WWE NXT Results: Winners, Live Grades, Reaction and Highlights from Feb. 13

WWE NXT promised a packed February 13 episode with multiple title matches and top stars in action.

Bron Breakker and Baron Corbin cashed in their Dusty Cup title opportunity to challenge Tony D'Angelo and Channing "Stacks" Lorenzo for the NXT Tag Team Championships. The Wolf Dogs have looked unstoppable, but could they topple The Family?

Carmelo Hayes went up against the unpredictable Joe Gacy. Would Trick Williams or Ilja Dragunov be in the arena to get revenge on Melo?

Ridge Holland faced the consequences of his choices, fighting all of Gallus in a gauntlet match. Oba Femi also spoke after his dominant win at Vengeance Day.

The show also featured Kiana James vs. Brinley Reece, Lola Vice vs. Tatum Paxley, and Adrianna Rizzo vs. Jaida Parker.

This show was filled with big matches that would continue the build toward Stand & Deliver on April 6.

Noam Dar and Oro Mensah vs. Von Wagner and Mr. Stone

Jakara Jackson and Lash Legend played the difference-makers in this match. They distracted the referee to allow Oro Mensah to hit Von Wagner with a chop block to set a cheap pinfall victory.

This was an OK tag team match that had some crowd hype behind it as Wagner and Stone have grown popular, but there wasn't much interesting action. Stone can wrestle more than he did, but he was playing the inexperienced manager.

The big problem was that Meta-Four again picked up a win in familiar fashion. It is consistently about interference and distractions, which leads to deflating results for the most interesting babyfaces.

Wagner has often been booked as a loser despite his size. His babyface turn seemed like a good chance to improve his fortunes, but he only seems to be doing worse.

Hopefully, there is a clear plan soon for Wagner and Stone. Otherwise, the crowd excitement they have built will dissipate.

Result

Meta-Four def. Wagner and Stone by pinfall.

Grade

C

Notable Moments

• Wagner and Stone attacked Meta-Four backstage and dragged Dar and Mensah to the ring.
  

• Wagner double-chokeslammed Dar and Mensah and then helped up Stone for a splash and near-fall.
• Lexis King mocked Wagner and Stone backstage about their latest failure.
• No Quarter Catch Club warned Dar that they were coming for the Heritage Cup. That group may be the right one to make the competition feel fresh again.

Gauntlet: Ridge Holland vs. Gallus

Ridge Holland hit the Northern Grit in picture-in-picture on Wolfgang to pick up the victory.

Joe Coffey attacked Holland while Mark Coffey was the legal man, causing a disqualification.

Gallus tried to press the attack, but Holland knocked out all three with a steel chair. Officials had to stop him.

Holland is a good in-ring worker, especially with talent that plays to his physical strengths. His chemistry with Wolfgang and especially Mark Coffey was obvious. It is just a shame that the finish was so lame.

This was a perfect chance to establish how dangerous Gallus can be, wearing down Holland until he could no longer compete. Instead, he technically defeated the entire group because they refused to work a match that favored them heavily.

The booking has been awkward for Holland, who is still struggling to give over with a generous NXT Universe crowd. Hopefully, whoever steps in to help him can bring out more of his personality.

Result

Holland def. Gallus by disqualification.

Grade

D+

Notable Moments

• Jacy Jayne paid off the Chase U debt as Andre Chase brought back together his classroom for the spring semester.
• The second referee was at ringside to ensure there was no Gallus interference.
• Holland seemed to realize that he can go overboard with his attack on Gallus after the officials got involved.
  

Lola Vice vs. Tatum Paxley

Encouraged by Lyra Valkyria, Tatum Paxley kicked out of the roundhouse kick and spinning back fist, but she was forced to tap out to Lola Vice's headscissors choke.

It would have been nice to see a bit more from these two, but the story of this squash was executed well. Paxley fought extra hard once her champion arrived to watch this closely.

