WWE NXT Results: Winners, Live Grades, Reaction and Highlights from May 28

The promise of Battleground on the horizon made the May 28 edition of WWE NXT an important show.

Trick Williams and Je'Von Evans teamed together to battle Gallus. The heel stable claimed all the NXT champions as targets. What would Joe Coffey, Mark Coffey and Wolfgang do to continue making their statement?

Ava promised to announce the next challenger to NXT women's champion Roxanne Perez. With a tease that this could be a main roster figure, who stepped up to The Prodigy?

The NXT Women's North American Championship ladder match was filled out after two final qualifiers: Michin vs. Tatum Paxley, and Kelani Jordan vs. Wren Sinclair.

Rapper Sexyy Red made a unique appearance in NXT. What role would she play in the brand's chaotic environment?

Ridge Holland hoped to clear up his issues with Riley Osborne one-on-one.

What would NXT deliver on the road to Battleground on June 9 at the UFC Apex?

Sexyy Red announced she would be the host of Battleground and unveiled the NXT Women's North American Championship.

Tatum Paxley tried to steal the title, but Michin fought her off.

The match that followed was consistently back and forth before The HBIC caught Paxley with Eat Defeat.

Some nice character moments somewhat elevated action that was mostly forgettable. The two athletes did not seem to have a strong direction for their match, leading to a contest that took too long to get going.

The expected winner advanced as Michin did not come down to NXT to lose, but Paxley should not be forgotten. NXT has dropped the ball with her momentum since the Triple Threat for the NXT Women's Championship.

Michin will play an important role in a ladder match of less-experienced competitors. She can keep things moving, and this is the best spotlight she has received since her debut.

Result

Michin def. Paxley by pinfall to qualify for the NXT Women's North American Championship ladder match.

Grade

C-

Notable Moments

• Jaida Parker arrived to watch the match to a loud "Miss Parker" chant.
• Paxley and Michin had a meeting of crazed smiles, showing that The HBIC was the rare woman who could match her wildness.
  

Riley Osborne fought hard but was outmatched. Ridge Holland kicked him off the rope and planted him with the Redeemer.

Afterward, Osborne refused to shake Holland's hand.

On paper, this was not that exciting a matchup. Osborne has struggled to stand out in any action, while Holland cannot seem to get the crowd behind him again.

This was the most interesting match Holland has delivered since leaving The Brawling Brutes to rejoin NXT. Some basic acting and a solid dramatic backing made the action feel more urgent.

Holland did the heavy lifting, but both men meshed well. The right man won as the Englishman is still too high up the card to lose to Osborne.

It is hard to tell what the plan is with Osborne. Recent weeks have teased he could turn heel, but that seems like a fast move for a star who is still in his rookie year.

Result

Holland def. Osborne by pinfall.

Grade

B

Notable Moments

• Andre Chase, Duke Hudson and Thea Hail supported Osborne on his way to the ring. Holland did not look happy coming out alone.
• As Holland beat down Osborne, he told Chase U that he did not want to do this.
• Holland caught Osborne with a forearm off a suicide dive. Hail barely stopped the veteran from using the steel steps.
• Later, Hudson took Osborne aside to talk about their concerns about Holland.
  

Edris Enofé tried his best to shake the feeling that bad luck was following him, but he and Malik Blade still fell to the Magic Killer of Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson.

Afterward, Nathan Frazer and Axiom attacked their rivals and officially agreed to a title match for Battleground.

The two teams looked good together, but it may have gone too long for the complete lack of drama. Enofé and Blade never had a believable shot throughout this match.

Still, The O.C. showed off some great in-ring psychology that will serve the team well against Frazer and Axiom. It was another big win for the tag title challengers that sets them up as a serious threat.

The segment served its role well, clearly showcasing why this is the angle that the NXT tag team division needs.

Result

Gallows and Anderson def. Enofé and Blade by pinfall.

Grade

B-

Notable Moments

• Before their match, The O.C. challenged Frazer and Axiom to step up and put the tag titles on the line.
• Enofé accidentally fell onto Brinley Reece at ringside, sending her to the back for a medical evaluation.
  

Roxanne Perez questioned why Ava continued to disrespect her.

The NXT general manager revealed the TNA Knockouts champion Jordynne Grace as her next challenger.

Grace came out to reintroduce herself to the fans and state that she was challenging The Prodigy to see which of them was the better leader of their women's division.

This was a genuinely shocking reveal. Grace appeared in the women's Royal Rumble as a fun moment, but no one expected her to work another WWE match (at least while she was signed with TNA).

Perez vs. Grace is a money match that no other women's bout in NXT could equal. While the result is more or less certain, both have the talent to sell the unthinkable as a possibility in the build for this one.

Grade

A

Notable Moments

• Stevie Turner complained to Ava about Grace jumping the line for a title shot. Grace agreed to fight Turner next week.
  
• In a vignette, Eddy Thorpe declared he was reborn.
  
