wrestling / TV Reports
Cook’s NXT No Mercy 2025 Review
Image Credit: WWE
Loading...Hey kids! Steve Cook here with you for NXT No Mercy 2025! We’ve got four title matches, a Weaponized Steel Cage Match and so much more in store for the NXT Superstars tonight. It’s already been a busy couple of days for NXT, with Kelani Jordan adding yet another TNA title to the fold last night at Victory Road by winning their Knockouts Championship. Shoutout to Ash by Elegance, who had to forfeit that championship. We wish her nothing but the best. It’s Saturday night, which someone once told me was a good time for fighting.
Cook’s NXT No Mercy 2025 Review
Then. Now. Forever. Together!
We’re in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida! Lola Vice is WALKING! Jacy Jayne & Fallon Henley are WALKING! Jordynne Grace is WALKING! Blake Monroe is WALKING AND IN PIGTAILS! Ricky Saints is WALKING! Oba Femi is WALKING!
We get a video package talking about the Sunshine State & No Mercy.
Je’Von Evans vs. Josh Briggs: Vic Joseph & Booker T are at ringside to call the action. Evans attacks right away with a boot, Briggs takes Evans outside and rams him into the apron. Evans vaults over the barricade, punches Briggs and sends him into the barricade. Crossbody in the ring gets two. Tornado DDT, big kick to Briggs in the ring. Briggs powers Evans into the corner. Briggs beals Evans. Elbow drop gets two. Briggs stands on Evans’ back. Evans hits some shots, a rollup for two. Backbreakers by Briggs. Two count. Briggs talks some trash before a hard Irish whip. Another one. The fans don’t seem too fond of Briggs. Evans with an elbow in the corner, a punch, more punches, enziguri in the corner, but Briggs shoves Evans off the apron into the barrier. Evans breaks the 10 count. Briggs drops Evans but misses the follow-up. Briggs gets punched by Evans and Evans hits a German suplex. Evans’ strikes don’t have much effect on Briggs at first, eventually they do once he gets bouncey. Briggs begs off in the corner before Evans gives him some. Briggs down in the corner, Evans wants to go coast to coast, Briggs goes outside, so Evans splashes him out there instead. Back in the ring, frog splash by Evans gets 2! I wish I was as confident as the fans there thinking that was it. Briggs with some shots to Evans, hits a Northern Lariat for two. Sunset flip from Evans gets two, strike exchange puts Evans down. Backbreaker by Briggs, a GTS modification gets two. Briggs sets Evans up for a chokeslam from the top rope, Evans flips out! PK from Evans, Evans springboards into a chokeslam from Briggs for two! Briggs goes over the top rope, catches Evans on the follow-up dive, gets him back in the ring and hits a lariat for two. Evans won’t let Briggs go up the ropes, Briggs catches him with a kick, Evans counters with a cutter, then hits a top rope Cody cutter for the three count!
Winner: Je’Von Evans (16:28 via pinfall)
Match Rating: **3/4
Everybody keeps telling me that Evans is the future of the business. I’m not sure I see that, he’s a talented kid but I’ve seen a ton of talented kids. He’ll certainly have a spot at the table.
We go back to last Tuesday night when Mike Santana got provoked while on commentary and the rest of the TNA folks in the building had his back. Vic tells us we’ll hear from Ava on that matter. Then we see Kelani Jordan win the Knockouts Championship last night at Victory Road. Kelani gets the old saying of “fortune favors the bold” now. She’ll defend NXT & TNA wherever she goes. No one can do it like Lani!
