22nd Jun2022

‘WWE NXT 2.0’ Review (June 21st 2022)

by Phil Wheat

Welcome to this week’s review of NXT 2.0, a show that – if I’m honest – rarely gets me excited to watch the programme these days. But we keep on watching all in the name of fairness and in the hope that this new iteration of WWE’s third show can become as hot and unmissable as it’s predecessor. Let’s see what this week has in store!

Match #1: Grayson Waller def. Solo Sikoa

The following is courtesy of wwe.com:

Grayson Waller’s mouth wrote another check when he claimed Solo Sikoa rode Apollo Crew’s coattails to a tag team victory, but thanks to some underhanded tactics “The Arrogant Aussie” was able to cash in this time. At the onset Sikoa was all over Waller, jumping him on the entrance ramp while Waller berated both Sikoa and the NXT 2.0 crowd. Sikoa steamrolled over Waller until he began to stomp on Sikoa’s exposed feet to swing the momentum towards his corner. The two Superstars battered each other as Sikoa caught Waller in the middle of his rolling stunner for a massive Samoan Drop. After getting clocked with a superkick, Waller fell backwards into the corner and dove out of the way of Sikoa’s corner splash to send him flying into an exposed turnbuckle that Waller untied earlier in the match. The tricky Waller dove back in through the ropes and hit his rolling stunner to pick up the victory.

My Score: 3.5 out of 5

Match #2: Katana Chance & Kayden Carter def. Yulisa Leon & Valentina Feroz

The following is courtesy of wwe.com:

Looking to bounce back following their NXT In Your House loss, Katana Chance & Kayden Carter squared off with Yulisa Leon & Valentina Feroz. The two high-flying, high-octane tag teams put on a spectacle for the NXT Universe in attendance as Carter got the match rolling quickly with a pinpoint dropkick. Chance & Carter worked together to isolate Leon, but they couldn’t hold on to the Mexican powerhouse for long as she tagged in Feroz for a flurry of offense capped off by an assisted sit-down facebuster. Just when it looked like Feroz & Leon would roll, Chance reversed a tandem suplex into a double neckbreaker to tag in Carter. After a heated back-and-forth, Carter superkicked Leon out of the ring to set up Chance & Carter’s tandem 360 Splash and neckbreaker combo for the pinfall victory.

My Score: 2.5 out of 5

Match #3: Roderick Strong & Damon Kemp def. Cruz Del Toro & Joaquin Wilde

The following is courtesy of wwe.com:

The self-proclaimed leader of Diamond Mine Roderick Strong joined forces with its newest member Damon Kemp to prove he could back up his big talk against the likes of Cruz Del Toro & Joaquin Wilde. After Strong fired up Kemp with a slap, the punishing pair grounded the high-flyers with a series of suplexes and backbreakers until Del Toro was able to tag in, taking out both Strong & Kemp with a flurry of jaw-dropping maneuvers. After Wilde flattened Kemp on the outside floor, Del Toro looked to keep the pressure on Strong, but as he bounced off the ropes “Two Dimes” accidentally tripped him with a crowbar thinking it was Strong. Del Toro argued with “Two Dimes,” but took his eyes off Strong turning around into a pop-up knee to suffer the pinfall.

My Score: 2.5 out of 5

Match #4: Cameron Grimes def. Edris Enofé

The following is courtesy of wwe.com:

Cameron Grimes squared up with Edris Enofé in the hopes of igniting a fire inside the rising Superstar. Enofé showed the former North American Champion everything he was capable of in a spirited showdown, knocking Grimes off his feet with a precision dropkick. The two Superstars traded blows before Grimes began to roll with a huricanrana and a top-rope splash for a nearfall. Grimes went to chop down Enofé with a series of kicks, but it only seemed to fire up Enofé as he struck back with jumping knee. Enofé kept his foot on the gas with a stunning dive to the outside, but Grimes dodged an attempted 360 Splash to deliver a devastating Cave-In for the 1-2-3. Afterwards Grimes shook Enofé’s hand stating that was the type of heart he needs to show each week.

My Score: 2.5 out of 5

Match #5: Von Wagner def. Brooks Jensen

The following is courtesy of wwe.com:

With everyone else barred from ringside, Brooks Jensen looked to earn some retribution on Von Wagner for putting him on the shelf for weeks. Jensen went toe-to-toe with the massive Superstar in a hard-nosed fight, trading right hands with Wagner before knocking him off his feet with a spinning heel kick.nWagner attempted to crush Jensen’s uninjured hand by pummeling it against every part of the ring. Wagner methodically picked apart Jensen’s left arm until Jensen rallied with a flurry of elbows and a DDT. Jensen climbed to the top rope, but Wagner smartly moved out of the way before hoisting Jensen up for his swinging slam and the pinfall.

My Score: 2 out of 5

Match #6: Alba Fyre def. Lash Legend (DQ)

The following is courtesy of wwe.com:

With her head still ringing from last week’s surprise attack, Alba Fyre went right after the outspoken Lash Legend. Fyre took Legend off her feet with a top-rope dropkick, but the towering Legend answered back with a roundhouse kick before bouncing Fyre between the ropes. Fyre ignited to catch Legend with a superkick, sidestepping a pumphandle kick to smash Legend with a Gory Bomb. As Fyre went for a senton, Legend rolled out of the ring and grabbed Fyre’s baseball bat, smashing it across Fyre’s chest to force a disqualification. Legend didn’t seem to care about the results, though, as she stood over a fallen Fyre and continued to berate her as Legend made her way up the entrance ramp.

My Score: 2 out of 5

Match #7: North American Title Championship Match – Carmelo Hayes def. Tony D’Angelo

The following is courtesy of wwe.com:

The “family” woes continued for Tony D’Angelo as he looked to cement his status as “The Don of NXT” by adding Carmelo Hayes’ North American Title around his waist. D’Angelo attempted to intimidate Hayes with his numbers, but the self-proclaimed “A Champion” was unphased, tagging D’Angelo with a big right hand. Hayes dropped D’Angelo onto the ring apron, but as he stared down the rest of the “family” D’Angelo grabbed Hayes and launched him into the steel steps. Hayes rallied with a springboard clothesline, but “The Don” caught him with a belly-to-belly suplex as the two Superstars went back-and-forth in a thrilling showdown. With both men reeling in the center of the ring, D’Angelo signaled for Santos Escobar to slide him a pair of brass knuckles, but “The Emperor” stared down D’Angelo and gave the weapon to Hayes. The “A Champion” used the brass knuckles to topple D’Angelo with a right hand and pick up the pinfall victory. As Hayes celebrated his retention with Trick Williams, Escobar gathered the rest of Legado del Fantasma and walked away from an irate D’Angelo.

My Score: 3 out of 5

Final Verdict: 3/5

Well this was, for me, a step-up for NXT 2.0. We had a brilliant opening match, a steady set of good, yet average, matches before a brief lull prior to the main event, which pulled the show up by its bootstraps just in time to finish. NXT definitely has two future superstars in Grayson Waller and Solo Sikoa don’t they?

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