No one is safe, but will the all-stars survive?

While Ricky Saints and Oba Femi will be fighting over the NXT Championship soon enough, they first must fight together against all of DarkState!

OFFICIAL RESULTS

• Jaida Parker VS Lash Legend; Lash wins.
• WWE Women’s Speed Championship #1 Contender’s Tournament: Candice LeRae VS Xia Brookside; Candice wins and advances.
• Jordynne Grace VS Kali Armstrong; Grace wins.
• Josh Briggs VS Andre Chase w/ Chase U; Briggs wins.
• 8 Man Tag: Oba Femi, Ricky Saints, Hank ‘n’ Tank VS DarkState; Oba, Ricky, Hank ‘n’ Tank win.

PLAY BY PLAY

Jaida Parker VS Lash Legend!

Attitude clashes with attitude as these two alpha females are fighting to be THE frontrunner towards title opportunities. But will Miss Parker finally get out the mud with this one? Or will the Bougie Bully pump the brakes on Jaida?

The bell rings, Lash pushes Jaida, so Jaida pushes back. They tie up, then break, but Jaida SLAPS back! The fans cheer, but Lash RAMS Jaida into a corner! Then she CLUBS Jaida, KNEES her low, and scoops, only for Jaida to slip free. Jaida shoves Lash, RAMS her into a corner, and RAMS her again, and again! The fans cheer as Jaida goes corner to corner, only for Lash to catch her! Lash TOSSES Jaida, Jaida rebounds, but Lash RUNS her over! The fans cheer, Lash runs, and Lash SPLASH! Cover, TWO! Jaida survives but Lash drags her up. Lash talks trash, whips again, but Jaida tilt-o-whirls, only for Lash to block the takedown!

Lash dribbles Jaida in the ropes, pops her up, but Jaida sunset flips! Lash leans back, stands up, and drags Jaida back up. But Jaida ROCKS Lash! Jaida wrenches, wristlocks, and YANKS the arm! And YANKS! And YANKS! Jaida wrenches to RAM the arm, then wrenches to RAM again. Jaida KNEES Lash low, steps over, Oklahoma Roll, TWO! But Jaida has a ghost pin! TWO but Jaida clamps onto Lash’s arm. The fans rally for Jaida as she CLUBS away on Lash’s arm, then wrenches again. Jaida wrangles Lash, grinds the arm, but Lash fires hands! Lash scoops Jaida, Jaida slips free and goes to ropes, but Lash bucks the O’Conner!

Jaida runs up, Lash puts her on the apron, but Jaida RAMS into her! Jaida ROCKS Lash, goes up the corner, and CROSSBODIES! Not the cleanest but Jaida covers, TWO! Another try, TWO! Jaida crawls to a corner, Lash runs up, but Jaida dodges the boot! Jaida kicks the leg out, then puts Lash in the ropes! Jaida CLUBS Lash, runs side to side, but Lash choke grips! No drop here, Lash SLAM DUNK CHOKE SLAMS! Cover, TWO! Jaida survives but just barely. The ref checks Jaida while Lash huffs ‘n’ puffs, and NXT goes picture in picture.

Lash waits on Jaida as she rises up, and then storms up to KNEE low! Lash pushes Jaida back down, pulls her hair as part of the chinlock, but the ref reprimands. Lash grinds Jaida down, but Jaida fights around. Jaida endures as Lash squeezes tight, and she fights up to fire body shots. Lash KNEES low, whips Jaida to a corner, then runs in, only for Jaida to BOOT! Jaida goes along the ropes, Lash blocks the next boot, and she ROCKS Jaida! Lash CHOKES and CLUBS Jaida in the ropes, but stops as the ref counts. Lash riles up the fans, then storms back up on Jaida. Lash whips Jaida to a corner hard, then LARIATS her down! Cover, TWO!

Lash grows frustrated as Jaida toughs it out. Lash clamps onto Jaida with a waistlock and squeezes tight for the BEARHUG! Jaida endures, claws at Lash, and she fires elbows! Jaida stands up, fires more elbows, but Lash picks Jaida up in the bearhug! Jaida continues to endure, then fires HEADBUTTS! NXT returns to single picture as Jaida fights free! Jaida runs, but into a CHOP! Jaida sputters, Lash eggs her on, and Lash scoops Jaida for a SLAM! Lash runs, but Jaida avoids the splash! The fans fire up while both women are down! Jaida rises up, blocks a shot and ROCKS Lash! And repeat! Jaida fires body shots, then runs, and RAMS Lash!

Lash shrugs that off, Jaida runs again, and Jaida redirects Lash to RAM her! And then SHOULDER TACKLE! The fans fire up with Jaida while Lash goes to a corner. Jaida runs corner to corner, BACK BODY BLOCK! Then Jaida brings Lash around, only for Lash to wrench. Jaida ducks the lariat to BACKSTABBER! Lash writhes, the fans rally, and Jaida rises again. BLOCKBUSTER! Cover, TWO! Lash survives and Jaida is beside herself! The fans rally, Jaida gets moving again, but Lash KNEES her first! Lash scoops, swings, BACKBREAKER! Cover, TWO!! Jaida shows that grit and the fans fire up, but Lash is furious!

Lash runs up, Jaida dodges, Lash POSTS herself! Jaida puts Lash in the ropes, and she CLUBS away on Lash! Jaida gets moving, TEARDROP! High step it out! Lash rises, Jaida fireman’s carries, SAMOAN DROP! But Lash flounders to the ropes! Jaida grabs Lash’s hair but Lash drags Jaida out with her! Jaida just fireman’s carries again! Lash slips free, shoves Jaida, and PUMP KICK! Lash did pump the brakes, but she isn’t done! Bow ‘n’ Arrow Rack, for a LASH EXTENSION onto the desk! The fans fire up while Jaida flounders off the desk, and Lash puts her right in the ring! “This is Awesome!” as Lash resets, and LASH EXTENSION!! Cover, Lash wins!

