NXT No Mercy promised to be both a showcase of the top young talent on the gold brand but also a highlight for the TNA/NXT relationship.

"All Ego" Ethan Page would defend his NXT Championship against the viral sensation Joe Hendry. Could over 6,000 fans in attendance at the Ball Arena in Denver, CO believe enough to push Hendry to the top of NXT?

Roxanne Perez faced a young feisty Jaida Parker, who was hungry for success. Would Parker pull of the upset? Could one of the top incoming stars arrive in NXT in the aftermath?

Oba Femi face the always dangerous Tony D'Angelo with the North American Championship on the line. Kelani Jordan put her Women's North American Championship on the line against Wendy Choo.

Andre Chase and Ridge Holland needed to prove themselves as NXT tag team champions against the former champs Nathan Frazer and Axiom. The intense rivalry of Wes Lee and Zachary Wentz came to a head.

This was certain to be a wild night for many of NXT and TNA's top stars.

NXT Tag Team Championships: Chase U (c) vs. Nathan Frazer and Axiom

Nathan Frazer and Axiom fought harder than they ever have to regain the NXT Tag Team Championship, even kicking out of the powerbomb/backstabber of Andre Chase and Ridge Holland. A Spanish Fly into a Phoenix Splash sealed the win.

Afterward, Holland lost it, attacking Duke Hudson and Riley Osborne from behind then laying out Chase with a clothesline and DDT on the announce table. Chase had to be stretchered out while Thea Hail cried.

This was wild fun to watch. Everyone was working hard to make the most of the moment. It was certainly a spot fest, but it was one that would be tough to match for exceed for the rest of the night.

There were story opportunities not played out in this contest. The Supersonic Duo keep struggling with communication despite supposedly getting on the same page. It is time to move on from that angle.

Holland never tried to cheat despite his previous teases. That was an easy layup that could have better explained the heel turn, especially if Hudson got in the way.

NXT teased the heel turn again and again with Holland until it was much easier to root for his redemption. Turning him at this moment makes little sense and hurts what good will he had built with Chase U.

The opportunity of finally running with Chase U disappears into the dust once again. Frazer and Axiom is a phenomenal tag team and will do well with the gold, but both title changes come off as a waste.

Result

Frazer and Axiom def. Chase U by pinfall to become the new NXT tag team champions.

Grade

B- (for the action)/F (for the booking)

Notable Moments

• The crowd was all behind Frazer and Axiom and were booing Chase U at times in this one. After the turn, the crowd chanted "one more time" rather than booing Holland.
  
• Off his hot tag, Chase caught Axiom with a top-rope Spanish Fly into a double underhook powerbomb for a wild near-fall that awoke the crowd.
  

• Axiom took out Holland outside with a running punt kick while Frazer hit a springboard 450 Splash for a near-fall.
• A picture perfect Doomsday Device from Chase and Holland was still not enough to pick up the win.
• Chase somehow kicked out of the superplex and superkick/brainbuster combination. They went for the Golden Ratio, but Axiom accidentally hit Frazer instead.
• Backstage later, Holland refused to answer questions about his actions.
  

Wes Lee vs. Zachary Wentz

Zachary Wentz looked like the better man early and often in this match while Wes Lee needed to take cheap shots to stay in the action.

Trey Miguel arrived to stop Lee from using a steel chair near the end, and Wentz capitalized with a Canadian Destroyer outside and UFO inside the ring to win.

The placement of this match on the card was odd as this was the other fast-paced match on the card. It also led to back-to-back matches with announce table spots.

Still, this was a good one, especially in the back half. Down the stretch, they worked the heat of the build, and it made it genuinely exciting to see Miguel returning to stop Lee's cheap tactics.

Moreover, it was cool to see a TNA X-Division champion winning on an NXT premium live event. This was the result this match needed after all of Lee's TNA insults.

