Spring Breakin’ 2024 concludes with week two taking place tonight.
For the first time ever, there will be a women’s NXT Underground match. Natalya and Lola Vice are facing off in the MMA-inspired matchup. It pits a Hart Dungeon graduate against a former Bellator MMA fighter.
In addition to Natalya, main roster wrestlers Ivar, AOP, and The O.C. are set for action as well.
Ivar and AOP are both challenging for titles. It will be Oba Femi vs. Ivar for the North American Championship and Nathan Frazer & Axiom vs. AOP for the NXT Tag Team titles.
Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson vs. the debuting Tyson Dupont & Tyriek Igwe, Thea Hail vs. Jacy Jayne, and Shawn Spears vs. Ridge Holland round out the announced match lineup.
We’ll also get Trick Williams’ first appearance as NXT Champion. He defeated Ilja Dragunov for the title in last week’s main event.
Dragunov is among the wrestlers who were called up from NXT in the WWE Draft.
Join us for live coverage starting at 8 p.m. Eastern.
The new era is a common theme in recent months on WWE television for a variety of reasons. From the start, this episode of NXT feels like a new era. With that, out comes new NXT Champion Trick Williams for his first appearance in NXT as the brand’s new top men’s titleholder.
In his monologue, Trick acknowledges and thanks former champ Ilja Dragunov. Williams wishes him luck, and tells him to do his thing. Because seemingly no monologue in NXT can go uninterrupted, Lash Legend is out to interrupt the victory speech.
Legend walks to the ring while also congratulating Trick on winning the title. She ask him to help her get into the ring, and he holds the ropes open for her. She fans herself with the envelope in her hand, as Trick circles with elevator eyes. Lash calls Trick the “hottest superstar” in the brand.
Trick stops her to remind everyone the last time they met in a ring, she tried to smack him in the face. Trick inquires, “Now I got a little gold around my waist, and you want a little taste, don’t ya’?”
Lash says not to go there. Trick responds with sexual innuendo related to Reese’s Cups. Lash says that Trick should no she doesn’t even like Reese’s Cups. She like Kit Kat bars. Tricks replies, “Let me break you off then.”
Lash continues to fan herself with the envelope. She says that is enough, and she has something for him. What she has in the envelope is the truth. Lash goes on to tell Trick he should enjoy his title run for now, because it will all come crashing down. Lash adds that “things are going to get really hot.”
Lash leaves the ring. We still do not know what is in the envelope.
A vignette focuses on Arianna Grace trying to teach Gigi Dolan how to be a pageant queen. The main joke here was Dolan burping, and Grace being appalled by it.
NXT North American Champion Oba Femi defeated Ivar to retain his title
Femi pinned Ivar to retain the title in what was a hoss fight. Ivar led the way, and they had a really good match. Ivar took some big bumps, and he flew around like crazy.
Ivar starts off hot, and he does a somersault senton off the apron. No luck on a leap off the top rope, but Ivar still manages to catch Femi with a twisting powerslam. Femi fights back and the fight spills outside again, where they do a stunt smashing through a piece of the barricade. From there, the show cuts to a split-screen commercial break.
The fight continues during the break, and there are even more high spots when the show returns from commercials. Ivar leaps off the top turnbuckle, and he somersaults to the floor on Femi. Ivar is soon cut off again, but he kicks out for a near fall.
Femi is running wild with smashes into a corner, until he eats a leg lariat. Near fall for Ivar, but it was Femi’s turn to kick out. They continue trading near falls. In a feat of strength, Femi picks Ivar up for a Samoan Drop. Moments later, the mighty Ivar jumps off the top rope with a massive moonsault press. Femi gets a foot on the break the count.
To set up the finish, they do an electric chair spot where Femi falls back with Ivar on Femi’s shoulders. Femi then hulks up, and he powerbombs Ivar. Three count later, and still…
Thea Hail is flanked by her Chase U pals as she heads to the ring for her match tonight. Hail is pumped up. Fallon Henley is also there, but she is bummed about not getting drafted, among other things. Jacy Jayne is in Henley’s head. Hail still wants Henley in her corner, and Henley agrees. Hail then enters through the crowd for her grudge match that is up next.
