WWE NXT Review – April 18, 2023
Kicking off this week’s NXT with NXT Tag Team Champions Gallus,The Dyad & Creed Brothers are beating one another down at ringside. Referees eventually separate the men as Creed Brothers are left standing in the ring.
NXT Tag Team Titles Triple Threat Match
Gallus (Mark Coffey & Wolfgang) (c) vs. Creed Brothers (Julius & Brutus) vs. The Dyad (Rip Fowler & Jagger Reid)
Wolfgang & Rip Fowler each take turns going after Julius Creed before Julius catches them both with a dropkick off the middle rope and tags in Brutus Creed. Julius tosses Brutus onto both Wolfgang & Fowler but Fowler manages to tag in Jagger Reid. Reid delivers a spinning heel kick to Julius and a forearm to Wolfgang but Mark Coffey tags in and delivers a Samoan Drop to Reid. Julius tags in and catches both Reid & Coffey with suplexes.
Julius delivers a moonsault to Reid off the top rope then hits Coffey with a powerbomb. Reid looks to level Julius but Julius remains on his feet and catches Reid with a dropkick. Coffey then levels him and hits a running knee and goes for a pin but Julius kicks out as we go to a break.
After the break Reid looks for an enziguri on Coffey but he ducks it before Julius catches him with a dropkick. Fowler,Wolfgang & Brutus tag in. Brutus hits Wolfgang & Fowler with a back elbow then delivers the Brutus Smash to both Fowler & Wolfgang. Brutus then delivers a suplex to Wolfgang and pins him but Fowler charges at him and he suplexes him while still pinning Wolfgang then goes for a pin but Coffey breaks up the fall.
The action spills to the outside where The Dyad & Creed Brothers sends Gallus crashing into the ring steps. The Dyad & Creed Brothers spot one another and begin going at it in the ring. Reid dumps Julius to the outside before he & Fowler level Brutus with a double suplex. They look to do the same to Julius but Julius reverses the momentum and suplexes both men.
Ava Raine hops up on the apron and causes a distraction allowing Fowler to get Julius in an electric chair position. Ivy Nile gets in Raine’s face. Reid tumbles on top of Raine which allows Julius to get Fowler in an electric chair position and Brutus to hits Brutus Bomb off the top rope. Gallus then delivers the Powerslam/Running Kick combo for the win.
Winners & Still NXT Tag Team Champions: Gallus (STILL CHAMPIONS!!!!!!)
We then head to a video of a confrontation between Dijak & Apollo Crews in the parking lot from earlier today.
After the break we head to the first edition of Hard Hitting Hone Truths with Nathan Frazer, where he reflects on everything that’s happened over the past few weeks.
Non Title Match
Heritage Cup Champion Noam Dar vs. Myles Borne
Match starts off with a lock up then Myles Borne sends Noam Dar crashing into the corner but Dar responds with a series of elbows. He follows it up with several kicks to Borne’s chest before Borne delivers a few right hands and a dropkick. He catches Dar with a fallaway slam but Dar manages to hit Nova Roller for the win.
Winner: Heritage Cup Champion Noam Dar
We come back from the break we head to a video of Kiana James in her office. Josh Briggs approaches her and asks for her help getting Brooks Jensen talking to her. James declines to do so, and Briggs begs him. He says they came up together and asks her to talk to Jensen. James tells him to talk to Jensen himself before Jensen appears & Jensen tells Briggs to go but Briggs says they need to hash it out because they’re family. Jensen tells him that they aren’t family and Briggs tells him the man he doesn’t know the man he’s looking at. Jensen tells him that he’s looking at a man who makes choices and tells him to leave once again.
We go back to ringside where Odyssey Jones is in the ring but Bron Breakker appears out of nowhere and catches him with a spear. He mockingly asks Jones if that hurts then says that’s what happens when you get in his way. He says that he had to come out last week to put a stop to Chase U’s pathetic award ceremony then calls them all clowns. He says Jones, NXT Champion Carmelo Hayes & Andre Chase have all felt his wrath.
