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Pantoja’s WWE NXT Vengeance Day 2023 Review

February 4, 2023 | Posted by Kevin Pantoja
WWE NXT Vengeance Day - Bron Breakker Image Credit: WWE, BT Sport
7.5
The 411 Rating
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Pantoja’s WWE NXT Vengeance Day 2023 Review  

I’m back with some live NXT coverage for the first time in a long time for WWE NXT Vengeance Day!

Charlotte Flair handles the opening video package and talks about the roster. The show is in Charlotte so that’s why.

NXT North American Championship: Wes Lee [c] vs. Dijak

The black and white tone for Dijak’s entrance is a choice. He shoves Lee to start and runs him over but Lee doesn’t look rattled. He suggests that Lee just lays down but of course, the champion doesn’t. Maybe he should’ve as Lee’s dive outside is caught into a DVD for a near fall. Dijak keeps up the pressure, tossing Lee around and catching him with a backbreaker before tossing him over and out. Back inside, Dijak remains in control until Lee ducks him in the corner and he goes crashing. Lee uses his speed to avoid shots and then throws rights and lefts of his own to back him into the corner. Lee takes three attempts but gets a German for two that the crowd pops for. Lee keeps it up and adds a cartwheel plancha to the outside. Back in, his acrobatics see Dijah catch him in Feast Your Eyes position only for Lee to counter with a Poison Rana. A Small Package Driver of sorts gets him a very close two-count. Dijak catches him with a sitout chokeslam for two and then goes for a modified Crossface Chicken Wing. Lee starts to fade but nearly makes it to the ropes. He then turns Feast Your Eyes into a schoolboy for two and counters another move into a superkick. Lee survives a huge big boot and superkick but then takes a massive lariat. He also kicks out of that. Wes Lee busts out a great counter that plans Dijak on a super rana and then hits the Spiral Tap that somehow only gets two. Dijak its Lee in a chair and holds him in position with a broom, leaving him open for a superkick. He goes for a moonsault but Tony D’Angelo shows up and pushes Lee out of the way, taking the move himself. That little distraction allows Lee to hit him with a superkick and cartwheel into a backflip kick to retain.

Winner in 16:59 – Wes Lee [****]

Of note, Dijak’s finger looked broken at the end of the match

NXT Women’s Tag Team Championship: Katana Chance and Kayden Carter [c] vs. Fallon Henley and Kiana James

Kayden starts by getting one up on James and taunting her before spanking Brooks. Kayden takes down James, tags Katana and we get a flurry of quick tandem offense from them for two. James and Henley miscommunicate on a spot and that’s part of the story. They’re uneasy partners while Chance and Carter are best friends. The champs hit a moonsault and leg drop at the same time for two. Chance takes a knee to the back and a back suplex that turns the tide. The challengers work well enough to isolate Chance for a bit until she makes a blind tag to Kayden who comes in hot. That includes a dropkick/splash on both opponents. She hits a running dropkick to the outside and tagged Chance before launching her onto both ladies outside. The challengers turn it around again and James gets her knees up on an assisted wheelbarrow moonsault. Springboard Blockbuster by Henley and a tandem Michinoku Driver hit but Carter breaks up the pin. Carter hits a leaping cutter from the apron, taking out James. That helps leave Henley alone for a super rana by Chance off of Carter’s shoulders that somehow gets two. Chance gets knocked outside before Carter gets beaten by a Henley rollup as James holds Carter’s legs down.

Winners in 9:18 – Fallon Henley and Kiana James [***1/4]

Two Out of Three Falls Match: Apollo Crews vs. Carmelo Hayes

One of my favorite stipulation types. We got some mat wrestling to start as neither guy wanted to make the first mistake. The opening exchange is played as them being evenly matched and similar with Hayes being something of a younger Apollo. Hayes counters a corner slingshot but his dive eats a dropkick and Apollo gains control. Hayes eats a German but escapes the trip and sends Apollo to the apron. Outside, Trick steps in between them. That distraction doesn’t do much as Crews sees Hayes coming and the camera messes the spot up. Apollo with a clothesline and moonsault off the apron. He gets two inside and Trick grabs a chair but only to sit on it. Hayes turns the tide soon after and starts to wear down Apollo. Hayes looks like he’s struggling to breathe as if his ribs /chest is damaged. He lays out Apollo with a clothesline but Apollo fires up with several moves in a row. Both men trade corner splashes and Hayes eats a leaping kick. Crews gets two on a deadlift superplex and we still don’t have a fall. Even on big offense, Hayes can’t keep Crews down. He turns a suplex into a cutter again for two but goes straight into a crossface. Crews taps just shy of the 16-minute mark to fall behind 1-0. Crews looks down but hits three Germans and a standing Shooting Star Press for two. Crews hits a ridiculous blockbuster DDT that also only gets two. Both take a spill outside and Hayes tries for a countout win but Crews beats the count. Apollo is annoyed at Hayes for wanting the easy way out. He hits a jumping knee and they go into a series of counters before Hayes hits a Codebreaker only to get caught with a DVD. Trick tries to get involved but Dabba Kato cuts him off and high-fives Apollo. Hayes gets in a shot and wins with Nothing by Net.

