Reviews

The John Report: WWE NXT Battleground 2024 Review

By John Canton • Published 10th June 2024

This is WWE NXT Battleground featuring Trick Williams in action against Carmelo Hayes, plus Roxanne Perez battles TNA’s Jordynne Grace, and more.

It’s the third WWE NXT PLE of 2024. There was no Kickoff Show match. I was unable to see the show live due to the birthday of a loved one, so I’m reviewing it on Monday morning.

NXT Battleground
From UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada
June 9, 2024

There was a shot of the UFC Apex building as Vic Joseph welcomed us to the show. It’s a small building that holds under 1,000 fans, but hopefully they have a lot of energy.

Sexyy Red welcomed us to Battleground while doing some twerking. The camera cut away from the twerking.

Analysis: There wasn’t much to that. As I’ve said for several weeks, Sexyy Red is there to bring in casual fans who like her music and/or her looks so that they might be compelled to watch this show. If you’re a hardcore wrestling fan you are watching anyway. I think it’s smart to bring in outside people once in a while.

A video package aired to set up the key matches on the show.

The commentary team was Vic Joseph and Booker T as usual for NXT. They do a good job as a team.

Ladder Match for the NXT Women’s North American Championship: Sol Ruca vs. Jaida Parker vs. Fallon Henley vs. Kelani Jordan vs. Lash Legend vs. Michin

The brand new NXT Women’s North American Title was hanging above the ring. The first woman to climb a ladder and retrieve the title is the first-ever NXT Women’s North American Champion. I think this was a smart choice for an opening match.

This building is smaller and you could tell there was less room around the ring, so the wrestlers had to be careful out there. Lash gave Jordan a backbreaker while Michin fought with Parker over a ladder, which led to Parker landed on Booker. Back in the ring, Jordan hit a missile dropkick on Lash. Sol and Jordan clotheslined Lash out of the ring. Sol and Jordan dropkicked a ladder into Henley on the floor. Jordan hit a twisting dive over the top on Parker. Sol hit an impressive moonsault off the turnbuckle onto Lash on the floor. Henley knocked down Sol after that. Lash was back up with a pump kick on Henley. Jordan dropkicked a ladder that Lash was holding. Parker and Michin used a ladder to hit Lash in the ribs. Sol gave Michin a German Suplex and a dropkick on Lash. Henley set up the ladder, reached up and Sol brought her back down. Sol tossed Henley out of the ring. Parker punched Sol off the ladder. Parker jumped off with her booty crashing onto Jordan, who was on the ladder. Michin was back in with a German Suplex on Sol. Lash stopped Michin from climbing and Lash sent Michin into the ladder. Lash climbed the ladder, had her hand on the title and Michin pulled Lash down. They did a spot where four people were involved in a sleeper hold move until Lash did a ladder climb. Jordan was on top of the ladder reaching up, but Parker stopped that with a hair pull. Lash and Parker pulled on Jordan’s limbs across the ladder, which looked painful. Jordan gave Lash a hurricanrana out of the ring. Sol gave Parker a facebuster onto a ladder. Henley gave Sol a bulldog onto a ladder. Henley hit a bulldog/kick combo to take out two women. Henley climbed up the ladder, but Parker stopped that with a punch. Jordan climbed with Sol on another ladder. Lash decked Jordan with a forearm and sent Henley into the ladder. Lash climbed up, grabbed the title and Sol stopped Lash. Sol went for a sunset flip Powerbomb, but Lash fought her off. The five women held Lash above them and tossed her over the top rope onto a ladder bridge. The fans chanted “Holy Shit” for that. Ouch.

There were multiple women climbing the ladders in the ring. Michin hit an impressive DDT on Jordan. Michin climbed, but the other four women shoved the ladder over and Michin bumped into the top rope. The fans were chanting “this is awesome” for them. Parker hit a front suplex on Sol. Parker went up top, Michin pulled her down and they exchanged strikes. Parker sent Sol into the turnbuckle leading to Sol hitting the Sol Snatcher! Sol hit the Sol Snatcher on Henley after jumping off the ladder! That was so cool. Sol and Jordan kicked eachother when they were near the top of a ladder. Michin clotheslined Sol out of the ring. Jordan hit a jumping kick on Michin and Jordan hit a split-legged moonsault on Michin. Jordan climbed up the ladder and reached up to grab the title. The match went 12:24 with Kelani Jordan as the winner.

