wrestling / TV Reports
Ciocco’s WWE NXT Review 4.7.26
Image Credit: WWE
Loading...NXT Universe! The Tuesday Night Delight is back home in the Performance Center after shows in New York City and, of course, St. Louis, where the brand’s biggest show, Stand and Deliver, took place on Saturday. And despite a largely apathetic crowd, the show featured match results that will change the face of the company for the foreseeable future, whether good, bad, or indifferent.
At S&D, we crowned new Men’s and Women’s World Champions, as Lola Vice overcame Kendal Grey and the former champion Jacy Jayne to fulfill her promise to become the first Cuban American born Women’s Champion in NXT, while The Don Tony D’Angelo made good on the second phase in his return in NXT when he defeated Ricky Saints, Ethan Page, and former champion Joe Hendry to become a Grand Slam Champion. Other results saw Tatum Paxley not only retain her North American Women’s Title against Blake Monroe but getting the actual physical title back in her possession, while Myles Borne retained the Men’s North American Title against a game Johnny Gargano. Swipe Right retained the Tag Team Titles against Los Americanos, Sol Ruca got her payback when she defeated her former best friend Zaria, and on the Kickoff Show, the rag tag team of Hank and Tank, Shiloh Hill, Wren Sinclair, and the renamed E.K. Prosper defeated The Birthright.
And so that brings us to the fallout from S&D tonight back at the Mother Base, where business looks to continue as usual. With Elio LeFleur declared out due to injury, he was forced to vacate the Men’s Speed Title, and so tonight, the tourney will start to crown a new champion. Call me crazy that we aren’t just having a one-off match for the title, but hey, this gets more people involved.
Despite Keanu Carver defeating Jasper Troy last week in New York, it wasn’t without controversy, as special referee Josh Briggs hit a big boot to Troy during the match and then hit another big boot to Carver after the match. As a result, Robert Stone has booked all three men in a triple threat match tonight, allowing all three guys to just beat the ever-loving shit out of each other.
After successfully defeating her former best friend and extracting a modicum of revenge in the process, Sol Ruca was approached by Izzi Dame, and Dame challenged her to meet her in the ring. So, tonight, Dame and Ruca will face off, and with Dame telling former Women’s Champion Jacy Jayne that she was going to make her intentions known, I have a feeling that the winner of this match could see themselves on the fast track to a match with the new Women’s Champion Lola Vice.
Speaking of Lola, the New Women’s World Champion will have a celebration in honor of not just her first Women’s Title, but as mentioned above, fulfillment of her prophecy to become the first Cuban American born Women’s Champion in NXT history. If her celebration is not the highest rated segment across all wrestling shows this week, then Nielson Ratings (and by extension, society) have failed us. All of this and, of course, so much more in store for us tonight!
So, how is everyone doing on this Taco Tuesday? I’m very happy with my Flyers and the fact that they jumped into third place in the Metropolitan Division. The work is far from down, and tonight, they can open up a three-point lead over the Islanders for that “guaranteed playoff spot”, but all eyes are on the next game ahead, and hopefully we end that five-year playoff drought. The Phillies also manage to make things exciting, although if they go 6-4 in every 10-game block, they’ll actually end up with 96 wins, which could win the division. What happens after that becomes anyone’s guess.
ALSO, I was scrolling Facebook last night, and I came across an ad for a live NXT even in Johnstown. Thinking it may be the Johnstown that is a half-hour from me, I clicked into it to find out that on Sunday, May 17th, NXT will be back at the 1st Summit Arena for the first time in eight years! Suffice to say, I got myself a ticket, and it should be fun, even if the biggest names probably won’t be there. But hell, I have never been to a live NXT event before, so it should still be fun, and it’s not like I’m driving 100 miles to get there, either.
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 is back home at the Performance Center in Orlando, Florida! The dandy duo of Vic Joseph and Booker T will be on the call!
