Last Saturday at Stand & Deliver, Tony D’Angelo left St. Louis as the new NXT Champion, defeating the former champion Joe Hendry, Ricky Saints and Ethan Page in a fatal four-way match. Phase two of his revenge tour is completed, but the components of each phase returned tonight and at NXT Revenge – a two-week special beginning next week.
D’Angelo entered the ring to obligatory “you deserve it” chants from Orlando, who has watched “The Don” for five years now. He said Hendry can never take the NXT Championship away, and the aforementioned man appeared. Hendry pointed fingers at Saints and Page, who interrupted consecutively to stake their claims. Before D’Angelo could accept, DarkState hounded the ring, and the roster tried separating a brawl that lasted through picture-in-picture.
The broadcast came back to NXT General Manager Robert Stone, who told D’Angelo, Hendry, Saints and Page to prepare for an eight-man tag team match against DarkState at the top of the hour.
Sol Ruca vs Izzi Dame
Ruca defeated Zaria at Stand & Deliver, and Orlando has let bygones be bygones after booing her two weeks ago. The competitors start hot, and Ruca takes control with a corkscrew springboard to the outside. Back from break, she hits a springboard somersault clothesline, wrestling like she has a WWE2K moveset. She lands a missile dropkick, and Dame comes back with a diving Codebreaker. Ruca steals a Zaria spear, but Niko Vance pushes Dame away from a moonsault. As Shawn Spears distracts the referee, Zaria spears Ruca at ringside, and Dame capitalizes with a sit-out powerbomb for victory. “I say when this ends!” Zaria yells at her former friend.
Winner: Izzi Dame
Footage from earlier show The Vanity Project’s gift for Blake Monroe, who lost to Women’s North American Champion Tatum Paxley on Saturday. She receives a custom-made North American Championship belt, but Robert Stone doesn’t validate it. She chooses Jackson Drake as her partner against Paxley and Shiloh Hill tonight on the road to real contention.
For his vacated WWE Speed Championship, Elio LeFleur puts his money on EK Prosper and newcomer Dorian Van Dux. The Belgian, who debuted on Evolve and AAA this past week, promises to make LeFleur proud. He faces Prosper in the tournament next week.
Keanu Carver vs Josh Briggs vs Jasper Troy
Vic Joseph calls the competitors “three of the biggest and three of the baddest,” although Carver’s generic FruityLoops Studio theme doesn’t align. Booker T on commentary is louder than Orlando, who doesn’t appear impressed by the methodical meat-fest. Carver dominates the early goings, and Briggs connects with two big boots before break. He kicks out of Carver’s running powerslam, and Troy eventually makes a comeback with a Black Hole Slam and chokeslam. Briggs makes him crash over the top rope, and Carver pounces him over too. The latter delivers a finishing powerslam to Briggs, who couldn’t rekindle the triple threat he had with Dijak and Oba Femi – probably impossible with the opposition.
Winner: Keanu Carver
Shiloh Hill tells Tatum Paxley that Blake Monroe’s belt obsession reminds him of an octopus or magpie. Ricky Saints logically calls them weird freaks and mocks Hill’s missing tooth.
Joe Hendry, Ricky Saints, Ethan Page and Tony D’Angelo vs DarkState
DarkState leader Lennox makes good on his promise at Stand & Deliver to let everyone eat tonight. The opposition can’t coexist amid multiple blind tags, and Hendry takes control to “we believe” chants, title or not. Osiris Griffin takes advantage of frenemies Saints and Page until D’Angelo makes a comeback. But the quick-tag offense of DarkState lends control into picture-in-picture. DarkState is a well-oiled machine, even with the returning Cutler James.
Lennox takes a cheap shot at Hendry, and behind the referee’s back, North American Champion Myles Borne brawls away with him for Stand & Deliver revenge. With number’s advantage, Hendry hits a ringside dive, and D’Angelo connects with Dead To Rights on Saquon Shugars. But Page clocks the NXT Champion, stealing the win with Twisted Grin. D’Angelo claps back with another Dead To Rights, standing tall anyway.
Winner: Ethan Page, Tony D’Angelo, Joe Hendry and Ricky Saints
In a promo package, Jaida Parker reacts to Kehlani Jordan’s backstage attack from last week. Security footage shows Parker’s “lick back” – a pull-apart brawl at the Performance Center before their match next week.
Lexis King vs Chazz “Starboy” Hall – Speed Tournament
Hall makes his NXT debut, formerly known as West-Coast indie favorite Starboy Charlie. After a quick lower-third promo, Hall connects with an equally quick spinning kick and hurricanrana. He hits a signature standing corkscrew, followed up by a Sasuke Special. King boots him on a Shooting Star Press attempt, capitalizing with Coronation at the one-minute mark for victory. King advances to face either EK Prosper or Dorian Van Dux, but “Starboy” shows out preceding his upcoming Evolve Championship match.
Winner: Lexis King
Robert Stone chastises Myles Borne for interfering tonight, and Tony D’Angelo demands the general manager give him Ethan Page. D’Angelo turns around for an impromptu staredown with Keanu Carver.
Footage from Shawn Michaels’ Peacock documentary recaps the beginning of his tenure at the Performance Center, where Matt Bloom accuses Triple H of intentionally planting the coaching bug. The documentary debuts this Monday, April 13.
Tatum Paxley and Shiloh Hill vs Blake Monroe and Jackson Drake
Speaking of Michaels, Paxley and Monroe tussle over duplicate Women’s North American Championship belts. Paxley and Hill don matching denim, and meanwhile, Monroe refuses to accept Drake’s tag. The former hit stereo surfboard stretches, and Brad Baylor and Ricky Smokes catch Monroe ringside while letting Drake drop. After break, Drake kicks Hill’s fake teeth out before Paxley receives the hot tag. Hill dives onto the Vanity Project, Paxley Rolling Thunder kicks Drake, and Monroe takes advantage with Glamour Shot for victory.
Winners: Blake Monroe and Jackson Drake
Interviewed in his office, Robert Stone announces a two-week special, starting next week, called NXT Revenge. On Week 1, NXT Champion Tony D’Angelo defends against Ethan Page, and on Week 2, Sol Ruca faces Zaria in a Last Woman Standing Match. Plus, Joe Hendry performs a concert regarding his future next week, and Evolve’s Kali Armstrong makes her NXT debut.
In a promo package, Armstrong vows to be on Stand & Deliver next year. She says she was raised to be a champion, whether as a three-time NCAA All-American in track and field or as the first-ever WWE Evolve Women’s Champion.
Lola Vice closes the show, entering the ring as new NXT Women’s Champion. She reiterates becoming the first Cuban-American champion in WWE history. She thought she’d immediately be champion after transitioning from MMA, but after getting humbled and earning her reps in AAA, she now believes she’s ready. Former NXT Women’s Champion Jacy Jayne and Fatal Influence interrupt, drowned out by boos. She demands her rematch, and Stone accepts for next week at NXT Revenge. Fatal Influence commences in a three-on-one beatdown that Vice fends off at show’s end.
