‘WWE NXT’ Review (April 3rd 2019)
Welcome to this week’s NXT review, right here on Nerdly. I’m Nathan Favel and we have the final card before Wrestlemania, so let’s see if Vince even watches NXT (probably not).
Match #1: War Raiders def. local competitors
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
Before defending their titles against Aleister Black & Ricochet at TakeOver: New York, NXT Tag Team Champions The War Raiders pre-gamed with a set of stretch drills. Of course, the “stretch drills” in this case were at the expense of the opponents who had the unfortunate task of squaring up against them in the ring. To send a message ahead of TakeOver, Hanson & Rowe unloaded their domineering might on a pair of locals, who were trounced within a matter of seconds.
My Take: 1 out of 5 – This sucked. Why would I want to watch these guys work squashes when they can actually wrestle?
Match #2: War Raiders def. Cezar Bononi & Adrian Jaoude
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
Unleashing the appetite for destruction on Cezar Bononi & Adrian Jaoude, Hanson nearly decapitated Bononi with a clothesline, before handing Bononi & Jaoude to Rowe, who downed both Superstars with a simultaneous powerbomb and powerslam. To properly conclude their statement, the bearded brawlers flattened Bononi with a vicious Fallout to claim the three-count and send a warning to their TakeOver opponents.
My Take: 1 out of 5 – This sucked. Why would I want to watch these guys work squashes when they can actually wrestle? Are you seeing déjà vu? So am I.
Match #3: Jaxson Ryker def. Oney Lorcan
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
Jaxson Ryker raised his level of intensity against the hard-hitting Oney Lorcan in a brawl that spilled in and out of the squared circle, where their respective comrades (Forgotten Sons and Danny Burch) stood at bay. After wreaking damage to previous opponents in one-on-one action, Ryker found himself a challenge in the ever-fierce Lorcan, whose brutal chops forced his fellow brawler into defensive mode early in the match. When Ryker wasn’t absorbing blistering chops, he was dealing with a barrage that mixed speed with punishing strikes. However, once the Forgotten Sons’ powerhouse found his stride, there was no turning back. After avoiding an aerial attack from Lorcan from the middle turnbuckle, Ryker drilled his opponent with a pop-up gutbuster. From there, the heavy hitter focused on the midsection of Lorcan with a grueling bearhug, before putting him out with a sit-out chokeslam for the win.
My Take: 2.5 out of 5 – These guys worked pretty well together, but the bout didn’t really leave either man much time to impress.
Match #4: (Main Event) Bianca BelAir vs. Kairi Sane went to a no contest
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
The raging fire between Bianca Belair and Kairi Sane came alive in a rugged battle inside Full Sail Live, combusting for all to see – including their opponents at TakeOver: New York. Throwing hands immediately after the opening bell, the two were seemingly blowing off some steam before they redirect their focus to the NXT Women’s Title in two days at TakeOver. Out the gate, Belair displayed her incredible athleticism, reversing a headlock and roll-up pin by Sane for a standing moonsault that was followed by a shoulder block. But what makes Sane so threatening is her ability to bounce back, not to mention that mean streak she developed over the summer. After Belair tenderized her abdomen with an excruciating abdominal stretch, The Pirate Princess recharged enough strength to sync in an octopus stretch that left her opponent reaching for the ropes.
The sheer power of The EST of NXT, however, was indomitable. As Sane went airborne for a crossbody, she was caught midair like a fly in a spider web and tossed across the canvas with a fallaway slam. Later, Belair dropped Sane with an elevated double chicken wing hold to send the match into its final seconds, before the reigning NXT Women’s Champion Shayna Baszler and her fellow MMA Horsewomen, Jessamyn Duke and Marina Shafir, crashed the party.
While the menacing trio attacked Sane and Belair, Io Shirai arrived to even the odds, which prompted the entire NXT Women’s locker room to storm the ring to separate the competitors before their scheduled bout in the Big Apple. With tension thicker than a line at Disney World, the presence of the entire roster didn’t stop Belair, Shirai and Sane from getting a few licks in. One of the real shockers came when The EST of NXT gorilla-pressed Lacey Lane and tossed her into the Superstars crowded outside of the ring. Not one to shy from a game of one-upmanship, Shirai hopped on top of the turnbuckle to administer a jaw-dropping moonsault on the bunch, before wrapping her hands with the NXT Women’s Title. Is this a sign of things to come on Friday?
My Take: 3 out of 5 – This was a…I feel like I’m repeating myself. There wasn’t anything here that you’ll look back on as the greatest thing you’ve ever seen, unless of course you actually do. Every-thing about this match was just as you’d think it would be and that’s just fine.
News Of The Night:
- Candice LeRae is going after the NXT Women’s Title and will fight Aliyah to get her shot, next week.
- Aichner & Barthel will fight The Street Profits, next week.
Final Verdict: 2.5/5
Why do they even run this one hour NXT show? They only have room for a little bit of their roster, so why not just do a two hour show? I’m sure Triple H has a perfectly good/lousy explanation for this, but what does a cactus know? I wish NXT actually had a purpose, but it seems this is all just to give Triple H something to do until Vince McMahon dies.