Duke Hudson appears in the crowd and tells Breakker to keep Chase’s name out of his mouth. He says Breakker made a huge mistake by interrupting his award ceremony and tearing the Chase U flag. He asks Breakker if he’s sad because he lost the NXT Title then says no one puts down Chase U and gets away with it. He challenges Breakker to a match next week at Spring Breakin’ and Breakker says the last time he saw him, Hudson took off running with his trophy. He tells Hudson to take 7 days but Hudson cuts him off and says he wasn’t done talking. He says that Breakker won’t be facing him but Chase instead. Breakker turns to the camera and tells Chase to enjoy his last few seconds of breathing before he spears him in half next week.
After the break we go backstage to McKenzie Mitchell is with Pretty Deadly. Mitchell notes that their issues with Tony D’Angelo & Stacks have been escalating over the past couple of weeks and Pretty Deadly express their frustrations before they challenge D’Angelo & Stacks to a match next week at Spring Breakin.
Roxanne Perez vs. Zoey Stark
Roxanne Perez delivers a pair of arm drags and begins to target Zoey Stark’s arm then gets her into a side headlock then they go back & forth with submission holds before Stark hits a shoulder tackle. Perez looks for a couple of her own but Stark blocks them and delivers a kick. She then delivers a knee to her jaw and a Tijeras that sends Stark crashing to the outside. Perez then looks for a tope suicida but Stark sends her crashing into the ring apron face first that sends us to a break.
After the break Stark hangs Perez off the top turnbuckle and delivers a stomp. Perez fires back with a back elbow and several rights and lefts then delivers a Thesz Press off the middle and hits several more lefts and rights. She dropkicks Stark out of the ring then catches her with a tope suicida and tosses her back in the ring.
She ascends to the top rope and delivers a crossbody. Stark then rolls Perez up but Perez kicks out and delivers a side Russian leg sweep. Stark responds with a superkick and half & half suplex then hits a 2nd superkick. Perez then manages to deliver a rope assistance Pop Rox for the win.
Winner: Roxanne Perez
After the match Women’s Champion Indi Hartwell’s music hits and she heads to the ring. She congratulates Perez on her win then says she wanted to come out tonight to tell Perez she wouldn’t be Women’s Champion if it wasn’t for her. She says she wants to be a fighting champion then offers her a match for the Women’s Title. Perez says Hartwell is her friend in and out of the ring but it’s every woman for herself when it comes to her Women’s Title. She accepts Hartwell’s offer and looks to shake her hand but before she can Tiffany Stratton’s music hits and she appears.
Stratton asks if she just witnessed Hartwell give someone else another shot and calls Perez a beatable talent. Perez reminds Stratton she beat her in the 2022 Breakout Champion, and Stratton says that’s so 2022 then Hartwell cuts Stratton off and says she doesn’t care who it is she faces because she’ll prove herself at Spring Breakin’ when she beats them both.
Gigi Dolan vs. Cora Jade
Gigi Dolan & Cora Jade lock up to get this match started then they go back & forth with submission holds before Dolin delivers a knee and a kick to Jade’s spine. Jade delivers a stomp to Dolin’s spine but Dolin manages to hit a backstabber and a pair of kicks. Jade lands a forearm but Dolin gets her on her shoulders.
Jade escapes before Jacy Jayne appears out of nowhere. Dolin pulls Jayne into the ring and sends her crashing into the ring steps. Dolin tosses Jayne over the announce table and gets back in the ring where Jade is waiting with a running knee and a DDT for the win.
Winner: Cora Jade
After the match Jade grabs a mic but before she can speak, Lyra Valkyria’s music hits and she appears. She tells Jade her time for talking is over then challenges her to a match next wee at Spring Breakin.
