‘WWE NXT’ Review (Sept 7th 2021)
Welcome to this week’s NXT review, right here on Nerdly. I’m Nathan Favel and this is the last week of Triple H’s NXT. We get the hip-hop makeover starting next week and…who knows. I hope this doesn’t lead to all of the talented people going out the door, but that can’t be helped. NXT has always been the developmental part of the WWE, so it being turned back into that is only right. It’s sad to lose the indy league part of NXT, but it’s better to have other leagues get those names than Vince just hoarding them all. Well, I fell off a mountain, so let me die in peace. OWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOW!!!!!!!!! AHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!! NXT starts now.
Match #1: Kay Lee Ray def. Ember Moon
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
Ember Moon was intent on taking out her frustrations on the NXT newcomer, but Kay Lee Ray began the night with a statement win. Moon tried to put the match away with a clever rollup, but Kay Lee Ray reversed to earn the win with a K-L-R Bomb.
The Verdict: 8 out of 10 – I thought this was really strong. Both fighters made great efforts to keep this consistent. You had no lulls in the action and no attempt to slow things down. These two wanted balls to the wall and…wait… women don’t have balls… damn it. They wanted to have a good match and it was. There. I said it. There’s so much action here that you almost might get laid…almost. Okay. Never. …just like Trump. That’s why he had that stupid f–kin’ face all the time…and from birth. KLR and Moon made for a great, natural pairing and I loved seeing them have the chance to steal the show. Well, for the last opener in this era of NXT, this was great stuff.
Match #2: Santos Escobar def. Carmelo Hayes
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
Santos Escobar didn’t appreciate Carmelo Hayes’ emergence into the NXT North American Title landscape and set out to deliver a message. The NXT Breakout Tournament victor showed off his high-flying, athletic style early, but Legado’s leader used a jaw-dropping slam from Elektra Lopez to seal the win.
The Verdict: 8 out of 10 – Well how about that? We got two great ones in a row. It looks like this show is going out with all cylinders…cylindering. F–k you! Santos and Hayes had a very athletic match here, which is what should have happened here. Hayes needed to show what he can do and Santos needed to show he can beat the more athletic opponent. Santos has been in need of something to make him look formidable for some time and this exciting display of counters and slams did the trick.
Match #3: Brutus & Julius Creed def. Chuckie Viola & Paxton Averill
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
Look out NXT; The Diamond Mine just made a MAJOR addition. The Creed Brothers showed off their frightening power with a dominant display of slams, suplexes and collisions en route to an awe-inspiring win over Chuckie Viola and Paxton Averill.
The Verdict: 2 out of 10 – This was a lazy squash that made The Creed’s look like Seth Rogan and Jonah Hill. Seth Rogan: What’s wrong with me? Me: You’re a putz!
Match #4: Io Shirai & Zoey Stark def. Kacy Catanzaro & Kayden Carter – NXT Women’s Tag Team Title Match
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
Chemistry or skill? The NXT Women’s Tag Team Title Match put the age old debate to the test. Io Shirai attempted to go it alone for long stretches of the match and held control. Kacy Catanzaro and Kayden Carter nearly took full advantage of a disagreement between the champions, but The Genius of the Sky ensured the win with an incredible moonsault. After the match, Mandy Rose, Gigi Dolin and Jacy Jayne came out to deliver a surprise attack, layout out the titleholders at the top of the stage.
The Verdict: 7 out of 10 – While not the equal of the first two matches, this did offer solid tagging from the champs and improved skills for the challengers. Kacy and Kayden were the better team here, but since they are a bit green and there is no demand for them to be champions, they lost. The focus was more on little things here, including how moves were transitioned into and the like and such. Io carried this bout and, with her skills, it makes sense she’d be in charge here. I enjoyed this, but it was a bit of a let-down considering what opened the show was better.
Match #5: Mei Ying def. Virginia Ferry
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
The fear is real, and Mei Ying brought it to life for the NXT Universe. The terrifying leader of Tian Sha put on a brutal in-ring debut with a performance that silenced her opponent and the Capitol Wrestling Center.
The Verdict: 1 out of 10 – Well, this was a squash…so it was s–t.
Match #6: (Main Event) MSK def. Danny Burch & Oney Lorcan – NXT Tag Team Title Match
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
Danny Burch and Oney Lorcan hoped to reclaim what they felt was rightfully theirs, while MSK showed no desire to give up the gold. Nash Lee and Wes Carter put on an acrobatic display, but the former champions grounded them to the mat with a pair of submissions. MSK got flying once again, and an aerial moonsault attack allowed them to retain the titles and left Burch and Lorcan laid out for a shocking attack by Pete Dunne and Ridge Holland.
The Verdict: 8 out of 10 – Well there you go. Three in one show. This match was anchored by Burch and his ground skills. Oney brought the strikes and uppercuts to bring the aerial champs down to Earth, but the… Iron Shiek: F–K THE MSK! F–K! NO GOOD SON OF A B–CH! Me: Huh. Burch really made up for lost time here, with his grappling being purely out of traditional European wrestling. Burch better not get fired. IS: F–K THE BIRCH! BAD FIRE-WOOD! Me: Not birch! Burch! MSK retained and managed to make the finale really thrilling, so I’m happy. I thought this was a fine main event.
Final Verdict: 8/10
On a night where Pete Dunne and Ridge Holland turned on Burch/Lorcan and we had stupid yet funny vignettes with the bachelor and bachelorette parties of Indi Hartwell and Dexter Lumis, we had good matches and that’s all I wanted. I hope the new NXT gives us good matches. That’s all I need. I’ll see you next time.
