‘WWE NXT’ Review (Sept 11th 2019)
Welcome to this week’s NXT review, right here on Nerdly. I’m Nathan Favel and we have Cat Stevens breaking the morning, because he wasn’t careful and he dropped it like an idiot. We’re close to NXT moving to the USA Network, which is a momentous occasion that will quickly be eclipsed by the debut of Vince McMahon’s newest competitor, All Elite Wrestling. I like NXT, but this is still just Triple H’s audition for running the WWE after Vince dies, so I can’t get half as enthused about this as I would like. Anyway, Elton John is stuck in a sky Lucy and her damn diamonds, so let’s go get a ladder to get her down while we review NXT.
Match #1: Damian Priest def. Boa
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
Damian Priest proved in his showdown against martial arts expert Boa that he’s ready to level-up in NXT’s hotly competitive singles division. Boa landed several lightning-quick blows against Priest, but his onslaught only seemed to irk The Archer of Infamy. The ever-confident Priest, on the other hand, did nothing but inflict damage with his offense, plowing through Boa with a clothesline and a cyclone kick before ending Boa’s night in short order with the Reckoning.
My Opinion: 2.7 out of 5 – This was a fun little opener that saw James Corden send a member of the audience to the back to get the cue cards. Oh, wait…that didn’t happen here. This match wasn’t much, but it was consistent and made both men look competent. The new Rambo movie looks good, doesn’t it?
Match #2: Pete Dunne def. Angel Garza
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
Angel Garza has the sort of innate ability for sports-entertainment that only comes with being a third-generation luchador. He also has an ego the size of the Rio Grande, and unfortunately for him, there are few things Pete Dunne does better stomp holes in Superstars with outsized egos. Although Garza held his own against the longest-reigning WWE U.K. Champion in history, he lost focus anytime there was a chance to bask in the adulation of his admirers. The grizzled brawler from Birmingham, England, who is notoriously impatient when it comes to those kinds of antics, made Garza pay whenever he grew preoccupied with showing off his movie-star good looks. In the bout’s final moments, Garza took a beat too long to showboat before springing off the ropes with a quebrada. The lapse in judgment proved critical, as Dunne caught the descending Garza in a triangle hold and then splayed Garza’s fingers like a pair of pliers to force the tapout.
My Opinion: 3.3 out of 5 – This was a fine match that…I said fine already. The match kicked ass. There, that’s better. This match kicked more ass than Conan O’Brien in…Conan couldn’t kick any-one’s ass. Look at that hair. Wufklaw! That’s what his hair sounds like when he does that flippy thing on his show to impress women. Garza was great. Of course Garza was great. Dunne was great. Of course Dunne was great. This match was like The Beatles song “Hey Jude”, except this match got cut off before it could reach the crescendo like the song was able to. Hey, I almost sounded like I knew what I was doing. That earns me an almost pat on the back. EHHHHH. EHHHHH. Here you…almost, buddy. That’s what an almost-pat on the back is like. Okay, this was worth the time, even though it should have gotten more time.
Match #3: Cameron Grimes def. Raul Mendoza
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
Cameron Grimes’ failure to win the Breakout Tournament has done a number on The Technical Savage’s headspace, and that resulted in a tough night for Grimes’ opponent, the highflying Raul Mendoza. Despite Mendoza’s slick and exciting offense — which included a high-wire rope-walk dropkick and running shooting star press — Grimes would stop at nothing to rebound from his tournament final loss to Jordan Myles. Grimes used hard knockdowns and questionable tactics, like snapping a ring rope into Mendoza’s face, to counteract the luchador’s spectacular aerial attack. After rolling out of the way of a Phoenix Splash by Mendoza late in the match, Grimes crushed Mendoza’s chest with a leaping double foot stomp to claim the three-count.
My Opinion: 3.2 out of 5 – This was a lot of fun, with Grimes looking great in victory. This was easy viewing all the way, with nobody looking bad at any point. I just wish there had been more of it to enjoy.
Match #4: (Main Event) Shayna Baszler def. Rhea Ripley (Disqualification)
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
Shayna Baszler, the dominant NXT Women’s Champion who’s turned back challenger after challenger with ruthless aggression, may have finally met her match in Rhea Ripley. The non-title clash between #ShaynaTwoTime and the inaugural NXT UK Women’s Champion played out unlike any other Baszler match in recent memory: Thanks to Ripley’s incredible strength and refusal to be intimidated, The Queen of Spades’ mind games and potent offense were rendered all but useless against The Mosh Pit Kid. Baszler still found ways to punish Ripley, although those efforts — like a Kirifuda Clutch executed on the turnbuckles — mostly ran afoul of the rules and tested the referee’s discretion.
Shortly after Ripley regained control by dropping Baszler face-first onto the steel steps, the cavalry arrived in the form of Jessamyn Duke & Marina Shafir. Duke slipped a steel chair to Baszler, but Ripley blocked the champion’s blow, took the equalizer from Baszler’s hands and slammed it across her back. The vicious strike resulted in Ripley’s disqualification and cost the Aussie her chance at being added to next week’s top-contender match. Yet, as the Horsewomen scrambled to safety and Ripley stood her ground inside the ring, with NXT fans chanting her name, there was little doubt as to who scored the moral victory in this high-octane encounter.
My Opinion: 3 out of 5 – I wish this would have been a grander match, but the bookers saw this as a teaser for more matches between them for later and I can’t blame them for wanting to save the better bouts for bigger cards.
News Of The Night:
- William Regal added Candice LeRae to next week’s Triple Threat Match to determine Shayna Baszler’s challenger.
- Johnny Gargano is staying in NXT.
Final Verdict: 2.9/5
This was a weak way to prepare for the end of the one hour NXT shows. I’m glad Gargano is sticking around to help anchor the brand. NXT is going to need all the help it can get, because AEW will have the full attention of a billionaire, while NXT is only getting a quarter of the time of its billionaire.