Winner AND NEW NXT Women’s North American Champion: Kelani Jordan

Analysis: ***1/2 I thought they had a very entertaining match that was a lot of fun to watch. I don’t think they did anything that was too crazy either. As for the result, I’m happy for Kelani Jordan getting the win. My pick was Lash Legend, but I mentioned in my preview that it was really a tossup because you could make a case for all of them to win. I think a babyface like Jordan picking up the win puts the title in a positive light due to Jordan being such a likable wrestler. I think Jaida Parker was really good throughout the match since she kept stopping people from climbing and looking dominant during the match. I also wanted to shoutout Sol Ruca for doing some incredibly athletic things in the match including the Sol Snatcher move twice in a row. No surprise that Ruca would stand out with her athleticism. Lash Legend took the most painful bump of the match when she had a hard landing onto the ladder bridge. It was a bit short for a Ladder Match at around 12 minutes, so I think if it got a few minutes it would helped.

Kelani Jordan celebrated on the ladder as the first-ever NXT Women’s North American Champion. The Fans chanted “you deserve it” for her.

The WWE Clash at the Castle is coming this Saturday, June 15th from Glasgow, Scotland.

They aired a Top 10 list of “Craziest Announcer Reactions of the Year so far” to fill some time.

A video was shown of Ethan Page arriving in Las Vegas yesterday when Oro Mensah attacked Page. It was quickly broken up.

Trick Williams, the NXT Champion, was shown arriving earlier in the day. They showed Ethan Page walking backstage as well.

Lola Vice was shown getting her hands taped while Shayna Baszler was also warming up with boxing gloves on.

NXT Tag Team Championships: Nathan Frazer & Axiom vs. The OC – Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson

Karl started the match with a hard chop on Axiom along with some wrenching on the left arm since Axiom had kinesio tape on his left shoulder. Frazer tagged in, ran the ropes and hit a running kick while Axiom held Karl. Axiom was back in as the champions each hit running kicks on Karl. After Frazer tagged back in, Karl beat him down with punches and kicks. Frazer sent Karl face first into the turnbuckle and Axiom tagged in with a cross body block off the top. Karl tripped up Axiom by the ropes. Luke tagged in with stomps on Axiom as the heels isolated Axiom. Luke hit a fallaway slam on Axiom. The OC boys slowed the pace with quick tags and strikes including Karl chopping Axiom to knock him down. Luke nailed Axiom with an uppercut punch, but Axiom came back with a DDT. Karl was back in, Axiom broke free and Frazer tagged. Frazer hit a missile dropkick and a backflip leading to a reverse DDT. Frazer hit a standing SSP onto Karl for two. Frazer went up top, Karl avoided a move and Karl hit a TKO cutter. Luke tagged in with a running splash and The OC hit a double team neckbreaker for two. Luke hit Frazer with a sitout Powerbomb for two because Axiom broke up the pin. Karl tagged back in, Frazer nailed him with a leaping kick and Axiom tagged back in. Frazer jumped off the top, Karl avoided it and Karl hit a spinebuster. Gallows tagged in going for a Magic Killer, but Axiom jumped on Luke’s back and Frazer pulled Karl out of the ring. Luke fought out of the sleeper attempt by Axiom. Karl hit a running boot on Axiom for a two count because Frazer made the save. Frazer kicked Gallows out of the ring. Axiom did an inside cradle to Karl. Axiom dove onto Luke on the floor. Frazer dove onto Luke, who caught him and slammed Frazer on the apron. Karl gave Axiom a TKO slam off the turnbuckle for two. Axiom & Frazer clotheslined Luke out of the ring. Frazer dove onto Gallows on the floor. Frazer tagged in, Axiom gave Karl a Spanish Fly off the top while legal man Frazer hit a Phoenix Splash on Karl for the pinfall win at 11:38.

Winners by pinfall: Nathan Frazer & Axiom

Analysis: ***1/4 A solid match to give the champions Frazer & Axiom a win over a credible tag team. The NXT tag team division has been hurting for most of this year with some makeshift teams showing up on the brand and using main roster talent to fill out the roster. I expected the champions Frazer & Axiom to pick up the win. The OC guys will be fine after the loss and probably stick to being Smackdown guys.

A video aired about Josh Briggs, who signed to NXT in 2020. Briggs spoke about finding out what’s next for him. This was the same video that aired on NXT last week.

There was also a video about newcomer Carlee Bright. This was also shown on NXT TV.

Dante Chen was shown in a video talking about representing Singapore as a WWE Superstar.

A commercial aired for SummerSlam in August 2026 in Minneapolis over two nights. We still don’t know where the 2025 edition of SummerSlam will air.

The video package aired covering the Shayna Baszler-Lola Vice match. They were friends and now allies.

They showed UFC fighters Khalil Rountree Jr. and Brandon Moreno watching in the crowd.

NXT Underground Match: Shayna Baszler vs. Lola Vice

They are both former MMA fighters. There are no ropes in this match and the ring is surrounded by wrestlers. No countous, no pinfalls and the only way to win is by knockout, TKO or submission. The lights were darkened in the building with a spotlight on both women. The no-ropes ring was surrounded by random people/wrestlers while a referee was in the ring with the competitors.