However, Valkyria is going to need to help Paxley figure it out in order to start picking up wins. The two could become an interesting tag team if the women get a Dusty Classic started soon.

Vice looked good and showcased an impressive submission to her arsenal. With each performance, she seems to be showing more of her potential.

Result

Vice def. Paxley by pinfall.

Grade

C+

Notable Moments

• Valkyria ran out to encourage Paxley to keep fighting as things started to go bad. After Paxley lost, The Valkyrie carried her to the back.
• The Valkyrie and Shotzi agreed to an NXT Women's Championship match next week.
  

• Roxanne Perez complained about Shotzi getting a title shot before she did. Wren Sinclair tried to calm The Prodigy and got punched in the mouth for it.
  

Adriana Rizzo vs. Jaida Parker

Adriana Rizzo showed toughness in her fight with Jaida Parker, but she was completely outmatched.

Parker took her down with a clothesline.

This was the classic early wrestler match in NXT that would not be allowed on Raw or SmackDown. Both Rizzo and Parker are too green for this spot, and it showed.

This was especially true with Parker, who was stumbling over what looked to be attempted signature offense. It was an ugly back-and-forth only helped by the fire of The Family's fixer.

Rizzo did not get to do much in comparison, but she sold the story of the action fully with her acting. Hopefully, she will find the offense to match her personality.

Based on immediate potential, the wrong woman won, but this can help build an underdog story for Rizzo as she tries to figure out how to win.

Result

Parker def. Rizzo by pinfall.

Grade

F

Notable Moments

• Rizzo promised The Family that she had her fight handled. Luca Crusifino gave D'Angelo some legal advice about his upcoming title match.
• Rizzo started the contest with hoop earrings but pulled them off when things started to break down. This was a unique babyface spot that she should use often.
  

Carmelo Hayes vs. Joe Gacy

After a tough fight from Joe Gacy, Carmelo Hayes reversed the Upside Down into a double-knee facebuster and Nothin' But Net for the victory.

This was a fine match between good wrestlers who should have been better. The story was told poorly as Melo continued to work the same way he always has rather than building upon his heat with the fans.

The problem was that Gacy continues to dominate his matches while working as a babyface. While he was the power wrestler in this dynamic, Melo needed to keep his momentum in his first heel contest in years.

The eccentricities of Gacy are getting over, though. The crowd is reacting most to him when he does weird things like smiling maniacally and using the underneath of the ring.

Obviously, the right man won. Melo is building up his resume ahead of challenging Ilja Dragunov again, and no one but The Mad Dragon or Trick Williams should beat him.

Result

Melo def. Gacy by pinfall.

Grade

C+

Notable Moments

• Dijak stared at the film from last week until he angrily slammed his laptop shut.
  
• Gacy's entrance presentation continues to evolve as the camera filmed him upside down and then flipped as it zoomed into his face.
• There were multiple dueling chants for both men in the match despite the supposed heat for Melo from the NXT Universe.
  
• Melo mocked Gacy while pulling at his hair outside. Gacy was unfazed as he headbutted his opponent, rolled under the ring and then blasted him with a tope suicida.
• After the finish, Hard Justice beat down Gacy and put him in a straitjacket.
  

Lexis King Challenges Oba Femi Next Week

Oba Femi put over Dragon Lee as a worthy challenger who was no match for his destiny.

Lexis King challenged Femi, and the champion agreed for next week. King tried to lay out Femi but got sent reeling by the champion.

Femi is still finding his rhythm on the mic, but he is getting better with each promo. The opposite has been true of King, who does not sound comfortable with the WWE style.

This is not the most exciting title match follow-up for Femi, but it will be an interesting test as he will be the crowd favorite for his defense next week.

Femi should fight a variety of opponents in the coming months, testing himself as a fresh act. He can build his legacy quickly, even if his next title defense is likely to be a bit of a dud.

