By Jason Powell, ProWrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet)
NXT Deadline Hits
Ricky Saints vs. Oba Femi for the NXT Championship: I’m all for the title change. I’ve enjoyed Saints’ work going back to his time in the NWA, but he’s been getting tame reactions from live crowds. I would have been fine with Saints turning heel and retaining the title, but Oba strikes me as a much more exciting opponent for Cody Rhodes on Saturday Night’s Main Event. I assume there will be a Saints vs. Oba rubber match at some point. Saints could always turn heel then, and even regain the championship if they need to get the title off Femi if he’s main roster bound.
Kendal Grey vs. Sol Ruca vs. Lola Vice vs. Kelani Jordan vs. Jordynne Grace in an Iron Survivor Challenge match for a shot at the NXT Women’s Championship: Vice and Grace had recent title shots, and Jordan winning would have set up an awkward heel vs. heel title match. So it really came down to Grey and Ruca best candidates to win this match. I thought Zaria would either turn on Ruca to cost her this match or wait until New Year’s Evil and cost her the title match. But I really like the call to go with Grey, who continues to impress. There were a couple of rough moments during the match, but the wrestlers never panicked and regrouped quickly. I also liked the way the match was laid out to have everyone tied during the closing moments.
Je’Von Evans vs. Leon Slater vs. Joe Hendry vs. Dion Lennox vs. Myles Borne in an Iron Survivor Challenge match for a shot at the NXT Championship at New Year’s Evil: But I wasn’t so crazy about the men’s match using the same formula of having everyone tied during the final minute of the match. Sure, it was suspenseful, but it felt a little too convenient to have the same situation in both matches. Otherwise, it was a quality match. The creative forces did a nice job of trying to sell viewers on the possibility that Lennox would win. He handed over his NXT Tag Team Title belt to another DarkState member and had a good verbal exchange with Oba Femi on Tuesday’s television show. They also played Blake Howard’s sit-down interview with Lennox multiple times during the show. They ultimately went with the crowd-pleasing finish of Evans going over, which was a nice touch after he came up just short last year. The post-match angle with Tony D’Angelo attacking Evans didn’t get much of a rise out of the live crowd, but I’m looking forward to seeing how D’Angelo’s character has changed since we last saw him.
Ethan Page vs. Mr. Iguana for the NXT North American Championship: Page’s versatility was once again on display. He can play a heat-seeking serious heel in one match and the butt of the joke in the next. I have no idea why Page is still in NXT, but the brand is better off for it. As much as I’m over IguanaMania, the match was exactly what it should have been with Iguana getting some good near falls before Page put him away clean.
NXT Deadline Misses
Tatum Paxley vs. Izzi Dame: It felt like the match should have been more intense, given that Dame cost Paxley the NXT Women’s Championship. The bigger problem was the weak finish. Shawn Spears distracting Paxley with her awful dolls was dreadful. It’s time for Paxley’s character to evolve, and it should start with her ditching the dolls.
(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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