wrestling / TV Reports
Jeremy’s WWE NXT Review 11.28.23
Image Credit: WWE
Loading...Hello everyone, and welcome to our live WWE NXT coverage right here on 411! Jeremy Thomas here with you as always, and tonight Wes Lee fights for a shot against Dominik Mysterio for an NXT North American Championship match. But to earn it he’ll have to face three former NA Champions in Bronson Reed, Cameron Grimes and Johnny Gargano. In addition, Tony D’Angelo and Stacks will defend the NXT Tag Team Championships against Angel Garza and Humberto Carrillo while the Iron Survivor Challenge Qualifiers continue with Eddy Thorpe vs. Bron Breakker and Kelani Jordan vs. Kiana James. There’s plenty of fun in those matches on paper, so hopefully we’re in for a good time.
Meanwhile, I’m busy with movies as always at Thomas HQ. Over the last week I caught the good-if-not-great GameStop short-sell movie Dumb Money, which has a fantastic cast but fell just short of being top-notch. I had a rough period after that as I caught up on 2023 releases with the overlong Heart of Stone and the joyless, dull The Mother, both on Netflix. The White Men Can’t Jump remake wasn’t much better, and the derivative AI sci-fi action drama Simulant is a worst of the year contender. Even Wes Anderson’s Asteroid City, which is objectively well-made, left me completely cold and Shudder’s Bad Things did some interesting stuff but played like a worse version of The Shining.
Fortunately things picked up from there with the intense fact-based drama Reality and then a rewatch of the Roger Ebert documentary life Itself, which got me emotional again nine years after I first watched it. And the week ended on a down note with the John Cena & Alison Brie action comedy Freelance, which is never funny and not very exciting.
On TV, I’m staying caught up on Drag Race UK season five, Drag Race Canada season four and The Boulet Brothers’ Dragula season five, all great. I also got around to watching the second batch of episodes of Netflix’s Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal which was quite good, and have started rewatching Jody Whittaker’s Doctor Who’s run to refresh my memory now that the new specials are airing. They’re pretty great.
Anyway, we’re gonna have a lot to cover tonight so let’s hop right in.
As a reminder, the GoFundMe for Larry’s daughters is still active and if you can make a donation, that would be awesome. Thank you so much to everyone who’s done so thus far.
* We’re LIVE in the Capitol Wrestling Center and kicking off with the Tag Team Title match.
NXT Tag Team Championship Match
Tony D’Angelo & Stacks vs. Humberto Carrillo & Angel Garza
We start off with the champs attacking the challengers during their entrance. Angel and Humberto turn it around and send the champs into the ring, but they argue with the ref — and Stacks DIVES onto both of them!
The bell rings with Tony pounding on Humberto, Stacks tags in and hits a neckbreaker to Humberto off Tony’s shoulder for two. He climbs on Humberto in the corner and hits a seven-count worth of punches before getting thrown off, Humberto with a kick to a charging Stacks. Stacks drop-toe holds Humbert into the middle rope and tags in Tony D who hits a belly-to-belly suplex.
Tony lays in some punches and then hits another belly-to-belly. He catches Humberto in a front chancery for punches to the side. Angel comes in to break it up and gets caught for his own side punches before Angel hits a springboard enzuigiri. Tony back in the hostile corner, Angel stomps him down to the mat.
Angel with an uppercut and chop against the ropes, Humberto in but he gets speared down and Stacks tags in hot for lariats and clotheslines to both challengers. He charges in but Garza saves HUmberto and Stacks hits the corner hard. Angel tags in and chops Stacks, snapmare and basement dropkick for two.
Stacks is fighting back but eats a big shot, Humberto tags in and they flip him onto the mat, big kick to the head gets two. Humberto and Stacks trade blows, Humberto shot into the ropes, blind tag and Tony catches HUmberto, Euro uppercut into a German suplex for two. Tony puts Humberto on the top and Stacks is up on the other side but Garza trips up Stacks and Humberto gets knocked to the mat. Garza and Carrillo in control and they slam Stacks to the mat as we go to PIP break.
Back from break as HUmberto pulls Stacks to the apron and holds him there, Garza charges in but Stacks moves and makes the hot tag. Tony comes in and suplexes Carrillo multiple times, half-and-half into the corner and Garza with the blind tag. Tony grabs Humberto and tags Stacks but Garza takes him out.
Stacks with a roll-up to Humberto and puts him in the corner, Garza with the blind tag and Garza grab Stacks on his shoulders, Humberto with a dropkick for two. It goes chaotic, Stacks hits a modified DDT and a knee to the back for two.
