Jeremy’s WWE NXT Review 5.9.23

Hello, everyone and welcome to our live WWE NXT coverage right here on 411! I’m Jeremy Thomas, here with you as always, and tonight NXT kicks off its Women’s Championship Tournament! With Indi Hartwell gone, eight women will compete in a tournament to determine the new champion and tonight we’ll see Gigi Dolan face Tiffany Stratton and Lyra Valkyria battle Kiana James. In addition, Gallus will defend the NXT Tag Team Championships against The Dyad and Trick Williams will be murdered by face Bron Breakker in the ring before Breakker’s match with Carmelo Hayes at Battleground. Finally, Ilja Dragunov will seek revenge against Dijak and Tyler Bate will face Charlie Dempsey. Should be a fun show, and it will be interesting to see how the call-ups in the Draft affect the NXT roster.

Here at Thomas HQ, my movie-watching took a minor backseat although I still got some viewing in. I checked out the Pamela Anderson documentary Pamela, A Love Story on Netflix, which was a very good look into the star’s life, and the Polish horror film Hellhole, also on Netflix. It was pretty standard evil cult material, albeit with a couple nasty twists. Mafia Mamma was only as fun as it was because of Toni Collette and Monica Belucci, while the documentary Judy Blume Forever was a very well-done look at the author’s legacy and career. From Black on Shudder had good intentions but didn’t really thrill me. And I did another rewatch of the ball culture documentary Paris Is Burning, because there’s never not a good time to watch it.

In TV news, I completed my full watch project for RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars and am now most of the way through RuPaul’s Celebrity Drag Race. I’m four episodes into season two, where it’s secret celebrities who are only revealed when they’re eliminated, and really loving it. It’s harder than you might expect to figure out who the celebs are.

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 Indi Hartwell vacating the NXT Women’s Championship after being drafted and announcing the NXT Women’s Championship Tournament, which led into the brawl between the women’s roster.

* And with that, we’re LIVE in the Capitol Wrestling Center with the eight women standing at the ramp. We’re kicking off with Tiffany Stratton vs. Gigi Dolan.

NXT Women’s Championship Tournament Match
Tiffany Stratton vs. Gigi Dolan

Tiffany and Gigi lock up, Gigi backs Tiff into the corner. She grabs Tiff’s boot and lays in the punches, then whips Tiff across the ring. Tiff with a handspring dodge and a Matrix back-bend, but gets caught with a bridge pin for two. Tiffany stumbles into the corner and is hit with a Bronco Buster, Gigi backs up and tries it again but Tiff moves and hits a dropkick to the shoulder, cover for two.

Gigi armdrags Tiffany off of her, but Tiff fights back with kicks. She slams Gigi’s shoulder in the corner and hits a legdrop onto the shoulder, cover for two. More work on the shoulder as she slams the arm back to the mat and then bounces off the bottom rope for a stomp and a cover for two.

Gigi reverses a whip into the ropes and rolls Tiff up for two, but Tiffany slams Gigi down shoulder-first for a cover. Tiffany wrecking the arm and she goes for a legdrop, Gigi moves but Tiffany arm drags her. Gigi back up and takes over with knees and a couple clotheslines, big kick to the head. Tiffany blocks Gigi’s momentum and hits a handspring splash, she walks into a roundhouse though and gets clotheslined down.

Dolan goes for her finish but the shoulder gives out, Tiffany picks Gigi up for a somersault slam and the top-rope moonsault for three.

Winner: Tiffany Stratton (4:30)
Rating: ** 1/2
Thoughts: Good for a four and a half minute match. The two worked well off each other and it’s nice to see Stratton get the win without the need for a Jacy Jayne interference spot.

* Gallus WALKS backstage. Meanwhile, Gacy talks up the Schism and says he doesn’t doubt they will bring gold back to them. Dyad leave and Gacy says he’s taken Ava’s word to heart and won’t be ringside, telling Ava to guide them.

* Earlier today, Trick and Melo were hanging at the barber shop. Melo says he’s already but needs to be cleared before he can compete. He appreciates Trick standing up to him and says he doesn’t have to do this. Trick says he does and has been working harder then ever, he’s gonna do it for Melo, but also for himself. He says Melo’s biggest test is defending at Battleground, and his biggest test is tonight.

