{"id":176990,"date":"2024-04-17T13:38:00","date_gmt":"2024-04-17T18:38:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/?p=176990"},"modified":"2024-04-17T13:38:00","modified_gmt":"2024-04-17T18:38:00","slug":"nxt-hits-misses-4-16-trick-williams-vs-carmelo-hayes-in-a-cage-match-paxley-vs-hail-holland-vs-wilde-noam-dar-vs-dijak-more","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/2024\/04\/17\/nxt-hits-misses-4-16-trick-williams-vs-carmelo-hayes-in-a-cage-match-paxley-vs-hail-holland-vs-wilde-noam-dar-vs-dijak-more\/","title":{"rendered":"NXT HITS &#038; MISSES (4\/16): Trick Williams vs. Carmelo Hayes in a Cage Match, Paxley vs. Hail, Holland vs. Wilde, Noam Dar vs. Dijak, more"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"pwtor-2947018556\" class=\"pwtor-before-content pwtor-entity-placement\"><hr \/><b>SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)... <\/b>\r\n\r\n<iframe src=\"https:\/\/widget.spreaker.com\/player?show_id=3076978&theme=light&playlist=false&playlist-continuous=false&autoplay=false&live-autoplay=false&chapters-image=true&episode_image_position=right&hide-logo=false&hide-likes=false&hide-comments=false&hide-sharing=false&hide-download=true\" width=\"100%\" height=\"140px\" frameborder=\"0\"><\/iframe>\r\n<hr \/><\/div><p><strong>Noam Dar vs. Dijak: Hit<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Great little man \/ big man fight. It almost seemed like Dijak was working as the face during the match-up. It\u2019s still baffling to me that this guy hasn\u2019t been called up yet (and no, I will not accept his Retribution call up as valid, since it was so bad). Maybe with the upcoming Draft, he\u2019ll make the switch to Smackdown or Raw. The guy has great matches with pretty much everyone (I still fondly remember his series with Keith Lee as standouts!). I still say Noam Dar and Meta Four are a fun, obnoxious group. Noam looked great in picking up a big victory. I don\u2019t think Dijak\u2019s stock drops with the loss, based on the interference from Mensah.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Tatum Paxley vignette: Hit<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>My. Goodness. I LOVED this video! My crush on Paxley notwithstanding, the presentation and her delivery were incredible. I really like how much Paxley has invested in this slightly twisted character and I\u2019m excited to see how far she can take it.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Lola Vice vs. Sol Ruca: Hit<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Nice match from the two developmental talents. Ruca has great agility and Vice has improved a lot since her arrival. What is really the big news out of the whole match was the after match announce from Natalya that her upcoming match will dust off the NXT Underground format, while Ruca looks to work with Blair Davenport. I feel this is where the newcomers learn the most: working with the more established stars and both Vice and Ruca should come out of their respective matches better off.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Arianna Grace\u2019s Gigi Dolan Conversion: Hit<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>I\u2019ve read that a lot of people aren\u2019t fans of Grace\u2019s \u201cbeauty pageant\u201d character, but I\u2019ve been on board with it and I really like the different dynamic set in the situation: we\u2019ve seen countless times where someone has to be someone\u2019s valet, etc. and I can\u2019t recall ever having the stipulation be a \u2018beauty makeover\u2019, especially with Dolan being so punk\/rock\/grunge. These have been fun for me to watch and I\u2019m looking forward to the payoff.<\/p><div id=\"pwtor-1557868019\" class=\"pwtor-content pwtor-entity-placement\"><div align=\"center\" data-freestar-ad=\"__336x280 __336x280\" id=\"pwtorchcom_test_300x250\">\r\n  <script data-cfasync=\"false\" type=\"text\/javascript\">\r\n    freestar.config.enabled_slots.push({ placementName: \"pwtorchcom_test_300x250\", slotId: \"pwtorchcom_test_300x250\" });\r\n  <\/script>\r\n<\/div><\/div>\n<p><strong>Ridge Holland vs. Joaquin Wilde: Middle of the Road<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>This wasn\u2019t a bad match, per se, but I didn\u2019t feel it was great enough for a Hit or bad enough for a Miss. I still don\u2019t know where they\u2019re going with Ridge Holland, but I wouldn\u2019t mind him associated with Shawn Spears. Spears seems to be about bringing the anger out of people and Ridge seems to fit that bill. Joaquin Wilde continues to be impressive and I\u2019m hoping that any brand that he ends up on doesn\u2019t make him job out to others all the time (I\u2019m looking at you, Cameron Grimes!)<\/p>\n<p><strong>Je\u2019von Evans vs. Ilya Dragunov: Hit<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Man, this Evans kid is good. He reminds me so much of a young Kofi Kingston. Fighting Scrypts is one thing, going head to head with Dragunov is a totally different beast. He looked great in defeat and the crowd is already behind this young man.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Thea Hail vs. Tatum Paxley: Hit<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>I\u2019m so happy I got two does of Paxley on this episode. It was a quick match that was pretty good while it lasted, but it was another match up that served mostly to continue the feuds between Hail\/Jayne and Valkyria\/Paxley. I\u2019m glad Hail is back to her spitfire character and not the bad girl wannabe. She just radiates underdog babyface. And damn, I mentioned it before regarding Paxley\u2019s vignette, but she pulls off the creepy, twisted character so well, inside and outside the ring.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Authors of Pain vs. Malik Blade &amp; Edris Enofe: Hit<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Basically a squash match, but another big men\/little men match like the show opener. Blade and Enofe are spinning their wheels as Gatekeepers in NXT. I guess the train of thought is that really since Brinley came along, they\u2019re on a losing streak. I can\u2019t really see a heel turn, but maybe a character refining upcoming?