Jeremy’s WWE NXT Spring Breakin’ Review 5.3.22

Hello, my Tuesday night family! It’s time for another episode WWE NXT. Jeremy Thomas, here with you as ever as we make our way to Spring Breakin’! True confession time: I’ve never been to any kind of Spring Break party so I don’t know what it entails. Are there usually cult leaders battling third-generation stars for supremacy or Vikings showing up to face brother duos? Seems a little sus to me, but I’ll go with it. We also have a triple threat NXT North American Championship match as Cameron Grimes defends against Solo Sikoa and Carmelo Hayes, while Cora Jade and Nikkita Lyons will take on the heel team of Natalya and Lash Legend. It’s a big show and even when the cards have been a bit shaky, WWE NXT tends to deliver on these big shows so let’s keep our fingers crossed!

Here at Thomas Headquarters, I’ve been on a very specific kick. After watching Netflix’s nobly-intentioned but still seamy The Mystery of Marilyn Monroe: The Unheard Tapes, I decided that I needed to do a watch (or in some cases, rewatch) of all of Monroe’s films. I’ve always been a big Marilyn fan who felt her acting skills were sold short due to her sex appeal. I managed to see three of films in the past week: 1948’s Ladies of the Chorus, which is a fun but inconsequential little B-film of its era; 1952’s Don’t Bother to Knock, an incredibly underrated thriller with a stellar performance from Monroe; and Bus Stop, which is again a great Monroe performance but this time in an absolute garbage plot. I also decided I needed a comfort watch last night and that led to my rewatching Happy Death Day, which gets better each time I watch it. Of course, Happy Death Day 2U followed and it also remains a lot of fun.

Outside of film, I’ve been keeping up on Shudder’s Cursed Films II which had a great episode on the Wes Craven classic The Serpent & The Rainbow. I also began my quest to finally finish up The Good Place (I’m midway through season three) and get caught up on Critical Role’s latest campaign (I’m still WAY behind). I know, I’m behind on a lot, but c’est la vie.

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 kick things off with a hype video focusing on asses and midriffs — from Pretty Deadly! They talk about how they’re kicking off tonight’s show and tan with their titles, talking about the Viking Raiders vs. The Creed Brothers and the other matches as “hot stuff.” But the real hot stuff is them and it’s heating things up, so they submerge in the pool. “YES BOIIII!”

* We’re LIVE in the Capitol Wrestling Center! And we’re kicking it off with the North American Championship match.

NXT North American Championship Match
Cameron Grimes vs. Carmelo Hayes vs. Solo Sikoa

Hayes slaps Solo to start and turns around to talk shit to Grimes, but Solo lays into him and Grimes gets a shot as well. Backdrop by Solo, kick by Grimes, and they go for a double superkick but Hayes ducks out of the ring. Solo sends Grimes into the corner for a shoulderblock, Grimes rolls up Solo for a couple of two-counts. Grimes pushes Solo into the ropes, knocking down Hayes for another two-count on Sikoa.

Hayes now in the ring at last and gets kicked down. Grimes on Solo’s shoulder but slips off, Hayes gets thrown into Solo but hits a rana on him. He splashes Grimes, takes out Solo and then hits a springboard legdrop on Grimes through the ropes. Grimes throws Hayes out of the ring and kicks him on the apron, shoulder to Solo’s gut and a top-rope crossbody for two, broken up by Hayes.

Melao and Hayes trade shots, Grimes takes over but Solo comes off the ropes and takes out Melo, only to be rana’d by Grimes. Grimes charges but gets hip-tossed into the corner. Solo runs in but Melo with a tilt-a-whirl bulldog. Grimes hits the 180 crossbody and Sikoa takes him out as we go to PIP break.

We’re back with Melo standing and the other two down. He stomps Grimes and picks up Solo, slapping him and talking trash only to get a throat thurst and headbutt. Senton from Solo off the ropes, and Grimes comes off the ropes to take out Melo with a clothesline. He charges into a Hayes boot, Hayes goes for a powerbomb but gets on Grimes’ shoulders for an Alabama slam — superkick by Solo to Grimes! Solo beats on Melo in the corner but Hayes is fighting back. Hayes on the rope, Grimes leaps onto Solo’s shoulder and it turns into a stack superplex that leaves all three down!