NXT Tag Team Championship Match
Gallus vs. The Dyad

It devolves into a brawl before the bell rings. Coffey starts in the ring with Reid and slams him down, locking in a headlock. Reid gets to his feet and shoots Coffey into the ropes but gets run over, headlock back on. Reid tries to shoot Coffey off again to no luck and gets thrown into the hostile corner. Wolfgang tags in, double back elbow and a cover for two.

Wolfgang works on the shoulder and flips Reid over. He picks Reid up and eats a couple forearms, Reid fights free and tags in Fowler who hits a low dropkick and a clothesline for one. Fowler right back into a headlock, he wrenches on the nose and lays in an elbow. Fowler with a front facelock, he goes for a suplex but Wolfgang blocks it and hits one of his own.

Coffey tags in and grabs Fowler in a shoulderlock. Short-arm shoulderblock, Fowler with a knee to the gut to break free. Fowler into the ropes, Reid with a blind tag and they take over. Wolfgang knocked off the apron, enzuigiri into a Flatliner, cover for two as we go to PIP break.

We’re back as Fowler is in control of Coffey with a headlock. He hits a knee lift and tags in Reid, Fowler whipped at Coffey but eats a superkick. Coffey tries to make the tag but gets taken down, cover for three. Reid with a front facelock, Coffey gets to his knees but gets put back down on the mat. Coffey gets back to his feet and PICKS REID up for a back bodydrop!

Wolfgang get the hot tag and comes in on fire. He takes out Fowler, splashes Reid and then knocks Fowler off the apron. Axehandle fist off the rope rope, Coffey tags in, double choke slam and cover for two. Wolfgang tags back in and locks in the front facelock before getting him on his shoulders, Coffey off the ropes but gets tripped by Fowler. Reid rolls Wolfgang up for two.

Coffey tags in, Reid caught in a catapult. Ava on the apron as a distraction, Reid is flipped but counters into a DDT. Things are looking bad but Ivy Nile runs down and attacks Ava! The Creeds grab Nile and pull her away, and in the ring Gallus take out Fowler for the three count.

Winner: Gallus (11:01)
Rating: ***
Thoughts: These two teams were always gonna be great together, and they got enough time for a good fight. Hard-hitting stuff and Dyad held up their end for an enjoyable bout.

* Thea Hail is with the Chase U classmates earlier today and Javi walks up to mock Chase U, pointing out that she’s not in the women’s tournament. Duke walks in and says Hail got an 88 on her test, and she loses it in a good way. Javi says Duke is really into this scam and believes it’s a long game, but Duke says he’s just filling in until Chase gets back. He asks Javi how dare he besmirch the name of Duke — he means Chase University? Javi points out the Freudian Slip and Duke says he’s getting a match booked between them.

* We get a montage of all the various attacks on the NXT Women’s Division lately, with someone in a hoodie watching them.

Javier Bernal vs. Duke Hudson

Lock up to start, Duke backs Javi in the corner but Javi escapes and shoves Duke. Duke shoves Javi to the mat in response, Javi out of the ring with Duke in tow. Javi back in the ring and attacks Duke as he enters, he batters Duke around the ring and in the corner.

Javi showboats which allows Duke to recover and run over Javi off the ropes. Javi begs off but hits a basement dropkick, a DDT and a low elbow off the ropes, cover for less than one. Javi stomps at Duke and then locks in a chinlock. The Chase U section chants for Duke, who gets to his knees and goes to break the chinlock. He throws Javi over him, but Bernal fires back with a kick and then a shot to the head. Duke is Hulking up! He lays into Javi and knocks him down, back elbow off the ropes and a sidewalk slam!

Duke with jabs to Javi and then a Dusty Elbow, senton follows up and then he goes all around onto the apron for a slingshot German suplex. Razor’s Edge finishes it.

Winner: Duke Hudson (3:57)
Rating: ** 1/4
Thoughts: It was a fine squash match, though nothing special. Javi got some time, they did Duke’s Chase U spots and that was it.

* Von Wagner and Robert Stone are walking along and they start sharing their favorite foods. Stone asks about the picture of Von as a kid and a guy comes up and jokes about the photo. Wagner manhandles him and tosses him away before walking off.

* Gallus are celebrating in the back and run into the Creeds and Ivy Nile. Julius Creed tells Joe to watch himself, and Brutus says they should watch the tag titles. Joe Coffey says the Creeds aren’t worthy of the titles and walk off. Ivy thanks the Creeds for having her back.

