Here are my NXT Thoughts & Facts & Stats:
Mr. Stone & Von Wagner VS Noam Dar & Oro Mensah was OK. It was kind of short. I liked Stone & Wagner attacking Meta-Four in the training room & Stone's kids getting involved. I guess it won't be Stone's 1st win in his NXT Career & Wagner's 1st win on NXT since he defeated Javier Bernal on 7/25/23. FACTS: This was Mr. Stone's 1st NXT of 2024, his 1st match since he lost to Bron Breakker on NXT on October 31, 2023, & 1st ever Men's 2-on-2 Tag Team Match (he & Aliyah lost to Rhea Ripley in a Handicap Match on July 1, 2020 & he & Jessie Kamea lost to Indi Hartwell & Dexter Lumis on August 17, 2021.) This was Von Wagner's 1st NXT since January 30, his 1st 2-on-2 Tag Team Match since he & Duke Hudson lost to Shelton Benjamin & R-Truth on Main Event on November 3, 2022, & 1st on NXT since he & Kyle O'Reilly lost to Imperium at War Games on December 5, 2021, & 1st on NXT TV since he & O'Reilly defeated Legado Del Fantasma on November 30, 2021, making this the 1st time he teamed with someone other than O'Reilly in NXT. This was their 1st NXT opener of 2024. This was Noam Dar's 1st NXT since January 30, Oro Mensah's 1st NXT since January 9, & their 1st 2-on-2 Tag Team Match since they lost to Indus Sher on Main Event on November 9, 2023, 1st on NXT TV since they defeated Carmelo Hayes & Wes Lee on August 1, 2023, & their 1st NXT opener of 2024.
Good recap of everything that happened last week with Carmelo Hayes, Ilja Dragunov, Dijak, & Joe Gacy.
Andre Chase was great as usual. The stuff with Jacy Jayne & Adrianna Rizzo was awful.
Ridge Holland VS Gallus was bad. They should have just done 3 Singles Matches instead of a Gauntlet. I guess Ridge won by DQ. FACTS: This was the 1st Gauntlet Match of 2024, the 1st Gauntlet Match since a Tag Team Gauntlet Match on Smackdown on June 16, 2023, the 1st on NXT since a Tag Team Gauntlet on January 10, 2023, the 1st Men's Singles Gauntlet Match since Raw on June 20, 2022, & 1st ever on NXT. This was Ridge Holland's 1st NXT since January 30 & 1st Men's Gauntlet Match in his Career. This was Joe Coffey's 1st NXT since January 16, Mark Coffey & Wolfgang's 1st NXT since January 9, & their 1st Gauntlet Match in their Career.
OK segment with Mr. Stone, Von Wagner, & Lexis King.
OK segment with No Quarter Catch Crew & Meta-Four. As of tomorrow, Noam Dar will have the 3 Longest Heritage Cup Reigns of All-Time: 1) 2nd Reign: (8/25/22-6/13/23, 292 Days), 2) 1st Reign (10/28/21-7/14/22, 259 Days), & 3rd Reign (8/22/23-?,176+ Days).
I want to be positive, but I can't. Tatum Paxley VS Lola Vice was horrible. There was one good thing about the match. Tatum slapping Lola on her ass. If Tatum would have won, it would have been her 1st 1-on-1 win since she defeated Dani Palmer on Level Up on November 17, 2023 & 1st on NXT TV since she defeated Kayden Carter on July 12, 2022. FACTS: This was Tatum Paxley's 1st NXT since January 30. This was Lola Vice's 3rd week in a row on NXT.
Lyra Valkyria VS Shotzi was supposed to be tonight. They advertised it last week, so now Shotzi won't be wrestling on both NXT & Smackdown in the same week. Good thing I didn't do my records for it.
They changed the spelling of Adriana Rizzo. She originally had 2 Ns. It was Adrianna. Stupid. And I don't know what the hell is going on tonight. Adriana Rizzo VS Jaida Parker was another awful match. FACTS: This was Adriana Rizzo's 1st NXT since January 16 & her 1st 1-on-1 Match in her Career. This was Jaida Parker's 1st NXT since January 16 & her 1st 1-on-1 Match on NXT TV since she lost to Karmen Petrovic on October 17, 2023. This was the 7th week in a row that NXT had 2 Women's Matches.
Interesting segment with Dijak. Now things will pick up with Carmelo Hayes VS Joe Gacy.
Fun segment with Bron Breakker & Baron Corbin. I will have cool facts for their Tag Team Title Match against The Family later.
