Andrew SpoorsAlmost two full years since their last standalone live event outside of Florida, NXT looked to showcase the Superstars of tomorrow in front of an expectant crowd in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Andy Spoors is here to deliver his verdict on whether WWE’s developmental brand stepped up to the plate, or wilted in the spotlight…
Taking Over
It may not have possessed the moniker of Takeover, but that is exactly what NXT Vengeance Day set out to do last weekend. Finding itself in the tricky and inevitable position of one weekend removed from the Royal Rumble, NXT packed their card with championship and grudge matches galore.
As talked about in our preview piece, NXT is slowly moving out of an awkward transitional phase to stand on its own two feet as a third brand. Sure the developmental aspect is more pronounced than ever, but when the results are as impressive as Vengeance Day it is hard to argue with the methodology.
If social media is any kind of accurate barometer of public opinion (debatable), the WWE Universe has been pining for the heydays of the black and gold brand when Takeover events attracted sold out arenas and consistently laid on match of the year contenders.
To progress and evolve, it is imperative Shawn Michaels and co tap into the essence of those days while using a host of new homegrown talent. Thankfully, Vengeance Day went a long way to following that exact formula.
Bron and Hayes Stand & Deliver
As expected Bron Breakker emerged from his cage match against Grayson Waller with both his title and credibility well and truly intact. With Waller constantly looking for his next viral moment, Breakker remained focussed on his goal throughout and finished the match with a brutal looking spear.
The next challenge looks set to come in the shape of Carmello Hayes. Every bit as confident as Waller, Mello possesses something intangible. Simply put, he has it. Earlier in the night Hayes claimed a clean sweep in his match with Apollo Crews, further solidifying his march to the summit of NXT.
With the next big date for the brand arriving on WrestleMania weekend, this match is sure to get people talking and has the potential to be in the conversation for match of the weekend should it happen.
Tag Team Turnover
With both the men and women’s tag team championships on the line at Vengeance Day, it seemed a formality that at least one new set of champions would be crowned. Providing the first shock of the night, the recently formed enemies-turned-friends, Fallon Henley & Kiana James claimed an underhanded victory over Kayden Carter & Katana Chance. The latter dominated for large periods of the match, displaying an array of tandem moves, which may be displayed on the main roster in the upcoming weeks making the final result even more shocking.
Over in the men’s tag division, future Hall of Famers, The New Day have been lending their credibility to build and develop others. Defending in a fatal four way, Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods were unsuccessful in their attempt to retain with previous NXT UK Superstars Gallus picking up the victory.
With both Chase University and Pretty Deadly enjoying some high spots in front of a vocal Charlotte crowd, the decision to bring in New Day to work alongside the tag teams of tomorrow feels justified and vindicated. If Superstars from the main roster find their way to NXT, this is the model of how to do it going forward.
Toxic Dump
Since Mandy Rose’s departure from the company a few weeks ago, her Toxic Attraction team-mates Jacy Jayne and Gigi Dolin have remained in the main event picture. A deserved spot for the pair following their work as NXT Women’s Tag Team Champions, but one that has raised questions on how long they can co-exist when wanting the top title.
That answer was swiftly and brutally delivered by the time both Vengeance Day and Tuesday night’s edition of NXT went off air. With current champion Roxanne Perez upsetting the odds and beating both challengers in a triple threat match, it came as little surprise that Toxic Attraction exploded days later.
Many fans will have experienced a sense of deja-vu when Jayne superkicked her partner before throwing her into a stage prop. Back in 1992, Shawn Michaels disbanded The Rockers by dispatching Marty Jannetty in incredibly similar circumstances, all that was missing here was ripping up a poster of the pair immediately after. The follow up kick by Jayne to the face of Dolin introduced an almost needed but wince-inducing sense of brutality to proceedings, keeping things fresh in 2023.
FTMF
Back when Triple H was in charge of NXT, he introduced the acronym of FTMF. Supposedly standing standing for ‘Follow That Motherfuckers’, it was a slogan designed to fire up their own talent no matter where they appeared on the card.
Fast forward to Vengeance Day 2023 and that thought process is thankfully well and truly alive and kicking. Saturday’s event exploded out of the gates with Wes Lee defending his North American Championship against a resurgent Dijak.
High risk moves, incredible showings of strength and unbelievable false finishes galore, this match not only warmed those in attendance up, but reached red hot levels of noise. Wes Lee put on arguably his best performance as a single’s performer to date and the gruesome visual of Dijak’s broken middle finger reinforced the latter’s tough guy image more than a dominant match ever could.
Looking back over the history of NXT’s standalone events, one of the greatest matches so far is undeniably the ladder match for the North American Championship at NXT Takeover: New Orleans. A similar match in Los Angeles could further boost Lee’s credentials as we move into a brave new era for WWE’s third brand.
