WWE NXT Battleground 2025 5/25/2025

WWE NXT Battleground 2025 5/25/2025

We are in Tampa, Florida.

We see various wrestlers arrive. Zaria is with SOl and KJ has a new look with pink/yellow/black gear, heavy pink eye shadow and pink braids. Sol has some facepaint on.

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

Sol won here. This was all high flying as you would expect. It was nothing but about 12 minutes of flying and cool spots. I didn't like the top rope facebuster not meaning much and do wish they would have sold more, but it was easily one of the most athletic female matches ever on US soil. There really wasn't a lot of story going into this and I honestly didn't even remember this match was even on this show. It was impressive for the women but it was an indy style match.

Sean Spears does a taped video with his crew. He says he will be leaning on them but they can rely on his wisdom. He says they have become the truest versions of themselves. He says their opponents possess a formidable challenge, but they can be victorious. Niko says it's the biggest match of his life. Brooks says it's a moment of reflection. He said he hung out with the wrong people before but are now with people who have his best interest.

Ava talks to Dalys and Chik Tormenta in the back of AAA.

Mike Santana of TNA is interviewed. He says it took him 16 years to get here and he says he's coming for the TNA Title. He says he's loud and proud from The Bronx. He says he's here as he wants the winner of Trick and Joe. NQCC minus Borne interrupts. Dempsey says he's another TNA guy who doesn't belong. He says he's sick of all the outsiders here. Mike says Dempsey doesn't know him and says we have a problem. Tavion says he doesn't see a problem, he sees an opportunity. He says he wants a shot at Mike and Mike agrees. Jacy Jayne and Fallon Henley argued in the background of this.

Hank and Tank (Hank Walker and Tank Ledger) and Josh Briggs vs. The Culling (Brooks Jensen, Niko Vance, and Shawn Spears)

Hank's team won here. Hank took a big head first bump into the post that booker went wild for. This was a very fast paced match with lots of big spots and stiff shots. This was way better than I expected and everyone came out of this one looking good. I did not expect a sprint but that is what we got out of it. I don't think this could have went any better than it did. This was good.

The Culling beat up on the faces after. Izzi Dame grabs a chair and Inamura takes the chair from her. Inamura chairs the heels.

Ethan Page is interviewed. He says everyone thinks Ricky Saints is the coolest guy in NXT but he says it's all for show. He says Saints is one of the most insecure guys he has ever seen. He says Saints has been following him since he got here. Ava comes in and says they will open the show on Tuesday and says the winner defends at World's Collide.

Tony D'Angelo vs Stacks

Tony slaps him and takes him down. Tony knees him in the gut then lariats him. Tony lariats him over the top. Tony hiptosses Stacks in from the apron. Stacks forearms him from behind then pounds on the back of his neck. Tony back body drops him and flying forearms him.

Stacks is belly to belly suplexed over the top. Tony lariats him outside and sends him into the rail and post. Tony's head is banged off the steps. Stacks dropkicks him into the steps. Tony is sent into the apron edge then Stacks hits knees to the body. 

Stacks hits corner spears and stomps him in the corner. Stacks corner cannonballs him. Stacks does a grounded bodyscissors. Tony gets hit in the gut then takes an enzugiri. Stacks does a curbstomp with the knee for 2.

Tony overhead belly to belly suplexes him. Tony hits more belly to belly suplexes then he spinebusters him. Tony hits punches to the gut. Stacks enzugiri's him then Tony hits a deadlift german for 2.

Tony powerbombs Stacks out of a triangle then hits mounted shots. Tony questions himself and stops pounding on Stacks. They stare at each other. Stacks koppo kicks him off the apron then rams him into the post back first. Stacks misses a cannonball into the post. Tony flying knees him then hits a fisherman suplex for 2.

Tony hangs over the 2nd rope and Stacks top rope double stomps him. Stacks goes for the crowbar but it's missing. Tony bangs Stacks' head off the post. Tony lariats Stacks then spears him. Tony hits forearms to the back of the neck. Stacks says he made a mistake and he's sorry. Tony tells him he made his bed and stomps his back. Tony spinebusters him.

