WWE NXT Review – January 23, 2024
Kicking off this week’s NXT with a recap of last week’s NXT.
Semi Final Match Of The 2024 Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic
Bron Breakker & Baron Corbin vs. Nathan Frazer & Axiom
Axiom & Nathan Frazer waste no time going after Baron Corbin & Bron Breakker then Axiom hits an arm drag hurricanrana combination to Breakker.
He & Frazer deliver double tope suicidas to Breakker & Corbin on the outside then Frazer dropkicks Breakker into the barricade and Axiom gets Corbin in the ring.
The bell sounds and Axiom hits a missile dropkick to Corbin off the top rope then Frazer tags in and begins targeting Corbin’s arm then tags Axiom back in.
Axiom hits a double ax handle as Frazer holds him in place then tags Frazer back in.
Frazer fires off right hands on Corbin’s midsection but Corbin catches with a boot and fires off stomps.
Breakker tags in and Frazer connects with a single leg dropkick then on the outside Corbin powerbombs Axiom on top of the announce table.
Frazer then ascends to the top rope and looks for a splash but Breakker counters into a powerslam as we go to a break.
After the break Corbin tags in and delivers a back suplex to Axiom then Breakker tags in and Axiom hits a Sliced Bread then tags in Frazer.
Breakker charges at Frazer but Frazer ducks out of the way and Breakker is sent colliding with the ring post shoulder first then hits goes flying off the top to takedown Breakker & Corbin on the outside.
Axiom tags in and Frazer lands a Frog Splash as Axiom follows suit and locks in a Triangle on Breakker as Frazer locks in a Sleeper on Corbin.
Breakker makes it up to his feet and powerbombs Axiom on top of Frazer & Corbin to break both holds.
Corbin tags in and hits Deep Six to Frazer as Axiom looks to fly but Corbin hits him with a Death Valley Driver and a Brainbuster then goes for a pin but Axiom kicks out.
Breakker tags in and Corbin tosses Axiom over to him as Breakker hits a powerslam and sits Axiom on the top rope but Axiom tags in Frazer and delivers a Spanish Fly to Breakker.
Frazer follows it up with a 450 Splash and goes for a pin but Corbin breaks the fall.
Corbin takes Axiom out with End Of Days and looks to go after Frazer but Frazer then takes him down. Frazer then turns around into a spear from Breakker for the win.
Winners: Bron Breakker & Baron Corbin (12:04)
Rate: 7
We then head backstage and see Josh Briggs request an NXT Title match with NXT Champion Ilja Dragunov as a means of proving himself. Briggs says Dragunov is smart in making Williams pull double duty at Vengeance Day in both a NXT Title match and the Finals of the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic to keep his title around his waist. Williams walks in and tells Briggs he’ll have to prove himself at another time so Dragunov can stay fresh for their Vengeance Day match. Briggs tells Williams that he’ll just be in Carmelo Hayes’ back pocket again after Vengeance Day which leads to Williams challenging him to a match later tonight. Briggs accepts.
Wren Sinclair was talking herself ahead of her match against Lash Legend before Fallon Henley met her. Henley gave her some motivation and told her she would do great tonight.
After the break we see William Regal & Ava emerge from Shawn Michaels office. Regal congratulates Ava on being the youngest General Manager of NXT and gives her some advice about her new role.
Lash Legend vs. Wren Sinclair
Match starts off with a lock up before Lash Legend prevents Wren Sinclair from landing an arm drag then fires off right hands on her and locks in a Torture Rack.
Sinclair escapes and looks to roll Legend up but Legend prevents her from doing so.
Sinclair then sends Legend crashing into the ring post shoulder first then connects with an enzuigiri and looks to roll up Legend.
Jakara Jackson helps Legend block Sinclair but Sinclair manages to roll her up then sends Legend crashing into Jackson before Legend hits a powerbomb to her for the win.
Winner: Lash Legend
After the match Meta 4 corner Sinclair but Fallon Henley runs down to provide Sinclair with a hand. Henley & Sinclair then clothesline Legend out of the ring.
There was a vignette of OTM trashing The Family’s restaurant including laying out Adrianna Rizzo. They told one of the custodians to send a message to NXT Tag Team Champions Tony D’Angelo & Stacks.
Elektra Lopez trashed backstage where she said that she was looking for Lola Vice.
Dijak vs. Joe Gacy
After the break Dijak makes his way down to the ring but Joe Gacy blindsides him on the ramp and they brawl around the ringside area.
Dijak sends Gacy crashing into the ring steps spine first then dumps him over the barricade as officials run down to try and separate them.
Gacy flies off the barricade then grabs a chair and cracks it across Dijak’s spine.
