wrestling / TV Reports
Jeremy’s WWE NXT Review 8.19.25
Image Credit: WWE
Loading...Hello everyone, and welcome to our live WWE NXT coverage on 411! It’s good ol’ me, Jeremy Thomas, and tonight we’re in the final push to NXT Heatwave. Tonight’s show will see the #1 contender for Oba Femi’s NXT Championship determined as Trick Williams takes on Je’Von Evans. Plus, Josh Briggs and Yoshiki Inamura will open the show with a Street Fight while Jasper Troy and Ricky Saints try to settle their differences, Fatal Instinct battle TNA’s The Elegance Brand with Masha Slamovich as the referee, and Jordynne Grace & Blake Monroe have a face-to-face before they do battle at Heatwave. And finally, Ethan Page & Chelsea Green will try to orchestrate a peace treaty with Tavion Heights & Tyra Mae Steele and Joe Hendry will make an appearance. That’s the recipe for a fun little show and hopefully it delivers.
It’s been a bit busy at Thomas HQ, but I’ve still managed to get some movie-watching in. I checked out Ari Aster’s latest film in Eddington, which I found myself very mixed on with a lot of meandering before it kicks into gear a bit too late for me. I did end up enjoying the concert film/one-man show Bono: Stories of Surrender on Apple TV+, which put the U2 frontman’s charisma well on display. I watched Patchwork for the Final Ghouls of Horror podcast (next episode coming shortly!), and watched the original The Toxic Avenger for the first time in years and still find it incredibly charming.
On the TV side, I did a hard push through the most recent season of Dropout’s Game Changer and enjoyed it as always, while also starting to play catchup on Dirty Laundry which I do enjoy. I also watched the first two episodes of Alien: Earth and am finding it extremely compelling, possibly the best Alien property since the first two.
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.
* NXT is LIVE in Philly and we kick off with Trick walking into the building. Je’Von walks up earlier tonight, as to Fatal Influence and Chelsea Green & Ethan Page.
* Briggs and Inamura are brawling in Gorila and the match starts when they get to ringside.
Philadelphia Street Fight
Josh Briggs vs. Yoshiki Inamura
Briggs charges Inamura but Inamura dodges and Briggs hits the ring steps. Inamure sends Briggs off the ringside area to the pit and DIVES on him! Chops by Inamura against the guardrail, Briggs with a back elbow and sends Inamura into the pit wall. Suplex to the (carpeted) floor by Briggs and he rolls Inamura to the ringside area.
Inamura fights back but gets sent into the ring, and Briggs circles around the ring before going under. He doesn’t like what he sees so he looks elsewhere and tosses chairs into the ring, hitting Inamura. He stomps at Inamura’s head and sets a chair into the corner, then thwacks Inamura across the back with another. Second chair in a second corner across the ring, but Inamura is up and they trade strikes. But strike series by Inamura but Briggs does to the knee. Inamura with a forearm, Briggs answers back and hits a big boot.
Standing sidewalk slam by Briggs onto the chair, Briggs with a splash but Inamura moves! Briggs sent hard into the corner, another whip across the ring back-first into the chair in the corner. Bodyslam onto the chair and a cover gets two-plus.
Inamura to the outside and he goes under the ring — KENDO STICK! And a BAT! Inamura back in the ring and takes aim — Briggs sends a chair into the knee and hits a bat-assisted side Russian legsweep. Briggs steps on the Philly bat as we go to break.
Back from break and there’s more chairs and a piece of guardrail in the ring thanks to Briggs. He sets Inamura up — SUPERPLEX through the guardrail set up on chairs! Briggs to the outside and get gets a kendo stick, throwing it javelin-style into Inamura!
Briggs back in the ring and tapes Inamura to the top rope by his wrists. He grabs the kendo stick and WAFFLES Inamura across the back with it! Again! A third time! But Inamura is Inamura-ing up and he breaks free! Briggs begs off but tries to cheap shot with the kendo stick — Inamura smashes through it! He strikes away at Briggs and takes aim — sumo-style strikes into the corner! He batters Briggs down and knocks him to the mat with a shot to the shoulders.
