WWE NXT Review - July 16, 2024

By Graham "GSM" Matthews

The Rascalz (Wes Lee, Zachary Wentz and Trey Miguel) def. Gallus (Joe Coffey, Mark Coffey and Wolfgang)

Hell yes! A Rascalz reunion is what I've been waiting for since this NXT-TNA working relationship started, and it was just as fun as I hoped it would be. What a surreal sight to not only see the three of them back together but also in an NXT ring. They worked really well with Gallus, who are still stepping stones waiting for the main roster call-up because they've hit their ceiling in NXT. Joe Hendry emerging halfway through to sit in on commentary was a nice touch.

Thea Hail Attacked NXT Women's Champion Roxanne Perez

I was expecting this to be where Perez's next challenger was introduced, and technically it was, but I think even the crowd was slightly disappointed when Hail came out instead of Giulia or Stephanie Vaquer (both of whom Perez mentioned by name right beforehand). That said, this was a solid segment with good mic work from both women. Hail has really risen up as a championship challenger and I'm looking forward to their match even though Hail has pretty much no chance of winning.

Je'Von Evans def. Brooks Jensen

This was Jensen's first match back in NXT since being reinstated. I haven't written much about his ongoing angle in these reviews because it hasn't had a heavy presence on the program and I haven't been totally invested in it, anyway. This was an average outing with the correct outcome. There was no need for Evans to lose again and Jensen's loss will only add to his frustration (and possibly lead to him joining Shawn Spears).

NXT Champion Ethan Page def. Dante Chen

Earlier in the episode, Page agreed to defend his title on this show and Chen was his handpicked opponent. It was a simple story with Chen coming closer to beating Page than Page originally anticipated and Chen narrowly losing in the end. This was well done and perfect for the Page character. Oro Mensah brawled with Page afterward, so we should finally be getting that match soon.

Tatum Paxley def. Izzi Dame

Both Paxley and Dame are both heels the last time I checked, so there was no incentive for the crowd to cheer for either of them, but the match was serviceable. I'm glad Paxley is back to being a regular on the show, though. Wendy Choo confronted her afterward and gave her the headless doll she left behind last week, so it looks like their creepy characters might be aligned going forward.

Lola Vice def. Jacy Jane

This suffered from the same issue the last match did, though I'm convinced at this point Vice is a full-fledged babyface. I know that sounds silly because she's been a babyface for a while, but she hasn't really acted like one and there wasn't a definitive turn for her character. Regardless, this was fine while it lasted. Karmen Petrovic and Sol Ruca made the save for Vice afterward when Jane, Jazmyn Nyx and Fallon Henley attempted to jump her.

The O.C. (Karl Anderson, Luke Gallows and Michin) def. OTM (Bronco Nima, Lucien Price and Jaida Parker)

This rivalry between The O.C. and OTM hasn't been anything exciting due to Gallows and Anderson being boring and OTM not having much credibility outside of what Parker's been able to do on her own, but at least it's kept the six of them busy. This was a well-worked tag team match that resulted in a rare win for The O.C. Do we get one more match between Michin and Parker or does their bad blood end here?

NXT North American Champion Oba Femi def. Duke Hudson

​I was skeptical when I saw that this would be going on last, but they definitely delivered. Hudson doesn't often get the credit he deserves for being as skilled as he is, but he brought it to Femi here and they had strong chemistry together. Femi's title defenses continue to be a treat and I like that the title was showcased in the main event for a change. It was a straightforward ending with Femi retaining and nothing happening afterward, but the match was enjoyable enough that the predictability didn't matter to me.

Overall Show

The night started off hot with The Rascalz vs. Gallus and the Hendry appearance. The rest of the show wasn't able to maintain that momentum, but it was a decent effort on the whole. NXT's next two premium live events (No Mercy and Halloween Havoc) have been announced for the fall, but we'll have the two-week Great American Bash television special before then in early August. It's coming up quickly, so I'm curious what matches we'll be getting across those shows beyond Hail vs. Perez probably.

SEE MORE: NXT Reviews