Thea Hail (with Andre Chase, Duke Hudson, Riley Osborne & Fallon Henley) defeated Jacy Jayne (with Jazmyn Nyx)
Hail submitted Jayne with a Kimura lock. Fallon Henley took a bullet for Hail, which led into the finish. In an angle after the match, Henley turns on Hail and attacks her.
Jayne gets heat on Hail as they wrestle through a split-screen commercial break. When Hail ends up outside the ring, Nyz tries to interfere by attacking Hail. She ducks a lariat from Nyz, and Henley jumps in to take the bullet. Nyz goes for a Pele kick, and Henley takes the kick instead of Hail.
Hail then gets back into the ring, where she traps Jayne in a Kimura lock. Jayne taps out, and Hail wins via submission.
Hail celebrates in the ring with Chase U, while Henley sells her face from the kick. As they go to leave, Henley stops Hail. Henley then smacks Hail with a right hand. Hail sells big, and Henley saunters away. She stops briefing to exchange glances with Jayne.
Tyson Dupont & Tyriek Igwe are the focus of a video package that hypes their debut match, which is up next.
Karl Anderson & Luke Gallows defeated Tyson Dupont & Tyriek Igwe
The Good Brothers win by pinfall after Igwe takes a Magic Killer. Gallows then covers Igwe for a clean pinfall. Dupont & Igwe were given several video packages ahead of their debut match, and then they lose clean in the middle of the ring via pinfall. Please make it make sense. Dupont & Igwe could have started with a lot of momentum in a big push. Instead, they lose their first match.
The WWE Draft is the focus of a video package. More specifically, draft picks where NXT talents gets called up to the main roster is the main focus. No only do the draft picks gets recognition, the video package puts over the coaches at the Performance Center. Johnny Moss, Alex Winkler Robbie Brookside and Williams Regal comment on cultivating the future of WWE.
NXT GM Ava is in ring to announce a ladder match, which will determine the first NXT Women’s North American Champion. Ava announces the ladder match will take place at NXT Battleground. Beginning next week, the women’s roster will take part in a combine. The top 12 in the combine then have qualifying matches to determine the slots for the ladder match.
Because seemingly no monologue in NXT can go uninterrupted, out comes Jaida Parker to interrupt Ava. Parker gets in the ring, while saying she will demolish everyone other woman in the locker room. Parker is then interrupted, as Sol Ruca comes to the ring to confront Parker. Next to interrupt is Ariana Grace, followed by main roster talent Michin.
Michin declares she will enter the combine. Grace cuts off Michin’s promo, leaving to Michin smacking her. A wild melee erupts. It’s a Gordon Solie Pier Sixer, as the a bunch of the women’s roster rush the ring for a big brawl.
Ridge Holland defeated Shawn Spears
Holland pinned Spears, after a Holland’s DDT finisher. Holland also delivered an exploder suplex to set up the finish, which played into a spot where Spears did that same on Holland weeks ago. Holland wins the grudge match
The match went through a commercial break, and it felt like just another match on the show despite how much TV time was devoted to the feud.
NXT Women’s Champion Roxanne Perez and Ava argue in a backstage skit. Perez is upset she did not get drafter, and Ava explains she was immune from the draft because Perez was a titleholder. That upset Perez even more, and she storms off. Ava says they will have to talk sometime later. This skit seemed to serve little purpose, although it leads to a skit that closes the show.
Wes Lee and Josh Briggs exchange words in another backstage skit, setting up a match between the two. Ivar is also there, and he tells Lee that Ivar is not done with Femi yet.
Paul Ellering cuts a promo for the Authors of Pain, ahead of their tag match that is up next. AOP grimace and show their mean faces, doing their best Road Warriors act.
The D’Angelo Family is riding around in a SUV, and they are planning Tony D’Angelo strategy when he challenges for the Heritage Cup.
NXT Tag Team Champions Nathan Frazier & Axiom defeated The Authors of Pain (Akam & Rezar with Paul Ellering, Karrios Kross & Scarlett) to retain their titles
Pete Dunne & Tyler Bate interfere, allowing Axiom to win with a schoolboy roll-up. The babyface champs in their first defense retain thanks to outside interference. The booking on this show remains perplexing in terms of getting people over. Regardless, this was a decent enough tag match in spite of the screw-job finish.
Skirmish before the bell, as they brawl. The babyfaces clear the ring and do dives, as they shine at the start. The bell officially rings to start the match, and AOP are quickly in control. The heel monsters work over Frazier, and the match goes through a commercial break. Heat on Axiom as the show is returning from the break.
