SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
This week’s episode of WWE NXT has wrapped. Let’s take a stroll down memory lane and relive some of the madness.
-Geez, I was impressed with the women’s tag to open the show. Both Kayden Carter & Katana Chance and Zoey Stark & Nikkita Lyons very much brought it in the form of an action packed, but smooth match that had the audience on the edge of their seat. The finish was a little contrived, but leads to a rematch down the road. Carter and Chance have come a long way. Good stuff here.
-Good for Wes Lee. Right? What’s not to like about that guy? Sometimes it’s time for a tried and true babyface promo and tonight was that night for Lee. He executed well and the stuff with Grayson Waller gives him a clear and definitive heel to work with moving forward.
-R-Truth? Really? In a vacuum the appearance was fine, but why? Why are we doing this?
-Some real effective use of backstage promos in regards to the main event between Ilja Dragunov and J.D. McDonagh, as well as the tag title match between Edris Enofe & Malik Blade and Pretty Deadly. All the promos were short in nature, but touched on points that helped emphasize the gravity of the matches. Really well done.
-Shotzi vs. Lash Legend existed. Is Shotzi back in NXT full-time? Unlikely, I’d say, but she certainly looks to be more comfortable there. That’s certainly good to some degree, but negative too because she has not been able to find the same comfortability on the main roster.
-There is something raw and authentic about The Creed Brothers that is easy to connect with and that was on display during their in-ring promo. Really enjoying what these guys are doing and after Damon Kemp, you have to think the main roster will be calling. The Creed Brothers vs. The Usos, Street Profits, Alpha Academy, and others stand out as big-time matches for them.
-Weirdest FaceTime ever with Toxic Attraction. Ever. Attention WWE! Just because you can add eleven production tricks to a video piece doesn’t mean you should. This was overdone on every level.
-Good men’s tag team title match. It was choppy in parts, but some really solid near-falls, too. The story was very easy to follow and the right team went over. Edris and Malik will get their time, but the division belongs to Pretty Deadly at the moment.
-I’m not fan of Joe Gacy and Schism. The group has been directionless and has lacked credibility since it’s inception. This was their best night, yet. Why? Gacy’s words had context and fed a narrative. They are recruiting. Instead of simply standing in the ring and talking about things, the things they spoke about this week mattered because the meaning showed itself in the angle with the big mystery member reveal.
-Ava Raine is a really good fit for the group. It easily allows her to get away from being “The Rock’s daughter” and gives her an opportunity to truly find her own voice as a character. Good stuff.
-Hey! An Elektra Lopez sighting. She’s got a high upside. Good to see her back in the fold.
-I see what you’re doing Mr. McDonagh and Mr. Dragunov. Leaving some material on the table for another match — smart. These two have incredible chemistry together and a bit of long-standing rivalry. The time for their epic match will come, but tonight’s WWE NXT episode wasn’t it.
-No Bron Breakker tonight? Interesting. Same thing with Carmelo Hayes. Interesting. Hayes has to be on a track to the main roster, but Breakker holds the NXT Championship. You don’t need him on every show, but after a signature win at Halloween Havoc, the show could’ve used a babyface promo from him in the ring.
-Overall, this was a good episode of WWE NXT. One of the better television episodes in recent memory. The stories were clear and things were paced well across all two hours. The show still lacks major star power, but if they can replicate tonight’s formula regularly, Paul Levesque will have something serviceable on his hands. Not the heyday of NXT black and gold, but serviceable.
CATCH-UP: HEYDORN’S WWE RAW RECEIPT 10/24: Johnny Gargano sees a lot of screen time, but lacks direction
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