WWE NXT 5/14/2024

WWE NXT 5/14/2024

Last week's show is here: https://prowresblog.blogspot.com/2024/05/wwe-nxt-572024.html

Noam Dar is down injured in the back. Meta-Four and others check on him.

Kiana James and Izzi Dame talk in the back. Kiana asks if she's ready to for tonight. She says she's a superstar and says Izzi will run NXT while she runs Raw.

Sol Ruca said she ranked #1 in the combine and will ride that ladder straight to Vegas and become the Women's North American champ. 

Women's North American Championship Qualifier - Sol Ruca vs Izzi Dame

Izzi shoulders her over and piefaces her. Sol shoulders her over. Izzi pushes down on Sol's head. Sol is grounded with a wristlock. Sol cartwheels out of a wristlock and hits a water wheel drop. Sol hits kicks then misses a 2nd rope flipping facebuster but they sell it anyway. Sol handstands on the apron then moonsaults off the 2nd rope connector outside.

Sol gets her headscissors blocked in the corner and is thrown out. Sol is thrown onto the commentary table. Izzi backbreakers her then flapjacks her. Sol shoulders Izzi over and springboard twisting shoulders her. Sol standing moonsaults her for 2.

Sol flips out of a back body drop and lands hard on her feet.  Izzi facekicks her for 2. Izzi hits corner spears. Sol tries to headscissors her out of the corner, is caught then hits a sol snatcher out of it to win it.

Thoughts: It was a pretty good effort here with Sol doing some impressive flying. I would have liked more of a story to the match though and more of Izzi dominating Sol to make Cole's comeback and win better. 

Ava Raine tells The D'Angelo Family that the win last week doesn't count as they took a ref out and put their own in. Ava asks where Myles Borne and Damon Kemp are. Tony and Stacks say they don't know. The Family tries to tell Ava they can't take away his Heritage Cup match tonight. She says she will fine him $20,000. They then give Ava an envelope with the money. Tony says Ava is tough but fair and says no funny business tonight.

Edris Enofe and Malik Blade talk in the back. Blade is ready and Enofe says he needs to get this mind right. Enofe is looking at a rabbit's foot and says he will be good. Brinley Reece comes in. She says they don't need the rabbit's foot, they are awesome.

Shayna Baszler and Lola Vice are interviewed. She said all she knows is dominance. She said she held the NXT Title more days than anyone else. She said she's staying to see Lola vs Green. Lola says she owes Roxanne Perez from Vengeance Day then Karmen Petrovic and Natalya jump Lola and SB. Carlee Bright tries to break the fight up and is sent into the rollaway door.

Out The Mud (Bronco Nima and Lucian Price) vs Edris Enofe and Malik Blake

Scrypts is still in OTM's graphic despite being released. Nim and blade squash off. Nima coconut crushes him and hits a back blow. Nima is tripped into a slingblade bulldog. Enofe elbow drops Nima. Enofe hits shots on Price then Price hits wild bolo punches on him. Blade and Enofe dosey do and hit forearms.

Price and Nima re hurricanrana'd into each other and stereo dropkicked out. Blade and Enofe then do tope con hilos outside and Blade basically powerbombs himself onto the floor as the catch is missed. Jaida trips Enofe then Brinley goes after Jaida. Nima spinning back elbows Enofe. The men try to stop the girls from fighting.

We go to break and return. Nima drops Enofe down chest first. The girls fight again and refs come out to break it up. Enofe takes a sandwich forearm in the corner. Price uranages Enofe then corner lariats him. Price crossfaces him while Enofe is in the wheelbarrow.

Nima hits back elbows on Enofe. Enofe tags in Blade. Bale flying forearms and jumping headhunters his opponents. Blade top rope double crossbodies his opponents. Nima misses a facekick on Blade but both go over the top. Enofe dropkicks Price then Price superkicks Enofe. Enofe's shoe is coming off and he tries to kick it off. Enofe is lifted into an alabama slam and wins it.

Thoughts: Nima wore a bandana the whole match here. I wonder if something is up with his hair. Blade's shoe was falling off the during the match. I don't like Nima using spinning back elbows as it's a hard move to hit clean. The girls fighting took away from the match a bit and the match itself probably would have been better without it. I thought this one could have been better.

Noam Dar is being checked on in the back. The medic says he's done indefinitely. Oro Mensah says he will step up for Dar. They ask why Lash Legend thinks Trick didn't do this.

Axiom, Nathan Frazer and Ridge Holland talk in the back. Ridge  says Chase U are all sound people. The OC walk in. They say Frazer and Axiom are ducking them. They say Ridge is a loner with an anger problem. Gallows says Ridge is a main roster talent that needs to leave NXT and says he isn't pure. Ridge said he started in NXT unlike them. Gallows says him picking a fight with them is the anger talking and tells to find a partner for tonight. Anderson says the angry brother has no friends.

