After an action-packed Stand & Deliver, WWE NXT returned to the Performance Center on April 9 to address the future of the gold brand.

Trick Williams picked up a huge win over Carmelo Hayes in dominant fashion. Where would he go next? Would he challenge NXT champion Ilja Dragunov? How would Melo respond?

Bron Breakker and Baron Corbin survived a big test from Nathan Frazer and Axiom. Frazer convinced general manager Ava to give the challengers one last chance. Would this third match with The Wolf Dogs be the charm?

Ava announced the newest NXT title, the Women's North American Championship. Fallon Henley and Kelani Jordan would face Kiana James and Izzi Dame to hopefully earn a shot at the gold.

New NXT women's champion Roxanne Perez made a surprise Raw debut, and she was called out by Natalya after her dominant win.

Je'Von Evans made his TV debut against Scrypts. Another member of OTM, Jaida Parker, would also be in action against Brinley Reece.

Oba Femi awaited his next challenge after successfully defending against Dijak and Josh Briggs.

No one truly knew what to expect from the NXT after Stand & Deliver.

Roxanne Perez Finds Out She Is Defending Against Natalya

Roxanne Perez came out to gloat, and Lyra Valkyria demanded a rematch.

Tatum Paxley told The Valkyrie that she wasn't ready and then attacked her idol.

Natalya arrived to challenge The Prodigy, and Ava made it official despite the complaints of Perez.

The Prodigy struggled a bit in her first long heel promo as champion, especially finding her pace with the NXT crowd. However, she still delivered her point well and continues to grow as a villain.

It would be a shame if Perez's title reign is short lived, but all signs seem to indicate she is heading to the main roster sooner than later.

Paxley turning on Valkyria was a bizarre move at this stage. Perhaps it will be better explained down the line, but this came off as another case of NXT breaking up a women's team too soon.

Natalya makes sense as Perez's first challenger, a veteran who can make her look good and elevate her standing. The Queen of Harts is acclimating well to a longer NXT run.

Grade

C+

Notable Moments

• NXT officials reminded fans multiple times that we are in a "new era."
  
• Perez said that she was going to vacate the gold after she is drafted to SmackDown or Raw.
• Ava stumbled over her words, but she is still learning on the job as NXT general manager.
  

Kiana James and Izzi Dame vs. Fallon Henley and Kelani Jordan

Kelani Jordan and Fallon Henley could not build more momentum from Stand & Deliver. The latter saved the former from a charging Izzi Dame, but she took the 401K from Kiana James for her interference.

Wrestling matches are always better without a commercial break, and the women benefited from an uninterrupted seven minutes. It could have gone longer, but the flow still made everyone look good.

Henley especially stood out despite taking the pin. She should be a front-runner for the Women's North American Championship.

She and Kiana could use that title as a reason to truly reignite their rivalry.

Result

James and Dame def. Henley and Jordan by pinfall.

Grade

B

Notable Moments

• Andre Chase admitted after Jacy Jayne's taunts that he lost money betting on Thea Hail's NXT Women's Championship match.
  
• Henley continues to struggle when fighting other women's battles. The announcers highlighted that she lost because she saved Jordan.
  

Scrypts (w/ OTM) vs. Je'Von Evans

In his NXT TV debut, Je'Von Evans lived up to his promise that he is "bouncy."

He flew in and out of the ring and hit a springboard corkscrew senton for the win against Scrypts.

WWE knows it has something special with The Young OG, and the fans know it too. In an era when so many wrestlers can fly, he stands out because he almost floats.

This was a pure spot fest, but it was a great opportunity to highlight Evans. Scrypts may lack for credibility, but he can certainly keep up with a speedster.

The Young OG has a massive ceiling for success and already looks more polished than many of NXT's new stars. He will make for some great social media highlight reels.

Result

Evans def. Scrypts by pinfall.

