A surprise match led Solo Sikoa to his first NXT North American Championship.
Sikoa defeated Hayes in an impromptu match in the main event of Tuesday’s NXT, pinning Hayes after a splash off the top rope. This ends Hayes’ second run with the North American Championship after 102 days.
The main event of Tuesday’s NXT was originally set to have Wes Lee, voted on by fans, taking on Carmelo Hayes. However, Hayes and Trick Williams jumped Lee backstage, ramming his head into a locker door repeatedly. Later in the ring, Hayes said everyone from all brands was coming for him. That was when Sikoa appeared, taking out both Hayes and Williams. Sikoa said that he had next, eventually leading to the match.
Sikoa recently made his main roster debut at WWE Clash at the Castle, helping cousin Roman Reigns defeat Drew McIntyre to retain the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship. He made his in-ring debut on the following SmackDown facing McIntyre, where it ended in a no contest.
After helping Roman Reigns retain at Clash at the Castle, Solo Sikoa made his main roster in-ring debut on SmackDown last night.
Drew McIntyre was out for revenge on Sikoa, showing up with a steel chair and interrupting SIkoa’s official introduction into The Bloodline. That set up McIntyre facing Sikoa in last night’s main event.
The Street Profits helped McIntyre deal with The Usos and Sami Zayn during the match, but it ended in a disqualification when Karrion Kross appeared and put McIntyre in the Kross Jacket. The show faded to black as McIntyre tried and failed to break free.
Also on last night’s show, Ronda Rousey won a five-way elimination match to earn a SmackDown Women’s Championship shot against Liv Morgan at Extreme Rules, the Brawling Brutes took on Imperium, and more.
Saturday’s Clash at the Castle pay-per-view concluded with NXT wrestler Solo Sikoa making his main roster debut and helping Roman Reigns retain the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship. Sikoa pulled the referee out of the ring just as McIntyre was about to get the victory.
McIntyre hit a spear on Reigns near the end of the match and then connected with a Claymore. The referee was about to count to three but then got pulled out of the ring by Sikoa. McIntyre went to go after Sikoa, but that allowed Reigns to hit a spear and pin McIntyre to win the match.
Sikoa is the son of Rikishi and the younger brother of Jimmy & Jey Uso. Until Sikoa’s appearance, Reigns didn’t have anyone at ringside with him at Clash at the Castle. The Usos didn’t appear at the PPV after getting laid out by McIntyre on Friday’s SmackDown. Paul Heyman hasn’t been on WWE television since Brock Lesnar gave him an F-5 through the announce table at SummerSlam.
Sikoa (real name Joseph Fatu) signed with WWE in August 2021 and made his NXT TV debut later that year.
There was a moment during Reigns vs. McIntyre where Austin Theory tried to cash in his Money in the Bank briefcase. Boxer Tyson Fury, who was sitting at ringside, knocked Theory out with a punch before he could cash in.
After the main event, Fury went face-to-face with Reigns before the two shook hands. The PPV then ended with Fury and McIntyre singing “American Pie” by Don McLean together in the ring and McIntyre singing some of “Don’t Look Back in Anger” by Oasis. McIntyre promised that he’ll never give up.
Saturday was the 734th day of Reigns’ ongoing title run.
In the latest edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer gave an update on wrestlers who could be coming to the WWE main roster.
Meltzer confirmed that, as indicated on NXT this week, the entirety of Legado del Fantasma is being brought up to the main roster. Meltzer also mentioned Solo Sikoa and Indi Hartwell as names who have been talked about for call-ups.
“The entire Legado group, with Santos Escobar, Joaquin Wilde, Cruz Del Toro and Elektra Lopez, is going to the main roster,” Meltzer wrote. “Other names that have been talked about in that regard are Solo Sikoa and Indi Hartwell, although no time frame for either.”
There was a segment on NXT this Tuesday where Escobar picked up Wilde, Del Toro, and Lopez in the parking lot. Escobar said he wasn’t going to leave NXT without them.
In storyline, Escobar was banned from NXT as a stipulation of losing to Tony D’Angelo at Heatwave last week.
PWInsider reported on Thursday that Sikoa “could be main roster bound in the very near future, possibly as soon as next month.”
Dexter Lumis, who returned to WWE on Raw earlier this month, made an appearance on NXT this week and reunited with Hartwell. He left Hartwell a note that said goodbye “for now.”
On Tuesday’s NXT, Sikoa was shown in the trainer’s room. The trainer told him that he had a sprained PCL, and as a result would be out 4-6 weeks. Sikoa wasn’t happy that he would be out of action for that long.
Sikoa faced off against Von Wagner last week on NXT in a falls count anywhere match. In a match that saw the two fight all around the WWE Performance Center using a variety of weapons, Sikoa picked up the win after hitting a splash through the table.
