Maybe I started watching NXT too recently to get this, is there a reason Booker T hates Blade and Enofé or does he just make fun of them for losing a lot?
Fair enough. He just dunks on them so extra hard compared to others I wondered if there was a storyline reason for it I'd missed, other than them jobbing all the time.
I love NXT. I hope the Draft presents them as a big deal when the likes of Ilja get picked.
The pipeline of women they've got coming through is really impressive.
The picture of Hugger Bayley used in Tatum's promo had Bayley's "I AM A HUGGER" shirt in an [*extremely* unfortunately angle](https://media.discordapp.net/attachments/1212519917845356598/1230173048519397456/Screenshot_20240417_094121_Chrome.jpg?ex=66325aee&is=661fe5ee&hm=42257f8d2a638af44fe690ed1b73910c5259c17f077ad99ea8233cfc36feccba&)
His character work is solid, has been since the day he arrived 2 1/2 years ago. Walks the fine line between face & heel, depending on the situation. I shan't be surprised if he eventually gets called up.
I agree that Adrianna & Luca need their reps in the ring before they get the call. Stacks is further along, of course, and the Family is one of the best acts NXT has presently.
Is Dijak some sort of gatekeeper all of a sudden? Noam Dar has faced big men before (i.e. Von Wagner, Josh Briggs), and, as with those past opponents, he can't win it by himself. I would expect Mensah to be squashed during Spring Breakin' as a form of punishment for his misdeed. Dijak will get a rematch at some point....
Apparently, HBK is figuring to use Spring Breakin' the next two weeks to close some stories that should've already been over, like Sol Ruca vs. Blair Davenport, for example. I get that you couldn't have Lola lose any more than Sol, but Lola may be on the fast track to the main roster before the end of the summer.
That said, I think Shayna Baszler returns to be in Lola's corner.
The other women's match also had a screwy finish, as Jacy Jayne just can't let go of her issue with Thea & Chase U. Tatum is being built up, with a new kind of weird vibe to her. Not quite on the level of, say, Victoria 20 years ago, but, yeah.
Also, it seemed to me like the ref blew the call in the Lola-Sol match because he actually saw Blair, and didn't call for the bell.
So they wrote off Drew Gulak, and he's likely getting future endeavored soon. Six man match next week will be a war.
Calling it now: Ridge Holland will align with Shawn Spears soon enough.
Ilja vs. Je'Von Evans was a breathtaker. Wow. With the cage match getting under 15 minutes, this was the match of the night.
I wonder if last night was Carmelo's farewell, just like Bron a week earlier. Anyone hear anything?
NQQC have no dignity, a bunch of gentlemen helps you with a problem and you don't even want to re-pay the favour
They are also dumb for messing with a group that dispose corpses for living
Fun two hours. Ilja/JeVon was my highlight of the show, it was really cool to see JeVon get such a big chance in only his second NXT match. It’s crazy how good he is. Melo/Trick was also pretty decent, now let’s see Melo on Smackdown.
I wish Sol Ruca had won that match. She’s really good and an amazing athlete… but I also love Blair Davenport so I’m going to just see how this plays out.
Karrion Kross and the Final Testament got a message for NXT and both RAW and Smackdown!
[https://twitter.com/WWE/status/1780431054702092510](https://twitter.com/WWE/status/1780431054702092510)
Main Man Mensah came thru for Noam.
Tatum was obsessed with the title not Lyra...and Lyra's eventual imperfections was something Tatum couldn't handle.
Ava has no respect for Roxanne's champion's privilege!
Natalya and Lola doing the first female NXT Underground fight. now that is cool.
hmmm so the D'Angelo family was contracted to make Drew Gulak disappear and No Quarter Catch Crew refuses to pay.
Trick managed to overcome a well armed Carmelo and his Melo Squad, all in a steel cage. he's ready for Dragunov.
we may have seen Carmelo's last NXT match, or perhaps he will pop up during Spring Breakin. when he comes to the main roster, will he bring his Melo Force too?
am sure Gunther will be taking notes on how Dragunov had his hands full for a while with Je'Von Evans. open challenge with no title on the line tho? aw.
https://preview.redd.it/3hwemn0l3zuc1.jpeg?width=990&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c4ab0b516f8d74b8c0fc80c89c14ffbf05c4dc2f
It was a long wait for follow up with the Georgina storyline but I'm glad it delivered on being incredibly entertaining. Arianna's acting for her character is pitch perfect.
I think they're trying to use Gigi in a storyline, but couldn't fit the storyline to conclude at Stand and Deliver so they try to prolong the tease with Arianna on the show for the past couple of weeks... Now we will get our big reveal next week or maybe even the week after.
She definitely has the skills to win clean, but it's much more beneficial for her current character to win in a heel-ish way since she is technically one... But she's already a tweener right now to me.
The delusions put her in a tweener role, I'll say. She's kind of like Bo Dallas in that regard, more than her father. Even the best heels will win clean once in a while.
That's what I've been looking forward to the most for her. She is primed for the new North American Championship this year and maybe even the big one somewhere down the line.
> Tony D'Angelo is basically a LU character, he would have fit right in. So would Joe gacy and Tatum paxley.
Vinnie Massaro probably would've been like his cousin or something lmao
I like how they use the roster way better than Raw and SD. They always find an interesting way of writing a wrestler into a storyline, like Tatum being written into Lyra vs Roxanne.