Vice and Baszler exchanged strikes. They had gloves on that MMA fighters wear. Baszler punched Vice a few times and Vice left the ring to the floor. Baszler threw Vice into a guard rail. Back in the ring, Baszler hit a German Suplex along with a belly-to-back suplex. Baszler applied an Ankle Lock. Vice managed to roll forward so that Baszler bumped right into the ring post. Vice applied a sleeper with a body scissors. Baszler got out of it by sending Vice onto the guys on the floor. Baszler and Vice exchanged strikes on the floor. Baszler cleared the commentary table. Baszler took down Vice on the table and hit some hammer fists to the head. Baszler went for a running knee, but Vice moved and Baszler’s knee hit the table. Baszler was screaming in pain. Vice rammed Baszler’s right knee into the ring post. They were back in the ring where Vice wrenched Baszler’s right knee on the mat. Vice kept on twisting the right knee. Vice turned it into an Ankle Lock on the right ankle. Vice kicked the left knee followed by more punches. Vice knocked down Baszler with a punch, but Baszler got to her knees to show she had something left. Baszler stomped on Vice a bit. Baszler kicked Vice to knock her down. Baszler applied a rear naked choke sleeper on the mat with a body scissors.

Baszler rocked Vice with a running knee. Baszler went for another knee after pulling the knee pad down. Vice avoided it and Vice hit Baszler with a back fist that knocked Baszler out of the ring to the floor. Vice left the ring where Baszler got a takedown. Baszler beat up some people on the floor including men and a slam to a woman. Vice kicked Baszler in the head. Baszler went for an armbar as Vice was near the apron. They were on the floor where Baszler picked up Vice and Vice sent Baszler into the steel steps. They went into the ring where Vice hit a backfist followed by hammer fist punches. The referee stopped the match at 10:17

Winner by referee stoppage: Lola Vice

Analysis: ***1/4 A physical match with the key spot coming when Baszler took a bump into the steel steps. I liked how this was obviously a very physical match from the moment the bell rang and it didn’t really slow down at any point. Vice winning was my prediction because I think it makes a lot of sense to put over the NXT full timer with the decisive win since Vince will be around while Baszler is on the main roster. I know that it’s “Underground” but I think the lighting should be better because it’s tough to see some of the action at times.

A commercial aired about WrestleMania 41 in Las Vegas next April.

There was a video about Eddy Thorpe as he spoke about how he was reborn since he was fighting for the representation of Indigenous people. He’ll be back soon.

Kelani Jordan was shown with the NXT Women’s North American Title where she celebrated with Sexyy Red. Jordan said she didn’t want this night to end. Red mentioned an afterparty and Red left with some friends.

The next NXT PLE is Money in the Bank weekend when Heatwave takes place on Sunday, July 7th in Toronto. That’s just four weeks away.

A video package aired about the NXT North American Championship match between champion Oba Femi, Joe Coffey & Wes Lee.

They showed UFC fighters Merab Dvalishvili and UFC Hall of Famer Forrest Griffin there as well.

NXT North American Championship: Oba Femi vs. Joe Coffey vs. Wes Lee

A triple threat match means no countouts, no disqualifications and the first fall or submission wins the match.

Joe and Lee tried to work together early against the bigger opponent as they hit a dropkick to knock Femi out of the ring. Lee sent Joe into the turnbuckle followed by Lee kicking Femi off the apron. Lee hit a splash on Joe, but Femi was back in to knock Lee down with a clothesline. Femi picked up both opponents with a double suplex. Femi hit running uppercuts on both opponents. Femi launched Lee into Joe. Femi picked up Lee for suplex, but Joe was up with body shot punches on Femi. Femi sent a charging Lee out of the ring and Femi kicked Joe back. Lee came back with a kick on Femi while Joe hit a dropkick on Femi into the turnbuckle. Femi was on the middle turnbuckle where he tossed Lee onto Joe. The offensive flurry from Femi stopped as he got sent out of the ring and Joe hit a German Suplex on Lee. Joe gave Lee a backbreaker. Joe gave Femi a stun gun into the top rope followed by Joe hitting a sidewalk slam. Joe nailed Femi with an elbow drop to the ribs for two. Lee went up top and hit a double stomp on Femi, who was on Joe’s shoulders and Joe slammed Femi down. Lee punched Joe so that Joe covered Femi for two because Lee broke up the pin. Joe nailed Lee with an uppercut and Joe hit a suicide dive onto Femi on the floor. Femi came back with a Popup Powerbomb on Joe on the apron. Lee dove onto Femi, who caught and Femi tossed Lee onto Joe on the floor. That was an incredible sequence from Femi.

