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Jeremy’s WWE NXT Roadblock 2023 Review
Image Credit: WWE
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Hello, everyone and welcome to our live WWE NXT Roadblock coverage on 411! I’m Jeremy Thomas, and I’m here as usual.. NXT has another special episode tonight as Roxanne Perez defends her NXT Women’s Championship against Meiko Satomura. Elsewhere, Bron Breakker teams up with the Creed Brothers against Jinder Mahal and Indus Sher while Gigi Dolin and Jacy Jayne will battle in a heated match between former tag partners. Tony D’Angelo will battle Dijak in a Jailhouse Street Fight, and Grayson Waller will host an episode of the Grayson Waller Effect with special guest Shawn Michaels.
Here at Thomas HQ, I’ve been spending a lot of time on my RuPaul’s Drag Race watch project where I’m a few episodes into season eight now. But I’ve made time for movies as well. I saw Magic Mike’s Last Dance which was fine but lost a little spark from the first two films, and the Paramount+ romcom At Midnight which tries hard but can’t save itself from a clunky script that thinks it’s cleverer than it is. A Man Called Otto tugged appropriately at my heartstrings despite being fairly predictable, and Jesse Eisenberg’s directorial debut When You Finish Saving The World was less successful at getting any emotion from me.
I finished off the week with the very solid 2018 documentary The Great Buster: A Celebration which is from Peter Bogdonovich and documents the life of the legendary silent film star Buster Keaton, plus the final two Child’s Play films I hadn’t seen in Curse of Chucky and Cult of Chucky. Curse was okay but not particularly great; Cult was weird even for this franchise but I really kind of loved it.
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 Tiffany Stratton sitting in a chair and saying “I’m ready!” She gives her Tiffany’s Epiphanies for Roadblock and says we’re close to WrestleMania weekend, then previews tonight’s matches.
Jailbreak Street Fight
Tony D’Angelo vs. Dijak
Dijak attacks Stacks from the bell, and Tony lays into him before sending him to the outside. Dijak has a nightstick, but Tony hits a belly-to-belly suplex on the floor. He quickly throws Dijak in the cell and goes to close it, but Dijak blocks it and throws the door into Tony’s face. He slams Tony into the bars and chucks him into the cell, trying to close it but Tony with a shot to Dijak’s face and escapes.
Tony and Dijak brawl at ringside, and Dijak throws a chair but Tony ducks and it hits Stacks. We get back in the ring and Dijak hits High Justice onto a chair. Dijak goes under the ring and throws a ton of chairs into the ring. He comes inside the ring and beats Tony repeatedly across the back with a chair, then piles the furniture on top of him. Dijak goes up top but Tony’s up and cracks him across the back with the chair. Tony climbs up and grabs Dijak — Spanish Fly onto the chairs as we go to PIP break.
We’re back and a table is set up on the outside. Dijak knocks Tony onto the table with kicks and punches, then goes into the ring — SPRINBOARD DIVE into an elbow drop through the table! Dijak is back up and grabs Tony, throwing him in the cage. He goes to shut it, but Tony blocks it while on his knees. Tony gets back to his feet and he grabs Dijak’s hurt finger to manage to escape. He grabs Dijak and uranage slams him on the ringside floor.
Tony grabs Dijak as Stacks opens the cell, throwing him in — but Dijak grabs Stacks and pulls him in with him. Tony hesitates to close the door and Dijak kicks it in Tony’s face before big booting Stacks over the guardrail. Tony goes off on Dijak, suplexing hom in the floor and throwing him into the ring steps before grabbing the chair and waffling Dijak’s back. He grabs Dijak and goes to throw him in the cage, but Dijak with a low blow.
Dijak grabs Tony and hits a Go 2 Sleep, then drags Tony into the cell. He limps out and shuts the door — but Stacks dives into the door to save Tony! Dijak with a G2S to Stacks, and Tony nails Dijak with a crowbar! He beats Dijak into the cage, slams the door on his face and locks it.
Winner: Tony D’Angelo (11:10)
Rating: ***
Thoughts: It was a bit of a car crash-lite match, but an effective enough one. Both guys worked hard and the story was solid here. I’m not 100% certain the right guy won, but I’m not THAT chuffed about Tony winning over Dijak either.
* McKenzie is backstage with Roxy and says tonight is her biggest challenge yet. Roxy says she’s pretty anxious and has wanted this opportunity since Meiko beat her six months ago. She has busted her ass since and Meiko’s going to test her, but she’s pushed herself past her limits. This isn’t her first title defense but it is her biggest, and she needs to walk into Stand & Deliver as Women’s Champion but needs to beat a living legend to do it. This will be just as big as when she won the title. She’s nervous but ready, and she’s going to leave everything in the ring to keep the title.
