‘WWE NXT’ Review (Oct 17th 2018)
Welcome to this week’s NXT review, right here on Nerdly. I’m Nathan Favel and Aleister Black is back! That sounded stupid. Also, did you know that The Cabin in the Woods is a really freaky movie? I did not know that it was a really freaky movie and I just wanted you to know it was a really freaky movie. Oh, NXT is still missing the letter “E”. Can you imagine the Electric Company without the vowels? The lctrc Cmpn… would you watch that?
Match #1: War Raiders def. NXT Tag Team Champions Undisputed ERA by disqualification when the returning Bobby Fish interfered
The following is courtesy of WWE.com:
The Undisputed ERA’s Tag Team Championship reign lives on, thanks to a few shocks to the system. After evading The War Raiders’ crosshair for weeks, Kyle O’Reilly & Roderick Strong had nowhere to run when it came time to defend their NXT Tag Team Titles. Of course, Hanson & Rowe had no problem relishing the moment. Over the course of 20 minutes, this contentious battle saw The War Raiders overpower their opponents with tandem attacks – including one instance where they flung Strong into O’Reilly via a ring-shaking back body drop. Yet, the matchup was far from one-sided as O’Reilly and Strong used their razor sharp in-ring IQ to challenge to Hanson & Rowe’s brute strength. Midway through, the despicable pair zeroed in on Rowe’s left knee, exposing a weakness that was then tenderized with a series of punishing strikes and calculated submission holds. Still, the technical maneuvers weren’t enough to prevent the modern-day Vikings from steamrolling the rhythm of Strong & O’Reilly. Hanson nearly decapitated Strong with a clothesline, which prompted Adam Cole to appear, only to get tossed to the outside by Hanson. Just The War Raiders seemed to be closing in on the titles after downing O’Reilly with the Fallout, a steel chair-wielding Bobby Fish arrived for the save, blasting Hanson & Rowe to drive the match into a disqualification. And just like that, Undisputed ERA are back at full force, much to the detriment of Hanson & Rowe.
My Take: 3.5 out of 5 – Aside from the finish, this match was excellent, even though it’s great to have Bobby Fish back. This whole match was one thrill after another. I wish these guys were in still in Ring of Honor, but at least they’re getting a chance to work at their best in NXT, rather than the WWE house style.
Match #2: Shayna Baszler def. Britt Baker via referee stoppage
The following is courtesy of WWE.com:
Britt Baker had the unfortunate task of confronting the wrath of Shayna Baszler this week. To make matters worse, Baszler has spent the past month hellbent on sending a message to NXT Women’s Champion Kairi Sane. Finding opportunity in her bout with Baker, The Queen of Spades unleashed a stern warning that was teemed with hard hits and limb-twisting holds. Things soon took a turn for the worse when Baszler crushed Baker’s left elbow into the mat with a devastating stomp. As her opponent let out a piercing shriek of pain, Baszler watched with glee while the referee ruled out Baker and declared the former NXT Women’s Champion the victor. Before stepping out of the ring, she rushed into Baker with a brutal knee to the face for one last burst of force. If that doesn’t send a message to The Pirate Princess as she prepares to defend her title at WWE Evolution, the entire locker room has assuredly been warned.
My Take: 2.5 out of 5 – In what was effectively a squash, Shayna beat the hell out of Britt like it paid good. Shayna is one mean looking athlete… screw it. Shayna won, I told you she won and it’s over. What, do you want a medal for reading this far? Well, me too… so I can sell it for loose change.
Match #3: Oney Lorcan & Danny Burch def. Tian Bing & Rocky
The following is courtesy of WWE.com:
With their eyes on the top prize in NXT’s Tag Team division, Oney Lorcan & Danny Burch put up a fight to match their championship desire. Going against the talented combination of Chinese Superstars Tian Bing & Rocky, the hard-nosed brawlers cracked open their brand of rough-and-tumble offense and took their opponents to task from bell to bell. Bing & Rocky did their best to neutralize the duo and succeeded in the early parts of the match, cooling down the jets of the Brit-Am tandem with a series of impressive submission holds. But once Lorcan broke out from a wrenching full nelson by Rocky and countered with a sweeping clothesline, the end was near. Before long, Lorcan & Burch set up a double-team DDT on Rocky to pick up another win.
My Take: 2 out of 5 – This was good for what it was, but Oney and Danny deserve better than matches like this. I did like the submission stuff. There, the wrestling part of the wrestling match was the part I liked. Are you surprised?
Match #4: (Main Event) Nikki Cross versus Bianca Belair
The following is courtesy of WWE.com:
Before going any further: Bianca Belair remains un-de-feat-ed, and Nikki Cross is still un-pre-dict-able. That said, all limits were shredded and thrown to the wind once these two stepped into the squared circle. Picking up from the chaos left after their last brawl, Cross bolted into Belair with a crossbody, and from there, they pummeled each other with strikes and tussled until they fell out of the ring. When they decided to step back inside, it was one hard-hitting maneuver after another. The tenacious Belair clocked Cross right in the face with an elbow and later executed a vicious Belair Bomb, but that only fueled the ever-resilient Cross. Belair picked up Cross for a deadlift gorilla press, but the attempt was thwarted by a reverse DDT. After failing to land a pinfall, Cross battered Belair with a top-rope superplex. Yet, just when it appeared the end was in sight, the entire arena went pitch black. When the lights finally came back on, there sat Aleister Black in his signature cross-legged pose, The Dutch Destroyer’s first appearance since being attacked months ago. As the entire Full Sail Live erupted in shock, Black pointed at Cross. NXT’s Twisted Sister, who claims to know the identity of Black’s assailant(s), crawled to him and whispered in his ear a message that left The Dutch Destroyer visibly enraged. Now that Black is back in NXT, how long will it take for the truth to be uncovered in his infamous parking lot attack?
My Take: 3 out of 5 – This was going pretty well, until they did the finish with the lights going out and Black showing up to question Cross. This was a dramatic way introduce him to the show, but if you were watching this match looking for a good one, then you’d have every right to be disappointed. I like it when matches get finished. Why does Vince hate to finish matches?
News Of The Night:
- Bobby Fish is back.
- Aleister Black is back.
- Nikki Cross whispered some-thing in Black’s ear and it pissed him off.
Final Verdict: 3/5
This was a good show, with a decent card. The fact that the action peaked early didn’t help matters, but at least there was a high point.
