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Hello everyone, and welcome to our live WWE NXT coverage on 411! Jeremy Thomas here as usual, and we’re heading toward Spring Breakin’ this week with a very big match on the card. Carmelo Hayes and Trick Williams will battle in a steel cage on tonight’s show ahead of Trick’s match with Ilja Dragunov at the aforementioned special NXT episode. Tonight will also see Dijak take on Noam Dar, while Joaquin Wilde will seek revenge against Ridge Holland for inadvertently hurting Cruz Del Toro’s hand last week. Plus Sol Ruca battles Lola Vice, Tony D’Angelo returns and more. Sounds like an exciting show.

Here at Thomas HQ, I’m ramping my movie watching back up after a minor WrestleMania week lull. I got to see the new Nicolas Cage post-apocalyptic thriller Arcadian which was quite good; you can check out my review of it here. I also watched the new Max documentary Brandy Hellville & the Cult of Fast Fashion which delivers its message about the fashion industry being garbage effectively but lagged a little bit in execution otherwise. The Shudder thriller Baghead had some cool notions and plot twists, though it stumbled a little over familiar tropes in the second act, and Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire was a perfectly fine if someone uninspiring entry in that franchise.

I also saw the Netflix documentary What Jennifer Did which suffers by following the Netflix true crime format, and Scoop which is a well-acted telling of Prince Andrew’s famously-disastrous Epstein-related interview. And finally, I also got some rewatches done, namely the trio of absolute home runs that are The Breakfast Club, Lost in Translation, and Hot Fuzz.

On TV, I’m obviously staying caught up with Drag Race season 16 and X-Men ’97. I’ve also begun rewatching Dark Side of the Ring since I fell behind a bit and so of course that means I have to start from the beginning! (I have issues).

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.

* Melo vs. Trick is the main event, to no surprise.

* We’re LIVE in the Capitol Wrestling Center and kicking off with Noam Dar vs. Dijak.

Noam Dar vs. Dijak

Dar with a headlock to kick us off, gets shot into the ropes and collides with Dijak. Kicks from Dar get him to his knees, Dijak with the goozle and he puts Dar in the corner. Dar ducks a shot and lays in kicks but gets booted back. Dijak goes for a suplex, Dar escapes and hits a back kick and takedown for two, then right into an elbowlock.

To their feet, Dijak escapes the hold and flings Dar into the ropes. Dar escapes to the outside for support from Meta-Four, Dijak to the apron and he kicks Dar, who got back in the ring, before hitting a springboard clothesline for two.

Dijak with an Irish whip, by feed glitched (not in the Howdy way) and when it’s back Dijak is in a submission but Dijak picks him up, hits a backbreaker and flings him over the ropes as we go to PIP break.

We’re back and Dar and Dijak are trading shots on the mat as Dar loses a kneebar. Dar lays in the forearms, but Dijak fires right back! Big kick to the head, Dijak gets to his feet and hits Dar with back elbows. Dijak off the ropes, runs over Dar and hits a leaping clothesline. Dijak with BIG slaps to the chest in the corner and then a suplex toss!

Spinning discus by DIjak but Dark locks in a front facelock. Dijak breaks it and hits a sit-out chokeslam, cover gets a nearfall. Dijak goes to get Dar on his shoulder but Dar elbows out and goes for a fisherman’s buster, Dijak blocks it so Dar with a kneecap kick. He tries again, Dijak blocks it and shoves Dar into the ropes. He goes for the big boot, Dar dodges and hits a clothesline off the top — fisherman buster and cover gets two!

Dar goes right into the armbar, but Dijak gets Dar’s shoulders on the mat. Dijak with a BIG kick, then charges but Dar moves and Dijak spills to the outside. Dar slams Dijak into the ring steps and hits a diving dropkick, BIG back elbow, cover gets a nearfall.

Dar backs up for the Nova Roller, he takes aim — Dijak with a superkick! Dar fires back and catches Dijak with a right — but Dijak catches Dar off the ropes with a big boot1 Feast Your Eyes but Ora on the apron — he gets superkicked off the top and Dar with the Nova Roller for three!

