT Women’s North American Title Match – Steel Cage: Tatum Paxley (C) vs. Izzi Dame
Izzi doesn’t wait for Tatum to enter the ring/cage before she attacks the champion. Dame stomps on Paxley and then hits a suplex on the floor. Dame throws Tatum into the cage door before throwing her into the ring. Izzi goes under the ring and grabs a steel chair.
The bell finally rings, as Izzi misses her chair swing. Dame with a roll-up for a two. Paxley with an enziguri. Dame looks on in horror as Tatum gets the chair. Izzi climbs the cage as Tatum gives chase. Faces meet the cage as both ladies teeter on the top rope. Dame with a back elbow to Paxley, but Tatum is back after her challenger.
Paxley slams Dame’s face off of the cage so hard that they both hit the mat. Also, I’m not sure why Izzi is trying to escape the cage when Vic states that it’s only pinfall or submission and not escaping the cage, but whatever. That’ll take us to our final break.
Dame throws Paxley into the cage and squishes her against the cage wall during the break. Dame gets a two on the ensuing pin. Dame again throws Tatum face first into the cage and then throws her back first into the cage. Dame again treats Izzi like a human javelin into the cage. Dame with a submission on Paxley as she uses her foot to grind Tatum’s face into the cage.
Tatum has had enough, as she fires back by throwing Izzi into the cage repeatedly. Tatum with a series of back elbows. Dame fights her off and climbs the cage, but Tatum drops her with a German. Tatum to the corner, she heads to the top, but she heads to the very top. Dame meets her at the very top of the cage. Strikes are traded, with appropriate BOO and YAY’s from the crowd.
Tatum looks like she is in trouble, but she fires back with a flurry of strikes. Izzi sinks down inside the cage, IZZI HITS A SUPERLEX FROM THE VERY TOP OF THE CAGE! Some HOLY SHIT chants, as Tatum kicks out at two. THIS IS AWESOME chants as we see Tatum’s mom in the crowd. Izzi throws Tatum into the cage, but she lands on her feet in the corner and hits a Whisper in the Wind! That gets the champion a two.
Both ladies get in each other’s faces. Lariats and kicks cancel each other out, and Tatum backflips out of an attack from Izzi, but Dame still scores a two on a Tiger Driver. Dame goes back to the chair that was introduced ten minutes ago, as Dame repeatedly smacks Tatum in the back with it.
Dame picks up Tatum into powerbomb position and throws her into the cage. She does it a second time. Dame tries it a third time, but Tatum counters with a Code Red onto the chair! Tatum picks up the chair and hits Izzi with it! Cemetery Drive, and Tatum is victorious!
WINNER: Tatum Paxley (Still Champion)
TIME: 11:45
THOUGHTS: The steel cage suited this feud to a tee, as it helps to blow off to the presumed ending of this feud. Both ladies used the cage to their advantage, and it was a fun main event.
RATING: ***3/4
Post-match, Paxley heads up the ramp with her title, but a trap door opens up, and Blake Monroe pulls Paxley underneath the stage! The door re-opens, and Monroe grabs the North American Title. And with that, we are done!
