‘WWE NXT’ Review (Sept 16th 2020)

Welcome to this week’s NXT review, right here on Nerdly. I’m Nathan Favel and we have lots of wrestling… with my sexuality. I like cardboard. Harlan County, USA doesn’t care about your feelings. Those filthy miners just want your coal! Don’t give them sh*t! Okay, Damien Priest fights Timothy Thatcher for the North American Title, because Don Knotts said so!

Match #1: Io Shirai def. Shotzi Blackheart

The following is courtesy of wwe.com:

Shotzi Blackheart quickly proved she was more than up to the task of standing toe-to-toe with the champion, putting forth a courageous effort against Io Shira. In the end though, it was The Genius of the Sky prevailing, putting Blackheart away with her patented top-rope moonsault after a worthy challenge.

My Opinion: 4.1 out of 5 – This was a hell of an opener. Io and Shotzi knocked the Mulan out of each other! They bring honor to us all! This was one big slam after another, with tight, gripping locks every step of the way. This was like watching two cheetahs pounce on each other because I forgot what I was talking about. You know what was nice about this? That this was treated like a men’s match would be. I didn’t feel like this was promoted as “good for the women”, but just “damn good”. So much of this one big shot after another. Shotzi was dynamite (HA!) here and she really held her own against Io. Knowing by the end of the match that this bout was certainly meant to push Shotzi as much as the champion, made it all that much more meaningful to watch in the first place. I think you’ll really like this firecracker of a opener!

Match #2: Tommaso Ciampa def. Desmond Troy

The following is courtesy of wwe.com:

Tommaso Ciampa’s renewed viciousness was present once again as The Blackheart made short work of Desmond Troy, defeating him after hitting the Willow’s Bell DDT. Afterward, Jake Atlas, whom Ciampa savagely attacked after a match last month, confronted him and challenged him to a rematch next week.

My Opinion: 1.8 out of 5 – A fuccin squash…a fukkin squash…I hate…I hate…a fuqqin squash. See? I hate squash matches so much that I misspelled f*cking at least three times.

Match #3: KUSHIDA def. Austin Theory

The following is courtesy of wwe.com:

Austin Theory issued an open challenge of his own, which he may have regretted after it was accepted by an eager Kushida. Again showing a more intense side that we’ve seen in recent weeks, Kushida dominated the encounter and submitted Theory with the Hoverboard Lock.

My Opinion: 2.4 out of 5 – A waste of both their talents, but KUSHIDA was booked to be mean and I think this was meant to potentially punish a potential pervert in Theory. KUSHIDA has done this to Velveteen Dream and Austin Theory…The Sicko Smasher! That’s the gimmick! Book it! Then, Vince Russo comes in…makes KUSHIDA a perv too! SWERVE! KUSHIDA squashes himself in a match to get justice on his own ass! PERV-SWERVE!

Match #4: Breezango def. Imperium – NXT Tag Team Title Match

The following is courtesy of wwe.com:

Imperium couldn’t wait to get this one started, rushing the ring and taking the fight to Breezango before the bout even began. The quick start helped Marcel Barthel & Fabian Aichner control much of the action until Fandango broke up their European Bomb attempt, allowing Tyler Breeze to secure the pin on a crafty hurricanrana.

My Opinion: 3.7 out of 5 – Hey, this was another good one. These guys smacked each other around like governments do to their people. Imperium had the tough-guy motive down to a science here, while The Glitter-Butts sold like crazy for the big, mean bullies This was very much an all-out (HA!) action kind of thing, where Imperium just beating on the champions, but not without getting a beatin’ of their own along the way. Breezango’s got a shot at top-notch if they keep this up. This was really damn good.

Match #5: Kayden Carter & Kacy Catanzaro def. Xia Li & Jessi Kamea

The following is courtesy of wwe.com:

Kayden Carter & Kacy Catanzaro impressed again, picking up the victory with a creative and unique pin on Xia Li. But when Carter & Catanzaro offered a handshake afterward as a sign of respect, Li would have none of it, exiting the ring in frustration.

My Opinion: 2.3 out of 5 – There was nothing bad here, but nothing spectacular either. Nobody slouched out there, but you can’t expect a classic either. All in all, the right team won and that’s fine.

Match #6: Drake Maverick vs. The Undisputed ERA – Handicap Match (No-Contest)

The following is courtesy of wwe.com:

Drake Maverick’s scheduled tag team partner, Killian Dain, was nowhere to be found when the match began and he suffered a beating at the hands of Roderick Strong & Bobby Fish because of it. However, The Beast of Belfast eventually made his presence felt, helping Drake clear the ring of their foes before once again dropping Maverick with a powerful punch.

My Opinion: 2.3 out of 5 – This was just Drake selling for a long while, but he sold well. Dain came in and did the…whatever. What a waste of time.

Match #7: (Main Event) Damian Priest def. Timothy Thatcher – NXT North American Title Match

Damian Priest demonstrated that he has serious staying power as the NXT North American Champion, but The Archer of Infamy’s victory over Timothy Thatcher was anything but easy. Thatcher inflicted his share of pain on Priest, most notably with a huge double-underhook suplex on the outside of the ring. But Priest’s combination of a top-rope spinning heel kick and The Reckoning kept Thatcher down for the three-count.

My Opinion: 4 out of 5 – Priest and Thatcher were bad to the bone. If you thought the clash in styles would be an issue, I’d wager that you will feel great about how well this came together. Thatcher, on one hand, was the mat-master here, twisting and prying Priest every which way he could to break the champion. Priest, on the other hand, was a pillar of power, busting through Thatcher’s offense like a truck through Bruce Lee. These two melded together in that ring, so much so that I don’t see how you can’t revisit this match in later cards. Priest showed the most he’s ever shown and Thatcher was up to his usual standards here. I felt like a mountain-climber at JCPenney watching this…AND I LIKED IT! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!! This TalkTech program records everything I say and this prize fight kicked ass (TOILET FLUSHES).

News Of The Night:

1. There will be a Battle Royal to decide the next challenger to the NXT Women’s Championship.
2. There will be a Gauntlet match to decide the next challenger to the NXT Championship.
3. Wade Barrett is the new color commentator going forward.

Final Verdict: 3.6/5

Two great matches book-ended an otherwise lackluster show.