NXT Battleground – May 25, 2025

Then, Now, Forever…Together opening. It’s sweet, when you think about it assuming you don’t work at HQ.

We are at the SOLD OUT Yuengling Center on the campus of the University of South Florida in Tampa. We have some pre-filmed arrivals and first up is women’s champion Stephanie Vaquer ahead of her title showdown with next-to-arrive Jordynne Grace. Next to arrive are men’s champion Oba Femi and his opponent Myles Borne (who is flanked by the rest of NQCC, Charles Dempsey, Tavion Heights, and Wren Sinclair). Here is TNA World Champion Joe Hendry who will defend his company’s title on a WWE PLE for the first time ever when he deals with Hollywood Trick Williams.

Hype video for the show highlighting the card. LET THE BATTLE BEGIN.

Your commentators for the evening are the usual suspects – Booker T, Corey Graves, and Vic Joseph.

Women’s North American Championship: Sol Ruca (C) accompanied by Zaria vs Kelani Jordan

Someone is going to have to alert Darby Allin that Sol was on a skateboard on her way to the ring, I’m sure he’ll have….thoughts. Graves mentions during intros that a lot of WWE talent got their start in Tampa just down the road from where they are on Dale Mabry Highway (which I believe was the home of FCW where a ton of folks cut their teeth, Graves isn’t wrong). Booker happily tells everyone that this could be a main event and well…Booker says things. Kelani has braided her hair and it gives her a much different vibe as a performer.

Chain wrestling to start and Sol misses a dropkick, nips up, and is clotheslined down. Joseph points out that Jordan’s first defense as NA champ was against Sol, and now Sol’s first defense is against Kelani. Maybe these two should fight someone else? Gynmastics showdown and the crowd gives propers. Handshake of respect. Kelani gets a huge left hand and runs the rope only to end up in an STF. Kelani breaks free but Sol kicks her and yanks her up for an extended backdrop suplex and again Sol nips up into a standing moonsault. We get a series of sneaky pin attempts and then Kelani hits kind of an awkward crucifix bomb for two. Sol tries a springboard but gets caught and Kelani axe-kicks her from the top rope for two. Northern Lights with a bridge gets two and Kelani is frustrated. Kelani hits a Tour of the Islands looking thing for two and then kicks Sol a bunch while putting her in a single-leg Boston crab. Jordan rolls her over for two. Sol grabs Kelani’s hand and springs from the apron to the top rope (!) before hitting an enormous X-Factor and both ladies are down. Finally we’re up and Sol hits a running corner elbow and a trash compactor, followed by a knee to the jaw but Kelani bails. She catches Sol with a boot from the apron, then gets another high boot from the inside to knock Sol to the floor. Springboard moonsault to the floor for Kelani, but she stops to gripe with Zaria like a super genius. Flying rana attempt is blocked by Sol into a modified backstabber, and Kelani again bails to the floor. Sol hits her flying moonsault as Zaria is hyped. Springboard splash from the top rope gets two. Kelani recovers with a twisting DDT and frog splash for three separate two counts and Kelani is grumpy. Kelani’s second rope poison rana attempt fails and Sol spears her (like Zaria, aw…) for two. They battle on the second rope in the corner and Kelani gets a Spanish Fly for two. Standoff in the middle of the ring ends with Kelani knocking Sol down and going for the split-legged moonsault in the corner, but Zaria grabs Sol and pulls her out of the way. Zaria is ejected from ringside and Kelani shotgun dropkicks Sol while she’s lamenting. They battle in the corner again and Sol hits the Sol Snatcher from the top for three. Finish kind of came out of nowhere there but as always with these two the match had some very athletic moments and this booking makes sense. 3.5*

Winner, and still women’s North American champion – Sol Ruca (Sol Snatcher)

GM Ava is backstage with Dalys and Chik Tormenta from AAA as Joseph promos Worlds Collide.

Here’s Sarah Schreiber with TNA’s Mike Santana. He’s pretty stoked to be at the show, but he’s coming for the TNA world title (Fallon Henley and Jacy Jayne are arguing in the background) and wants the winner of the Trick-Hendry dust-up. Here’s NQCC to interrupt and Charles is tired of all the outsiders (TOO SWEET 4 LIFE) but Tavion shows Santana respect and respect is given back, so apparently those two will hook it up on Tuesday night’s show for…something? It wasn’t really specified if it’s a contender’s match or what.