Winner: Lash Legend, by pinfall

These two alpha females proved they both belong, but it was the Bougie Bully that pulls ahead! But Jaida ain’t done! She gets up to run Lash down on the ramp! They brawl, the fans fire up, and Jaida sends Lash into steel steps! Jaida lines up a shot while the fans fire up, and Jaida hits a HIP-NOTIC through the barriers! The fans go nuts and more refs hurry out here! Jaida may have lost the match, but will she make sure to win the war?

Blake Monroe walks in.

She interrupts Arianna Grace & Channing Lorenzo and “whatever this is…” Arianna says they haven’t met in person, but she loves all of The Glamour. Blake asks if this is the new Maybelline line. Yes, and Arianna has extra to share. Blake says finally, a woman with taste! Now, after Heatwave, Blake thought she was done with Jordynne, but guess she was wrong since she interrupted last week. Arianna says don’t tell anyone this, but she doesn’t rly like JG, either. And just so Blake knows, they are not related at all. No, good thing. But then Jordynne steps in! Everyone is on alert, and they all rush forward to stop Jordynne and Blake before they start!

Blake runs off, Jordynne grumbles, but Kali Armstrong says this is the second time Jordynne’s interrupted something with Kali. This place doesn’t revolve around you, Jordynne, and it never will. You thought you had problems with Blake? Now you got problems with Kali Armstrong. Jordynne asks if Kali is serious, but Kali’s already headed out. Will the Juggernaut teach the WWE Evolve Women’s Champion that she is not ready for Beast Mode?

Je’Von Evans is here!

The fans cheer as the Young OG is back on NXT! He took last week off after how he got beat at Heatwave, but he physically seems to be doing a little better now. Je’Von grabs a mic to say he appreciates the fans for that. And he knows y’all expected him to come out here, be excited and positive about everything, but after Heatwave… He doesn’t think he can do that. He thought he head it in the bag, because he beat Trick Williams in Philadelphia, and he got great advice from legends and GOATs. He’s had great opportunities already in NXT, but Heatwave felt different, y’know? But look, bruh…

Je’Von is a bit emotional but the fans cheer him on. Je’Von says he appreciates that, too. But he felt nervous then, the butterflies in his stomach, the walls were talking to him. But he felt that he was gonna be a champion. He was excited! He was strong! He was walking with his chest out, told his baby sister that he was about to be the youngest champion in NXT history. And then… He didn’t do it, y’know? He’s not. But he thought he was, because he heard the crowd erupt, he heard the ref count three, but then he saw Oba’s foot under the ropes. And the moment Je’Von reacted was the moment Oba capitalized.

Next thing you know, Oba’s hand is raised in the air. And personally, Je’Von apologizes, cuz he let us down. The fans chant, “NO! NO! NO!” Je’Von hears that, he knows, but he still feels that way. He feels he left himself down. The fans chant, “We Still Love You!” Je’Von says he appreciates that, too. But he feels like he had it in the bag. He ignored everybody. He ignored the PC, the coaches, the doctors, the other superstars, and… Wait, what is that on the tron? Who is that pulling up? Je’Von says he’s not doing games, can’t they let him talk? But wait, the person pulling up on a motorcycle is now walking into the building.

Je’Von says no way, c’mon. It can’t- IT IS! The bell tolls, and it tolls- FOR JOSH BRIGGS!?! The Bullhead Brawler just tricked us all, and he asks, “Oh, were you expecting someone else? Taker ain’t here to say some words of wisdom. Je’Von, you’re immature. You’re everything that I hate about the NXT locker room. You’re 21, you’re already main-eventing PLEs, you’re already getting title match after title match after title match!” Je’Von says he understands what Briggs is saying, and while he has respect for Briggs, Je’Von isn’t trying to hear that right now. The fans chant, “YOU SUCK! YOU SUCK!” Briggs says keep it up, he’ll take it out on Je’Von.

But Briggs says Je’Von’s problem is that it is okay to just wait. It isn’t. Je’Von is from a generation where if you got a problem about something, you go and tweet about it. Instead, he should walk up to Oba, put his feet in his feet and demand a rematch, but he didn’t. And because of that, Ricky Saints just stepped right over and become #1 contender. The fans tell Briggs to shut up but he tells them and Je’Von to shut up, he ain’t done! Je’Von should try being Briggs. Try waiting for YEARS to get an opportunity while knowing you’re better than every single person in that locker room! Je’Von tells Briggs that he’s trying to be nice here.

So respectfully, if you’re trying to big brother him, Je’Von is not in the mood. Briggs isn’t done, put your mic down and listen! The fans chant, “Briggs, to the door!” Briggs says Je’Von must need someone to motivate him and give him his gold stars. That ain’t Briggs. The truth is, Je’Von ain’t ever gonna beat Oba. Je’Von is good, but he ain’t good enough, and he proved it. Je’Von says okay, Briggs acting like he knows him, huh? But then Briggs BOOTS Je’Von down! Briggs stomps away on Je’Von, the fans boo, but Briggs tells Je’Von to learn when the fight and when to stay down. Briggs gets a chair, he choke grips Je’Von, and he CHOKE SLAMS Je’Von on the chair!!

The fans boo and Je’Von writhes, but the Man of Mayhem just maimed the Young OG! Will Briggs make sure he removes Je’Von from the contender list permanently?

Xia Brookside speaks.

“I have competed against some of the best the world has to offer. From the Mae Young Classic to NXT UK, and now in TNA. Tonight, I make my NXT debut against Candice LeRae. She may be the former Speed Champion, but she is not stopping me from becoming the next Speed Champion.”

Candice LeRae speaks.

“The Poison Pixie is back in NXT to reclaim what’s mine. Xia, you’re just a stepping stone on my path to Sol Ruca and becoming a two-time Speed Champion.” Both have said their piece, but who will back up their words by pedal to the metal later tonight?

