‘WWE NXT’ Review (Oct 9th 2019)

Welcome to this week’s NXT review, right here on Nerdly. I’m Nathan Favel and Chicken Kabobs are pretty damn good. On LA Law, a man eats his wife’s face…with hilarious consequences! Then, on…I just read TV Guide. Sorry. Okay, NXT looks like a winner this week, so let’s see if I’m right/I already know and am saying all this for dramatic effect/I’m a douche bag.

Match #1: Lio Rush def. Drew Gulak – NXT Cruiserweight Championship Match

The following is courtesy of wwe.com:

Lio Rush’s last three weeks have been as good as anyone’s. He returned from sabbatical, earned a title opportunity and now can call himself the new NXT Cruiserweight Champion. He dethroned Drew Gulak in a hotly contested encounter Wednesday, dazzling yet again since his comeback last month. Starting the match at a blistering pace, including a Spanish Fly that nearly ended the match in immediate fashion, Rush eventually was grounded by Gulak’s more tactical style. With nifty reversals and escapes, Rush found his way back into the fight, even slipping out of The Philadelphia Stretcher’s dreaded Gulock at one point. Later countering an apparent superplex attempt, The Man of The Hour set himself up for a springboard stunner and The Final Hour to secure victory. After impressive victories over Oney Lorcan and now Gulak to put championship gold around his waist, who can slow down the red-hot Rush?

My Opinion: 3.5 out of 5 – This was some fabulous wrestling action. It’s nice to see the cruiser-weight division get moved to the NXT brand, because it’ll get more attention here. Rush winning was a surprise, but I suppose they don’t want him going to AEW. In any case, this match was a little bit of everything, with some chamomile tea and a biscuit adorned atop the serving plate. Uh-oh. I sound like a sissy. Uh…THEY BEAT THE $#!@ OUT OF EACH OTHER! THEY AREN’T LAME! THEY KICK ASS! There…better. Richard! Mrs. Fortiscue is waiting for us at the rectory! I’ll tell her about my sister Violet, who has a swimming pool and room for a pony. Gulak may not have room for a pony, but he has enough talent to choke one with. This was a hard-hitting match that I didn’t watch and am just copying the review from the Wrestling Observer so I don’t have to do any work. Five Stars! So, in closing your honor, I like Ike…and this match.

Match #2: Rhea Ripley def. Aliyah

The following is courtesy of wwe.com:

Shayna Baszler’s continued dominance as NXT Women’s Champion has left fans wondering who could possibly unseat her; Rhea Ripley’s thoughts on the matter are loud and clear, after taking care of Aliyah in singles competition with a series of brutal moves that put Aliyah out of commission.

My Opinion: 2 out of 5 – This wasn’t much, but Rhea looked good in attempted murder.

Match #3: The Forgotten Sons def. Breezango

The following is courtesy of wwe.com:

The Forgotten Sons are done being an afterthought in NXT, and they don’t care who they have to hurt to make their presence known. Pre-empting what was supposed to be a match between Breezango — who sported a new construction-themed look and entrance — and Ever-Rise by taking out Matt Martel and Chase Parker backstage, The Forgotten Sons took liberties to insert themselves instead in the bout opposite Tyler Breeze and Fandango. That forcible adjustment was also a fruitful one. The Forgotten Sons’ duo of Steve Cutler and Wesley Blake picked up a pinfall victory following some help from Jaxson Ryker on the outside.

My Opinion: 2.3 out of 5 – No one did a bad job, but the match was dull stuff all the same. Over before a monkey could become an uncle, this match was like dandruff at a Studio 54 coke bender. Hey, that joke actually works. It’s disgusting, but it works.

Match #4: Cameron Grimes def. Boa

The following is courtesy of wwe.com:

Boa became the latest victim to a lightning-quick Cameron Grimes victory, which was over before it could barely start.

My Opinion: 2 out of 5 – Grimes used to wrestle two-hour matches. Now, Grimes wrestles two-second matches. Who’d he piss off? At least Grimes won at all.

Match #5: Roderick Strong def. Isaiah “Swerve” Scott

The following is courtesy of wwe.com:

Roderick Strong defeated Isaiah “Swerve” Scott in a match that seemed to give the NXT North American Champion far more than he bargained for, where Scott took the champion to his limits and reminded Strong that while he is one of the best fighting today, he can’t rest on his laurels to stay that way.

My Opinion: 3.5 out of 5 – This was another strong match (the pun is good) that made both wrestlers look strong (puns are great) because this is a strong (PUNS!) brand with strong (AHHHHHHHHH!) competitors. Consider this easy viewing, like Midnight At The Oasis with Maria Muldaur. Wait, that’s a song…you can’t see a song…MTV…strong (AHHHHHHH!). Scott gave Strong  the fight of his life, which is another way of saying that I’m a towel. I really liked this match, just as much as I like turtles and hos. Give this match a shot and I bet you’ll go giggity-giggity for it.

Match #6: Bianca Belair def. Dakota Kai

The following is courtesy of wwe.com:

Bianca Belair will not sit idly while Rhea Ripley claims the front of the line for an opportunity at the NXT Women’s Title. Overcoming the recently returned Dakota Kai after the K.O.D. in a spirited battle, The EST of NXT didn’t merely let the win speak for itself. Belair rebutted Ripley, announcing herself as a roadblock in Ripley’s path to a potential opportunity at Shayna Baszler’s NXT Women’s Championship.

My Opinion: 2.6 out of 5 – This happened mostly during the commercial break, so…what I saw was good.

Match #7: (Main Event) WALTER def. Kushida

The following is courtesy of wwe.com:

If WALTER and Imperium are to be outmatched in NXT, it’s not going to come at the hands of one man. Fighting valiantly, Kushida perhaps pushed WALTER beyond his limits. However, The Ring General was simply too much for the time-traveling high-flyer, wearing him down with punishing chops and slaps throughout their encounter. Kushida’s fighting spirit reared itself in a fiery rally. Despite a significant size and strength disadvantage, he out-maneuvered WALTER late in the match with a series of masterful counters, highlighted by a powerbomb reversed into a DDT. The breakneck pace eventually ceased and spelled the end for Kushida with WALTER connecting on a truck-like running dropkick and a powerbomb — successful this time — for the pin.

My Opinion: 3.9 out of 5 – This was a fantastic main event that was a bit slow at times, but always felt like it was delivering some-thing worth watching. WALTER was as mean and nasty to Kushida as he should have been, because Kushida is practically Kenny Rogers when compared to WALTER, who is much more like Danzig (before the fat guy knocked his ass out). This was not An Old Fashioned Love Song and you can ask Three Dog Night if they agree. The reference is funny! These guys went shot for shot and blow for blow like their lives depended on it. I want them to have more matches between these two guys, because my opinion of myself is much higher than it should be.

News Of The Night:

1. Roderick Strong fights Velveteen Dream for the NXT North American Championship in two weeks.
2. Tommaso Ciamp fights Angel Garza (due to attacking Garza for interrupting his search for some-one else), next week.
3. The WWE Cruiserweight Title is now the NXT Cruiserweight Title.
4. Rhea Ripley and Bianca Belair are being pushed as the next contenders for the NXT Women’s Title.
5. Pete Dunne fights Damian Priest, next week.
6. Donovan Dijak fights Keith Lee, next week.
7. Velveteen Dream did a bad promo where he put Roderick Strong’s face on a naked guy’s body.

Final Verdict: 3.4/5

This was a show that started off real well, dipped real low in the middle and picked-up at the end.