Dijak then sends Gacy crashing through part of the NXT set but Gacy crawls back out smiling.
He sends Dijak crashing into the ring post spine first before Dijak chokeslams him through the announce table.
Security runs down and holds Dijak back momentarily but Gacy fights them off and locks in a Sleeper on Dijak. Officials then manage to pull them apart.
Winner: No One (Match Never Got Started)
Elektra Lopez asked Arianna Grace where was she? to which Grace responded by saying that she was there. Lopez was referencing Lola Vice before leaving.
After the break we see Mr. Stone’s children help train Von Wagner at a football field to prepare for his upcoming Heritage Cup match against Noam Dar.
Trey Bearhill vs. Lexis King
Lexis King delivers a chop before Trey Bearhill sends him crashing into the mat then hits a chop and pulls him into the ring from the apron.
He lands a splash in the corner and a bodyslam, then looks to land an elbow drop.
King moves out of the way and fires off kicks on Bearhill’s chest but Bearhill hits another chop to him and rakes his back with his fingers.
King connects with a clothesline to the back of Bearhill’s neck follow by The Coronation for the win.
Winner: Lexis King
After the break we see Carmelo Hayes & Trick Williams talking. Hayes asks Williams why he’s fighting Ilja Dragunov’s battles for him and points out that he feels as though Dragunov is playing games with him to ensure that Williams doesn’t win the NXT Title and they don’t win the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic. Williams assures him that he’ll be alright.
Meta 4’s Heritage Cup Champion Noam Dar & Oro Mensah welcome fans to Supernova Sessions and Dar explains that Lash Legend & Jakara Jackson are not with them as they are dealing with Wren Sinclair & Fallon Henley. Dar then puts Von Wagner on notice ahead of their Heritage Cup match and introduces Lola Vice.
Vice makes her way down to the ring and hugs both Dar & Mensah. Dar asks Vice if she was planning on eliminating Elektra Lopez from the Women’s Title #1 Contenders Battle Royal last week and Vice says there’s been an expiration date on their friendship since the beginning. She calls Lopez a leech and says she tried to use her to make herself relevant. She says she got sick and tired of carrying Lopez around and Dar asks her if she has any regrets about the elimination. Vice says she has none and adds that she has no regrets about the locker room’s jealousy or winning a contract for an Women’s Title match in the Women’s Breakout Tournament.
Lopez’s music hits and she appears. She says she’s heard enough and says she’s questioning who Vice is. She says Vice pretends to be sweet and innocent half the time then says she’s sacrificed much more than Vice has. She says that’s what grabbed the attention of Legado Del Fantasma and says Vice is unsure of who she is. She calls her a phony then challenges her to a 1 on 1 match next week. Vice asks if Lopez knows what she’s getting into and Lopez says she doesn’t want to wait until next week.
Lopez tackles Vice over the couch on the set and officials quickly run down to separate them from one another.
The Family calls out OTM in their car saying that things would get interesting for them now.
After the break we see people taking items out of the Chase U classroom including Duke Hudson’s MVP Trophy and Andre Chase’s podium. Chase says they’ll officially say their goodbyes next week.
Dragon Lee vs. Scrypts
Match starts off with a lock up then Dragon Lee hits a shoulder tackle to Scrypts and follows it up with a dropkick that sends him crashing out of the ring.
Lee then goes flying over the top to level Scrypts and dumps him back in the ring before delivering a kick to Scrypts over the top from the apron.
They wind up on the outside once again and Lee tosses Scrypts back into the ring.
Scrypts delivers a kick to Lee to knock him off the top rope then goes flying to take him down and gets him back in the ring.
He ascends to the top and delivers a Frog Splash crossbody hybrid but Lee hits him with a pair of back elbows and an enzuigiri.
He follows it up with a tornado DDT then rocks him with a knee to his jaw and a Spanish Fly. The Family’s music hits and they make their way down to the ring.
They begin brawling with OTM on the outside and Adriana Rizzo goes flying through the bottom rope to take down Jaida Parker. Back in the ring Lee hits Operation Dragon for the win.
Winner: Dragon Lee
After the match North American Champion Oba Femi informs Lee that he’s decided to accept his match for the North American Title at Vengeance Day.
Backstage Edris Enofe & Malik Blade were reflecting on their loss against Trick Williams & Carmelo Hayes but Brinley Reece appeared to give them a pep talk. Reece then chops Enofe in the chest.
Tatum Paxley spoke with Women’s Champion Lyra Valkyria but Valkyria told her that this was not going to work because she needed to focus on Roxanne Perez.