Hank ‘n’ Tank talk with Ricky Saints and Oba Femi.

Hank Walker says No Mercy is just a few weeks away, so tensions are a liiittle high, but tonight is a moment for all of them. And Tank Ledger says they can all get revenge for what DarkState has done to them lately. And if this team wins, then maybe Hank ‘n’ Tank can get their shot at the tag titles, a rematch if you will. But Oba, see this guy here? That’s “Absolute” Ricky Saints, the guy who oozes charisma, is the leader of the revolution, and that revolution is them tonight! Oba hears that. And Tank tells Ricky to look at Oba. That is the most dominant NXT Champion of all time, a conqueror of men, The Ruler of NXT. And tonight, Oba has Ricky’s back!

Ricky says c’mon now, you don’t have to tell him. Hank ‘n’ Tank like the synergy. Now they got a plan on deck, all loaded up in the barrel, and it sounds a bit like.. No, wait, not yet! Save it for the match. Tank tells Oba and Ricky that they’ll see ’em in the main event, the Big Belly Bandits are gonna hit catering one last time. Calorie counting for fuel in the tank. Hank ‘n’ Tank head out, Oba says, “Your friends?” Ricky says no, but hey, Oba better be locked in tonight. Oba says not to worry about him, worry about yourself. Ricky says, “Always.” Ricky heads out, will these all stars of NXT be absolute? Or will DarkState tear them all apart?

WWE Women’s Speed Championship #1 Contender’s Tournament: Candice LeRae VS Xia Brookside!

Both Speed Championships coming to NXT means some big things for more than just the rosters here on the Silver ‘n’ Black! Ava Raine opened the doors to all WWE brands and even their partners. But will the Poison Pixie make her way back to the gold? Or will NXT remember what it’s like to fly with Brookside?

The bell rings and we have three minutes on the clock! The fans rally as Candice runs up, but Xia rolls her up! TWO, and Candice fireman’s carries! Xia slips down to sunset flip, TWO! Candice KNEES low, runs, but Xia dodges to tilt-o-whirl and RAN! The fans fire up and Xia runs in, only for Candice to dodge! But Xia BOOTS back! Xia goes up, FLYING RANAS, and the fans duel as Xia DROPKICKS! The fans fire up with Xia as she roars, and she runs in to METEORA! Then she wrenches and RUSSIAN LEG SWEEPS! Cover, TWO! We hit two minutes left and the colors of the lights change! Xia runs up, jumps up, and gives a wiggle, but Candice puts her up top!

Candice ROCKS Xia, then SHOVES her down! Xia hits apron then floor while the fans rally. Candice is annoyed with the clock, she puts Xia in, but Xia victory rolls! TWO, and Candice DROPKICKS! We’re under 90 seconds as Candice set sup, LIONSAULT FLOPS as Xia moves! CODE BREAKER! Cover, TWO! Candice survives and we hit the last 60 seconds! The lights are red, Xia RAMS Candice into a corner! Xia RAMS into Candice again and again, puts her up top, and she has the arms. Candice denies Iconoclasm to TORNADO DDT! STEP-UP SENTON! LIONSAULT! Cover, Candice wins!

Winner: Candice LeRae, by pinfall (advances to the next round)

And with 30 seconds to spare, the former champion shows us why she was champion at all! But will she only pick up the pace? Who meets her in the semifinals?

Josh Briggs barges into the locker room.

He gets the attention of Dante Chen, Chase U, and High Ryze before telling them to just keep talking. If no one has the balls to say something to his face, he’s sure they’ll just tweet about it, right? High Ryze leaves, not wanting to deal with this. But Kale Dixon says HE has the balls enough to say that Briggs sucks! Uriah Connors agrees there. Briggs is supposed to be a locker room leader, and yet he’s bullying everyone. Briggs says he’ll do whatever the hell he wants, and these two runts won’t do a damn thing about it! Mr. Chase speaks up, saying Briggs has made his point, he can let this go. Right, of course, this isn’t their fault.

Because just like Je’Von, Kale & Uriah have someone filling their head with “great” advice. But at least with Je’Von, Taker has credentials. Who the hell is Andre Chase? Chase says Briggs knows who, but Briggs tells him to shut up. Kale says no, Briggs needs to shut up! Mr. Chase is gonna teach Briggs a thing or two about respect! Uriah says yeah, they can go talk to Ava right now! Mr. Chase is gonna school Briggs! Welp, they did it again… But will Kale & Uriah be the ones to learn that there’s a time and place to volunteer someone else’s help?

Ava Raine is surrounded in her office.

The NXT General Manager is hearing Tatum Paxley & Izzi Dame argue with #ZaRuca, and now the Fatal Influence walks in. Jacy Jayne asks if they were invited to the wrong meeting. Ava says no, they’re right on time. She wanted to talk to these three teams because she has been talking to Nick Aldis and Adam Pearce. She really wants a team from NXT to have a Women’s Tag Team Championship opportunity. The three teams like this already. Jacy says this is just what Jazmyn Nyx has wanted, right? Izzi says sorry, the opportunity isn’t for losers. Tatum & Izzi beat Wren Sinclair & Kendal Grey last week, remember?

Yes, Ava does remember. Then #Tizzi deserves the shot. Sol Ruca says last time she checked, she and Zaria won their last tag match, so by that logic, aren’t they the number ones? Tatum says if she remembers correctly, Lola Vice won that match for them, and it was a pin on Fallon Henley. Fallon says she’ll ignore all their looks and comments, because one loss does not erase everything The Influence has done. And are we forgetting what happened at Evolution, Zaria? Ava says okay, okay, listen. She already thought about all this, it’s why she brought them all here. Next week, Triple Threat Tag Team Elimination match, and the winners earn a future opportunity.

So please, go elsewhere. The teams all bicker on their way out, but will it be #ZaRuca, #Tizzi, or The Influence that earn a golden ticket to facing Charlotte Flair & Alexa Bliss?

DarkState speaks.

