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Join 411’s Live WWE NXT Coverage

January 21, 2025 | Posted by Jeremy Thomas
WWE NXT 1-21-25 Image Credit: WWE

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Hello everyone, and welcome to our live WWE NXT coverage on 411! It’s Jeremy Thomas, and tonight the NXT Championship is on the line as Oba Femi gets his first sacrifice challenger in Eddy Thorpe. Elsewhere, Ridge Holland will challenge Tony D’Angelo for the NXT North American Championship and Lexis King defends his NXT Heritage Cup against the previous champion, Charlie Dempsey. That’s a light set of announcements thus far but those are the makings of a fun show.

Here at Thomas HQ, I had a buy week so my movie-watching was a bit light. I continued watching films for Giallo January in the highly disappointing Strip Nude for Your Killer, which wastes the incomparable Edwidge Fenech and a decent premise, but bounced back with Nieves Navarro in Death Walks at Midnight and the supernatural giallo-meets-Agatha Christie film that is The Killer Reserved Nine Seats. I also did a rewatch of the 1993 La Femme Nikita remake Point of No Return, which is decent if not at all great. Bridget Fonda is a 1990s icon.

I actually ended up busier with TV for once as I finished out Netflix’s 2017 docuseries The Disappearance of Madeleine McCann, which is well-made and depressing. I also went back to finally try and get progress made on Only Murders in the Building, which I adore but am bad about watching only a few episodes and then losing track for months. And Max has added the “Decades” docuseries from CNN at last, which means I went back to start in on The Sixties again so I can watch them all the way through. They’re great series and I highly recommend them all.

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.

A MILLION DOLLARS FROM NOW, I WON’T REMEMBER YOU! (AKA theme song)

* We’re LIVE in the Capitol Wrestling Center and Booker T and Vic Joseph are here with Corey Graves who says he’s where he wants to be. I bet!

* Oba Femi and Eddy Thorpe are in the building, as is Bayley! And we’re kicking off with the NXT North American Championship on the line.

NXT North American Championship Match
Tony D’Angelo vs. Ridge Holland

Lockup to star and they jockey for position, then break. They tee off against each other, Ridge with a headlock and shot into the ropes — he runs Tony over. Lockup, Ridge with a headlock, shot into the ropes and Tony with a hiptoss and clothesline. Tony ducks a shot and gets a headlock takedown.

Back to their feet, Ridge gets Tony against the ropes and nails him. Irish whip reversed, Tony comes off the ropes with a shot and then hits a backdrop. Ridge is down — and Shawn Spears is here to watch and distracts Tony. Ridge swings but Tony ducks and sends Ridge to the floor.

Tony follows but Ridge slams him back first into the ringpost! He slams Tony’s head into the post and then wraps his arm around the post for a shot before throwing him back in. Tony fights back but is thrown into the corner shoulder-first, then he drops a knee on the shoulder. Wristlock by Ridge and an uppercut to the shoulder, he continues to work on it but Tony with a roll-up for two.

Ridge continues picking Tony apart and then locks in a shoulderlock. Spears is watching as Ridge wears down the shoulder. Tony up and punches his way free but gets knocked down and Ridge drops a knee on the shoulder before locking in another shoulderlock.

Tony fights back and hits a big punch, then dodges a charge. He’s teeing off on Ridge, hits a leaping punch off the rings and hits a fisherman’s suplex for two-plus! Spinebuster countered by Ridge, they start trading blows. Ridge with a pump kick and half-and-half suplex for a nearfall. He lies in wait but Tony ducks and hits a spear off the ropes! Spears is on the apron and Tony knocks him down off to the floor — and Jensen Brooks and Nico are here to brawl with the Family! Ridge sets Tony up for the Destroyer — and Izzi Dame nails Ridge! Tony wipes out Ridge for the pin!

Winner: Tony D’Angelo (7:26)
Rating: ** 1/2
Thoughts: Solid but not great match. It was perfectly acceptable given the time they had but never got out of second gear.

* Wes Lee walks up on Dion with Tyson and Tyriek and says it’s funny that he walked up on Oba and said he could beat him. He says he has potential and Dion doesn’t. Wes says he’ll see him tonight and then starts mocking Trick who just walked in — and Trick bitchslaps him before walking off!

