WWE NXT Results, Winners, Live Grades, Reaction and Highlights From April 1
On the road to Stand & Deliver, WWE NXT hit the airwaves Tuesday night with a show headlined by Ricky Saints challenging Shawn Spears for the North American Championship.
How did the elite export fare against the leader of The Culling and was he able to strike gold for the first time in his WWE career?
Find out with this recap of the April 1 episode, which also featured NXT champion Oba Femi calling out Trick Williams.
Match Card
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Announced in advance of Tuesday's show:
* NXT North American Championship: Ricky Saints vs. Shawn Spears
* Trick Williams and Oba Femi promo
Stephanie Vaquer Kicks Off NXT
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Double champion Stephanie Vaquer opened this week's show, joining NXT general manager Ava in the squared circle for a blockbuster announcement.
La Primera is relinquishing the Women's North American Championship in an attempt to push the women's division forward and ensure the title is defended regularly...as long as she gets to pick her opponent for the NXT Women's Championship at Stand & Deliver on April 19.
Jaida Parker and Jordynne Grace interrupted, and after some back and forth, they engaged in a brawl before being separated by security.
This was a noteworthy start to the show that freed Vaquer of the second title—though not without creating questions as to why she won it in the first place—and set up a potential matchup between Grace and Parker for a shot at her other belt.
It also creates intrigue surrounding the North American Championship, which will now be decided in a six-woman ladder match at Stand & Deliver, with qualifiers starting Tuesday night.
Grade
B+
Top Moments and Takeaways
—To say the fans were not so thrilled about the decision to have Vaquer vacate her title would be an understatement.
—Grace Yeet-ed a security guard over the top rope and onto the others.
—In a pre-taped promo, Trick Williams continued to flash hints of an impending heel turn as he talked trash on Oba Femi and Je'Von Evans.
Ladder Match Qualifier: Zaria vs. Lash Legend
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Backstage, the NXT women's locker room argued over who would cash their tickets to Stand & Deliver and the ladder match to determine the new Women's North American champion.
In the arena, Zaria and Lash Legend took to the squared circle for the night's first qualifier.
Zaria found herself on the defensive early and often. Legend used her size advantage, applying a Torture Rack submission (shout-out to 2025 Hall of Famer Lex Luger) and halting the Aussie at every turn.
Zaria withstood it all, though, including a vicious chokeslam that looked to be the end of her pursuit of gold at one point, and she delivered a Spear that earned her the victory.
It wasn't always pretty, but this was a fun, physical match between two powerhouses of the women's division. Legend showed out as a competitor ready to make the jump to the main roster, while Zaria—in her first singles match in months,—highlighted why she was one of the most coveted free agents in wrestling last year.
The right competitor went over and now will have the chance to claim her first championship in Las Vegas.
Result
Zaria defeated Legend
Grade
B
Top Moments and Takeaways
—Zaria flubbed a kip-up and commentator Vic Joseph immediately covered for her, chalking it up to the Aussie being thrown off her game as she found herself in an uncommon position of being overpowered by an opponent. Great work on the headset by the most underrated play-by-play guy in wrestling.
—Legend was great here, turning in one of her most complete performances as a singles competitor yet. She may not have much longer in NXT and if so, she and Meta-4 teammate Jakara Jackson have earned their call-up to the main roster.
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Hank and Tank vs. No Quarter Catch Crew
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In a pre-taped vignette, The D'Angelo Family discussed Darkstate before "The Don" asked Channing "Stacks" Lorenzo if he can trust him. The Underboss confirmed he could...but not without clear tension between them.
Back in the arena, Hank Walker and Tank Ledger—fresh off backstage coaching from Pretty Deadly—squared off with No Quarter Catch Crew's Tavion Heights and Myles Borne.
Another week, another crushing defeat for Hank and Tank. Despite a strong effort from the fan favorites, Borne picked up the win for his team in an action-packed contest.
This was a perfectly acceptable match, but it was ultimately the backdrop for the Hank and Tank story, which will inevitably end with them discovering the it that propels them forward and sees them capture tag team gold.
The time is not now, though, and using that narrative to give NQCC a quality TV win is hardly a bad idea.
Result
Heights and Myles defeated Hank and Tank
Grade
C+
Top Moments and Takeaways
—Pretty Deadly is enormously entertaining and really should have a more meaningful role on some WWE property at this point.
—When Hank and Tank do put it all together and win tag team gold, the NXT fans are going to erupt. They already love them.
Trick Williams Called Out Oba Femi
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Trick Williams cut an impassioned promo before calling out NXT champion Oba Femi.
Instead, Je'Von Evans interrupted and said he he can relate to Williams because he wants the No. 1 spot that Trick battled for.