Video package featuring highlights from Saturday’s Stand and Deliver opens the show. I thought it was a good show, not a great show, but it was seriously hurt by the crowd’s apathy for most of the matches. At least St. Louis did come alive for Joe Hendry in the main event, or they were just in the mood to wave their hands from side to side.
Tony D’Angelo, the new NXT Men’s World Champion, is here to open the show! Tony stares into the abyss and he grabs a mic. Listen! A lot of you have been with me from the beginning. When he got to NXT, he was just a kid. But he has grown in front of our very eyes, and he became a man. And now, he is the MAN, and he became the NXT World Champion. The first ever Grand Slam Champion in NXT.
This is something that Tony has wanted since he walked in the door. He has made some decisions, some that he agreed with, some that he didn’t. But the decision to return has led him to accomplish what he set out to do. And he will have an iron grip on this title, and no one, not Ethan Page, not Ricky Saints, and not Joe Hendry will take this title from him.
Uh oh, Tony said his name, and he appears! Joe Hendry applauds Tony for accomplishing Phase One and Phase Two of his plan, but he was the better man on one night. And Joe wonders if they didn’t have to deal with those two clowns if the result would have been different, and if the fans would still be chanting, WE BELIEVE.
Ethan Page is here to object. He says he beat Hendry, and he should have been facing Hendry one-on-one and not dealing with his so-called best friend. But now they have to deal with this knockoff Punisher.
Ricky Saints is here to object. He says Page attacked him first and if he put his little ego away, they would be looking at Ricky as the first two-time champion!
Tony says that’s enough. It wouldn’t have mattered who faced him one-on-one, because he would have beaten all of their asses.
The lights go out, and DarkState are here! Security lines up to stop the group from entering the ring, but in typical wrestling security fashion, they fail royally. DarkState fight with the four men in the ring before members of the locker room arrive and we have ourselves a big ole hoedown to start the show! The crowd chants NXT as they love this brawl. The fight spills out onto the floor and even MORE people arrive from the back to try and restore order. D’Angelo gets back into the ring, and the fight follows him into the ring!
Eventually, the four men in the ring are led to the back, where Robert Stone tell them go get their gear because Saints, Page, Hendry, and D’Angelo are teaming up to take on DarkState tonight! Hank and Tank look upset about this for some reason lol. Sol Ruca walks through the carnage like the cool surfer chick that she is, and she is here for the opening match!
Sol Ruca vs. Izzi Dame
Alright, order has been restored and we have a match. The bell rings and Dame takes Ruca to the mat early on the exchange. Ruca fires back with a standing moonsault that gets her a two. Ruca goes surfing on the back of Dame and stomps on her legs. Ruca with a side headlock, but Dame shoves her off, walks over her, and hits a clothesline for a two.
Dame takes Ruca to the corner, and she lands shoulder blocks to the gut of Sol. Irish Whip by Dame, but Ruca reverses and kicks the head of Dame into the middle turnbuckle. Dame catches out Ruca, but Sol lands on her feet and plants Izzi with the X-Factor! Dame rolls to the apron, and Ruca with a baseball slide sends Izzi to the floor. Sol to the apron and she hits a Moonsault into a Con Hiro as we head out for the break.
Dame has turned the tables on Ruca and Booker channels his inner Ric Flair during the break. Dame chokes Ruca out against the middle rope before picking her up and dropping her throat first over the top rope. Dame kicks Ruca, but Sol rolls through and gets a two. Another roll-up and another two. Dame kicks Ruca again and she gets a two.
Dame brings the action to a halt with a chinlock. Ruca back to her feet and she creates space with a European Uppercut. Dame, undeterred, bounces Ruca face first off the top and she plants Ruca, but it’s only a two. Jackknife pins are traded as we return from the break proper. Izzi sets Sol on the top rope, but Sol flies off the top with a flying clothesline.
Both ladies are back up and strikes are traded. Ruca wins out with back elbows and a release German. Ruca heads to the top and connects with the missile dropkick! Kip-up, and Ruca scores a two off the running knee strike! Dame reverses Ruca with a snap suplex and heads to the top. She takes too long, however, and Sol catches her up top. Ruca lands on the top, Izzi shoves her off the top, and Dame with a Codebreaker from the top, but Ruca kicks out at 2.5!