* Bayley WALKS backstage.

* Back from break and Bayley HAS ARRIVED! Bayley agrees with the crowd and says this is her home and that’s why she talked to Roxy last week because she cares about her and about the division, but it just got her a slap in the face. She says Roxy said she was acting like Punk and Nattie but that’s a compliment because people like Nattie gave back to her. She didn’t come back because she felt like NXT owed her anything; she came back to get rid of entitled idiots like Roxy.

But it may be too late because not only did she gets slapped in the face, she thinks Roxy loves her because she showed up on Smackdown and talked trash to her, then showed up on Raw and tried to put hands on her. She says that was just lame and small ball. It doesn’t prove she’s ready for Raw or Smackdown, it doesn’t prove that she’s ready to be a leader in the youngest locker room in WWE right now. She talks about how people like Jada and Lola are looking for opportunities and with Giulia as champion, people like that —

HERE’S GIULIA! She says coming from Japan and seeing Bayley, she wanted to be in NXT. Roxy may not look up to Bayley, but Giulia does. She hopes to hold the title with as much love and honor for NXT as Bayley did.

Bayley says that means a lot and she has a lot of respect for Giulia. She was very happy to see Giulia beat Roxy and says Giulia will make historic moments of her own. She says that title changed the landscape of the women in WWE.

ROXY IS HERE WITH CORA! She says it’s boring and is surprised Bayley is showing her face after back to back losses. She says Bayley needs to drop the act and if she cared about the future she wouldn’t have hit her. She asks Cora if they can believe she was their role model?

The crowd is booing them out of the building as Cora talks about how role models build this place up when people like Bayley choose to leave. She says Giulia should hand back the title to Roxy because no one cares about it like her. She says they’ve been holding it together since day one.

Roxy tells everyone to shut the hell up and they get louder. She says she won’t take anything away from Bayley’s accomplishments and runs them down, including inspiring people like Roxy and Cora, but thank you for your service because it’s no longer needed, bye bye! Roxy says everyone should be booing Bayley because she knows what Bayley’s doing: she’s been looking at the title and wants to be the #1 woman in the #1 division because she knows they’ve surprassed the Four Horsewomen era.

Bayley and Giulia attack Roxy and Cora! It’s a full-on brawl but Cora escapes a Bayley to Bayley and Roxy escapes Giulia. Seems like we have a tag match.

* Jaida is happy backstage that Bayley mentioned her, and Kelani says she mentioned her too. Jaida and Kelani start yelling and Karmen says it doesn’t matter because love is in the air. She says she loves Kelani and she’s so sweet and Jaida — Jaida cuts her off and says Karmen finally got a kiss. It turns into a shoving match while in the ring area, the four are still fighting until officials finally go to try and break it up.

Key word: TRY. They’re successful only intermittently and the fight continues until Roxy and Cora are finally sent to the outside and pushed to the back as Booker hypes ROW. Bayley and Giulia follow Roxy and Cora and it’s now them separated in the back with Ava trying to maintain order as Dion Lennox walks through for his match.

Dion Lennox vs. Wes Lee

Wes decks Dion right off the bat, kicks him in the corner and dives onto him. He throws Dion back in and comes — Dion LAUNCHES HIM in the air and slams him down, laying in ground and pound. Lee into the ropes, Dion ducks the head and gets kicked but Dion gets him on his shoulders. Wes slides down and kicks Dion, comes off the ropes but gets knocked down. Lee gets a kick in the corner and runs in — right into a spinebuster for two-plus!

Dion with a suplex but Lee knees out of it and hits a couple spin kicks, then an enzuigiri. Cardiac Kick and that’s it.

Winner: Wes Lee (2:19)
Rating: N/A
Thoughts: RIP Dion Lennox.

Lee gets a mic and says so much for championship material. He says he’s taking care of Trick next week — AND HERE IS TRICK! He layes out Tyson and Tyriek, gets in the ring and sends Wes to the floor. He says if Wes wants him in Atlanta next week, he’s got it! He shoulders past Dion who wasn’t too happy about that.

