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Jeremy’s WWE NXT Review 2.4.25
Image Credit: WWE
Loading...Hello everyone, and welcome to our live WWE NXT coverage on 411! It’s Jeremy Thomas, and tonight NXT is grooving its way along toward Vengeance Day in a couple of weeks. We have a big tag team match as Oba Femi and Trick Williams take on Raw’s A-Town Down Under, while Stephanie Vaquer sets her sights on taking down Jacy Jayne. Our NXT Heritage Cup Champion Lexis King will appear and address the crowd, Kelani Jordan battles Karmen Petrovic, and Giulia, Bayley and Roxanne Perez will be part of a Vengeance Day Summit that is sure to be explosive. Oh yeah, and Charlotte Flair will be here so that’s a thing. Sounds like a fun show all in all!
Here at Thomas HQ, I pivoted back to movies after a TV-heavy run last week. I did a rewatch of Den Of Thieves so I would be refresh for the immediate next watch, Den of Thieves 2: Pantera. Both are perfectly adequate mid-tier action thrillers. I also did a rewatch of Munich after having seen September 5 last week, and — honestly, Munich is impeccably created and acted, but it doesn’t do much for me and is probably one of Spielberg’s lesser films. That reminded me I hadn’t seen Jaws in some time and that remains one of his absolute best.
I then did a rewatch of House of the Devil, having been inspired by the 1980s cult vibes of Shudder’s new wrestling horror flick Dark Match (check out my review of that here). I saw a few more new films in the fantastic, twisty and darkly funny Companion, the distinctly unengaging and flat Flight Risk, the rather “meh” shark thriller Into The Deep, and the solid if unassuming 1800s fishing village-set folk horror film The Damned. And finally I did a rewatch of Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion which is a blast and always will be.
On the TV front, all I watched was the rest of CNN’s The Seventies docuseries which was great, and the first episode of The Eighties.
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.
A MILLION DOLLARS FROM NOW, I WON’T REMEMBER YOU! (AKA theme song)
* We’re LIVE in the Capitol Wrestling Center and Roxanne Perez, Giulia and Bayley arrived earlier today. So did A-Town Down Under, Oba Femi, and Trick Williams.
* We’re kicking off with Jacy Jayne vs. Stephanie Vaquer!
Jacy Jayne vs. Stephanie Vaquer
We get a little trash talking by Jacy as the smoke clears, and she riles up the crowd before they lock up. Jacy backed into the corner and the ref calls for the break as Jacy backs off and asks Steph who she thinks she is. Stephanie answers with a waistlock takedown and cover for one, then a crossface. Jacy gets free and hits Vaquer in the back of the head, then throws her into the corner a couple times before kicking away and locking in a boot choke for four.
Jacy charges in for a hip attack but gets caught, thrown into the corner and comes out into a dropkick. Jacy into the ropes, sunset flip but Vaquer blocks it, legdrop for one. Jacy slammed into all three turnbuckles in one corner, repeated boot scrapes across the face. Bodyslam but Jacy floats over and trips Vaquer, kicks her in the head. Senton misses, Vaquer with the headscissor slams into the mat!
Jayne out of the ring, Vaquer out and kicks her, then rolls her in — but Fallon pulls Vaquer to the floor and distracts her so Jayne can hit a kick from the apron.
Jacy gets Vaquer back in the ring and sends her across the ring, she charges in for a hip smash and whips Vaquer across the ring again. Cannonball and a cover gets two. Jacy pulls Vaquer up by her hair and nails her, picks her up but Vaquer floats over and nails a number of forearms. Into the ropes, Vaquer ducks a clothesline but is hit with a back elbow. Mounted punches by Jacy, then she plays to the camera.
Knees to the back of Vaquer and a chinlock by Jacy. Stephanie gets to her feet but Jacy with a bodyscissors to bring her back to the mat. Vaquer gets to her knees, Jacy cuts her off with a kneelift but Vaquer battles back with a series of strikes and a springboard into the ropes but Jacy nails her. Kick to Vaquer who’s on the top, Jacy climbs up but Vaquer slips down and hits a kick to the face through the legs! Vaquer climbs, SUPERPLEX!
