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NXT TV RESULTS
JULY 16, 2024
WINTER PARK, FLA. AT THE CAPITOL WRESTLING CENTER
AIRED ON USA NETWORK
REPORT BY KELLY WELLS (@spookymilk), PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR
NXT Commentators: Vic Joseph, Booker T
Ring Announcer: Mike Rome
Backstage Correspondent(s): Kelly Kincaid, Sarah Schreiber
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[HOUR ONE]
(1) WES LEE & THE RASCALZ (Zach Wentz & Trey Miguel) vs. GALLUS (Joe Coffey & Wolfgang & Mark Coffey)
Wentz & Miguel dominated with their tag act early. Wentz got a “welcome back” chant the first time he tagged in. Wolfgang and Joe Coffey took over on offense as Wentz briefly played face in peril, but Wentz managed a shotgun dropkick and tagged Lee, who hit an airplane spin and then a poison rana on Joe for two. Wolfgang tagged back in and hit his power offense to take over for Gallus, and it was Lee’s turn to play face in peril as all three members of Gallus made frequent tags to keep up the onslaught. As Gallus attempted a triple-team, Wentz and Miguel hit the ring and everyone got involved. Soon, all six were laying on the mat. Joe Hendry’s music played him to the ramp to an elated crowd reaction, and the match went to split-screen. Hendry sat in with the announce team as the break started. [c]
Booker T asked Hendry why he was in on commentary, and Hendry said “tell me you didn’t just say that.” Hendry gave no insight as for why he was there yet. The Rascalz started to take over on offense as the match got going. The Rascalz got the win and Hendry cheered them politely, and the audience kept wondering why he had come out there.
WINNERS: The Radicalz in 12 minutes.
(Wells’s Analysis: I had some computer issues that kept me from seeing every moment of this one, but you can kind of cut and paste with Gallus: they got a small win to take a bigger loss and help someone out, as usual. It was novel to see The Radicalz out there together again, and I think people will start wondering how much of this is a talent exchange and how likely it could be a raid)
-There was a narrated video (by Hendry) that showed Hendry joining Trick Williams last week leading to the main event.
-Kelly Kincaid interviewed Andre Chase and Riley Osborne about Duke Hudson’s match tonight. Chase said he has to take advantage of this moment and cash in. Borne said Hudson’s going to do the unthinkable in the match. Kincaid confirmed it’s the main event.
-Roxanne Perez walked through the halls ahead of her appearance. [c]
-Ethan Page tried to get a word with Ava, but Oro Mensah charged into the room and Page tried to run him down and say he had no chance. Ava let Mensah know that he wasn’t in the title picture, in part because he kept attacking Page. Page said he’d defend the title tonight against someone with honor. He stammered and said he’d defend against Dante Chen, which got a big reaction.
-Roxanne Perez hit the ring and held up her belt. She said Lola Vice was the one who got a standing ovation, but she’s the one who won the match. She talked about Charlotte and said she was on page to break all her records. Bayley’s, Asuka’s, and Rhea’s. She said the internet was abuzz with Giulia and Stephanie Vaquer and said people were saying it was inevitable one would take the championship from her. She then invoked the name of Thea Hail, whose music played her to the ring.
Hail said that their paths haven’t really crossed, but she used to look up to Perez. She said Perez could go ahead and doubt her, because she’s broken doubters’ noses. She said at Great American Bash she’d become youngest NXT Women’s Champion.
Perez said mockingly that Hail was brave to come out without her chaperones. She said Hail wasn’t ready and her time won’t be coming anytime soon. She said she knows better than anyone how someone can spiral after a loss. She said the champion was for big girls, not children. She said Hail was nothing but a little girl. The two got physical and brawled around the ring. Ridge Holland hit the ring and held Thea back as she kept charging at Perez.
