Welcome to the NXT Weekly for 2/21/23. We are live from the CWC at the Performance Center in Orlando, FL.
NXT Weekly for 2/21/23
Ilja Dragunov vs. Trick Williams
Williams cut a pre-match promo about proving himself tonight. Williams does have some good skills in the ring. Dragunov will be a really good test for him. The match was really good and Williams was able to keep up with Dragunov. JD McDonagh showed up mid-match to observe from the commentary desk. Dragunov made Williams look good in the match before finishing him off with the Torpedo Moscow.
Winner – Ilja Dragunov
After the match, Dragunov and McDonagh have a stare-down, likely rekindling their previous feud. As for Williams, he looked really good and could be a serious tag team championship contender with Carmelo Hayes if they ever go down that route.
Jinder Mahal cuts a promo on his opponent tonight, Bron Breakker. Mahal reminds us of his past championships and is coming for the NXT Championship tonight.
Fallon Henley was backstage trying to call Brooks Jenson to apologize for what happened last week on the Valentine’s Day date. Josh Briggs shows up and said he didn’t want to be in the middle of it. Henley said she was going to make things right in person.
Roxanne Perez showed up at one of Meiko Satomura’s training classes. Perez was the only one who could survive all of the drills. Satomura was impressed and said that was just the warmup when Perez went to leave.
Tyler Bate comes out to cut a promo in the ring. He thanked the fans and talked about people he’s faced in the past. Joe Gacy and Schism showed up to interrupt. Gacy gave his usual speech as they surrounded the ring. Chase U’s Andre Chase, Duke Hudson, and Thea Hail show up to even the odds. This could be an interesting 8 person tag match, but we get Chase and Hudson taking on The Dyad instead.
NXT Weekly for 2/21/23
Chase U vs. The Dyad
We get another good match here. The Dyad started off in control but Chase U battled back. The Chase U gimmick is doing well down in NXT. They get really good crowd response. The Schism is an interesting gimmick too. The action picks up and each team gets a couple of nearfalls. Ava approached Hail so Chase went to her aid after tagging out to Hudson. Hudson gets double teamed but Chase doesn’t realize it in time to break up the fall.
Winners – The Dyad
After the match, Hudson is upset and said Hail needed to grow up. Hudson wondered if Chase U is a university or a charity. I liked the intensity from Hudson there. If they can get on the same page, I could see a tag team title run for Chase U in the not-so-distant future. They just need some quality wins.
We get a clip from earlier in the day with Von Wagner and Mr. Stone talking. Tony D’Angelo and Channing “Stacks” Lorenzo walked in to challenge Wagner to a match. After initially declining, Wagner accepted the match for tonight.
Drew Gulak and Charlie Dempsey were backstage with McKenzie Mitchell for a quick interview.
Sol Ruca had a promo video showing off her various skills while talking about Zoey Stark and getting one more match with her. I think Ruca has the tools to be a stand-out star; she just needs some more seasoning in NXT.
NXT Weekly for 2/21/23
Jacy Jayne vs. Indi Hartwell
Let’s be honest here; Hartwell is simply here to put over Jayne’s new heel character. We don’t really expect her to win do we? The match didn’t go long and, surprise, surprise, Hartwell lost. At least it was by DQ because Gigi Dolin returned to beat up Jayne.
Winner (by DQ) – Jacy Jayne
After the match, Dolin and Jayne fight back to the backstage area. Smart move by Dolin to attack Jayne during the match instead of after the match. Hartwell was about finished anyway.
Meiko Satomura and Roxanne Perez were shown still training together for their NXT Women’s Championship match in two weeks at Roadblock. Satomura told Perez to win it comes from your heart and not your muscles. That was a really nice piece of advice I hope they build into Perez’s character.
Zoey Stark was complaining backstage to McKenzie Mitchell about Satomura getting a title shot before she gets hers. Stark was going to do something about it with Satomura next week. Stark is doing well as a heel. She’ll likely be the one to take the title from Perez, probably this summer.
NXT Weekly for 2/21/23
Gallus vs. Edris Enofe and Malik Blade
This was a non-title match. This was just giving Gallus a couple of people to beat up. It was a solid match, but Enofe and Blade never stood a real chance.
Winners – Gallus
After the match, two jobbers presented Gallus a cake to celebrate Gallus’s two-year anniversary for losing the NXT UK Tag Team Championship to Pretty Deadly. The jobbers got caked before Gallus beat them up. Pretty Deadly jumped Gallus and laid them out on the ring steps. I expect a tag title match soon between these two, probably at Roadblock.
Stevie Turner was talking on her “show” about Lyra Valkyria. Another future match getting set up.
NXT Weekly for 2/21/23
Von Wagner vs. Tony D’Angelo
Wagner appears to be getting ready for a character/gimmick change in the near future so D’Angelo gets an impressive win after Wagner was tossing him around for most of the match.
Winner – Tony D’Angelo
After the match, D’Angelo was interviewed in the ring and he praised Stacks for showing his loyalty last week. He then challenged Dijak to a Jailhouse Street Fight at Roadblock. D’Angelo said he expects an answer in seven days.
Nikkita Lyons was interviewed by McKenzie Mitchell talking about having to miss all of 2023 because of her knee surgery. Tiffany Stratton said she didn’t attack Lyons and Lyons can just vanish.
Carmelo Hayes was proud of Trick Williams tonight, and Hayes had to watch the main event. Tyler Bate came in to congratulate Williams on his match, and Hayes got in his face before Hayes and Williams left.
NXT Weekly for 2/21/23
Ivy Nile vs. Alba Fyre
Nile and Tatum Paxley encouraged each other before the match. The match didn’t go real long as Nile tried, but Fyre beat her in short order.
Winner – Alba Fyre
Kiana James was in her office when Fallon Henley showed up and apologized to her face to face. James thinks Henley is jealous, but they shook hands to be partners and NXT Women’s Tag Team Champions.
Wes Lee told McKenzie Mitchell that he was going to have another NXT North American Championship Open Challenge next week just because.
NXT Weekly for 2/21/23
Bron Breakker vs. Jinder Mahal
(NXT Championship Match)
This was a very competitive match from the opening bell. The Creed Brothers came down early to eliminate Indus Sher from the ringside area. With it truly one on one, Mahal did a good job of keeping Breakker down. They went back and forth a couple of times trading some near falls. They were given a decent amount of time and Mahal helped make Breakker look good. Mahal went for The Khallas, which Breakker countered into a spear to retain his championship.
Winner – AND STILL NXT Champion, Bron Breakker
After the match, Carmelo Hayes appeared on the platform overlooking the ring. There’s your Stand and Deliver main event. They should be able to stand and deliver too.
The screen cut to the Peacock menu, and Grayson Waller is back in the production truck messing with things. He challenges Shawn Michaels to appear on his show, the Grayson Waller Effect at NXT Roadblock before the show goes off the air.
This week’s show was rather solid. The in-ring action was pretty good and the only non-finish we had actually fit that story. We have some matches set for the next couple of weeks and hints for Stand and Deliver. I highly doubt that HBK will step back into the ring to face Waller, but likely have one of the recent new acquisitions fight Waller on his behalf.
You can hit me up on Twitter (@ciscowebwiz76) with any discussion or feedback.
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