wrestling / TV Reports
Jeremy’s WWE NXT Review 4.19.22
Image Credit: WWE
Loading...Hey yo, NXT boys, girls, non-binaries, and everyone in-between! It’s Tuesday evening, and that means it’s time for our latest episode of WWE NXT. Jeremy Thomas, here as ever to provide your live coverage of the show, and tonight we have four announced matches in Santos Escobar vs. Carmelo Hayes, Sarray vs. Tiffany Stratton, Natalya vs. Tatum Paxley, and Grayson Waller being murdered by vs. Sanga. Those are a bit lower profile bouts than we’ve had in recent weeks but I’m sure there’s still a lot that will be going on for us to enjoy (or “enjoy,” depending) such as the ongoing Joe Gacy and Bron Breakker feud, Lash Legend and Nikita Lyons hating each other and such. Plus you never know; we might get even more new names. Yay?
Here at Thomas HQ, I managed to catch a couple of enjoyable films. I rewatched the 90s horror cheese that is Anaconda and the equally beloved and hated Blair Witch Project, both of which remain pretty much exactly how you remember them (I enjoy them both). I also saw The Adam Project on Netflix, which was fun and inconsequential, as well as Richard Linklater’s Apollo 10½: A Space Age Childhood on NF which was a nice happy watch that filled me with nostalgia but didn’t get much deeper. Finally for movies, I watched the short horror film The Ten Steps which was really solid as well as the feature film it was turned into, The Cellar on Shudder which was… not solid. At all.
Outside of film, I completed my watch of The Originals after having finished The Vampire Diaries last week and am fully of the opinion that it is the superior show from start to finish. Next up will be Legacies, so we’ll see how that goes.
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 start off with a recap of last week’s Gauntlet Match, which saw the Creed Brothers run through all the competition before Pretty Deadly came in and beat them. We also get a promo from Joe Gacy breaking in on the recap saying tonight we’ll see what kind of sacrifices Bron Breakker is willing to make for him, his family, and his dad’s Hall of Fame ring. Does Gacy have the help of the Smackdown Hacker? Or is is Acid Burn, Crash Override, and Zero Cool?
* We start off with Pretty Deadly coming to0 the ring with their NXT Tag Team Championships. Meanwhile, Vic Joseph asks Wade Barrett to play Fuck, Marry, Kill with Toxic Attraction and Bron Breakker is headed into the building. Okay, then.
Elton says that last week he and Kip made history by winning the NXT Tag Team Championships. Kip said they’re used to having gold around their waists and dominated in the UK, but that scene was too drab so they came to the USA to do the same. Elton says it wasn’t even that hard; they beat four of the best tag teams in one night.
Here come GYV (dubbed “Gibson & Drake” in the nameplate graphic) and they want to know where their invite to the gauntlet was. They say they would have dismantled everyone, especially Pretty Deadly, and say the new champs were only successful in the UK is because they left. Gibson says they’re sick of waiting in the back of the line and are long overdue an opportunity, so they’re taking it tonight.
Here come Legado, and Elektra starts to speak before it bre4aks into a big brawl. And as that happens, Bron Breakker walks through the crowd into the ring! He says Joe Gacy wants to know what he’s willing to sacrifice. He tells Joe to come out and he’ll show him.
Gacy appears on the Tron and says he’s not a hard man to find — just come find him. The tron video gets real creepy with a laugh and Bron exits, heading to the back.
* We get a digital exclusive of Santos Escobar watching Melo talk about losing the North American Championship in a video, then cut a promo talking about how the former A Champion has A lot of excuses. He says Melo was never worthy of the title, but he is another story. And if he has a problem with it, Santos can remind him that his place is the back of the line.
* Trick and Melo are backstage, and Melo says that Santos is crazy to say he deserves to go to the back of the line because he is the line.
Tiffany Stratton vs. Sarray
Tiffany kicks Sarray to start, wristlock countered by Sarray into an armdrag. Sarray off the ropes into a clothesline and she locks up Stratton’s legs, then bends back and grabs her chin. Stratton gets to the ropes and Sarray goes for the basement dropkick but Stratton moves.
Stratton puts Sarray into the ropes and comes off the otherside into a hipcheck, then covers for two. Tiffany with a sleeper, Sarray tries to escape but gets pulled back to the mat. Sarray to her feet, Stratton with a knee to the gut. Senton from the apron and a cover for two, and Stratton goes after the hair but Sarray fits back to her feet!