-Kelly Kincaid talked with Kelani Jordan, who said she had to dig and pull out some crazy offense to beat her. She also mentioned Giulia and Vaquer and said she had to keep upping her game. Kincaid was preoccupied with a staring Wendy Choo, who had appeared behind Jordan. Choo glanced at Jordan’s championship belt and walked off. Kincaid said “That was weird, right?”
-Je’Von Evans made his entrance ahead of the next match. [c]
-Kelly Kincaid talked to Lola Vice, who said next time she’d succeed. The trio of Fallon Henley, Jacy Jayne and Jazmyn Nyx showed up and ran down Vice and told her to head back to MMA because this wasn’t working out. Vice said she was a fighter, and she was looking at her opponent (while looking at Jayne).
(2) JE’VON EVANS vs. BROOKS JENSEN (w/Josh Briggs)
Jensen told Briggs on the ramp that he didn’t need him there. Briggs said Jensen was his responsibility. They should’ve had this conversation before now. The match spilled out to the floor early and Jensen got in some shots against the barricade, which Evans sold hard because his ribs were taped. Evans managed a springboard moonsault jumping from the floor to the bottom rope to the outside onto Jensen. The match went back into the ring.
Jensen went for some ground & pound, then again dragged Evans to the outside. He draped Evans over the announce table and hit a cross-body at a nasty angle. Vic asked if Evans could bounce back as the match went to commercial. [c]
Rope run and a knee by Jensen. Jensen leaned on Evans and hit a chin lock. Jensen hit a gut-wrench suplex, then went up to the second buckle, but Evans popped up and hit a huracanrana. Evans hit a leaping lariat. Evans took down Jensen with a series of kicks and then hit a springing cross-body for two. Jensen slammed Evans and got two. Shawn Spears showed up on the ramp and Josh Briggs started toward him. Jensen tried to break that up and Evans hit a tope on Jensen. Back inside, Evans hit his big cutter to finish.
WINNER: Je’Von Evans at 8:58.
Briggs got angry with Jensen afterward, saying he put his butt on the line for him.
(Wells’s Analysis: These two matched up much better than I expected. Jensen could be a good heel gatekeeper, not that the company is really in need of more of them.)
-Charlie Dempsey horned in on a poker game The Family were playing. He and Tony D’Angelo had a conversation aside, and Dempsey wanted advice for how to handle someone who witnessed him doing something. D told him to take him for a swim. Dempsey said it wasn’t a he but a she, and D backed off and said Dempsey was on his own.
-Sarah Schreiber talked with Dante Chen backstage, who got another big reaction. He said he’ll make the most of his opportunity. [c]
-Trick Williams was on the phone with someone saying he didn’t know himself without his championship. Ilja Dragunov was revealed as being the one on the other end of the call, and he had encouraging words for Williams. After the call, Williams approached Pete Dunne, who was sitting in the back of the room. Dunne just said “figure it out” and walked off. Trick asked “What the hell?”
(3) DANTE CHEN vs. ETHAN PAGE (c) – NXT Championship match
Vic told the story that Page chose Chen because he thought he’d be an easy challenger. Mike Rome handled formal introductions.
[HOUR TWO]
They locked up early and Page powered Chen to a corner. Page blocked Chen in a corner and then mocked him, and Chen rolled him up for two. Page took over on offense and hit a big shoulderblock from the apron to the floor. Back inside, he rolled up Chen for two. Page slapped his hands together at the ref, complaining about the count. Chen hit an enzuigiri . Chen floated over Page and rolled him up for two. Chen got in a series of chops and palm strikes, then hit an inverted atomic drop. Inside cradle by Chen got two. Backslide got two. Knife-edge chop got two. Chen went up and missed from the top. Page booted Chen and put him up and hit Ego’s Edge to finish.
WINNER: Ethan Page at 4:17.
Oro Mensah attacked, as usual, but Page dropped Mensah on his championship. He pretended to wipe his feet at Mensah, then went to the ramp. Mensah recovered and the two brawled there. They went back to the ring and Mensah fired up and put Page to the mat, then counted his own three to show that it could happen.
