WWE NXT Results: Winners, Live Grades, Reaction and Highlights from May 21

Kevin BergeMay 21, 2024WWE NXT Results: Winners, Live Grades, Reaction and Highlights from May 210 of 8

Natalya and Karmen Petrovic set the challenge to Shayna Baszler and Lola Vice.Credit: WWE.com.

WWE NXT is on the road to Battleground, and the May 21 edition continued to set the stage for the event.

Natalya and Karmen Petrovic fought Shayna Baszler and Lola Vice, hoping to put this rivalry behind them.

The challenger for Oba Femi’s North American Championship would be determined in a Triple Threat between Wes Lee, Josh Briggs and Joe Coffey, who returned with a vicious attack last week.

In the second night of qualifiers for the Women’s North American Championship ladder match, Thea Hail finally got her hands on Fallon Henley while Jaida Parker hoped to punch her ticket against Brinley Reece.

This was certain to be an exciting night of action with the best in NXT looking to make their mark.

Women’s North American Title Qualifier: Thea Hail vs. Fallon Henley1 of 8

Thea Hail nearly caught Fallon Henley in the Kimura Lock, but Henley ducked outside and rammed her rival into the steel barricade.

She followed up with a Shining Wizard in the ring to take the three-count.

This was a fun opener between two of NXT’s most polished performers. The finish came up a little fast, but the two got the time needed to tell their story.

Henley needed to win, finally earning a singles title shot and solidifying her recent heel turn. It’s a shame that Hail had to lose though as she would be a perfect addition to the ladder match as well.

There’s no reason this should be anything more than the first part of a rivalry that can go for months to come. It will be important for both to ramp up the intensity for the future bouts.

Result

Henley def. Hail by pinfall to qualify for the Women’s North American Championship ladder match.

Grade

Notable Moments

Henley grabbed a steel chair. Ridge Holland pulled it away from her, but the referee only saw him with the chair and threw out everyone at ringside.Jazmyn Nyx laid out Hail afterward with a pele kick.
WWE @WWEWoah!@Jazmyn_nyx_wwe just took out @theahail_wwe 😡#WWENXT pic.twitter.com/Gmy2IiRity

Holland and Riley Osborne argued backstage until Andre Chase made a match between them.Nyx showed Henley respect on her way out of the building.
NXT Tag Team Championships: Nathan Frazer and Axiom (c) vs. The Family2 of 8

Tony D’Angelo coached up Channing “Stacks” Lorenzo and Luca Crusifino through a tough fight, but Nathan Frazer and Axiom were too fast and tough to keep down.

A brawl broke out ringside between No Quarter Catch Crew and The Family. The distraction allowed Frazer to catch Stacks for three.

This was a solid tag team match without much drama. While Stacks was working hard to keep up with the champions, he and Crusifino are not title contenders by any stretch yet.

This did continue to build up multiple angles. No Quarter Catch Crew is still going after The Family, and the champions need to finally fight The O.C.

Result

Frazer and Axiom def. Stacks and Crusifino by pinfall to retain the NXT Tag Team Championships.

Grade

Notable Moments

Earlier in the night, Frazer and Axiom agreed to give Stacks and Crusifino a title shot.Axiom sent Crusifino into the grip of Stacks and then clotheslined him, pushing Stacks to unintentionally DDT Crusifino.Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson laid out the champions after the bell.
WWE @WWENo time for celebrating…@MachineGunKA & @The_BigLG just sent a message to @Axiom_WWE & @WWEFrazer 😳#WWENXT pic.twitter.com/ldwCfKfnxZ

No. 1 Contender for North American Title: Wes Lee vs. Josh Briggs vs. Joe Coffey3 of 8

All three men looked evenly matched until Wolfgang clotheslined Josh Briggs on the floor.

Wes Lee and Joe Coffey then fell onto Briggs and picked up a double pin.

WWE @WWEWHAT JUST HAPPENED?!?

Both @Joe_Coffey AND @WesLee_WWE pinned Josh Briggs 🤯#WWENXT pic.twitter.com/xXwiIunq3c

Awkward, contrived finish aside, this was by far the best match of the night to this point. These three men wailed on each other. Joe looked great in his first action back while Lee was the obvious star of the action.

The right answer was for Lee to get a solo opportunity against Oba Femi, but if NXT wants to extend that match to a later date, the Triple Threat will be a great Battleground match.

Femi remains a great champion, and no one should take the title off him any time soon.

Result

Lee and Joe def. Briggs by pinfall, both earning a North American Championship opportunity.

Grade

B+

Notable Moments

In a backstage interview, Gallus warned everyone that the group was doing whatever was needed to get noticed.
Femi joined commentary for this one. He made clear that he did not care who won.Briggs nearly took a stacked pinfall win after chokeslamming Lee onto Joe.NXT general manager Ava clarified to Femi that he would defend in a Triple Threat at Battleground. The champion did not look pleased.
Women’s North American Title Qualifier: Jaida Parker vs. Brinley Reece4 of 8

Brinley Reece looked poised to pick up the most important win of her career, but Edris Enofé and Malik Blade seemed to bring the bad luck as their arrival set up Jaida Parker to hit the running hip attack to win.

WWE @WWEBusiness. Handled. @Jaida_Parkerwwe is headed to #NXTBattleground 😤#WWENXT pic.twitter.com/xKUSgRDWIP

Parker has been a clear priority in NXT’s recent booking. The result of this match was a foregone conclusion as Reece has lost every contest so far.

