NXT Heatwave Review – 08.24.25

NXT Heatwave comes to your living room LIVE AND IN LIVING COLOR from the Lowell Memorial Auditorium in Lowell, MA.

The presenters of tonight’s show are mostly the usual suspects – Vic Joseph and Booker T on match calls, Mike Rome on ring introductions, and Sarah Schreiber on backstage interviews and news updates. Corey Graves is in Europe for the WWE events happening there this week.

Walk-ups include Je’von Evans, Oba Femi, the Secret Hervice with Chelsea Green and Ethan Page, Tavion Heights and Tyra Mae Steele, Jordynne Grace, and Blake Monroe.

NXT Women’s Championship Number One Contenders Match: Jaida Parker vs Kelani Jordan vs Lola Vice

Parker gains the early advantage on Jordan after pushing her into Vice. Vice and Jordan fight Parker off with superkicks. Jordan tries a quick roll-up on Vice and gets a one count. Jordan slugs Parker before her and Vice have an athletic sequence with no resulting advantage. Parker runs them both over with clotheslines and then body-slams both. Parker runs Vice and Jordan’s heads together and then drives a shoulder into a dazed Jordan. Parker mounts Jordan over the second rope and wallops her in the gut with a fist. Parker whips Vice into Jordan and then hits Vice with a forearm. Parker mounts Vice right next to Jordan and slaps Vice in the gut. Parker drops her…butt…onto both Vice and Jordan as they tumble to the mat. (I do enjoy ass-based offense, not going to lie. If you’ve got one, use it.)

Parker dumps Jordan as Vice fires up. Parker stops the flurry with a Samoan Drop before covering Vice for two. Parker’s baseball slide attempt is countered by a double stomp from Jordan. Vice tries a right and misses so Jordan calmly round-house kicks Vice in the head. Jordan misses from the top rope but counters Vice’s escape by mounting her on the second rope and slugging Vice in the back. Jordan hits a rope-assisted leg-drop but her cover is broken up at two by Parker pulling her to the floor. Parker and Jordan slug it out on the floor. Jordan gets a rana on Parker and then charges back in the ring. Vice goes behind Jordan and eats an elbow. Jordan hits a sit-out Lethal Injection on Vice and covers for two.

Jordan drags Vice to the corner and ascends. A recovered Parker pushes Jordan off the top turnbuckle. Parker gets caught in Vice’s Anaconda Vice. Jordan comes off the top rope with a splash on both opponents. Parker ends up on the apron where she shoulders a charging Jordan. They slug it out and Parker hits a double-thrust on Jordan. Parker tosses Jordan in where she lands on her feet. Jordan waffles Parker with a superkick and then comes over the top rope with a torneo that lands on both Parker and a dazed Vice. Jordan fires Vice back in and hits a split-legged stunner before covering Vice for two.

Jordan rolls Vice into a single-leg crab but Vice rolls over and kicks Jordan off. Vice slaps a dragon sleeper on a charging Jordan. Jordan flips out of it but eats a Vice reverse thrust kick. Parker charges in and eats a kick as well before Vice hits multiple kicks on Jordan. Parker turns Vice around so Vice hits her with the same short kicks. Vice hits hip attacks on both Jordan and Parker. Vice kicks a dazed Parker and dumps Jordan over with a Saito suplex. Vice covers Jordan for two.

Vice puts the dragon sleeper back on Jordan but a recovered Parker hits a rolling blockbuster on Vice. Parker covers Vice for two. Parker covers Jordan and gets two. Parker dumps Vice to the floor but gets stopped by a fired-up Jordan. Jordan comes off the ropes as Parker recovers to nail Jordan with a spinebuster. Parker covers for two. Parker runs Jordan’s head into the top turnbuckle before blasting Vice back off the apron. Jordan fires up but Parker stops that with a right before mounting Jordan on the top turnbuckle. Parker ascends and they slug it out before Vice rejoins things with kicks to Parker’s back. Vice hits a tower-of-doom spot and all three are down.

