WWE NXT live results: Trick Williams vs. Carmelo Hayes steel cage match

Less than two weeks removed from Stand & Deliver, rivals Trick Williams and Carmelo Hayes are set for another big matchup.

Williams defeated Hayes in the main event of NXT Stand & Deliver over WrestleMania weekend. They’ll face off again on NXT tonight, this time in a steel cage match. It comes after Hayes beat down Williams last week and left him laying.

At NXT Spring Breakin’ later this month, Williams is set to challenge Ilja Dragunov for the NXT Championship. That title bout comes with the stipulation that, if Williams loses, he will leave NXT.

Dragunov retained his title against Tony D’Angelo at Stand & Deliver. Tonight, D’Angelo makes his first appearance since that loss.

Ridge Holland vs. Joaquin Wilde, Lola Vice vs. Sol Ruca, Thea Hail vs. Tatum Paxley, AOP vs. Malik Blade & Edris Enofe, and Dijak vs. Noam Dar are among the other matches set for tonight.

Dijak vs. Dar is kicking off the episode. Join us for live coverage starting at 8 p.m. Eastern time.

The newly remixed “Then… Now… Forever” canned intro welcomes viewers. 

Footage from earlier today shows the live studio audience on the bus headed to the Performance Center in Orlando. Also shown is the audience in line ahead of the doors opening for NXT.

The opener is a singles match set up on a previous episode. 

Noam Dar (with Lash Legend, Jakara Jackson & Oro Mensah) defeated Dijak

Dar pinned Dijak after a distraction by Mensah, followed by a Nova Roller. Good match to open the show, and the result can easily lead to a return match. It would not be the only outside interference on this show. 

Meta-Four are the corner of Dar. Dijak was a lone vigilante, which fits his whole gimmick. Notable height difference between Dar and Dijak, and they played on that at times. Yet, the match was still very competitive. 

Still not sure which one is the protagonist here, or if there is even supposed to be a good guy. Dijak seems like the babyface, except when he is pummeling Dar with stiff chops. 

The match itself goes through a split-screen commercial break. Hard overhand chops by Dijak buckle Dar numerous times. Dar worked to target what Booker T called “pressure points.” Dijak twice countered a guillotine choke. The second time, Dijak counters into a pop-up choke bomb, and Dar gets a shoulder up for a near fall.

Dar kept going for a fisherman’s buster suplex, but the larger Dijak would counter. Finally, Dar executes the suplex. From there, the height difference is less of a factor. The fight soon spills outside, and Dijak is sandwiched into the ring steps. Back in the ring, Dar follows up with a roaring elbow for a near fall.

They trade strikes and kicks, until Dar is turned inside out with a discus kick. Mensah causes a distraction, and he gets super kicked by Dijak. Mensah takes a bump off the apron, and his distraction is fruitful. Dijak turns around to walk into a Nova Roller. Dar then scores a three count on Dijak. 

Mensah was selling his jaw, but Meta-Four was otherwise very proud of themselves. Dijak stares daggers through them. This program has just begun. 

NXT Champion Ilja Dragunov meets with NXT GM Ava in her office. Ava wants Dragunov to have a match tonight, but she will let Dragunov pick his opponent. Instead, Dragaunov makes a open challenge. As if an open challenge is not an overdone trope these days. 

Tatam Paxley cuts a promo on Lyra Valkyria. The vignette which hypes up a match between the two. 

Lola Vice defeated Sol Ruca

Vice pinned Ruca after outside interference by Blair Davenport. Second match in a row to have outside interference play a part in the finish. Would not be the last time on this show. After the match came a pre-taped promo where Natalya challenges Vice to a NXT Underground match at Spring Break. 

Vice works over Ruca during the body of the match. Comeback by Ruca, and she gets a near fall after a standing moonsault. Ruca fires up again to springboard into a sunset flip. Ruca climbs to the top rope, and she goes for her finisher where she cartwheels off the top rope. Blair Davenport runs down to ringside, and she trips up Ruca. After taking a bump into the ring, Ruca eats a kick from Vice. 

Vice is dancing and celebrating her win when Natalya appears on the Titantron. Nattie’ cuts a promo on Vice, and Nattie challenges Vice to an NXT Underground match as part of week two of Spring Breakin’.

Arianna Grace is giving Gigi Dolan a makeover. Stay tuned for that. 

Ridge Holland defeated Joaquin Wilde

This match was set up with an angle on X, where Holland snapped on Wilde. So much for Holland stepping away from the ring, after the heartfelt speech a few weeks ago. Holland is still facing some sort of inner turmoil. Shawn Spears comes down to ringside, furthering his mind games with Holland.

To set up the finish, Wilde goes for a dive through the ropes. Holland catches Wilde and turns the dive into a hard powerslam on the floor. Back in the ring, Holland gives Wilde a DDT, and then Holland covers him for a pinfall. Holland bumps into Spears on his way out.

 Ivar basically tries to give Josh Briggs some veteran advice in the trainer’s room, and Briggs takes offense to that. This sets a match for later tonight between Ivar and Briggs. 

Thea Hail and Andre Chase have a heart-to-heart talk in a backstage skit with comically bad acting.

Tony D’Angelo is decked out in a very nice suit and hat. He is headed to the ring to address the audience, flanked by his Family. Tony D speaks for a moment, until he is interrupted by No Quarter Catch Crew. Charlie Dempsey is no positioned as the leader of that group, as he was flanked by Myles Borne and Damon Kemp. No sign and no mention whatsoever of Drew Gulak.

More bad acting, as Dempsey argues with D’Angelo. There is a debt to be paid of some sort, because every storyline for D’Angelo has to seemingly have a mafia angle. At least that somehow sets up a wrestling match for the Heritage Cup. The argument turns into a brawl, with the Catch Crew and the Family in a melee. Catch Crew is sent packing. 

