‘WWE NXT’ Review (April 15th 2020)
Welcome to this week’s NXT review, right here on Nerdly. I’m Nathan Favel and Battle Beyond The Stars has an intergalactic space-ship with breasts…thanks to James Cameron. The final moments of this show will give you a Dead Ringers sense of déjà vu that will make you want to get to the good part. Are you ready for some football?
Match #1: Finn Bálor def. Fabian Aichner
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
If mowing down Imperium one-by-one is the only way Finn Bálor can get to NXT United Kingdom Champion WALTER, The Prince doesn’t seem to mind. Bálor conquered another of WALTER’s soldiers this week on NXT, this time taking down Fabian Aichner. In what was essentially a Handicap Match at times, Bálor had to stave off Aichner as well as fellow Imperium member Marcel Barthel at ringside. But the uneven odds only seemed to further motivate Bálor. After taking out Barthel, The Prince was finally able to focus squarely on Aichner. He put him away with the Coup de Grace and 1916 DDT, sending yet another message to WALTER, loud and clear.
My Opinion: 3.4 out of 5 – This was a strong opener that was just starting to hit the next gear when the finish kicked in. Finn won, as he should, but Fabian looked tough the whole way through. If you like holds and locks in your wrestling matches, then you’ll find a feast in this fight. This is the kind of match that NXT should be promoting, not Velveteen Dream stroking himself to put over a prize fight.
Match #2: Xia Li def. Aliyah
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
After being robbed of an opportunity to compete for the NXT Women’s Championship, Xia Li gained a satisfying measure of redemption. Li took down Aliyah, who claimed credit for attacking Li last month and preventing her from having a chance to compete in the NXT Women’s Title No. 1 Contender’s Ladder Match. The bad blood stems all the way back to when Li broke Aliyah’s nose in a previous contest last year. Li again battered NXT’s Boujee Superstar, pinning her after an innovative cyclone kick to the back.
My Opinion: 2.6 out of 5 – Length is what kept this from achieving great things. These guys were capable of having a longer, stronger match, but going less than five will not do wonders for your career.
Match #3: Akira Tozawa def. Isaiah “Swerve” Scott – NXT Interim Cruiserweight Title Tournament Match
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
Akira Tozawa is the first man to claim victory in the Interim NXT Cruiserweight Championship Tournament. The Stamina Monster kicked off the tournament by knocking off Isaiah “Swerve” Scott in Group B action. Demonstrating why he’s a former Cruiserweight Champion, Tozawa impressed in the highly physical bout against the promising Scott to claim a 1-0 start. Tozawa somehow found a way to kick out of a cover after Scott’s House Call. Moments later, he folded “Swerve” up with a brutal suplex to the turnbuckle before finishing him off with a senton bomb from the top rope.
My Opinion: 3.5 out of 5 – This was good stuff. Two of the best today proved why they are just that in a stellar match that sold the importance of the tournament and its prize. Akira and Scott got mean as time rolled on, with this getting closer to the Strong Style than you might think from a WWE show. Akira winning was a surprise, since I wasn’t even sure that Vince remembered he had him on payroll. Hey, Akira won a match in the WWE…go figure. Both men were great in this match and that’s worth celebrating on its own.
Match #4: Tegan Nox def. Raquel González
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
Tegan Nox finally has an ally in her war against Dakota Kai and Raquel González. Shotzi Blackheart showed up to even the odds in Nox’s favor, and The Girl With The Shiniest Wizard grabbed a victory over González. The menacing González spent much of the match dominating Nox, and even still, Kai couldn’t help but get involved. Blackheart arrived at ringside moments later to level Kai with her helmet, though, and her presence allowed Nox to surprise González with a rollup for the three-count.
My Opinion: 1.8 out of 5 – This wasn’t much in length or quality.
Match #5: Dexter Lumis def. Tehuti Miles
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
The WWE Universe still doesn’t know exactly what makes Dexter Lumis tick, but whatever it is, it seems to be effective in the ring. NXT’s creepiest Superstar picked up another win this week, dispatching Tehuti Miles by planting him with a modified Uranage and immediately transitioning into an Anaconda Vice for the submission victory.
My Opinion: 1.4 out of 5 – You can skip this s—. Lumis is terrible and should be a manager, not a wrestler. The match was clumsy and slow, with Lumis offering nothing that could have been offered in double the supply by a better wrestler.
Match #6: (Main Event) Matt Riddle & Timothy Thatcher def. The Undisputed ERA – NXT Tag Team Championship
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
Facing The Undisputed ERA in one’s NXT debut is about as tough as it gets, but Timothy Thatcher was up to the task and then some. Revealed as Matt Riddle’s temporary partner to defend the NXT Tag Team Championships, Thatcher joined forces with The Original Bro to overcome Roderick Strong & Bobby Fish. Riddle & Thatcher showcased uncanny chemistry despite their lack of experience together, at one point hitting gut-wrench suplexes in stereo on their opponents before Thatcher launched Riddle into a Floating Bro on Strong. After trading hard-hitting strikes with Strong down the stretch, Thatcher eventually locked on the Fujiwara armbar, and Strong immediately tapped.
My Opinion: 3.5 out of 5 – This was definitely a Thatcher match, weird grapples and all. I’m glad that this was so different from a normal WWE match. If you’re a big fan of scientific wrestling and lots of chops, then this is your kind of match.
News Of The Night:
- Here are the matches for next week:
Jack Gallagher vs. El Hijo del Fantasma
Drake Maverick vs. Jake Atlas
KUSHIDA vs. Tony Nese
Dakota Kai & Raquel Gonzalez vs. Shotzi Blackheart & Tegan Nox
Finn Balor vs. Velveteen Dream - Killer Kross attacked Tommaso Ciampa after Ciampa declared Johnny Gargano the better man.
Final Verdict: 3.4/5
This show offered some good wrestling and built toward a promising card for next week.
