‘WWE NXT’ Review (Sept 30th 2020)

Welcome to this week’s NXT review, right here on Nerdly. I’m Nathan Favel and I invented failure… to great success. I could never take a bite out of crime, because I like stealing shit, and NXT starts…gimme your wallet.

Match #1: Shotzi Blackheart def. Dakota Kai

The following is courtesy of wwe.com:

Dakota Kai personally requested this one-on-one bout after being eliminated by Shotzi Blackheart in last week’s NXT Women’s Title No. 1 Contender’s Battle Royal. Both competitors were shaken up after Blackheart hit a high-risk, modified Sliced Bread No. 2 on the apron, but Raquel González tried to grab the advantage for Kai by getting involved moments later. Unfortunately for her, Rhea Ripley arrived to neutralize Kai’s enforcer. Meanwhile, Blackheart evaded Kai’s facewash kick attempt and rolled her up for an impressive victory.

My Opinion: 3.5 out of 5 – These two knocked the stuffin’ out of each other. Shotzi took a shotzi at Dakota’s head and hit the target enough times to smash her huge schnozz hard enough to make it look like a caramel sugar cookie. This was like a burst of energy…not the crack kind…the athletic kind…no crack! So much of this was just one big strike after another, which worked well here, like swiping a credit card through a hooker’s hoohah to pay for the hour. Ben Affleck still has an ass-face and this match was pretty, pretty, pretty, pretty good.

Match #2: KUSHIDA def. Tony Nese

The following is courtesy of wwe.com:

Kushida continued to demonstrate the more aggressive approach he has used in recent weeks, taking the offense to Tony Nese in intense fashion. NXT’s resident Time Splitter forced Nese to submit to the Hoverboard Lock before being greeted by a video message from Velveteen Dream, who promised that the lights would be too bright for Kushida during their match at NXT TakeOver 31.

My Opinion: 2.5 out of 5 – This two minute waste of time was not enough for two of the best today.

Match #3: Adam Cole def. Austin Theory

The following is courtesy of wwe.com:

Austin Theory may have made a mistake in deriding Kyle O’Reilly’s long road to an NXT Title opportunity, pointing out the fact that he competed at WrestleMania this year at only 23 years of age. O’Reilly’s Undisputed ERA stablemate, Adam Cole, took issue with Theory’s pointed words, calling him out. “All Day” obliged, and though he showed impressive grit against the longest-reigning NXT Champion in history, he eventually succumbed to Cole after the Last Shot.

My Opinion: 3.5 out of 5 – This was some top-notch wrestling that didn’t achieve all it could, but did offer enough to remember. Austin better not be a pervert (allegedly), because he’s a great wrestler…and because sexual assault is bad…DUH! Adam has become one hell of a main event star and this match is like him taking a victory lap to brag about it. You get sound mat grappling combined with snappy twists and turns in the action. What else do you want…a big, wet kiss? You got it! MMMMMMWWWWAAAAAAA!!!!!!! Okay, this was good.

Match #4: Kayden Carter def. Xia Li

The following is courtesy of wwe.com:

Xia Li’s recent change in demeanor continued, and she dominated much of the action against Kayden Carter until suffering defeat thanks to Carter’s nifty pin. Li was incensed again afterward, refusing Carter’s gesture of sportsmanship.

My Opinion: 2.7 out of 5 – This was a few minutes of decent wrestling, but nothing you’ll likely remember later on…unless you do.

Match #5: (Main Event) Candice LeRae & Johnny Gargano def. Io Shirai & Damian Priest – Mixed Tag Team Match

The following is courtesy of wwe.com:

The championship duo of Io Shirai & Damian Priest got off to a fast start, overwhelming NXT’s self-proclaimed “First Couple” from the get-go and later showcasing innovative teamwork with Priest helping Shirai launch into a plancha to the outside on both opponents. The NXT Women’s Champion even mixed it up with Johnny Gargano, clocking him with a big right hand and later hitting a picture-perfect moonsault on Johnny Wrestling. But Candice LeRae hit a low blow on Priest when he went for the Reckoning on Gargano, which allowed Gargano to spike The Archer of Infamy with the decisive One Final Beat DDT.

My Opinion: 3.3 out of 5 – This was ten or so minutes of typical tag action from a league that usually does better with these. Make no mistake when I say that this was fine, but not fantastic. Everybody tagged in and out with urgency, but not at the expense of suspense. I can’t tell you this was a classic, but it did tease a few of the Pay Per View matches for Takeover, so that’s something. Overall, this was a decent match with no real problems in it, but it didn’t have that main event appeal to it either.

News Of The Night:

1. The Cameron Grimes Invitational Stepping Stones To The Moon Match was a Gauntlet that featured a challenger named Joey Pistachio (who was defeated) and Ridge Holland (No Contest).
2. Dexter Lumis returned to stare at Cameron Grimes.

Final Verdict: 3.1/5

There were far too many promos, including one with Kyle O’Reilly and Finn Balor that was moderated by Shawn Michaels. That being said, the promos were good and the matches were fine, so this was a solid show.