Winner: Noam Dar (12:11)
Rating: *** 1/4
Thoughts: Really hot match to start us off. Both guys looked great here and Dar winning has to be a minor upset. All great stuff, I have no complaints.

* Ava is in her office when Ilja walks in. Ava says Spring Breakin’ is next week and Ilja says it’ll be Trick’s last day in NXT. Ava says Trick and Melo have a cage match and Ilja needs to have a match. She’s going to let Ilja pick his opponent, and Ilja says whoever stands eye to eye with him first will get the match.

* Tatum Paxley says she always wanted to be good, playing with dolls and such. But then she realized no one wants to play with someone like Tatum Paxley. She made the good girls play with her and but she realized she wasn’t good. She runs down the previous NXT Women’s Champions, ending with Lyra and saying she loved Lyra and wanted to be here, because she was the closest thing to good there was and she was good because she helped Lyra. They were best friends, but then Lyra lost the NXT Women’s Champion and broke her heart. So what is Lyra to her now? Nothing. And Roxy is the coolest girl in class, but she can’t have that anymore and it needs to be her. Lyra is in her way.

Lola Vice vs. Sol Ruca

Circle and lockup to start, Lola with an elbowlock that Sol escapes, cartwheels and puts Lola on the mat. Back up, Sol trips Lola and stomps her, then covers for one. Wristlock from Sol but Lola kicks her way out. Sol whipped into the corner, goes up and over, flips out of a hiptoss and hits an X-Factor.

Sol charges Lola in the corner but Lola dodges and hits a spinning backfist. She kicks Sol down in the corner, goes for the hip attack and nails it. Cover gets two. Lola talks shit and hits a scissor kick, then nails some kicks to the gut. Sol battles back, Lola dodges a swing and locks in a sleeper. Sol picks her up on her back and slams her back into the corner, but Lola leaps onto Sol’s back to lock the sleeper back in. Lola with a sidewalk slam to break it.

Sol dodges a hip attack and runs Lola over a few times, springboard back elbow and a powerslam. Standing moonsault, cover gets two. Sol dodges a kick and goes for the Sol Snatcher, Lola counters so she hits a sunset bomb for two. Superkick, she goes for the Sol Snatcher but Blair Davenport out to trip her. Vice with a roundhouse for three.

Winner: Lola Vice (4:15)
Rating: ** 1/4
Thoughts: This was okay for the time it had. They didn’t have the best timing together but it wasn’t awful.

Natalya appears on the Tron post-match and says Lola cost her a title shot last week so she’s going to meet Lola on her turf in her match. In two weeks on Spring Breakin’ its the two of them in NXT Underground.

* The NXT Anonymous account yesterday saw Ridge talking with Ridge when Joaquin Wilde walks up and told him to accept who he is. Ridge chokes Wilde, then leaves.

* Earlier today, Arianna Grace went to meet up with Georgina who was early. Gigi says the sooner they can get to it, the better. Ariana says today is dress shopping. She says think of the body as a canvas. The way she dresses now is a horrifying vision and they want to strive for universal piece. All they need to do is change Gigi’s attire and soften her attitude.

Gigi says she has black which goes with everything but Arianna sasks her to trust her. She says she’ll have Gigi looking like her in no time. Gigi seems less than pleased about that notion.

Ridge Holland vs. Joaquin Wilde

Ridge offers a handshake, Wilde lays in punches but gets knocked over. Ridge tries to help Wilde up, Wilde goes on the offensive and hits a corkscrew crossbody for two. Ridge to the outside, Wilde leaps out but Ridge takes over with punches. He swings, Wilde ducks and Ridge hits the ringpost.

Back in the ring, Wilde puts Ridge in the corner and charges in, he’s put on the apron and knocked to the floor. Wilde back to the apron but gets hung up in the ropes, Ridge with a kick to the head and cover for two. Wilde fights back but gets caught with a headbutt, avalanche from Ridge and a belly to belly overhead suplex.

Ridge charges at Wilde but Wilde dodges, hits a splash and goes for it again but Ridge explodes out of the corner and nails him. Ridge goes for a powerbomb but Wilde counters into a DDT. Spears out watching as Wilde hits Ridge with a back elbow, then lays in punches. Springboard crossbody, double Eat Defeat, he dodges a clothesline and hits a neckbreaker.