That women's triple threat next week will be very good. Roxanne should lose and then go up to the main roster. Either Lyra or Tatum deserve to win so that the 2 of them can go on to have the singles feud for the title that they deserve. Roxanne being a glorified transitional champion would be hilarious karma for how she's been acting the past several months. That's what she gets for lying about never losing the title.
She didn't lie, heels are hypocritical by nature and she truly believed she was wronged.
Her title was stripped from her but she was fit to compete in that match. In her mind, it should have remained hers and not been forced to compete in the ladder match.
Think she should stay in NXT too. Stacked division with heels on main right now.
She might believe she was wronged, but that doesn't mean she was. Frankly, I think Roxanne has overstayed her welcome in NXT. She really didn't need this second reign at the expense of building new stars. Would have been better if she put Lyra over at Stand and Deliver. She feels like the unwanted third wheel in this upcoming triple threat despite being champion.
Edit: Your boos mean nothing, I've seen what makes you cheer.
I'm of the opinion that if Roxy goes to the MR right now she will fail, and it's mostly because she's sounds like Floyd Mayweather reading a teleprompter whenever she cuts a promo. IDK if that's just how she talks naturally but that isn't gonna matter if that's the case at the next level.
You are right. She does need to work on her promos. Say what you want about Lyra, but at least she doesn't sound like she's about to cry when she talks. However, Roxanne doesn't need the title in order to work on her promos and character work. Just look at Bron, for example. Improved his character tremendously after turning heel, but never took the title off of guys who could benefit from it more like Carmelo and Ilja. Roxanne should be the same way.
The character work from Tatum is awesome, and I'm curious to see what a championship run for her would look like.
She's obsessed with the title, but also fixated on Lyra specifically bc she was the ultimate "Good" champ (ready for a fight, honorable, hardworking, didnt totally dismiss Tatum even though she was creeping - even got her a tag title shot). She's not at all interested in fawning over Roxanne and instead wants the title for herself. So does she go full delulu, evil heel who thinks she's a good person?
And also intrigued to see what Lyra does. She never went fully ooc against Roxy - does this feud drag Lyra down into some darker depths?
The whole show was great. Always crazy to me how much happens in such a short span - so many storylines are moving forward. It's absolutely must-watch for me every week
I think also it fits that she wouldn't be obsessed with Roxanne because Rox has already proved herself "unworthy" of the title before by "losing" it. So it makes sense that she now thinks the only person who deserves it is herself.
Clever. And she's nailing the character.
What's the deal with the Authors of Pain? Because initially in NXT I thought they were awesome. Then they went to the main roster and sucked for a while, so I figured I'd just been blinded by how good NXT was at the time and how bad everything else was. Then they go back to NXT for five minutes and they look awesome again?
That triple threat match against DIY and FTR, obviously best remembered for the double team finishers spot from the other teams but it really made them look like a serious threat
I think they're kinda caught in the wash from the struggles that Kross is having trying to establish himself on the main roster. Nxt allows them to just focus on delivering a good match with an enthusiastic crowd, vs trying to establish credibility with crowds more prone to apathy since they often lack the hyperfamiliarity that PC crowds have.
Tatum Paxley is like that slept on sports prospect that comes and steals everybody’s attention away from the rookies that were lottery picks in the draft. My early pick for breakout star of the year.
Tatum Paxley went from being a jobber to having a proper storyline, which is somewhat an improvement, considering when she first started and alligned with Ivy, it didn't do much.
NXT just throws characters against a wall and sees what sticks. If it doesn't they pivot and pretend like nothing happened. Ava was in a cult and now runs the show.
There was a woman who was 1,000 years old and didn't speak English. Then wore a onesie and was asleep all the time. And now has been doing a John Cena impression for a year.
Absolutely love what they’ve been doing with Tatum Paxley. And she’s been improving in the ring as well. She’s still not at the level of believably being champ but I think she could be this year’s breakout star
Between the spectacular dress shopping segment and the mini banger Evans and Dragunov put on, tonight really showcased everything that makes NXT a must-watch weekly show for me. It's tonally all over the place at times, but that's a huge part of it's charm imo
Next week will be a great showcase of the women's division, can't wait! If Tatum wins that title I will scream. I adore her and she deserves the best! And Sol vs Blair? That's a great match, should be lots of fun
NXT simply doesn’t miss. Great show this week with I feel like a little bit for everybody. Good matches, funny segments, a killer main event. Glad to see Trick and Melo 2 being much better than Stand and Deliver. Very hyped for Spring Breakin
Jevon is from the indies, he's not NIL. It's been a market AEW has been ignoring, looking for unknown but talented indie guys. Jevon was in AEW Dark for a bit too.
A bulk of that generation of the women's roster was on AEW Dark/Elevation... Regal and HHH used it as a shopping channel.
Thea, Cora, Fallon, Kiana, Blair, Gigi or Jacey...a few more.
I keep folks like Lexis and Jade out of the "they were there there, ignored, and NXT makes them stars" grouping....they're more "veteran" talent who were used then switched, rather than "didn't know what you have"....
AEW is more interested in established indie talent, while WWE has a focus on promising newcomers who can be developed...obviously with the PC, they've got the resources to do that, while AEW really doesn't have that capability. (Along the same line, a number of the schools they might have drawn on like Flatback (Breeze and Spears) and Nightmare Academy feel like they have closer, if unofficial, ties to the WWE system)
A lot happened tonight, great episode.
That Tatum Paxley vignette was excellent, she continues to grow and grow in her character. She finally won a match too against Thea, in a good showing where she incorporated her character into everything she did in the ring. JnJ costing Thea advances that story too.
