Our WWE NXT results for tonight include the WWE Speed Men’s Championship tournament kicking off when SmackDown’s Axiom takes on Evolve’s Shawn Legacy and LFG winner Jasper Troy clashes with TNA’s Zachary Wentz, OTM returning to action to battle Hank and Tank, Channing ‘Stacks’ Lorenzo challenging Leon Slater for the TNA X-Division Championship, and NXT Champion Ricky Saints meeting number one contender Trick Williams in the ring for the Halloween Havoc contract signing. Here’s our review and grades for tonight’s show, live from the WWE Performance Centre in Orlando, Florida.
WWE NXT Card:
- TNA X-Division Championship Match: Leon Slater (c) vs. Channing ‘Stacks’ Lorenzo
- WWE Speed Men’s Championship Tournament Match: Axiom vs. Shawn Legacy
- WWE Speed Men’s Championship Tournament Match: Jasper Troy vs. Zachary Wentz
- OTM (Bronco Nima and Lucien Price) vs. Hank and Tank
- Ricky Saints & Trick Williams NXT Championship Contract Signing for Halloween Havoc
WWE NXT Results:
The Culling
The crowd goes nuts for the number one contender, Tatum Paxley. Paxley is ecstatic. Paxley thanks the crowd for always being there for her. In the background, Izzi Dame fakes her way through clapping for Paxley. Paxley puts over Dame and promises to bring singles gold to the Culling. Dame and Paxley hug.
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The new and improved Fatal Influence interrupts. NXT Women’s Champion Jacy Jayne says Paxley doesn’t have a chance at Halloween Havoc. Everyone goes back and forth bickering. Paxley challenges Fatal Influence to a tag match tonight. A brawl breaks out. Dame and Paxley clear the ring.
Grade: C+
To sell this upcoming title match, there was no way around being forced into a segment like this. Paxley is good in the ring, but beyond that, the crowd being in on her, this wasn’t exactly the world’s most engaging promo. This led to yet another predictable tag team match. Sarcastic yay.
TNA X-Division Championship Match: Leon Slater (c) w/Je’Von Evans vs. Channing ‘Stacks’ Lorenzo
Slater sends Stacks flying with a monkey flip. Slater attempts a sunset flip. Stacks puts on the brakes and stomps Slater. Stacks works over Slater. Slater sends Stacks out of the ring and lands a dive. Evans grabs a headset at the commentary desk and throws to the commercial break. After the break, Stacks is in control of Slater, working over his ribs. Stacks gets a near fall after a gutbuster. Grace gets knocked off the apron.
Evans catches Grace. Stacks takes exception to that. Slater gets launched into the commentary desk by Stacks. After the confusion, Slater flattens Stacks with a crossbody. Stacks gets dumped out of the ring. Slater leaps over the ring post and lands on Stacks. Slater nails Stacks with the Swanton 450 for the win!
Winner and STILL TNA X-Division Champion Leon Slater!
Grade: C+
Standard TV match here. There wasn’t much heat behind this one, and the NXT crowd doesn’t seem to react much to Slater unless he is flying around the ring or standing next to Je’Von Evans, which is odd. The tag match at Halloween Havoc is going to be a spectacle, to say the least.
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WWE Speed Men’s Championship Tournament Match: Jasper Troy vs. Zachary Wentz
Wentz lands a superkick and attempts a rana. Troy doesn’t go off his feet. Double stomp by Wentz. Wentz sends Troy over the top with a crossbody. Dive by Wentz. Wentz lands a swanton. Troy kicks out. Wentz tries the UFO Cutter. Troy pushes Wentz away and obliterates Wentz with a body block. Blackhole Slam by Troy. Troy pins Wentz.
Winner- Jasper Troy
Grade: B
These Speed matches are hard to follow at times, but this one was fast but fun. Troy gave Wentz way too much here. Given the fact that Speed is the name of the game here, Troy should have walked over Wentz in even shorter order. WWE seems to be only half committed to making Troy the monster he appears to be.