However, NXT is using Reece regularly for a reason. She was arguably the more impressive competitor throughout this match.

Both have yet to show they are ready for a major push, but they have clearly improved from their early work in the Women’s Breakout Tournament.

Too much of this match was focused on what Enofé and Blade were doing. They are regularly featured but are hopelessly lost in the current NXT booking scene.

Result

Parker def. Reece by pinfall to qualify for the Women’s North American Championship ladder match.

Grade

C-

Notable Moments

Backstage, Enofé and Blade told Reece that they would not be in her corner due to their recent bad luck.Enofé and Blade were shown backstage arguing during this match until they decide to head to ringside.
Lexis King vs. Dante Chen (w/ Mr. Stone)5 of 8

Mr. Stone introduced Lexis King’s next opponent (and possibly Stone’s newest client): Dante Chen.

A timely distraction from Stone allowed Chen to counter the Coronation into a small package for three.

WWE @WWEBe careful what you ask for, @LexisKingWWE!@DanteChenWWE is here and ready to change EVERYTHING!!!#WWENXT pic.twitter.com/nSGkbxavaQ

NXT’s first Singaporean Superstar has traveled a lengthy road to get his second chance on NXT television after first debuting in September 2021, and hopefully he is ready for the big time.

This first match was not the best sign, though. His entrance promised big action, but Chen mostly got beat down until he snuck away with a pinfall.

With Von Wagner gone, Stone needs a new project. Chen could use the help, but Stone does not have an impressive track record of elevating talent despite his ability to deliver a promo.

Result

Chen def. King by pinfall.

Grade

Notable Moments

King interrupted Stone as he was trying to recruit new clients. Ava got involved and advised King he would face a mystery opponent later.
Gallus Lays Out Trick Williams and Je’Von Evans6 of 8

Trick Williams declared that he did not assault Noam Dar, saying he does not sneak-attack.

Jakara Jackson and Oro Mensah both continued to blame him, but Lash Legend told them to stop.

WWE @WWEGallus is taking out EVERYONE!

The trio just took out @_trickwilliams AND @WWEJeVonEvans as Meta-Four looked on… 😬#WWENXT pic.twitter.com/PG4HeJAfQb

Joe Coffey made a surprise appearance to set up a Gallus beatdown. Je’Von Evans tried to make the save, but he and Trick Williams were both beaten.

This was a waste of time that made a poorly built title scene only more chaotic.

NXT has not done any good for Trick so far as NXT champion. Noam Dar hardly comes off as a threat to the titleholder, and Gallus, not Meta-Four, got the upper hand on the champion.

While Joe said this attack would explain why he was interrupting the NXT champion and challenging for the North American Championship, nothing was made clear by the end.

NXT has too many talented wrestlers to overuse Gallus in multiple title scenes at the same time.

Grade

Notable Moments

A vignette teased that Wendy Choo may be finally returning to NXT.Roxanne Perez ran down the women’s division in a pre-taped promo. Ava said The Prodigy’s next opponent would be determined next week.Shayna Baszler and Lola Vice vs. Natalya and Karmen Petrovic7 of 8

Natalya and Karmen Petrovic were the better team in this fight.

After a communication breakdown, Petrovic hit a Hart Attack with The BOAT and picked up a pin over Lola Vice.

Shayna Baszler tried to help Vice up afterward, but Vice hit her with a roundhouse kick. The Queen of Spades responded with a Kirifuda Clutch.

A brawl broke out as officials tried to separate them. Ava announced they would fight at Battleground, and Baszler made it NXT Underground.

While this was not the best match of the night, it was structured to feel special to the point that the booking was more important than the in-ring action.

Credit to NXT officials for building this feud steadily to the point that Petrovic could main-event an episode this early in her career.

This match made Petrovic especially look more like a star than anything else she has done. She still isn’t completely ready in the ring, but she can continue to shine working with Natalya.

The Queen of Spades continues to look more comfortable in NXT than on the main roster, and she could steal the show at Battleground against Vice.

Result

Petrovic and Natalya def. Vice and Baszler by pinfall.

Grade

B-

Notable Moments

Baszler warned Vice to focus on the fight rather than dancing before their match.The Queen of Spades demanded Vice keep the action rolling. Instead, Vice danced as she went for a Sharpshooter and got countered.
Overall Show8 of 8

The first hour of this week’s NXT should be the norm for the brand going forward. Longer matches with focused stories should be the focus over quick messy squashes.

Wes Lee vs. Josh Briggs vs. Joe Coffey was a very good match that could have main-evented the night.

The actual main event was a solid future-star showcase that may indicate how far NXT is willing to push Lola Vice and Karmen Petrovic in the long term.

Fallon Henley vs. Thea Hail as well as Nathan Frazer and Axiom vs. The Family both delivered while furthering key feuds.

Unfortunately, there was the middle lull of the night, especially around the Lexis King match with Dante Chen.

It also has not helped the program that both Trick Williams and Roxanne Perez seem lost following a WWE draft that took away many of their most natural title challengers.

At least the depth of the NXT women’s division is obvious, but the men’s division needs some talent to step up in a big way.

NXT is on a solid track, but the main event scene cannot continue to lag behind the growing midcard picture.

Grade: C+