WWE NXT Review – April 16, 2024
Noam Dar vs. Dijak
Match starts off with a lock up then Noam Dar looks to land a shoulder tackle on Dijak but Dijak stays on his feet.
Dar fires off a series of kicks on Dijak but Dijak pushes him off him.
Dar then hits a low crossbody to Dijak and wears his arm down with a submission hold.
Dar rolls out of the ring to regroup with Meta 4 and Dijak looks to follow.
Dar slides back inside the ring and Dijak hits him with a clothesline from the apron off the top rope.
Dar locks in a submission hold but Dijak escapes and dumps Dar out of the ring as we go to a break.
After the break Dar fires off forearms on Dijak in the center of the ring.
Dijak returns the favor then connects with a kick on his head and follows it up with a pair of back elbows.
He hits several chops in the corner and tosses Dar across the ring then hits a sit out chokeslam. Dar fires off elbows on the back of Dijak’s neck then hits a kick to his leg.
Dar hits a clothesline to Dijak off the middle rope as he’s draped through the middle rope then lands a suplex.
He locks in an armbar but Dijak counters into a pinfall to escape.
Dijak hits a superkick to Dar’s head and charges at him in the corner but Dar moves out of the way and Dijak is sent crashing to the outside.
Dar flies off the apron and hits a dropkick to Dijak as he’s leaning against the ring steps then gets him back in the ring and hits a back elbow.
Dijak lands a big boot on Dar but Oro Mensah hops up on the apron.
Dijak hits him with a superkick opening the door for Dar to connect with Nova Roller for the win.
Winner: Noam Dar
We then head backstage and see NXT Champion Ilja Dragunov meet with Ava in her office. She says it’s not fair that Trick Williams has to compete ahead of their NXT Title next week at Spring Breakin’ while he doesn’t. Dragunov then tells her to put out an open challenge to anyone willing to face him.
After the break Tatum Paxley had a vignette where she said that she had been keeping an eye on the history of the Women’s Title but said that she had a real affection for Lyra Valkyria and tried to do anything for her to keep the title however Paxley said that Valkyria means nothing to get now that she does not have the hold and claimed that Roxanne Perez is now in her way.
Sol Ruca vs. Lola Vice
Match starts off with a lock up then they go back & forth before Sol Ruca hits a facebuster and a superkick.
Lola Vice fires off rapid fire kicks on Ruca then follows it up with a hip attack and goes for a pin. Ruca kicks out and Vice locks in a Sleeper.
Ruca makes it to her feet and hits a sidewalk slam then hits a pair of shoulder tackles and a springboard clothesline then lands a powerslam and a standing moonsault.
Ruca hits a boot to Vice then ascends to the top rope but Blair Davenport trips her allowing Vice to hit a superkick for the win.
Winner: Lola Vice
After the match Natalya appears on the Titan Tron and challenges her to a match in 2 weeks at Spring Breakin’ in an NXT Underground match.
Ariana Grace met Gigi Dolin in the park where she told Dolin that they would go dress shopping where Dolin could become a proper pageon queen.
Ridge Holland vs. Joaquin Wilde
Joaquin Wilde wastes no time as he fires off strikes on Ridge Holland but Holland runs him over with a back elbow and an uppercut.
Wilde hits a corkscrew on Holland then dropkicks him out of the ring.
He ends up out there with him and Holland looks to land a strike on him.
Wilde moves out of the way and Holland’s hand is sent crashing into the ring post.
Holland & Wilde get back in the ring but Holland tosses Wilde back to the outside and hits a boot to the side of his head.
Holland follows it up with a belly 2 belly suplex as Shawn Spears saunters out to ringside.
Wilde responds with a kick off the ropes then follows it up with a neckbreaker.
Holland ends up on the outside, and Wilde looks to fly.
Holland counters into a powerslam and a DDT for the win.
Winner: Ridge Holland
After the match Holland storms to the back shoulder checking Spears on his way.
Josh Briggs was checked by the medics backstage where they told him that he was cleared to compete. Ivar met with Briggs and told him to take a couple of weeks and heel up but Briggs responded by telling him to go back to Raw. Ivar challenged Briggs after the disrespect which Briggs accepted.
There was a TikTok of Brinley Reece, Malik Blade & Edris Enofe in the gym ahead of Enofe & Blade’s match against Authors of Pain.
Thea Hail & Andre Chase spoke backstage where Chase admitted he threw the towel for Hail because he was worried about Hail getting injured but lost all of Chase University’s money because he truly believed Hail would outlast Tiffany Stratton. Hail apologized to Chase before they embraced.
