wrestling / TV Reports
Jeremy’s WWE NXT Review 2.25.25
Image Credit: WWE
Loading...Hello everyone, and welcome to our live WWE NXT coverage on 411! It’s Jeremy Thomas, and we have a busy night for the TNA and NXT partnership this week as The Hardys will face the No Quarter Catch Crew and Moose defends the X-Division title against Lexis King. In addition, Stephanie Vaquer defends the NXT Women’s North American Championship against Karmen Petrovic while Ricky Saints teams up with Je’Von Evans to take on Wes Lee and Ethan Page. Plus plenty more I’m sure; it will be an eventful show and should be a lot of fun.
Here at Thomas HQ, I continued to watch through the Hammer library as I watched 1971’s Blood from the Mummy’s Tomb, which was at least a step up from the other two Mummy sequels. I also watched The Hound of the Baskervilles, which benefits from Peter Cushing as the best Sherlock Holmes committed to screen, and the overly talky The Man Who Could Cheat Death which was a bit flat on the whole. I also did a rewatch of A Few Good Men — still a nearly perfect legal drama — and watched the pretty good documentary One Day in September about the 1972 Olympics hostage crisis and Oscar contender Sugarcane, a heartrending doc about the Indigenous Sugarcane Reserve in Canada dealing with the investigation into abuse and missing children at a residential school.
On Saturday I did a theater day and watched The Monkey, which is an absolute blast with plenty of gore and humor (although it’s still very much an Osgood Perkins film). I also did a rewatch of Heart Eyes and found that it landed better for me the second time. And finally, I did a rewatch of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre because I am now co-hosting a horror podcast, The Final Ghouls of Horror, and that’s our next episode! If you’re so inclined, you can check out the first episode below on Apple Podcasts and find us on Spotify, Amazon, YouTube or anywhere else you listen.
Finally, on the TV front, I’ve worked my way through most of the excellent Severance on Apple TV and have finally gone back to catch up on Yellowjackets season two, which is of course excellent.
As a reminder, the GoFundMe for Larry’s kids 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.
* TUDUM.
* We’re LIVE in Cincinnati, Ohio with a sold-out crowd. Earlier today, Ricky Saints and Je’Von Evans arrived as did Ethan Page and Wes Lee (and Tyson and Tyriek). The Hardys also arrived.
* And we’re kicking off with the NXT Women’s North American Title on the line!
NXT Women’s North American Championship Match
Stephanie Vaquer vs. Karmen Petrovic
Circle and test of strength to start, Vaquer turns it into a kick from the ground, Vaquer gets a couple of quick pin attempts by rolling around. Lockup into a Vaquer headlock and gets shot into the ropes, she runs Karmen over. Back into the ropes, Karmen goes for a duck and Vaquer gets a pin attempt. Karmen with her own pin attempt and then locks in a full nelson with her legs. Vaquer gets her shoulders on the mat and then flips it around into a suspended submission. Karmen pushes Vaquer into the corner and hits a Sling Blade for two.
Karmen in control and hits a kick off the ropes for two. Vaquer with a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker and suplex, legdrop off the ropes gets a two-count. Karmen goes into the corner and Vaquer grinds her boot against Karmen’s face, backs up for a double knee but Karmen moves! Vaquer sent to the outside and Karmen dives through the ropes onto her as we go to break.
We’re back and Vaquer catches Karmen with a dropkick, regaining control of the match. She slaps Karmen down several times and hits a back suplex. Vaquer sets Karmen up — leg scissor head slams into the mat! Vaquer backs up and charges in for double knees in the corner. She covers Karmen for two-plus.
Karmen gets a shot in but Vaquer with a shot and headbutt. Karmen dodges a charge in the corner and kicks Vaquer in the head. Handstand rana off the top! Spinning kick to the head, cover gets a nearfall! She picks Vaquer up — champ with a rollup! Vaquer hits a DDT and rolls Karmen up for two. Eat Defeat, crescant kick to the head, and she puts Karmen in the middle ropes for the 619! Vaquer off the top — SUPERKICK by Karmen! That gets almost three!
Both women to their knees, Vaquer with a headbutt, and stands. Karmen with a shot but Vaquer fires back with a headbutt! Multiple headbutts! Karmen with a kick but gets sent into the corner. She goes for a back kick, Vaquer catches it and hits a dragon screw followed by the SVB for three.
Winner: Stephanie Vaquer (11:38)
Rating: ** 3/4
Thoughts: Sloppier than it should have been in the homestretch, but overall this was solid. Karmen made a good enough first challenge for Vaquer.