The Culling (Niko Vance, Brooks Jensen and Shawn Spears) vs Hank, Tank, and Josh Briggs

Izzi Dame accompanies the Culling. Graves on Hank and Tank: “These guys could get lost in their own hotel rooms.” Damn Corey, you savage. Briggs charges into the corner to start with Vance and hits a flying elbow. We’re going to work the NXT tag pacing, I see. Sigh. Hank and Tank fly around with Spears and go for the Honk Honk thing, but Spears bails. We get a giant dive spot with all three babyfaces hitting the heels mostly simultaneously and the crowd pops. Vance hits Hank with a giant headbutt and runs him into the Culling’s corner post, and Jensen takes over. Vance comes in to further the damage as Hank is your face-in-peril. Spears in with boots, and he taunts Tank. They can only keep Hank down for so long though, and he gets the hot tag to Tank who runs wild. Tank hits a cannonball on Vance on the outside and is hyped, shockingly. Graves calls Tank a “derelict” because he apparently broke his monitor during the cannonball spot. The faces are in control and Hank and Tank hit a double backdrop suplex on Spears, followed by double elbows from Jensen and Vance, and then Briggs hits a moonsault on Spears for two. Jensen hits Tank with a spinning heel kick for two. Dominator gets 2.98 (I think the ref started counting before Hank was ready to break it up and there was a NOTICEABLE pause as he waited for him to get there – whoops). Graves and Booker point out the ref error immediately, and the crowd is yelling “Ref you suck!”. So…that’s where we are. Hank and Tank hit a double shoulder block on Spears on the floor, and this match is just kind of a mess. Briggs hits a side suplex on Jensen as the former partners collide, but Briggs loses focus and gets a huge boot from Dame to the face as Vance held his arm. What a stupidhead. Jensen misses a charge, Briggs murders him with a lariat, and Hank and Tank hit the Honk Honk sequence on Jensen for three. This was not too good. 1.5*

Post-match, the Culling snatches Briggs out of the corner and goes to work on all three guys, and Spears tells Dame to get him a chair. Yoshiki Inamura (!) grabs the chair from Dame and lays waste to the Culling goons. Briggs and Inamura hug it out frenetically.

Winners – Hank, Tank, and Josh Briggs (HONK HONK)

Here’s Sarah Schreiber with Ethan Page. Page says he doesn’t want to answer her question and goes into a promo on Ricky Saints ahead of their men’s NA title match on Tuesday night. He says Saints “coolness” is just for show and that he’s very insecure, actually. The path he’s taken will end on Tuesday…and here’s Ava to tell him that his match will open the show on Tuesday night and the winner will also defend the title at Worlds Collide.

