The stakes could not be higher going into the November 19 edition of WWE NXT thanks to an ill-fated bet and multiple Iron Survivor Challenge qualifiers.

Andre Chase bet everything he had to get his hands on Ridge Holland again, including Chase U. NXT champion Trick WIlliams spiced things up by declaring he would face the winner at Deadline on December 7.

This week's Iron Survivor Challenge qualifiers included Zaria vs. Wren Sinclair, and Nathan Frazer vs. Eddy Thorpe. But the biggest match was Stephanie Vaquer vs. Jaida Parker, both possible favorites to win at Deadline if they qualified.

Fatal Influence promised to speak after Fallon Henley successfully retained the Women's North American Championship last week.

Brooks Jensen took a shot at North American champion Tony D'Angelo, while Karmen Petrovic and Ashante "Thee" Adonis tried to get on the same page in a mixed tag match.

This week would have a major impact on the future of NXT with multiple unpredictable bouts.

Iron Survivor Qualifier: Nathan Frazer vs. Eddy Thorpe

A chaotic scene broke out during this men's Iron Survivor Challenge qualifier.

All of the major tag teams brawled around the ring. In the chaos, Nathan Frazer hit Eddy Thorpe with a Phoenix Splash to win.

An interesting match on paper became a segment in practice. So much focus was placed on the tag teams that the actual qualifier became an afterthought.

Frazer won, likely setting him up for double duty at Deadline and lose both the Iron Survivor Challenge and NXT Tag Team Championships.

If NXT has the confidence to keep up with the numbers involved, this could set up a tag team Iron Survivor at Deadline for the titles, which would be a fun watch.

Thorpe was the clear loser in this scenario as he should have been able to win amid all the chaos. He has been teasing growing frustration that could lead to a heel turn shortly.

Result

Frazer def. Thorpe by pinfall to advance to the Iron Survivor Challenge.

Grade

C-

Notable Moments

• The tag team division popped up all over the ring and arena to watch.
• When Axiom got knocked down outside, Frazer jumped onto everyone.
• Thorpe took a direct knee to the face on the Phoenix Splash. Luckily, he seemed to be OK afterward.
• Backstage, Yoshiki Inamura did not understand Lexis King's talk about proving himself but told Brooks Jensen he loved NXT's kind of crazy.
  

Iron Survivor Qualifier: Stephanie Vaquer vs. Jaida Parker

Jaida Parker pushed Stephanie Vaquer to her limit, but Lola Vice came out to distract her. This allowed La Primera to hit the Package Neckbreaker for the win.

This was a good showcase for Vaquer, who effortlessly looked like she belonged next to one of NXT's more established rising stars.

Even with her talent in the ring, it would have been easy to assume she needed a transition period to adjust to WWE style. That has not been necessary as she already has consistently looked like one of NXT's best.

The same can be said of Parker, who has improved greatly, especially after stepping up to Roxanne Perez. This was one of her better matches and significantly better than her contest with Vice.

That is why it is a shame that NXT is already returning to Parker vs. Vice when both women could have learned more from working off veterans like Vaquer and Giulia in the Iron Survivor Challenge.

The right woman won, but this may have been the wrong pairing of talent. After Zaria and Giulia qualify, it will be interesting to see who gets the less-predictable final spot.

Result

Vaquer def. Parker by pinfall to qualify for the Iron Survivor Challenge.

Grade

B+

Notable Moments

• In a vignette, Giulia talked about what The Beautiful Madness meant in Japan and why it will translate to her success in WWE.
  
• NXT showed a pre-match promo for La Primera, who confidently declared she would beat Roxanne Perez after conquering the Iron Survivor Challenge.
• The Prodigy mocked the women's division until Sol Ruca interrupted her beach vacation.
  

Tony D'Angelo (w/ Adriana Rizzo) vs. Brooks Jensen (w/ Shawn Spears)

Shawn Spears coached up Brooks Jensen throughout this fight, but Tony D'Angelo was far too much for him.

Jensen countered the first spinebuster attempt but fell to the second.

This was quick and forgettable, but that has been most of Jensen's in-ring solo work. He just hasn't figured out his style yet, and he may need another full character reset to get there.

It is not helping that he doesn't fit well with Spears. The two lack chemistry or even matching style. Maybe the reset can come from Jensen fully embracing Spears' way of looking at things.

A possible injury angle after this match may help sell why The Chairman has a chance against D'Angelo, but he does not come off as a real threat at the moment.

Result

D'Angelo def. Jensen by pinfall.

Grade

D

Notable Moments

• After the match, Spears shook hands with The Don as a distraction and Jensen hit D'Angelo with a chop block.
• The Don had to be helped to the back by officials.
  

Ashante 'Thee' Adonis and Karmen Petrovic vs. Dion Lennox and Brinley Reece

Ashante "Thee" Adonis distracted Brinley Reece and got a slap for his trouble, but the distraction allowed Karmen Petrovic to knock out Reece with a roundhouse kick to win.

This was over before it started. Adonis and Lennox were bad together, while Reece and Petrovic did not get enough time to work off each other.

Even though the Adonis-Petrovic pairing is somewhat interesting, this all felt like a waste of time on a show with more important stories to tell.

Hopefully, this will at least lead to more Petrovic matches as she has been out of the ring too often recently.

Result

Petrovic and Adonis def. Reece and Lennox by pinfall to qualify for the Iron Survivor Challenge.

