NXT Review – 09.02.25

How did we get here, let’s find out: Smackdown | Impact | RAW | Clash In Paris

Then, Now, Forever…TOGETHER

NXT comes to us from the beautiful Performance Center in Orlando, FL. 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 apparently no one on backstage interviews and news updates.

Here’s Ricky Saints, NXT Men’s Champion Oba Femi, and Hank & Tank walking in to the arena (separately) prior to their big eight man tag team match against Darkstate.

Jaida Parker vs Lash Legend

After some early chippiness, Parker slaps Legend and talks trash. Legend bullies Parker to a corner and rams the shoulder in several times. Legend hoists Parker onto her shoulder but Parker slips off and rams Legend into a corner and runs her shoulder in several times. Legend fights Parker off and trucks her in the middle of the ring. Legend hits a splash for two. (Joseph: “There had to have been one guy you really wanted to punch in the mouth.” Booker: “There’s one sitting right next to me.”) Legend catches Parker around her back and smashes her head between the second and third ropes. Parker slides off and tries for a sunset flip as Legend flails her arms wildly. Parker gives it up and just slugs Legend in the chest. Parker starts working Legend’s left arm before rolling her over and getting two. Legend slugs her way out of a wristlock and hoists Parker up.

Parker slips off again and ends up on the apron where she shoulders Legend. Je’von Evans is shown in a separate window walking in to the arena shaking his head in his first appearance since Heatwave. Parker ascends and kind of slips off but her cross-body connects with Legend as the ref counts two. Legend fires up but Parker slips her charge and mounts Legend over the second rope in a corner. Parker tries her springboard butt drop move but Legend grabs Parker’s throat and hits a massive chokeslam. Legend covers for two. We go to picture-in-picture commercials.

During PIP Legend lifts a knee that drops Parker. Legend drives her knee into Parker’s back and pulls up on her chin. Parker manages to sit which forces Legend into a side headlock instead. Parker tries to fight her way out after making her feet but Legend lifts a knee and then fires Parker to a corner. Legend’s subsequent charge is met by Parker’s boot. Legend shakes it off and bullies Parker along the ropes with right hands. Legend hits Parker with a lariat and covers for two. Legend and Parker are on their knees so Legend grabs a bear hug for some reason. Legend finally gets to her feet and turns it into a proper bear hug.

Back to full screen with Parker fighting her way out of the bear hug. Parker comes off the ropes to a massive chest slap from Legend. Legend slams Parker and tries for another splash but Parker senses it and slips away. Parker fires up with punches but her shoulder tackle attempt is no-sold by the bigger Legend. They run the ropes some more and Parker finally is able to spear Legend down. They slug it out mid-ring until Parker is able to go behind and hit a Backstabber. Parker hits a Blockbuster and covers for two.

A dazed Legend lifts a knee after Parker comes off the ropes. Legend hits a swinging backbreaker over her knee and covers Parker for two. Parker staggers to a corner and then manages to slip Legend’s charge as Legend goes shoulder-first into the ring post. Parker mounts Legend over the second rope again and then finally gets to hit her butt drop from the top rope. Parker hoists Legend up for a Samoan Drop but Legend eases her way out of the ring to prevent a cover. Legend smashes Parker with a big boot before hitting Parker with the Lash Extension on the announcer table. Legend tosses Parker back in, hits a second Lash Extension, and covers Parker for three.

Slow and sloppy and I’ll be honest, Parker could have used this win. Legend is clearly meant to be on the main soon and wouldn’t be hurt with a loss so this booking puzzles me. The post-match attack means we’re having more matches between these two so I guess Parker will even things up at some point. 2.5*

Winner – Lash Legend (Lash Extension)

Post-match sees an angry Parker attack Legend in the aisle. Parker runs Legend into the ring steps. As Legend crawls away Parker hits Hipnotic that destroys Legend and a gimmicked part of the barrier.