* Kiana James is in her office when Josh Briggs walks in. She says business is great, and Kiana asks what’s up. Briggs says Fallon and Brooks mean the world to him and their happiness is his happiness. He says that Brooks haven’t been the same since Valentine’s Day and points out the roses — which Kiana snags the name card from. Kiana says she’s been busy with new acquisitions that fell into her lap, but promises to give Brooks a call tonight for a make-up date.
* Gallus is in the ring with mics. Mark Coffey calls for Pretty Deadly and says it’s one thing to talk tough alone, but another to do it in front of them so come to the ring. PD’s music plays and Elton & Kit — are on the podium. They say it’s the English boys standing far atop the Scottish boys, just like it should be. Kit insults their faces, and Elton says technically it’s a face-to-face.
Wolfgang asks what it will take for them to get PD in the ring since they keep running. Elton says they want those precious, precious NXT Tag Team Championship. They can’t live without them and they were stolen from them, with Gallus ruining their lives when they were about to get them back. Mark said they didn’t come back for NXT for them, but to fight everyone. He says they’ll make a deal and set the tag titles down, saying “come and take them!”
Elton says they’re going to give them a jolly good thrashing right now. Gallus tell them to chill out but then throw them into the ring and start beating Elton and Kit down. Backdrop to Elton, who gets thrown into the ropes but manages to escape. They face off from the ring and entranceway.
* A Lyra Valkyria vignette who says knowledge is power, but she didn’t come seeking information. The skies have opened up and her eye is on the NXT Women’s Championship. She calls out Meiko and Roxanne, saying fate will decide if they collide. She only travels as the crow flies — straight to the top.
* We get a vignette from Ilja Dragunov who says the eyes are the window to the soul, but JD McDonagh has no soul. He only gets joy from snapping bones and causing pain. But he will never break Ilja.
* Dragon Lee is in the crowd! There’s his official debut.
The Creed Brothers & Bron Breakker vs. Indus Sher & Jinder Mahal
We brawl to start it off, and it spills to the outside of the ring. We end up back in with Bron brawling with Veer. Veer whips Bron into the ropes for a short-arm knee, and then into the ropes again but Bron runs Sanga over. Julius tags in, double whip into the ropes, Julius with a German suplex. Brutus tags in and gets gutwrench suplexed onto Sanga for a two-count.
Sanga back up and pounds on Brutus, Jinder takes in and nails Brutus, then goes for a suplex but Brutus blocks it and hits his own. Jinder fights back but gets kicked in the head off the ropes. Bron tags in, as does Sanga. Sanga grabs but Bron ducks and brawls — Sanga no-sells it and throws Bron into the ropes. he sets Bron on top and grabs him for a chokeslam, Bron fights it off and comes off the ropes to knock him down. Sanga to the outside and everyone enters the ring, but Indus Sher gets knocked out. Bron and The Creeds all dive onto Indus Sher as we go to PIP break.
We’re back as Sanga hits a big hiptoss on Julius and Jinder Mahal tags in for a kneedrop. He blocks Julius from tagging and hits a high knee for a two-count. Mahal with a camel clutch in the center of the ring as Bron talks trash at Jinder. Julius powers up but gets shot in the eyes. Julius tries to elbow out, he counters a back suplex and tags in Brutus who comes in hot and lays into Veer. Spinebuster and Hulk Smash shots before coming out of the ring and laying out Jinder.
Brutus comes back in and gets run over by Veer. Sanga tags in and beats on Brutus, he throws him into the ropes and knocks Bron off, goes for a chokeslam but Brutus escapes and hits a slingshot suplex and senton. Bron tags in for a moonsault, Julius tags in for a 450! Cover but it gets broken up.
Julius gets Sanga on his shoulders but Bron and Brutus get knocked off the apron and Sanga knocks Julius down. Veer off the top for a splash and a cover but Bron breaks it up. Choke slam by Sanga, and he throws Julius into a Veer clothesline. Cover for a nearfall.
All six men in the ring now, they start to brawl again. Bron with a big spear on Jinder, he eescapes a powerbomb and spears Sanga but Veer with a big boot. Julius with a cartwheel slam, Veer on Julius’ shoulders and Brutus off the top for a cannonball for the pin.
Winner: Bron Breakker & The Creed Brothers (11:13)
Rating: ** 3/4
Thoughts: Some really impressive work by The Creeds and Indus Sher, while Bron held his weight and Jinder was fine.
