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NXT TV RESULTS
MARCH 5, 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: Alicia Taylor
Backstage Correspondent(s): Kelly Kincaid
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-Lexis King did a pre-taped hype segment for Roadblock in a fancy car (I don’t know cars, so I can’t tell you what it was). He promoted the D’Angelo-Hayes match, then the Asylum match, the women’s tag match and the rest. It was decently done, though it was a little odd to see the sniveling heel King promoting the show like a company man.
(1) JOE GACY vs. DIJAK – Asylum match
Vic said we wouldn’t miss a second of in-ring action tonight, but I assume there will be copious use of split-screen. Inside the cage were some trash cans (one suspended up high with some hooks), a straitjacket, a fire extinguisher, a table, and a box that said “Do Not Open” on it. Dijak took an early tentative step toward the box but Gacy closed in so he booted him and covered for two. Dijak again took down Gacy and went for the box, just slightly opening the sliding top, and Gacy rolled him up for two. Gacy tossed Dijak to one side of the cage, then the other. He closed the box again and made a “shhh” motion. Dijak shouted “What’s in the box?” to a big pop. He knelt down and slid the top open quickly. A boxing glove sprung out and hit him in the junk. Gacy sprayed an aching Dijak with the fire extinguisher. The match went to split-screen. [c]
Back to full-screen, Joe Gacy had been planted through a trash can. Dijak went to the top of the cage and hit a moonsault. He sold pain to himself before covering for two. USA muted a “holy shit” chant. Dijak grabbed the straitjacket and started to force it on Gacy. Gacy tried to fight free as Dijak started the buckle the back of the jacket. The thing I thought was a leaning table turned out to be a wooden door, which Dijak went for to a pop. He was thwarted as Gacy took him down. Gacy then grabbed a table and pulled an apron off of it to display his crazy/smiley face icon on it. He set it up, but Dijak recovered and took control, setting Gacy up on a turnbuckle. Dijak set up the table and went up, but Gacy – whose arms were still pinned – headbutted Dijak, who broke through the table. Gacy did a Swanton and covered for a long two.
During a “this is awesome” chant, Gacy broke his arms free from the straitjacket. Dijak grabbed a roll of wide duct tape and rolled it around Gacy’s eyes. Dijak leaped up to the top of the cage and grabbed a kendo stick he’d staged there and started striking Dijak. Gacy, with his eyes covered, managed a uranage for two. He blindly struck Dijak a couple of times with the kendo stick, but Dijak charged Gacy and broke him through the door. Dijak hit Feast Your Eyes. Gacy went all Fighting Spirit and charged blindly right back at Dijak, who caught him for a second Feast Your Eyes to finish.
WINNER: Dijak at 12:44.
(Wells’s Analysis: Don’t look now, but Dijak is actually stringing wins together rather than being heated up to lose big matches. Gacy likely isn’t particularly harmed by this, though I don’t know where
-Tony D’Angelo, Channing “Stacks” Lorenzo and Adrianna Rizzo were talking by the lockers. Luca Crusifino stepped in and D’Angelo wanted to offer him a spot in the Family, and for Luca to be there literally whenever he asks. Crusifino agreed to the terms.
-Fallon Henley nd Riley Osborne talked in a kitchen area. Henley was trying to salvage the Osborne-Thea Hail relationship by stating Hail was in with an iffy crowd. Blair Davenport showed up and ran down Henley for trying to get involved. She said Hail wasn’t even Osborne’s type. It got awkward and Osborne said he had to go get ready.
-Bron Breakker were introduced ahead of the tag team championship match. [c]
-Lyra Valkyria and Tatum Paxley talked by the lockers. Paxley said after today they’d be more than just friends…they’d be tag team champions. Valkyria was relieved and got psyched. She tried to back off of the idea that they were best friends, and Paxley went into a strange monologue where she said she was going to reach into her opponents’ bodies and pull out their souls.
(2) CHASE U (Andre Chase & Duke Hudson) (w/Riley Osborne, Jacy Jayne, Jazmyn Nyx & Thea Hail) vs. THE WOLFDOGS (Bron Breakker & Baron Corbin) (c) – NXT Tag Team Championship match
Always grateful that Alicia Taylor takes her time with intros when a match heading needs that many words. Corbin and Chase opened. Corbin took the upper hand with power stuff, but Chase rolled him up during a taunt for two. Corbin chopped down Chase and tagged Breakker, who was wearing a red and white singlet likely meant to look like Zubaz. Breakker put Chase up for a slam but Chase broke free. Rope run and a big lariat by Breakker. Corbin tagged in again and the Dogs teamed up for a cutter/gutbuster that got two. Hudson got involved and Chase U dominated their opposition (mostly to boos) as the match went to split-screen. [c]
Corbin held Chase on the mat in a chinlock. Chase was ostensibly face in peril, though this didn’t match crowd reaction. Breakker tagged in and leaned on Chase as well. Corbin made another tag, but Chase dumped Breakker and charged Corbin to a post. Corbin tagged Breakker and Chase made the hot tag to no reaction, but at least it wasn’t a boo, I guess? Duke fired up and dominated, which all was very awkward as all four continued playing face-heel roles that the audience not only didn’t play along with, but haven’t been playing along with for weeks, so this should have been laid out differently. Hudson hit some impact stuff but tagged Chase. Vic said Hudson was rolling and questioned the tag.