Eddy Thorpe vs. Damon Kemp

Lock up to start, Thorpe with a wristlock into an armdrag. Kemp ducks a lock up and takes Thorpe down, they jockey for position and Thorpe goes into the ropes to force the break. Lock up, Thorpe with a headlock and Kemp punches out of it. Into the corner, Eddy up and over and he takes Kemp down with a headlock.

Kemp back to his feet, he breaks the headlock and takes Thorpe over with his own headlock. They go into the ropes and Thorpe with a high crossbody followed by a chop. He goes for a suplex, Kemp blocks it and hits a big uppercut followed by a rebound suplex. Kemp with mounted punches and backs off, talking shit. He grabs Eddy and goes into the chinlock, turning it into a seated abdominal stretch. Thorpe back to his feet but Kemp with a side Samoan drop, cover for two.

They’re back up and Eddy takes over with strikes, whip into the ropes and a back elbow. Jab and kick, big kick by Eddy and a big boot in the corner, German suplex and a cover for two. Thorpe with a waistlock but Kemp elbows free, he tries for a sunset flip but Eddy rolls through and locks in a single-leg crab, Kemp gets to the ropes.

Eddie pulls Kemp from the ropes, Kemp grabs the apron. Ref calls for the break, Eddy hits a boot and German suplex, then hits a leaping elbowdrop for three.

Winner: Eddy Thorpe (4:57)
Rating: ** 1/2
Thoughts: Decent technical brawl here that gets Thorpe a somewhat bigger win. Kemp looked solid here but this was all about getting Thorpe in a better position on the roster, and it accomplished that fine enough.

* McKenzie is backstage with Kiana and is asked about her match with Lyra tonight. Kiana says she has the hardest first-round opponent but luckily she thrives under pressure and has accomplished all the things she’s set out to do except the NXT Women’s Championship. She says her first year has been great and will be even better in year two when she wins the title.

* McKenzie is with Bron as he prepares and asks him about the change in attitude. Bron says there isn’t a change, he just stopped caring. He carried NXT on his back and people just stopped caring. They chose their side with Melo and that’s fine, because Melo is still taking splinters out of his ass and if we don’t like it, the door’s over there. Bron says tonight, he’s putting Melo’s best friend in the same hospital that he put Melo in.

Ilja Dragunov vs. Dijak

They go into the attack right off the bell and Ilja attacks, chopping Dijak in the corner and taking him to another corner for a chop. Dijak grabs Ilja and throws him in the corner, Ilja comes out with more chops that send Dijak all the way across the ring where he fires off the chops in rapid fire. Ilja up to the second rope for an elbow, he goes back up but Dijak grabs him and throws him over the top to the outside. Dijak rolls Ilja back in and covers for two.

Dijak with mounted fists now, a cover for two and then a seated reverse bear hug. Dijak picks Ilja up and Ilja powers out of the hug. They trade strikes, Ilja takes over and sets Dijak into the ropes where Dijak bounces off with a kick. But Ilka fires right back with an enzuigiri. He grabs Dijak for a German suplex but Dijak blocks it and goozles Ilka. Ilja fights off but gets sent into the ropes. He comes off and nails Dijak with a haymaker and falls down.

Ilja up and grabs Dijak for the German but Dijak grabs the ropes to block it. He throws Ilja across the ring and hits a big discus boot, cover for a nearfall.

Dijak now out of the ring, he grabs the timekeeper’s chair and goes back into the ring. The ref grabs the chair and Dijak flings the ref, then hits Ilja with it for the DQ.

Winner: Ilja Dragunov (4:28)
Rating: ** 1/2
Thoughts: A hard-hitting brawl that didn’t get the time it needed to take off the way it should have.

DIjak with the chair across Ilja’s back after the match. He steps out of the ring and throws Ilja into the apron and the ringpost, then chokeslams Ilja onto the apron. He sets up the ringsteps on their side, kicks Ilja and tips the steps over onto Ilja. He climbs up on the steps as Ilja struggles to breath and asks Dijak if he feels alive now.

* Wes Lee walks into a locker room where Tyler Bate is meditating and says Bate was like a majestic leopard taking out Dempsey. And he’s got Bate’s back. He says Bate needs to get going and Bate finally comes to, saying when he meditates he’s in a deep trancelike state. They walk off together.

* We get a Tiktok video from Dani Palmer who asks Briggs and Jensen for advice after her debut match, and they say just get the reps in. Hank Walker and Tank Ledger suggest a match between them, and they’re down for it.

