 Jaida Parker def. Michin in a Street FightNeedless to say, this was the best match Parker has had to date. She's improved quite a bit on all fronts in recent months and working with veterans such as Michin has helped her greatly. She shined in the extreme environment and I'm glad Michin had a chance to show what she can do (compared to the two- and three-minute matches she tends to have on SmackDown). This was a big win for Parker. New Catch Republic def. Tank Ledger and Hank WalkerIt's pretty apparent that there are no imminent plans for New Catch Republic to be used on Raw, so they're killing time on NXT and Main Event in the meantime. That's why they aren't involved in anything meaningful. I don't know if this did much to elevate Ledger and Walker, but this was given an ample amount of time and they were made to look credible in defeat by scoring enough offense. NXT's tag team division isn't the deepest, so it doesn't hurt to have New Catch Republic around for now. Izzi Dame def. Brinley ReeceIf this felt like a rather random match, that's because it was. I can't say too much as to why it existed because it would spoiling something that will be airing next time (potentially in another promotion if you catch my drift), but this was a necessary win for her. The match was fine for what it was. Reece finally acted affected by the loss afterward by teasing parting ways with Edris Enofe and Malik Blade. NXT Women's Champion Roxanne Perez and Lola Vice Exchanged WordsPerez and Vice had the opportunity to sell viewers (myself included) on their NXT Women's Championship clash at Heatwave, and I thought they were unsuccessful. Perex's promo wasn't the greatest, but it was still infinitely better than Vice's. She did what she could, but she clearly struggled, and whether the emotion was real or not, she didn't come across well. This was a rough segment on the whole, which is a shame because their match at Heatwave should be good. Oro Mensah def. Damon KempThis felt like a match you'd see on Level Up. That's not to say there was anything technically wrong with it, but it was pretty inconsequential. Tension has been teased within No Quarter Catch Crew's ranks as of late and Mensah wants revenge on Ethan Page, so this played out predictably. Mensah is a skilled competitor, but it's tough to take him seriously while he's still a part of The Meta-Four. Wendy Choo def. Carlee BrightChoo has been racking up wins since returning with her new gimmick and this was more of the same from her. It was a glorified squash for Choo as it should have been and thankfully didn't overstay its welcome. My question now is where this is headed for her. Perhaps she'll be next in line for a shot at the NXT Women's North American Championship after Kelani Jordan retains against Sol Ruca at Heatwave? Jasmyn Nyx def. Karmen PetrovicIt was made official earlier in the show that Nyx and Jacy Jane will face Petrovic and Arianna Grace in a tag team match at Heatwave. I have to imagine another match was originally scheduled for the show and had to be changed because why would you build that up on only five days' notice? Grace is a heel and Petrovic is a babyface. They have nothing in common aside from them both being from Canada, and that's why the matchup is happening. This was perfectly passable, but that's about it. The NXT Championship Contract Signing with NXT Champion Trick Williams, Je'Von Evans, Ethan Page and Shawn Spears Broke Out Into a BrawlIf you've seen one wrestling contract signing, you've practically seen them all. The mic work from all involved in this segment was solid albeit unspectacular. I was already sold on this Fatal 4-Way because of the sheer talent in it alone, so nothing they said moved the needle for me, personally. Despite the odds being stacked against Williams, I still don't see him losing his title as soon as Sunday. Overall ShowLots of Level Up-worthy matches this week, which is gradually becoming par for the course on NXT TV. At the end of the day, NXT is developmental, so shorter matches should be expected, but it's just a drastic difference from what NXT was doing even six or so months ago. I don't want to make it sound like this was a poor episode because it wasn't, but there was quite a bit that can be skipped over if you missed it. The hype for Heatwave was somewhat effective, but my interest level in the event isn't remotely as high as it was for Battleground.
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