Our WWE NXT results for tonight include Jaida Parker clashing with Kali Armstrong, WWE NXT Women’s Champion Lola Vice teaming with Mr. Iguana to battle The Culling’s Izzi Dame and Niko Vance, and Jasper Troy taking on The Vanity Project’s Jackson Drake. Here’s our review and grades for tonight’s show, live from the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida.
WWE NXT Card:
- WWE NXT Women’s Champion Lola Vice and Mr. Iguana vs. Izzi Dame and Niko Vance (w/ Shawn Spears)
- Jaida Parker vs. Kali Armstrong
- Jasper Troy vs. Jackson Drake (w/ Ricky Smokes and Brad Baylor)
WWE NXT Results:
At the start of the show, NXT Champion Tony D’Angelo says he isn’t waiting and attacks Tavion Heights. Both men are eventually separated by several NXT wrestlers in the back.
Jaida Parker vs. Kali Armstrong
Armstrong gets in Parker‘s face before the match kicks off. The crowd is hot for this one right out the gate. The bell rings, and Parker takes Armstrong down repeatedly. Armstrong fights out of it and tries an arm drag. Parker counters with a beautiful rolling side headlock. Parker sends Armstrong flying with a suplex. Armstrong kicks out. Parker sends Armstrong out to the floor with a clothesline. Armstrong drives Parker into the ring apron. Parker does the same. A double clothesline sends both women to the mat.
After the break, Armstrong is working over Parker. Armstrong stomps Parker in the corner, then mocks Parker’s high step. Parker chop blocks Armstrong. Tear drop hip attack by Parker. Armstrong pokes Parker in the eye and hits a powerslam. Parker struggles to her feet. Armstrong floors Parker with the Kali Connection for the win.
Winner- Kali Armstrong
Grade: B
This was a solid outing for both women. This technically isn’t Armstrong’s debut in NXT; she previously appeared on the show as the Evolve Women’s Champion. That said, this was a much better showing for Armstrong. Parker has always been aggressive in the ring, but she turned that up a notch against Armstrong, sprinkling in some new technical wrestling wrinkles as well. All in all, this was a good piece of business. More of this, please.
Jasper Troy vs. Jackson Drake (w/ Ricky Smokes and Brad Baylor)
Troy tosses Drake all over the ring. After a distraction from Baylor and Smokes, Drake takes Troy off his feet with a super meteora. After the break, Troy beats up Baylor and Smokes outside the ring. Myka Lockwood appears and bodyslams Troy out on the floor. Drake lands a 450 splash for the win.
Winner- Jackson Drake
Grade: C+
Fun match, great debut for Lockwood. This writer is interested to see what angle the relationship between Drake and Lockwood takes.
Crossing the Delta
Zaria notes that NXT feels different, and now it can be anyone’s game. For the first time, she’s standing in the middle of the women’s division with no one holding her back. This is how it always needed to be. Just her, Zaria, alone. Now, she has a clear path to the thing that started this all: the NXT Women’s North American Championship. That title is what finally woke her up.
When you spend enough time around something like that, it starts to make you feel like it should be yours. The Women’s North American Champion, Tatum Paxley, interrupts. Paxley says she understands where Zaria is coming from, but if she comes for Paxley, it won’t end well. Lizzy Rain is out next. Rain wants up next. Nikkita Lyons is out next, and you know what she wants. A fight breaks out. Zaria is the last woman standing.
Grade: B-
This was way better than it had any business being. Zaria cut a hell of a promo. They should have given her a mic a long time ago. Not sure ending Paxley’s title reign right now is a good idea, but it would be shocking for Zaria not to end up champion in short order.
WWE NXT Women’s Champion Lola Vice and Mr. Iguana vs. Izzi Dame and Niko Vance (w/ Shawn Spears)
After a back-and-forth contest, Vice knocks Dame down with a head kick, Vance breaks up the pin. Vance and Dame end up in double submissions. Iguana and Vice tumble over the top. Vance powerbombs Iguana out on the floor. Vice misses a spinning back fist. Dame lands a running knee for the win.
Winners- Izzi Dame and Niko Vance
Grade: C+
This match had tons of Iguana shenanigans. So if you are into the sort of thing, this was for you.
Hank and Tank vs. DarkState
During the match, the fight spills out of the ring. Lennox grabs a chair. Shugars stops him. Shugars and Lennox argue while the other two try to break it up. DarkState gets the win after the double pizza toss.
Winners- DarkState
Grade: C+
Standard stuff here. Not sure when they are going to pull the trigger on this DarkState split, but this has to come to a boiling point soon.
NXT Champion Tony D’Angelo vs. Tavion Heights
D’Angelo and Heights trade shots. D’Angelo works over Heights in the corner. After the break, Heights hits his patented belly-to-belly suplex. Kam Hendrix hits the ring and gets sent over the top by Heights. Heights walks right into Dead to Right from D’Angelo. D’Angelo pins Heights.
Winner- Tony D’Angelo
After the match, D’Angelo helps Heights up. The same guy from last week teleports into the ring and attacks D’Angelo from behind. The big guy picks up D’Angelo and cannonballs into Height with D’Angelo on his back, obliterating both men. The big guy looks at the camera and says his name is Mason Rook, and he’s arrived in NXT.
Grade: B-
Solid match. Heights has been impressive since day one and had a strong showing here. D’Angelo has asserted himself as NXT Champion, taking the fight to his challengers from last week. It’s a welcome change to see a face champion go on the offensive for once, though this still ended with D’Angelo on his back. Mason Rook doesn’t look like a conventional superstar, but he moves like another unconventional superstar, Kevin Owens. Not to compare the two, but the grace in which Rook moves is reminiscent of the former Universal Champion.D’Angelo and Heights trade shots. D’Angelo works over Heights in the corner. After the break, Heights hits his patented belly-to-belly suplex. Kam Hendrix hits the ring and gets sent over the top by Heights. Heights walks right into Dead to Right from D’Angelo. D’Angelo pins Heights.
WWE NXT Review:
Tonight’s show continued the chaotic pace from last week’s episode of NXT. With all of the call-ups, NXT has no choice but to shuffle the deck and start playing f with new cards. The jury is out on all of the new faces, but so far, Kali Armstrong seems to be the most solid addition. Match of the night honors go to THIS MATCH, with Zaria’s promo coming in a close second. Yes, it’s not a match, but it’s worth calling out as one of the major highlights from tonight’s show. The coming weeks will be important in shaping the future of not just the NXT brand but WWE as a whole. Interesting times.
Rating: B-
Read More: Trick Williams Is Grateful More Black WWE Superstars Are Getting Opportunities Now
WrestleZone features weekly audio and video content on Facebook, YouTube, and your favorite podcast apps like Apple, Spotify, and SoundCloud. Subscribe now for hours of exciting wrestling content, including exclusive interviews, previews, reviews, and more!