Saquon Shugars says, “When the lights get to flashing… Oba, Ricky, Hank ‘n’ Tank, they already hear it. But the rest of the world still seems confused.” Osiris Griffin says, “The constant disrespect. Being overlooked, being stepped over.” Dion Lennox says, “You see four renegades. Big O was in the League and the Saints ain’t give him a fair shot. You heard on LFG, they didn’t think Cutler wasn’t cut out for this life.” Cutler James says he was “humiliated on national television!” Bully Ray told him he wasn’t “entertaining” enough, that he’d never make it in the business! They tried to end his career before it even began!

And Osiris knows Shugars ran into that on the indies, too. Shugars is a real smooth talker but even smoother in the ring, and it still took six years for him to get to WWE because they said he was “too much of a wild card.” But then when these four all got here, they were all told to keep their heads down, be patient, it’s all about the grind. So Dion did that. He sat around, watched the clock, and all that got him was pushed around by Trick Williams, and being told by Oba Femi that Dion would never be championship material. What is he supposed to do? Stand there and do nothing? Osiris jokingly says they were “paying their dues.”

They were all security guards for the Trick VS Melo feud last year! They played the game, they saw the blueprint, because we saw it with LA Knight, Trick Williams, Bron Breakker, hell, even Sheamus! Many a superstar started out as security guards here. But Dion was a hot head, he didn’t wanna wait. Why wait in line if you’ve got the talent to skip it? Why take disrespect from superstars when you can be bigger stars? Cutler says they were only being pushed down because everyone knew what they’ve got! You are looking at four TRUE future greats! Waiting don’t pay the bills, but violence sure will! Not championship material? Tell them what they’ve got in their hands!

This gold is validation to everyone else, but for them, it is redemption. Shugars says these are his brothers. Different backgrounds, same struggle. Oba, Ricky, Hank ‘n’ Tank, they are just in the way like everyone else. Because it ain’t just a catchphrase, it’s the truth! When DarkState strikes, NO ONE IS SAFE! Then will the main event be very, very dangerous?

Trick Williams is here!

The fans cheer and chant “WHOOP DAT TRICK!” for the TNA World Champion as he heads to the ring. Trick grabs the mic, has him cut his music, and he says last week, he did a promotional piece like only Trick Willy can. And he said some things that you know he meant. He stands ten toes down on it because it is real. He looked in the camera on the CW Network, and he said that Trick Williams is the hottest and greatest NXT Superstar to ever live! But to his surprise, no one from the past, none of the former favorites, made a whisper, said a word, sent a Batman signal, nothing, on the contrary.

And that could be for one of two reasons. One: They all know what he knows, and that is Trick is indeed the hottest to ever live. Or two: They don’t care about NXT anymore! Now, now, now, that to him is crazy, because after all the hard work that they put in the last three to four years, busting their butts, right here in the ring, and seeing fans on buses and scooters, and even some walking here, for five, ten years, doing everything they can… And the old stars don’t care about this?! The fans boo that. Trick says he’s gotta be real. He doesn’t blame ’em one bit!

Cuz as soon as Trick moves to the main roster, with his big fat contract, and his million-dollar house in the suburbs… Y’all will never see him again! The fans boo that, but Trick says he knows they wish they all had it. You all need to realize, the big-time superstars do what they want! They travel all over the world, to Europe, Paris, eating bologna and whatever, doing all type of stuff. Can you blame ’em? He can’t. What he is trying to tell us is that all the favorites they loved, they don’t love you back. Wait! DIY is here! Johnny Gargano & Tommaso Ciampa return to NXT! The fans are all fired up for “D I Y! D I Y!”

The fans chant, “Welcome Home! Welcome Home!” Gargano says first of all, they do love the fans! They heard that NXT: Homecoming is in two weeks, so DIY decided to stop by a little bit early. Because do you know what today is? Today is the TEN-YEAR ANNIVERSARY of their NXT debut! And look what we have here: The Greatest Superstar in NXT History~! Trick appreciates that. Ciampa says wait, of all the great champions and future Hall of Famers that have come through NXT, nobody is greater than Trick Willy? Tricky says, “Ooh~, yeah~!” Gargano reviews, Trick is a two-time NXT Champion.

Oh, but wait. Isn’t Ciampa also a two-time NXT Champion? The fans cheer that! In fact, Ciampa is, and he still loves “Goldie.” But Gargano held that title, too. But Trick also held the NXT North American Championship. Oh, but wait. How many times did Gargano hold that title? Gargano recalls it was three times, but who’s counting? One thing DIY cannot claim is that Trick Williams is THE TNA World Champion, they never won that. But Gargano did win the NXT Tag Team Championship, first Triple Crown! And wasn’t Gargano’s partner great? He had BIG muscles, a beautiful bald head, and a glorious beard!

The fans cheer, “Psycho Killer!” Gargano says yeah, that guy was okay. He got a bit grumpy when the show was over, and the little logo would pop up. But other than that, that guy was cool. Now, Trick’s resume speaks for itself. But the greatest superstar in NXT history? That jury is still out on that one. There have been a lot of great men and women walk down that aisle. It didn’t matter if you were a Demon, a Hugger, Undisputed, Glorious, but one thing they all had in common was their love and passion for the people and this brand! The fans cheer that! And Ciampa says speaking of the alumni, there were two guys who kinda defined an era of NXT.

Two guys who bled black ‘n’ gold, who carved their own path! In fact, take your stupid sunglasses off! Ciampa snatches those right off Trick and tells Trick that there were two guys who paved the way for Trick to be in this very ring! And it’s a tag team that the fans are all familiar with. Three letters: D I Y! The fans cheer that! Trick paces, and he says DIY, Ciampa & Gargano, don’t ever get it twisted: Never put your hands on him again, cuz you couldn’t even beat Trick’s girlfriend’s ass, let’s talk about it. But Trick came out here not to disrespect. He wants to show love for what they’ve done in the past. This is Johnny Takeover and The Blackheart!

