NXT once again emanates from the Performance Center in Orlando tonight on the heels what surely felt like the beginning of a new era last week. Three matches have been announced for tonight, including the NXT Women’s Champion in mixed tag team action. Plus, Zaria will appear for the first time since vanquishing Sol Ruca in a Last Woman Standing match two weeks ago. Be sure to tune into the action on the CW starting at 8 PM ET, and follow along with all the action right here on Cageside!
Making Sense of the Chaos
If you watched
last week’s episode of NXT, it’s possible that you experienced some sensory overload. In an attempt to unofficially reset the roster as we head into the summer, several new faces debuted or made their returns, and all of them seem to have their sights set on gold.
The first target of the night was NXT North American Champion Myles Borne. After dispatching of a member of DarkState in a successful title defense for the second straight week, Tristan Angels sauntered into the Performance Center crowd to introduce himself to the champ. Just as Angels had wrapped up that introduction, Kam Hendrix from Evolve slid into the ring and dropped Myles with a vicious Uranage.
Then, just a little while later, Tony D’Angelo addressed the locker room and discussed all the wrestlers in the locker room who are starting to circle like sharks, before finally addressing whoever had a gift delivered the previous week. Before long, EVIL made his NXT debut, delivering another gift to the champ that featured the same insignia that the gift the week prior did. Vic Joseph surmised that EVIL’s gifts to Tony were actually a declaration of war. As EVIL was leaving, Tavion Heights came in from behind to shoot his shot, laying the NXT Champ out and leaving him on his back, which set up British wrestler Will Kroos to make his presence felt and hit a moonsault on D’Angelo.
With both of NXT’s top male champs in the crosshairs of so many new and returning stars, how will GM Stone determine who will be getting the first crack at Borne and D’Angelo’s respective titles? Plus, will anybody else debut or return this week?
Lola Gets Backup
In her first few weeks as champ, NXT Women’s Champion Lola Vice has faced her own parade of potential challengers, with one particular competitor seeming to move ahead of the field.
It was on the second week of NXT Revenge when Lola, fresh off of a successful title defense against Jacy Jayne, was celebrating when top challengers such as Kali Armstrong, Kendal Grey, and Zaria surrounded the ring. Up on the perch in the Performance Center that night was Izzi Dame, who was flanked by her Culling brothers Shawn Spears and Niko Vance. The following week, as Lola addressed the crowd, it was The Culling that would come down and their distraction allowed Izzi to take the first shot at the champ.
Then, last week, it looked like The Culling had outsmarted Lola again. After Lola called Izzi out, Shawn Spears came on the tron with a cryptic message for Vice. As Izzi and Niko crept into the ring to stage another attack, it was the other half of the AAA Mixed Tag Team Champions to the rescue as Mr. Iguana returned to NXT to save his partner. The numbers game still favors The Culling, but the outlook is better now for the NXT Women’s Champ.
This week, Lola and Iguana will take on Izzi and Niko in mixed tag team action. As of now, it doesn’t appear as though the AAA gold, but a win by The Culling would certainly put them in contention for a shot, as well as solidify Izzi Dame as Lola’s #1 contender. Will Shawn Spears get involved to make sure Izzi builds on her momentum against the champ? Or will Lola and Iguana enlist somebody else’s help to neutralize him?
What’s Next for Zaria?
The WWE wasted no time confirming rumors that they’d be utilizing AI more going forward when they presented the video clip shown above last week on NXT. I dug Zaria’s voiceover a lot, but the AI generated Zaria and Ruca prevented me from really enjoying the video. Zaria will appear on NXT in person tonight for the first time since winning the Last Woman Standing match on Revenge two weeks ago.
What is next for the Australian powerhouse? Now that Sol is on Raw, it would seem as though Zaria is freed up to pursue the singles gold that has alluded her for so long. Will she immediately set her sights on Lola or is North American Champion Tatum Paxley a more likely target?
Quick Hits
- Shiloh Hill came up with the biggest win of his career last week, defeating Ricky Saints, who himself would debut on Smackdown and wrestler the Undisputed WWE Champion. With Shiloh’s partnership with Tatum Paxley continuing to flourish, one can only imagine what the unique duo has in store for NXT next. How will Shiloh follow up his big win last week, and are there any potential competitors lurking to challenge for Tatum’s North American Title?
- Jackson Drake of the Vanity Project couldn’t help himself but to brag about his new boo Myka Lockwood last week. That is, until LFG Season 1 winner Jasper Troy stepped up to him and told him to shut up before challenging Drake to a match this week. Will the NXT Tag Team Champions and Jackson’s Vanity Project buddies find a way to help their bro outlast the big man? Or is there a tag team lingering in the NXT locker room that might help Jasper even the odds?
- Kali Armstrong has announced her presence in the NXT women’s division the past few weeks and Jaida Parker didn’t take too kindly to her words last week. Armstrong begged Jaida to step up and do something about it, and that’s exactly what Miss Parker will do when she faces Kali one-on-one this week. Which woman will establish herself as one of the dominant forces in the division and perhaps inch closer to challenging for gold in the near future?
- Elsewhere in the NXT women’s division, Kelani Jordan challenged Wren Sinclair to a match last week right in front of Wren’s partner, Kendal Grey, and then backed it up in the ring by defeating the WrenQCC namesake. Is a showdown with Kendal next up for the Standout?
- The Maiden of Metal, Lizzy Rain made her NXT debut last week, picking up an impressive victory over Nikkita Lyons, utilizing several unique offensive moves. What will Lizzy do for an encore this week?
- Sean Legacy returned to action last week, filling in for Dorian Van Dux, in a tag team match against Birth Right. Legacy and his partner
Eli KnightEK Prosper took down Uriah Connors and Stacks, which lead to a 4-on-2 attack afterwards. This skirmish led to the NXT debut of Evolve’s Tate Wilder, who saved Legacy and Prosper from a further beatdown. With the sides close to even, will we see a 6-man tag team match this week? Is there anybody else that might join the fray to make this squabble a 4-on-4 affair?
All this and more on NXT on the CW tonight for as WWE’s developmental brand tries to follow up on a chaotic episode from last week. Let us know what you’re most excited for on tonight’s show in the comments below, and be sure to follow along with the live coverage here on Cageside tonight, starting at 8 PM Eastern!