Williams took exception to that, saying carrying the title and defending it are two different things. He's one-of-one, he claimed.
"Trick, you don't know who the hell you is, do you?" Evans asked. "You ain't Trick Williams. You're Carmelo Hayes."
Femi finally made his presence felt, but Evans issued a challenge, reminding both men he was a second away from winning at Deadline and taking the NXT title.
More back-and-forth ensued before Ava appeared and officially announced the inevitable Triple Threat match for Stand & Deliver.
Darkstate interrupted a brawl and hit the ring, jumping on Evans and Femi before laying out Williams with an assisted popup powerbomb.
Nothing about this was particularly surprising, nor did it advance the story in any meaningful way. If anything, it at least appeared to quell any theories that Williams is working with the heel faction after they leveled him here.
Still, the three-way dance at Stand & Deliver will be great fun, and Evans comparing the increasingly villainous Williams to Hayes was a nice touch, so this was more of a success than not.
Grade
B
Top Moments and Takeaways
—The comparisons of Williams to Hayes opens the question: Could 'Melo be on his way back to NXT?
—Do not be surprised if Williams is still revealed to be associated with Darkstate. There was something about the hesitation in the beatdown that felt more like a show to throw fans off than a logical attack from the heels on the former champion.
Ladder Match Qualifier: Kelani Jordan vs. Roxanne Perez
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Inaugural women's North American champion Kelani Jordan battled Roxanne Perez for the right to head to Las Vegas.
A back-and-forth contest stretched through the commercial break and beyond it, with neither woman able to put the other down for the count.
Perez attempted Pop Rox, but Jordan narrowly dodged it and then delivered a split-legged Moonsault to secure the win and join Zaria in the ladder match at Stand & Deliver.
This was a fun, competitive clash that highlighted the refocused Jordan and gave her what was, arguably, the biggest victory of her career.
With that said, the idea of Perez not competing on the Stand & Deliver or WrestleMania 41 cards feels like a mistake given her excellence over the last year and her role in helping to solidify the strength of the black-and-silver brand's women's division.
A standard-bearer of her significance should have something to do.
Result
Jordan defeated Perez
Grade
B+
Top Moments and Takeaways
—Jordan has shown increased aggression over the last month or two, undoubtedly as part of her development as a character but also in her in-ring performances. It was a much-needed step toward taking the next leap in a loaded women's division.
—Perez delivered a wicked cartwheel knee to the head of Jordan but could only keep her down for two.
—The idea of Perez chasing the only title that has eluded her to this point in NXT was the perfect way to heighten the significance of the ladder match and for that story to go unrealized is an, er, interesting creative decision, even if the plan calls for The Prodigy to be called up to the main roster after WrestleMania.
NXT North American Championship: Ricky Saints vs. Shawn Spears
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The NXT North American Championship was at stake in the night's main event as The Culling's Shawn Spears defended against Ricky Saints.
Spears did not come alone, though, as Izzi Dame, Brooks Jensen and Niko Vance seconded him at ringside. It was Dame whose presence would be felt first as she slid Spears the title for him to use on Saints, which he did, for a count of two.
Jensen and Vance both interfered from there but the challenger cleared them out, dropping each with a Spear before delivering one to the champion and dropping him with the Roshambo for the win and title.
The championship victory was cut short, though, when "All Ego" Ethan Page attacked and delivered a Twist of Fate to close out the show.
This was about as definitive a victory as it gets, with Saints downing The Culling and putting an end to Spears' relatively short championship reign.
Now, the red-hot recent signee appears poised to head to Stand & Deliver to battle Page, an opponent he is familiar with.
Result
Starks defeated Spears to win the title
Grade
B+
Top Moments and Takeaways
—They really tried to replicate Saints' All Elite Wrestling theme, and while there are elements that work, it still lacks the personality the original had.
—The Culling is beginning to feel like a star-making vehicle as much for Dame as anyone else in the group.
—There is no question Shawn Michaels and NXT management see big things in Saints (as they should) and did not want to waste a second conveying that to the audience.
Overall Grade
8 of 8
Like the main roster shows at this time of the year, this was one driven by a sense of urgency and was full of meaning.
We had major developments to bookend the broadcast, meaningful matches setting the stage for the ladder match on April 19, and the revelation that Femi will defend against Evans and Williams at Stand & Deliver, with the added specter of Darkstate hanging overhead.
Even the Hank and Tank story was meaningful in that it teased a clash with Fraxiom for the tag team titles.
This is a brand with purpose and vision, and there's an argument to be made that it has been WWE's most consistent for months now. This week's show was no different, if not even better.
Grade: B+
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