Jeremy’s WWE NXT Review 3.28.23

Hello, everyone and welcome to our live WWE NXT coverage right here on 411! I’m Jeremy Thomas, and we’re in the final stretch before NXT Stand & Deliver on Saturday. Tonight we’ll see a Last Chance Qualifier for the NXT Women’s Championship ladder match that will take place at Stand & Deliver as Indi Hartwell, Ivy Nile, and Sol Ruca do battle. In addition, a battle royal will be held to determine who the fifth and final competitor in the NXT North American Championship match is at the PPV, while Grayson Waller will respond to Johnny Gargano’s challenge of an Unsanctioned Match. Should be a fun little show all in all.

Here at Thomas Central, I got back into some serious movie-watching over the last week. I started off on a REALLY bad note with the new Children of the Corn remake, which is pretty much all-around awful, before checking out the Paramount+ documentary Unknown Dimension about the Paranormal Activity franchise which was quite decent. I dipped back to 1998 to watch Wild Things for the first time in forever, which remains a trashy, very problematic but RIDICULOUSLY fun neo-noir. John Wick: Chapter 4 shot right to the top of my best films of the year list so far, while Shazam! Fury of the Gods shot right to the middle of the pack.

I did a few more older watches as well, checking out Creed II which somehow I never got around to watching in 2018 and is a very solid sequel, if slightly down from the original. I then watched a couple of the final films I need to see for my Marilyn Monroe watch project in There’s No Business Like Show Business (great musical numbers, little plot) and 1948’s Scudda Hoo! Scudda Hay! which Monroe is literally a “blink and you’ll miss it” appearance and is quite forgettable as a movie. Finally, I began a rewatch of the Paranormal Activity films with the 2009 original which remains quite good, even if it doesn’t quite hold the same impact today as it used to.

I also kept up on my RuPaul’s Drag Race watch project, and am now just started on season 11. All I have to say about that is, “Vanjie! Miss Vanjie!” (If you know, you know.)

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 going right into the Battle Royal!

Battle Royal For NXT North American Championship Spot

Quincy Elliot is tossed right from the start, and we’re in the traditional “big brawl” opening spot. Charlie Dempsey is nearly tossed by Mahal but gets back inside, Damon Kemp hangs Dante Chen on the top rope and Chen goes the apron, he fights with Kemp and gets booted out by Dijak. Kemp tries to toss Dijak but gets fought off.

Kemp is on the apron and gets superkicked out by Nathan Frazer, while Dijak gets hit by a knee from Edris. Edris and Blade toss him and he holds on, but gets eliminated by Odyssey Jones. He pulls Jones out under the ropes and assaults him on the outside, throwing him into the ring steps and then rolling him in. Mahal grabs Jones and eliminates him.

Mahal hit by a couple of high knees, he’s on the apron and Edris leaps at him but barely holds onto the ring skit. Edris and Blade on the apron kicking at Mahal but Apollo Crews dropkicks Enofe, Mahal eliminates Blade and SCRYPTS goes up and over to the floor, after which Crews tosses Javi onto the lot of them and we go to PIP break.

The ring got cleared a bit during the break, and we’re down to eight in the ring. Hank Walker has Gulak on the apron in a sleeper, but Charlie Dempsey comes from behind and eliminates them both. They keep fighting all the way to the back. Crews and Dabba-Kato are trading shots but Dabba grabs Crews and dumps him. Dempsey is now fighting Crerws in the corner, Frazer sprinboards into Mahal, Axiom off the ropes and is lifted into a dropkick to eliminate Jinder.

Frazer, Dempsey, and Axiom are working in Dabba-Kato, and they finallt get him up and over. Dabba flips out on the outside as the final three start trading shots. Axiom with a kick to Dempsey’s gut, he gets thrown into the ropes and Dempsey grabs him for a big wheelbarrow suplex but Frazer nails him off the top! Axiom sends Frazer to the apron and they’re trading shots, Dempsey slaps Axiom and they’re both down but Axiom shoves him off the apron.

