WWE NXT Deadline 2024: Three Things We Hated And Three Things We Loved

Welcome to Wrestling Inc.'s annual review of "WWE NXT" Deadline! Last year saw the rise of Trick Williams, Iron Survivor, in a show that was main-evented by an NXT Championship match. This year, it was Williams defending the NXT Championship — but not in the main event, as the women's Iron Survivor Challenge match took center stage. We're going to talk about that here, along with every other Deadline match, from Oba Femi's return and Lola Vice's victory to both the NXT Tag Team Champions and the NXT Champion surviving to fight another day. We'll even talk about one of the backstage segments!

As always, our Deadline results page has you covered if you need the objective details of the event. This, however, is our space to tell you what the WINC staff thought of the proceedings, with the understanding that these are just our subjective opinions. In other words, these are three things we hate and three things we loved about "WWE NXT" Deadline 2024!

Listen, I run on Tiffy Time just as much as the next girl does, but I can't justify her appearing during a backstage segment on Deadline 2024.

In between matches on Saturday's Deadline event, Tiffany Stratton came to the back to talk to Ava Raine. Stratton reminded that, as Miss Money in the Bank, she is not limited to any one show (which, honestly, might be the case for all Superstars soon), before teasing a cash-in on the..."NXT" Women's Championship? You mean the "NXT" Women's Championship she's already held once before? She has the opportunity use her Money in the Bank contract to cash in on any women's title that she wants, no questions asked, and she is using it for a championship on a developmental show that she's already held? Make it make sense.

Okay, before the keyboard warriors go to the comments, I do want to clarify some things. Yes, I know that Stratton was there partially for the hometown girl pop. She made that very clear when she told Raine, to her face, that she was from Minnesota, so I'm not that dull. Yes, I can imagine that Stratton's backstage promo was done in order to tease an appearance on the upcoming January 7 episode of "NXT: New Years' Evil." It makes sense; Stratton is one of the most beloved young talent in the company, so when you combine the promise of a home state pop with the tease of an appearance on a future episode of "NXT," there is not a good reason for not putting her on the show.

It makes perfect business sense. I still don't like it. Can't take that away from me.

Granted, this is more of a strong dislike than a full blown Hate — a pet peeve versus a major ire, let's say. I just think that Stratton is doing plenty on her side of the main roster, and teasing an "NXT" appearance for ratings while pandering to Minnesotans for a hometown pop is beneath her. She just advanced to the semifinals of the Women's United States Championship tournament (where she got her hometown pop, mind you). She is embroiled in a storyline that constantly beckons viewers to wonder just when she will betray Nia Jax. Stratton is booked and busy, and while I support her working overtime to collect a check, I do think that she is doing a bit too much for not a lot of return. This has nothing to do with her ongoing storylines.

I implore WWE to advertise "New Years' Evil" in a more substantial way, especially with the amazing "NXT" women's division they have. Nobody is running to buy tickets to "New Years' Evil" because Stratton might show up. Have a Battle Royale, slap a stipulation on the "NXT" Women's Championship match, have another grudge match! WWE has so many capable women at their disposal, so it feels weird to have Stratton tease an appearance on a brand she has nothing to do with.

Written by Angeline Phu

The buildup to Jaida Parker and Lola Vice in an "NXT" Underground match was one of the best builds to these previously silly stipulation matches I've seen. The heat between these two is so hot, that a hardcore match in the historic ECW arena wasn't enough, Parker wanted Vice at her best on Vice's home turf, since she is a former MMA fighter. The Underground match also fight well on this card that needed a little extra something outside of the Iron Survivor Matches. This match was relatively short, but excellent, and even though Vice got the victory, cementing her almost-veteran status in the Underground, Parker put up one hell of a fight.

Vice wasted not time firing off on Parker with punches, but Parker attempted to take down the former fighter with more of a wrestling-based game. The differing styles between the two worked extremely well in this match. Vice pulled out multiple MMA-esque submission holds including a triangle, a leg bar, and finally a sleeper hold after hitting a 305 – the spinning backfist. Surprisingly, but also not entirely, Vice was able to put Parker to sleep.

The only thing I didn't like in this match entirely was the use of the stupid "brick," which still looked like a piece of painted styrofoam (not like I want anyone to get hit with a real brick, but come on, make it look more realistic) that Parker got from under the ring. There was one good part with the prop, where Vice had Parker in a hold, and Parker went for the brick, but Vice was able to kick it just out of her way, while still holding on to the submission, which looked pretty effective, even if the brick was super fake.