DIY has done great things, let’s talk about it. They told us all the accolades and greatness. And then Trick Willy came in! Like a thief in the night, he took those awards, those accolades, and kicked them to medieval times where they belong! Fans taunt Trick with “MELO~! MELO~!” Don’t get it twisted! Trick is still carrying Melo AND is the greatest NXT superstar! Let’s talk about it! Gargano asks Ciampa if he wants to talk about it. Ciampa says nope, and he SHOVES Trick! Trick takes off the title belt, swings, but Ciampa dodges! Gargano SUPERKICKS! DIY aims from corners, the fans fire up, and MEET IN THE MIDDLE!

The fans fire up as DIY puts the TNA title back on Trick and pat him on the shoulder. Will Trick learn that you don’t just talk about it, you gotta be about it?

Je’Von is checked by medical.

He says he’s fine, but Ava Raine walks in. She asks if Je’Von’s really okay and Je’Von says yes. He asks where Briggs is, and she tells him Briggs has his match with Andre Chase. Okay, appreciated. Ava says no, stop and listen. She doesn’t care what Je’Von thinks, she knows him, so she’ll make him a deal. If Je’Von promises to NOT interfere tonight, he can have Briggs 1v1 next week. Je’Von sighs, but he agrees to it. He’ll see them next week. But then Ava has Je’Von escorted out by security! The Young OG will just have to watch from home as Briggs takes on Mr. Chase. Will Je’Von make sure to take notes and study up for next week’s “test?”

Ava Raine now meets with Tavion Heights and Ethan Page.

Tavion is still upset over how last week went down, but he tells All Ego he forgot something. Tavion shoves the Canadian flag into Ethan’s chest, and Ethan says this was a “gift” to Tavion, in case he wanted to wave a flag that represents true patriotism, pride and- Arrogance? Disgracefulness? Ava has them calm down. Ethan says no, let Tavion continue to cut down Ethan’s flag, the Canadian flag that represents 40 MILLION people that look up to that flag for guidance. Tavion says stop shoving words in his mouth. Tavion doesn’t have beef with all 40 million, just one stupid one that happens to be Ethan!

Tavion says Ethan ain’t excellent! He’s barely satisfactory! Ethan is not some symbol staring at his vandalized title belt! Go look at the American flag! Ethan says he will not acknowledge Tavion’s flag. Ava says enough, this is what we’ll do! Ethan says it’ll be a flag match, right? Ethan, please, shut up. She wasn’t gonna make that match, but since it bothers him so much, now it will be. Ethan grumbles and Tavion says now Ethan will have no choice but to salute the Star-Spangled Banner! Tavion heads out, Ethan grumbles, but will it be Ol’ Glory or the Maple Leaf that waves high next Tuesday night?

Jordynne Grace VS Kali Armstrong!

Admittedly, The Juggernaut did lose her cool when she stampeded all through that WWE Evolve Women’s Championship match a month ago. But while Jordynne has a problem with The Glamour, The Pride of Inglewood has a problem with her. These two look to settle it as only female titans can, but will “JG” go Beast Mode on Armstrong? Or will the champ make a Kali Connection tonight?

The bell rings and Kali runs up! Grace dodges, Kali hits buckles, and then Grace fires off on Kali! Grace whips corner to corner, storms up, but Kali turns things around. Kali fires body shots, then stomps away! The ref counts, Kali stops, and Kali whips corner to corner. Grace rebounds but into a BACKDROP! Kali fires up, the fans rally, and “Who’s Strong?” “Armstrong!” Armstrong RAMS into Grace again and again, then stops to ROCK Grace with a right! Kali paces, the fans rally, but Grace BOOTS her! Kali runs up, Grace goe sup and over! Grace runs corner to corner, goes up and over again, then ROCKS Kali!

Garce fires CHOP after CHOP, alternating between backhand and overhand! The fans fire up, the ref counts, but Garce stops at 4. Grace whips corner to corner, Kali reverses, but Garce reverses back to KNEE low! Grace CLUBS Kali, whips her to ropes, then scoops for the GUT WRENCH SLAM! And a roll-back into a CAMEL CLUTCH! Kali endures, even as Grace grinds her down! The fans rally, Kali reaches out, and she pries her arms free! Kali slips out the back to RAM Grace into a corner! And RAM again! But Grace holds on with a SLEEPER! The fans duel, Kali snapmares free, but Grace comes back.

Kali ELBOWS Grace, THROWS her into the buckles, then seethes while fans cheer, and NXT goes to break.

NXT returns, and Kali hits a BACKBREAKER! Kali bends Grace against her knee! The fans rally, Grace KNEES free, and the two go to corners. Kali runs up, but Grace slips around to RAM her into buckles again and again, before hitting the backslide. Kali rolls through, but the short arm LARIAT hits! And then another short arm LARIAT! Then Grace springboards, FLYING LARIAT! Cover, TWO! Kali survives and the fans rally up again. Grace brings Kali up, reels her in, but Kali fights the pump handle! Kali ELBOWS free, runs, but Grace dodges! Only for Grace to run into a POWERSLAM! Cover, TWO!

Kali is frustrated but she gets moving! Kali builds up speed, but Grace WRECKER ELBOWS Kali first! And then the pump handle, BEAST MODE!! Cover, Grace wins!

Winner: Jordynne Grace, by pinfall

Grace intercepted that Kali Connection, and she has rebounded from- Well, speaking of the devil, Blake Monroe storms her way out here! The brawl is on and the fans fire up! Blake whips, Grace reverses, and Blake hits steel steps! Then Grace TACKLES Blake for them to scrap on the ground! Refs and security rush out here, fans want to “LET THEM FIGHT! LET THEM FIGHT!” Oh, Blake’s lower lip is busted! Seeing the blood only enrages her! She already has a grudge to settle, but is Grace about to meet The Woman from Hell?

Lola Vice speaks.

