SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
NXT TV REPORT
SEPTEMBER 23, 2025
ORLANDO, FLA. AT THE WWE PERFORMANCE CENTER
AIRED LIVE ON THE CW
REPORT BY DAVID MILLER, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR
Commentators: Corey Graves, Vic Joseph, Booker T
Ring Announcer: Mike Rome
Backstage Correspondent(s): Kelly Kincaid
[HOUR ONE]
-The new “Then, Now, Together, Forever” intro preceded a highlight package of last week’s Homecoming event at Full Sail University.
-TNA World Champion Trick Williams and NXT Champion Oba Femi were shown walking in the parking lot.
-Lexis King’s music played as he emerged from his throne. Myles Borne appeared behind him and reached behind the entrance to pull down what was apparently supposed to be a lever, because the lights in the arena went out and the music shut off. Borne attacked King, threw him in the ring, and tossed in a trash can, which struck King in the side of the head.
(1) LEXIS KING vs. MYLES BORNE – Lights Out Match
The referee callled for the bell after both men were in the ring. They continued brawling in near-darkness, utilizing the chair that Borne had introduced into the ring. King wore out Borne with a series of trash can shots to the face that looked really stiff before they cut to a split-screen commercial break. [c]
When they returned to full-screen, they replayed King delivering the Coronation on Borne onto the announce table. As King was setting up a table in the ring, Borne came in and strapped him hard across the back. They fought on the outside again, with Borne delivering a slingshot into a chair that King had set up in the corner. King came back to throw Borne into the ring steps and laid in a really stiff chair shot. He tried putting Borne’s head in a chair and stomping on it, but Borne escaped at the last minute.
The steps were brought into the ring, but Borne dragged King out of the ring, stripped his shirt off, and began strapping him across the chest. King went for another Coronation on the steps, but Borne turned it into a crushing DDT on the steps. He followed that up with a leaping slingblade that sent King crashing through the table. Borne rolled on top of him for the easy pin.
WINNER: Myles Borne at 11:51.
(Miller’s Take: NXT has gotten really good at opening the show with the right match to kickstart the crowd. This was rough, but nothing ridiculous. The extremely dim lighting added to the down and dirty aspect of the match and made it feel like it was, indeed, an unsanctioned fight. Borne needed the win. King’s character is such that he never seems to lose heat in defeat, but I would like to see him get involved in something that would elevate his status in the company.)
-In the back, Robert Stone and Stevie Turner were talking on the phone to Ava, who said she was still in England taking care of some business and she was trusting them to run the show tonight. Stone asked Ava if she invited any TNA wrestlers, because they saw some wandering around backstage. She said she couldn’t hear them and hung up, as Stone looked concerned. [c]
-NXT North American Champion Ethan Page made his way to the ring as the camera revealed El Hijo del Dr. Wagner Jr sitting in the crowd again. Page said he should be celebrating his victory over Tyler Breeze, but he turned his attention to Wagner and said he screwed him out of a victory at Worlds Collide. He invited him to No Mercy to see him embarrass Tavion Heights, then challenged him to a match right now. Wagner immediately accepted and hurried to the ring.
(2) ETHAN PAGE vs. EL HIJO DEL DR. WAGNER JR
Page called for a referee, who slid into the ring just a second or two after Wagner slid in. Both men took off their jackets, and Wagner immediately got the upper hand. Within seconds, Page tapped out to an ankle lock. After the impromptu match, Wagner took off his mask to reveal he was actually Tavion Heights.
WINNER: Tavion Heights at 0.14.
(Miller’s Take: Well, that was a surprise. I’m not sure how I didn’t see that coming, but they fooled me. Does this mean Heights is going over at No Mercy? I still don’t think so.)
-Jordynne Grace was in the locker room watching the sinister Blake Monroe video that aired recently. About six other women were also there with her, and Arianna Grace opened up her mouth and put her foot in it, so Jordynne challenged her to a match later. Arianna looked petrified.
-Candice LeRae made her ring entrance before they cut to commercial break.
(3) CANDICE LERAE vs. LAINEY REID – Women’s Speed Championship #1 Contender Match
NASCAR Xfinity Series driver Cole Custer, in his race gear, was the special guest ring announcer for this match. Sol Ruca and Zaria were shown in the balcony. Ruca held up a sign that said, “Booo”. LeRae took the quick advantage with a leg trip, followed by a step-up senton for a two-count. Reid hit a superkick on the apron, but LeRae grabbed her head and drove it into the apron as she dropped to the floor. TNA Knockouts tag team The Angel Warriors were shown walking in the hallway. She sank in a crossface, but couldn’t get the submission. They exchanged quick pin attempts until Reid hit an absolutely vicious knee to the side of the face that was so good, they replayed it in slow motion. She secured the pin immediately afterwards.