Ruca with a backslide for a two, and Ruca follows up with a SPEAR! Dame lands on the floor, and she lines up Dame for the moonsault, but Shawn Spears pulls Dame to safety. Nico Vance has the ref distracted, and Zaria is here! She SPEARS Ruca, and Dame throws Ruca into the ring and hits Dame Over for the win!
WINNER: Izzi Dame
TIME: 10:35
THOUGHTS: Izzi winning makes sense because we’re trying to build her back up for another feud after she lost the Tatum feud. Zaria showing up also makes perfect sense, and it protects Ruca in the loss.
RATING: ***1/4
Post-match, Zaria enters the ring and hovers over Ruca. She screams she decides when this is over.
Vanity Project walk into Stone’s office. Robert says they can’t just walk into his office because he has a meeting with Blake Monroe, but that is why they are here. Monroe walks in, and they call her the real North American Champion. They award her a title belt, and Monroe is very happy. Stone says you didn’t win the title, and you can’t just be handed one. He proposes a mixed tag, as Monroe and one of the Vanity Project guys will team up against Tatum Paxley and Shiloh Hill. Monroe picks Jackson Drake, and Drake acts like he is going to faint lol. Frankly, I don’t blame him!
Keanu Carver is out for the triple threat match, next!
COMMERCIALS!
An ad for Kill Tony and bored crowd shots welcomes us on the other side of the break. Elio LeFleur, the renamed E.K. Prosper, and Van Dux are in the back. Elio waxes poetic about having to vacate his title. Van Dux says he is thrilled for the opportunity and tells us he is Belgian. Cool. Prosper tells him to settle down, because he is winning the Speed Tournament.
Jasper Troy vs. Keanu Carver vs. Josh Briggs
Josh bravely jumps Carver and Troy before the bell. Carver is sent from the ring, and Briggs works over Troy for a bit. Troy fights off Briggs, but Carver pulls Troy out of the ring and throws Troy into the ring steps.
Back in the ring, and Briggs overpowers Carver and hits a standing splash for a two. Carver throws Briggs into the corner and hits a back elbow. He picks up Briggs, but Troy is back and he takes down both men. Troy sends Briggs into the corner and then throws Carver into Briggs. Troy picks up Carver, but Briggs interrupts and Carver and Briggs hits a double chokeslam to Troy. Carver punches Briggs in the mouth and goes to pin Troy, but Briggs breaks it up.
Carver and Briggs do battle with Troy on the floor. Carver chokes out Briggs with his boot, and he sees Troy trying to get back into the ring, so Carver knocks him back to the floor. Carver beats up on Troy for a bit before going back into the ring. Briggs, like an idiot, runs into Carver, and Keanu picks him up and throws him to the mat face first. Briggs ends up on the floor, and Carver follows out. Briggs throws Carver into the ring steps and looks like he is constipated as we head out for the break.
Briggs was in control during the break, but Troy and Carver have a moment where they stomp Briggs into the corner. Troy fights Carver into the corner and then hits a lariat for a two. Big Irish Whip follows, but Troy misses the corner charge, and Carver pounds away on him. Carver chokes him with his boot, but Briggs is back. He hits a back suplex on Carver, but the pin is broken up by Troy.
Briggs and Troy come face to face, and Briggs fights with Troy to the corner. Briggs suplex attempt is avoided, as Troy throws Briggs to the mat. Jasper goes after Carver, and Briggs helps him with a shoulder tackle. Briggs tries to steal the pin, but Troy breaks it up. Troy says they aren’t doing this and they argue, allowing Carver to regain his footing. Briggs hits Troy with a running lariat, but Carver hits the powerslam on Briggs for a two.