Once recovered they start slugging it out mid-ring. Vice gets the advantage but Parker reverses an irish whip and chops Vice down. Jordan and Parker slug it out before Jordan nails Parker with an axe kick. Jordan’s split-legged moonsault is met by Parker’s raised knees. Parker dumps Jordan on a prone Vice. Parker’s Hipnotic attempt is stopped by a Vice roundhouse kick before Jordan snatches up a surprised Vice for an airplane spin-backdrop combo. Jordan ascends but comes up just short on a 450 splash attempt. Vice snatches Jordan back into the dragon sleeper before Parker charges in. Vice side-steps as Parker hits Hipnotic on Jordan. Vice rolls up Parker from behind and gets three.

This was a good but slightly predictable opener. As soon as World’s Collide was announced I had a strong feeling Vice was winning this match to challenge Jacy Jayne at that show. Still, everyone worked hard and got their stuff in. There was a lot of “one person on the floor while the other two fight it out” stuff in this but three-ways are not easy to agent. 3*

Winner and new Number One contender for the NXT Women’s Championship – Lola Vice (roll-up on Parker)

The Culling are having a sit-down. Tatum Paxley apologizes for losing to Sol Ruca but Niko Vance assures her that Paxley didn’t let them down, she made them proud. Izzi Dame tells Shawn Spears that she knew Paxley could have beaten Ruca without her doll and without Nia Jax and Lash Legend distracting her. Dame tells Paxley they have a tag match on Tuesday against Wren Sinclair and a partner. Vance says the NQCC has crumbled and the Culling is stronger than ever. Paxley has her family and says the Culling always prevails.

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

It will be Dion Lennox and Osiris Griffin for Darkstate. Lennox attacks Hank before the bell as Saquon Shugars fakes being in the match.

Hank gets an advantage but Lennox reverses an irish whip and clobbers Hank with a clothesline. Hank fires up and drives Lennox into a neutral corner. Hank throws rights and then runs the ropes to splash Lennox in the corner. Tank tags in and wallops Lennox with a splash of his own before Hank whips a dazed Lennox into a Tank flying shoulder tackle. Tank covers for two. Lennox recovers with a forearm as Griffin tags in. Griffin and Lennox slug Tank down. Griffin snatches Tank up for a big body-slam but Tank counters the second attempt with a boot to Griffin’s head. Shugars tries to assist but Tank slips away and tags Hank in as Griffin tags in Lennox.

All four square off but Shugars and Cutler James jump on the apron to distract. Hank and Tank slug them down but are immediately jumped by Griffin and Lennox. Hank and Tank wipe out Lennox and Griffin sending both to the floor. Hank and Tank hit stereo tope suicidas on the entirety of Darkstate as the crowd and Booker lose their minds. Back in the ring Hank belts Lennox with a double sledge. Hank bulldogs Lennox out of the corner and then ascends. Lennox pops up and drops Hank on the top turnbuckle before tagging in Griffin. Griffin charges over and wallops Hank with a right sending him to the floor. Lennox tags in.

Lennox clobbers Hank with a bunch of rights on the ring steps. Griffin tags in to continue the attack on Hank on the floor. Hank recovers to elbow Griffin in the mid-section but Griffin recovers to prevent Hank from tagging out. Hank tries again but Griffin snatches Hank up for a stampede slam. Griffin covers and gets two as Tank breaks it up. Lennox hits a leaping lariat on Tank and Griffin tags out. Lennox and Griffin whip Hank chest-first to a neutral corner and Lennox covers for two.

Lennox slaps on a rear chinlock and when Hank tries to break out of it Lennox punches him in the back. Tank jumps up to assist Hank during an irish whip and Hank uses that to clobber Lennox with a clothesline. Hank finally makes the tag and Tank wipes out both opponents before dropping Lennox with a Saito suplex. Tank hits a springboard cross-body on both opponents before wiping out Shugars who had jumped on the apron to complain. Tank hits a Bubba Bomb on Lennox and covers him for two as Griffin breaks it up.