(Wells’s Analysis: Page didn’t get much offense in until the finish, but I don’t think it was a bad thing to establish that he doesn’t need to. Chen looked great in there and created a ton of movement around Page)
-Duke Hudson hype video. It was brief, but they’re at least trying to pretend that Oba Femi’s championship is in trouble. [c]
-Gallus regrouped, still licking their wounds. Joe Coffey didn’t want to hear the name of Joe Hendry again. Hendry’s music played and he appeared. Coffey said nobody wanted him there, but Hendry said he liked it in NXT and figured he was staying. Hendry said Gallus would be happier if they believed in the answer to all of life’s problems, Joe Hendry.
(4) TATUM PAXLEY vs. IZZI DAME
Paxley slipped under Dame’s legs as she took a wide stance during her intro. Dame was weirded out. Paxley was in control early but Dame caught a cross-body and slammed Paxley. Side slam and a two count for Dame. Dame jawed at Paxley, who threw a few rights. Dame charged Paxley to one corner, then another, and she wrenched Paxley’s body around the ring post. Backbreaker got two for Dame. Dame worked Paxley over her shoulder, and Wendy Choo walked ominously to the ring. Dame was distracted, and Paxley hit a dragon screw and a chop block. Knee lift got two for Paxley. Paxley wanted a pump-handle slam but Dame reversed to a slam for two. Dame missed and at the post, and Paxley hit her finisher, which Vic called the Psycho Trap. It’s kind of hard to explain, but it looked cool.
Paxley approached Choo, holding a Barbie head. Choo held out the rest of the Barbie, and Paxley put the head on, symbolizing an alliance between the two. Seems obvious in hindsight.
WINNER: Tatum Paxley at 4:03.
(Wells’s Analysis: Okay, basic action here. Paxley’s finisher is pretty cool, so hopefully se starts winning more matches (this is the first singles win I can remember, but maybe something slipped my memory). Paxley and Choo are a natural pair)
-Chase U hyped up Duke Hudson again ahead of the main event.
-Lola Vice entered ahead of her match. [c]
-Ashante Thee Adonis ran across Meta-Four back in the pantry area, and he hit on Jakara Jackson, getting all smooth with her as Lash Legend pulled Jackson away from him. Cedric Alexander asked Ashante if he was getting into trouble again.
(5) LOLA VICE vs. JACY JAYNE (w/Jazmyn Nyx)
Jayne took the early advantage and worked some rest holds until Vice broke free and peppered Jayne with kicks. Vice set up Jayne in a corner and hit a running hip attack for two. Jayne hit a jawbreaker and a big boot, but then missed a shot and Vice hit a wicked backfist out of nowhere to finish.
WINNER: Lola Vice at 2:44.
Fallon Henley jumped Vice after the match and the trio all attacked. Sol Ruca and Karmen Petrovic made the save and the faces took over.
-Backstage, Tatum Paxley played with her Barbie. Kelani Jordan showed up and said Paxley should return Wendy Choo’s doll. Paxley said it was hers now. She asked Jordan if she wanted to play. Jordan said they were too big to play with dolls, and she walked off. Paxley set down the Barbie and grabbed another, and this one was a light-skinned black Barbie. She smirked evilly as the audience went “ooooohhhh.” [c]
-Ethan Page told an unseen interviewer that he was trying to ruin his night, and then said that Oro Mensah’s pin didn’t count, and it didn’t bother him. He snapped back to the camera and shouted “And he didn’t pin me!”
(6) MICHIN & THE O.C. (Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson) vs. OTM (Jaida Parker & Bronco Nima & Lucien Price)
They all brawled early, and after the bell, the women ended up legal. Parker hit a tear drop and then missed a leg drop, but she slammed Michin for two. Michin hit a German suplex and Parker tagged to Price while Gallows tagged in as well. Price caught Gallows and hit a big uranage. Price hit a corner lariat and tagged Nima, still wearing his face mask. Nima hit a Boss Man leg over the rope and then tagged Price. Gallows tried to punch his way out of trouble but Price tossed him and tagged Nima, who laid out Gallows and covered for two. Gallows is a really weird choice for face in peril, but here we are. Gallows got up and Vic called him “Doc,” which I’m not sure if he’s done before.