Back home in Miami and Little Havana, Lola says, “The best way to describe growing up in a Hispanic household is being told by your parents at a very young age that everyone has a sad story. Now, are you gonna take the pain and make excuses? Or are you gonna make your dreams come true? For me, there was only one option: option two. Born in Havana, raised in Miami, it’s not just where I’m from, it’s who I am. It’s not just a city, it’s a heartbeat, and everything I love about my culture. It’s got coffee at Grandma’s house, salsa on every corner, saying, ‘Oi, amiga!’ And that pride that is given to you at birth, we’re just born with it.

“Being a Latina is one thing, but being a Miami Latina is a whole other thing. And when you’re Cuban American, you don’t grow up soft, you grow up together louder, passionate, close, and loyal. I left this house at 18 years old and took a chance on myself in a cage. I haven’t been back here in the past nine years, because for the past nine years, I’ve been chasing a dream to be myself. This house is on Calle Ocho, which is like a Mini Cuba. I didn’t just grow up with culture, I grew up inside of it, taking a piece of it everywhere I go. Every Latino knows we don’t grow up wondering what life away from home looks like. All there ever is, is home.

“And to me, somewhere between dreaming and living, that’s Miami. Because here, I feel closest to Cuba. I call my mom every day, and I pray every night. There’s no ‘If I can,’ it’s, ‘When I can.'” Her mom says she and Lola’s father have always encouraged her to be herself. Her passion and dedication have always shined through. Her sister is so proud of Lola, to see what she’s accomplished, and she wouldn’t trade it for anything. Seeing her chasing her dream makes them all so proud. Lola says wait until you meet her dad. There’s a reason she puts so much pressure on herself. We’ll learn more about “Vice City,” as this is to be continued.

Josh Briggs VS Andre Chase w/ Chase U!

The Bullhead Brawler doesn’t care if he’s a bully so long as he can be a winner. But will he step on, over, and even run through everyone until he’s finally NXT Champion? Or will this be a #TeachableMoment?

The bell rings and Briggs CLOBBERS Chase! The fans boo but Briggs whips Chase to ropes and ELBOWS him down! Cover, ROPEBREAK, and Briggs is upset already. Briggs drags Chase up to CLUB him down, then he whips Chase to a corner. Chase stops himself, ELBOWS back, then goes up to FLYING RANA! The fans fire up as Briggs tumbles out! Chase then PLANCHAS, but he lands out as Briggs dodges! But then Chase jumps the leg sweep to SUPERKICK! Then Chase lines up a shot, CROSSBODY, but Briggs catches Chase! Briggs RAMS Chase into the POST! Briggs talks trash while Chase writhes, and NXT goes picture in picture!

The ref reprimands Briggs but he leaves Chase behind a moment. Kale & Uriah coach Chase up, but Briggs is back to put Chase in the ring. Briggs storms in, brings Chase around, and whips him to a corner. Chase hits buckles hard, then stumbles forward. Briggs pushes him down, then ELBOW DROPS! Cover, TWO! Briggs is annoyed but he stays focused. Briggs kicks Chase to the ropes, whips him, but Chase swings through! Chase tries to sunset flip, but Briggs stays up! But then Chase avoids the fist drop! Chase goes to a corner, Briggs runs up, but Chase goes up and over to roll him up, TWO! Briggs CLOBBERS Chase!

Briggs frowns, he TOSSES Chase, and then he glares at Kale & Uriah. Briggs stomps Chase around, but Chase fires body shots! Briggs CLUBS Chase down, pushes him to a cover, TWO! Chase toughs it out but Briggs stays laser focused. Briggs scoops, Chade slips free, but Briggs blocks the kick. Chase ENZIGIRIS! Chase then goes after Briggs in the corner to rain down fists! The fans count along, Chase goes to TEN, but Briggs turns bulldog into BACK SUPLEX! Chase sputters, Briggs covers, TWO! Chase stays in this but Briggs stays on him with a chinlock. Chase endures, even as Briggs leans on him.

Chase fights to his feet, fires body shots, then swings, but Briggs BODY SHOTS! Briggs DECKS Chase, then has him on the ropes. NXT returns to single picture as Briggs whips Chase to ropes. Chase ducks ‘n’ dodges to tilt-o-whirl and DDT! The fans fire up as Chase covers, TWO! Briggs survives but the fans rally up! Uriah & Kale coach Chase, he brings Briggs up and turns him! But Briggs stops the neckbreaker! Briggs whips Chase, scoops, SIDEWALK SLAM and a SPLASH! Cover, TWO! Chase survives again and Briggs seethes. Briggs RAMS Chase into the corner, puts him up top, and he climbs up.

The fans taunt Briggs with a song, “Briggs, Go Away~! Chase, You Can Stay~!” Briggs ignores that to bring Chase to the top. Chase fires body shots, the fans rally, and Chase fires off fists of fury! The fans fire up more, and Briggs staggers away! Chase leaps, Briggs gets under, and then BIG BOSS MAN SLAM! Briggs hauls Chase up, suplexes, but Chase hits STUN-DOG MILLIONAIRE! The fans fire up as Chase goes back up! CROSSBODY! Cover, TWO!! Briggs survives and everyone is shocked! Chase goes back to the corner, he lines up a shot, and SUPERKICKS! The fans fire up, but Briggs gets up again, so Chase SUPERKICKS again!

Chase tries again, but Briggs blocks! Briggs spins Chase, clamps on, CHOKE SLAM! Briggs roars, runs, BOOT!! Cover, Briggs wins!

Winner: Josh Briggs, by pinfall

The fans don’t like it, but then Briggs isn’t done! He sucker punches Kale and THROWS him at barriers! Then he catches Uriah! CHOKE SLAM down through the desk!! The fans go nuts as Briggs is a one man wrecking crew! “You Still Suck!” But will Briggs gladly do this and worse if it means he’s a contender? Or will the Young OG bounce back and get extra bouncy as he looks to humble the bully?