This should not be the end of the story. Miguel especially deserved more of the NXT rub before The Rascalz time in NXT is over.

Result

Wentz def. Lee by pinfall.

Grade

B-

Notable Moments

• Wentz came out with the TNA X-Division Championship, which he won on Friday in Ultimate X at Emergence.
• Lee landed a picture-perfect Phoenix Splash for a near-fall.
• Wentz caught Lee with a Canadian Destroyer, but Lee bounced off the ropes right into a double knee smash that sent him all the way outside.
• The announce table collapsed under Wentz (likely because it was not checked after the opening spot). Lee still hit him with diving double knees.
• After challenges from The Rascalz, Gallus and Hank and Tank, Ava announce a triple threat No. 1 contender match for Frazer and Axiom's next challengers.
  

Women's North American Championship: Kelani Jordan (c) vs. Wendy Choo

Kelani Jordan fought through the best offense in Wendy Choo's repertoire, staying in the fight until she found her opening. She hit second-rope senton bomb into a split-legged moonsault for the victory.

Afterward, Tatum Paxley choked out Choo with a Dragon Sleeper to get revenge.

In front of a more committed crowd like in the Performance Center, this would have risen higher. Instead, Jordan and Choo worked slow and low energy until the final couple minutes.

It was a relatively clean but hardly remarkable match where Lani was in need of an opponent that could push her more. Her work with Paxley recently would have made for a better PLE match.

The right woman won as Choo's new character is still not clicking while Jordan is one of the most over women in NXT. She is learning with each match.

Result

Jordan def. Choo by pinfall to retain the Women's North American Championship.

Grade

D+

Notable Moments

• The crowd was quiet for this one, especially as Choo controlled the action. The energy began to come back during Jordan's comeback.
  
• Lani hit a clean frog splash but could not get the win. The two fought outside where Choo planted her with a suplex.
• Choo nearly got the win with a sleeper, but the referee checked her hand. Lani got her arm up on the last check.
  

North American Championship: Oba Femi (c) (w/ The Family) vs. Tony D'Angelo

Tony D'Angelo pushed Oba Femi nearly beyond his limits. However, after an exhausting war, The Ruler hit two powerbombs in a row to seal the victory.

This match was much different from everything that preceded it. These two bigger men brawled across this ring, and the crowd was going wild for the heavyweight showdown.

The juxtaposition from the earlier fast-paced action paid off and made this feel big time. The final near-falls were genuinely wild and landed with a crowd explosion.

Once again, Femi is one of NXT's best stars, and D'Angelo gave him the perfect test. The Ruler looked like a main event act against a man that should be on the main roster sooner than later.

It is hard to imagine anyone soon stepping up that give this kind of fight to Femi.

Result

Femi def. D'Angelo by pinfall to retain the North American Championship.

Grade

A-

Notable Moments

• The Ruler stepped on and twisted the foot of D'Angelo, setting up a potential ankle injury throughout the match.
  
• With effortless finesse, Femi recovered from a kick to the face and planted D'Angelo with a shoulder breaker.
• Femi stole a crowbar off Luca Crusifino before throwing around Channing "Stacks" Lorenzo. This set up The Don to hit a Spear for a high-energy near-fall.

• A palm strike on the apron set up the pop-up powerbomb, leading to a genuinely shocking kickout from D'Angelo.

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

Jaida Parker had Roxanne Perez reeling even with a rib injury. However, Parker went through the barricade followed by a Pop Rox outside and inside the ring to win.

After the finish, new music hit as Giulia arrived to stare down The Prodigy.

On paper, especially due to a lack of build, this did not come off as a worthy match for a PLE. However, the crowd clearly came to see these two women, and they played into that volume with charisma and intensity.

This was one of the best performances of Perez's career, knowing when to take her time and milk the reaction. She made Parker look like a terrifying challenger for The Prodigy.