Grimes up to a sitting position first, he gets to his feet as does Hayes. Solo up now and they all trade punches and chops and forearms. Grimes goes for a roundhouse, Melo ducks and Solo gets hit. He comes back quickly though and puts Hayes down in the corner, then throws Grimes into a tree of woe. Charging avalanche! He takes out Grimes with a big shot and grabs Melo, powerbombing him into Grimes! Spinning uranage on Melo, cover but Grimes breaks it at two.

Grimes gets tossed out by Solo, who goes up top but Grimes is still on the apron and takes out Sikoa with a big kick. He goes up top, leaps at Melo but Melo moves. DOUBLE RANA by Grimes, Poisonrana on Melo and a cover — NO! Grimes is going to the moon, but Hayes scouts the Cave-In and catches him with a surprise move. Cover for two, Melo goes up and leaps into a Solo superkick. Solo with a BIG Superfly Splash, cover for a nearfall but Hayes breaks it up.

Solo with a shot to Hayes, he pushes him in the air and Melo lands on his feet. He charges but goes up on Solo’s shoulder — Grimes with a top-rope Cave-In on Melo! That’s it!

Winner: Cameron Grimes (14:06)
Rating: *** 1/2
Thoughts: There was one not-well-executed moment early on with Solo’s double clothesline, but otherwise this match was fire to start us off. Grimes gets the win as he should, but Melo and Solo looked great too.

* Mandy Rose walks into tanning salon to get a little base before the beach. She tells Jacy and Gigi to meet her there before they head to the beach and gets in the tanning bed. And here comes Wendy, sneaking into the room of course. She turns up the duration on the bed and runs away giggling. Mandy comes out looking bright red. She walks out and Gigi and Jacy are in shock. Mandy freaks out saying she can’t go like this, and Jacy says she looks like a strawberry. Mandy says they should hang inside for a couple days, but Jacy and Gigi already have reservations. Mandy looks at herself and screams.

* McKenzie is with Nathan Frazer who agrees that Mandy looks like a strawberry. He says Grayson Waller has mad Twitter game, but he’s thinking about his NXT debut against Waller and has been waiting for this moment literally his entire life.

* The Creeds are sparring when Roderick Strong comes in and tells them tonight they need to show him they’re ready. He says the Raiders are their toughest challenge yet and it can’t be a repeat of what happened in the gauntlet match. He calls Ivy over and says he’s the leader of Diamond Mine, and what he says goes. He leaves and they don’t look happy.

* Indi Hartwell is backstage looking sadly at her ring. Duke walks in, also looking sad. Duke goes to kiss her and Indi says “Oh hell no!” Duke says “You wish!” and they split.

Nathan Frazer vs. Grayson Waller

Lockup to start and Waller throws Frazer. Frazer shoves Waller, and they lock back up. Some counters of each other’s transitions, Frazer up on the second rope and the lockup becomes an arm drag. They go into the ropes back and forth and Frazer with a big dropkick, then a headlock. Waller gets to his feet but Frazer flips him over again.

Back up to their feet, Frazer sent into the ropes, Waller hiptosses him but gets kicked down and Frazer right back to the headlock takedown. Waller shoves Frazer into the ropes, Frazer dodges under and around Waller and dropkicks him to the outside. Frazer goes to give but Waller backs up and sits on a beach chair. Frazer follows and beats on Waller on the outside, then rolls him in. He follows and gets taken down with an elbowdrop, followed by repeated shots to the head.

Waller in control and he hits a Euro uppercut, but Nathan dodges a change and chops Waller hard. He sends Waller head-first into the corner and charges in, sent to the apron, Frazer goes to springboad but Waller catches him and sends him face-first into the ropes to the outside! Waller slides out and hits a hard shot at Frazer, then grabs a beach ball and rips it up while staring at the Chase U section as we go to PIP break.

Waller has been in control during the PIP break. But Frazer is fighting back and kips up into a kick on Waller, sending him out of the ring. He comes off the ropes to dive but Waller comes in to hit a leg lariat, followed by a powerbomb for two.

