WWE NXT Heatwave Results '24: Femi destroys Wes Lee, Perez psychopath vs. Vice, Ethan turns the Page

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Patrik Walker
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• 17 min read
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Talk about having a tough act to follow. NXT Heatwave was looking to provide a worthy WWE encore to all of the controversy spewed forth by the events of Money In the Bank from the prior evening, but there's no doubt the Black and Gold brand was to the task, as it has been weekly up against RAW and SmackDown. 

Thinking all of the WWE controversy being hurled toward the masses by RAW and SmackDown is all the promotion has to offer just means you’ve either been asleep or heavily medicated on Tuesdays, because NXT has been sensational over the past several months and, leading into their latest premium live event, they’ve really cranked the thermostat.

WATCH: JOHN CENA ANNOUNCES RETIREMENT TOUR.

The previous PLE saw a sensational crossover title match between TNA Knockouts Champion Jordynne Grace and NXT Women’s Champion Roxanne Perez, only for the Men’s Battle Royale that followed — for the right to face NXT Champion Trick Williams — to unveil the crossover debut of TNA superstar Joe Hendry.

In Toronto, the hometown of Ethan “All Ego” Page, would Trick Williams succumb to the odds that were insanely stacked against him??

Plenty of vitriol has been thrown around in the weeks leading up to Heatwave, in both the men’s and women’s division, and Heatwave was banger … after banger … after banger …

AFTER BANGER.

LOOK: FULL RECAP OF MITB CONTROVERSY.

Oba Femi had a stipulation for Wes Lee that could change the course of Lee’s career going forward, Lola Vice went full maniac mode in an instant classic against Lola Vice, Sol Ruca and Kelani Jordan went to war like two acrobats over the NXT Women’s North American Championship, and Chase U took Axiom and Nathan Frazer to the limit in their attempt to regain the NXT Men’s Tag Team titles.

Enjoy the recap and review of an outstanding PLE showing by Shawn Michael’s crew!

Pre-broadcast Women’s Tag Match 

Result: Karmen Petrovic and Arianna Grace defeat Jacy Jayne and Jazmyn Nyx in their homecoming match

NXT Men’s North American Championship

Oba Femi (c) vs. Wes Lee

Result: Femi wins clean (pinfall)

Reaction: Wes Lee is finally back on track after a slow start following his return, and he feels he would’ve recovered his North American Championship at Battleground if it were a singles match against Oba Femi and not a triple-threat bout. Femi, of course, is hearing none of that, considering how dominant the Nigerian has been in his ascension.

But if Lee really feels that way, then the only way to settle it is by adding a mountain of pressure to this title match at Heatwave, because Lee can never again challenge for the title against Femi if the latter takes the victory in Toronto — the current fate of Seth Rollins on RAW.

Your move, Wes.

The power of Femi was on full display and so was the disrespect.

“F-ck you!” yelled Femi as he literally slapped Wes Lee out of the ring with an open hand.

That was followed by Femi tossing Lee in the air like a helicopter blade that came crashing own to the mat, just flat-out rag-dolling him for the early part of the match. This was easily the most punishing match Lee has ever been in, and he’s been in some doozies before.

Femi was diabolical, standing and stomping on Lee’s surgically-repaired back and truly trying to debilitate him as the battle wore on.

You had to know Lee would eventually get back into it, though. He simply has too much ability and, more importantly, heart — even if it did take a very, very long time for it to occur.

Two kicks to Femi’s face and a sliding kick to take the big man to his knees opened up the best shot thus far for Lee to try and take the victory, and a Tornado DDT nearly got it done before Femi kicked out on the two-count. 

Things got hot and ready like a Little Caesar’s order at that point.

A Meteora to the back Femi’s head couldn’t get the champ down though, and an uppercut to a flying Lee nearly sent his head back across the Canadian-US border without its passport.

In the end, Lee simply had nothing left against the sheer power and brutality of Femi, and a Fall from Grace seated power bomb ended the match abruptly.

Femi retains the belt and Lee can never challenge him for it again.

Not ever.

Wes Lee has a lot to figure out going forward, and Femi awaits his next challenger, whomever that might be, and whomever is insane enough to step into the ring with him.

NXT Women’s North American Championship

Kelani Jordan (c) vs. Sol Ruca

Result: Jordan wins clean (pinfall)

Reaction: In a match that mostly stole the show at Battleground in Las Vegas, the ladder match to determine the inaugural NXT Women’s North American Champion was one for the ages, and one Sol Ruca was within a hair of winning — passing out Sol Snatchers toward the end of the match before planning to climb the ladder to grab the belt.

Instead, Jordan stormed in to cut that plan short and grab the title herself, having now successfully defended it on more than one occasion in the weeks since. Ruca’s rage presents Jordan’s most daunting challenge thus far as champion, though.

Is she ready?

It was time to find out.

Friends in real life, Jordan and Ruca are both former collegiate athletes who reminded the world of exactly that in this bout, constantly countering each other’s moves to a stalemate going into the midpoint of the booking.