* Grayson Waller WALKS backstage. Matt Bloom asks Shawn if he’s sure he wants to do this, and he says no but he has to.
* We get a Progressive-sponsored video recapping the Gigi Dolin & Jacy Jayne breakup and feud.
* Meiko Satomura is prepping in the locker room.
* It’s time for the Grayson Waller Effect! Waller is in the ring with his set and calls this the most important Grayson Waller Effect of all time. He doesn’t have time for questions so just calls out Shawn. Shawn does some prancing to “Sexy Boy,” but only a little.
Waller mocks the fans and says he’ll be honest — 10 year-old Grayson would be freaking out like the people. But present-day Grayson would say to that kid, “One day you’re gonna be so disappointed. Because Shawn Michaels isn’t who you think he is. Don’t be a Shawn guy, be a Bret guy.”
Shawn says we’re going there? He says they used to be cool, Grayson would ask him for advice and such but that changed. Waller says that Shawn turned on him since he won the Iron Survivor Challenge and said he was carrying NXT. And for some reason, Shawn of all people are treating him the same way Vince treated Shawn — holding him back because he wasn’t big enough or a daw. Now Shawn is Vince and he doesn’t know why he’s doing it. Is it because he doesn’t kiss Shawn’s ass like the fans in the back? Grayson says Shawn is holding him back.
Shawn says he gut the reins loose on Grayson a long time ago and he’s not the #1 guy because Grayson lost at Vengeance Day. He took his shot and lost, and Grayson wants to blame the company and him, but Grayson needs to look in the mirror. Grayson says Shawn only has his position because Hunter had a heart attack. HBK says he took that spot because Hunter needed it. But while Hunter was in charge, HBK is directing the ship now.
Waller says Shawn is steering the ship straight into an iceberg. Waller says he won’t be at Stand & Deliver because he’d steal the show, and he may be on a cutlist post-Wrestlemania. He says HBK is looking for a star and missing one in Waller. Shawn runs down all the stars and says NXT is bigger than one person. Bron and Roxanne are the champions but it’s about more than just then. It’s about everyone else incluing Waller, but he’s just a part of it.
Waller says Shawn is good, he’s pulling at his heartstrings and has everyone fooled, but he sees through it. Shawn was always about him in the ring, but now he’s all about the team. HBk says that’s not wrong, but the minute he walked into NXT that changed. He knew this place was special. Waller mocks that and asks why it’s special. Because you can get to Raw or Smackdown? Okay, but who’s going to get there? Bron, Melo, maybe Zoey? Waller says he’s sick of everything NXT, including having a boss with has the biggest box office superstar ever standing in front of him.
HBK says “ENOUGH!” Waller wants to run him down, knock his socks off. Jump on the bandwagon, but do not ever run this brand into the ground. Waller asks why. Does it piss Shawn off? Then do something about it. Waller suggests HBK vs. Waller, Stand & Deliver. Show everyone he has one left and tune up the band one last time.
Shawn sets the mic down and takes his jacket off. He gets the mic and says for over a decade, he’s had the greatest in the world challenge him to their WrestleMania dream match. Does Waller think he’s something special? They’d backed the Brinks truck up so often, the drivers know his address by heart. Waller thinks he’s special, but he’s just 2023’s guy and it’ll happen next year and the year after. Nothing would make him happier than whipping Waller’s ass. But someone else wants it more and he bleeds Black & Gold. Waller’s opponent at Stand and Deliver is this man….
JOHNNY GARGANO! GARGANO IS BACK! Johnny Wrestling comes out and races into the ring, taking nit to Waller. He goes for a superkick but Waller bails.
Thoughts: That was the segment that proved Waller can be an absolute STAR. He went toe to toe with Michaels on the mic and delivered. That had all the emotion it needed and Waller sold it fantastically. The return of Gargano makes things full circle since Waller was the guy who sent Gargano packing from NXT. Great, GREAT stuff here, and I loved it.
Gigi Dolin vs. Jacy Jayne
They lockup to star and Gigi pushes Jacy back into the ropes. Jacy slaps Gigi after the break and Gigi tackles Jacy as they spill outside. Gigi beats on Jacy and rolls her in, she hits a clothesline and covers for two.
Gigi sits on Jacy and traps her arm, saying Jacy is just like her mother. Jacy escapes and tries to go over the guardrail, but Gigi traps her. Jacy out the other side, Gigi follows and gets knocked down. Jacy grabs a chair from under the ring but Gigi knocks her over as we go to break.