* Lexis King vignette where he says he told us he could do it. He didn’t put his best foot forward at first but he’s turned it around and proven he’s not his father’s son, being the best Lexis King he can be. He doesn’t need shortcuts to win and he had a chance to win a major singles title. He wins the Cup but by DQ from Regal, then wins the match in a regular match.

Dempsey says King’s name on that Cup is a disgrace and King says his cheap shot was an accident. He won’t win them over all at once but bit by bit he will.

* Sarah Schrieber says that The Family will battle Shawn Spears’ goons tonight. Stephanie Vaguer is there and Sarah asks her about losing last week. She says that she’s not going to stop because Fallen wants to play with her opportunity and Shotzi benefited. She says it Shotzi wins the title she’ll meet hell and Fallon can run but can’t hide.

NXT Heritage Cup Match
Lexis King vs. Charlie Dempsey

Round One (0 – 0)

King offers a handshake but Dempsey says no. Waistlock by Dempsey reversed by King, they counterwrestle and Dempsey gets a toehold but is flipped away by King. Dempsey grapples and gets shoved off, dropkick by King into a wristlock. Dempsey rolls through, King rolls through Dempsey’s wristlock. More counterwrestling, Dempsey with a snapmare but King into a chickenwing on the mat.

Dempsey gets free with a jab, into the ropes and a backslide for two, King escapes and bridges for two. Into the ropes, bodyblock by King and he goes intot he ropes but holds on. A handshake turns into Euro uppercuts by Dempsey. King takes Dempsey down but Dempsey turns it into a sleeper! King escapes and gets rolled up for two. Dempsey with a backslide for two-plus, Dempsey grinding King down into a crossface chickenwing as the bell rings.

King has knucks in his bucket.

Round Two (0 – 0)

Lockup to start, King with a headlock takedown. Dempsey gets King’s shoulders on the mat for one, he grinds King down and then locks in an overhead chickenwing. King throws Dempsey off and puts Dempsey’s shoulders on the mat for two, another two and a third. Dempsey up and hits a monkey flip into a pin for two, Dempsey with his own two-count and locks in the Million Dollar Dream.

King escapes into a gutwrench suplex by Dempsey for two and then goes back into the Million Dollar Dream. King escapes and gets nailed with a forearm, King with a suplex and reverses wirstlocks, Dempsey counters but King gets a sitdown pin for three!

Round Three (1 – 0 King)

Dempsey comes out with strikes to start, King fires back but gets kicked in the chest. Irish whip across the ring reversed, King with an armdrag into a elbowlock. Dempsey gets King into the ropes for three and yanks him throat-first into the top rope! He tees off with uppercuts and yanks King into the top turnbuckle. German suplex gets a nearfall.

King stomps at King and wraps him up, hyperextending the elbow brutally. Dempseyt with palm strikes to the head, King escapes and hits a BIG superkick for a nearfall!

Dempsey sends King into the corner, King escapes but is caught with a big shot and double underhook suplex with a bridge for three!

Round Four (1 – 1)

King has the knucks during the break but changes his mind. Dempsey charges from the go and hits King with a dragon screw legwhip. Front facelock submission but King counters with a suplex. King with chops and uppercuts, off the ropes and he knocks Dempsey down. Dempsey into the corner, King with a Northern Lights suplex, bridge gets two.

King goes up top — high crossbody for two-plus. He takes aim for a superkick, Dempsey catches it and hits a German suplex. King goes for the bucket with the knucks but Dempsey grabs him for the crossface chickenwing. King sends Dempsey over the top onto the NQCC — and he comes off the ropes to dive on them! He rolls Dempsey in, nails Borne — Dempsey with a rollup for two and another! Dempsey grabs King as the ref is caught in the corner — low blow kick! Coronation!

Winner: Lexis King
Rating: *** 1/4
Thoughts: Very good match that got a bit repetitive technically but had great storytelling. King is developing well in this storyline and good on him.

* Bianca and Naomi are backstage and talk about how Lash and Jakara are bringing the size and athleticism. But Noami says no one does that better than them. Bianca tells them to bring that and more if they want to win next week.

* Hank and Tank are with Andre Chase. Hank and Tank say they’re not mad at him for walking out a few weeks ago and Chase tells them to just break up because all tag teams end in heartache as Kelani walks by in the background.

