WWE NXT 5/21/2024

WWE NXT 5/21/2024

Last week's show is here: https://prowresblog.blogspot.com/2024/05/wwe-nxt-5142024.html

NXT Women's North American Championship Qualifier - Thea Hail vs Fallon Henley

Ridge Holland is with Chase U. They get in each others faces and shove each other. Thea arm wringers her. Thea legsweeps her and standing moonssaults her. FH dragon screws her then hits a house call kick for 2. FH does a wristlock on her. Thea backrolls into a headscissors then armdrags her. Thea Japanese armdrags her then topes her outside. Thea then lands on her and hits forearms.

FH grabs a chair and Ridge takes the chair away. The ref then sees Ridge with the chair and throws out Chase U. We go to break and return. FH flying facebusters her then Thea armdrags her. They collide heads and trade forearms. Thea flying double axe handles her then headhunters her. Thea rolling sentons her then springboard backsplashes her for 2.

Thea blocks FH's tornado suplex. Thea goes for the kimura and they go out. Thea is rammed into the rails then FH shining wizards her for the win.

Thoughts: The spot with Ridge was creative here. They didn't get enough time here for the match they were doing and that brought this one down.

Jazmyn Nyx then comes down and beats up Thea. she pele kicks her and kips up.  

The D'Angelo Family, Axiom and Nathan Frazer talk in the back. NF congratulates Tony for winning The Heritage Cup. NF talks about winning it. Stacks asks if Axiom's name was on here and they make fun of the name A-Kid. Stacks said they heard Ax and NF have been ducking OC. NF says they want to hand title shots out to NXT stars. Luca says what about him and Stacks. NF agrees and said they got their shot tonight.

They say Ivar is out indefinitely due to Gallus' attack. Wes and Josh Briggs challenge Joe Coffey to get in the triple threat match for this through twitter/voicemail.

Gallus are interviewed. Joe says the only way to get noise is to make noise. Joe says people were talking about Gallus at the end of the show. Mark tells Ivar to enjoy his stay in the hospital. Joe says Briggs is tougher than they gave him credit for. Joe says Oba Femi will find out just how dangerous Gallus are when he wins tonight. Mark says NXT being comfortable with them being away is over.

WWE NXT Tag Titles - Axiom and Nathan Frazer (c) Stacks and Luca Crusifino

Ax headflips out of Luca's wristlock. He armdrags him off the ropes and dropkicks him. Stacks stomps and kicks NF. NF slingshot sunset flips him then Stacks running euros him for 2. Stacks takes a running facekick then Ax does an octopus on Stacks. NF runs the ropes while Stacks in the hold and dropkicks him. NF is facekicked off the apron and goes into the commentary table. Stacks then splashes him off the apron onto the floor.

We go to break and return. Stacks hits punches on NF. NF is held for punches and thrown into Luca's double knees. NF spinning enzugiri's Stacks then asai moonsaults into a reverse ddt on Luca. Ax gets in and chops both opponents. Ax la mistica's Stacks into Luca and makes Luca ddt Stacks.

Ax half-nelson suplexes Stacks for 2. Ax hits kicks on Stacks. Stacks takes a superkick into a brainbuster for 2. Luca codebreakers Ax then NF takes a bada bing, bada boom for 2. NF flatliners Stacks into the middle buckle. Stacks superplexes NF off the top. Luca goes for a top rope splash but is superkicked by Ax in mid-air. No Quarter Catch Crew then run down and beat up Tony. NF cradles Stacks and wins it.

Thoughts: It was an okay tag here and the finish pushes the NQCC vs D'Angelo Family feud more. I thought this was the best match Luca has ever been in. I liked the mid-air superkick spot here.

The OC jump Ax and NF after. NF takes a magic killer.

Mr. Stone talks to Layla Diggs in the back, who just made her debut on Level Up last week.  He puts her over and says everyone will be saying her name soon. Lexis King comes in. He says everyone is already saying his name. King says even Chelsea Green wouldn't reunite with him. He says Stone is stuck in a hole and can only get out if he hitches his name to King. King says he's virtually undefeated then Ava Raine walks in. Ava tells King he's annoying and says he has a match tonight. She said he won't find out his opponent until he gets in the ring. Ava tells Stone she will find King a perfect opponent.