Stacks Lorenzo and Arianna Grace are canoodling when they’re approached by Blake Monroe. Monroe and Grace bond over MAYBELLINE before Monroe gripes about Jordynne Grace. Arianna assures Monroe that she and Jordynne are not related despite the obvious name connection. Jordynne Grace enters and Monroe scampers away, but Grace has upset Evolve Women’s Champion Kali Armstrong who Grace attacked during her blind rage at Blake Monroe about six weeks ago. Armstrong says Grace now has a problem with her.

Je’von Evans appears to be on his way to the ring as we go to commercials.

After Evans makes his entrance he tells the crowd that he doesn’t think he can be his normal happy self after Heatwave. Evans says he thought he had it after he beat Trick Williams in Philadelphia but something felt different at Heatwave. Evans says his nerves and excitement lead him to call his younger sister to tell her he was about to become NXT champion and then he didn’t accomplish it. Oba Femi got his foot under the rope as Evans heard the ref count three and in that moment Evans lost focus and Femi pounced. Evans apologizes to the crowd for letting them down and the crowd starts chanting “No!” and “We Still Love You” at Evans. A motorcycle is shown arriving and then there’s a GONG as the crowd erupts.

Sadly, it’s Josh Briggs with a microphone. Briggs says Evans is everything he hates about the NXT locker room. Briggs tells Evans he should have demanded a rematch with Femi but he didn’t and now Ricky Saints has stepped to the front of the line. Evans tells Briggs he knows he’s trying to “big bro” Evans and he’s really not in the mood for it. Briggs tells Evans he’ll never beat Femi and as Evans is questioning how Briggs happens to know this Briggs snaps and kicks Evans down. Briggs stomps on Evans a few times and then goes for a chair from ringside. (Joseph: “I wish Briggs had fallen off that damn bike onto a porcupine!”) Briggs sets up the chair and chokeslams Evans on it (It looked like the back of Evans head hit the chair seat and the crowd is in shock.) Briggs stands over a devastated Evans.

I liked where Evans was going with his promo. Briggs feels like he might actually have go-away heat with the NXT crowd at this point. The chokeslam at the end was NASTY and they did not show a replay, thankfully.

THE NXT FOCUS PRESENTED BY PROGRESSIVE is on Xia Brookside and Candice LeRae ahead of their Women’s Speed Tournament match tonight.

Hank and Tank are in the locker room with Oba Femi and Ricky Saints who are warming up. Hank says he knows tensions are a bit high between Saints and Femi but they need to focus only on Darkstate. Tank talks up maybe getting another shot at the tag titles if they win while reminding Saints and Femi about the revenge they can extract for last week‘s attack. Hank and Tank want some more calories prior to the match so they leave and Saints reminds Femi that he better be locked in tonight.

NXT Women’s Speed Championship Tournament: Xia Brookside vs Candice LeRae

As a reminder, Speed tournament matches have a three minute time limit. Brookside immediately rolls up LeRae for one. Brookside slides into a sunset flip that gets two. LeRae lifts a knee but Brookside shakes it off to hit a rana on LeRae. LeRae staggers to a corner but she recovers in time to slip Brookside’s charge. Brookside lifts a boot and then hits another rana on a dazed LeRae. Brookside hits a dropkick on LeRae that sends her to a corner. Brookside hits a running Meteora and a side Russian leg sweep before covering and getting two.

LeRae recovers and catches Brookside’s charge. LeRae mounts Brookside on the top turnbuckle before calmly pushing her off all the way to the floor. LeRae notices the time dwindling so she sprints out and tosses Brookside back in. Brookside catches LeRae in a roll up that gets two. LeRae hits a Baisaku knee but Brookside escapes LeRae’s subsequent springboard moonsault attempt. Brookside snaps off a Codebreaker and covers LeRae for two.

Brookside mounts LeRae on a top turnbuckle but LeRae fights her way out of it and hits a tornado DDT. LeRae hits a senton on Brookside’s lower back. LeRae hits her springboard moonsault and covers for three. Candice LeRae is in the semifinal of the Speed tournament with a shot to face Sol Ruca if she can defeat either Faby Apache or Lainey Reid.

