Who will qualify for the Men’s and Women’s Iron Survivor? Is the end here for Chase U?
Check out our full WWE NXT coverage below.
NXT Commentators Vic Joseph and The Book, Booker T opened the show and did a hot sell for the upcoming Deadline PLE, happening in just a few short weeks. We then went backstage where Nathan Frazer and Axiom were, undoubtedly, having a quiet, dignified conversation. Just kidding. Axiom was freaking out like he drank too much Starbucks Holiday-themed beverages, while Nathan Frazer was more intense and quiet, focusing on his upcoming match for a spot in the Iron Survivor Match.
In a respectable nod to last week’s tag team ballyhoo (where else can you read words like ballyhoo in the correct context? Instinct Culture, folks!), while Frazer and Eddy Thrope made their entrances for their match, the camera showed Lucien Price and Bronco Nima (these names, man), Hank and Tank, and Luca and Stacks all watching from the crowd.
Nathan Frazer vs. Eddy Thorpe For a Spot in the Iron Survivor Match at NXT Deadline
You know who knows the difference between a wristlock and a wrist watch? Nathan Frazer and Eddy Thorpe, that’s who! The two traded a few of those (locks, not watches) but then Thorpe used a belly-to-belly takedown, followed by some more amateur wrestling combinations. Frazer finally got out of the takedowns and hit a dropkick to try and regain control of the match. The camera showed two more wrestlers watching from the crowd. What are the chances of all of these wrestlers interfering in the match? (I swear to God, I’m writing this as I watch it. So if it DOES happen, I promise I didn’t come back and write this whole bit…or did I?)
Thorpe got control again via a crossbody block and a knee to Frazer. Thorpe hit a few Mai Tai Muay Thai kicks on Frazer, who was settled in the corner. Thorpe tried another, but Frazer put that thing down, flipped it, and reversed it into a flatliner into the middle turnbuckle. Frazer followed it up with a kick and a Natural Selection for a two-count. He then tried a snap suplex and got another two-count. Gallus appeared at the top of the ramp while Thorpe and Frazer traded pin attempts (okay, now I KNOW these guys are interfering…I’m not even smart for guessing. It’s like, incredibly obvious).
Both guys tried a smaller version of the Ricochet/Logan Paul Royal Rumble spot, hitting dual cross body blocks to each other. The camera then cut to where OTM were previously, but they were not there anymore (It’s happening).
Commercial break and I heat up my cup of coffee for the 53rd time today. Back from break. Eddy hit a strike on Frazer, followed by an abdominal stretch. (If were were ever an independent wrestler, I’d call myself the Abdominal Snowman, and the stretch would be my finishing move).
The tag teams were closing in, slowly gathering at ringside. Frazer hit his Lionsault DDT, followed by a standing shooting star press for another two-count. Thorpe attempted to fight back, and made it to the top rope but Frazer cut him off and elbowed him off the ropes. But then, Tavion Heights and Myles Borne distracted Frazer, which allowed Thorpe to hit a super German suplex, followed by a brainbuster. Two-count!
Frazer regained control again and sent Thorpe to ringside with a huracanrana. And that’s when it happened. All of the tag teams started brawling at ringside. Frazer dove onto half of them, but then Thorpe threw him back into the ring, all the while still fighting off the other teams. Thorpe hit an enziguri , but then Frazer responded with his Final Cut, followed by the Phoenix Splash to pick up the 1-2-3.
All of the other teams kept brawling and the referees had to come break ’em up. You didn’t have to be a wrestling wiz-kid like myself to see what was going to happen, but predictability isn’t always a bad thing. In fact, whatever happened to predictability? The milk man. The paper boy. Evening TV. You miss your old familiar friends, waiting just around the bend.
(Shoutout to Dave Coulier, who is currently stage 3 cancer)
Following the match, Andre Chase was giving another pep talk about Chase U. He said Chase U was built on taking risk. He said it started with him and Thea, but when Duke Hudson joined, he got a bona fide MVP (not that MVP). Chase said he was sorry for losing the University once before, but that at least they sold calendars and were able to get their money and university back.
Chase continued to taut their wins, including the NXT tag team championship. And Andre Chase would be DAMNED if anyone tried to take his family away. The camera cut to random students, who encouraged Chase, and that gave him enough confidence to proudly proclaim that he will beat Ridge Holland and become the number one contender to the NXT Championship.