Women's North American Championship Qualifier - Ivy Nile vs Lash Legend

Lash running euros her to start. Lash hits shoulders and throws Ivy into the 2nd buckle shoulder first. Lash slams her on the floor. Lash goes into the steps then Ivy forearms her off the apron. Ivy top rope crossbodies her. Icy spinning high kicks her then spinning headscissors her. Ivy flying kicks her in the corner.

Lash throws her into the buckles then splashes her. Lash's head is pulled into the buckles and Ivy enzugiri's her. Ivy hits forearms on her on the buckles then Ivy top rope bulldogs her for 2. Ivy dragon sleepers her and Jakara grabs Ivy's leg. Ivy kicks her, is dropped on her chest then Lash pump kicks her to win it.

Thoughts: It was a short match and it wasn't anything special.

Je'Von Evans is asked if he attacked Noam Dar. He says he doesn't know but it wasn't him or Trick. He said it's about to get real wicked against Oro Mensah next.

Carlee Bright says she wants Lola Vice tonight. She said she's new here. Ava said she finished 13th in the Combine. Carlee says she wants her chance and says she can fight Lola tonight. Ava then gets a call.

Je'Von Evans vs Oro Mensah

Oro boots and clubs on him to start. Evans hits punches, Oro misses a flipping koppo kick and is dropkicked in the back. Evans' eyes are raked on the top rope and Oro asai moonsaults him. Evans jumps off the 2nd rope and hurricanrana's him. Evans dropkicks him. Evans takes a super dangerous bump to the outside that should have never been allowed.

We go to PiP break and return. Oro clubs on Evans. They trade shots and Oro koppo kicks him. Oro hits an alley oop for 2. They fight on the buckles and Evans enzugiri's him. Evans springboard lariats him. They trade shots. Oro back elbows him then Evans hits an os cutter. Evans suicide dives him.

Lash grabs a chair. Trick Williams comes down and has words for her. Oro pounds on Evans then spinning forearms him in the back of the neck. Evans spin kicks him then is punched. Evans superkicks him then does a tornillo splash to win.

Thoughts: It was an athletic match with a lot of flying. I would have liked more face and heel work here. The stuff with Trick and Lash took a lot of the attention off the match though which limited this some. Evans and Trick being put together is kind of like Trick/Melo redone but I think it'll be fine.

Charlie Dempsey is interviewed. He says Kemp and Myles are on their way but are in rough shape from The Family. He said he can cry about it or fight. He said he never cried about anything in his life. He said he will beat Tony within an inch of his life for everything he has done.

Wes Lee comes out to talk. He said he was in one of the darkest times of his life last time he was here with a mic. He said everyone knows how much he loves NXT and how much the NXT N-A Title means with him. He said him losing it made him question whether his career was over or not. He said he missed this.

He said he fought to get back here and doesn't know what to say. Oba Femi comes out. Oba says he's impressed with Wes. He said Wes took the title far with his reign, but his time is up. He said Wes must watch him take the title to new heights. He said Wes has proven he has the spirit of the warrior. Oba says he's an actual warrior and the mountain he can't climb or conquer. He tells him to prove that he deserves an opportunity to get the title back.

Wes puts him over then Ivar comes out. Ivar says everyone is excited to have Wes back. He said he's been through a career ending injury too. He said he had to fight for everything he has got and said he knows Wes isn't afraid to do it too. Ivar says they both want shots at Oba.

Josh Briggs comes out. He says they are all so emotional. He says he was close to taking Oba's title with broken ribs. He said his ribs are healed and he needs to run that back. He says he will throw Wes and Ivar a bone when he's champ. Wes says Oba should make this a fatal four way. Oba says that's why he is the champ and Wes is not. He says to fight amongst yourselves and the winner fights him. 

Ridge Holland is interviewed. Chase U comes in and said they don't have to fight the battle alone. Chase says Riley should be his partner tonight. Riley is surprised by this but Ridge is okay with it. Riley says he will see him out there.

We get a video of someone, likely Wendy Choo, sleeping in the dark.

Lexis King, Dion Lennox and others talk in the back. He says he got a victory over the Big Dookie and is on fire. He said he should take everyone out after his win this week. Jazmyn Nix wants everyone to sign a get well soon card for Jacy Jayne. Everyone leaves except for King. King says not to worry about them. He says Jamie wouldn't care. She says it's Jacy and he says she wouldn't mind either. King then signs it, "get well soon, Jacky".

