SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
LA KNIGHT vs. GREYSON WALLER w/ Sanga
For weeks now, Waller and Knight have been odds at one another. Last week at Vengeance Day, Waller attempted to have Knight arrested for breaking the restraining order. Once it was revealed to the cops that Waller broke it himself, it became open season on Greyson Waller leading to this match tonight.
I’ve been very high on Waller since his heel turn some months ago. His in-ring work has always impressed me, but his character work since his heel turn has been fantastic. He’s been able to pull off a cowardly heel very well, making you love to hate him. LA Knight is also someone I’ve been high on since his debut. His promo style and character work may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but I’d probably rank him as one of the best talkers in all of WWE.
The match was a great back and forth athletic contest between the two, spilling to the outside here and there. The finish was predictable and weak with Waller’s heavy, Sanga, interfering and allowing Waller to roll Knight up for the win.
This feud has been going on since before New Year’s Evil, and I was hoping this would be the blow off. Apparently not, and this may take us into WrestleMania weekend at Stand & Deliver.
Verdict: Lukewarm HIT
LASH LEGEND & AMARI MILLER vs. IO SHIRAI & KAY LEE RAY – DUSTY QUARTERFINALS
Toxic Attraction sat inside the “Toxic Lounge”, a curtained off area with a couch behind the audience, where they watched the first match of the Women’s Dusty Classic. Failed NXT Talk Show host, Lash Legend and up-and-comer Amari Miller took on two of the baddest women in NXT. Io Shirai & Kay Lee Ray may seem like an odd pairing on paper, but after teaming to take on mutual enemies, I’m excited to see what the Dusty Classic brings for them.
This was nothing more than a squash match with KLR and Shirai quickly getting the victory. As they should, they’re main eventers while the other two are as low on the roster tier as you can get.
Verdict: HIT
DUKE HUDSON vs. DANTE CHEN
Duke Hudson ruined the debut of Dante Chen weeks ago, and Chen looked to get retribution on Hudson in this match. The build to this story was blase, and Chen didn’t even serve Hudson his comeuppance, losing swiftly to Hudson. I’m not even sure what purpose this segment served.
Verdict: MISS
CAMERON GRIMES vs. TRICK WILLIAMS w/ Carmelo Hayes
Trick Williams accompanied North American Champion, Carmelo Hayes, to the ring to cut a promo and talk themselves up after Hayes’ win over Grimes at Vengeance Day. Pete Dunne came out to confront the North American champion and presumably lay claim to the North American title, when Williams and Hayes were attacked from behind by Cameron Grimes. The show cut to commercial and when we came back, Trick Williams and Cameron Grimes were already grappling in the ring. Vic Joseph said that the match was made and started during the break.
I can understand having Hayes have his buddy do the dirty work, but the set up for this match was confusing. After returning from that break, I actually paused and rewound NXT to make sure I didn’t miss something. The match started so suddenly and without warning, it just seemed a bit jarring when the commercial break was over. It’s not the first time that WWE has made a match during a commercial break by any stretch, but for some reason this trope really stood out.
That said, Trick Williams may still be learning his craft, but I do see some potential in the newcomer. His charisma and mic ability are on the higher side of average, but his in-ring skills certainly needs more refinement. Some of his offense looks more choreographed than it should, and his timing is less than stellar. However, I know how hard it is to put everything together so I can’t give him too much grief. I think with the proper training, booking and personal drive, Trick Williams could have some longevity in WWE.
Verdict: HIT
NIKKITA LYONS vs. KAYLA INLAY
Nikkita Lyons’ vignettes over the past few weeks have been cringeworthy at best, especially when you realize that she actually tries to produce and make music in real life. FaithyJ on Spotify. Look it up. It’s… as good as you think it probably is. Props to her for trying things out, but she is not good enough to pull this gimmick off as things stand right now.
Her first match on 205 live a few weeks ago was incredibly clunky, so I’ve actually been looking forward to this match to see how she fared. Was the 205 live match just jitters or does she have “it”?
