The Road to WrestleMania Weekend takes a turn!

While Tony D’Angelo is headed for the NXT Championship, Trick Williams is back for vengeance on Carmelo Hayes! Will Trick whoop HIM?

OFFICIAL RESULTS

• NXT Tag Team Championships #1 Contender Qualifier: LWO VS OTM; The LWO wins and advances to the #1 contenders match.
• Lexis King VS Robert Stone; King wins.
• NXT North American Championships: Oba Femi VS Brooks Jensen; Oba wins and retains the title.
• High Stakes: Gigi Dolin VS Arianna Grace; Grace wins and gets to give Gigi a makeover.
• Kiana James & Izzi Dame VS Thea Hail & Kelani Jordan Fallon Henley; Kiana & Izzi win.
• Ridge Holland VS Shawn Spears; Spears wins.

PLAY BY PLAY

NXT Tag Team Championships #1 Contender Qualifier: LWO VS OTM!

Bron Breakker & Baron Corbin are still NXT Tag Team Champions, and they’re ready to face more competition at Stand & Deliver. A Triple Threat will be held in the near future, and the first spot is up for grabs! Will Cruz Del Toro & Joaquin Wilde represent for Latino World Order? Or will they not make it Out The Mud?

WHOA, Nima & Price attack during the LWO’s entrance! The fans boo but Scrypts applauds as his guys TOSS Wilde up and into the ring! Nima storms in, the ref has him stay back, and then the bell rings. Nima CLOBBERS Wilde, then talks trash. Nima stomps Wilde around, tags Price, and then they meet at the corner to DOUBLE FOREARM! Wilde sputters, Price brings him around, and Price whips to LARIAT! Price grins as he looms over Wilde, then hauls him up. Wilde throws body shots but Price LCUBS him down! Wilde gest around but Price elbows, and X-PLEXES! Cover, TWO! Price is amused as Wilde is still in this.

Price hauls Wilde up, tags Nima, and they put Wilde in the corner. Nima whips Price in to SPLASH, then Price feeds Wilde to the STOMP! Nima talks trash, dribbles Wilde off the mat, and brings him up again. Wilde JAWBREAKERS free, then hot tags Cruz! Nima runs in, Wilde dodges and Cruz GAMANGIRIS! Fans fire up as Cruz springboards and FLYING RANAS Nima down! Nima flops outta the ring, Price runs in but is sent out, too! The LWO build speed and they DOUBLE DIVE! Down goes OTM and the fans fire up! The LWO CLUBS Nima into the ring, then Cruz tags Wilde. Wilde & Cruz dodge to mule kick, front kick, DOUBLE KICK and “L! W! O!” BUZZSAW ENZIGIRI COMBO! Cover, TWO!

Nima swings, Wilde dodges and he fires off hands! Nima grabs Wilde, TOSSES him to a corner, then runs in. Wilde slips out to the apron, HOTSHOTS Nima, then hurries up. Nima has the ref check him, Price sucker punches Wilde! Nima then goes up to bring Wilde to the top rope! DEADLIFT SUPERLEX!! The fans fire up while Nima covers, TWO! Wilde survives and the Wolf Dogs are now watching from the perch as NXT goes to break.

NXT returns and Nima has Wilde in a modified cravat. Wilde fights up but Nima CLUBS him down! Nima clamps the cravat back on, but Wilde fights up as the fans rally. Wilde pries the hold open but Nima knees low! Nima whips Wilde to the corner, tags in Price, and Price sends Nima in. Wilde dodges the splash, then dodges Price to tilt-o-whirl around Nima! Wilde dodges them both to hot tag Cruz! Cruz dodges Price to DROPKICK Nima! Cruz ROCKS and ROCKS and ROCKS Price again! Cruz runs to LARIAT, but Price stays up! Cruz runs to LARIAT again, then runs again! Cruz ducks an elbow but Price scoops him!

Cruz slips free and sends Price to a corner! The fans rally with Cruz and he runs in, but Price puts him up top! Cruz is on the ropes, he springboards to MISSILE DROPKICK! Cover, TWO! Price grits his teeth and shakes his head. Cruz brings Price up but Price RAMS Cruz into the OTM corner! Tag to Nima, he brings Cruz around and talks trash. But Cruz fires off haymakers! Cruz whips, Nima blocks! Nima whips, Cruz slips out to the apron and Nima hits buckles! Cruz KICKS and KICKS and ROCKS Nima, then runs to duck ‘n ‘dodge. Nima scoops to tilt-o-whirl SLAM Cruz! Cover, Wilde breaks it! But Price DECKS Wilde!

Cruz springboards to FLYING CHUCK Price! Nima runs up to scoop Cruz! Cruz slips free, SOBATS, and Wilde runs to use Nima as a step! SUPER CROSSBODY takes out Price AND Scrypts! Cruz dodges Nima, Nima elbows Cruz! Nima goes up but Cruz GAMANGIRIS! Cruz hurries to the outside, and he springboards, but Nima fireman’s carries! Cruz fires elbows, Nima sits down on the top rope, and the fans fire up as Cruz fires more elbows! Cruz then adjusts, to SUPER STEINER! Nima goes flying and the fans fire up! Tag to Wilde, Cruz gives him the boost to go up and up and SPRINGBOARD 450!! Cover, LWO WINS!!

Winners: LWO, by pinfall (advances to the Triple Threat)

Talk about a wild match! Joaquin was all over the place, and now he and Cruz are moving forward! Tuesday, April 2nd, who wins out to Stand & Deliver?

NXT Media catches Oba Femi as he arrives.

They ask the NXT North American Champion how confident he is going into his title defense tonight, and Oba chuckles. “Supremely confident. Once I put down Brooks Jensen, then I’m on to Stand & Deliver.” But then Jensen confronts Oba and says say that to his face! Jensen starts pushing, security rushes in, and Josh Briggs runs up to ask what the hell Jensen thinks he’s doing! Why is he trying to piss Oba off before the title match!? Oba tells Jensen to listen ton “big brother” Briggs. And he wants Briggs to watch what he does to Jensen tonight. Jensen is fuming, is he going to burn The Ruler down? Or is he going to crash and burn instead?

