Powell’s NXT Hit List: Jordynne Grace vs. Lash Legend vs. Izzi Dame vs. Jaida Parker for a shot at the NXT Women’s Title, Trick Williams vs. Josh Briggs for the TNA World Championship

By Jason Powell, ProWrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet)

NXT Hits

Jordynne Grace vs. Lash Legend vs. Izzi Dame vs. Jaida Parker for a shot at the NXT Women’s Championship: There were some rough moments, but there was more good than bad. More than anything, it was good to see Grace go over. But it was interesting to watch the live crowd’s reaction to her win. While there were some exceptions, most of the fans were either politely clapping or simply sitting there. In other words, there’s a lot of work left to be done. For instance, what do NXT fans who didn’t watch Grace in TNA actually know about her? Grace has also seemed less comfortable on the mic in NXT than she was in TNA for some reason. How about a docu-style series of videos, which would put her in a more relaxed setting and help unfamiliar fans get to know her?

Trick Williams vs. Josh Briggs for the TNA World Championship: There was no reason to think the guy who was gifted a title shot was going to win the title, but it was still an enjoyable match. The post-match angle was a little corny with Trick trying way too hard to make it seem like he believed Joe Hendry would make his entrance via the stage, only to be attacked from behind. By the way, even as someone who enjoys Hendry’s work, I’m still baffled by TNA’s call to not go with Mike Santana challenging Trick for the TNA World Championship in Santana’s home state at Slammiversary.

Oba Femi, Yoshiki Inamura, and Jasper Troy: A soft Hit for a decent segment. The thing that really stood out to me is just how confident Oba comes across during promo segments. He’s the real deal, and I’ll be shocked if he doesn’t become a major player on the main roster. Meanwhile, I’m not sure what triggered the Inamura push. I enjoyed his tag team work with Josh Briggs, but the transition to world title challenger feels rushed.

Je’Von Evans vs. Tavion Heights: A good match involving two wrestlers with big uposide. Jasper Troy coming out and hitting Evans with a Black Hole Slam after the match sets up another match featuring a pair of developmental wrestlers with bright futures.

Ricky Saints vs. Ahantee Thee Adonis: Saints was spotlighted with a decisive win in his return from a storyline injury layoff. I like the idea of Ethan Page attacking Saints afterward, but it was a bit much to have post-match attacks after the first three matches.

NXT Misses

Channing “Stacks” Lorenzo vs. Tony D’Angelo for the vacant NXT Heritage Cup: I’m at the point where I don’t think I’d care about the NXT Heritage Cup if Steve Austin and Ric Flair somehow feuded over the trinket while in their respective primes. Seriously, let it go already. And while I’m mildly curious to see who Luca Crusifino ends up aligned with, I’m even more ready for the end of the mob family saga. It’s time to figure out how to make D’Angelo work on the main roster.

Chase U segment: So the Uriah Connors and Kale Dixon characters are sensitive and want to strip Andre Chase of the hardass teaching style? I don’t mind shaking things up, but Chase’s over-the-top antics helped get the Chase U skits over in the first place. We’ll see where it’s going, but it’s hard to be excited about a softer, gentler Chase. In fact, I can’t help but hope that Chase slaps the caterpillar right off of Connors’ face.