Jacy and Stephanie trade shots from their knees and get to their feet to continue it. Kick from Jacy but Vaquer answers back, Jacy with a kick and charges in for a cannonball but Vaquer moves! Eat Defeat! Meteora! Back suplex from Vaquer and she’s back to her feet — double underhook but Jacy escapes. Backslide from Vaquer but Jacy with a BIG knee for a nearfall!
Jacy is angry now, she lies in wait — rolling forearm misses, Vaquer rolls her up for two. Jacy into the ropes, Vaquer with a 619! Springboard crossbody, Nyx goes to break it up but hits Jacy! Vaquger takes out Jazmyn and the SVB finishes it.
Winner: Stephanie Vaquer (11:22)
Rating: ***
Thoughts: It had a couple of minor awkward moments but for the most part this scored. Jacy looked good and Vaquer got an expected win.
* Zaria and Sol walk up to Lash and Jakara, and Zaria says it was a hell of a main event last week but they lost, and Lash didn’t eliminate anyo9ne in the Rumble. Sol tries to play peacemaker and Zaria says she meant what she said. Tatum, Gigi and Shotzi walk in and it turns into a bit of an argument. Zaria and Sol leave and Jakara tells Gigi to handle their beef, and she and Lash will handle hers.
* The NXT Spotlight for this week is Roxy’s impressive Royal Rumble performance.
* Sarah walks up to Oba Femi and asks him about his NXT Title match at Vengeance Day and facing them tonight. Oba says Ava says she runs everything in NXT, but he runs what happens in the ring and he’ll show Theory and Waller that they don’t belong in the ring with him. He also says he doesn’t owe Trick a thing after powerboming him last week.
* Lexis King is in the ring with his Heritage Cup. King says our King has been crowned the NXT Heritage Cup Champion. He says he wanted to be humble, but how can he be humble when he’s on a path to being the biggest star in professional wrestling? He says there are a lot of legends in the back and that William Regal reached out and tried to show him the light. He mentions “poor Ryan Leaf,” one of the biggest busts in the history of the NFL, giving him advice but the King doesn’t take advice and has never done well with authority. He’s always played by his own rules, because WHY WOUOLDN’T HE? He has the looks that kill and the pedigree that will.
King says he was never going to switch it up and become some law-abiding beta, because his blood doesn’t run with that of a normie. He was born into this business, the son of a psycho, but he never asked for this and tried to be anything but his father. He says he didn’t even know his dad, but he knows one thing: he was a loose cannon that would do anything to win. And it’s a shame because he had so much potential he never quite reached. And through all that, all the advice, he felt at home when he was his father’s son. He says the fans wanted him to change but he didn’t and never will. He’s the Heritage Cup Champion because he stayed true to who he is.
And the truth is, this championship, his sweet queen, has been mistreated for far too wrong. His first proclamation as Heritage Cup Champion is changing how the title will be defended. No more rounds, no more cornermen, no more time limits. One fall, winner take all —
FAN-FCUKING-DANGO IS HERE! Fandango re-introduces himself and says he used to get real weird here in NXT, and the music means the world to him. Fandango (or JDC, if you prefer) steps in the ring and King says he remembers him. He used to play dress up with Tyler Breeze but this isn’t the YMCA; it’s NXT.
Fandango says that’s witty coming from a guy who looks like he had his face spraypainted on. He says he’s JDC and he’s repping The System from TNA. And The System is always looking for gold to add to their trophy case. He wouldn’t mind wrapping his lips around the cup and having a drink. He says he spoke to Ava and next week, it’s the two of them for the Cup.
King says if JDC wants a sip of greatness, we have a System over here too. And all he knows JDC as is Fahn-DANG-go. So next week it’s them, and they’re going to dance!
* We get a vignette of some guys in a warehouse, and Tony D walks in asking who knew they were there. Tony says this is their only window and if they miss this, they miss their payday. Everyone is in. Apparently its a CW show.
The Family is impressed with the Hollywood Don and Stacks says he guess that’s what Izzy was talking about. He busts Tony’s balls a bit and Tony tells him to worry about Ridge. Stacks says he’s got this.
Stacks vs. Ridge Holland
Stacks attacks at the bell. He goes into the ropes and hits a back elbow on Ridge, but Ridge coems back with a belly to belly. Suplex but Stacks counters with a knee to the head and hits s series of kicks sending Ridge to the outside. He kicks Ridge and goes for a basement dropkick but Ridge dodges and sends Stacks into the steps.