Joe Gacy VS Carmelo Hayes was awesome. It didn't make up for the crap that we saw in the first hour. I love the upside down camera for Gacy's entrance. FACTS: This was Joe Gacy's 1st NXT TV of 2024 & 1st since he defeated Joe Coffey on December 12, 2023. This was Carmelo Hayes' 1st NXT since January 30, 1st 1-on-1 Match overall since he lost to Austin Theory on Smackdown on January 26, 1st on NXT since he defeated Lexis King at Deadl1ne on December 9, 2023, & 1st on NXT TV since he lost to Josh Briggs on November 21, 2023.
What an attack by Joy Guess they're going to do Gacy VS Dijak in a Straitjacket Match.
Another awful women's segment. Damn, HBK get your Women's Division acting & wrestling lessons.
Another bad women's segment with Roxanne Perez & Wren Sinclair. I guess they'll wrestle next week as the match is being taped as we speak.
Another intriguing video. I hope we won't be disappointed in the reveal.
Pretty good segment with Oba Femi & Lexis King to set-up a match for the NXT North American Title, but it's interesting that they're doing a match with 2 heels.
More bad acting between Josh Briggs & Brooks Jensen.
I'm happy that Ilja Dragunov can go home to recover & spend time with his family. Looking forward to seeing him come back & go after Carmelo Hayes.
Brinley Reece VS Kiana James was the best women's match of the night. I was impressed with Brinley's clothesline.
OK segment with Ava & Roxanne Perez.
FACTS: This was Brinley Reece's 1st NXT since 1/16 & her 1st 1-on-1 Match on NXT TV since she lost to Arianna Grace on October 17, 2023. This was Kiana James' 1st NXT since January 16, her 1st 1-on-1 Match since she defeated Roxanne Perez in a Steel Cage Match at Deadl1ne on December 9, 2023, & 1st on NXT TV since she lost to Kelani Jordan on November 28, 2023. This was the 1st NXT since January 30 to have 3 Women's Matches.
OK segment with Malik Blade, Edris Enofe, & Brinley Reece.
The Family VS Bron Breakker & Baron Corbin was excellent. I wanted The Wolf Dogs to win but didn't think it was going to happen as Breakker's moving up to the main roster. FACTS: This was the 2nd NXT Tag Team Championship Match of 2024 & 1st since NXT on January 9. This was Tony D’Angelo & Channing Lorenzo’s 1st NXT since January 9 & their 1st main event of 2024. This was Tony D’Angelo & Channing Lorenzo’s 3rd Tag Team Championship Defense, so since they lost, they are the 1st since themselves who lost to Chase U on October 24, 2023 to lose in their 3rd Defense. As of NXT, The Family’s Tag Team Championship Reign lasted 91 Days, so since they lost, they are the 1st to lose in 91 Days. This was Bron Breakker & Baron Corbin's 1st NXT since January 23 & their 1st main event of 2024. Since they won, they are the 1st 1st-time Champions since Chase U, Breakker is the 5th to be a former NXT Champion after Tommaso Ciampa, Adam Cole, Johnny Gargano, & Adrian Neville & 1st since Adam Cole in 2019, the 2nd to be a 2-time NXT Champion after Tommaso Ciampa, & he & Rick Steiner are the 1st father & son in WWE History to be a Tag Team Champion in NXT & WWE & the 1st time a Steiner has held a Tag Team Championship in WWE since September 13, 1993. Baron Corbin is the 4th Tag Team Champion to be a former United States Champion after Kalisto, Kofi Kingston, & Matt Riddle & 1st since Kingston in 2023. This was the 1st NXT Tag Team Title Change of 2024 & 1st since NXT on November 14, 2023 when D’Angelo & Lorenzo defeated Chase University. It was the 34th Title Change in History.
Here are my NXT Match Rankings:
1) Joe Gacy VS Carmelo Hayes
2) The Family VS Bron Breakker & Baron Corbin
3) Mr. Stone & Von Wagner VS Noam Dar & Oro Mensah
4) Brinley Reece VS Kiana James
5) Ridge Holland VS Gallus
6) Adriana Rizzo VS Jaida Parker
7) Tatum Paxley VS Lola Vice
It was a rare miss. Tonight's NXT was not good at all besides Gacy VS Hayes & The Family VS The Wolf Dogs for the Tag Titles. I will read the spoilers later for next week to see if it will be good or not.
Ends NXT Thoughts, Facts, & Stats. For the Complete W/L Records, Facts, & Stats, visit
darrenswinloss.wordpress.com & for the Stand And Deliver History, visit
darrenswinloss.wordpress.com/nxtsd