Tony D’Angelo says after him & Stacks lost the NXT Tag Team Titles he said there would be some rapid growth in The Family. He says it hasn’t been easy but he looks back at where he and Stacks were a year ago in comparison to where he, Stacks, Adriana Rizzo & Luca Crusifino are now. He says he went toe 2 toe with one of the toughest men in history against Ilja Dragunov for the NXT Title at Stand & Deliver but he ultimately came up short.
No Quarter Catch Crew music hits and they make their way down to the ring.
Charlie Dempsey tells D’Angelo that he doesn’t appreciate their dealings being made public last week. D’Angelo says NQCC couldn’t take care of their issue (referring to Drew Gulak) and Dempsey looks to get into specifics. D’Angelo tells him to not get into the specifics in front of people and Stacks reiterates that when Dempsey looks to get into it. D’Angelo says someone in NQCC needs to pay up and Dempsey says no one said anything about payment. He tells D’Angelo there was trash that needed to be taken care of.
Luca Crusifino says NQCC can either pay their debt or handle things the hard way and D’Angelo says he does things strictly for business. He takes notice of NQCC’s Heritage Cup and asks Dempsey if he’s willing to pay up by giving him it. Dempsey says there’s no way that’s happening and The Family begins to brawl with NQCC before they send them crashing out of the ring.
After the break NXT Champion Ilja Dragunov makes his way down to the ring. Several Superstars race and begin to fight over facing Dragunov but Je Von Evans approaches from the opposite side of the ring and gets inside first.
Non Title Match
NXT Champion Ilja Dragunov vs. Je Von Evans
Ilja Dragunov & Je Von Evans begin firing off forearms on one another.
Dragunov hits a pair of suplexes and an enzuigiri then connects with another German suplex and stomps on him in the corner.
Dragunov lands a series of headbutts on Evans but Evans responds with kicks to Dragunov’s chest.
Dragunov then catches him with a powerbomb and turns him inside out with an H Bomb before he looks to hit Constantine Special.
Evans counters into a Spanish Fly and ascends to the middle rope but Dragunov knocks him onto the apron.
Evans looks to fly off the top rope but Dragunov catches him with a right hand mid air and follows it up with a knee.
Evans sends Dragunov to the outside after planting him with a move then hits a tope suicida and gets him back in the ring.
He ascends to the top rope and looks to hit a Frog Splash but Dragunov gets his knees up and connects with a Death Valley Driver into the corner.
He follows it up with the Torpedo Moskau for the win.
Winner: NXT Champion Ilja Dragunov
Karmen Petrovic was interviewed by Kelly Kincaid & she said that she would train Natalya ahead of her NXT Underground match next week. Lola Vice interrupted and said she would surprise Natalya & Petrovic with who would be in her corner.
After the break we head backstage to Ava’s office and see Sol Ruca demand a No Disqualification match against Blair Davenport next week & Ava makes it official.
Thea Hail vs. Tatum Paxley
Thea Hail & Tatum Paxley waste no time as they go back & forth before Hail hits a splash to Paxley’s arm.
Paxley responds with a backbreaker and a knee to Hail’s spine then hits a crossbody to her spine in the corner.
Paxley intercepts Hail with a knee and locks in a submission but Hail escapes and delivers a codebreaker to Paxley’s arm.
Hail then connects with a pair of back elbows and a kick to her knee then hits a swinging neckbreaker. Jazmyn Nyx runs down to the ring and distracts the referee.
Hail looks to hit World’s Smallest Slam and looks to fly but Jacy Jayne appears and trips her. Paxley takes advantage and rolls up Hail for the win.
Winner: Tatum Paxley
After the match Hail goes after Jayne and begins brawling with her. Officials and Chase U try separating them as Lyra Valkyria blindsides Paxley in the ring and begins brawling with her.
We then head backstage and see Women’s Champion Roxanne Perez chat with Kelly Kincaid about Lyra Valkyria & Tatum Paxley. Perez says she’ll be entertained while the 2 fight it out and says she may give the winner a shot at her Women’s Title. Ava then walks in and informs her that she will be defending her title against Valkyria & Paxley in a Triple Threat match at Spring Breakin’.
Tag Team Match
Authors Of Pain (Akam & Rezar) vs. Edris Enofe & Malik Blade
Akam & Edris Enofe lock up to get this match started before Malik Blade tags in and Enofe dropkicks Akam. Blade wears down Akam then tags Enofe back in.
Rezar tags in and hits a Death Valley Driver to Enofe in the corner.
Akam tags back in and hits a knee to Enofe’s midsection.
He continues wearing down Enofe then tags in Rezar.
Rezar hits a knee to Enofe’s face and goes for a pin but Enofe kicks out.
Rezar charges at Enofe in the corner but Enofe moves out of the way and tags in Blade.
Blade hits a dropkick that sends Rezar crashing out of the ring then sends Akam out to join him. He looks to fly but AOP catches him.
