03rd Nov2018

‘WWE NXT’ Review (Oct 31st 2018)

by Nathan Favel

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Welcome to this week’s NXT review, right here on Nerdly. I’m Nathan Favel and we have more weird stuff from NXT.

Match #1: Nikki Cross def. Mercedes Martinez

The following is courtesy of WWE.com:

Nikki Cross and her brand of chaos opened this week’s NXT, but this time NXT’s Twisted Sister engaged in a fierce battle against former Mae Young Classic competitor Mercedes Martinez, who recently put on a classic against Meiko Satomura in the tournament’s Second Round. Stepping inside the yellow ropes this week, The Latina Sensation carried that same energy, along with presenting a massive hurdle for NXT’s Twisted Sister.

In a true battle of brute force and unhinged aggression, the two brawlers vigorously (and visibly) pushed each other to their limits. When Cross attempted a sleeper hold, Martinez thrust her into the turnbuckle. When Martinez locked in a suffocating guillotine, Cross rattled her with a series of forearms. Both combatants put on a clinic, but Martinez, who appeared focused on sending a message to her fellow Superstars, looked like a shoo-in for the victory. Not only did The Latina Sensation hammer Cross with a canvas-pummeling spinebuster, but she also followed up with two backdrop drivers and a release German suplex. However, the onslaught only activated the chaos-craving Cross, who somehow recovered enough strength to drop Martinez with a neckbreaker and later down her with the Purge for the win.

My Take: 3.5 out of 5 – This was a hell of a way to start the show. This could have been the main event, but it wasn’t, for what-ever reason.

Match #2: The Street Profits def. The Mighty

The following is courtesy of WWE.com:

Following a frustrating loss last month, where The Mighty snaked their way to a victory, The Street Profits got a chance at redemption in a testy grudge match. As Shane Thorne & Nick Miller continued to flaunt the gold chains and party cup stolen from The Profits, Montez Ford & Angelo Dawkins kept it all-business in their heated matchup. Dawkins started things off, slugging Thorne with haymakers and holding his own against The Mighty’s tandem offense. Once Ford stepped in, the action took flight – literally. Showcasing his incredible agility, Ford torpedoed his opponents with missile dropkicks and a spectacular dive over the top rope.

But taking down Thorne & Miller is no easy task, especially against their underhanded maneuvers. The Profits found themselves in trouble when The Mighty caught Ford on the top rope for an alley-oop superplex. When it looked like a three-count for team Thorne & Miller was imminent, Dawkins rushed in for the save. Ford later capitalized on the momentum, reversing an attempted suplex from Thorne for a gravity-testing frog splash, all while Miller and Dawkins were sprawled outside the ring. By the time the referee hollered “three,” the party was on, as The Profits recovered their goods and celebrated among the NXT Universe. Oh, how The Mighty have fallen.

My Take: 2.5 out of 5 – This was a solid match that gave these two teams a chance to get more than a minute of time in to wrestle. Both teams looked good and deserve a better outlet for their talent than NXT.

Match #3: Matt Riddle def. Luke Menzies

The following is courtesy of WWE.com:

Highly touted NXT signee Matt Riddle made quite the impression in his WWE Network debut. As Full Sail Live turned into “Bro” Sail Live, with the entire house showering the NXT newcomer with his signature phrase, a challenging obstacle by the name of Luke Menzies waited for him in the ring. In a highly physical battle, the two competitors took it to each other, but Menzies’ signature style of bone-rattling offense couldn’t contain the methodical and spry Riddle.

The King of Bros lit up Menzies’ chest with a series of kicks that echoed like the crack of a whip. He then followed up with raining elbows and a senton splash before connecting with the Bromission that caused Menzies to tap out. As made clear by the “Bro” chants at the end of the match, Matt Riddle has officially arrived.

My Take: 2.5 out of 5 – This was a very brutal match that may not have been one of the greats, but it did make Riddle look important.

Match #4: (Main Event) – Oney Lorcan & Danny Burch def. Raul Mendoza & Humberto Carrillo

The following is courtesy of WWE.com:

Since jumping back into the swing of things last month, Oney Lorcan & Danny Burch have been on a rampage, drawing a line between themselves and the competition within NXT’s loaded Tag Team division. This week, though, the bruisers-in-arms met a new challenge in the form of the high-flying tandem of Raul Mendoza & Humberto Carrillo.

Where Lorcan & Burch’s ground-and-pound style procured the duo swift success in prior matches, Mendoza & Carrillo slowed them down with their combined catlike agility. Mendoza dropped both Lorcan and Burch with a missile dropkick, which signaled a bump in the road for the brawlers’ comeback plans. Out of adversity, though, comes opportunity. Once Burch found room to capitalize – countering a running attack by Mendoza with a hip toss into the middle turnbuckle – Lorcan took out Carrillo with a jaw-shifting forearm, and the pair later sent off Mendoza with a double-team DDT for the victory.

My Take: 2.5 out of 5 – This was good while it lasted and had a good pace to it.

News Of The Night:

  1. Candice LeRae and Nikki Cross may be entering a feud.
  2. Aleister Black promised to end Johnny Gargano’s career.
  3. Aleister Black will fight Johnny Gargano at NXT: War-Games 2.
  4. Tommaso Ciampa will defend his NXT World Title against Velveteen Dream at NXT: War-Games 2.
  5. Velveteen Dream will fight Lars Sullivan, next week.
  6. The War Raiders, Ricochet and Pete Dunne will take on The Undisputed ERA in a War-Games Match at NXT: War-Games 2.

Final Verdict: 3/5

A dull wrestling card was saved by the opening match and a plethora of information about the big War-Games card.

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