Much of the men’s roster rush to the ring to answer the open challenge issued by champ Ilja Dragunov, but they are all outsmarted by Je’Von Evans. He leaps over the ropes on the opposite side of the ring, springing to the ring to face Dragunov.

NXT Champion Ilja Dragunov defeated Je’Von Evans in a non-title match

Dragunov pinned Evans in arguably the best match on the show so far. The live studio audience was hot from start to finish. Evans got to shine with plenty of high spots and close near falls. Evans got air as he flew around the ring. Dragunov ultimately counters a splash by getting his knees up. Dragunov then dead lifts Evans, leading into the finish. Dragunov delivers Torpedo Moskau, and Dragunov covers Evans for a pinfall.

Sol Ruca cuts a promo where she demands Ava book a no disqualification match between Ruca and Davenport for next week. This sets up a “Beach Brawl” for next week.

Tatum Paxley defeated Thea Hail (with Andre Chase, Duke Hudson & Riley Osborne)

Paxley is getting a push lately in a feud with Valkyria, so of course Paxley gets the win here, albeit with outside interference. Yet another match on this card that ends after a heel interferes in the match. 

Hail is making a comeback when Jazmyn Nyz jumps on the apron to distract the referee. Meanwhile, Jacy Jayne trips up Hail. Paxley then catches Hail in a crucifix for a pinfall. 

Hail attacks Jayne after the match, and they are pulled apart. In a separate pull-apart brawl, Lyra Valkyria rushes into the ring to jump Paxley. They brawl until referees pour into the ring to separate them.

NXT Women’s Champion Roxanne Perez is interviewed by Kelly Kincaid, and Perez cuts a promo about Valkyria and Paxley. GM Ava interrupts to book Perez in a tripe threat title match against both Valkyria and Paxley, which takes place next week on week one of Spring Breakin’. 

Authors of Pain (with The Final Testament) defeated Malik Blade & Edris Enofe

My guess is this run in NXT is for Akam and Rezar to get ring time ahead of a bigger program on the main roster, as they are put over strong. They got a somewhat dominate win, but Enofe & Blade did get to shine. 

New NXT Tag Team Champions Nathan Frazier & Axiom walk out to confront AOP, after a sneak attack on last week’s episode. Axiom & Frazier are held back by security, but this clearly build to a tag title match. 

Gigi Dolan uses scissors to alter a dress that Arianna Grace picked out for her. This continued an angle from earlier in the show, and it seemingly appears to set up Grace and Dolan being as an odd couple team of sorts.

Ivar defeated Josh Briggs 

Ivar pinned Briggs to win what was a hoss fight. Briggs had tape on his ribs, selling an injury from last week. That would play into the match. NXT North American Champion Oba Femi is seen watching the match on a monitor backstage.

Briggs got some near falls, but he ultimately lost. His injury surely hurt his chances, which plays into the story of Ivar trying to give him advice about the injury earlier today.

Briggs takes a roundhouse kick on the floor. Ivar then rolls Briggs back into the ring, and Ivar does a moonsault press. Ivar then covers Briggs for the pin.

The announcers on commentary run down the card for night one of Spring Breakin’ next Tuesday on NXT:

• NXT Chamoion Ilja Dragunov defends his title against Trick Williams, and Williams will leave NXT if he fails to win the championship
• Roxanne Perez defends the NXT Women’s Championship against Tatum Paxley and Lyra Valkyria in a triple threat match
• Sol Ruca faces Blair Davenport in a no DQ “Beack Brawl”
• No Quarter Catch Crew vs. The D’Angelo Family in a six-man tag team match
• Contract signing for NXT Underground with Natalya and Lola Vice

A video package features the recent story between Trick Williams and Carmelo Hayes, ahead of their blow off match in the main event on tonight’s card. In a pre-match interview, Carmelo Hayes says the feud is over when he says so. Hayes is followed around by his personal security team.  

Big pop from the live studio audience for the entrance of Trick Williams, and chants of “whoop that trick” fill the sound stage. 

Trick Williams defeated Carmelo Hayes in a steel cage match

Williams pinned Hayes clean to win this blow off match. Not on the same level as their Stand & Deliver match, and the cage itself likely hurt the quality of the match. It was good nonetheless. 

The old school fan in me wants to bemoan a cage match so soon after Hayes and Williams’ last match, with only a one week notice no less. There also seems to be little reason for the cage, except as a gimmick match in this bitter feud. Cage matches used to mean so much more. Do not even get me started on more outside interference in this match on a card already full of such. On an unrelated note, there are kids that need to get off my lawn. 

Hayes’ security team hands him weapons like a club, which Hayes uses to pummel Williams. Later on, Williams begins a comeback after executing an avalanche Rock Bottom. Williams then fires up into a full-fledged rally.

Back and forth in the closing moments, leading into a double down. They take turns smashing each other’s face into the chain link of the cage. Hayes goes for a super bulldog off the top. Williams blocks it by landing in a pose. Williams then hits Hayes with a big kick. Hayes signals for his security to interfere, and they start trying to enter the cage. 

The heel security team is trying to climb the cage as Williams fights them off. One guy makes it into  the ring, and he has a chair. It does him no good, as Williams easily thwarts the ambush. Williams boots him out the cage door.

For the finish, Hayes picks up the chair as Williams is shutting the cage door. Williams turns around and ducks a chair shot. Williams then delivers his jumping knee finisher to the chair for a Van Daminator of sorts. Williams goes on to hooking a leg in covering Hayes for a pinfall.

Williams has a stare down with Dragunov as the show goes off the air.