HEYDORN’S WWE NXT RECEIPT 12/6: A tale of two hypes for Iron Survival Challenge at Deadline

This week’s episode of WWE NXT has wrapped. Let’s take a stroll down memory lane and relive some of the madness.

-Well, I was wrong. On the WWE NXT preview edition of The Fireside Chat on YouTube, I was certain Von Wagner would win the triple threat this week and join the men’s Iron Survivor Challenge. It was Axiom instead. He’s a babyface — the only — babyface in the match, so I guess that make sense. Of ALL the things to keep Wagner out of, this was the choice? Hey, I’ll take it. Wagner has yet to show that he is ready for anything of significance at this point in time.

-It was a tale of two hypes for the men’s and women’s Iron Survivor Challenge matches at NXT Deadline. The women’s hype was great. The short, individual promo videos talking about the match framed characters, the match, and the stakes of the match in a big way. The men looked like bickering school children in the main event segment during The Grayson Waller Effect.

-The Bron Breakker and Apollo Crews fishing trip was strange. Weird. Yep, strange and weird. What’s wrong with an in-ring promo? Look, the idea here is to present both guys as likable competitors. The fishing trip featured both guys being passive aggressive, not likable. I felt like yelling at the screen something to the effect of, “talk like a normal human would!” Match should be fine, but the build has left a lot on the table.

-Good to see Tony D’Angelo back. He joins a crowded NXT North American Championship picture. D’Angelo has a lot of charisma and needs to be careful not to squash Wes Lee and Dijak with it as a heel.

-Poor Hank Walker. I mean, he should lose, though. The trick with this gimmick will be presenting Walker as someone who is not a wrestler, but that then beats wrestlers. A real Tiger Woods at the US Open level putt with this one.

-The New Day vs. Pretty Deadly?? Yeah, I’m in on that. New Day has all but maxed out on the main roster. They have done it all. This is fresh and gives Pretty Deadly a very credible team to go against. Good stuff.

-Indi Hartwell joining the women’s Iron Survivor Challenge was the only call to make. She is by far the biggest star out of the three women in the triple threat match this week and has a sitting story with Roxanne Perez already brewing. A no brainer.

The full card for NXT Deadline

• Men’s Iron Survivor Challenge Match – Carmelo Hayes vs. Grayson Waller vs. Joe Gacy vs. Axiom vs. JD McDonagh
• Women’s Iron Survivor Challenge Match – Indi Hartwell vs. Kiana James vs. Zoey Stark vs. Cora Jade vs. Roxanne Perez
• Bron Breakker vs. Apollo Crews – NXT Championship
• Pretty Deadly vs. The New Day – NXT Tag Team Championship
• Alba Fyre vs. Isla Dawn

CATCH-UP: HEYDORN’S WWE RAW RECEIPT 12/5: Number one contender matches take spotlight without PLE build