WWE NXT Live Coverage - February 28th, 2023
https://i.imgur.com/SeG7Zqo.jpg
Gigi Dolin to speak after attacking Jacy Jayne last week
The breakup of Toxic Attraction is still fresh on the mind of Gigi Dolin as she looks for payback against her former tag team partner, Jacy Jayne. The villainous Jayne abruptly attacked Dolin weeks ago during Bayley’s talk show Ding Dong, Hello! and the fallout has been intense. Dolin made her surprising return last week and attacked Jayne during her match with Indi Hartwell, and now the fiery Superstar will grab a mic and tell the NXT Universe what has been on her mind. What will Dolin say when she grabs the mic?
:nxt4:
– Tonight’s WWE NXT episode opens up on the USA Network with Vic Joseph welcoming us, and he’s joined at ringside by WWE Hall of Famer Booker T. We immediately see a big brawl backstage with Drew Gulak, Charlie Dempsey, Axiom, Edris Enofe, Malik Blade, Dabba-Kato, and others. NXT North American Champion Wes Lee waits in the ring to kick off his Open Challenge, watching the brawl on the big screen. The brawl spills out to the entrance-way but Kato breaks through everyone. Apollo Crews suddenly leaps in from the side to take Kato down, and now they brawl. The returning Nathan Frazer suddenly comes flying in from the back, jumping over the others. Frazer rushes to the ring and faces off with Lee to a pop.
NXT North American Title Match: Nathan Frazer vs. Wes Lee
The bell rings as North American Champion Wes Lee goes at it with Nathan Frazer, who has been away since Halloween Havoc. They go at it to chants of “welcome back!” to Frazer. Lee with an early 2 count, then he goes on the offensive with a leg scissors in the middle of the ring.
Frazer goes into a headlock. They trade more holds as fans do dueling chants now. They get back up and trade offense, then collide in mid-air with the same move for a stalemate. They briefly tangle again and then separate.
Frazer offers his hand for a shake and Lee slaps it in a show of respect. They lock up and trade holds in the middle of the ring again with Lee taking Frazer down. There’s another brief stalemate after more of the same. Lee ends up on the floor after a counter on the apron. Frazer flies to the floor with a moonsault but Lee rushes back in and Frazer lands on his feet.
Lee now goes for a big dive but Frazer rushes back into the ring before he can hit it. Lee ends up kicking Frazer from the apron to the floor. Lee stands tall as we go back to commercial.
Back from the break and Frazer drops Lee in the corner, then nails him with a big uppercut. Frazer misses a 450 Splash as Lee moves They tangle and collide in mid-air with crossbody attempts, and both go down. More of the same between the two. Frazer hits the moonsault into the inverted DDT but Lee kicks out at 2. Frazer chops Lee in the corner, then takes him to the top.
Frazer climbs up for the superplex but Lee sends him tot he mat. Frazer runs right back up and hits the superplex, then holds it for Falcon Arrow but Lee still manages to kick out. Fans chant “this is awesome!” again as they struggle to get up. Lee fights from the apron but Frazer knocks him into the edge of the announce table.
More back and forth in the ring now. Lee ends up taking Frazer back down on the floor, then running from corner to corner in the ring and leaping out, taking Frazer back down on the floor. Lee brings it back in and nails the Cardiac Kick for the pin to win and retain.
Winner: Wes Lee
– After the match, Lee stands tall to a pop as the music hits. We go to replays. Frazer offers his hand for a shake now. They shake and embrace to a pop from the crowd.
– We get a vignette from JD McDonagh, who details the science behind his retinal tear and the emergency surgery needed to prevent him losing the eye. JD says he doesn’t expect Ilja Dragunov to know what this feels like, but he promises Ilja will. JD says between Ilja’s desire to endure pain and JD’s desire to inflict pain, their next match will be the beautiful symphony that Ilja wants. JD says Ilja is a ring warrior and he has the highest threshold for pain JD has ever seen, but as soon as JD’s eye is getting better and the vision is coming back into focus, he will push Ilja to places he’s never seen before, he will break Ilja, make him suffer, and send him home permanently.