They were back in the ring were Femi exchanged strikes with Joe. Lee got a headscissors on Femi and then Lee did a backflip Cardiac Kick for two because Joe broke it up. Joe hit Lee with a spinebuster for two. Femi was back up with a clothesline that sent Joe over the top to the floor. The Gallus boys Mark Coffey & Wolfgang attacked Femi with punches and kicks on the floor. Wolfgang & Mark hit a double team running kick/slam off the shoulders for two. Joe went into the ring and hit a moonsault on Lee. Joe tackled Lee into the turnbuckle for a two count. Femi was back up and he sent Wolfgang & Mark into the apron. Femi nailed Joe with a forearm. Femi sent Wolfgang and Mark into the ring post. Femi was back in, Joe hit a forearm and Lee knocked both guys down. Lee hit a leaping double knee attack on Joe. Lee hit Joe with multiple kicks and Lee bounced off the ropes with a Cardiac Kick for two because Mark pulled the referee out of the ring. Lee dove over the top onto Mark & Wolfgang on the floor. Back in the ring, Femi lifted up Joe and tossed him to the mat. Lee jumped off the top, Femi caught him and hit a Powerbomb. Femi hit a Popup Powerbomb on Joe for the pinfall win at 12:03.

Winner by pinfall: Oba Femi

Analysis: ***1/2 A very good match that was full of action and some very creative spots throughout the match. Lee had it won with a Cardiac Kick, but Mark Coffey pulled him out of the ring on the pin attempt. This allowed Femi to make the comeback, which led to Femi hitting multiple Powerbombs to win. I liked seeing all those nearfalls to show that all three guys were close to winning during this match. The champion Femi finding a way to retain again shows how much resolve he has the champion.

After some replays, Oba Femi celebrated with his title while Joe and Lee were frustrated on the mat.

A video aired from WWE 24 covering NXT Takeover Brooklyn 2015 when Kevin Owens faced “Demon” Finn Balor for the NXT Title in a Ladder Match. Balor got the win to retain the NXT Title.

There was a video about Wendy Choo waking up from bed and getting ready to start her day. She returns to NXT on Tuesday.

They showed “New Year’s Day” singer Ash Costello in the crowd.

A video package aired about Roxanne Perez defending the NXT Women’s Champion against TNA Knockouts Champion Jordynne Grace. There wasn’t much of a story, so it featured comments from both women.

NXT Women’s Championship: Roxanne Perez vs. Jordynne Grace

Grace is the TNA Knockouts Champion, but that title isn’t on the line. There were “TNA” chants to start the match.

When Perez tried a waistlock, Grace used her power to knock Perez down. Perez was frustrated that she couldn’t take down Grace, so Pere slapped Grace in the face. Grace did a shoulder tackle followed by a flipping slam. Grace did a lift, so Perez did an eye gouge (Booker didn’t see it shockingly) and Grace slammed Perez down. Perez came back by pulling on Grace’s left arm for a takedown. Perez did a knee drop on Grace’s left arm. Perez got a legsweep for two. Perez stomped on Grace’s left arm. Perez hit a chop block trip followed by a dropkick to the left arm. Perez tried to wrench on the left arm, Grace powered out of it and when Perez tried a cross body block, Grace slammed her to the mat. Grace jumped off the ropes, but Perez moved and Grace went after her on the turnbuckle. Booker was shouting at the referee to break it up because he supports Perez. Grace was on the middle turnbuckle and she hit a spinning Powerbomb off the ropes. Perez delivered some strikes, so Grace gave her a body slam. Perez hit forearms, then Grace came back with a backfist and a clothesline. Grace tried a lift, Perez got out of it and Grace hit a spinebuster. Grace set up Perez on the top rope, Grace hit an uppercut and Perez countered it and they were back on the mat where Perez hit a bulldog (or maybe more like a DDT) into the mat. Perez hit a snap hurricanrana for two. Perez worked on the left arm again, but Grace got out of that. Perez wrenched on the arm against the ropes. Grace hit a Muscle Buster for a two count.

They went to the apron where Grace teased a move. Perez shoved Grace into the ring post. Perez tried Pop Rox off the apron, but Grace held onto the ropes. Perez dove onto Grace on the floor leading to Perez hitting a DDT on the floor. Back in the ring, Perez hit a double springboard moonsault for two. That was impressive. Perez did a Crossface submission that trapped Grace’s left arm. Grace hit a spinning back elbow. Grace blocked Pop Rox and Grace slammed Perez face first into the mat. Tatum Paxley appeared at ringside and she took the TNA Knockouts Title. Paxley tried to leave with it, but Ash by Elegance (former Dana Brooke in WWE) stopped Paxley. Grace left the ring, grabbed her title and knocked down Paxley and Ash with the title. Back in the ring, Grace elbowed Perez. Grace hit a rolling senton slam. Grace went for the Juggernaut Driver, Perez slipped out of it and hit a Stunner. Perez hit Pop Rox for the pinfall win at 13:57.