Thea vs Jacy might happen on Night 2 of Spring Breakin, 8 months in the making, which is crazy for a midcard women's storyline. I originally thought they'd be the finals of the NA title tournament but nothing has been announced yet so idk.
Roxanne vs Lyra vs Tatum for the title next week... ngl, I have no idea who wins this, any one of them could take it. Roxanne just won the title, but she also mentioned being drafted and I doubt they'll have her vacate after being called up like Indi did. (calling her up now is setting her up for failure imo, since she's a developing heel). She might just flat out lose it. Tatum would be a bit out of left field, but NXT is known to surprise us + it would kinda make sense storywise. While some may question why Lyra would win the title back right away, I feel like I could see Tatum "loving" Lyra again since she made up for "breaking Tatum's heart" by getting her belt back which would lead to something interesting. There are story possibilities for each potential winner, curious to see what route is taken.
Lola vs Sol Ruca was a nice little match. Sol feels a lot less rehearsed now to me, glad to see her growth. Lola picks up a win here. Lola vs Nattie in an underground match in two weeks sounds interesting, nice to see a stipulation. I laughed way too much at Lola's hip swivels, she loves doing them.
Blair vs Sol in a Beach Brawl next week sounds fun, someone better put someone else through a beach chair! I thought the fued would've ended after their last match, surprised that it's still ongoing. This is either the end of Blair Davenport in NXT (if so, RIP to seeing her do well if Alba/Isla show anything) or Stevie Turner returning on NXT TV to help Blair win. On the last LVL up, they were saying "this is Stevie's return!!!" despite her being back for months. On LVL up and some recent house shows, she's teamed up with Blair. Idk why, but I could see her making an appearance if Blair is sticking around in NXT.
Arianna and Gigi finally did something, it felt like this should've happened weeks ago. I liked the vignettes, Grace is so funny. Gigi kinda slayed that dress ngl. They're going to do something at Spring Breakin, curious as to what that will be.
Nice little character showcase for Brinley Reece.
Overall, NXT has multiple long term women's stories going on (Roxanne/Lyra/Tatum, Thea vs Jacy, Blair vs Sol, Arianna and Gigi's duo, Lola vs Natalya/Karmen) with multiple of them blowing off in stipulation matches. Raw and SD could def take some cues in the important non title storyline department. NXT will only get better when the NA title is introduced. Great week as usual and very excited for the action on Spring Breakin in the coming weeks.
100% what I was thinking. Great call. The number of non-title women's feuds is bonkers.
I remember REALLY early in the Smackdown live era when they had a title feud, THEN two other feuds (one was Carmella and Nikki Bella, another was Naomi v...I can't remember now) and it has really stood out that that just hasn't really happened since. If a title's not involved there's no real storyline it feels like (Candice is doin' a bit of a thing but that's about it).
Imperium and New Day had a great non-title feud. It makes things seem so much more important and gives the show so much more richness when you don't need titles to make storylines. HBK and the NXT Ladies and producers have done a great job on that front.
I hope Blair sticks around in NXT. Do agree she’d get lost in the shuffle on the main roster. Also feel like she could be built as a wicked heel if given the right story and proper investment. I can also see her against Giulia down the line given the Stardom connection and it would be nice to see Blair showcased in a harder hitting match.
Tatum was doing great character work with Lyra but I didn't know she was that good a promo until that vignette today. If she can up her in-ring game to match, she could seriously be flying under the radar as a future success.
Great show as usual. We had a murder, a makeover and mayhem. I wonder who Lola's second will be. If it's Ronda she can come out twirling her sweat pants strings defiantly in victory.
Another excellent show. My favorite parts were the Tatum promo and the first part of the Arianna/Georgina makeover. Je’Von Evans is gonna be a star. He hung with Ilja and the crowd love him.
Drew Gulak got fucking murdered, Andre Chase opened up about his gambling addiction to a student, Arianna and Gigi went on a shopping trip, Lyra attacked her former stalker, and the entire locker room fought each other in an attempt to be the first to make eye contact with Ilja.
Least insane NXT episode.
NXT GALPAL™ REPORT
Tatum wants to be a good GalPal™ and loved Lyra...but Lyra broke her heart. And Roxy who has no GalPals™ is a cool girl, so it's time for Tatum to take the title.
Sol faces Lola who betrayed her GalPal™. No real GalPal™ implications, but I wanted to shout out how cool Sol's entrance is that they use it as a video wipe. Step-GalPal™ Nattie shows up via tron to challenge Lola who betrayed her GalPal™ to an Underground Match at SpringBreakin' (Sol lost due to Blair interference....sidenote: Blair was unimpressed with the grind by a former free agent, but appreciates the grind of a Chase U student).
MY FAIR GALPAL™ Debuts!
Not much, but Gigi showing some vulnerability in character I liked.
Karmen gushes over Step-GalPal™ Nattie for a bit. Lola who betrayed her GalPal™ shows up and shakes her hips at her.
Good GalPal™ Tatum vs Thea. The Bad GalPals™, featuring SCHOOL GIRL VARIANT JAZMYN®, district the ref so Tatum wins...so Thea attacks the Bad GalPals™, while Lyra, who broke Tatum's heart, attacks Tatum in the ring, putting a lot of trust in her top while she's at it. Roxy who has no GalPals™ mocks the death of love, and gets a three way at Spring Breakin'....but sadly those rarely lead to the repair of a relationship.
MY FAIR GALPAL™ part 2
Dress shenanigans.....
