Just days before Heatwave, the top competitors in WWE NXT met in the center of the ring for the July 2 edition of the gold brand.

In a contract signing, Trick Williams confronted his three NXT Championship challengers: Je'Von Evans, "All Ego" Ethan Page and Shawn Spears.

Roxanne Perez and Lola Vice met face-to-face for the last time before their NXT Women's Championship clash.

Michin and Jaida Parker collided in a Street Fight, while Hank Walker and Tank Ledger tested themselves against Pete Dunne and Tyler Bate.

Tyson Dupont and Tyriek Igwe hoped to make a statement by taking on Gallus, and Izzi Dame hoped to build momentum on her own by defeating Brinley Reece.

This was just the announced card for a night that would set the final stage for Sunday's Heatwave.

Street Fight: Michin vs. Jaida Parker

Michin and Jaida Parker battered each other in a brutal match that could have gone either way.

The OTM enforcer picked up the victory with a Hypnotic through the stage outside followed by another inside the ring to win.

Big stipulation matches like this can protect talent and help them stand out. That played out in the best showing from Parker to date. She found creative ways to keep the pace, highlighting her growing impressive instincts in the ring.

She still has a ways to go to develop from prospect to star, though. She didn't lose her focus, but she was clearly running out of steam near the end. Her finisher is still a dud that actively hurt the finish of the match.

All that said, NXT did seriously good work in pushing her credibility. She should find more rivals with a pedigree like Michin who can keep testing and teaching her.

The HBIC deserves a better spotlight than veteran enhancement talent, though. She still hasn't been allowed to achieve anything in WWE yet, but she is already putting over the next generation.

Result

Parker def. Michin by pinfall.

Grade

B

Notable Moments

• Michin brought out a trash can filled with weapons.
• Another No Disqualification match, another "We want tables!" chant.
• The HBIC set up Parker on steel chairs before going for a tope that landed her head-first on a chair. Michin then ducked Parker, who went through the barricade.
• Parker bashed the fingers of Michin inside a tool box and then used a wrench to twist at the injured digits.

New Catch Republic vs. Hank and Tank

Hank Walker and Tank Ledger pushed Tyler Bate and Pete Dunne more than anyone expected, but New Catch Republic picked up the win with a Spinny Boi to Tank.

The teams shook hands as a sign of respect afterward.

This was a great showcase for Hank and Tank, who had the right opponents to push them to the next level, and they looked and moved like a true tag team.

NXT is low on developmental teams that can challenge for the top prize, but this match should be the first step in committing to these two hard-hitting stars.

It was not time yet for Hank and Tank to beat a team like New Catch Republic, a tandem that can work NXT as long as they want given the consistent quality of every match.

Result

New Catch Republic def. Hank and Tank by pinfall.

Grade

B+

Notable Moments

• Tank walked out looking ridiculous with a helmet and bright red sunglasses, but the black-and-red gear matching with Hank looked solid.
• Hank and Tank caught Bate diving and powerbombed him onto Dunne. They then hit side-by-side crossbodies to the outside.
  
• Kelani Jordan went over her history in gymnastics and the way her athletic background has guided to greater heights.
  

Izzi Dame vs. Brinley Reece

Even with a distraction from Tatum Paxley during the match, Izzi Dame blasted Brinley Reece for the victory.

This was the expected one-sided squash that continues to build Dame slowly as a greater threat in the women's division. NXT clearly has plans for her that will test her more in the coming months.

Early signs are positive for Dame, even if she looked most comfortable as the tag team partner of Kiana James. She has the strength and size to be the rare powerhouse in the modern NXT women's division.

If she is ready, she would be an exciting foil to Kelani Jordan, who could use a rival who can help her develop her character more as women's North American champion.

The odd inclusion of Paxley did not make much sense, but it will in time. For now, it is good to see she has something to do.

Result

Dame def. Reece by pinfall.

Grade

C

Notable Moments

• Paxley tried to grab Dame after the match, but she ducked out of the ring.
• Later, Reece questioned if Edris Enofé and Malik Blade really wanted to keep working with her. Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson grabbed the camera to challenge OTM.
  
• Ridge Holland explained why Chase U means so much to him, to the point of cheating on their behalf. Andre Chase told Holland to stay away from Heatwave.
  

Lola Vice Pours Her Heart Out Before Heatwave

Roxanne Perez arrived with security. Lola Vice explained what drives her to succeed while The Prodigy kept her confident proclamation that she would never lose the NXT Women's Championship.

Vice knocked out one of the security guards with a spinning back fist.

This promo segment was supposed to solidify Vice as a babyface, but this was a rough one. The two lost the script early, leading to an awkward 10 seconds of silence.

Whether the emotion was genuine or not, Vice did not sell enough why she was on the verge of tears throughout the segment and lost some of her fearsome edge.

Perez tried to keep this on track, but she isn't confident enough in her promo work to guide this type of segment. The two acted like they were in different segments with their promos.

This might have been better served as a pre-tape, so agents could work more closely with them to help them tell story of this upcoming match.

Grade

D

Notable Moments

• Vice explained that she dropped out of Olympic training to support her mother when she got sick. It sounded like there was more to the story, but Vice jumped ahead to focusing on winning the championship.
  