Humberto distracts the ref while Angel gets a low blow! Garza with a double underhook piledriver but Stacks kicks out at two. Tony in now, they take out Angel and Tony says he loves Stacks before throwing him ONTO Carillo on the outside! Tony gets the pinfall.
Winner: Tony D’Angelo & Stacks (12:27)
Rating: ***
Thoughts: Good, fast-paced match that had some solid spots here. The champs’ retention was obvious but Angel and Humberto had a decent showing.
* Earlier today, a bunch of guys were watching the Ilja & Corbin vignette from last week. Axiom and Nathan Frazer talk about how Ilja has made so many sacrifices, but they’d rather have Corbin’s life. Ilja walks in and says is Nathan saying that Ilja is doing the wrong thing? Nathan says no and Ilja says Nathan has no respect for him. Nathan says he respects Ilja but would rather have Corbin’s life. Ilja says they’re far beyond the point of apologies, and Nathan says he’s too wound up. Ilja says he knows how to solve this.
* We get the video of Jerry Lawler selecting the Iron Survivor Qualifying matches for tonight in Bron vs. Thorpe and Kelani vs. Kiana.
* We get a vignette recapping Johnny Gargano’s history with the NXT North American Championship.
* Briggs is being celebrated by Fallon and Jensen about his win last week, which he calls the biggest of his career. He says no one believed in him except them, and Lexis King walks up and says that Briggs knocked it out of the park with his help. He talks up Fallon but notes that no one selected Jensen. Jensen says he’s stirring the pot and Briggs says King will face Brooks tonight. King says it sounds like a party.
* Nikkita Lyons has been training in her Instagram videos, and she’s here in the audience.
Iron Survivor Qualifying Match
Kiana James vs. Kelani Jordan
Kiana and Kelani circle and Kiana gets a shot to the side. Kelani ducks a couple clotheslines and goes for a waistlock but James with a back elbow. She gets Kelani in the corner and beats on her, handsprings out and splashes Kelani. Whip across the ring, Kiana charges in but Kelani up and over and hits a dropkick.
Jordan with shoulders to the gut in the corner, Irish whip reversed, but Kelani with a headlock takedown in the center of the ring. Kiana turns it into a headscissors, Kelani kips up out of it and goes right back to the headlock on the mat. Back to their feet, Kiana tries to power out but Kelani cinches in until Kiana grabs the hair to reverse the hold. Kiana shot into the ropes and runs Kelani over, into the ropes again and they avoid each other, Jordan goes for a springboard armdrag which goes slightly wrong so they repeat it.
Jordan sends Kiana outside and goes to quickly roll her in, but James escapes to the other side. Jordan follows but gets tripped and Kiana picks her up to slam her face-first on the booth as we go to PIP break.
We’re back as Kelani is back in control and takes down Kiana before hitting a somersault legdrop for two. She sets Kiana up but gets countered with a spinebuster for two. James goes at Kelani and gets her on her shoulders, Kelani slides down and they trade shots in the ring. Kelani with a modified neck breaker for two.
Jordan beats on James in the corner and puts her on the top rope, she climbs up and goes for a suplerplex but Kiana blocks it. She shoves Kelani off to the top with a throat shot, then hits the 401K. She goes to finish Kiana and Roxanne rings the bell to distract her! Jordan nails Kiana and hits the split-legged moonsault for three.
Winner: Kelani Jordan (10:12)
Rating: ** 1/2
Thoughts: A few fumbles here, but this was a perfectly competent match all in all. Some won’t like the distraction but it’s a nice bit of revenge and I’m down with Kelani moving to Deadline.
* We get Cameron Grimes’ vignette of his road to the North American Championship and title reign ahead of the main event. Hey, remember when he looked like he was going somewhere in WWE?
* Alpha Academy are here and Gable talks about how close he was to win the Heritage Cup. Maxxine wants to get her hands on Lash and Otis does too, just in a different way. Gable calls Meta-Four savage idiots and they issue a six-person mixed tag match challenge. They want their answer tonight.
* NXT Anonymous got the surveillance video of Trick Williams’ attack and Lexis was seen following Trick. Don’t see the actual attack so that’s an obvious swerve.
* It’s time for Andre Chase’s press conference. He walks in and stands at the podium, introducing himself as the founder of Chase U. He thanks to the investigators and the Chase U student body, faculty and staff. He says we’re at a history-making moment of time for NXT and would like to address the news of Chase U as being under investigation. He wants to be forthcoming but there is an investigation so he’s limited as to what he can say.