– Josh Briggs and Brooks Jensen are backstage warming up. Jensen is down because he things aren’t the same between he and Kiana James, ever since Valentine’s Day. Briggs says they are both stupid when it comes to women. Briggs hypes Jensen up and tells him to look at how he’s improved in six months, saying the Brooks of six months ago would be proud of who he is today. They walk out and we go to commercial.
– Back from the break and we get a brief promo on Tyler Bate. He will face Carmelo Hayes in the main event.
– McKenzie Mitchell is backstage with Hank Walker now. She asks about his involvement in tonight’s show-opening brawl. Walker says he was there to get a piece of Drew Gulak and to earn a shot at the NXT North American Title because that would prove he belongs in NXT. Axiom interrupts and asks Walker what the hell was up with the earlier brawl. Walker apologizes, says it got hectic, and he didn’t mean to kick Axiom but Axiom got stuck in the crossfire. Axiom says Walker almost knocked him out, and now they have a problem because Walker cost him a title shot. Axiom goes to insinuate Walker stood no chance in the title match. This sets Walker off. A furious Walker gets into a shoving match with Axiom as they’re separated.
Veer Mahaan and Sanga vs. Brooks Jensen and Josh Briggs
We go back to the ring and out comes the team of Brooks Jensen and Josh Briggs. They are alone tonight. Indus Sher is out next with Jinder Mahal – Veer Mahaan and Sanga with Jinder Mahal.
Veer starts off with Jensen and dominates. Sanga tags in to take over in the corner. Jensen blocks a slam and mounts some offense. Briggs tags in and knocks Sanga off his feet. Briggs needs to tag but Jensen isn’t paying attention. Jensen comes in but Sanga rocks him to turn it around.
Veer tags in for the big double team offense. Sanga tags right back in for another big double team move to Jensen. Sanga makes Jensen fade in a submission now as fans try to rally. Sanga with a scoop slam. Jensen dodges an elbow drop. Briggs tags in, ducks Sanga, then rocks Veer. Briggs decks Sanga again, then knocks Veer off the apron. Briggs unloads on Sanga and hits the big right hand from the floor. Jensen goes to Briggs on the floor but he’s way late for the double team right hand. Briggs yells at him to get it together.
Jensen goes back in but Sanga spikes him into the mat. Briggs is isolated at ringside now. Veer tags in and Sanga whips Jensen into the lariat by Veer. Veer covers Jensen for the pin to win.
Winners: Indus Sher
– After the match, Mahal joins Sanga and Veer in the ring. Jinder talks about their hunt for gold. Then, apparently addressing The Creed Brothers, Mahal says they are ready to finish this but the question is, are you? Jinder says they have given them a beating in the past but it will be ten times worse at Roadblock. Vic indicates there will be a six-man match.
– We see what happened earlier this month between Gigi Dolin and Jacy Jayne. Dolin is seen walking backstage now. Back to commercial.
– Back from the break and Vic shows us what happened during the break. McKenzie was preparing to interview Nathan Frazer in the trainer’s room when Katana Chance ran in and told the doctor they needed him immediately in the back parking lot. The camera followed the trainer to the back where others were tending to Wendy Choo, who was attacked by someone.
– We go back to the ring and out comes Gigi Dolin with her black rose.
Dolin yells for the music to be cut and says that’s the last time we will hear that awful song. She knocks Jacy Jayne and says her life was changed when her skull was smashed in the ring three weeks ago, but that wasn’t the first big change in her life or the first big betrayal in her life. She says Jayne made her realize who she really is and what she’s made of. She says it was fun being the mean girls of Toxic Attraction and it was fun to channel her own inner demons, because deep down she’s just been happy to survive.
She says Jayne knows this because Dolin shared everything with her. Dolin says Jayne knows how Dolin’s own mother used her and abused her, and when she finally got the chance to run away as a teenager, she was determined to show her little brother she could make it in WWE and they could make it on their own. Fans cheer Dolin on as she talks more about getting knocked out and always standing back up. Dolin tells Jayne to bring everything she has at Roadblock next week but it will not be enough because she will use every bit of pain, suffering and rage she has built up inside to hammer the final nail in the coffin of Toxic Attraction.