Sol Ruca’s Announcement
Women’s North American and Speed Champion Sol Ruca is in the ring with Zaria and GM Ava. Ruca is in a knee brace and walking with crutches. A tearful Ruca doesn’t know when she will be cleared. The number one contender for the Women’s North American Championship, Blake Monroe, interrupts and demands to be named the new champion. Zaria steps up and says she will defend the title on Ruca’s behalf. Ruca says there is no one in this world she trusts more than Zaria, so Ruca agrees. Monroe is livid. Monroe gets in Ava’s face and starts screaming. Zaria drops Monroe with an F5. Ruca looks… worried?
Grade: B-
It’s a shame to Ruca is hurt. Hopefully, it isn’t too bad. That said, not liking Zaria’s chances here. Zaria doesn’t exactly have the greatest track record in title matches. What was up with the look on Ruca’s face after Zaria laid out Monroe? If WWE had a pair, they would have Zaria beat Monroe and refuse to give up the title when Ruca returns. That would be interesting, so there is no way it will actually happen, right? RIGHT?
WWE Speed Men’s Championship Tournament Match: Axiom vs. Shawn Legacy
This one ends with Axiom hitting a top rope Spanish fly with 8 seconds left and getting the pin.
Winner- Axiom
Grade: C+
These two move too fast for anything to register in this setting. These Speed matches work better when there is a contrast in styles. This wasn’t that.
OTM (Bronco Nima and Lucien Price) vs. Hank and Tank
A brawl breaks out before the match starts. OTM takes over early, double-teaming Hank behind the referee’s back. Price and Nima stomp Hank like he ate the last hot pocket. Nima and Price take turns beating down Hank. Hank manages to tag in Tank. Tank clears the ring. Hank gets dumped out of the ring. Price and Nima hit their finish on Tank for the win.
Winners- OTM
After the match, Price lays out Hank with the ring steps. Nima and Price put Tank through the commentary desk.
Grade: B
Now this is how you highlight a team. Hank and Tank are former champions, but they got dogwalked tonight. This is the kind of win someone like Jasper Troy needs.
The Culling vs. Fatal Influence
Reid and Paxley start the match. Reid misses an elbow drop. Paxley blasts Reid with a facebuster. Jayne tags in and trades shots with Paxley. Double underhook suplex by Paxley. Paxley lands a corner crossbody. Dame uses Paxley’s body as a tool to choke Jayne against the ropes. After a distraction from Fallon Henley, Fatal Influence takes control. After a bunch of reversals, Dame gets pulled out of the ring. Jayne floors Paxley with the Rolling Encore for the win.
Winners- Fatal Influence
After the match, Paxley fights off Reid, Henley, and Jayne.
Grade: B-
A fun, but unnecessary match.
NXT Championship Contract Signing
NXT GM Ava is in the ring. The challenger, Trick Williams, is out first. The champion, Ricky Saints, is out next. Williams says he does things on his time. Williams says even though Saints is the champion, Williams is still the main event. He’s the only man who can pick NXT up and put it on his back. Williams doesn’t love NXT and doesn’t owe NXT or TNA anything. Trick Williams loves himself some Trick Williams, and he’s going to become a three-time NXT Champion. Williams signs the contract.
Saints says he never changed, but we can’t say the same for Williams. The championship changed Williams. Saints notes that Williams thinks he is bigger than the brand or the title. Saints signs the contract. Williams and Saints go back and forth. Saints fires up and goes off on Williams and proclaims this is his house because he is Absolute Ricky Saints. Williams and Saints get in each other’s faces. Security tries to separate the two men. Williams cheap shots Saints. Saints puts Williams through the table in the ring.
Grade: B-
Standard stuff here, yet again, NXT hasn’t exactly reinvented the wheel as of late. This contract signing is no different. These segments always go exactly the same way. Long back and forth leading to a brawl. The only saving grace here was Saints giving himself an aneurysm, cursing out Williams. At the very least, Saints showed a passion here that it’s hard not to get behind him.
WWE NXT Review:
This episode was a bit of a slog. Underwhelming promos and average in-ring action equal a hard-to-watch and at times boring show. If there was an angle that needed a tag match, it was the Starks/Williams conflict. Contract signings are death to any show at this point, regardless of how impassioned the champion’s promo was. Hopefully, this weekend’s Halloween Havoc will serve as a reset point for what used to be the best wrestling show on TV.
Rating: C
This event is ongoing. This information will be updated as the event progresses.
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