Grade

D+

Notable Moments

• Another mysterious video package aired, talking about the evil of human nature, echoing a phrase of philosopher Xunzi.
  
• Brooks Jensen started a brawl with Josh Briggs after his comments last week. NXT general manager Ava told them to settle this in the ring.
  

Kiana James (w/ Izzi Dame) vs. Brinley Reece

Kiana James got a little too cocky, allowing Brinley Reece to take over the action early. However, a 401K and Bankruptcy sealed the victory for James.

This was forgettable. In familiar NXT fashion, this was a squash where the loser did most of the work. Reece is a work in progress. She is figuring it out but was out of her depth against James.

However, combining her work here with her consistent promo work backstage, she has looked more poised and ready than most of her peers in the growing women's division.

James needs to step up big soon because a fresh crop of women could pass her by if she does not do something special in the coming months. She should be considered in the title picture soon.

Result

James def. Reece by pinfall.

Grade

C

Notable Moments

• Reece tried to prepare for her match alongside Karmen Petrovic and Kelani Jordan, but Lash Legend and Jakara Jackson arrived to mock all three women.
• Dame played a crucial role in shifting the momentum by blasting Reece outside. It was odd that Jordan was not involved to help her friend.

• Malik Blade and Edris Enofé argued over how to comfort Reece after her loss. She was surprisingly content, promising to practice more and win the next one.

NXT Tag Team Championships: The Family (c) vs. The Wolf Dogs

Baron Corbin was flying around the ring to save this match, passionate about finally winning gold in WWE again. It paid off as he set up Bron Breakker to spear Channing "Stacks" Lorenzo for the victory.

This was by far the best thing on the show. Breakker and Corbin worked like a true tag team against an alliance that has dominated the division for a reason in the past year.

Tony D'Angelo worked this bout like the most important of his career, and it may have been. Since this is the second time The Family have lost the titles, The Don may not hold gold again for a while.

Hopefully, the future is still bright for The Don and The Underboss, who remain two of the best characters in NXT. However, it was obvious that Corbin and Breakker were the hotter team throughout this bout.

The Wolf Dogs are an interesting pairing as they haven't quite turned heel and continue to work more like babyfaces together. It could be interesting to see them fully embrace that role, even after they lose the gold and head to the main roster.

Result

Breakker and Corbin def. Stacks and D'Angelo by pinfall to become the new NXT tag team champions.

Grade

A

Notable Moments

• Baron Corbin tried to get Bron Breakker focused for their match, promising to call their team The Wolf Dogs once if they won.
• This match got "NXT" and "This is Awesome" chants.
  
• D'Angelo was the rare man in NXT to overwhelm Breakker with his power, including catching him mid-air with a spinebuster. These two should fight more.
• Corbin and Breakker hit unique back-to-back elevated cutters for a near-fall. Their team chemistry has impressed.
• Clothesline after clothesline sent everyone to the floor. D'Angelo sent Corbin into the steel steps and then The Family sent Breakker through the announce table.
  

Overall Show

This was a night when character work far outpaced the in-ring action. It was a show that could be forgotten beyond a few important moments that continued key stories.

Bron Breakker and Baron Corbin's rise to the NXT Tag Team Championships has been a great story, and they solidified their run by taking the titles in another great bout.

Carmelo Hayes mostly cruised this week in an overlong battle with Joe Gacy that did not build more heat for Melo.

Tatum Paxley continues to put it together in the ring, but her breakout performance may still be months down the line. NXT also tested young stars in Adriana Rizzo, Jaida Parker and Brinley Reece, and all three are far from TV-ready in the ring.

The Meta-Four storyline is approaching a wall and needs a fresh twist. Until then, Noam Dar matches just aren't landing anymore.

Overall, NXT did not take the week off but relied on talent who were not yet ready to take advantage of the spotlight. This shouldn't have been a down week, but it was through much of the two-hour run time.

Overall Grade: D