NXT might be where the most exciting wrestling is happening right now. Each wrestler knows that the time they have there determines their path to the big leagues, so they make the best of it. Thing is, they do so well that you kind of hate to see them go. The show has become its own entity, complete with storylines and feuds that have the legs to go on for longer. All of this was further cemented and proven at this year’s NXT Roadblock event in The Theater at Madison Square Garden, New York City, and they had a hell of a time doing it.
Two matches sold the event as a turning point for the current NXT roster: Oba vs TNA’s Moose for the NXT Championship and Stephanie Vaquer vs. Giulia in a ‘winner take all’ match for the NXT Women’s belt and the North American belt. Oba’s match continues to highlight the TNA connection and all the good that’s come out of it regarding the unification of fanbases for the benefit of both companies. Vaquer and Giulia are quite simply the future of women’s wrestling, right alongside Toni Storm and the work she’s put in at AEW. Willow Nightingale and Kris Statlander can also be brought into that conversation, with Jordynn Grace following right behind.
These matches turned Roadblock into something special, but the rest of the event matched the occasion. It was just expertly booked. Things kicked off with TNA tag team champs The Hardy Boyz taking on Nathan Frazer and Axiom, a high-flyer’s dream match that lived up to expectations. The Hardys brought a kind of nostalgic energy with them, but not to the point of just going through the motions for the fans. They came in and reminded everyone they could still take to the skies with the best of them. Frazer and Axiom matched that energy, playing the “new generation vs. the legends” angle well. The Hardys hit all the moves the crowd was there for and then some, which inspired Frazer and Axiom to respond in kind with stuff from their own bag that made audiences chant “this is awesome” more than once during the match.
Next up was Jordynne Grace vs. Roxanne in a single’s match that was meant to give Grace an important win over an established name. This match highlights something NXT has been very good at for some time now. Though it was clearly Grace’s time to shine, Roxanne was allowed to make it competitive. She didn’t receive a loss that lessened her character or buried her. She got a great fight out Grace and she managed to remain a force within the division. Roxanne is already transitioning to Raw/Smackdown (she participated in this year’s Elimination Chamber), so this kind of loss makes sense if WWE wants her on one of the main shows.
Oba vs. Moose was every bit as brutal as this clash of giants promised to be. Oba is a great champion that brings back memories of Undertaker and Andre the Giant in terms of in-ring presence. Moose fills those same shoes, which made for a match that got the crowd believing the ring was at risk of collapsing at any moment. One of those moments saw Moose superplexing Oba of the top rope, a move that looked like a meteor was on a collision course with the Earth’s crust. Both wrestlers got their spots, and they each came off as legitimate main eventers that could hold a crowd on their own merits in future PPVs. Oba won, but it took everything he got to get it done.
Ethan Page vs. Je’Von Evans was billed as a New York City Street Fight, and it was a fast-paced banger that went for some impressive spots that looked as risky as needed for added effect. I don’t know why we’ve stopped using the term ‘Hardcore’ for these types of matches, but that’s exactly what Street Fights are. Je’Von Evans is the kind of high-flyer that Cruiserweight titles were made for. It inspired a kind of nostalgia for it, a division where wrestlers such as Je’Von, Penta El Cero Miedo, Carmello Hayes, and Andrade would flourish. As it stands, the North American belt acts as the closest version of it. That we don’t have that division does open up the potential for feuds between different weight classes, but it might put some wrestlers at a disadvantage. Then again, weight classes are now a thing of the past.
Ethan Page kept up with Evans, and he got to once again show just how great his in-ring presence is. It’s the kind that guarantees explosive main events. Coupled with his mic abilities, it’s not hard seeing him shine on some of the WWE’s biggest stages sooner rather than later. Though he lost this time around, the match felt like a sign of bigger and better things to come.
And then, Vaquer and Giulia stepped into the ring, almost a year after their fight at New Japan Pro Wrestling. While Giulia certainly had a lot of support from the crowd, the welcome Vaquer got made it clear she was the favorite. This was a quick match, technical. It was more about reversals and lightning quick back and forths than big flashy spots. One highlight was Giulia stealing Vaquer’s Rear Leg Triangle Head Slams, which got the crowd all riled up. Giulia gave a performance that showed why she’s NXT women’s champion. But it was Vaquer’s time to shine, and her momentum communicated a deep desire to become a double belt holder once more (much like she did before in CMLL and NJPW).
Vaquer took the win by putting Giulia through back-to-back Package Quebradoras, and this after Giulia reversed her Spinal Tap finisher off the top rope. This was yet another high point that worked to keep both wrestlers on an even playing field. Everything was earned, and by the end Vaquer stood tall as both the new NXT women’s champ and the reigning North American champ. She became the first Chilena to achieve this and the energy at The Theater at MSG matched the history that had just been made.
Question now is, what will Vaquer’s title reign look like. Is Giulia heading to Raw or Smackdown? And will Vaquer follow close? It is very apparent that these two wrestlers represent an entirely new chapter of women’s wrestling. They’ve proven it in NXT. Now they have to prove it the place where legends are made, the main WWE shows.