Winner by pinfall: Roxanne Perez

Analysis: ***1/2 I thought it was a terrific match with an ending that I didn’t love, but it also gives Grace a bit of an out since she had to deal with her title being stolen. Perez worked over Grace’s left arm early in the match and then it felt like that arm injury was ignored as the match went on. Grace did some power moves where she should have sold the arm injury instead of easily lifting Perez at times. I liked the counter by Perez doing the Stunner to counter the Juggernaut Driver and then Perez hit Pop Rox for the win.

After the match, Perez celebrated with her title. Meanwhile, Ash by Elegance was yelling at Jordynne Grace about what happened.

Analysis: That story will likely continue in TNA with Ash getting pushed for a Knockouts Title match soon. Grace has a Knockouts Title match at Against All Odds this week where she’ll probably face Paxley and beat Paxley.

A commercial aired about an ECW Biography on A&E next week

There was a video about Drew McIntyre.

Sexyy Red was interviewed by Sarah Schreiber. Red plugged her new album. Lola Vice interrupted while Red congratulated her on her win. Red did some twerking with Vice and Sarah. Riveting interview.

Wes Lee was backstage talking to the camera about his loss. The Gallus boys trio of Joe Coffey, Mark Coffey & Wolfgang beat up Lee. It was broken up by referees and officials.

Analysis: That probably sets up Wes Lee for a match with Joe Coffey soon.

They showed a tweet/X post from Cody Rhodes teasing an appearance on NXT this week.

Watching @WWENXT Battleground curious how my old friend @OfficialEGO will do against @_trickwilliams
( Actually thinking of “dashing” down to FL this week with a gift and see some old friends ) @VicJosephWWE @ShawnMichaels
— Cody Rhodes (@CodyRhodes) June 10, 2024

Analysis: I assume that means Cody Rhodes will be on NXT this Tuesday or else he wouldn’t tease it so much. My guess is that WWE wants to try to boost NXT since AEW Dynamite is against the NBA Finals on Wednesday, so an appearance from Cody could lead to NXT getting a bigger audience this week.

This Tuesday on NXT:

* Je’Von Evans vs. Shawn Spears

* Lexis King vs. Dante Chen in a Singapore Cane Match

* Michin vs. Jaida Parker

They showed UFC fighter Jamahal Hill at ringside.

A video package aired about the Trick Williams-Ethan Page match in the main event.

Ethan Page made his entrance for his first official WWE match. I like the theme song that shouts the word “Ego” a few times in the song since he’s “All Ego” Ethan Page.

The NXT Champion Trick Williams was shown walking backstage with the NXT Title around his waist. Trick got a big ovation while the fans chanted “Whoop That Trick” and Booker T did his usual adlibs for the song.

NXT Championship: Trick Williams vs. Ethan Page

Page attacked Trick as soon as the bell rang with punches. Trick came back with a body slam followed by some punches of his own. Page went for a punch, Trick avoided it and Trick hit a neckbreaker. Trick tried a sidekick, Page avoided it and Trick bumped to the floor. Page whipped Trick hard into the steel steps. They were back in the ring where Page charged, Trick moved and Trick hit a necksnap against the ropes. Page came back with a backbreaker off the ropes for two. Page hit a belly-to-back suplex for two. Page hit a twisting suplex for two. Page held Trick with a standing waistlock. Page worked over Trick with punches. Trick fought off a superplex attempt, which was obvious since Trick’s legs were in front of the ropes. Page hooked the arms leading to a slam off the ropes. Page hit a powerslam for two. Page applied a bearhug, Trick broke free and hit a DDT. Trick worked over Page with punches along with a few jumping side kicks and a flapjack. Page left the ring, Trick followed him there and Trick tossed Page over the barricade. Trick jumped over the barricade with a cross body block on Page on the floor.

They went back into the ring and Trick hit a spinning kick to the face for two. Trick went up top, Page tripped him up and Page hit a running knee smash for two. Page and Trick exchanged punches. Page connected with a kick to the body and Trick came back with a Book End (or Rock Bottom) for a two count. Page left the ring, he tackled Trick into the ring apron and then Trick clotheslined Page on the floor. The announce table was cleared off. They were on the steep steps where Page countered Trick and Page gave Trick a powerslam through the announcer’s table. Page tossed Trick back into the ring and hit an Ego’s Edge aka Razor’s Edge for two. Page worked over Trick with punches, so the referee, made Page back away. Page punched Trick again until the referee pulled him back. Trick was back up and Trick hit the Trick Shot knee for the pinfall win at 12:11.