Stratton off the ropes but gets dropkicked, German suplex and Sarray goes up top. Double stomp from Sarray, boot choke against the bottom rope and stomps followed by a kick right to the jaw and this time the basement dropkick connects. Stratton to the outside, Sarray rolls her in, she goes for a German suplex but Stratton grabs the ropes. Stratton throws Sarray off, Vader bomb and cover.
Winner: Tiffany Stratton (4:26)
Rating: ** 1/4
Thoughts: Fine for the short amount of time it had, though I assume this is functionally the end of any kind of spotlight on Sarray which is unfortunate. Stratton is improving but isn’t quite there yet.
* Gibson and Drake walk through the back and Bron Breakker walks right through them. He hears a voice directing him in a direction where he sees the cage that his dad was in with audio from his dad and Gacy from the kidnapping. Bron stupidly steps into the cage and watches the end, but fortunately does not get locked in and instead he flips out and leaves.
* Pretty Deadly are walking backstage crowing about their start and run into Indi and Persia. Indi says they look better in person than on TV. Persia says they want something from them: a match. They agree and are all for it, with lots of innuendo, but they meant for their men. Elton akd Kip back off and say they’ll get back to him.
* MzKenzie asks Grayson why he fired Sanga, and he talks about how committed he was to the perfect plan to become champion. He says Sanga screwed it all up and he’s nothing without him. Andre Chase comes in and says it’s a teachable moment, and says Ben Franklin had a great quote. Grayson asks who Ben Franklin ever beat and Sanga comes in, chasing Waller off. Waller runs around backstage and stumbles his way to the ring with Sanga chasing him.
Grayson Waller vs. Sanga
Waller nails Sanga, but Sanga no-sells it and clubs Waller down. He flings Waller across the ring and then does it again and again. And again, because why not? The crowd chants for one more time, so he complies. And then again.
Waller grabs onto the bottom rope and Sanga tries to grab him, but the ref breaks it up and Waller takes out the knee with a dropkick. He beats on Sanga but Sanga shoves him and knocks him down. He shoves Waller into the ropes a couple of times and hits him in the back, then whips him hard across the ring, charging into a boot. Waller charges in but gets caught with a sidewalk slam.
Sanga grabs Waller and bends him backward, yells at him, hits an elbow and covers for two but Waller grabs the bottom rope. Bodyslam by Sanga and he signals for the chokeslam, Waller quickly rolls out of the ring. Sanga follows and gets Waller, who kicks him and then slides out right into a chokehold. Waller slips out and shoves Sanga into the ringpost. Sanga rolls into the ring dazed, Waller with the rolling Stunner and covers for three.
Winner: Grayson Waller (about 3:20)
Rating: **
Thoughts: It was what it was. Not a great match but put Waller over.
* We get a vignette recapping Natalya’s appearance and attack of Cora Jade, with Jade talking about she never realized how true it was that you should never meet your idols until she met the true Nattie. She says her future isn’t bleak and Nattie is dead-ass wrong. Young Cora saw Nattie as a dream match, but her only dream now is to kick Nattie’s legendary ass. She tears up a pic of them and steps on Nattie’s face as she walks off.
* We get a new vignette of a young girl talking about how she was an outcast at school but that the WWE video game was her escape. She would get lost gaming for hours and create herself, dream what it would be like to be in the ring. She said that’s the closest she’d get to becoming a WWE Superstar. But next week the dream becomes real life. It’s Roxanne Perez, and she debuts next week.
* McKenzie interviews Perez who says that her debut next week will be her dream come true. Toxic Attraction come in and mock her, saying not to set the bar too high because she’ll never set it. Perez says “Thanks for the advice?” Jacy says she’s picking up some attitude and suggests that they move it up to tonight. Roxanne says she’ll figure something out.
Legado del Fantasma vs. Gibson & Drake
Apparently Grizzled Yougn Veterans name is no more. Legado leap on them before the match and Drake gets in the ring, match begins and Wilde hits an elevated splash on him for two. Gibson makes the tag when Drake comes off the ropes, but Wilde manages to springboard off the top to take down Gibson and covers for two.
