By Jason Powell, ProWrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet)
NXT Hits
Tony D’Angelo vs. Ricky Saints: A solid main event that helped set the table for the announcement of the four-way championship match at Stand & Deliver. The creative team has done a nice job of creating friction between Saints and Ethan Page without having them completely melt down. I could see them working together to start the four-way before self-destructing at some point during the match. The DQ finish in the main event wasn’t ideal, but there was no reason to have either man take a loss heading into the four-way.
Kendal Grey and Wren Sinclair vs. Fallon Henley and Lainey Reid: A good tag team opener. The heels had some nice tag team spots, especially for a duo that normally works singles matches. Grey was spotlighted nicely heading into next week’s No. 1 contender’s match for a shot at the NXT Women’s Championship at Stand & Deliver. How about we trade the worthless Speed titles for the NXT Women’s Tag Team Titles? NXT is typically loaded with female talent, and I’m over seeing the WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions show up every few months to beat an NXT team.
Kelani Jordan vs. Thea Hail: It’s a shame that Hail hasn’t received much creative love since the original Chase U disbanded, but this wasn’t the time for him to break out of her slump. Jordan got a quick and decisive win, which helped her bounce back from her PLE loss to Lola Vice while also giving her a little momentum heading into her match with Jaida Parker on next week’s show. I just hope that Hail’s losses are leading to something positive.
Johnny Gargano vs. Jackson Drake vs. Dion Lennox vs. Shiloh Hill vs. Charlie Dempsey in a gauntlet eliminator match for a shot at the NXT North American Championship at Stand & Deliver: A big problem with the match is that it seemed like there was minimal interest in seeing any of the four NXT regulars earn the title shot, so it was all about the mystery person. Fortunately, the payoff was well-received. I’m not crazy about depressed Gargano, but Candice LeRae pushing him so that he fell on top of Hill to beat him was cute.
Bravo and Rayo vs. Shawn Spears and Niko Vance in a first-round tournament match for a shot at the NXT Tag Team Titles at Stand & Deliver: I’m probably in the minority, but I would have been more excited had Tyler Bate and Pete Dunne been the replacement team in the tournament. Hey, whatever happened to those guys? Anyway, while I might not be the biggest Los Americanos fan, they are more over than the team they replaced, the team they beat, and the team they will face in the tournament final.
NXT Misses
Sol Ruca and Zaria: Have they stopped talking yet? Where were those guys who rudely chanted “Wrap it up” at Steve Maclin on a recent TNA Impact episode when we actually needed them? There was enough scripted dialogue to make Quentin Tarantino blush. Ruca’s character seems to be the only person who didn’t see the drawn-out Zaria turn coming, making it difficult for fans to relate as she continues to process the end of their friendship long after everyone else knew it was ending.
Blake Monroe and Tatum Paxley: Why was there a cameraman in Monroe’s hotel room? Okay, I’m not blind. I mean, I understand why on that level. But it’s so lazy when companies can’t be bothered to explain why a camera is present in situations like these and how the company ended up in possession of the footage. They took the time to have Shiloh Hill explain how he figured out where Monroe was staying. Why stop there? I know some viewers don’t care about the small details, but it’s just not that difficult to make the show more watchable for those who do.
(Jason Powell, founder and editor of ProWrestling.net, has covered pro wrestling full-time dating back to 1997. He hosts a weekly podcast, Pro Wrestling Boom, and also appears regularly on the Wade Keller Pro Wrestling Podcast. Reach him via email at dotnetjason@gmail.com and on social media via @prowrestlingnet.bsky.social or x.com/prowrestlingnet. For his full bio and information on this website, click here.)