Giulia comes down to the ring after the match with her title and stares down Vaquer. She congratulates Vaquer and says Vaquer says she’s the best champion but she isn’t; Giulia says she is. Vaquer says she’s the champion of champions, and Giulia suggests they find out who the best woman is. Vaquer says they’re friends — but title for title, champion vs. champion! They pose with their titles in the air!
* Earlier today, Arianna Grace and Santino Marella were talking about the X-Division Championship being defended on NXT and the Hardys competing thanks to them. Lola walks up and says she wants a challenge regardless of where. Grace says they aren’t taking walkup meetings but they’ll take it under consideration. Lola says Grace is a better pageant queen than a liar and it leads to a match being set up.
* Lexis walks backstage and runs into Oba. He says everyone wants to see Oba vs. Moose but they’re in his home city and the only match people will be talking about after tonight is The Ruler vs. The King.
* The mystery foursome posted a photo to social media of themselves outside the arena with an ominous message.
TNA X-Division Championship Match
Moose vs. Lexis King
Lockup to start, Moose backs King into the corner and takes a swing but King ducks and hits a chop. Moose tosses King into the corner for his own chop! King staggers to the next corner where he gets chopped to his knees and Moose FLINGS King across the ring. Moose stomps King down and King takes a shot but gets stomped again. King sent across the ring, Moose charges in bud King ducks!
King hits several shots but gets sent to the outside, he hits a kick and goes for a sunset flip — Moose catches him and puts him in the corner for a chop. Moose charges in and King gets a kick up — Moose fires back with a DROPKICK that sends King over the top to the floor as we go to break.
We’re back with Moose in control as he chops King who’s on his knees. King psyches himself up but gets decked. King comes back with open-handed shots! Off the ropes and he hits a couple of forearms, Moose with a kick but King fires back! King with a rana and a nearfall on Moose!
Moose escapes to the outside for a breather, King goes to dive and lands on Moose! King has the crowd behind him and he rolls Moose in! He goes up top — high crossbody for two-plus!
King with a wristlock, he goes for a whip but Moose blocks it and puts him in the corner King turns it around and charges but is caught with a kick. Moose up top and dives! He hits the powerbomb for thr–NO! Two-plus! Moose is shocked!
Moose back up now and he lies in wait — he charges but is caught with a superkick. CORONATION! Cover gets thre–NO! King is shocked and goes for it again! But Moose counters with a backdrop! He charges in and King dodges one spear but is caught with the second for three.
Winner: Moose (9:32)
Rating: ***
Thoughts: Very decent match between these two. King arguably got a surprising amount of offense but it made him look good as opposed to making Moose look bad.
Oba Femi is coming out right after the bell! He says Moose made it past Lexis and now they can focus on what matters — them, because that’s what everyone wanted. So this is the match to make, and it’s official at Roadblock in Madison Square Garden in two weeks! Title vs. Title!
* Shawn Spears calls NXT the land of the talented, the future but misguided. He talks about how he has guided Brooks Jensen into exactly who he’s been searching for all along. Niko Vance, a beacon of range whose metamorphosis came from within. And Izzi Dame, the embodiment of cunning beauty with every decision calculated. He calls it strategy. And now his family is complete. He says Tony never saw it coming and the only thing to do is take Tony’s title next week.
* Jordynne Grace WALKS backstage.
* Earlier today, Arianna and Kelani arrived at the arena on the bus and Arianna asked what was up with her and Jaida. Jaida interrupted from the background and it turned into a brawl.
* Jordynne Grace has arrived! The Juggernaut hits the ring and gets a mic. She pauses to let the crowd chant for her and says from the moment she stepped foot in a WWE ring last year, she knew where she belonged. She came in as an outsider carrying the weight of a company on her back. But after spending time in the locker room and feeling the hunger, she knew she had to be part of it and didn’t hesitate because she had one thought and one singular goal: become a champion in what she truly believes is the best women’s division in the world.
She says the last time she was standing here it was between two women who are like nothing seen before. She knows that Giulia and Stephanie felt the shift and the foundation beginning to crack. She heard what they had to say earlier but it’s only a matter of time when she’s standing here not next to them, but across from one of them. A Juggernaut is unstoppable and it’s time —
ROXY IS HERE! She welcomes Jordynne back and says she knew she’d be here eventually because NXT is the place to be. Whether from different promotions, sports, Raw, Smackdown everyone wants to be in the division she made famous. She’s been doing it for months and says Jordynne was a big fish in a small pond, but this is her division and Jordynne doesn’t get to call the shots.