Gibson in the hostile corner, Wilde runs right into a boot. Drake tags in and takes out Wilde, then dropkicks Del Toro off the corner. He decks Wilde who’s on the apron and tags in Gibson, Wilde with a shoulder block and a leap into a sunset flip for two. Wilde knocks Gibson down and goes for the tag, Gibson grabs the foot but he kicks off and makes the tag.
Cruz takes down Drake with a dropkick, sets him on the top and goes for a superplex but Drake fights him off. Cruz with a rana off the top but Gibson tagged in and nails Cruz in the throat. He beats on Cruz in the corner, tags in Drake who knocks WIlde off the apron and gets Wilde on his shoulder, but Del Toro dives to take out Gibson and Drake gets knocked down. Wilde leaps on Gibson on the outside and then they nail Gibson with a big kick for three.
Winner: Legado del Fantasma (3:57)
Rating: ** 1/2
Thoughts: Fast-paced and a bit to rushed to be honest to get the spots in during the short amount of time, but very little was individually awkward.
After the match, Escobar tells Tony D’Angelo to watch as he takes care of business by battling Carmelo Hayes next.
* McKenzie is with Wes Lee, who asks what’s going through his mind. He says the last few weeks have been chaotic and rough, and he has been going through his mind a lot. Zyon Quinn walks in and says the problem is he doesn’t run it straight. Lee says that sounds cool but no one knows what it means and he’s not the person to give advice. Quinn says he should teach him a lesson, and Lee says maybe seeing Quinn out there will see him get some peace.
* Apparently Fallon Henley and Briggs & Jensen attacked during the break.
Carmelo Hayes vs. Santos Escobar
Circling and lockup to start, Escobar with a waistlock, Hayes gets to the ropes. Lockup again, Escobar with a wristlock takedown, Hayes gets his foot on the ropes. Go for a lockup again and Hayes with a kick to the gut and front facelock, Escobar gets to the ropes but Hayes doesn’t let go until four and then kicks Santos down.
Hayes gets shot into the ropes, shoulderblock and Santos stumbles back but neither man go down. They run it back and Escobar with a big dropkick off the ropes. Enzuigiri from an apron and then a crossbody off the top by Santos. Santos off the corner, Trick trips him up and that distracts him enough for Melo to hit a springboard crossbody. He comes off the ropes and catches himself but slips, they trade reversals into a neckbreaker by Hayes and we go to PIP break.
We’re back and Melo was in control during the break, but Santos hits a knee right as we return. Santos comes off the ropes and levels Santos, they’re both slow to get up. Melo with a shot to Escobar’s throat, he goes for a springboard move but is caught into a backbreaker for a nearfall.
Santos goes for a wheelbarrow slam but Melo catches his boot and trips him up, then goes into a single-leg crab. He wrenches back on it, Santos crawls and reaches the rope and Melo spins around into a front facelock. He wears Santos down on the mat, but Escobar to his feet and rolls Hayes up for two.
Hayes back into the front facelock, but Santos turns it into a suplex with the bridge, some jostling until the pin for two. Hayes lays some shots into Escobar’s back, then a kick to the head and back into the chancery. Santos with the delayed vertical suplex, holding it forever before dropping back! They start trading strikes on their knees, Santos and Melo both to their feet and they deliver shots that stagger each other. It breaks down and Santos slaps Hayes in the corner, then shoves him into the other corner.
Enzuigiri and eight elevated punches until Hayes slides through and drops Santos’ face to the turnbuckle. Escobar still in control though, running Hayes over and sending him to the outside before leaping through the ropes to take Hayes down! He rolls Hayes in and a couple of guys in suits take out Santos, rolling him into the ring. Top rope famouser, cover for three.
Winner: Carmelo Hayes (13:52)
Rating: *** 1/4
Thoughts: Give these guys 13 minutes and I’d expect nothing less than this. The finish of course plays into the Santos/D’Angelo feud which is what it is. Not my favorite finish but the rest of the match was very good.
* Afterward, Trick tells the crowd to shut their mouth, and Melo says there’s no one standing in his way so in two weeks at Spring Break In, he’s going to become a two-time North American Champion.
That brings out Grimes, who says Melo sounds really confident but wasn’t confident enough to come out last week and meet him face to face. He says he’s man enough to say that in two weeks, he’s on. Melo wants to fight now and Grimes says he might want to turn around — it’s Solo Sikoa! Solo takes out Trick and Melo and stares at Grimes. Solo says he’s got next, and Grimes nods.
