NXT HITS & MISSES 8/1 & 8/8: Ciampa’s gloating promo after title win, LaRae vs. Baszler, Dream welcomes EC3 to poolside, Black vs. Gargano

AUGUST 1 EPISODE

HITS

Tomasso Ciampa Promo: What a way to end the show.  Tomasso Ciampa entered Full Sail Arena as the top guy and clearly he knows it.  Ciampa gets better and better each week as a heel and rubbed the crowd’s noses in his recent accomplishment.  He brilliantly mocked the crowd for their misery, claiming how he made NXT the “A” show and subtly saying that the belt was so heavy. Ciampa is truly diabolical and as he went on to their dismay, Aleister Black was making his way to the ring to confront Ciampa only to be passed by Johnny Gargano.  Gargano ran into the ring and attached Ciampa viciously, running him off into the crowd.  Gargano has become a rabbit dog as he is consumed with vengeance, shouting at Ciampa, “You’re only the champion because of me) while Black slowly made his way into the ring and put Gargano out of his misery with Black Mass.

Candice LaRae vs. Shayna Baszler: Great match as the storytelling definitely drove this match as Shayna Baszler is the menacing brute that doesn’t take her eager challenger, Candice LaRae, seriously.  Over the last couple of weeks, Baszler has been brushing off LaRae until she smacked her to get her attention.  LaRae continued this aggression by started the match off strong with not backing down and coming right at Baszler.  Baszler ended up injuring LaRae’s arm and like a shark to water, Baszler focused on it with locks and strikes.  LaRae fought back and made a strong comeback with an unprettier, but just as her fate at last year’s Mae Young Classic, Baszler picked up the win and after the match, put her back in the Kafuda Clutch until the referees and Kairi Sane made the save.  This just adds to the ongoing rivalry between Baszler and Sane at Takeover: Brooklyn 4 to where it will be more personal than the last time that they met in the ring.

MISSES

None

Final Thoughts: Pretty solid week as we saw Heavy Machinery get some retribution to the Mighty with some assistance from the Street Profits in addition to the return of Mustache Mountain as they were both impressive and apologetic to the crowd for their loss to the Undisputed Era and losing the title while invoking their rematch clause for the tag team championship at Takeover: Brooklyn 4.  EC 3 had a match with Kona Reeves that was mediocre as best, to which is a shame to see how EC3 is used as of late.  Overall, the show helped to set up for the coming pay per view event and was a success as it served its purpose.

AUGUST 8 EPISODE

HITS

Vanessa Bourne vs. Taynara Conti (Mae Young Qualifying Match):  Surprisingly this was a good match.  This is not to take anything away from either one of these ladies but we would not expect for them to carry a strong match together at this time.  What made this match so good that it served a purpose that both characters showed commitment to in their aspirations for getting that last spot to compete in this year’s Mae Young Classic tournament.  Both wrestlers showed their emotion as each tried to outdo the other.  Bourne was her aggressive heel self all the while showing great wrestling skills throughout the match, either grappling Conti on the mat or putting her in a submission lock.  Conti was impressive as well as she displayed her judo skills that she has built her persona around.  Both showed grit and determination in their quest for the last spot and that intensity is what made the match good, in addition to some decent wrestling.  It was Conti picking up the win, only hoping she may be a Cinderella story in the tournament as she was thankful for just being able to compete.

Aleister Black vs. Johnny Gargano: There was definitely no love lost between these two new enemies as they went right after each other after the bell rang.  Black got the upper hand at first but Gargano soon came back.  Each man to their turn delivering hits as well as countering others as each one had studied the other or is just very familiar with the other.  Before the might could really pick up, Tomasso Ciampa came out and attacked both men calling for a no contest.  Gargano soon turned the tables on Ciampa only to be attacked by Black.  Then Black attacked Ciampa and Gargano would hit Black and go back after Ciampa.  After this went on for a while, William Regal came out and made the NXT Championship match a triple threat match at Takeover: Brooklyn 4.  It will be interesting to see how this plays out because honestly, Black needs to be on the main event roster while this feud between Gargano and Ciampa, even though very good, is starting to run old.  Where everything will go, who knows?

MISSES

Velveteen Dream/EC3 promo: This promo was just not needed, essentially pointless and short.  The depth of their rivalry didn’t really warrant this type of segment as it seems like a feud thrown together for two people who don’t have anything better to do at this moment.  I mean, just in the beginning, the Dream asks EC3 to sit down only to ask him if he would like to take a walk?  It they were going for humor, they succeeded but anything other than that is just, well, whatever.  A promo with them interacting cold have been done in the ring since you didn’t even get the “Velveteen Dream Experience”.  All in all, the segment just was not needed.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Another solid show, better than last week’s episode as it set more a tone for the Takeover: Brooklyn 4.  We saw Ricochet attacked before even making his entrance by the Undisputed Era as Cole mocked him for calling him a coward, which was both brilliant and ironic.  Kassius Ohno faced a jobber and in my opinion, is teasing a heel turn and the impressive debut from Keith Lee showing off his amazing athletic skills.  It seems as though the stage is set as the next episode will just serve as icing on the cake.

NOW CHECK OUT THIS RECENT FLASHBACK: NXT HITS & MISSES 7/18 & 7/25: Aleister Black vs. Tomasso Ciampa, Dakota Kai vs. Lacey Evans, Kairi Sane/Shayna Baszler promo, Kairi vs. Cross vs. LeRae