Tony D’Angelo vs Channing “Stacks” Lorenzo

Tony’s vest has “Loyalty Over Everything” on the back. You damn right, Boss. Stacks has new entrance music and he steps on a leather jacket with the D’Angelo family crest on his way to the ring. Tony stares a hole through Stacks, who starts trash talking, and off we go. Tony slaps him full in the face and gets top mount with punches. A couple of knees and two huge clotheslines follow to send Stacks to the floor. Stacks recovers, and hits D’Angelo with some punches to the back of the head. Stacks mugs to the crowd and D’Angelo reverses into a backdrop, and then hits a Superman elbow. Tony belly to bellies Stacks over the top rope to the floor, hits a clothesline, and then rams him into the side of the ring and then into the barrier. He rolls back in to break the count as Stacks tries escape. Tony D: “All you had to do is listen to me, you mother….” Stacks gets control and runs D’Angelo belly-first into the steps (that looked actually painful), and then he dropkicks D’Angelo into the steps, to call back the rib injury that the Don has been dealing with. Back in the ring and Stacks is still working the ribs in the corner. Rolling cannonball gets two, and Stacks goes to a body-scissors as we rest a minute. A slap fight gets both men to their feet as the intensity is picking up. A kidney punch levels the Don, and Stacks hits Cement Shoes (a curbstomp with the knee) for two. Trash talk from Stacks gets D’Angelo to his feet and they slug it out until D’Angelo hits him with a couple belly-to-belly suplexes and a huge spinebuster. No pin attempt and D’Angelo is still favoring the ribs, so he grabs a headlock and starts throwing uppercuts into Stacks ribs. Stacks recovers and hits some kicks, but D’Angelo reverses and plants Stacks with a German into a bridge for two. D’Angelo wins a struggle to powerbomb Stacks, but again doesn’t try to pin and starts throwing head shots, before he stops and looks at his hands. Announcers speculate on whether or not he’s having an attack of his conscience since he and Stacks grew up together. Stacks calls him “weak” and he runs D’Angelo spine-first into the corner post. Stacks misses a charge, and back in the ring D’Angelo hits him with a Baisaku knee and the Forget About It fisherman’s suplex for two. He tries to toss Stacks over the top rope but the injured ribs prevent it, and Stacks drapes him over the second rope and hits a two foot shotgun dropkick to D’Angelo’s back. Stacks goes for the crowbar as the ref counts, but D’Angelo knows what’s coming and meets him in the corner. Spear from the Don, hammer fists to the back of Stacks. Stacks apologizes, but D’Angelo tells him he’s made his bed and hits a curbstomp on Stacks with his mouth on the bottom rope. O…kay. Another huge release spinebuster to Stacks, but out of nowhere here’s Luca Crusifino at ringside to distract the Don. Stacks with a kick to the nards, and a running Baisaku knee, and it’s over. So this was a fight and that’s all it was ever going to be, no flips, just fists. I hate distraction finishes but I guess in the storytelling, this one may have worked pretty well. 3*

Winner – Channing “Stacks” Lorenzo (running Baisaku knee)

Post-match, Luca goes to embrace the Don, but D’Angelo pushes him away and Luca is left confused.

Women’s NXT Championship: Stephane Vaquer (C) vs Jordynne Grace

Dalys and Chik Tormenta are in the front row for this one and stare down Vaquer as she enters. Mike Rome does the announcements of the combatants, and we’re off with a handshake. Mat based to start and some reversals lead to Grace shouldering Vaquer to the mat and grabbing an arm. Graves is pointing out that Grace is kind of looking around taking everything in and wondering if she’s humbled by the crowd (and like, I don’t know the biggest crowd that Grace ever worked but she’s no wide-eyed rookie, Graves). Each get a series of near-falls for two and a missed roundhouse kick by Vaquer and missed backfist by Grace gives us another staredown. Grace works her to the corner but misses a chop, and Vaquer slaps her full on the chest. Vaquer gets a tilt-a-whirl for two. 619 by Vaquer misses but she yanks Grace to mid-ring and side-suplexes her. She tries to follow with her signature headscissors-head pound move but Grace rolls her out of the ring, powers her up, and drops her back-first onto the announce table, scattering the lads. Grace stares down Booker, and then runs Vaquer into the barrier. Jordynne is clearly sliding into heel work here. She pushes Vaquer into the ring and covers for two. Booker is incensed that Grace stared him down for some reason, as Grace has Vaquer in a crab-type hold and is kicking her in the lower back. Vaquer makes the ropes and Grace uses all of the five count before breaking, of which Graves heartily approves. Grace puts Vaquer up for the Juggernaut driver but Vaquer kind of fights it off and slips off Grace’s shoulders to put her in a mounted sleeper. Grace drops her directly on her back and both recover as Grace takes control in the corner again. Grace gets a jumping slam followed by a missed Vader bomb out of the corner, and Vaquer is back upright. Standoff in the corner again, and Vaquer gets a draping armbar before releasing as the ref was counting. Vaquer gets a top rope leaping cross-body and an Eat Defeat as Grace stumbles into the corner, where Vaquer mashes her with a clothesline and boots to the face. Grace eats a running double knee to the face before a side suplex from Vaquer sets her up for the head-scissors head bashing move. Ten smashes of the head, the crowd (and Booker) are going nuts, and Vaquer grabs both legs for the pin but only gets two. They lock up and Jordynne powers her down and grabs both legs, but she can’t roll her over and Vaquer starts kicking her in the face. Grace eats a big clothesline from Vaquer but no-sells it, fires up, and hits a charging Vaquer with a spinebuster. Lots of spinebusters on this show.

