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Welcome to my WWE NXT Battleground blog. Apparently this show, if you haven't heard, is emanating from the UFC Apex!
Sexy Red welcomed us and then was gone 10 seconds later as they went into the cold open, pushing the fact that they are in Vegas massively.
The opening match will be the Ladder Match to crown the WWE NXT Women's North American Champion. They began brawling all over. Sol Ruca, Kelani Jordan and Fallon Henley were early standouts with some nice moves. Michin drilled Jordan with a ladder by the announcers. Henley set up a ladder center ring but Ruca sent her into it. Parker did a backwards leap off the ladder, landing butt first on Jordan, who was laid out across a ladder in the corner. Legend sent Michin into a ladder and then kicked her down. Michin pulled Legend off the ladder but was caught in a sleeper. This led to a quadruple sleeper. Nice ECW homage.
Legend climbed the ladder with two women on her back, which was impressive. Kelani made it to the top but her arms and legs were grabbed as she was tortured atop the ladder. Ruca hit an X-Factor on the ladder into Parker. Henley cleaned house. Lots of NXT chants. They are all working hard. Legend's forearms have really improved. Ruca tried to hit Legend with a sunset flip powerbomb off the ladder but she held on. Everyone else grabbed her and dropped Legend over the top onto a bridged ladder outside. The impact was evil as the ladder hardly bent. OUCH.
Michin was tipped off a ladder into the ropes. Everyone is wrestling their ass off. Sol nailed the Smasher twice on Parker. Jordan and Sol battled atop the ladder and knocked each other off with kicks. Jordan hit a Hollywood Star Press on Michin, who was out on a ladder and ascended atop the ladder captured the title.
Well deserved first champion. Jordan's work has been really good since she debuted and there's something truly likable about her. Fun opener.
The crowd chanted Jordan deserved it. They are right.
While Peacock was doing commercials, WWE ran a video package on "craziest announcer reactions" thus far this year.
They showed Lola Vice getting taped up while Shayna Baszler was sparring with UFC's Jamahal Hill.
Our next bout is the WWE NXT Tag Team Championship bout with The Good Brothers challenging Axion & Nathan Frazer.
Frazer and Anderson started out with some solid back and forth action. The champs had control until Gallows tagged in and he stomped the hell out of Axiom. Axiom finally stunned him with a DDT but the challengers cut him off. Axiom finally scored the hot tag. Frazer showed some great fire. Anderson cut off Axiom with a spinebuster.
They noted this was the Good Brothers' first PPV bout since 2022, to which you have to wonder WHY given how good they look. Axiom was worked over but kept kicking out at the last second. Vegas was loving this. Axion and Frazer scored the pin.This was easily the best Good Brothers' match since they returned to WWE from TNA. Everyone wrestled like something important was at stake and the challengers taking the fight to the champs forced them to come from behind and look like the strongest babyfaces they have to date. Real good.
Next up is Lola Vice vs. Shayna Baszler in the NXT Underground bout. Vice is a big favorite of WWE management and this will be her biggest chance to date so we will see how this goes. NXT has always presented Baszler far better than the main roster ever has, so this looks to be a lot of fun. Vice and Baszler were acting like it was a shoot fight. They had people around the ring pounding on the mat.
Baszler got the first takedown and stomped away on Vice, who went to the floor. Baszler attacked her in the aisle and sent her into a wall. Back in the ring, Vice ate a series of suplexes and was locked in an anklelock. Vice rolled through, sending Baszler into the ring post. Vice drilled her with hammerfists and locked on a choke. They crashed to the floor. Baszler regained control and they battled atop of the announcing table. They ended up on the floor. Baszler charged with a knee, missed and hit the table. She went down hurting.
Back in the ring, Vice attacked the knee, this being the turning point. Baszler was placed in a choke but escaped and nailed with stomps, rights and lefts, She cinched in a choke. Vice tried to fight her way out and finally was able to escape after going after the ankle. Baszler nailed her with a knee but was hurt. Baszler missed a charge and was nailed with a spinning back fist that knocked her from the ring with the extras outside catching her. Lola followed to the floor. Baszler nailed her and then started beating on the extras like she was Minoru Suzuki.
Vice attacked but was caught in a triangle choke. Lola fought her way out but was kicked away into the announcer's table. This is easily the longest "Underground" match in WWE history. Baszler was shoved into the ring steps. Vice began beating her and the referee stopped it with the idea that Baszler couldn't intelligently defend herself. Baszler acted like she was still ready to go and wasn't aware what was going on, like a UFC fighter might.
This had some fun chaos at times and this was far more entertaining than some MMA fights I've seen in person. This entire presentation was proof positive as to how much WWE has whiffed with Baszler for so long.
Man, there's a hell of a lot of Paul Levesque in the middle of every major show announcement, eh?
More on Page 2!
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