Hank charges over and gets dumped to the floor where he eats a Griffin kick to the head. James runs Hank head-first into the ring post as Lennox rolls up Tank for two. Lennox nails Tank with a spinebuster and tags in Griffin. Griffin and Lennox dump Tank down and Griffin covers for two. Griffin bullies Tank to the Darkstate corner but Tank fires up with chops. Griffin slugs Tank to stop the momentum as Lennox tags in. They mount Tank on the top turnbuckle but Tank fights them off as Lennox lands on top of Griffin. Tank ascends and hits a swanton on Griffin and Lennox

A recovered Hank slips a Shugars charge and then a James charge before sprinting back to his corner and tagging in. Hank dumps a charging Griffin over the top rope to the floor before walloping Lennox with a Bossman slam. Tank tags in as Hank leaps off the top turnbuckle on James and Griffin on the floor. Hank tags back in and they hit HONK HONK on a dazed Lennox. Shugars distracts the ref as James yanks Tank down to crotch him on the ring post. Lennox spears Hank before tagging in Griffin. Griffin hoists Hank on his shoulders and Lennox hits the Doomsday Device. Griffin rolls Hank over and covers for three.

This was coming, it was just a matter of when and where. I’m sure there will be OPINIONS on this booking decision in the comments but I’ll be gentle here. I think most of you know that I am not a fan of Darkstate, but that being said it had been four months of Hank and Tank and while I like them, I am 100% not surprised here. Heels cheat to win and that’s what happened here, especially with a numbers advantage. They worked at a more normal pace tonight rather than H&T’s usual breakneck stuff, which was good. It is what it is, gang. We’re trying this now. 2.5*

Winners and NEW NXT Tag Team Champions – Darkstate (Doomsday Device on Hank)

NXT GM Ava asks Lexis King what he was thinking about when he maced Myles Borne on Tuesday. King says Borne loves to play the sympathy card so King just wanted to help him be able to continue that. Ava says she should fine and suspend King but Borne is insisting on a match for Tuesday. King says if Ava wants him to wrestle a broomstick on Tuesday he’ll do it. Ava makes it a blindfold match as King complains.

Interestingly, Joseph mentions the next NXT signature event will be No Mercy on September 27th and that is where Lola Vice will get her title shot.

TNA Knockouts Championship: Jacy Jayne (C) vs Ash By Elegance vs Masha Slamovich

The Personal Concierge introduces Ash as she’s seconded by Heather and M. TNA President Carlos Silva is in the crowd to observe. Jayne is seconded by Fallon Henley and Jazmyn Nyx.

Ash and Slamovich get into it at the bell and when Jayne interrupts they both slug her down. Ash dumps Slamovich down but Jayne recovers and rolls up Ash. Slamovich immediately yanks Jayne out of that into a crucifix that gets one. Ash rolls Slamovich over and gets two. Jayne dumps Ash to the apron and then sends Slamovich flying into Ash. Jayne hits a neckbreaker on Slamovich and then sprints out to wallop Ash with a rolling tackle on the floor. As the Fatal crew comes together to celebrate Slamovich hits a tornado tope suicida on all three.

Slamovich drags Ash in and snap-mares her over three times before kicking her in the back. Slamovich kicks Ash in the gut and covers for two. Slamovich hits Ash with some martial arts but when she runs the ropes a recovered Jayne yanks her out. Jayne runs the apron and kicks Slamovich dead in the chest. Jayne sprints in and hits a rana on Ash sending her to a corner. Jayne follows with a running back-splash before whipping Ash to the opposite corner. Jayne hits a rolling forearm and covers for two.

Jayne kicks a seated Ash down and then hits a running senton. Slamovich climbs back in and dumps Jayne down before crushing Ash with a backdrop. Slamovich covers for two as the PC jumps up on the apron to bark at Slamovich. Jayne uses that distraction to superkick Slamovich. Ash sprints over and rolls up Jayne for one. Ash hits a facebuster on Jayne and then nails her with a rolling blockbuster. Ash covers for two. Ash sets up Jayne in the corner and hits her with a back handspring elbow. Jayne hits a charging Ash with an elbow but Ash charges again and hoists Jayne up for a sit-out powerbomb. Ash covers for two.

Slamovich re-enters and wallops Ash with pump kicks but a recovered Jayne slugs Slamovich in the back of the head. Jayne runs Slamovich to the corner but she recovers and crushes Jayne with a springboard dropkick. Slamovich hits running knee lifts on Jayne and Ash. Slamovich sends Ash into Jayne’s arms before clotheslining Jayne causing her to DDT Ash. Slamovich covers Jayne for two. Jayne slips a Slamovich charge and hits her with a front mule kick. Jayne hits cannonballs on Slamovich and Ash but Slamovich slips a second attempt by Jayne who crashes into the turnbuckles.