Ridge Holland and Riley Osborne vs The OC

Luke and Ridge go at it. They shoulder battle and Ridge flying shoulders him. Karl armlocks Riley. Riley rolls over his back and dropkicks Karl. Riley springboard dropkicks Luke then running ssp's Karl.

Karl spinebusters Riley for 2. Karl pounds on him then Luke pounds on Riley. Luke slams Riley and chinlocks him. Riley is thrown hard into the buckles. Riley corkscrew moonsaults onto both opponents. Riudge gets in and pounces Karl. Ridge front suplexes him then hit a northern lights bomb for 2. Luke punches Riley as he goes for a springboard. Riley dropkicks Ridge on accident and Karl pins Ridge.

Thoughts: The crowd doesn't like Ridge and until that changes, these matches with him are a complete waste of time. We'll see where this Ridge/Chase U thing goes. 

We get a video on Carlee Bright. She says she's not all agility and smiles and they call her a ray of sunshine.

Lola Vice vs Carlee Bright

Lola leg kicks her then takes her down. CB rolls her up then crucifixes her. CB crossbodies her for 2 then shoulders her over. CB is on the ropes and is kicked, then she falls into the ring. Lola axe kicks her back. Petrovic and Natalya are watching this in the back and they seem to maybe be headed to the ring.

Lola euros her then CB backslides her for 2. Lola hits knees to the gut. Lola dances and CB rolls her up. CB hits lariats then dropkicks her. CB does a cartwheel kick then standing SSP's her for 2. CB comes off the buckles and is kicked in the gut. Lola then urakens her and wins it.

Thoughts: I would have liked CB to get more hype before coming in and and I would have liked her to get the win here. She did okay hitting her stuff clean but this could have done better.

Shayna Baszler and Lola attack CB after. Natalya and Karmen Petrovic come out to make the save. Nat asks where they are going and said she thought they were the baddest and most dangerous in NXT. Karmen asks for a tag match next week.

Chase U goes up to Ridge Holland after. Riley said it was an accident and his bad. Ridge said there's no hard feelings and he hopes they can trust him. Thea then hugs Ridge. Ridge and Riley shake hands. Riley doesn't seem to buy this.

Heritage Cup Match - Charlie Dempsey (c) vs Tony D'Angelo

Round 1 - Tony takes CD down and rolls him. Toy grabs the ankle then rolls him up for 2. Tony does a takedown slam. CD cravate snapmares him and rolls with the cravate on. Tony hiptosses him. CD shoulders him over. Tony drops down out of the full nelson and pins CD. Tony is up 1-0.

Round 2 - This begins during PiP break. CD takes him down. They double knuckle lock. CD straightjacket chokes him. CD slingshot sunset flips him but Ton holds on and punches him. They trade euros for punches. CD running knees him in the gut then butterfly suplexes him into an armbar.

Round 3 - Tony's arm is hurting from the armbar. CD throws him into the buckles shoulder first and euros the arm. Tony takes him down and is armbarred again. CD fujiwara armbars him. They both try pin attempts then CD backslides him with a bridge. Tony fireman's carry slams him then is sent into the buckles shoulder first. CD germans him and pins him. It's tied 1-1 now.

Round 4 - CD running euros him. CD works the arm and throws him down. CD hits elbows on the arm then stomps it into the mat. CD cradles him then keylocks him. Tony deadlift powerbombs him. Tony hits punches and belly to belly suplexes him. Tony spinebusters him and the round ends.

Round 5 - Tony running forearms him in the corner. Tony germans him. Borne and Kemp then come down and fight with Tony's crew. Tony helps his crew fight. Borne gets in the ring. Tony decks CD and Borne is back body dropped over the top on Kemp. CD backrolls Tony with a bridge. Tony hits a perfectplex and wins the fall. Tony D'Angelo wins the match 2 falls to 1 and is the Heritage Cup champ!

Thoughts: I thought they could have done a little more armwork here and worked with that story. The match wasn't anything too great. It was silly that Kemp and Borne were all messed up here with ripped clothes and goofy hair when they had time to get to the arena and change.

We cut to the back and Wes Lee, Josh Briggs and Ivar are down. Gallus then appears and says surprise, surprise, did you miss us? They say this is just the start.

Thoughts: It's Gallus. Their group worked much better in NXT UK than it does here. I don't see things going much different this time around than it did last time.

Overall thoughts: A lot of NXT's best got drafted and these are the first shows without people like Tiff, Bron, Melo and others. It's basically NXT 3.0 now with new names and younger talents. Because of it, the show was a little lackluster. People need time to get established and NXT has to figure out where everyone fits. The show wasn't that great and Trick/Lash is the only real interesting thing going on right now. I wouldn't recommend this.