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WOMENS IRON SURVIVOR CHALLENGE – ZOEY STARK vs. ROXANNE PEREZ vs. KIANA JAMES vs. CORA JADE vs. INDI HARTWELL
The Iron Survivor Challenge kicked off with Roxanne Perez and Zoey Stark as the first two entrants. While they did the best with what they could, the first five minutes suffered the same fate as most timed matches like this. You know that nothing of note is really going to happen in that timeframe, making it tough to actually get into the action. Kiana James entered at the five minute mark, and by the ten minute mark only one point had been awarded to Zoey Stark for pinning Perez, who had to take 90 seconds in the penalty box. Cora Jade made her way out next, with Indi coming into the match last.
For a first-time match type in WWE, I think I dig it. It has its shortcomings, as I mentioned. But it gives the match a bit more of a real-fight feel. The penalty box after having a point scored on you is a great concept, as even though its only 90 seconds, a lot can happen in that time. It creates a sense of urgency that you don’t often see in multi-person matches. You only have 25 minutes to get as many points as possible, you don’t want to spend a second in time-out.
They did a great job keeping this match entertaining and story-driven with Roxanne Perez coming out victorious, now the number one contender for Mandy’s title.
Verdict: HIT!
ALBA FYRE vs. ISLA DAWN
Ever since Isla Dawn cost Fyre her opportunity at the NXT Women’s Title, Alba Fyre has been looking for retribution on the newly debuted star.
Intensity is the word that comes to mind during this match. They did a fantastic job making it look like they were trying to hurt one another. They worked snug and had great chemistry in this match. Their time in NXT UK no doubt contributing to said in-ring chemistry.
I also appreciated how split the offense was in this match. With Alba Fyre’s presentation, I feel like if she was to have been treated more like a traditional babyface, it could have hurt the way fans perceive her. The way the match was laid out, both women came across as equals.
That is… until the finish where somehow Isla Dawn made the ref spit up a black liquid and start kibbying out in the corner. Outside of the bizarre finish, this was a fantastic way to start to push Isla Dawn. The supernatural stuff, however, could hurt that push before it even begins.
Verdict: HIT!
PRETTY DEADLY vs. THE NEW DAY – NXT TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIPS
It was almost necessary for The New Day to be brought in to face Pretty Deadly, who else is there who could be considered credible challengers? Bringing a big act like New Day to NXT is a way to freshen up an act that has, unfortunately, been a bit stale on the main roster as of late, and makes this feel like a major moment to NXT fans.
New Day simply wanted to challenge the best competition, and in the process win a set of titles they’ve never held. A very simple, yet believable story. This was a fun, energetic and slightly comedic matchup between two of the best theatric duos that WWE has to offer.
Shockingly, the New Day won the gold from Pretty Deadly making them the third team ever to hold the Raw, Smackdown and NXT Tag titles. FTR and Street Profits the first and second teams respectively.
Verdict: HIT!
MEN’S IRON SURVIVOR CHALLENGE – GREYSON WALLER vs. CARMELO HAYES vs. JD MCDONAGH vs. AXIOM vs. JOE GACY
JD McDonagh and Axiom entered the match first, and while the action was intense it suffered the same fate as the women’s match. The first five minutes, you know nothing of note is going to happen until the 3rd competitor enters the match. Carmelo Hayes was that first competitor, and that’s when the unpredictability factor started rising. Unique three-man offense kicked the match into high gear, especially when Melo pinned Axiom to score the first point at the 7:20 mark.
Greyson Waller entered the match fourth and immediately picked up two points, as all three of his opponents were already laid out in the ring from fighting one another. This gave the men’s match a bit of a different dynamic than the women’s, creating a totally different sense of urgency for the other four men. Plus, it gave us a bit of a brawl between McDonagh and Axiom in the penalty box. Gacy entered last and immediately scored on Axiom, giving everyone but McDonagh at least one point.
I was nervous that they may follow a similar match formula to the women’s match, not mixing things up enough. But this match had more points scored, playing out very differently than the night’s opener. Both matches shined in their own way.
Coming up on the 25 minute mark, the match was tied up 2-2-2-2-0 with McDonagh the only one without a fall. Waller managed to squeak out a pin on Axiom at the last second to become the new number one contender for the NXT title.
Verdict: HIT!
BRON BREAKKER vs. APOLLO CREWS
Coming into this match tonight, I wasn’t overly enthusiastic about it. Especially where it was taking place after that incredible men’s Iron Survivor Challenge match. This seemed like a lesser than angle, even though the Iron Survivor Challenge was to crown the challenger for the winner of this match. Breakker’s run as champion has felt stale for months at this point, its hard for me to even care about the men’s title scene.
Apollo Crews came back to NXT to challenge for the title he never got the opportunity to challenge for, similar to New Day earlier in the night. Again, a simple story except here it’s been muddied by these frienemy vignettes over the last month or so. In a way, it’s one of the few ways to get a face vs. face match over. In another way, maybe you just should steer clear of face vs. face? It’s hard to pull off.
With the similarities in size and style, Vic Joseph and Booker T kept billing this match as a “doppelganger” match. Man vs. His Clone, if you will. They played into it very well, having an answer for each other’s offense at nearly every turn.
In the end, this was a decent match. But it should never have followed one of the Iron Survivor Challenge matches (and I’m one of those proponents of a world title going on last). They were too exciting and fast paced for this slower paced match. A Bron Breakker special, if you will.
Breakker retained after a hard fought match, yet its hardly the outcome it should have been. We’re now destined for a continued stale title scene with Breakker and Waller until the next PLE.
Oh well. At least we have New Day.
Verdict: 50/50
I don’t care about the New Day in 2022, the Iron Survivor concept is anticlimatic and underwhelming. I didn’t even bother watching the main event. It was UFC time after the men’s Iron Survivor dud.