Chase says there has been evidence of gambling and misuse of funds, saying that it’s all true and Chase U is in severe debt. He will work to pay back the debts and restore Chase U to what it is. That’s all he can share now. When asked questions, he says it’s a significant amount of money. He has his suspicions on how it’s been leaked but he can’t share them. He apologizes to the student body and will address them at the next assembly before ending the press conference.
Iron Survivor Qualifying Match
Bron Breakker vs. Eddy Thorpe
Thorpe is still selling the beatdown from last week with tape on his ribs. Bron likes that. Thorpe with some thigh kicks to start, he catches Bron’s arm but gets shoved away. Thorpe with a waistlock but Bron picks him up for a bodyslam. Bron with a waistlock, he roles with Eddie on the mat and picks him up for a suplex but Eddy escapes, into the ropes and he hits a dropkick sending Bron to the outside.
Bron back in and charges at Eddy, leapfrog, crossbody by Eddy is caught into a powerslam. Eddy to the outside, Bron follows and throws him into the guardrail. Bron rolls Eddy back in but Thorpe fights back, Bron backs Thorpe into the corner and drives the shoulders in.
Thorpe set on the top, Eddy shoves Bron back and hits a crossbody. Chops by Eddy, he goes for a suplex but his side gives out. Brown picks Eddy up and drops him into a double gutbuster for two as we go to PIP break.
We’re back as Bron has Thorpe in a Rack, but Thorpe escapes and rolls Bron up. Crossbody off the ropes by Thorpe, he’s slow to get up and Bron nails him with a shot. They trade blows back and forth, Thorpe with kicks but gets caught into a release German suplex. Bron whips Eddy hard into the corner, then picks him up to do it again. Bron talks some shit to Eddy saying he can’t hang with him and is nothing. Eddy is fired up and lays in some fists. Back elbow to Bron and Eddy ducks a clothesline, then lays in the fists. He trips Bron down and hits a back suplex on Brown, then another.
Bron takes back over and gets Thorpe on his shoulder, but Thorpe slides down and hits a suplex. Bron pops up and hits the spear for three.
Winner: Bron Breakker (10:12)
Rating: ***
Thoughts: Very good TV match here. Eddy has an excuse for the loss through those injured ribs and he hung well in there with Bron.
* Trick Williams is pissed in the locker room and Hayes walks in. They talk about the attack and Hayes says he knew it was King. Hayes says King cost him too last week. Hayes suggests some revenge against King in his match tonight but Trick says that while he wants to get King, he has to keep his eyes on the prize. Trick says they’re past attacking people and Hayes isn’t sure, but eventually agrees.
* Roxanne says that if she can’t be in the Iron Survivor, neither can Kiana. Ava says there’s a Last Chance match next week for those who didn’t qualify. Roxy says she’ll qualify, Tiffany talks some shit and it turns into a backstage fight.
* We get Bronson Reed’s NA Title vignette.
Non-Title Match
Ilja Dragunov vs. Nathan Frazer
Ilja leaps into a knee to Frazer at the bell and stomps away at him, then drops for mounted punches. He picks Frazer up and puts him in the corner for a big chop, then puts him in the other corner for a chop. Whip across the ring, he charges and Frazer gets the feet up but Ilja with rapid-fire chops to follow up.
Ilja with a German suplex, he holds on but Frazer tries to elbow out. No dice, Ilja with the second German and then goes for the third but Frazer nearly breaks it — no dice, and Ilja with the third German.
Punch to Frazer, he goes for a powerbomb but Frazer counters with a rana. Frazer with fists to Ilja and knocks him down, he ducks a clothesline and hits a knee. Frazer with a huge kick to the chest, cover gets two.
Frazer with a chop in the corner, Ilja to the next corner and gets chopped again. Ilja reverses an Irish whip, Frazer escapes to the outside for a kick and hits a springboard front dropkick! Frazer grabs Ilja for a suplex, Ilja blocks it and hits a shoulderblock. German suplex but Frazer lands on his feet, Ilja through the ropes but Frazer follows and takes him down. Phoenix Splash but Ilja moves. He hits a powerbomb and an H Bomb, he covers but stands up at two and hits another H Bomb! Third finishes it.
Winner: Ilja Drugnov (5:25)
Rating: *** 1/2
Thoughts: For a five minute match this was stellar. It was basically the best extended squash you could hope for and kudos to both these guys for absolutely KILLING it.
Afterward, Corbin appears on the Tron from his den and says he’s talking to Ilja through a screen the way Ilja talks to his family. He says Ilja beat the living hell out of his friend just because Frazer said Corbin’s life is better, which it is. Ilja is just here for that title which is the only thing Corbin lacks. So he’s taking the title at Deadline and he’ll have everything while Ilja has nothing. Corbin says that he’ll pay for Ilja’s plane ticket home and says they’ll be face to face next week at Deadline.
