‘WWE NXT’ Review (Feb 28th 2023)
Welcome to this week’s review of NXT, right here on Nerdly. Let’s get straight into the review and see what happened this week…
Match #1: NXT North American Championship – Wes Lee def. Nathan Frazer
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
The NXT North American Champion decided to hold another Open Challenge for his title and it was nothing but pure chaos as a group of Superstars brawled at ringside until Nathan Frazer stepped up and answered it. The two men battled evenly before finding themselves precariously placed on the top rope and it was the challenger that delivered the big blow as Frazer nailed Lee with a superplex and rolled through into a twisting neckbreaker. Frazer risked it all by going for a splash to the outside, but Lee countered and the challenger fell face first onto the announce table. Lee managed to toss Frazer into the ring and hit him with a Kardiak Kick to retain his title.
My Score: 3.5 out of 5
Match #2: Indus Sher def. Josh Briggs & Brooks Jensen
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
The team of Josh Briggs & Brooks Jensen have had a rough month and it continued after getting decimated by the gargantuan team of Indus Sher. Briggs did his best to keep his team in the match, but Jensen was clearly unfocused and a step slow during all of their tandem offense. A frustrated Briggs made his way back to his corner but was cut off by a big boot from Sanga as Jensen was left alone in the ring. It wasn’t long until Sanga launched the helpless Jensen into a clothesline from Veer that mercifully ended the match.
My Score: 2 out of 5
Match #3: Meiko Satomura def. Zoey Stark
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
Just a week before challenging Roxanne Perez for the NXT Women’s Championship, Meiko Satomura proved why she’s the No. 1 Contender and a legitimate threat in the NXT Women’s Division. The two Superstars engaged in a hard-hitting affair with crushing kicks, fierce elbows, and incredible back and forth action. Stark seemingly had the advantage after a lengthy battle, but an attempt at a top rope splash missed when Satomura rolled out of the way, leaving Stark wide open for a Scorpio Rising which was enough for Satomura to finally pick up the victory.
My Score: 2,5 out of 5
Match #4: Sol Ruca def. Elektra Lopez
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
Elektra Lopez has gotten far thanks to her nefarious ways and her signature brass knuckles, but she ended up getting her soul snatched by Sol Ruca. Lopez controlled the athletic Ruca for the better part of the match, keeping her grounded on the mat and unable to hit any of her innovative offense. With Ruca down, Lopez went searching for her brass knuckles but couldn’t find them, only to see her partner Valentina Feroz holding them. Stunned and distracted, Lopez didn’t see Ruca scaling the ropes and the young Superstar nailed a Sol Snatcher, giving her the big win. After the match, Feroz nailed Perez with her brass knuckles to give her a taste of her own medicine.
My Score: 2 out of 5
Match #5: Tiffany Stratton def. Katana Chance
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
The incredible offense of Katana Chance was on full display, but the blonde bombshell that is Tiffany Stratton continues to prove why she’s one of the best up and coming Superstars in all of NXT. Chance kept Stratton off-balance early using her athleticism, but Stratton managed to finally ground her and evened the odds. As the two women battled inside the ring, Isla Dawn & Alba Fyre appeared on the ramp, distracting Chance long enough for Stratton to counter, hit a rolling thunder, and hit her picture perfect moonsault to earn the win.
My Score: 2 out of 5
Match #6: Axiom def. Hank Walker
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
A true contrast of styles pitted the brawler Hank Walker against the high-flying Axiom, and the advantage went to the masked Superstar. Walker is still trying to find his footing after being betrayed by his former mentor Drew Gulak, and he put on a strong performance by absorbing nearly every shot that Axiom had to throw at him. Walker’s resiliency wouldn’t last forever as the sensational striking of Axiom put Walker in perfect position for a Golden Ratio that finally ended the match and gave both men a mutual respect for one another.
My Score: 2.5 out of 5
Match #7: Carmelo Hayes def. Tyler Bate
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
Two of NXT’s best faced off as Carmelo Hayes and Tyler Bate attempted to prove that they were worthy of being the next challenger for Bron Breakker’s NXT Championship, but in the end Melo proved that he is HIM. The two Superstars traded major shots with The Big Strong Boi hitting his signature uppercuts, clotheslines, and unorthodox strikes, meanwhile Hayes connected with his athletic offense including a suplex turned into a cutter. Bate managed to hit a superplex, but Trick Williams provided enough of a distraction for Hayes to counter Bate’s top rope splash. NXT’s biggest baller followed that up with Melo Don’t Miss and picked up another major victory in his career.
My Score: 3.5 out of 5
Final Verdict: 3/5
OK, I’ll give it to this week’s episode of NXT, it certainly improved on the previous episode and we got a great opening and closing match. In between the two still felt average but not approaching the almost sub-par level of other recent weeks. We’ve got another pay-per-view, or Premium Event as WWE like to call it, coming up and this show did at least go someway to building towards that.