We’re down to Axiom and Frazer now, and they stare off. Axiom offers a handshake and Frazer takes it, ducks a spin kikck and leapfrogs off the ropes into an inverted facelock. Axiom counters and Frazer with a spin kick. They trade counters and Aziom with an enzuigiri. Frazer off the ropes with a springboard into the inverted DDT! They trade shots in the center of the ring, Axiom catches a kick and knocks Frazer down, off the ropes for a big kick to Frazer! Axiom preps and charges in, but Frazer with a BIG superkick!

Axiom up in the corner and gets chopped. Frazer sets him on the top and palm thrusts him, Frazer moves in but Axiom tries for a submission which Frazer blocks. Superplex, he rolls through, Axiom catches him but gets caught with a kick. Frazer sent over the top and skins the cast, just avoiding a dropkick. Axiom finally grabs Frazer and tosses him to win.

Winner: Axiom (14:33)
Rating: ** 1/2
Thoughts: It was a fin battle royal with a strong finish, but there was also little mystery on who was going to win (and not just because it was pre-taped).

After the match, Wes Lee comes into the ring and Dragon Lee, JD McDonagh, and Ilja Dragunov come down to pose around the ring.

* Pretty Deadly are here to preview NXT Stand & Deliver. Elton hypes Axiom’s win just now and previews the NXT North American Championship match. Kit wants to know how Lee will retain his title, and Prince says he won’t and predicts JD. Kit predicts Ilja, who’s a wild card. More hot takes to come throughout the evening.

* Tyler Bate is fired up with Chase U backstage, and Chase talks about how the University is on the line at S&D. Bate faces Von Wagner, who Chase U has never defeated. Bate says he’s going to harness his momentum and bring home the victory. Duke Hudson does not seem excited.

* Brooks Jensen says Kiana and Fallon want to talk to him, and they come in to Briggs and Jensen. Kiana says that she feels close to them and she feels horrible — horrible that Briggs & Jensen aren’t part of Stand & Deliver so she got them a match to potentially earn a spot in the NXT Tag Team Championship match at Stand & Deliver. Fallon can’t believe Kiana — and Briggs cuts her off. They get excited about the possible title match.

Tyler Bate vs. Von Wagner

Bate and Wagner circle and Bate leaps into a headlock. He’s shot into the ropes and runs into Wagner, then dropkicks him before eating a big ol’ boot. Elbow drop by Wagner, followed by a Gorilla press drop. Wagner with a kick to the ribs of a downed Bate, followed by a wrench on the neck. Bate gets to his feet and breaks the hold, then headbutts Von in the chest. he strikes at Von and goes into the ropes, sunset flip that Von blocks before missing an elbow drop, but he clotheslines Bate for two.

Bate sent into the corner, where Von hits some back elbows. He whips Tyler out and back into the corner and then slams into him. Whip across the ring, Von misses a splash and kicks Von in the head. Repeated diving Euro uppercuts and then splashes in the corner. Von puts Bate in the corner, Bate fights out of it and hits his springboard elbow. Stone trips Bate coming off the ropes, Bate goes out and throws Stone in the ring and THEA HAIL JUMPS ON HIM! Hail and Stone to the outside, Von throws Bate over the ropes and Duke puts Stone in Bate’s way. High five between them, Bate takes out Von and hits the corkscrew splash off the top for three.

Winner: Tyler Bate (4:03)
Rating: ** 1/2
Thoughts: Bate is great, and he brought Von to a decent match. No mystery on who the winner was here, but it was fine.

After the match, we get the Schism on the Tron saying that the currciulum of Chase U is changing after Saturday. We see the Chase U students with masks on as Ava passes out deprogramming work. Red says they’ll save a place for delinquents in the Andre Chase Detention Fall. They promise Chase U will fall when the Schism takes over and a new class begins.

* Roxanne Perez is in the back, looking for Shawn Michaels. She heads to his office.