• Charlie Dempsey told No Quarter Catch Crew that he needed the Heritage Cup back and would take control of the group to find success.
• Tony D'Angelo promised to beat No Quarter Catch Crew at their own game next week.
• In a pre-taped video, Carlee Bright talked about her cheerleading background and new love for wrestling. Izzi Dame mocked Natalya for talking up Bright until Dame and Karmen Petrovic started brawling.

Arianna Grace did not want to fight Lola Vice, and it showed in her discomfort throughout. Vice knocked her out with a spinning back fist.

After the match, Vice mocked Shayna Baszler until The Queen of Spades arrived. Officials barely kept them apart.

Vice picked up an expected win in an absolute squash. This was the right decision so close to her match against The Queen of Spades in NXT Underground.

Hopefully, NXT has bigger plans for Grace soon because she does not feel like the same star she did a couple months back. Her story with Gigi Dolin may have been dropped, and she is not lasting long against quality opponents.

Result

Vice def. Grace by pinfall.

Grade

C

Notable Moments

• Grace talked her way into a match by insinuating Vice was not a legitimate cage fighter like Baszler.
  

Dante Chen caught Lexis King arguing with the referee to pick up a three-count off a crucifix in a quick rematch.

King responded by violently attacking Chen, hitting him with the Coronation on the exposed floor.

Once again, Chen won by cheap pinfall rather than looking like a serious contender throughout the match. Luckily, the post-match attack somewhat saved this repetitive angle.

King's attack showed a new angle to his character, more than just the slimy manipulator. While he is not delivering much in the ring, his promo work has steadily established him, allowing a moment like this to be a possible turning point.

Hopefully, Chen will be allowed to have a full engaging match in a final battle of these new rivals. His entrance at least helps him stand out.

Result

Chen def. King by pinfall.

Grade

D

Notable Moments

• Chen cut a pre-taped promo about what his win last week meant to him.
• King interrupted Chen backstage. Chen agreed to a rematch to show his win was not a fluke.
• In a vignette, Josh Briggs promised to find himself. Shawn Spears watched closely and then said he would lead the youth to their answer.
  

Kelani Jordan would not be denied, putting down Wren Sinclair with the One of a Kind split-legged moonsault to win.

Two talented women barely got enough time to warm up before this was over. There were a few hints of what they could do together, but this felt even shorter than the three-minute run time.

The right woman won. Jordan has found herself on the verge of a breakout moment for months, and she is going to be the linchpin of what will be a chaotic ladder match.

With the field set, Jordan is the closest to a dark-horse contender for the victory, while Sol Ruca and Fallon Henley would be the clearest betting favorites.

Result

Jordan def. Sinclair by pinfall to qualify for the Women's North American Championship ladder match.

Grade

C-

Notable Moments

• Henley joined commentary for this match, but she did not get to say much before the short action was complete.
  

Sexyy Red made sure Gallus could not cheat to win, setting up Mark Coffey to walk right into a Trick Knee to deliver the win for the champion and Je'Von Evans.

Lash Legend arrived afterward to confront Trick alone. The lights went out, and "All Ego" Ethan Page struck, laying out Trick.

Page took credit for laying out Noam Dar and Oro Mensah, and then raised the NXT Championship high.

It is a surprisingly rare sight for the Coffey brothers to team together as Mark and Wolfgang have become the more established duo. Unfortunately, the match never really amounted to much in terms of action.

Sexyy at ringside was more of a character in the action than Mark was allowed to be. Gallus looked like chumps at the wrong time.

However, did any of it matter when NXT had an absolutely monumental surprise left in store to end the night?

In a hot wrestling market, Page took a big chance and was immediately treated like a main event star in his first night in NXT. Hopefully, that is only the beginning for All Ego, who may be the best WWE signing of 2024.

He instantly freshens up what looked like a stale men's main event scene and becomes the newest opponent for Trick.

Result

Trick and Evans def. Gallus

Grade

C+ (for the action); A+ (for the shocking reveal)

Notable Moments

• Meta-Four blamed Gallus for Noam Dar's injuries, but Joe and Mark would not take credit.
• Cameras found Oro Mensah laid out backstage like Dar weeks before.
• Sexyy danced with the faces at ringside, but Joe made them pay, sending Evans face-first into the steel steps.

With limited hype going into this match beyond the potential audience drawn in from Sexyy Red's appearance, NXT delivered some of its biggest shock moments of the Shawn Michaels era.

On a night when the matches were almost universally forgettable, Jordynne Grace and "All Ego" Ethan Page delivered a one-two punch of surprises that may make waves for months to come.

Grace's appearance is somewhat hampered by the fact that she is unlikely to stick around after Battleground, but she will make the most of her time, elevating Roxanne Perez further up the card.

Page arrives just weeks after his All Elite Wrestling contract expired, immediately adding a main event presence to the brand if he can live up to his long-discussed untapped potential.

While the in-ring action does matter, this show delivered in a way that made it easy to forget the action. This was a statement night from NXT and a perfect hype show for Battleground.

Overall Grade: A-