One week after his surprise WWE NXT debut, Ricky Starks is set to appear again tonight.
Starks will become an official member of the NXT roster as he signs his WWE contract. Shortly after his departure from AEW was confirmed, he arrived on NXT last Tuesday. WWE has still not officially said Starks’ name — and we should find out tonight whether he’s getting a name change or keeping his identity.
The fallout from Vengeance Day also takes place on tonight’s show. A new NXT Women’s North American Champion was crowned last weekend when Stephanie Vaquer dethroned Fallon Henley. Tonight, we find out who’s first in line for a title shot when Kelani Jordan, Jaida Parker, and Karmen Petrovic meet in a triple threat number one contender’s bout.
Zaria & Sol Ruca vs. Lash Legend & Jakara Jackson will also go down, and Stacks takes on Shawn Spears in singles action.
A new faction consisting of Dion Lennox, Saquon Shugars, Cutler James & Osiris Griffin made their mark at Vengeance Day with attacks on NXT Champion Oba Femi and NXT Tag Team Champions Nathan Frazer & Axiom. We’ll see if the new group has any more targets tonight.
Join us for live coverage starting at 8 p.m. Eastern time.
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NXT is back to the sound stage at the Performance Center in front of a live studio audience.
Highlights from NXT Vengeance Day show the events from D.C. at the PLE.
TNA X-Division Champion Moose debuts in NXT
NXT Champion Oba Femi enters the sound stage, heading for the ring for an opening monologue. Femi takes a microphone and says let’s get to business. The group that jumped him made one mistake. They did not finish the job. Femi stands here unfazed, and he calls them down the ring to finish what they started.
Instead, comes quite the surprise. Out comes TNA X-Division Champion Moose, and he gets in the ring to confront Femi. “Holy s***” chants were bleeped on CW.
Moose says just burst the bubble Femi has been living in, as Moose is the only man Femi cannot rule over. Femi responds that is only in Moose’s bubble. Here in NXT, Femi is “inevitable.” Moose says “this has to happen,” referring to Moose against Femi in a match.
“Don’t worry, it will,” Femi says as they both raise their respective titles overhead in a great photo op.
Jordynne Grace is seen arriving to the building, as is Rick Starks.
Jaida Parker gets a full entrance before the show’s first commercial break. She has to wait though, as first comes a skit when the show returns from commercials.
Eddy Thorpe is in General Manger Ava’s office and they are interrupted by Kale Dixon and Uriah Connors. They have flyers for a party they are throwing, and they are apparently papering the town.
Dixon and Connors think it is “sick” they are inviting the GM to their party. Thorpe remarks that is probably not good idea. They then try booking Thorpe to DJ at their party. Thorpe cuts a promo on them, and ask if they should be in class.
They says Mr. Chase keeps turning them down, and Thorpe remarks that is a good thing. He will only bring them down. Dixon and Connors are insulted on behalf of Mr. Chase. So, on behalf of Mr. Chase, they challenge Thorpe to a match for later tonight.
Karmen Petrovic (with Ashante “Thee” Adonis) defeated Kelani Jordan and Jaida Parker in a triple threat match to become number one contender
Petrovic pinned Jordan to win the match, with some help from Adonis.
The match goes through a commercial break. Triple threat matches are probably way overdone and way too often, but this is the first triple threat match for all participants (at least according to Vic Joseph on commentary).
All three trade near falls. Adonis intervenes at one point, pulling Petrovic out of the ring after she takes a signature move from Parker. In the meantime, Jordan has climbed to the top rope looking to splash Petrovic. Instead, Parker brings Jordan back into the ring with a superplex. When Parker does her signature hip drop on Jordan, she celebrates with her usual dance. Meanwhile, Adonis rolls Petrovic back into the ring. Petrovic then rolls up Jordan with a cradle for a three count.
Parker jumps Petrovic after the match, and Jordan then jumps on Parker. Jordan and Parker brawl at ringside and exit stage left. Adonis raises Petrovic’s hand in the ring, as Petrovic is the number one contender.
Jordynne Grace is seen walking backstage, and she is headed to address the NXT audience. Up wait, cut back to the ring.
The trio of Fatal Influence run in and gang up on Petrovic. They are stomping Petrovic and beating her down. Adonis is throwing his hands up on protest, but otherwise does not intervene. He will help her win a match, but not stop her getting beaten down. Make it make sense.
Adonis pleads for help from the back, as does Vic Joseph on commentary. The show cuts to a split-screen commercial break, and Fatal Influence keeps ganging up on Petrovic. Stephanie Vaquer marches to the ring to confront Fatal Influence, as Petrovic is laid out on the floor at ringside.
NXT Women’s Champion Giulia runs down to help, and she is also jumped by Fatal Influence. Mind you, this is all happening during a picture-in-picture break. No sound. Sure. Why not?
This beatdown builds to Jordynne Grace coming down for the save, soon as the show returns from the break.t The heel trio powders and flees the scene after the babyfaces clean house. Grace says on the house mic that she came to NXT to be part of the best women’s division.
Grace then challenges the heels trio to a match tonight. Vic Joseph wonders out loud if that match will be made official. Come on Vic. You are smarter than that. Spoiler, the trios match is made official later in the show.
Zaria & Sol Ruca defeated Lash Legend & Jakara Jackson
Ruca pinned Jackson to win the match. This was overly choreographed at times, but also fun at times.
Zaria and Legend try to outshine the other with power moves. Meta-Girls stand tall as the show cuts to a commercial break. No split-screen this time.
