Nerdly » ‘WWE NXT’ Review (July 15th 2020)

16th Jul2020

‘WWE NXT’ Review (July 15th 2020)

by Nathan Favel

Welcome to this week’s NXT review, right here on Nerdly. I’m Nathan Favel and George Forman has ten sons named George, George, George, George, George, George, George, George, George and George, because he didn’t want anyone to get them confused. We’ve got Keith Lee’s first show as the double champion, which seems like a McDonald’s commercial for eating two Big Macs at the same time (that’s a lot of asbestos [allegedly]), but it’s not. Also, Io Shirai is here to defend the Women’s Title against Tegan Nox, so don’t go anywhere, or I’ll nuke the Emerald City! I’ll get you my pretty and your little dog too! HEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEH!

Match #1: Damian Priest def. Cameron Grimes

The following is courtesy of wwe.com:

Cameron Grimes tried to catch Damian Priest off-guard with a Cave-In attempt before the bell sounded, but Priest was ready and waiting. The Archer of Infamy took control later in this highly physical encounter with a brutal Razor’s Edge on the apron before putting Grimes away with a cyclone kick and elevated Reckoning off the second rope. Afterward, Priest said he would be keeping a close eye on the NXT and North American Title Match between Keith Lee and Dominik Dijakovic later in the evening.

My Opinion: 3.1 out of 5 – This was good fun, if your idea of fun is watching band members from Metallica and The Foo Fighters (They fight foo!) beat the sniggers out of each other. Priest (doesn’t seem very clean) and Grimes (cleaner than you’d think) did a lot of smash-mouth wrestling that might leave these guys looking like abused spouses if they’re not careful. I can tell you that, even with the extended commercial break that consumed most of the screen for most of the match, it was brisk wrestling with little pause or delay and that’s good enough for an opener.

Match #2: Indi Hartwell def. Shotzi Blackheart

The following is courtesy of wwe.com:

Indi Hartwell turned in an eye-catching performance, but she needed a little help to capture a huge win over Shotzi Blackheart. Blackheart was firmly in control until a payback-minded Robert Stone made his way to the ring — walking boot and all — and distracted the referee, allowing Aliyah to sweep Blackheart off the top rope. Hartwell took advantage, landing a massive facewash kick for the pin.

My Opinion: 2.7 out of 5 – This had the right mechanics to it and some solid application, but this still felt like it was just a commercial for what you’d actually like to see from these two. Shotzi is a real quirky kinda athlete and that helps her stand out, but I wish she’d be allowed to do that with her wrestling. Indi is also quite good and got to show her skills here, but the match was too brief to be enough of a showcase for either fighter. All in all, this was decent wrestling from two very interesting wrestlers.

Match #3: Keith Lee def. Dominik Dijakovic – Winner Takes All Match

The following is courtesy of wwe.com:

Keith Lee and Dominik Dijakovic both had the other well-scouted — no surprise after their unforgettable wars of the past, though none of those bouts featured two championships on the line. Once again, the two Superstars brought out the best in one another as they penned yet another classic, but Lee prevailed after planting Dijakovic with the Big Bang Catastrophe.

My Opinion: 3.5 out of 5 – This was another excellent match from two fabulous wrestlers. The new champion really showed off his charisma this time out and the challenger wasn’t that far behind. If you like watching two telephone poles charge at each other like Timon and Pumba at Hedonism, then this match may just hit the switch to swap to “swing”. There are big slams and fierce strikes that will make your testicles go all Play-Doh on ya, because these guys know what it takes to make the cake bake before you wake. I think a baseball must’ve hit my head, because I’m just saying weird rhymes now. This got a favorable amount of time and delivered a favorable amount of favorable wres… I just said the same word three times. It must’ve been a big baseball. I’m glad we got this match already, because I would have hated to see Lee lose the strap(s) before this match could happen.

Match #4: Timothy Thatcher def. Denzel Dejournette

The following is courtesy of wwe.com:

Denzel Dejournette, a former All-American wrestler in his own right, turned in a competitive effort on the mat against Timothy Thatcher. But “Thatch-as-Thatch-can” later won out by submitting Dejournette with an expertly applied single-leg crab, and he wasn’t finished. Thatcher reapplied the hold after the bell until Oney Lorcan hit the scene, tearing him off Dejournette and running Thatcher out of the ring.

My Opinion: 2.7 out of 5 – As squashes go, this was quite good, making a minute and a half into a feast of an exhibition of mat wrestling gold. Timothy kicked ass and Denzel showed he might be just as good.

Match #5: (Main Event) Io Shirai def. Tegan Nox – NXT Women’s Championship Match

The following is courtesy of wwe.com:

Tegan Nox rose to the occasion, matching Io Shirai’s unbridled intensity with more of an edge than we’re used to seeing from The Girl with the Shiniest Wizard. Nox elevated her game with creative offense, catching Shirai’s crossbody into a bridging fallaway slam to net a near-fall. But Nox’s attempt at the Shiniest Wizard was snuffed out by Shirai, who countered with a palm strike before hitting her breathtaking moonsault to retain the NXT Women’s Title.

My Opinion: 4.1 out of 5 – Now this was some good shit. If you want a women’s prize fight to feel like a true prize fight, then I guess there are far worse places to start than with Nox and Io. Every move mattered and every attack felt lethal, like dinner with the Manson family. There’s a lot of chemistry on display between these two, so much so that I’d like this pairing to be kept together for future matches. They’ve hit on a big deal here and that is a deal that they should keep making. Over-all, this was the main event and it earned it, one thrill at a time.