Waller talks shit to Chase U and then lies in wait for Frazer, stomping the mat Rollins-style. He goes for a stomp but Frazer dodges, sends Waller to the outside and dives onto him. Frazer rolls Grayson in, springboards but Waller dodges. He goes for the somersault Stunner from the outside but Frazer SUPERKICKS HIM! Another superkick and cover for two, but Waller grabs the ropes.

Frazer goes up top, he goes for a spinning splash and Waller moves but Frazer rolls through. Waller with a sweet jumpover Impaler, cover for two. Big boxer punch from Waller but he takes too long and Frazer takes over, kick to the gut on the top. He goes up top to go for the Super Spanish fly but Waller knocks him off. Chase U hits an airhorn and Waller flops off to throat himself on the ropes, Pheonix Splash by Frazer finishes it.

Winner: Nathan Frazer (12:55)
Rating: *** 1/4
Thoughts: Really good match that showed off Frazer’s skills and gave him a good NXT introduction. The Chase U involvement was silly but not awful.

* We get a vignette for Fallon Henley talking about getting rowdy with Briggs and Jensen and her love for her horse Luna. She is in the NXT Breakout Tournament.

* Outside in the dangerous NXT parking lot, Legado arrives looking hot. Tony D’Angelo arrives with his thugs and that reality show guy whose name escapes me, and we’re on break.

* Bron Breakker preps for his match backstage as Vic and Wade snark at each other and preview the Tony vs. Santos summit.

* Legado is waiting as Tony and company arrive. Wilde says they’re late, and Tony says when you’re the Don, people wait on you. Santos asks what AJ Galante is doing here, and D’Angelo says he’s his consigliere. Tony says he called the meeting before things escalated, and that they’re very powerful men who got off to the wrong foot. But he’s willing to look past all that and settle things like businessmen.

Santos respects how Tony carries himself, but not as a businessmen. He doesn’t see the trust and offered him a courtesy he offers few men. Low-ball offers, the fish in the windshield, the attacks by the thugs. Playing games got us to this point, but Tony says this isn’t a game. He says there’s enough business to go around and enough pie for him and Legado.

Santos says they’re at different points, but maybe there’s a way they can come together and share business. He tells Tony to follow his lead. Tony says he’s the Don of NXT and doesn’t follow anyone, getting heated. AJ calms him down, and Santos says the tension isn’t good for them. He suggests a truce, and Tony apologizes for his hot-headedness. Tony says AJ said this is best for their businesses. Santos agrees, and they agree to make a deal and a toast. They stand up, so do the rest, and they toast. Tony says he’ll see Santos around, and walks out with his crew. Santos tells Cruz to start the car, and they grin. That was a thing that happened.

* McKenzie asks the Viking Raiders about their match against the Creeds tonight. They say that the Creeds are great but they haven’t been in a battle like them. They get hyped and Pretty Deadly come in to say they’re excited for the match, but should know the Raiders are facing damaged goods. The Raiders say they came with one goal in mind but are happy to change their focus to the champs, who back off.

* Joe Gacy says change is intimidating but we shouldn’t be scared. He says we’re on the precipice of a new beginning, and we should be frightened of what happens if he doesn’t win the champion. But tonight he will change the world.

Nikkita Lyons & Cora Jade vs. Natalya & Lash Legend

Cora and Lash start off, Cora with a waistlock and eats an elbow. Jade off the ropes and gets run over. Lash chucks Jade across the ring and charges in, Cora moves and lays in elbows and a chop. Springboard rana by Jade, who then charges in for a knee but gets caught and slammed in the corner. Nattie tags in and nails Jade, then talks shit. She picks Jade up but Jade goes over for a roll-up, and a couple more quick pins for two. Nattie in the ropes and Cora backs off.

Nattie offers a handshake and tries for a kick, but Cora catches it and decks her, then tags in Lyons. Double snapmare, Lyons covers for two. Natalya with a headlock takedown, LYons into a headscissors. Nattie gets free but gets taken down with a headlock, Nikkita counters out. Kick by Nattie and a slap, wristlock that Lyons flips out of and Nattie does the same, then rolls Lyons up for two.

Lyons with a headlock, Nattie reverses and tags in Lash who starts laying in punches. They trade shots, Lash with a knee to the gut, suplex and kippup by Lash. She charges in but eats a boot, Lash goes again and goes over the ropes with Lyons. We’re back into PIP break.

