‘WWE NXT’ Review (Sept 12th 2018)
Welcome to this week’s NXT review, right here on Nerdly. I’m not Nathan Favel as he’s still out with illness; instead you’ve got me, Phil, and much like yesterday’s 205 Live review, this is the first NXT show I’ve watched in some time – who needs a weekly show when you have such great PPVs from this particular WWE brand..?
Match #1: Oney Lorcan & Danny Burch def. Cezar Bononi & Adrian Jaoude
The following is courtesy of WWE.com:
Returning from a grisly facial injury that kept him on the shelf since TakeOver: Chicago II, Oney Lorcan reunited with Danny Burch to face the talented combination of Adrian Jaoude and The Future Star of NXT award-winning Cezar Bononi, who were making their WWE Network debut as a unit. Despite Jaoude’s incredible grappling technique and Bononi’s immense power, it didn’t take long for Lorcan & Burch to get back to their winning ways. The Brit-Am bruisers overwhelmed the Brazilian Superstars with their teamwork and high-octane offense, culminating in an elevated double-team DDT for the victory.
My take: Pretty much a squash match for Lorcan and Burch, who – despite facing some interesting MMA/martials arts offence from the new tag team of Bononi and Jaoude – took apart their opponents with ease, looking super-strong in the process. They’ve got no charisma but Lorcan and Burch definitely look like badasses in the ring.
Match #2: Shayna Baszler def. Violet Payne
The following is courtesy of WWE.com:
After NXT Women’s Champion Kairi Sane got the best of her during a fiery confrontation last week, Shayna Baszler was in no mood for games. Her opponent, Violet Payne, found that out the hard way. The Queen of Spades punished Payne with a targeted attack on her arm, bending Payne’s wrist in all sorts of directions, and before long, The Submission Magician locked in the Kirifuda Clutch to pick up the decisive submission victory. Not satisfied with merely earning the W, Baszler reapplied the Kirifuda Clutch twice more after the bell before throwing Payne from the ring. The post-match attack was a powerful show of force, but it was also a clear indication that even though Baszler no longer holds the NXT Women’s crown, she’s every bit as dangerous as before.
My take: We get it, Shayna Baszler is as hard as nails. No need to keep sacrificing talent to her Kirifuda Clutch to prove that. I’d be more impressed if she was taking on talent that could match her pound-for-pound TBH.
Match #3: Lars Sullivan def. Raul Mendoza
The following is courtesy of WWE.com:
Two weeks ago, Lars Sullivan ambushed and wiped the mat with Raul Mendoza after taking out Mendoza’s scheduled opponent, EC3, backstage. While Mendoza was hoping to score retribution this week in his singles match against The Freak, no such solace could be found. The Rocky Mountain monster overpowered Mendoza from the opening bell, tossing Mendoza around the ring like a sack of potatoes. Though Mendoza’s superior speed and agility enabled the talented luchador to score with an impressive springboard dropkick, his momentum was brought to a sudden stop when Sullivan pounded him with a pop-up powerslam. Sullivan then broke out the Freak Accident to end Mendoza’s misery and earn the three-count.
My take: Zzzzzz. Another squash match. So far all this episode of NXT has done is reminded me why I don’t tune in every week. Who wants to see 3 squash matches in a row? Really?!
Match #4: Nikki Cross vs. Bianca Belair ended in a Double Count-out
The following is courtesy of WWE.com:
The NXT Universe found out what happens when you mix an undefeated super-athlete like Bianca Belair with one of the most unpredictable Superstars of all time in Nikki Cross: Pure chaos. NXT’s Twisted Sister seemed to approach Belair with a genuine (if warped) sense of curiosity, as though The EST of NXT was a new toy to play with. Belair, however, wasn’t having it. Looking to protect her win streak and put Cross in her rear-view mirror as quickly as possible, Belair used her awesome strength to pulverize Cross with a bear hug and, later, an impressive deadlift gorilla press. Cross stayed resilient and characteristically unhinged, trapping Belair in the ring skirt and walloping her with strikes. The fight intensified as it sprawled around ringside, with Belair cracking Cross with her hair whip. Cross returned fire, leaping onto Belair’s back and locking on a sleeper hold. The EST of NXT’s counter was simple but brutally effective, as she dropped backwards onto the ramp, causing both herself and Cross to crash hard onto the streel structure. Fatigued by battle and dazed by the extreme impact, neither Superstar could return to the ring before the referee’s 10-count, resulting in a Double Count-out.
The brawl, however, wasn’t over. A swarm of referees tried to separate the Superstars as their fight raged on. Belair sent Cross tumbling over the announce desk, but much like a Timex watch, Cross took a licking but kept on ticking. The Twisted Sister jumped off the desk with a high cross body block, wiping out not just Belair but also the referees. It was pure madness, and the smile on Cross’ face suggested she loved every minute of it. Yet, with no clear-cut victor declared, the NXT Universe can safely assume this wild rivalry is just getting started.
My take: Despite the dusty finish this match was easily the highlight of the night, with the post-match fight – with Cross and Belair brawling across the Full Sail arena – providing the show with a much needed big ending. To be fair, I could watch Nikki Cross wrestle for the entire hour, her manic, almost insane, style of wrestling easily outdoing most, if not all, of the women on the main roster. Maybe that’s why she didn’t move up to Smackdown with SAnitY? Because she’d show up the rest of the WWE womens roster..?!
News of the Night:
- The “Who attacked Aleister Black?” storyline continued with Tommaso Ciampa denying he was the mystery attacker who took out Black before Takeover: Brooklyn in a promo that just antagonised the audience.
- Pete Dunne to face Ricochet in a title vs. title match next week.
- It looks like Cross and Belair will keep feuding going forward.
Final Verdict: A decidely average episode of NXT that seemed to just be, apart from the women’s main event, a display of squash matches for the brands biggest stars. For shame.