<\/p><div id=\"pwtor-3885437622\" class=\"pwtor-content-1 pwtor-entity-placement\"><!-- Tag ID: pwtorchcom_test_300x600 -->\r\n<div align=\"center\" data-freestar-ad=\"__336x280 __300x600\" id=\"pwtorchcom_test_300x600\">\r\n  <script data-cfasync=\"false\" type=\"text\/javascript\">\r\n    freestar.config.enabled_slots.push({ placementName: \"pwtorchcom_test_300x600\", slotId: \"pwtorchcom_test_300x600\" });\r\n  <\/script>\r\n<\/div><\/div>\n<p><strong>Ivar vs. Josh Briggs: Hit<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Big ol\u2019 hoss fight. I like the selling Briggs did on things like the splash he attempted. Too many times guys who are taped up always seem to forget that and only react to when their opponent\u2019s target the affected areas. Ivar is so much fun to watch. No matter how many times I see him, it still amazes me how agile the guy is in the ring, especially off the top rope. The outcome of the match was never really in question, based on Ivar\u2019s interactions with Oba Femi last week. Ivar and Femi should be a fun big man battle.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Carmelo Hayes vs. Trick Williams in a steel cage: Hit<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Nice way to (maybe) write the final chapter in the Trick Williams \/ Carmelo Hayes storybook. If not, I can definitely see Melo interfere next week in Trick\u2019s match against Ilya, Melo losing two straight to Williams doesn\u2019t seem like something he\u2019ll just accept and move on from. With that being said, I personally think this feud cannot continue too much longer. They told a great story throughout, but it\u2019s time for new chapters for them both. I\u2019m assuming Melo will be on his way up to SD or Raw, although I wouldn\u2019t be surprised if Trick moved up, too, based on his overwhelming personality. I have to say, when the pair started out, I never in my wildest imagination thought Trick would turn into the star he is. A side note: as someone who lived through the generation of WWF\/E cage matches where you had to escape the cage, I love this style where you have to win by pinfall or submission. If you young people out there never had to see the garish blue cage, you\u2019re not missing out on anything.<\/p>\n<p>Next week\u2019s Spring Breakin\u2019 Night 1 looks like another loaded show, I\u2019ll be back after that for another Hits &amp; Misses \u2013 have a great week!<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><strong>RECOMMENDED NEXT:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/2024\/04\/16\/nxt-tv-results-4-16-hazelwoods-live-report-on-williams-hayes-steel-cage-aop-vs-enofe-blade-vice-vs-ruca-hail-vs-paxley-dijak-vs-dar-more\/\">NXT TV RESULTS (4\/16): Hazelwood\u2019s live report on Williams-Hayes steel cage, AoP vs. Enofe &amp; Blade, Vice vs. Ruca, Hail vs. Paxley, Dijak vs. Dar, more<\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>OR CHECK THIS OUT AT PROWRESTLING.NET:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/prowrestling.net\/site\/2024\/04\/17\/powells-nxt-hit-list-trick-williams-vs-carmelo-hayes-in-a-steel-cage-match-nxt-champion-ilja-dragunov-vs-jevon-evans-in-a-non-title-match-sol-ruca-vs-lola-vice-noam-dar-vs-dijak\/\">Powell\u2019s NXT Hit List: Trick Williams vs. Carmelo Hayes in a steel cage match, NXT Champion Ilja Dragunov vs. Je\u2019Von Evans in a non-title match, Sol Ruca vs. Lola Vice, Noam Dar vs. Dijak<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"entry-meta\">\n<div class=\"pwtor-end-article-groups pwtor-entity-placement\" id=\"pwtor-3699691625\"><div id=\"pwtor-15033113\"><div align=\"center\" data-freestar-ad=\"__336x280\" id=\"pwtorchcom_medrec_3\">\r\n  <script data-cfasync=\"false\" type=\"text\/javascript\">\r\n    freestar.config.enabled_slots.push({ placementName: \"pwtorchcom_medrec_3\", slotId: \"pwtorchcom_medrec_3\" });\r\n  <\/script>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\nTHANK YOU FOR VISITING<\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<div class=\"mh-excerpt\"><p>Noam Dar vs. Dijak: Hit Great little man \/ big man fight. It almost seemed like Dijak was working as the face during the match-up. It\u2019s still baffling to me that this guy hasn\u2019t been <a class=\"mh-excerpt-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/2024\/04\/17\/nxt-hits-misses-4-16-trick-williams-vs-carmelo-hayes-in-a-cage-match-paxley-vs-hail-holland-vs-wilde-noam-dar-vs-dijak-more\/\" title=\"NXT HITS &#038; MISSES (4\/16): Trick Williams vs. Carmelo Hayes in a Cage Match, Paxley vs. Hail, Holland vs. Wilde, Noam Dar vs. Dijak, more\">[&#8230;]<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":176991,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"episode_type":"","audio_file":"","podmotor_file_id":"","podmotor_episode_id":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"","filesize":"","filesize_raw":"","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":"","itunes_episode_number":"","itunes_title":"","itunes_season_number":"","itunes_episode_type":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[52,28,27],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-176990","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-opnionandanalysis","category-specialists_hitsandmisses","category-specialists"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/post\/2024\/04\/Screenshot-2024-04-17-at-1.35.19\u202fPM.png","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/176990","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=176990"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/176990\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":176992,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/176990\/revisions\/176992"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/176991"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=176990"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=176990"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=176990"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}