By Jason Powell, ProWrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet)
NXT Hits
Sol Ruca and Zaria vs. Kendal Grey and Wren Sinclair for a shot at the NXT Women’s Championship: We’re at the point where it’s going to be hard to feel sympathy for Ruca when Zaria turns on her. Zaria’s character is beyond bitter, and she’s reached a Jan Brady level of jealousy – “Ruca, Ruca, Ruca.” If the Ruca character doesn’t see it coming, then she’s an oblivious moron. It’s just a shame the finish was off. Grey hit the mat prematurely while taking the Sol Snatcher. It looked like the idea was for Zaria to cover Sinclair a second after Ruca covered Grey, but Zaria and Sinclair didn’t hold up their end. And why was rising star Grey the one who was pinned? These issues weren’t enough ruin the match for me. I enjoyed it, along with the stipulation that the wrestler who scored the winning pin or submission would get the title shot.
Joe Hendry vs. Evolve Champion Jackson Drake for the NXT Championship: It was nice to see Hendry do something other than the usual schtick during his show-opening promo. It’s been very successful for him, but there’s more to Hendry, including a unique backstory. The more Hendry can connect with the fans, the more likely they are to stick with him once the schtick eventually loses steam. The actual match was an entertaining first title defense for Hendry. There was no reason to expect a title change, but Drake looked good in defeat. I’m not crazy about Drake taking a loss because NXT needs to create new stars, but one loss won’t hurt him long term.
Jaida Parker vs. Blake Monroe: For two wrestlers regarded by some as stronger personalities than in-ring performers, they produced a good brawl. The double count-out was met with some boos, but it was a logical finish given that their feud is just getting started.
“Swipe Right” Brad Baylor and Ricky Smokes vs. Hank Walker and Tank Ledger: A quality tag team match that concluded with the newcomers beating the former NXT Tag Team Champions. Although I don’t want to see this in all of their matches, the distraction that allowed Jackson Drake to help Baylor and Smokes worked in this case. Baylor and Smokes are a classic heel tag team that come off as both obnoxious and vulnerable. As such, it’s all the more irritating for fans when their babyface opponents are on a roll and appear close to victory, only to have the heels cheat to steal the win.
Tatum Paxley video: A minor Hit. This looked like something out of a Tool music video, which is a positive in my book. But I could have done without the insurance company logo at the bottom of the screen. What an odd choice for a sponsored segment.
NXT Misses
DarkState segment: The mic work was fine. The problem is that NXT can’t stop booking these multi-team segments that lead to multi-team matches. The formula is old, and I’d much rather see traditional tag team matches over the “get more people on the show” multi-team matches.
Eli Knight vs. Josh Briggs in a tournament match for a shot at the WWE Speed Championship: Knight is impressive, and he should have a fun match with Elio LeFleur, but like all of these Speed matches, a full-length match would be more fun. Meanwhile, it looked like repackaged Briggs was in for a push, but he continues to be a role player who wins just enough to make it feel like a good win for the wrestlers who beat him.
Psycho Killer movie spot: No, it wasn’t a plug for Tommaso Ciampa in AEW. The poor broadcast team had to act afraid of someone dressed up as the movie’s killer, who was seated in the crowd behind them. This type of promotional stunt demands realism. The killer should have seriously injured the Booker T character before making an escape. Okay, fine, I admit it. I just wanted a slasher movie near-kill so that Booker would have to sell his fake injuries by taking a few months away from color commentary.
(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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