WWE NXT Champion Trick Williams will team with Bubba Ray Dudley against former champion Ethan Page and Ridge Holland as part of tonight’s live debut from the former ECW Arena.
Dudley and Holland got into a verbal altercation at last month’s Halloween Havoc leading to Dudley getting physically involved in defending Williams on last week’s NXT TV.
The show is taking place on a different night as well, going head-to-head with AEW Dynamite.
In an all-star 10-woman tag team match, former TNA Knockouts Champion Jordynne Grace returns to team with Stephanie Vaquer, Giulia, Kelani Jordan and Zaria against NXT Women’s Champion Roxanne Perez, Cora Jade, and all three members of Fatal Influence.
In an homage to the now-2300 Arena, Lola Vice will go one-on-one with Jaida Parker in a hardcore match with former ECW manager Dawn Marie as special guest referee.
In an anticipated singles bout, Je’Von Evans will go to battle with Wes Lee.
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The show begins with a canned intro that uses the ECW “This is Extreme!” theme song, along with clips from NXT action. NXT is live on the air from the corner of Swanson and Ritner, from the former home of the ECW Arena.
In the crowd is someone dressed like Hat Guy, and his seat is nearly in the same spot. Opening the show is a “hardcore” match.
Jaida Parker defeated Lola Vice in a hardcore match with Dawn Marie as special guest referee
Parker pinned Vice after a hip attack finisher. They steal a page from the Friday script, except in this version the heel grabs a brick and hits the babyface. That set up the finish.
Metal folding chairs are used early and often in the match. There are spinning back fists into chairs, chairs wedged between the ropes, chairs scattered in the ring, and also chair shots of course. Vice tries to get a table from underneath the ring, but Parker shoves the table back under the ring.
Double clothesline on the floor, and a double down as the show cuts to its first commercial break. When the show returns, ladders, trash cans, and kendo sticks (or “Singapore canes” since this is an ECW tribute show).
Vice is put on a ladder bridged in the ropes, and Parker jumps off a standing ladder in the ring. Parker with a “teardrop” senton and crushes the ladder bridge, and Parker gets a near fall. Vice fights back to apply a choke, yet Parker is able to escape. They took turns hitting each other with the Singapore canes, and they took some big bumps.
Just before they go home, Vice has Parker trapped in a chokehold. Parker is able to pick up a gimmicked brick that is laying in the ring, and Parker hits Vice with the brick. The hold is broken of course, and Parker gets to her feet so she can run the ropes. Parker delivers her hip attack finisher, and Parker covers Vice for a three count.
Ridge Holland and Ethan Page are together to cut promos on their opponents for tonight. Notably, Page says there will be no tables in their match.
Wes Lee ambushes Rob Van Dam in a backstage skit. RVD is giving some advice to Kelani Jordan, who points Rob in the direction of Ava’s office. Suddenly, Wes Lee runs in to attack RVD. The skit is shot in a way that chair shots are not seen, but heard instead.
Adrianna Rizzo against Nikkita Lyons in a singles match is official for next week, which is first mentioned in a skit where Nunzio (Little Guido) and Tony Mamaluke meet up with a Tony D’Angelo and his Family for not checking in. Nunzio is apparently now a gangster from Philly. It was silly, but not in the fun way when Little Guido ran with the FBI.
Je’Von Evans defeated Wes Lee
Evans pinned Lee, in a match where RVD shows up at ringside. This was a pretty dang good match, and it was more in the spirit of the original ECW than anything else on the show so far.
The match goes through a commercial break. The show cuts to commercial after Lee drops Evans with a brain buster on the ring steps.
Less brawling after the break, and more high spots. Lots of flying. Evans does his double springboard into a cutter, but Lee rolls out of the ring before Evans can make a cover. Evans then sails through the ropes with tope suicida that sends him crashing over the announce desk.
Lee gets a chair and goes to hit Evans, but the ref takes the chair away. Moments later, Lee gets the chair again. That brings out RVD, who made a miraculous recovery. Lee confronts RVD, and RVD ducks a chair shot. Evans then dives over the ropes on Lee.
Rolling back into the ring, Lee takes a flying cutter from Evans. RVD cheers on Evans as he does a frog splash, and Evans covers Lee for a pinfall.
Eddy Thorpe wants to speak with Ava, but she makes an excuse and says it can wait. Ava is headed to the ring alongside Stevie Turner and Robert Stone.