* McKenzie congratulates Lyra on her win next week and asks what’s next. She says next is Deadline and runs down the competitors in the Iron Survivor Challenge and says either way, Deadline is gonna be —
Fallon walks in and says she’s making the most of next week and will win at Deadline. Lyra says if she wins, she’ll look forward to the match. Someone appears in the corner and talks weird, I didn’t catch who it was but neither Fallon or Lyra say she’s with them.
* We get a vignette with Karmen Petrovic where she says Arianna Grace makes everything about herself. Grace is a decorated beauty queen but she’s a decorated martial artist. She thinks it’s time she kicks Grace’s mouth shut.
* Meta-Four appear backstage and Noam Dar says Alpha Academy are dafties making demands. Jakra, Lash and Ora talk Noam up. Dar says Gable ran him close but he survived the ankle lock and says nothing would make them happier than beating a team like Alpha Academy so he, Ora and Lash will see them next week.
* Joe Gacy is talking about how we’ve forgotten him so he’s decided he needs a better perspective. He’s below the ring and wonders if it will be a successful victory and an agonizing belief. He’s dealing with his new perspective but it’s hard and he doesn’t wish it on his worst enemy, then babbles a bit more.
Karmen Petrovic vs. Arianna Grace
Lockup to start, Petrovic backed into the ropes and they jockey for control. Ref calls for the break and Grace tells Karmen to kiss the ring, Karmen kicks the hand. Lock back up, Grace with a knee to the gut and slams Karmen to the mat before saying to kiss the ring. Karmen slaps the hand away and knocks Grace down, she goes to kick Grace who backs into the corner.
Karmen tells Grace to kiss her hand and Grace charges right into a wristlock. Petrovic controls Grace by her wrist and elbow, she flips Grace over but Grace covers for two to break it up. Karmen gets backed into the corner, she hits an elbow and goes for a suplex but Karmen counters with a wristlock takedown and cover for two.
Grace lays in some punches and then stomps on Grace against the ropes, Gacy runs out from under the ring, grabs the ringbell and runs as we go to break. Dafuq?
We’re back and apparently we don’t need a bell for a match. Grace has Karmen in a rear chinlock and Petrovic gets to her knees before being yanked back down. She slams Karmen back to the mat twice and covers for two. Grace right back into the chinlock with the arm trapped, Karmen to her feet but gets a knee to the gut. Karmen comes off the ropes and lays into Grace, she knocks Grace down and hits a spinning kick to the back of the head. Grace into the ropes for a kick to the gut, back kick and cover by Karmen for two.
Irish whip blocked by Grace, who kicks Karmen in the arm. Petrovic jumps on Grace’s back for a sleeper, snapmare counter. Grace backed into the corner, the ref tries to separate them and Grace hits a thumb to the eye. She slams Petrovic down for three.
Winner: Arianna Grace (9:04)
Rating: ** 1/2
Thoughts: Match was fine — Grace needs a more reliable top, but it was functionally decent. But the Gacy stuff is just fucking stupid and actively took away from my enjoyment of the match.
Gacy rings the bell from the crowd post-match. Right then.
* McKenzie asks Wes about his match tonight. Lee says tonight’s gonna be a big night and the man defines the title, but he’s attached so he has to be the won to beat Dom at Deadline. But tonight he has Reed, Grimes and one of the greatest to step into NXT in Gargano. But Dom knows he’s willing to do anything to get the title back. McKenzie asks if he doesn’t win, and he says no risk, no reward.
Brooks Jensen vs. Lexis King
Lockup to start, Jensen shoves King into the corner. He catches King’s boot and nails him, King into the ropes but right into a big boot. King to the outside, Brooks follows and they batter each other outside. Brooks takes over and climbs up top, he leaps onto King as we go to PIP break.
Back from break and King is delivering mounted punches as Hayes and Trick walks backstage. Hayes says he’s gonna go handle something, I wonder what? Anyway, King with a knee lift and he covers Jensen for two.
King with elbows to the shoulder and a chinlock, Jensen gets to his feet but gets snapmared down for two. King with kicks to the back but Jensen is back up. King nails him, snapmares him and goes back to the chinlock. Jensen stands with King on his back and slams King into the corner. But King with a knee to the head, into the ropes but Jensen picks him up for a back suplex.
Jenson up and hits a back elbow and another, inverted atomic drop and a BIG superkick! King sends Jensen in the corner, Jensen with the boot up, Jensen flips up to the top for a missile dropkick for a nearfall.