Overall, I really enjoyed this Underground match more than any other I've seen. It makes Vice look incredibly strong, as she's undefeated in Underground matches, but Parker still looks like a total baddie for what she put her opponent through, as well. This stipulation was a perfect feud-ender, and honestly, I want to see these two women pair up in a tag team again, if WWE can find a storyline reason to get them back together. I'm a huge fan of both of these women, both in the ring and on the mic, and I'm really looking forward to what each of them is going to do next.

Written by Daisy Ruth

Going into this match I was sure that it was going to be either Je'Von Evans or Wes Lee becoming the Iron Survivor and thus challenge Trick Williams for the NXT Championship; Ethan Page was the dark horse, more than capable of taking the win but I just felt it would be too soon to resume feuding with Williams, and I thought it was going to be a good showing for Nathan Frazer – going into a tag title defense elsewhere on the show – and Eddy Thorpe although I had no belief either would become the number one contender.

Alas, Thorpe was announced by WWE ahead of Deadline as not being medically cleared for the bout, and there was a looming question over the fifth entrant in the bout. That fact wouldn't be revealed until the closing stretch of the bout, as each other competitor put on a human demolition derby alongside some exceptional character work from Page. "All Ego" was unhinged in this bout and exemplified the in-lore desperation to regain his NXT Championship, to put it bluntly: he was hilarious. Lee, Frazer, and Evans put in the serious legwork as one might expect, their high-flying styles meshing well to create a fast-paced early scatter for pinfalls. It would all prove a futile effort in the end, amazingly, with Oba Femi making his surprise return as the last entrant. The former North American Champion dominated from the off to get his first pinfall, but would find himself sent to the sin bin after getting rolled up by Page. That in itself led to a personal highlight of the night, as Evans then pinned Page to ensure he would be joining Femi. Femi manhandled Page as soon as he got in the box with him, slamming his face up against it to leave him slumped as he re-emerged to the match.

Femi would win it with mere moments left in the bout with an emphatic double slam to Frazer and Lee for two simultaneous points, in a moment that truly cemented him – not only as the Iron Survivor – but as the apex predator of the whole "WWE NXT" ecosystem. To have him return at short notice and win was the perfect way to strike while the iron was hot, giving each of the competitors unknowing of their fourth opponent a credible grievance going forward on episodic TV and to align Femi with the best path at present. Realistically there is no other place on the card Femi should be than the main event picture, and to do it in a way that protects those involved but still cements Femi was the guy, just really served the entire scene better than it would have been to have him lose. Every year the Iron Survivor – both men's and women's – continues to exemplify the best up-and-coming talent, and this year it was no different. All of the men in Saturday's match should definitely be holding singles gold either for the first time or once again next year, and in my opinion first on that list should be the 2024 Iron Survivor.

Written by Max Everett

Okay, hear me out on this one. The NXT Tag Team Championship match that pit champions Fraxiom (Nathan Frazer and Axiom) against No Quarter Catch Crew's Miles Borne and Tavion Heights was an excellent match, possibly the best on the card outside of the Iron Survivor matches, but man, the dissension and teases of splitting up Frazer and Axiom are getting old fast. Even before Frazer seemingly broke his nose in the Iron Survivor match and looked like absolute death walking into the championship defense, I thought for sure NQCC had this one in the bag. While the way the got to the championship opportunity wasn't exactly impressive, just winning a battle royal on "NXT" on Tuesday, I still thought tonight would be the night that Fraxiom would drop the titles.

I reiterate – the match was an absolute banger, but I don't think I can handle anymore of Frazer and Axiom's squabbling backstage at "NXT." They already tease dissension every single match they have, with one hitting the either accidentally. They've teased both of them getting into the WWE Speed tournaments and not being focused on the championships. Then, Frazer got into the Iron Survivor Challenge and Axiom came up short in his own qualifying match. I'm just not sure what they can do anymore that puts them at odds even further. I think one of them would have to win the North American Championship from Tony D'Angelo at this point, because they're certainly not getting the NXT Championship with Oba Femi heading right for Trick Williams.

I'd imagine that the champions will be off "NXT" on this coming Tuesday. I'd hope at least, because Frazer really didn't look good, and his nose was busted open again following the tag team championship match. Also, there's nothing really for them to arguable about anymore, honestly. Frazer went out there all banged up and still competed as hard as he could to retain the championship alongside his partner. If that effort doesn't lead them back to being best friend again, at least for awhile, that would be pretty silly. On a "NXT" premium live event that was hard to find a lot of things I hated, this was really the only thing that stuck out to me, because I was convinced they were losing tonight, and prediction against Fraxiom retaining. While I loved the match and all the guys in it, I just have no clue where the champions go from here when it comes to their friendship and working together in the ring.