We’re back live with Jacy in control of Gigi, as she slams Gigi down to the mat and locks in a chinlock. Gigi gets back to her feet and takes a knee to the gut, Jacy with a snapmare, kick to the back and kick to the chest before a cover for two. Jacy whips Gigi in the corner and splashes her, short-arm clothesline and cover for two.
Jacy stomps at Gigi and picks her up, but Gigi counters with an inside cradle for two. Gigi is fighting back and lays into Jacy with fists and kicks. Big kick to the chest and a roundhouse to the head. Knee to the head, Jacy into the ropes, but she hits a neckbreaker and covers for two. Jacy is frustrated now.
Gigi counters a whip to the ropes into an abdominal cradle and slam for…three? Okay.
Winner: Gigi Dolan (8:00)
Rating: ** 1/2
Thoughts: Both these two are talented, but they did not work well together. Obviously this must continue to Stand & Deliver, but hopefully this was just a one-time opponent chemistry fail.
Jacy attacks Gigi after the bell and stomps her in the head before rolling out and grabbing the chair. She slides back in and sets it around Gigi’s neck. Referees come out and get in the way.
* Fallon apologies to Brooks about Valentine’s Day but he’s okay. They say they’re glad he’s alright. Briggs says he just came from Kiana and praises the roses he left. He says he talked to Kiana and Brooks hugs them. Kiana calls and Brooks tries to be smooth. He leaves and Fallon says he clearly didn’t send the roses. Briggs says she’s right, but what are they gonna do? Fallon has an idea.
* Bron Breakker is back out here and gets a mic. He says he was supposed to come out next week, but it’s time. The biggest match and the biggest stage: NXT Stand & Deliver. Carmelo Hayes. Bron asks where Melo’s at? And here he comes! Melo says Bron said it best: it is time for their paths to finally cross. They’re two of the biggest stars in NXT. The fans want it, Bron wants it, Melo wants it.
Bron says he couldn’t agree more and they’ve been on their own paths. Every time he had a title defense, he would come out next week and someone’s music would play and he’d be disappointed it wasn’t Melo. But Bron kept tabs on Melo, and Melo says he kept tabs on Bron. He always watched Bron.
Bron asks about the meeting with Shawn and Hunter before 2.0 and they said NXT was about to change. Melo says they picked Bron and him. He says he’s proved himself, and Bron proved himself too. Bron says they both run fast and hard, but there’s nowhere else for them to go except each other. Melo says this is normally where he’s say “That’s what it is,” but it doesn’t feel right. She he’ll keep it short and sweet: but the title on the line and he’ll see him at Stand & Deliver. They shake, and Melo says he’s never been secondary to anyone. Bron says April 1st, we’ll see.
* Tyler Bate is meditating with Thea Hail as Chase and Duke walk up and see this happening. Thea says she feels amazing now. Chase asks if she’s making progress and Bate says yes; she’s been through some hard times and maybe this will help through future hardships. He says no one is without fear and the key is moving through that fear. Bate wishes Chase good luck with his match, and they leave. Duke says he can’t believe they buy that snake oil Bate is selling.
Joe Gacy vs. Andre Chase
Oh, this started in PIP during the break. Great. Chase is in charge until Gacy blocks a lick and hits one of his own, then a brainbuster for two. Gacy talks trash to Chase and shoves him around, then gets him on his shoulder. Chase elbows out and goes into the corner — back elbow to Gacy and a big boot. Short arm abdominal stretch, followed by the Chase U stomps. Sitout uranage slam for Chase, cover for two.
Gacy kicks Chase out of a figure four attempt and comes off the ropes into a kick — but Gacy counters a clothesline into a uranage of his own. They’re trading shots on their knees and get to their feet. Gacy with a splash in the corner and sets Chae on the top — big shot to the head. He climbs up and goes for a superplex but Chase blocks it and lays in shots to the back. Sunset flip powerbomb for a nearfall.
Thea is breathing on the outside, then flips out and runs at Ada to scream at her that she’s not afraid. But the distraction lets Gacy lariat Chase for the win.
Winner: Joe Gacy (4:24 not including PIP)
Rating: ** 1/4
Thoughts: Nope.
* Alda and Isla are doing a full moon ritual. She says Kayden and Katana are struggling to be bound together. They say there’s never been harmony between Ivy and Tatum. Alba says forged together, they’re unrivalled. Next week they charge toward claiming their lots.
* Bron vs. Melo is official for Stand & Deliver, as is Waller vs. Gargano.
