WWE Money in the Bank 2024 left some blood in the water and the NXT crew was ready and waiting to sop it up.
On paper, the NXT Heatwave 2024 card was flimsy as best. It was a show tossed together in order for WWE to own Toronto for a weekend full of events. The result was watered down hype for matches that featured talent out-kicking their coverage in their spots on the show. Mid-carders were main-eventing and new talent had time to shine on a major stage. Everything in between, too.
Once the bell rank for the show to begin, the NXT stars on the show all were out to prove themselves. Not just to the fans in attendance, but to the powers at be backstage. They had a commitment to greatness and delivered a memorable night of matches that will be undoubtedly be the ignition point of various future main roster stars. It’s a big win for NXT. After all, that’s exactly the point of the brand.
Here are my Brass Ring Ratings for the event and here’s how they work … I call it like I see it. Period.
Oba Femi vs. Wes Lee - NXT North American Championship
An excellent opener and a classic David vs. Goliath match psychologically. Femi punished Lee for most of the match. Lee used that punishment to pull the audience onto his back for momentum and almost got over the hump to win the title. Femi was too much. These guys had good chemistry and once again, Femi was wonderful in making sure he executed power moves that emphasized his gimmick as champion. Lee did the job in more ways than one. He took the pin, but sold his ass off for Femi too. Great stuff.
Heydorn’s Brass Ring Rating - OOOO
Kelani Jordan vs. Sol Ruca - NXT Women’s North American Championship
Impressive. It was clear that both women choreographed and thought through a lot of the match and there is nothing wrong with that. Props to them for the professionalism and quest to be great. The match was rooted in both women athletically one-upping the other and they showed off a lot of potential in those moments. It echoed Will Ospreay vs. Ricochet in that way. Both women hung with the other on the physical part of the match, but Ruca has more to her from a character perspective than Jordan right now. Overall, it was a strong showing from two up and coming women in WWE that shined when the lights were brightest for them.
Heydorn’s Brass Ring Rating - OOO 1/4
Nathan Frazer & Axiom vs. Andre Chase & Duke Hudson - NXT Tag Team Championship
Action packed. Frazer and Axiom generated the movement and the Chase U team took full advantage and looked unstoppable in doing so. Chase and Hudson both were tasked in keeping up with the speedy tag champs and they did. Not much story between these teams and some kind of narrative certainly would have helped elevate the match to an even higher level.
Heydorn’s Brass Ring Rating - OOO 1/2
Roxanne Perez vs. Lola Vice - NXT Women’s Championship
This entire feud has been plagued by the audience not knowing who to cheer for. Vice isn’t a polished babyface yet and Perez isn’t a polished heel yet either. Both were cheered and booed throughout and it didn’t really matter what either did to try and change that — it didn’t work. The in-ring work was fine and it wasn’t an awful match, it just didn’t have drama because of the circumstances going in and the obviously predictable issues coming to fruition live with the crowd.
Heydorn’s Brass Ring Rating - OO 3/4
Trick Williams vs. Shawn Spears vs. Ethan Page vs. Je’Von Evans - Fatal Four-Way for the NXT Championship
The match of the night. Just fantastic and incredibly creative. All four men worked very hard and were crisp. Je’Von Evans was the standout and he stood out in a major way. He showcased his one of a kind athleticism, but also found a tone to that work that screamed “I want to beat up my opponent to win.” Williams was over big and Ethan Page played the top heel role well. The finish was insanely smart and expertly pulled off. Ethan Page’s NXT Championship run will be an interesting one. He’s new to the brand, but clearly has rubbed people the right way backstage. Williams is the guy to watch coming out of this. He sold exasperation and disbelief after losing and that was prominently filmed on camera by WWE production. Not an accident and Williams will need a rematch right away due to the fact that he wasn’t pinned to lose the belt.
Heydorn’s Brass Ring Rating - OOOO
What did you think of NXT Heatwave? Let us know in the comments!
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Nice recap. I like how you analyzed the matches in concise detail without going into extended detail of the breakdown of the match moves, so it keeps it fresh if someone hasn't watched the show yet. I haven't seen the show yet, but this compelled me to want to check it out.