Ridge out of the ring, Wilde dives through but gets caught and slammed to the floor! Holland with the Spike for three.

Winner: Ridge Holland (3:57)
Rating: ** 1/4
Thoughts: XXXXXXXXXXXXX.

* Josh Briggs was checked out earlier today and is cleared despite having suffered broken ribs. Ivar walks up and asks if he’s okay, he says he’s cleared and going after Oba. Ivar says he should take it easy, he’ll take on Oba and when he wins the title, Josh gets a shot. Briggs tells Ivar to go back to Raw and get beat by Sheamus. That leads to a match.

* Brinley, Edris and Malik are working out on Brinley’s TikTok and Brinley says they’re facing OTM. Brinley says she’ll be with them, Edris says no and Malik plays mediator.

* The D’Angelo Family WALKS backstage.

* Thea Hail and Andre Chase meet up to talk about last week. Thea says Jacy wasn’t lying and Chase says she wasn’t. He says he believed Thea could win and decided to risk it all on his bet. But then seeing Thea suffer and refuse to tap out with tears on her cheeks, he had to throw in the towel because he wanted her to be okay.

Thea asks why didn’t he say anything, and he says he didn’t want her to feel bad. Thea says she’s sorry she doubted his belief in her and hugs her.

* The D’Angelo family is here! Tony gets the mic and says after Stacks and he lost the tag titles, it was time for rapid growth in the family. He says it wasn’t easy, but worth it. He says he was facing serious allegations after making Pretty Deadly disappear but it’s all looking good. He says Stacks & Luca are looking for tag gold, Adrianna is going to get gold and he went toe-to-toe with Ilja, the toughest man in NXT history. He says it was one of his toughest fights and he lost, but toughness comes from longevity and he’s here to say —

The No Quarter Catch Club is here! Charlie doesn’t appreciate that their dealings were made public last week. Tony says he came to them to take care of one of their own because they didn’t have the stones. Charlie nearly says Gulak’s name, and Tony says he didn’t need to name names, they’re in front of people.

Charlie says there was nothing about payment and it was best for the business, while also taking out the trash. Luca says that the NCQQ are in arrears, so they can settle the debt or handle it the way they do. Doman tries to speak up but gets shut down. Tony says he does nothing for purity and doesn’t care about their feelings. He does things for business and they have a code. He says they’re going to interrupt him? He doesn’t think so.

Charlie asks if there’s anything else Tony wants to say and Tony says the Heritage Cup looks pretty nice. Charlie says look at him, not the cup. The Cup doesn’t need to be held by a two-bit gangster in wrestling boots. Tony says pay up, and Charlie says over his dead body will he let a scumbag like Tony disgrace the cup. Tony takes off his jacket and the brawl begins! The NCQQ is kicked out of the ring as we go to break.

Ilja is here! He waits to see who will challenge him and the whole locker room comes out! They fight — and Je’Von Evans leaps in the ring over Ilja!

Ilja Dragunov vs. Je’Von Evans

They immediately start trading shots in the ring. Evans with a kick, Ilja fires back, ducks a kick and hits a German suplex. He nails the second one, Evans avoids the third but is hit with an enzuigiri and then the third German is nailed.

Ilja charges at Evans in the corner, Evans with the boot up but Ilja catches it and then hits several slaps before stomping him down. Ilja steps away and Evans with a leaping thrust kick! Evans with a series of strikes, but Ilja comes back with headbutts. German suplex, Evans lands on his feet and comes off the ropes with an enzuigiri for two.

Evans with a kick to the chest and another, springboard rana but Ilja turns it into a powerbomb. Off the ropes, Ilja runs over Evans with a major lariat for a nearfall. Ilja gets Evans on his shoulder, Evans fights out and shoves Ilja into the turnbuckle. Ilja with knees and a Constantine Special — Evans counters with a standing Spanish fly for a nearfall!

Evans goes to the second rope but Ilja cuts him off and knocks him to the apron. Evans with a kick to the head, springboard — right into a big chop! Charging knee off the ropes to the head but it only gets two!

