By John Moore, ProWrestling.net Staffer (@liljohnm)

NXT TV
Live from Orlando, Florida at the WWE Performance Center
Aired October 18, 2022 on USA Network

[Hour One] Vic Joseph and Booker T were on commentary. Alicia Taylor was the ring announcer…

The Judgement Day, Finn Balor, Rhea Ripley, Dominik Mysterio, and Damien Priest made their entrance to start the show. The crowd gave Rhea, Finn, and Damian a loud ovation and “Welcome Back” chants (Dom bypassed NXT)…

1. Roxanne Perez vs. Rhea Ripley (w/Finn Balor, Dominik Mysterio, Damian Priest). Rhea Ripley dominated the first 2 minutes with power moves and chain wrestling. Roxanne rallied back with forearms. Rhea was dumped to ringside. Rhea sidestepped to avoid a suicide dive. Perez went for a huracanrana, but Ripley turned it into an Electric Chair Facebuster. Ripley and Priest high fived heading into picture-in-picture.[c]

They finally updated the picture-in-picture graphic to just “NXT”. Rhea pummeled Perez with mounted forearms and trash talk. Perez avoided Ripley’s signature stomp and boot. Perez rallied back with low kicks to the shin, a judo roll, and a few European Uppercuts. Perez and Ripley traded a few rough counters. Perez escaped a hold with a jawbreaker. Perez sidestepped a spear, sending Ripley into the ringpost and on the ground. Perez hit Ripley with a Seated Tope Dive. Ripley staggered Perez on the top rope with a chop.

Perez slipped out of a superplex attempt. Perez hit Ripley with a top rope Frankensteiner for a two count. Perez had the advantage in the strike exchange. Ripley came back with a facebuster suplex for a two count. Perez escaped a Rip Tide and hit Ripley with a back kick. Ripley escaped Pop Rocks. Dominik distracted Perez, to allow Ripley to give Perez a headbutt and Rip Tide for the win.

Rhea Ripley defeated Roxanne Perez via pinfall in 12:46. 

John’s Thoughts: Good showing as usual from Roxanne and nice return to TV for Rhea Ripley. Both looked good and Ripley didn’t look to have missed a beat with the long in-ring layoff (though she has shined in a non-wrestling role in recent months). I really like the finish, as they protected Perez, put more heat on Dom (who arguably gets the loudest heat in WWE), and they also didn’t make Rhea look weak by having the distraction happen off a visual victory/pinfall. Efficient. Booker was better than usual here and felt natural calling his Reality of Wrestling student. Hopefully he can take some of that natural reaction and react like that throughout the show (I think he’d be better if he was paired up with someone who calls moves though, like a Michael Cole, Rich Brennan, or Tom Phillips).

Cameron Grimes, Doc Gallows, and Karl Anderson were chatting and playing around in the locker room. Grimes showed the Good Brothers a pile of money. This pleased them and they all Too Sweet’ed. The commentary team hyped up the six person tag  set for later in the show…

Channing “Stacks” Lorenzo and an injured Tony D’Angelo made their entrance. D’Angelo took the mic and said it was a big night for Stacks, who should be ready to throw down. Stacks held open the ropes for the injured Tony. Tony hyped up Stacks for his mystery opponent. Tony milked the crowd about the mystery reveal, and sent the show to commercial…[c]

An ad aired to hype up Logan Paul’s appearance on this week’s Smackdown…

McKenzie Mitchell interviewed Grayson Waller about him being off his game. Waller talked about how the spinning wheel freaked him out. He said he beat Apollo Crews already and even blinded him with his star power. As Waller was bragging, Chucky, the creepy doll, appeared on the monitor to inform Waller that his match on Saturday against Apollo is a Spin the Wheel Make the Deal match. Waller walked away looking paranoid…

Back in the ring, Shinsuke Nakamura was revealed to be the opponent of Stacks…

John’s Thoughts: Shawn Michaels is lucky. Hunter had a hard time back in the Black and Gold days doing anything with the main roster. Any time Shawn wants to pop a rating, he just asks brotha Paul to bring over everyone (as he also did in the one week build to World’s Colide).

2. Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Channing “Stacks” Lorenzo (w/Tony D’Angelo). Nakamura hit Lorenzo with his signature vibration kick as the crowd chanted Nakamura’s theme. Nakamura slammed Lorenzo to the ground for a two count. Booker noted that Nakamura is a former IWGP champion. Nakamura hit Lorenzo with knee strikes on the ground. Nakamura toyed with Lorenzo with low kick combos. Lorenzo caught a kick and gave Nakamura right forearms.