After the break we head to a video of Fallon Henley & Josh Briggs hanging out in Henley’s family bar and talking about Brooks Jensen. Jensen & Kiana James walk in and Briggs says he’s glad Jensen came to his senses. Jensen tells Briggs meant every word of what he said earlier then challenges him & Henley to a Mixed Tag Team Match against himself & James next week & Henley accepts.
Dijak vs. Apollo Crews
Dijak & Apollo Crews back & forth with submission holds before Crews lands a dropkick and a pair of German suplexes. Dijak tosses Crews onto the apron and looks to suplex him into the ring but Crews prevents him from doing so. Dijak trys to deliver a Stunner instead and sends him crashing to the floor as we go to a break.
After the break Crews delivers a pair of clotheslines and a back elbow. He then delivers a splash in the corner and follows it up with a blockbuster. He lands a knee and looks for a suplex but Dijak lands on his feet and delivers a boot then goes for a pin but Crews kicks out at the last second.
Dijak then delivers a chokeslam and goes for another pin but Crews kicks out once again. Dijak then gets Crews up on his shoulders and lands Feast Your Eyes for the win.
Winner: Dijak
After the match Dijak looks to continue to beat down Crews but Ilja Dragunov runs down and makes the save.
North American Title Match
Wes Lee (c) vs. Charlie Dempsey
Drew Gulak takes a cheap shot at Wes Lee as he looks to get in the ring while Charlie Dempsey distracts the referee. Lee gets in the ring and the bell sounds as Dempsey delivers a few uppercuts. Lee fires back with a kick under his jaw and a dropkick as we go to a break.
After the break Dempsey is targeting Lee’s arm then he sends Lee into the middle turnbuckle face first then delivers a forearm and an uppercut. He follows it up with a dragon screw and sets up for a double underhook suplex then delivers a German suplex and goes for a pin.
Lee kicks out and Dempsey delivers a right hand to his spine. Dempsey looks for another German suplex but Lee lands on his feet and delivers a kick to his head then follows it up with the Kardiak Kick for the win.
Winner & Still North American Champion: Wes Lee (STILL CHAMPION!!!!)
After the match Dempsey & Gulak attack Lee. Gulak then holds up Lee’s North American Title.
Grayson Waller welcomes fans to The Grayson Waller Effect then introduces NXT Champion Carmelo Hayes. Hayes’ music hits and he appears alongside Trick Williams.
Waller says he knows Hayes wishes Bron Breakker was the one sitting here, and Hayes says it’s fine. He says he has to give Waller credit because he always manages to end up in the main event spot then says he’s more decorated than a Christmas tree. Waller says the difference between himself and Hayes is that he’s become the biggest star in 8 months without a title.
Waller reads out the 1st question what does Hayes mean by the catchphrase I Am Him? Williams says that Waller is a hater then says Hayes has proved he is him. Waller says he thinks Hayes means that he is them and says he would be nothing without Williams. Hayes calms Williams down then says Waller has stolen every opportunity he’s had. He says there’s greatness then Waller, then himself. He says Waller may not be that guy and may not be cut out for being a champion then calls for banners to be dropped on the screen. After nothing appears Hayes says that’s because Waller has no accomplishments to celebrate.
Waller & Hayes exchange jabs with one another before Waller says he will go viral next week after he wins the NXT Title and holds the NXT Title over his head in one hand while his golden shoe in the other. Hayes asks how Waller will be able to do that after he put Waller’s golden shoes over the power line and walk out still the NXT Title to close out this week’s NXT.
Spring Breakin Card (April 25th)
NXT Title Match
Carmelo Hayes (c) vs. Grayson Waller
Andre Chase vs. Bron Breakker
Women’s Title Triple Threat Match
Indi Hartwell (c) vs. Roxanne Perez vs. Tiffany Stratton
Lyra Valkyria vs. Cora Jade
Mixed Tag Team Match
Josh Briggs & Fallon Henley vs. Brooks Jansen & Kiana James
Tag Team Trunk Match
Pretty Deadly (Kit Wilson & Elton Prince) vs. Tony D’Angelo & Stacks
