Nerdly » ‘WWE NXT’ Review (Dec 11th 2019)

12th Dec2019

‘WWE NXT’ Review (Dec 11th 2019)

by Nathan Favel

Welcome to this week’s NXT review, right here on Nerdly. I’m Nathan Favel and we have the big Triple Threat Match to decide who fights Adam Cole next week. It’s Danny F—— Kaye! Why did Dr. Manhattan return to Earth to nail Regina King when he could have had the Blue Man Group? Alright, it’s time for NXT.

Match #1: Angel Garza def. Lio Rush – NXT Cruiserweight Championship Match

The following is courtesy of wwe.com:

Angel Garza waged psychological warfare against Lio Rush for weeks, and as unbecoming as his tactics were at times, they helped him capture championship gold. The black-and-gold brand’s resident heartthrob made the most of his second opportunity versus Rush, dethroning him as NXT Cruiserweight Champion with an unconventional submission in a thrilling seesaw affair. Rush was still clearly incensed by the mind games Garza had played — which included Garza stripping off his pants in front of Rush’s wife in the crowd during their first title bout last month — and began throwing bombs of fury at his opponent before ring introductions had even concluded. The mental chess continued through the bout, with Garza even dropping Rush with his own Come Up. But The Man of The Hour fired back, later answering with Garza’s own Wing Clipper. Garza somehow found a way to kick out of the Come Up, then his trademark pants came in handy, coming off and allowing him to slip out of Rush’s attempt at a pinfall following the Final Hour. It bought Garza just enough time to catch Rush knee-first during his second attempt at the Final Hour — this time to the outside of the ring. NXT’s resident lothario then dragged Rush back into the squared circle to level him with the Wing Clipper. When that wasn’t enough for the three-count, Garza pulled Rush into a reverse full-nelson to force the submission and become the first-ever Mexican NXT Cruiserweight Champion. That wouldn’t be the only victory for “The Most Beautiful Man in the World” on this night. Garza, with his newly won title over his shoulder, found his girlfriend at ringside moments later, invited her into the ring and asked her to be his wife — and she said yes.

My Opinion: 4 out of 5 – This was a great one. Everything they went for came together like rushing water in the mighty river. Flaming Bear and Sister Stick watched over the people like the Sky Eagle at Chuck Berry’s restaurant. Rush and Garza are quickly becoming one of the best pairings out there, so the success of this match should lead to more matches…hopefully. Look for all kinds of spectacular action from bell to bell as this one delivered that and more.

Match #2: Raul Mendoza def. Cameron Grimes

The following is courtesy of wwe.com:

Cameron Grimes hasn’t had trouble making enemies during his short time in NXT, and two of his most recent foes collected their debts Wednesday. Raul Mendoza defeated Grimes in one-on-one competition, gaining retribution after being attacked by The Technical Savage a week earlier. And give the assist to Kushida. It didn’t take long for Grimes to get his comeuppance after attacking Kushida earlier in the week at the WWE Performance Center. NXT’s “timesplitter” provided just enough of a distraction at ringside for Mendoza to catch Grimes off-guard for the three-count. Kushida added insult to injury by snatching Grimes’ signature hat and trying it on for size, much to the Technical Savage’s dismay.

My Opinion: 1.5 out of 5 – These two guys were wasted on…a squash?! NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!

Match #3: Travis Banks def. Jaxson Ryker

The following is courtesy of wwe.com:

Chalk up a victory for NXT UK on the march toward WWE Worlds Collide thanks to Travis Banks, who overcame some early adversity to knock off Jaxson Ryker. The leader of The Forgotten Sons quickly overwhelmed Banks with his brute strength, but The Kiwi Buzzsaw used his quickness advantage to battle back. Banks nailed Ryker with the Slice of Heaven before Steve Cutler and Wesley Blake had a chance to get involved, escaping with an upset win.

My Opinion: 2.3 out of 5 – This wasn’t all that much, but it wasn’t bad either. I am so tired of saying that in these reviews. I could either find a new sentence, or these matches could be less produced than they are now. I ain’t budging, so I guess Vince will ha…maybe I ought to budge.

