‘WWE NXT’ Review (Dec 23rd 2020)
Welcome to this week’s NXT review, right here on Nerdly. I’m Nathan Favel and as we take part in the yuletide festivities, let us take this time to enjoy the season and with cast-iron good reason, because…HOOKERS!!!!!!! F— YEAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!!! I’M GONNA LET THESE ——– NAIL ME IN THE — SO HARD THAT I WON’T BE ABLE TO —- RIGHT FOR A WEEK! Okay folks, while I…talk to these hoo…people, I’ll let you read my thoughts on these darling matches.
Match #1: Oney Lorcan & Danny Burch def. Killian Dain & Drake Maverick – Street Fight Match For The NXT Tag Team Championships
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
Killian Dain & Drake Maverick kicked off NXT by giving Oney Lorcan & Danny Burch a dose of their own medicine, ambushing the NXT Tag Team Champions from behind during their entrance and immediately overwhelming them. They wasted no time making use of the stipulation, setting up chairs and tables, but the loss of focus allowed Lorcan & Burch to get back in the fight. Unfortunately for Maverick, Dain was effectively neutralized when Lorcan dodged his attack on the outside, sending The Beast of Belfast through a table and leaving Drake alone to be punished by the champions. While Maverick temporarily found an equalizer with the use of his belt, Burch & Lorcan later put him away with a double-team elevated DDT.
My Opinion: 3.6 out of 5
Match #2: Isaiah “Swerve” Scott def. Jake Atlas
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
Isaiah “Swerve” Scott was intent on proving himself after his loss earlier this month to Jake Atlas, and he did just that — and with plenty of arrogance. Swerve dazzled by countering Atlas’ top-rope poison rana by landing on his feet and ultimately put him away with the Confidence Boost. With “Swerve” gloating afterward as though he had just won a championship, Atlas wanted no part of Scott’s handshake after he refused his own gesture two weeks ago.
My Opinion: 3.2 out of 5
Match #3: Rhea Ripley def. Dakota Kai
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
Rhea Ripley had an uphill climb on her hands for most of the bout with Dakota Kai wounding her early on, viciously stomping her arm on the apron. Kai dominated much of the action behind her ruthless mean streak, looking impressive in her first match since WarGames. But The Nightmare valiantly fought back, even though she had virtually no use of her left arm. Though Raquel González was banned from ringside, it didn’t keep her from taking ot the stage to stare Ripley down. The former NXT Women’s Champion made sure to stare González down as she pinned Kai following the Riptide.
My Opinion: 4 out of 5
Match #4: Bronson Reed def. Ashante “Thee” Adonis
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
Despite not competing in two months, The Colossal Bronson Reed looked as though he hadn’t missed a beat. Reed made short work of Ashante “Thee” Adonis, flattening him with the Tsunami for the victory.
My Opinion: 1.8 out of 5
Match #5: Leon Ruff def. Timothy Thatcher
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
Another match, and another upset victory for Leon Ruff. Timothy Thatcher had promised to “take liberties” with the former North American Champion in order to send a message to Tommaso Ciampa, but perhaps the dean of Thatch-As-Thatch-Can was too preoccupied with The Blackheart. Ruff caught Thatcher off-guard with a small package for the win, though he paid the price afterward in the form of a post-match assault by Thatcher. Ciampa was there moments later, spiking Thatcher with Willow’s Bell and challenging him to meet him in the NXT Fight Pit.
My Opinion: 3.3 out of 5
Match #6: Tyler Rust def. Ariya Daivari
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
With Malcolm Bivens signing his praises earlier in the evening, Tyler Rust made Malcolm Bivens look like a genius after Bivens sang his praises earlier in the evening. Rust again turned heads with a display of masterfully executed holds and strikes, and claimed a submission victory with an omoplata crossface following an innovative facebuster.
My Opinion: 3.1 out of 5
Match #7: (Main Event) Adam Cole def. Velveteen Dream
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
Adam Cole renewed a long-running rivalry with one of The Undisputed ERA’s most hated enemies in Velveteen Dream. While both Superstars clearly had each other well scouted after previous meetings, Cole was at the top of his game. The Panama City Playboy scored a pivotal blow when he superkicked the back of Dream’s leg as he tried to go high risk, hobbling him for the rest of the bout. Dream later tried to come off the top again but ate a superkick for his troubles, and then Cole blasted him with The Last Shot for the big-time win.
My Opinion: 3.5 out of 5
News Of The Night:
- Leon Ruff fights Johnny Gargano for the NXT North American Title, next week.
- Rhea Ripley fights Raquel Gonzalez in a Last Woman Standing Match at New Year’s Evil.
- Indi Hartwell has a new nick-name…Indi Wrestling.
- Timothy Thatcher and Tommaso Ciampa battle in the Fight Pit at New Year’s Evil.
- Damien Priest and Karrion Kross fight at New Year’s Evil.
Final Verdict: 3.6/5
Well, this was a show that really leaned on one match to anchor it and that was the Rhea/Dakota match. You get plenty of shooting and submissions, which gave this a bit more than just some heft. You got two top-notch athletes smacking each other around like Marilyn Manson and Evan Rachel Wood…allegedly. The fact this show peaked with a visceral clash of styles in the middle of the show does not speak well of the main event or even the second half of the show, but Cole kicking Dream around like the parents of those teenagers Dream tried to (allegedly) REDACTED would to…I lost track of my sentence. Dream jobbed here and should have, because he is uninspired at this point, but the gimmick is still interesting, so that part works fine. The opener had the unenviable task of being a Hardcore match with rope-breaks…yeah, it’s as dumb as it sounds. That being said, the opener did bring the action, so it was by no means a failure. The remainder of the matches were shorter by and large, but at least Ruff got another win to solidify his brief year in NXT and set him up for the rematch against Johnny Gargano. Thatcher and Ciampa continue to be the most interesting thing in NXT and that’s fine by me in more ways than one. Undisputed Era is still teasing that someone will turn on each other around the time O’Reilly fights Balor again, so there you go on that. Do you think Wonder Woman could get a licensing deal and become Wonder Bread Woman? Speaking of women…that Rhea/Dakota match was excellent. Some things in life are worth repeating. All in all, this was pretty good for a holiday show and that’s alright by me.
