Bron Breakker and Baron Corbin def. Carmelo Hayes and Trick Williams to Win the 2024 Dusty Rhodes Tag Team ClassicBreakker and Corbin have turned into a terrific team and Hayes and Williams have always had strong chemistry as partners, so unsurprisingly, this was a very enjoyable opener. The action was great, but there wasn't any underlying tension between Hayes and Williams. Hayes sacrificed himself for Williams at the end, but that's about it. Obviously, that stuff was saved for the main event. Breakker and Corbin winning the cup was the correct outcome, but it's a shame they were put together at a time when Breakker appears to be main roster bound. Dijak def. Joe Gacy in a No Disqualification MatchFor a match that came together on such short notice, these two did a damn good job of getting the audience invested in their match and putting forth a hell of an effort. This was more hardcore than your typical WWE No Disqualification match and it turned out to be a blast of a bout. I'm glad Dijak was finally able to win on a big stage, but I'm sure this isn't the last we've seen of these two together, either as opponents or potentially partners if that's the endgame. The Family (Adrianna Rizzo and NXT Tag Team Champions The Family) def. OTM (Lucien Price, Bronco Nima and Jaida Parker)This has been a harmless feud in NXT's undercard over the last month, but I don't think this match needed to happen on this show. It honestly would have been better on the pre-show, but to their credit, they put together a nice six-person tag team affair. They kept the pace consistent throughout and the crowd wasn't as quiet as I thought they would be. Most of the people in this match are still super green, but it ended up being perfectly passable. On a side note, The Family have done very little as NXT Tag Team Champions across their two reigns, so I hope they lose the belts to another team soon. I'd suggest Breakker and Corbin, but Breakker being main roster bound makes that unlikely. NXT Women's Champion Lyra Valkyria def. Lola Vice and Roxanne Perez in a Triple Threat MatchThis started out as a one-on-one match between Valkyria and Perez before Vice cashed in her title shot from winning the NXT Women's Breakout Tournament halfway through. Valkyria and Perez were having a solid match up until that point (and I'm sure they can do better when they get out of first gear), but I'd be lying if I said it didn't get more interesting once Vice interjected herself. The crowd came alive thinking they might see a title change, but they were heavily behind Perez throughout and weren't happy when Valkyria retained. The final stretch was well done and Perez not being pinned will only add to her character's frustration. Valkyria and Perez can easily run it back at Stand & Deliver with Perez being a full-blown heel by then. NXT North American Champion Oba Femi def. Dragon LeeI was among those weary when Femi became champion because it felt rushed and he's still inexperienced, but to his credit, he's improving quicker than expected. Of course, having an opponent as talented as Lee helps, so this was a quality contest. It didn't feature anything out of the ordinary, but it was what it needed to be. I assume this officially ends Lee's NXT stint so he can go back to being a full-time member of the main roster. NXT Champion Ilja Dragunov def. Trick WilliamsThis was everything I love about pro wrestling. It had fantastic drama, excellent action, and stellar storytelling. I assumed Dragunov would retain, but you couldn't count out the possibility of Williams pulling out the upset and Hayes attacking him afterward, making every nearfall that much more suspenseful. It was a tremendous main event all around, complete with the masterful post-match angle we all saw coming with Hayes finally turning on Williams and getting a ton of heat from the crowd for it. That was exceptionally executed as well, setting the stage for what should be a hot match at Stand & Deliver. Overall ShowI can see this show getting overshadowed by all the other stuff WWE is dealing with at the moment, but it may have been NXT's best live special top to bottom in some time. The main event was awesome, the opener was fun, and I dug what they did with the NXT Women's Championship match. The other three matches exceeded my expectations as well. Even without any championships changing hands, Vengeance Day was an above-average, entertaining event worthy of your time.
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