November 28th, 2023
Performance Center
Orlando, Florida
WWE NXT Tag Team Title Match
The Family (Channing Lorenzo & Tony D’Angelo) (c) vs. Angel Garza & Humberto Carrillo
Background:
2 weeks ago, The Family got in the face of Garza and Carrillo backstage when they were confronting Edris Enofe and Malik Blade over wanting a shot at the NXT Tag Team Titles. The following week, Carrillo and Garza beat Enofe and Carrillo, then wound up outside the Italian restaurant that The Family were at and attacked them in the parking lot!
The Match:
A ferocious beginning to the match, as Carrillo and Garza and the Family are brawling during their entrance. Stacks with his usual dive to the outside early on. I’m just wondering when the Legal Eagle Luca Crucifino will be put with the Family as their personal Lawyer?
Carrillo and Garza need a team name by the way, but they both seem to really gel together as a team and I hope when they eventually go back up to the main roster they do something with them. I wish people would stop doing exploders in the corner, sorry Tony.
The brothers were really performing at a high level in this one, Stacks and Tony are firing on all cylinders as well! A low blow is hit on Stacks, followed by a double underhook Piledriver by Garza for a 2 count, and when Stacks kicked out and lifted his arm/shoulder up, he low blowed the HELL out of Garza. They hit the Bada Bing Bada Boom, and they retained! Great match.
Aftermath:
I assume Carrillo and Garza will be heading back to the Main Roster soon, and The Family will continue on with their reign.
Winner/s: STILL NXT Tag Team Champions, The Family in 12:28.
Earlier Today, Nathan Frazer, the world’s biggest bellend, was sitting down next to Axiom discussing Ilja Dragunov and Baron Corbins differing lifestyles. Then Mr Foot In Mouth, Nathan Frazer decided it was time to give his stupid ‘hard hitting home truth’ and say that Baron Corbins lifestyle was better than Dragunov’s sacrifice for his family, and of course, Ilja walked into the scene after over hearing it and now Nathan is hopefully going to get his face smacked in later when he battles Ilja Dragunov. I really hope his gimmick becomes the guy that everyone hates because then he’d already be living the gimmick.
Jerry ‘The King’ Lawler gives his picks for the Iron Survivor Challenge and he looks old and it cut off the last part of his video. None of the picks really came across as realistic either, he was definitely reading off a script. Crikey.
There’s a Johnny Gargano vignette, and he will be performing in the Main Event later on.
Brooks Jensen and Fallon Henley are talking to Josh Briggs about him qualifying for the Iron Survivor Challenge. There is no way they have been talking about this for a full week together, and are still talking about it?
What do you know, Lexis King interrupts because we need to put him in a match later so we’ll get him to just randomly walk upto somebody and antagonize them because the writers are so lazy sometimes. That’s literally the second time on this show now that somebody has walked into a shot whilst somebody else is talking and it’s lead to a match. Dude, come on.
Somehow they end up in a confrontation. Lexis tried to introduce himself to Fallon, and blah blah now we have a match and didn’t even need to ask the Boss if that’s okay, the wrestlers can book their own matches!
Nikkita Lyons is shown in the crowd psyched about her return and there’s a few reasons to be excited about that.
Iron Survivor Challenge Qualifying Match
Kiana James vs. Kelani Jordan
Background:
As chosen by Jerry ‘The King’ Lawler, the winner of this bout goes to NXT Deadline and qualifies for the Iron Survivor Challenge Match. Garza and Carrillo got some heat on Tony.
The Match:
Roxanne Perez is going to do something to get involved. Kiana will probably lose this one. Kelani Jordan is actually really likely to be my personal Rookie of the Year, she has really impressed me from day dot. Kiana does a good job staying in character as she wrestles. Kelani is seriously so impressive, shes so atheletic and a real athlete.
Okay Kelani got flapjacked face first into the announce table and Vic Joseph throws to commercial break straight away, that’s hilarious, no concern for her at all. Super annoying though because I was enjoying the match. Kiana hit a 401k, and then Roxanne is seen ringing the bell which is absolute bullshit, to distract Kiana, and Kelani kicks her in the head, then a split legged moonsault to get the pin.