– We go to the Chase University class room and Duke Hudson is talking to another student. Thea Hail walks in and sits down, and she’s quieter than usual. Duke apologizes for what he said about her last week, and says he knows she’s a very strong woman who can stand on her own. Hail thanks him and says she’s sure Andre Chase will accept Duke’s apology for what he said about Chase U also. Duke says no, he meant what he said about Chase U. Chase appears and asks Duke if there’s a problem? No. Chase says the Chase U lesson for today is about famous WWE factions but The Schism quickly interrupts on the screen, shocking Hail and the other students. Joe Gacy, Ava, Rip Fowler and Jagger Reid all take turns talking. They ask how Chase U can be proud to represent the flag of a failing institution… they are the reflection of Chase U and everything it stands for. The grass is always greener on the other side and there’s plenty of shade on campus under The Schism’s tree. Ava says Thea’s body is in shock but not because of any inflicted pain but because she saw what life can truly be under The Schism’s shade. Hail and other students are shown looking shocked at The Schism. Ava says Hail can’t un-clean what is singed into her brain, she can’t un-hear what is also caught in her eyes. You know. They all repeat “Thea knows!” now. Gacy tells Duke to let it out… you know the only flag you should be waving is a white one, and Chase U is nothing but an unaccredited school, so everyone should grab their textbooks and take the step to a better life, under The Schism’s tree because if you don’t, The Schism’s roots will grow deeper as they dismantle Chase U and it will go up in flames. The Schism all put their yellow masks on now and watch a Chase U t-shirt burn in a barrel. Duke raises his hand but Chase says no, there’s no time for questions. Chase will not let anyone talk to his students that way. He promises to hand-deliver Gacy a Chase University-sized ass whipping at Roadblock next week to show his students what principles Chase U is built on.
Meiko Satomura vs. Zoey Stark
We go back to the ring and out first comes Meiko Satomura. Back to commercial.
Back from the break and we get a promo from Dijak, who is responding to Tony D’Angelo’s Jailhouse Street Fight challenge from last week. Dijak says Tony D could’ve saved himself so much sorrow, but now he’s public enemy #1. Dijak says Tony will not lock him into solitary confinement, but next week at Roadblock he will lock Tony D down for good. Vic confirms the Jailhouse Street Fight will be held under No DQ, No Count Out rules, and you must lock your opponent in the jail cell to win. We go back to the ring and NXT Women’s Champion Roxanne Perez has joined Booker and Vic on commentary now. The music hits and out comes Zoey Stark as Satomura looks on.
The bell rings and they lock up, trading holds. Satomura takes Stark’s legs out, then nails a senton for a 2 count. Satomura with a headlock as fans cheer her on. Stark tries to break free from the headlock but can’t.
Stark with a big right hand to stun Satomura. Stark talks trash but Satomura unloads with stiff kicks to drop Stark. Satomura keeps control but Stark turns it around and nails the sliding forearm. They end up on the floor but Satomura ducks a clothesline, then drops Stark with a big boot on the floor. Satomura brings it back in to chants as we go to a picture-in-picture commercial break.
Back from the break and they’re going at it. Satomura sends Stark to the apron but Stark rocks her and springboards in but gets caught in mid-air as Satomura hits her hurt knee. They both go down as the referee checks on Stark.
Fans chant “NXT!” now. Satomura mounts offense with kicks now, then a big shot in the corner. Satomura drops Stark with a DDT. Satomura goes to the top as fans cheer her on. Satomura then hits the top rope splash but Stark kicks out just in time. Satomura with kicks while Stark is on her knees now.
Satomura continues to dominate, but misses the cartwheel into the knee drop as Stark moves. Stark slams Satomura by her hair from the apron as fans boo. Stark launches herself in from the apron with a corkscrew plancha but Satomura kicks out just in time. Stark goes back to the top but Satomura kicks her legs out.