Written by Daisy Ruth

If a tweet by one enthusiastic social media user is anything to go off of, Ridge Holland's challenge for the "NXT" Championship was not very promising. Unfortunately, said X user might be a prophet, because Holland's match against Trick Williams for the "NXT" Championship was not much to write home about — and what there is to write home about is far from positive.

Unfortunately, Williams and Holland were put in a pretty poor spot on the card. They had just followed up an impossible "NXT" Tag Team Championship from Fraxiom, and were preceded by a stupendous Men's Iron Survivor Challenge match and a gruesome Underground Match between Lola Vice and Jaida Parker. They were also expected to perform just before the main event, which featured a high-profile Women's Iron Survivor Challenge match. With a line-up as promising as NXT Deadline 2024's — both in retrospect and future ambition — it was going to be hard to stand out. Williams and Holland had to do everything they could to give the "NXT" Championship the merit it deserved.

I don't think they gave the "NXT" Championship the merit it deserved.

Listen, if Big E is over Ridge Holland breaking his neck, then I won't use it as evidence against Holland's in-ring capabilities. The best part about that is that I don't have to use it as evidence, because with this match, Holland reminded the NXT Universe why he got sent back to "NXT" in the first place. Holland is just not the best wrestler — sure, I've applauded him for his ruthless strength, but that was in a tag team match, when Andre Chase was sort of able to make up for his fumbling gait with some agility of his own (not much, but it was there) and Fraxiom were more than capable of keeping the match set in eighth gear. However, when it was just Holland and Williams in the ring — two powerhouses, with one considerably less experienced than the other, as Holland's pre-match hype packages made very clear — Holland absolutely crumbled. Both champion and challenger struggled to find chemistry with each other, and while I have to commend Holland for committing to brutish character, I don't think having a violent, aggressive in-ring persona justifies stammering to a stop right before a launch into the turnbuckle, or a belly-flop off the top rope (that was egregious, honestly). Holland is just really stiff in the ring, and not in the hard-hitting way. He lacks the elegance needed to full-send those high-intensity moments that are critical to the build of the match.

Williams is not experienced enough to hold up floundering talent like Holland. This isn't on Williams necessarily — I'm not going to get mad at someone for starting their wrestling journey later than others — but I do think that this match was practically doomed from the start. Holland would have had to show up and show out to ensure Williams didn't have to carry the match, and unfortunately, Holland just couldn't get the job done.

Written by Angeline Phu

It is an unspoken rule in WWE booking: whenever there is a men and women's version of a match, the women open and the men close the show. Until mere minutes before kickoff of NXT Deadline 2024, we assumed that would be that case for the Men and Women's Iron Survivor Challenge matches.

After tonight's events, I sincerely implore WWE to consider placing the women in the main event more often. Let's end things on a high.

There was something for everyone in Saturday's Women's Iron Survivor Challenge match. Do you like technical wrestling and mat work? You'll love the first fifteen minutes of the match, where Sol Ruca, Wren Sinclair, and Giulia spent much of their time going hold-for-hold in an attempt to score an Iron Survivor Challenge point via submission. Do you like in-ring storytelling moments and narrative callbacks? Stephanie Vaquer and Giulia's in-ring tensions and mirroring moments will endear you to the two hottest women in "NXT." Are you a fan of high-octane springboard moves? Ruca performed three Sol Snatchers in a row and liberally used the ropes for springboard assaults that rivalled the talents of Je'Von Evans and Nathan Frazer in the Men's Iron Survivor Challenge match. Do you just want to see big meaty people slapping meat? Zaria absolutely plowed through the competition with no regard for decorum or feminine politeness. When I say that there was absolutely something for everyone in this match, I mean it. All five women put up an absolute smorgasbord of wrestling styles and techniques to create one of the most diverse matches I've seen on NXT programming yet.

Although the beginning of the match was a bit slow due to the submission train and extensive/excessive mat work between Ruca, Sinclair, and Giulia I've mentioned just now, the match was pretty well-planned out, especially after Vaquer made her way to the ring. Nothing felt too rushed, and nothing else dragged itself on past its shelf life — all women were allowed to play out their strengths and special moments at a comfortable pace. I especially want to applaud the pacing with Sinclair. She got wrecked and humiliated with three trips to the pinfall penalty box, and for a moment, it seemed like she would be leaving Minneapolis with not a point to her name. She had been deprived of a point on the board for over twenty minutes by the time she finally scored a pinfall on Ruca, and that delayed gratification caused The Armory to roar with support. The wait was worth the pop.

Giulia scored the deciding pinfall in the final seconds of the match, but I am very pleased that all five women were able to score a point. Really, they all added something of substantial value to the landscape of the match, and in their ability to all score points, nobody really felt buried in the match's conclusion. For the other four women, their gratification just might be a bit delayed.

The wait is worth the pop.

Written by Angeline Phu