Andre Chase talks with Thea Hail backstage.

He knows it’s been awhile since they’ve talked. Like, really talked. Yeah, it has been weird since #TowelGate. But she does really need this. Chase admits it has been weird, and says one day she’ll understand. He just wants her to know that he is always there for her. Duke Hudson walks in and asks who Thea’s partner against Kiana James & Izzi Dame’s gonna be. Jacy Jayne’s been a bit of a- No, it’s not Jacy. She and Jazmyn are hanging out without her. Okay, okay, Thea knows what they’re thinking. Jazmyn and Jacy, they’re too busy for her, Thea has no partner. But Jazmyn is an influencer! Chase says that’s not a real thing.

Oh, no, they’re real. Duke says international social media players, that’ll do it for ya. Well, whatever, Thea and Jacy don’t need to be together at all times! Jacy has her life, Thea is a grown-ass woman! And plus, Thea has other friends! Right, y-yeah, they’ve seen her with um, that girl. THEA HAS OTHER FRIENDS! She calms down and says she knows someone who has her own issues with Kiana & Izzi, and look, here she is! It’s Kelani Jordan! And she’s been wanting some payback after what Kiana & Izzi did to her. They’ve got this! No Jacy, no problem! Will the Gym Princess help Thea humble the haters?

Roxanne Perez is here!

She’s already in the ring but the fans boo as she gets the mic. “Last week is exactly what happens when you get sick and tired of trying to play by all the rules. That sweet, innocent Roxanne Perez, that was just happy to be here, is no longer here! And it’s in your hands. Because let’s be honest, this isn’t just something that happened over night. No, this has been boiling up inside me for months and months and months. This is a culmination of an entire year! You guys remember Roadblock one year ago. After defeating a living legend in Meiko Satomura and giving everything I had, I collapsed inside this ring.

“And yeah, of course! Of course I collapsed after four months of me carrying this entire women’s division on the back of my shoulders!” The fans do cheer that as Roxie says the pressure, the anxiety and the exhaustion she had to deal with after having the best rookie year in WWE history! And how was she rewarded? Her title was taken from her! And no one cared! No one cared! “Don’t worry, Roxanne, your time will come again! You’re still young! It’ll swing back around!” 12 MONTHS of Roxie busting her ass in steel cages, Weapons Wild, Devil’s Playground, while everyone else was too busy drooling over Tiffy Time~, and Becky Lynch winning a title she could never win.

But okay, let’s talk about it! Roxie wants to talk her and Becky face-to-face in this ring, and yet the fans acted like Roxie didn’t exist! You wanna know something? Roxie went home crying that night because of how everyone made her feel. How pathetic, right? How sad! So SCREW all of you booing her and making her feel worthless! But now, she doesn’t care! She doesn’t care about anyone’s stupid opinions. SHE is the most decorated woman in NXT history! And at the age of only 22! Breakout Tournament, Iron Survivor, Women’s Tag Team Champion, Women’s Champion, she has won EVERYTHING in NXT!

Which brings her to Lyra Valkyria. After Vengeance Day, Roxie expected Lyra to come up to her and say, “Hey, I’m sorry, Roxanne. I’m so sorry that that Latina dancing idiot and my weird little friend I pretend to like screwed up our match. So let’s run it back! Let me give you the rematch that you deserve!” NO, Roxie’s name never came out of Lyra’s mouth. Instead, Lyra went after the tag titles. Yep. That is when Roxie realized that the only way she would get what she deserved was by breaking the rules and doing it her way. And now, everyone wants to cheer her? NOW everyone wants to support her?

Well where were all of them when Indi Hartwell was holding the championship? No one cared! The NXT Universe reminds her of little Roxie: naive, confused, and they don’t know what they want! But Roxie knows what she wants now, and she doesn’t need anyone’s support or approval. It’s funny, though, the way history repeats itself. One year later, Lyra is the one taking the ride in an ambulance. And that pain Lyra is feeling isn’t the pain from her arm. No, that’s the pain of her title being ripped away from her and awarded to someone else! So now thanks to The Prodigy, you have all witnessed the rise and fall of Lyra Valkyria!

So Ava, go ahead, come on out, vacate the title and award it to the woman who deserves it! The woman who never lost it in the first place, Roxanne Perez. Ava does make her way out here, and says Roxie has so much to say. Roxie has talked about her accomplishments, but she must’ve forgotten how she completely stepped out of line last week and put Lyra in an ambulance for no good reason! Yeah, yeah, poor Lyra. Let’s all wish her a speedy recovery while Ava names Roxie the NEW NXT Women’s Champion. Uh, Ava wasn’t done talking yet, please don’t interrupt. Ava says NXT didn’t immediately strip Roxie of her title, they waited until we saw the full extent of her injuries.

And while Ava wasn’t GM last year, she does think that- Tatum is jumping the barriers! Ava calls for refs but Roxie BLASTS Tatum away! The refs subdue Tatum but Roxie eggs her on! The fans want to “LET THEM FIGHT!” while Roxie taunts Tatum crying over Lyra. Will Lyra’s superfan make sure Roxie pays for what she’s done?

The D’Angelo Family sits for a meal.

They’re at Ristorante Antico and admit, this is good stuff. Adriana Rizzo says what a night Roadblock was. They welcomed a new member to the family, with both brains and a bonafide law degree. Stacks says Luca’s useful. A toast to the Consigliere. Salud. Lucda appreciates that. Tony asks if he got “that thing” done. Yes, Don, that and the other thing. This guy! He takes care of business! And now, The Don has his NXT Championship match at Stand & Deliver. Rizzo already talked with their connections to Philly, and everyone is real proud of Tony, and they’re ready to pay their respects to the future NXT Champion.

Tony says give them his regards, they’ll see everyone in a couple weeks. It feels good to call his shot and hit a homerun. But this move has been a long time coming. Now, his path is clear. Stacks, you hit the music for Trick, that was perfect. The roof blew off the place, Melo freaked out, and the rest was history. Stacks says all he did was press a button, but hey, their boy, Trick, what a guy. Yeah, he’s one cool dude. Luca asks how Tony pulled that off. Tony says he just called Trick up, said he had an idea, and Trick was in. He wanted any excuse to get his hands on Melo. Then bada bing, bada boom, Philly here we come.