Aftermath:
Kiana and Roxanne are clearly going to do battle at Deadline, and Kelani moves through to the Iron Survivor Challenge.
Winner: Kelani Jordan in 10:14.
Cameron Grimes has a vignette, he will be in the Main Event later too. I assume all former North American Champions are doing battle.
Alpha Academy are backstage talking to a camera. They challenge Meta Four to a 6 person Mixed Tag Team Match next week! Well that’s exciting.
We finally get some CCTV footage of Trick Williams being backstage all those weeks ago and we still don’t know who attacked him, and the footage depicts Lexis King as the one that did it, but… it’s inconclusive.
Andre Chase Press Conference
We find out that Chase University is in debut, through gambling and the misplacement of funds that they’re in financial peril. This was very fun and I love seeing Andre Chase in literally any kind of scenario.
Iron Survivor Challenge Qualifying Match
Eddy Thorpe vs. Bron Breakker
Background:
As chosen by Jerry ‘The King’ Lawler, the winner of this bout goes to NXT Deadline and qualifies for the Iron Survivor Challenge Match.
The Match:
I am hopeful that Bron gets through Eddy in a short amount of time here. Booker and Vic talk about why Gulak and his boys targeted Thorpe and it’s simple, it’s for no reason. In a great back and forth, Bron got the pin with a spear.
Aftermath:
Bron Breakker goes to Deadline and qualifies for the Iron Survivor Challenge. I’d be surprised if the Thorpe/Gulak feud makes it that far but you never know.
Winner: Bron Breakker in 10:13.
Trick Williams and Melo are steamed backstage over Lexis King. Williams wants retribution but also reserves himself with the Iron Survivor challenge around the corner. Melo still plans to do something about it tonight.
Roxanne Perez walks into the Womens locker room and is whinging about life again, and how if she can’t be in it, Kiana James isn’t going to be in the Iron Survivor Challenge. Then Ava, the former Schism member, now a fully accepted member of the Women’s Locker room, informed Roxanne there was a second chance for eliminated people to get qualified. Then Tiffany Stratton, who HAS JUST DISAPPEARED the last few weeks in comparison to a few months ago when she was getting lots of TV time, gets in Roxanne’s face and violently pie faces her! I burst into laughter.
Roxanne attacks because she’s a psychopath whos always fighting backstage, and Kiana nails Roxanne from behind. Notice how all the ladies were getting along prior to Roxanne walking into the room? She’s a little bitch.
Bronson Reed pops up and he too, will be in the main event.
Non Title Match
Ilja Dragunov vs. Nathan Frazer
Background:
Nathan got caught saying the wrong thing, and he got in the shit with Ilja who overheard him, and now he’s gonna have to pay the piper.
The Match:
I cant wait for this. The fans conducting is so messed up, but awesome as well, it’s grown on me. Felt like the fans didn’t react well to Nathan. Ilja is so intense, hes just very entertaining to watch!
I’ll give Nathan some credit, he’s athletic and his selling and bumping is pretty good. The match was very good and ferocious, the crowd were into it, and he hit 3 H Bombs and got a decisive win, and Nathan is exactly the way I want him, out cold.
Baron Corbin shows up on the big screen and talks some smack. This run in NXT has really done so much for Baron and given him the chance to be the Baron Corbin he was always supposed to be.
Aftermath:
Ilja and Baron have a lot of heat going into Deadline, this should be something special!
Winner: Ilja Dragunov in 5:25.
Lyra Valkyria interview with McKenzie Mitchell
She’s talking about the Iron Survivor Challenge and she’s, well, before we can even find out how she truly feels, Fallon Henley rocks up and she’s talking about winning the second chance match and being Lyra’s next opponent. Then suddenly Tatum Paxley says something weird in the background out of no where. At least that ended up being somewhat interesting, what’s her deal?
Karmen Petrovic Vignette
This is cool, a character piece attached to this small feud with her and Arianna Grace, I dig it. Karmen is something special!
Meta Four are backstage with the Trophy, and it’s ridiculous. How did these 4 people manage to become friends? What is with their personalities? Who even are these people? I love it. They accept Alpha Academy’s challenge.