* Bron comes out of an elevator backstage and sees a door with creepy sounds. He opens it and walks in, saying “What the hell is this?” It’s too much of a close-up to see what he sees at first, but we eventually see a mirror with Gacy pulling a Warrior on him. Bron screams “WHERE ARE YOU??” and oh gods and goddesses alike, this is where this storyline is going isn’t it?
* Malcolm Bivens talks to Ivy on the phone about how Diamond Mine is global which is why she’s in NXT UK. He hangs up and Roderick Strong says he knows the last few weeks have been rough but he refuses to let another group crumble so he’s going to make examples out of those who refuse see eye to eye with his vision of the group.
Natalya vs. Tatum Paxley
Circle to start, lockup and Nattie pushes Tatum into the ropes before backing up. Tatum approaches and gets shoved down. Natalya with a hiptoss and headlock, Tatum turns it into a headlock. Nattie gets free, but they quickly go to the ground again and trade reversals.
Back up and Nattie with a kick to the gut, Tatum cartwheels out of it and they continue reversals into Tatum is in an elbowlock. She stands and it turns into a wristlock. Tatum gets the better of Nattie, who rolls out of the ring. She tries to slide back in and eats a kick, and then they play in and out of the ropes until Natalya takes Tatum down on the outside with a clothesline.
Suplex on the ground by Nattie, then Tatum gets rolled into the ring. Natalya covers for two. She slams Tatum headfirst into the mat and then goes for a elevated surfboard before kicking her to the mat. Whip into the corner, Tatum gets the elbow up, she kicks a charging Nattie, ducks and hits a clothesline. Back elbow and a suplex from Paxley. Flipping senton, cover for two.
Nattie is in the corner and Tatum charges but gets slammed into the turnbuckle, Nattie with the sharpshooter and Paxley taps.
Winner: Natalya (4:52)
Rating: ** 1/2
Thoughts: Say what you want about Nattie being in NXT, but that was a legitimately solid effort that let Paxley show off more than she has in NXT by a long shot. This is a great use of Natalya and not a bad match at all.
* Tony D is asked leaving the arena if he had any6thing to do with the attack on Santos. He says the interviewer has a lot of nerve and says it was a couple of goombahs trying to make a name. He points out Legado’s car and says “Nice wheels” before leaving.
* We get another vignette for Nathan Frazer where he talks about his aerial creativity and innovation. He debuts next week.
* Indi is backstage and asks what size pants Duke wears because they need to look like a team. Duke says they need to talk strategy and should take the fight to Pretty Deadly. Indi says Dexy likes that, but doesn’t like taking out the legs. Duke doesn’t get how Dexter communicates, and Indi says “Try to speak his language!”
Duke tries to do weird faces and Indi says it isn’t working. Duke says this is stupid and stalks off.
Xyon Quinn vs. Wes Lee
Lee runs in with a spinning kick at the top and dodges some shots before dropkicking Quinn to the outside and diving onto him. He picks Quinn up and lays in some shots, but Quinn takes over and picks Lee up, dropping him off his shoulder onto the apron. Back in and Quinn covers for two.
Quinn clubs Lee across the shoulders, Lee fights back with strikes and comes off the ropes but rings into Lee’s guard stance and falls over. Quinn beats Lee in the corner and charges in but Lee dodges. Quinn grabs Lee by the hair, picks him onto his shoulders. Lee tries to elbow out and catches Lee with a small package for two.
Quinn right back up and he shoves Lee into the air, letting him drop. He lie4s in wait but Lee with a superkick and chops, then a spin kick to the back of the head. Lee slips in a springboard and gets clocked by Lee with an elbow. Quinn with a charging forearm for the pin.
Winner: Xyon Quinn (3:29)
Rating: **
Thoughts: Well that’s not hopeful for Lee. Match was too short and rushed, and a couple of awkward botched moments didn’t help.
* McKenzie asks Natalya about Cora Jade’s comments, and she says Cora loves to play the victim. She says it wasn’t an attack; it was self-defense because everyone who blossoms in NXT comes to the main roster and finds her. So she beat her to the punch and took Cora out. Nikita walks in, clears her throat and says she’s putting Nattie on notice that she’s coming after her after she takes out Lash Legend.
