WWE NXT Heatwave 2024 7/7/2024

 WWE NXT Heatwave 2024 7/7/2024

WWE NXT North American Title - Oba Femi (c) vs Wes Lee

Wes hits a kick to the leg and is swept. Wes hits shots to the body then Oba throws him in the corner. Wes spin kicks him and springboard enzugiri's him. Oba knocks him out of the ring with a punch. Wes springboard dropkicks back in then Oba does an F-5.

Wes hits upkicks and is thrown over the top. Wes is thrown into the apron edge. Oba backbreakers him then stands on his back. Oba beats him up more. Oba throws him on a slam. Wes is in tree of woe and Oba misses a spear. Oba blocks a sunset flip and is sent over the top. Oba chops Wes.

Oba uranage backbreakers him and stretches him over his knee. Wes upkicks him and superman punches him. Wes superkicks him then hits a tornado ddt for 2. Wes topes him several times. Oba blocks a springboard meteora and Wes hurricanrana's him.

Wex springboard meteora's the back of his neck.  Wes then springboards into an Oba euro. Oba blocks a hurricanrana and Wes escapes a 2nd rope powerbomb. Wes handspring backflip kicks him for 2. Wes top rope splashes him and Oba picks him up by the throat off of it. They go over the top on a lariat. Oba shoulderbreakers him outside.

Wes double stomps Oba's back. Wes superkicks him in the back and Oba throws him from the backdrop position. Oba pop-up sitout powerbombs him.

Thoughts: It wasn't great but it was what it should have been. Wes tried to fly and did various underdog moves and Oba just threw him around and blocked him. It totally did what it was supposed to and it worked out well. Oba needed a little more offense in and needed to throw Wes around more for this to really get to the next level though. 

WWE NXT Women's North American Title - Kelani Jordan (c) v Sol Ruca

I have big time expectations for this. They lock up. KJ fireman's carry takeovers him then Sol headscissors him. Sol handstand walks and backflips into a headscissors ala Titan but KJ cartwheels out. KJ headscissors her and Sol cartwheels out.

Sol side headlock takeovers her and KJ side headlocks her. KJ goes up and over then Sol does as well. KJ 2nd rope twsiting crossbodies her. They then stand off after a backflip and headflip. Sol trips her and side headlocks her. Sol lands on a hiptoss and KJ handstands to avoid a facebuster.

KJ does a cool tilt-a-whirl on her back and backslides her. Sol facebusters her for 2. Sol does like a reverse bow and arrow then surfboards her. KJ tiger feint armdrags her then flying headscissors her. KJ tornillos her outside. 

KJ facebusters her for 2. Sol superkicks her then springboard twisting crossbodies her. Sol springboard 450 lariats her. They trade forearms. Sol  hits kicks then KJ spinning heel kicks her. KJ kips up and poisonrana's her. Sol goes out.

KJ asai moonsaults her outside. Sol kicks her from the apron then vaults off the 2nd rope and moonsaults her. KJ rolls her up out of a slam and they trade pin attempts. Sol does a nasty looking powerbomb out of the fireman's carry.

Sol gets her knees up on KJ's 450. KJ blocks a sol snatcher then Sol blocks a poisonrana. KJ takes a reverse alabama slam on the buckles. KJ 2nd rope poisonrana's her then hits a split-legged moonsault to win.

Thoughts: It was flippy was expected here but both are athletic girls and both are faces. I liked it and it was pretty much as expected. It was the most athletic women's match in WWE history and it's clear these girls are miles above the average women's wrestler. We got a look at the future of women's wrestling here. it was good but not great.

Gallus does a video on Tyson Dupont's and Tyriek Igwe's tweets. They say it doesn't matter how many social media subs they got, it matters what you do in the ring.

Ava talks to Karmen Petrovic and Arianna Grace. She said they made a good tag team though she didn't know if this pairing would work. Grace says the results would have been catastrophic if KP was out there by herself. KP said she got the win and it was a team effort. Grace said she was the MVP and it's the last time they team together. Grace says she can't have her anchoring her down. They end up setting up a singles match as Grace says she's the better girl. Grace yells at Ava for pitting tag partners against each other.

WWE NXT Tag Titles - Nathan Frazer and Axiom (c) vs Chase U (Andre Chase and Duke Hudson)

 

This is one of those times where booking overtakes having a good match. Riley Osborne really should have been in this one.

Ax takes down Chase by the arm then snapmares him. Ax side headlock takeovers him and Chase headscissors him. Chase back elbows Ax. Ax armdrags him when coming off the 2nd rope and dropkicks him. Chase dropkicks him and armdrags NF.

NF superkicks Chase and spinning enzugiri's him. Duke overhead belly to belly suplexes NF. NF enzugiri's hase then Chase takes a short ddt. Chase takes a german and a double superkick for 2. NF springboards and is caught with a Chase side effect.

Ax flying armbars Chase and Chase tries to pin him off of it. Ax catches an enzugiri with an ankle lock. Duke hits a double clothesline then hits punches on NF. Duke hits a double elbow on his opponents. Duke pop-up throws NF then does a senton + gutbuster combo.

NF dropkicks Duke out then Duke does a slingshot into a german. NF hurricanrana's Zack into the buckles. Ax 2nd rope diving hurricanrana's Duke. NF and Ax hit ropes outside. Ax top rope splashes Duke then NF springboard 450's Duke.

Duke does a handstand headscissors on NF on the ropes. Duke swinging sideslams NF for 2. NF springboard dropkicks Duke. Ax top rope spanish flies duke then NF top rope phoenix splashes Duke. Chase canadian destroyers Ax off of NF's back. 

