‘WWE NXT’ Review (Nov 7th 2018)
Welcome to this week’s NXT review, right here on Nerdly. I’m Nathan Favel and we have NXT… right now.
Match #1: Heavy Machinery def. The Forgotten Sons
The following is courtesy of WWE.com:
With every duo jockeying for position in the crowded NXT Tag Team division, two of the heaviest-hitting teams — Heavy Machinery and The Forgotten Sons — threw down with zeal in a rollicking clash. The outlook was bleak for Otis Dozovic & Tucker Knight at first as Steve Cutler & Wesley Blake used quick tags to expertly cut off the ring and take turns targeting Dozovic’s arm. Tucker Knight altered the complexion once he tagged in, somersaulting off the top rope onto Cutler for a two-count, but The Forgotten Sons regained the advantage after a combination lungblower/elbow drop. Cutler & Blake looked to continue their double-team tactics when Dozovic re-entered the match, but by that point, Heavy Machinery had figured out The Forgotten Sons’ strategy. Before Cutler could leap off the top rope for a 2-on-1 attack on Dozovic, Knight pushed Cutler to the floor and Dozovic smothered Blake with a pop-up powerslam to give Heavy Machinery the win. Like a well-oiled bulldozer, Heavy Machinery continue to roll through whatever stands in their way in the NXT Tag Team division.
My Take: 2 out of 5 – The moves were good, but the match didn’t make it beyond that. These guys have lots of potential, but you’d never know it if you only saw this match.
Match #2: Dakota Kai def. Taynara Conti
The following is courtesy of WWE.com:
Coming off a stellar performance in the 2018 Mae Young Classic, Taynara Conti showed great intensity against Dakota Kai. The Brazilian Superstar and self-proclaimed “Real Black Belt of NXT” whipped Kai around the ring with judo throws and demonstrated cruel determination as she went after Kai’s wrist and relentlessly trash-talked the Kiwi Superstar. Conti’s aggression, however, was no match for The Captain of Team Kick’s educated feet. After creating some space between herself and Conti, Kai unleashed a torrent of kicks, each one rocking Conti more than the one before it. Kai face-washed Conti twice in the corner and then sped into a flipping backstabber dubbed the “Kairopractor” to snare the victory.
My Take: 2.5 out of 5 – This was a quick little thing that served as a nice teaser of what they can really do. I would have liked this to have gone on a bit longer, but at least the time they had was worth the watch.
Match #3: Lars Sullivan def. Velveteen Dream
The following is courtesy of WWE.com:
Ten days out from Velveteen Dream’s NXT Title Match against champion Tommaso Ciampa at TakeOver: WarGames II, Lars Sullivan had one objective in mind: Destroy Dream and render him unable to battle The Blackheart in Los Angeles, creating a void that could only be filled by the Rocky Mountain monster. Knowing what he was up against, Dream pushed the pace, knocking Sullivan to the floor and sending him face-first into the steel steps. It takes much more than that to stop The Freak, however, and Sullivan used his immense power to turn the tide. He tossed Dream back-first onto the ring apron and battered him with huge slams, but a top-rope diving headbutt missed the mark, allowing Dream to recoup and hit the big man with an amazing Dream Valley Driver that brought NXT fans to their feet.
Dream then set up for his signature elbow drop, at which point Ciampa approached ringside. Opting to send a message to The Blackheart instead of continuing his attack on Sullivan, Dream took down the NXT Champion with a flying double axhandle. Once he returned to the ring, however, Dream was immediately thrashed by Sullivan’s Freak Accident and pinned. Vindicated by victory, Sullivan stomped to the locker room, while Ciampa entered the ring to pick the bones of his next challenger. The Blackheart was stunned, though, when Dream turned it around on him and nailed Ciampa with a twisting DDT onto the NXT Title. Referees swarmed the ring to prevent Dream from crashing down on Ciampa with the Purple Rainmaker, but their pleas fell on deaf ears and Dream landed the elbow drop like a dagger through The Blackheart. NXT went off the air with the Dream holding the NXT title aloft, possibly a preview of what’s to come at TakeOver: WarGames II.
My Take: 2.5 out of 5 – This was pretty good, but these two guys feel like their missing some-thing, both with their wrestling and their personas. Dream is getting a title shot, yet he feels like a lousy choice to shove on PPV for Tommaso Ciampa at Take-Over. Lars is fine, but he feels like a cheap version of Moose, instead of being his own thing. The match these two wrestled felt like a copy of every match Lance Hoyt wrestled while he was TNA, which isn’t bad, but it is predictable. I wish I could jump over my own ass when talking about this thing, but all I can say is that you’d have more fun watching paint dry. I hope these guys are let off the leash in the future, because they can’t get over like this.
News Of The Night:
- Shayna Baszler versus Kairi Sane in a Two out of Three Falls Match will happen at Take-Over: War-Games.
- Johnny Gargano attacked Aleister Black by accident when he was trying to attack Tommaso Ciampa.
Final Verdict: 2/5
Why is NXT so boring? How did this ever become a sensation? Has wrestling suffered under Vince’s control for so long that we’ll accept any-thing that doesn’t look like what he promotes?