Inamura grabs a trash can and puts it over Briggs — strikes to the garbage can! He grabs the Philly bat — and nails the can! Briggs is down, Inamura grabs him and hits a slam into the trash can.
Inamura down under the ring — HE HAS THE TABLE! He sets it up, Briggs is busted open — Briggs has a chain around his arm! He puts Briggs on the table and climbs, but Briggs cuts him off. Inamura knocks him back — FROG SPLASH THROUGH THE TABLE! Cover gets thre-NO!
Inamura gets another table and sets it up. Briggs sabotages the table — as Inamura gets a second one! Thet battle over the table — and Briggs pushes the table into Inamura! Lariat with the loaded arm, he sets Inamura on the table and climbs! MOONSAULT through the table, and that’s it.
Winner: Josh Briggs (15:53)
Rating: *** 1/4
Thoughts: Very fun street fight with some good spots in there. Briggs and Inamura both delivered and Briggs gets the expected win. It’s just about the follow-up from here.
* Over the weekend, Ava posted a video of her and Santino talking to Masha Slamovich where she made her pitch to be the ref, which was agreed to.
* Sarah Schreiber is with Trick Williams and asks him about tonight’s #1 contenders match. He says he loves some him and went out and beat Moose at Emergence. And if Je’Von thinks he will beat him, he’s stupid. Je’Von is an athletic specimen and likes to bounce, but Trick says he’ll bounce Je’Von back to high school and see Oba at Heatwave.
Ricky Saints vs. Jasper Troy
Circle, Ricky with a dropkick and strikes away. Jasper picks him up, he goes up and over but Jasper picks him back up. Ricky goes onto Troy’s back for a sleeper and Troy goes to his knees. Troy fights back to his feet and slams Ricky back-first into the corner, but Saints hangs on! He slams Saints back into two other corners and finally gets the break.
Troy charges in, Saints dodges and goes up for a high crossbody for two. Saints nails a charging Troy, he goes to springboard but Troy knocks him to the floor as we go to break.
Back from break with Troy in control via an abdominal stretch. Saints elbows out and lays in some kicks to the leg, he ducks a clothesline but gets run over. Elbowdrop but Saints rolls out of the way and tees off on Troy. Troy doubles him over with a shot to the gut and goes for the goozle, but Saints counters into a modified armbar.
Troy goes for a sidewalk slam but Saints flips over, Troy off the ropes into a SAMOAN DROP! Saints goes up to the second rope, moonsault but Troy moves and he plants Saints in the corner. Shoulders to the gut, he backs up and charges in but Saints gets the boot up. Troy charges in but Saints dodges and Troy hits the ringpost!
Troy to the outside, Saints leaps off the apron but is CAUGHT and thrown into the ringsteps. Troy pulls the top step off, sets Saints on the bottom and goes for a senton — SAINTS MOVES! Tornado DDT to the floor from Ricky! Saints rolls Troy in, BIG Tornado DDT, cover gets three!
Winner: Ricky Saints (9:16)
Rating: ***
Thoughts: Good match with a clash of styles here. The ending didn’t have the impact it could have but beyond that I have no complaints. Saints needed this win so I’m glad he got it.
* Hank & Tank are with Ava and want to know which DarkState guys they’re facing Sunday. Ava doesn’t know yet and the Elegance concierge comes in to introduce the Elegance Brand. He asks Ava not to allow Masha to be guest referee and says she has no experience. Ava says the decision is final. Masha comes in with her ref outfit and leaves. The Elegance Brand isn’t happy.
* Jordynne Grace WALKS backstage.
