By Don Murphy, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@DonThePredictor)
The era of NXT Premium Live Events streaming on Peacock is likely coming to an end tonight as NXT presents its Vengeance Day event from Orlando, Florida, at the WWE Performance Center. On paper, this appears to be an average/above-average show. NXT has been holding steady as of late. There’s nothing that I look at and say, “Wow, that has potential to be huge.” At the same time, with NXT’s partnership with TNA, as well as their own in-house developmental system with Evolve, the brand has created a nice pipeline of talent where there’s always potential for a breakthrough. How those acts eventually work out on the main roster is anyone’s guess. Now then, let’s run down the card!
Joe Hendry vs. Ricky Saints for the NXT Championship. TNA did a great job telling the Joe Hendry story as he fought his way through the ranks and eventually won the TNA title. Unfortunately, NXT fell into a common trap among wrestling promotions and took the approach that everyone must be watching everything, which we know isn’t the case. Hendry’s initial entry was a bit flat, and putting the title on him initially didn’t really pack much of a punch. I will say that they are doing a decent job in trying to correct this course. Though it was an abridged version of the story, the “Chronicle” segments about two weeks ago served as a good way to get the fans up to speed on Hendry. For Saints, turning him heel has been a breath of fresh air. He just seems so comfortable and natural now. I don’t see him winning tonight, but he has much more promise moving forward than he did before. I fear they are going to put him in some kind of faction with Ethan Page and the Vanity Project. This would be fine, but I do think he’s better off as a singles act.
Don Predicts: Joe Hendry defeats Ricky Saints to retain the NXT Championship.
Izzi Dame vs. Tatum Paxley for the NXT Women’s North American Championship. This one has a weird dynamic for me. I think Paxley has good potential as a babyface, and Dame is doing great work as a heel. And yet, I feel like they don’t have the chemistry they should, and I’m ready to move on from this. This is a tough call, but I think, given the story they’ve been telling, Paxley gets her revenge and the feel-good win. Ultimately, I think she’ll be a transitional champion for whoever the creative team feels can be the next big heel to carry the title. More on that later.
Don Predicts: Tatum Paxley defeats Izzi Dame to win the Women’s North American Championship.
Lola Vice vs. Kelani Jordan in an Underground match. I know WWE/NXT loves the underground matches, and they can be a spectacle. They don’t always do it for me. This one looks decent on paper, and I think this will be the vehicle to write Vice out of NXT and onto the main roster. She’ll be protected in defeat due to the storyline hand injury. In the meantime, Jordan has hit on something with her obnoxious heel persona, and if the plan is for Paxley to win the title, I could easily see a quick transition to Jordan in that role.
Don Predicts: Kelani Jordan defeats Lola Vice in an Underground match.
Blake Monroe vs. Jaida Parker in a Street Fight. This is where I feel like my pick is more wishful thinking than anything else. Like others, I am high on Parker and think they should have pulled the trigger on a push a long time ago. I think this is their last chance, as a loss here would likely cause the fanbase to give up any hope. My thought is to have Parker win here and have Monroe defeat Tatum Paxley (if Paxley wins the Women’s North American Title). Then you can take Parker on a journey to win the title from Monroe, whom she has already beaten. So, I’m cautiously going with Parker here, though my confidence in the pick is 50/50.
Don Predicts: Jaida Parker defeats Blake Monroe.
Tony D’Angelo vs. Dion Lennox. I like D’Angelo’s rougher persona, but I’m not feeling DarkState at all. Lennox has potential, and I really like Saquon Shugars, but I’m ready for both to move on from the faction.
Don Predicts: Tony D’Angelo defeats Dion Lennox.
Join John Moore for a live review as Vengeance Day streams live on Peacock in the United States and Netflix internationally at 6CT/7ET. A same-night audio review will be available for Dot Net Members (including our Patreon patrons). Enjoy wrestling!
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