NXT Review – 08.05.25

Perhaps you’ve missed some WWE (and adjacent) shows? Let’s catch up: Smackdown | SummerSlam Saturday | SummerSlam Sunday | Raw | Impact

Then, Now, Forever….TOGETHER

This evening’s show comes from the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, FL. Your announce team are the usual suspects – Vic Joseph, Corey Graves and Booker T on match calls, Mike Rome on ring introductions, and Kelly Kincaid on backstage interviews and news updates.

Blake Monroe vs Kelani Jordan

Monroe charges at the bell, but Jordan slips it and hits an armdrag and a dropkick. Jordan whips Monroe to the mat and hits a short cross-body for one. Jordan ascends and hits a double sledge on Monroe. Jordan runs Monroe over with a shoulder, but when she tries for another one Monroe slips it and sends Jordan to the floor. Monroe hits a baseball slide kick and then smashes Jordan’s head into the apron. Monroe tosses Jordan back in and poses, which gives Jordan enough time to recover with right hands when Monroe finally enters. Monroe whips Jordan to the corner and then catches her in a LONG spinning backbreaker. Monroe hits a shotgun dropkick but Jordan kicks out of the subsequent cover at two.

Monroe grabs a modified chicken wing as we’re shown someone arriving in picture-in-picture (It was someone in bright red pants and if it’s Rollins I’m going to be wildly perturbed. Turns out it was someone else.). Jordan fights her way out and drops an elbow on Monroe’s head. Monroe slips a Jordan clothesline attempt after an irish whip and on the next go-by Monroe hits a sling blade. Jordan slips a Monroe charge and fireman carries her over. Jordan fires off rights and then hits her own sling blade. Monroe blocks Jordan’s cartwheel back elbow and dumps her over, but Jordan lands on her feet and ends up hitting a sit-out drop split cutter. Jordan covers for one.

Jordan grabs Monroe’s leg and kicks her in the back until she’s able to turn it into a half-crab. Monroe makes the ropes and after a tussle Jordan hoists Monroe up for an Angle Slam. Jordan covers for two. Jordan ascends but when she comes off the top Monroe meets her with a headbutt and a big kneelift and that gets a LONG two. Jordynne Grace marches down in a neck brace as Monroe bails from the ring. Monroe runs to the parking lot into a waiting SUV with Grace in hot pursuit. Back inside the ref counts ten and Jordan wins by count-out.

Sure, why not. Monroe takes a loss but not a pin, and the angle continues with her and Jordynne. There’s a new harder edge to Kelani but it’s still the same awkward offense. Nothing is theoretically wrong with it, it’s just kind of too overly positioned and requires too much suspension. Monroe looked like she always looks but they gave Jordan a fair bit here. Not a whole lot to rate or want to come back to, really. 1.5*

Winner – Kelani Jordan (countout)

In the locker room here’s Kale Dixon and Uriah Connors. Andre Chase joins to see how they’re feeling ahead of their title match tonight. They’re both nervous, and Dixon asks Chase what he thinks their chances are. Chase says honestly about one in a million and Dixon does the “SO YOU’RE SAYING THERE’S A CHANCE…” bit. Dixon and Connors fire up and Chase says he’s got their back. We go to commercials.

NXT Tag Team Championship: Hank & Tank (C) vs Chase U

Joseph mentions that this is Hank and Tank’s fourth title defense including one in Booker’s Reality of Wrestling.

Connors hits an immediate superkick on Tank just after the bell, and then he hits one on Hank as Dixon was holding him. Dixon covers Hank for two. Connors hits a springboard cutter on Hank. Dixon dumps Hank into a fireman’s carry-sit-out powerbomb as Connors covers for two. Hank fires up and dumps Connors to the apron but Connors catches him with a roundhouse kick when Hank charges. Connors tries to launch himself in but Hank catches him with a kick as Tank tags in. Tank launches Hank onto a prone Connors and Tank covers for two.