Back in the ring, Ridge batters Stacks and sends him hard into the corner. Stacks pulls him into the bottom rope and hits a kick, Ridge comes back with a pump kick. He mocks Tony D while manhandling Stacks and says Stacks is nothing but a lackey so Stacks comes back and hits a jawbreaker. Punches, off the ropes for a takedown, he charges into a kick and gets put on the apron but hits a kick to the head and a lungblower over the ropes. Shawn Spears and company are watching on the podium as Stacks comes off the ropes but is caught with a belly to belly. Stacks tries to go up but gets knocked to the outside!
Ridge shoves Luca and goes into the ring, Luca distracts the ref and Izzy comes in. Ridge sees her and Stacks with a roll-up for two-plus. Ridge with the Redeemer and that finishes it.
Winner: Ridge Holland (3:43)
Rating: ** 1/4
Thoughts: Solid underdog performance into a squash match. Not much more to say given the time it had.
* Fraxiom are talking about their match with the Nemeth Brothers on Impact but Briggs and Inamura come up and say they’re smart enough to know that if they fought it would be a brutal assbeating. Briggs says OTM haven’t been around since they beat them. Frazer says that while they’re facing the Nemeths this week, they should find opponents and then they’ll talk. Briggs and Inamura both say they’ve got this.
Zaria & Sol Ruca vs. Gigi Dolin & Tatum Paxley
Tatum starts with Sol and Sol with a waistlock takedown. Tatum flips over Sol and locks in a front facelock, turned into a sunset flip for two followed by a side headlock for Sol. Sol into the ropes and Tatum Matrix dodges, Sol flips over Tatum.
Headlock by Sol, Gigi gets the blind tag and nails Sol. Zaria tags in and Gigi with a crucifix that gets blocked. Sunset flip blocked, Zaria picks Gigi up and she slaps Zaria! Zaria responds by knocking Gigi’s head off. Sol tags in, Gigi whipped into a powerbomb position, but Gigi escapes and takes Sol down. Tatum tags in for an elbowdrop, two-count.
Tatum locks in the Spider Insider, Sol punches out of it. Butterfly suplex by Tatum, my feed went wonky and Zaria is in now for a German suplex to Tatum. She SPEARS Gigi, cover but Tatum breaks it up. Sol and Zaria get their opponents on their shoulders but they slide off and hit stereo enzuigiris.
Zaria tags down Gigi and catches Tatum off the ropes for an F5 onto Gigi. Sol tags in, Sol Snatcher finishes it.
Winner: Zaria & Sol Ruca (4:18)
Rating: ** 1/4
Thoughts: Oddly disjointed considering the talent involved. Not awful but it just didn’t really click and the time they had didn’t help, it felt rushed.
* We get a recap of the NXT talent in the women’s Rumble.
* Giulia WALKS backstage. Roxy and Bayley also WALK.
* Sarah asks Trick about whether they’ve spoken since last week and he says no but they don’t need to talk strategy. He says he should have gotten the title shot at Vengeance Day and not Waller or Theory so he’s going for both their bitch asses. And Oba has a receipt coming to him too.
* It’s time for the Vengeance Day Summit! Bayley is out first. Roxy is out second and she interrupts Giulia’s ring announcement and talks about how she broke Bayley’s record at the Royal Rumble. Bayley says that Roxy didn’t win the match, and Roxy says she didn’t but she eliminated Giulia. But she wants to talk about Bayley, who got tired of getting her ass kicked on Smackdown and went to Raw but it didn’t work, so she came to the best division in wrestling.
Roxy says she gets it too because after the Royal Rumble she wants it all. She says 13-year-old her would be freaking out right now but she just realizes her idols were standing in her way. So she’s going to Raw —
Bayley tells her to shut up. She hopes Roxy surpasses her one day because that’s what this is all about. She says she literally built one of the first NXT rings with her own hands. They had promo class here with Dusty Rhodes and Roxy doesn’t respect any of that. Bayley says Roxy lost her mind when she lost her title. Bayley says she moves forward but Roxy is losing herself and she might just lose her best friend too. So when it comes to her and the NXT Women’s Title, she’ll be fine if she loses but will Roxy?