* Back from break and here comes Jordynne to the ring! She gets a mic and says she came to NXT after travelling the world, being in hundreds of locker rooms and building a rep. She thought she would do what she always does: win championships. But that hasn’t happened. She knows she has weaknesses and figured they’d set her back, but she didn’t expect it to be a friendship that set her back.
She watches wrestling and has been wrestling for 15 years, so she knows how they pan out. But she thought maybe this was the exception. She says she knows it was stupid. She’s said before how the adjustment to WWE has been really, really hard and has never had someone exploit her insecurities and force her to address it publicly. She was angry at first but now she has one objective. She doesn’t need to prove she’s better than Blake and doesn’t want revenge. She’s going to make Blake look in the mirror and —
BLAKE IS HERE! And she has security. She says everyone here would like to see Jordynne get her redemption but Blake doesn’t want that and says there’s no redemption for the truth. She had a contract drawn up that says if Grace lays a finger on her, the match is off. She doesn’t need to feel sorry for Jordynne; Jordynne feels sorry for herself and that’s enough.
Grace says Blake’s been right about a lot of things but this is where she’s wrong. Blake was at Evolution, the biggest event in wrestling. And she was standing at ringside while Grace was in the ring wrestling as a main character. Grace thinks Blake is jealous of her. She says Evolution was a harsh reality check — and we get a “Blake is jealous” chant.
Grace says Blake is a disgusting snake. Blake says there it is! Grace doesn’t have a calm body in her body and is a reject playing a superstar. And with the Glamour having arrived, there’s not enough room for both of them. She calls Grace pathetic and Grace steps forward. Blake tells Grace to hit her and Grace says she doesn’t need to touch her to show her what will happen at Heatwave. So she takes out all the security guys!
Grace grabs Blake’s wrist and tells her she’ll show her at Heatwave what ugly is really like. Nice little segment here.
* Fatal Influence is backstage and Jacy scoffs at Elegance Brand being the most prominent pro wrestling brand. Lainey walks in and tells them to show her why she’s the most dominant champ. Sol and Zaria walk up and they almost come to blows, but Sol tells Jacy to get her time as double champ in because it ends Sunday. Lainey walks up and says at least Jacy defends both her titles. Sol says that she has the need for Speed.
* Tonight’s NXT Spotlight has Sarah ask Je’Von about tonight. Je’Von isn’t surprised Trick abandoned him last week and says Trick is goofy and knows he has his number. He isn’t worried about it though. To be a champion you have to beat a champion, and Trick isn’t even locked in as he tries to carry two brands, rap and act. Tonight, he whoops that Trick.
The Elegance Brand vs. Fatal Influence
M starts off with Fallon and they lock up. M with a kneelift and showboats, turning into kicks but she turns it around and sends Fallon into the ropes. Rollup by Fallon and a big kick, she sends M into the corner and splashes in. Nyx tags in, kick off the ropes and a cover for two.
M nails Nyx but gets hit with a dropkick. Nyx kips up, sends M into the ropes but she blocks it and back kicks Nyx before tagging in Heather. Heather onto M’s ropes for a splash for two. Ash tags in and goes for a Jaded, but Nyx counters into a roll-up for two. Ash leaps over a kick by Nyx escapes to the corner and tags in Jacy!
Jacy and Ash talk trash, they shove each other, Ash with a rollup for one. Jacy counters a hip toss, they roll each other up for one, Ash put in the hostile corner for a splash. Fallon tags in, basement clothesline for two. Fallon with slaps to the chest in the corner, she gets Ash on her shoulders but Ash slides down. The Concierge trips Fallon who gets sent to the outside — and Masha ejects the Concierge as we go to break!
We’re back and Fallon is mounting a comeback but gets put in the corner where Ash hits a handspring splash. M hits a cheap shot while Ash has Masha distracted, cover gets two. Heather goes for a second-rope moonsault but Fallon moves! She crawls to get the tag — Jacy gets the hot tag and takes it to the Elegance brand! Neckbreaker to Heather, M put on the ground and Heather is set to the outside — cannonball to M! Middle-rope senton, cover gets two.