Slamovich yanks Jayne into the White Noise position and uses her as a battering ram on Ash in the corner. Slamovich drags Jayne out and covers for two. Slamovich covers Ash and gets two. A recovered Jayne starts slugging it out with Slamovich. Jayne slaps Slamovich and starts throwing forearms but Slamovich responds with a backfist. Jayne dumps Slamovich to the apron and destroys her with a knee lift. Jayne drapes Slamovich and hits a rolling neckbreaker but her cover is broken up at two by Ash.

Ash dumps Jayne to the floor before dragging Slamovich into a corner. Ash stomps on Slamovich’s gut and ascends. Ash’s second rope moonsault misses and as she’s on the canvas a recovered Jayne blasts Ash with a senton. Jayne covers for two. Jayne hits Slamovich with a running big boot and then mounts Slamovich on the top turnbuckle after slapping her. Jayne wants a superplex but Slamovich stops that with a headbutt. Jayne recovers with an enziguri before hitting a top rope rana on Slamovich. Jayne cracks Slamovich with a boot to the jaw but her cover is broken up by a flying Ash at two.

Ash covers Jayne for two as Fallon Henley places Jayne’s boot on the bottom rope. The Elegance Brand is pissed and comes over to confront Henley and Nyx. Nyx slugs Ash who’s pleading with her crew to not break out into violence. The ref sees this and ejects Henley and Nyx. While everyone yells Slamovich rolls up Ash for a quick two. Ash dumps Slamovich to the floor but Jayne recovers and pulls Ash down over the second rope. Jayne runs the apron but her kick is caught by Slamovich who hoists Jayne onto her shoulders and drops her face-first onto the apron. Ash ascends and hits Slamovich and Jayne with a cross-body on the floor. Ash rolls Slamovich back in and covers for two.

Slamovich fires up with kicks but Ash catches her leg and wallops Slamovich with a knee. Ash hits Slamovich with a tornado DDT. Ash hits a springboard moonsault on Slamovich but then eats an immediate knee from a recovered Jayne. Jayne covers Slamovich for two. Slamovich ducks a running knee attempt and rolls Jayne up for a LONG two. Jayne hits the Rolling Encore on Slamovich but her cover is broken up at two by the Elegance Brand yanking her out of the ring, which apparently the ref misses. Ash jumps up and hits a swanton on Slamovich. Ash covers for three.

This will continue the ongoing storyline of Fatal Influence’s slow disintegration. Jayne didn’t take the pin here so there will be rematches coming, but I think it’s good that TNA got a win here, especially on WWE television. WWE had been kind of dominating this relationship to a certain extent, and rightfully so, but they need to be good partners as well. Ash is a good choice for this and now the Elegance Brand controls the Knockouts World and Tag championships, so good for them. The match was good but chaotic, as expected. There was a big logic gap with the referee clearly being in a position to see the Elegance Brand yank Jayne out of the ring, though. Still, I enjoyed it a bunch. 3.5*

Winner and NEW TNA Knockouts Champion – Ash By Elegance (Swanton on Slamovich)

Ricky Saints joins Je’von Evans who’s stretching out and indicating his ribs hurt. Saints says he didn’t know if Evans would make it after the brutal bout with Trick Williams on Tuesday night. Evans congratulates Saints for beating Jasper Troy on that same show but admits that he’s sore from the Trick match. Saints says the Undertaker’s words should mean a lot and the entire WWE universe is behind Evans. (Ricky, you might want to check your math, pal. There’s a LOT of people who love Oba Femi.) Saints says Evans is the future of NXT and the WWE but indicates that if Evans wins he’s coming for the title. Evans says he understands but after the match NXT is going to be BOUNCY. Saints makes his exit.

Halloween Havoc will happen on October 25th. I’ll miss Shotzi this year.