Luca Crusifino comes out and stares at Tony. Stacks low blows Tony then knees him in the back of the head. Stacks then picks up the win.

Thoughts: It was about as good of a match as these two were going to do. Neither are the best workers but they had the idea right here. The ending was good with Luca returning. It was made to look like Luca got whacked by Tony but we never saw it. Stacks kind of had to win here to continue this feud.

Luca gets in the ring after. He goes to hug Tony and Tony pushes him away. We'll have to see what this means.

WWE NXT Women's Title - Stephanie Vaquer (c) vs. Jordynne Grace

SV snapmares her and is shouldered over. JG armlocks her. JG throws her down then is armdragged. JG shoulders her over and armlocks her. SV side headlock takeovers her and JG headscissors her. SV crucifixes her then tries a bridge pin. They then do a standoff.

SV headscissors her into a pin attempt for 2. SV suplexes her. SV headscissors her, JG rolls and electric chairs her outside. She then drops her on the commentary table. SV is sent into the rails. JG crabs her inside and SV ropebreaks.

JG drops her backwards to escape a sleeper. JG hits a world's strongest slam. She misses a vader bomb. SV hanging triangles her over the top. SV then springboard crossbodies her. SV hits a soul foot then hits corner facewash kicks.

SV corner meteora's her then backdrops her. SV bangs JG's head off the mat off the headscissors. JG spinebusters her then hits a package powerbomb for 2. JG hits lariats then SV germans her. SV ddt's her for 2.

They go up top and JG slaps her. JG 2nd rope superplexes her and holds on for a jackhammer for 2. SV cradles her off of a made in japan attempt. SV hits forearms and a superkick. JG is pushed through the timekeepers rail outside. SV hits an SVB for 2.

They trade forearms. SV dragon screws her while she's on the 2nd rope. SV hits a top rope skytwister press and wins.

Thoughts: I just thought it was an average match. There were no real heels or faces here or any great logic. No one screwed anything up and they tried to have a good one, but it was nothing you'd really remember. I also thought they could have picked the pace up here better.

The AAA girls are in the front row and Dalys shakes her finger at SV.

Ricky Saints and Sarah Schreiber talk in the ring. RS says Ethan Page is the guy at the party who wasn't invited and nobody cares or wants him here. He says he put the title on the line as he knew Page wouldn't let an opportunity like this slip away. He says he's tired of him, so he put the title up against him. RS is asked about defending the title at World's Collide. He says if anyone wants a piece of him, you can come and get it.

Ethan Page then comes in and they fight. RS plancha's him and security off the top.

We see a sitdown interview with Myles Borne and Vic Joseph. He said he didn't know if he was ready when he joined NXT but said NQCC got him ready. He said he was the most ready in the battle royal. He talks about being hard of hearing. He said he felt the fans. He says he wants them to know the real him. He says he doesn't want his problems to define him.

Borne says he's been fighting the odds since day one and is fighting to survive. He says Oba has him beat in size and power but not in heart. He says he believes he can defy the odds at Battleground.

WWE NXT Title - Oba Femi (c) vs Myles Borne

They lock up. MB side headlocks him and rolls over his back. Oba hits a shot to the gut. MB dropkicks him. Oba hits punches in the corner then shoulders him over. Oba hits corner spears and MB hits a step up enzugiri.

Oba rams him hard into the corner. MB hits a 2nd rope crossbody. Oba drops him gut first on the top rope. Oba suplexes him. Oba pounds on him. Oba forearms him in the spine. Oba hits knees to the gut then uranage backbreakers him.

Oba throws him down backwards. Oba bangs MB's head off the mat. MB dropkicks him. Oba hits another uranage backbreaker and stretches him over his knee. Oba lariats him. MB gets a sleeper on his back. MB is rammed backwards into the corner. MB dropkicks him off the apron. MB goes for a dive and is forearmed. Oba gorilla press gutbusters him for 2. Obasits on his back and pulls his chin.

