Welcome to WrestlePurists’ coverage of WWE NXT Roadblock, March 5th 2024.
DIJAK DEFEATS JOE GACY IN AN ASYLUM MATCH
Both men immediately go for weapons. Dijak throws Gacy into the side of the steel cage to take control early. A box saying “Do not open” intrigues Dijak, but Gacy keeps him from opening it multiple times. Dijak finally opens the box containing a Jackass-like boxing glove into the groin stunt. Reeling from the pain, Dijak takes a fire extinguisher to the face into the commercial break. Returning from the break, Dijak does a moonsault from the top of the steel cage, ala Cody Rhodes vs Wardlow. Dijak tries to put the straightjacket on Gacy. Gacy punches back and unveils a table with a smiley face on it. Dijak can get Gacy partially in the straightjacket but gets put through the table and hit with a Swanton bomb. Dijak puts Gacy through a door and hits a Feast Your Eyes. Gacy completely no sells the first one, but Dijak puts him away with a second one. This was a fine cage match to open the show. Neither man showed the brutality necessary for a major blowoff match that we’d expect between the two, so I was slightly disappointed.
THE FAMILY BACKSTAGE
The Family discusses tonight’s match. Stacks brings in Luca Crusifino, and Tony D’Angelo wants him as his consigulary.
FALLON HENLEY & RILEY OSBOURNE BACKSTAGE
The two discuss Thea Hail and her bad influences. Blair Davenport interrupts the conversation.
LYRA VALKYRIA & TATUM PAXLEY BACKSTAGE
Both women discuss their tag title match against the Kabuki Warriors set for later in the show. Paxley talks about wanting to inflict intense harm on people.
THE WOLF DOGS DEFEAT CHASE U TO RETAIN THE NXT TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIPS
This was a pretty simple match. Bron and Corbin dominated early, Chase U hit some big moves going into the commercial break, the heels took control during the break, there was a hot tag, and the Wolf Dogs put the challengers away. A serviceable title match as the Good Brothers loom in the background. Thea Hail storms off after the match.
CARMELO HAYES BACKSTAGE
Carmelo Hayes says the Stand and Deliver match is reserved for Him, and he is Him.
SHAWN SPEARS DEFEATS URIAH CONNORS
The Chairman is back in NXT. He faced the debuting Uriah Connors, formerly known as Brogan Finley. Quick match as Spears hits a C4 for the win. Post-match, Spears cuts a promo preaching like his vignettes while half his face is lit. He calls out Ridge Holland, who comes to the ring and beats down Spears. Holland lines up Spears for a chair shot but can’t bring himself to take it, potentially proving him right. Good match to get Spears back into action on NXT.
BROOKS JENSEN BACKSTAGE
Josh Briggs rolls up on Brooks Jensen to talk about his match with Oba Femi next week. Jensen says Briggs triggered something inside of him and he’s ready for Femi.
ILJA DRAGUNOV BACKSTAGE
Dragunov is asked about tonight’s main event between Tony D’Angelo and Carmelo Hayes. He calls D’Angelo a man with a vision and enjoys seeing Melo squirm. Stacks interrupts, saying the Don will see him at Stand and Deliver.
THE KABUKI WARRIORS DEFEAT LYRA VALKYRIA & TATUM PAXLEY TO RETAIN THE WWE WOMEN’S TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIPS
Lyra Valkyria and Asuka start the match but quickly tag out to Tatum Paxley and Kairi Sane. The two go back and forth before Asuka takes a cheap shot as the referee is distracted. Kawada kicks from Asuka. Production flashes to an altercation backstage between Thea Hail, Kiana James and Izzi Dame. Meanwhile, in the ring, Paxley and Valkyria have taken control of the match going into the commercial break. Heels with the advantage coming back from break. Paxley makes the hot tag to Valkyria. Valkyria lands a fisherman’s buster into a bridging northern lights suplex. The Kabuki Warriors hit a few tag team maneuvers. Valkyria accidentally takes out Paxley with a roundhouse kick as Sane moves at the last second, allowing Sane to land the Insane Elbow for the win. Roxanne Perez attacks Valkyria after the match, destroying her arm. Really enjoyable tag match. Paxley has come a long way, and I thought Valkyria lent herself well to Asuka’s offense. Both women had some good exchanges that could have been better, but they worked. Paxley is seen being loaded into an ambulance later in the night.
FALLON HENLEY VS BLAIR DAVENPORT
Blair Davenport targeted the left arm throughout, but Fallon Henley took control on the outside. Sol Ruca returns to attack Davenport while the referee is distracted. Henley hits a running urinagi for the win. Another fine match.
CHASE U BACKSTAGE
Jacy Jayne is berating Andre Chase and Duke Hudson for blowing the title shot. Thea Hail storms in, saying she has a tag title shot next week and needs Jayne as her partner. Jayne says she’s busy next week.
GIGI DOLIN IN AVA’S OFFICE
Ava tells Gigi Dolin that Arianna Grace will not wrestle. Grace steps into the office, saying she will agree to the match with one stipulation: if Grace wins, she gets to teach Dolin how to be a true lady.
SHAWN SPEARS BACKSTAGE
Shawn Spears says he will teach Ridge Holland how to embrace his rage.
NO QUARTER CATCH CREW IN THE RING
The No Quarter Catch Crew is here to celebrate Charlie Dempsey winning the NXT Heritage Cup. Dempsey says the cup aligns with his vision of the sport, but the cup does not belong to just him. Every member of the club can defend the cup. The crew is also entering the NXT tag championship tournament. William Regal interrupts! Regal says the Heritage Cup means the world to him because it represents outstanding competitors from the British and European scene for generations. He hopes they will defend the cup with the honor and integrity it deserves. Dempsey says he will defend the cup better than his father ever could.
METAFOUR BACKSTAGE
Noam Dar is looking to the future after losing the NXT Heritage Cup.
MR. STONE & VONN WAGNER BACKSTAGE
Mr. Stone is watching footage of Lexis King backstage. He tells Vonn Wagner he needs to face King himself.
TONY D’ANGELO DEFEATS CARMELO HAYES
Carmelo Hayes starts hot, going immediately after Tony D’Angelo. However, the Don quickly shows his power advantage. Melo tries to go blow for blow with Tony, which doesn’t work, forcing him to escape outside with his security detail going into the commercial break. Tony does rest holds during the break, but Melo targets the left arm to take control coming out of the break. Both men throw haymakers at each other, and, yet again, Tony D takes control in a battle of strength. Melo starts focusing his strikes on the left arm and hits a cutter into an armbar. Melo goes to the top rope before Trick Williams’ music hits, but nobody comes out. Tony uses the distraction to hit Forget About It for the win. After the match, Trick Williams actually does return to whoop that trick! A decent main-event match with good psychology that commentary never seemed to focus on for some reason. Trick’s return was the highlight of the show.