Ilja goes for a powerbomb but Evans counters with a DDT! Ilja rolls out of the ring for a breather, Evans over the top and DIVES on Ilja! He rolls Ilja in and goes up top, frng splash but Ilja gets the knees up and rolls through, picking Evans up onto his shoulders. DVD into the corner.

Ilja backs up and preps for Torpedo Moscow, he hits it for three.

Winner: Ilja Dragunov (6:06)
Rating: ***
Thoughts: Damned good for a six minute match. They made Evans look like an absolute star and that was obviously the goal.

Post-match, Ilja with the show of respect.

* Kelly is with Karmen Petrovic and asks about Natalya challenging XXXX. Karmen says she’ll be training Nattie and in her corner. Lola walks in and says Nattie has guts but can’t handle Lola’s heat. Karmen can teach Lola all her skills but that won’t be nothing because of who she has in her corner. Contract signing is next week.

* Sol is ranting at Ava about Blair Davenport and Ava says she already had a match. Sol says she wants Blair in a No DQ match next week and won’t stop until Blair has to be carried out.

Thea Hail vs. Tatum Paxley

Lockup to start, Tatum creeps Thea out and they go into some counterwrestling. Thea with a back elbow, they go into the ropes and Tatum Matrix dodges, they end up on the mat staring at each other. Tatum hits a backbreaker and then bends Thea back against the middle rope for four.

Tatum with a crossbody against Thea in the corner and holds onto it for four. Thea fights back but eats a knee to the gut and Tatum with a gutwrench suplex for two. Tatum mounts Thea and talks shit, Thea fights back but Tatum applies a striking-looking modified tarantula submission hold.

Thea gets free and hits a double knee to the arm, then off the ropes to knock Tatum down twice. Jazymyn Nyx is out here, Thea with the World’s Smallest Slam but the ref is distracted. Jacy trips Thea on a sprinboard and Tatum gets the pin.

Winner: XXXXX (XX:XX)
Rating:
Thoughts: XXXXXXXXXXXXX.

Thea leaps on Jacy post-match and officials try to separate them, but then have to break up Lyra and Tatum in the ring.

* Roxy is with Kelly and says it’s hilarious that Tatum finally turned on her girlfriend. She says they can destroy each other for all she cares. She’ll sit back and be entertained, and whoever wins might get a title match. She says that’s easy, what does Ava complain about? She says at Spring Breakin’, Roxy will defend against the winner of Tatum and Lyra.

Ava walks in and says instead it’ll be a triple threat. Roxy is livid but Ava says she’ll figure it out.

Authors of Pain vs. Malik Blade and Edris Enofe

Enofe starts with Akam and is backed into the corner, but ducks a shot and fights his way out. Blade tags in and hits a dropkick, Edris tags back in for a shot off the top. Rezar tags in and Blade gets through into a toss into the turnbuckle, cover gets two.

YYY tags in Akam, Blade held for a running kneelift. Akam manhandles Enofe and slams his head into the mat, then tags in YYY. Atomic Drop into a knee to the face, cover gets a nearfall. YYY charges at Enofe in the corner who dodges, then tags in Blade. Blade hits Rezar with several body checks and knocks him out of the ring, Enofre tags in. Blade leaps and gets caught, Edris tries to dive but gets thrown into Blade!

Back in the ring, Super Collider finishes.

Winner: AOP (3:18)
Rating: ** 1/4
Thoughts: Squash match, nothing more.

Post-match, the champs come out and want the AOP but are held back.

* Clothes shopping time with Gigi and Arianna. Gigi says Arianna can’t believe she’d wear anything like this but Arianna says that she has a princess in her. Arianna screams at a green dress and Gigi says she hates it. Gigi says she just has to make it her own and will go to try it on. Gigi walks into the dressing room and comes out having altered it into a — pretty damn nice dress, to be honest. But Arianna hates it.

Gigi says she’ll wear it out and Grace is paying.

Ivar vs. Josh Briggs

They go at it right off the bat and trade shots, Ivar takes over with a crossbody and hits back elbows in the corner. Briggs into the ropes, he comes off with a big boot to Ivar. Ivar into the ropes for a standing sidewalk slam, elbowdrop and cover for two.

