SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
Dry January continues! People continue to leave my life, because of my attitude! But, one constant: My NXT Hits & Misses – enjoy!
Nikkita Lyons vs. Blair Davenport: Hit
Considering I’m a huge fan of both of these ladies, I have to try and take off my bias hat while reviewing. To be honest, Lyons has improved a lot since her earlier days and Davenport is just awesome, to this viewer. I thought it was a great feud match, with the right competitor going over. After Davenport losing just last week to Lyra Valkyria, she needed this win more that Lyons, who loses nothing in the loss. This is a feud that I wouldn’t mind seeing continued.
The Continued Slow Burn of Melo & Trick: Hit
Like the Drew McIntyre saga on the main roster, I’m enjoying the story of Trick & Melo. As Trick’s popularity continues to swell, I think the eventual Melo turn will make him a viable heel (as he should be). I can see the duo moving pretty deep in the tourney, only to implode. I suppose a case could be made for them to lose Round One, based on the number of makeshift teams this year, but I think they might make a little run in The Dusty Tourney.
Bron Breakker & Baron Corbin vs. Gallus: Miss
The Miss is not for match quality, but for the continued trend of guys teaming together for the first time beating established tag teams. The match itself was fine, but I continue to feel that Gallus is under utilized and underappreciated. I blame NXT for not establishing these guys when they transferred over from NXT UK. Plus, I have zero interest in a Breakker/Corbin team.
Tiffany Stratton… Ranch Hand: Hit
I don’t think this could have worked with anyone else than Stratton. Every reaction, movement, etc. was spot on for her character: she played this so well. I think we’ve seen the babyface serve the heel far too often, so I think it’s refreshing that the heel is out of their comfort zone for a change. It’s campy sports-entertainment, but I enjoyed (and laughed) through every second of these vignettes!
Ora Mensah vs. Josh Briggs: Hit
Quick, well-worked match with the usual Meta Four shenanigans, but backfiring this time around. The more I see of solo Josh Briggs, the more impressed I am. I think he has a pretty bright future. Ora Mensah is solid and makes a great “Lieutenant” for Noam Dar in Meta Four.
Tony D’Angelo & Channing Lorenzo vs. OTM: Minor Hit
As I stated above with the Lyons/Davenport match, I had to remove my bias hat and say: I can’t warm up to the team of D’Angelo & Lorenzo. It’s nothing against their talent, but the characters themselves I just can’t cheer for With that being said, I think they carried OTM to a good match with the right team going over.
Cora Jade vs. Gigi Dolin: Minor Hit
The match was okay, nothing to go out of your way to see, but passable. Is it just me or has the star of Gigi Dolan faded? She seems to pick a lot of fights and lose every single one of them.
Hank & Tank vs. Axiom & Nathan Frazier: Major Hit
Man, I loved this power versus speed match! Hank & Tank have shown marked improvement and Axion and Frazier are…well, awesome! Nathan Frazier moves so fast and yet very little of what he does seems choreographed, because it’s so freaking smooth! I love this pairing of Axiom and Frazier and would love to see them go all the way to the finals!
Dragon Lee vs. Lexis King: Minor Hit
What you’d expect from these two. There were a couple of sloppy spots, but nothing too terrible. The Trey Bearhill distraction didn’t cause the finish of the match (which I approve of) and continued to the feud between he and King. The finish sort of seemed to come out of nowhere.
But, wait…!
Oba Femi vs. Dragon Lee: Surprise Hit
Well…I certainly didn’t see THIS coming! I know NXT & The Performance Center are high on Oba Femi and this shows it. I was shocked to see Dragon Lee drop the title so soon, but if he is still a part of Smackdown, I guess it makes sense. Femi doesn’t need to do much in the ring outside of power to be not only a current Breakout Star, but something special down the road.
And that’s it for this week! Hey, I made it through a Hits & Misses without criticizing Booker T’s just plain awful commentary (whoops, spoke too soon!).
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