Carver sizes up Troy now and his spine is put on the pine, but Jasper is out at two. Carver ragdolls Briggs and taunts him as he puts the boots to him in the corner. Troy is back to his feet and he stares down Carver. Both men trade hands, but Troy floors Carver with a clothesline. One for Briggs, and the Blackhole Slam to Briggs! Carver gets a choke slam from Troy, but he pins Briggs instead, who kicks out at two.
Troy climbs to the top, but Briggs knocks him from the top and down to the arena floor. Briggs and Carver lay in strikes from their knees and continue the fight from their feet. Carver off the ropes, but he eats a big boot from Briggs. Troy is back, and he bodies Briggs. Troy looking chokeslam on Briggs, but Carver drives Troy over the top and to the floor! Pounce to Briggs! Carver carves up Briggs for the win!
WINNER: Keanu Carver
TIME: 12:55
THOUGHTS: So King Kong, Godzilla, and Mecha Godzilla rumbled into downtown Tokyo. But seriously, this was a fun big man match, and the right man won.
RATING: ***1/2
Shiloh Hill and Tatum Paxley are in the back. Tatum says Blake is still obsessed with her and she even got a fake title. Hill says maybe she likes to horde items like an octopus or a magpie. He suggests giving her tin foil, and Tatum says she didn’t think about that. Ricky Saints is here, and he thinks they are laughing at him. He calls them weird, and Hill says they aren’t weird, and he should be more worried about DarkState after they already beat his ass. Ricky mocks laughter and takes off.
Oh, hey, that match is next!
Joe Hendry, Ricky Saints, Ethan Page, and NXT Men’s World Champion Tony D’Angelo vs. DarkState
Oh wow, DarkState entered from the back and not through the crowd. That’s different. The bell rings, and D’Angelo goes after DarkState. He ends up in their corner and gets stomped on by Lennox and James. Griffin and Shugars make sure they get their licks in as well.
Quick tags from DarkState, but D’Angelo manages to avoid three of the members and he double legs and hammers away on Shugars. Lennox in now, D’Angelo goes to tag Hendry, but Page tags in instead. Page with a scoop slam to Lennox and he hits an elbow. Thrust chop from Lennox and he tags in Shugars. Saquon eats a snap suplex for a two.
Saints with the blind tag, and Shugars rolls up Page not aware of the tag. Saints kicks Shugars off of Page and they argue. James in and he hits a Beal to Saints. Lennox and James let Saints escape and he tags in Hendry. Hendry decks Lennox with a clothesline and a shoulder tackle. Lennox escapes the next move and James is in. Hendry doesn’t care, though, and he hits a stalling vertical suplex, but that’s just a two.
Saints with that tag, and he corners James with a clothesline and chops. Ricky grabs the arm and does the Saints Strut on the top rope and comes down with the chop. He poses, but James can’t take advantage as he misses his lariat and gets pinned for a two off of a clothesline from Saints instead.
Page tags in, and he argues with Saints, but they inadvertently work together. Griffin has seen enough and he decks Page. Griffin slams Shugars on top of Page, but Ethan is able to tag in the Don. D’Angelo with scoop slams to Griffin and Shugars, but Lennox enters and he puts Tony’s spine on the pine. That takes us to the break.
D’Angelo is in trouble during the break. Tony finally escapes the corner and tags in Hendry. Joe with clotheslines and a fallaway slam to Lennox, but Shugars shuts him down. Griffin grounds Hendry and jams his knee into the spine of Hendry. He mocks Hendry’s stomp before tagging in Shugars.
Saquon applies a chin lock to Hendry. Joe gets to his feet and looks for separation. Shugars with a wild kick and he tags in James. But Hendry escapes and looks for a tag. D’Angelo is focused on Lennox, and Page and Saints don’t want the tag lol. James grounds Hendry, Joe to his feet, but James with a running back elbow. Stomps and a scoop slam to Hendry get Cutler a two.
James messes with Hendry’s hair and mocks him. He tags in Griffin, but Hendry tries to break free. James grabs Hendry and spins him around into a backbreaker. Griffin with a Vader Bomb to Hendry, but Page and Saints make the save. They argue with DarkState, and Lennox gets attacked on the floor by Myles Borne! He’s here for payback after he got attacked at Stand and Deliver!