Natalya and Lash have been in control of Cora during the break. We’re back and Cora shoves Natalya off her in the hostile corner but gets knocked down. Nattie with the perpendicular rack, but Cora does get out of it after a few. Nattie takes out Lyons on the corner and clotheslines Cora for two.

Nattie talks trash at Cora while manhandling her, Lash tags in. Kick to Jade’s cut, she charges in with a splash and then hits a couple kneelifts in the corner. Nattie back in, snap suplex to Cora and she walks over Cora — who rolls her up for two! Cora goes for the corner but gets taken down, Nattie covers for two.

Sleeperhold from Nattie in the middle of the ring, Jade gets to her feet. She flips Nattie off her and goes for the tag, Nattie catches her though and puts her in the hostile corner. Legend tags in and hits some kneelifts. Jade elbows Nattie off the corner and dodges a kick from Lash, she crawls across and almost gets the tag before Natalya grabs her and goes for the Sharpshooter — Jade kicks her off and Lyons is in hot!

Nikkita kicks Nattie down and knocks Lash off the legend, but Nattie rolls her up for two. Lyons off the ropes for a flipping neckbreaker, cover for two. She goes in but Nattie takes her down, goes for the Sharpshooter but Lyons avoids it, Nattie tags in Lash who takes her down and lays in the ground and pound until Lyons flips her over into a pin for two. Nattie goes for a kick and kicks Legend! Lash and Nattie are distracted, Nattie thrown out, Jade tagged. Splits legdrop, and Jade goes up top to leap onto Lash for three.

Winner: Cora Jade & Nikkita Lyons (13:29)
Rating: ** 1/2
Thoughts: This was surprisingly solid and the first time I saw some potential for tolerable ring work from Lash. Lyons is looking better and better, Jade and Nattie delivered. It wasn’t great, but there were no major complaints.

* Tatum Paxley gets a vignette and talks about her weightlifting. She says there’s a lot of incredible athletes and she visualizes her hand being raised in the NXT Women’s Breakout Tournament.

* Earlier today, Jacy and Gigi are walking on the boardwalk talking about if Wendy screwed up Mandy and how obsessed she is them. Wendy is of course spying on them with Roxanne Perez. They sneak up and steal all Gigi and Jacy’s sandals and their car keys. The girls come back freaking out, and Wendy taunts them with Roxanne, then runs. Gigi and Jacy find their keys, but their car has been moved and they have to hot-foot it to the car. Whee.

War Raiders vs. The Creed Brothers

Julius starts off with Ivar, who runs him over and knocks Brutus off the apron. Erik tags in and runs over Julius, then they both run in and flatten Brutus in the corner. Viking Experience on Julius, who kicks out at two.

Erik stalks Julius and grabs him, but Julius with an inside cradle for two. Brutus in now and he takes Erik down a couple times, nails Ivar on the corner and tackles Erik for several Hulk Smashes. He grabs Erick and tosses him over, then tags in Julius who drops Brutus on Erik. Cover for two.

Julius with big punches to a downed Erik, Brutus tagged in and he suplexes Julius on him but Erik got the knees up. Brutus sent to the outside, Ivar tags in and leaps onto Julius as we go to PIP break.

We’re back with Erik in control of Brutus with a headlock. Brutus gets to his knees and fights to his feet, elbowing his way out and hitting a back suplex. Brutus goes for the tag, Julius comes in hot. Ivar in but gets nailed, Julius with a dropkick on Erik off the apron. Ivar manages to get tagged in but gets bodyslammed. Erik shoves him into the ropes but eats a boot, Julius tagged in. Julius puts Erik on Brutus’ shoulders for a powerbomb, cover for two. Brutus hit with a knee to the back of the neck, cover for two as Ivar bodyslams Julius on the outside. Ivar tags in, Brutus slips off Erik’s back but is hit with a sit-out powerbomb by Ivar for two.

Ivar tags in Erik, who throws Julius into a bodyslam. Erik leaps onto Ivar’s shoulders and gets powerbombed onto Julius, splash by Ivar, cover for a nearfall! Erik is shocked by that kickout and stalks Brutus, picking him up and tagging in Ivar. Brutus manages to tag in and lays in punches, but Ivar hits a bit sitdown splash. Ivar goes up top, but Julius leaps up for a superplex!