* We’re back from break with a video promoting their partnership with Make-A-Wish for World Wish Day.
* We get a recap of Von Wagner throwing Ikemen Jiro into the audience last week. Jiro has internal injuries for nearly a month, and Wagner has been suspended and fined by management.
Roxanne Perez vs. Jacy Jayne
Jacy with a knee to the gut and strikes to start the match, but Perez ducks and hits a chop of her own before rolling Jacy up for two. Jacy catches her with her own pin attempt and we get several different nearfalls in quick succession.
Jacy with a kick to the gut after the last pin attempt, she goes into the ropes and gets hip tossed a couple times, then stops and avoids the third one. Perez goes into the corner headfirst and eats a superkick. She starts to mock Rozanne when Wendy appears on the tron and says she remodeled TA’s room, which allows Perez to get the pinfall.
Winner: Roxanne Perez (2:18)
Rating: N/A
Thoughts: All angle, barely any match.
* Santos is pissed as Legado walk to their car, but the tired have been slashed and a dead fish is on the hood. Because apparently a neon sign that says “Tony D’Angelo was here” wasn’t available.
Set For Spring Breakin’:
– NA Title Match: Solo vs. Grimes vs. Hayes
* Gacy is watching Bron on cameras and says it’s time he ends this.
NXT Tag Team Championship Match
Pretty Deadly vs. Duke Hudson & Dexter Lumis
Lumis starts with Prince and Prince goes for the leg while Kip decks him. Kip now lays in fists to Lumis and kicked him in the gut, followed by a shot to the head. Tag into Prince, and they send Lumis into the ropes for a double shoulder block, then off the ropes for a legdrop & splash combo for two.
Prince comes off the ropes but Lumis sits up and hits an inverted atomic drop. He goes for a back suplex, Kip protects Elton. Kip tags in and comes off the rope but its caught with another inverted atomic drop. Duke tags in and doesn’t understand what Duke wants, but he batters Kip in the corner. Double suplex, but Prince protects him and they kick Duke and Dexter. They send them into the ropes but they slide out and share a selfie with Indi and Persia before getting grabbed and pulled into the ring. Dexter with an elbow drop on Kip, Duke tags in, double suplex connects. Dexter gives a thumbs up — and Duke follows suit!
Duke batters Kip and sends him into the ropes for a back elbow. he does it again for a clothesline and Lumis tags in as we go to PIP break.
We’re back and Lumis is manhandling price on the mat. He locks in a reverse chinlock and Prince fights to get to his feet, hitting a jawbreaker and coming off the ropes only go get run over. Lumis charges in and Wilson pulls Prince to safety. Prince tags Kip and they beat on Lumis, then Kip with a neckbreaker and cover for two but Duke breaks it up with a kick to the head.
Wilson locks in a sleeper, Lumis struggles to his feet and Slams Kip into the rocnrer. Kip grabs his foot and gets enzuigiri’d, Prince tages in but Lumis tags in Duke who gomes in hot. He hits an overhead belly-to-belly on Prince, powerslams Wilson, avalanches both men and sends Prince flying into Kip! Elton revrses and sends Prince into the corner but Duke gets the boot up. Kip distracts, Prince pulls Duke off the corner and covers for two.
Hudson with an inside cradle for two, sends Elton into the corner and charges in — they collide heads. Kip runs in and gets sent to the outside, Wilson pulls Lumis off the apron and gets wiped out. Prince takes Lumis off the apron, gets powerslammed by Hudson, cover for almost three.
Hudson is distracted by Wilson and Prince runs him over, then covers for three.
Winner: Pretty Deadly (11:45)
Rating: ***
Thoughts: Hudson and Lumis’ best match by far, even if the result was very obvious.
After the match the arena goes black and Gacy appears on the podium, saying he’s not a hard man to find. Breakker comes out and makes his way up toward the podium. Gacy tells him to take it easy and all he had to do was ask for the ring. He says he’ll return it with no games or tricks under one condition: an NXT Title match in two weeks at Spring Breakin’. Bron says he’s got it. Gacy gives him the ring and Gacy says there’s one thing he needs to do: Take a leap of faith. He shoves Bron off the podium to the floor where there are some robed figures standing there. Gacy grins like a demon and the druids come in to attack him as we go to black.
And with that, we’re done for the night!
