WWE NXT Results: Winners, Live Grades, Reaction and Highlights from June 25

After a chaotic finish to last week's NXT, Trick Williams and Shawn Spears would fight in a non-title match.Credit: WWE.com.

Heatwave is on the horizon. The June 25 edition of WWE NXT would continue to set the stage for the gold brand's next premium live event.

Trick Williams faced off with Shawn Spears in a non-title battle following a wild finish to NXT last week. Could The Chairman pick up a huge win, or would the NXT champion get his revenge?

Tony D'Angelo put his Heritage Cup on the line against former holder Nathan Frazer.

Meanwhile, the next contenders to Frazer and Axiom's NXT Tag Team Championships would be determined in a Tag Team Turmoil match.

Sol Ruca and Arianna Grace fought to earn a shot at Kelani Jordan's Women's North American Championship.

Wes Lee hoped to put Joe Coffey behind him before challenging Oba Femi for the NXT North American Championship. Tavion Heights hoped to earn a spot in No Quarter Catch Crew in a match with Damon Kemp.

This was an important show for the gold brand where the best would step up on the road to Heatwave on July 7.

Edris Enofé and Malik Blade opened with Tyler Bate and Pete Dunne. New Catch Republic took the first fall with the Elimination.

Apollo Crews arrived to distract LWO, setting up Bate to hit Berto with the Tyler Driver 98 for the win. The O.C. couldn't stop the run as Dunne caught Karl Anderson with a roll-up.

Andre Chase caught a vulnerable Bate with a diving crossbody to pick up the final three-count for the win.

This was a great match in terms of in-ring quality, though the booking was questionable. The babyface Chase U took advantage of New Catch Republic after capturing three straight falls, coming off as fluke winners.

This contest could have focused more on actual NXT talent than it did. Instead, the first true NXT team was eliminated first, and Chase U came in for the last-minute victory.

Nathan Frazer and Axiom will have a great clash with Chase and Duke Hudson, though.

Result

Chase U won the Tag Team Turmoil match, last eliminating New Catch Republic, to earn an NXT Tag Team Championships match at Heatwave.

Grade

B

Notable Moments

• Enofé reversed the Bitter End into a DDT and then went for a dive but took a forearm to the face from Dunne, setting up the first pinfall.
• The O.C. arrived with confidence, immediately hitting the Magic Killer but choosing to taunt rather than take the quick victory. OTM mocked Gallows and Anderson after they got eliminated.
• Bate planted Hudson with an impressive vertical suplex, bringing out "Big Strong Boi" chants from the audience.
• Ridge Holland took a dive from Bate outside, saving Chase to set up the finish.
• Holland refused to take blame for New Catch Republic's loss backstage. Hank Walker and Tank Ledger officially challenged Bate and Dunne for next week.
• Hudson ordered photos from last week's match, and Holland did not want The MVP to see them.
• Backstage, Gallows and Anderson laid out OTM with steel chairs. Michin and Jaida Parker brawled until officials broke it up.
  

"All Ego" Ethan Page called out Ava to demand an NXT Championship match against Trick Williams. The NXT general manager came out followed by Shawn Spears, who considered himself worthy of a title shot.

When Trick came out to confront them, both heels beat him down until Je'Von Evans made the save.

This was all clearly building toward a Fatal 4-Way for the NXT Championship announcement. With Trick vs. Spears already booked for later on Tuesday, it did not make much sense for this segment to take up time on a loaded show.

Still, Page and Spears cut solid short promos, setting up a bit more tension between these four men that will continue to escalate until Heatwave.

Grade

C-

Notable Moments

• Trick told The Young OG that he did not want anyone watching his back in the main event.
  
• NXT paid tribute to Sika Anoa'i, who died on Tuesday.
• Stevie Turner and Mr. Stone argued over who should be Ava's assistant, with both promising to "win."
  

Wes Lee was focused and determined, and he wiped out Joe Coffey quickly. He finished with the Cardiac Kick.

Oba Femi congratulated Lee from the stage and told him he would see him at Heatwave.

This was shockingly short. Lee completely squashed Joe. This result did make sense if Lee is going to be seen as a true challenge for the dominant North American champion.

However, it does seriously hamper the forward momentum of Gallus. The Scottish trio returned with a splash but have fallen back into a familiar rhythm as the fall guys for more popular talent.

It would have been a net positive to make this a little more competitive, especially since Lee's chances of dethroning Femi are low.

Result

Lee def. Joe by pinfall.

Grade

D+

Notable Moments

• Mark Coffey tried to get involved but took a knee from Lee. The distraction allow Joe to plant him with a powerslam.
  

Nathan Frazer rolled up Tony D'Angelo in Round 1 to get the first fall 42 seconds in.

The Don responded with an impactful spinebuster a minute into the second round for his first fall.

A right shoulder injury down the stretch gave Frazer an opening, but the bell saved The Don until he could hit a final elevated spinebuster for the final fall in Round 6.

The quick falls in the first two rounds more or less invalidated the format as the majority of action only happened for the third fall. Both men are too well-established to lose so quickly.

However, once the two got serious in Round 3, this got very good. Frazer showed some interesting heel instincts as he targeted the injury of D'Angelo and grew increasingly more frustrated with near-misses.

This was heavily driven by the work of the challenger, though. The Don sold the impact of Frazer's offense well, helping him shine without losing the story of the battle.

It was odd though that D'Angelo never went for his usual finisher, instead relying heavily on the spinebuster.

The Don needed the win. He continues to grow as a competitor in these Heritage Cup matches and deserves the spotlight. Frazer still has the NXT Tag Team Championships.