This was so, so fun to watch. 

A face plant X Factor caught the champ off-guard though, and she found herself making sure her teeth were still in her head afterwards, as Ruca went right to several submission attempts, including the Surfboard that, to her credit, Jordan refused to tap out on.

Jordan got things working in her favor again shortly after that combination of punishing moves, but it became another even affair as the match rolled onward. By the time Ruca jumped off of the top rope and did a flipping somersault onto Jordan, a fairly new move for her, you knew this match was special. 

A Poisonrana and a moonsault to Ruca’s face got the crowd going crazy in Toronto.

“This is awesome,” the crowd chanted.

Jordan decided to avoid the countout victory though by climbing back into the ring when both ladies were outside, instead wanting a true pinfall or submission — a bold move in giving Ruca another chance when she didn’t have to.

An attempted Sol Snatcher couldn’t ended it but Jordan countered and nearly pinned her, but no dice, and a second Poisonrana was avoided to deliver an Alabama Slam into the top turnbuckle to rattle more of Jordan’s teeth … that was until the third attempt at a Poisonrana did in fact land.

One more maneuver, the split leg moonsault, to ensure Ruca was put to sleep and it was a wrap.

AND STILL.

Kelani Jordan is doing a magnificent job of showing she's here to stay.

NXT Men’s Tag Team Championship

Axiom (c) + Nathan Frazer (c) vs. Chase U (Andre Chase + Duke Hudson)

Result: Axiom, Nathan Frazer win clean (pinfall)

Reaction: Axiom has to be worried going into this match, at least a little, because Frazer has been stretching himself extremely thin with his bookings as of late — including tossing his hat into the WWE Speed ring and a singles go against the D’Angelo Family for The Heritage Cup — and that puts their chances of defending the tag team titles successfully in jeopardy. 

Each locker room encounter between the two, as of late, has felt a bit off for one reason or the other, while Chase U has operated on the opposite side of that spectrum and are more unified than ever; and it’s showing in their matches lately.

Hell, he barely arrived at Scotiabank Arena on time.

Chase U had the crowd on their side early, the Canadians chanting their name as Axiom tried to get a solid footing against Andre Chase but finding himself nearly pinned and seeing the titles return to Chase U only minutes into the mash.

Frazer would get the tag and then get the hands, literally, from Chase U.

Axiom would rejoin the action to save Frazer, and he had a much better showing than his first run at Andre Chase and allowing Frazer to tag back in to help with a double superkick to Chase’s face. Vengeance was waiting on the other side of a choke slam by Chase on Frazer though, Axiom needing to re-enter to again turn the tides. 

Chase was able to escape and tag Duke Hudson and the runaway train began wrecking shop on both Axiom and Frazer, and with no insurance deductible. 

The action spilled outside of the ring and that’s where Axiom and Frazer gained an advantage with suicide dives to level the field before tossing Hudson back into the ring and trying to put him to bed.

He couldn’t tuck him in, though.

Hudson even gave us all some Stratusfaction, sending Frazer reeling with a move a man that size shouldn’t be able to do, but can. And when Hudson was nearly combo beaten by the champs and succumbed to pinfall, a Canadian Driver from Andre Chase on Axiom — an insane execution of the move — prevented the three-count. 

Chase went on a rampage that also saw him dodge not one, but two punishing blows from Frazer that instead connected with Axiom’s cranium (uh oh).

They’d get things back together as a duo, and a Axiom would finish off Andre Chase with a Golden Ratio for the three-count.

This match blew the roof off of Scotiabank Arena.

And maybe, just maybe, this will heal some oozing wounds between Axiom and Nathan Frazer.

MAYBE.

NXT Women’s Championship

Roxanne Perez (c) vs. Lola Vice

Result: Perez wins clean (pinfall)

Reaction: The temporary alliance struck for precisely one match following Battleground between Perez and Vice ended as soon as that match did, when Perez hit Vice with a spinning elbow to the mouth during their post-win celebration in the middle of the ring.

Vice has since repaid that favor in spades, and all signs point to a detonation of this feud in Toronto at Heatwave between the reigning champ, who has proven herself worthy time and again of the title, and the contender with the MMA background who is also a climbing star at NXT.

The disrespect started early by both, Perez giving Vice an open-hand slap before damn near apologizing for doing it, getting thrown back by Vice who then salsa danced a bit.

What pressure? 

Perez narrowly avoided both an arm bar submission and then a spinning fist that would’ve ended the match before it truly got underway, but more salsa dancing gave the champ a chance to get her bearings and that’s exactly what happened en route to Vice getting bullied in the ring for a spell.

Vice began channeling her MMA background to steal momentum, from the countermoves to the rapid kicks that took all of the steam out of the sails of Perez. 

But when Vice missed a spinning back fist and hit the ring post instead, things began looking extremely bleak for the potentially injured Cubana. 

