‘WWE NXT’ Review (Feb 12th 2020)
Welcome to this week’s NXT review, right here on Nerdly. I’m Nathan Favel and we have some good matches here to watch, so don’t go any-where…b—-. We’re on our way to the next TakeOver and, with this being the final show before that big event, we have some build to the big matches…b—-. Okay, it’s time for our go-home show…b—-.
Match #1: Roderick Strong def. Bronson Reed
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
An incensed Roderick Strong kicked off NXT this week, still apoplectic with the actions of the returning Velveteen Dream last Wednesday. The former North American Champion declared that Dream had made things personal by not only attacking The Undisputed ERA, but appearing with Strong’s wife, Marina Shafir, and their son airbrushed on his pants, and Strong demanded an apology. What he got instead was a challenge from an equally fired up Bronson Reed, who was still fuming after being targeted by Strong and The UE during their hunt for Tommaso Ciampa a week prior. With Strong caught in a hard-hitting affair with the “Aus-zilla,” Dream continued to play mind games. Full Sail went dark purple late in the match, momentarily distracting The Messiah of the Backbreaker. Strong later gathered his bearings and caught Reed off the top rope with a jumping knee strike for the victory.
My Opinion: 3.6 out of 5 – This was an excellent opener that gave us a hard-fought match worth every second. Strong was a machine here, going in and out of Jayden Cole as she ripped off her soccer uniform and moaned in ple…whoops. Damn TalkTech… Anyway, Reed was great here as well and kept up with Strong. I thought this was really intense and tough (which is my favorite kind of wrestling). Do this s— more often.
Match #2: Dakota Kai def. Candice LeRae
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
Dakota Kai is heading into NXT TakeOver: Portland with some momentum on her side after a crafty victory against Candice LeRae, but Tegan Nox made sure to send her foe a message as well. Tenacious C overwhelmed Kai early on with an all-out aerial attack, making it difficult for The Captain of Team Kick to even catch her breath. But Kai ultimately outmaneuvered LeRae, using her own momentum against her while locked in the Gargano Escape, rolling her into a pinfall. Not satisfied with merely a win, Kai sought to use the ring bell on Candice afterward, but was stopped in her tracks by Nox and the two came to blows. The besties-turned-rivals were barely restrained by security, leaving plenty of business unfinished ahead of their Street Fight in Portland.
My Opinion: 3.4 out of 5 – This was a fine match that had a great performance from LeRae. It’s a shame that Kai needed the win, because LeRae is the bigger, better wrestler with more going for her. In any case, this turned out fine though.
Match #3: Johnny Gargano def. Cameron Grimes
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
Before Johnny Gargano settles the score with Finn Bálor this weekend in Portland, he took care of another grudge. Prepping for his return to the TakeOver stage, Johnny Wrestling prevailed in singles competition against Cameron Grimes days after a heated confrontation backstage at an NXT live event. The Technical Savage proved to be a worthy tune-up ahead of Gargano’s showdown with Bálor, giving Johnny Wrestling all he could handle with his own impressive ring acumen. But it was Gargano narrowly evading Grimes’ vaunted Cave-In, instead taking him down with a tilt-a-whirl headscissors into the Gargano Escape, forcing him to tap almost immediately to the devastating hold.
My Opinion: 3.7 out of 5 – This was a fabulous match that had plenty of top-notch wrestling from bell-to-bell. This was just too damn good, like watching an eleven year old pretend to be a frog to get out of doing her school-work. These guys should be wrestling each other more often. Hell, do a series with the two of them. Over-all, I want more of this…more damn it!
Match #4: Lio Rush def. Angel Garza – NXT Cruiserweight Title Opportunity Shot
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
Lio Rush came to collect an opportunity to regain the NXT Cruiserweight Title — and he got what he came for. The Man of The Hour earned a matchup with reigning champion Jordan Devlin by virtue of knocking off sworn enemy and fellow former titleholder Angel Garza, who was equally motivated to recapture the gold. But in a confrontation earlier in the evening, Rush vowed to Garza that he was a different man from the one Garza knocked off last year to become champion. He backed up those words in the squared circle, too, demonstrating a renewed focus to win the latest chapter of his rivalry with NXT’s resident lothario. Devlin arrived immediately afterward to confront his challenger-to-be, reminding Rush to never bet against an ace.
My Opinion: 3.5 out of 5 – This was another excellent match from these guys. This was a bolt of lightning in a sky of night, if you catch my drift. Angel has really turned himself into the WWE’s biggest new commodity in just a few weeks, eclipsing SmackDown’s evil Mr. Rogers (Bray Wyatt). This whole still-alive Eddie Guerrero-thing that Angel has going on works perfectly with Lio’s style of wrestling, which is like Coke with a hint of lime. I loved this.
Match #5: Bianca Belair def. Santana Garrett
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
Bianca Belair is locked in and ready to seize her moment at TakeOver: Portland, if her performance this week was any indication. Making quick work of Santana Garrett — The E.S.T. took down Garrett with a vicious tackle and ruthless stomps before even removing her earrings.
My Opinion: 2 out of 5 – This was a waste of Santana. I hate squash matches.
Match #6: (Main Event) Adam Cole def. KUSHIDA
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
The NXT Title remains Tommaso Ciampa’s life source, and he wants it back. But Adam Cole will not relinquish it without a fight. Before Cole takes to Portland to put his championship on the line against The Blackheart, he had to deal with Kushida, whom he and The Undisputed ERA literally disposed of in a garbage can last week backstage at Full Sail. Kushida’s ring IQ was on full display with NXT’s time-traveling Superstar astutely taking aim at the left arm Cole favored, even nearly pulling off the upset at multiple points in the match. However, Kushida ultimately fell victim to The Last Shot like so many of The Panama City Playboy’s previous opponents.
My Opinion: 3.5 out of 5 – This was an excellent main event that ended the night on a high note. These guys made the most of this chance to fight and wrestled a match that was one heavy shot after another. How can you not like watching to nice guys throttle each other for cold, hard cash? That’s the way P. Diddy lives his Puff Daddy life, doncha know? Did I just smash together urban-cool with Minnesota bingo night? Hey, that’s the power of a good main event. I’m turning into a lame-ass.
News Of The Night:
- The BroserWeights did a series of increasingly bad vignettes to get to TakeOver.
Final Verdict: 3.9/5
The terrible squash and vignettes aside, this was a great show with plenty of great wrestling and some good promos from Tommaso Ciampa and Bianca Belair. This didn’t feel like a go-home show, but it was a great wrestling episode, so it deserves a good rating.