• NXT showed footage of Eddy Thorpe spinning as a DJ. Lexis King mocked him for his choice in music.
• In the best Heatwave hype package of the night, Wes Lee cut a fiery promo about what the North American Championship means to him as the shadow of Oba Femi slowly engulfed him. Femi then promised Lee was no match for him.
• Axiom tried to get Nathan Frazer to focus on Chase U at Heatwave, but Frazer was still thinking about his upcoming Speed match with Xavier Woods.
  

Oro Mensah (w/ Meta-Four) vs. Myles Borne (w/ NQCC)

Damon Kemp tried to help Myles Borne, but he distracted himself instead. This allowed Oro Mensah to connect on a spinning corner kick to win.

After his victory, The Main Man told "All Ego" Ethan Page that he would get him again after Heatwave.

Two talented athletes got time but did not do enough with it. This was more a series of moves than a complete match.

No Quarter Catch Crew has little credibility left. While it's good to see Borne get some time in the ring, he may have been too competitive against Mensah.

The Main Man cut a passionate promo last week and still has his sights set on Page. That will be the true test for Mensah, who can raise his stake or return to the midcard doldrum based on his performance.

Result

Mensah def. Borne by pinfall.

Grade

C-

Notable Moments

• Mr. Stone and Stevie Turner told Mensah that he was not allowed to travel for Heatwave due to his actions toward Ethan Page.
• Charlie Dempsey told Borne to ignore Kemp, who wanted to offer him brass knuckles.
  

Wendy Choo vs. Carlee Bright (w/ Kendall Grey)

Wendy Choo brutalized Carlee Bright throughout this match. A short-arm clothesline followed by an arm-trap choke forced the submission.

The NXT faithful were silent for this one beyond some brief "Wendy" chants. That is understandable as the gold brand has not done enough yet to make fans care about Bright.

However, this was a good showcase of what Choo does so well. She looked like an unstoppable force and made the most of what was a pure squash.

Once Choo is attacking more well-established faces in NXT, this gimmick could push her all the way to championship gold.

Result

Choo def. Bright by pinfall.

Grade

C+

Notable Moments

• Choo took the win off a running dropkick on Bright in the Tree of Woe.
  
• Gallus brawled with Tyson Dupont and Tyriek Igwe backstage. The match had to be called off between the teams as officials checked on injuries.
  

Karmen Petrovic vs. Jazmyn Nyx (w/ Jacy Jayne)

Karmen Petrovic had the advantage over Jazmyn Nyx more often than not, but Jacy Jayne kept interfering.

The distraction eventually proved too much, allowing Nyx to sneak a win after a Pele kick.

Petrovic and Nyx fall into a similar category in NXT. Both are competent in-ring performers with decently established characters, but neither has shown they can compete at a top level.

This was a basic bout where the most exciting spot was a smooth kip-up by Nyx. While these women need more opportunities to improve, both would have been served better by working with someone more experienced.

Petrovic needs Natalya back and in her corner to keep her momentum. If that story is done, though, NXT has a solid backup plan building with Arianna Grace.

Result

Nyx def. Petrovic by pinfall.

Grade

C

Notable Moments

• In the locker room, Nyx and Jayne made fun of Petrovic and Grace until Petrovic challenged her to a match.
  
• Fallon Henley watched backstage and showed appreciation for Nyx's in-ring work.
• Afterward, Petrovic went to Ava looking for a match. Grace revealed she and Petrovic would team up on the Heatwave Kickoff.
  
• Shawn Michaels addressed the actions of Brooks Jensen, asking him to sit down with the NXT general manager next week to "steer him in the right direction."
  

Trick Williams and Je'Von Evans Stand Tall After Contract Signing

Shawn Spears and "All Ego" Ethan Page tried to rile Trick Williams and Je'Von Evans.

It turned out poorly for the veterans as Trick and The Young OG sent the heels through the tables in the ring before arguing with one another to end the night.

Contract signings are often more miss than hit, but this worked better than expected. The substance was lacking, but everyone had fun with it.

While it was clear Page and Spears were the guiding forces of the segment. But this was a big showcase for Evans, who sold that he belonged. The crowd was almost more behind him than Trick by the end.

The Fatal 4-Way will be a fun showcase of talent, even if there was not enough time to truly build the drama of this clash before Heatwave.

Grade

B

Notable Moments

• NXT showed great video packages for each competitor in the NXT Championship match during the night.
  
• Page put over Trick as the "hottest thing in WWE" before warning him that the odds are not in his favor to keep his gold.
• Spears mocked Evans for his lack of experience, while The Young OG joked about The Chairman's lack of accolades in his veteran career.
  

Overall Show

As a go-home show for Heatwave, NXT did not add any more spark for a rushed PLE build.

Most of the work was done in video packages throughout the night, which missed the opportunity to get more talent in front of a live crowd days before the big night.

The contract signing did its job well in hyping the NXT Championship Fatal 4-Way, but Roxanne Perez and Lola Vice were less successful on that front.

The best parts of the show were building the future beyond Heatwave. Jaida Parker had her best match to date with Michin, while Hank Walker and Tank Ledger kept up with New Catch Republic to earn more opportunities.

The problem is that NXT's short-term stories are not working as well as the long-term star-building. The show is too scattered despite many names stepping up with each opportunity.

Grade: D+