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Welcome to the English version of Solowrestling Read more
Welcome to the English version of Solowrestling Read more
The CW and Netflix will air a new episode of WWE NXT tonight, with Vic Joseph and Corey Graves at the commentary table, live from the Performance Center in Orlando, Florida. This will be the last show of the brand before Deadline, and will feature the presence of many of its stars, including the participants in the Iron Survivor Challenges.
One of the highlights will be a tag team match pitting Joe Hendry, Je'Von Evans, Leon Slater, and Myles Borne against DarkState. Meanwhile, the women competing in the female Iron Survivor will have a summit before the PLE. As always, we invite you to comment on the article to give your opinion on what happened on the show.
WWE NXT starts on Netflix!
The show begins with the five women competing in the Iron Survivor Challenge of NXT Deadline in the ring. Ava is in charge of presenting this summit, reminding those present that a victory next Saturday could change their careers. Sol Ruca is the first to speak. Sol recalls that last week Ethan Page gave her advice she didn't ask for. Ruca has no interest in what "All Ego" has to say, but acknowledges that he pointed out something important: that she has what it takes to be a world champion. "If he can see me that way, I think it's time for me to start seeing myself the same way," says Sol. She acknowledges that the past year has been an emotional rollercoaster for her. "I went from being a double champion with my best friend by my side to being here with empty hands," she says. Sol is aware that things have gotten complicated lately, but now she sees a very simple path to return to the top, and that is by winning at NXT Deadline to reach New Year's Evil, where she would become the NXT Women's Champion.
Jordynne Grace respects Sol's mentality, but as an experienced woman, she assures her that the path she wants to take is not that simple. She herself has been on the verge of winning the NXT Women's Championship several times. Too many times to let it slip away again. "I'm ready to break through a brick wall to win the title, and no woman in this ring can stop me," says "The Juggernaut."
Kelani Jordan tries to respond to Jordynne, but Lola Vice tells her to shut up. Lola reminds everyone present that they are not the only ones who have been working hard. That's why John Cena chose them. As for her, no matter how many times they have screwed her over, she still believes in herself. "From NXT to AAA, Vice City is everywhere. And if it weren't for Lainey, I would be your champion by now," she says.
It's Kendal Grey's turn, who acknowledges that her teammates may be right. However, she is the only champion in the ring at the moment. Grey accepts that she will be the underdog in the Iron Survivor Challenge. It is also true that it will be one of the most important moments of her career, but she thrives in these situations. Jordan tells her to shut up. "You may be the WWE Evolve Champion and you're doing great, but now you're swimming with sharks, and there's blood in the water," says Kelani to a loud booing.
Jordan addresses Jordynne and Lola, asking them how many more times they must fail before they finally realize that they will never be good enough to hold the NXT Women's Championship. So she suggests they set aside the excuses because they are about to participate in a unique match. "This match is electrifying, dynamic, and innovative. Ironically, all of them are words that describe Kelani Jordan," she says. Kelani points out that of all those present, only she and Sol have participated in an Iron Survivor Challenge before. However, Ruca has injured her knee, and also won't have her friend by her side. So they can say whatever they want, because in the end, it will be her name that stands out on Saturday, while the others will be nothing more than mere extras.
Fatal Influence bursts onto the scene!
Jacy Jayne just wanted to come out to say that she can't wait to see which of them will be the lucky loser she will defeat to retain the NXT Women's Championship. Because now that she has regained it and it's back around her precious little waist, order in NXT has been restored. So, do they really think she will let a bunch of losers like them ruin everything? Neither Sol Ruca, with her broken heart. Nor Kendal Grey, who clearly is out of her element. Nor Jordynne Grace nor Lola Vice, whom she has already defeated in the past. As for Kelani Jordan, she is glad to see her change in attitude. However, she speaks too confidently for a woman who has just lost the Knockouts World Championship. "I would still be the Knockouts World Champion if it weren't for this empty head!" exclaims Jordan before pushing Grace. "The Juggernaut" goes after her, starting a fight. Kendal, Sol, and Lola try to calm things down, at which point Jacy, Fallon Henley, and Lainey Reid surprise them from behind. The faces quickly expel Fatal Influence from the ring. Ruca, Vice, and Grey confront their attackers from the ropes as the latter remain on the ground. And so we reach the end of the first segment of the night.