Hendry FINALLY tags out and D’Angelo is in. Germans for everyone! Spinning Fisherman Buster to Shugars, but Griffin with the save. Page and Saints take him out. James clotheslines Saints and Page out of the ring, but D’Angelo takes care of him. Hendry clears the top rope and takes out everyone on the floor! SPEAR from D’Angelo to Shugars, but Page made the blind tag! He attacks D’Angelo from behind and hits Twisted Grin on Shugars for the win!
WINNERS: Tony D’Angelo, Ethan Page, Ricky Saints, and Joe Hendry
TIME: 15:00
THOUGHTS: Long periods of the face in peril aside, this wasn’t a bad match. Seeing the chicken shit heels work together with Tony and Joe was a fun development.
RATING: ***1/4
The Progressive Spotlight focuses on Jaida Parker and Kelani Jordan. Miss Parker says that instead of taking her loss like a woman, she got attacked from behind. But when Jaida confronted her at the PC, she folded like a cheap wallet. We see Parker try to get to Jordan, who was in her car in the parking lot. Parker says when she gets her hands on Jordan, you better clock that!
The Birthright are in support of Lexis King!
COMMERCIALS!
Men’s Speed Title Tourney Match: Lexis King vs. Chaz “Starboy” Hall
Oh, nice, happy to see Starboy in NXT! I mean, he’s not winning, but hey! The bell rings and three minutes are on the clock. Hall with strikes and a spinning back kick for a two. King runs into a snap Rana for another two. King with a knee to the gut to stop his momentum and a chop to follow. King’s Coronation is countered by a standing Sliced Bread. Standing Splash for another two.
Two minutes left, and King turns the tables and goes the top, but Hall knocks him to the floor. Starboy takes off with a cartwheel into a Tope to the floor! Hall heads to the top, but he misses the splash and King hits the Coronation for the win.
WINNER: Lexis King
TIME: 2:05
THOUGHTS: I mean, this is the simple case of doing minimal work and still getting the win. A good showing however for Starboy, but King wasn’t losing here.
RATING: N/R
Myles Borne is with Stone in the back. He says he owed Lennox after he attacked him at Stand and Deliver, but Stone says you can’t just go around attacking people. Tony D’Angelo shows up, and he says he took out each member of DarkState one by one, and he will do that to every challenger that Stone puts in front of him. He turns around, and Keanu Carver is there. They have a stare down.
The modern-day Daffney and Crowbar are here for their mixed tag match up next!
COMMERCIALS!
Preview for the new Shawn Micheals documentary greets us on the other side of the break. That documentary is available on Peacock this Monday the 13th!
Jackson Drake and Blake Monroe vs. Shiloh Hill and Women’s North American Champion Tatum Paxley
Blake and Tatum compare their title belts in the middle of the ring. A tug of war breaks out over both titles, as Tatum lets go and Monroe goes pot over tea kettle lol. The bell rings, as Monroe runs into a drop toe hold from Paxley. Monroe fights back, but Paxley scores with a scoop slam.
Hill and Drake get the tags now. Drake lays in some chops, but Hill eats them and he throws Drake on his face. He straddles Jackson over the rope, and he goes clubbing on Drake’s back. Jackson ends up on the floor, and Hill lays in forearms to Drake. Blake tries to protect Drake, but Paxley hits her with an enziguri. Hill scores a two off a flying clothesline.
Drake wants to tag in Monroe, but she begs off lol. Hill tags in Paxley, though, and Paxley grabs her by the hair. Roll-up by Paxley gets her a two. Tatum tries Cemetery Drive, but Drake pulls Monroe out of the way. Hill is in, and Paxley throws him into Drake in the corner. Double team submission by Hill and Paxley! Monroe and Drake escape, but Hill and Paxley knock them off the apron. Baylor and Smokes catch Monroe while letting Jackson hit the floor lol. That’ll take us to the break.