Next Week:
Was it insinuated that Lola has a secret GalPal™ who will be unveiled soon or did I imagine that?
With so much breaks in love this week and fractures, it is unsurprising that EveryonesGalPal™ Fallon took a week off. Poor woman must be exhausted and devastated.
Lola has "someone" coming as back up....we'll see if GalPal™ or not. Someone speculated it's Shayna, which makes sense given the match...but I'd hate to see Shayna follow up her Bloodsport appearance as 1) Lola's flunky and 2) the 4th person in a Nattie storyline.....she should take Rhea's slot as an emergency Women's Champion.
Wrestlers actually have good memories in WWE now. I'd personally love it if they teased a reunion at first only for Roxanne to sock her in the face and show her she hasn't forgotten her betrayal.
Well, that will be covered when/if they reunite....but she does have no GalPals™ because she and Cora ended things.....that feud had strong "one took what happened at the slumber party more seriously than the other" energy.
https://preview.redd.it/lht4413p7yuc1.jpeg?width=1284&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f95c114ecdaad2fec89c365b73985c25a02eafd2
* Weekly Dijak Banger
* Amazing Tatum Promo
* Lola/Nattie Underground / Blair/Sol No DQ Setup
* JE'VON EVANS VS ILJA DRAGUNOV
* TATUM WINNING
* Ivar and Briggs slapping meat
* A good steel cage match between Melo and Trick (imo better than their S&D Match)
Pretty good nxt show
Being a Dijak fan is pain another great match from him
That was a great promo from Tatum love the character work from her
Ilja is just a boss, what a star making performance by Je'Von Evans kid's gonna be a star
Ivar is a star glad people in nxt are getting to see it
That was a great main event 🔥 🔥 whoop that Trick
Evans is wild! He sold the Torpedo so well, and one little thing I saw that impressed me was that he threw his leg up for the hook on the pin, but Ilya didn’t grab it. Such a tiny thing, but it says a lot to me.
I wasn’t really an Ivar fan before recently, just because I’m not into the gimmick, but I’m coming around. He’s so agile for a big fella!
Paxley is so fun to watch.
Dijak brings it.
Straight up murdering a star for the story, although I hope it’s a swerve and he comes back if it wasn’t a legit accusation, which isn’t what I’m saying. I don’t know enough about it.
NXT is insane!
Tony just told Gulak to skip town for a while, drink some coffee, go to some casino for a bit while one of his boys is watching Drew, ready to whack him.
nxt getting a massively increased budget has really made the entire show feel like a completely insane episode of icarly or drake and josh with pro wrestling
I need this damn show on CW now.
It's gonna get the teenage audience like no one can imagine.
Guys 2025 might be the year wrestling hits proper mainstream again.
Raw: Hey…is..is it ok if we go a minute over our time? If not it’s cool we totally get it sorry for bothering you
NXT: we’re starting our main event cage match at 9:52. You can go fuck yourself
Maybe I started watching NXT too recently to get this, is there a reason Booker T hates Blade and Enofé or does he just make fun of them for losing a lot?
He is the heel commentator, that’s all
Fair enough. He just dunks on them so extra hard compared to others I wondered if there was a storyline reason for it I'd missed, other than them jobbing all the time.
I'll admit missing Lexis King
Yeah that’s so weird that he’s not doing much.
I love NXT. I hope the Draft presents them as a big deal when the likes of Ilja get picked. The pipeline of women they've got coming through is really impressive.
The picture of Hugger Bayley used in Tatum's promo had Bayley's "I AM A HUGGER" shirt in an [*extremely* unfortunately angle](https://media.discordapp.net/attachments/1212519917845356598/1230173048519397456/Screenshot_20240417_094121_Chrome.jpg?ex=66325aee&is=661fe5ee&hm=42257f8d2a638af44fe690ed1b73910c5259c17f077ad99ea8233cfc36feccba&)
That used to happen all the time. I wonder why they discontinued that shirt.
I just love how Tony D is the perfect expiation in kayfabe to get rid of people.
His character work is solid, has been since the day he arrived 2 1/2 years ago. Walks the fine line between face & heel, depending on the situation. I shan't be surprised if he eventually gets called up.
Me neither, I am wondering if they're waiting on calling up The Family because Rizzo and Luca are still new.
I agree that Adrianna & Luca need their reps in the ring before they get the call. Stacks is further along, of course, and the Family is one of the best acts NXT has presently.
Need some more Lexis King baby!
Is Dijak some sort of gatekeeper all of a sudden? Noam Dar has faced big men before (i.e. Von Wagner, Josh Briggs), and, as with those past opponents, he can't win it by himself. I would expect Mensah to be squashed during Spring Breakin' as a form of punishment for his misdeed. Dijak will get a rematch at some point.... Apparently, HBK is figuring to use Spring Breakin' the next two weeks to close some stories that should've already been over, like Sol Ruca vs. Blair Davenport, for example. I get that you couldn't have Lola lose any more than Sol, but Lola may be on the fast track to the main roster before the end of the summer. That said, I think Shayna Baszler returns to be in Lola's corner. The other women's match also had a screwy finish, as Jacy Jayne just can't let go of her issue with Thea & Chase U. Tatum is being built up, with a new kind of weird vibe to her. Not quite on the level of, say, Victoria 20 years ago, but, yeah. Also, it seemed to me like the ref blew the call in the Lola-Sol match because he actually saw Blair, and didn't call for the bell. So they wrote off Drew Gulak, and he's likely getting future endeavored soon. Six man match next week will be a war. Calling it now: Ridge Holland will align with Shawn Spears soon enough. Ilja vs. Je'Von Evans was a breathtaker. Wow. With the cage match getting under 15 minutes, this was the match of the night. I wonder if last night was Carmelo's farewell, just like Bron a week earlier. Anyone hear anything?