We see a backstage video before the show, where Thea Hail and Joe Hendry were having a lively conversation. Thea congratulated her partner for being personally chosen by John Cena as a participant in the Iron Survivor Challenge. Hendry acknowledged that he had a great year, and being named directly by "The Greatest of All Time" is a true honor. Channing "Stacks" Lorenzo and Arianna Grace appeared on the scene to mock them. Arianna advised Hendry to get rid of Hail as a partner, as she had disappointed him. Grace added that Chelsea Green and Ethan Page should have faced a real pair like them. "If Joe Hendry believes in me, I believe I can kick your ass tonight," Hail said to Arianna. She mocked Thea again while "Stacks" took her away from the place.
We see Ava giving instructions to the security members to keep Kelani Jordan away from Jordynne Grace. The General Manager approaches Fatal Influence, who were about to leave the venue. Ava informs them that they will not be able to leave. Since last week they intervened in two title matches, in addition to interrupting the summit a few minutes ago, Ava has decided that tonight they will have a tag team match against Sol Ruca, Lola Vice, and Kendal Grey. Ava recommends they start preparing before leaving.
Thea Hail (with Joe Hendry) vs. Arianna Grace (with Channing "Stacks" Lorenzo)
Hail and Arianna argue in the center of the ring before starting a feeling-out phase. Grace traps Thea in a tight submission hold. Arianna continues to dominate the match while mocking her opponent. Thea escapes Grace's clutches to look for quick roll-ups. Hail expels Arianna from the ring. Grace takes refuge in Lorenzo's arms. At that moment, Hail throws herself at her with a suicide dive.
Thea brings her back into the ring to continue punishing her. Suddenly, Channing stops her offensive by grabbing her legs. Hendry decides to take action and grabs Lorenzo to execute a chokeslam on the apron. Arianna surprises Thea with a roll-up. 1..2..NO. Hail quickly catches her opponent in a Kimura Lock. The pain Arianna is feeling is too intense, and she quickly taps out.
Winner by submission: Thea Hail
We see a video recorded in the parking lot of the venue earlier this week, where Uriah Connors and Kale Dixon almost accidentally run over OTM (Bronco Nima and Lucien Price). Andre Chase appears on the scene and apologizes to the latter. Price reminds him that it's the second time his students have bothered them. "The next time we see them, there won't be a warning," says Nima. Chase promises to take care of them. Andre approaches the vehicle to ask his students if they heard the warning from Price and Nima. Connors and Dixon respond that they didn't. "I'm not exactly sure what it means, but it sounds like they're very angry. Are you stupid?" asks an angry Chase.
We see Ava with Joe Hendry, Je'Von Evans, Leon Slater, and Myles Borne in the General Manager's office. The four discuss their match tonight against DarkState. Mr. Stone appears on the scene to deliver a mysterious package that has arrived for Ava. She notices that it's open. Mr. Stone assures her that it wasn't him. Ava sets the package aside and asks Mr. Stone to carry out the preparations for the contract signing of Ricky Saints and Oba Femi. Ava then addresses her guests to inform them that whoever gets the pinfall in their match tonight can choose their position in the order of entry in the Iron Survivor Challenge on Saturday. On the contrary, if DarkState wins, it will be Dion Lennox who can do so. With that said, she wishes them luck before they leave. Ava picks up the box to empty its contents on her office table. Several pieces of black cardboard fall onto it.