Charlie Dempsey vs. Tyler Bate

Lock up to start, Dempsey lays in some Euro uppercuts and Bate fires back. They go off the ropes and alternate battering each other, Bate with a suplex and a standing shooting star press for two. Bate gets Dempsey on his shoulder and spins but Dempsey slides down and locks in a full nelson. Bate elbows out but gets nailed on the back, double underhook suplex from Dempsey with a bridge for two.

Dempsey batters Bate but gets stopped with a shot to the head and a kick. Bate goes into the corner but gets rolled up by Dempsey, they trade roll-ups until Bate is up and Dempsey charges in, Bate ducks a boot and kicks Dempsey in the head. Traded Euro uppercuts, Dempsey with a kick and then locks in an octopus hold. Bate gets free and puts Dempsey on his shoulders for the spin around and around, down into the slam.

Joe Gacy is out here to tell Wes Lee that Bate is not his friend. Gulak gets involved and Bate DIVES ON BOTH OF THEM! Bate handsprings into the ropes but Gacy nails him in the head, Dempsey with the full nelson suplex for three.

Winner: Charlie Dempsey (3:26)
Rating: ** 1/2
Thoughts: This was more about the angle than the match. The in-ring action was fine for the time it got.

* We go to Twitter where Melo saw Bron’s promo and says he’s not gonna let Trick do this by himself, so he leaves the barber shop.

* McKenzie asks Dragon Lee about Noam Dar’s actions last week and he says Dar sees him as a threat and only cares about two things: himself and the Heritage Cup. Dar then appears on the screen and says he comes bearing a gift. He says they’ve gotten off on the wrong foot so he’s going to be the bigger and better man and offer Lee a spot on his talk show, Supernova Sessions. Dar says Lee’s career will skyrocket after this.

Lee says he’ll be there.

Josh Briggs & Brooks Jensen vs. Hank Walker & Tank Ledger

Walker with a big boot right at the bell. Back in the ring, Hank and Tank run over Biggs and cover for one. Briggs fights back and picks Walker up for a slam, then tags in Brooks. Irish whip and a double shoulderblock, followed by a double bodyslam and elbows, Brooks covers for two.

Jensen with chops to Walker in the corner, hard whip across the ring but Walker comes out with a clothesline. He drives Brooks into the hostile corner, Tank tags in and hits a splash, clothesline for two.

Irish whip, Jensen stops at the ropes and takes Tank down, Briggs tags in and hits a big clothesline for two. Tank spits out a tooth and lays in with punches and headbutts to Briggs, Jensen makes the blind tag and catches Tank, big clothesline and cover for three.

Winner: Briggs & Jensen (2:39)
Rating: N/A
Thoughts: RIP Hank and Tank.

We get a show of sportsmanship after the match.

* Lyra Valkyria vignette in which she says she’s evolving, adapting and sharpening her weapons. She’s not the same person she was, but she’s still Valkyria, the shadow of the Morrigan. Kiana James is the first person on her road to the Women’s Title.

* Nathan Frazer is here with the latest Hard Hitting Home Truths, where he says 17 people were drafted from NXT which opens up spots, but for who? Frazer says we don’t know and that’s what’s exciting. He names a lot of countries and mentions Chase U, which isn’t a country but Duke Hudson goes there. He says it gives a new meaning to world domination and brings up Noam Dar who has his own talk show, Supernova Sessions where he himself made his own first appearance. He says Supernova Sessions is just to stoke his own ego unlike his own show.

Frazer plays the clip of Dar getting superkicked by Lee last week and says it’s Noam Dar’s baby metaphorically and literally, then plays the clip of Dar treating the cup like a baby. He says in the very near future Dar may not have his baby, and his world will crash down.

NXT Women’s Championship Tournament Match
Kiana James vs. Lyra Valkyria

Lock up to start, Lyra gets a quick rollup for two. Kiana with a kneelift and a cover for one, they go back up and Kiana goes into the ropes to run Lyra over. Back into the ropes, Kiana blocks an armdrag, they go into a series of rollups for two-counts, Lyra with a jackknife that Kiana bridges out of. They go into the ropes, Lyra on Kiana’s shoulder, rana into an armdrag and she leaps in but Kiana catches the legs, spins Lyra around and catapults her neck first into the bottom rope.

Lyra out of the ring, she climbs back to the apron but Kiana sends her into the ringpost as we go to PIP break.

