NXT Roadblock hailed from The Theatre at Madison Square Garden with a packed few thousand, offering its own unique atmosphere adjacent to the world’s most famous arena. Right outside of Hell’s Kitchen, the show not only presented sizzle but steak too with a card featuring two NXT versus TNA matches and a title-for-title main event: North American Champion Stephanie Vaquer versus NXT Women’s Champion Giulia.
Fraxiom vs The Hardy Boyz (c) – TNA Tag Team Championships
The Hardy Boyz receive a pop as loud as the actual Madison Square Garden venue, followed by “this is awesome” chants pre-match. The veterans control early on until Fraxiom hit consecutive dives at lightning speed preceding picture-in-picture. Matt catches Nathan Frazer thereafter with a Side Effect on the floor, and he and Jeff hit Plot Twist on Axiom in-ring for two. The hits keep coming with a Spanish Fly and Phoenix Splash on Jeff respectively from the NXT Tag Team Champions, and the latter comes back with Whisper in the Winds and Twist of Fate for another two. Axiom inadvertently dropkicks Frazer, leading to an iconic Swanton Bomb from Jeff for the victory. The story leading in was best tag team in the world versus best tag team of all time, yet the timeless aura of The Hardy Boyz begs to keep them in both discussions.
Winners: The Hardy Boyz
Backstage, Jaida Parker takes advice from Mickie James, who tells her to take all opportunities. James notes beginning the road to Stand & Deliver, and Parker looks forward to the outcome of Vaquer versus Giulia tonight.
“Stacks” shows frustration over The Family’s losses and plans a six-person tag team match against Shawn Spears’ family next week. Former North American Champion Tony D’Angelo assures his back is fine and reluctantly shakes his hand.
Roxanne Perez vs Jordynne Grace
In a rematch from last year’s Battleground, Grace expectedly looks to get a lick back. The Theatre splits between them, and it’s Perez who gains control by targeting the knees. After break, “The Juggernaut” delivers a package powerbomb with strength unlike any other. Perez comes back with a Frog Splash and Crossface, and the urgency in her offense brings out the best in her. But Grace counters Pop Rox and hits the Juggernaut Driver for three, exacting revenge and accepting the metaphorical changing of the guards in the NXT women’s division.
Winner: Jordynne Grace
NXT Champion Oba Femi stands face-to-face with The Undertaker backstage. The legend says he’s impressed and motivates Femi to defend his yard. In a vignette afterwards, Trick Williams vows to knock Eddy Thorpe out in NXT Underground next week.
Moose vs Oba Femi (c) – NXT Championship
Booker T says the line: “no bread, no water, just meat!” The face-off gets a standing ovation, but the carnivores in The Theatre clearly favor Femi. He enacts a rare instance in manhandling Moose, slamming him into the apron before break and delivering a Fall From Grace thereafter. All of Moose’s offense is surprisingly stifled, notably when his springboard crossbody is reversed with a stiff uppercut and Attitude Adjustment – encouraging “let’s go Cena” and “Cena sucks” chants. The X-Division Champion eventually lands a superplex, Femi instantaneously comes back with another suplex and a clothesline turns Moose inside out. Femi presses him over the ropes, but Moose recuperates with a Uranage through the announce desk and a spear for two. Femi catches one last Fall From Grace, retaining the NXT Championship in a big-man spectacle. This is Femi’s yard now.
Winner: Oba Femi
Instead of PLE ad breaks, an Instagram montage of Zaria and Sol Ruca’s rage room date kills times. Ricky Saints interrupts Fatal Influence’s argument with Ava, and Jacy Jayne says he doesn’t belong here. Ava grants him a match with Ridge Holland next week, and Ethan Page ironically says NXT doesn’t like outsiders.
Ethan Page vs Je’Von Evans – New York City Street Fight
“Ego” and “bouncy” satisfyingly catch on in respective entrance themes, and the rivals start out hot ringside. In another small touch, they sport a black and white beater in respect to differing attitudes – both eventually tagged with steel chairs. Page slams him through two chairs and a table before break, reminding everyone that a motivated “All Ego” is a bonafide asset. After eating an Ego’s Edge, scrappy Evans comes back with a cutter through a ringside table and a breathtaking dive over the announce desk. In poetic justice, Evans places a chair over Page’s head and connects with a springboard cutter for three. That Shawn Michaels-cooked feud deserves a licking of the plate. But for dessert, the four mystery assailants appear in The Theatre and jump Evans to strobe lights and def rebel music.
Winner: Je’Von Evans
Brooks Jensen, Niko Vance and Izzi Dame express their allegiance to the Shawn Spears family – officially named The Culling, and the new North American Champion encourages them to take The D’Angelo Family’s hearts next week.
Interviewed in the crowd, Eddy Thorpe is drowned out by boos and “whoop that trick” chants. Thorpe barely spurts a cliche sports team insult as Trick Williams jumps him into the ring preceding their NXT Underground match next week. “Whoop that trick” is alive and well, at least in New York City.
Stephanie Vaquer (c) vs Giulia (c) – Title for Title
Corey Graves mentions the competitors’ first encounter in Korakuen Hall for Stardom, and in Madison Square Garden, they run it back in what is billed as the biggest women’s match in NXT history. Unlike wrestling against Performance Center rookies, the competitors are for once equally skilled, and Vaquer stands tall after a springboard dive preceding break. Her knee-head smashes translate with New York just as much as with Booker T, leading to extraneous Booker T chants before a superplex. They trade offense until Vaquer hits SVB for two, and Giulia catches the Spiral Tap with Rings of Saturn. Vaquer escapes and delivers two consecutive superkicks and SVBs for the pinfall victory, holding both titles to a rainfall of confetti. Vic Joseph closes, “The NXT women’s division now goes through one woman: ‘The Dark Angel.’”