But wait, in steps Ilja Dragunov. The rest of the family steps aside so that The Czar can sit with The Don. Ilja smiles and says congratulations! Tony did exactly what he said he would do, and now look at him! The captain of industry, multiple business ventures, how would he say it? He has his finger in many pies? And now he has the NXT Championship match at Stand & Deliver! Tony has everything! Except this title is everything Ilja has. He has no other focuses, no other deals. Just the title. And he came here to let Tony know that no matter what Tony does at Stan d& Deliver, the title stays with Ilja.

Is that so? Afraid it is for Tony. Well, Ilja, you should know that whatever happens here, The Don likes Dragunov. What does that mean? Stacks & Luca drag Dragunov away! The Don finishes his glass of wine, puts on his hat, and tells the manager everything is okay, thanks for the meal. Stacks & Luca get Dragunov in the trunk, and Tony says let’s take a ride. The Family heads out, will they really be able to handle the Mad Dragon like he’s just some stunad?

Lexis King VS Robert Stone!

The Drama King pushed Suit Man Stone a little too far, said one too many things out of line, and now Stone is stepping up! Will Stone shut King up and make his family proud? Or will nothing stop the King’s Coronation?

NXT returns and Stone makes his entrance. And the moment he’s in the ring, he fires off on King! The bell rings, the fans fire up as Stone throws hands, but King shoves him away. Stone gets around to ROCK King again and again and again! King TOSSES Stone out, runs up, but Stone dodges the dropkick to then PLANCHA! The fans fire up with Stone and he puts King back in the ring. Stone climbs up a corner, leaps but King avoids the crossbody! King then KNEES Stone into a corner! King drags Stone around to stomp him, then KNEES him low! And KNEES again! King whips, KNEES, then talks trash on Stone’s family!

King wants Stone to tell his sons how much of a coward he is! King CLUBS Stone, then whips for another KNEE! Stone sputters as he drops to his knees, but the fans boo King. King aims to KICK Stone in the back! King keeps telling Stone to tell his kids that he’s a failure. King then clamps on a COBRA TWIST! Stone endures, reaches out for ropes, and the fans rally up! King brings Stone back to body shot! King scoops and SLAMS! Stone writhes, King taunts him, but Stone throws body shots! Stone CHOPS and CHOPS, and CHOPS, CHOPS, CHOPS! King KNEES low again, then CHOPS Stone off his feet!

King is mad now and he whips Stone to a corner hard! Stone drops to his knees again, but King hoists him up top! King CHOPS Stone, climbs up after him, then taunts the fans. But Stone SHOVES King down! King flounders, Stone adjusts, and he CROSSBODIES! Cover, TWO! King goes to a corner, Stone runs up, but into a SUPERKICK! King says “Long Live the King!” BLINDSIDE KNEE! And then King crosses the arms, reels Stone in, CORONATION! Cover, King wins!

Winner: Lexis King, by pinfall

Stone fought hard but still fell short. But then King gets Stone up to cross the arms again! But VON WAGNER runs out here! King pushes Stone away, then dares Von to do something. Von carries Stone away, will Von have to knock King off his high horse himself?

Backstage interview with Oba Femi.

Kelly Kincaid says we are moments away from his title defense, and we all saw what happened earlier with Jensen. Oba says what happened earlier was just an ignorant boy trying to convince himself he is ready for an impossible challenge. But in reality, the only thing Jensen displayed is that he is nowhere ready to walk in Oba’s jungle. And now, he will be slaughtered. But then Dijak walks up and says that Oba may say he’s backed by destiny, but Dijak ain’t buying it. When he’s finished playing around, we’ll see if Oba has what it takes to be a real champion. Oba chuckles but so does Dijak. Will these two behemoths face off in Philadelphia?

Ridge Holland Facetimes with his wife and daughter.

They say hi and he asks if they’re okay. They’re just wishing him a goodnight. And good luck tonight, please be careful. Don’t worry about him, love ya. See you tomorrow! The call ends, and Ridge finishes his warm-ups. Will the Yorkshire Grit break down the Perfect Ten until there’s nothing left? Or will he face the painful truth of his anger?

NXT North American Championships: Oba Femi VS Brooks Jensen!

The Ruler dominated the Men’s Breakout Tournament, cashed in on Dragon Lee, took the title and then kept it in a rematch at Vengeance Day. Jensen’s been a champion before but only in the tag division. Will Jensen be able to win the big one all on his own? Or will Oba continue this reign of destiny?

NXT returns as Jensen makes his entrance. The introductions are made, the belt is raised, and we see who truly has what it takes to reign!

The bell rings and the two tie up. Oba powers Jensen back but Jensen slips away. The fans rally for “O~BA!” as he and Jensen circle. They tie up again, Oba again powers Jensen back to ropes, but Jensen turns things around. The ref counts the break, Jensen shoves as he lets off. Oba chuckles and the two tie up again. Oba powers Jensen back, Jensen turns things around but Oba turns it back. They go along the ropes, Jensen headlocks, but Oba powers up and puts Jensen on the apron! Jensen holds on, the ref counts, and the two let off slowly. Oba then SHOVES Jensen to the floor! Jensen hurries back in but Oba CLOBBERs him!

Oba headlocks for the takeover! Jensen flails, we see Briggs and a few others watching this backstage, and Briggs still feels bad about this. Jensen fights up, but Oba wrangles him back down. Jensen moves around, fights up again, and throws body shots. The fans rally, Jensen powers out to put Oba in a corner. Jensen runs in but Oba puts him on the apron! Jensen ROCKS Oba, goes up the corner, and leaps, into a BODY SHOT! Jensen sputters and Oba CLOBBERS him again! Oba CLUBS Jensen around, stomps him, and he is toying with Jensen even. Oba ROCKS Jensen, stands him against ropes, and ELBOWS him!

Jensen flounders against ropes and Oba eggs him on. Jensen hits a body shot but Oba CLUBS him! Oba whips Jensen, Jensen holds ropes to KICK! DOUBLE LARIATS take both men down! Both men sit up, and Oba is having fun as the two stare down. They both slowly rise as NXT goes picture in picture.