Paxley and Monroe end up in the ring, as Paxley lands a thrust kick. Monroe stumbles into the corner and that’s a tag to Drake. Hill is in, and he slams Jackson to the mat, and he hits his front flip splash for a two. Jackson fights back with a side suplex and a standing Shooting Star Press for a two.
Drake with a hammer throw to Hill, as Drake takes time to admire his work. He shoves his boot into Hill’s throat, and he poses like a douche. Drake into the cover for a two. Drake applies a chin lock, but Hill counters with arm control. Both men trade forearms as we return from the break. Hill with a back body drop. Hill knocks Baylor off the apron, while Monroe helps Drake take out Hill.
Drake mounts and punches Hill, the pin gets him a two. Basement dropkick from Drake for another two. Hill back to his feet and he hits a powerbomb. Monroe is in and she tries to stop Hill from tagging out, but Shiloh tags out. Paxley in and she hits both Monroe and Drake with a dropkick. Neck breaker to Monroe and a sit-down driver for a two.
Paxley pulls Monroe to her corner and goes to the top. Baylor is on the apron again, but Paxley kicks him away. Hill hits a tope to both Baylor and Smokes on the floor, but in the confusion, Drake sacrifices himself so Monroe can hit the Snapshot DDT for the win!
WINNERS: Blake Monroe and Jackson Drake
TIME: 11:10
THOUGHTS: Vic said that if Monroe won, she was going to get another shot at the North American Title, so her being the one to win this match made total sense. It was a good match, not great, but good enough.
RATING: ***1/2
Sarah Schriber and Stone are in his office. He is happy to announce that next week starts a two-week edition of NXT Revenge! He runs over matches that he has signed for the next two weeks, including the debut of Kali Armstrong. Both Sarah and Robert say they are excited to hear what the new Women’s Champion has to say.
And to that end, we see Lola Vice walking with her AAA mixed tag team title and her new NXT Women’s Title! She’s going to celebrate next!
COMMERCIALS!
Kali Armstrong vignette when we return. She’s been on food stamps and lived in section eight, but she wasn’t raised to be no quitter. She is the Emperor of Women’s Wrestling, and with Kali Armstrong, what you see is what you get!
We see the events of the 8-man match at the top of the first hour. Stone has signed a Men’s World Title match for next week between D’Angelo and Page. We’ll also get a Hendry concert, and Parker and Jordan will throw down in the ring!
Lola Vice is here to celebrate. Queue the highest rated segment of the week incoming! Hola, NXT! I am your next NXT Women’s Champion! At Stand and Deliver, I became the first Cuban American Champion in WWE history. And I have been dreaming of this moment for so long. But I am not going to lie, I thought I was ready for this title when I walked in the door. I know it sounded crazy, but hear me out. In 2022, I was the biggest signing of the year. the WWE did a tour of my transition from MMA to WWE. I thought I was going straight to the top, but I got humbled. I took L’s, I wiped out and started over again.
I learned my place in this division. And now, looking back, I wasn’t ready, but she went to AAA and she learned, and she took Vice City around the world. She made sure there were no questions left, and this Lola is ready! She is undeniable! And this isn’t confidence, but earning something is better than being handed it. She is a WWE Superstar.
But Fatal Influence are here! Jacy Jayne tells her to enjoy this win, because it will be the last one that she gets at her expense. She has been down this road before, and all you did was set her up to become a record breaker. Lainey Reid says that she is a trend setter and she evolves. Jacy says that is true, and she wants to know if the fans are done booing her.
Lola goes to interject, but Jacy says she isn’t done. She held that Women’s Title for 281 days. You left her no choice, she wants her rematch!
Stone is here. He says that Jacy will get her title rematch next week at NXT Revenge. Vice calls Jayne El Stupida and she gets jumped by Fatal Influence. Vice fights back and sends Reid and Henley from the ring. She loads up a back fist for Jayne, but Jacy escapes. Vice poses and shimmies with her titles, and with that, we are done!