Jordynne asks if this is her division, where’s her title? Roxy says it’s the title Jordynne couldn’t beat her for at Battleground and Jorynne just got here, so don’t make her send Jordynne packing back to TNA. She says there’s a gap between them and she’s going onto Elimination Chamber where she’ll win, go to WrestleMania, and maybe she’ll win the NXT Women’s Champion a third time to become Roxy Two-Belts.
Grace says there’s a famous saying: everyone has a plan until — and Grace nails Roxy! Roxy escapes out of the ring and is pissed.
* Trick Williams is backstage pissed about people mocking him for losing to Eddy. Je’Von walks up and says he gets what Trick is going through. Trick says they aren’t the same and tells Je’Von to stay in his lane. Je’Von says he’s crashing out and says he’ll take care of him too. Ricky walks up and offers a hand to Trick, who walks off.
* The NQCC and Hardys WALK separately backstage.
* Sarah Schreiber asks Jaida about the altercation on the bus but Netflix fucked up their commercial break and so I can’t tell you what she said beyond being pissed.
* The Mystery Four are in the building.
Tavion Heights & Myles Borne vs. The Hardys
Jeff and Tavion start it off amid a massive “HARDY” chant. They circle and lock up, Jeff backed into the ropes. Tavion throws Jeff to the mat and showboats, and Jeff takes over with punches and a wristlock. Matt tags in, he goes to the second rope for an elbow to the arm. Matt works over Tavion’s arm and tags Jeff back in. Whip into the ropes, Spin Cycle, Jeff covers for two. Snapmare and dropkick to the back, cover gets two.
Tavion grabs Jeff and puts him in the corner, Borne tags in and works over Jeff’s right arm. He puts Jeff on the mat with a wristlock as the crowd chants “YOU’RE NOT RANDY!” That was funny. Tavion tags in but Jeff gets to tag Matt in. Tavion puts Matt on his shoulders, he slides off but Matt throws Tavion into Matt! They go for a dive in the corner but Matt moves — Jeff tags in and hits Poetry In Motion! Matt sends Myles to the ramp, Matt goes out and drops to his knees, another Poetry In Motion into the ring! Myles gets a powerslam to top Jeff’s momentum as we go to break.
During the break, Fraxiom came out here to watch on the ramp and that distraction allowed the NQCC to take over. Borne has Matt on the mat with a chinlock and goes over to tag in Tavion, who goes right back to the same on Matt. Matt manages to get to his feet but Tavion tags in Myles, who grabs Matt — jawbreaker from Matt, and Jeff dives on Tavion on the outside! Jeff with the hot tag and he lays into Myles — leg drop to the midsection, elbow drop, and cover for two.
Heights in now and the NQCC double teams Jeff, but Jeff up top for Whisper in the Wind! Tavion grabs Jeff, Myles helps out for an elevated DDT, cover but Matt breaks it up. Myles picks up Jeff — Matt with the blind tag! He lays out Myles, Tavion in but gets sent to the outside. Twist of Fate! The shirts are off! SWANTON! That finishes it!
Winner: The Hardys (11:11)
Rating: ***
Thoughts: Perfectly good match with an obvious result. Much like Moose vs. King, the NXT youngsters got a surprising amount of offense but it worked.
Fraxiom enter the ring and Axiom congratulates them, then welcomes them to NXT. Matt says he appreciates that and loves NXT so far. He says he’s watched Fraxiom and they’re killing it. Frazer is super jazzed and says they’re the greatest tag team in the world today, standing face-to-face with the greatest tag team of all time.
Jeff says spare the small talk: Fraxiom vs. The Hardys, let’s do it!
SANTINO MARELLA IS HERE! The crowd loses it as Santino gets his classic WWE theme and they chant for him. Santino says he’s been talking with Ah-Vah in the back and they have an announcement to make: Fraxiom vs. The Hard Boys for the TNA World Tag Team Championships!
* Stacks is with Luca and Rizzo and says he doesn’t know what happened last week. Tony walks in and tells them to sit. Stacks says he’s sorry about last week and Tony says you can’t win ’em all and he appreciates what Stacks did, but he had to lay low and get right. He was proud of Stacks and says Spears is smart and tough, something he has to handle next week. Stacks suggests maybe Tony should wait.
Tony says Stacks is trying to take care of the family as he should and he appreciates it, but he’s got this.
* We get a clip from WWE LFG with Bully Ray.
* Over the weekend, Sol was taping up Zaria’s wrist when PIPER NIVEN clears the room and CHELSEA is here! She asks why Zaria and Sol are still here and they argue a bit which leads to a match being set for next week.