Grace hits a sit-down powerbomb for two and she’s frustrated, and with her lipstick kind of smudged she’s giving solid Arthur Fleck vibes. Stand off in the middle leads to a big release German for Vaquer, followed by an implant DDT for two. They struggle to their feet, and Vaquer is on the top rope in the corner when Grace hits her with a backfist. Grace climbs, talks some trash and then starts slapping Vaquer in the face. Grace hits a giant superplex, keeps hold, and hits her with a rolling Jackhammer but only gets two. The crowd busts out the first “this is awesome” chant and group, I’m in agreement. Grace tries to lift her but Vaquer floats over for the sneaky pin attempt for two. Grace counters an SVB attempt with a Beast Mode attempt, but Vaquer reverses and gets two. Beast Mode reversals lead to another rollup attempt for Vaquer that gets two. Vaquer hits strikes that send Grace to the floor. Grace snatches Vaquer out, but there’s another reversal and Vaquer pushes Grace full-speed THROUGH the barrier into the time keeper’s area (the crowd and Booker are losing it). Back in the ring, Vaquer hits SVB and only gets two! The crowd and Vaquer are stunned. They start throwing elbow bombs at each other. Grace hits a back fist to send Vaquer into the corner, and Grace charges but misses, and Vaquer dragon-screw leg whips her into the middle. Vaquer climbs and Grace tries to stop her, but Vaquer reverse head-butts her and hits her with the Spiral Tap for three. WHAT A DAMN MATCH that was, my Lord. Listen, I know I’m a Vaquer dude and I have always loved Jordynne’s power game, but this started as face versus face and could have gone in a weird direction. Jordynne took the heel route a bit, which I liked, and they just tried to dismantle each other. I loved this match a whole bunch. 4.5*

Winner – and still Women’s NXT champion – Stephanie Vaquer (Spiral Tap)

Post-match, Vaquer is given the stink-eye by Dalys and Chik Tormenta again.

Here’s Sarah Schreiber in-ring with men’s North American champion Ricky Saints. He talks about how Ethan Page is the guy you always see at a party and you have no idea why he’s there, nobody invited him, no one wants to hear from him. (Kettle, you’re black). Saints thought that since he beat Page at Stand & Deliver it would have been over, but since Page obsesses over Saints, he could put the title on the line because HE wanted to. Sure. Schreiber asks Saints about the winner of Tuesday’s match having to defend the title at Worlds Collide, but Saints is unconcerned. He gives Schreiber his glasses and takes the mic to hit some catchphrases, and shockingly, here’s Page from behind to attack. Page is dumped out, here’s Security, and Saints scales the ropes to take them all out with a dive. FEEL THE HEAT.

Men’s NXT Championship: Oba Femi (C) vs Myles Borne

Borne is accompanied by his stable mates, and Charles refuses a Borne fist bump, before the three retreat to the back. Borne gives “2005 Randy Orton” vibes like you wouldn’t believe. Femi looks like ten million bucks as he struts to the ring. This is Femi’s sixth title defense. Mike Rome does the ring intros and off we go.

Lock up to start and Femi releases Borne from the corner unscathed. Borne ducks a huge boot attempt and goes for a headlock but Femi just tosses him off into the corner like it was nothing. Joseph questions whether or not Borne has outgrown the “tutelage” (Gorilla Monsoon smiling from heaven with that word on a WWE show) of Charles and crew, while Booker thinks he should stick with the team that got him here. Borne dropkicks Femi and knocks him to his knee, while Femi considers that the kid might be in it to win it. Femi starts the power game moves and knocks Borne on his ass from a charge. Borne gets an enziguri to stagger Femi but a cross-body attempt goes wrong and Femi slams him into the corner. Borne hits a cross-body from the second rope but Femi blocks a suplex attempt and drapes Borne stomach-first on the top rope. Slow vertical suplex from Femi gets one, and then it’s ground and pound for the champ. The crowd is trying to warm up here but I don’t think too many people think Borne has an actual chance, and this dissection-type offense isn’t helping this (even though it’s probably how it should go). Femi hits some knees to Borne’s gut and then a backbreaker on the same knee for two. Femi drops Borne face-first and stalks him slowly, putting the bad-mouth on him. Femi throws him to the canvas, picks him up, and fires him hard back onto the canvas. Yikes. Borne recovers and dropkicks Femi and that perks the crowd a bit. Borne charges Femi in the corner but eats an elbow and Femi is like “why…my dude, why?” Another backbreaker on the knee for Femi, and he stretches Borne over his thigh. Borne struggles up and Femi lariats the crap out of him. Borne ducks a Euro uppercut and goes to a mounted sleeper on Femi’s back. Borne’s knee pad has 13:7 on it, which I’m assuming refers to the bible verse from John that says: “What I am doing you do not understand now, but afterward you will understand.” Interesting.

