By Jason Powell, ProWrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet)
NXT Hits
Myles Borne vs. Ethan Page for the NXT North American Championship: They wasted no time with the follow-up to Borne beating Page to win the title last week, as this week’s show opened with an impromptu match that ended with the same result. The match started with both men wrestling in their regular clothes, and then Page brought back memories of Ric Flair by being stripped to his underwear during the brawl. Borne is in a better place now than he was before last week’s main event, and not just because he has a title belt. While it remains to be seen if Borne will stick as one of the brand’s top babyfaces, Page went above and beyond to elevate him.
Blake Monroe and Jaida Parker: They turned up the intensity in the final angle before their match at Vengeance Day. Turning the match into a street fight plays to both wrestlers’ strengths. Monroe’s best in-ring moments in AEW were the wars she had with Toni Storm.
Hank Walker, Tank Ledger, and Shiloh Hill vs. “The Vanity Project” Jackson Drake, Brad Baylor, and Ricky Smokes: There were some rough moments, but it was an action-packed match that got a rise out of the live crowd. Hank and Tank have emerged as a high-energy, crowd-pleasing mid-card tag team act. I still think Hill is miscast as a happy-go-lucky oddball, and the focus on his missing tooth is still an eye-roller. Hill is talented. I just hope he doesn’t get saddled with this gimmick long term.
Wren Sinclair vs. Nikkita Lyons in a tournament match for a shot at the WWE Women’s Speed Championship: They did a better job than most of working at the frantic Speed match pace while still taking the time to sell the key moves. Sinclair will face Thea Hail next week in a match between the two nicest characters on the NXT roster.
Kelani Jordan and Lola Vice: A soft Hit for a decent build to their Underground match. It was good to see Shayna Baszler, and having her put Jordan through some MMA training made good use of her. It also made me wish that Baszler was still wrestling full-time, but I digress. The Underground rules made Vice feel like a heavy favorite due to her MMA background, so it’s a good call to have her sell a right-hand injury to make her seem vulnerable. This would have been a full Hit had it not been for Jordan’s character shift. I’ve praised the ruthless, no-nonsense approach she’s taken in NXT and TNA in recent weeks. But watching her act obliviously arrogant while talking with Baszler made me feel like I was seeing an older version of her character.
NXT Misses
Ricky Saints’ Absolute Experience: In addition to Ricky being the songbird of his generation, it was as if the spirit of the late Eddie Van Halen was guiding his fingers as he delivered six-string work that would make Slash envious. I believe in you, Ricky!!! While it pains me to put a segment that contained this level of musical genius in the Miss section, this was a strange choice to serve as the final push for the Vengeance Day main event.
NXT North American Women’s Champion Izzi Dame speaks with challenger Tatum Paxley: The performances were solid, but I’m just not a fan of overproduced segments with special lighting and music. Perhaps I’m in the minority, given how common this has become, but there’s just something about it that feels contrived and overly slick. It didn’t help that I wanted to throw my remote control through the TV when they showed Paxley’s dolls. Here’s hoping Dame trashing the dollhouse is a sign that Paxley is moving on from this limiting silliness.
Jacy Jayne vs. Zaria for the NXT Women’s Championship: A minor Miss. This went better than most heel vs. heel matches go in terms of the live crowd being invested despite not having a rooting interest. Zaria attacked Sol Ruca right before she challenged Jayne for the title last week, so it was strange that Ruca waited so long to get involved in Zaria’s title match. But they really lost me when Fallon Henley and Lainey Reid tried to prevent Sol Ruca from interfering, even though it was obvious that she wasn’t going to help Zaria, and her involvement would have triggered a DQ
Tony D’Angelo and Dion Lennox: DarkState taking out D’Angelo before his long hiatus wasn’t memorable, which partially explains why his quest for revenge has fallen a bit flat. The other big thing working against this feud is that DarkState’s push has been so inconsistent. Fans don’t have a strong desire to see them get their comeuppance because they’ve seen it happen several times. D’Angelo went from being one of the most colorful acts in NXT to showing little emotion. It’s great that the character has been reinvented because the Mob Boss act went as far as it could. D’Angelo’s current tone works while he’s out for vengeance, but he’ll need to add more layers once he finishes with DarkState. I assume that happens on Saturday, as D’Angelo said that taking down DarkState is one of two reasons he came back to NXT. I suspect that the second reason is the NXT Championship, and I wonder if he will end up in the title match at Stand & Deliver.
(Jason Powell, founder and editor of ProWrestling.net, has covered pro wrestling full-time dating back to 1997. He hosts a weekly podcast, Pro Wrestling Boom, and also appears regularly on the Wade Keller Pro Wrestling Podcast. Reach him via email at dotnetjason@gmail.com and on social media via @prowrestlingnet.bsky.social or x.com/prowrestlingnet. For his full bio and information on this website, click here.)
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