The John Report: WWE NXT 11/18/25 Review (NXT Gold Rush)

This week’s WWE NXT is the beginning of the Gold Rush episodes, with several big title matches set to take place.

The NXT Gold Rush shows take place tonight and on November 25th, with those matches being taped later tonight also. The NXT Deadline PLE is on December 6th.

Last week’s NXT episode ended with Ricky Saints retaining the NXT Championship over Trick Williams in a Last Man Standing Match. After the match, NXT Champion Oba Femi returned to confront Saints, so there could be a championship rematch coming soon.

They were at The Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City for this week’s show. Follow me on Twitter @johnreport, and check out my NXT TV review archive. Let’s get to it.

There was some pre-show walking shown of Sol Ruca with Zaria, Blake Monroe, Jacy Jayne with Fallon Henley & Lainey Reid, and Tatum Paxley with Izzi Dame, Shawn Spears and Niko Vance.

A video package aired to set up the NXT Gold Rush matches. There will be championships from NXT, TNA, AAA, and Evolve defended over the two weeks of Gold Rush shows.

The NYC crowd was loud with yellow NXT towels (like Pittsburgh’s Terrible Towels for the Pittsburgh Steelers). This show was from MSG Theater, and they had about 3,000 fans in attendance according to Wrestletix, so it’s a good crowd for NXT. I like it when they get out of the WWE PC in Orlando. There was a small walkway. They have done shows from here before, and it looks good.

It was Vic Joseph on commentary with Booker T as usual. Mike Rome was the ring announcer.

Joe Hendry and Thea Hail made their entrance first. It was recently reported that Joe is officially a WWE NXT guy who is no longer part of TNA. It’s great for NXT. My favorite mixed tag team, Ethan Page and Chelsea Green, were next, wearing their Canadian colors. Thanks for representing my country.

AAA Mixed Tag Team Championship: Ethan Page & Chelsea Green (w/Alba Fyre) vs. Joe Hendry & Thea Hail

This is my first time reviewing a AAA Mixed Tag Team Title match. It’s men against men and women against women.

The ladies started with Hail kicking Green and waving her hands in the air. Page tagged in against Joe. They battled over an arm wringer as Joe flipped over Page, who took a big bump. Joe ran over Page with a shoulder tackle, followed by a delayed vertical suplex for two because Green made the save. Hail and Green went into the ring to try a double team move, but then the faces made Page drop Green with a shoulder tackle. Hail hit a Tornado DDT on Page. They went on a break for some fans as the action continued. Joe hit a running elbow smash on Page for two. After Green held onto Joe’s arm, Page punched Joe and the heels took over. Green cheap-shotted Joe with a slap to the face while the referee wasn’t looking. Page worked over Joe with some basic stuff like punches and a chinlock.

It was Page in control with a Codebreaker knee smash for a two count. Joe came back with a suplex. Joe worked over Page with two clotheslines, and a running hurricanrana. Joe caught a charging Page and hit a fallaway slam across the ring. Green ran into the ring, so Hail sent her out of the ring. Hail tagged in and jumped off the top with a back splash (or Coffin Drop) onto Fyre and Page on the floor. Green was legal against Hail, who hit a splash against the turnbuckle and an Exploder Suplex. Hail hit a running kick for two because Page broke up the pin. Hail told Page to suck it and hit a superkick. Green went for her finish on Hail, but Hail avoided it and applied a Kimura Lock on the left arm. Page tackled Joe onto the girls to break up the submission. Green hit the Unpretty-her on Hail for the pinfall win after 11 minutes.

Winners by pinfall: Ethan Page & Chelsea Green

Analysis: ***1/4 It was an entertaining match with the champions finding a way to win, and they didn’t even cheat that much, which is a bit of a surprise. I liked that spot near the finish when Page tackled Joe onto the women, which led to Green hitting her finish for the win. Page and Green are a lot of fun to watch as a team. I hope Hendry gets a push as a singles wrestler in NXT, and I think he will. Hail could be a challenger for the NXT Women’s North American Title soon. I think that would be a good title for her to win in a few months.

Lola Vice was talking to Jordynne Grace in the locker room after watching the last match. Vice and Grace trashed Kelani Jordan, with Vice saying that Jordan trashed her from behind. Grace has some gigantic glasses. Kelani Jordan walked in as the TNA Knockouts Champion and bragged about beating both of them. There was more bickering. Jordan trashed Grace for being jealous of her while claiming she’ll be champion for a long time, and said she’ll see Grace next week.

The WWE WrestleMania 42 commercial aired with CM Punk talking. Tickets on sale now.

(Commercial)

A video aired from John Cena’s interview with Tom Rinaldi, and it was Cena talking about seeking approval.