Josh Briggs vs. Tavion Heights
Briggs and Heights start the match at ringside before the referee can ring the bell. Josh takes his opponent into the ring, where the fight finally begins. Briggs applies a chokeslam to his opponent. 1..2..NO. Tavion recovers to take down his rival with a suplex. He then finishes him off with a flying clothesline. 1..2..NO. Heights knocks down Briggs to the mat before launching several right hands.
Josh tries to counter, but Heights blocks a kick to execute a modified suplex. 1..2..NO. Tavion continues to dominate the match. The action moves to ringside, where Heights charges at his opponent, breaking part of the audience barrier. "NXT, NXT!" chant the fans. Tavion continues to strike Briggs before bringing him back into the ring.
Heights returns, only to be surprised by Briggs. He kicks Tavion in one of the corners before performing a powerslam. Josh finishes him off with an elbow drop. 1..2..NO. Briggs drops Heights onto the top rope to damage his right arm. Josh continues to use the ropes to punish his opponent's injured arm.
Briggs traps his opponent's arm in a painful submission hold on the mat. Heights tries to recover, but Josh stops him with a slam. Briggs finishes him off with a splash. 1..2..NO. Josh focuses again on Tavion's damaged arm. He frees himself to surprise Josh with a dropkick. Briggs throws Heights against one of the corners to regain control.
Josh continues to use the corners to harm Heights. He manages to recover to throw his opponent to the mat. Tavion starts a counterattack. Josh removes the chain from his neck with the intention of using it as a weapon against Tavion, but the referee notices. The official takes the chain away to remove it from the ring.
Meanwhile, Heights applies a belly-to-belly to Briggs. The referee takes a while to get there. 1..2..NO. Josh puts a foot on the bottom rope to interrupt the count. Heights confronts the referee, reproaching him for his delay. Briggs takes advantage to kick Tavion in the back of the head, finishing him off with a lariat. 1..2..3.
Winner: Josh Briggs
Briggs confronts some fans before retreating backstage.
The Culling (Izzi Dame, Shawn Spears, and Niko Vance) make their entrance in the ring. The fans greet them with boos. Izzi understands that the audience supports Tatum Paxley, as they are like her: they don't know how to be alone. Dame recalls that she has given Paxley many opportunities. Izzi makes it clear that she didn't betray her. She simply corrected a mistake: believing in her. Dame remembers that she gave her everything after pulling her out of the pit she was in. She helped her and gave her a purpose, but Tatum kept making the same mistakes. "We want Tatum!" chant the fans. Izzi believes that Tatum thought everything she received from The Culling wasn't good enough. Dame assures that Tatum became the NXT Champion thanks to her. Because it's no coincidence that Paxley won the brand's top prize after Izzi took her in. That's why she needed to show the world that everything she gives can be taken away just as easily. "I took everything from her because she deserved it," says Dame. "We want Tatum!" the audience continues to chant. Izzi assures them that the only reason they chant her name is because she was by her side. With that said, she announces that at NXT Deadline, she will face Paxley one-on-one. "And I plan to finish what I started in New York. Tatum, I have one last lesson for you: in San Antonio, I will end the version of you that refused to evolve. And I will do anything to make sure that happens, whether out of spite or anger," says Dame before being interrupted by Tatum on the venue's screen.
Crying, Paxley asks Izzi why she took away the only constant thing in her life just to destroy it later. "We were great together. You took away what I wanted the most," she says. "I gave you the world, and you rejected it!" exclaims Dame. She points out that Tatum looks pathetic and predictable before challenging her to meet her in the ring... unless she's too scared to do it. "I'm scared. I'm scared because I don't know what I'll become without your hand on my shoulder. I'm scared because at Deadline, I'm going to make you feel all my pain," says Tatum before leaving. And so we reach the end of this segment.
