WWE NXT live results: Booker T Appreciation Night, three title matches

WWE NXT is live tonight from Houston, Texas — with see three title matches and Booker T honored in his hometown.

NXT Women’s Champion Jacy Jayne will defend against former partners and current rivals Sol Ruca and Zaria after defending against both of them recently.

In a rare steel cage match in NXT, Women’s North American Champion Tatum Paxley will defend against former champion Izzi Dame. Paxley defeated Dame for the title at the recent Vengeance Day and their feud continued last week.

The Women’s Speed title will also be on the line as Fallon Henley defends against Wren Sinclair. The Texas native earned her opportunity by winning a tournament.

The rest of the card will feature Hank & Tank facing off against Birth Right’s Lexis King & Uriah Connors in the first round of NXT’s Tag Team title number one contender’s tournament, and six-man tag action with Los Americanos taking on Vanity Project.

Our live coverage kicks off at 8 p.m. Eastern.

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NXT is live from the 713 Music Hall in Houston in front of a hot crowd. Opening the show is a triple threat title match.

Jacy Jayne (with Fatal Influence) vs. Sol Ruca vs. Zaria in a triple threat match for the NXT Women’s Championship

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NXT Women’s Speed Champion Fallon Henley & Lainey Reid are ringside in Jayne’s corner. So far, Henley has the best St. Patrick’s Day gear on the show.

Lots of nifty spots, leading to near falls where Hayne delivers a codebreaker. Ruca breaks the count by springboarding into a Superfly splash, and Ruca gets a two count on Jayne. Vic Joseph and Booker T on commentary played up the champ being at a disadvantage not having to drop the fall to lose her title.

Ruca barely cleared the ropes on a Space Flying Tiger Drop, and the audience collectively held their breath for a moment. Outside the ring, Lainey Reid interferes to give Jayne an underhanded advantage. While Zaria and Ruca sell, Fatal Influence taunts and poses as the show goes into a commercial break. The match continues in a split-screen.

In the middle of the match, Los Americanos are shown preparing for their match tonight when the show returns. Teammates turned rivals, Sol Ruca and Zaria finally square off. They trade strikes until Jayne bursts into the ring with a senton. Jayne is thwarted as Ruca leapfrogs a spear from Zaria, and Jayne takes the spear. Ruca then spears Zaria, and the live audience comes unglued.

In their take on a Tower of Doom, Zaria leaps on the ropes for a German suplex on Jayne while Ruca flips over taking a back suplex. Zaria tries to cover the other two, but both kick out. Zaria looks to pummel Ruca, but Jayne land a missile dropkick and a cannonball. Zaria cuts off Jayne to deliver the F-5 to the champ, but Ruca breaks up the pinning attempt. Zaria goes for the F-5 on Ruca, only to get an X-factor from Ruca. Really good sequence.

Zaria take a bump out for the ring as they go home, and Ruca crushes Jayne with a Sol Snatcher. Ruca goes for a sure pin, and Zaria pulls Zaria out of the ring to break the count. Zaria then executes the F-5 on the outside, and Ruca takes a bump on the floor. Fatal Influence’s Henley and Reid interfere by keeping Zaria from getting back into the ring. Zaria drops Reid with a headbutt, and Henley takes the F-5 on the floor. Meanwhile, Jayne crawls over to steal the win by pinning Ruca. Great opener. And still…

Match result: NXT Women’s Champion Jacy Jayne defeated Sol Ruca and Zaria in a triple threat match when Jayne pinned Ruca to retain her title.

— Ricky Saints is supposed to “call someone out” in the next segment on the show. He is heading to the ring as the show cuts to a commercial break. Saints gets a full entrance after the break. With RodeoHouston taking place head-to-head tonight with NXT, Saints is dressed for the rodeo complete with cowboy boots, leather vest and a bolo tie. A talking segment leads to dissension between Saints and his cohort, Ethan Page. NXT Champion Joe Hendry then confronts both of them. Tony D’Angelo then lays out everyone

NXT Champ Joe Hendry plays challengers against each other, and Tony D’Angelo strikes

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Saints first delivers a monologue saying the main event (himself) is standing before you. He boasts about himself while talking about driving three hours from Austin to Houston. He pivots to talking about his tag team with Ethan Page. He brags about how they can pivot, mentioning there win last week against the team of Joe Hendry and Myles Borne.