After Sikoa was told of his injury, Cameron Grimes walked into the trainer’s room and congratulated Sikoa on the win. Sikoa thanked him, saying that he would be working for the title for people like Grimes. Grimes walked out of the room dejected. Later, when leaving the Performance Center, Grimes was stopped by Joe Gacy and asked where he was going. When Grimes answered home, Gacy asked him who would he be going home to. Grimes didn’t answer the question and left.
On this past Tuesday’s show, Sioka and Wagner met in a singles match. The two were counted out after continuing to brawl outside the ring. The two eventually made their way to the back, taking several segments to break them up. Sikoa took Mr. Stone and ended up throwing him into a nearby dumpster. Sofia Cromwell was eventually able to calm Wagner down.
Here is the current lineup for this Tuesday’s show:
JD McDonagh vs. Cameron Grimes
20-woman battle royal for a NXT Women’s Championship title shot
Josh Briggs & Brooks Jensen vs. Pretty Deadly for the NXT UK Tag Team titles
WWE NXT 2.0 Spring Breakin’ is officially in the books. Join on-camera personality Denise Salcedo on her weekly NXT 2.0 post-show. There’s a lot of topics to touch on including the recent NXT releases, pros of NXT 2.0, and so much more.
This show featured a lot of skits, a hot opener for the NXT North American Championship, and an NXT Championship match.
This is the best way to stay-up-to-date with the new NXT.
Three title matches have been announced for next week’s WWE NXT.
Mandy Rose will defend the NXT Women’s Championship against Dakota Kai, Cameron Grimes will defend the NXT North American Championship against Solo Sikoa, and MSK will defend the NXT Tag Team titles against Grayson Waller and Sanga. Kushida will also face Von Wagner in a singles match.
Rose was involved in the finish of tonight’s NXT Women’s Tag Team title match, allowing Jacey Jayne and Gigi Dolin to regain the titles from Kai and partner Raquel Gonzalez. Later, in a backstage promo, Kai promised revenge.
MSK will defend against Waller and Sanga following an interview that took place on tonight’s show. MSK were doing a promo when Waller and Sanga walked up, with Waller boasting about how he was trending after Saturday. Lee told Waller they won the tag team titles, but Sanga told MSK that they wouldn’t be champions for long. MSK challenged them to a match for tonight’s show, but Waller and Sanga rejected the offer, with Waller pointing to his injured elbow. Waller told them they would take the titles when they were ready.
As Cameron Grimes came out to celebrate his North American title win, Solo Sikoa came out and was respectful, saying that now comes the hard part of becoming champion – defending it. Grimes said he had to fight every day to be here and told Solo that the match was on.
Solo Sikoa and Grayson Waller advanced to the North American Championship ladder match at TakeOver on tonight’s NXT.
The show opened with Sikoa pinning Roderick Strong following a splash off the top rope. Later in the program, Waller advanced after pinning A-Kid with a rolling cutter.
Carmelo Hayes and Trick Williams then announced after the Waller/A-Kid match that a three-way match featuring people who lost their qualifying matches (A-Kid, Roderick Strong, and Cameron Grimes) will take place next week, determining the final participant in the match. After some insults, A-Kid laid out Williams and Hayes to close out the segment.
Already qualifying for the North American title match is Santos Escobar, who defeated Grimes on last week’s show.
Here is the current card for NXT Stand & Deliver, which will take place April 2 at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas:
Dolph Ziggler vs. Bron Breakker for the NXT Championship
Imperium vs. The Creed Brothers vs. MSK for the NXT Tag Team Championship
Mandy Rose vs. Cora Jade for the NXT Women’s Championship
Tommaso Ciampa vs. Tony D’Angelo
LA Knight vs. Gunther
Carmelo Hayes vs. Santos Escobar vs. Grayson Waller vs. Solo Sikoa vs. TBA in a ladder match for the NXT North American Championship
Two North American title qualifying matches, along with two other matches, are set for next week’s WWE NXT.
Wendy Choo and Dakota Kai will face Io Shirai and Kay Lee Ray in the finals of the women’s Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic. Other matches for next week include The Creed Brothers facing The Grizzled Young Veterans, and two qualifying matches for the NXT North American Championship ladder match at Stand and Deliver: Solo Sikoa vs. Roderick Strong and A-Kid vs. Grayson Waller.
In a video package that aired tonight on NXT, Shirai and Ray brought up the finals would be next week. After the video aired, Wendy Choo told Dakota Kai backstage that while Shirai and Ray will be a tough team to beat, they will be just fine.
The Creed Brothers confronted Grizzled Young Veterans backstage, accusing them of a parking lot attack that took place last week. GYV denied the allegations but agreed to a rematch of their Dusty Rhodes Classic Tournament final.
A-Kid made his NXT debut on tonight’s show, defeating Kushida to advance to the North American title qualifier next week. On tonight’s show, Santos Escobar defeated Cameron Grimes to be the first to qualify for the ladder match.
Henley started the match gaining quick momentum but was caught by Nile before any significant offence started. Nile used her power advantage to dominate the rest of the match. Nile locked in a dragon sleeper, resulting in the submission victory.