Blake Monroe vs Jordynne Grace

Monroe slaps Grace just after the bell which serves to make Grace angry. Monroe bails and Grace chases right after. Monroe hides behind Vic Joseph before dodging Grace and getting back in the ring. Grace hits a Thesz press and starts dropping bombs. Monroe rolls Grace over and throws rights before Grace reverses to do the same thing. Grace blocks a punch and slaps Monroe in the face. Grace hits a rolling back slam on Monroe but Monroe recovers with a reverse headbutt. Grace catches Monroe’s big boot attempt and rolls into a twisting fall-away suplex. Monroe bails to the floor and Grace charges out after her.

Grace pops Monroe with a right and then yanks Monroe up for a fall-away slam on the floor. Grace yanks Monroe around the ring by her hair before scooping Monroe up onto her shoulders. Grace climbs the ring steps but Monroe grabs the ring post and slips off. Monroe yanks Grace down back-first on the top ring step to oohs and aahs from the crowd. Monroe yanks Grace’s arm across the top step before popping back in the ring. Grace makes it back in at eight as Monroe puts the boots to her.

Monroe slugs away at Grace’s injured upper arm. Monroe slams Grace arm-first on the mat before covering for one. Grace is draped over the first rope and Monroe runs her boot over Grace’s face repeatedly. Monroe hits a shotgun dropkick that sends Grace to the floor. Monroe yanks Grace’s arm three times onto the ring post after two failed attempts. Monroe rolls Grace in and covers for two.

Monroe puts a full nelson on a seated Grace. Monroe shifts that to an armbar attempt but Grace locks her hands to prevent it. Grace rolls Monroe over for two. Monroe stands up and calmly blasts Grace with a kick. Grace staggers to a corner where Monroe torques her injured arm over the top rope. After the ref break Monroe charges and eats a boot from Grace who then slips another Monroe charge. Grace backs hard into Monroe in the corner before whipping her into the opposite corner. Grace’s charge is met with a Monroe boot. (This is pretty tame so far for a grudge match, I have to say.) Monroe hits a sling blade and covers for two.

Monroe slaps on an octopus submission while cranking on Grace’s arm. Grace powers Monroe up and hits a slingshot back suplex in an impressive display of strength. (Booker name-drops Eddie Gilbert here after observing Grace’s slingshot. You should look him up kids, Gilbert was awesome.) Grace and Monroe go nose-to-nose and start throwing strong style forearms. After Monroe throws a kick that hits Grace’s arm, Grace fires up with chops and rights driving Monroe to a corner. Grace uses Monroe’s arms to drive her repeatedly into the top turnbuckle before rolling Monroe over for two vicious short-arm clotheslines. Grace misses a third but drives an elbow into Monroe’s jaw.

They run the ropes and Grace drops Monroe with a spinebuster. Grace doesn’t cover opting instead for a Jackhammer. Grace then covers and gets two. A frustrated Grace tends to her arm as Monroe rolls to a corner. Grace yanks Monroe’s feet over her shoulder as Monroe tears a bottom turnbuckle off while trying to prevent it. Grace hits a reverse Alabama Slam and a German before her bridging cover gets two. Grace pulls Monroe up and hits her with a forearm. Monroe blocks Grace and shifts her into a Skull Crushing Finale. Monroe slaps on a modified Fujiwara armbar but Grace powers out of it and crucifixes Monroe for two.

Monroe destroys Grace with a knee and covers for two. Monroe grabs a double underhook but Grace immediately powers out and backdrops Monroe over. Grace hoists Monroe on her shoulders and drops her in a bridging suplex as the ref counts two. Booker correctly points out Grace giving Monroe time to recover as Grace stomps away at a prone Monroe. Grace hoists Monroe again but she slips off and Monroe murders Grace with a headbutt. Grace shakes it off and hits a big back elbow. Grace charges and Monroe belts her again with a headbutt and a big knee lift. Monroe waffles Grace with a Saito suplex and covers for two.

Monroe kicks a dazed Grace’s arm and then mounts Grace on the top turnbuckle. Grace slaps her away and when Monroe charges back in to put headscissors on Grace she simply rises up and hits a second rope sit-out powerbomb. Grace covers for two as the crowd goes bonkers. (Now we’re cooking, kids.) Monroe kicks out at Grace’s arm and then drops her shoulder-first onto the previously-exposed turnbuckle. Monroe then stomps Grace’s head into the turnbuckle before hitting a double underhook DDT and covering for three.