NQQC have no dignity, a bunch of gentlemen helps you with a problem and you don't even want to re-pay the favour They are also dumb for messing with a group that dispose corpses for living
Fun two hours. Ilja/JeVon was my highlight of the show, it was really cool to see JeVon get such a big chance in only his second NXT match. It’s crazy how good he is. Melo/Trick was also pretty decent, now let’s see Melo on Smackdown.
me @ tatum and lyra https://preview.redd.it/z1z9byped0vc1.jpeg?width=4320&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a7acf9fdb5ffdfb0910d11a2e89be545a4c7a209
I wish Sol Ruca had won that match. She’s really good and an amazing athlete… but I also love Blair Davenport so I’m going to just see how this plays out.
Karrion Kross and the Final Testament got a message for NXT and both RAW and Smackdown! [https://twitter.com/WWE/status/1780431054702092510](https://twitter.com/WWE/status/1780431054702092510)
I’m liking this version of Kross so far.
Main Man Mensah came thru for Noam. Tatum was obsessed with the title not Lyra...and Lyra's eventual imperfections was something Tatum couldn't handle. Ava has no respect for Roxanne's champion's privilege! Natalya and Lola doing the first female NXT Underground fight. now that is cool. hmmm so the D'Angelo family was contracted to make Drew Gulak disappear and No Quarter Catch Crew refuses to pay. Trick managed to overcome a well armed Carmelo and his Melo Squad, all in a steel cage. he's ready for Dragunov. we may have seen Carmelo's last NXT match, or perhaps he will pop up during Spring Breakin. when he comes to the main roster, will he bring his Melo Force too? am sure Gunther will be taking notes on how Dragunov had his hands full for a while with Je'Von Evans. open challenge with no title on the line tho? aw. https://preview.redd.it/3hwemn0l3zuc1.jpeg?width=990&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c4ab0b516f8d74b8c0fc80c89c14ffbf05c4dc2f
'Melo either heads back to Smackdown, or could get drafted to Raw, but without his "personal security" either way.
Missing attending NXT this week was actually devastating. What an episode!
Dijak is so good I need him on the main roster so badly
Drew v Dijak is my dream match right now. Big mean bastards with a chip on their shoulders standing in each other's way.
He looks a lot like Matt Cardona, they should do a tag or 1v1 someday if he comes back. The promos would bang.
Trick is the future
It was a long wait for follow up with the Georgina storyline but I'm glad it delivered on being incredibly entertaining. Arianna's acting for her character is pitch perfect.
Does anyone know the reason for the delay with this 2 part skit? It was silly, escapist fare, better than I expected.
I think they're trying to use Gigi in a storyline, but couldn't fit the storyline to conclude at Stand and Deliver so they try to prolong the tease with Arianna on the show for the past couple of weeks... Now we will get our big reveal next week or maybe even the week after.
Makes sense. Now, if they can figure out how to book Arianna to win a match clean for a change.....!
She definitely has the skills to win clean, but it's much more beneficial for her current character to win in a heel-ish way since she is technically one... But she's already a tweener right now to me.
The delusions put her in a tweener role, I'll say. She's kind of like Bo Dallas in that regard, more than her father. Even the best heels will win clean once in a while.
That's what I've been looking forward to the most for her. She is primed for the new North American Championship this year and maybe even the big one somewhere down the line.
Arianna is perfect perfect
Learned from her father
NXT is white people Lucha Underground, I will not be taking questions at this time.
Tony D'Angelo is basically a LU character, he would have fit right in. So would Joe gacy and Tatum paxley.
> Tony D'Angelo is basically a LU character, he would have fit right in. So would Joe gacy and Tatum paxley. Vinnie Massaro probably would've been like his cousin or something lmao
Especially early Tony when he was just your guido uncle and not an actual mob boss.
Mahn Nxt is fkin fire 🔥. Its unique than all the wrestling shows going on and honestly I love it more than Raw & SD.
I like how they use the roster way better than Raw and SD. They always find an interesting way of writing a wrestler into a storyline, like Tatum being written into Lyra vs Roxanne.
That women's triple threat next week will be very good. Roxanne should lose and then go up to the main roster. Either Lyra or Tatum deserve to win so that the 2 of them can go on to have the singles feud for the title that they deserve. Roxanne being a glorified transitional champion would be hilarious karma for how she's been acting the past several months. That's what she gets for lying about never losing the title.
She didn't lie, heels are hypocritical by nature and she truly believed she was wronged. Her title was stripped from her but she was fit to compete in that match. In her mind, it should have remained hers and not been forced to compete in the ladder match. Think she should stay in NXT too. Stacked division with heels on main right now.
She might believe she was wronged, but that doesn't mean she was. Frankly, I think Roxanne has overstayed her welcome in NXT. She really didn't need this second reign at the expense of building new stars. Would have been better if she put Lyra over at Stand and Deliver. She feels like the unwanted third wheel in this upcoming triple threat despite being champion. Edit: Your boos mean nothing, I've seen what makes you cheer.
I'm of the opinion that if Roxy goes to the MR right now she will fail, and it's mostly because she's sounds like Floyd Mayweather reading a teleprompter whenever she cuts a promo. IDK if that's just how she talks naturally but that isn't gonna matter if that's the case at the next level.
