WWE NXT Review - May 13, 2025

By Graham "GSM" Matthews

Ethan Page Confronted No Quarter Catch Crew

Myles Borne cut an inspiring promo not only about becoming the number one contender to the NXT Championship last week but also his disability and how he doesn't want it to define him. I'm sure he acknowledged it before during a backstage interview on Level Up, but this was probably the first time it's been acknowledged on NXT TV. Page played his role well to set up their match for Borne's number one contender's spot later in the night.

NXT Champion Oba Femi def. Charlie Dempsey (Non-Title)

Dempsey is very talented, which is why I was surprised that this wasn't more competitive. Instead, it was basically an extended squash for Femi. In a way, I get it because Dempsey isn't getting the shot at Battleground, but it does make you wonder how Femi vs. Borne is going to go if Dempsey was disposed of so easily. On the bright side, Femi continues to come off as dominant.

Wes Lee def. Tony D'Angelo

These two have history over the NXT North American Championship from a few years ago, so they've already established they work well together. This was a good match and the finish was logical with Channing Lorenzo popping up on the big screen (he was at Adriana Rizzo's safehouse) and distracting D'Angelo to give Lee the win. D'Angelo vs. Lorenzo was subsequently announced for Battleground. Shockingly, it's just a standard singles matchup, though it's possible a stipulation is added next week.

Fatal Influence and Jordynne Grace Confronted NXT Women's Champion Stephanie Vaquer

Vaquer was addressing her upcoming title defense with Grace when Fatal Influence (sans Jazmyn Nyx) interrupted her. Jacy Jane and Fallon Henley teased more tension with each other and reminded Vaquer that they still have her title in their sights. With Grace coming out to confront Vaquer as well, it looked like this was going to end in a brawl, but I guess they wanted to save the physicality for their tag team main event. This felt like an unnecessary segment as it didn't add much to Vaquer vs. Grace at Battleground.

Myles Borne def. Ethan Page in an NXT Championship No. 1 Contender's Match

I thought there was a chance Page might win after interference from Dempsey backfired and cost Borne his title shot, so this didn't feel predictable. I'm glad that didn't happen. This was solid stuff from these two and this was another big win for Borne. Page attacked Ricky Starks at the end of the show, allowing him to immediately bounce back. Nothing was made official for Battleground, but that's presumably where they'll have their rematch.

Thea Hail def. Tatum Paxley by Disqualification

Paxley's partners Gigi Dolin and Shotzi were let go in the recent round of releases, so I appreciated how they leaned into that by having Paxley said she was betrayed and that she's on her own again. This was a fairly brief bout, but what we got from them was perfectly passable. Paxley showed more of an edge than we're used to seeing from her by getting herself disqualified. Hopefully this gives her some direction and she doesn't get lost in the shuffle.

TNA World Champion Joe Hendry and Trick Williams Signed the Contract for Their TNA World Championship Match at Battleground

I couldn't help but chuckle when Ava said the TNA title was previously held by Bubba Ray Dudley (among others) instead of mentioning a legend like Sting, but I understand they're going to point to people on their payroll instead of AEW's. Why not bring up Jeff Hardy or Drew McIntyre instead of Bubba Ray? Nonetheless, this was a nice segment and I liked how it was a pre-taped segment in the back. Both guys were great here and they successfully made their match feel even more meaningful.

Jordynne Grace and NXT Women's Champion Stephanie Vaquer def. Fatal Influence (Jacy Jane and Fallon Henley)

Ah, the old "Can they coexist?" angle. The answer in this case was yes. In fact, it was Fatal Influence who had issues, not the babyfaces. This was the well-worked main event you'd expect from these four. The women's tag team main event two weeks ago was better, but the action was enjoyable. It served as simple hype for Vaquer vs. Grace, but it was more effective than that segment with them earlier on.

Overall Show

As the second-to-last edition of NXT TV before Battleground, this was a thumbs-up episode. It didn't feature anything you need to seek out, mind you, but it did its job in building toward the event and progressing certain storylines. Four matches have been confirmed as of now, so I can see another two matches being added (including Saints vs. Page) next week to make it a six-match card (not to mention a potential pre-show match).

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