NXT Media catches up to Trick Williams.

The reporter asks Trick how he feels about that 2v1 attack. Trick says DIY thinks he’s gonna let that slide. What y’all thought? Those two think they’re the only two with history? Trick will see y’all next week! Trick storms off, but what does he mean by that?

8 Man Tag: Oba Femi, Ricky Saints, Hank ‘n’ Tank VS DarkState!

Don’t adjust your screens, you are indeed seeing another all-star selection taking on Dion, Saquon, Osiris & Cutler in a massive main event! But will The Ruler, The Absolute, and The Big Belly Bandits be able to bring down these rogues? Or will we all be reminded that #NoOneIsSafe with DarkState in the building?

NXT returns and Oba makes his entrance, joining Ricky, Hank ‘n’ Tank in the ring. That leaves DarkState to make their entrance, and they’re ready to fight like always. The teams sort out and Tank starts against “Sugar Man.” They circle, but Cutler swipes at Tank! Saquon jumps on Tank, the ref reprimands, but Saquon fires off! Tank shoves Saquon back, lifts, but Saquon hits a flying takeover! Saquon SPLASHES Tank in the corner, tags Dion, and Dion gets moving while Tank fights off the others. Dion LEAPING LARIATS and takes Tank down! Cover, TWO! Dion drags Tank into a chinbar and he puts Tank back in the corner.

Tag to Cutler, DarkState mugs Tank, then Cutler brings Tank around. Cutler fireman’s carries but Tank counters with a crucifix takedown! Cover, TWO, and Culter runs up. Tank ELBOWS Cutler, tags Hank, and they bump Cutler off buckles. Hank BACK BODY BLOCKS, then BULLDOGS! Tank adds a SENTON! Cover, TWO! Hank wrenches Cutler, tags Ricky, and the fans cheer as Ricky takes the handoff. Ricky puts Cutler in a corner, CHOPS him, then CHOPS again! Cutler gets mad, Ricky kicks low, and Ricky wrenches to UPPERCUT the arm! Ricky goes up the ropes, and he gives us some Old School! Ricky tags Oba before the AX HANDLE!

Oba storms up on Cutty to wrench, YANK, and repeat! Cutler ROCKS Oba, but Oba DECKS Cutler! Oba drags Cutler up, over, and toys with Ricky on the tag. Oba hits the Absolute pose and the fans fire up! Even Ricky has to smile at that. Cutler breaks free, but Oba LARIATS him down! Oba brings Cutler up, and Ricky intercepts #BigO with a BOOT! Dion & Saquon storm in, Hank ‘n’ Tank intercept them! Hank TOSSES Dion, Tank atomic drops Saquon, and Oba scoops Cutter for a GUT BUSTER! And everyone has a corner! The fans fire up for a QUAD HONK HONK!! QUAD BELLY SANDWICH!!

Cutler flops out of the ring, DarkState regroups, and NXT is thunderous for the all-stars! Oba and Ricky give some maybe jocular shoves, and NXT goes picture in picture.

The ref has everyone calm down and sort back out. Cutler slides back in, Oba kicks him first, then Oba whips. Cutler reverses to ELBOW Oba, and Cutler fires up. Cutler CLUBS Oba, brings him over, and tags in Dion. They mug Oba, the ref counts, and Dion brings Oba around to facelock. But Oba blocks the suplex! Oba wrenches out, and he BOOTS Dion down! Oba drags Dion up, tags Hank, and Hank goes up while Oba wrenches. Hank rumbles the tummy, and he AX HANDLES the arm! Then he tells DarkState to “SUCK IT!” Well, the chops are high, maybe it’s more like, “EAT IT!” cuz of the big belly.

Hank wrenches Dion, tags Tank, and Tank goes up. Tank gets his tummy rumbling, and he AX HANDLES! Tank also tells DarkState to “EAT IT!” Tank then brings Dion over, wrenches again, and he tags in Oba! Oba goes up, and… He skips the tummy stuff to just AX HANDLE! Oba whips Dion to CLOBBER him! Oba brings Dion up, he tags Ricky, and Oba hits a BACKBREAKER! Ricky goes up, he gets rumbling, but then Oba stands Dion up for another BACKBREAKER! Ricky is annoyed he doesn’t get to have fun, but he covers, TWO! Ricky clamps onto Dion and brings him over, tag back to Tank. They mug Dion, then Hank tags in.

Hank ‘n’ Tank rev it up, and Hank runs in for a SPLASH on Dion! Snapmare and cover, TWO! Dion toughs it out, takes a swing, and he ROCKS Hank! NXT returns to single picture as Dion RAMS Hank to the ropes! Osiris tags in, then he tags Saquon. Saquon tags Cutler, and all of DarkState mugs Hank! The fans boo but it is 4v1, and that’s more about them and the ref! The ref gets DarkState to stop, but Cutler DECKS Hank! Cutler CHOKES Hank on the ropes, Saquon talks trash, then Saquon gets a cheap shot in while the ref argues with Cutty. Cutler tags Dion, Dion sends Cutler in, and Cutler RAMS Hank!

Saquon tags in, then he tags Osiris. Cutler holds Hank in place for Saquon to DROPKICK, then Osiris sends Dion in for a LARIAT! Dion sends Hank to Osiris for a scoop and POWERSLAM! Cover, TWO! Hank toughs it out and the fans rally up. Osiris taunts Hank, clamps on and has a chinlock. Hank endures, the fans rally up even more, and Hank fights up! Hank fires body shots, but Osiris CLUBS him down! Osiris whips Hank to a corner hard, and Hank falls to the mat! Osiris grins, drags Hank up, and fires body shots. Osiris CHOKES Hank on the ropes, but he stops as the ref counts. Hank sputters but Osiris looms over him.