Result

D'Angelo def. Frazer in Round 6 two falls to one to retain the Heritage Cup.

Grade

A-

Notable Moments

• In the locker room, Axiom promised to be in Frazer's corner for his match despite his misgivings about his friend spreading himself too thin.
  
• Sarah Schreiber interviewed a confident Don ahead of his Heritage Cup defense. As an NXT interviewer, she hasn't clicked so far and comes off as too rehearsed.
  
• The Don caught Frazer diving outside, called him stupid and then threw him into the steel steps.
• Frazer barely kicked out of a second spinebuster in Round 4. A third spinebuster catching Frazer diving in the next round again got a near-fall.
• The challenger nearly took it with a diving dropkick to The Don's injured right shoulder. Time ran out after Frazer hit the Phoenix Splash in the fifth round.
  

Roxanne Perez made quick work for Karmen Petrovic, planting her with Pop Rox for the victory.

After the win, Lola Vice laid out Perez with a spinning back fist and walked out with the NXT Women's Championship.

This looked like an opportunity to keep up Petrovic's momentum. Instead, she was completely outmatched by the champion.

The NXT women's champion does not need to step into the ring for a non-title squash match., yet that is what this became. The action was harmless but missed an opportunity to keep Petrovic's momentum.

Vice got her expected revenge on The Prodigy from last week and then walked out with gold she had not earned.

NXT still hasn't done enough to establish Vice as the fan favorite in this angle.

Result

Perez def. Petrovic by pinfall.

Grade

C-

Notable Moments

• In the locker room, Petrovic watched footage from last week. The Prodigy did not appreciate it. An argument set up a match for later.
  
• After joining commentary, Vice said: "Nothing Perez can do would ever hurt me." This was an unnecessary attempt to diminish the champion.
• Vice gave the NXT Women's Championship to Ava while demanding her title shot at Heatwave.
  

Tavion Heights survived the best offense of Damon Kemp and planted him with a belly-to-belly suplex for the victory.

Heights being in No Quarter Catch Crew is a win for the stable. He has the talent to shine and just needed a spotlight.

The main concern is that he is flashier than his new stablemates and could outshine them quickly. Kemp especially has had trouble finding his way in this group and looked weak in this match.

This was another squash match on a night overloaded with one-sided performances.

Result

Heights def. Kemp by pinfall to earn a place in No Quarter Catch Crew.

Grade

C-

Notable Moments

• Kemp repeatedly questioned Charlie Dempsey and Myles Borne outside for wanting Heights in the NQCC.
  

While Arianna Grace tried her best to keep Sol Ruca off her game, a Sol Snatcher sealed the victory for her opponent.

Afterward, Kelani Jordan came out to stand with her future challenger for a Heatwave promo shot.

At Ruca's level of experience, matches like this were always possible, but she had remained relatively clean in the ring to this point. This was bad and entirely on the No. 1 contender.

Ruca was slipping all over, trying to hit her spots. While she has all the talent in the world, she looked out of her depth here while Grace did not get enough offense to turn it around.

Hopefully, she got this out of her system so that Jordan and Ruca can have a show-stealer at Heatwave.

Result

Ruca def. Grace by pinfall to earn a Women's North American Championship match at Heatwave.

Grade

F

Notable Moments

• After Jordan wished both women good luck in the upcoming No. 1 contender match, Jaida Parker interrupted to challenge Michin to a steel fight.
  

• Ruca slipped multiple times in this match, but the clearest was the finish where she struggled to set up the Sol Snatcher.
  
• Fallon Henley plotted with Jacy Jayne and Jazmyn Nyx on how to take more opportunities in NXT.
  

Trick Williams and Shawn Spears were working a competitive match until Brooks Jensen stormed the ring.

He blasted the NXT champion with the announce table cover to set up a C4 by The Chairman to win.

Ava announced after the bout that the four men would face off in a Fatal 4-Way at Heatwave for the NXT Championship.

The main event was complete chaos to the point of overbooking. While Je'Von Evans stayed in the back, Ethan Page worked commentary until Oro Mensah struck.

Even Jensen's controversial story got involved in the main event, which was a step too far. There was no reason for more bodies in the mix when Mensah and Page could have been distraction enough.

Trick and Spears were fine together. It was hardly spectacular, but the goal was always the destination rather than the journey.

The Chairman is finally a made man in NXT, and hopefully that means more than taking the pin in the Fatal 4-Way.

Result

Spears def. Trick by pinfall.

Grade

B-

Notable Moments

• During the night, Noam Dar told Meta-Four that he would be out for a while with a leg injury. Mensah told the group a passionate story of feeling lonely and finally finding belonging with Meta-Four.
  
• Page joined commentary for the main event. Booker T and Page bullied Vic Joseph on commentary.
• Mensah attacked Page again on commentary. Officials broke it up and sent everyone to the back.
• Trick found his fire after a couple chops from Spears, untying his hair and running over The Chairman with strikes.
  

NXT built serious hype and good will in the ramp-up to Battleground. The follow-up heading toward Heatwave does not feel the same.

The booking is falling back into the usual NXT rapid-fire action where nothing has time to breathe. Even with Tag Team Turmoil and a phenomenal Heritage Cup match, the show lost steam quick.

The main event scene is overstuffed and taking too much time on middle-of-the-road matches and segments.

The sense of shock and awe is wearing off after a few TNA talent appearances as the product refocuses back exclusively on its own roster.

Nothing compelling has momentum into Heatwave, a show that feels more like a special-event NXT than a true premium live event so far.

Hopefully, next week's go-home show will add a spark that makes the PLE feel important enough to watch.

Overall Grade: D