Lorenzo hit Nakamura with a snapmare and fist drop for a two count. Nakamura gave Lorenzo a lariat and did the “come on” pose. Nakamura hit Lorenzo with a strike combo and baseball slide German Suplex. Nakamura got a two count on Lorenzo. Joseph announced that Grayson Waller has just left the building. Nakamura did a flip right into a Juji Gatame. Stacks escaped and hit Nakamura with a spinning uppercut. Nakamura hit Lorenzo with his wheel kick and dumped him to ringside with a Kinshasa.

Tony D gave Nakamura a nod at ringside, which Vic said was interisting and tough love. Shinsuke hit Lorenzo with the Kinshasa Kick for the win.

Shinsuke Nakamura defeated Channing Lorenzo via pinfall in 5:22. 

The commentary team noted that Stacks looked good for losing after two Kinshasa kicks. Tony D’Angelo told Stacks that he was proud of Stacks for the fight he showed…

John’s Thoughts: Simple and sweet match with Stacks looking good in an expected defeat. Hopefully they use Lorenzo taking two kicks as character development down the road. I do also hope that they don’t continue to use Tony D and Stacks as a tag team. Either give Tony another goon, or have Tony go after singles gold with Stacks as the heater.

Axiom and Nathan Frazer were complementing each other for their last several matches against each other. Axiom said he’s going to be rooting for Frazer to win on Saturday. Von Wagner and Robert Stone showed up to intimidate Axiom and Frazer. Wagner called Frazer a “soccer boy”. Axiom held back Frazer…

Alba Fyre made her entrance to the Performance Center ring…[c]

Sonya Deville made her entrance, flanked by Gigi Dolin and Jacy Jayne…

3. Alba Fyre vs. Sonya Deville (w/Gigi Dolin, Jacy Jayne). Deville pressured Fyre in the corner. Both women traded shoves. Fyre hit Deville with a headbutt. Fyre hit Deville with strikes in the corners. Deville tripped Fyre off the top rope and gave Fyre a pump kick for a two count. Fyre came back with an Irish Whip and clothesline. Fyre hit Deville with chops and a front suplex. Fyre hit Deville with a Soccer Kick. Dolin and Jayne got on the apron for a distraction. Fyre fended all three women off. Deville accidentally gave Dolin a pump kick. Fyre rolled up Deville for the victory.

Alba Fyre defeated Sonya Deville via pinfall in 2:09. 

The three women put the boots to Fyre afterwards. Suddenly, NXT Women’s Champion Mandy Rose made her entrance(wearing a revealing see through body suit. Rose cut a promo about how she was going to be ruthless. Part of her promo was cut off by the feed going black randomly. Fyre fought out of the heels’ hold. The heels retreated when she swung around her red bat…

Wes Lee and Oro Mensah were chatting in the locker room. They talked about being former US and UK tag team champions. Trick Williams and Carmelo Hayes showed up and jumped Mensah and Lee. Booker chuckled. The brawl spilled to ringside…[c]

John’s Thoughts: Good to see main roster stars aren’t just going to be tearing through NXT stars, but this result was totally expected given Sonya is coming off her role as a non-wrestling authority figure, and Fyre is going into Saturday as the challenger for the women’s title. Good to see Mandy back too and prayers to her and her family for their recent loss (which is why she was not on TV the last few weeks).

The match was joined in progress…

4. Wes Lee and Oro Mensah vs. Carmelo Hayes and Trick Williams. Williams clocked Lee with a pop up right hook. Mensah and Melo came in with Oro hitting Trick with a Scissors Kick. Trick tripped up Oro off the springboard.  Vic Joseph noted that this match is a preview to the North American Championship ladder match on Saturday. Oro hit Trick with a standing Liger Kick. Lee and Melo tagged in  with Lee pressuring Melo with boxer punches and a bulldog. Williams tripped Lee off the top rope. Oro nailed Trick with a Gamengiri and Axe Handle strike.

Melo caught Lee with a Codebreaker. Melo hit Lee with the top rope scissors kick for the win.

Carmelo Hayes and Trick Williams defeated Wes Lee and Oro Mensah via pinfall  in 2:43. 

Melo nailed Oro and Lee with a flip dive. Von Wagner showed up and gave Melo a big boot. Frazer showed up and gave Wagner a top rope crossbody. The dreaded censored  (via USA network) “holy shit” chants enused…

Joe Gacy was standing next to Rip Fowler and Jagger Reid. Gacy cut one of his mildly-creepy promos about Grimes being a hypocrite for some reason. Gacy also cuts his promos via a handheld camera now…[c]

John’s Thoughts: Harmless filter to “preview” the North American championship Ladder Match at Halloween Havoc. Does Melo winning means he is going to lose on Saturday? Melo is the safest pick if WWE wants a credible champion with the North American title, but I also wouldn’t mind if they use the title to elevate someone else. Via story direction, it feels like WWE is building momentum towards either Nathan Frazer or Wes Lee winning (with Oro and Wagner in the match to mix things up, but not seem like a viable winner).