WWE Women’s Speed Championship Match: Sol Ruca (c) (w/Zaria) vs. Jaida Parker: Five minute time limit for this match, which takes the old TV Title rules to an extreme. Sol & Jaida trade nearfalls right away. Sol stretches Jaida on the ropes, knocks her outside. Cannonball onto Parker on the outside! Sol slides right into a punch from Jaida. Jaida goes on the offensive. Backcracker from Sol, Jaida blocks the Snatcher and smashes Sol in the corner. Falcon Arrow gets two. Front suplex from Parker, Sol hits a running knee that knocks Parker outside. Then Sol vaults into a strike from Parker. Back in the ring, Sol hits a DDT for 2. Samoan drop by Jaida, Sol on the apron, catches Jaida on the top rope and drags her outside. They brawl amongst the steps, Sol misses a move and Jaida hits one, but she needs to get back in the ring. Lash Legend appears and gets speared by Zaria, Sol hits the Snatcher in the ring on Jaida and gets the three count.
Winner: Sol Ruca (4:48 via pinfall)
Match Rating: **1/4
I’ll be honest, this is the first Speed title match I’ve watched. The show started on X right around the same time I distanced myself from that platform due to its toxicity, and good God trying to tell any kind of story in 5 minutes is ridiculous. I’m a big Sol Ruca fan and she makes things work, so this wasn’t bad. I can’t say I want to see too many more 5 minute time limit matches, so hopefully Sol unifies this title with a legit title at some point and we move on.
Kelly Kincaid talks to Joe Hendry after he lost to Dark State last episode. The faction tells him it’s on sight. Joe seems to think about joining them. Booker thinks he should!
Weaponized Steel Cage Match: Jordynne Grace vs. Blake Monroe: They go at it right away. The pink steel chair misses, Blake hits some shots with the pink kendo stick. Grace fights back, then spinebusts Blake onto the chair for two. Blake gets put in a Boston Crab with the chair over her face. Jordynne places the chair in the corner. After some teases, Grace runs into the chair in the corner. Blake sends Grace into the cage a couple of times. Blake empties the pink trash can before smashing Grace with it for two. Blake drives the kendo stick into Jordynne’s hand. Blake has a hair dryer that she uses to tie Grace’s hands to the ropes. Blake gets some scissors out, and she cuts some hair! OK, that’s kinda wild. Grace fights back and realizes a lot of her hair is gone and beats up Blake. Grace hits a Samoan drop off the ropes for two. Grace takes the belt to Monroe. Blake fights back. She beats Grace along the cage, but Grace gets her leg on the ropes before the three count. Blake has a bag of thumbtacks, I can only assume that Abyss booked this match. Grace suplexes Monroe onto the thumbtacks! Now we’re setting up for a super plex onto tacks, but Monroe reverses, sticks Grace’s face into a trashcan filled with tacks and stomps it, only two. Monroe places a table into the ring, she gets rammed into the cage so Grace can set up the table. They fight up to the top of the cage. Blake’s got some powder, she throws it into Jordynne’s eyes! Oh no. Jordynne Air Raid Crashes Blake through the table and gets the three count!
Winner: Jordynne Grace (16:13 via pinfall)
Match Rating: ***
The thing that annoyed me the most about this match: the pink weapons. Why are we acting like women need weapons of different colors to attack each other? It looked kinda dumb.
Ava tells us about the October 7th episode of NXT getting branded as Invasion.
Lash Legend comes out to tell us that taking Zaria’s spear was worth it, and she wants to lead the NXT women’s team against TNA. Jaida Parker attacks Lash.
Lainey Reid is pissed off, and the moment she gets cleared she’ll win the Speed title. Lola Vice tries to cheer her up and gets dismissed. Doesn’t seem like a smart move.
NXT North American Championship Match: Ethan Page (c) vs. Tavion Heights: Page works a headlock early. They trade some punches. Heights gains the advantage. Heights dropkicks Page onto the ramp, Page backdrops Heights onto said ramp. Back suplex in the ring gets two. Heights gets whipped into the turnbuckle. Heights gets vertical suplexed for two. Ethan goes to that go-behind to wear Heights down. He backbreaks Heights on the top turnbuckle. Booker talks Ethan up while he looks at the table. Heights fights back. Straps come down. Ankle lock on Page! Page locks in a Boston crab. Heights breaks it with the ropes. Page catches Heights up top, gets caught in a sleeper hold. Page powerslams Heights off the turnbuckle, hits a cutter for three.
