Coming off of WWE’s Tampa takeover last weekend, Trick Williams made history at Battleground by becoming the first wrestler to win the TNA Championship within the WWE. Worlds continue to collide when TNA’s Mike Santana makes his NXT debut tonight, and AAA wrestlers file in for Worlds Collide on June 7.
Ricky Saints (c) vs Ethan Page – North American Championship
“Oh, my heart!” Saints says about Orlando’s appreciative reaction. Page isn’t smiling, jumpstarts the match and forces a dozen security guards to intervene. The match begins, fittingly scrappy, and the guards hold a steel chair-wielding Page back. NXT General Manager Ava appears to inexplicitly widen referee’s discretion, and commentary doesn’t know either. Back from break, the competitors brawl over the announce desk to “let them fight” chants. Page then delivers a brutal Twisted Grin to the legs of a steel chair; he evidently becomes murderous with a steel chair. He hits Ego’s Edge for two and jabs Saints’ throat, but the latter reverses momentum with a DDT. Orlando stands up with “this is awesome” chants to Saints’ genuine, underdog comeback. But Page ricochets the top rope into Saints’ throat and hits Twisted Grin for three in a shock, but well earned and orchestrated, title change.
Winner: Ethan Page
Jacy Jayne of Fatal Influence is interviewed about her NXT Women’s Championship match tonight, but Fallon Henley still insists on arguing. Jayne is fine with or without Henley in her corner, vowing to beat Stephanie Vaquer in the main event.
After saving Josh Briggs at Battleground, Yoshiki Inamura says, “There’s still things to accomplish.” Maybe he lost his Pro Wrestling Noah keycard. Briggs sets his sights on the NXT Tag Team Championships, but Inamura is thinking “even bigger.”
Mike Santana vs Tavion Heights
The Bronx and Boricua background of TNA’s Santana is highlighted in a preceding vignette, where he states waiting 16 years to wrestle for WWE. He defiantly enters through the crowd, and Booker T says Santana looks like he would rob a bodega. Santana keeps up with Heights’ athleticism and hits an outside dive before picture-in-picture, but the latter comes back with a brute gutwrench. They trade stiff strikes to raucous reactions, and Satana eventually hits the Rolling Buck 50 and Spin The Block for three in a statement victory. They embrace post-match to No Quarter Catch Crew leader Charlie Dempsey’s disapproval.
Winner: Mike Santana
In The High Ryze’s vignette, Wes Lee expresses newfound trust in Tyson Dupont and Tyriek Igwe after betraying The Rascalz last year. After, Andre Chase tries mentoring Kale Dixon and Uriah Connors, who misinterpret by asking Ava for a match next week. Their opponents are Darkstate, and Chase finds himself in a six-man tag.
At a small table backstage, Tony D’Angelo questions Luca Crusifino’s appearance at Battleground. Crusifino says he laid low for Adriana Rizzo’s safety and assures D’Angelo he can be trusted.
“Whoop that trick” chants ring out for new TNA Champion Trick Williams, the first wrestler to win it within WWE. “Don’t you feel stupid?” Williams says to Joe Hendry fans. “Don’t cross Trick Williams – I am the line!” he says about inter-promotional linecrossing. He dubs TNA “Trick-N-A” before Mike Santana interrupts, and the latter defends the promotion he fought to build up. He garners hearty “Boricua” chants, mocks Williams’ high heels and calls him a pretender. TNA Director of Authority Santino Marella appears on-screen, announcing Williams versus Santana for the TNA Championship next week. The champion declines a handshake and attempts a cheapshot, but Santana stands tall with the belt in-hand.
Ava tells Stephanie Vaquer she’ll be facing Dalys and Chik Tormenta at Worlds Collide. The NXT Women’s Champion says she’ll find a partner, and Lola Vice conveniently offers her help.
Jaida Parker vs Tatum Paxley
Shotzi and Gigi Dolin return in the form of dolls Paxley carries to the ring. Parker takes control with a backbreak and hip drop, and Paxley eventually makes a comeback. But Parker throws Dolin in the ring, distracting her opponent enough to hit Hipnotic, literally, for victory. Thea Hail blindsides the winner, getting revenge for her backstage assault last week.
Winner: Jaida Parker
WWE LFG winner Jaspey Troy promised to make an impact, fulfilling it last week by dropping NXT Champion Oba Femi. In a vignette, Troy is marked at 6’5 and 300 pounds – a statistically worthy challenger to “The Ruler.”
Dante Chen vs Jasper Troy
Dripped in chains, Troy is described by mentor Booker T as “that monster!” Troy delivers a big backdrop, but everything after lacks the explosiveness someone like Femi had early on. Chen makes a comeback, only for Troy to hit the Black Hole Slam for three. It’s a new era; Vic Joseph called it the Black Hole Slam. Femi appears on the podium, saying that Troy’s “five seconds are over.”
Winner: Jasper Troy
Charlie Dempsey says Tavion Heights and Myles Borne have failed as singles wrestlers. Borne refuses to go backwards after Battleground and proposes a match against Dempsey. The No Quarter Catch Crew leader makes it a Rounds Match, and if Borne wins, he can leave the group.
New North American Champion Ethan Page doesn’t wait to celebrate, and Je’Von Evans doesn’t wait to chime in. Evans announces that he’ll challenge Page at Worlds Collide. “Everybody in NXT knows that boy is bouncy,” he says about himself. “But brother right here got hops too.” AAA World Cruiserweight Champion Laredo Kid arrives in the crowd, calling himself “the most complete luchador you will ever see.” But Evans says there’s still one more challenger. Smackdown’s Rey Fenix arrives on the opposite end, touting the passion and spirit of NXT, and the chaotic championship fatal fourway is made official.
In the office, Stevie Turner rightfully brings up Evolve’s Sean Legacy, who still has an unfulfilled North American Championship match. Ava says Legacy will face the World Collide winner – but doesn’t reveal when. After, Zaria and Women’s North American Champion extend their support to a distraught Tatum Paxley. But in the background, The Culling lurks.
Jacy Jayne vs Stephanie Vaquer (c) – NXT Women’s Championship
Jayne in the main event is like a polar bear in Arlington, Texas. Vaquer jumpstarts the match and wrestles circles around her opponent, but Jayne garners the most heat of the night by countering the Booker T move. AAA’s Dalys and Chik Tormenta appear on the apron, but Vaquer’s partner Vice fends them off before break. The competitors trade nearfalls and maneuvers until Fallon Henley jumps onto the apron. Jayne bumps into her, Fatal Influence argue amongst themselves, and Vaquer dives onto them. She hits the Booker T move, but with Jazmyn Nyx’s distraction, Henley kicks the champion. Jayne delivers a spinning elbow and pins Vaquer to an aghast Orlando. Jayne and announcer Mike Rome are just as shocked, ending the episode with fans leaving the building.