Chase walks over to where guys are watching old Chase U videos and Kale Dixon says he’s a total badass. Chase says he was one and that Chase U is dead. Dixon says “But it doesn’t have to be!”

Karmen Petrovic vs. Jaida Parker

Lockup to start, waistlock by Karmen but Jaida throws her off. Jaida talks shit, Karmen goes to kick and Jaida hides in the corner. Karman sweeps the leg of Jaida and goes for a shoulderlock. Jaida takes over and backs Kamren into the corner, whips her across the ring but Karmen with a back kick and bulldog for two.

Karmen kicks away at Parker, who catches a kick but Karmen counter kicks. Jadia sent into the corner, Karmen follows but gets put on Parker’s corners for an electric chair. Jaida slams Karmen in the corner and drives the shoulder in, then plants Karmen on the middle drop for the springboard tear drop.

Jaida wraps Karmen into the ropes and then pulls her across the ring for headslams into the turnbuckles. Karmen gets a back kick but Parker with a fisherman’s neckbreaker for two-plus. She bends Karmen over her back; Karmen kicks free. Jaida goes for a suplex but Karmen counters into a roll-up for two.

Jaida gets Karmen back on her shoulders, but Karmen turns it into a roll-up for two. Karmen with charging knees and then a clothesline. Shing Blade gets two-plus. She goes for the spin kick but Jaida ducks and knocks Karmen down — front suplex and she goes into the ropes — Kelani is up on the apron! That distracts Jaida and Karmen gets the roll-up pin!

Winner: Karmen Petrovic (5:08)
Rating: ** 1/2
Thoughts: This was decent for the time it received. Karmen has developed well in the ring and Jaida continues her beef with Kelani, so fair enough.

* Lash and Jakara talk about what the chaps said earlier. They see Sol and Zaria and Sol asks if they know how big next week’s match is? They can win the titles and bring them back to NXT. Lash says she’s right and it’s the biggest match in their career in her hometown. They get to step in the ring with two former world champs.

Jakara says even if they are two of the best, they’re going to win and when they do, the NXT women get a shot at the titles. Tatum and Gigi say they better bring the titles to NXT.

Brooks Jensen & Niko Vance vs. Stacks & Luca Crusafino

The two start brawling on the outside before the bell! When it gets to the bell, Luca gand Stacks take it to Niko. Stacks goes under the legs of Niko for an uppercut and gets him tangled in the ropes, kicking him to the outside. Brooks interferes and gets knocked to the outside — Luca hip tosses Stacks over the ropes onto Team Spears!

Back in the ring, Stacks and Luca hit a kneelift and kick to the head combo. Brooks pulls Brooks to the outside and Niko nails Luca, gets in him the corner and drives the shoulder in. Hard whip across the ring into the corner. Brooks tags in and batters Luca, then hits a suplex for two.

Niko tags back in and armwrench plants Luca, cover gets two. Luca fires back with punches but Niko picks him up — Luca slides down and nails Niko. Stacks gets the hot tag and he takes it to both Niko and Brooks. Leaping kick to Brooks and a splash in the corner. But Brooks locks in a sleeper! Niko charges in, Stacks gets the foot up and he hits a dropkick on both Spears Boys.

Niko charges in on Stacks but Luca hits a superkick. Brooks sends Luca over the top and Niko pounces him into the ring steps. Spinning heel kick from Books to Stacks and Niko with a Clothesline From Hell for three.

Winner: Brooks Jensen & Niko Vance (4:25)
Rating: ** 1/2
Thoughts: This was fine. Good way to give Brooks and Niko some momentum, it was too short to mean much though.

* Sarah is with Fraxiom and mentions them being at Genesis before talking about their title defense last week. Axiom says it was close and Frazer says that they’re the best tag team on the planet and will prove it on Impact. Briggs and Inamura come in and are unhappy as they said they had next. Frazer asks who they ever beat and OTM imme4diately charge in and attack Briggs and Inamura.

* Dion snaps backstage and Izzi Dame tells Tony that she thinks Spears has a crush on her. Tony walks up to the Family who ask why he wasn’t out there and note they lost. Tony says Stacks has been underboss for two years and to handle things.