I like the Speed concept but it really doesn’t allow for any selling whatsoever due to the time constraints. This was fine for a sprint and Brookside looked decent in defeat. 2.25*

Winner – Candice LeRae (springboard moonsault)

Chase U and High Ryze are in the locker room when Josh Briggs comes strolling in. High Ryze leave immediately but Kale Dixon and Uriah Connors decide to confront Briggs over his attack on Je’von Evans. Briggs tells them to mind their business as Andre Chase wades in to break up the conflict. Briggs insults Chase so Dixon and Connors challenge Briggs on his behalf and then leave to talk to Ava in order to set that up (Andre is going to get hurt tonight. Also, I didn’t even bother mentioning Dante Chen who was randomly also in this scene but never said a word and just slinked out during the confrontation.) We go to commercials.

Izzi Dame, Tatum Paxley, Sol Ruca and Zaria are in NXT GM Ava‘s office. Fatal Influence arrive and NXT Women’s Champion Jacy Jayne asks if they’ve been invited to the wrong meeting. Ava assures her that they haven’t come to the wrong meeting and says she’s been talking with Adam Pearce and Nick Aldis about an NXT team getting a women’s tag team title shot. Verbals break out and Zaria calmly holds up Ava’s “Stop Talking” sign when Henley insults her. Ava announces a triple threat tag elimination (!) match next week and the winners will get a shot at Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss’s titles.

I really REALLY like elimination matches for the psychology involved so I’m hoping this will be cool next week, although the three way aspect of it means No DQ as well which I don’t love. I guess we’ll see.

Booker is gleeful about the Ava announcement as Joseph throws to comments from Darkstate about the main event. They talk about their shared histories and how they bonded over disrespect and being overlooked.

This promo was very good, quite frankly. I’m still very much in the “show me” phase with this group, though.

Here’s TNA Men’s World Champion Trick Williams on his way to the ring as we go to commercials.

Trick makes his entrance and talks about how he’s the greatest and hottest NXT superstar who ever lived. Trick mentions that no one from NXT history said a word to the contrary which clearly means they know Trick is right or they don’t care about NXT any longer. Trick says he can’t blame the alumni at all because as soon as he gets his big contract from either Raw or Smackdown he’ll never been seen again either. Trick says all the favorites that the crowd loves don’t love them back.

DIY‘s music hits and here’s Tomasso Ciampa and John Wrestling because you can’t insult NXT on their watch. The crowd chants “Welcome Home” as noted uber-heel Ciampa makes the heart sign with his hands. Gargano clarifies that as alumni they do love the NXT crowd. Gargano tells the crowd that today is the 10th anniversary of he and Ciampa’s NXT debut and calls Trick the “greatest NXT superstar in history”. Ciampa asks Gargano of all the superstars and future hall-of-famers that came through the PC no one is better than “Trick Willie”? Gargano points out Trick’s two NXT title reigns and then reminds everyone that Ciampa was a two time champ as well. Ciampa points out that Trick held the North American title as well but Gargano held that belt on three separate occasions. Ciampa sadly points out that neither of them were TNA champion but that Gargano was the first ever triple crown champion in NXT when he won the tag titles with Ciampa. Gargano shouts out Finn Balor, Bayley, the Undisputed Era and Bobby Roode and says the one thing they all had in common was love for the fans and passion for the brand.

Ciampa says there were two guys who bled black and gold and defined an era. Ciampa gets mad and whips Trick’s sunglasses off to remind him to look at Ciampa when he’s talking. Ciampa says the tag team that the fans love is DIY. Trick tells Ciampa to never touch him again and that Ciampa couldn’t “even beat my girl’s ass”. Trick says he came along and kicked all of DIY’s accolades back to medieval times where they belong. Trick gets a shot in on Carmelo Hayes and once again proclaims himself the greatest of all time. Ciampa doesn’t want to talk about it so he pushes Trick, who then walks into a Gargano superkick. DIY hit the Meeting in the Middle and leave Trick laying to a huge ovation.

This was fun and Trick getting clowned by two main roster guys isn’t a horrible development given his wildly oversized egotistical character.

