We start off in the middle of the ring as GM Ava addresses the women handpicked by John Cena to be in the Iron Survivor match at Deadline. So, we got Lola Vice, Sol Ruca, WWE Evolve Women’s Champion Kendal Grey, Kelani Jordan and Jordynne Grace all with microphones in their hands.
Ruca touts herself as a “world championship talent”. She has had her highs and lows. The path for redemption clear. It is winning the Iron Survivor match and winning gold at New Years Evil. Grace warns Ruca the path often isn’t that clear. Some in the crowd boo her. She will run through a brick wall to win the title.
Lola says she has been screwed over but she still believes in herself. If it wasn’t for Lainey Reid, she would be the champion already. Grey knows she will be an underdog but she will rise to the occasion. Jordan tells Grey to shut up. She is swimming with the sharks now. The crowd boos Jordan, shouts her down.
“Have some respect!” she shouts at them.
Fatal Influence’s music plays. Jacey Jayne cannot wait to see who the “lucky loser” will be at Deadline. Jordan says she would still be the champion if it wasn’t for Grace, a “meathead”. She shoves Grace. That is all it takes for everyone to stat brawling. Fatal Influence tries to get in some shots as well.
Joe Hendry and Thea Hail chat in a kitchen backstage. Stacks and Arianna Grace wander by. They are giggling and laughing to themselves. Joes asks if they should leave. Grace tells him he should as Hail let him down at Gold Rush. Thea says if Joe believes in her, she believes in herself and she can kick Grace’s ass tonight. Stacks leads Grace away.
GM Ava gives security their instructions backstage. She runs into Fatal Influence. Fatal Influence tries to leave the arena. Ava stops them. She has booked them to face Sol, Grey and Vice tonight.
Thea Hail versus Arianna Grace
Hail hits an exploder suplex and a running kick to Grace’s face. Stack reaches into the ring tripping up Hail. This bring Joe Hendry running over. Stack misses a clothesline. Stacks gets a Standing Ovation on the ring apron. Grace submits to the Kimura Lock.
Winner: Thea Hail
OTM are filmed walking through the NXT parking lot. Kale Dixon and Uriah Connors almost run them over. They begin arguing among themselves. Andre arrives and tells OTM he doesn’t want any problems. OTM tells Andre there won’t be any more warnings. Andre chews them out.
J’Von Evans, Joe Hendry, TNA X-Division Champion Leon Slater and Myles Borne meet with Ava. Slater and Evans are tired of DarkState meddling with them all the time. Robert Stone enters. He has a package for Ava. She puts the box on her desk. She will deal with it later. Ava declares whomever get the pin in their eight-man match gets to pick their spot in the Iron Survivor match at Deadline.
Ava dumps out the box. It is a bunch of black rubber pieces?
Josh Briggs versus Tavion Heights
Before Tavion can make it to the ring, Briggs attacks throwing Briggs into the steel steps.
The crowd chants: Briggs go away!
Briggs chokeslams Heights down hard. Heights fights back with three big suplex throws. Heights lays in some shots and another suplex. Briggs kicks out. Heights decides to just hammer down on Briggs. Heights slams Briggs through one of the safety barricades. Briggs puts Heights’ arm behind his back slamming him off the top rope.
Briggs rips the chain off of his neck. He wraps it around his hand. Heights punches him before he can use it. The official gathers up the chain to throw it out of the ring. Heights belly-to-belly suplexes Briggs. Briggs puts his foot on the ropes breaking the count. Heights goes off on the official. Briggs kicks him in the back of the neck and clobbers him with a lariat JBL would be proud of. Briggs argues with a couple of fans at ringside.
Winner: Josh Briggs
The Culling heads to the ring. Izzie Dame claims she gave Tatum Paxley all manner of chances but she wouldn’t listen. She calls her “hopless” and “pathetic”. The crowd boos and boos. She didn’t “betray” Tatum. She corrected a “mistake”. Tatum appears on the video screen. Tatum cries and claims Dame tore her world apart. Dame dares Tatum to come to the ring. Tatum is scared at what she will become without Izzie’s hand on her shoulder. At Deadline, she will make Izzie feel all of her pain.
Back in the women’s locker room, Sol apologizes to Zaria for not being at ringside for her last two matches. A disappointed Zaria tells Sol not to expect her ringside tonight for her match.