Chase U talks in the back. Riley asks how Chase didn't see this coming. Ridge comes in and tells Riley to back off. Ridge aid he stepped in and had to do something. Riley said he cost her the match. Riley said he's sick of his excuses. He says he's judging him and says he doesn't even belong here. Chase says to settle it in the ring. 

NXT North American Title #1 Contender - Wes Lee vs Josh Briggs vs Joe Coffey

Oba Femi is on commentary. Gallus tries to pull out Joe and a tug of war erupts over him. Joe is double teamed. Josh then forearms both opponents. Josh hits a double shoulderblock then hiptosses Wes into Joe. Wes is caught on a crossbody, Joe shotgun dropkicks them and Wes takes a fallaway slam. Joe tornado ddt's Josh for 2.

Wes flying hurricanrana's Joe then hits a tope con hilo outside. Josh running facekicks Joe outside. Josh rebound lariats we outside. Josh back body drops Joe on the floor outside. We go to PiP break and return.

Joe and Josh lariat each other. Josh punches him then splashes him. Wes top rope swantons Josh's back. Wes double stomps Josh's back then spin kicks Joe in the face. Josh has Joe for a ddt then Wes asai moonsaults into a reverse ddt on Josh. Wes topes Josh.

Josh running facekicks Joe. Wes is caught off the top with a chokeslam into the buckles. Josh chokeslams Joe then chokeslams Wes onto Joe. Joe hits a punch combo on Josh then running euros him. Joe double springboard twisting crossbodies Josh.

Wes koppo kicks Joe then topes him outside. Gallus hit a high/low on Josh outside. Wes springboards into a Joe headbutt. Joe then falls over, lands on Josh and pins him. The ref talks to the ring announcer and Wes also pinned Josh.

Thoughts: It was a fine triple threat here with some creative spots. It was better than you would expect here. The finish didn't work at all and nobody reacted.

Karmen Petrovic and Natalya are interviewed. KP says she's nervous in her first main event but has the BOAT as her partner. She says they are ready for tonight. Nat says they bonded and say they will be a well-oiled winning machine.

Brinley Reece is with Enofe and Blade in the locker room. Enofe says he's cooked and talks about the mirror and black cats. Blade tries to hype him up and Brin wants them to come out with her. Blade says no. Enofe tells Blade to stop mentioning his bad luck. Brin says it's not about luck, it's about confidence.

Oba Femi talks to Ava Raine in the back. She said Wes and Joe both pinned Briggs so he will defend his title against both at Battleground.

Sexyy Red comes to NXT next week. She's a singer. 

NXT Women's North American Championship Qualifier - Brinley Reece vs Jaida Parker

Brin hits big forearms and drops her. Brin corner spears her then armdrags her. Brin is thrown back into the buckles. Brin comes off the buckles and takes a knee to the gut. JP hits corner spears then hits forearms. JP lays her on the middle rope and springboard buttpresses her down. JP chokes her against the middle rope Brin chinbreakers her. JP rolls her up and they bridge up together. Brin backslides her.

JP double underhook suplexes her. Blade and Enofe are watching this in the back. JP bodyscissors her. Brin low crossbodies her and rolls her up. Brin goes up and over her then flying shoulders her. Brin shoulders her over and slams her.

Brin forward cartwheel lariats her for 2. Blade and Enofe come down. JP gordbusters Brin the running hip attacks her to win it.

Thoughts: It was a short and okay match but nothing special or memorable. They just didn't have time to do much more but things went well.

Fallon Henley is in the back and talks to Jazmyn Nyx. Nyx says she bet it felt good to get a win. Fallon said she wants to win the title at Battleground. She said with that attitude. She said she knew Fallon never needed any friends to win. That's why she said she waited until after to attack Thea for breaking Jacy Jayne's nose.

We see Wendy Choo wake up and put on slippers.

Roxanne Perez does a video. She says no one will take her title from her. She says it's her against the world. She says she's better than the other girls. She said all she cares about is her NXT Title. She says all she sees is The Prodigy when she looks int the mirror.

Ava is on the phone. 

Lexis King says he's been on a hot streak lately. He says whoever comes out will join a long list of gentlemen who have fallen to the king. He says he's undefeated in 2024. Robert Stone comes out and points at the tron. It's Dante Chen.