* We’re in HBK’s office, and the door knocks. In comes Roxy, who asks if she’s feeling good to talk. Roxy says she’s cleared to return to action and it was a mix of body exhaustion and anxiety, and the only thing she has on her mind is Stand & Deliver. Shawn is happy for her but doesn’t know about Stand & Deliver. He doesn’t think her defending the title in a Ladder Match is a good idea, and suggests she’ll get the next title shot.

Roxy says she struggles with anxiety and the year’s been incredible, but when you accomplish your dreams so fast you wonder what’s next. Shawn says he knows she’s better physically but isn’t sure mentally. He says she has a long, wonderful career for her and there will be other S&D’s. Roxy says she can’t think like that and says he never did that for WrestleMania. Her anxiety is crippling but she can’t run away from it. She wins the battle by getting her title from the ladder. Shawn says he wants tests, a meeting with doctors and more. She’s part of the match.

Valentina Feroz vs. Elektra Lopez

Lopez with a knee to the gut to start and a headbutt, she sends Feroz into the corner and splashes her. Feroz blocks a head smash into the turnbuckle and strikes away, but Lopez with a trip takedown. She grabs Feroz’s knee and slams it onto the mat, then starts twisting the leg. Lopez on the mat with an ankle lock, Feroz manages to avoid an elbow to the knee and knocks Lopez down for two.

Feroz dodges a splash in the corner and takes Feroz down twice, tackle off the ropes and cover for two. Feroz on the second rope and leaps off, Lopez catches her for Elektra Shock for three.

Winner: Elektra Lopez (2:04)
Rating: N/A
Thoughts: RIP Valentina Feroz.

* A new vignette for Eddy Thorpe, who debuts next.

Eddy Thorpe vs. Myles Borne

Luckup to start, Borne with a wristlock and they go into counterwrestling with Borne taking Eddy down. Into the ropes, Eddge with a high crossbody and a dropkick. Big chop by Thorpe, Borne takes him down with a double-leg trip and sends him into the ropes for a spinning back elbow.

Punch by Borne, Eddy reverses a whip, Born blocks a hip toss and hits a belly-to-belly for two. Rear chinlock by Borne, Eddy to his feet and catches a kick, dragon screw by Thorpe and some takedowns, a spin kick takes Myles down. Charging big boot in the corner and a toss by Eddy, leaping elbow drop for two.

Back elbow by Eddy, he ducks a swing and hits a Saito suplex followed by a modified Cross Rhodes for the pin.

Winner: Eddy Thorpe (3:02)
Rating: ** 1/2
Thoughts: Solid but short match to introduce Thorpe to the TV audience.

* Pretty Deadly are back to preview Gargano vs. Waller. They talk about how Gargano has to do everything in his power to exact revenge and talk about the Unsanctioned stipulation. Kit says he’d accept, but only to defend Elton’s honor. They touch hands.

* McKenzie asks Gallus about the bar scene from last week and they say it was a fight. She asks about Briggs & Jensen potentially joining the match and they say they love a good fight and the more the merrier. She asks Wolfgang about how the odds look, and he says they don’t matter. Gallus boys on top.

Last Chance Qualifier
Sol Ruca vs. Indi Hartwell vs. Ivy Nile

Indi kicks Ivy and brawls with Sol, Nile rolls Indi up for two. Soil runs over Indi but Ivy rolls her up for two as well. Indi rolls up Sol for two and goes for a big boot but Sol pulls the ropes down and she’s out to the floor. Sol kicks Ivy to the floor and goes up top — moonsault onto both women! Sol rolls Indi in and covers for two.

Sol goes into the ropes and flips out of an armdrag, hitting a facebuster. Ivy leaps into the ring onto Sol and nails Indi in the corner, then splashes Sol in the opposite corner for two. She goes for an armbar, but Indi breaks it up and covers Sol for two. Indi gets Ivy on the apron, kicks her through the ropes and covers, but Sol breaks it up.