Hot tag to Frazier, and he explodes with a flurry of moves at a rapid pace. Nevertheless, Frazier is soon cut off. Tandem offense by AOP, which led to a near fall and shocked facial expressions when the babyfaces kicked out.
Scarlett interferes at one point, so the referee ejects both her and Kross, who had also jumped on the apron. Ellering is allowed to stay. Meanwhile, AOP toys with Axiom. Tyler Bate & Pete Dunne suddenly appear at ringside, and they interfere by booting Akam & Rezar. Axiom then scores a three count with a schoolboy cover.
Thea Hail is flanked by Chase U in the trainer’s room. In walks Ridge Holland, who is wearing red. Everyone is in school colors. Foreshadowing or nah? Anyway, Holland and Andre Chase have a cordial chat.
Meta-Four cut a promo where Noam Dar invites Trick Williams to be a guest on Supernova Sessions next week. If Williams accepts the invite, Dar promises to reveal the contents of the envelope that Lash Legend had earlier in the show.
The heel turn of Fallon Henley continues, as Henley tells Kelani Jordan that Henley will now put herself first. Very unoriginal idea for a heel turn, since we have seen similar motivations on NXT before in other angles.
Edris Enofe & Malik Blade are talking about the broken mirror skit from last week, when in walks Brinley Reece. She brought black cats for them to play with. The joke is black cats bring bad luck, adding to the bad luck brought by the broken mirror. Maybe they will walk under a ladder next week. Not sure how this gets them over as anything more than a mid-card comedy act, especially considering Enofe & Blade have lost clean so many times.
Down comes the ropes, as preparations are made for the Underground. Surrounding the ring is a bunch of other people on the roster, forming a human cage around the ring like they are lumberjacks. They pound on the mat, and they take bumps when the two women crash into them, but the do not otherwise factor into the match.
Lola Vice (with Shayna Baszler) defeated Natalya (with Karmen Petrovic) in an Underground match
Vice won via referee stoppage, after Vice knocked out Nattie with a back fist. Interference by Shayna Baszler cost Nattie the match. This match worked for what it was, but it seemed way overbooked.
Do not confuse the Underground gimmick with Josh Barnetts’ Bloodsport. The Underground is way more WWE. Did not take them long to get into pro wrestling spots. There is still a lot of grappling. Nattie takes a bump outside, just before the show cuts to a split-screen commercial break.
Later, the fight spilled outside the ring again. Nattie takes a bump on the announce desk. Moments later, Nattie is sent crashing into the ring post. Vice applies a triangle choke, but Nattie escapes the hold. Vice applies another choke. Nattie finally escapes by rolling out of the ring, where Nattie delivers a spinebuster to break the guillotine choke.
Nattie rams Vice’s leg into the ring post, and Nattie does a takeoff on Bret Hart’s ring post figure-four spot. Nattie applies a knee bar with Vice’s legs tied around the post. Baszler walks over near them, and Petrovic jumps on Baszler’s back before she can interfere.
Back in the ring, Baszler interferes to tray blocking Nattie from applying a sharpshooter. Nattie fights off Baszler, and she tosses Baszler out of the ring. Nattie then goes on to apply a sharpshooter. With Vice trapped in the sharpshooter, Baszler basically takes a hostage. Baszler grabs Pertrovic in a Kirifuda Clutch. Nattie breaks the hold and goes after Baszler. Nattie pummels Baszler, and Nattie sends Baszler crashing into the barricade.
For the finish, Nattie gets back into the ring. Baszler is on her feet again, and she grabs Nattie’s foot. The interference and distraction by Baszler is enough for Vice to catch Nattie off guard. Nattie kicks free from Baszler’s grasp, only for Nattie to turn around and walk into a spinning back fist delivered by Vice. Nattie sells like she is out cold, as Vice is pummeling her with ground and pound. The ref jumps in to stop the match, awarding the win to Vice.
Closing the show is a backstage skit with GM Ava and NXT Women’s Champ Roxanne Perez. Ava reveals to Perez that her next title defense is next week against Chelsea Green. Popping in for a quick promo, Green basically vows to win the gold. Green tells Ava she is the nest, and Green remarks she will love it here in NXT.