* Thea Hail is sorry for Chase’s loss, but she feels great about it. Chase says Tyler Bate’s methods are working. Duke says they lost… again. Duke says they’re an institution of losers and gave someone an award for winning a single match. He thought they were better than that. But he was wrong. They’re not a university; they’re a joke.
* McKenzie asks Lee about his open challenges, and he talks about the chaos from last week and how Nathan Frazer emerged to give him one hell of a match. He says he’s doing it again. Axiom walks in and says that he wanted to do it last week and you could see the fire in his eyes. He’ll be first to the ring next week.
Set For Next Week:
– Johnny Gargano speaks
– NXT North American Open Challenge: Wes Lee vs. TBA
NXT Women’s Championship Match
Roxanne Perez vs. Meiko Satomura
The bell starts AS we go to PIP, but I’m actually gonna cover this PIP break. They lock up and Meiko with a wristlock, which Roxy tries to reverse but Meiko cinches down on it. Roxy treis to escape to the ropes but Meiko pulls her back. Evertually Roxy gets to the ropes, but Meiko flips her over and covers for one.
Meiko with a front facelock, which Roxy reverses and Meiko re-reverses. Meiko transitions to a waistlock and then a crossface. She breaks it to start working the shoulder, back into the wristlock which Roxy escapes out of and goes into a rollup. Meiko locks in a submission and Roxy rolls over for a two-count and forcing the break.
Roxy comes off the ropes and gets caught into an STF, but she escapes quickly. Test of strength now, and Roxy gets bent over and put on the ground for a two-count and a second one. Roxy kips up from the pin but Meiko trips her for another two count. Roxy fires off with punches, Meiko comes off the ropes and hits a leaping shoulder tackle.
Meiko right into the straight jacket sleeper, but Roxy right up to her feet and she nearly escapes it before Meiko puts it back on. She pulls Roxy into a surfboard, but Roxy escapes and reverses into her own sleeper. Rana to Meiko who is out of the ring now, Roxy comes off the ropes and gets deck. Meiko takes Roxy down, double kneedrop and a cover for two.
Roxy sent into the corner and Meiko charges in for a forearm. Whip across the ropes but Roxy escapes through the ropes as Meiko charges in, she hits a sunset flip for two but Meiko right into an ankle submission. Meiko with kicks to the back of the leg and then back into that front ankle lock. Roxy counters into a headlock, and Meiko fights out of it. Roxy comes off the ropes and a bodyblock — Meiko doesn’t budge. Another with the same result, and Meiko lays in some strikes. Roxy is up screaming and goes wild on Meiko with strikes, but gets shoved off and Meiko with a big kick to the chest. She goes for another kick but Roxy catches it and hits a dragon screw legwhip.
Roxy up now and charges in for an uppercut to Meiko in the corner, another one and then a third. Russian legsweep but Meiko counters and takes Roxy down, she goes for a Scorpio Rising but ROxy dodges and Meiko to the outside — Roxy off the ropes and dives onto Meiko!
Back in the ring now, mRoxy goes up top but Meiko kicks her in the head. Meiko goes up top, Roxy slides out and nails Meiko. She climbs up for a Russian legsweep off the second rope but Meiko holds on. My feed went off for a bit but Meiko knocks Roxy down and leaps off the top — Roxy gets the legs up! Small package for two.
Satomura with a strike, but Roxy fires back with her own. Meiko with a big kick to the head, she gets Roxy on her shoulders and goes for a TKO but Roxy escapes. Pin attempt by Roxy for two, then Meiko for two. Back suplex drop by Meiko, she grabs Roxy but elbows from the champ. Pele kick by Meiko! Suplex and cover for two.
Meiko gets Roxy on her shoulders again — DVD! Big driving knee, cover for a nearfall. Roxy escapes to the apron, Meiko out there and lands several kicks. Roxy fights back but eats more kicks, Roxy sends Meiko into the ringpost. They’re on the floor and Roxy with Pop Rocks, but Meiko holds onto the apron and Roxy lands hard. Another drop by Meiko, cover but Roxy gets her foot on the bottom rope.
Meiko with kicks to the head of Roxy, then a big kick to the chest. Roxy ducks a kick and rolls Meiko up for the pin.
Winner: Roxanne Perez (13:58)
Rating: *** 3/4
Thoughts: The match was great, with a slow build that led into a strong finish. Not at all sure about the post-match angle though (I’m assuming it’s an angle considering how long they kept filming), that came off uncomfortable.
Show of respect from Meiko after the match, but Roxy then falls over. Officials run out to check on her. They call for EMTs, and Roxy is stretchered out. Booker goes to check on her as she’s loaded onto a board ans stretchered out.
And with that, we’re done for the night!
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