Arianna Grace vs. Lola Vice
Grace dodges a kick and gabs Lola. She catches Lola with another jab but gets kicked into the corner and knocked down. Lola gets for the hip check and nails it, Grace rolls to the outside. Grace throws Vice into the ring post and rolls her in. She ducks a swing and hits a leaping back elbow.
Grace kicks and punches Lola in the corner and then hits a neckbreaker. She slams Lola’s head into the mat and locks in a front chancery. Lola back to her feet and hits shots to the gut but gets slammed down. Elbowdrop by Grace misses, and she misses a charge in the corner. Vice kicks the shit out of Grace and Grace begs off but gets slammed down. Big kick finishes it.
Winner: Lola Vice (2:26)
Rating: N/A
Thoughts: RIP Arianna Grace.
* The Mystery Four have laid out Tavion, Myles, and Dempsey backstage.
* We get a vignette for Eddy Thorpe where he says they’re in Cincy and there was a time when his people stood proudly on this land until they were forcibly removed. That reminds him of how he did what he set out to do by beating Trick at Vengeance Day, but he’s been stood up. He’s seen as the bad guy and he says Trick will drag him under? He’s been down there and if he has to do this again, name the time and place.
* Sarah is with Ava in the arena and she has a few announcements. They’re on the road to S&D but will be live in two weeks at Roadblock with Oba vs. Moose for the NXT Championship, plus Fraxiom vs. The Hardys for the TNA Tag Team Championship. She announces Vaquer vs. Giulia for a title vs. title match for Roadblock.
Set For Next Week:
– NXT North American Title Match: Tony D’Angelo vs. Shawn Spears
– Kelani Jordan vs. Jaida Parker
– Piper Niven & Chelsea Green vs. Zaria & Sol Ruca
Ricky Saints & Je’Von Evans vs. Ethan Page & Wes Lee
Je’Von swings at Ethan to start! They trade shots, Evans with a snapmare takeover but Page dodges to tag in Wes. Evans goes to the outside after Page but the distraction lets Lee take over. Back in the ring, Evans goes for a top-rope cutter but Lee catches him. Evans hits a big dropkick off the ropes and tags in Saints!
Double whip into the ropes, Ricky with an uppercut followed by armdrags and an atomic drop. Lee fires back with a slap and Saints isn’t happy! He batters Lee in the corner, throws him into the hostile corner, and tags in Evans. Whip into the ropes, double armdrag takedown. Page comes in but gets dropkicked out of the ring by Evans! Lee charges and gets thrown out onto Page! And we go to break from there.
We’re back and Ricky chops Page, then locks in a wristlock and tags in Evans for a double axehandle off the top. Irish whip by Page but Evans baseball slides and kicks Page. He goes up, Page cuts him off and nails him, then goes for a superplex but Evans knocks him down with a headbutt! But Tyson DuPont trips up Evans and Page HITS A BACKBREAKER onto the top turnbuckle, sending Evans to the floor!
Outside now and Page slams Evans back-first into the apron, then throws him in. He locks in a Boston Crab, Wes tags in, and hits a springboard senton to Evans’ back. Lee traps Evans arm and attacks the shoulder, then locks up the legs for shots to the back. Elbow drop and cover gets two.
Page talks shit to Saints and then stomps at Evans’ head. He tags in Page, Evans whipped into the corner, Page whipped into Evans, Lee goes as well and Page YANKS Evans into a powerslam for two-plus! Page goes for the Ego’s Edge — Evans escapes and comes off the ropes with a kick to the head! Ricky gets the hot tag and cleans house on Page and Lee! Tornado DDT on Page! Splash on Lee and a tilt-a-whirl gutbuster! SPEAR off the ropes, cover but Page breaks it up with a dropkick. Evans with a Superman punch to Page and he dives onto him on the outside! Evans throws Page into the crowd and brawls with him to the back!
Saints charges at Lee in the ring but Lee gets a foot up and throws Saints into the ringpost shoulder-first. Lee up top and leaps Saints dodges and hits a bodyslam! He takes out Tyson and Tyriek, but Lee hits a Meteora for a nearfall. Lee hits shots to the head of Saints and drives in the knees as well. He tells Ricky he never should have come to NXT and goes for the Cardiac Kick — Saints catches him (kind of) and hits the Rochambeau for three!
Winner: Ricky Saints & Je’Von Evans (12:47)
Rating: *** 1/4
Thoughts: Damn good first match for Ricky — and of course, everyone else delivered as well to make it work. Nice main event that gave Saints a fully expected first win.
Ricky celebrates in the ring as Vic runs down next week’s card again. Ricky holds up a sign and we’re done for the night!