After a commercial break, Ava and company are in the ring. The crowd is tough as Ava announces the next NXT PLE will be Deadline. Robert Stone butts in to cut a promo on Philly fans. Stone puts over New York fans over Philly fans. Stone keeps cutting a promo on Philly when the arena lights go dark. The lights come back on and Rhino is in the ring. Rhino gores Stone, and the crowd pops.
Ridge Holland & Ethan Page defeated NXT Champion Trick Williams & Bubba Ray Dudley
Holland pinned Williams to win the match. With Holland pinning the champion, that likely sets up a title bout for the near future. D-Von Dudley made a cameo in a post-match angle.
Holland shoves Bubba early on, so they square off. Later on, Bubba cleans house after a mildly hot tag. The crowd was nonetheless hot for Bubba. The heels are reeling as the show cuts to a commercial break.
When the show returns from the break, Bubba is crotched on the ring post. Holland & Page then get heat on Bubba, as they work him over. Bubba is audibly calling spots clear as day, as he sets up to deliver a spear. Hot tag to Trick, and he is a house of fire. All four are involved in the match just before the finish.
For the finish, Holland dodges Trick’s knee strike finisher, and Holland rolls up Trick for a pinfall.
Page jumps Trick after the match. Holland then joins in to team up on Trick. Page & Holland are beating down Trick when Bubba makes a save. Bubba and Trick do the “wazzzup” and the “get the tables” spots, which were actually not part of ECW lore. Whatever, though. It got over with the live crowd.
When Trick went to get a table, he could not find a table under the ring. They wondered what to do when the Dudley’s theme song blares, and out comes D’Von Dudley with a table. Page is then put through a table. D-Von then presents Trick with a pair of Dudley glasses.
The love story between Ashante “Thee” Adonis and Karmen Petrovic continues to blossom. Slow burn here.
NXT North American Champion Tony D’Angelo (with The Family) defeated Nunzio (with Tony Mamaluke)
D’Angelo pinned Nunzio after a spinebuster. Nunzio looked very thin in tights, but he can still work pretty well. He did a few of his signature spots, before getting a crowbar to use. The ref takes the crowbar from Nunzio, and D’Angelo finishes him off. D’Angelo executes his finisher, and he covers Nunzio for a pinfall. Tony D and Nunzio embrace after the match after shaking hands.
Backstage, Shawn Spears tells Brooks Jensen that he is “feeling Italian” next week in Orlando.
In footage from last week, Mr. William Regal shakes hands and says farewell to Lexis King. Regal the runs into Charlie Dempsey and the No Quarter Crew. Regal remarks to Dempsey that King is not his father’s son. Regals asks Dempsey is he is his father’s son. Dempsey says time will tell. The inside joke here is Dempsey’s actual father is Regal.
Francine is shown in the front row of ringside.
TNA Knockouts Champion Jordynne Grace, Stephanie Vaquer, Giulia, Kelani Jordan & Zaria defeated NXT Women’s North American Champion Fallon Henley, Jacy Jayne, Jazmyn Nyz, Cora Jade & NXT Women’s Champion Roxanne Perez
Zaria pinned Perez to win the match. This was a good match where everyone got to shine or get some spots in. Giulia and Vaquer worked together with tandem moves, since they are an established team. Zaria eventually tags in, and she looks strong.
All ten face off in a standoff that turns into a slugfest. Jordan does a moonsault off the top rope to the floor, just before the show cuts to its final commercial break. A replay shows the moonsault in slow motion as the show fades into commercials.
After returning from the break, heat on Jordan. She is kept away from her corner, as Jordan is in peril. Hot tag to Grace, and she is a house of fire. She gets a near fall on Jade.
Lash Legend & Jakara Jackson come down to ringside, and they are wiped out with high flying from Vaquer & Giulia.
Everyone gets involved with a parade of high spots in the closing moments. Zaria inadvertently spears Grace in the match, which was a very notable spot.
For the finish itself, Perez goes for Pop Rocks. Zaria blocks the move, and Zaria gives Perez the F-5. Zaria then covers Perez to win the match.
The babyfaces celebrate with their hands’ raised, as the ECW theme song plays before the show fades to black.
There was some really good wrestling on the show, but this was the lamest ECW tribute I have seen. As a fan of the original ECW, this show had none of the magic of past tribute shows.