Jacy not happy with Masha’s count but she tags in Fallon who tags in Nyx. Double electric chair and double facebuster. Jacy with the knee, Nyx covers but Ash makes the save. Ash clears the ring as Nyx goes for a suplex on M, who counters and hits a superkick. HGeather tags in and goes up top — Ash tags as well. Coupe de Grace/bow and arrow combo! Ash with a Meteora, cover but Jacy makes the save!
Chaos reigns a bit, M is knocked to the outside but pulls Fallon out and they’re fighting on the booth! Ash covers after a senton but Masha was distracted — cover and Nyx kicks out at two! Ash argues with Masha, Jacy tags in — Rolling Encore finishes it.
Winner: Fatal Influence (10:49)
Rating: ***
Thoughts: Another perfectly good match that saw everyone deliever the goods. The win protects the Elegances but gives Jacy the momentum heading into Heatwave.
* Charlie Dempsey is with Kendal Grey and gives her advice about how she faced Alba last week. Grey is pushing back and Wren comes in to defend Kendal. The Culling comes in and talks shit, particularly regarding Wren. Dempsey pushes back and Izzi says there’s no saving them.
* Ethan and Chelsea WALK backstage, as are Tavion and Tyra.
* We’re back for the Peace Treaty and first up are the Canadians. Page gets the mic and says they’re aware how the Philly freaks like to get down so they’ll handle something. The Secret Hervice dump the table out of the ring and the US contingent come out.
Everyone takes a seat and a “USA” chant of course breaks out. Page says he takes great pride that he and Chelsea are here for a peaceful, diplomatic discussion to share opinions and squash beef peacefully. Page says Tavion is doing a great job and doing what he said he would: becoming a solo star. He watched Tavion fight out of NXT and become a weapon in human form. His issue is that he doesn’t like how Tavion looks at him: he doesn’t see a 19 year veteran or a world-class athlete, literally the greatest North American to hold the NA Title. He says Tavion only sees opportunity and is getting a bit of a big head and biting off more than he can chew.
EThan says in Tavion’s world he’s a world class athlete. But in pro wrestling they don’t celebrate losers. There’s no second or third place. When you lose, you go home empty handed. There’s only gold and he’s the one holding it.
Tavion says he’s used to sitting across from seasoned vets until he sent them into the air. He thinks Ethan is foolish for underestimating him. He’s honed his craft, done the work and made in the image of Mt. Olympus.
Chelsea tells “Little T” there’s no need to get spicy and no need to be disrespectful to the greatest North American to hold the NA Title. Tavion is being rude but that’s what Americans do. She says they’re here to peacefully rep their country, which has majestic mountains and fresh air, saying they have the superior country and athletes.
Tyra is sick of Chelsea bloviating. They’re in America — better yet, Philly — and in Philly they speak their minds. And what’s in her mind is for Chelsea to shut her mouth. Chelsea asks how dare she say that. Tyra reminds Chelsea that she’s a gold medalist and not a “so-called gold medalist.” Chelsea says she’s the longest-reigning Women’s US Champion.
Tyra says she can take Chelsea down any time. Chelsea tries to calm Tyra down and Tavion isn’t having it, saying not in Philly where they know how to throw down. Philly won’t let them forget and neither will he. Ethan gets angry and says Tavion wants to go straight to violence —
AVA IS HERE! Ava says it’s not really giving peace so this Sunday at Heatwave, they are competing in a mixed tag match. Ethan and Chelsea get sucker shots in and go for kicks — Tavion and Tyra catch them and turn them into ankle locks! The Secret Hervice save Chelsea, then Ethan.
* Myles congratulates Ricky Saints and asks him what’s up with Briggs. He says he’ll keep his eye on him. Saints leaves, Lexis walks up and says that he was wrong. He was insensitive and mad for losing to him. He didn’t know how Myles could wrestle at a high level being deaf and blind. Myles says he’s deaf but not blind, and Lexis sprays something in his eyes and says “Well you are now!”
