By Jason Powell, ProWrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet)
NXT Hits
TNA Champion Trick Williams vs. Je’Von Evans for a shot at the NXT Championship at NXT Heatwave: As much as I enjoy the work of Mike Santana, I could have done without the distraction finish. Williams and Evans were having a strong match that felt like it could have gone either way when Santana appeared in the balcony, causing the distraction that led to Evans stealing the pin. The finish protects Williams and plays into Evans being a bit of an underdog, but it didn’t help Evans feel like a threat to Oba Femi at NXT Heatwave. Even so, this was a quality main event, and Evans should be in line for a TNA World Championship match given that he beat Williams.
Josh Briggs vs. Yoshiki Inamura in a Philadelphia Street Fight: A spirited brawl between the former tag team partners. This was a gritty hardcore by WWE hardcore standards, with hard work from both wrestlers. The post-match moment with Briggs and Ricky Starks crossing paths on the stage was solid foreshadowing of what will likely come next for both men.
Ricky Saints vs. Jasper Troy: A soft Hit for an enjoyable match. But I have no idea why Troy has been booked to lose so many matches. Troy isn’t ready to be a main event player, but he could be plowing through undercard wrestlers to build him up as a monster while he gets reps.
“Fatal Influence” Jacy Jayne, Fallon Henley, and Jazmyn Nyx vs. Ash By Elegance, Heather By Elegance, and M By Elegance with Masha Slamovich as special referee: A soft Hit for a fairly entertaining six-woman tag. The heel vs. heel dynamic was strange. I guess Fatal Influence were the babyfaces in this match, given the way Jayne kept playing to the crowd. Ash going over makes sense given that she and Masha Slamovich will be challenging Jayne for the TNA Knockouts Championship on Sunday.
NXT Misses
Jordynne Grace and Blake Monroe segment: Another rough outing for Grace. The verbiage wasn’t bad, but Grace’s delivery left a lot to be desired. Although Grace has never been a strong talker, she found her groove during the latter part of her TNA run. I don’t understand why Grace is being asked to deliver long in-ring promos when Monroe is a good talker who could have carried the bulk of the mic work during the build to their match. And if the situation called for Grace to speak, why not go with pre-tapes so that she could do multiple takes if necessary? Despite the clunky build, I am still really looking forward to the Grace vs. Monroe match at Heatwave.
The Met: While it’s always nice when NXT goes on the road, this was a weak venue for pro wrestling. The entrance set appeared closer to the ring than the first row of fans opposite the hard camera. Although the way the building was mic’d may have had something to do with it, the atmosphere seemed lousy compared to other NXT road shows.
I suppose Troy’s paying his dues?
Meh. They’ve pushed other newcomers. And if they want him to pay his dues, they should have him do it in Evolve where fewer people will see it. I’m hoping this is leading to him getting a manager or a faction that turns him into a winner.
Troy needs to be in DarkState actually and get rid of that Cutler guy.
A weak venue?!
It was absolutely awful.The Met needs to be renamed the MUTE!I’m glad I didn’t watch it live so I can fast forward most of the show.
I’m a Philadelphia native, and it’s not the first time that NXT used a theater as a venue in my hometown.
Years ago back when NXT had house shows, they used the Tower Theater in the westernmost part of the city (Upper Darby) and then they used the Fillmore in the Northern Liberties neighborhood a few years later. Plus, I think they chose this venue because of AEW and Ring of Honor currently having shows at the 2300 Arena.
If it were me, I would have chosen Temple University’s Liacouras Center because of how much pro wrestling history has taken place there, especially hosting shows for TNA and AEW.