* We get a recap of Ethan Page injuring Dante Chen and he says he didn’t want to do that and was riding high after his moment with The Rock. Dante wanted to stand on a moral high ground but can’t stand at all now. He didn’t think he’d like doing that as much, just like Cedric Alexander and Je’Von Evans. Page says Je’Von must not ever want to speak normally again after his attack last week. Page says this is Evans’ last warning and next time he won’t stop.

* Je’Von is with Ava and says he needs Ethan Page. Ava says his jaw is still broken and he’s anything but cleared. But Cedric is, and Cedric says he’ll get even for both of them next week.

They leave and Austin Theory and Grayson Waller talk in. Theory says he likes Ava more than The Rock and Ava says they were set for next week. Waller says the winner of tonight’s NXT Title match will be on the Waller Effect next week. Waller says they’re here to watch wrestling because they just love wrestling.

Set For Next Week:
– NXT Women’s Tag team Title Match: Naomi & Bianca Belair vs. Lash Legend and Jakara Jackson
– Giulia & Bayley vs. Roxy & Cora
– Wes Lee vs. Trick Williams
– Grayson Waller Effect With Oba Femi or Eddy Thorpe
– NXT Women’s NA Title Match: Fallon Henley vs. Shotzi

NXT Championship Match
Oba Femi vs. Eddy Thorpe

Eddy goes on the attack to start but gets put in the corner, he escapes and hits a German suplex, then a leaping fistdrop off the ropes for one. Eddy with kicks to the chest and comes off the ropes — BIG clothesline by Oba. He launches Eddy across the ring, then does it again. Eddy off the ropes for a massive backdrop, Thorpe to the outside and Oba follows, beating him.

Eddy gets rolled into the ring and he tries to attack Oba but Oba dodges. Oba on the apron, Eddy hangs him on the rope and gets a big shot to send Oba to the floor. Theory and Waller are watching from the podium.

Thorpe rolls Oba into the ring and kicks at his head a few times, than again to the chest. Oba catches the second kick but Thorpe ducks the sing, big kick and a cover for two. Eddy chops away at Oba in the corner but Oba battles back. Whip across the ring, Oba charges in but Eddy with a dropkick to the knee.

Thorpe with a half-nelson to wear Oba down. Oba throws Eddy off and slams him down, he goes for an elbowdrop but Thorpe moves. Thorpe into the rear chinlock to wear Oba down some more. Oba gets to his feet but Eddy transitions into a front facelock — Oba picks him up and chucks him!

Eddy back in with kicks to the chest and leaps on Oba’s back for a sleeper, but Oba breaks it against the turnbuckle. Oba picks up momentum with a kick and a sidewalk slam. He charges in for Euro uppercuts in the corner, SPINEBUSTER for two-plus.

Oba lies in wait, Eddy up and gets goozles. He goes for the chokeslam but Eddy counters into a triangle submission — Oba picks him up but Eddy counters into a rana! Eddy charges in but gets a lariat to put him on the mat. Oba grabs Eddy for a suplex — he counters into a Stunner! Eddy goes up top — BIG elbowdrop for a nearfall.

Eddie lays in strikes, Oba fights back but Eddy with the chops. Oba battles back but Eddy with a dropkick to the knee. Boot to the face, Eddy with a waistlock but Oba blocks the German. Oba into the ropes, Eddy hits the German! He goes for a fist drop — Oba catches him. Chokeslam, cover for thr–EDDY KICKS OUT.

Oba picks Eddy up on his shoulders but Eddy slides out. Oba charges at Eddy but Eddy ducks and Oba hits the post! Charging stomp by Eddy — caught by Oba, who tosses him! Fall From Grace finishes it.

Winner: Oba Femi (10:19)
Rating: *** 1/4
Thoughts: Look, I don’t think there was a soul on Earth who thought Eddy was winning this. But he delivered a great match against Oba and looked fairly strong in defeat, while giving Femi a strong win. Zero complaints.

Oba stares at Waller and Theory, then turns around to see Trick. Eddy charges in and eats a Trick Shot and Trick and Oba stare off.

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

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WWE NXT, Jeremy Thomas