Saints dubs himself and Page as “The Slump Busters” for their team name. If their other cohorts in Vanity Project were not in the title mix, Saints and Page would go for the tag titles. Out comes Ethan Page to join alongside Saints. Page likes the name, but he was thinking “Bounce-Back Boys” instead. Saints tells Page he can call out NXT North American Champion Myles Borne to issue a challenge. Page informs Saints that Page does not want to be North American Champion anymore. Rather, Page wants to be a two-time champion.

Saints is at a lose for words as he processes the intentions of Page. The tension is broken by the entrance of Joe Hendry, who enters holding the NXT title belt.

Hendry cuts a promo that pits Saints against Page. Hendry claims Saints uses Page to cover for his own loses. Hendry points out Saints cannot regain the title. Saints cannot play guitar, and he cannot sing. Henry then mentions that Saints and Page once wrestled each other at Stand & Deliver.

Page and Saints then get into an argument and they exchange barbs. They look ready to fight each other when they instead attack Hendry. He fights then off and give each a fallaway slam.

Suddenly, Tony D’Angelo runs in to attack all three. D’Angelo wrecks shop and lays everyone out, and he stands menacingly over all.

Birthright is backstage along with Fit Finlay and William Regal. As Regal tells Birthright they must win the tag team tournament, up walks Robert Stone. Regal talks Stone aside trying to gain favor with the new general manager of NXT, and Regal offers to put in a word with Shawn Michaels on making it a permanent role as GM.

Los Americanos (El Grande Americano Nuevo, Rayo Americano & Bravo Americano) vs. Vanity Project (Brad Baylor, Ricky Smokes & WWE Evolve Champion Jackson Drake)

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The heel trio takes over before the match goes through a commercial break. Heat on Rayo Americano when the show returns from the break, leading to El Grande Americano running wild after a hot tag.

Americanos with a stereo dives while wearing cowboy hats, and Grande gets a near fall in the ring. He then trades near falls with the heel trio, and Grande kicks out after taking a Burner Hammer and a 450 splash from Drake.

The crowd is clearly behind El Grande Americano as he hulks up. In the closing moments, Drake rolls up El Grande Americano and uses the ropes for illegal leverage. Brad Baylor also helps with an assist, and the referee catches the heels in the act. Meanwhile behind the ref’s back, El Grande is handed a gimmick and he loads his mask.

Grande Americano knocks Baylor off the apron with the shot from the loaded mask, but Drake dodges the loaded mask to deliver a running knee strike. Rayo with a blind tag, followed by another blind tag by Bravo. Russian leg sweep, flying headbutt combo by Rayo and Bravo, followed by a flying headbutt with the loaded mask by El Grande Americano. He then covers Smokes for a pinfall.

Match result: Los Americanos defeated Vanity Project when El Grando Americano pinned Ricky Smokes.

— In a backstage skit, Sean Legacy is on crutches and says he cannot wrestle. Robert Stone rules that Eli Knight must find a replacement to team with him or forfeit their spot in the tag team tournament. That led to WWE Speed Champion Elio LeFleur offering to team with Knight, and Stone okays the new team.

Keanu Carver crashes Booker T Appreciation Night

Vic Joseph hosts a segment for Booker T Appreciation Night ceremony, and Joseph introduces Booker T to the crowd. Booker T is the focus of a great video package honoring his career in wrestling as both a performer and mentor.

Booker T is in tears while surrounded by his wife and kids and two students from his Reality of Wrestling school. Joseph presents Booker with a plaque commemorating Booker T Appreciation Night. The crowd chants “you deserve it” as Booker T displays the plaque.

Booker gets the house microphone and says he has been doing this for 35 years. Booker thanks the fans for making it all possible. Keanu Carver suddenly interrupts the ceremony. Carver yells for everyone to shut up, and he shoves aside a referee on his way to the ring.