Connors recovers and starts slugging it out with Tank. Tank finally gains the advantage with a vicious looking Saito suplex to Connors but Dixon had tagged in and tries a sneaky roll-up that gets two. Dixon dumps a charging Tank to the floor and then uses the ropes to roundhouse a charging Hank. Dixon runs the ropes and hits a tope con hilo on the champions while landing on his feet. (Dixon is really gifted athletically.) Dixon tosses Tank back in and ascends. Dixon’s dive is unsuccessful as Hank tags in. Dixon charges into a spinning backbreaker from Hank, and Connors charges in to take the HONK HONK in place of Dixon. Hank whips Connors to the floor as Dixon rolls up Tank for one.

Hank and Tank hit the Collision Course and Hank covers for…two. (Something hinky definitely happened here because the ref insisted that Dixon got his shoulder up when he clearly did NOT. ) Hank dumps Connors once again as the crowd is letting everyone know that Dixon did not kick out. Hank rolls Dixon into a sidewalk slam before they hit HONK HONK on Dixon. They hit the Collision Course on Dixon again and that gets three.

This was the example of what I’m not overly fond of with NXT tag matches from time to time. They went a million miles an hour here and I get that they’re taught to work like that but there’s no psychology or time to sell ANYTHING. It’s just spot after spot after spot. For what it’s worth, this was the best I’ve ever seen Dixon and Connors look. Hank and Tank are really good gate-keepers for these titles until someone re-stacks this tag division. 2*

Winners – Hank & Tank (Collision Course to Dixon)

Post-match sees Darkstate attack everyone and it ends with their toss powerbomb on Tank. Joseph says they have put the tag division on notice. (Wonderful.)

Backstage here’s Fatal Influence. Jacy Jayne says last week did not go as planned with a pointed look at Jazmyn Nyx, and now Jaida Parker is still in the mix. Fallon Henley points out Jayne’s current issues in TNA and here’s the Personal Concierge to tell Jayne that this week will be the last week that Jayne is TNA Knockouts Champion. PC says Ash By Elegance is winning the title on Thursday night and he’s here to shine it up in advance. Jayne slaps his hand away and tells him to get out. Here’s Lainey Reid to point out that shining up the titles is Nyx’s job. Jayne hands the titles to Nyx and her and Henley laugh as Nyx trudges away.

Myles Borne is backstage and he runs into Tavion Heights. They dap it up and Heights tells Borne to take care of “that hater”. We go to commercials.

After Joseph does a read for RODEO ON THE CW here’s The Culling with a pacing Tatum Paxley ahead of her main event title match. Izzi Dame tells her that she and the Culling believe in Paxley. Dame says Paxley won’t have to worry about fitting in because after tonight she’ll fit in the history books. Paxley says she is going to make Dame proud.

Here’s Thea Hail doing an instagram reel about her coffee adventures. Hail is really unhappy about Nia Jax showing up in NXT. (Thea is going to get squashed like a bug tonight but at least she’s back on the show.)

Myles Borne vs Lexis King

Graves insinuates that Lexis King is a moron during his introduction, and I’ll be honest, I think Corey is spot on with that assessment. (Lexis King looks like if Kenny Omega had his own Ryan Nemeth tonight, if you get where I’m going with that.)

King kicks Borne and then yells directly in his ear saying “I know you can hear me!”. Borne blocks a punch so King kicks him again and grabs a side headlock. King turns it into a tornado side headlock as he takes Borne to the mat. Borne flips King over for a one count but King still has the hold as they get to their feet. Borne breaks loose and gets a shoulder tackle on King. Borne drops King with a side suplex and covers for two. Borne slips a King charge, but King comes off the top rope with a cross-body and that gets two.