Indi gets Sol on the apron but misses the kick, Sol springboard splashes Indi and covers but Ivy breaks it up. Ivy with a sunset flip on Sol for one and hits a step-up enzuigiri, cover for two. Ivy with a Rana off the ropes but Sol catches her and drops her with a kick. Handspring splash on Ivy, she goes for one on Indi but she dodges and covers for two.

Ivy comes off the ropes and catches Indi in her sumbission, Ruca breaks it up with a Sol Snatcher but Indi tosses her, nails Ivy off the ropesa and gets the pin.

Winner: Indi Hartwell (4:06)
Rating: ** 1/2
Thoughts: Good stuff in a match that was a bit rushed for the time it got. Everything was crisp though and delivered.

Zoey appears in the audience, as does Lyra Valkyria elsewhere in the stands. Gigi Dolin is there too with her black rose, as is Tiffany Stratton. And Roxy appears at the raised platform, holding her title high!

* Pretty Deadly climb a ladder for their Women’s Title preview, running down the field of six women. Roxy is the plucky prodigy and this is a title defense. Elton says he had an epiphany, and that Tiffany Stratton — the “third-best dressed superstar in NXT” — will win.

* Grayson Waller says to tune in for his segment because you never know what he’s going to say.

* We get the big Prime Target segment selling Bron vs. Hayes at NXT Stand & Deliver.

* Isla Dawn and Alba Fyre talk about how Kiana and Fallon’s fates have already been sealed and that two spirits in turmoil cannot be champions. They bond themselves together with a sash and talk about how their message will be spread far and wide.

Drew Gulak vs. Hank Walker

They go right into it to start and Gulak lays in elbows, but Walker blocks it and lays in fists, then clotheslines him off the ropes. Big back body drop and then a monkey flip into an armbar. Gulak escapes into a camel clutch, but Waler escapes and locks in one of his own. Gulak counters into a stretch muffler, but Walker counters to one of his own again.

Gulak escapes and locks in a single leg crab. Again, Walker counters into a single-leg crab and Gulak gets to the ropes. Walker grabs Gulak but Gulak snaps Walker’s neck on the apron and hits a neckbreaker and then kneedrops. Walker sent into the corner and Gulak splashes him, then clotheslines him down.

Gulak goes up top and leaps onto Walker, who kicks out. Gulak right into a crossface from there, Walker nearly escapes and Gulak turns it into a chinlock. Walker to his feet and powers out, big right hand and lefts to the body. Gulak into the ropes, Thesz press and mounted punches. Gulak whipped across the ring for an avalanche, and another one. Walker picks Gulak up and drops him on the mat.

The straps are down, Walker off the ropes and pounces Gulak, cover for two. Walker grabs Gulak in a wheelbarrow for a suplex but Gulak counters into a crossface. Walker escapes and grabs Walker in a wheelbarrow into an armbar, he locks it in. Gulak struggles to get to the rope and gets his foot on it. Walker grabs Gulak and Dempsey hits Walker behind the ref’s back, rollup by Gulak to win.

Winner: Drew Gulak (5:50)
Rating: ** 3/4
Thoughts: Easily Walker’s best match, Gulak carried him through this well but he’s also developing pretty well.

* PD preview the NXT Tag Team Championship match, saying The Creeds have found their mojo. Elton says they’ve proven they have SOME personality. They move past Gallus quickly to talk about Tony D and Stacks and how they’d love to win it. Elton mentions Jenson & Briggs’ chances to win and how they could join Fallon and James as double champions — unless the witches have their way.

Briggs & Jensen vs. Tony D’Angelo & Stacks

Stacks and Jensen start off in the ring, Jensen with a quick roll-up and goes right into a waistlock. Stacks gets Jensen on the mat but Jensen slides Stacks’ shoulders back for two. Brooks off the ropes, hip toss to Stacks. Stacks hits a bodyslam but Jensen pushes him back and locks in a headlock, hooking the leg briefly for two.

