WWE NXT 4/1/2025
Last week's show is here: https://prowresblog.blogspot.com/2025/03/wwe-nxt-3252025.html
We see various wrestlers arrive earlier in the day.
Stephanie Vaquer comes out and Ava is in the ring. Ava says SV has shown why she is La Primiera and says she showed why she's the champ she is. She says both titles deserve to be defended frequently and they agreed that SV will relinquish the N-A Title. The next champ will be determined in a 6-woman ladder match at Stand and Deliver.
SV says she knows it's not a popular decision. She says NXT has given her opportunities and she wants to do the same for everyone else. She says she will give up the N-A Title if she gets to pick her opponent at Stand and Deliver.
Jordynne Grace comes out. Grace says now that Jaida Parker is out of the picture, they can fight at Stand and Deliver. Jaida Parker comes out. JP says she's here and not out of the picture. JP says she was close to winning and Grace tells her she fumbled her shot. She says JP wouldn't understand how titles work since she never held one. She says she goes to the back of the line. Grace and JP fight then security comes out. One of the security guards really flies out of the ring for Grace.
Trick Williams does an instagram video over the weekend. He said he called out Oba and is waiting to hear from him.
Oba Femi is interviewed in the parking lot. He says he's the champ and Trick answers to him, not the other way around. He says Trick will find out why you don't call out the ruler.
We go to the women's locker room. Arianna Grace says ladders seem dangerous. Fallon, Cora and someone else all argue.
WWE NXT Women's North American Title Qualifier - Zaria vs Lash Legend
They lock up and let go. Lash does a waistlock takedown. They do a double knuckle lock and Lash suplexes her for 2. Lash blocks a sunset flip. Zar chops her and Lash chops back. Zar guillotines her and Lash puts her on the apron. Zar slingshot sunset flips her for 2.
Lash slams her and both miss elbow drops. They grab each other by the throat. Lash hits knees to the gut then Zar rolls her up for 2. Lash pump kicks her out. Jakara Jackson argues with Sol outside. We go to break and return. Lash hits a big forearm on Zar. Lash and Zar double clothesline each other. They trade forearms on their knees. Zar hits punches then suplexes her. Zar hits a boot out of the corner. Zar is caught off the 2nd rope and takes a backbreaker.
Lash is hurricanrana'd off a powerbomb attempt. Zar pump kicks her then germans her. Zar chokeslams her for 2. Zar spears her. Zar hits an F-5 and wins.
Thoughts: It was easily Lash's most competent singles match yet. They had a heavyweight style match here and Lash did pretty good. This was a lot better than it was expected to be and I had no issues with this.
Inamura and Briggs talk in the back. Inamura wants to go to Stand and Deliver. Wes Lee, Dupont and Igwe enter. The two sides argue. Inamura says Wes used to fight with honor and challenges him for tonight. Wes tells him to prepare to be disappointed like his Stand and Deliver dreams.
Kelani Jordan talks to Ava in the back. She says history will repeat itself at Stand and Deliver. Roxanne Perez comes in and says she will win the ladder match at Stand and Deliver. KJ says she won't be a stepping stone in her book and says she will get hers. Perez says she finally grew a backbone. Ava says only one will get in the ladder match as they face each other in the qualifier.
The D'Angelo Family talk about The Dark State in a warehouse with their crew. They say Dion Lennox is a puzzle who was a bookworm but was also a linebacker. He says he has a mouth and says he is a hothead with a short temper. He says he has degrees in psychology and is manipulative.
Luca says Osiris Griffin is a former lineman. He says he was told OG has great instincts. Rizzo says Cutler James was a high level wrestler from Duke. She says he has an unlimited gas tank and likes to break will and spirit. She says he did spartan races walking through water with logs on his back. Stacks says Saquon Shugars is the wildcard and turned down an offer from Harvard. He says people listen and follow to him and is a smooth talker.
Tony says it doesn't sound like they have some meatballs trying to get TV time, they have bad@sses. Stacks and Tony argue over what to do. Tony says Stacks plan didn't work well last time and he has to trust him this time. Tony says he will review what they said and says to keep your phones on.