Osiris grins as he stands Hank up to fire more body shots, and even some UPPERCUTS! Osiris puts Hank back in the corner, talks trash, then whips corner to corner, but Tank takes the bump so Hank can LARIAT! The fans fire up as Hank and Osiris are down! They both crawl, hot tags to Tank and Dion! Tank rallies, dodges with a cartwheel, then LARIATS! BOOT for Cutler! Then a BIG atomic drop for Dion! Tank runs, Ricky tags in, and Tank CROSSBODIES! Then he DIVES onto Cutler & Osiris! The fans are all fired up and Ricky gets Dion for a TORNADO DDT! But then Saquon tags in! So Ricky LARIATS him!

Ricky LARIATS, Oba tags in rather hard, and Ricky asks the heck! Oba says he finishes this. But Saquon KNEES Ricky into Oba! Saquon back suplexes, Ricky lands out, and now Ricky shoves Saquon for Oba! SHOTPUT BOMB onto Ricky!? Accident or on purpose doesn’t matter right now as Oba then DECKS Cutler! And BLASTS Osiris! The fans fire up, but Ricky SLAPS Oba! The fans are torn as Oba and Ricky fight! Tank tags in before those two tumble out! They brawl up the ramp, already worried more about No Mercy than tonight! Hank tags in, and the fans fire up as they have Saquon! HONK HONK, BELLY SANDWICH!

Scoop and- NO, Osiris yanks Saquon down while Cutler YANKS Tank into the POST! Just like Heatwave! The fans boo, but Saquon CLAWS Hank’s eyes! Tag to Dion, he tags Osiris, and Osiris tags Cutler. DarkState gets Hank up, but Tank trips Osiris! Hank fights off the rest, and Tank sends Osiris into steel steps! The fans fire up, but Cutler LARIATS Hank! Cutler winds up, choke grips, and he shouts, “No one’s saving you now!” Hank shouts, “JOE HENDRY!” Say his name and he appears, WE BELIEVE IN JOE HNEDRY! We look to the ramp, he’s not there. But we turn around to see the crowd, HENDRY’S ON THE APRON!

The fans fire up as Cutler runs up, but Hendry gets away! Cutler turns around, Hank scoops! Tank is in, GRIDIRON!! Cover, the all-stars win!!

Winners: Oba Femi, Ricky Saints, Hank ‘n’ Tank, by pinfall

Well, Oba and Ricky don’t care either way, but Hendry celebrates with the Big Belly Bandits tonight. Hank ‘n’ Tank believe, but will that faith carry them through in their tag title rematch? Or will DarkState show them no mercy next time?

Wait, Oba and Ricky are still brawling!

They’re going nuts backstage against the garage door, and Oba UPPERCUTS Ricky! Security does what they can, but will these two brawl all the way to Fort Lauderdale?

My Thoughts:

A great NXT, with a lot of great build towards the stacked Autumn schedule. Trick Williams had a great promo with DIY, and this sounds like a tag match in the making for Homecoming. I don’t see Trick calling in Melo for this, mostly because that would be the obvious move. Trick bringing someone in from TNA who was formerly NXT might be better. And DIY being here tonight fits with Candice in the Women’s Speed Championship tournament. As someone who never watched WWE Speed on Twitter, this was a great introduction to it. I really like the lights changing to add a visual element to the drama of running out of time. Candice winning made sense, she’s the former champion and should at least be a finalist. Lainey Reid VS Fabe Apache will be really fun, too.

Very good promo from Ava with The Fatal Influence, #ZaRuca and #Tizzi. And “Tizzi” is such a brilliant name for that combo, it fits how “Izzi Dame” is “Dizzy Dame,” very 1920s to 1930s. The Triple Threat Elimination match will be awesome stuff, but with Charlotte & Alexa as the champions, I’d think one of the Heel teams wins out. Great opening match from Jaida VS Lash, with a great win for Lash but perhaps an even greater retaliation from Jaida. Blake and Arianna had a rather clunky product plug in their promo, but I did appreciate Arianna pointing out “Grace” doesn’t make her and Jordynne related.

Jordynne storming in was good stuff, and it helped set up the match tonight. Great showing for Kali, but obviously she was going to lose to Jordynne here. Blake and Jordynne brawling after and Blake getting bloodied was a nice bit. Vic Joseph on commentary also plugged the “Woman from Hell” nickname as Blake gave herself while Mariah May in AEW. I think Blake VS Jordynne will be a No Disqualification match to let them go the extra mile. Great promo vignette from Lola Vice, and if they’re doing a part two, this has to mean Lola Vice is winning the NXT Women’s Championship off Jacy at No Mercy. This is all reminiscent of Stephanie Vaquer’s vignettes, so it’d make sense if Lola is following in Stephanie’s footsteps.

Now, while Tavion and Ethan did a very good job with their promo, I’m rather disappointed we’re bringing back the Flag Match. The last one was John Cena VS Rusev, and even when you disregard them needlessly leaning into patriotism, the way a Flag Match works isn’t even that good. They should just give us the title match between Ethan and Tavion already. Really good stuff with Josh Briggs moving up as a top Heel, from beating up on Je’Von to picking fights in the locker room. Good stuff from Chase U, very good match from Briggs VS Chase, but of course Briggs wins. Briggs VS Je’Von will be great stuff, too, can’t wait to see it.

And great stuff in the main event story. DarkState had a great promo where they finally explain their motivations themselves. I appreciated they used continuity to tie both Dion’s history in NXT and Cutler’s time on LFG into this. Really good promo from the Face team, too, and while Oba and Ricky being dysfunctional was obvious, I loved Hank ‘n’ Tank bringing Joe Hendry into this. That helps tie the stuff DarkState’s been doing on TNA into this, too. Great win for Hank ‘n’ Tank to earn their title rematch, that’ll be a great part of either NXT: Homecoming or No Mercy. As for Oba and Ricky, good stuff with their brawl closing the show, their match at No Mercy will be awesome. And while they held back on Je’Von winning, they might actually go through with Ricky winning.

My Score: 8.8/10