Grade

B-

Notable Moments

• On the group's way to the ring, Scrypts and Jaida Parker promised victory for OTM.
• The crowd was loud cheering "Young OG" down the stretch as he flew off the ropes including wiping out OTM at ringside.
• Vic Joseph called the win a "massive upset," but this was a largely one-sided contest against a man who hasn't won much in the past year.
  

NXT Women's Championship: Roxanne Perez (c) vs. Natalya

Natalya had Roxanne Perez on the ropes through much of this match. It was only thanks to a surprise kick from Lola Vice that The Prodigy could hit Pop Rox and take the victory.

This was an oddly paced match where Nattie heavily dominated the action. This did not allow Perez to get much heat with a crowd that was ready to lean into rooting against her.

Vice's interference was predictable but sloppy, throwing one lazy kick for her cheap shot. It should not have been necessary for The Prodigy in her first title defense.

Still, Perez and Natalya are both solid technical wrestlers who showed off their ability to naturally transition through offense. They worked through the messy booking calls to deliver a good match.

Obviously, Perez needed to win here, but with so many teases that The Prodigy is getting drafted, NXT has less than a month to pivot.

Result

Perez def. Natalya by pinfall to retain the NXT Women's Championship.

Grade

B-

Notable Moments

• Perez sent Natalya into the steel steps and then face-first into the announce table multiple times to finally take over halfway through this battle.
• Natalya went for the Sharpshooter several times. She nearly got the win when she finally locked it in, but The Prodigy made it to the ropes.

• Vice called her shot for all the championships backstage. Natalya attacked her during her promo.
• Sol Ruca laid her claim to the Women's North American Championship to Arianna Grace and then told Vice to calm down after her brawl with Natalya.

The Family vs. No Quarter Catch Crew

Charlie Dempsey tried to help Myles Borne and Damon Kemp pull off a needed victory, but they simply were not in rhythm like Channing "Stacks" Lorenzo and Luca Crusifino.

The Family landed an elevated lung blower for the victory.

This was a rushed and forgettable match from everyone involved. Borne and Kemp did not look clean together, and the action was sloppy.

No Quarter Catch Crew still cannot find credibility as a unit. Without Drew Gulak, Dempsey needs to step up even more as the true leader of the group while Kemp and Borne need to do more.

At least The Family isn't losing steam after Tony D'Angelo's loss. Stacks and Crusifino are starting to find their chemistry as the new tag team of the stable.

Result

Stacks and Crusifino def. Kemp and Borne by pinfall.

Grade

D

Notable Moments

• Backstage, Dempsey talked up appearing at Bloodsport. No Quarter Catch Crew got into it with The Family, setting up a tag team match.
  
• Gulak was conspicuously absent from all of this, and his name was not listed on the titantron for No Quarter Catch Crew.
• D'Angelo was out for the week, on vacation and resting after a brutal NXT Championship match.
  

Jaida Parker (w/ OTM) vs. Brinley Reece (w/ Malik Blade and Edris Enofé)

Jaida Parker found a tough out in Brinley Reece but managed to take her down with a hip attack for the victory.

Neither Reece nor Parker are fully formed as in-ring performers yet. This is understandable with less than a year under their belts, but it doesn't make for the best viewing experience.

The two have done a solid job establishing their characters, though the hierarchy is clear. Parker is on a track toward more serious rivalries soon, especially backing up OTM, while Reece cannot buy a win.

Result

Parker def. Reece by pinfall.

Grade

C-

Notable Moments

• Oba Femi headed to the ring to challenge anyone to step up to him. Ivar of The Viking Raiders arrived, laid out the champion and made his case for a title shot.

• Dijak did not take Meta-Four's jokes about him lightly. Noam Dar told him to lighten up. If Hard Justice is moving on from Femi, hopefully he's getting the call-up soon.
• Joe Gacy mocked Ridge Holland and then LWO called out the big man as a liar. Holland slammed a door on Cruz Del Toro's hand on his way out of the building.
  