Jensen and Oba circle, feel things out, and Jensen tests the waters with jabs. Oba rushes up but Jensen slips away. Jensen still tests the waters, but Oba corners him. Jensen dodges to then haymaker! Jensen headlocks, Oba powers out, and Oba picks Jensen up, but Jensen turns that into a headscissors throw! Jensen runs, Oba picks him up again, but Jensen uses ropes to hit a takeover! Jensen grinds the headlock but Oba headscissors! Jensen kips free, runs up but into a BACKBREAKER! Jensen writhes while Oba catches his breath. Oba then runs to KNEE Jensen in the side! Jensen sputters as Oba KCKS him to the apron!

Oba drags Jensen back in, CLUBS Him, then BOOTS him! Oba stomps away at the ropes but lets off as the ref counts. The ref checks Jensen and Jensen is still in this, so Oba drags him up to HIP TOSS him over the ropes! Oba KICKS Jensen in the back, but Jensen snarls. Jensen CHOPS and fires forearms! Oba ROCKS Jensen with one shot, and Jensen falls into a corner! Oba drags him from the corner to drop an ELBOW! Oba then drops another ELBOW, then covers, TWO! Oba is annoyed, but he brings Jensen up to whip and scoop, for a BACKBREAKER! Cover, TWO! Jensen is toughing it out, and he throws body shots!

Oba CLUBS Jensen, then clamps on a BEARHUG! Jensen endures the squeeze from those shotput tossing arms, and he throws elbows! Oba shoves Jensen away, runs up but into a BOOT! NXT returns to single picture as Oba scoops Jensen! Jensen slips free, rolls Oba up, TWO! Jensen hurries to DROPKICK Oba up and outta the ring! The fans are torn as Jensen goes to the apron, and leaps for the FOLEY ELBOW! The fans fire up while both men rise! Jensen gets Oba up and in, dodges a lariat, but Oba avoids the dropkick! Oba clinches to IRISH CURSE BACKBREAKER! Oba then hauls Jensen up again, for another IRISH CURSE BACKBREAKER!

Oba drops Jensen, covers, TWO! Briggs is anxious, he can’t watch backstage anymore and leaves that room. Oba waits on Jensen to get up, and then runs in corner to corner! UPPERCUT! Oba pulls Jensen in the chinlock stretch! Jensen endures but Briggs shows up ringside! Briggs tells Jensen to get his ass up! The fans rally as Jensen feeds off that tough love, and he RAMS Oba into a corner! Jensen staggers but Oba CLUBS him again! Oba shoves and CLUBS Jensen! Oba taunts Briggs, shoves Jensen, but Jensen elbows back! Oba storms up but Jensen ROCKS him with a haymaker! Jensen fires off hands, then whips!

Oba blocks the whip but Jensen SUPERKICKS! Jensen whips, Oba reverses, but Jensen LARIATS! And DROPKICKS! And POWERSLAMS!! Cover, TWO!! Jensen fires up, runs, but into a BACK DROP! Oba grins at Briggs, and tells him to watch. Oba hauls Jensen up, scoops him, and carries him. SNAKE EYES and then SHOTPUT BOMB! Oba roars while Briggs glares, and Oba grins as he drags Jensen back up. The fans rally and duel as Jensen grabs at Oba, but Oba stands him up. SHOTPUT BOMB again! Oba brings Jensen up, whips him, and pops him up for the POWERBOMB! Oba says this is finger-licking good!

Oba drags Jensen up again, hauls him back up, POWERBOMB!! Cover, Oba wins!

Winner: Oba Femi, by pinfall (still NXT North American Champion)

Oba made Briggs watch as he treated Jensen as a ragdoll, and says that is what happens! Will Dijak not be the only big man hoping to step to The Ruler next?

The D’Angelos arrive at their favorite bridge.

They drag Dragunov out of the trunk, but Tony has his guys stand down. Rizzo hands the title belt over, and Dragunov seethes as he steps to Tony. Tony says this wasn’t done out of disrespect. But Dragunov can’t walk into Tony’s restaurant uninvited and unannounced, and expect that to go unpunished. So is Dragunov supposed to be intimidated right now? Tony says he has walked on this bridge with many a man, then walked away alone. This isn’t one of those times. Oh, really? Tony says this is about the NXT Championship. Dragunov is the dominant human weapon that strikes fears into the hearts of his opponents.

But look where he is now. Tony could end everything with the snap of his fingers. Dragunov has power, but not like this. Oh, okay, go ahead, snap those fingers, show what The Don’s got! He will. Have a nice walk back. The D’Angelos go back to the car but Dragunov tells Tony, “One thing you’ll find out about me: I always find a way.” Tony just smiles, and Dragunov is left behind. Will The Czar find that way to counter Tony’s authority with his raw power?

High Stakes: Gigi Dolin VS Arianna Grace!

The Toxic Avenger wants to punch the Pageant Queen right in her face, and she’s getting that opportunity! However, the deal was struck that if somehow, someway, Gigi loses, she must subject herself to a makeover! Will Gigi slap some sense into Miss Congeniality? Or will she have to learn to lose with Grace?

The bell rings and the two circle. They tie up, go around, and Gigi powers Grace to a corner. The ref counts, Gigi lets off, and then shows punch! Grace uses ropes as defense, wanting to protect her face. Gigi says Grace has her opportunity so she has to take it. The two reset, circle, and tie up again. Grace headlocks but Gigi powers up and out. Grace holds ropes, bails out, but Gigi pursues! They run around the ring, back into the ring, but Gigi avoids Grace’s elbow drop! Gigi fires forearms on Grace, whips her to ropes, then drop toeholds her onto ropes! Gigi runs to HIP ATTACK! Grace flounders, Gigi keeps moving and DROPKICKS her! Cover, TWO!

Grace goes to a corner, Gigi runs up, but Grace dodges! Gigi gets stuck in ropes, Grace throws her down! Grace stomps a mudhole into Gigi, then lets off as the ref counts. Grace storms back up and reels Gigi in to snap suplex! Grace drops an elbow, covers, TWO! Grace clamps onto Gigi with a chinlock and grinds her down! The fans rally, Gigi fights up, but Grace whips Gigi to a corner. Grace runs in, Gigi dodges to roll her up! TWO, and Gigi cradles! TWO, and Grace goes for a leg! Gigi blocks that, turns things, but Grace fights the backslide! Grace gets the ropes, Gigi lets her go, and then Grace knees low!

