‘WWE NXT’ Review (Nov 11th 2020)
Welcome to this week’s review of NXT, right here on Nerdly. I’m Nathan Favel and this show still is missing the vowel. We’ve got three title matches and my big fat ass in a speedo, so won’t you stick around for the big buttedness…and wrestling?
Match #1: Leon Ruff def. Johnny Gargano – NXT North American Championship Match
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
Johnny Gargano set out to finally put an end to his championship curse, but what unfolded was instead his worst nightmare. His “Wheel of Challengers” landed on Leon Ruff’s name — written on a piece of tape and conspicuous by its contrast to the other names on the list. Gargano mostly dominated the up-and-comer as former North American Champion Damian Priest watched from behind the barricade in the Capitol Wrestling Center. One mistake proved costly, however, as Ruff dodged a superkick and pinned Gargano’s shoulders to the mat with a clever crucifix, stunning Gargano and the NXT Universe to become the new NXT North American Champion.
My Opinion: 3 out of 5 – Leon pulled a 1-2-3 Kid out of his ass and won a quick bout that was a burst of action. Johnny played the role of jack-ass well and gave Leon a big moment. This was cool stuff.
Match #2: Santos Escobar def. Jake Atlas – NXT Cruiserweight Championship Match
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
After taking out the rest of Legado del Fantasma, Jake Atlas finally got his opportunity to challenge the NXT Cruiserweight Champion. Atlas deftly evaded Raul Mendoza and Joaquin Wilde’s attempts at interference, turning the use of a lead pipe against them to neutralize both. Mendoza and Wilde were later banned from ringside. Though Atlas scored a near-fall after a spectacular springboard blockbuster, the champion soon seized control with a top-rope Frankensteiner and frog splash. Escobar narrowly countered Atlas’ attempt at his Cartwheel DDT, planting him to continue his dominant reign atop the Cruiserweight division.
My Opinion: 3.6 out of 5 – This was a disjointed yet solid match that was light on wrestling, but heavy on good aerial moves. Surprisingly, this was much more of a lucha-esque brawl than a sound wrestling match, but considering who is in the ring, I can’t say that I’m that surprised. I did enjoy the way this played out, but I Santos came across as awkward here in ways that made him look slow and cumbersome, instead of confident and fluid like he was when he worked pure lucha. Jake was very aggressive here, to the point that I almost forgot who I was watching. This was serious and creative, even when it was faltering. As prize fights go, this was a good one, despite having some flaws.
Match #3: Candice LeRae def. Toni Storm
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
Candice LeRae won an ultra-competitive bout against Toni Storm, though she needed a shortcut to do so. The Poison Pixie used the ropes for leverage on the winning pinfall.
My Opinion: 3.1 out of 5 – There’s nothing bad here, but time was not on this bout’s side. LeRae and Storm worked well together, but you’d hardly ever know it, thanks to the brevity of the match itself. That’s really all there is to say about that. LeRae won and I didn’t mind it.
Match #4: Timothy Thatcher def. Dexter Lumis
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
Timothy Thatcher repeatedly found himself incredulous with Dexter Lumis’ resilience, as NXT’s Tortured Artist kept coming right back at Thatcher regardless of whatever he threw at Lumis. Thatcher eventually weakened Lumis’ right arm as the unique clash of styles progressed, though Lumis rallied and delivered a huge senton from the top rope. Cameron Grimes jumped on the ring apron before Lumis could lock in Silence, giving Thatcher the opening he needed to apply an armbar before transitioning into a pin.
My Opinion: 4 out of 5 – Well, I’ll be damned. I just gave a Lumis match a 4. Lumis has improved greatly in the past few months. Lumis does more clinching and grappling, while utilizing better transitions from bell to bell. Who ever is working with Lumis down in NXT, if there is any-one that is helping him in NXT, should be given praise, because their help has done Lumis all the good in the world. Also, Thatcher kicked ass here. Every thing that you could expect from Thatcher’s matches was on display. These two guys had a close-quarters fight that kept a taut pace the whole way through. Hell, this even goes thirteen-some-odd minutes. I had a blast with this.
Match #5: (Main Event) Oney Lorcan & Danny Burch def. Breezango – NXT Tag Team Titles Match
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
Breezango started quickly and impressively, showing off their seasoned team chemistry with quick tags and well-executed combination attacks. But the presence of Pete Dunne at ringside proved to be a crucial factor, as Danny Burch & Oney Lorcan took control when Dunne grabbed Tyler Breeze’s leg out of the view of the official. Pat McAfee’s distraction of the referee backfired, as Drake Maverick came to ringside and used the opportunity to blast Lorcan with a kick before taking down the former NFL All-Pro as well. Fandango drew the nearest of near-falls after hitting a top-rope leg drop, but he was soon left to a 2-on-1 disadvantage after Dunne took out Breeze, and Lorcan & Burch secured the win after hitting their double-team elevated DDT.
My Opinion: 3.4 out of 5 – This turned out quite well, but not as spectacular as I was hoping for. Breezango looked good in the face of the more intense team smacking them in theirs. Oney and Danny really delivered the pain here. This hardcore heel turn has done the champions a world of good, especially in the ring. While not the best match that these two teams could do, this was a match that did what was necessary to be convincing and that’s that.
News Of The Night:
- Indi Hartwell was the one in the Ghostface mask.
- Tommaso Ciampa has waged war on the fake tough guys.
- Finn Balor will return, next week.
- Cameron Grimes attacked Dexter Lumis to cost him his match with Timothy Thatcher.
- Pat McAfee’s faction beat the hell out of Drake Maverick.
Final Verdict: 3.4/5
There was some excellent wrestling here, but often the matches were much shorter than they should have been, which hurt the show.