Hudson and Breakker rolled from the ring and fought near the announce table. Breakker set up Hudson and splashed him on the table. Chase, though, neutralized Breakker and then hit a high cross-body on Corbin for a long two. Corbin collapsed into his own corner and Breakker tagged himself in. Corbin hit End of Days (called Deep Six by Vic, even during the replay) and Breakker hit the spear to win.
After the match, Thea Hail threw down her Chase U shirt and stormed off. Vic wondered what was up.
WINNERS: The WolfDogs at 11:18.
(Wells’s Analysis: The match was extremely well-worked, but was harmed hugely by fan interest being with the “wrong” team. It’s weird, though, because the WolfDogs have been presented as jerks, yes, but lovable jerks, especially together, while Chase U have been going through a lot and aren’t the beloved underdogs they once were. I don’t know if Chase U should be mercy-killed at this point or if they can be saved with some kind of pivot or the right story)
-Kelly Kincaid talked to Carmelo Hayes, who was flanked by a bunch of security guards. They were four black men in riot gear-lite. He said they would protect him by any means necessary in the case anyone came after him. He said he’d be taking the title tonight.
-Shawn Spears walked through the back. He’s up next. No opponent was named. [c]
(3) URIAH CONNORS vs. SHAWN SPEARS
“Welcome back” chant. Connors was having his NXT debut. Spears leaned into him in a corner and whispered something to him, then asked for a punch in the face. Spears then hit some strikes, followed by a Death Valley Driver and a very slow move to cover and finish.
WINNER: Shawn Spears at 1:11.
Spears grabbed a mic and said most of us won’t like what we see in the mirror. He called out Ridge Holland for his hypocrisy. He told Ridge the difference between them is that when he holds up a mirror, he’s not ashamed of what he sees. He said it was enough playtime. Ridge Holland’s music played him to the right, and he charged into the ring and just destroyed Spears. The crowd booed, again after a weird presentation has left Holland not worth cheering. Spears kicked his chair over to Holland and told him to whack him with it. A bunch of refs broke it up. Vic wondered if Ridge just proved Shawn Spears right.
-Josh Briggs and Brooks Jensen talked backstage. Briggs asked Jensen if he was really going to face Oba Femi next week. Jensen said Briggs lit the fire under him. Briggs tried to look on the bright side. As Jensen walked off, Briggs said “Good luck, brother.” After Jensen took off, Dijak entered the frame and said “You call him brother, but you’re a liar…and you know it.” [c]
[HOUR TWO]
-Kelly Kincaid interviewed Ilja Dragunov about tonight’s NXT Championship #1 contender’s match. Dragunov said the champion has to be ready for anything. He put over both of his potential opponents. Stacks and Crusifino stepped into frame. Stacks said Tony is making moves, and one way or another, he’ll be seeing him at Stand & Deliver.
(4) LYRA VALKYRIA & TATUM PAXLEY vs. THE KABUKI WARRIORS (Asuka & Kairi Sane) (c) – WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship match
The champs, introduced second, got a big pop from a crowd that saw both of them in a lot of big matches. Alicia Taylor handled formal intros. There were some mild boos for Lyra & Tatum owing to their competition, but nothing like the men’s tag match.
Valkyria and Asuka opened. They worked a grappling sequence and reversed on the mat a few times. Lyra leaned into a crucifix pin for two. Asuka wiped her hands together like she was never in danger and made the tag to Sane. Paxley tagged in as well. They circled around each other in a quick low sort of crab walk. Sane went high and missed, but then made some spank taunts. The two exchanged rights. Kairi hit a headscissor takedown and Paxley slipped from the ring. The ref got hung up with Sane and Valkyria, allowing Asuka to get in a kick on Paxley on the outside. She preened on the apron. Asuka tagged in and dominated Paxley with kicks, and Vic brought up the fact that Asuka has never won in an NXT ring.