Borne recovers and hits an ushigoroshi on King before covering for two. King slips a Borne charge but eats a back elbow when he approaches. King makes Borne slip on the ropes with a kick, and then hits a prone Borne with a double stomp. King ascends but when he comes off Borne leaps up into a dropkick. Borne covers for two. Borne wants to fly but King recovers and sprints in to lift a knee into Borne’s gut. Borne bails to the floor but when King goes to fly Borne sprints in and dumps King to the floor. Borne hits a springboard cross-body on King as we go to picture-in-picture commercials.

During PIP Borne tosses King in. King tries to escape but Borne beals him from the apron over the top rope to the mat. Borne whips King into a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker and covers for two. Borne sinks in a side headlock. King manages to rise and run Borne into the corner. Borne reverses an irish whip as King crashes hard into the turnbuckles. Borne hits a euro uppercut and then whips King hard into the opposite corner. King bails and when Borne follows, King kicks him in the gut and starts chopping away. Borne ducks a chop as King bashes his hand into the ringpost. Borne hits a couple of uppercuts and King decides the ring would be a better option. King trips an approaching Borne sending him throat-first to the bottom rope. King starts clubbering away before standing on Borne’s head. King runs Borne into the top turnbuckle and then nails Borne with a knee-lift. King covers for two. King gets the mount and starts dropping headbutts before covering again for two. Borne fires up and reverses before pounding away with right hands. King slips Borne into a front choke as he locks his legs around Borne.

Back to full screen and Borne is able to dump King to the floor to break the hold. Borne comes out but King immediately whips him into the ring steps. King mounts Borne’s head on the steps and STOMPS on it. Borne convinces the ref he’s okay so King whips him back in and after some weirdness along the ropes King covers for two. King puts Borne in the corner and uses the ropes to repeatedly kick Borne in the head. Borne drops to a sitting position so King barrels over and hits him with a shotgun dropkick. King covers for two.

King holds Borne’s head and drives knee after knee into it. King charges and Borne snaps off a rolling powerslam. Borne rams King’s head into the turnbuckle before hitting a release belly-to-belly suplex. Borne hits a snap suplex and lowers his knee pad. Borne hits a sit-out knee to King’s head. Borne hits his new finisher called Borne Again and gets three.

This is the match you get when you have a veteran with a certain developed skill set and a young person still in need of reps. Borne was a little more sloppy here than he’s been in the past and King did more than he usually does. If King is going to be a heel, let him be as vicious as tonight more often because it works way better with his arrogant character. This wasn’t bad, or anything, but you know, it’s Lexis King. 2.5*

Winner – Myles Borne (Borne Again)

Backstage here’s Darkstate to yell about the post-match attack on the tag teams. They FINALLY introduce something funny with this group as Cutler James says they have been up Hank and Tank’s butt and they’re going to stay there while giving a thumbs up. Dion Lennox says they aren’t done yet (Whoopee!) and they leave.

Thea Hail vs Nia Jax

This is Jax’s first singles match in NXT since 2016.

Jax scoops up Hail after the bell sounds but Hail slips behind her and puts Jax in a sleeper. Jax whips Hail down but when Jax charges Hail hits a short dropkick to Jax’s knee. Hail charges and Jax shrugs her off. Jax tries an elbow drop but Hail slips away and hits a standing 180 splash on Jax. Hail foolishly tries for an exploder so Jax pushes her away and hits Hail with a Samoan drop. Jax runs Hail shoulder-first to the ring post before putting her boot on Hail’s jaw. Jax uses the ropes for leverage to sit on Hail’s head as she’s draped over the second rope. Jax tosses a charging Hail to the mat and does the crotch chop to the crowd. (Nia is salty as hell tonight. Probably doesn’t like Orlando or something.) Jax dumps Hail to the floor as we go to commercials.