I would assume that this will not be the feud-ender. Monroe put the work in tonight but Grace was excellent in defeat. I’m hoping that we’ll move to a No DQ or some type of stipulation match next that will allow them to do the violence I was sort of expecting in this one. Regardless, it’s a weird booking choice to have the school bully beat up the kid she’s been bullying previously, but here we are. I guess they didn’t want to job Monroe too early but Grace could use a big signature win at some point. This got wildly better as it went along. 3.5*

Winner – Blake Monroe (Double Underhook DDT)

Jaida Parker is talking with a bearded medico about her loss. Lash Legend enters to tell Parker she wasn’t beating Jayne anyway and neither will Vice. The only one to beat Jayne is the Bougie Bully. Parker points out Legend’s loss to Nia Jax. A quarrel ensues and I’m guessing we’ll see them fight soon, perhaps even Tuesday.

A dejected Jacy Jayne is backstage with Fallon Henley and Jazmyn Nyx. They happen upon Sarah Schreiber who Jayne berates for “trying to be an interviewer”. Jayne then turns to Nyx to scream at her about punching Ash By Elegance and getting her and Henley ejected. Lola Vice joins the scene to ask if there’s a problem. Jayne says there isn’t a problem and Vice says good, but losing the Knockouts title was a problem and losing the NXT title at No Mercy will be a problem. Sol Ruca and Zaria join the scene to make fun of Jayne losing the Knockouts title. Zaria plays interviewer and asks Ruca how it feels to be the only double champion in WWE and Ruca says it feels pretty good. Jayne says she’s sick and Fatal leaves as a group.

NXT is doing a show at Full Sail called Homecoming on September 16th. I wonder if we could get Mauro for that. I miss Mauro, man.

Mixed Tag: Tavion Heights and Tyra Mae Steele vs NXT Men’s North American Champion Ethan Page and Chelsea Green

Green is accompanied by the Secret Hervice as always and gets a pretty big pop from the Lowell crowd. Page comes out with a Canadian flag to Heights annoyance. It will be Steele and Green to start but Green seems reluctant at first.

When Steele gets frustrated she goes to tag Heights which causes Green to charge in. Steele drops her and grabs both of Green’s ankles to roll her around the ring. Steele lifts Green over her knees and when Page charges in Heights races in and trips Page onto Green’s midsection. Heights and Steele hoist Green and Page and dump them over the top rope to the floor. The crowd starts chanting “Can-A-Da” at this point and…sure. Page and Green stall and then Page grabs Mike Rome’s mic to berate the crowd for chanting and says they won’t get citizenship. (Full credit to Page here, this crowd is kind of off the rails right now. I know Green is very popular but yeesh.) Page and Heights tag in.

Page lifts a knee and then drops Heights with two big rights. (The crowd: “We want Chelsea!”. Yeah, so, they might have miscalculated on using Green here. She’s so over right now but getting face pops is probably not what they were looking for.) Heights reverses an irish whip but runs into a big boot from Page. Page drops two big elbows on a prone Heights. Page pulls Heights up and Heights fires up with a chop but Page puts a boot into Heights to stop it. Page belts Heights with a couple more rights and then runs Heights face-first into a corner turnbuckle. Page hits a big backdrop suplex and covers for two.

Page sinks in a side headlock as the crowd is now chanting for the Secret Hervice. Page tries a clothesline that misses as Heights comes firing out of the corner with his own clothesline. Page kicks Heights but he shakes it off and whips Page to a corner. They meet with headbutts and both are down. As Heights goes to tag Green sprints in and dropkicks Steele to the floor to a big pop. Page hits a codebreaker on Heights and covers for two.

Page tags Green in to a huge pop. Green goes to backhand Heights but he grabs it and Steele flies in to spear Green. Steele does some ground and pound before Green shakes her off. Steele dumps Green down and grabs her ankles. Steele launches Green into Page on the apron. Green trips Steele onto the second rope and then hits a running Meteora to the back of Steele. Green stomps Steele’s head as Page berates her from the apron. Green drags Steele away from the corner and covers for two.

