‘WWE NXT’ Review (Jan 15th 2020)
Welcome to this week’s NXT review, right here on Nerdly. I’m Nathan Favel and we have more bull-s— from the thing that will likely kill the WWE, not because it’s bad, but because it’s so much better by comparison to the main roster programming that the whole roster will abandon Vince’s company for the developmental part of it. That was a long, f——up sentence that I’m too lazy to edit, but it is true. Tommaso Ciampa said he would retire before going to the main roster. That’s f——up too. Vince’ll only have three people left and it won’t be anyone that draws. So, let’s watch NXT, the thing that will inject new life into the WWE and kill it at the same time. To think, I always thought Total Non-Stop Action Wrestling would be able to deal Vince the death blow. Oh well, at least Vince Russo changed the business with Stone Cold Shark Boy…wait, he didn’t.
Match #1: The BroserWeights def. Mark Andrews & Flash Morgan Webster – First Round Of The Dusty Classic
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
Consider the premiere of The BroserWeights a rousing success — and perhaps even one of the favorites to take home The Dusty Cup. Teaming up for the first time ever to compete in The Dusty Classic, Matt Riddle & Pete Dunne impressed against the more experienced tandem of Mark Andrews & Flash Morgan Webster. Decked out in coordinated gear, the aptly-named BroserWeights demonstrated surprisingly strong chemistry, while their unique in-ring styles made for a formidable combination to overcome the high-flying offense of Andrews & Webster. Dunne put Andrews away after flipping him right into a blistering ripcord knee from Riddle.
My Opinion: 3.8 out of 5 – This was some good s—. This went nearly twenty minutes and had all sorts of stiff kicks. Everything looked like it hurt, which is the way it should be. I hate that no-sell s— that the indy nerds do. A power-bomb hurts you jackass! Sell! Sell, you moron! Sell! Fortunately for this match (and us all) there is plenty of selling here and for good reason. Dunne and Riddle make a great team, even more so than Andrews and Webster. This was a fabulous opener.
Match #2: The Grizzled Young Veterans def. Timesplitters (Kushida & Alex Shelley) – First Round Of The Dusty Classic
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
The reunion of Kushida & Alex Shelley electrified Full Sail, but they ran into a focused buzzsaw in The Grizzled Young Veterans, who spoiled the storied duo’s return to the ring to advance in The Dusty Classic. Kushida & Shelley often looked like they had barely missed a beat since their days tagging in Japan, showcasing their rapport with expertly applied double-team offense — but not quite at the level to topple James Drake & Zack Gibson, who claimed victory after hitting the Ticket to Mayhem on Shelley. Met with an opportunity for a sportsmanlike handshake with their opponents afterward, The Grizzled Young Veterans wanted nothing to do with it, instead declaring that their only mission is to capture The Dusty Cup.
My Opinion: 3.4 out of 5 – This was a good match that put the kibosh on a full-blown run of the Timesplitters in NXT, but it gave Alex Shelley a chance to see what he was missing by not being in the WWE (not much). Still, this was a fun match. There was plenty of action, yada, yada, yada, yada. You’ll like it…or not. Damn. I guess one size doesn’t fit all.
Match #3: Isaiah “Swerve” Scott def. Lio Rush and Tyler Breeze – Triple Threat Match For An NXT Cruiser-Weight Championship Match At Worlds Collide
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
Isaiah Scott is swerving all the way to an NXT Cruserweight Championship opportunity. By virtue of knocking off Lio Rush and Tyler Breeze in a Triple Threat Match, “Swerve” will be one of three challengers vying for Angel Garza’s title in a Fatal 4-Way Match at WWE Worlds Collide on Saturday, Jan. 25. The two other yet-to-be-determined competitors will be representatives of NXT UK. Garza himself was on hand at the commentary table, getting a chance to do some scouting ahead of his next title defense. He had a front row seat for the breakneck-paced battle that saw all three competitors dazzle the NXT crowd, ultimately witnessing Scott plant Breeze with the JML Driver for the win.
My Opinion: 3.4 out of 5 – This was pretty fun, but it was certainly no AJ/Joe/Daniels Unbreakable match. The action was quick and easy (not for them), but never got stuck on doing one thing too much either. This was a match of variety and if you took Swerve and Rush with Breeze stuck between them you’d have the world’s largest Oreo. Dunk that s— in some milk. It’s nice to see the cruiserweight guys get a chance to actually wrestle, since 205 Live has gone the way of Ariya Daivari doing jack from eleven minutes at a time. Over-all, Swerve made for a fresh winner who could do a lot in the Fatal 4 Way for Worlds Collide.
Match #4: (Main Event) Bianca Belair def. Candice LeRae, Mia Yim, Kacy Catanzaro, Mercedes Martinez, Shotzi Blackheart, Dakota Kai, Vanessa Borne, Kayden Carter, Santana Garrett, Io Shirai, Tegan Nox, Xia Li, Shayna Baszler, Deonna Purrazzo, Catalina and MJ Jenkins – Battle Royal For An NXT Women’s Championship Shot At NXT TakeOver: Portland
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
Whoever emerges as NXT Women’s Champion at WWE Worlds Collide will have their work cut out for them as Bianca Belair will challenge either reigning champion Rhea Ripley or Toni Storm at NXT TakeOver: Portland. The EST of NXT reigned victorious over a tough field in a Battle Royal this week on NXT to earn that opportunity, last eliminating Io Shirai to conclude an eventful and chaotic melee in the black-and-gold brand’s red-hot Women’s Division. Making her return to action was Tegan Nox, hitting the ring for the first time since ex-bestie Dakota Kai’s shocking betrayal and savage attack back at NXT TakeOver: WarGames. But it was The Captain of Team Kick again having the last laugh. Kai did not compete in the Battle Royal, but emerged at ringside to shove Nox off the top rope and eliminate her, yet again foiling “The Girl with the Shiniest Wizard.” Shayna Baszler’s entry stunned both the audience and the competition as the former champion tried to re-establish her dominance over the pack. But instead of emerging with a rematch for her old title, The Queen of Spades may have instead found a new foe in Shotzi Blackheart, who picked the perfect moment to catch Baszler by surprise and discard her over the top rope.
My Opinion: 3.4 out of 5 – This was good fun that went from elimination to elimination in short order. This was a nice array of talent to have available for this match. I wish they would just combine the Raw, SmackDown and NXT Women’s rosters so we can have one large assemblage of female fighters to watch. Belair as the winner doesn’t do as much for me as I hoped, but there’s always time to change that. Martinez should have won, but that’s over and done with, for now. Overall, this was a fitting main event.
News Of The Night:
- Keith Lee got attacked by The Undisputed ERA to set up that feud.
- #DIY is teased as permanently re-uniting, but who knows how far that will go (Timesplitters worked out well…no they didn’t).
Final Verdict: 3.5/5
This was a fun show that could’ve used a bit more wrestling, but what was here was excellent.