Back live with Jax holding Hail’s arms from behind while driving a knee into her back. Hail breaks out with a stomp to Jax’s foot and some rights. Hail comes off the ropes and Jax just hammers her to the mat before hitting a legdrop for two. Jax slaps on a Cobra Clutch but Hail rises to her feet to sit out of it. Hail slugs Jax with a couple rights and then comes off the ropes to try for the spinning DDT. Jax blocks that and pulls Hail up for a face-first sit-out powerbomb. Jax goes shoulder-first into the ring post when Hail slips her charge. Hail fires up with punches and a double sledge. Hail drops Jax to her knee and when Hail tries to clothesline Jax she ends up on the mat. Hail ends up hitting her spinning DDT on Jax and covers for two as Graves goes nuts on commentary.

Hail hits a springboard back senton on Jax and covers for two. Hail blasts Jax with a kick to the chest and covers for two. Hail ascends but Jax predictably recovers and drops her hard to the mat. (Joseph calls it a nasty fall and it was, she landed hard on her hip.) Jax bullies Hail and then drops the Annihilator on Hail for three.

So there’s a few things to take away from this. One, Nia Jax squashing a much smaller wrestler like a bug is the expected outcome and we got there in the way we should have, so no complaints with the match structure. Secondly, I’m interested that Thea’s first match in awhile was with someone from the main roster and they gave her a promo to set it up. Thirdly, Nia was cool enough to give Hail some shine right before the end, so full credit there as well. Nothing to be too grumpy with here. Big person beats scrappy little person. 2.25*

Winner – Nia Jax (Annihilator)

Post-match sees Kelly Kincaid in the ring with Jax. Kincaid starts to ask about Jax costing Lash Legend last week, and Jax snatches the mic and says she imposed her will because any ring she steps into is hers. Jax says Legend isn’t going to make a name off her back. Jax says she’s been a champion and has beaten legends and hall of famers and what the heck has Legend done? (Nia’s facials during this are priceless.)

Here’s Lash Legend to interrupt. Legend says if Jax wants to call herself the Irresistible Force she’ll find out that everyone breaks from Legend’s pressure. Legend jumps in the ring and it’s on. Security goons pour forth to separate everyone and the crowd and Graves wants to see them fight.

NXT Men’s Champion Oba Femi is on his way to the ring as we go to commercials.

After commercials, a pacing Jordynne Grace is in NXT GM Ava‘s office. Ava says she’s not going to yell at Grace and tells Grace once she’s cleared she’s going to get Blake Monroe in a one-on-one at Heatwave. Ava says that she’s supposed to be unbiased but after what Monroe did last week, she thinks Monroe “deserves to get her ass kicked”. Grace says Ava can count on it and fist bumps her on the way out.

So I did want to take a minute to address the Blake Monroe thing from last week because I didn’t do it during the recap. Body shaming promos are horse-shit and whomever wrote that AND whomever approved it should really think long and hard about that kind of thing. There are a million ways to get heat and that’s the cheapest of them all and I got really riled up about it later in the day on Wednesday last week after thinking about it a bunch. That promo sucked out loud and they should never do that again.

Oba Femi makes his entrance as Booker does his “no bread, no water, just MEAT” catchphrase. Femi starts by saying how tough the three-way match was with Inamura and Briggs two weeks ago. They failed miserably, of course, as Femi brags about being champion for over 200 days and counting. Femi wants a new challenger but no one has stepped up and the future is not looking very bright for the men’s division. (Hmmm. Does Oba Femi comment here? We’ve been saying this in the dailies for months.) The names change, says Femi, but the results remain the same.

Here’s TNA Men’s World Champion Trick Williams to interrupt. (Trick and Oba and I’m guessing Je’von is no buys for me. They need new blood at the top or they need to send like Austin Theory back down or something because this is just as boring as watching endless Ricky Saints-Ethan Page matches, quite frankly.) Trick says Femi called himself the big dog and Trick isn’t delusional, Femi IS the big dog. Trick says he is the BIGGEST dog NXT has to offer. Femi says Trick brags on himself all the time but wonders if Trick is trying to convince the crowd or himself that he’s right. Trick says he’s the man carrying two brands and Femi says okay, let’s talk about it. Femi says if Trick is carrying NXT, why does Femi still have the belt. Femi says Trick can never beat him, but Trick says a couple of weeks ago he looked in Femi’s eyes and at the title and he thought “why not me?”. Trick says he’s not the same man he was a couple of months ago, he’s a “self-made superstar” and the man who will knock Femi off his mountain.