We see Sol Ruca getting ready in the locker room with Lola Vice, Kendal Grey, and Wren Sinclair. Zaria appears on the scene. Sol apologizes to her for not being by her side in her title match last week. Ruca acknowledges that she was still angry and processing what happened with Blake Monroe the previous week. Zaria believes that Sol is processing her distress very well. Sol tries to explain that it was John Cena who chose her to participate in NXT Deadline. Zaria interrupts her to inform her that she won't be by her side tonight, just as she wasn't last week. Lola interrupts the conversation to remind Sol that her match is up next. Vice heads to the ring. Kendal and Wren assure Ruca that they will be there to support her. A threatening Zaria approaches Sinclair, but Sol calms her down. Ruca apologizes to the Australian before leaving with her partners for the night.
Tag Team Match Fatal Influence (Jacy Jayne, Lainey Reid, and Fallon Henley) vs. Sol Ruca, Lola Vice, and Kendal Grey (with Wren Sinclair)
Lainey and Lola start the match with a shoving exchange, leading to a fight between all the women inside and outside the ring. Kendal dives onto Fallon and Lainey with a diving crossbody. Now it's Jayne who dives onto Grey and Vice with an apron cannonball. Jacy, Reid, and Henley mock their opponents without realizing that Ruca is ascending one of the corners. Sol jumps on them with a moonsault!
Lola takes Reid back to the ring, where she unleashes a flurry of kicks. Ruca tags in to continue punishing Lainey, hitting a standing moonsault. 1..2..NO. Reid reaches her corner to tag Fallon. Sol escapes Henley’s grasp to tag Kendal. She knocks Fallon down before kicking her with a dropkick. Lainey tags in to knock Kendal down with a dropkick. Jacy’s turn, who gets help from her partners to take control of the match.
Lainey throws Grey into her corner before crushing her. Jayne tags in to kick her rival. Jayne takes Kendal down with a flying back elbow. Fallon tags in to continue the punishment. Reid tags in to hit a back senton on Kendal’s back. Lainey prevents Kendal from reaching her corner. Henley tags in to kick Grey’s back. Fallon traps Kendal in a painful submission hold. Grey tries to recover but is soon taken down again.
Fallon throws Grey into her corner, where Fatal Influence keep punishing her. The heels work together perfectly against Grey, who receives a running kick from Jacy. 1..2..NO. Jayne strikes Sol in her corner before mocking Lola. Kendal escapes all her opponents to tag Vice, who storms in.
Lola furiously attacks all her rivals, leaving them laid out in different corners. Lola hits several running hip attacks on Lainey and Jacy before taking down Fallon with a side suplex. The match descends into chaos, with every wrestler getting involved. Lainey and Jacy knock Sol out with a double running knee strike. 1..2..NO. Lola breaks the count.
Reid rushes in to surprise Vice with a Cutter. Kendal disposes of Lainey with a huge Flatliner. Fallon surprises Grey with a facebuster, only to receive the same move from Sol. Jacy tries to surprise Ruca with a Rolling Encore, but her rival dodges and responds with a Sol Snatcher. 1..2..3.
Winners: Sol Ruca, Lola Vice & Kendal Grey
The winners celebrate on the entrance ramp when suddenly, Lola shoves Sol out of Zaria’s path, who appears and hits a spear on Kendal! Ruca scolds the Australian for her actions. Vice tries to calm them down. Jacy, for her part, smiles as she watches the scene.
NXT Anonymous shares a video where we see Ricky Saints and Je'Von Evans talking in the locker room. Evans notes that his match tonight is vital. Winning will allow him to choose his entry position in the Iron Survivor Challenge. Last year he wasn’t lucky, and he can’t let history repeat itself. Saints knows he can win because he won’t be in that match. Evans is also glad that Oba Femi isn’t in it, as he’ll be busy kicking “The Absolute’s” ass. Ricky takes the joke well before reminding him that he already beat “The Ruler” once, and he’ll do it as many times as needed. Je'Von recalls Saints’ words when he told him he would be a future NXT Champion. Ricky reiterates them because he still believes in him. Je'Von says he’s on a good streak with a big win in AAA and his great match against Gunther in the The Last Time is Now tournament. Ricky reminds him he was the first to text him to congratulate him. And that’s because he truly appreciates him. And who knows, maybe at New Year’s Evil their paths will cross with the NXT Championship on the line. Evans jokes with “The Absolute” a bit more before leaving.