Hank and Tank are wearing Pretty Deadly's gear. They tell Pretty Deadly it wasn't the advice they were looking for. Elton says they need to look like stars to be stars. Elton says they need to be a team and need to feel it. The No Quarter Catch Crew walk by and says they about to get their @sses kicked in a few minutes. Hank and Tank take off the PD gear and PD says they got this.
We get a video on The Culling. Niko says rage and aggression are seen as a strength by Spears. Brooks says Shawn needs to repeat the steps he taught them tonight. Shawn says he cherishes them all and says the skills they taught each other, he will use against Ricky Saints.
No Quarter Catch Crew (Myles Borne and Tavion Heights vs Hank and Tank (Hank Walker and Tank Ledger)
Swipe Right from Evolve are in the front row. Borne and Tank go at it. Borne side headlocks him and yanks on his arm. Tav gets in and headlocks Tank. Tank does a splash off an up and over on Tav. Tav takes a double boot and a double axe handle. Hank and Tank do "yes boy" taunts then do a legdrop + splash combo. Hank corner lariats Tav.
Tav takes a double bodyblock in the ring. Borne lariats Hank over the top. Borne euros Hank and Tav lariats Hank for 2. Tav lariats Hank on the ropes for 2. Tav rolls up Hank for 2.
Tnak gets in and lariats Tav. Tank does a nice overhead suplex then lariats Borne in from the apron. Tank slingshot splashes Borne. Tank 2nd rope twisting shoulderblocks Tav. Tank spinebusters Tav for 2.
Borne totally misses a dropkick on Hank that is sold anyway. Tav is lifted for a ddt and pinned by Borne.
Thoughts: It was a shorter one. They kept a good pace to it and what we got was fine but it was over before it really go to develop.
Trick Williams comes out. He says he called out Oba and didn't hear from him. Trick says even if Oba is champ, he's the man here. Je'Von Evans comes out. Trick says not to interrupt him. Evans says he understands him now. Evans says Trick was him this time last year. He says then Trick became NXT's golden child. Evans says he wants the #1 spot like Trick did. He says he doesn't need to be in someone's shadow to get it though.
Trick says Evans is in his shadow now. He says Evans doesn't know about selling tickets and repping the brand. He says winning the title is great but defending it is a different subject. He says he's 1-1. Evans says Trick doesn't know who he is. He says he's not Trick Williams, he's Carmelo Hayes.
He says Trick is telling him everything Melo told him. He says Trick can run him down to make himself feel better. He says he did something Trick never did and that's drop Oba Femi.
Oba Femi comes out. He tells Evans to say that nonsense to his face. Evans says he got a lucky shot and says never again. Evans says he would jump him again to become champ. Trick says better lucky next time and Oba tells him to shut up. Oba says Evans may be the future of NXT but it won't be at his expense. Oba says the now belongs to him.
Trick tells Evans to excuse himself. Oba says he can see both want a shot at the NXT Title. Ava says this can only end one way and signs Oba Femi vs Trick Williams vs Je'Von Evans in a triple threat title match at Stand and Deliver. Trick knocks Evans out. Oba lariats Trick over the top.
The Deep State then come out. They attack the three. Evans is catapulted into a double back body drop and Oba is booted out of the ring. Trick is surrounded and group beaten. Trick is thrown into a double powerbomb.
Thoughts: I still don't like them turning Trick into a more heelish character but this is really the only S&D main NXT could have done outside of just a straight Oba vs Trick match.
Andre Chase is told he cracked his rib against Ethan Page last week and there's no timetable for recovery. He is asked if he has a ride home. He says he's alone. Uriah Connors and Kale Dixon say they can help Chase and put him in a wheelchair. They then run into a fight in the back between Jordynne Grace and Jaida Parker that gets broken up.
Fraxiom and Hank and Tank talk. Frazer says Hank and Tank lost what they had and said they embarrassed themselves. Axiom says they have the titles but wish they had a friendship like them. Swipe Right walk in. They say they are the hottest thing in Evolve and see them as their Hardy Boys. They say they want to know how they measure up. Frazer agrees to a match. They say Roxanne Perez is a prodigy but also a smoke show as she walks by.