Grace wrenches to SAYANAGI! Cover, TWO! Grace clamps onto Gigi with a chinbar and armlock but the fans rally up. Gigi fights to her feet, but Grace knees low and suplexes. Gigi blocks, to suplex in return! Grace staggers up, Gigi ROCKS, KICKS and KNEES her down! The fans fire up as Gigi rallies on Grace! Wrench and ROUNDHOUSE, then the ripcord and STO! Cover, TWO! Grace survives and Gigi grows frustrated. Grace goes to a corner, Gigi runs up but into an elbow! Grace LARIATS, then she says she just wants to help Gigi! Gigi needs this! Grace grabs her tiara?! Grace puts it on Gigi’s head, but the ref thinks she wants to use it as a weapon!

Grace and the ref fight over the crown, Gigi storms up from behind and Grace LOW BLOWS her! Grace acts like nothing happened, and then says this is for Gigi! Grace winds up, but Gigi LOW BLOWS back! The ref saw that one, and so Grace wins!!

Winner: Arianna Grace, by disqualification (gets to give Gigi a makeover)

Gigi can’t believe it! She got suckered in by goofy Grace! What beauty pageant bologna is she going to be subjected to now?!

Karmen Petrovic talks with Sol Ruca backstage.

They both really liked how the Sol Surfer made her return and got her revenge on Blair Davenport. Sol says she was waiting ten MONTHS for that moment, and she’s not done yet. Well unfortunately, since Sol’s been gone, a lot of women have been following Blair’s lead. Really? Lola Vice says yeah, really! Blair does what she wants to who she wants, and only the strong survive. That is why it doesn’t sit well with weaklings like “little karate girl” here. Oh, wow, karate girl? Lola really wants to go there? Lola tells Karmen that she can’t handle Lola in the cage or in the ring. Then let’s get in the ring and Karmen can kick her face off!

Sol has them calm down, they should save this for the ring. Lola says she is a master, Karmen is no match. She’s just basura. Lola leaves and Brinley Reece cartwheels in! She compliments Sol’s ability to defuse the situation. That’s why Brin is so excited for next week’s match! Sol’s such a great sport, and so is Brin, that’s why she’s so excited! Edris Enofe & Malik Blade walk over and apologize for Brin. They usher her away, and Sol says Brin’s got a lot of energy. Well, not everyone’s like Blair and that’s a good thing. Will Sol get back into the groove after facing #BrinEnergy? Will Karmen show Lola what a legit fighter really looks like?

Kiana James & Izzi Dame VS Thea Hail & Kelani Jordan!

The Calculator and her insurance policy have been working to ensure their futures in NXT by ruing the future of others, and that’s why they’ve been trying to hold Kelani down. But then they got on Thea’s bad side by agreeing with Jacy Jayne about Chase U being for losers. Will Thea & Kelani prove you can only spell “future” with “U~?”

NXT returns, and wait! Kelani Jordan is down! Thea freaks out, did Kiana & Izzi make sure Thea would be stuck all alone? Izzi & Kiana play dumb, and Thea storms out as her music plays. But is this now a handicap match? Kiana says this is what Thea gets for picking a fight with them. The bell rings, Kiana has Izzi step in and the two storm up on Thea. The ref says no, this is still to be 1v1 with tags, but then wait! Fallon Henley rushes out here! She’s also got beef with Kiana, and she isn’t gonna let Thea fight this alone! Fallon & Thea DOUBLE DROPKICK Kiana & Izzi, and Kiana falls out of teh ring!

Fallon ROCKS Izzi, Thea ROCKS Izzi, repeat! The fans fire up as Fallon & Thea DOUBLE LARIAT Izzi down! Kiana returns, but she gets DOUBLE SHOULDER TACKLES! Thea clamps onto an arm, tags Fallon in, and they double wrench to double YANK the arms! Kiana clutches both elbows, Fallon wrenches but Kiana pulls hair! Kiana puts Fallon in a corner, the ref reprimands, but Kiana RAMS into her! Kiana handsprings back, runs up, but Fallon goes up and over! Fallon dodges Kiana, waistlocks and sits Kiana down! But Kiana avoids the kick! The two glare at each other, and Fallon blocks a kick! DRAGON SCREW!

Kiana flounders, tag to Izzi, and Fallon runs up. Izzi catches the crossbody, but Fallon slips out of the scoop! Fallon shoves Izzi, runs and springboards to arm-drag! The fans fire up as Fallon trips Izzi up, and CALF KICKS her down! Izzi flounders, Fallon runs, but Kiana is in the way! The former friends argue, but Izzi runs up! Fallon dodges, but then runs into a FLAPJACK HOTSHOT! Kiana tags in and stomps away on Fallon! Kiana ROCKS Fallon, runs and KNEES Fallon down! Cover, TWO! The fans rally for Fallon but Kiana hauls her up. Kiana bumps Fallon off buckles, handsprings away and RAMS into her!

Tag to Izzi, Kiana feeds Fallon to a KNEE! Kiana & Izzi mug Fallon, then Izzi SLAMS Fallon down! Cover, TWO! Izzi stomps Fallon around, puts her on ropes and CHOKES her! Izzi runs to KNEE Fallon down, then covers, TWO! Izzi sits Fallon up and clamps on a neck wrench! Fallon endures, the fans rally, but then Jacy and Jazmyn show up! Thea asks what they’re doing here now, but then she cheers Fallon on. Fallon fights up, throws body shots, but Izzi CLUBS her down! Izzi drags Fallon up, tags Kiana, but Fallon BOOTS Kiana and arm-drags Izzi! Kiana hurries to anchor a foot, but Fallon still hot tags Thea!