A frustrated Green slams Steele’s head into the canvas a few times. Green pulls Steele up and runs her into a top turnbuckle. Green clearly calls a spot before they run the ropes and crash together in simultaneous cross-body attempts. They both struggle to their corners and tag in their male counterparts. Heights runs Page over with clotheslines as the crowd actually boos. Heights hits a giant throw on Page before dropping him with a two hand sling blade. Heights hits a massive powerslam and covers Page for two.

Heights runs the ropes and catches a knee from Green but when he stops to gripe at her a recovered Page kicks Heights in the stomach. Page and Heights meet with simultaneous big boots and both are down. Steele tags in and she just jumps right on Page to hit him with a fall-away slam. (Booker is apoplectic here for some reason.) Green charges in and gets hit with a Steele slingblade and spinebuster. Steele grabs Page but Alba Fyre jumps up to hold on to Page as Piper Niven distracts the ref. Fyre ends up in Page’s arms and Steele hits both of them with a fall-away slam. Steele puts Page in an ankle lock but he’s not legal. Heights charges in to whale on Page in the corner but as the ref tries to break that up Fyre hits a superkick on a turning Steele. Green hits Steele with an Unpretty-her and covers for three.

I don’t have the first clue what was going on here other than Chelsea Green is OVER in Lowell, MA. Mixed tags are hard to agent because of the rules and the heels had a clear numbers advantage so the booking makes sense. Steele looked very green at times as you would expect but Green seemed to get her through the sequences. Heights didn’t get to do much as Page kind of dominated when they were in together. I guess we’ll see if there’s a Heights-Page program coming but it wasn’t indicated here that any of this might need to continue. This didn’t do much for me and the crowd treating the heels as superstars didn’t help it. 2*

Winners – NXT Men’s North American Champion Ethan Page and Chelsea Green (Green Unpretty-her to Steele)

Oba Femi is warming up when he’s approached by Josh Briggs. Briggs asks what the number is of Femi’s title defenses is and Femi brushes it off to ask what Briggs wants. Briggs says he thinks the reign ends tonight because the grind of being champion is getting real. Femi says he appreciates Briggs’s “insignificant opinions” and tells him to leave. Briggs says no one is holding him back anymore and he’s coming for the title.

Sarah Schreiber is with Ava who announces that she’s bringing the men’s and women’s Speed titles to NXT. Women’s Speed Champion Sol Ruca and Zaria join the scene as Ava says Ruca will be defending the Speed title at No Mercy. There will be a tournament on September 2nd with someone from Raw, NXT, TNA and AAA facing off to see who draws Ruca at No Mercy. Ruca and Zaria slap five and leave. Vic Joseph also mentions that Ava has made Fatal Influence vs Lola Vice, Sol Ruca and Zaria for Tuesday night.

NXT Men’s Championship: Oba Femi (C) vs Je’von Evans

Joseph points out that Lowell was where Evans got his jaw broken by Ethan Page so it’s all coming full circle for him. Mike Rome does in-ring intros and we’re off.

Evans slips Femi and punches him to start. Femi catches Evans leg and dumps him but Evans bails to the apron. Evans goes behind and grabs a waistlock but Femi just tosses him off. Femi trucks Evans over as Evans grabs his ribs. Evans tries a sneaky charge but Femi waves it off. Evans ducks a clothesline but his response chop is barely registered by Femi. Evans reverses Femi to a corner and chops him twice but Femi fires out a right hand and kick to stop the momentum. Evans pops Femi in the mouth and Femi responds with a kick to the gut. Evans slips out of a powerbomb attempt and chops Femi. Evans tries his springboard cutter but Femi catches him to stop it. Femi hoists Evans high over his head and then trucks Evans again sending him flying.

Femi tosses Evans ribs-first into a turnbuckle and then puts a right into Evans gut. Femi clubbers away and then kicks Evans in the back. Femi whips Evans into a baseball slide that ends on the apron. When Femi charges Evans bounces to the opposite side of the corner and hits Femi with a shoulder. Evans again tries a springboard and Femi catches him and slaps on a bear hug. Evans elbows his way out and ends up in a corner. Femi charges and catches Evans boot attempt. Femi snaps Evans leg down but Evans immediately snaps off a superkick that staggers Femi. Femi realizes he’s in a fight and Evans hits another superkick and covers for one.