WINNER: Lainey Reid at 2:25.
(Miller’s Take: It was good for what it was, I suppose, but I’m still not sold on this 3 minute time limit format. It doesn’t allow for any storytelling whatsoever. It’ll be interesting to see how Reid fares against Sol Ruca. I’m thinking she just might have this.)
-Jaida Parker cut a promo on Lash Legend. Parker is SUCH a great talker. She has this intensity and magnetic spark that is undeniable and is definitely going to lead her to the main roster sooner rather than later.
-In the back, Lyra Valkyria was catching up with Tatum Paxley. She was confiding in her about her issues with Bayley. She told Paxley that she was weird, but she was consistently weird and that’s what she needs in her life. Izzi Dame walked up with Paxley’s doll and told her she dropped, it, then grabbed her by the hand and led her away while she and Valkyria were still talking.
-Jordynne Grace made her ring entrance before they cut to commercial break. [c]
-Kale Dixon & Uriah Connors were apologizing profusely to Andre Chase, whose nose looked busted and his eyes were blackened. He said it was okay, but they were going too fast and got out of control. He said he brought in a couple of guys who know all about going fast and keeping it under control, and introduced NASCAR drivers Cole Custer and Sam Mayer. Custer said it was great to be there and he really liked that thing where you say his name and he appears, and asked if it was real. DarkState came in to confront the drivers and told them not to say a damn thing. Custer said he didn’t even know his name. Dixon told him that he knew his name was Joe Hendry. Say his name and he appears…..Mayer took off his helmet to reveal it was really Joe Hendry. A flustered DarkState challenged them to a six-man tag team match later on.
ARTICLE CONTINUED BELOW…
Check out the latest episode of “PWT Talks NXT” with Kelly Wells and Nate Lindberg, part of the PWTorch Dailycast line-up: CLICK HERE to stream (or search “pwtorch” on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or any other iOS or Android app to subscribe free)
(4) JORDYNNE GRACE vs. ARIANNA GRACE
Grace attacked Grace before the bell. Wait…this won’t work. Arianna attacked Jordynne before the bell. As soon as the referee pulled her off, the match officially started. Jordynne quickly took control, but Arianna was game and fought back with everything she had, but it wasn’t enough. Jordynne his a big spinebuster and Direct Effect to the relatively easy pin.
WINNER: Jordynne Grace at 2:24.
(Miller’s Take: Not a good showing for Arianna, as she seemed a bit lost at times. It was sloppy in spots, but it went about the way I expected. Jordynne pretty much plowed through her.)
-After the match, Stacks Lorenzo came out to assist Arianna. Blake Monroe’s music hit and she came out with a pink kendo stick in a pink trash can. Grace rolled out and grabbed a chair, then slid back in and the two had a sword fight with the chair and kendo stick. Grace jabbed her in the gut and landed a heavy chair chot to the back, but Monroe recovered quickly and started going to town on Grace with the stick. Grace tackled her and about 39 security members and a referee ran out to try and separated them. Robert Stone and Stevie Turner came out. Turner told them that was enough and if they wanted each other so badly, they could have each other this Saturday at No Mercy in a weapons match. Stone said they could do one better than that, and declared the match would be inside a steel cage. The ladies continued fighting as officials and security struggled to keep them separated.
-In the back, Kelly Kincaid congratulated Lainey Reid on her victory. She said she’d be giving Sol Ruca a little southern hospitality. Fatal Influence walked by and Jacy Jayne congratulated her and wished her luck. Reid said, “Right back at you, champ.” Jayne then told Fallon Henley and Jazmyn Nxy she could handle Lola Vice by herself and left Henley and Nxy standing there, bewildered. [c]
-NXT Women’s Champion Jacy Jayne gyrated her way to the ring by herself. She said she’s shed every label the fans put on her, like the third wheel, most beatable champion, and transitional champion. Then she ridiculed Lola Vice as a crossover act. She said Vice had everything going for her, but she’s already done all that. She said she was busting her ass while Vice was shaking hers.
[HOUR TWO]
-Lola’s music hit. She came out and said yet another person was talking about her ass, but at least she had one to shake. She talked about how different she is now than she was a year ago. She said she’s more than a fighter, she’s a professional wrestler and WWE superstar. Jayne said she knew she was going to take an ass-beating, but then she said that somehow, some way she would walk out with the title. She said Lola was going to be her family’s biggest disappointment. A seething Vice spun around with a killer back fist that knocked Jayne out. Vice stood over her with the title. [c]
-The Progressive NXT Spotlight was on Josh Briggs. He said he was tired of hearing about he couldn’t connect with the fans and wasn’t relatable. He cut a quick, but intense promo.