Winner by pinfall: Trick Williams

Analysis: ***1/4 It was a good match, but not really a PLE main event level match. They did break a table and that was fun to watch while Page followed up with a nearfall that made him look like a threat. I think the problem with a match like this is that it’s so obvious that Trick was going to win so whatever Page did, it wasn’t easy to believe that Page could win. I have said in the past that I don’t think the Trick Shot knee is a great finish although if guys continue to sell it and don’t get up from it then that’s what matters because it’s all about selling it.

Trick Williams celebrated with the NXT Title while Sexyy Red danced in the ring with him. Trick celebrated with the title on the turnbuckle. That was it.

This event had a runtime of 2:36:30 on WWE Network and Peacock.

===

The John Report: WWE NXT Battleground 2024 Review

This is WWE NXT Battleground featuring Trick Williams in action against Carmelo Hayes, plus Roxanne Perez battles TNA’s Jordynne Grace, and more.

It’s the third WWE NXT PLE of 2024. There was no Kickoff Show match. I was unable to see the show live due to the birthday of a loved one, so I’m reviewing it on Monday morning.

NXT Battleground
From UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada
June 9, 2024

There was a shot of the UFC Apex building as Vic Joseph welcomed us to the show. It’s a small building that holds under 1,000 fans, but hopefully they have a lot of energy.

Sexyy Red welcomed us to Battleground while doing some twerking. The camera cut away from the twerking.

Analysis: There wasn’t much to that. As I’ve said to weeks, Sexyy Red is there to bring in casual fans that like her music and/or her looks so that they might be compelled to watch this show. If you’re a hardcore wrestling fan you are watching anyway. I think it’s smart to bring in outside people once in a while.

A video package aired to set up the key matches on the show.

The commentary team was Vic Joseph and Booker T as usual for NXT. They do a good job as a team.

Ladder Match for the NXT Women’s North American Championship: Sol Ruca vs. Jaida Parker vs. Fallon Henley vs. Kelani Jordan vs. Lash Legend vs. Michin

The brand new NXT Women’s North American Title was hanging above the ring. The first woman to climb a ladder and retrieve the title is the first ever NXT Women’s North American Champion. I think this was a smart choice for an opening match.

Winner AND NEW NXT Women’s North American Champion: Kelani Jordan

Kelani Jordan celebrated on the ladder as the first ever NXT Women’s North American Champion. The Fans chanted “you deserve it” for her.

The WWE Clash at the Castle is coming this Saturday, June 15th from Glasgow, Scotland.

They aired a Top 10 list of “Craziest Announcer Reactions of the Year so far” to fill some time.

A video was shown of Ethan Page arriving in Las Vegas yesterday when Oro Mensah attacked Page. It was quickly broken up.

Trick Williams, the NXT Champion, was shown arriving earlier in the day. They showed Ethan Page walking backstage as well.

Lola Vice was shown getting her hands taped while Shayna Baszler was also warming up with boxing gloves on.

NXT Tag Team Championships: Nathan Frazer & Axiom vs. The OC – Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson

Winners by pinfall: Nathan Frazer & Axiom

A video aired about Josh Briggs, who signed to NXT in 2020. Briggs spoke about finding out what’s next for him. This was the same video that aired on NXT last week.

There was also a video about newcomer Carlee Bright. This was also shown on NXT TV.

Dante Chen was shown in a video talking about representing Singapore as a WWE Superstar.

A commercial aired for SummerSlam in August 2026 in Minneapolis over two nights. We still don’t know where the 2025 edition of SummerSlam will air.

The video package aired covering the Shayna Baszler-Lola Vice match. They were friends and now allies.

They showed UFC fighters Khalil Rountree Jr. and Brandon Moreno watching in the crowd.

NXT Underground Match: Shyana Baszler vs. Lola Vice

Vice and Baszler exchanged strikes. They had gloves on that MMA fighters wear. Baszler punched Vice a few times and Vice left the ring to the floor. Baszler threw Vice into a guard rail. Back in the ring, Baszler hit a German Suplex along with a belly-to-back suplex. Baszler applied an Ankle Lock. Vice managed roll forward so that Baszler bumped right into the ring post. Vice applied a sleeper with a body scissors. Baszler got out of it by sending Vice onto the guys on the floor. Baszler and Vice exchanged strikes on the floor. Baszler cleared the commentary table. Baszler took down Vice on the table and hit some hammer fists to the head. Baszler went for a running knee, but Vice moved and Baszler’s knee hit the table. Baszler was screaming in pain. Vice rammed Baszler’s right knee into the ring post. They were back in the ring where Vice wrenched on Baszler’s right knee on the mat. Vice kept on twisting the right knee. Vice turned it into an Ankle Lock on the right ankle. Vice kicked the left knee followed by more punches. Vice knocked down Baszler with a punch, but Baszler got to her knees to show she had something left. Baszler stomped on Vice a bit. Baszler kicked Vice to knock her down. Baszler applied a rear naked choke sleeper on the mat with a body scissors.