Je’von Evans decides to join the proceedings. Evans tells everyone to hold on and be quiet, and then he says “Trick, your ass is goofy as hell.” as the crowd loses it. (Femi corpses here as well.) Evans says he’s just trying to go after the biggest dog in the yard, which is Femi and Trick is out here trying to make it all about him. Evans says it’s funny that Trick is trying to talk about holding two titles when he can barely defend the TNA title. Trick says he’s told Evans a thousand times to “mind your business while grown folks are talking”. Femi says he’s going to leave so they can sort it out, but Evans says no and proposes a number one contender match between him and Trick. Femi loves that idea and says it should be right now, but Trick says no and that the wishy-washy fans wish they could get Trick for free. Trick says it should be in two weeks in Philadelphia, a city that knows about champions.

Here’s Moose to interrupt. Moose calls him “Tricky Williams” and reminds him that in ten days, he has to face Moose for the TNA title at Emergence. Moose says once he takes the title from Trick there’s going to be one name synonymous with TNA and that’s MOOSE. Moose turns to address Femi and the lights go out. Darkstate attacks and they all end up on the floor as Moose literally throws one of them over the top rope onto the other three. Security goons descend on the scene to break things up as everyone yells. We go to commercials.

A couple things to parse from that. One, Moose is pretty over with the NXT crowd. Two, I’d much rather see Femi in a singles than another three-way but I’m guessing it’s going to end up in a triple threat somehow. Third, Darkstate sucks and I hope if there’s an eight man tag that they get their asses handed to them. Fourth, Moose and Trick have good chemistry and I hope the Emergence match is awesome.

Back from commercials and here’s Channing “Stacks” Lorenzo warming up as Arianna Grace sidles up in a new look for her. Grace says she just came to check on Stacks and as he starts to tell her he’s okay Nia Jax and Lash Legend pour out of a locker room while throwing bombs at each other. Security has to break that up.

Here’s Wren Sinclair and Charles Dempsey in a cafeteria area as Dempsey is lamenting being so good of a coach that his trainees ended up beating him and leaving the group. Sinclair says that what makes her happy is singing Joe Hendry’s theme song and lo and behold, here’s Joe Hendry popping out of a refrigerator (?!?) with his typical smile to an enormous pop. Dempsey says if he wasn’t miserable before he is now and that Hendry is the last thing NXT needs. Sinclair takes off her jacket to reveal a shirt the same color as Hendry’s ever-present blue shirt. Hendry hands Dempsey an outfit to match his and Dempsey tosses it while saying he looks forward to wearing it…never. Dempsey says Hendry wants to be viral but viral comes from virus which is what Hendry is. Hendry says they can try cheering Dempsey up with a match next week. Dempsey stomps off while Sinclair takes a selfie with Hendry. (I LOVE WREN SINCLAIR)

Yoshiki Inamura vs Channing “Stacks” Lorenzo

I’m not clear on whether or not Stacks is JUST Stacks now. Stacks attacks Inamura prior to the bell and dumps him in the ring and goes to ground and pound, but the ref pulls him off to try to get the match actually started.

The bell rings and Inamura has fired up to crush Stacks with a chop. Inamura charges and eats a boot as Stacks then starts throwing chops. Stacks hits a running knee and covers for one. Stacks starts dropping elbows onto Inamura’s shoulder and chest before slapping on a neck nerve hold. Inamura rises and throws a few rights, but Stacks grabs a side headlock to counter. Inamura tries again to break out, but Stacks hoists and lands on him before covering for two. Stacks throws rights before bowing ceremoniously at Inamura. Stacks ascends and mocks Inamura’s top rope bouncing but he’s taken too long as Inamura beals him to the mat.