* Kelani and Lola are hanging out backstage and Kelani says don’t take it personal when she wins at Heatwave. Lola asks what Kelani did over the weekend and said she was at TripleMania. Lash walks up and points out Lola lost. They argue back and forth and Lash tells Kelani to tread lightly as she’s the biggest threat to thew Women’s Title, match or not.
* DarkState walks up to Ava and laughs about their winning in last week’s main event. Ava says she was impressed but assumes they don’t want to talk about Hank and Tank attacking them. Shugars says everyone’s talking about them, not anyone else including Joe Hendry —
JOE POPS OUT OF A CLOSET! Ava says they did it to themselves. Joe wants to know who is competing at Heatweave and they talk shit before Cutler James says he don’t want DarkState behind them.
* Vic and Corey run down the Heatwave card.
#1 Contender’s Match
Je’Von Evans vs. Trick Williams
Trick with a spinning big boot right at the bell and covers for two! He gets a side kick for another two. Bodyslam by Trick and another and Evans is already busted open from the mouth. Evans counters a kick and comes off the ropes with a springboard roll-up for two, followed by a kick. They trade kick attempts, Trick showboats and gets kicked in the face! Springboard rana and a dropkick for two.
Big shot to the chest from Evans to Trick, another chop. Trick with a thrust to the throat and a big shot in the corner. He grabs Evans and hits another chop in the corner. A showboating chop but Evans ducks and hits his own chops! Whip into the ropes, Trick ducks a shot and takes Je’Von down, hitting some mounted punches for four. Trick hits a snap suplex, cover gets two. Neckbreaker by Trick, and another cover for two.
Trick talks trash and locks in an cravat to wear Evans down. Evans tries to fight out but gets nailed across the shoulders. Williams whips Evans across the ring but he slides under and nails Trick from the apron — springboard crossbody! He knocks Trick to the floor and DIVES over the top onto Trick! Evans rolls Trick in, he goes to the apron — springboard but Trick catches him and THROWS HIM FROM THE TOP FLOOR THROUGH THE BOOTH! We go to break from there.
We’re back and we get other angles of the big spot. Back in the ring, Trick has Evans in a front facelock. Evans is trying to fight out and gets decked. Trick picks Evans in a double chokehold and puts him in the top rope — Evans decks Trick! He kicks Williams back, goes up top — Trick grabs him for a bodyslam off the top!
Trick jaws with Oba who is in the balcony and then lays in punches. Big kick to Evans, Trick kips up. Shots to Evans, who is trying to fight back gets picked up. A shot by Evans, and Trick responds. Evans turns around and stares at him — he ducks a shot and lays in the punches! Evans rocks Trick and lays in punches in the corner for the full four-count, then lays in a shot to the jaw that sends Trick to the outside. So Evans DIVES through the ropes onto him!
Back in, Evans with a big German suplex! Evans up top — FROG SPLASH! Cover gets two-plus. Evans with the Red Dot! He covers — nearfall! SRPINGBOARD CUTTER but Trick blocked it! Pop-up uppercut by Trick, who takes aium — Evans with a superkick, Trick with a Rock Bottom — Evans gets a roll-up, into the ropes, and Trick with a BIG kick! He pulls Evans onto his shoulder for a DVD. Cover — Evans kicks out!
Trick sets up for the Trick Shot — but Oba is gone! Santana is in Oba’s spot and distracts Trick! Evans hits the springboard cutter for three!
Winner: Je’Von Evans (14:49)
Rating: *** 1/2
Thoughts: Look, there were scary spots in this to be sure, and Evans needs to start being more careful. But it appears that he’s okay coming out of this match, so it worked. This told a very good story and those high spots were very high. Very good match, Trick is protected — I have no real complaints.
And with that, we’re done for the night!
