Randy Orton Makes Rare NXT Appearance, D’Angelo Dethrones Femi
WWE NXT kicked off a new era from The Factory in St. Louis, Missouri, with a star-studded lineup featuring 14-time World Champion Randy Orton.
In a rare NXT appearance, Orton faced wrestling prodigy Je’Von Evans. Despite Evans’ impressive skills, Orton’s experience proved too much, and he emerged victorious.
Meanwhile, Tony D’Angelo dethroned Oba Femi in a thrilling North American Championship match. D’Angelo ended Femi’s record-breaking reign of 273 days and 30 consecutive wins.
The NXT Tag Team Championships were also on the line as Nathan Frazer and Axiom defended against SmackDown’s A-Town Down Under (Austin Theory and Grayson Waller). Fraxiom retained their titles in a hard-fought battle.
In the women’s division, Kelani Jordan teamed up with WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions Bianca Belair and Jade Cargill to defeat Fatal Influence (Fallon Henley, Jacy Jayne, and Jazmyn Nyx).
Trick Williams, the newly crowned NXT Champion, broke his silence after reclaiming the title from Ethan Page. He was interrupted by WWE Intercontinental Champion Jey Uso and Wes Lee, who both expressed their desire to challenge for the championship.