Inamura fires up and trucks Stacks a couple of times. Inamura unleashes SUMO STYLE and smashes Stacks to the corner with strikes. Stacks tries to escape and Inamura won’t allow it before continuing the assault. Inamura winds up and chops Stacks over the top rope to the floor. Inamura follows but Stacks recovers and drives Inamura back-first into the apron. Stacks starts talking trash so Inamura wipes him out with a slap that has Graves chuckling at the ferocity. Here’s Arianna Grace to chastise Inamura before slapping him. The ref ejects Grace but as they jaw in the aisle Josh Briggs jumps in the ring to attack Inamura with a clothesline. The ref turns around to see Stacks covering Inamura and he counts three.

Not much to this one, really. It was decent but short, and just a way to keep the Inamura-Briggs thing simmering. Stacks is decent now, he really looks and feels fairly complete as a talent. They need to figure out what he’s going to be in the future though. Teaming him up with Arianna seems like a decent enough idea, we’ll see where it goes. 2*

Winner – Channing “Stacks” Lorenzo (Briggs interference with the ref missing it)

NXT Men’s North American Champion Ethan Page is making his way to the ring as we go to commercials.

Back from commercials and Page notes that it’s the 70th day he’s been the greatest North American champion of all time. Page says last week was an example of CANADIAN EXCELLENCE. Page says he wants to give credit where it’s due and even with his “vile reptilian sock” Santino Marella was just not able to get the job done. However, Marella is Canadian and that makes him better than the crowd. The crowd is telling Page to shut the hell up as he mentions that even though Marella is Canadian, he’s not the greatest North American alive like Page is. Page name-checks Wayne Gretzky and Bret Hart but says no one is as good as All Ego. Page asks everyone to stand while he sings the Canadian national anthem.

Here’s Tavion Heights to thankfully interrupt. Heights says that no one tuned into NXT to hear what sounds like “a Canadian goose dying”. Heights says that it is cool that Page is repping his country as Heights can relate because he represented Team USA at the Olympics. Heights says the difference between them is that Page is acting like he’s on a pedastal but he needs to be knocked off of the “maple leaf-sucking perch” he’s on. Heights mentions breaking out of the NQCC and now he’s ready to break out in NXT. Heights says he’s a weapon in human form (Isn’t that Josh Alexander’s bit? I sense a cease and desist coming into play.) with a lot of pent up energy and his target is now Page. Page says he’ll give Heights credit for crawling out of NQCC but Heights needs to learn how to walk and then run before trying to dance with All Ego. (Page does a little dance here that’s hysterical.)

Here’s Chelsea Green with the Secret Hervice to interrupt for some Canadian reasons, I’m guessing. Green asks Heights how he dares to interrupt the greatest North American’s promo. Green says she heard Page fought off a moose and the moose apologized as Niven and Fyre giggle at the line. Green and the Hervice stand in front of Page as Green points out her Women’s United States title run. Green has come out to support her countryman and sing the national anthem with him but Heights as a “rude ignorant American” has ruined it. Green says despite the Hervice being there a “trashy low-life American” like Heights would never have the balls to hit a Canadian woman like her. (Please tell me he’s not going to hit her.) Heights says she’s right, he would never do that. Heights slugs Page instead and says he’ll find a woman who will hit Green. (I have the feeling Heights maybe potatoed Page a bit AND Page was wearing glasses. We’ll see what happens there.)

In the locker room here are Kelani Jordan and Lola Vice. Vice hypes up Jordan’s performance from earlier and can’t believe Monroe just bailed on the match. Here’s Jacy Jayne and Fallon Henley to make fun of Jordan’s “career-making count out win”. Jayne brushes off the idea that Jordan is a contender for her title and Henley says they should make like Monroe and run away. Jasmyn Nyx comes in with Jayne’s belts and calls Henley Jayne’s “sidekick” before mentioning that she got them a tag match against Jordan and Vice for next week.

