Powell’s NXT Deadline Hit List: Iron Survivor Challenge matches, Trick Williams vs. Ridge Holland for the NXT Title, Jaida Parker vs. Lola Vice in an NXT Underground match

By Jason Powell, ProWrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet)

NXT Deadline Hits

Nathan Frazer and Axiom vs. Tavion Heights and Myles Borne the NXT Tag Team Titles: My favorite match of the night. They made the outcome feel less predictable by making the champions seem vulnerable due to Frazer selling his injuries from the men’s Iron Survivor Challenge. Frazer and Axiom are a terrific team, so it’s good that the creative forces haven’t followed through on their breakup teases. Meanwhile, Heights and Borne really shined in defeat. They could have something with No Quarter Catch Crew, but they need to ditch the comedy and position the group as meaningful players.

Giulia vs. Sol Ruca vs. Stephanie Vaquer vs. Zaria vs. Wren Sinclair in the women’s Iron Survivor Challenge: It was the right call to close with this match rather than putting the men’s match or the NXT Title match in the main event slot. The live crowd was into the action, but the three newcomers are still being established, so the fans just didn’t seem to have a strong rooting interest for one particular wrestler. Giulia going over to set up a title match with Roxanne Perez for New Years Evil was a fine choice. Ruca’s athletic spots continue to impress and she will be a main roster star once she puts it all together. While a big part of Sinclair’s role was to take a lot of pinfalls, she also held up her end of the match quite nicely.

Oba Femi vs. Je’Von Evans vs. Wes Lee vs. Nathan Frazer vs. Ethan Page in the men’s Iron Survivor Challenge: They got the show off to a good start with the surprise of Femi replacing the “injured” Eddy Thorpe. The body of the match was strong, and Femi pinning two opponents simultaneously to take the late lead made for the better finish of the two ISC matches. While the other wrestlers had flashier spots, Page’s personality really popped throughout the match. Evans had another good outing and it feels like the fans would be with him right now if the creative team were to strap the proverbial rocket to his back.

Lola Vice vs. Jaida Parker in a NXT Underground match: A soft Hit. Both wrestlers worked hard, but there were a couple of things that were out of their control that brought the match down. The random trainees pounding on the mat was logical when the gimmick match started as Raw Underground and was held in a room without fans. The trainees pounding on the mat is distracting and just plain unnecessary when the match is being held in front of a live crowd. And if the idea is to simulate an MMA fight, then it’s absurd to have one of the wrestlers try to introduce a brick as a weapon. Despite those flaws, Vice and Parker did a nice job, and Vice going over makes sense if the idea is to establish NXT Underground as her match. I strongly prefer the Fight Pit match, but I’m sure it’s much easier from a production standpoint to stage NXT Underground matches.

NXT Deadline Misses

Trick Williams vs. Ridge Holland for the NXT Championship: A soft Miss. This was a decent match that just didn’t live up to the standard set by past NXT Title matches held on premium live events. Williams and Holland are both wrestlers who need the right opponents to get the best out of them. This wasn’t a bad match, but there was nothing memorable about it. Williams is very charismatic and the fans love him, but he’s just not as good in the ring at this stage of his career as most of the past NXT Champions.