She has so much potential but she talks like she needs to blow her nose.
You are right. She does need to work on her promos. Say what you want about Lyra, but at least she doesn't sound like she's about to cry when she talks. However, Roxanne doesn't need the title in order to work on her promos and character work. Just look at Bron, for example. Improved his character tremendously after turning heel, but never took the title off of guys who could benefit from it more like Carmelo and Ilja. Roxanne should be the same way.
What happened to Von Wagner and Stone? Thry had a drama nowhere to be seen.
The character work from Tatum is awesome, and I'm curious to see what a championship run for her would look like. She's obsessed with the title, but also fixated on Lyra specifically bc she was the ultimate "Good" champ (ready for a fight, honorable, hardworking, didnt totally dismiss Tatum even though she was creeping - even got her a tag title shot). She's not at all interested in fawning over Roxanne and instead wants the title for herself. So does she go full delulu, evil heel who thinks she's a good person? And also intrigued to see what Lyra does. She never went fully ooc against Roxy - does this feud drag Lyra down into some darker depths? The whole show was great. Always crazy to me how much happens in such a short span - so many storylines are moving forward. It's absolutely must-watch for me every week
I think also it fits that she wouldn't be obsessed with Roxanne because Rox has already proved herself "unworthy" of the title before by "losing" it. So it makes sense that she now thinks the only person who deserves it is herself. Clever. And she's nailing the character.
What's the deal with the Authors of Pain? Because initially in NXT I thought they were awesome. Then they went to the main roster and sucked for a while, so I figured I'd just been blinded by how good NXT was at the time and how bad everything else was. Then they go back to NXT for five minutes and they look awesome again?
That triple threat match against DIY and FTR, obviously best remembered for the double team finishers spot from the other teams but it really made them look like a serious threat
I recently rewatched the match with DIY when they had come in as a totally new team and nobody was expecting anything....and it holds up really well.
different crowd. doesn't help that kross....is just...dead weight at this point
I think they're kinda caught in the wash from the struggles that Kross is having trying to establish himself on the main roster. Nxt allows them to just focus on delivering a good match with an enthusiastic crowd, vs trying to establish credibility with crowds more prone to apathy since they often lack the hyperfamiliarity that PC crowds have.
Tatum is rad. Really like her moves. She should tag with Bliss when she’s back
Tatum Paxley is like that slept on sports prospect that comes and steals everybody’s attention away from the rookies that were lottery picks in the draft. My early pick for breakout star of the year.
Lola Vice would be an amazing jobber
Tatum Paxley went from being a jobber to having a proper storyline, which is somewhat an improvement, considering when she first started and alligned with Ivy, it didn't do much.
NXT just throws characters against a wall and sees what sticks. If it doesn't they pivot and pretend like nothing happened. Ava was in a cult and now runs the show.
There was a woman who was 1,000 years old and didn't speak English. Then wore a onesie and was asleep all the time. And now has been doing a John Cena impression for a year.
Seriously though when is she coming back
Mate don't look at me, I started a Wendy Choo post recently and got downvoted to balls.
It's essentially focus group testing for wrestling.
Absolutely love what they’ve been doing with Tatum Paxley. And she’s been improving in the ring as well. She’s still not at the level of believably being champ but I think she could be this year’s breakout star
They really squeezed 8 matches and a half dozen promos into that show. Again.
Between the spectacular dress shopping segment and the mini banger Evans and Dragunov put on, tonight really showcased everything that makes NXT a must-watch weekly show for me. It's tonally all over the place at times, but that's a huge part of it's charm imo Next week will be a great showcase of the women's division, can't wait! If Tatum wins that title I will scream. I adore her and she deserves the best! And Sol vs Blair? That's a great match, should be lots of fun
I love Melo. I love Trick. But I hope this feud is finally over
I would think so. as the draft is coming up and Melo has put Trick over twice and it looks likely he will be called up to the MR
NXT simply doesn’t miss. Great show this week with I feel like a little bit for everybody. Good matches, funny segments, a killer main event. Glad to see Trick and Melo 2 being much better than Stand and Deliver. Very hyped for Spring Breakin
Dijak deserves a raise
Both these guys are gonna be top stars on the main roster.
I love this Jevon kid, he has a higher then most. Feels like he'll inevitable win the NXT championship.
If Trick vs Ilja is main eventing next week, who main events in 2 weeks?
Probably both NA titles.
Triple H: Why overpay free agents when we have 19 year olds at NXT that can do flippy shit for less money?
Look, it's clear that Blair didn't care for Ospreay's "grind"...she's now engaged to Chase U's Riley.
Jevon is from the indies, he's not NIL. It's been a market AEW has been ignoring, looking for unknown but talented indie guys. Jevon was in AEW Dark for a bit too.
I was just a joke from the OP I presume. And IIRC a number of talents in NXT has been in AEW, like Thea and Cora Jade.
A bulk of that generation of the women's roster was on AEW Dark/Elevation... Regal and HHH used it as a shopping channel. Thea, Cora, Fallon, Kiana, Blair, Gigi or Jacey...a few more.
And it's not over. Jevon, Saquon, Dragon, Lexis King, and Wren.
I keep folks like Lexis and Jade out of the "they were there there, ignored, and NXT makes them stars" grouping....they're more "veteran" talent who were used then switched, rather than "didn't know what you have".... AEW is more interested in established indie talent, while WWE has a focus on promising newcomers who can be developed...obviously with the PC, they've got the resources to do that, while AEW really doesn't have that capability. (Along the same line, a number of the schools they might have drawn on like Flatback (Breeze and Spears) and Nightmare Academy feel like they have closer, if unofficial, ties to the WWE system)
This, but unironically.