Satomura rocks Stark while she’s down on the top, then brings her to the mat. Satomura with a big spike into the mat for another close 2 count. Fans do dueling chants now. Stark fights out of a hold, then delivers two stiff kicks. Stark with the sliding knee for a close 2 count.
Stark goes back to the top for the 450 Splash but she has to roll through as Satomura moves. Satomura scoops Stark for a DVD. Satomura then nails Scorpio Rising for the pin to win.
Winner: Meiko Satomura
– After the match, Satomura stands tall as the music hits. We go to replays. Perez now enters the ring as Satomura looks on. They have a few words, which we can’t hear, as Vic promotes next week’s title match at Roadblock.
– Vic says WWE Hall of Famer & Senior Vice President of Talent Development Creative Shawn Michaels has accepted Grayson Waller’s challenge to appear on The Grayson Waller Effect at Roadblock. We see what Waller did in the production truck last week to call Michaels out. We also see HBK’s tweet to accept the invitation.
– McKenzie Mitchell is backstage at the trainer’s room while Wendy Choo is being checked out. Tiffany Stratton walks up and says Choo will be out indefinitely because of the parking lot. She advises everyone to stay away from the parking lot. Katana Chance and Kayden Carter come out of the trainer’s room and say it’s not looking good for Choo. Tiffany says the bright side is, no one cares about Choo. Chance and Carter point to how Stratton had a long-standing issue with Choo. Tiffany points the blame at them and says they were also around when Nikkita Lyons was attacked. Tiffany says maybe she should become a detective. Chance tells her to stop the detective stuff and go put your boots on because Chance is going to get them a match.
Sol Ruca vs. Elektra Lopez
We go back to the ring and out comes Sol Ruca. Back to commercial.
Back from the break and The Creed Brothers are walking backstage. They reluctantly approach Damon Kemp about teaming up for one more time to battle Jinder Mahal and Indus Sher. They say Kemp is still a bad person but he has what they need to win this match. Kemp is shocked and asks if they are ready to put the boys back together. He then turns them down, says absolutely not and asks if they’re kidding him. Julius Creed goes for Kemp but Brutus Creed holds him back as Kemp walk off. NXT Champion Bron Breakker walks up and says since The Creeds kept last week’s NXT Title match against Jinder clean, he will team with them at Roadblock. They are all excited and on the same page now. Julius asks Bron if he could’ve shown up one minute sooner to save him the humiliation of asking Kemp to help. Bron and Brutus get Julius to bark with them for Roadblock. We go back to the ring and out comes Elektra Lopez with Valentina Feroz. We see some of Lopez’s recent antics with brass knuckles.
The bell rings and they go at it, trading holds. Ruca with a headlock takedown. Lopez counters with a takedown. Ruca turns it around with her acrobatics but Lopez slams her to the mat. They go at it and Lopez kicks Ruca, then tries for a hip toss but it’s blocked.
Ruca plants Lopez face-first. More back and forth now. Ruca goes to the top but Lopez shoves her to the floor and she lands hard. Lopez brings it back in for a 2 count in the middle of the ring. Fans rally for Ruca now as Lopez drives knees to the back. Ruca kicks out at 2. Ruca fights Lopez off but Lopez knees her, then beats her around some more.
Lopez with more offense for another 2 count as fans rally for Ruca. Lopez grounds Ruca again. Ruca finally mounts some offense, hitting two flying shoulder blocks, then a dropkick. Ruca with a suplex in the middle of the ring. Ruca hits the turnbuckles as she misses a corner splash when Lopez moves. Lopez drops Ruca for another close 2 count.
Lopez looks for her brass knuckles now but Feroz has them, and won’t give them to Lopez. Ruca takes advantage and hits the Sol-Snatcher for the pin to win.
Winner: Sol Ruca
– After the match, Ruca stands tall as the music hits and she heads out after replays. Lopez and Feroz are in the ring now. Lopez talks trash to Feroz and shoves her into the ropes. Feroz seethes, then turns around with a big brass knuckles shot to lay Lopez out. Fans cheer Feroz on as she exits the ring to her music.
