WWE and UFC’s synergetic relationship reached new heights this past weekend. WWE NXT hosted NXT Battleground from the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, marking the first time that the facility had been used for something other than mixed martial arts. NXT Battleground was historic on multiple fronts, as not only did it represent the aforementioned WWE x UFC tie, but it also hosted the first-ever clash between a contracted TNA wrestler and a WWE wrestler when TNA Knockouts Champion Jordynne Grace challenged NXT Women’s Champion Roxanne Perez. That match, like many on the card, was a singles contest, but multiple others involved a bigger group of talent, meaning much of those bouts’ action spilled to the outside.
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WWE NXT Stars “Unhappy” With UFC Apex Set-Up
That outside action left a lot to be desired.
As reported by insider account @WrestleVotes, “a handful” of talent that competed on NXT Battleground were “unhappy with the floor spacing” around the ring. The dimensions that the superstars were working with were said to be “noticeably tighter” than standard WWE NXT events. It’s unclear as to if these limitations were specifically due to the size of the UFC Apex or if WWE constructed a tighter set-up on its own and was unaware of the limitations at play.
Regardless of the constraints, NXT Battleground ran successfully. The event opened with a ladder match to crown the first-ever NXT Women’s North American Champion, a multi-woman contest that was won by Kelani Jordan. NXT Tag Team Champions Nathan Frazer and Axiom went on to successfully defend their titles against the heavily-decorated unit of Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson. Lola Vice got her grudge match win over Shayna Baszler in an NXT Underground contest, and Oba Femi retained his NXT North American Championship against challengers Wes Lee and Joe Coffey.
The pair of marquee matches each saw title retentions. NXT Women’s Champion Roxanne Perez held onto her prize, defeating TNA Knockouts Champion Jordynne Grace after Grace let outside shenanigans distract her. The main event played out similarly, as NXT Champion Trick Williams retained his title over former AEW star Ethan Page, who was receiving an unprecedented title match in his first WWE bout, due to Page losing focus by shouting at the referee.
WWE NXT returns to television this Tuesday, June 11th at 8 PM ET on USA Network.