Grade

D-

Notable Moments

• Both teams tried to hype each other up in the locker room.
• The teams wore gear supporting the Washington State Cougars and Oregon State Beavers ahead of the college football matchup this weekend on the CW Network.
• Adonis and Petrovic could not figure out who was starting this match.

• The referee interrupted a near-steamy scene between Petrovic and Adonis after the win.

Iron Survivor Challenge: Zaria vs. Wren Sinclair (w/ Charlie Dempsey)

Wren Sinclair survived for a while, but a Spear into an F5 sealed the victory for Zaria.

Short matches in NXT can be frustrating, but Zaria makes every second count in what are largely one-sided fights so far.

She is the powerhouse the brand has needed since Rhea Ripley and Raquel Rodriguez headed to the main roster, and she is already showing she has upside to rival those women.

Sinclair did her job well and should continue to get opportunities until she also breaks through to major title scenes.

Result

Zaria def. Sinclair by pinfall to qualify for the Iron Survivor Challenge.

Grade

B

Notable Moments

• Charlie Dempsey did his best to coach up Sinclair, even distracting Zaria for a tope late in this contest.
  

Tatum Paxley Answers the Open Challenge of Fallon Henley

Fatal Influence delivered a warning to the women's division: No one could match them.

Fallon Henley offered an open challenge for the Women's North American Championship.

Chaos broke out with the likes of Lash Legend, Jakara Jackson, Adriana Rizzo and Nikkita Lyons headed to the ring to answer the call. Tatum Paxley was the one to get to Henley first, though, and she laid out the champion.

This was a great way to immediately sell the Women's North American Championship scene. It was similarly effective to the best moment in Wes Lee's North American Championship reign.

Henley has significant work to do to earn that same prestige, though. Paxley is a solid filler challenger for next week, but she needs longer-term rivals as well.

Grade

B

Notable Moments

• Tony D'Angelo demanded a shot at Shawn Spears next week, putting the North American Championship on the line.
• Eddy Thorpe was still frustrated about his loss to Nathan Frazer, but NXT GM Ava would not reverse the decision.
• Karmen Petrovic and Ashante "Thee" Adonis almost got closer backstage until Nikkita Lyons yelled about him texting her back. Petrovic walked away angry.
• "All Ego" Ethan Page promised to win the Iron Survivor Challenge. Axiom told Frazer that Page would lose because he was facing him next week in a qualifier.
  

No. 1 Contender for NXT Championship: Ridge Holland vs. Andre Chase

Ridge Holland grabbed a steel chair to distract the referee. He used the opportunity to low-blow Andre Chase and hit the Redeemer.

However, Duke Hudson pulled the official out of the ring.

After Holland sent Hudson through the stage, Riley Osborne jumped onto the Englishman. Holland grabbed Osborne and threw him onto exposed concrete.

This motivated Chase all the more as he stomped Holland into the mat, but it wasn't enough. A second Redeemer won the match and ended Chase U in its current form.

Chase and Holland do not have much chemistry, but the emotion of the crowd carried a fairly basic match to the necessary heights for this main event moment. The result was tough to stomach, though.

If this is the end of Chase U, it is a deeply disappointing final chapter for a story that was so much more than it had any right to be.

In particular, Chase U was never truly allowed to enjoy success. Each major victory was quickly snatched away. Losing it all like this after Holland completely buried each member of the group would be heartbreaking.

However, this is one way to lean into Holland as NXT's top villain. Chase U was completely sacrificed to get him over. Deadline will be the test of how much it paid off.

Hopefully, NXT is not quite done with Chase U and has a plan to give those that have been kicked out a chance for redemption. Trick can even elevate himself as NXT's top face by helping.

Result

Holland def. Chase by pinfall to become the No. 1 contender to the NXT Championship and put an end to Thea Hail, Hudson and Osborne's association with Chase U.

Grade

B

Notable Moments

• NXT aired two vignettes highlighting Chase U's history and what this match meant to The Professor.
  
• In an interview, Holland promised to end Chase U by the end of the night.
• Trick joined commentary to watch this closely.
• The crowd was flooded with Chase U shirts and loud for The Professor.
  
• Chase U watched backstage. Hudson walked off early.
• Chase nearly got he win off the Chase U stomps and a sit-out side slam. Again, he nearly won with a sit-out powerbomb.
• Afterward, Chase looked forlornly at all his students.
• A few fans started a "Na Na Na Na, Hey Hey Hey, Goodbye" chant, awkwardly undercutting the final moments.
  

Overall Show

Despite a seemingly strong lineup, this was not a great show for in-ring action. However, it did make up for that with strong story beats.

The Iron Survivor Challenge qualifiers are shaping up to deliver two exciting matches at Deadline, helped especially by the immensely talented NXT women's roster.

Stephanie Vaquer and Jaida Parker put on the best bout of the night and sold the possibility of future clashes between these women with more stakes.

The main event between Ridge Holland and Andre Chase was difficult to watch but only because NXT had done such a great job emotionally charging the segment.

Even if it could have been built up better and Chase U could have been treated better before Tuesday night, the company did a phenomenal job completing Ridge Holland's rise to top villain status.

He will just need to prove he was worthy of that spotlight over younger talent with higher upside based on his feud to come with Trick Williams.

NXT is living up to its darker color scheme with a grittier presentation week-to-week, and the talent are making the most of the spotlight. It would be nice to see longer matches more consistently, though.

Overall Grade: B