Enofe then looks to fly but AOP sends Blade crashing into Enofe then hits Super Collider for the win.
Winners: Authors Of Pain
After the match new NXT Tag Team Champions Nathan Frazer & Axiom appear at ringside with their NXT Tag Team Titles in hand.
Arianna Grace went to a dress shop with Gigi Dolin where Grace showed Dolin a dark green dress for Dolin to try. Dolin made some adjustments to the dress and wore the dress out of the store. Grace asked the cashiers if they took credit cards before pulling out a bunch of credit cards.
Ivar vs. Josh Briggs
Ivar hits a boot to the side of Josh Briggs’ face then connects with a clothesline on Briggs then fires off back elbows on him in the corner.
Briggs hits a boot to Ivar then follows it up with a splash.
Ivar hits a senton out of the corner then fires off a few right hands on Briggs’ spine.
Ivar gets Briggs up on one shoulder but Briggs escapes.
Ivar then hits a powerslam and a sit out powerbomb then goes for a pin.
Briggs kicks out and Ivar ascends to the top rope.
He looks to fly but Briggs moves out of the way and hits a sidewalk slam then goes for a pin but Ivar kicks out.
Briggs hits a shoulder tackle to Ivar that sends him crashing out of the ring then follows him out there and hits a flying shoulder tackle off the apron.
Ivar sends Briggs crashing into the ring steps then hits a spinning back heel kick and tosses him inside the ring. He ascends to the top rope and connects with Doom Sault for the win.
Winner: Ivar
North American Champion Oba Femi was interviewed backstage by Kelly Kincaid saying that Ivar challenging him to a match was an interesting proposition. Femi then slams Oro Mensah to the wall as he walks to ringside.
There was a video package recapping the feud between Trick Williams & Carmelo Hayes ahead of their Steel Cage Match.
Backstage Carmelo Hayes was interviewed by Kelly Kincaid where he said that he would take everything away from Trick Williams’s ungrateful ass and promised to make sure Williams would not make it to Night 1 of Spring Breakin in 1 piece.
Steel Cage Match
Trick Williams vs. Carmelo Hayes
Carmelo Hayes shoves Trick Williams before Williams hits a pair of bodyslams to Hayes then looks to land another one.
Hayes escapes and hits a boot to Williams’ midsection but Williams catches him with a dropkick and another bodyslam then goes for a pin but Hayes kicks out.
Hayes then sends Williams’ face bouncing off the side of the cage then gets passed a night stick by one of his security guards.
He cracks it across Williams’ midsection and spine as we go to a break.
After the break Hayes stomps on Williams in the corner and sends his face bouncing off the side of the cage.
He follows it up with a Codebreaker and goes for a pin but Williams kicks out.
Hayes sends Williams crashing into the side of the cage on opposite sides as his security guards watch on from the ramp and charges at Williams.
Williams moves out of the way and Hayes is sent crashing into the side of the cage.
Williams then hits a Uranage to Hayes off the top rope before they go back & forth with strikes.
Williams hits a pair of back heel kicks and a flapjack then follows it up with a suplex and sends Hayes into opposite sides of the cage. Williams lands a neckbreaker.
Hayes ascends to the top rope and looks to fly but Williams intercepts him and delivers a chokeslam then goes for a pin but Hayes kicks out.
Hayes then lands a DDT and a Codebreaker but Williams responds with a flying shoulder tackle.
Hayes connects with a jumping knee before he & Williams send each other’s faces bouncing off the side of the cage while standing on the middle rope.
They then exchange chops and go flying sending Williams’ face bouncing off the mat in the process.
Hayes levels Williams with a kick as his security begins climbing the cage.
Williams meets them up there and sends them crashing to the outside as one of them enters the ring through the door with a chair in hand.
Williams sends the guard crashing into opposite sides and out of the cage.
He closes the door and when he turns around Hayes looks to hit him with the chair.
Williams sees such and hits Trick Shot to Hayes using the chair for the win.
Winner: Trick Williams
After the match Ilja Dragunov appears at ringside with his NXT Title in hand and stares down Williams to close out this week’s NXT.
Spring Breakin Card
Night 1 (April 23rd)
Beach Brawl Match
Sol Ruca vs. Blair Davenport
Women’s Title Triple Threat Match
Roxanne Perez (c) vs. Lyra Valkyria vs. Tatum Paxley
6 Man Tag Team Match
Heritage Cup Champions No Catch Quarter Crew (Charlie Dempsey, Damon Kemp & Myles Borne) vs. The Family (Tony D’Angelo, Luca Crusifino & Stacks)
NXT Title Match
Ilja Dragunov (c) vs. Trick Williams (If Williams loses he must leave NXT)
Night 2 (April 30th)
NXT Underground Match
Natalya vs. Lola Vice