NXT Tag Team Championships: The Wolf Dogs (c) vs. Nathan Frazer and Axiom

In a shocking upset, Nathan Frazer and Axiom pulled off a huge win on Tuesday night.

After sending Bron Breakker into Baron Corbin, they hit the Golden Ratio and Phoenix Splash to win the NXT Tag Team Championships.

The Final Testament arrived afterward, and The Authors of Pain laid out the new champions.

What a match once again! This was easily the best thing on NXT television this week after the tag teams had one of the best contests of WrestleMania weekend.

The story of this bout was clear from the outset: Axiom and Frazer simply wanted it more. They bet their tag team future on winning the gold, and the extra push was enough to take down The Wolf Dogs.

Was there a reason that the title change needed to happen three days after Stand & Deliver? Probably not, but it certainly made this bout and the aftermath feel electric.

The Supersonic Duo may be the best tag team in all of WWE at present, and they will be worthy champions no matter how long they hold the gold. It may not be long with AOP coming back for gold and a needed credibility boost.

The Final Testament needed a reset, and NXT will make the group feel larger than life for a while. But it's surprising that the gold brand went away from Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson in this role as main roster title challengers.

Breakker and Corbin make each other better, and they should get the SmackDown or Raw call-up together. With the titles off them, though, that is far from a certainty.

Result

Frazer and Axiom def. Breakker and Corbin by pinfall to become the new NXT tag team champions.

Grade

A+

Notable Moments

• Frazer and Axiom announced before their match that they would stop teaming together if they lost this rematch.
• Corbin and Breakker pumped each other up ahead of their title defense.
• Frazer nearly took the win with a springboard 450 splash.
• Corbin caught Frazer in a sleep hold and then made him watch as Breakker nearly won with a military press powerslam on Axiom. When Axiom kicked out, it seemed to shake the champion's confidence.
• Corbin laid out Axiom with End of Days and then helped Breakker hit an elevated diving bulldog on Frazer. Axiom broke up the pin.
  

Trick Williams Challenges Ilja Dragunov for NXT Championship Rematch

Trick Williams gave Carmelo Hayes his flowers and then gladly turned his attention to Ilja Dragunov.

The crowd was completely behind the challenge, and The Mad Dragon only agreed if Trick put his NXT career on the line.

The two agreed on the terms, but Carmelo Hayes arrived and laid out both men. Melo announced he would fight Trick next week in a steel cage.

WWE is putting all the chips on the table with Trick. He will fight Melo again next week followed by a battle with Dragunov at Spring Breakin'.

All signs point to him winning it all, but Trick's NXT career being on the line could give some pause. Perhaps WWE is ready to push him straight into the main roster title scene.

The next two weeks will dramatically reshape the future of the gold brand's main event scene, and hopefully it ends with Trick at the top of the world. NXT still feels like the right place for his rise to success.

Grade

B+

Notable Moments

• Dragunov said "No" to Trick's challenge at first, stating that others deserved the shot, but he quickly pivoted to putting his challenger's NXT career on the line.
• Melo continues to get in the way of the contest the fans want, but hopefully the steel cage match will put an end to that next week.
  

Overall Show

This week's NXT went about as big as possible. A surprise title change, an important debut and multiple main roster stars making an impact. It felt special.

The quality of the show only truly ramped up in the final 30 minutes, but that final quarter set the stage in a major way for the future of the brand.

Spring Breakin' will begin in two weeks, and NXT is already crafting a card that can capitalize on the hype for the gold brand as well as the WWE draft on the horizon.

The main event was an absolute barn-burner. Nathan Frazer and Axiom deserved their moment in the sun. Hopefully, it will last.

Roxanne Perez's title reign has started out a bit rocky, but she had a solid outing with Natalya. With the added wrinkle of Lyra Valkyria looking for revenge and a loaded women's division eager for gold, there is too much talent involved for NXT to fail.

As a whole, this was an encouraging night for NXT that has set the stage for the rest of April to continue an upward trajectory for the gold brand.

Overall Grade: B