WWE NXT Deadline Review - December 7, 2024

By Graham "GSM" Matthews

Oba Femi def. NXT Tag Team Champion Nathan Frazer, Wes Lee, Ethan Page and Je'Von Evans in an NXT Championship No. 1 Contender's Iron Survivor Challenge Match

Of the three men's Iron Survivor Challenge matches we've gotten so far, this was probably the weakest, but it was still a lot of fun, especially once they picked up the pace in the second half. It was nicely structured with everyone getting at least one fall and Femi (who replaced the "injured" Eddy Thorpe) dominating once he came in. Femi scoring two falls at once made for a cool finish. I can totally see Femi dethroning Williams for the NXT Championship at New Year's Evil so Williams can get called up to the main roster right after.

Lola Vice def. Jaida Parker in an NXT Underground Match

As I've said before, NXT needs to be careful not to overexpose the NXT Underground match. I think this is the fifth one they've done in the last year and a half, which is too many in my opinion. This would've worked better in the NXT Arena because the crowd largely sounded quiet, but it was a well-worked fight and I applaud their effort. Vice has lost a lot in recent months, so for as much as I like Parker and her potential, it was more important for Vice to go over.

NXT Tag Team Champions Axiom and Nathan Frazer def. No Quarter Catch Crew (Myles Borne and Tavion Heights)

No Quarter Catch Crew just became number one contenders on Tuesday's NXT, so the only drama this match coming into the show was Frazer having to pull double duty. As a result, I don't blame the crowd for not being invested in the action early on, but they came alive as it progressed. We know how good Axiom and Frazer are, but this was a standout showing from Borne and Heights, who were very impressive while on offense. Just when you think Axiom and Frazer are going to lose the titles (again), they retain (again). This turned into quite the enjoyable affair.

NXT Champion Trick Williams def. Ridge Holland

Personally, I feel Holland has come into his own as a heel since betraying Chase U, but despite how he's been built up since then, most people didn't buy into him as a legitimate threat to the NXT Championship. He also isn't the kind of competitor that can bring the lesser-experienced Williams to a great match, so this wasn't anything out of the ordinary and the crowd seemed to sit on their hands for a majority of it. Even the final stretch was anticlimactic. Williams winning was the right call, though.

Giulia def. Zaria, Wren Sinclair, Sol Ruca and Stephanie Vaquer in an NXT Women's Championship No. 1 Contender's Iron Survivor Challenge Match

Sinclair starting out with Giulia didn't make for the most exciting first few minutes, but the rest of the match was strong. It was clear from the moment she qualified that Sinclair was only involved to take a bunch of pinfalls, and sure enough, she got beat three times. Hey, at least she did get that one pinfall. The chaotic finishing sequence was excellent and it was genuinely unpredictable who would win. They definitely saved the best for last.

Overall Show

NXT has had some lively crowds for their premium live events, but Minneapolis was not one of them. The venue looked awesome, but for whatever reason, they were fairly tame throughout the night. Deadline wasn't a must-see show by any means, but the Iron Survivor Challenge continues to be an entertaining enough gimmick to carry the event and the tag title match was also a pleasant surprise. The brand has some big shows coming up between the December 17th live show in Lowell (which I'm hoping to be in attendance for) and the first episode of 2025 emanating from Los Angeles (presumably for New Year's Evil on January 7th).

SEE MORE: NXT Reviews, NXT PLE Reviews