To the challengers' credit, this was a career-making performance, so much better than anything she has done before. She leaned stiffer with her strikes. She improvised far more than usual and sold her ribs consistently.

Add the cherry on top with Giulia's much-anticipated arrival to create a special night for the NXT women's division. Giulia is almost certainly set to dethrone Perez and take over the NXT women's division.

She will have a tall order following Perez's title reign, which is now amongst the absolute best in NXT's history, rivaling even Asuka.

Result

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

Grade

A+ (for the action and the debut)

Notable Moments

• NXT showed separate video packages for the competitors, hyping their perspectives going into this match.
• With the help of the previous match waking up the crowd, this match had the most energy of any match to date by a wide margin.
  
• The character work was on point early as the two trade mocking curtsies before Perez slapped her. Parker sent The Prodigy running after a physical response.
• Perez stomped Parker into the edge of the steel steps, injuring the ribs of her opponent, which she targeted through the rest of the match.
• Parker went all the way to the top rope for the Tear Drop.
• The Prodigy reversed the Hipnotic into a roll-up and crossface, but Parker fought out. The challenger connected on the second Hipnotic, but Perez rolled outside.
  

NXT Championship: "All Ego" Ethan Page (c) vs. Joe Hendry

Trick Williams lived up to his words, calling this down the middle, even after he got hit by "All Ego" Ethan Page. He missed Page hitting a low blow but not the Ego's Edge on Joe Hendry that sealed the win.

After the finish, Pete Dunne grabbed Trick and planted him with a Bitter End outside the ring.

A Hendry win seemed impossible just a few weeks ago, but the absolute crowd devotion to the underdog has steadily made the impossible feel possible.

It was the perfect encapsulation of his slogan. Hendry made everyone believe. It just was not to be on this night.

This was the best NXT Championship match since Ilja Dragunov was in the picture, and it was completely different than anything NXT has done in a long time. It was old-school babyface underdog battling the heinous heel.

Everything in this match had the crowd roaring. It felt like two of the biggest stars in the business battling.

After sleep-walking through the first half of the show, the crowd woke up to the point of giving one of the biggest reactions of any WWE crowd in the US all year.

It is a shame that the finish felt so flat. While this is expected with the heel stealing the face's moment, this did not feel like a proper capstone to the night after the women's title match and Giulia debut.

Result

Page def. Hendry by pinfall to retain the NXT Championship.

Grade

A- (for the action)/B- (for the ending)

Notable Moments

• Trick went to both Hendry and Page before the match to promise that he would officiate this match fairly.
  
• Hendry nearly got counted out after he took an Ego's Edge on the apron.
• Page tasted his own move when Hendry hit an Ego's Edge. All Ego kicked out.
• Hendry caught Page with the Standing Ovation, but All Ego got his foot under the ropes.
  
• All Ego gave Hendry a Standing Ovation for a near-fall.
  

Overall Show

It was a tale of two halves. NXT started slow but ended strong, particularly reaching a memorable climax with the NXT Women's Championship match.

Roxanne Perez and Jaida Parker stole the show and delivered the most hard-hitting bout of the night. It was a level-up moment for Parker and a career-defining effort for The Prodigy.

The much-anticipated debut of Giulia was perfectly delivered, giving this show its number one talking point.

"All Ego" Ethan Page and Joe Hendry defied any critics and ran with an electric crowd to deliver a phenomenal match. The ending was deflating, but NXT has plenty to capitalize on from here.

Oba Femi vs. Tony D'Angelo deserves major credit for waking up the crowd that was phenomenal down the stretch.

The rest was decent to forgettable. The opening match had good action but booking that feels like it is going backward rather than forward for the tag team division.

Wes Lee and Zachary Wentz did some solid business together but could not stand out next to the back half of this card. Kelani Jordan and Wendy Choo was mostly a miss.

As a whole though, this is a night to be celebrated, delivering far more than the card looked to be on paper.

The women should have main evented though.

Grade: B-