‘WWE NXT’ Review (Dec 6th 2022)
Welcome to this week’s review of NXT, right here on Nerdly. Without further ado, let’s get into the review…
Match #1: Axiom def. Andre Chase and Von Wagner
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
Axiom, Andre Chase and Von Wagner battled each other with the final Iron Survivor Challenge spot on the line at NXT Deadline. Von Wagner’s size and strength put him in the driver’s seat early with a double headlock followed by him plowing through his competitors. Von Wagner’s brutality forced Axiom and Chase to work together, but the pair turned on each other to try to get a quick win. As the action continued, Von Wagner resurfaced and mauled the two men, but his attempt at launching Axiom off the top rope went awry and allowed Chase to powerbomb the big man. Chase gained momentum thanks to his quick-strike offense on Von Wagner, double underhook sit-out powerbomb on Axiom, and chants from Chase U’s student section. After Von Wagner broke up Chase’s attacks, the three men found themselves in the ring to battle and look for the winning blow. After Chase nailed Von Wagner with a flying crossbody, Axiom hit a Golden Ratio on Wagner to secure the win and earn the spot in the Iron Survivor Challenge at NXT Deadline.
My Score: 3 out of 5
Match #2: Tony D’Angelo def. Xyon Quinn
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
Tony D’Angelo, with Channing “Stacks” Lorenzo at his side, made his return to action in a hotly contested matchup against Xyon Quinn. The Don of NXT made quick work of Quinn, using powerful body blows, a spinebuster, and a backbody drop turned into a slam to pick up the win. After the match, D’Angelo was confronted by the NXT North American Champion Wes Lee as well as Dijak, showing that all three men have issues with one another.
My Score: 1 out of 5
Match #3: Charlie Dempsey def. Hank Walker
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
The tough Hank Walker battled the rough Charlie Dempsey in a battle for respect. Dempsey’s experience was on full-display, using limb control and joint manipulation to disarm the bigger Walker. As Dempsey worked him over, SmackDown’s Drew Gulak appeared and watched the match from the ramp. Walker mounted a comeback, but Dempsey latched onto a leg and paired it with a crossface, ultimately submitting Walker as Gulak silently walked away.
My Score: 2.5 out of 5
Match #4: Isla Dawn def. Thea Hail
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
In her NXT in-ring debut, the chaotic Isla Dawn took on the Thea Hail, but the Chase U pupil immediately found herself in a bad situation. Dawn took immediate control of the match, downing Hail as a helpless Andre Chase and Duke Hudson watched from ringside. Hail tried to mount a comeback, but Dawn and her oppressive offense were too much to overcome. After the match, Alba Fyre appeared in order to get her hands on Dawn for costing her the NXT Women’s Championship. As the two brawled, Dawn went to mist Fyre but inadvertently hit a referee instead.
My Score: 1 out of 5
Match #5: Brooks Jensen & Josh Briggs def. Malik Blade & Edris Enofe
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
Backstage bad blood boiled over into the ring as Josh Briggs & Brooks Jensen and Malik Blade & Edris Enofe settled their differences in the squared circle. Both teams came out on fire, with Briggs & Jensen using their power as Blade & Enofe used their speed. As the competitors battled in the ring, Briggs & Jensen noticed that Kiana James’ assistant G was putting something in Jensen’s jacket. Not to be deterred, the pair focused on Blade & Enofe. Von Wagner also appeared and took out Odyssey Jones at ringside, which distracted Enofe. With Blade left alone in the ring, Briggs & Jensen took advantage and put him away with a clothesline leg sweep high-low maneuver sealing the win.
My Score: 2 out of 5
Match #6: Indi Hartwell def. Fallon Henley and Wendy Choo
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
With the final Iron Survivor Challenge spot at NXT Deadline up for grabs, Indi Hartwell, Fallon Henley, and Wendy Choo warred with each other to earn that final spot. Neither of the three women could gain an advantage, with all three landing their offense. As the action waged on, Choo hit a top splash to neutralize Henley, but Hartwell rolled back into the ring in the nick of time to throw Choo out of the ring, pin Henley, and advance to NXT Deadline.
My Score: 3 out of 5
Final Verdict: 2.5/5
This was a go-home show for NXT: Deadline and as such there was more of a focus on building for that than providing a great week’s TV. Which is probably why we got a couple of squash matches in this mix, though the rest of the matches provided decent, solid, wrestling so it wasn’t all bad.