WWE NXT Review - November 19, 2024

By Graham "GSM" Matthews

NXT Tag Team Champion Nathan Frazer def. Eddy Thorpe to Qualify for the NXT Championship No. 1 Contender's Iron Survivor Challenge Match at Deadline

There's chaos in the NXT tag team division at the moment (if the massive brawl around ringside during this match didn't make it obvious), so it's odd that Frazer would be in the Iron Survivor Challenge match this year when he should be focused on defending the tag titles instead. Then again, I guess that's the point. I'm not complaining about the outcome because I'd much rather seen Frazer in the Iron Survivor Challenge over Thorpe. This was a quality contest from them.

Stephanie Vaquer def. Jaida Parker to Qualify for the NXT Women's Championship No. 1 Contender's Iron Survivor Challenge Match at Deadline

Both of these women have momentum right now, but it made more sense for Vaquer to qualify. I guess Parker will be resuming her rivalry with Lola Vice despite defeating her in a Hardcore match in the ECW Arena two weeks ago. Nonetheless, this was a nice matchup. Vaquer is a total star and Parker continues to make great strides, so they worked well together.

NXT North American Champion Tony D'Angelo def. Brooks Jensen (Non-Title)

Jensen remains one of the most aura-less dudes on the entire NXT roster. I don't mind him serving as Shawn Spears' underling, but I just don't see a future for him long-term. This was basically an extended showcase for D'Angelo. The match was fine, but I'm ready for him to start doing something more interesting. Perhaps this storyline with Spears will be worth investing in, but time will tell.

Karmen Petrovic and Ashantee "Thee" Adonis def. Brinley Reece and Dion Lennox

This romance storyline with Petrovic might be the only actual storyline Adonis has ever had in WWE. Even during his Hit Row days, he was always a background player. Granted, I can't say I've cared about any of this (including all the football talk from both teams backstage beforehand), but I appreciate that he's at least been given something to do. This was a perfectly fine mixed tag team match for the time it was allotted.

Zaria def. Wren Sinclair to Qualify for the NXT Women's Championship No. 1 Contender's Iron Survivor Challenge Match at Deadline

Zaria is off to a strong start so far in NXT and has come across like an unstoppable force in her matches. To her credit, Sinclair played her role really well, too. This was what it needed to be as a four-minute match. Zaria, Vaquer and presumably Giulia all being a part of the women's Iron Survivor Challenge will make that match extremely unpredictable (and excellent in quality I'm sure).

Fatal Influence Addressed the Audience Before a Brawl Broke Out

We got to hear from each of the members of Fatal Influence here. Their promos weren't anything out of the ordinary, but they did seem to confirm that they're moving on from Kelani Jordan, which is why Fallon Henley is holding an open challenge for the NXT Women's Championship next week. A brawl broke out among the NXT women's division at ringside, but Tatum Paxley laying out Henley in the ring was apparently enough to earn her the shot.

Ridge Holland def. Andre Chase in an NXT Championship No. 1 Contender's Match

Per the stipulation, Chase U has to disband due to Chase's loss (which was foreshadowed throughout the show by all of the video packages recapping the group's history over the years). It speaks volumes that we've reached a point where Chase and Holland are fighting for a shot at the NXT Championship. The men's division desperately needs some sort of a boost. This was a solid match, but I wasn't a fan of all the interference from the rest of Chase U. Thankfully, Holland won as he should have. It was time to move on from Chase U, but I'm curious what that means for its members.

Overall Show

The best part about the build to Deadline is that the Iron Survivor Challenge qualifiers make some of the matches more meaningful. Plus, it's fun to know who will be partaking in them considering the concept has been a hit for the last two years. The main event wasn't my cup of tea, but the ending did make for an intriguing cliffhanger for next week. This was another focused show featuring successful hype for next week's episode and Deadline on December 7th.

SEE MORE: NXT Reviews