WWE’s weekend takeover of Toronto, Ontario for Money in the Bank finishes off with NXT Heatwave on July 7, featuring a fatal four-way match for the NXT Championship. Trick Williams’ defense against Ethan Page, Shawn Spears, and Je’Von Evans is a headliner so intriguing that NXT evidently banked on it carrying the white-and-gold brand through the week.
Jaida Parker vs Michin – Street Fight
Michin gets the upper hand with miscellaneous weapons, including her yellow belt as part of her 2010s NXT homage get-up. Parker side-steps her suicide dive into a row of chairs, but Michin too avoids a hip attack through the barricade before picture-in-picture. The latter empties a bag of nuts and bolts onto chairs before Parker dumps her onto them, but Michin comes back with kendo stick shots anyway. Parker counters a steel pipe with a fire extinguisher before ramming both through the ringside podium. And after notoriously bleeped-out “holy sh-” chants, she connects with Hipnotic to win tonight’s stunt show – a solid one at that.
Winner: Jaida Parker
Arianna Grace weeps to Karmen Petrovich about missing her hometown show at Heatwave, and Jacy Jayne and Jazmyn Nxy call them pathetic. Petrovich, who Grace calls less Canadian than her, offers to step up to the duo herself.
A Je’Von Evans video package for the 20-year-old challenger reflects his age with authenticity. “I’m coming back over the border the new NXT Champion,” Evans says after admitting to first needing a passport.
Women’s North American Champion Kehlani Jordan speaks more confidently in video-package form, which consists of listing her numerous gymnastic accolades. She defends against friend Sol Ruca this Sunday at Heatwave.
New Catch Republic vs Hank Walker and Tank Ledger
Tyler Bate back in NXT is like an adult moving back home. He and Pete Dunne take their opponents to school, and “Big Strong Boi” delivers an Airplane Spin to Walker before break. The latter makes a big-man comeback leading to a Doomsday Device of sorts and a double crossbody. But New Catch Republic single out Ledger, and Bate hits the Spiral Tap to put away the rookies, who despite their best efforts might be an NXT purgatory team forever.
Winners: New Catch Republic
Shawn Spears unironically talks about helping out the young guys in his video package, but he instead plans to lead by example by winning the NXT Championship at Heatwave.
Footage from earlier shows Robert Stone commending Oro Mensah for his emotional story and announces a match against Myles Borne. Stevie Turner is forced to give the bad news, which is that Mensah is banned from Heatwave due to issues with Ethan Page.
Brinley Reece vs Izzi Dame
Business is plateauing in NXT’s blonde division, but Dame is being built as a halfway credible TNA trade-off. Speaking of, Tatum Paxley slithers in ringside, and a mild big boot and Falcon Arrow from Dame gives her the win.
Winner: Izzi Dame
Class is in-session at Chase University when Duke Hudson finally admits to cheating against The Good Brothers, handing Andre Chase the photos of Ridge Holland’s interference. To somber music, Holland was “just trying to help,” although Chase asks him to stay back at Heatwave too.
Lola Vice tells Roxanne Perez, “Your days are counted.” The NXT Women’s Champion enters with two security guards, hypocritically telling her opponent to drop the act. Vice starts sobbing about avenging her mother’s sacrifices by winning the title on Sunday, barely composing herself enough to vow to become the first Cuban-American women’s champion before backfisting a guard.
Ethan Page’s video package highlights his win against Je’Von Evans and attack on Meta-Four, claiming to be the better man against Trick Williams too despite his debut loss.
Damon Kemp offers brass knuckles to deaf No Quarter Catch Crew member Myles Borne, but Charlie Dempsey emphasizes his power advantage instead. “You say something?” Borne asks.
Eddy Thorpe gets the women’s roster going over his DJ set, but mood-killer Lexis King prefers dad rock, calling EDM music robot noise.
Myles Borne vs Oro Mensah
The Meta-Four turn is in full effect after Mensah’s message of finding family in Lash Legend and Jakara Jackson. Booker T aptly calls his offense unorthodox, but after a dropkick from Borne, Kemp attempts to hand his No Quarter Catch Crew partner the brass knucks. Mensah capitalizes on the distraction with a rolling kick, sending a message to Ethan Page down the pipe.
Winner: Oro Mensah
In a video package, Wes Lee says he literally broke his back trying to defend the North American Championship. And in a transition worth seeking out, Oba Femi’s hulking shadow literally overtakes him, promising to crush his dreams. Meanwhile, a brawl breaks out between Gallus and Tyson Dupont and Tyriek Igwe before break.
A defeated Brinley Reece admits that being around Edris Enofe and Malik Blade hasn’t produced results. The Good Brothers steal the camera, calling out OTM despite having their girls settle their differences earlier.
Carlee Bright vs Wendy Choo
“What is the deal, man?” Booker T asks about the new, dark Choo – whose eye mask reads “dead inside.” Orlando sings themselves a lullaby while Choo methodically beats down Bright, who eventually makes an ice cold comeback. Choo puts her on dream street for the submission victory – along with everyone else.
Winner: Wendy Choo
Trick Williams calls his three challengers the biggest test yet: “Young OG, goofy ass Spears, and ‘All Talk’ Ethan Page.”
Senior Vice President of NXT and Talent Relations Shawn Michaels is forced to reference Brooks Jensen’s weekly incidents. He denies Jensen’s release and alludes to alcohol issues tainting his sabbatical, ultimately inviting him for a sit-down next week.
Jazmyn Nyx vs Karmen Petrovich
Yeah, this will get the crowd back. Jacy Jayne spectates ringside and Fallon Henley watches the monitors, and distraction from the former allows Nyx to hit her Pele Kick for victory.
Winner: Jazmyn Nyx
NXT Tag Team Champions Axiom and Nathan Frazer argue over priorities as the latter focuses on his WWE Speed tournament rather than Chase University on Sunday.
Petrovich storms Ava’s office, and the general manager says her Canadian friend offered to battle Nyx and Jayne with her. It’s not Natalya, it’s Arianna Grace. After, Sol Ruca monotonously narrates her athletic background and goal of bouncing back towards the Women’s North American Championship.
Challengers Ethan Page, Shawn Spears, and Je’Von Evans are already in-ring to greet NXT Champion Trick Williams and his “whoop that trick” movement. Page’s disingenuous compliments are showered in boos, and Spears’ dissection of the champion’s emotions are met with “10” chants. 20-year-old Evans holds his own and disses Spears’ lack of experience with championship gold before the contract signing breaks down. Evans and Williams send their rivals through tables, and the two stand tall before Heatwave.
NXT 7/2/24
Orlando, FL
The barrage of bland rookies is brutal to get through, but the fatal four-way closer was an enjoyable palette-cleanser.