Blair Davenport vs. Karmen Petrovic
Karmen Petrovic delivers a pair of kicks to Blair Davenport’s thigh before Davenport responds with a knee to Petrovic’s midsection and a double stomp to her spine off the middle rope then whips her into the corner and lands a backbreaker.
Petrovic fires off more kicks on Davenport’s thigh then levels her and hits a kick to the side of her neck.
She looks to land another kick but Davenport avoids it and dropkicks her into the corner.
She follows it up with a Falcon Arrow and rocks her with Kamigoye for the win.
Winner: Blair Davenport
Backstage Kelly Kincaid interviewed Ridge Holland where Holland calls out Gallus to a match.
Trick Williams vs. Josh Briggs
Match starts off with lock up before Josh Briggs hits a bodyslam and an elbow drop to Trick Williams then delivers a pair of elbows.
Williams hits a pair of right hands and a dropkick then follows it up with a pair of bodyslams before Briggs connects with a boot and a chokeslam as we go to a break.
After the break Briggs sends Williams crashing into the mat and delivers a dropkick to his spine. Williams responds with several right and left hands then hits a pair of kicks and a flapjack.
Briggs sends Williams crashing into the mat then hits a standing splash before the action spills outside the ring and Briggs accidentally lands a boot on Ilja Dragunov.
Williams ascends to the top rope and Dragunov looks to interfere but Carmelo Hayes appears at ringside to prevent him from doing so allowing Williams to roll up Briggs for the win.
Winner: Trick Williams
After the match Briggs turns Williams inside out with a clothesline and heads to the back. Dragunov is held back by officials as Williams shoves Hayes out of frustration.
Jacy Jayne & Thea Hail were speaking backstage before Lexis King tried to offer a shoulder to cry on. Riley Osborne joined in and told King to leave.
There was a video package highlighting No Quarter Catch Crew.
After the break we see Williams & Hayes arguing with one another backstage about Dragunov’s intentions. Hayes asks Williams when he’ll see that Dragunov is playing mind games with him and storms off.
Roxanne Perez says both she & Women’s Champion Lyra Valkyria respect each other, and says she thinks this is a Stand & Deliver match 9 weeks early. Valkyria says she feels as though they’ve been on similar trajectories over the past year, and says the day Perez won the Women’s Title was the same day she debuted. Perez says Valkyria has had an incredible 1st year and is the champion in the best women’s division in all of WWE and says while everyone has seen Valkyria, she’s had to jump through every hurdle to chase a title she never lost. She says she finally gets her 1 on 1 title rematch, and when she wins everything she went through will be worth it. She says Valkyria will have to travel the road Perez did once she lost it.
Valkyria says she’s seen the journey Perez has been on, and while she had a great title run she’s replaced her at the top of the women’s division. She says she knows Perez is bringing the more edgy version of herself and she needs her to do that. Valkyria tells Perez the last year will mean nothing once she retains her Women’s Title. Perez says she was as confident as Valkyria when she held the Women’s Title and the real questions will begin when she loses. She says some days fans will be with her while other days fans boo her. She questions if Valkyria can handle that and asks if she’ll be able to rebuild herself. Valkyria gets defensive and says she’s always been mentally and physically tougher than Perez as they get in one another’s face.
Ava breaks things up and says it’s time to sign the contract. Valkyria does so first and Perez follows suit. They then stare one another down and shake hands. Valkyria holds her title high and leaves ringside as Tatum Paxley sneaks up on Perez from under the ring and sends her crashing through the announce table. Valkyria slides back in the ring and Paxley hugs her but Valkyria pushes her off and asks what the hell she’s doing. Paxley apologizes profusely and explains she was doing what she thought Valkyria wanted to close out this week’s NXT.
Next Week’s NXT
Semi Final Match Of The 2024 Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic
Latino World Order (Cruz Del Toro & Joaquin Wilde) vs. Carmelo Hayes & Trick Williams
Heritage Cup Title Match
Noam Dar (c) vs. Von Wagner
Elektra Lopez vs. Lola Vice
Vengeance Day Card So Far (Feb 4th)
Women’s Title Match
Lyra Valkyria (c) vs. Roxanne Perez
Finals Of The 2024 Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic
Bron Breakker & Baron Corbin vs. Latino World Order (Cruz Del Toro & Joaquin Wilde) or Carmelo Hayes & Trick Williams
NXT Title Match
Ilja Dragunov (c) vs. Trick Williams
North American Title Match
Oba Femi (c) vs. Dragon Lee
6 Person Tag Team Match
The Family (NXT Tag Team Champions Tony D’Angelo & Stacks & Adriana Rizzo) vs. OTM (Lucien Price, Bronco Nima & Jaida Parker)
