Welcome to the latest edition of our weekly WWE NXT hits and misses series.
Last night was the dawn of a new era as NXT finally debuted on The CW Network. The pilot episode of NXT on CW aired from Chicago’s AllState Arena.
Here’s what went down on the October 1, 2024, episode of NXT.
Hit – Roxanne Perez vs. Giulia for WWE NXT Women’s Championship
Roxanne Perez put her title on the line against Giulia in the opening match. Both ladies traded heavy blows to keep Giulia slid to the outside. The challenger planted the champion with the Northern Lights Suplex outside the ring. There was a surprise interference from a returning Cora Jade, who somewhat surprisingly helped Roxanne retain her title.
This was a great opener with both competitors making the most out of 13 minutes they got on TV. All the near falls added to the suspense. Cora Jade’s return turned the inevitable into questionable. Giulia took the L in her first PLE match, her second overall loss so far. This should be enough to silence folks who so desperately want her to be the next Asuka.
Miss – Wes Lee vs. Zachary Wentz
Wes Lee and Zachary Wentz collided in a Street Fight. Wentz gained momentum by hitting a suicide dive. The two former friends exchanged some nasty blows. Lee picked up the win after planting Wentz with a chain-infested double stomp on the chair.
Lee’s win was predictable. That said, the whole action seemed quite underwhelming given the quality of the buildup we saw from these two men on WWE NXT. TV time restriction could be another reason.
Hit – Miz TV featuring Tony D’ Angelo & Oba Femi
The Miz got booed by the Chicago fans for turning on R-Truth the previous night. He didn’t let the chants stop him from welcoming his guests. Tony promised to beat Oba next Tuesday for the North American Championship. The champion said he was inevitable while Tony was broken.
Oba Femi may be the most improved superstar on the mic in 2024. He’s always been consistent inside the ring. The big man held his own against The Don. This feud has a Rocky-esque build to it, with Tony as the underdog challenger against the supreme champion in Oba Femi.
Miss – Women’s tag team match on WWE NXT
Jaida Parker and Lola Vice took on Jacy Jayne and Fallon Henley in tag team action. Parker and Vice worked well in the beginning but then tension started to raise its ugly head. Parker left Vice to fend for herself, allowing Fatal Influence to pick up the win. The heels asked Kelani Jordan to get in the ring. Kelani said she didn’t come to Chicago alone. Bianca Belair and Jade Cargill showed up to take out Fatal Influence.
The in-ring action was OKAY at best. Jaida Parker and Lola Vice struggled to co-exist. Parker is a natural rebel. Lola Vice needs more time to build herself as a credible babyface. Kelani’s commentary was horrible. Fatal Influence picking up the W was the right decision. This allows Jaida to feud with Lola. Bianca and Jade’s arrival planted the seeds for their tag team match next week on WWE NXT.
Hit – Trick Williams reclaims his title
Trick Williams took on Ethan Page in their rematch for the WWE NXT Championship with CM Punk as the special guest referee. Trick took a bump on the announce table. Punk and Page had some harsh verbal exchanges. Page fell to a second Trick Shot, giving Trick the win. Page then took a GTS from Punk while Trick was celebrating with the crowd.
Trick was always tipped to lead NXT on CW. Page did a terrific job as a heel champion. As far as in-ring action is concerned, I prefer their Battleground title match to last night. The final spot made Trick’s win a little underwhelming but the right guy got the win at the end. Let’s see what’ next for “All Ego.”
Honorable Mentions
- Shawn Michaels and Triple H unveiled the all-new NXT and NXT Women’s Championship belts. The show got a new logo as well. It’s cool to see NXT get a brand new presentation under the TKO leadership.
- DELTA is coming to WWE NXT. Last night’s episode showed a new vignette of the Australian indie standout. The video package showed Delta walking down a road, looking at road signs for exit 10 and route 27, which is implying her debut on October 27’s NXT Halloween Havoc 2024.
You can catch up on everything that went down on the CW premiere of NXT here.
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