Sol Ruca, Lola Vice and WWE Evolve Women’s Champion Kendal Grey versus Fatal Influence
Things begin with a brawl in the middle of the ring. Lola dives on Lainey on the floor. Grey jumps on everyone too. Jayne jumps on Vice. Ruca takes out all of Fatal Influence with a moonsault.
Jayne backdrops Grey onto the ring apron. Grey’s punch knocks Lainey down to the floor. Henley pulls Grey down. Grey his her head on the apron. Grey is thrown back into the ring. Lainey stomps Grey into the mat. Jayne squashes her with a senton. Grey is cut off from her corner until Vice is hot-tagged in. Lola throws kicks and punches to all of Fatal Influence taking them all down. Running hip attacks on Lainey and Jayne.
Ruca dives over the top rope driving Henley’s head into the ring. Sol Snatcher on Jayne for the pin.
Winners: Sol Ruca, Lola Vice and WWE Evolve Women’s Champion Kendal Grey
As Fatal Influence looks dazed and confused in the ring, Ruca and the rest celebrate at ringside. Out of nowhere, Zaria spears Grey. Ruca and Vince manage to jump out of the way just in time. Sol shoves Zaria. They startr arguing. Vice steps between them.
NXT World Champion Ricky Saints and J’Von Evans yack backstage though NXT Anonymous. Saints declares he beat Femi once, he will beat him again.
DarkState meet backstage. Dion Lennox tells them he wants to go after some singles gold. He wants to give up one of the tag team belts to Saquon Shugars. Cutler puts it around his shoulders and tells him to hold it down while the rest clap Shugars on the back.
Oba Femi runs into them. He is surprised Dion is in the Iron Survivor match. He tells Dion he is championship material. John Cena handpicked him. He wants to knock Femi’s teeth down his throat. Tonight will be a preview of what Femi’s future holds.
Chase U versus OTM
OTM picks up both members of Chase U and smashes them together on the floor. Big Slam for the victory.
Winners: OTM
GM Ava has a word with NXT North American Champion and AAA World Mixed Tag Team Champion, Ethan Page in the parking lot. He is leaving because his services aren’t required tonight. He deserves the night off. He is so hard working. On the other side Page’s car comes La Yesca and Mr. Iguana. Page flees the car in terror. He accuses Ava of setting this up. Iguana drives away with the vehicle. Page asks Ava if she is going to call the police. “What am I going to say? A reptile stole your car?” she laughs.
Shiloh Hill gives another one of his awkward promos sitting at his computer. Man, these are making him look hella lame. He talks about being having to survive in the snowy wilderness. He begins acting maniac and frenzied telling the story.
Joe Hendry, Leon Slater, J’Von Evans and Myles Borne versus DarkState
Evans leaps through the ropes sending Shugars flying over the announce table. He dives on the opposite side of the ring mowing down Cutler. Slater blind tags himself in. Evans kicks Osiris in the head. Slater climbs to the top rope. Borne blind tags himself in. Evans gives Osiris hsi 450 swanton bomb off the top rope. Borne pins Osiris with Borne Again. Evans, Borne and Slater argue.
Winners: Joe Hendry, Leon Slater, J’Von Evans and Myles Borne
Ava hosts a prerecorded contract signing between Femi and Saints. Femi says he is facing a version of him that isn’t burdened by a long title reign.
“This version is going to destroy you,” he says calling Saints a “footnote”.
Saints reminds Femi he is the champion.
“There is an exception to every rule and every ruler…and his name is Absolute Ricky Saints,” replied Saints.
They both sign the contract and Ava lets them know that their match will open the show.
The final card for this Saturday’s Deadline event is:
- Je’Von Evans vs. Leon Slater vs. Joe Hendry vs. Dion Lennox vs. Myles Borne – Men’s Iron Survivor Challenge for an NXT Championship match at New Years’ Evil
- Sol Ruca vs. Lola Vice vs. Kelani Jordan vs. Jordynne Grace vs. Kendal Grey – Women’s Iron Survivor Challenge for an NXT Women’s Championship match at New Years’ Evil
- Ricky Saints (c) vs. Oba Femi – NXT Championship Match
- Izzi Dame vs. Tatum Paxley
- Ethan Page (c) vs. Mr. Iguana – NXT North American Championship Match