It didn’t take the fight out of Vice whatsoever, and she still used that injured hand to put a fist into the teeth of Perez, almost landing the pinfall before Perez put a leg on the rope to force a break. 

Perez wisely began focusing her entire attack on that right hand, landing a Pop Rocks that many thought would be the end of this but not so fast, my friend. Vice kicked out at the count of two and it infuriated Perez — losing what was left of her cool as she threw Vice out of the ring and then hit her with another Pop Rocks … this time on the announcer’s table.

“You will never be champion!” screamed Perez.

She threw Vice back in the ring and still Perez couldn’t get the three count, or the submission thereafter, and the rage meter began to flash within the brain of Perez that sent her into maniac mode.

Not one, not two, not three, not four… but FIVE Pop Rocks finishers is what it took to put Vice down for good.

After a genius level performance, The Prodigy continues to own NXT.

This was way too elite of a match to not turn it into a sequel, or even a trilogy, for the culture.

NXT Championship Fatal Four-Way 

Trick Williams (c) vs. Shawn Spears vs. Ethan Page vs. Je’Von Evans

Result: Ethan Page wins clean (pinfall)

Reaction: Speaking of that aforementioned Battle Royale, it was “The Young OG” Je’Von Evans taking the victory to face Williams at Heatwave, but not so fast, my friend. Ethan Page was “All Ego” in declaring he wasn’t eliminated and Evans accepted the challenge only to lose in singles combat, then only for Shawn Spears to defeat Page while reminding him he also defeated Evans prior to the Battle Royale.

Ava, NXT general manager, had enough of the lobbying and sanctioned a bombshell title match format for Toronto, the hometown of Page, by the way.

Evans is looking to put on a show in his first-ever PLE main event, though.

And, realistically speaking, the odds against Trick Williams were increased exponentially before he even entered the squared circle in Toronto, considering every other title was retained by its incumbent over the course of the evening, making it difficult to believe champions would go a perfect 5-for-5 on the evening.

Ring the bell.

Page tried to shrug off the fight by waving off the other three and stepping out of the ring, but Evans went after him with a suicide dive between the ropes because nice try but no cigar.

Spears and Page then play a game of “anything you can do, I can do better” by competing to see who could bounce the head of Evans and Williams off of the steel stairs with more power; and then re-entered the ring for a comedically curious exchange that thankfully ended with actual hands being thrown by Evans and Williams — who recovered and got into the ring to put a beat down on the both.

And after a friendly handshake, the two good friends, who were originally scheduled to meet in this match in a singles format, got to work giving each other exactly that: work.

Page and Spears tapped back into the fight party but were still bringing only the hors d'oeuvres early on, because it was Evans with his high-flying moves and Williams’ power that defined the match as Page and Spears tried to make an imprint of some kind.

Unlikely allies at one point, Williams and Page teamed up for a combo move to take down Evans and Spears and a double pin was almost the result. 

Almost.

Spears then turned into Vladimir Guerrero, Jr. with a steel chair, banging out home runs on the other three with every swing. It took all Williams had within his very being to kick out of the attempted pinfall that came right after it and another shot to the chair as it lay tilted in the corner.

Evans wouldn’t be denied in the highlight reel though, leaping from inside of the ring and over the top of the ring post while flipping forward and bombing on Williams and Page near the announcer’s table, taking out the barrier in the process.

DEAR GOD WHAT A MOVE.

He wasn’t done there though, passing out even more insane highlights and laying it all on the line for the title, decimating Page off of the top rope not once, but twice, and he almost took home the belt in that instance if not for Williams just narrowly diving onto him to stop the pinfall. Evans then gave Spears the middle finger before delivering a cutter off of the top rope and almost pinning him but in flew Williams yet again to save his belt.

Williams then threw his best friend off of the top rope and through the announcer’s table.

This match was so electric you could charge a Tesla with it.

Williams got caught slipping and ended up in a Sharpshooter but Page prevented the tap out and hit him with an Ego’s Edge, and Evans putting Williams’ foot on the rope to keep the fight going, despite having been broken in two by Williams only moments before, showed the many layers to this fight. 

Williams delivered three Trick Shots to all comers but was pulled out of the ring as Page collapsed backwards onto a downed Evans, winning the title in the luckiest of fashions — even he was surprised at how it went down in the end.

AND … NEW.

Standing ovation to NXT for putting on what you could argue was the event of the weekend.

Every match was unbelievable. 

BRAVO, SHAWN.

B R A V O.

P.S. Say his name. #WeSawThatHint

Author(s)
Patrik Walker Photo
Patrik Walker

Patrik [No C] Walker is an accredited, award-winning journalist and podcaster who has worked to become one of the most respected and recognizable forces covering the Dallas Cowboys. Having never lost his lifelong passion for the wrestling, the one-of-a-kind analyst is using his talents to complete a journey that began as a rambunctious kid wearing a championship belt fashioned from cardboard and aluminum foil, to the ranks of covering an industry that's had his heart pinned to the mat for decades now. Follow him on Twitter/X: VoiceOfTheStar.