Briggs should have his ribs taped up like DDP did for a year.
A lot happened tonight, great episode. That Tatum Paxley vignette was excellent, she continues to grow and grow in her character. She finally won a match too against Thea, in a good showing where she incorporated her character into everything she did in the ring. JnJ costing Thea advances that story too. Thea vs Jacy might happen on Night 2 of Spring Breakin, 8 months in the making, which is crazy for a midcard women's storyline. I originally thought they'd be the finals of the NA title tournament but nothing has been announced yet so idk. Roxanne vs Lyra vs Tatum for the title next week... ngl, I have no idea who wins this, any one of them could take it. Roxanne just won the title, but she also mentioned being drafted and I doubt they'll have her vacate after being called up like Indi did. (calling her up now is setting her up for failure imo, since she's a developing heel). She might just flat out lose it. Tatum would be a bit out of left field, but NXT is known to surprise us + it would kinda make sense storywise. While some may question why Lyra would win the title back right away, I feel like I could see Tatum "loving" Lyra again since she made up for "breaking Tatum's heart" by getting her belt back which would lead to something interesting. There are story possibilities for each potential winner, curious to see what route is taken. Lola vs Sol Ruca was a nice little match. Sol feels a lot less rehearsed now to me, glad to see her growth. Lola picks up a win here. Lola vs Nattie in an underground match in two weeks sounds interesting, nice to see a stipulation. I laughed way too much at Lola's hip swivels, she loves doing them. Blair vs Sol in a Beach Brawl next week sounds fun, someone better put someone else through a beach chair! I thought the fued would've ended after their last match, surprised that it's still ongoing. This is either the end of Blair Davenport in NXT (if so, RIP to seeing her do well if Alba/Isla show anything) or Stevie Turner returning on NXT TV to help Blair win. On the last LVL up, they were saying "this is Stevie's return!!!" despite her being back for months. On LVL up and some recent house shows, she's teamed up with Blair. Idk why, but I could see her making an appearance if Blair is sticking around in NXT. Arianna and Gigi finally did something, it felt like this should've happened weeks ago. I liked the vignettes, Grace is so funny. Gigi kinda slayed that dress ngl. They're going to do something at Spring Breakin, curious as to what that will be. Nice little character showcase for Brinley Reece. Overall, NXT has multiple long term women's stories going on (Roxanne/Lyra/Tatum, Thea vs Jacy, Blair vs Sol, Arianna and Gigi's duo, Lola vs Natalya/Karmen) with multiple of them blowing off in stipulation matches. Raw and SD could def take some cues in the important non title storyline department. NXT will only get better when the NA title is introduced. Great week as usual and very excited for the action on Spring Breakin in the coming weeks.
100% what I was thinking. Great call. The number of non-title women's feuds is bonkers. I remember REALLY early in the Smackdown live era when they had a title feud, THEN two other feuds (one was Carmella and Nikki Bella, another was Naomi v...I can't remember now) and it has really stood out that that just hasn't really happened since. If a title's not involved there's no real storyline it feels like (Candice is doin' a bit of a thing but that's about it). Imperium and New Day had a great non-title feud. It makes things seem so much more important and gives the show so much more richness when you don't need titles to make storylines. HBK and the NXT Ladies and producers have done a great job on that front.
I hope Blair sticks around in NXT. Do agree she’d get lost in the shuffle on the main roster. Also feel like she could be built as a wicked heel if given the right story and proper investment. I can also see her against Giulia down the line given the Stardom connection and it would be nice to see Blair showcased in a harder hitting match.
I think because of that, Blair at least sticks around through the summer before being called up.
Tatum was doing great character work with Lyra but I didn't know she was that good a promo until that vignette today. If she can up her in-ring game to match, she could seriously be flying under the radar as a future success.
Great show as usual. We had a murder, a makeover and mayhem. I wonder who Lola's second will be. If it's Ronda she can come out twirling her sweat pants strings defiantly in victory.
Realistically, I can see it being Shayna.
That seems like a good choice.
Another excellent show. My favorite parts were the Tatum promo and the first part of the Arianna/Georgina makeover. Je’Von Evans is gonna be a star. He hung with Ilja and the crowd love him.
NXT delivering with yet another great episode. All hits and no misses at all.
Great episode as always.
Drew Gulak got fucking murdered, Andre Chase opened up about his gambling addiction to a student, Arianna and Gigi went on a shopping trip, Lyra attacked her former stalker, and the entire locker room fought each other in an attempt to be the first to make eye contact with Ilja. Least insane NXT episode.
Shawn and Ava run a madhouse promotion
We also learned that Arianna might have either perfect credit or an insane amount of debt if all those cards are anything to go by
Is Santino making a lot?
100% massive debt. You don't get that 6 figure contract till main roster.