Joe Gacy is under the ring and cutting another promo. I wish Hornswoggle was under there too because it would be stupid. Joe’s promos for the last few weeks have been like a riddle.
Singles Match
Arianna Grace vs. Karmen Petrovic
Background:
Arianna Grace was really getting on Karmen Petrovic’s nerves a few weeks ago and at the end of the show, she charged out and clocked Arianna and told her to shutup to end that particular episode of NXT. Arianna yelled at Karmen the following week and then I do believe last week, an Arianna Grace vignette aired where she talked about Karmen which leads us to this match here.
The Match:
We shouldn’t be cutting out Karmen and Arianna’s entrances please! That’s not cool mate. Who is Santino’s wife, and how is Arianna so beautiful? Karmen is really impressive being a Black Belt, it’ll be interesting getting to know her character over the next year.
Joe Gacy gets from under the ring and steals the ring bell as we go to commercial. Vic and Booker arguing over the time keeper perhaps getting fired and Booker T saying “Who cares about da time keepa?” and that’s just so mean I love it.
Karmen heated up and hit a few kicks, but Arianna raked Karmens eyes, hit a Graceland and got the win. Joe Gacy is now in the crowd and frantically hitting the ring bell as the fans cheer, that’s ridiculous.
Aftermath:
I doubt this feud continues, but you never know. Good to have the Arianna Grace character get featured here and she gets established by going over.
Winner: Arianna Grace in 9:05.
Wes Lee Interview with McKenzie Mitchell
Wes is talking about how attached he is to the NXT North American Champion, Wes Lee responds with his lines he memorized. Thank god nobody interrupted.
Singles Match
Lexis King vs. Brooks Jensen (w/Fallon Henley & Josh Briggs)
Background:
Lexis King has been feuding with Carmelo Hayes as of recently, and Brooks Jensen hasn’t wrestled in a while!
The Match:
I am in Lexis’ corner at the moment. He did nothing in AEW, and he’s proven himself well so far since being in NXT, but bell to bell needs to nail it. There’s just too many matches that are taking place from stupid random confrontations backstage.
I’d have Lexis emulate a lot of different things his father did so the story arc ends up making him realize he is just like Brian Pillman. Imagine a highlight reel where they do side by side comparisons as his eyes well up? They had a great match here. Melo ran out to get involved and Briggs tried to stop him and Lexis used that distraction to beat Jensen! That was an interesting development.
Aftermath:
The story and plot thickens with Lexis and Carmelo, who knows where this goes with the whole Trick Williams situation!
Winner: Lexis King in 8:17.
Fatal Four Way Match
Johnny Gargano vs. Bronson Reed vs. Cameron Grimes vs. Wes Lee
Background:
If Wes Lee wins this match against these former NXT North American Champions, he gets a title shot at NXT Deadline. If he loses, he can never get a shot at Dominik Mysterio and the NXT North American Title again.
The Match:
Dominik is on commentary and this is going to be awesome. I have no idea how the hell Wes Lee is going to win this. Bronson just destroyed Wes to start the match! He’s going to be the most interesting part of this match considering the fact he’s the size of the other 3 put together! We come back from commercial and Bronson is still in charge. All the little dudes work together to get Bronson to go down.
Booker sucked upto Dominik so much and then he and Dom both rip into Vic, it’s the way its supposed to be. Cameron copped a slingshot into Bronsons crown jewells, that was a great spot. These four guys really got given some good time to make this special. I don’t see how AEW fans can’t enjoy this? Dom wouldn’t even let the winner of this if it’s not Wes, to challenge him, hilarious stuff.
Bronson fallaway slammed ALL 3 GUYS AT ONCE, for crying out loud! Bronson copped a 3 man powerbomb and the crowd were just losing it! Ivar suddenly showed up and attacked Bronson which helps, and Bronson was out of there! Ivar traveled all the way to that show and was in his gear, not street clothes. Wes managed to hit the Cardiac Kick on Cameron Grimes to win the match!
Aftermath:
Wes Lee and Dominik have now set course for NXT Deadline!
Winner: Wes Lee in 17:17.
Final Thoughts:
Great show, I really had fun watching it, I laughed, I was entertained, angles continued, angles finished, and plots thickened. This is still the best wrestling product going today!