– We go to Big Daddy’s Bar, where NXT Tag Team Champions Gallus are playing pool – Mark Coffey and Wolfgang. Mark talks about how everyone respected them in NXT UK and how they had a run for the record books. He talks about what Pretty Deadly did last week and says something like that would never happen at home. Mark says two years ago Pretty Deadly stole the NXT UK Tag Team Titles from them, then taunted them and jumped them last week. Mark says it’s all fun and games until they try to take their titles, and with NXT being their kingdom, are they going to let two Brits do them like that? Mark is trying to get Wolfgang fired up now but he keeps playing pool. Mark says Wolfgang should be raging. Wolfgang takes another shot but is bumped into by an innocent bystander at another table. Wolfgang suddenly smashes a glass over the guy’s head, then beats him down. Coffey watches and likes what he sees. Coffey says now we’re ready. McKenzie is backstage with Pretty Deadly now. They saw the Gallus video and says they didn’t look so tough last week. They imagine how angry Gallus will be when they lose the titles. McKenzie shows us a Drew McIntyre tweet where he warned Pretty Deadly how tough Gallus is. Pretty Deadly insults Scotland and says they will have a sitdown talk with Gallus at Roadblock next week.
Katana Chance vs. Tiffany Stratton
Back from the break and Katana Chance is wrapping up her entrance. Kayden Carter is at ringside. Vic shows us fans from the Boys & Girls Clubs of America in the crowd, who were brought to the show by WWE and Cricket Wireless. Out next comes Tiffany Stratton to the ring as fans boo.
Stratton strikes first and talks some trash. Chance looks to mount offense but Stratton drops her. Chance fights in from the apron and uses her athleticism to take control. Chance blocks a counter with a roll-up for 2.
Stratton ends up catching Chance on her shoulders, then dropping her throat-first on the top rope. Stratton grounds Chance with a knee to the back now. Chance fights free and drops Stratton, then keeps the offense going. Chance with a hurricanrana takedown. Chance with more high-flying offense for a 2 count. Stratton gets up and drops Chance with a right hand. More back and forth between the two now.
Chance goes to the top but here comes Isla Dawn and Alba Fyre. Carter has words with them at ringside, but this distracts Chance up top. Stratton catches her on the way down, then hits the rolling senton. Stratton goes to the corner and hits the springboard moonsault for the pin to win.
Winner: Tiffany Stratton
– After the match, Stratton stands tall as the music hits. Carter helps Chance to the floor as Dawn and Fyre head to the back. Stratton says she’s proved she is the best in all of NXT and that would be good enough for everyone else but she is never satisfied and she wants to be champion. She doesn’t care if Meiko Satomura or Roxanne Perez has the NXT Women’s Title after Roadblock because the title belongs to her. Fans boo as Stratton raises her arm in the air and the music starts back up. Stratton flexes for the crowd.
– Josh Briggs approaches Brooks Jensen backstage. Jensen says their earlier loss was all on him. Briggs addresses Jensen, and NXT Women’s Tag Team Champions Fallon Henley and Kiana James. He says all he’s got is Fallon and Jensen… he’s happy for Jensen and James, but whatever is going on between the three of them has to stop, pronto, because this is WrestleMania Season and it’s messing things up for them. Jensen apologizes. Briggs knows he’s sorry. Briggs says this is a bad time but not a bad life… Fallon has already apologized to James so the hard part is out of the way, now all Jensen has to do is get his girl back, but it’s going to take some time if Briggs is being honest. Jensen says he’s been over-thinking and he wishes he had a do-over, he doesn’t know the right words to say. Briggs says you don’t get a lot of do-overs in life, but he will talk to James for Jensen. Briggs says he would do anything for Jensen. Jensen thanks him and they hug it out.
Axiom vs. Hank Walker
We go back to the ring and out comes Axiom. Back to commercial.