Thea rallies on Kiana as the fans rally for her! Thea dodges Izzi to then tilt-o-whirl RANA her! Thea kicks Kiana, runs and ROLLING NECKBREAKERS! The fans fire up with Thea and Jacy sarcastically applauds. Thea POWERSLAMS then SENTONS, and shakes the ropes! IMPLODER SENTON! Cover, Izzi breaks it! Fallon runs up, dodges Izzi, then clotheslines Izzi and herself outta the ring! Thea check son Fallon, but Kiana hits her with a SPINEBUSTER! High stack, TWO! Thea survives but Kiana reels her in! But Thea shifts out of the bomb to get the KIMURA!! Kiana freaks, flails, goes to ropes and DUMPS Thea out!

Kiana clutches her arm, Fallon CLOBBERS Izzi, but then Izzi BOOTS Fallon! Izzi runs up, Jacy moves Fallon out of the way!? Izzi’s BOOT hits Thea! Jacy shrugs like she couldn’t help them both, and then Kian gives Thea the BANKRUPTCY! Cover, Kiana & Izzi win!

Winners: Kiana James & Izzi Dame, by pinfall

Jacy acts like this is all Thea’s failure, but her showing up at all was a distraction! Thea gets a mic and says Jacy must really think Thea’s a loser right now. What is wrong with Jacy!? What did Thea ever do to Jacy?! What happened to their friendship!? Jacy found Thea in her most vulnerable position, and Thea thought Jacy was everything! The coolest girl in NXT! But more than thought, Thea thought Jacy was her friend! Thea finally thought she had someone that saw what Thea saw in herself, and what Thea wanted to become. Or, what Thea thought she should become? And Thea changed herself for Jacy!

And then through this entire friendship, Jacy has just become an even more rotten version of herself! Jacy is upset hearing that. Thea says she ignored that side of Jacy because she idolized her! She saw Jacy as a sister! But Thea was wrong, and she is DONE! This isn’t Thea, this is Jacy, and Thea doesn’t wanna be ANYTHING like Jacy! The fans fire up for that! Thea tells Jacy “sorry” that she’s a loser in her eyes! That she’s not cool enough for Jacy’s toxic self! But that’s fine! Because guess what? The OLD Thea is back, B*TCH! And she runs literal circles around Jacy! Will Thea get revenge on the corrosive Jacy & Jazmyn for making her ever doubt herself?

Riley Osborne watches backstage.

He is so happy to see Thea is back to herself! But then in steps the No Quarter Catch Crew. Drew Gulak remembers Thea. “Two steps forward, four steps back.” Riley says that’s a bit harsh, isn’t it? Charlie Dempsey says no, it’s not. Thea reached her ceiling of success when she was with him and Gulak. Oh, and they’d know that how? Well, they’re Heritage Cup Champions, so yeah. Then as Heritage Cup Champions, did they not hear William Regal say to respect where the Cup even comes from? Which just so happens to be Riley’s home country! Okay, Riley, look, you and your fancy moves have no business being near this cup.

Well neither does Dempsey! He’s born and bred in Atlanta! Okay, buttercup, just say the word and they’ll enact the Catch Clause! Ooh~, Catch Clause, huh? Axiom & Nathan Frazer walk in and say that it’s only been a few weeks, and already they’re sick and tired of that clause. As a former Heritage Cup Champion but also a rather flippy high flyer himself, Frazer is sure Riley can take on any of these four. Axiom agrees 100%. And if he needs any help, Axiom’s pretty close friends with the guy who originally held that cup. Yeah, whatever happened to that kid? But anyway, they can clear out two of NQCC, so that narrows down the odds.

Gulak says no, no. NQCC will be walking out of Stand & Deliver both the NXT Tag Team Champions and Heritage Cup Champion. Gulak has the crew head out, but will they really hold more gold after WrestleMania Weekend?

The Good Brothers speak.

Luke Gallows says, “The Good Brothers, NEW NXT Tag Team Champions,” sounds pretty good to him. How about you, Machine Gun? Karl Anderson says yes, he can hear Gallows say that all night long. But to get to those clowns, Bron & Corbin, these two will have to go through two teams. That starts with Hank ‘n’ Tank. Oh, the energetic big boys getting their big shot. Good for them. But bad news, guys, Gallows & Anderson were winning tag titles, “brothering” and dominating every continent on this world before Hank ‘n’ Tank even bought their first pay o’ boots!

And with stars in your eyes and butterflies in your bellies, hoping to luck your way to the big dance, Big LG & The Machine Gun are on a mission! That is lining ’em up, handing out Magic Killers to every single team there is, until there’s one left. Then that is handed out at Stand & Deliver when they win the gold. If that ain’t Too Sweet, they don’t know what is!

Hank ‘n’ Tank are watching.

Tank admits, these guys are sweet. A little too sweet, maybe, but they are sweet. But what’re they sipping? Frappuccinos? Hank prefers his coffee black! Tank says he is a cup o’ coffee! The Good Brothers sharing the love but these two didn’t get here on love! Y’know how they got here? Three years at a time, smash mouth wrestling, blue collar brawling, and honestly, everyone is already talking about Stand & Deliver. Good Brothers have the bags packed for Philly and Hank gets it, they’ve gone all over the world. But that is why they’re overlooking this match The OC is oozing confidence, but nobody expects Hank ‘n’ Tank to win.

So when Hank ‘n’ Tank win and shock the world, the only ones who won’t be surprised are Hank ‘n’ Tank! They’ll go to the Triple Threat, win that, and who won’t be surprised? Hank ‘n’ Tank! And then they’ll Stand & Deliver against the Wolf Dogs! Wait, wait, one match at a time. And then the Wolf Dogs step in because they heard the words, “Wolf Dogs.” But Corbin & Bron don’t mind. They know about being in the trenches of the grid iron. And who says Hank ‘n’ Tank can’t beat the Good Brothers? They’re ready, right? Yeah, so ready! Corbin and Bron aren’t sure but Hank ‘n’ Tank get fired up! They’re shoving and slapping and then they run off!

What the hell was that? They might keep doing that until next week! Bron & Corbin sure seem amused at the prospect, but will Hank ‘n’ Tank really shock the world? Or will they just be the first on the Good Brothers’ Magic Killer highlight reel?

Ridge Holland VS Shawn Spears!