No. I don’t think she does. At least at this point in her career. She isn’t believable in the ring as a “monster” like they are trying to portray her as. Sure, she has the size and the power. Heck, she even has a lot of agility as well. She has a lot of things to work with to make this a marketable gimmick, but I think they debut it way too soon. Unless her mic skills and in-ring skills improve over the course of a few weeks, I think it could be hard for her to bounce back without a gimmick overhaul. Maybe I’m overthinking it, but nothing about this character or the performer portraying the character, seems polished to me. Instead it just seems like an Instagram Model trying to enter the world of professional wrestling. Which in and of itself isn’t necessarily an issue. But that’s certainly not the direction they are trying to go for.
Verdict: MISS
IVY NILE w/ Roderick Strong & TATUM PAXLEY vs. KACY CATENZARO & KAYDEN CARTER – DUSTY QUARTERFINALS
While I’ll never complain when Kacy & Kayden are in the spotlight, I would love to see Ivy Nile doing more in NXT. Since her debut, she’s only had a handful of matches. I don’t know if they feel as if she isn’t ready, but she appears to be more ready for primetime than some other wrestlers on the card tonight. Teaming with a virtual no-name in Paxley and losing in the first round of the Dusty Cup isn’t where I’d like to see Nile. Thankfully, we got to see her turn on her partner after their loss, hopefully leading to more for the only female member of Diamond Mine.
That said, I don’t think there is a tag team in the women’s division more deserving of the spotlight and potential win in the tournament than Kacy and Kayden. They’ve ‘paid their dues’ in NXT for a couple years and consistently put on entertaining matches. Since the re-brand to 2.0, I’m not in love with their angle with the two good ol’ boys, Briggs & Jensen, but I’m just glad they’re getting TV time each week.
Verdict: HIT
DOLPH ZIGGLER vs. TOMMASO CIAMPA
With this angle spilling over to Monday Night Raw, I’ve been looking at it as a trial run for Tommaso Ciampa on the main roster. Whether that’s how WWE sees it is a different story, but I think that Ciampa has so much to offer to the main roster products. I hate to see him leave NXT, selfishly. But I think he could really move the needle on RAW or SD if booked correctly. His age is catching up with him, as are injuries after wrestling for so many years on the indies. If he’s going to have a run on the main roster, now’s the time.
While Ziggler isn’t anything of importance on the main roster most weeks, he has been so refreshing down in NXT. He comes off as a star and makes the angle feel more important. With the winner of this match getting a title shot against Breakker, a champion who most fans may not be behind as of yet, importance is certainly needed.
One thing is for certain, you knew that this was going to be one hell of a match considering the in-ring styles of the competitors. Tommaso Ciampa is my favorite active wrestler in the industry right now for so many reasons, his no-nonsense ring style and intensity live among the top of that list. Dolph Ziggler has a very similar style and intensity that often gets overlooked. On paper, this is actually somewhat of a dream match (that I never knew I wanted until now) for me.
They absolutely delivered as far as I’m concerned. This is the caliber of match that I’m used to from NXT! Action that tells a story and gets your heart pumping bell to bell. I was invested in this match more than I’ve been invested in an NXT match in quite some time. The crowd seemed to share that sentiment, visibly on their feet and engaged a lot of the time. “Fight Forever”, “This is Awesome” and “Holy Shit!” chants echoed out multiple times throughout the match. Yes, those chants have certainly become cliché, but they’re chants that very rarely are heard on NXT television since the rebrand.
A camera man clocked Ciampa in the head, allowing Ziggler to pick up a win. The referee was the only one in the building that did not see what happened. The mask wearing camera man turned out to be former NXT Champion, Robert Roode, helping his tag team partner pick up the victory. Breakker came out for the save, and scared off the two RAW superstars. He challenged them to a match next week where he’d stand alongside Ciampa, not before devolving into a brawl between the four as the show ended.
Frankly, I didn’t see that coming. Roode’s interference in particular. I probably should have, but it was a bit of a surprise to me at the reveal. Instantly I said to myself “Of course it’s his tag partner.”
I’m assuming Ciampa will find his way back into the title picture as one final send off before joining the main roster.
Verdict: HIT
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