Winner in 23:30 – Carmelo Hayes [***3/4]

Post-match, Dabba Kato helps Apollo up only to headbutt him down.

Brooks, Jensen, Henley, and James celebrate the title win.

NXT Tag Team Championship: The New Day [c] vs. Chase U vs. Gallus vs. Pretty Deadly

New Day starts this hot and ends Pretty Deadly packing where Thea Hall yells at them with a megaphone. Woods gets help on a suplex from Hudson who shoves Prince. Andre Chase gets in offense on Kit Wilson before Gallus tags in to take the fun out of the match and take things more seriously. Woods lights up Coffey but eats a kitchen sink. Wolfgang quickly tags in and runs over Woods as well. Pretty Deadly enter again and isolate Woods. I like different teams doing the isolation as it keeps things fresh. Kofi gets the hot tag and hits everything moving, even guys on the apron. He picks up some near falls but pins are broken up. Everyone enters to hit someone with a strike, capped by Kofi taking an assisted gutbuster from Pretty Deadly for two. Everyone comes in to break up a pin following New Day hitting a backbreaker/double stomp combo. As everyone fights outside, Chase tosses Kofi into the lot of them to boos. Wilson grabs Chase up top only to take a superplex onto the pile outside below them. Hudson saves Chase from going through a table by Gallus. He then tries to powerbomb Wilson through the table but Pretty Deadly break it up and hilariously put the table back in order. Hudson goes off on PD inside and even hits Gallus, looking like the MVP of the match. Gallus goes outside and puts him through the table though. Chase gets going inside and the crowd loves him. It’s his hometown. He gets two on a cross-body before Gallus cuts him off and gets going. Kofi interrupts them and sends Wolfgang outside. Woods sends PD outside and gets beaten by Gallus’ finisher.

Winners in 16:46 – Gallus [***1/4]

NXT Women’s Championship: Roxanne Perez [c] vs. Gigi Dolin vs. Jacy Jayne

Right off the bat, the challengers team up to beat up Perez. They work like a well-oiled machine and dominate until Perez avoids a team-up kick and they nearly hit each other. Perez then hits a double dropkick and takes out Gigi with a dive outside. Jayne goes for a somersault off the apron but hits Gigi instead. Jayne manages to get on top in the ring as Gigi is hurt outside. Gigi gets back involved and the two shake hands with Gigi saying they’ll work together. However, she immediately pulls Jayne in the way of a Roxanne baseball slide. Gigi then beats up on Perez and has full control. Soon after, we get the expected moment of the partners coming to blows with the match on the line. That leads to a fight between them and some near falls. Perez gets back in and works over both, hitting a DDT/Russian leg sweep combo for two on both. Everyone trades shots now and we get a hockey-style fight between Toxic Attraction complete with a Jayne crotch chop. Pop Rox is avoided and Gigi lays out both opponents. A bridging suplex on Perez gets sees the pin broken up. Split chants for Gigi and Roxanne. Poor Jacy. Perez takes a beating a Toxic Attraction get back on the same page. Jacy gets a table and she fights with Perez up top. Perez kicks Gigi off the apron and through the table before beating Jayne with super Pop Rox.

Winner in 14:44 – Roxanne Perez [***1/4]

NXT Championship Steel Cage Match: Bron Breakker [c] vs. Grayson Waller

You can only win by pinfall or submission Waller has a special entrance with girls dancing and champagne. He attacks Bron before the bell but wastes time taunting so Bron turns it around and kicks his ass. My feed cut out for a few but upon return, Bron slams Waller to the mat and goes up top. Waller cuts him off and lays in some right hands. My connection has issues again and returns to see Bron going up top again, this time leaping into a huge knee from Waller who then hits an elbow off the top for two. Bron gets tied up in the ropes like Andre the Giant and Waller lays in dropkicks, arrogant slaps, and talks trash. Bron powers out and starts kicking ass. Again I lose connection and return to see Waller climbing as fans chant that he sucks. He goes all the way up top for his viral moment. Bron gets up and pulls him from the top with a superplex. It didn’t get the reaction they probably hoped for. Bron shouts at Waller for talking trash, says it’s his NXT, and wins with the Spear.

Winner in 14:25ish – Bron Breakker [Feel like I missed some but from what I saw, about ***]

Bron’s celebration gets somewhat cut off as Carmelo Hayes walks out and points at him.

7.5
The final score: review Good
The 411
That was ultimately a good show though after the opener, it felt like nothing was great. Still, I'll take a good, entertaining show from top to bottom any day of the week.
legend

article topics :

NXT, NXT Vengeance Day, WWE, Kevin Pantoja