Jensen off the ropes and Briggs tags in, he runs over Stacks. He picks Stacks up for a bodyslam, but Tony tags in off Stacks’ leg. Waistlock takedown by Tony, Briggs to his feet but gets taken down again. Back to their feet, Briggs shot into the ropes and runs Tony down, shot to the back follows. Tony is able to tag in Stacks, and they nail Briggs with several strikes for two.

Stacks with a headlock to Briggs, Briggs to his feet and gets him into the ropes. Tony tags in, as does Jensen. Stacks and Tony knocked onto the bottom rope, Briggs and Jensen slide out for stereo uppercuts as we go to PIP break.

Stacks has Jensen in a headlock as we come back, and Kiana and Fallon are out at ringside now. Jensen to his feet, he is trying to get to the tag but Stacks blocks him and hits a uranage backbreaker. Tony D tags in and hits shots to the ribs while applying a front facelock. One more shot to the head knocks Jensen down. Whip into the hostile corner, STacks tags in and they hit a Demolition Decapitation, cover for two.

Jensen gets control briefly but Stacks takes him down and they’re both on the mat. Jensen tags in Briggs, who comes in hot and big boots Tony, then drops Stacka and splashes Tony. Brooks wants the tag and gets it, spinning heel kick off the top off Briggs’ shoulders. Cover but it gets broken up.

Brigf and Tony are fighting, Tony gets Briggs tripped up on the ropes and sends hium outside. Stacks and Tony grab Jensen and finish him for three.

Winner: Tony D’Angelo & Stacks (9:56)
Rating: ***
Thoughts: Very good match, all four of these guys have progressed very nicely during their time in NXT and it showed here. I’m kinda here for the Tony D/Stacks team.

After the match, Fallon gets on the mic and says Kiana has something to tell Brooks. Kiana says she’d rather show him and then kisses him.

* Grayson Waller WALKS backstage.

* Vic runs down the card for NXT Stand & Deliver.

* Waller has Security surrounding the ring, they’ve apparently searched the whole building and not found Gargano. Waller comes out to the ring. Waller walks over and takes the contract from Joseph, then says whatever happens in the match is on Vic’s hands. He gets in the ring with a mic and the contract.

Waller says the security better watch his back because Gargano is known for cheap shots and come from anywhere. He’s looking at the contract and can’t believe it stil. Doesn’t matter whether Bron and Melo close the show; he’s the main event if he’s on. He says a year ago, he was trying to make a name with all the fans and then came WarGames where he was the fourth-best member of NXT 2.0, but he jumped from the top which was gonna be his viral moment. But he was wrong, because at the end of the night all anyone could talk about was Johnny Wrestling.

So two nights later, Gargano came to the ring and everyone couldn’t wait what he had to say, and Shawn gave him as much time as he needed. But it only took Waller 30 seconds to see his mark and he hit it — and Gargano is the biggest mark in this business. Waller says he sent Gargano home and sent himself into the stratosphere. He says no one has bet on himself more than Waller. And his proof is here — he has the biggest big-match superstar in NXT history begging him for a match at S&D. He says Gargano has done it all and is Mr. NXT. But just like his idol Shawn Michaels, Gargano is gonna lose. Gargano bleeds Black & Gold, but Waller bleeds green. He used Gargano to put himself on the mat, and an Stand & Deliver he uses him —

Gargano’s music is playing! Waller takes the shirt off and is ready — but Gargano is behind him! The brawl begins and security separates them, or tries to. Gargano tackles Waller over the ring steps and eventually get separated, until Waller breaks free and attacks. Thet get separated again and Gargano dives onto Waller.

And with that, we’re done for the night!

7.0

The final score: review Good

The 411

This was perhaps not the best go-home show for an NXT Stand & Deliver, but it still accomplished what it needed to. We had some solid if not memorable matches and the final bits of the card filled out. I don't think the main event segment was executed as well as they wanted and that hurt this a bit, but otherwise a very watchable show that set the stage for this weekend.