Pantoja’s NXT Roadblock 2025 Review

NXT Roadblock

March 11^th, 2025 | The Theater at Madison Square Garden

I don’t always cover these special episodes of NXT but I had to for two reasons. 1) MSG is a special venue to me as it’s where I saw my first 10 or so live wrestling shows (I know this is just the theater but still) and 2) that double title main event.

TNA Tag Team Championship: The Hardys [c] vs. Fraxiom

Nostalgia is wild because the pop for the Hardys was legit. It’s a Fraxiom match so of course it featured a lot of action. While the Hardys have certainly lost a few steps, they did well enough to keep up with the high octane NXT Tag Team Champions. Fraxiom hit a series of dives that had the Hardys reeling going into the commercial break. The Hardys swung back the momentum upon return when Matt hit a Side Effect on the outside. It’s a simple move but I’ve always liked the Side Effect. Fraxiom looked like they had it won with their Phoenix Splash combo but the pin got broken up and this had some actual drama to it. As has become the norm for Fraxiom matches, the pace picked up even more as this went on and as is often the case, there was a bit of miscommunication from the NXT champs. Axiom accidentally dropkicked Frazer and got taken out himself, leaving Frazer to fall to the Swanton Bomb in 12:08. Super fun opener with lots of energy. [***½]

Backstage, Jaida Parker tells guest Mickie James that she’s got next when it comes to the winner of tonight’s main event.

Elsewhere, The Family bicker about their recent struggles. Stacks seemed to be taking the lead and set up a six person tag for next week that Tony D’Angelo won’t be a part of.

Jordynne Grace vs. Roxanne Perez

Perez won their meeting at Battleground last year (****). The jokes about Grace being a bulked up Sabrina Carpenter are funny but she needs to rock the bangs more for it to work. Roxanne entered this with a gameplan, cutting out the lower body and grounding her more powerful opponent. I don’t know if it was a botch but Grace slipped on an aerial move that played right into what they were doing as Roxanne had done damage to the legs. That was the story through the break but when this came back, Grace got going and showed off an impressive sitout powerbomb spot. Whenever Roxanne got in real trouble, she’d go back to the leg to stop Grace’s momentum. The STF she applied looked especially vicious once she added the fishhook. Once Jordynne survived that, she avoided Pop Rox and won with the Juggernaut Driver in 11:27. Another really good match that told a simple story. Now let’s get Roxanne to the main roster officially please. [***½]

We got an Undertaker cameo (to promote LFG) as he stopped Oba Femi to tell him that he has been impressed.

NXT Championship: Oba Femi [c] vs. Moose

I’ve never been a big Moose guy but Oba is THAT DUDE so I’m in. Also, this is TWO BIG MEN. WITH BIG CHESTS. BUMPING MEAT. They traded some early bombs ahead of the commercial break but afterward, things picked up in a big way. That’s when they started busting out bigger moves like Moose doing a springboard dive only to get caught with an uppercut. There was also the Moose superplex that then saw Oba hit a regular suplex immediately after. This really felt like two beasts hitting the other with their best shots to see who would come out on top and it was all impressive. Oba press slamming Moose to the outside was a sight to behold. Moose came close after putting Oba though the announce table and hitting a Spear but it wasn’t enough. He went for another move but Oba hit an impressive Fall from Grace to retain in 13:36. A hell of a hoss fight and exactly what I wanted from these two. Oba is shockingly good for someone who is still so new to this. [****]

We got Instagram footage of Zaria and Sol Ruca bonding at a rage room. I really want to do one of those.

Fatal Influence complained to Ava about Fallon Henley getting a rematch for the Women’s North American Title. Ricky Saints interrupted to request a match with Ridge Holland, which was granted for next week. Then Ethan Page came up to him to say that NXT isn’t found of outsiders.

New York Street Fight: Ethan Page vs. Je’Von Evans

Excited for this because their Vengeance Day match was awesome (****). First, love that they wore street gear. I have when people show up for these matches in regular attire. They went right into it, fitting of a feud with this much animosity. Chairs were brought into play for some shots but the biggest move hit on one early was a Blue Thunder Bomb by Evans for two. Like the rest of this card, the post commercial break stuff was where this really shined. Page held serve through that and got two on the flashback to Vengeance Day spot where he hit a diving Evans right in the jaw. That sparked a big run by Evans that included a really cool rebound kick. He followed that by diving over the ropes and hitting Page with a cutter from the apron through a table. Granted, Evans took most of the brunt but the idea was dope. His springboard twisting splash also came off so well. Evans countered Twisted Grin into a cutter on the chair, then put Page’s head in a chair and hit a springboard cutter to win in 14:41. This show continues to deliver. A fantastic street fight. [****¼]

Post-match, Temu Retribution showed up and did the toss powerbomb on Evans.

Shawn Spears’ group had a segment where they talked about purging the weak. They’re known as the Chilling and face the D’Angelo Family next week.

Eddy Thorpe got interviewed in the crowd and badmouthed Trick Williams, who showed up behind him and WHOPPED THAT TRICK.

NXT Women’s & Women’s North American Championships: Giulia [c] vs. Stephanie Vaquer [c]

Sure, they rushed this but it’s two great wrestlers who I’m a big fan of. Right from the start, it was played up how evenly matched they were. Whether it was from a stalemate or from trading strikes or from struggling over a submission, they were neck and neck. Stephanie took the first real upper hand ahead of a commercial when she sent Giulia outside. Upon returning, she did her signature Skullfuck move, complete with Booker T sound effects on commentary. Giulia’s avalanche butterfly suplex got her back into the game and they finished this off with some quality back and forth. That was kind of the match in a nutshell. Just some very good back and forth between two friends. The highlight was Stephanie doing the Spiral Tap only to seamlessly get caught in a submission by Giulia. Stephanie survived that and several SVBs in a row to become a double champion after 11:22. Very good but shy of great. I think maybe if they got closer to 15 minutes and had more of a story to get invested in rather than just being friends, it would’ve been better. Still, the eventual rematch should be great. [***¾]

9.0

The final score: review Amazing

The 411

A hell of a show from NXT. All five matches raged from very good to fantastic, the pace was smooth and this never felt overly long, and we got a historic moment in the end. Between this and Revolution, wrestling fans are eating good this week.