Briggs comes at Ivar in the corner but Ivar gets the legs up and turns it into a modified Bonzai Drop. He batters Briggs and hits a headbutt, goes into the ropes but Briggs with a back eblow. Briggs with the goozle, Ivar fights out of it and my feed goes wonky but Ivar with a powerslam and sitdown powerbomb for two.

Ivar goes up top and leaps but Briggs dodges and hits a Boss Man Slam for two. He goes for a back suplex but his back gives out. Ivar to the outside for a breather, Briggs onto the apron to leap off for a shoulderblock. Briggs gets shoves back into the steps and Ivar rolls him in, then goes up top — MOONSAULT! Cover gets three.

Winner: Ivar (Timepiece issues)
Rating: ** 1/2
Thoughts: Solid Big Man match for the time it got. Both these guys are talented and this did fine work by making Ivar’s case while giving Briggs an excuse for the loss.

* Kelly asks Oba backstage about Ivar’s win and he says “Interesting” before walking off. Kelly goes back to Booker and Vic, as Oba knocks Ora Mensah down on his way out.

Set For Next Week:
– NXT WOmen’s Title match: Roxy vs. Lyra vs. Tatum
– Beach Brawl: Sol Ruca vs. Blair Davenport
– NQCC vs. The D’Angelo Family
– NXT Underground contract signing: Natalya & Lola Vice
– NXT Title Match: Ilja vs. Trick

* We get a montage of the leadup to Trick vs. Melo at Stand & Deliver and then the match itself.

* Kelly is with Carmelo and he says this beef isn’t over until he says it is. He says he gave Trick everything and tonight he’s taking it all away from his ungrateful ass.

Steel Cage Match
Trick Williams vs. Carmelo Hayes

This match is no escape; pinfalls or submissions only. Melo shoves Trick to start an they jockey for position. Trick into the ropes, Melo follows but gets slammed down a coupe times. Melo shoves Trick into the cage and then leaps after him. Into the ropes, Melo up and over Trick but Trick with a knockdown and cover for two.

Melo into the ropes, he holds on but Trick hits a lariat. Across the ring and Melo takes Trick down. One of the security has handed Melo a billy club, and he lays into Trick with it! Big shot across the back as we go to PIP break.

Melo was in control throughout the break and climbs the turnbuckle to grind his boot into Trick’s face and stomp him. He lays in a punch and then yanks Trick’s arm into the cage. Trick fights back but Melo yanks on the arm, Irish whip but Melo blocks it so Trick with the knees to the arm, cover gets two.

Melo goes right back to the arm with an elbowlock, Trick ends up on the mat but gets free and gets a one-count. Back up, Trick sent face-first into the cage. Melo sends Trick into the cage again and over the top to the apron against the cage wall. Melo sets him up and comes off the ropes for repeated leaping elbows into the cage — the third one, Trick drops and Melo hits the cage!

Melo still in control when they get up, but Trick throws him to the cage and Melo leans onto the wall. Trick grabs Melo and hits a uranage off the second rope! They’re both up and clubbering, Trick takes over with side kicks off the ropes and a flapjack. Melo counters a kick but Trick still manages to knock him down. Melo tossed into all four cage walls in succession, leaping neckbreaker gets two!

Trick is up now pulls Melo up but Melo counters the attempted slam. Trick throws Melo to the apron, Melo with a shot and goes up top — he leaps but Trick catches him and slams him down! Cover gets two. Melo counters into a DDT and then hits a lungblower — Melo fires back with a knee to the face!

Both men slow to get up, Melo is up first and goes to the top but Trick leaps up. They slam each other head-first repeatedly into the cage wall, the structure looks like it’s about to break. Trick blocks a bulldog and hits a big kick.

Melo signals security and they’re trying to come in, Trick fights them off and nails one that came in the door with a chair. He gets him out and turns around — he ducks a chair shot from Melo and hits the Trick Shot through the chair! That’s it!

Winner: Trick Williams (12:20)
Rating: *** 1/4
Thoughts: Not the best cage match but they worked hard and it was a strong main event, which gives Trick some extra momentum heading into next week.

Trick and Ilja jaw at each other after the match, Ilja on the raised stage and Trick atop the cage.

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