WWE NXT Women's North American Title Qualifier - Kelani Jordan vs Roxanne Perez
KJ shoves her off and side headlock takeovers her. RP headscissors her and they trade headscissors. They take each other down then stand off. We go to break and return. RP throws KJ back. KJ holds her arms and slaps her. KJ tiger feint armdrags her then dropkicks her.
KJ does an unusual handstand into a guillotine legdrop on the buckles. RP holds the ring skirt then eye rakes her. RP throws her into the post shoulder first. RP stomps on KJ's arm over the bottom rope connector.
RP yanks on KJ's arm. KJ cradles her for 2. KJ backrolls her for 2. RP misses a knee drop on the arm. KJ hits forearms on RP. RP northern lights suplexes her for 2. We go to PiP break and return. KJ facebusters her.
RP armdrags her and KJ rolls her up for 2. KJ steps over her leg and spinning heel kicks her. KJ misses a split legged moonsault. RP cartwheel kneedrops her on the neck for 2. RP slaps her. KJ fires up and flails on her. KJ hits a short ddt. KJ then does a split legged moonsault for the win.
Thoughts: It was nice to see KJ win though it was out of nowhere. It feels like it might be RP's swan song from NXT but we will see. RP worked the arm some here and I didn't love KJ's selling of it.
Robert Stone, Ava and Stevie Turner talk in the back. Stevie talks about what a headache Swipe Right has been and said she didn't know they were showing up. Stone talks about Stand and Deliver. She says The Dark State have been getting to her and can fight next week against Trick, Evans and Oba.
Ricky Saints is interviewed. He says Shawn Spears doesn't know him and he's not worried about the past, he's worried about the future. He says it took Shawn a long time to taste glory but he will do it quickly. Ricky says he will be the new N-A champ tonight.
Sol Ruca and Zaria talk in the back. Zar wants her with her at Stand and Deliver. Kelani Jordan comes in and says she beat Perez. She says she is winning the ladder match. Sol and Zaria disagree. Sol says she will be in a qualifier last week and Zaria is surprised. KJ says nice people finish last. Sol then says their name is "ZuRuca".
The Dark State do a video. They say no one is safe and you don't know when they will fight. Shugars says Tony D's crew is trying to find out who they are and says they just have one goal and are trying to take off next week.
WWE NXT North American Title - Shawn Spears (c) vs Ricky Starks
SS slides out to start. Ricky hits a big tope on him and pounds on him outside. Ricky hits chops. They seemingly botch a dropkick spot then Ricky hits a dropkick. Ricky hits punches in the corner. Ricky jumps off the apron and is kicked.
Ricky back body drops SS on the floor. Ricky walks the rails and hits SS. We go to PiP break and return. Ricky hits chops and goes down after being sent into the corner. SS hits mounted punches. SS slams him. SS goes up top and is hit. Ricky clubs on him up top then top rope jackhammers him. They trade punches on their knees. Ricky hits running lariats then dropkicks SS. Ricky spinebusters him.
Ricky tornado ddt's him on the floor. SS is given the title belt by Izzi and he hits Ricky with it for a 2 count. SS's mouth is busted open. SS tells him he made him do this. Ricky hits a death valley driver. Shawn's buddies try to help out and Ricky hits shots on them then does stuff on them outside. Ricky gets back in and hits a spear. Ricky then hits a roshambo and wins.
Thoughts: The break cut this one up some but I liked what we got. Ricky was a good face here and the crowd was super into him. Ricky really hustled here and showed some potential. I was a bit surprised they had him win with Stand and Deliver coming up though as you'd think they would want to crown him there.
Ethan Page then comes out and hits a cutter on Ricky. He then poses over him with the title.
Overall thoughts: It was a good show overall. They really only have about 2 weeks til Stand and Deliver and it's surprising that the card isn't fully set yet. Something screwed up there. We only got 4 matches on this one which was a bit low, especially for this roster and not all of them were that long. Ricky winning the title worked out well and his Stand and Deliver challenger is already set. I liked the Oba/Trick/Evans segment as well. I'd give this one a 6 out of 10 overall.
