‘WWE NXT’ Review (Nov 13th 2019)

Welcome to this week’s NXT review, right here on Nerdly. I’m Nathan Favel and Joaquin Phoenix is a f—— weirdo. I still like him, though. Lee Michaels asked Andrew Gold if he knew what he meant, but Gold just told him that he was a lonely boy like David Soul, who just wants to you to not give up on us baby. We’ve got more NXT invasion stuff to get to, so let’s pretend that this isn’t just Ring Of Honor painted gold and black and get ready to rock.

Match #1: Lio Rush def. Angel Garza – NXT Cruiserweight Championship Match

The following is courtesy of wwe.com:

Angel Garza sought to get inside the head of Lio Rush, and it only seemed to light a fire under the NXT Cruiserweight Champion. With that fury, The Man of The Hour overcame the challenge of the self-assured Garza to retain his title — but not without a little bit of controversy. Playing mind games from the opening bell, Garza tried to goad the champion into a disingenuous handshake, then escalated his tactics significantly. Making his way into the crowd right in front of Rush’s wife Sarah and their two sons, NXT’s resident Casanova proceeded to perform the now-signature spectacle of ripping off his pants right in front of Rush’s family in a major sign of disrespect. Garza went step for step with the infuriated Rush, and came an eyelash away from his first taste of championship gold after hitting “The Wing Clipper.” Perhaps getting overzealous, Garza tried again for his trademark maneuver – this time from the second rope. However, The Man of The Hour headbutted his way out of danger. Connecting moments later with The Final Hour twice in succession, Rush was able to secure the win — but not without Garza’s foot appearing to catch the bottom rope out of the official’s sight during the pinfall.

My Opinion: 3.7 out of 5 – Clarence Carter won’t need to put any patches on this match, because it’s gonna hold up by itself. This was some fantastic wrestling that made both guys look like stars. Thank whoever made the Slinky that we’ve got NXT in the WWE, because this is now the only show that is delivering real wrestling in the WWE (205 Live has been beaten into a coma). This is precisely the kind of match that should open a show.

Match #2: Xia Li def. Aliyah

The following is courtesy of wwe.com:

The dangerous feet of Xia Li have served her well in competition to date, and that continued to ring true this week at Full Sail. Li’s spicy, signature kicks spelled doom for Aliyah on this occasion, and the damage went beyond merely a loss for NXT’s most boujee Superstar. A spinning heel kick left Aliyah down for the three count and in a heap after the bell, requiring immediate medical attention. Meanwhile, it was another impressive showing for WWE’s first Chinese female competitor.

My Opinion: 1.8 out of 5 – This was a squash. Why? Why get over one person when you can get over two? Long matches help you get over two people, while short matches only help one (some-times zero). Okay. Moving on.

Match #3: Keith Lee def. Roderick Strong

The following is courtesy of wwe.com:

The impromptu match between Keith Lee and Roderick Strong served as the stage for the latest chapter on the road to TakeOver: WarGames. The Messiah of The Backbreaker punched well above his weight to keep up with Lee — at one point rattling the ring and seemingly all of Full Sail with a spectacular superplex of the 320-pounder. Ciampa showed up to play equalizer when the rest of The Undisputed ERA came to ringside in a bid to play the numbers game. Though Adam Cole took out The Blackheart with a super kick, Matt Riddle joined the fray to send the scene into complete chaos. Finn Bálor also joined the melee to avenge the attack he suffered at the hands of The Original Bro just moments earlier. Connecting with a Sling Blade, standing Coup de Grace and finally a flying dropkick that sent Riddle crashing into the steps, Bálor’s rebuttal was delivered with an exclamation mark. Lee finished off Strong with a Jackhammer.

My Opinion: 3.8 out of 5 – This was another fantastic match on this show. This is the way it’s supposed to be. You have great wrestling matches, which leads to more great wrestling matches. This is the only thing that “casual” fans are interested in and, what do you know, so are “hardcore” wrestling fans. Go figure. Strong put over Lee in one of the biggest matches of his career. Mission accomplished.

Match #4: Isaiah “Swerve” Scott def. Bronson Reed

The following is courtesy of wwe.com:

Isaiah “Swerve” Scott and Bronson Reed were two of the most impressive competitors in the NXT Breakout Tournament earlier this year, but it was Scott getting the the better of Reed when the two met in singles action on this night. One-upping each other repeatedly throughout a back-and-forth battle, Reed’s attempt at a Tombstone off the ropes was countered into a high-impact DDT that NXT’s “Resident Thicc Boy” may have never recovered from. The House Call ultimately proved to be the decisive blow in Scott’s favor to tame the “Aus-zilla.” Both competitors had won each other’s respect by the end of their duel, though, and they shared a handshake shortly after the bell.

My Opinion: 3.4 out of 5 – This was getting going, but it needed a few more minutes to really drive the point home. I’m glad that we got the pairing though, as this is what wrestling is all about. The right guy won and the loser still looked strong in defeat.

Match #5: Io Shirai def. Mia Yim – WarGames Advantage Ladder Match

The following is courtesy of wwe.com:

Team Baszler has seized the advantage for WarGames — and perhaps even its fourth and final member. Io Shirai gained the win over Mia Yim in a jaw-dropping Ladder Match, securing the advantage for Team Baszler in the first-ever Women’s WarGames match. In a preview of the brutality that could be in store at TakeOver in less than two weeks’ time, The Evil Genius of the Sky and The Head Baddie in Charge went to great lengths on behalf of their respective squads. Yim paid a price that could have a lasting impact and implication for the WarGames match itself, having her face crushed by the ladder after Shirai’s missile dropkick into it. That wasn’t enough to keep Yim out of the fight, however. She battled back to find herself within reach of the briefcase — and the WarGames advantage — hanging above the ring before NXT UK Women’s Champion Kay Lee Ray rushed the squared circle. Ray pushed the ladder to send Yim flying to the outside and through another ladder in devastating fashion. With Yim battered in a heap on the outside, Shirai retrieved the briefcase and the victory.

My Opinion: 4 out of 5 – This was a brutal Ladder Match that looked like it hurt…and also made Home Depot look hardcore. Lowe’s looks like wimps. People say women can’t wrestle, but this match might have something to say about that. It’s about damn time. This is the right kind of main event for the Wednesday Night Wars. Do it more often.

News Of The Night:

1. Damian Priest attacked Killian Dain and Pete Dunne before they could have a match.
2. Finn Bálor fights Matt Riddle at NXT: TakeOver – WarGames.
3. Bayley attacked Shayna Baszler with a chair at the end of the show.
4. Donovan Dijakovic, who replaces Matt Riddle in the WarGames Match fights Adam Cole in a Ladder Match for the WarGames advantage, next week.

Final Verdict: 3.7/5

This was a strong show that offered a lot of quality wrestling action, but did resort to some of the lazy WWE booking techniques.