The women tagged in when Gallows finally made a tag and Michin hit a German suplex, and another. She covered and we got a good look at her calling a spot to Parker, or giving her direction. Tags started coming quickly and the OC hit a tag move on Nima, but Anderson broke it up. It completely broke down and the women got in some big shots on a couple of the men. The OC hit the Magic Killer on Nima to finish. Vic said “The OC pick up another win,” as they’ve been picking many up at all.
WINNERS: Michin & Gallows & Anderson at 5:57.
(Wells’s Analysis: Okay enough brawl, but I’m not sure where it leads for OTM when they lose to a team that doesn’t win very often)
-No Quarter Catch Club talked with Wren Sinclair, who saw No Quarter Catch Club, ahem, disposing of Damon Kemp earlier. She said she’d keep her mouth shut about what she saw as long as they let her in the group. She started playfully sparring with Myles Borne, who went along with it and smiled until Charlie Dempsey struck him and told him to stop. “She started it!” Borne said. Sinclair said she wouldn’t give up on trying to join them.
-The main event combatants walked ahead of their match. [c]
-Eddy Thorpe and Lexis King, apparently last night, brawled as King attacked Thorpe during an EDM show.
(7) DUKE HUDSON (w/Thea Hail & Andre Chase & Riley Osborne & Ridge Holland) vs. OBA FEMI (c) – NXT North American Championship
They locked up at five to the hour. They both tried shoulder blocks and Femi ran after Hudson and gave him a back elbow. Femi fought off a headlock attempt and put Hudson down with a big block. He smiled and asked for more. Hudson took off his shirt, fired up, and hit a huracanrana and a DDT. Hudson put Femi on the ramp side with a lariat and Femi seethed as the match went to split-screen. [c]
Femi was in control and he threw clubbing fists and in a corner. He charged Hudson to a corner, then hit a sidewalk slam for two. Femi leaned on Hudson, who hit a jawbreaker. Femi hit a backbreaker, held on, and hit another for two.
[OVERRUN]
Femi darted Hudson on a corner post, but Hudson changed momentum on a slam and covered for two. Hudson hit a big boot and both of them sold on the mat briefly. Femi got up first but Hudson got in some quick shots. Hudson got in his Chase U taunt and then hit a plancha to the outside on Femi. Hudson floated in and hit a German suplex for two. Hudson put Femi up in a corner and followed, but Femi pushed him down. Hudson hit a Frankensteiner out of the corner and fired up. Femi countered Stratusfacton and Hudson still managed a crucifix for two. Femi hit a big chokeslam for a long two.
Hudson hit a powerbomb out of the corner for a long two. The two rolled out of the ring and out of nowhere, Femi dropped Hudson on the announce table. Femi put Hudson back into the ring and hit the Fall From Grace pop-up powerbomb to finish. Chase U sulked together in a corner.
WINNER: Oba Femi at 11:33.
(Wells’s Analysis: It continues to be easy for me to imagine a challenger beating Femi, just because at some point he’ll be moving on to bigger things. This was a perfectly acceptable hoss fight, though Duke Hudson is nowhere near as high on the card as Femi so it was a bit of an auspicious main event)
-Outside the arena, Brooks Jensen and Josh Briggs kept arguing. Jensen said he wanted a match. Briggs said he didn’t want to put Jensen through that. Jensen said “no disqualification” and got into the passenger side of a car that drove off.
FINAL THOUGHTS: Kind of a busy show this week as we had seven matches – which is on the very high end of the norm – and a lot of backstage business with new opponents and allies. There was so much thrown at me that I’m not sure how well I liked it yet, so Nate Lindberg and I will figure that out on PWT Talks NXT in a few minutes here. Check us out live or stream tomorrow. Cheers.
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