Ava, the NXT GM, was backstage talking about how 2025 has brought NXT memories we’ll never forget. Ava spoke about NXT Deadline on December 6th. Ava mentioned the Iron Survivor Challenge matches will take place at NXT Deadline. In the past, WWE legends picked the participants, but this year, John Cena will select the competitors in the Iron Survivor Challenge, including men’s and women’s wrestlers. The fans cheered at the announcement.

Analysis: That’s a big rub to have John Cena announce the competitors in the Iron Survivor Challenge matches. Cena is a big supporter of NXT, and I’m sure he has some say in it, but it’s also up to the creative team.

They showed rapper Lil Yachty at ringside.

Tavion Heights was interviewed by Sarah Schreiber out by the crowd. Heights spoke about how far he’s come from being in the Olympics to now being a WWE superstar. Heights thanked the NQCC for doing a lot for him. Heights said that John Cena is picking the Iron Survivor competitors. Heights said if Cena picks him, then that’s all the approval he needs. Heights said you’ll see him as the NXT Iron Survivor. Josh Briggs attacked Heights in the area by the fans, so then they went fighting in the aisle and out into the concession stand area. There were referees there to break them up.

Analysis: That should set up a Tavion Heights-Josh Briggs match. I’ve been impressed by Heights as a wrestler, and he can talk fine, so let’s see him get more opportunities.

Sol Ruca was shown getting ready, and Zaria asked Sol if she was ready to do this. Sol said she was ready. Sol said she needs her NXT North American Championship back, and the only person who can get it back is her.

Analysis: That last line by Sol was a bit of a shot at Zaria, who lost the title while defending it for Sol.

The NXT Women’s North American Champion, Blake Monroe, made her entrance looking stylish as always.

(Commercial)

They showed NASCAR driver Jesse Love, who is the 2025 Xfinity Series Champion, at ringside.

NXT Women’s Championship: Blake Monroe vs. Sol Ruca (w/Zaria)

Sol had a brace on her left knee to sell her injury that may or may not have been legit. She missed one month of action. Sol got a sunset flip pin attempt for two. Blake got a hold of Sol’s foot, so Sol hit an enziguri kick to the head. Sol hit a splash against the ropes. Sol missed a top rope attack, so Blake hit a Slingblade and a sidewalk slam for two. Sol spun around Blake and slammed her into the mat. Sol kicked Blake for two. Blake did a hair-pull takedown to take control. Sol dropkicked Blake across the ring, but Blake came back with a trip to send Sol into the turnbuckle. Blake rammed Sol’s left knee into the ring post twice. Sol sent Blake face first into the ring post. Blake and Sol did a double clothesline on the floor. They went to a break for some fans, and I’ll take a break too. Blake was in control for a few minutes during this period.

Blake grounded Sol by wrapping her legs around Sol’s injured left knee. Sol broke free and kicked Blake in the back, so Blake kicked the left knee to continue the attack. Sol broke free and hit elbows. Sol hit a German Suplex. Sol hit a dropkick off the turnbuckle and did a kip-up on one leg. Sol hit a running knee smash for two. Blake pulled Sol off the ropes by the knee. Sol came back with a superkick that knocked Blake out of the ring. Sol jumped off the turnbuckle with a moonsault onto Blake on the floor. Sol was selling the left knee injury. Back in the ring, Blake hit a chop block to the left knee. Blake applied the single-leg half crab on the left knee. Sol nearly tapped out, but Blake let go and Blake pulled Sol’s knee brace off. Blake tossed the knee brace out of the ring. Blake applied a submission hold while pulling back viciously on the left knee. Zaria found a white towel at ringside. Sol didn’t want her to throw it in the ring, but Zaria insisted and tossed it in, which meant she was giving up for Sol. Blake wins by submission after about 13 minutes.

Winner by submission: Blake Monroe

Analysis: ***1/2 I liked the match a lot. There were good moves throughout, and then the added psychology of Sol selling the knee injury throughout the match, while Blake was aggressively attacking it. They added to the drama with Zaria throwing in the towel, even though Sol didn’t want her to do it. That’s some classic pro wrestling booking with the drama involving the knee injury and then Sol losing because of Zaria being concerned about her friend. It also puts over Blake for being the kind of heel that is going to attack an injured body part and show no remorse while doing it. Blake might be my favorite woman in NXT right now because she’s the total package. Sol has come a long way in the last three years, and I really thought she had a strong performance in this match too.

The Fatal Influence trio of Jacy Jayne, Fallon Henley, and Lainey Reid were getting ready backstage. They spoke about how they are all going to win titles during the Gold Rush episodes.

The NXT Champion, Ricky Saints, was shown walking backstage for a promo up next.

(Commercial)