Match #4: Dakota Kai def. Mia Yim

The following is courtesy of wwe.com:

Though victory eluded Mia Yim when she finally got the chance to go head-to-head with Dakota Kai, she found another way to leave her mark. The Captain of Team Kick won the rivals’ first one-on-one bout by nefarious means, but she didn’t leave without feeling The Head Baddie in Charge’s wrath. Finally able to unleash the rage that had been pent up since Kai’s heinous, clandestine attack on her last month at TakeOver: WarGames, Yim shellshocked her opponent in the early goings. But Kai responded with a seemingly newfound grit to complement her recently revealed aggression, kicking out of Yim’s Code Blue attempt. Kai used sinister shrewdness to pull out the victory, exposing the turnbuckle and smashing Yim face-first into the steel after distracting the referee with an attempt to use the knee brace of Tegan Nox — which she still totes around triumphantly.

My Opinion: 3.4 out of 5 – This was a fine fight that went under ten minutes. They made the most of a small chance to push their feud as some-thing important and they did like their lives depended on it. Yim is getting better at portraying herself as tough, which goes well with Kai’s heel turn. I had a good time.

Match #5: Breezango def. The Singh Brothers

The following is courtesy of wwe.com:

Breezango delivered a devastating prognosis against The Singh Brothers this week on NXT, arriving on the scene at Full Sail in doctorly attire en route to victory. Sunil and Samir Singh leveraged dastardly yet wise tag team tactics to isolate Tyler Breeze until the much fresher Fandango tagged in with a spark. All four combatants battled to the ringside area, with Fandango grabbing the advantage for his squad thanks to a powerbomb on the apron. Fandango followed up with the Last Dance, and just like that, Breezango had once again danced their way into the win column.

My Opinion: 1.9 out of 5 – This was…well, it came and it went. This was simply boring and that’s it. I have nothing bad to say about the wrestlers. This match was just not up to snuff and that’s it. They’ll do better next time.

Match #6: Bianca Belair def. Kayden Carter

The following is courtesy of wwe.com:

Bianca Belair looked as impressive as ever in her first action since Survivor Series, overcoming a strong effort from Kayden Carter to pick up a victory. Though she did her best to keep The EST of NXT off-balance with several quick-strike maneuvers, Carter eventually found herself overwhelmed by Belair’s strength. A wicked pendulum backbreaker-gutbuster combination turned the tide decisively in Bianca’s favor. Sprinkling her signature sassiness throughout the performance, Belair covered Carter for the three-count after connecting with a vicious K.O.D.

My Opinion: 2.5 out of 5 – This worked out well enough for the time given, but it was just a cool down match on a show filled with those (cool down matches should not exist, but Dr. Kazovkian feels differently).

Match #7: (Main Event) Finn Bálor def. Tommaso Ciampa and Keith Lee -#1 Contender To The NXT Championship

The following is courtesy of wwe.com:

“I don’t watch this business. This business watches me,” Finn Bálor boldly proclaimed upon his return to NXT two months ago. Those words have never rang truer now that he’s a win away from claiming the black-and-gold brand’s top prize for the second time. Bálor swooped in at just the right time to best Keith Lee and Tommaso Ciampa in a gripping Triple Threat Match for the right to challenge NXT Champion Adam Cole next week. The three competitors had all blazed very different paths toward this opportunity, but they demonstrated similar mettle in their bids for victory with spotlight-stealing moments. Bálor creatively turned a Spirit Bomb attempt by Lee into the Coup de Grace, while Ciampa evoked gasps from the Full Sail crowd with an unbelievable Air Raid Crash on The Limitless Superstar despite a 100-plus pound difference. Never one to miss out on a chance to make the NXT Universe bask in his glory, Lee also wowed the audience with a massive second-rope Moonsault. But Bálor’s cunning paved the way to a riveting conclusion. Lee dropped The Blackheart with the Spirit Bomb — only to be caught immediately by a perfectly timed Coup de Grace to seal Bálor’s victory.

My Opinion: 3.5 out of 5 – This was a good main event that managed to have the wrestlers actually fight each other at the same time for the duration of the bout. This was no masterpiece, but it went nearly twenty and it delivered some excellent action that got the crowd involved. Bálor winning was the right call and will bring a marquee bout to next week’s show. Overall, this was a fine climax to the broadcast.