Andre Chase defeated Damon Kemp
Kemp is Bobby Steveson, the brother of Olympic gold medalist Gable Steveson. He also has a background in college wrestling, competing at the University of Minnesota prior to WWE.
I quite liked this. Kemp’s offence looked good, and the work was clever for the match’s limited time. Good stuff.
Kemp’s early lead came to an end after Chase isolated his fingers. Chase worked Kent on the mat for some time. Kemp finally fought to a standing position from where he landed powerful lariats and suplexes. Chase managed to block a suplex, pulling down one of Kemp’s knee pads in the process. Chase landed a flatliner and pinned Kemp after the short distraction.
Solo Sikoa defeated Ru Feng
It feels like both of these guys were made to look strong, but that seems difficult given the match’s short run time. Solo looked good tonight, but again, this match was too short to make any absolute judgments about quality.
Feng and Solo went back and forth in the opening moments. Feng took the match to the ground twice, both times, Solo fought to his feet, landing some moves in the process. After the second short ground segment, Solo landed three quick sentons, a spinning back elbow, and a top rope splash that ended the match.
Feroz tried and failed in taking the match to the mat following the opening bell. Lopez used her strength to lock out Feroz in effect, even as Feroz tried working the arm.
Late in the match, Feroz started a rally that saw her connect with ineffective offence. After withstanding the flurry, Lopez landed a sit-down powerbomb to close the match.
Amari Miller defeated Erica Yan
This match was nothing special, but also not actively bad.
Miller and Yan traded headlocks in the opening stretch, favouring Yan. Miller caught Yan on the ring’s skirt. Miller took the match to the mat where she worked the upper body with holds and strikes.
On the mat, Yan outmanoeuvred Miller and regained control leading to a sequence of suplexes. After the suplexes failed to end the match, Yan tried for a slam that Miller stalled out of. Miller capitalised on the pause, connecting with a boot followed by a knee to close the match.
Solo Sikoa defeated Andre Chase
While this match was nothing extraordinary in the ring, what does stand out is the crowd’s reaction to Sikoa. This might be the most energetic reaction I’ve seen since starting my 205 Live coverage nearly two years ago. People seem to like this guy.
The match opened with battling chants, mainly due to the student section that fills a corner of the CWC. Regardless, Sikoa gained a quick advantage. With solid strikes and a suplex over the ropes, Sikoa was entirely dominant.
Chase slid out of a Samoan drop, allowing Chase to land a swinging neck breaker and Thesz press. Chase then spelt out the name of his university, Chase U, in a cheerleader-esque sequence. Chase followed his routine with an extended choke on the mat.
Once Sikoa overpowered Chase on the mat, he landed a big kick, re-establishing his control as if it had never lapsed. Chase fled to the outside, successfully stunning Sikoa against the top rope. A top rope DDT followed, leaving Chase with a near fall. Chase tried to follow up only to be caught in a Samoan drop followed by a dive. Sikoa then pinned Chase to close his 205 Live debut.
Solo Sikoa will debut at next week’s Halloween Havoc.
A vignette aired during tonight’s NXT show that featured Sikoa. Once the video ended, it was revealed that he would make his debut next week. The first promo featuring Sikoa aired last week, where he called himself the street champion of the island.
Sikoa, real name Sefa Fatu, is the younger brother of The Usos, son of Rikishi, and cousin of the WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns. WWE announced his signing in August. Prior to signing with WWE, he had made appearances in his father’s promotion Knox Pro Wrestling, Future Stars of Wrestling, and Game Changer Wrestling.
NXT’s Halloween Havoc event will take place on October 26. Tommaso Ciampa will defend the NXT Championship against Bron Breakker, Raquel Gonzalez will defend the NXT Women’s title against Mandy Rose, MSK will defend the NXT Tag Team titles against Imperium, and a scareway to hell ladder match between Toxic Attraction, Persia Pirotta & Indi Hartwell, and champions Zoey Stark and Io Shirai will take place for the NXT Women’s Tag Team titles.
A vignette for Solo Sikoa aired on tonight’s episode of NXT.
Prior to the main event of tonight’s show, a vignette featuring Sikoa aired. He said he was left on his own since he was young and that is why he is called Solo, saying he was the street champion of the island. Sikoa was listed as “coming soon”, with no specific debut date.
Sikoa, real name Sefa Fatu, is the son of Rikishi and brother to both Jimmy and Jey Uso, who are the current SmackDown Tag Team Champions, and cousin of WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns. WWE announced his signing back in August. He has competed for his father’s Knox Pro Wrestling promotion as well as Future Stars of Wrestling and Game Changer Wrestling.
Since undergoing a facelift last month with a brand new stage and more colorful look, NXT has been introducing new talent on television. On tonight’s NXT, another vignette aired for a mystery person cloaked in a hood, burying something with a shovel. They said that they would bury the past so they could start again, with the date for Halloween Havoc, October 26, being shown.