Femi shakes Borne off as the announcers speculate if Borne could use some help from the NQCC. I’m not sure any of them could really help here, Vic. Femi is on the apron and tries to suplex Borne out of the ring to the floor, but Borne slips out and hits another dropkick to stagger the champ to the floor. Borne hesitates and then runs the ropes only to meet a giant forearm from Femi. He lifts Borne in the air, falls with Borne on top of him hitting both Femi’s knees, and only gets two. Femi is vexed. Banks Statement from Femi but Borne will not tap, and it turns into a sitting rear chinlock. Back to their feet, Borne hits some elbows but Femi clubbers him in the back and then misses a charge into the corner with a huge sound of shoulder hitting post. Femi tosses Borne to the ropes but Borne stops him and hits him with another springboard dropkick. The kid’s dropkicks are pretty good, I have to admit. Borne hits an over-the-top-rope dive on Femi and the crowd is on their feet. Series of reversals, and Femi comes charging out of the corner to a very Orton-esque rolling powerslam for two. The crowd chants “RKO” at Borne as everyone has woken up to Borne’s act. Borne misses a standing moonsault attempt, but then hits it, and Femi, unaffected, grabs him by the throat and choke-slams him for two. Borne gets a DDT and instead of covering goes to the corner, but his jump misses and Femi goes for Fall From Grace. Borne counters and rolls him up for two. Femi hits him with an enormous right hand and charges into the corner, but Borne grabs him from behind and Germans him. Borne again eschews the pin for the corner, he hits the frog splash, and only gets two. They slug it out and it ends with Borne hitting, you guessed it, a dropkick. Borne charges but Femi lifts him and uppercuts him, and then he yanks Borne up for the Fall From Grace powerbomb – and Borne kicks out! Booker says you cannot question Borne’s heart. Femi is gassed. Borne gets a sneaky rollup for two, but then runs into a clothesline. Femi yanks up the exhausted Borne and tosses him, then hits Fall From Grace TWICE, and that will be enough to get three.

I think for what this was, a “challenger outta nowhere” type situation, it mostly worked. I’m not sure Borne got as much underdog offense as I might have hoped for. Femi had to figure it out as he went because the power game worked to a certain extent but he didn’t just overwhelm the kid. You have to have defenses like this along the way but this does kind of point out the glaring lack of top challengers they don’t have right now with Trick dealing with Hendry. 3.5*

Winner – and still Men’s NXT Champion – Oba Femi (Fall From Grace x 2)

Post-match, Femi gives a nod of respect to Borne.

Backstage, Stephane Vaquer is yelling at Dalys and Chik Tormenta, and Jacy Jayne and Fallon Henley are still in the background griping at each other. Ava comes in to break up the Vaquer group, and then Jacy pops into the middle of it, says “HEY STEPH!” and slaps the champ dead in the face. Ava and the gathered referees hold back Jayne while other refs hold back Vaquer and we’re all yelling A LOT.

Here’s the announcers with this Tuesday’s line-up. Ethan Page vs Ricky Saints for the men’s NA title, Jasper Troy’s in-ring debut, Tatum Paxley vs Miss Jaida Parker, and TNA’s Mike Santana vs Tavion Heights. It’s time for the main event, group.

TNA World’s Heavyweight Title: Joe Hendry (C) vs Hollywood Trick Williams

Carlos Silva, President of TNA Wrestling, is in the crowd. Trick’s entrance is met with the usual from Booker. Joe Hendry is OVER with this crowd. Graves speculates that if Hendry were to lose it would be “career suicide”. Real big fight feel here and Rome does the announcements. Here we go. The crowd is HYPED when the bell sounds.