Ax hits kicks on Chase and lariats him on the ropes. Chase running facekicks him then step up enzugiri's him while using NF. NF superkicks Ax on accident. Chase then rolls up Ax for 2. Chase russian legsweeps Ax and does C-H-A-S-E-U stomps him. Chase top rope crossbodies Ax for 2.

Chase boots NF out of the corner. Chase goes up top and NF superplexes him. Chase takes a superkick + suplex then NF tope con hilos outside. Ax hits a golden ratio kick on Chase and wins.

Thoughts: It was a workrate based match like Sol/Jordan and didn't have much of a story. The action was nice and all but it went on a little longer than it needed to and I wasn't super invested into this. It was fine just not great.

They try to interview Wes Lee after. Wes is upset and said he lost and failed. He said he travelled the world, won tag team gold and had the best title run ever. He said he was supposed to regain his crown and failed. He said Oba Femi was the better man and he's at a loss for words. He said he needs time to figure out what's next.

We get videos that have already been shown on Carlee Bright, Josh Briggs and Dante Chen

WWE NXT Women's Title - Roxanne Perez (c) vs Lola Vice

They lock up. RP gets a shot in and Lola pushes her back. Lola side headlock takeovers her then shoulders her over. RP goes for an armdrag and Lola armbars her off of it. Lola slams her down off the waistlock and hits knees to the gut. Lola misses a uraken and RP goes out.

Lola cannonballs her off the apron. RP pounds on her then bangs her head off the buckles. RP's head is banged off the buckles and RP throws Lola back. RP pulls on Lola's hair.

RP russian legsweeps her. Lola hits a knee to the gut and RP rolls her up. Lola hits kicks to the body and kick combos her. Lola hip attacks her in the corner and axe kicks her for 2.

RP goes for a running euro and is put in a sleeper. RP backrolls out and Lola puts another choke on. Lola gets rammed into the commentary table to break it. Lola uraken's the post when RP moves. RP stomps the hand then northern lights suplexes her on her arm on the floor.

RP cranks Lola's arm back and knee drops it. RP stands on the hand then backdrops her. Lola urakens her and RP goes out. Lola hits mounted shots and RP works the arm. RP sends Lola into the post. They trade spin kicks and RP hits pop rocks for 2. 

RP clears off the commentary table. RP hits pop rocks on the table. RP crossfaces Lola then hits pop rocks three times in a row to win.

Thoughts: To me this was their big chance to show that they can do a classic and I just didn't see it. RP worked the arm for a little but it didn't really go anywhere and Lola just didn't step up on the bigger stage and has just plateaued. You could have put anyone in Lola's place and I think it would have been the same level of match. Booking wise, I didn't like this. I thought Lola should have won. She lost the last time she challenged and lost again here.  She didn't even have an excuse for this loss as RP won clean.

Lexis King says he's using 4th of July to celebrate his heritage and listen to rock and roll. He says Tony D'Angelo has a lot of heritage and he wants to take it in their Heritage Cup match.

Tony D said he was in his garden this morning and was told to watch the Lexis King video we just saw. He says he's insulted if King thinks this will be a walk in the park with him. He says he will slap the fake beard off his face then come back to his garden.

WWE NXT Title - Trick Williams (c) vs Shawn Spears vs Ethan Page vs Je'Von Evans

Evans topes Page outside to start. Trick slams Shawn then lariats him over the top. Evans and Page trade shots outside. Page and Spears try to do outdo the other by banging their opponents heads off the steps. They then stare down. They shake hands and poke each other in the eye.

They blow a catapult spot and Trick neckbreakers Page. Evans and Trick stare down and shake hands. Evans misses a kick and armdrags him. Evans dropkicks him then seated springboard headscissors him. Trick flying lariats Evans then slams him.

Trick dropkicks Evans. Trick sidekicks Spears and Page. Spears does a flying lariat and Page gets it instead. Trick hits a double flapjack. Evans does a double springboard crossbody and Trick uranages Evans. 

Spears lays over the middle rope and Page suplexes Evans onto his back. Page yanks and powerslams Evans. Evans takes an electric chair flying shoulder and Spears is ddt'd by Trick during it. Spears nails Trick, Page and Evans with a chair. Trick takes a death valley driver into a chair in the corner.

Evans superkicks Page, as does Spears. Spears superkicks Evans then trick headhunters Page. Trick is sent into the post then Page is sent into it. Trick hits forearms on Page while he yells at him. Evans tope con hilos over the post onto Trick, sending him through the rails.

Spears 2nd rope attitude adjustments Evans for 2. Spears headscissors Trick over the top then Evans walks up the buckles and top rope spanish flies Page. Evans hits a top rope diving cutter on Page for 2. 

Trick and Evans trade shots. Trick upkicks him. Trick and Evans flying kick each other at the same time. Evans top rope cutters Spears then 2nd rope tornillos him for 2. Evans goes for a springboard and is pushed off the top onto the commentary table where he lands hard.

Trick misses a kick on Spears and Spears sharpshooters Trick. Page pump kicks Spears then Page hits a razor's edge on Trick. Evans puts Trick's foot on the ropes to break the count. Page pounds on Trick. Tricking jumping knees spears and Page. Page falls on Evans and gets the pin as Spears pulls Trick out.

Thoughts: I don't like Page winning or Trick losing. Trick was getting huge reactions and I would not risk him losing that. Page is a midcard guy. He arguably needs to be in NXT as much as anyone else does and despite being a vet, is far from a completed project. Storyline wise, I would have almost opted for Evans to win instead if the title had to change hands. The match was decent but it had the usual limitations multi-man matches have.

We then see Joe Hendry's face at the end of the show.

Overall thoughts: It didn't look like it would be the most exciting show on paper but I figured the matches would be good. That's what this was. Trick losing was a mistake, especially to Ethan Page and the show as whole just didn't really get me excited for the next show. It was good overall but it wasn't great.