Here’s Zaria and NXT Women’s North American Champion Sol Ruca backstage. Zaria says she’ll handle the Culling goobers while Ruca just focuses on Tatum Paxley. Lash Legend and Nia Jax enter the area still fighting with each other and as Security breaks it up Ava comes charging in to make a one on one match between them for next week. We go to commercials.

Joseph hypes up Heatwave once we’re back. Trick Williams, Je’von Evans, Moose, and Oba Femi are in Ava’s office and she wants to know why. Ava makes it official between Trick and Evans for Philadelphia in the number one contender’s match. Evans wants to know why two weeks have to pass and Ava says that next week it will be all four of them against Darkstate in an eight-man tag. Hank and Tank come in yelling about also wanting Darkstate so Ava makes a tag title match for Heatwave against two members of Darkstate. Ava kicks everyone out as Evans points out that Trick didn’t say a word about any of this.

THE NXT FOCUS PRESENTED BY PROGRESSIVE sees Ricky Saints sitting down with Kelly Kincaid. Kincaid runs down how things have gone since his debut and asks if he feels like he has a target on his back. Saints says definitely and he had that target when he debuted. Starks says it’s also about jealousy like how Ethan Page was jealous of the things Saints had done, and now Jasper Troy wants to be where Saints is. Saints says Page understands that even after 18 years in the business he had to be in NXT to be where he wants to go. Saints says Page is desperate to get to where he wants to go. Saints points out Jasper Troy has all kinds of rage but he’s inexperienced and doesn’t really have a plan, he’s just making his way. Saints says he’s not frustrated by it, everyone wants to be on a Monday night or a Friday night and Saints will be doing that. Saints says on the road to that, he wants to be NXT champion and right now Troy is in his way. Saints says he promises that in two weeks in Philadelphia he’s guaranteeing things are not going to end like they did in Houston. Kincaid wishes Saints luck and wraps it up.

I guess this was okay but Ricky Saints is like a bowl of oatmeal in human form.

The Culling make their entrance as we head towards commercials.

NXT Women’s North American Championship: Sol Ruca (C) vs Tatum Paxley

The Culling group are seconding Paxley and Zaria is out with Ruca. Mike Rome does in-ring intros. The bell sounds and we’re off.

They lock up to start and after Ruca drives Paxley to the mat, Paxley kicks Ruca in the head to escape. Paxley slips a Ruca charge and ends up waffling Ruca in the corner with a running slide splash. Paxley hits a jumping knee strike and covers for one. Paxley puts a boot into Ruca’s stomach and then pulls Ruca into submission hold. Ruca pushes down and Paxley’s shoulders are pinned for two. Ruca slugs Paxley and then turns her over into the surfboard submission hold. Paxley slides out of it but she’s too dazed to stop Ruca’s dropkick. The crowd starts doing The Wave as Ruca slugs Paxley from the apron. Ruca hits a springboard X-Factor on Paxley before ascending. Shawn Spears jumps up on the apron to chastise Ruca before Zaria yanks him off. The Culling crew bitches at Zaria but as they come back towards the aisle Ruca hits all three of the Culling with a moonsault (She came VERY close to eating it on the table they use to showcase the titles during matches – I always thought it was near to the announce table though. Eh, whatever, it was close to being a disaster but wasn’t luckily.) We go to picture-in-picture commercials.

During PIP Paxley has recovered and snaps Ruca over the second rope as she was trying to climb in. Paxley yanks Ruca up and drapes her arms over the top rope before throwing bombs. Paxley rams Ruca’s head into a turnbuckle befoe putting her boot on a prone Ruca’s jaw. Ruca recovers and reverses a Paxley irish whip into the corner before covering a stunned Paxley for two. Paxley fires off an enziguri and covers for two. Paxley grabs a side headlock. Ruca slips out and charges but Paxley trips her throat-first into the bottom rope. Paxley covers for two. Paxley whips Ruca to the corner and follows with a double thrust to the throat. Ruca recovers and starts slugging away but Paxley stops that with a boot to the gut. Paxley whips Ruca into the opposite corner and double-thrusts her again. Paxley puts a boot to Ruca’s jaw as the Culling clap in approval.