The members of DarkState talk backstage. Dion Lennox reiterates his intention to bring more gold to the faction. But now that he’s focused on winning the brand’s top title, he thinks one of his partners should carry his tag title to defend it properly. Lennox offers it to Saquon Shugars. He doesn’t know how to respond. Cutler James grabs the belt and places it on Shugars’ shoulder. His partners congratulate him. “Hey, different dance partner, same result,” says Osiris Griffin. At that moment, Oba Femi appears. “The Ruler” is surprised that Lennox has been chosen for the Iron Survivor Challenge. Dion thinks Oba doesn’t remember, but the first time they met backstage, the Nigerian moved him aside as if he didn’t consider him a future champion. Cutler, Osiris, and Saquon remind Oba that the one and only John Cena picked him. “After Saturday, I hope it’s you I face at New Year’s Evil. Nothing would please me more than taking your gold and making you swallow your teeth,” says Lennox. “Dion, you’ve got a long road ahead, but don’t rush,” Oba replies. Lennox assures him he’s right where he needs to be. “You’d better watch tonight, because we’re going to show you a preview of what your future ruler truly has in store,” says Dion before leaving with his teammates.
Tag Team Match
OTM (Lucien Price & Bronco Nima) vs. Chase U (Kale Dixon & Uriah Connors) (with Andre Chase)
Connors and Dixon attack OTM by surprise before sending them out of the ring. Both dive onto their rivals with parallel suicide dives. Back inside, Uriah hits a Swanton Bomb on Lucien. 1..2..NO. Price quickly recovers to take control. OTM double-team Connors. Dixon enters to surprise Lucien.
OTM double-team Kale, who receives a huge gutbuster. 1..2..NO. Dixon counters a Lucien chokeslam into a facebreaker. Connors tags in to surprise his rivals. Uriah hits a DDT on Bronco. 1..2..NO. Price breaks the count.
Uriah and Kale double-team OTM. Both dive onto their opponents at ringside, but OTM catch them mid-air. Lucien and Bronco crush one against the other before dropping them on the floor. OTM take Connors back into the ring and finish him with their combined finisher. 1..2..3.
Winners: OTM
We see Ava accompanying Ethan Page to the venue’s parking lot. Ethan asks Ava to thank John Cena for not choosing him for the Iron Survivor Challenge, so he’ll have the night off next Saturday. Page gets into his car, insisting it’s a well-deserved break because no champion—double champion in his case—works harder than him in all of WWE. Ava agrees with Ethan. He is a double champion, but one of his belts hasn’t been defended since NXT Halloween Havoc, so he’ll have to defend it at Deadline. A confident “All Ego” says he’s the best wrestler in the company, so he doubts anyone wants to face him. Suddenly, La Yesca appears in the passenger seat. “Well, I think I found someone who will,” says Ava as she points. Page turns to find Mr. Iguana. Ethan jumps out in panic and scolds Ava for setting him up. “Go green!” shouts Mr. Iguana before leaving with the champion’s car. “Aren’t you calling the police?” asks “All Ego” as he runs after his vehicle. “And what do you want me to tell them? That a reptile stole your car?” responds Ava as the segment ends.
Shiloh Hill stars in a new vignette. This time, Shiloh recalls a Thanksgiving holiday from his childhood. His family had to travel on snowmobiles to reach relatives in the woods. He decided to modify his snowmobile to make it faster. However, before he realized it, he was far from his family and, worse, had gone too deep into the forest and crashed. At that moment, he thought he would freeze to death in the woods. However, something very different happened. He mustered the courage to survive in the wild. And for the first time in his life, he felt truly alive, especially when he saw a pack of wolves approaching as they howled at the moon. Fortunately, they never caught him nor devoured him. Otherwise, he would never have made it to WWE LFG nor had The Undertaker as a trainer. Hill admits that “The Deadman” was a very tough coach, but it was also amazing to learn from him. Hill teases another video in which he’ll share more about his past.