Oba misses a corner charge and goes into the post. MB hits punches. Oba pops him up and is dropkicked. MB tope con hilos him. MB top rope diving forearms him for 2. MB powerslams him for 2. MB misses a standing moonsault. MB standing moonsaults him. Oba then chokeslams him for 2. Oba armdrags him and MB ddt's him.

MB misses a top rope move and hurricanrana's him for 2. Oba forearms him. MB catches him in the corner then germans him. MB hits a top rope splash for 2. They trade shots. MB lariats him and hits another dropkick. Oba pop-up euros him then powerbombs him for 2. MB rolls him up for 2. Oba flips him with a lariat and throws him off a backdrop. Oba pop-up powerbombs him. Oba then does another powerbomb.

Thoughts: It was good and what it needed to be. It wasn't MB's time to win yet and he got to look good here before going down. He also got some shine here as a singles guy. MB has been ready in the ring since he debuted so him doing well here was no surprise. Hopefully they capitalize on this going forward and Oba becomes MB's hurdle that he has to overcome and eventually beat. I think there's money in that story.

Oba nods his head at MB after.

SV argues with the AAA girls in the back. Ava and refs separate it. Jacy Jay then slaps SV and officials break it up.

TNA World Title - Joe Hendry (c) vs. Trick Williams

The crowd is hot and pumped for this. TW ducks a lock up twice. TW piefaces him. Joe hits chops then lariats him over the top. Joe then dives over the top onto TW.

TW knees him in the gut then Joe shoulders him over. Joe suplexes him for 2. Joe side headlock takeovers him. TW fallway slams Joe. TW then does Joe's turnaround pose. TW uranages him for 2.

Joe 2nd rope fallaway slams TW for 2. Joe sunset flips him for 2 then rolls him up for 2. TW facekicks him then piefaces him. They trade shots. TW scissors kicks him. TW then does Booker T's spinarooni and Booker approves. Joe then uranages TW for 2.

TW hits harlem sidekicks on Joe then cradle shocks him for 2. Joe backrolls out of a 2nd rope crossbody. Joe kind of hits his standing ovation for 2. Joe is sent into the steps. TW hits punches on Joe. TW hits a mcgillicutter for 2. Joe misses a corner charge and takes a jumping neckbreaker for 2. TW grounded guillotines him. Joe then suplexes him out.

Joe hits punches on TW then lariats him. Joe fallaway slams him. Joe hits a standing ovation for 2. Joe does Cena's hand thing and goes for an AA. TW spinning facekicks him. TW is sent out. Joe is tripped into the steps. TW uranage's him through the commentary table.

Trick hits a trick shot on Joe for 2 in the ring. TW grabs the TNA Title outside. He fights the ref for it and Joe rolls him up for 2. Joe takes a thumb to the eye and is flatlinered on the TNA Title. Trick hits a trick shot on Joe and wins.

Thoughts: It was a lot better than it should have been and them bringing up John Cena and Booker T here made this a bit more interesting. I was surprised that they were able to make it work. As for the result, I don't know. Joe had few challengers and Trick being champ makes for an easy rematch or a new direction for TNA. WWE winning like this over TNA doesn't really sit well though since TNA is the junior partner here and has gotten the lower end of this deal so far. Joe's reign and ascension to the top really was not very good. Some of it was on his lack of in-ring skills, but neither promotion did him any favors booking wise either. I don't think we're done here, but we'll see where it goes.

Overall thoughts: The opener was all flying as expected and basically an indy style match. They didn't overdo it too much, but if you were looking for anything but an athletic match, this wasn't it. The men's trios match was much better than expected and the two teams got the best out of each other. Tony/Stacks was good and I think that fued is far from over. The NXT Women's Title match was average. Oba/Borne was a good match. The main was better than it should have been and had a surprise result with Trick winning. It doesn't seem like we have seen the end of it though and we'll have to see where it leads. I don't love Joe losing, but Joe hasn't been booked well in either promotion for over a year and this is sadly what happens when one promotion in a partnership is above the other. I'd give it an 8 out of 10 total as the matches delivered and we got some moments here. This show overacheived and was a very good effort by the NXT crew. I don't think there was anything must see, but nothing was awful.