We’re back with Lyra escaping a submission and monkey flipping Kiana over, she catches James with an inside cradle for two. Kiana with a shot to the gut, picks Lyra up and slams her down for two. James charges into the corner for a shoulder to the gut, she goes again but Lyra gets the foot up. Missile dropkick from Lyra follows up.

Lyra with a shot to the head, she blocks a kick and knocks Kiana over, then lays in the kicks. Kiana with a kneelift, she charges but Lyra dumps her to the outside. Lyra off the ropes, dropkick through the ropes to Kiana. Lyra rolls Kiana into the ring and goes up top, double stomp misses and she rolls through but hits a dropkick, Northern Lights suplex and bridge for two.

Lyra up top, she takes am and leaps but Kiana gets the knees up. Powerbomb by Kiana, cover for a nearfall. Knees to the side of Lyra, back suplex but Lyra flips through and hits a roundhouse kick for three.

Winner: Lyra Valkyria (8:51)
Rating: ** 1/2
Thoughts: Not a fantastic effort here given the amount of time they got, but it wasn’t awful by any stretch either. Kiana and Lyra don’t really click in the ring and the ending didn’t seem very climatic.

* Gallus are celebrating with drinks at the bar and toast to their title defense. Tony D and Stacks walk up and say they made some scratch with their win. Joe asks what their business is, and Stacks says that if Joe Coffey wasn’t involved, they’d have won the titles. They want the next crack at the titles. Joe says they handle things differently now that he’s hear and they should leave if they want to keep walking. Tony says it doesn’t pay to threaten him and they’ll get their title shot.

Set For Next Week:
– Supernova Sessions with guest Dragon Lee
– NXT Women’s Title Tournament Quarterfinal Match: Roxanne Perez vs. Jacy Jayne
– NXT Women’s Title Tournament Quarterfinal Match: Cora Jade vs. Fallon Henley

Bron Breakker vs. Trick Wiliams

Lock up to start, Tick backed into the corner, he escapes but gets taken down by Bron. Trick with a dropkick and another, he buts Bron in the corner and fires off with fists and shoulders. Bron tries to fight out but he gets put back in the corner and Trick with shoulder lifts.

Bron out of the corner and gets nailed with a pump kick, then sent to the outside by Trick! Williams out of the ring and beats on Bron against the commentary booth. He goes to send Bron into the timekeeper’s chair but Bron hits a suplex on Trick onto the commentary booth. He gets Trick in the ring and beats om him, the nails another suplex. German suplex by Bron, he grabs Trick by the hair and talks trash.

Trick fires off with a first but gets suplexed over, cover for two but Bron breaks the pin and does pushups. Bron with a seated abdominal stretch, the crowd chants “YOU STILL SUCK!” Trick to his feet and fights back but gets doubled over with a kneelift. Into the ropes, Trick gets momentum but is caught with a spinebuster for two.

Bron shoves Trick with his foot and comes off the ropes with a big lariat. Into the ropes again but Trick with a big boot and a clothesline. Trick up to his feet, he fires off with rights and hits a dropkick. Into the ropes, Trick with a diving clothesline! He’s hyped up and grabs Bron, pulling him up for a uranage! Cover for two. Trick goes in but gets caught by Bron and planted. Bron lying in wait now as Trick goes for the ropes, Bron grabs his foot. Trick kicks free and gets to his feet, he charges but Bron spears the shit out of him!

The straps are down now, Bron goes for the Steiner Recliner and Trick refuses to tap until Bron cinches back and that’s it.

Winner: Bron Breakker (6:40)
Rating: ** 3/4
Thoughts: Nice little match that further sells Bron’s heel status but also made Trick look pretty good. Trick was always the sacrificial lamb but he hung in there pretty well.

Bron reapplies the Recliner but here comes Melo! Melo in the ring and takes it to Bron he springboards off the ropes and gets the shit speared out of him. Bron picks up the title and holds it as he knees over Melo. He’s saying something you can barely make out because of the “YOU STILL SUCK!” chants but basically he says the title will be his at Battleground.

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

6.0

The final score: review Average

The 411

NXT is in a slight rebuilding state after the roster call-ups, and this was a transitional episode by necessity. It was far from a great episode and there were about two too many matches, which cut into the time other matches got. But I also didn't find myself with any particular dislike of the show. It was just kind of there and survived off a couple good matches and segments which were good enough to make this a watchable, if skippable, episode.