The straps are down! Julius goes for the diving clothesline but misses, big kick by Ivar, Erik tagged in, Doomsday-style legdrop and a cover, broken up by Brutus. Erik is picked up into a somersault suplex by Julius. It gets chaotic, Erik with a big knee to Julius but he gets too close to the apron and Roddy Strong with a drive-by knee! Diving clothesline finishes it.

Winner: The Creed Brothers (12:58)
Rating: ** 3/4
Thoughts: Big slobberknocker-type battle and it worked fine for what it was.

* Santos approaches AJ in the parking lot and says Tony deserves his wisdom and if he lost it, he’d suffer. So of course he attacks him, throws him in Legado’s car and they drive off.

* We get another vignette of Kay Lee Ray — sorry, Alba Fyre — playing arsonist. She ignites next week.

* Briggs and Jensen are backstage earlier this week looking at Jensen’s hand which is normally a 10 – 12 week recovery process. But due to his hand muscle strength it’ll be shorter. The doc asks if there’s a reason why his right hand is stronger than his left, because obvious masturbation jokes are funny, right? It should be six to eight weeks instead.

Set For Next Week:
– NXT Women’s Breakout Tournament begins
– Gigi Dolan & Jacy Jane vs. Rozanne Perez & Wendy Choo

NXT Championship Match
Bron Breakker vs. Joe Gacy

Breakker attacks immediately and they spill to the outside. Back in and Breakker is bullying Gacy around, Gacy with a cheap shot in the corner but he gets tackled down and bails out of the ring. Bron wants to go after him, and he eventually grabs Gacy off the apron and chucks him in. He says Joe will pay for what he did for his family, Joe says he did it for Bron and pulls him toward the corner but Bron just stops.

Gacy locks in a headlock and lays in elbows to the back of the neck, then starts wrenching on the neck. Bron with a jawbreaker and he tosses Gacy to the outside. Gacy tries to get in and gets kicked in the head, Breakker on the apron but Gacy with a shot to the stomach before rolling in and knocking Bron off the apron and down the ramp. He goes to whip Bron, Bron reverses and Gacy does a 619 onto the apron and off into a kick as we go to PIP break.

Back from break and Breakker nails Gacy and goes to the second rope, but Gacy yanks him off and then does a handstand in the corner because let’s just go full Bray Wyatt with him. Gacy takes down Bron and covers for two, then comes off the ropes with a legdrop. Cover for two.

Seated shoulderlock by Gacy, Bron gets back to his feet and elbows out but gets headbutted. THey trade shots and Gacy with repeated headbutts in the corner, but Bron takes over and runs over him a couple of times before clotheslining him down. He goes for a belly-to-belly but Gacy rakes the eyes and drops Bron for two as a big hooded guy is standing in the crowd.

Gacy kicks Bron through the ropes and comes off the ropes into a dive — but gets NAILED with a shot from Bron! Bron up for the second-rope bulldog, cover for two. Bron lies in wait, Gacy to his feet and Bron charges. Gacy moves but Bron stops and kicks Gacy down. THE STRAPS ARE DOWN. Bron goes for the Gorilla Press but Gacy slips down, Frankensteiner from Bron and an awkward takedown, cover for two.

Breaker charges at Gacy in the corner, Gacy moves and hits an elbowdrop to the lowerback. Alabama slam by Gacy, sit-out powerbomb, cover for two. Gacy is looking frustrated now. He yells at Bron and says he’s gonna taje the title. Headbutt and a handspring clothesline but Bron moves, SPEAR! Cover for three.

Winner: Bron Breakker (11:03)
Rating: ** 3/4
Thoughts: Very solid match that didn’t hit the heights it could have. Gacy has a lot of in-ring talent, it was nice to see it for once. Bron got the obvious win as he should have.

Bron celebrates with the title as a couple masked men appear behind him, but he doesn’t see them as we are done for the night?

7.5

The final score: review Good

The 411

This was another example of NXT delivering impressively when it comes to their "themed" episodes. At its core it's still an episode of NXT, but there were some very good matches and one (the women's tag match) which pleasantly overdelivered in my book. Sure, there was some dumb stuff here, and the anticlimactic final moments seemed like a timing issue (even if it wasn't), but on the whole I was very entertained this week.