Roxy says Bayley doesn’t get it. When it comes to the title, she has no friends, no mentors and in WWE she has no equal. Bayley can keep talking because she’s going to go to NXT Vengeance Day, go to Raw and win the title and maybe Smackdown too. And IF she decides to vacate the title, maybe Cora can finally win a title.
HERE COMES GIULIA! Giulia says enough! She says Roxy is nothing without a title and Roxy is OFFENDED. Giulia says trust her, she will beat Bayley too. She says at Vengeance Day none of them will survive the Beautiful Madness.
HERE COMES CHARLOTTE. ‘kay. The NXT crowd chants “WELCOME BACK” and Charlotte says that Mama has come home. Your Queen has arrived because she’s NXT homegrown. And NXT will always be her home. She asks if they remember the last time she won the Women’s Royal Rumble and selected the NXT Women’s Champion to face at WrestleMania and became a two-time champion?
She says she’s impressed by Roxy’s Royal Rumble performance and is so proud of her, but if she’s still Champion at WrestleMania she’ll be runner-up again. As for Giulia, she says the hype is real and she respects her, and she is the champion of the greatest women’s division in the world. But she says she’s better. The crowd boos. And Bayley, she says it’s a moment for all of us to do this and does the Four symbol. She says whatever title she picks, she will be champion at WrestleMania.
Cora attacks Bayley and Giulia with a bat from behind! Cora and Roxy stare off — CORA SWINGS! Roxy ducks and leaves the ring and Cora poses with the title, and hits Bayley again.
* Ava is backstage with Ethan and Je’Von and tells them to be on their best behavior. Ava says Je’Von isn’t cleared and he left her no choice to suspend him. Ethan says she should punish Je’Von by putting him in a match with him. Ava says they’ll face off at Vengeance Day but only if Je’Von gets cleared.
* Briggs tells Hank & Tank he wants a match with them and they agree. Elsewhere backstage, Ridge walks up to The Family and tells Tony D that if he can get a true one-on-one match he’ll take the title. A couple of weeks ago was a joke and Tony has people watching him. Izzi suggests a cage match and they agree to it.
Kelani Jordan vs. Karmen Petrovic
Lockup to start, they jockey for position and break. Kelani with a waistlock into a full nelson, she puts Karmen on the mat and hits a dropkick for one. Kelani into the ropes and runs Karmen over. They jaw, Karmen ducks a lunch and Karmen hits a series of kicks in the corner. She sweeps Kelani’s legs, hits a kick off the ropes for one-plus.
Shoulderlock by Karmen, Kelani to her feet and she backs Karmen into the corner. Shoulders to the gut for a four count, she whips Karmen across the ring and Karmen hits a back kick, then a bulldog for two.
Shoulderlock from Karmen, Kelani to her feet and Karmen ducks a kick but Kelani with another kick. Armdrag from Kelani and a dropkick, Kelani charges at Karmen in the corner. Karmen to the apron and gets hit with a kick — Kelani dives onto Ashante!
Jaida is here to watch and she distracts Kelani as Karmen dives through the ropes onto her. Back in the ring, Karmen with a Tornado DDT and a cover for two-plus as we go to break.
We’re back and Kelani hits a handspring back elbow, followed by an X-Factor for two-plus. Kelani gets Karmen on her shoulders but Karmen slides down and hits a kick to Kelani. She ducks a a clothesline and hits several of her own, grabs Kelani and hits kicks to the torso. Sling Blade and cover gets two-plus.
Karmen charges Kelani but Kelani gets the feet up. Karmen back in, headscissors takedown off the top and cover gets a nearfall. Tornado DDT but Kelani counters and hits a Northern lights suplex for two-plus. Karmen rolls Kelani up for two and hits a kick. Karmen sent into the corner, back kick attempt caught and Jordan hits a modified Angle slam! Split-legged moonsault and another, she stars at Jaida and locks in a crossface staring at Jaida. Karmen taps!
Kelani locks it back in post-match as Jaida laughs and the ref calls for officials to break it up. The ref reverses the decision and Karmen has the win!
Winner: Karmen Petrovic (10:40)
Rating: ***
Thoughts: Very decent match that perhaps went a bit too long, but the point was made and Kelani is doing okay with the heel turn progression thus far.