Rage is a powerful emotion, but the Yorkshire Grit wants to prove it doesn’t rule him nor define him. However, The Chair Man says Ridge is just lying to himself. Will the truth be revealed? And will it set Ridge free? Or will it haunt him for the rest of his life?

The bell rings, the two run up, but then Spears gives himself up! He dares Ridge to do something but Ridge hesitates. So Spears CHOPS! Spears eggs Ridge on, so Ridge RAMS him into a corner! Spears facelocks back, brings Ridge around, but Ridge back drops! Spears sunset flips but Ridge drags him up! Spears SLAPS Ridge! Spears wants Ridge to let it out, and then Ridge swings! Spears ducks that lariat but not the SOUTHPAW! Ridge is fuming, he whips Spears to a corner then runs up, only for Spears to BOOT him! Spears then dodges Ridge, CHOPS him, and ROCKS him with a left! Spears CHOPS again, then brings Ridge around.

Spears bumps Ridge off buckles, hushes the fans, and fakes the chop! Spears goes up to rain down fists! The fans count but Spears wags his finger. But Ridge shoves Spears away and POUNCES him! Ridge CLOBBERS Spears, Spears flounders, and Ridge runs up. Spears DUMPS Ridge out! The fans rally up, Ridge stands and Spears storms after him. Spears pulls Ridge’s hair but Ridge SWEEPS the legs! Spears flops down but Ridge hauls him up. Ridge CHOPS Spears, CLUBS him, then UPPERCUTS! Spears flops over but Ridge hauls him up. Ridge scoops Spears, takes aim, but Spears dares him to do it!

Ridge stops himself, so Spears POSTS Ridge instead! Spears says Ridge should just have done it, but now Spears is gonna hurt him. Spears keeps telling Ridge to give in to his anger while NXT goes picture in picture.

Spears refreshes the ring count, puts Ridge in, then storms over to him. Spears traps Ridge’s arms to rain down fists! Then Spears stomps Ridge as he lets off! Ridge flounders, Spears soaks up cheers and jeers, then CHOPS! Ridge pushes Spears back, but Spears throws hands! Spears CHOPS Ridge again, and again, then whips. Ridge reverses and Spears hits buckles hard! Ridge storms up on Spears, whips him corner to corner hard again, and Spears sits down. Ridge storms back up, he brings Spears in, but Spears wrenches out to DDT! Cover, TWO! Ridge stays in this but Spears stays on him with a KNEE in the back!

Spears clamps on the chinlock and grinds Ridge down. Ridge endures, even as Spears digs the knee in. Ridge fights up as NXT returns to single picture. Ridge pries at the hold, opens it up, but Spears spins him around to snapmare! Ridge blocks the stomp! Ridge stands, UPPERCUTS, and fires forearms! Spears flounders, Ridge whips, but Spears blocks to SUPERKICK! Spears SUPERKICKS again, and Ridge leans against ropes. Spears traps Ridge’s arms in the ropes!? The ref reprimands but Spears says Ridge failed! Spears throws hands as he continues to say, “You failed! You let me down! You let everybody down!”

Spears says Ridge let himself down, let the fans down, and he let his wife and daughter down! Ridge is getting mad so Spears tells him to use it! Ridge gets an arm free and he grabs Spears by the face! Spears stares Ridge down, daring him with his eyes! Ridge HEADBUTTS Spears, then LARIATS! Ridge rains down fists, brings Spears up and TOSSES him out! Ridge goes out after Spears, facelocks and SWINGS him into the barriers! Fans fire up as Ridge puts Spears back in the ring! Spears bails out the side so Ridge runs up to CLOBBER him! Ridge RAMS Spears into steel steps! And he pulls those steps apart!

The fans are torn as Spears flounders and Ridge moves things around. Ridge clears the desk, too! The fans fire up but Ridge dumps the candy! That’s not cool! Ridge drags Spears out of the ring, brings him to the desk, and he says Spears wanted this! CHOKE SLAM through the desk!! The fans go wild as Spears gets what he wanted out of Ridge! Ridge hauls Spears up, puts him in, and Ridge storms around to grab Spears’ chair! Ridge brings the chair in, fans are torn as Spears sits up, but Ridge takes aim! The ref stops Ridge and gets the chair away! Fans boo but Spears rolls Ridge up! TWO!!

Spears stands, Ridge scoops! Spears slips free, fireman’s carries, CORNER DEATH VALLEY but also the chair!! Cover, Spears wins!

Winner: Shawn Spears, by pinfall

Spears not only got the moral victory of bringing Ridge down into the darkness, but he also got the physical victory by taking advantage of that rage! Spears smiles as he says, “I did it.” Will The Chair Man continue to expose all the painful truths within NXT?

Trick Williams is here!

The fans fire up and chant “WHOOP DAT TRICK!” as he makes his way to the ring. Trick has the music stop so he can talk. He knows he usually comes out here and does his thing, but tonight, he’s struggling to find the words to say what he really needs to say. He won’t lie, he is pissed, and angry, feels betrayed! Family means something to him. When he says you’re his brother, that means he’s got your back. When he says that you’re his brother, that means he takes food off his plate to make sure you eat, too. That is what Trick did for two YEARS, Melo! He had Melo’s back! Trick watched Melo succeed and get ever accolade NXT has to offer, with a smile on his face!

Trick asks Melo, “Why? I’m not gonna lie. Melo, watching you succeed made me wanna step up my game. It made me put the extra work in. I went to Shawn Michaels’ office, and I asked him, ‘What do I need to do to take my game to the next level?'” And Melo said that he was happy for Trick! Who knew what was on the other side of Trick taking a chance on himself, but that is when “Trick Willy” was born. Trick saw it, the fans saw it, and Melo saw it, too! The fans cheer that! Trick wanted Melo to be happy for him the same way Trick was happy for Melo. But that is when he heard the whispers: Melo ain’t really happy for Trick. Melo’s making faces after Trick’s wins.

Trick didn’t believe it, but then THE John Cena told Trick that Melo’s hatin’ on him! Trick said no, Melo is Trick’s boy! Trick Melo Gang was always gonna be here. But then Trick had to check for himself. He asked if Melo attacked him. And Melo looked Trick in the eyes, and he LIED to Trick! Thinking about it, Melo lied for a long time. Melo lied about attacking Trick, he lied about Dragunov, and the part that hurt the most… Melo lied about being Trick’s brother. But that’s fine, after all that, there was one time Melo told the truth about one thing. Melo stepped in the ring and told everyone that he did what he did is because they’re not on the same level.