Vic threw to the back, where Thea Hail was trying to get at Kiana James and Izzi Dame at the shipping area, and refs were holding them apart. Back in the ring, Valkyria had Sane downed with a front face-lock. Paxley tagged in and Asuka got involved. The challengers put the champs on the outside and hit them with synchronized dropkicks and the match went to split-screen. [c]
Asuka had Paxley in an ankle lock. Paxley broke free and tried to tag, but Sane tagged in and cut her off. Paxley eventually made the hot tag and Valkyria dominated Sane and an interfering Asuka. Valkyria hit DDT on Asuka and then she and Paxley hit fisherman busters on their opponents. Valkyria hit a Northern Lights suplex with a bridge on Sane for two. Sane got in a kickand made the tag, where she and Asuka hit a high-low for two, broken up by Paxley. Asuka and Valkyria exchanged a variety of kicks, and Valkyria rolled up Asuka for two. Step-up enzuigiri by Valkyria, who tagged Paxley. They set up what looked like Demolition Decapitation but Paxley flew in with a leg drop instead. Everyone got involved and Valkyria got dumped, after she accidentally gave a roundhouse kick to Paxley. Sane hit the Insane Elbow on Paxley to finish.
WINNERS: The Kabuki Warriors at 13:14.
After the decision was rendered, Roxanne Perez charged in and brutally attacked Valkyria, wrenching her arm around the bottom turnbuckle and stomping on it. Valkyria sold it like a broken arm and Booker completely undercut the moment by saying quietly “…shucky ducky quack quack…” [c]
(Wells’s Analysis: Seriously, Booker could not have done much more to ruin Perez’s big moment. I know it’ll be forgotten soon enough, but woof. The match was predictably very strong with the immensely talented Kabuki Warriors setting the pace. Paxley, to her credit, wasn’t totally swallowed up despite her lack of seasoning in comparison to the rest. Roxy finally completed her longish heel turn in a big way against the champion, likely setting up a program for Stand & Deliver where Valkyria will probably sell an injury for the next few weeks)
-Upon return from commercial, Vic threw to a camera following Perez being taken away in an ambulance (which often sets up an ambulance match, but it’s a bit early to predict that). Shawn Michaels and Ava attended, but didn’t say anything that we could hear.
(5) FALLON HENLEY vs. BLAIR DAVENPORT
Vic mentioned that Blair Davenport beat Fallon Henley to advance to the Women’s Iron Survivor Challenge, so there may be some payback at play. Of course, Henley made it to the match anyway, so let’s ignore that. Henley took early control and rolled up Davenport for two. Davenport took to Henley ith some kicks and put her out on the apron and wrenched her arm over the top rope. Davenport leapt off of the top rope and stomped Henley’s arm. Davenport snapped on a Fujiwara armbar and worked the digits like a proper UK wrestler. Henley escaped and got back into it with some rights and a clothesline. Neckbreaker by Henley got two. Henley dumped Davenport and went out after her. Davenport charged Henley into the steps, and then charged, but Henley moved and she banged her knee into the steps. Henley went back into the ring, and Sol Ruca showed up after the tease last week and laid out Davenport on the outside, then rolled her into the ring for Henley’s running knee to finish.
WINNER: Fallon Henley at 3:28.
(Wells’s Analysis: The babyface side finally won one, but they cheated to do so, sp it’s a wash. The sillier thing is that Ruca’s return was teased but her return was an interference in a match that wasn’t even booked before the show, but I’ll let it go (I do like Ruca, after all, and I’m glad to see her back). Adequate stuff here leading to the angle.)
-Chase U were talking backstage, minus Thea Hail. Jayne was running down the boys for the earlier loss. Hail showed up, all excited, saying there had to be a tag match next week because she got into it bad with James and Dame. Jayne said she was busy next week. [c]
-Ava was talking to Gigi Dolin backstage. She said it takes two to have a match, and Arianna Grace won’t agree to one. Grace showed up and said she hadn’t reconsidered because there’s no point. Dolin said fighting is what they do and she wants to beat her ass. Grace agreed on the condition that if she wins, she gets to show Dolin how to be a true lady and fix her pottymouth. Grace was excited about this.
-Kelly Kincaid caught Shawn Spears as he left the building. He said he’d continue bringing out Ridge Holland’s rage.
-No Quarter Catch Crew hit the ring in street clothes. Drew Gulak put the Heritage Cup Champion Charlie Dempsey over. Dempsey said winning it is the greatest honor and it’s the championship that aligns with his vision of the sport. He said it wasn’t his alone. Damon Kemp said that all four of them were a championship collective. He said the Catch Clause meant any of them can defend. That got some boos. They said they’d also win the tag team tournament Ava put together and become champions at Stand & Deliver.
William Regal’s music played, and as the crowd realized what they were hearing, they exploded. As Regal got to the ring, the crowd chanted “That’s your father” and Dempsey, Regal’s son. He also put over the Heritage Cup and said it represents all of Europe and he takes it personally. He said he hopes they can defend the Cup as well as it deserves. Dempsey said “I’ll defend this Cup better than you ever could.” The audience gave it the proper response. Regal said he’d be watching. Vic said “Dempsey’s not that old, he can still be put over Regal’s knee” but stopped short of mentioning that they’re father and son.