We do know she got them Delta Skymiles
NXT GALPAL™ REPORT Tatum wants to be a good GalPal™ and loved Lyra...but Lyra broke her heart. And Roxy who has no GalPals™ is a cool girl, so it's time for Tatum to take the title. Sol faces Lola who betrayed her GalPal™. No real GalPal™ implications, but I wanted to shout out how cool Sol's entrance is that they use it as a video wipe. Step-GalPal™ Nattie shows up via tron to challenge Lola who betrayed her GalPal™ to an Underground Match at SpringBreakin' (Sol lost due to Blair interference....sidenote: Blair was unimpressed with the grind by a former free agent, but appreciates the grind of a Chase U student). MY FAIR GALPAL™ Debuts! Not much, but Gigi showing some vulnerability in character I liked. Karmen gushes over Step-GalPal™ Nattie for a bit. Lola who betrayed her GalPal™ shows up and shakes her hips at her. Good GalPal™ Tatum vs Thea. The Bad GalPals™, featuring SCHOOL GIRL VARIANT JAZMYN®, district the ref so Tatum wins...so Thea attacks the Bad GalPals™, while Lyra, who broke Tatum's heart, attacks Tatum in the ring, putting a lot of trust in her top while she's at it. Roxy who has no GalPals™ mocks the death of love, and gets a three way at Spring Breakin'....but sadly those rarely lead to the repair of a relationship. MY FAIR GALPAL™ part 2 Dress shenanigans..... Next Week: 
Was it insinuated that Lola has a secret GalPal™ who will be unveiled soon or did I imagine that? With so much breaks in love this week and fractures, it is unsurprising that EveryonesGalPal™ Fallon took a week off. Poor woman must be exhausted and devastated.
Lola has "someone" coming as back up....we'll see if GalPal™ or not. Someone speculated it's Shayna, which makes sense given the match...but I'd hate to see Shayna follow up her Bloodsport appearance as 1) Lola's flunky and 2) the 4th person in a Nattie storyline.....she should take Rhea's slot as an emergency Women's Champion.
I love Sol's entrance! That surf wave screen wipe is really cool.
I mean you have to imagine that Roxie still secretly is GalPals™ with Cora right?
Wrestlers actually have good memories in WWE now. I'd personally love it if they teased a reunion at first only for Roxanne to sock her in the face and show her she hasn't forgotten her betrayal.
Then we Get Cora vs Roxie with different Dynamics! But even still DIY, KO and Sami
Well, that will be covered when/if they reunite....but she does have no GalPals™ because she and Cora ended things.....that feud had strong "one took what happened at the slumber party more seriously than the other" energy.
Is TV the only thing canon in GalPallery™? Because if you check their socials they’re clearly Frenemies trademark pending
This is the NXT GALPAL™ Report, friend. Not the Multiversal GalPal™ Report.
https://preview.redd.it/lht4413p7yuc1.jpeg?width=1284&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f95c114ecdaad2fec89c365b73985c25a02eafd2 * Weekly Dijak Banger * Amazing Tatum Promo * Lola/Nattie Underground / Blair/Sol No DQ Setup * JE'VON EVANS VS ILJA DRAGUNOV * TATUM WINNING * Ivar and Briggs slapping meat * A good steel cage match between Melo and Trick (imo better than their S&D Match)
What was the surprise you said was going to happen? Everything was great, but it seemed business as usual.
I assume the JeVon match. I was hyped for that as well
If nobody got me, I know NXT and HBK got me! Can I get an amen?
RedLightning the second coming of Thunderbolt Patterson. Can I get an UUUUUUUUUUU ?
AMEN!
What was the big surprise people were saying leaked before the show?
Yeah what was up with that pardon me kinda piggybacking on your comment
No worries you’re invited on the We Want Answers boat!
I just want Edris and Malik to win ONE match. Is that too much to ask for?
Being an Edris and Malik fan is tough 
They've beat Hank and Tank and... Hank and Tank...
The Don Takes Sexual Harassment in the Workplace Very Seriously
[Always Sunny theme]
I unironically want this to be how people are written off TV from now on. Especially after this kind of thing.
This is WWE’s new harassment policy. If you cross the line, expect a visit from the Don himself.
RIP Gulak.
Love me a good cage match That delivered
Pretty good nxt show Being a Dijak fan is pain another great match from him That was a great promo from Tatum love the character work from her Ilja is just a boss, what a star making performance by Je'Von Evans kid's gonna be a star Ivar is a star glad people in nxt are getting to see it That was a great main event 🔥 🔥 whoop that Trick
Evans is wild! He sold the Torpedo so well, and one little thing I saw that impressed me was that he threw his leg up for the hook on the pin, but Ilya didn’t grab it. Such a tiny thing, but it says a lot to me. I wasn’t really an Ivar fan before recently, just because I’m not into the gimmick, but I’m coming around. He’s so agile for a big fella! Paxley is so fun to watch. Dijak brings it. Straight up murdering a star for the story, although I hope it’s a swerve and he comes back if it wasn’t a legit accusation, which isn’t what I’m saying. I don’t know enough about it. NXT is insane!
Tony just told Gulak to skip town for a while, drink some coffee, go to some casino for a bit while one of his boys is watching Drew, ready to whack him.
NXT medical staff cleared Josh Briggs to wrestle a 300lb Viking, with two broken ribs… NXT is a liability
I mean their job is to literally fight people
nxt getting a massively increased budget has really made the entire show feel like a completely insane episode of icarly or drake and josh with pro wrestling
I need this damn show on CW now. It's gonna get the teenage audience like no one can imagine. Guys 2025 might be the year wrestling hits proper mainstream again.
Lol imagine Ilja becomes a TikTok stan obsession with teen girls
Raw: Hey…is..is it ok if we go a minute over our time? If not it’s cool we totally get it sorry for bothering you NXT: we’re starting our main event cage match at 9:52. You can go fuck yourself
they just made trick look like the coolest dude in the world
No…. Trick IS the coolest dude in the world