Evans leaps into the corner and ascends. Femi lifts his knees but Evans sees it and lands on his feet. Evans hits a double stomp and a running kick on Femi. Evans hits a slingshot hurricanrana on Femi and follows it with a dropkick that sends Femi to the floor. Evans wants a tope but Femi catches him on the way through the ropes. Evans kicks his way out of it but Femi responds with an enormously loud slap to Evans chest. (YOWCH!) Femi presses Evans over his head and drops him back in the ring over the top rope.

Femi stalks in and kicks Evans before standing on him in the corner. Femi pulls Evans up for a drop on his knees to Evans ribs. Femi holds Evans up again and drops him with a double gutbster before covering for two. Femi grabs a rear chinlock. Evans makes his feet and yanks Femi up but Femi shifts his weight and lands on top of Evans. Femi gets a two count and then starts stomping on Evans. Femi puts Evans over his shoulder but Evans slips off onto the apron. Evans slides in and punches Femi in the face before hitting a double stomp from his back to Femi’s jaw. Femi shakes it off and hits a charging Evans with an enormous spinebuster. Femi gets a LONG two.

Femi whips Evans into a corner and then repeats it after Evans takes an age to rise. Femi mocks Evans and flexes as Booker and Joseph speculate who can beat him if he wins this match. Femi tries another whip but Evans stops it and kicks a charging Femi. Evans wallops Femi with rights but his last one is slipped as Femi hoists Evans up for a backbreaker over his knee. Femi hits an enormous chokeslam and covers Evans for two.

Femi clubbers away while talking trash. Evans fires up the crowd and starts throwing rights. Femi drops Evans to the apron but gets popped with another right. Evans hits a springboard cross-body and his bouncy spinning Pele kick twice. Evans covers and gets two. Evans hits a rolling DDT but he can’t make the cover. Evans ascends and hits a bad looking frog splash that comes up short and both guys are down. Evans is up first and ascends again to actually wipe out Femi with a great frog splash. Evans gets a LONG two.

Evans throws some punches but a revived Femi rocks Evans with a forearm. Femi boots Evans but misses a charge as Evans ducks behind to German the champion. Femi no-sells it entirely and crushes Evans with a lariat. Femi hits a couple uppercuts but his third attempt is countered into a cutter by Evans. Evans tries for a springboard move but Femi destroys him with another uppercut. Femi covers for two.

Femi hoists Evans up on his shoulders and tries to ascend as Evans starts elbowing him. Evans slips off and roundhouses Femi in the back. Evans ascends so Femi calmly pushes him off but Evans hits the ref and sends him flying. Evans tries for a rana which he eventually hits. Femi hoists a charging Evans who snaps off another cutter. Evans hits his springboard cutter and a second ref charges in to count three. The first ref has recovered and sees Femi’s foot under the ropes and waves the count off.

Evans tries for a Middle of the Road and misses. Femi picks up a fallen Evans and as God is my witness, tosses Evans from the ring all the way through the announce table. The crowd is going apeshit at that. (Joseph: “OBA FEMI WITH NO REGARD FOR HUMAN LIFE!”) Femi hits the Fall From Grace and the ref counts three.

I’d say that’s what I expected except for the gigantic table spot. Evans fought from underneath the whole way and had his moments. Femi is just so physically dominant it’s scary at times. The crowd was very much into it and acted appropriately considering the nonsense in the prior match. 4.5*

Post-match sees Ricky Saints come out and get in Femi’s face. They talk trash to each other and we’re out.

What a heel-heavy show this was if you assume that Femi is a heel despite everyone loving the guy. I feel like Shawn took the easy way out with a lot of this but I knew they were going to run with Darkstate at some point. It wasn’t terrible booking per se, just a lot of heel wins that make the event feel less fun, at least to me. Your mileage can and will probably vary. I’m going thumbs in the middle here because it just felt kind of muted to me overall. Maybe a second viewing would help, I don’t know. Tell me your thoughts in the comments.

Thanks for reading and commenting as always. Have a good Monday and be sure to visit all the recappers this week.