* Stephanie is walking through the parking lot and is asked about her match at Vengeance Day. She says she burns through everything in her path and it’s over for Fallon’s title reign. Vengeance Day, she’ll make history because she’s come to NXT to be champion. She tells Fallon that Jacy and Jazmyn can’t help her, and she’ll see her in hell.
* We get a highlight reel of Lash Legend’s women’s Rumble performance, as well as Jaida Parker’s.
* Ava tells Fraxiom that they’ve done a great job and Bayley walks up saying she wants a match with that bitch, meaning Cora. It’s set for next weke. Briggs and Inamura walk up and say they have matches to book. Briggs has Hank & Tank, Inamura has NQCC. Ava makes it a triple threat match and they leave. Axiom says if they win that, they deserve a title shot.
Set For Next Week:
– NXT North American Title Steel Cage Match: Tony D vs. Ridge Holland
– NXT Heritage Cup Match: Lexis King vs. JDC
* Sarah is with A-Town Down Under and says Oba and Trick are pissed. Waller says they’re the best tag team in WWE and Theory says they’re going to lay it down. Waller says that it’s a preview of Vengeance Day when Waller is NXT Champion. Theory isn’t happy about that but they get cut off by their music and head out to the ring.
A-Town Down Under vs. Oba Femi & Trick Williams
Oba starts off with Tneory — and Trick tags himself in. They debate and Theory attacks Trick, then puts him in the neutral corner for shoulders to the gut. Into the ropes, Trick runs over Theory and hits a big dropkick before jawing with Oba. Trick goes after Theory but gets nailed, Austin with a springboard takedown and tags in Waller, who tees off on trick and chops him in the corner.
Waller with another chop but Trick ducks and hits his own. Waller into the ropes but he goes up and over Waller, Williams with a couple side kicks and a suplex. Bodyslam from Trick and he talks shit to Oba, he picks Waller up and Oba tags himself in.
Oba catches a charging Theory and slams him, talks to Trick and turns into a shot by Waller. Waller with a bodyslam attempt blocked, Oba slams Waller and Trick tags in. Bodyslam by Trick and he talks more shit to Oba — Waller runs into him from behind and knocks Oba off the apron. Into the ropes, Oba trips TRICK and pulls him out of the ring to argue — and WALLER DIVES ONTO OBA AND TRICK! We’re off to break.
We’re back and Waller & Theory are in control of Trick. Theory with forearms to the chest of Trick. Waller tags in and they hit Williams with a couple big kicks. Theory knocks Oba off the apron, Waller covers for two. Waller with a front chancery, Trick gets to his feet but Waller with knees to the head and a cover for two.
Waller pounds on a downed Trick and says “He ain’t that good!” He kicks at Trick, who kicks back but Waller with a shot to the head for two. Waller with a sleeperhold, Trick breaks it up with a jawbreaker. Waller hits Trick with a forearm, then knees to the side and throws Trick over the top. Trick holds onto the apron and fights back but Theory kicks him to the floor and Waller slides out for a clothesline. Waller on the barricade for an elbowdrop to the floor!
Waller rolls Trick in and goes for his leaping Stunner — Trick catches him for the pop-up uppercut! He shoves Waller away and Oba gets the hot tag! He runs over Theory, yanks Waller in the ring. Theory up top but gets chopped, Oba gets Waller and Theory both on his shoulders for a double stack Samoan drop! Oba is feeling it — charging uppercuts back and forth to Waller and Theory in the corners! He chucks Theory and takes aim — Trick tags himself in! Waller tags without Trick having seen it and Theory gets knocked to the floor. Waller knocks Trick down, mocks Oba — Trick with a charging kick! Cover but Theory breaks it up. Oba catches Theory and they go over the top — EDDY THORPE IS HERE! He nails Trick, Waller with the stunner for three!
Winner: A-Town Down Under (12:04)
Rating: *** 1/4
Thoughts: Great work that of course played into the storyline. Waller and Theory are a great asshole heel team and while “Will they Coexist?” is still played out, I liked how Trick and Oba worked the matter on this one.
Eddy is in the ring and stares off with Oba, who is out of the ring and just turns to walk away. Eddy attacks Trick and whips him with the strap! Officials are out and he fends them off, then stands over Trick holding the strap high.
The Vengeance Day color bars close the show with silhouettes of a foursome.
And with that, we’re done for the night!
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