WWE NXT RESULTS: Choo Out to Avenge, Lash Out for Retribution and a Veteran Out to Surprise (April, 12th 2022)
Welcome all to an all new NXT report. A week after Dakota Kai and Raquel Gonzalez had their latest reign brought to an abrupt halt, Kai challenges Mandy Rose for the NXT Womens Championship. Plus, even more in the womens division as former contender to the womens title Cora Jade is confronted by a surprise face, Sofia Cromwell unleashes even more from Von Wagner and Lash Legend lashes out at Nikkita Lyons.
The first womens moment of the show goes to the now triple gold clad champions of GiGi Dolin, Jacy Jayne and Mandy Rose, considering Jacy and GiGi won back the NXT Womens Tag Team Championships last week. After a recap of the win last week, McKenzie Mitchell interviews the three members of Toxic Attraction from within their Toxic Lounge. Jacy flashes her title at McKenzie while GiGi also reminds McKenzie how they are two time champions as well. McKenzie regards that, and Mandy as NXT Womens Champion, with Mandy declaring how good it is to again be the ladies holding all the gold in NXT. Jacy and GiGi called their shot last week and now are back where they belong. As for Dakota Kai, she has a lot of voices in her head, but none of them are telling her that she has a chance of taking Mandys gold from her. Mandy will go out and beat Dakota Kai, and as well as ensure that the world knows that they arent just the attraction in NXT but the measuring stick that no one can reach. They are the brains, the beauty, the gold, the beast.
The next womens appearance goes to Sofia Cromwell. After Von triumphs over Ikemen Jiro in a singles match, she appears amongst the crowd, directing orders to Von instead of Robert Stone. Von submits to that order and launches Jiro from over the top rope into the crowd. Jiro is left atop the members of the NXT Universe, while Sofia is all smiles at Von obeying orders and causing chaos as a result.
Right after, McKenzie interviews Nikkita Lyons, who was recently successful in in ring competition against Lash Legend. She thanks Nikkita for joining her and remarks on how Nikkita got the biggest win of her career so far recently against Lash Legend. She knows Nikkita and Lash have gone back and forth for weeks with loads of trash talk, but with the win obtained, she asks Nikkita what point she has proved to Lash. Nikkita replies that Lash does admittedly a lot of trash talking, but she is athletic as hell. However, Nikkita doesnt need to prove anything to Lash, but to the WWE Universe, by showing them that she can compete at the very highest level, that she can make waves in the womens division. She has some more to see but sees Lash Legend coming and is booted down to the floor along with her seat. Lash shouts down to Nikkita, telling her shes proving absolutely nothing. She also puts McKenzie on blast for not interviewing her then leaves while Nikkita is checked up on.
After that, out comes Dakota, receiving her shot at the NXT Womens Championship held by Mandy Rose. With Raquel Gonzalez having moved to the Smackdown Roster, and undergone a little name alteration for that matter, she is not in Dakota’s corner, and theres no sign either of Wendy Choo. Meanwhile, the defending champion Mandy Rose, out second, has Jacy and GiGi in her corner. Alicia Taylor then proceeds to introduce Mandy and Dakota in the ring before Mandys title defense gets underway.
When the bell rings, Dakota is straight after Mandy, as is Mandy as she paces right into a lock up with Dakota. The two battle to try get one another in a corner, Dakota winning as she gets Mandy pressed up against one, also aggressively knocking the back of Mandys head against the corner repeatedly. Mandy calls for a time out, but Dakota isnt obeying and heads back to Mandy, only to walk into her big boot. Mandy kicks Dakota back onto the mat after and pounds down on her, then slamming her onto the mat. Mandy showboats then sends Dakota into the earlier corner, repeatedly kicking her there in the midsection then roughing the side of her face up against the top rope. Mandy goes for a second slam but Dakota slips free from the set up and performs a crucifix into a pin attempt that Mandy makes an escape from at two. Dakota’s first pin attempt closes in a near fall result.
Dakota scores a shot to the back but is then whipped into an opposite corner by Mandy, though she floats over to avoid Mandy’s next offense, rolling her up soon after but again getting a near fall. Dakota arm drags Mandy to follow, adding a dropkick to that offense also before attempting her own whip that Mandy goes on to reverse. Dakota is about to run back and retaliate, but Jacy sneakily grabs Dakota’s leg from ringside. Mandy goes to charge but misses Dakota and floats to the apron, only to take a pump kick that knocks Mandy all the way to the floor. GiGi and Jacy scramble to check on the fallen leader but are soon taking Dakota’s offense, as Dakota dives off the top rope onto the two Toxic Attraction members, celebrating the momentum heading into a commercial break.