Eight-Man Tag Team Match
Je'Von Evans, Joe Hendry, Leon Slater & Myles Borne vs. DarkState (Dion Lennox, Osiris Griffin, Cutler James & Saquon Shugars)
Osiris and Myles start the match. A confident Griffin quickly takes his opponent down. Saquon tags in to team with Osiris. Shugars traps Borne in a submission hold. Myles escapes to hit an inverted DDT. Hendry tags in. Joe takes Saquon down with an armdrag before hitting a neckbreaker. 1..2..NO.
Saquon escapes a Freak of Nature from Joe to tag Cutler. Leon tags in to surprise James with a dropkick. Je'Von and Leon double-team Cutler, who receives a double footstomp from the former. Cutler recovers to strike Je'Von and hit him with a painful backbreaker. 1..2..NO. Dion tags in and throws several right hands at Evans.
Je'Von shows his agility to escape Lennox. Myles tags in only to receive a spinebuster from Dion. He and Saquon double-team Borne. Lennox strikes Hendry from the apron to knock him off, sparking a brawl between both teams. DarkState take control by destroying their rivals at ringside.
Saquon brings Borne back into the ring and covers him. 1..2..NO. Shugars traps Myles in a painful submission hold. Borne escapes to hit two armdrags. Myles traps his rival in an underhook lock before tagging Slater. Cutler tags in to take Leon down with a clothesline. Dion tags in to trap Leon in a headlock.
Leon hits a body drop on Lennox before tagging Je'Von. He is soon overwhelmed by his enemies. Evans escapes to tag Hendry. The Scotsman enters hot but is soon caught by his rivals. Dion and Osiris take Joe down with a double clothesline. Griffin covers him. 1..2..NO. Griffin scrapes Hendry’s face against the top rope.
Dion tries to choke Joe, but Hendry escapes with a suplex. Leon tags in and charges against all of DarkState. Osiris and Cutler stop him to hit a double powerbomb. 1..2..NO. Slater escapes his rivals and tags Je'Von. He jumps on each opponent one by one. Evans hits a springboard clothesline on Osiris, then finishes him with two OG Cutters. 1..2..NO. Lennox, James, and Shaquon break the count.
Chaos erupts in the ring. Joe and Dion exchange attacks on the entrance ramp. Meanwhile, Je'Von kicks Osiris from the apron. Evans tags Leon, who climbs the ropes. At that moment, Myles blind-tags in, surprising Slater. He hits a 450 Splash on Griffin, and Borne finishes with a ZigZag. 1..2..3.
Winners: Joe Hendry, Leon Slater, Je'Von Evans & Myles Borne
Borne tries to celebrate the victory with Evans and Slater, but they refuse.
We move backstage, where Ava oversees the contract signing for the NXT Championship match that will take place at Deadline. The General Manager welcomes the champion and challenger as she places the document on the table. Oba Femi takes the contract. “Ricky, you must know that the version of me you beat at No Mercy was a man who had carried the burden of a long title reign. But this version is going to destroy you and remind you that you are simply a footnote in my legacy as the Ruler of NXT and all of WWE,” says Femi after signing.
Ricky admits he’s thought a lot about this match. What if he can’t defeat Oba? “Am I the man I believe I am? I guess we’ll never know,” he says. “Fairy tales are over. I am the NXT Champion. You can beat every man who steps into the ring with you. But you know what, there’s one exception to the rule and to The Ruler, and his name is The Absolute Ricky Saints,” adds the champion as he signs the contract. Saints hands the document to Ava.
The General Manager thanks them both before informing them that on Saturday, for the first time in NXT history, the men’s top championship match will open a PLE. “Perfect,” says Ricky as he looks at his rival. “Good luck to both of you,” says Ava. Saints and Femi remain standing, staring each other down as this week’s show comes to an end.