Je’von Evans is in medical as Ava comes in to check on him. Ava wants Evans to promise her that he won’t interfere in the Josh Briggs-Andre Chase match tonight and she’ll give him Briggs one on one next week if he complies. Evans agrees so Ava has some security goofs escort him away.

Here’s a video package on Kali Armstrong as we go to commercials. I’m guessing she’s not long for Evolve given she’s gotten two segments and a match tonight. Sorry Sonic.

Here’s a very grumpy Tavion Heights giving NXT Men’s North American Champion Ethan Page his Canadian flag back while Ava stands between them. Heights clarifies he doesn’t have a problem with Canada, just one “maple syrup sipping ass” who happens to be Page. Ava makes a “flag match” for next week to Page’s chagrin as Heights vows to make Page acknowledge the American flag.

Evolve Women’s Champion Kali Armstrong vs Jordynne Grace

Armstrong charges at the bell but Grace slips it and kicks Armstrong a few times in the mid-section. Grace whips Armstrong hard into a corner but when she approaches Armstrong reverses and starts whaling away. Armstrong whips Grace to a corner and then hits a big back body drop when Grace staggers back. Armstrong shoulders Grace in a corner before walloping Grace with a huge right hand.

Grace lifts a knee and then slips two Armstrong charges before delivering a big back elbow. Grace chops away at Armstrong and then pulls her down to smack her with double fists to the back. Grace hits a rolling facebuster and then slaps on a Camel Clutch. Armstrong gets her strong arms free and hoists Grace to drive her back-first into a corner. Grace won’t release the hold and turns it into a sleeper. Armstrong manages to whip Grace over and then cracks Grace with an elbow when she staggers back over. Armstrong whips Grace’s head into the second turnbuckle and we go to commercials.

Back live with Armstrong stretching Grace over her knee. Grace hits a couple of knee lifts to break it up. Grace gets a back double under-hook and rams Armstrong face-first into a top turnbuckle. Grace tries a backslide but when Armstrong slips out Grace waffles her with a short lariat. Grace hits a second lariat and then hits a springboard lariat before covering and getting two. Armstrong fires up with rights and then hits a charging Grace with a snap powerslam. Armstrong’s cover gets a two count. Armstrong runs the ropes but Grace recovers to waffle her with a back elbow. Grace hits a scary looking Beast Mode and covers for three.

Kali had one awkward spot which was the snap powerslam and otherwise she made a very good accounting of herself here considering their relative positions on the card and in the company. She’s definitely one to watch and has good size, she just needs reps. Grace gave her a lot of offense that we got to see, and this was a good showcase for Armstrong even with the loss. Grace better be careful with the Beast Mode driver because Armstrong is big enough that Jordynne barely cleared dumping Kali right on her neck. 2.75*

Winner – Jordynne Grace (Beast Mode driver)

Post-match sees Blake Monroe charge out for some fisticuffs with Grace. Grace reverses an irish whip and fires Monroe into the ring steps. A bunch of security goofs charge out to break it up. Monroe comes up bleeding from the mouth and is shaking with rage (Unless Grace potatoed her I think this might have been a blood capsule just for the ending visual.)

Here’s a video package on Lola Vice who’s the new number one contender to Jacy Jayne’s NXT Women’s Championship. She gives some background on growing up in Miami and being Cuban-American. Vice recently returned to her old neighborhood and was greeted by a lot of family and friends. We get comments from Vice’s mother and little sister. There’s more to come of this promo series and it will apparently include Vice’s father.

Andre Chase vs Josh Briggs

Neither guy gets an entrance and Chase is seconded by Kale Dixon and Uriah Connors. Briggs runs over Chase to start and then hits a big back elbow. Briggs goes to cover but Chase is under the ropes. Briggs clubbers away but when he whips Chase to a corner Chase fires off a back elbow to stop the momentum. Chase hits a rana that spills Briggs to the floor. Chase hits a back kick from the apron but when he tries a cross-body Briggs catches him and rams Chase’s back into the ring post. We go to picture-in-picture commercials.