Cut to Jaida Parker’s entrance, followed by a short video promo from Giulia. Giulia reminisced about moving to America the first time. She said that while she learned the American culture, they learned about her beautiful madness. Giulia said she learned to fight by scrapping and the women she’s facing at Deadline will get a true taste of her beautiful madness (that’s gotta be the name of her finishing move, right?). She said she’s going to beat Roxanne Perez for the NXT Women’s Championship after she gets through the Iron Survivor match.
We cut from that promo to another promo of a wrestler watching another promo (featuring Robert Stone and Stevie Turner). Jordan demanded that Ava put her in a match against Giulia, though she looked a bit nervous while doing so.
Stephanie Vaquer vs Jaida Parker for a spot in the Iron Survivor Match at NXT Deadline
Parker started the match with some short-arm tackles on Stephanie Vaquer. But Vaquer reversed one into a huracanrana rollup. She followed that with a cross-armed bridge pinfall attempt, which only got a two count. Vaquer then used, allegedly, an illegal armbar on the top rope, but Parker picked Vaquer out of thin air and nailed a backbreajer. Parker hit Vaquer with her version of the Banzai Drop before we went to commercial.
(Heat up coffee, again)
Back from break, Parker hit Vaquer with a Backstabber for a two-count, followed by strikes to the kidneys and a reverse suplex for another two-count. Parker maintained control with a Butterfly Stretch on Vaquer, but Vaquer got to her feet and reversed the pressure. As Vaquer was attempting a comeback, Parker nailed another shot to the back to stall her momentum. Vaquer eventually hit a jawbreaker and a superkick, followed by her Sole Food and Meteora combo.
Vaquer then hit her leg scissor face slam combination for a two-count. She attempted her finishing move, but Parker reversed it and hit a Falcon Arrow for a close two. Vaquer reversed another suplex into a rollup for a nearfall. Parker nailed a Gourdbuster and attempted her finisher, but Lola Vice showed up with a brick. Like, an actual brick. While Parker was distracted, Vaquer hit her with a superkick and package backbreaker to get the win.
Stephanie Vaquer defeated Jaida Parker
After the match, we cut backstage to Dion Lennoz and Brinley Reece, who were giving each other a pep talk. That’s all.
Tony D’Angelo and Adriana Rizzo then made their entrance.
A Twitter/X promo from Roxanne Perez aired (can’t wait to see the first wrestler who cuts a Bluesky promo) and she was a vision, bragging about being the first Iron Survivor. But then Sol Ruca interrupted and began taunting Perez (evidently they were both at the beach) before leaving the situation on her surfboard.
Shawn Spears and Brooks Jensen made their entrance.
NXT North American Champion Tony D’Angelo vs Brooks Jensen (with Shawn Spears)
Big Tony D started off the match with a succession of body slams. Jensen responded with Snake Eyes and a powerslam. Then, Jensen put The D in a sleeper hold. Tony tried to Vader/Cactus Jack it (yep, I just turned that into a verb), but Jensen held on and turned it into a Rear Naked Choke. Tony broke the hold, however, by throwing Jensen over the top rope, but he held onto his knee.
Tony hit a variety of suplexes — some regular, some of the belly-to-belly variety –but Jensen finally countered a spinebuster into into a codebreaker. Jensen hit a Big Boot on Tony D (I miss Test, so much) but Tony D’Angelo recovered and hit his finishing spinebuster for the win.
Tony D’Angelo defeated Brooks Jensen
After the match, Shawn Spears entered the ring and shook hands with Tony D. Jensen chop-blocked Tony D on his bad knee.
Cut to backstage, where Ashante Thee Adonis and Karmen Petrovic were warming up. The two complimented each others’ outfits (something something sports) and after Petrovic left, Ashanti looked absolutely smitten.
Cut from backstage to backstage where Lexis King was looking forlorn. Melancholy, even. Absolutely ambivalent. King said that he’s turned over a new leaf and people were taking notice. The camera panned to (brb…gotta check Twitter…) NOAH wrestler Yoshiki Inamura. Inamura told King that he understands him. Then Josh Briggs appeared and asked what the two young up-and-comers were talking about. Hmmm….a stable formation, perhaps?
Ashanti Thee Adonis and Karmen Petrovic vs Dion Lennox and Brinley Reece
I hate these names. With every fiber of my being. She’s a phenomenal wrestler, but Brinley Reece is the name of the daughter of your Facebook-friend-but-not-friend-in-real-life who always posts pictures of herself and her husband/family looking so happy, with a #blessed tagline, but actually everybody is miserable and she cries in her car and he rarely comes home before 7 p.m. and poor, poor Brinley is left to raise her little brother because the matriarch of the family is “one tired mama” but it’s not sleep she needs, it’s an anti-depressant.