Winner by referee stoppage: Lola Vice

A commercial aired about WrestleMania 41 in Las Vegas next April.

There was a video about Eddy Thorpe as he spoke about how he was reborn since he was fighting for representation for indigenous people with a dream.

The next NXT PLE is Money in the Bank weekend when Heatwave takes place on Sunday, July 7th in Toronto. That’s just four weeks away.

A video package aired about the NXT North American Championship match between champion Oba Femi, Joe Coffey & Wes Lee.

They showed UFC fighters Merab Dvalishvili and UFC Hall of Famer Forrest Griffin there as well.

NXT North American Championship: Oba Femi vs. Joe Coffey vs. Wes Lee

A triple threat match means no countouts, no disqualifications and the first fall or submission wins the match.

Winner by pinfall: Oba Femi

After some replays, Oba Femi celebrated with his title while Joe and Lee were frustrated on the mat.

A video aired from WWE 24 covering NXT Takeover Brooklyn 2015 when Kevin Owens faced “Demon” Finn Balor for the NXT Title in a Ladder Match. Balor got the win to retain the NXT Title.

There was a video about Wendy Choo waking up from bed and getting ready to start her day. She returns to NXT on Tuesday.

They showed “New Year’s Day” singer Ash Costello in the crowd.

A video package aired about Roxanne Perez defending the NXT Women’s Champion against TNA Knockouts Champion Jordynne Grace. There wasn’t much of a story, so it featured comments from both women.

NXT Women’s Championship: Roxanne Perez vs. Jordynne Grace

Grace is the TNA Knockouts Champion, but that title isn’t on the line. There were “TNA” chants to start the match.

When Perez tried a waist lock, Grace used her power to knock Perez down. Perez was frustrated that she couldn’t take down Grace, so Pere slapped Grace in the face. Grace did a shoulder tackle followed by a flipping slam. Grace did a lift, so Perez did an eye gouge (Booker didn’t see it shockingly) and Grace slammed Perez down. Perez came back by pulling on Grace’s left arm for a takedown. Perez did a knee drop on Grace’s left arm. Perez got a legsweep for two. Perez stomped on Grace’s left arm. Perez hit a chop block trip followed by a dropkick to the left arm. Perez tried to wrench on the left arm, Grace powered out of it and when Perez tried a cross body block, Grace slammed her to the mat. Grace jumped off the ropes, but Perez moved and Grace went after her on the turnbuckle. Booker was shouting at the referee to break it up because he supports Perez. Grace was on the middle turnbuckle and she hit a spinning Powerbomb off the ropes. Perez delivered some strikes, so Grace gave her a body slam. Perez hit forearms, then Grace came back with a backfist and a clothesline. Grace tried a lift, Perez got out of it and Grace hit a spinebuster. Grace set up Perez on the top rope, Grace hit an uppercut and Perez countered it and they were back on the mat where Perez hit a bulldog (or maybe more like a DDT) into the mat. Perez hit a snap hurricanrana for two. Perez worked on the left arm again, but Grace got out of that. Perez wrenched on the arm against the ropes. Grace hit a Muscle Buster for a two count.

Winner by pinfall: Roxanne Perez

After the match, Perez celebrated with her title. Meanwhile, Ash by Elegance was yelling at Jordynne Grace about what happened.

A commercial aired about an ECW Biography on A&E next week

There was a video about Drew McIntyre.

Sexyy Red was interviewed by Sarah Schreiber. Red plugged her new album. Lola Vice interrupted while Red congratulated her on her win. Red did some twerking with Vice and Sarah. Riveting interview.

Wes Lee was backstage talking to the camera about his loss. The Gallus boys trio of Joe Coffey, Mark Coffey & Wolfgang beat up Lee. It was broken up by referees and officials.

Analysis: That probably sets up Wes Lee for a match with Joe Coffey soon.

They showed a tweet/X post from Cody Rhodes teasing an appearance on NXT this week.

This Tuesday on NXT:

* Je’Von Evans vs. Shawn Spears

* Lexis King vs. Dante Chen in a Singapore Cane Match

* Michin vs. Jaida Parker

They showed UFC fighter Jamahal Hill at ringside.

A video package aired about the Trick Williams-Ethan Page match in the main event.

Ethan Page made his entrance for his first official WWE match. I like the theme song that shouts the word “Ego” a few times in the song since he’s “All Ego” Ethan Page.