During PIP Briggs slugs Chase and then dumps him back in. Briggs runs Chase hard into a corner and then berates Dixon and Connors as Chase writhes in agony. Briggs drops a standing elbow and covers for two. Briggs clubbers away but misses a fist drop. Chase slips a Briggs corner charge and rolls Briggs up for two. Briggs shakes that off and clobbers Chase with a back elbow. Briggs whips Chase into a sitting position and then kicks him in the back. Chase tries some rights in response but Briggs calmly wallops him again to break that flurry up. Briggs covers Chase for two. Chase recovers to nail Briggs with an enziguri and then starts clubbering Briggs in a corner. Chase tries for a bulldog but Briggs shakes it off and hits Chase with a side slam. Briggs covers for another two. Briggs slaps on a rear chinlock which Chase eventually breaks out of with elbows and a right. Briggs immediately cuts that off.

Back to full screen with a recovered Chase hitting a swinging DDT on Briggs. Chase gets a LONG two count that the crowd totally bought into. Briggs shakes it all off and hits a big bodyslam before covering Chase for two. (The crowd: “Chase, you can stay. Briggs, go away!” in the Euro way of chanting. It’s hysterical how much this crowd does not like Josh Briggs. Joseph also mentions Briggs copying Undertaker moves but says he looked like the “American Lameass” when he came out to the ring. What a wild match this is.) Briggs mounts Chase and wants a superplex, but Chase fights his way out of it. Chase headbutts Briggs down but he walks into a big Briggs Bossman Slam. Chase reverses a lift into a Stunner and ascends. Chase hits a cross-body and covers Briggs for a LONG two. Chase hits a superkick on a prone Briggs and then a second, but Briggs catches the third one and whips Chase down with a chokeslam. Briggs hits a running big boot and covers Chase for three.

Andre Chase and his crew are the very definition of “lower mid-card” but Chase is still wildly over with the NXT crowd who were desperate to see him get a three count here. Briggs is getting a push right now and you all are going to have to tell me if you’re buying into it because I’m not. This match was typical Briggs lately where he just cuts everything off immediately and gets his power shit in. Like, he gave Chase a couple of long two counts but then just popped up and kept on going. Not my cup of tea. The crowd was INTO it though. 3*

Winner – Josh Briggs (running big boot)

Post-match sees Briggs roll out to attack Dixon on the floor and run him into the barrier. Connors charges over and Briggs snatches him up for a chokeslam that utterly destroys the announce table. Briggs stares at the carnage.

Trick Williams is leaving the building when he’s asked for a comment about being attacked by DIY (There’s no designated backstage person tonight which is weird. They couldn’t get Saxton for a night?) Williams vows to see DIY next week.

Joseph runs down next week’s card. Ricky Saints makes his entrance for the main event as we go to commercials.

Darkstate vs NXT Men’s Champion Oba Femi, Ricky Saints and Hank & Tank

Shugars starts with Tank. Shugars gets the early advantage and bullies Tank to the heel corner. Lennox tags in and crushes Tank with a running lariat. Lennox covers for one. James tags in and Tank gets a sneaky crucifix roll up for one. Tank hits a back elbow and tags in Hank. Hank hits a running splash in a neutral corner and then bulldogs James. Tank hits a senton and exits while Hank covers James for two.

Saints tags in and starts walloping James with chops. Saints grabs James by the hand so he can ropewalk to tag in Femi. Saints comes off with a clubbing fist as Femi enters to throw shoulders into James. James sneaks in a right hand that doesn’t phase Femi in the slightest. Femi clobbers James with a forearm. Femi drags James into the corner but when Saints sticks his hand out Femi jerks his away. (That’s VERY rude, Oba. I bet nothing will come of this later. Harf.) Femi mocks Saints signature pose as the crowd and Hank & Tank crack up. Femi drives James down with a lariat as things get serious again. Saints, Hank and Tank all charge in as the rest of Darkstate does the same. Darkstate save for James all get sent to the floor as the faces have the ring. They hit a four way HONK HONK on James who goes to the floor. Saints and Femi do playful pats on each other that soon turn slightly more physical. We go to picture-in-picture commercials.