Trick agrees there, they’re not on the same level, and have never been on the same level. Trick doesn’t care if Melo puts on Timberland boots, stands on a stepstool with the Ludacris afro, he’ll still never been on the same level as Trick with his little punk ass! The fans fire up for that one! Trick tells Melo that Trick had Melo’s back. Melo stabbed Trick in his. So this is how they’re gonna do it. Stand & Deliver, Melo VS Trick, and it will be payback for everything Melo did and then some! And the whole crowd gonna chant, “WHOOP DAT TRICK!”

Wait, why is Meta Four coming out here now? Fans boo as Dar tells Trick to hear him now. Trick’s rise has been epic, but let’s be real. They’re sick and tired of Trick complaining about Melo smashing him up. Because the reality is, Trick deserved it! Trick tells Dar that this ain’t the same man Dar used to know. Say what you came here to say or just get outta here. Dar tells “Trickster” to calm down. They aren’t that different. At Vengeance Day, Trick lost his best friend. Two weeks ago, Dar lost his in the Heritage Cup. The difference is, Dar didn’t run home, put his head under a pillow and cry about it! Dar made a big boy decision to move on to bigger and better things!

Meta Four walks up to the ring and Trick says he already told them, he’s not in the mood. They need to mind their business and get outta here. Dar says, “Okay, Tricky, I’ll make it really simple. I’m here to steal all that hype. Because let’s be serious, there is nobody hotter than you right now.” Trick says Lash must agree, the way she’s looking at him. AW SNAP! The fans fire up but Lash says Tricky can’t even play. Listen to Dar, boo. Yeah, listen to Lash and listen to Dar. Supernova 11 is ready to blast off, and the best way to do that is by knocking Trick out. The paper tiger of NXT, the One Trick Pony Williams! They’re not gonna talk about it, they’re gonna fight about it!

Dar & Oro storm up, but Trick DECKS Dar! Then DECKS Oro! And repeat! Lash runs up, Trick blocks her punch! And then sweeps her off her feet! Lash is flustered, and KISSES TRICK!! Even Lash can’t believe it! Trick spins Lash to her feet, and LARIATS Oro! And LARIATS Dar! Trick TOSSES Oro! And TOSSES Dar! Jakara & Lash regroup with their boys, but did Trick just teal the Bougie Bully’s heart? Will Trick turn Supernova 11 down to a zero on his way to facing… HIM?

My Thoughts:

A great NXT here, so much development towards Stand & Deliver. and just a lot of fun overall. Great stuff in the tag division, as alluded to by Aldis & Pearce last night on Raw. LWO beating OTM was quite the surprise, and we got good promos out of the other teams. It was really hard keeping up with Hank ‘n’ Tank, they were really high energy but that talks to their chemistry. Pretty sure Good Brothers do what they promised in beating Hank ‘n’ Tank then beating whatever teams are in the Triple Threat, which will be LWO and probably Frazer & Axiom. As good as the No Quarter Catch Crew is, I don’t think they’re tag title contenders.

And great segue of stories as Riley gets his shot at the Heritage Cup after defending Thea’s honor to the NQCC. Thea’s story was some great long term booking for NXT, and I appreciate the moral is to be accepting of your own eccentricities. “Sexy leather” Thea never felt right to me, her character put that together after seeing Jacy’s true colors, and we’re either getting Thea & Fallon VS Jacy & Jazmyn or just Thea VS Jacy. At the same time, they’ve included the story of Kiana & Izzi VS Kelani in this, maybe we get a huge Six Woman Tag? And Roxie had a strong promo, and of course Tatum confronted her, Roxie VS Tatum is gonna set up Lyra’s return and then that sets up Lyra VS Roxie for the title at Stand & Deliver, probably as Roxie’s sendoff match.

King VS Stone went about how I expected, including Von Wagner making sure King couldn’t do worse. I’m still thinking we get a Tables match out of Von VS King. Spears VS Ridge went almost how I expected. The fans love Spears but they’re willing to get behind Ridge if he’s gonna be brutal behemoth Ridge, and we got some of that tonight. Spears winning out was perhaps the surprise, as I thought he was just getting the moral victory of making Ridge lose his temper. Maybe there’ll be a rematch, maybe under No Disqualifications so Ridge can really let loose.

Speaking of disqualifications, that was a very clever way for Gigi to lose to Grace. Now Gigi will have to go through that beauty pageant etiquette makeover stuff, which will be entertaining in a goofy way, but who knows where it goes after that. Good promo from Karmen, Sol and Lola, as well as Brinley, Edris & Malik, to set up a couple matches. Lola’s picking a fight with Karmen but she’ll probably win that, while Sol will certainly beat Brin to get herself going again. It’ll also feed Brin’s story with Malik & Edris of her losing and Edris wanting to see her embrace the negative side.

Really good stuff out of the North American Championship story. Jensen had a great showing but Oba still won, and it is clear Briggs will get a shot next. Not sure why Dijak’s inserting himself into this story with how he confronted Briggs last week and then Oba this week. NXT North American Championship Triple Threat perhaps? Oba, Briggs and Dijak a big men, maybe they’ll give us something akin to Gunther VS Sheamus VS McIntyre last year in Hollywood. Great segments from Dragunov with the D’Angelos to add a new dimension to this story, making it physical power VS authority and influence, can’t wait to see how the match goes.

And of course, Trick closing out the night was awesome. Great promo from Trick, and Dar confronting Trick was quite the surprise. I thought he and Oro were getting in on the tag tournament but nope, Dar thinks he can just derail Trick and take that momentum. Trick and Lash kissing was also wild, and the fans there certainly loved it. I am pretty sure Trick beats Dar but then Melo attacks to brawl ahead of their grudge match. And as I said the other week, Trick is certainly winning to send Melo off to SmackDown full time, and then he can go after whoever has the NXT Championship post-Mania.

My Score: 8.8/10