Back from the break and Hank Walker is already out in his singlet. The bell rings and they go at it. Walker is a lot more aggressive tonight. Axiom ends up slapping him early on and Walker is angrier now.
Walker attacks and tries to man-handle Axiom but Axiom holds his own. Walker levels Axiom out of nowhere. Walker goes on and catches Axiom in a big spike to the mat for a 2 count. Walker rocks Axiom but Axiom fights back with rights of his own.
Axiom dropkicks Walker, then nails a flying kick into the corner. Axiom goes to the top and hits a big crossbody for 2. Axiom with a stiff kick and another while Walker is on his knees. Axiom with a big chop. Axiom charges but Walker knocks him off his feet with ease, then delivers a pair of corner splashes.
Walker with a big lariat in the middle of the ring but Axiom cradles him for 2. Axiom rocks Walker and they’re both down now. Walker ducks the next kick but he stays up. Axiom nails the Golden Ratio kick to the jaw for the pin to win.
Winner: Axiom
– After the match, Axiom has his arm raised on the entrance-way as the music hits. Axiom then approaches Walker and says after fighting like that, he sees Walker is special. Axiom walks off and Walker nods at him.
– We see Grayson Waller checking in from a swimming pool somewhere via Twitter video. He wonders which version of Shawn Michaels will show up to the greatest Grayson Waller Effect of all-time next week – The Heartbreak Kid one more time, or the corporate stooge in a cowboy hat we’ve seen for the past few years. Waller just asks that Shawn show him respect because… they say to never say never, so don’t make Waller put Michaels in a position he thought he’d never be in again.
Carmelo Hayes vs. Tyler Bate
We go back to the ring for tonight’s main event as Carmelo Hayes comes out with Trick Williams, and Alicia Taylor does the introductions. Fans chant “Melo!” as we go back to commercial.
Back from the break and out comes Tyler Bate. They lock up and trade holds early on. The offense goes back & forth for the first few minutes, with pin attempts. Bate with a very close 2 count and Hayes can’t believe it. Hayes blocks the Tyler Driver 97 and they continue to trade offense. We get a stalemate as Bate taunts Hayes some.
Hayes rocks Bate but Bate nails uppercuts. Bate with a big back-drop. Bate keeps control and dropkicks Hayes to the floor. Bate then runs the ring and nails a big dive to take Hayes down on the floor for a pop. We go to a picture-in-picture commercial.
Hayes turns it around in the ring during the break. We come back to Hayes grounding Bate by his arm in the middle of the ring. Hayes delivered a few high-impact moves during the break. Bate fights to his feet, dropping Hayes with a knee from the corner. Bate flies at Hayes for a big uppercut takedown.
Trick gets on the apron to save Hayes but Bate knocks Trick to the floor with Bop & Bang. Bate then launches Hayes with an Exploder suplex from the corner. Bate with a standing Shooting Star Press for 2.
More back and forth now. Hayes with a pump kick. Bate catches Hayes on his shoulders, then spins him around as fans cheer. Bate keeps spinning, then slams Hayes for 2. Bate with Bop & Bang, then the slingshot lariat for another close 2 count.
Fans do dueling chants now. Hayes sends Bat into the turnbuckle face-first. They trade strikes in the middle of the ring now. The big strikes continue as Trick looks on. Hayes with a modified Pedigree-like slam for 2. They tangle some more and Hayes hits a big Cutter in the middle of the ring for 2. Hayes shows some frustration now as fans chant “NXT!” to replays. Hayes goes to the top but Bate leaps up to meet him for a big superplex.
Bate goes back to the top but he has to stop and kick Trick off the apron. Hayes takes advantage and slams Bate to the mat, then hits a Codebreaker. Hayes goes to the top and hits the big flying leg drop for the pin to win.
Winner: Carmelo Hayes
– After the match, the music hits as Trick enters the ring to help Hayes to his feet. We go to replays. The Roadblock go-home edition of NXT goes off the air with Hayes and Trick standing in the ring while Hayes talks about going on to Stand & Deliver.
