NXT Battleground featured a TNA Championship match on a WWE PLE for the first time as Joe Hendry main-evented against Trick Williams at the Yuengling Center in Tampa, Florida. The show followed Saturday Night’s Main Event in the same arena, with the same set-up at around 8,000 fans. The wrestling weekend takeovers will continue on June 7 with Worlds Collide, as WWE’s acquisition of AAA keeps the inter-promotional trend going. Williams made history by joining the TNA Championship lineage, but Battleground was business as usual for NXT in 2025 with the women’s division earning their own spotlight.
Sol Ruca (c) vs Kehlani Jordan – Women’s North American Championship
Zaria pushes Ruca out on a skateboard, and Za-Ruca is fine for now. Commentary claims Jordan has developed a “killer instinct,” but the challenger has stagnated within the women’s division. They trade gymnastic reversals, Jordan previously competing at Michigan State University. She takes control with a rope-hung leg drop, and Ruca comes back with a risky top-rope facebuster. They garner “this is awesome” chants from an enthusiastic Tampa, Jordan hits a springboard moonsault to the outside, and Ruca comes back with a handspring moonsault to “NXT” chants. They trade frog splashes, Ruca escapes a top-rope Poisonrana on her feet, and Jordan returns with a top-rope Spanish Fly. Zaria helps Ruca avoid a moonsault and is promptly ejected, and the champion comes back with an insane top-rope Sol Snatcher. For two young competitors, their high-spots looked effortless, and both popped an arena with professional poise.
Winner: Sol Ruca
NXT General Manager Ava speaks with AAA’s Dalys and Chik Tormenta ahead of Worlds Collide on June 7. After, TNA’s Mike Santana is interviewed backstage, here to watch Hendry versus Williams for the TNA Championship. No Quarter Catch Crew interrupts, and Charlie Dempsey complains about another outsider in NXT. Tavion Heights offers up a match on Tuesday, they shake on it, and Santana is evidently justified for betting on himself.
The Culling vs Josh Briggs, Hank Walker and Tank Ledger
The NXT Tag Team Champions and Briggs bring immediate intensity, landing triple outside dives. The Cullings’s Niko Vance takes ferocious control, habitually making him a Performance Center standout, and Brooks Jensen is there too. Shawn Spears’ appearance garners “10” chants, and he lands opposite to Ledger’s hot-tag. The champions deliver a double superplex, The Culling hit double elbows, and Briggs hits a moonsault for two. Walker balks on a pin breakup to “ref, you suck” chants, and they lose momentum from there. Izzi Dame boots Briggs with the referee distracted, but the latter comes back with two lariats. The champions hit the “honk honk” on Jensen for victory, but The Culling commit a post-match assault thereafter. Dame attempts to grab a steel chair, but Briggs’ former partner Yoshiki Inamura makes the save. “I thought he was in Japan!” Booker T says in dismay.
Winners: Josh Briggs, Hank Walker and Tank Ledger
Ethan Page talks down the camera about his North American Championship match against Ricky Saints this Tuesday. He says Saints’ charisma is for show and copied Page’s ascent into NXT. In comes Ava, who announces that their match will open on Tuesday, and the winner will defend at Worlds Collide.
Tony D’Angelo vs Channing “Stacks” Lorenzo
“Stacks” enters to an acceptable new def rebel theme and steps over The D’Angelo Family crest. “The Don” and “The Underboss” scrap in the early goings, and “Stacks” gains control with a dropkick into the steel steps. “Stacks” makes it obvious he isn’t a singles guy, and D’Angelo finally makes a comeback with signature suplexes and a spinebuster. “Stacks” catches an arm triangle, D’Angelo escapes with ground-and-pound but hesitates on beating his former brother. “Why stop now?” Vic Joseph aptly asks. D’Angelo avoids a cannonball and hits Forgetta Bout It for two, “Stacks” hits a rope-hung missile dropkick and tries grabbing the crowbar. It isn’t there, and “Stacks” begs for forgiveness before D’Angelo hits another spinebuster. Luca Crusifino appears, not dead in the desert, as “Stacks” capitalizes with a low-blow and running knee for three.
Winner: Channing “Stacks” Lorenzo
Crusifino extends himself for a hug, but D’Angelo declines and backs away. This is like watching high-school drama from super seniors rather than an Italian mob.
Jordynne Grace vs Stephanie Vaquer (c) – NXT Women’s Championship
“La Primera” chants ring out for Vaquer, arguably the face of NXT. She finally meets a challenger with equaling in-ring prowess, and Grace counters the Booker T move with an atomic drop to the announce desk – in one fluid motion. The champion comes back with a springboard crossbody, Eat Defeat and a corner meteora. Tampa explodes for the Booker T move with a chorus of “ahh, ahh, ahhs!” Grace returns with a superplex and Jackhammer combo for two, they trade finisher reversals, and Vaquer sends Grace through the ringside barricade. Grace kicks out of SVB to Tampa’s shock, but Vaquer connects with a backwards Spiral Tap for victory. It isn’t news, but the women’s division runs NXT.
Winner: Stephanie Vaquer
Sarah Schreiber invites North American Champion Ricky Saints into the ring with his superstar entrance. Saints says he’s tired of Ethan Page, who attempts to blindside him before officials appears. The champion jumps onto the mass, looking ahead to whoever challenges him or Page at Worlds Collide.
Myles Borne vs Oba Femi (c) – NXT Championship
Partially-deaf Borne gets his opportunity to become Femi’s next meal, and his underdog story is met with “Oba’s gonna kill you” chants. He evades Femi with agility and scores with an impressive dropkick, but the champion of course powers over him. On top of Femi’s overly methodical offense, commentary talks about WWE LFG winner Jasper Troy, presumably next up after attacking the champion on Tuesday. Borne finally fights back with an outside dive and vintage powerslam for two. Femi catches a standing moonsault for a chokeslam, Borne hits a mid-air German and a frog splash for two. The challenger spams a fourth dropkick and kicks out of Fall From Grace, but two consecutive bombs from Femi puts it away. “The Ruler” retains as expected, but Borne did enough to give Tampa hope.
Winner: Oba Femi
Cameras catch AAA’s Dalys and Chik Tormenta arguing with Stephanie Vaquer backstage, and Fatal Influence’s Jacy Jayne gives the champion a slap. Commentary doesn’t know what to make of it but announces official matches for Tuesday: Mike Santana versus Tavion Heights and Troy’s in-ring debut.
Trick Williams vs Joe Hendry (c) – TNA Championship
TNA President Carlos Silva is featured ringside as Hendry defends the TNA Championship on a WWE PLE for the first time. The match begins with a roaring standing ovation and “TNA” chants like a real bizarro world. Hendry full-sends his “250 pounds of pure motivation” over the ropes, but Williams comes back with a zoom-in shot of his own. They trade strikes, and Williams prevails with an axe kick and Spinarooni – only for Hendry to hit a Bookend, which Vic Joseph calls the Rock Bottom. Hendry is ironically the personification of the WWE style and gives the “average Joe” – as Williams calls him – performance perfectly. He eventually hits Standing Ovation, Williams gets a rope break and caves the champion into the announce desk with a uranage. Williams hits Trick Shot for two, grabs the TNA Championship and eye-pokes Hendry. He flapjacks Hendry into the belt and delivers one final Trick Shot, winning the TNA Championship in a history-making moment. Between AAA and TNA, it’s a new era for WWE – although the Trick Willy era is still going strong.
Winner: Trick Williams