SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
Chelsea Green vs. Sol Ruca: Hit
A couple of clunky moments, but an enjoyable match overall. I love seeing Green being so prominently featured on WWE programming, because she’s earned every second of it. She’s one of my guilty pleasures on wrestling today. I love the Security detail, her over the top USA-themed outfits, everything. Ruca is a star and I wouldn’t be surprised to see her receive a main roster call up sometime soon.
Stephanie Vaquer promo: Hit
My number one favorite on WWE today. I read an interview where she said she chose NXT to learn English and do better adjust to the WWE style of wrestling and I admire that and she referenced that in the promo. I’m glad they didn’t rush to a Vaquer/Grace program. Parker makes a good first opponent for Vaquer and I think Parker will only benefit from working with Vaquer in the ring. I also like the double dose of Vaquer set for next week’s show. More of Stephanie is never a bad thing.
Josh Briggs & Yoshiki Inamura vs. Hank Walker & Tank Ledger: Hit
I’m warming up to the team of Briggs & Inamura. With these four men, you expect a hoss fight, but all four men can move for their size, adding an extra element to the match. The NXT tag division is pretty soft at the moment, so it’s nice to see some of the remaining teams shine on the show.
Channing Lorenzo & Luca Crucifino & Adriana Rizzo vs. Brooks Jensen & Niko Vance & Izzi Dame: Hit
I wnr into this match without low expectations and was pleasantly surprised by everyone involved. I like The Culling a lot and it’s nice to see Jensen have a direction now and Vance looks pretty good in the ring, too. The one I was most impressed with was Rizzo. I guess I either forgot that she’s as good as she is or I haven’t seen enough of her to have formed an opinion. She reminds me a lot of Thea Hail (by the way, where is she?). As for The Family, I’m still waiting for a Channing turn…maybe as part of whatever the new faction is?
ARTICLE CONTINUED BELOW…
Check out the latest episode of “PWT Talks NXT” with Kelly Wells and Nate Lindberg, part of the PWTorch Dailycast line-up: CLICK HERE to stream (or search “pwtorch” on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or any other iOS or Android app to subscribe free)
Karmen Petrovic vs. Jacy Jayne: Minor Hit
The highlight of this match for me is the continued wrestling silliness (in a good way) and ongoing storyline between Petrovic and Adonis.
Ricky Saints vs. Ridge Holland: Hit
Good in-ring debut for Saints. Nice to see him so well-received by the Performance Center crowd. Holland has become a great gate keeper for NXT and his matches have gotten progressively better during his tenure there. I wouldn’t mind seeing him in a meaningful program down the road that sees him pick up some decent wins.
Trick Williams vs. Eddy Thorpe: Minor Hit
Full disclosure: I’m not a fan of Underground matches, so I usually go into these a little jaded. But, I give the Minor Hit to the post match action. Je’von Evans is awesome and this new edge he’s displaying is a character improvement of him just being “bouncy”. Trick is developing, too, as the guy obsessed with the NXT title to an almost unhealthy degree and Oba is, well…freaking awesome, as is. I think sometimes Triple Threat matches are over done way too often, but a Williams/Evans/Femi Main Event could be an absolute blast. As for Eddy Thorpe: this guy just can’t gain a foot of traction. His character has been a pleasure to watch evolve, but all of that is pretty much window dressing if he loses every feud he’s in.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.