‘WWE NXT’ Review (Feb 13th 2019)
Welcome to this week’s review of NXT, right here on Nerdly. I’m Nathan Favel and NXT has a big main event to show us, so let’s…watch the match. I couldn’t think of a joke so that’s all you get.
Match #1: Dominik Dijakovic def. Shane Thorne
The following is courtesy of WWE.com:
Shane Thorne came prepared for his battle against the dominant Dominik Dijakovic, and he executed his savvy game plan to near perfection. The cunning Aussie relentlessly kicked Dijakovic down to size, then tenaciously went after the big man’s left arm, and when The Rare Breed kept coming at him, Thorne suplexed him on his noggin.
No amount of strategizing, however, could properly account for Dijakovic’s freakish athleticism. While both Superstars tussled on the top turnbuckle, the 270-pound Dijakovic backflipped out of danger and nailed Thorne with a superkick that sent him tumbling to the floor. The five-tool Superstar then took flight with a jaw-dropping springboard corkscrew dive before wrecking Thorne’s facial features with the Feast Your Eyes knee strike for the victory. It wasn’t easy, but Dijakovic’s destructive win streak on NXT TV remains intact.
My Take: 2 out of 5 – This was a dull squash that didn’t have much of a chance to do much else.
Match #2: The Street Profits def. Humberto Carrillo & Stacey Ervin Jr.
The following is courtesy of WWE.com:
Montez Ford & Angelo Dawkins clowned Kassius Ohno as they walked past his supine body on the ramp, yet once their match against Humberto Carrillo and the debuting Stacey Ervin Jr. got underway, The Street Profits put all joking aside and focused on the matter at hand with scary aggression.
Carrillo & Ervin were a thrilling combination in their first outing as a unit: Carrillo provided a showcase in lucha libre, while Ervin — a former gymnastics champion that Mauro Ranallo dubbed the “waviest man in the game” — wowed with a gravity-defying “Tsunami-sault” off the top. Yet, they were no match for Ford & Dawkins’ longstanding chemistry and newfound intensity. The Street Profits claimed the win after trashing Ervin with a devastating electric chair blockbuster.
My Take: 2.5 out of 5 – This had potential, but it never felt like it was more than just an excuse to fill time.
Match #3: Aliyah def. Taynara Conti
The following is courtesy of WWE.com:
A new alliance seems to be taking shape in the NXT Women’s division. Vanessa Borne made her presence felt during the fiercely contested match between Aliyah and Taynara Conti. Although The Vision kept a low profile at first, she inserted herself into the action late in the match, distracting Conti behind the referee’s back and giving the ever-bougie Aliyah the chance to take over on the Brazilian Superstar. After the intrusion, Aliyah trapped Conti in a hold and simultaneously pulverized her with ferocious heel kicks, forcing Conti to tap out.
Borne raised Aliyah’s hand in triumph, but they soon received a reality check courtesy of NXT Women’s Champion Shayna Baszler, Jessamyn Duke & Marina Shafir, who stormed the ring with bad intentions. After the dastardly triumvirate destroyed Borne, Aliyah and the still-recovering Conti, The Queen of Spades, who was evidently still fuming over her crew’s loss to Io Shirai, Bianca Belair & Kairi Sane last week, added an exclamation point, stating in no uncertain terms that the she and the Four Horsewomen’s ground soldiers aren’t to be trifled with.
My Take: 2.5 out of 5 – This was just a bit of wrestling sprinkled on an angle.
Match #4: (Main Event) Ricochet def. Adam Cole
The following is courtesy of WWE.com:
With both Superstars looking to make a case for why they deserve to be next in line for an NXT North American Title Match, Ricochet and Adam Cole tore into each other with a sense of urgency befitting their bitter rivalry and championship aspirations. A rare misstep by Ricochet caused his leg to become entangled in the ropes, and Cole concentrated his attack on the limb for the remainder of the match. Hobbled by Cole’s offensive, The One and Only was repeatedly forced to adjust his game plan. The Undisputed ERA’s frontman, meanwhile, battered The One and Only with one big hit after another, yet Ricochet refused to quit.
After an exchange of strikes left both men fatigued, Ricochet fought through the pain and, in a last-ditch effort, used his one good leg to spring into a top-rope hurricanrana. The second NXT North American Champion in history then obliterated the inaugural champion with an axe kick and a pair of suplexes before drilling Cole with the Vertigo for the three-count. Instead of celebrating, Ricochet was forced to contend with the other Undisputed ERA members as they rushed the ring. Making his first appearance at Full Sail in weeks, Aleister Black ran in to even the odds but was taken down by a superkick from Cole and Roderick Strong’s End of Heartache.
Even though he may have lost the match, Cole defiantly crowed that “nobody can touch us” as he and the rest of The Undisputed ERA stood tall over the fallen bodies of Ricochet and Black.
My Take: 4 out of 5 – This was a great main event. These guys have waltzed into a great feud that should be the focal point come Wrestlemania weekend, if Vince gets the message. I know Triple H is supposed to be in charge, but this is still Vince’s league and he makes the decisions. The action was every-thing it should have been and you could sense that there was more to this match than just hitting a bunch of moves. For all of the talk about NXT being less of a developmental system and more of a wrestling league itself, this feud is one of the few things that feels like it might actually be able to prove the latter is more true than the former. I could describe every detail of this match, but you could just trust me when I say it’s a great one.
News Of The Night:
- Vanessa Borne and Aliyah are in a feud with The Four Horsewomen.
- Kassius Ohno claims to have left NXT.
- Ricochet and Aleister Black are feuding with the Undisputed ERA.
Final Verdict: 3.5/5
The main event saved this show from putting me to sleep. I’ll miss Kassius if he leaves, but he could probably make a lot more money in several different leagues, so good luck to him either way.
