‘WWE NXT’ Review (Apr 23rd 2024)
Welcome to this week’s review of NXT, right here on Nerdly. We’ve got week one of the Spring Breakin’ special(s), so let’s get straight into it and see what went down in this episode…
Match #1: NXT Women’s Champion Triple Threat Match – Roxanne Perez def. Lyra Valkyria and Tatum Paxley
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
The NXT Women’s Championship remains with “The Prodigy” Roxanne Perez as the champion retained her title in impressive fashion against both Lyra Valkyria and Tatum Paxley in a Triple Threat Match. The bad blood between former friends Valkyria and Paxley sparked a major battle between the two to begin the match, all while the champion looked on and smiled. Once Perez entered the fray, the action became chaotic as all three Superstars threw caution to the wind, punctuated by the demented Paxley tossing both of her opponents hard to the ringside area. Paxley seemed poised to win the title after a remarkable 450 splash, but a heads up move from Perez allowed her to roll up Paxley using a jackknife cover to retain her title.
My Score: 3.5 out of 5
Match #2: The D’Angelo Family def. No Quarter Catch Crew
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
Before the bell could even ring, all six Superstars brawled with the official doing everything in their power to get the bout under control. Once the match officially began, The D’Angelo Family established control with The Don openly berating his opponents for stiffing him on payment for the job that he carried out for them. The athleticism of Damon Kemp and the mat skills of Charlie Dempsey helped their team gain some momentum, and even after Stacks withstood the barrage, Tony D’Angelo suffered a similar fate. Luca Crusifino proved his worth as he destroyed Myles Borne, allowing The Don to hit a massive Spinebuster on Dempsey which gave him a key victory over the Heritage Cup Champion.
My Score: 3 out of 5
Match #3: Jaida Parker def. Fallon Henley
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
The meteoric rise of Jaida Parker reached a new stratosphere when she defeated Fallon Henley in convincing fashion on her biggest stage yet. With SCRYPTS, Bronco Nima, and Lucien Price all at ringside, Parker brought the fight to Fallon Henley only for the cowgirl to respond in kind with strong strikes and impressive technical skill. Henley was in control, but one toss into the ropes and a devastating hip attack delivered Miss Parker a huge statement victory.
My Score: 2.5 out of 5
Match #4: Beach Brawl Match – Sol Ruca def. Blair Davenport
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
Sol Ruca was right at home as she defeated her longtime rival Blair Davenport in a Beach Brawl Match. Ruca and Davenport destroyed each other using beach themed items including surfboards, picnic tables, and anything else they could get their hands on. Davenport was on a mission to put Ruca back on the shelf with an injury, but it was Ruca that put her the tough British Superstar through a table. Ruca tossed her lifeless opponent into the ring and hit a remarkable Sol Snatcher to score the win.
My Score: 3 out of 5
Match #5: Lexis King def. Baron Corbin
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
Lexis King earned one of the biggest wins of his young career by toppling Baron Corbin in singles action. Corbin was out to teach the newcomer a lesson, but the conniving King used sneaky tactics, including putting his feet on the ropes for leverage, to try and steal a victory. Thanks to a quick distraction, King nailed Corbin below the belt unbeknownst to the official before hitting Coronation and walking out as the victor.
My Score: 2.5 out of 5
Match #6: NXT Championship – Trick Williams def. Ilja Dragunov
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
Trick Williams is officially the NXT Champion after he dethroned Ilja Dragunov in the main event of Spring Breakin’ Week One. The match started fast and furious with Trick emptying the tank trying to defeat The Mad Dragon, even hitting him with a Torpedo Moscow and an H-Bomb. The ferocious Dragunov proceeded to strip the announce table, but it backfired as Trick honored Booker T by hitting a massive Book End through the table. Dragunov rallied in a huge way, hitting an H-Bomb before hitting two top rope H-Bombs, with Trick somehow kicking out both times. Both Superstars rose to their feet, made eye contact and gave each other their best shot but it was a Trick Shot that cemented Trick’s legacy as one of the greats in NXT history.
My Score: 4 out of 5
Final Verdict: 3.5/5
NXT really know how to do it when it comes to their PLEs and “special event” shows don’t they? This first week of Spring Breakin’ was marred by a couple of lesser matches – but everything else delivered in spades… Especially THAT main event, which blew the roof off the building and blew me away too. Former NFL player Trick Williams might have only been in NXT for two years but what he’s accomplished to date is remarkable, even more so when you consider he was originally more of a “sidekick” than superstar. But he’s definitely a superstar now!