Back to full screen with Paxley coming off the ropes to hit a spike DDT on Ruca. Paxley covers for a LONG two. Paxley starts driving headbutts into Ruca’s upper body. Paxley yanks back on Ruca’s neck before morphing into a front headlock. Ruca slips out of another spike DDT attempt and as Paxley charges Ruca lights her up with a knee and a kick to the gut. Ruca whips Paxley off the ropes so she can shoulder tackle her, hit her with a back elbow, trip her and superkick Paxley in the jaw. Ruca hits a brutal-looking neckbreaker that sends Paxley to the corner. Ruca charges and waffles Paxley with a backwards splash. Paxley gets hoisted and dropped on her back as Ruca covers for two.

Ruca wallops Paxley with a knee and pushes her to the floor, but Paxley enziguri’s Ruca in response as Izzi Dame gawks in amazement. Paxley hits a twisting springboard moonsault and covers Ruca for two. After the reset, Paxley bullies Ruca to a corner and mounts her on the top turnbuckle. Paxley wants a superplex as Ruca tries to fight out. Ruca slips out and hits a sunset flip powerbomb from the top rope that didn’t have the kind of impact or sound she was probably looking for. Paxley slips a Ruca charge as the champion flies shoulder-first into the ring post. Paxley rolls up Ruca for a long two. Paxley hits a spinning suplex on Ruca but Ruca grabs Paxley in the aftermath and covers for two.

Paxley gets rocked by a low roundhouse kick to the head and Ruca ascends. Paxley slips away from the moonsault attempt but Ruca lands on her feet and wipes out Paxley with a spear in the corner. Ruca mounts Paxley on the top turnbuckle and slaps her before hitting an enziguri. Ruca tries for a springboard move but Paxley just shoves her off the top rope (This may have been improvised because Ruca looked like she didn’t land clean on the top rope during the move attempt.) Ruca calmly re-climbs the ropes and grabs Paxley, but Paxley headbutts Ruca to stop whatever she was planning. Paxley flies off and just murders Ruca with an avalanche neckbreaker. Spears wants to give Paxley her doll but Dame prevents it.

Nia Jax and Lash Legend come spilling out up the aisle still trying to apparently murder each other. Paxley grabs the doll Spears left on the apron and is glad it’s there. Legend drives Jax through a barrier and as Paxley watches it unfold, Ruca hits the Sol Snatcher on her and gets three.

Here’s what I’ll say about this. It was a very clever way to get to the Sol Snatcher finish in that not only was Tatum distracted, the entirety of the Culling was as well and thus were able to provide no help after Paxley got hit by the move. The match itself was a whole lot of Tatum and I thought she looked darn good, honestly. Ruca still has some sloppy moments but she’s tall and gangly and maybe gets nerves or thinks too much about her springboard shit. This was your match of the night though. 3*

Winner AND STILL NXT Women’s North American Champion – Sol Ruca (Sol Snatcher)

Post-match sees the Culling tending to Paxley while Jax and Legend are in a heap on the broken barrier. Zaria and Ruca celebrate in the ring as Ruca holds up her NA title while also holding the what-I-think-is-now-defunct Speed title as well. The credits roll and we’re out.

A crisp effort this evening, I thought. Nothing was terrible but some of it felt rushed – the Stacks-Inamura deal most specifically. Commentary was good. The Darkstate stuff didn’t hit for me but they’re trying with them and we’ll be seeing them a bunch in the future because someone doesn’t like me, I guess. Looking at you, Shawn. ANYWAY, thumbs up from me for tonight because I’m tired and in a generous mood.

I appreciate your comments on this, and thanks for reading. Have a great day and be cool out there, my babies.