Several students try to intervene, but Carver tosses them aside with ease on his way into the ring to confront Booker. Carver is squaring off with Booker when in runs Jasper Troy to brawl with Carver. They briefly fight before Troy clotheslines Carver out of the ring. Referees pour out to keep Carver separated from Troy.

Carves exits and out comes the NXT roster to honor Booker. The roster is joined by Robert Stone. Booker says to cut the music. Booker cuts a promo saying someone needs to take control, and Booker yells at Stone that kind of stuff should not happen in Booker’s hometown city. Booker’s theme music then awkwardly blares over the house speakers, and the show cuts to commercial while Booker is still cutting a promo. The segment inexplicably ends without sound during a split-screen break.

Fallon Henley (with Fatal Influence) vs. Wren Sinclair (with Kendak Grey) for the WWE Speed Championship

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Five-minute time limit for this title bout. Sinclair is billed from Texas, which got a decent enough pop from the crowd. The home state aspect might have popped the crowd more at first if the match had not followed a segment already playing on hometown vibes. However, the crowd still popped big for the title change, as Sinclair won the title in her home state.

For the finish, Sinclair counters an O’Connor Roll with about a minute-and-a-half remaining in the bout. Sinclair then catches Henley with “The Final Wrench” (cattle mutilation hold), and Henley submits. And new…

Match result: Wren Sinclair defeated WWE Women’s Speed Champion Fallon Henley via submission to win the title.

— Ethan Page and Ricky Saints have stormed into Robert Stone’s office, and they are angry about Tony D’Angelo ambushing them earlier tonight. They demand that Stone take action. Page then says Saints wants D’Angelo in a singles match next week. Saints is taken aback at first, but Page talks him into it so long as Page is in his corner. Saints against D’Angelo is set for next Tuesday.

— A commercial for NXT Stand & Deliver announces the show is April 4 at The Factory in St. Louis.

Hank Walker & Tank Ledger vs. Birthright (Uriah Connors & Stacks with Arianna Grace, Charlie Dempsey & Lexis King) in a number one contender’s tag team tournament quarterfinal match

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Heat on Hank, until a hot tag to Tank. The babyface duo then a superplex/swanton bomb combination. Reception issues while trying to watch on my local CW affiliate, so my feed is choppy for a bit. Reception clears up in time for Hank to plant Stacks with a Bossman slam. Lexis King jumps into the ring and takes a bullet for Stack.

Somehow the interference by King does not qualify as a disqualification, and King is sandwiched with a stereo splash by Hank & Tank. Stacks then makes Hank & Tank’s combo finisher, but Connors already made a bling tag. Connors rushes in to roll up Hank for a three count. Birthright wins to advance in the tournament.

Match result: Birthright defeated Hank & Tank when Uriah Connors pinned Hank.

— NXT Champ Joe Hendry demands Robert Stone book a match with the champ against Tony D’Angelo. Stone could like to oblige, but he already booked Saints against D’Angelo for next week.

— Timing was tight as the show crept closer to the top of the hour, and they rush into the main event.

Tatum Paxley vs. Izzi Dame in a steel cage match for the NXT Women’s North American Championship

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Winner by pinfall or submission, no climbing out to win. They still tried to climb out, and the fight began before they ever got in the cage. This was a wild brawl with Paxley retaining her title. The reception on my CW broadcast was in and out at times. They used weapons like chairs, along with using the cage itself as a weapon at time. They looked to have a gritty cage match without blood.

They build to a superplex, and then they build to a powerbomb spot on a metal folding chair. Paxley counters with a code red on the chair, and Paxley follows up with Cemetery Drive on Dame. Paxley covers Dame for a pinfall.

Match result: NXT Women’s North American Champion Tatum Paxley defeated Izzi Dame via pinfall to retain her title.

— In a cliffhanger ending, Paxley was celebrating and posing with the title belt the ramp. Blake Monroe popped out of a trap door like The Undertaker. She pulls Paxley down through the trap door, and Monroe poses as the show goes off the air.