During PIP everyone yells at each other before James climbs back in. James reverses a Femi irish whip and hits the champ with a big back elbow. Lennox tags in and he whales away at Femi in the Darkstate corner. Lennox wants a suplex but Femi fights his way out and boots Lennox to the mat. Femi drags Lennox to the face corner and tags in Hank. Femi holds Lennox’s arm so Hank can come off the second rope to pound Lennox’s elbow. Hank gives Darkstate some guff before grabbing a wristlock. Tank tags in and he hits the same second rope elbow shot that Hank did. Tank tags in Femi to do the same spot. Femi decides not to do it so he just clobbers Lennox with a fist. Femi trucks Lennox and then tags in Saints. Femi hits a backbreaker over his knee on Lennox as Saints ascends. Before Saints can come off Femi gets impatient and hits another backbreaker on Lennox. Saints covers for two as Femi exits. Tank tags in and kicks Lennox in the gut as Hank tags in. Hank hits a lariat and snaps Lennox over for a two count.

Back to full screen with Lennox recovering to tag in Griffin who tags in Shugars. All four Darkstate goons attack Hank and now James is apparently legal as he drives a knee into Hank’s back. Darkstate exchange tags and all four take turns clobbering Hank in their corner. This sequence ends with a Griffin powerslam on Hank before Griffin covers for two. Griffin puts on a weird side-headlock and cuts off Hank’s aborted comeback with an irish whip into a neutral corner. Griffin chokes Hank over the second rope and then clobbers him with uppercuts. Tank flies down the apron to save Hank from another irish whip. This allows Hank to fly out and clothesline Griffin down.

Lennox and Tank tag in and Tank wipes out all of Darkstate. Tank hits a springboard elbow on Lennox as Saints tags in. Saints hits a tornado DDT on Lennox who stumbles over to his corner as Shugars tags in. Saints runs the ropes and when Femi tags him in the back of the head an argument breaks out. Shugars charges over and Femi ends up hoisting him and tossing him onto Saints. Saints takes exception and after Femi wipes out some Darkstate guys Saints just openly slugs Femi. Femi clotheslines Saints over the top rope to the floor and they fight up the aisle to the back.

Hank and Tank hit HONK HONK on Shugars as Joseph points out the numbers disadvantage they’re now under. They want to try for their finisher but a recovered James yanks Tank down and crotches him on a ringpost. Shugars rakes Hank’s eyes and all of Darkstate tags in because that’s what we do now. Tank recovers to break up whatever they were planning and he yanks Griffin to the floor. Tank runs Griffin into the ring steps as Hank and Lennox slug it out. James runs Hank over with a clothesline. James grabs Hank by the throat and says “No one is saving you now.” Hank cries out “JOE HENDRY!” and well…

A smiling Joe Hendry appears on the ring apron causing James to run right into the Hank and Tank combo finisher. Hank covers James for three as Shugars cannot make it in to break it up.

I wouldn’t call it a masterpiece or anything but at least the babyfaces won and the crowd ate up Hendry’s appearance at the end. Darkstate as a group is getting more watchable but they’re still working through the green-ness of James and Griffin. The Femi-Saints dust-up felt inevitable but at least this puts Hank and Tank back in the frame for a rematch with Griffin and Lennox. This is your match of the night but just barely. 3.5*

Winners – NXT Men’s Champion Oba Femi, Ricky Saints and Hank & Tank (Hank/Tank combo finisher on James)

Joseph again runs down next week’s card and Hank & Tank celebrate with Joe Hendry. Femi and Saints are still fighting backstage as the credits roll.

A breezy episode tonight and I mostly enjoyed it. The crowd was hot all night and enjoyed the DIY return and Joe Hendry’s appearance very much. Thumbs up from me for the show in general but there’s work to be done to get all of these stacked up cards in line – Homecoming, No Mercy and Halloween Havoc are all within six weeks of each other. Shawn has his work cut out for himself.

Thanks for reading, thanks for commenting, and thanks for being an awesome group. Have a great Wednesday.