Welcome to the latest edition of our weekly WWE NXT hits and misses series.
WWE presented the October 8th episode of NXT from The Factory in St. Louis, MO. The show featured plenty of appearances from the main roster as well as title matches.
Here’s what went down on the October 8 episode of NXT.
Miss – Jey Uso on WWE NXT
Trick Williams kicked off the show by welcoming the NXT Universe to the Tricky-Two Times era. Wes Lee interrupted the promo. Jey Uso showed up and both men mocked Lee. The crowd loved every bit of chemistry between Jey and Trick.
Jey Uso’s involvement outshined the confrontation between Lee and Trick. They could’ve put Jey in a backstage segment with Tony D’Angelo to give him a prep talk for his match against Oba Femi or something else instead of pairing him with Trick.
Hit – Women’s tag team match
Kelani Jordan tagged with Bianca Belair and Jade Cargill against Fatal Influence. Bianca showed her veteran moves. Jade dominated the match with her strength. Kelani provided her dose of athleticism. The heels worked like a well-oiled machine. Kelani picked up the win for her team.
All six women put on a great performance. Jacy Jayne and Fallon Henley do not get enough credit for bringing so much to the WWE NXT women’s division. Jazmyn Nyx was a solid hand. Kelani getting the pin was the right call.
Miss – Roxanne Perez and Cora Jade promo
Roxanne Perez came down to the ring first. Perez invited Cora to cut a promo. Cora said they’ll change the face of the women’s division. Giulia showed up and was joined by none other than Stephanie Vaquer. Both women cleared the ring before grabbing the WWE NXT Women’s Championship to tease a future showdown.
Roxanne Perez still needs to work on her promos. Cora Jade’s involvement didn’t help either. The only saving grace for this segment was Stephanie Vaquer’s appearance. Giulia and Stephanie versus Cora and Roxanne seems be the direction before we get to a potential three-way or even a four-way for the title.
Hit – And new WWE NXT North American Champion
Tony D’Angelo took on Oba Femi for the NXT North American Championship. Oba faked a punch before delivering a beating on the challenger. Stacks handed Tony a crowbar but the Don refused to cheat. Oba took out The Family much to the chagrin of Tony. The champion went through the announce table with a spine buster. The challenger picked up the win with a roll-up pin attempt.
This was an excellent match from bell to bell. Oba vs. Tony II was better than their outing at WWE NXT No Mercy 2024. Tony was booked as the underdog but managed to topple the champion. As for Oba, he will go down as arguably one of the greatest NXT North American Champion. A brilliant title run with quality defenses. Let’s see how Tony’s run turns out.
Miss – Fraxiom vs. A-Town Down Under
Fraxiom defended their NXT Tag Team Championship against A-Town Down Under. Both teams traded blows. Axiom and Frazer showed incredible chemistry. Theory and Waller were impeccable with their moves delivery as well. Axiom and Frazer picked up the win after Frazier pinned Waller following his finisher.
A solid tag team title defense that would’ve been much better if it wasn’t for the fast-paced action. Frazer may be the fastest man on the entire WWE roster, but you’ve to slow things down sometimes. They continued to tease A-Town Down’s implosion. Waller was brilliant here with his sell job. I’m looking forward to his solo run.
Hit – Randy Orton vs. Je’Von Evans on WWE NXT
Randy Orton squared off with Je’Von Evans in the main event of 10/8 NXT. Orton used his veteran experience to evade Evans’ aerial offense. The Young OG finally caught The Viper with a move. Orton responded with a couple of back body drops on the announce table. Evans managed to land a flying cutter. Randy botched a mid-air RKO attempt but quickly retaliated with another RKO for the win.
Je’Von Evans has a bright future ahead of him. The match against Orton told a perfect story. Orton played his role of the veteran to its fullest extent. His in-ring psychology is top notch. He failed to grab for what might’ve been a top 5 RKO. Still, Orton calling for another RKO on the fly shows he’s a ring general. Randy comforting Evans over the botched RKO spot was a sweet moment.
Honorable Mentions
- Nikkita Lyons made her return to WWE NXT TV last night. Lyons got a huge pop when she showed up during the Lola Vice and Ava backstage segment. She’ll take on Ms. Vice in her return to televised in-ring action next week.
- Sexyy Red’s performance was…umm… far from sexy. Thank god, Ethan Page cancelled it with his promo. Page lost the title to Trick Williams last week and wanted some king of comeuppance for CM Punk for costing him the match. Let’s see if he gets one.
Check up on everything that went down on WWE NXT here.
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