NXT HITS & MISSES (12/26): Breaker vs. Frazier, Dijak vs. Thorpe, End of Year Awards, Lexis King vs. Riley Osbourne, Gacy vs. Coffee, more

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My body is still in a food coma, but here are this week’s Hits & Misses for NXT!

Joe Gacy vs. Joe Coffee: Hit

So, I’m not really sure where they are going with Joe Gacy at the moment as a seemingly baby face role, but I’m along for the ride. I’ve always been high on his in-ring abilities and I even enjoyed his ‘cult leader’ personality’ (although it did begin to fade as the whole Schism thing went on). Great match that also led to a Miss (more below)

Bron Breakker vs. Nathan Frazier: Hit

A paint by numbers match, but that’s not a bad thing. Nathan is fun to watch, especially against bigger, stronger opponents, as he’s a great seller. I’m hoping to see him get involved in something meaningful in 2024 and for crying out loud: move Bron up to the Main roster already!

Josh Briggs vs. Noam Dar: Minor Hit

I feel this could have had the same ending, BUT could also have gone a little longer overall. Meta Four are so easy to love to hate and Briggs has been impressive in his singles push so far. Plus, I thought it was a unique match, in that usually the Heritage Cup features the smaller wrestlers, so it was refreshing to see a bigger guy like Briggs put into the mix

Eddy Thorpe vs. Dijak: Hit

These “Underground” matches are usually hit or miss for me (no pun intended), but this one kept me interested throughout. I enjoy the small details of giving it a gritty-type feel with the constant encouragement of the people ringside and the lighting. I’m so hoping that this is the end of this never-ending feud between these two though. I’d love to see Dijak go to the Main roster and Thorpe to not necessarily get a re-boot, but to be given more than his Native American heritage as a character trait.

Lexis King vs. Riley Osbourne: Hit

If you have followed my column, you know I fan boy on Lexis King, so although I hated to see him lose, I was also happy in a way, as he is already established on the roster. I still didn’t see the upset coming, but it’s also fun to see a developmental talent get put into a program with someone. Osbourne looked impressive, but I don’t think he stands a chance against Oba.

Oba Femi vs. Tavion Heights: Hit

Speaking of Oba, man I like this guy a lot! I’ve heard that a lot of the higher ups are impressed by this guy and I can see why. Everything about him screams talent. Now, he hasn’t had very much promo time outside of the vignette preceding the Breakout Tournament. Even if he’s rough on the mic, give the guy a manager and turn him loose. I think he’ll end up being a big deal down the road.

Chase U vs. OTM: Miss

I was really looking forward to this match, but I was left feeling disappointed. Nima and Price are green, but they have pulled off better looking outings than this one. Usually Andre Chase can turn coal into diamonds, but in this match. It felt sloppy and it didn’t make me invested in watching OTM challenging for the tag titles

Karmen Petrovic vs. Cora Jade: Minor Miss

The match was okay, but nothing to go out of your way to see. Karmen was given enough offense, but the outcome was never in question. Cora seems to be lost in the shuffle on NXT, as there are so many talented women on the brand. This is why I think NXT could benefit from a secondary Women’s title (similar to the North American Championship)

End of the Year Awards: Miss

I don’t disagree with the recipients chosen, but it seemed odd that there wasn’t more made of the winners: no presentations, no interviews, nothing. Just throwing a graphic up on the screen made the awards seem like they didn’t matter.

And that’s all for this week. I have roughly 40 pounds of leftovers to plow through. Have a Happy New Year!

OR CHECK THIS OUT AT PROWRESTLING.NET: Powell’s NXT Hit List: Eddy Thorpe vs. Dijak in an Underground match, Noam Dar vs. Josh Briggs for the NXT Heritage Cup, Bron Breakker vs. Nathan Frazer, NXT Breakout Tournament semifinal matches