Lexis King vs Dante Chen

They lock up and King shoulders him over. King hits mounted forearms. King boots him out of the corner. Chen dropkicks him  then back body drops him. Chen's splash is blocked. Chen comes off the 2nd rope and is dropkicked in mid-air. King knees him in the gut and bangs his head off the buckles. King double foot chokes him in the corner.

King short arm clotheslines him and hits Kawada kicks. Chen blocks a kick then lariats him. They trade chops and Chen lariats him. Chen running forearms him then corner splashes him. Chen atomic drops him and pump kicks him. Chen does something like a side effect for 2. King running kitchen sinks him in the back of the head. Mr. Stone gets on the apron. King superkicks Chen then Chen cradles him to win it.

Thoughts: It was an average match for the most part, which isn't too surprising. It's a way to get Chen a win on TV I guess, but this would have been a lot better if they had built it up. And there is a story to tell here with Chen struggling to get on TV and finally getting the win when he does. There's a reason Chen isn't on TV much - he's average in the ring and doesn't have a lot of personality. I don't see that changing anytime soon.

Shayna Baszler and Lola Vice talk in the back. SB says they should be dominant tonight. SB says let's keep the dancing back here and says it's all business in there. Lola then dances and says she likes to have fun too.

Trick Williams comes out to talk. He said Noam Dar dropped him from behind two weeks ago. He said last week Dar got dropped backstage. Trick says if anyone knows how that feels, it's him. Trick says he didn't attack Dar. He said if he attacked him, he wouldn't be holding his leg and would have a Jordan logo on his forehead.

Meta-Four come out minus Dar. Jakara tells him to stop playing. She said she knows it was him. She says maybe Je'Von did it or it was both of them. Oro said Trick is still salty because Dar knocked the daylight out of him. Lash comes to Trick's defense and says he didn't do it. Trick tells Oro to shut his mouth.

Joe Coffey comes out. He says Trick is about to find out why he's out here then Gallus jump Trick 3v1. Je'Von Evans then comes out and helps Trick. Evans is then beaten up too. Evans is lifted high for a german. Trick starts hitting shots on Gallus. Trick takes a drop + flying dropkick and is left laying.

Thoughts: This was a silly segment when we saw Gallus already take credit for attacks last week. 

Mr. Stone tells Dante Chen he did a great job. Ava tells Chen the same thing. Chen says thank you for the opportunity. Ava says the credit goes to Stone. Stone says he knows Ava is looking for fresh, young talent and he's it.

Karmen Petrovic and Natalya vs Shayna Baszler and Lola Vice

SB = Shayna Baszler

Nat headflips out of a wristlock from SB. SB running knees her. Nat is worked on in the corner. Nat tags in KP. KP hits flying forearms and high kicks SB. KP running headhunters SB for 2. Nat and KP hit stereo lariats and we go to PiP break.

We return and KP is thrown into the buckles. KP rolls her up for 2 then SB lariats her. SB armlocks her then legsweeps her. SB suplexes her. KP drops down and kicks SB then tags out. Nat comes in. She hits lariats and punches. Nat suplexes Lola  then germans SB.

Lola armdrags Nat then takes a spinning lariats for 2. KP top rope crossbodies Lola for 2. SB clips KP. Nat cradles Lola and is pushed into SB. Lola backfists Nat. SB throws out KP. Lola spinning high kicks Nat, shakes her butt and then Nat catches her with a sharpshooter. SB breaks it. KP is caught off a top rope crossbody by SB then rolls SB out of the ring. Lola takes a hart attack from KP and is pinned.

Thoughts: It wasn't anything special as expected. It wasn't a main event worthy match and was just there to slip the women in the main event on a slow night.

SB stares down at Lola after and grabs her. Lola high kicks her and twerks at her. Lola dances on the apron and SB sleepers her. Refs then come down to stop this. They fail to and then the girls trade punches and kicks. Ava Raine comes out. She says they are looking for a fight and says they can do this at Battleground. SB then says NXT Underground. They then fight more.

Overall thoughts: As I said last week, we are in a transitional period of NXT. The old stars are gone and new ones need to take their place. Unfortunately, it's not clear who the new stars are going to be yet and until it gets figured out, the show is going to be so-so like it was tonight. Nothing was bad here, but I wouldn't recommend this one.