When we return, momentum is officially overturned as Mandy has Dakota wrapped in a bodyscissor in the center of the ring, having reobtained momentum after suplexing Dakota during the commercial break. Dakota manages to push Mandys back and both shoulders to the mat for a countering pin attempt, but Mandy kicks out after one and Dakota manages to scramble out of the loosened hold. Dakota is then struck by Mandy’s knee, though she ducks under the following clothesline, using her legs to try and perform the next manuever only for Mandy to counter into a sit out facebuster variation for a near fall. Mandy whips Dakota afterward, choking her against the corner to follow using her knee. Mandy then snapmares Dakota out and proceeds to ensnare her in a headlock. Dakota doesnt manage to get out as Mandy switches back to the earlier bodyscissor, also gripping Dakota in a camel clutch at the same time. Dakota parts both arms but Mandy uses her intact bodyscissor to roll herself as well as Dakota over, getting a near fall.
Mandy goes after Dakota in a corner but Dakota rolls out of the way in time, then booting Mandy before she can try and attack again. Mandy goes for a fist but Dakota blocks and forearms her, getting in another forearm before connecting with the scorpion kick. Dakota snapmares Mandy then double stomps her gut before going into a cutter set up only to roll Mandy across the ring instead. Dakota connects with a knee to Mandy in the corner then a side russian leg sweep, covering after the show of offense but only getting a near fall in the end. Dakota hauls Mandy onto both of her shoulders, readying a TKO, but Mandy gets free from her and nails a chop block to Dakota from behind. Mandy readies the bicycle knee but Dakota evades the move, misses her roundhouse and is shoved to the ropes by Mandy. Dakota runs back but Mandy takes advantage, capturing Dakota then connecting with a spinebuster. A new pin attempt follows by Mandy, but she soon finds the challenger again kicking out, and at two.
Mandy smack talks at Dakota, frustrated at her resilience only to be drawn into Dakota’s sudden pin attempt, though she escapes it at two. Dakota headbutts Mandy then trips her onto the mat, connecting with the Kairopractor. Dakota is affected post impact too and takes a respite in the corner, but upon seeing Mandy in the opposite, shes about to execute offense but notices GiGi has climbed to the apron. She takes out Jacy on the opposite side first, but before she can get to GiGi, or even use the title belt in hand against Mandy, Mandy floors her with the bicycle knee for the one, two, three. Mandy wins the match, retaining the NXT Womens Championship.
Post Match, showing up is Wendy Choo, and she is armed with water guns. Once Toxic Attraction turn and realise, its too late as Wendy proceeds to spray the three stable members. Wendy celebrates with her water guns while Mandy, GiGi and Jacy are left embarrassed in the water soaked ring.
Later, we see a former challenger of Mandy Rose, that being Cora Jade. Now back to being a singles competitor, Cora makes her way to the ring, but not for a match, and it appears shes abandoned the skateboard too. Once in the ring, she reflects on WrestleMania weekend, one of the most important times of her life. The best part is that that weekend was bigger than she could have ever imagined, as her parents got to sit and watch her compete. She got in the ring with three incredibly talented women and held her own in the ring but she did come up short. She truly felt at first like she was leaving Stand and Deliver as NXT Womens Champion, but as she is learning life doesnt always work out how one wants it and that sucks. She thought she wanted to be champion heading into Stand and Deliver, but after coming so close at Dallas, she NEEDS to become NXT Womens Champion. If anyone thinks shes executing just some promo on redirecting her focus, its not. The goal remains the same because when she was eight she wrote in her notebook that she was going to become a champion in WWE and she meant that. No matter what she meant it and she will work her ass off, bust it every single day to get to that reality, to hold the championship in the air and make sure her name is with the rest of the women that she idolised, AJ Lee, Sasha, Natalya, Bayley, Paige, the list goes on. One day her name will be alongside theres and one day she will hold the championship and the Generation of Jade will…
Before she can complete her promo, out comes a surprising face to appear before the member of the womens division, long time veteran and former Smackdown Womens Champion, former Divas Champion and former Womens Tag Team Champion Natalya to a mass ovation. The long time veteran stands across from Cora, as emotional as Cora too as the crowd continually chant for her, giving them her thanks. She loves the fans and the building she stands in brings back so many memories. She approaches Cora, telling her how great it is to finally meet her. Yes, she is Nattie, but most in WWE call her Natalya. Cora regards Natalya as the BOAT (best of all time) and she doesnt understand how much Cora loved her, how she was the first female superstar she ever loved, the first action figure she bought. The moment is so surreal that she doesnt care that shes freaking out right now. She remembers messaging Natalya after a Smackdown Live event, reflecting on Natalya pointing at her that night, how it was the craziest thing. Natalya remembers that night herself and when Cora debuted on NXT 2.0, she DM’ed her. She remembers being blown away at how much she inspired Cora, that she pointed to the right girl. Destiny is always chasing and she sees Cora as sweet, humble, genuine and kind, and more than anything, she has passion for the business which she loves. Cora thinks shes going to pass out and Natalya gives her a reassuring hand and some advice. She has mentored, trained and competed against some of the greatest females in WWE history, and she looks backstage at the womens locker room and she sees the landscape. Cora is the future of the division, but the future is bleak. Quickly changing her demeanor, Natalya slaps Cora and applies the sharpshooter, which Cora taps out to near instantly. Natalya refuses to release for some time, doing so once officials hit the ring to get involved. Natalya then makes her exit, but not after one last gaze to the betrayed Cora Jade.