King charges in for a backdrop as Hayes runs up to come in but Briggs stops him. King uses the distraction for the Coronation DDT for three.
Winner: Lexis King (8:17)
Rating: ** 3/4
Thoughts: Good match, it didn’t hit the next level but both King and Jensen did their part here. This was to play up the Hayes vs. King & Williams storyline and that’s fine, it wasn’t a bad match and we do need to see King get built up a bit.
* A video recounts the rules for the Iron Survivor Challenge, which are definitely not overly complex for the sake of complexity.
Set For Next Week:
– Men’s Iron Survivor Last Chance Qualifier
– Women’s Iron Survivor Last Chance Qualifier
– Alpha Academy vs. Meta-Four
Wes Lee vs. Bronson Reed vs.
Johnny Gargano vs. Cameron Grimes
Everyone stares off until Reed runs over Lee. Gargano and Grimes double team Reed, but Reed takes them bout out with a clothesline. He catches Lee and hangs him over the rope, then pulls the rope so Lee goes FLYING into the air onto Grimes and Gargano! And we’re on PIP break.
We’re back as Reed his holding Gargano in a delayed vertical suplex. Gargano tries to knee out of it but gets slammed down. Reed gets Grimes on his shoulders but Lee kicks him and everyone follows suit. They charge in to hit clotheslines and splashes on Reed in the corner and Gargano & Grimes throw Lee into a dropkick on Reed, sending him to the outside!
Lee with a waistlock on Gargano, we get a series of reversals off the ropes and Lee with a big kick to Grimes. Lee and Gargano stare off with a smile and Lee extends a hand — Gargano takes it! Lock up, Gargano dodges kicks and they do a series of ducks and dodges before showing respect.
Reed slides in but Gargano and Lee duck. Reed catches Gargano and then Lee for a double uranage! Reed catches a kick from Grimes and slams him down, then puts Grimes on his shoulders. Grimes escapes and goes for a sunset flip, Reed holds on and catches a crossbody. But Gargano catapults Reed into a low blow headbutt!
Reed is out of the ring and Grimes takes over on Lee and Gargano. Diving dropkick off the ropes to Gargano, he hits a back elbow to Lee and double rana’s Lee and Gargano. Grimes with a charging clothesline to Lee, they do some running and Lee dives through the ropes onto Reed. Gargano with a charging kick to Grimes on the apron and then dives onto Reed, then back into the ring to dive on Lee — then one more to dive onto Grimes!
Gargano rolls Grimes in but Grimes with a shot to him. Grimes off the ropes — SLINGSHOT SPEAR by Gargano, who covers but Lee breaks it up. Lee with punches and kicks to Gargano, he leapfrogs off Gargano into a double knee to Grimes for a nearfall.
Reed in now and gets kicked by Lee. Lee with a springboard double knee CAUGHT by Reed, DVD and a cover for almost three. Grimes is battering Reed but gets sent into the corner, Grimes with an enzuigiri and goes up top — HIGH CROSSBODY for two-plus. Grimes is up but gets shoved by Lee. Gargano catches Reed but gets planted with a slam. Reed puts Lee up top and then gets Gargano and Grimes on him — he adds Lee and slams them ALL down! Reed covers but Grimes kicks out at the last moment.
Reed puts Grimes on the top rope and decks him before climbing up. Grimes with shots to the back and a sunset flip bomb attempt — Lee and Gargano join in and they powerbomb Reed down!
Lee is caught with a forearm from Grimes, they and Gargano trade shots. Lee is swinging, he ducks a kick that hits Gargano and comes of the ropes with a rough crossbody for two. Savate kick by Lee, off the ropes and Grimes with the 360 crossbody for two! Grimes goes to go up but Gargano stops him. Gargano hits the Gargano Escape on Grimes, Lee breaks it up with a senton.
Reed picks Lee up for a buckle bomb and then sentons Gargano, one more for Grimes. He charges at Lee who dodges in the corner, Reed up top but gets kicked. Lee up on Grimes but gets picked up and Reed leaps off the ropes to toss Lee onto Gargano and Grimes! Reed up top for the Tidal Wave — Ivar is here and attacks Reed! Reed and Ivar are battling on the outside and to the back.
In the ring we get a few pinning sequences before Lee manages to hit the Cardiac Kick on Grimes for the pin.
Winner: Wes Lee (17:16)
Rating: ****
Thoughts: What more could you want from this? Fabulous work here that delivered in about every way. Lee had to get he win so there wasn’t much suspense there, but the road to that win was fantastic.
Dom isn’t happy and talks shit with Lee.
Roxy is battling Kiana James in the parking lot as security tries to break it up.
And with that, we’re done for the night!
