The top three moments from NXT No Mercy

NXT No Mercy may just set the bar for quarter four as we begin to close out 2023. It’s without question the best PLE promo trailer belongs to NXT, after paying homage to the Nintendo video game with the current superstars of the card. With a packed arena in Bakersfield, the action over-delivered as well.

NXT No Mercy delivered a stellar card and these top moments

Every championship was defended on the night, and there were quite a few surprises. NXT feels like it’s back in the glory days of building tomorrow’s stars, while simultaneously feeling like the big time. No fan left disappointed from these top moments at NXT No Mercy.

“Whoop that Trick”

Trick Williams has officially arrived and is the new North American Champion. Being in the arena you could feel the aura that Trick has, and this is just the beginning of his destiny as a top star in singles competition. The mic skills have always been evident, though Williams’s in-ring ability and character development have quickly caught on.

Defeating perhaps the top heel in the company is a major endorsement. Also, it has to be noted that Trick wasn’t the original plan for this match before Mustafa Ali was unceremoniously released. That in itself speaks volumes of what the company thinks of Trick and how much investment the audience has in his story. The North American title has been a launch pad for many superstars, including Williams’s best friend Carmelo Hayes. Trick Williams could very well be a main-event player by Wrestlemania weekend in Philadelphia.

Symphony of Violence

Ilja Dragunov and match of the year candidates are synonymous with one another. Another beautifully violent match goes into the archives of Dragonuv, and he is now the new NXT World Champion. This entire match was the moment as it kept everyone on the edge of their seat. All of the near falls and close finishes told a story of two athletes at the absolute peak of their game.

Melo reigning as the NXT World Champion for only six months was certainly a shocker, and Ilja now is the man who made Melo miss. It will be interesting to see if there is a trilogy in this rivalry. As these two brought another level out of each other at No Mercy that will be hard to top. Hayes has seemed destined for Raw or Smackdown for some time, but maybe Dragonuv was just the antagonist to bring back the old Melo. If there is a round three, there will be zero complaints and all will be watching.

Welcome to the Big Time!

The NXT Women’s Championship world tour continues with Becky Lynch retaining versus Tiffany Stratton. To think this rivalry and run started from a Freudian slip and here we are. Lynch brought the main event to NXT, and this extreme rules match brought the warrior out of both competitors. The use of tables, broken dolls, trash cans, and fire extinguishers gave attitude era nostalgia. Even the Walking Dead took to social media and acknowledged Lynch for her barbed wire baseball bat.

Tiffany Stratton may have lost but she looked like a major star in this fight. Executing an array of aerial moves that left the audience speechless. The world’s prettiest moonsault is one thing, but Stratton now holds the best Swanton Bomb in the business. Sometimes superstars need the right dance partners to bring out their A-plus game and Lynch did just that for Stratton. Even in the eyes of defeat, there’s no doubt it’s still “Tiffy Time.” Whether she eventually becomes a two-time champ or moves on, Tiffany Stratton has next.