Trick with some quickness as Hendry wants to fight. Hendry with some chops, and he clotheslines Trick over the top to the floor. Hendry jumps over the top rope and hits a bulldog on Trick to a riotous crowd eruption. Hendry tosses Trick back in, and Hendry ends up shouldering Trick to the mat. Backdrop suplex from Hendry gets two. Hendry works a headlock but Trick powers to his feet, leapfrogs a running Hendry and then catches him in a cross-body attempt. Trick tosses him over his head and nips up to a nice ovation, before hitting Hendry’s signature spin-and-grin pose as a taunt. Hendry is pissed and charges in but Trick catches him and hits him with a Book End for a two count. Booker tells Joseph he’s been working with Trick on that move. Trick slowly goes up top but Hendry is awake and charges him, catching him with a weirdly structured fallaway slam for two. Sunset flip by Hendry gets two. Rollup by Hendry gets two. Arm and leg hook cover by Hendry gets two. Trick follows with a pump kick and puts the badmouth on Hendry. They slug it out until Trick gains the advantage, and then Trick hits him with a Booker-esque axe kick. Trick puts his hand up, gives Booker a look, Book tells him to “give it to him”, and Trick hits the second worst Spinaroonie in history only to walk into a Book End from Hendry for two. Booker: “I don’t believe, dammit!”

Booker is pretty openly rooting for Trick here. Trick hits a Thunder Bomb for two after a standoff. Trick poses in the corner and goes for a crossbody, but Hendry rolls through, yanks Trick up and then plants him down for two. Trick tosses Hendry outside and runs him into the steps. Trick stomps away and grabs the steps, but the ref is out talking to Hendry and not counting either man out, which Joseph covers by saying he’s giving some leeway because he wants the match to end in the ring. This is good announcing work. Trick goes into dick mode, throws some uppercuts while taunting, and gets a swinging neckbreaker for two. Reverse neckbreaker by Trick gets two. Body scissors by Trick, but Hendry escapes and hits Trick with an overhead suplex. Both men are down, and as they struggle back to their feet, it turns to a slug fest. Fallaway slam by Hendry who pops up and hits the Believe pose to a big pop. Hendry hits the Standing Ovation slam on Trick but Trick extends the leg and gets to the rope with his foot. Hendry is frustrated and picks Trick up on his shoulders like he’s going to do John Cena’s Attitude Adjustment, but Trick slips off and hits a spinning front kick to Hendry’s face. Trick charges and Hendry ducks and pulls down the top rope, as Trick goes flying towards the announce desk. Hendry charges after but Trick trips him face-first onto the lower part of the ring steps (Trick had moved the upper part prior to set up the next move). Trick grabs Hendry in a Book End while on top of the other half of the ring steps and slams him HARD through the announce table. Hendry staggers back in the ring and Trick hits the Trick Shot for two! Trick is pissed. He grabs the TNA belt and gets into the ring with it, but the ref sees it and tries to take it from him, and Hendry tries the sneaky rollup but only gets two. Hendry goes for the Standing Ovation again but Trick puts a finger in his eye and then he slams Hendry’s face directly onto the TNA belt which was still in the ring. A second Trick Shot and Williams gets the three count and becomes the new TNA World Heavyweight Champion! Today is Trick’s 26th birthday so that won’t be a bad way to celebrate. The announcers are shocked as is a large part of the crowd. Graves says the game has changed and Joseph says what happened here tonight will echo through eternity. Seems a little hyperbolic to me but your mileage may vary. Hendry sits in the corner trying to process the whole thing.

I think there are going to be some interesting takes about this result. Listen, if you’re TNA this is what it is. I think Hendry is a really solid performer with a bright future and he acquitted himself really well here. I’m not trying to talk about the Wrestlemania appearance at all at this point because that was a singular event that meant realistically nothing in the grand scheme of things. This result means a bunch of things and it will play out on at least two separate television shows and I don’t know. It’s a wild and different booking choice and I hope what’s left of the TNA hierarchy knows what they’re doing, but I wouldn’t hold my breath. The match was good back and forth stuff between two solid professionals and the crowd was INTO it. 4*

Winner – and NEW TNA World Heavyweight Champion – Hollywood Trick Williams (Trick Shot)

Overall, this was a solid show from start to finish, even with the messy six man tag match tossed in there. I LOVED the women’s title match a bunch and the other two top matches delivered in a solid fashion while telling wildly different stories. Good show, thumbs up, and seek out Vaquer-Grace as soon as you can.