Right after, we see Brooks Jensen and Josh Briggs backstage with Fallon Henley. The two lads are hyping themselves up ahead of competing in the main event tag team gauntlet for the vacated NXT Tag Team Championships, and Fallon joins in, telling them that tonight they will kick some ass. Briggs and Jensen freeze in surprise for a moment, but go back to hyping themselves with Fallon.
Its then back to the situation regarding Natalya, as she walks through the back unashamed, various members of the division looking at her including Raelyn Divine, Kacy Catanzaro, Kayden Carter, Amari Miller, Brooklyn Barlow, Simone Johnson and more. Tatum Paxley approaches the veteran and informs her of her situation of trying to impress the Diamond Mine as well as the locker room. She adds that if she needs to step up to the best of all time, so be it. Natalya scoffs at her challenge but accepts it as quick. As for the rest of the division, the best of all time is here and they are all being put on notice.
And that match is official, as Natalya makes her long awaited NXT in ring return next week against Tatum Paxley, while Sarray also receives her one on one rematch against Tiffany Stratton.
Meanwhile, Indi Hartwell and Persia Pirotta are backstage with Dexter Lumis and Duke Hudson. They discuss the tag team gauntlet, and Persia appears to be pulling for the Creed Brothers. Indi brings up last weeks match and how shes sure Dexter would have won had the match continued. Persia believes Duke would have instead, then suggests they stop arguing. They are both great competitors and if they were in the gauntlet, they’d have won the entire thing. Indi agrees with Persia that Duke and Dexter should team up, but Duke isnt liking the sound of it. They ask why not, and Duke uses how Dexter looks as an example, but Indi reminds him how she looks at him all the time, advancing to her man. Indi asks Dexter if he’d team with Duke, and Dexter shakes his head to Indi’s dismay. Indi tries to convince Dexter that him teaming with Duke would give him a real shot at becoming a champion in NXT, and Persia can say the same for Duke also. Duke and Dexter eventually agree, leaving both women elated.
Then later we see Fallon Henley as well as Elektra Lopez. Elektra accompanies Raul Mendoza and Joaquin Wilde to the gauntlet match, though they are eliminated early, proceeded by Jensen and Briggs, though both sides have to hold off their female valets from fighting along the way as Elektra sneaks a facepalm to the face of Fallon mid entrance pose, causing her to kick off. Legado Del Fantasma, with Elektra, disappear to the back, and Jensen and Briggs end up taking on the Creed Brothers in the continuation of the gauntlet, though they lose, leading to Grayson Waller and Sanga entering after them, only to lose with former NXT UK Stars Pretty Deadly entering last and winning the gauntlet to become the new NXT Tag Team Champions.
(GiGi Dolin, Jacy Jayne and Mandy Rose Backstage Segment)
(Von Wagner w/ Robert Stone vs Ikemen Jiro feat Sofia Cromwell)
(Nikkita Lyons and Lash Legend Backstage Segment)
(Dakota Kai vs Mandy Rose w/ GiGi Dolin and Jacy Jayne; WWE NXT Womens Championship Match feat Wendy Choo)
(Cora Jade and Natalya Segment)
(Cora Jade Backstage Exclusive)
(Natalya, Tatum Paxley and the WWE NXT Womens Division Backstage Segment)
(Indi Hartwell, Dexter Lumis, Persia Pirotta and Duke Hudson Backstage Segment)
Thoughts On:
NXT Womens Championship Match: There were some iffy sells from the Kairopractor and the crucifix, but other than that, it was okay. It was inevitable that Dakota would lose, but i thought it was a neat touch in the end that Dakota was going to utilise the title that she lost so quickly and just touching it was a cause for distraction that Mandy capitalised on. It seems they are either going with Wendy vs Mandy next, or Wendy and Dakota are going for the tag titles while Cora goes after Mandy following her angle with Natalya.
Cora and Natalya Segment: I thought everything about this was so well done. We didnt know what to expect when Cora first came out. Im glad shes still teasing being in the title picture, and that she has a renewed resilience and need to take the title, but i would have never expected Natalya to show up. The crowd took to it well and Cora’s sell of emotion was fantastic to the point where it felt genuine. Considering NXT has gone back to the focus of being mainly a developmental, Natalya is going to bring so much knowledge with her and make the developing women better. While Cora could have overcame KLR and Io to potentially reach her goal, Natalya is the perfect opponent for her. The whole segment had me feeling for both, but especially for Cora when Natalya betrayed her. It already feels like a deeply personal feud considering Cora looked up to Natalya highly and got betrayed. I dont know if they just have one match and Natalya goes back to Smackdown or moves onto someone else, or if Natalya goes over at first and Cora gets the needed redemptive win later, but im looking forward to this feud. Im gutted Natalya didnt bring Shayna with her as NXT and the main roster have been crossing over as of late and putting Liv with fellow underdog against them would make for a fun feud. If Natalya sticks around, i would love to see her be put with Tiffany Stratton as well.
– Catherine
Cattie's Womens Wrestling 