(5) DARKSTATE (Jaquan Shugars & Osiris Griffin & Dion Lennox w/Cutler James) vs. KALE DIXON & URIAH CONNORS & JOE HENDRY (w/Andre Chase) – 6-Man Tag Team Match
DarkState jumped their opponents before the bell to gain the upper hand, but Dixon and Connors soon turned it around with some really impressive offense before tagging in Hendry. All of DarkState wound up getting put to the floor, and Dixon hit a beautiful plancha to the outside, then returned to the ring where he and Connors joined Hendry in the turnaround pose before they cut to a commercial break. [c]
Back from the break, DarkState was continuing an extended beatdown on Dixon. TNA wrestler Mike Santana was shown entering the building. The other wrestlers fought on the floor as Griffin beat on Dixon. The hot tag was finally made to Hendry, who came in and cleaned house. Shugars distracted the referee while Griffin nailed Hendry. Another hot tag was made to Connors, who showed some flashes of brilliance. Another DarkState distraction prevented a pin, and they soon got the pin on Connors with their triple-team finisher.
WINNERS: DarkState at 11:38.
(Miller’s Take: The comedy spots Involving Chase U often distract from the fact that Dixon & Connors are a really good team. I’m not crazy about Hendry’s position in NXT recently, as it seems he’s been relegated to comedy relief and mid-card matches. DarkState continues to look impressive.) [c]
-A really good video package aired on Ricky Saints, focusing on his hometown of New Orleans and his childhood there. He stood on the lot where his home got taken out by the hurricane, mingled with locals, and talked about overcoming the odds and succeeding. He said he has to win this Saturday. I love packages like this. They did one on Jaida Parker awhile back, and it really helps the fans identify with them and see where they came from to get to where they are now.
-The announcers ran down the card for this Saturday’s No Mercy before cutting to Kelly Kincaid, who was interviewing Je’Von Evans. He started talking about his upcoming match against Josh Briggs, but a commotion elsewhere interrupted him. The camera went around the corner to find an official kneeling over a fallen Jazmyn Nyx as he called for medical. Jacy Jayne and Fallon Henley walked up to the scene. Jayne told Henley she thought she was with her, then said it didn’t matter, that it was time to drop her anyway because only the strong survive. Henley agreed and they walked away.
-Trick Williams made his way to the ring as the camera showed many TNA wrestlers in the crowd, looking unhappy. [c]
(6) TRICK WILLIAMS vs. OBA FEMI – TNA World Championship and NXT Championship Title-For-Title Match
Williams immediately went for a big spin kick, but Femi caught it and started beating on him. He hit the spin kick moments later, but Femi just shoved him to his backside. Outside the ring, Femi tried a chokeslam on the apron, but Trick landed on his feet. He missed a kick, but Femi leaped up and chopped him hard. Williams took control on the floor, but got distracted when Mike Santana jumped the barricade and put on a headset as he sat at the announce table. Split-screen commercial break. [c]
I did my best to avoid paying attention to ICE, Tide, Olive Garden, Crest, and an ad for Law & Order, but nothing much was happening in the ring, anyway. It’s almost like the wrestlers knew they were on a commercial break. When they went back to full-screen, Matt Cardona was shown to be in the crowd, along with many other TNA wrestlers. Femi cleaned Trick’s clock with a flying forearm, but only got a two-count.
Williams hit three more spin kicks to take Femi down, but only got two out of it. They traded offense before Femi picked up Williams and just gave him a huge pitch. Williams came back to hit the Trick Shot, but it still wasn’t enough. Femi hit his Fall From Grace, but couldn’t keep the TNA champ down for three. They traded blows on their knees, then rose to their feet to trade offense.
Both rolled out to the floor, where Williams reversed a whip to the ring steps. Williams walked up to Santana and slapped him. Santana started beating on him and the referee immediately called for the bell. The ring immediately filled up with TNA and NXT men and women, and a huge brawl erupted in and out of the ring between TNA and NXT. Ricky Saints calmly walked down the ramp during the riot and grasped the NXT belt. Femi stood and grabbed the belt as well, and he and Saints stared down each other as the show ended.
WINNER: No Contest at 11:53.
(Miller’s Take: Well, this is exactly what I predicted it would be. The match was good while it lasted, but it was inevitable that there would be a huge non-finish involving what was basically a TNA invasion. It would have been nice to have seen a minute or so more of it, as the show seemed to end a bit abruptly, but the point was made.)
FINAL THOUGHTS: Decent show tonight, and about what I expected out of it. Pretty good go-home effort to set up No Mercy this Saturday, which should be typically excellent. I’m particularly looking forward to seeing the Grace vs. Monroe match, because they were not holding back with their shots tonight, and I don’t expect them to hold back Saturday, either. See you all for Evolve!
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