Anyway, Brinley Reece tried to steal a win with a few quick rollups. Petrovic kept kicking out and hit an arm drag, before the fellows tagged in. Lennox hit a few hip tosses on Adonis, but Adonis came back with a front kick and a dropkick. Lennox attempted to run over Adonis, but stopped short because Petrovic got in his way. The distraction led to Adonis sending Lennox throat-first into the top rope. Both men hit each other with a clothesline, which led to Reece and Petrovic tagging in. Reece hit a flip into a clothesline, followed by a rollup for a two-count. Adonis got up and asked for a kiss from Reece, who was aghast! She was positively gob smacked! Absolutely twitterpated! She slapped Adonis but Petrovic hit a high kick and got the win.
Ashanti Thee Adonis and Karmen Petrovic defeated Brinley Reece and Dion Lennox
Adonis and Petrovic high-fived after the match, but let it linger a little longer, to the point of becoming awkward. Or sexy. Depending on your interpretation.
Backstage, Ridge Holland was asked about his upcoming match with Andre Chase. Holland said it was nice that Chase U went down memory lane earlier, but then asked how Chase U liked the “new colors” he gifted them. Ridge said that, after tonight, Riley, Duke and Thea will no longer have a father figure. Which can only mean one thing.
Holland said he’s going to Deadline, and Chase U will DIE!
(Note: He did say “as we know it”)
Zaria vs Wren Sinclair (with Charlie Dempsey) for a spot in the Iron Survivor Match at NXT Deadline
Zaria (don’t call her Daria) began the match with a belly-to-back Standing Switch. But then Sinclair tried to recover, and rolled up Zaria for a two-count. Big mistake. Zaria was mad, and Sinclair ran to her corner, where Charlie Dempsey tried to give her a pep talk. It didn’t work. Sinclair attempted a sunset flip, but Zaria wouldn’t budge. Zaria hit a multitude of chained, delayed vertical suplexes for a two-count.
She tried another suplex, but Sinclair reversed it into a small package for another two-count. Zaria took Sinclair with her as she went outside the ring, via a Cactus clothesline. That poor thing. Zaria is not playing around. Charlie Dempsey tried distracted Zaria, which allowed Sinclair to hit a suicide dive, and never was there a more apropos-sounding move for a person. Sinclair tried building momentum with a series of strikes, a clothesline, a blockbuster, and even a turnbuckle dropkick. But Zaria was not to be denied. She hit another clothesline. Sinclair tried again to gain the advantage with a Victory Roll and then an elbow strike. Sinclair ran into a spear, however. And then Zaria hit an F5 for the win.
Zaria defeated Wren Sinclair to earn a spot in the Iron Survivor Match at NXT Deadline.
The Women’s Iron Survivor Match is going to be bonkers. Possibly the best women’s match of the year? That’s my bet. Bookmark this.
(I don’t know why, that’s just what people say and it sounds cool.)
Following the match, Fatal Influence was seen walking backstage.
We cut from backstage to more backstage where a medic was checking on the knee of Tony D (didn’t mean for that to rhyme, but it’s fun that it did). Tony was yelling at the medic because anger is a secondary emotion and then NXT GM Ava showed up. D demanded a match with Spears and Ava said he could have it if he gets cleared. Tony D left and Eddy Thorpe showed up, complaining about the various tag teams costing him the match. Thorpe accused Ava of favoritism, because she gave Tony D what he wanted, but wouldn’t give him what he wanted. And honestly, he’s not wrong.
Cut backstage to the ring, where Fatal Influence were cutting a promo about being above the champions, especially since Fallon Henley is the Women’s North American Champion. Henley said she could hold an open challenge, but said it’d have to be next week because it takes time to find an opponent. But. Isn’t that the point of an open challenge? Anyone could do it?
Lash Legend and Jakara Jackson came out and Legend said that if there’s an open challenge, they want a piece.
Then, Nikkita Lyons showed up and told the Meta Four gals to get to the back of the line. They lost the tag titles, they get no more shots at gold. But then Adrina Rizzo came out and a brawl ensued. It was Tatum Paxley who emerged and took out the champion!