Zaria cleans house after the break. Sol Ruca tags in. Moments later, she escaped a Gory Special from Legend, and Zaria tags in again. Jackson is double-teamed by the babyface team, but Jackson makes her own save.
Double down with Zaira and Legend as both hit pump kicks. The trade strikes. Jackson tags back in, and she gets speared by Zaria. F5 by Zaria on Jackson, and Ruca tags in once again to deliver a Sol Snatcher. Ruca then covers Jackson for a pinfall.
Wes Lee is with Tyriek Igwe and Tyson Dupont, when they are approached by reporter Sarah Schreiber for an interview. Lee is cutting a promo when Ricky Starks walks by. Schreiber excuses herself to interview Starks. Wes Lee is freaking out about it in the background.
Starks acknowledges there are a lot of questions, and he will answer them shortly.
GM Ava enters the ring with a contract in hand. Starks gets a full entrance, but no one has called him by name. Starks is billed as the biggest NXT signing in quite some time. Ava calls him the hottest free agent in wrestling. Still not called by name.
Starks has some things to get off his chest. Starks then cuts a promo on him being NXT is a reality. He is “the man” in NXT. Starks says will do his best, and he is about to sign the contract when the signing is interrupted by Ethan Page.
Page gets in the ring to confront Starks. They argue of course, and they clearly setting up a match between them. Page goads Starks, and Page insists Starks is following the Ethan Page playbook. There is only one Ethan Page (thank the Lord), and Starks is looking at him.
Starks says he will take NXT to another level, and Page will be unable to reach that bar. Starks brings up Je’Von Evans, and Starks warns Page that someone like Evans always comes back around. That was foreshadowing, as Evans runs in and jumps Page. They powder as Evans brawls with Page.
Starks is ready to focus again on signing his NXT contract when out comes Wes Lee. Starks looks on as Lee cuts a promo coming to the ring. Lee warns Starks thatt disrespecting Lee is the number one rule around here. Lee wants to be Starks’ first opponent in NXT.
Starks then challenges Lee to a match next week. Starks says Lee will be welcomed to the revolution. Lee tries to sucker punch Starks, but Starks counters and sends Lee packing. Referee run down to ringside and hold Lee back.
Starks then signs the contract. In doing so, Starks reveals his new name — RICKY SAINTS. Sure. Why not?
NXT Tag Team Champions Nathan Frazier & Axiom are being interviewed when they are interrupted by No Quarter Catch Crew. Tavion Heights and Myle Borne then issue a challenge to TNA World Tag Team Champions Matt & Jeff Hardy for a match next week.
A bunch of wrestlers are laid out backstage, and Saints walks in. He remarks this place is crazy.
Shawn Spears defeated Channing “Stacks” Lorenzo
Spears pinned Stacks clean after a C4. Good match but it seemed like filler on this show.
In a backstage skit, Lexis King has a confrontation with Moose. This seems to set up a match between the two in King’s hometown of Cincinnati.
Andre Chase is almost fired up by Dixon & Connors, but Chase instead doubts himself. Dixon & Connor try to cheer him up, and they insist they’ll have Chase’s back.
Depressed Chase enters the sound stage for his match, just before the show cuts to a commercial break.
Eddy Thorpe defeated Andre Chase
Thorpe pinned Chase. Dixon & Connors show up in the crowd wearing Chase U shirts, and they lead the crowd in cheering Chase. Dixon & Connors soon make their way to ringside as Chase has a rally.
Chase is suddenly fired up and he runs through his signature moves. He goes to spell out Chase U, but Chase stops. He is now unsure of himself again, which is bad timing. Thorpe chops blocks him and punishes Chase. Impaler DDT by Thorpe, and he covers Chase for a three count.
As Thorpe is basking in his win, Trick Williams appears with a promo on the video screen. Trick says his issues with Thorpe are not over. If Trick is going down, he is bring Thorpe with him. An ominous warning from Trick. The announce team cannot make sense of it.
Ricky Saints is talking with Ava backstage when they are met by Ethan Page. In comes Wes Lee as well. Je’Von Evans is there too. So, Ava books at a tag match for next week with Saints & Evans against Lee & Page.
In a video posted to social media, Matt & Jeff Hardy cut a promo where they accept the challenge from No Quarter Catch Crew. Next Tuesday on NXT has the Hardys against Heights & Borne.
Jordynne Grace, NXT Women’s North American Champion Stephanie Vaquer & NXT Women’s Champion Giulia defeated Fatal Influence (Fallon Henley, Jacy Jayne & Jazmyn Nyx) in a six-woman tag team match
Grace pinned Nyx to win the match.
This was a fun main event where the babyface trio got to shine. Grace did a dive to the outside after showing her power. Vaquer did a signature spot, but she is soon cut off by the heel trio. The heels work over Vaquer during a split-screen commercial break.
Hot tag to Grace, and the heel trio feeds into her for scoop slams. Moments later, no water in the pool for Grace when she goes for a Vader bomb. Grace takes a running knee strike from Jayne for a near fall. Nyx gets a near fall, and everybody gets involved in the closing moments.
Giulia is running wild when Henley trips her up. Giulia is sent crashing into the ring steps. Vaquer with a save by leaping off the top with high cross on the floor. Meanwhile, Grace is in the ring with Nyx.
Grace delivers a back fist and executes her finisher. Grace then hooks a leg and covers Nyx for the deciding pinfall.
The show ends with a cliffhanger where Ava’s office is ransacked and Robert Stone is out after an apparent ambush.
