Da Mad Face Invasion
Alright, wrestling fans, buckle up! The NXT-TNA Invasion is heating up, with a special event set for October 7 on CW. Hosted by Ava and Santino, this showdown promises to tackle the tensions that have been brewing between the brands. Expect two Survivor Series-style matches – one for the men, one for the women. Captains for each team will be announced in the next NXT live event from the Performance Center.
Additionally, get ready for a title-for-title tag match featuring none other than The Hardy Men going head-to-head with DarkState.
Now, let’s talk about the electrifying atmosphere! TNA wrestlers chimed in on social media during the show, while NXT stars excitedly stepped up to lead their squads. It should get wild since NXT’s locker room tends to buzz with jealousy and competition. I’m really hoping we see an earnest play on those feelings regarding team selection and captaincy! I’m a bit skeptical about whether two hours will be sufficient but secretly I hope my doubts prove wrong.
In the current rivalry landscape, TNA often appears to be lagging behind. NXT pretty much seems like the frontrunner. But could this event switch things up? It would be refreshing to see some balance brought into their feud. Since TNA is like the younger sibling in this saga, let’s hope for more matches to let them show what they’re made of and pull off a few wins – shoutout to Jameis Winston!
This title change was certainly headline material for No Mercy.
Quick Takes
Ruffneck
I’ll admit, diving straight into a recap after events can be tricky because I need time to digest it all. For instance, my brain’s tangled up about Ricky Saints vs. Oba Femi. On one hand, I feel Ricky deserved the win; however, the way it happened was a bit of a letdown.
Typically, Oba dominates his matches, and this one was no different. Ricky did manage to land a couple of good moves, but Oba quickly stripped away his momentum. Ricky capitalized on Oba’s arrogance, which became the deciding factor in the end.
Oba toyed with Ricky to the point that it led to his downfall outside of the ring. He hesitated to finish off Ricky after sending him crashing through the announce table. This gave Ricky an opening to strike back. The ending saw Ricky hitting sequential DDTs despite Oba’s earlier dominance.
While I get that we needed a different end outcome, to have Oba tumble to a few DDTs feels just weak. They neglected to build towards that moment, and it felt rushed. A little more hype could’ve gone a long way.
Even though I see Oba moving onto bigger things (which he rightfully should), I expected a grander finale for his title run. Unless you’re Jake Roberts, scoring a large victory solely via DDT feels underwhelming.
Spotlight Moments
- Josh Briggs made it clear he’s capable of giving solid matches, regardless of crowd pressure. Although Je’Von Evans topped him, Josh still impressed with his cunning responses, showcasing a wrestling clash rather than just a routine fight. Je’Von wanted the win just as Bad, and it made for an entertaining start to the night.
- Jaida Parker stepped up as a last-minute replacement in the Speed Championship match against Sol Ruca. Instantly, conflicts flared with Lash Legend looming around. Just when it seemed Jaida had things under control, Sol capitalized and snatched victory after a chaotic exchange. Did I mention a significant storm, for sure? Lash Legend’s antics are clearly leading to a larger feud.
- Let’s move on to the showdown between Jordynne Grace and Blake Monroe! What I loved here was the build-up to the ferocity. The levels of aggression rose gradually until they culminated off the cage in pure chaos – all fueled by Noel’s hatred towards each other.
- Tavion Heights appeared strong but went up against Ethan Page – a hot contender right now. While he didn’t score a win, Tavion displayed fantastic agility and creativity. Their final confrontation spoke volumes and hinted at an upcoming face-off with El Hijo del Dr. Wagner Jr., which definitely piques interest.
- And finally, I really thought Lola Vice was poised for victory, especially with family support and promotional videos showcasing her. But, once again, momentum twisted. In a match outline crafted for her success, she came up short. Jacy Jayne benefited from an unexpected interference, frustratingly denying Lola a well-deserved championship moment.
All in all, No Mercy had its ups and downs. The wrestling didn’t quite let me down, but disappointing endings weren’t a highlight. The incredible women took center stage once more this time around, and the matches varied in excitement but left their stamp. Fresh MMA action awaits in just two weeks with the upcoming InVasion event – all eyes are on that!
What’s on your mind, fellow wrestling aficionados? Does Ricky’s rise hint a spark in the men’s division?