Cut from the ring to backstage, where Shawn Spears was talking up Brooks Jensen. Niko showed up and said that he got Spears’ requested match approved. The camera then panned to Karmen Petrovic telling Ashante Thee Adonis that they had good chemistry…while wrestling. Ashanta wondered if it would be the same thing outside of the ring. Petrovic was about to answer, but Nikkita Lyons showed up thought-blocked them, claiming that Adonis showed up in her texts. Petrovic left, even though Adonis said he didn’t text anybody else, especially Nikkita!
Cut from backstage to a hype video from last years’ Iron Survivor match.
Cut from the hype video to an Ethan Page video. Page said he was excited for the Iron Survivor match and, while he knows fans don’t want him to challenge for the title again, that only motivates him. He said that he picks his opponents and he picks his spots. It doesn’t matter when he clocks in, all that matters is having the most falls at the end of the match, which he will. All he has to do…is qualify.
Cut from the Ethan Page promo to a backstage segment where Nathan Frazer and Axiom were talking about Ethan Page. Frazer said Page was formidable. But Axiom said Page won’t advance because his opponent is….drumroll please…Axiom! Frazer condescendingly praised Axiom for being in the match, and both men pontificated about being in the same match, potentially.
Cut from backstage to ringside, where Vic Joseph announced matches for next week, including:
- Tony D’Angelo vs Shawn Spears for the North American Championship
- Tatum Paxley vs Fallen Henley for the Women’s North American Championship
- Kelani Jordan vs Giulia
- Ethan Page vs Axiom
One final time, possibly, Andre Chase was finishing up his lecture. A two-hour lecture? His students are probably begging Chase U to end. Chase said he’s been hardon his students. So, he was going to apologize…for absolutely nothing! And while this is a heel thing to do, his abused and possibly Stockholm Syndrome’d students cheered. Chase said he’s going to give Ridge Holland an Andre Chase University-sized ass whooping, and he’s going to become (in his words) the NXT MOTHER F*CKING CHAMPION!!! AAARRGGGHHH!!!!!
(Sorry, honestly, that pumped me up…I get why his students are so gaslit)
Trick Williams made his entrance. He’ll be providing commentary for this match.
Ridge Holland and Andre Chase made their entrances, and the match got the big Mike Rome introduction.
Ridge Holland vs Andre Chase in a match where, if Chase loses, Chase U must disband
Chase started the match with a series of right hands on Holland. He hit a high knee (heh) and threw Holland into the corner. But Holland came back with a belly–to-belly suplex, followed by a lateral press, and then a few more belly-to-belly suplexes, a la Scott Steiner.
Holland pulled up the ringside mat to expose the concrete below. Holland tried to powerbomb Chase onto the concrete, but Chase held onto the ropes. He then hit a few kicks and cannonball’d onto Holland from the apron. Chase celebrated with the fans, ringside.
Cut to break!
Back from break!
Holland attempted a diving headbutt, but Chase moved. He then blocked another power bomb, but Holland hit a clothesline, followed by another high knee (heh), followed by the Bitter End for a two-count. Frustrated, Holland brought a chair into the ring. The ref took the chair away, which allowed Holland to kick Chase in the lower abdominal region (IE his balls), followed by his Redeemer DDT.
Thea Hail, Duke Hudson, and Riley Osborne showed up and oh, what could this lead to? Hail pulled out the referee to break up a pinfall attempt from Holland. And then the ref was hit. Oh, what could this lead to?
Holland tackled Chase through a wall near the ringside area. Riley Osborne then hit Holland with a flip dive, but it accidentally included Hail, too.
Holland eventually recovered and press slammed Osborne to the ringside area. And maybe my theory is not holding up.
Chase finally recovered and tried to rally, like a university student on a Sunday morning after a big-time football game the day before. Chase slammed Holland and then hit the Chase U Boot. He then a Side Effect for a near-fall. Holland recovered and hit a beautiful sitout power bomb on Chase, which got a very close two-count.
The crowd started chanting “This is Awesome,” and it really was. Stakes matter, man. Even relatively silly stakes like Chase U disbanding.
Chase hit his High Fly Flow on Holland, but Holland rolled through it, John Cena-Style and hit the Redeemer DDT for the one.
The two.
The three.
Ridge Holland defeated Andre Chase
I was wrong. Chase U did not turn on Chase. In fact, the camera showed all members of Chase U crying, including Andre Chase himself. It even panned to the audience, and THE AUDIENCE WAS CRYING. And that, dear reader, is how the show ended — with the audience actually crying about a group that, six months ago, people couldn’t care less about. That shows how powerful storytelling can be, how powerful pro wrestling can be.
Thanks for following your instincts and joining us this week! It’s a loaded show next week, so we’ll see you next Tuesday!