Winner: Ethan Page (10:19 via pinfall)
Match Rating: **1/2
Did anybody think that Ethan wouldn’t defend his title here? Nope! This was one of those nice matches where the outcome was never in doubt.
El Hijo del Dr. Wagner Jr. issues a challenge to Ethan!
Kelly talks to Myles Bourne. Then we go on social media and Mike Santana tells us he’s coming back next Tuesday, and won’t be coming alone.
NXT Women’s Championship Match: Jacy Jayne (c) (w/Fallon Henley) vs. Lola Vice: Tieup goes to a headlock by Jacy, Lola tries to work out but Jacy has the edge. Shoulder block and a senton. Lola trying for a cross armbreaker. Headlock by Lola. Jayne fights back, stomps Lola down in the corner. Lola hits Jacey in the body, then a snap suplex gets one. Lola kicks Jacy out of the ring. Lola smashes Jacy into the announce table, but then Fallon has the DISTRACTION and Lola gets killed. Sling blade by Jacy gets two. Lola fights a kick off, gets backstabbed for two. Jayne hits a forearm for two. Lola keeps looking for a submission. Jayne misses in the corner and keeps getting kicked. Lola with some kicks! Some smashes in the corner, back suplex sends Jayne rolling out onto the floor. Vice dives onto Henley, but Jayne takes her out with a pump kick. Lola landed a KO blow, but Fallon pulled the referee out at the right time. Fallon has been ejected! Jayne covers for two, Lola locks in a rear naked choke! Jacy fights out. Backfist from Jacy gets two. Elbows from Jacy in the corner. Jacy gets elbowed. Lola hits a tornado DDT into a guillotine choke! Jacy fights out. Lola kicks Jacy in the corner. Jacy catches Lola up top. Back suplex off the top, a running knee gets 2! Jacy gets the title belt, the referee blocks, rollup by Vice gets two, some rollups here, Vice with some kicks, a backfist sends her out of the ring and some hooded figure knocks Vice out! Oh that’s some bullshit. Vice beats the ten count, but Jayne hits a rolling elbow to get the three count.
Winner: Jacy Jayne (18:35 via pinfall)
Match Rating: **1/4
I would like to think more of this match, but one of these wrestlers has an unlimited future and the other doesn’t, and the one that doesn’t seems to be Shawn’s project. So it’s like Jerry Lawler beating Hulk Hogan back in the day.
NXT Championship Match: Oba Femi (c) vs. Ricky Saints: Saints with some shots, tries a sunset flip, Femi slams him into the mat. Femi headlock takeovers Saints. Femi bodyslams Saints. Saints kicks Femi down. Saints hits a dropkick, sends Femi to the floor, gets hit by Femi. Backbreaker by Femi, another one. Three backbreakers get a two count. Femi just dominating this guy. Saints trying to come back, he gets planted for two. Saints hits a Samoan Drop for two. Femi swats that spear away, hits a European uppercut for two. Ricky hits a spear for two. Ricky hits the power bomb for two! Strikes exchanged. Femi with a big shot, Saints rolls through a pin cover for two! Femi keeps hitting shots! Tough to keep Saints down. Femi clears the announce table. Saints ends up DDTing Femi on the table! Tornado DDT on the floor! Femi kicks Saints’ teeth into his mouth! Powerbomb gets two! Oba is beside himself, Booker & I are as well! Ricky blocks a move and hits a DDT for three!
Winner: Ricky Saints (17:22 via pinfall)
Match Rating: ***
On one hand I’m kind of surprised, but on the other hand Ricky is Cody’s boy and I don’t know if anyone has Oba Femi’s back.
If you’d like to chime in with your own thoughts on tonight’s show, feel free to join your fellow 411 Maniacs down in the comment section! As the legendary Larry Csonka always said: Have fun and don’t be a dick. When I’m not here you can catch me on the social media from time to time.