NXT Championship: Trick Williams vs. Ethan Page

Page attacked Trick as soon as the bell rang with punches. Trick come back with a body slam followed by some punches of his own. Page went for a punch, Trick avoided it and Trick hit a neckbreaker. Trick tried a sidekick, Page avoided it and Trick bumped to the floor. Page whipped Trick hard into the steel steps. They were back in the ring where Page charged, Trick moved and Trick hit a necksnap against the ropes. Page came back with a backbreaker off the ropes for two. Page hit a belly-to-back suplex for two. Page hit a twisting suplex for two. Page held Trick with a standing waistlock. Page worked over Trick with punches. Trick fought off a superplex attempt, which was obvious since Trick’s legs were in front of the ropes. Page hooked the arms leading to a slam off the ropes. Page hit a powerslam for two. Page applied a bearhug, Trick broke free and hit a DDT. Trick worked over Page with punches along with a few jumping side kicks and a flapjack. Page left the ring, Trick followed him there and Trick tossed Page over the barricade. Trick jumped over the barricade with a cross body block on Page on the floor.

They went back into the ring and Trick hit a spinning kick to the face for two. Trick went up top, Page tripped him up and Page hit a running knee smash for two. Page and Trick exchanged punches. Page connected with a kick to the body and Trick came back with a Book End (or Rock Bottom) for a two count. Page left the ring, he tackled Trick into the ring apron and then Trick clotheslined Page on the floor. The announce table was cleared off. They were on the steep steps where Page countered Trick and Page gave Trick a powerslam through the announcer’s table. Page tossed Trick back into the ring and hit an Ego’s Edge aka Razor’s Edge for two. Page worked over Trick with punches, so the referee, made Page back a way. Page punched Trick again until the referee pulled him back. Trick was back up and Trick hit the Trick Shot knee for the pinfall win at 12:11.

Winner by pinfall: Trick Williams

Analysis: ***1/4 It was a good match, but not really a PLE main event level match. They did break a table and that was fun to watch while Page followed up with a nearfall that made him look like a threat. I think the problem with a match like this is that it’s so obvious that Trick was going to win so that whatever Page did, it wasn’t easy to believe that Page could win. I have said in the past that I don’t think the Trick Shot knee is a great finish although if guys continue to sell it and don’t get up from it then that’s what matters because it’s all about selling it.

Trick Williams celebrated with the NXT Title while Sexyy Red danced in the ring with him. Trick celebrated with the title on the turnbuckle. That was it.

This event had a runtime of 2:36:30 on WWE Network and Peacock.

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Five Stars of the Show

Roxanne Perez
Kelani Jordan
Oba Femi/Wes Lee/Joe Coffey
Shayna Baszler/Sol Ruca/Trick Williams
Nathan Frazer & Axiom

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Final Thoughts

I’m going with a 7.5 out of 10.

A good show from top to bottom that didn’t have any matches that I would call outstanding or great, but it’s still a good pro wrestling show in this era. I’m just saying there was no classic like Ilja-Melo last year. The match times were interesting because all six matches were between 10 and 14 minutes while the whole show was under three hours. I think in the case of a couple of matches, if they got more time to tell a story, build some nearfalls and sell some moves better then perhaps we would have got some more memorable matches. With that said, I didn’t rate anything under three stars, which means everything was pretty good.

The women’s division had a strong night because they had three matches just like the men and did just as good of a job, if not better than the men’s matches. I liked the Perez-Grace match a lot although the finish was weak due to the chaos on the floor. I enjoyed the Ladder Match opener. It felt a bit short at 12 minutes with a sudden ending. Sol Ruca really stood while I’m happy for Kelani Jordan as the first Women’s NA Title winner. The Vice-Baszler fight was fine, but I thought Vice’s match with Natalya about a month ago was better.

For the men’s matches, I liked the triple threat NA Title match the best. Oba Femi is going to be a massive star in this company because of how good he already is with less than 20 televised matches in his career. The big man can really move and he stands out in matches like this working with vets like Joe Coffey and Wes Lee. I enjoyed that match a lot.

As for Trick Williams-Ethan Page, it was okay. Not a great main event. There was only a two-week story going into it and it feels like the story is going to continue. Trick got the clean win, but I think we’ll see it continue. The next NXT PLE is Heatwave in Toronto, which is about an hour from where Page is from, so I think he should still be in the NXT Title picture as Trick’s opponent.

I think the NXT product is really good in terms of stories. It’s not as elite as the main roster in terms of matches, though. It’s also not at the level as NXT when it was at its best in the 2010s. There’s a drop off there, but it’s also because some of these wrestlers are less experienced. Overall, I still enjoy the NXT product quite a bit.

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John Canton

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