(Wells’s Analysis: There was no clue as to whether Regal would be a regular or even occasional onscreen presence, but it sure was great to see him here. I’m a fan of them remaining cheeky about the Regal-Dempsey relationship. Once it’s out there, the toothpaste doesn’t go back in the tube, but they can get away with speaking wryly about it for as long as they want)
-Back in the lounge, Noam Dar was sulking. Lash Legend and Oro Mensah tried to decide how to approach him. Jakara Jackson, for some reason, wasn’t there. Lash leaned in and Dar revealed he was actually in a great mood, and now it’s time for bigger and better things. I thought it would take some more work to get them away from Dar being married to the Heritage Cup, but that was good enough to work.
-The #1 contender’s match is up next. [c]
-Mr. Stone watched a WWE Digital Exclusive on a tablet, which was a video of Lexis King running down Stone, seething. Von Wagner stepped in and said he’d smash him. Stone said this was personal because King said stuff about his kids and his family. He urged Wagner to step aside because he’s a man and he has to do this.
-Recap of Lyra Valkyria’s worked injury. Vic said to stay tuned on social media for updates.
-Next week, Ridge Holland vs. Shawn Spears! Oba Femi defends the North American Championship against Brooks Jensen!
(6) TONY D’ANGELO vs. CARMELO HAYES – NXT Championship #1 Contender’s match for Stand & Deliver
Tony D, who hasn’t been seen in a singles match for some time, got a lukewarm reaction. Vic came out and asked whether he deserves this spot. Melo got the nuclear heat you’d expect.
Hayes went in with some cheap shots as the bell was about to ring. There was a “Carmelo sucks” chant to the tune of former #1 hit “John Cena sucks.” There was a “Bada-boom” (clap) “bada-bing” (clap) chant shortly after. Hayes’ security guys stood two-by-two on the ramp. They all faced the match, which is the opposite of what actual security does, but oh well. D’Angelo took early control with brutish punches to the gut and a hip toss. Hayes got dumped to the apron and D bumped him off, but the four security dudes caught him and he flexed at D’Angelo. The match went to split-screen. [c]
[OVERRUN]
Melo had D downed with an arm lock. D got to his feet but Hayes held on. Hayes really slowed down the pace and got booed for it. D’Angelo escaped and the two exchanged punches and got a reserved boo/yay chant. D’Angelo tossed Melo with a belly-to-belly, then another. He hit a big spinebuster and a modified uranage for two. D went for his finisher but Hayes booted his way out of it. Hayes clubbed D’Angelo on the back of the neck and hit a cutter for two. Hayes transitioned into an armbar and D’Angelo sold the agony. D’Angelo rolled up Hayes to break. Hayes went to the turnbuckle but D’Angelo yanked him to the mat right into a cover for two. Hayes yanked D’s arm over the top rope from the apron, then hit The First 48 for two. Hayes went high, but Trick Williams’ music played to a huge reaction. The security guys looked toward the ramp entrance, as did Hayes. Trick wasn’t actually there, but the distraction allowed D’Angelo the win to become #1 contender.
WINNER: Tony D’Angelo at 10:33.
D’Angelo grabbed the mic. He said “I apologize for that little stunt I pulled, but I’m a giving guy, so Carmelo, I got you a present.” Trick’s music played again, and this time, Trick charged from the announce table side and took out Hayes as well as any of his security guys who tried to get involved. The crowd enthusiastically changed “Whoop that Trick” as the show ended.
(Wells’s Analysis: With as much trouble as NXT is having with face-heel dynamics and reactions, they’re certainly doing everything right in the main event scene. Williams got a huge reaction here, and D also won without the benefit of Trick’s help, so he stayed in a babyface context too, more or less. Out of this we now have our top two matches for Stand & Deliver with plenty of time to add sizzle to them. This was all the most likely outcome after D’Angelo inserted himself out of nowhere last week, and there’s still work to be done if he’s to be considered a genuine threat to the championship, but Stand & Deliver will feel huge regardless as Trick vs. Melo is a sure thing. As for the championship not being tied to the match, I don’t have a problem with that, as Melo has one foot out the door and Trick is getting such huge reactions that he should probably just follow Melo through it)
FINAL THOUGHTS: There were some rocky moments along the way as NXT continues to play with fire as far as who’s supposed to get cheered and who should be booed, but this was a great show in terms of setting the stage for the brand’s biggest show of the year, with plenty of time to spare. Trick Williams returned from a kayfabe injury, Sol Ruca returned from a real one, and William Regal got a major pop of his own. Lots of little things to like tonight despite the character issues. I’ll break it down with Bruce Lee Hazelwood on PWT Talks NXT. Cheers.
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