NXT Deadline begins to wind down the WWE calendar year in explosive style in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Oba Femi returned to win the first Iron Survivor challenge of the evening, narrowly escaping a Je'von Evans pin to seal the victory. This sets up a huge feud with NXT Champion Trick Williams, who successfully defended his title against Ridge Holland. Nathan Frazer and Axiom also retained their titles in an astonishing match with No Quarter Catch Crew's Myles Borne & Tavion Heights.
Lola Vice defeated Jaida Parker in a personal and physical NXT Underground match, but the Match of the Night came with the Women's Iron Survivor match. One of the most must-see matches in the second half of WWE's calendar, Giulia emerged as the winner and new Number One Contender for Roxanne Perez's Women's NXT Championship, but it was a night in which everybody came out looking like they had world-class potential.
1 The Women of NXT
The Iron Survivor Challenge Surpasses All Expectations
It is no secret that the next wave of superstars from the NXT women's locker room will help elevate WWE's main roster to new heights. For anyone who needs to be brought up to speed, this match was the perfect encapsulation of the current NXT women's revolution. A match of such extreme quality that it is truly difficult to know where to start, Giulia emerged victorious, but all five women felt like superstars in waiting.
Zaria was a two-legged highlight reel, and her F5 is a thing of devastating beauty. Sol Ruca's speed and fearless athleticism showcases why her stock continues to rise, and this was an excellent, industrious performance from Wren Sinclair who started the match and finished strong. Stephanie Vacquer has an irresistible X-factor and injects pandemonium wherever she goes. Giulia and Roxanne Perez are about to embark on a hell of a story but, tonight, everybody delivered. Beg, borrow or steal to see this match. It is superb.
2 Oba Femi
2024's Iron Survivor Challenge Winner Steps Up
Just moments before the match was due to start, NXT GM Ava announced that she had found a replacement for Eddy Thorpe, after injury ruled him out of the Iron Survivor Challenge. The smart money was always on Oba Femi to return to the fold and cause havoc after that announcement, and so it came to be. As the fifth and final entrant into the match, Oba Femi returned to winning ways and is the new NXT Championship number one contender for Trick Williams's NXT title.
The Iron Survivor challenge is always one of NXT's annual highlights, and this was no exception. The presence that Oba exudes means that he becomes the primary threat in any situation he is put into. The second he entered the fray, his win felt inevitable. He sealed the deal with a double chokeslam and pinfall to Nathan Frazer and Wes Lee, before just about making it to the end of the time limit after Je'von Evans hit an explosive top rope cutter. Oba Femi's rise to prominence will not be stopped. All hail the Iron Survivor.
3 Trick Williams
And Still Your NXT Champion
In truth, once Oba Femi rolled in and stole the Iron Survivor Challenge, it felt like a formality for Trick Williams to retain his title. Ridge Holland has done a fantastic job of rebuilding his reputation, tormenting his former Chase U compatriots, but this always felt like it would be a bridge too far for him. Despite landing The Redeemer, a Trick Knee was enough for Williams to get the pinfall victory.
Trick Williams vs Oba Femi exudes a star appeal that has been too often missing in NXT in recent times. Williams continues to improve in the ring with steady and consistent performances, this latest victory being another solid showing that gets him further away from accusations of being too "green". Oba Femi will be Trick's most demanding challenge to date, and the feud between Williams and Oba is the perfect way for NXT to cap off their big comeback year.
4 Lola Vice
The Queen of the Underground Reigns Supreme
Despite suffering a recent defeat to Jaida Parker at the ECW Arena show, Lola Vice remained undefeated in NXT Underground matches in a short but memorable encounter with her bitter rival, Jaida Parker. One of the fiercest rivalries to conclude Deadline, the down-and-dirty feel of the match echoed the simmering hatred the two have for each other. Despite injuring her hand in a crippling spinning back-fist onto the ring post, Vice would tap out Parker with an Anaconda-style submission after a physical and violent striking and submission match.
It's difficult to blur the lines between MMA and professional wrestling, as was seen in the disastrous attempts that were part of Raw Underground. However, NXT Underground has found a somewhat satisfying middle ground. The intensity of the feud, the piercing screams of pain from the up-close-and-personal camera angles, and the rhythmic slapping of the canvas give the viewer something unlike anything else in the pro wrestling landscape. Taste is subjective but what's certain is, after three straight victories, Lola Vice is the undisputed queen of NXT Underground.
5 The Tag Team Titles Match
NXT Heritage in This Absolute Banger
In those exciting early years of NXT, it felt as though those early TakeOver's were characterized by their riotous in-ring mayhem and an avalanche of near-fall finishes. This frantic and high-octane tag team title match was the perfect gift to anyone longing for those glory days. This was a phenomenal match, on a night in which No Quarter Catch Crew's Myles Borne & Tavion Heights and the reigning champions could all go home satisfied with their night's work.
Nathan Frazer put his body through hell after competing in the Iron Survivor earlier in the evening, so he was naturally a focal point for the challengers. It will be interesting to see if this frenetic style of match can translate to the main roster once it leaves NXT, but this was a match in which everyone delivered in an emphatic fashion. Seek out the last stages of this match at all costs. It was a blast.
6 Ridge Holland
A Big Moment Is On The Horizon For The British Superstar
As a general rule, 2024 has been pretty solid for Ridge Holland. His bond with, and subsequent betrayal of, Chase U had an increased emotional depth from the Brit, that put him in the NXT Championship picture at one of the biggest shows in their calendar. From the moment Oba Femi won the Iron Survivor match, the chances of a Holland victory all but left town. Where does Ridge go from here?
The reinvigorating of the NXT-to-Main-Roster process means that those chosen spots have to be really earned. When you look at the relative scarcity of TV time afforded to the generational talent, Pete Dunne, has Ridge Holland done enough to find a spot for himself on the Main Roster? Only time will tell, but one gets the impression that his next feud will be one of the most vital of his WWE career.
- Oba Femi battering Ethan Page inside the penalty box was pure Box Office.
- Let's only let Lexis King chat if he has something interesting to say, especially at a PLE. A weird segment that served no purpose.
- This felt like a bad night for Wes Lee. It's a bump in the road.
- Is the Women's Iron Survivor Challenge a Match Of The Year contender?
- Pete Dunne and Ilja Dragunov are the only two men to defeat Trick Williams in a 1-vs-1 match in 2024.
- Tony D'Angelo is the only man to defeat Oba Femi in 2024.
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