‘WWE NXT’ Review (May 9th 2023)
Welcome to this week’s review of NXT, right here on Nerdly. Let’s get straight into it and see what happened this week…
Match #1: Tiffany Stratton def. Gigi Dolin
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
The NXT Women’s Championship kicked off in epic fashion as Tiffany Stratton became the first Superstar to punch their ticket to the semi-finals after an incredible match against Gigi Dolin. Dolin was still harboring some effects from the beatdown Jacy Jayne laid upon her last week, but she persevered despite having a compromised shoulder. In a savvy move, Stratton targeted that shoulder throughout the match, using it to neutralize Dolin every single time she gained some momentum. By the end of the match, Dolin’s shoulder couldn’t hold up as Stratton hit her signature rolling fireman’s carry and then finished the bout with the Prettiest Moonsault Ever to advance.
My Score: 2.5 out of 5
Match #2: Gallus def. The Dyad
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
Wolfgang & Mark Coffey once again retained their titles in impressive fashion as they took out The Dyad with some help from Diamond Mine. Both teams clearly held animosity towards each other as the pace was fast, frenetic, and full of action. Ava made her presence outside the ring known, distracting Wolfgang long enough for Jagger Reid to hit a DDT and isolate Coffey. Out of nowhere though Ivy Nile appeared and attacked Ava, causing a ton of confusion. During the chaos, Gallus recovered and managed to hit Reid with their enziguri powerslam combo to retain their titles.
My Score: 3 out of 5
Match #3: Duke Hudson def. Javier Bernal
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
With his MVP trophy and Thea Hail on the outside, Duke Hudson knocked off the incredibly resilient Javier Bernal in singles action. Hudson dominated early, but Bernal surprised his large opponent by unleashing a steady attack of kicks and grappling holds. As Big Body Javy continued to beat on him, Hudson psyched himself up and firmly regained the momentum. With MVP chants reigning down upon him, Hudson nailed a Razor’s Edge to defeat Bernal and bring some more pride to Chase U.
My Score: 2 out of 5
Match #4: Eddy Thorpe def. Damon Kemp
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
Damon Kemp bit off more than he could chew as he couldn’t back up his smack talk in the ring against “The Alpha Wolf” Eddy Thorpe. Thorpe used his mat technician skills to disorient the bruiser, but Kemp maintained control thanks to his pure brute strength. As the match wore on, Thorpe locked in a submission hold but Kemp managed to break it by grabbing the ring apron. Inexplicably, Kemp brushed the apron aside and that lapse in judgment cost him the match. Thorpe managed to sneak behind Kemp and nail him with a German suplex and then his devastating elbow drop to pick up the win and remain undefeated in NXT.
My Score: 2.5 out of 5
Match #5: Ilja Dragunov def. Dijak (DQ)
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
The absolute war between Ilja Dragunov and Dijak ended in disqualification when Dijak obliterated Dragunov with a plethora of chair shots. Both The Mad Dragon and Dijak landed intensely brutal shots with both Superstars having visible battle scars from the encounter. After a discus big boot, a furious Dijak left the ring, grabbed a chair, shoved the referee, and brutalized Dragunov, not caring in the slightest that he was disqualified.
My Score: 2.5 out of 5
Match #6: Charlie Dempsey def. Tyler Bate
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
Charlie Dempsey scored the biggest win of his NXT career as he defeated Tyler Bate with Wes Lee, Drew Gulak, and even Joe Gacy watching from ringside. The two Superstars were evenly matched throughout the contest, using their supreme mat skills to lock in a bevy of different holds. Out of nowhere, Gacy appeared and distracted all of the competitors and it forced Bate to take matters into his own hands and hit a diving splash onto the leader of Schism. As Bate turned his attention back to Dempsey, Gulak distracted the referee which allowed Gacy to land a cheap shot. Dempsey capitalized on it by hitting a dragon suplex which was enough to win the match.
My Score: 2.5 out of 5
Match #7: Josh Briggs & Brooks Jensen def. Hank Walker & Tank Ledger
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
Reunited and it feels so good! Josh Briggs & Brooks Jensen win in their first time teaming together since Jensen’s messy breakup with Kiana James. However it wasn’t easy as Hank Walker & Tank Ledger had a lot to prove as up-and-coming Superstars and the two ambushed Briggs & Jensen to start the match. Despite the incredible fight, Briggs & Jensen took control of the match and a big boot from Briggs even knocked one of Ledger’s teeth out. The younger duo couldn’t muster up a comeback as Briggs & Jensen landed their own version of a Hart Attack to pick up the victory.
My Score: 1 out of 5
Match #8: Lyra Valkyria def. Kiana James
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
Lyra Valkyria became the next NXT Superstar to advance to the semi finals of the NXT Women’s Championship Tournament as she defeated Kiana James in a resounding victory. James was more than up to the task at hand as she tossed Valkyria around the ring, even sending her flying into the ring post and locking her in an abdominal stretch. Valkyria finally found some life by tossing James over the top rope and nailing her with a crisp dropkick through the ropes that was followed by an enziguri and a northern lights suplex. The two Superstars continued to battle until Valkyria nailed a spinning kick that put James down for the count and sent the Irish Superstar to the next round.
My Score: 2.5 out of 5
Match #9: Bron Breakker def. Trick Williams
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
The warpath of Bron Breakker continued as the former NXT Champion dominated Trick Williams, the right-hand man of the current NXT Champion, Carmelo Hayes. Williams threw everything he had at Breakker and did everything he could, but his impressive initial rally was short lived as Breakker suplexed him onto the announce table. Another burst by Williams put him right back in the match, but a gigantic press slam spelled the beginning of the end as the former champion never relented and finally forced Williams to tap out in Steiner Recliner. After the match, Hayes appeared and defended his friend, but Breakker attacked him too and left both Superstars in dire straits.
My Score: 3 out of 5
Final Verdict: 2.5/5
You can’t help but notice that this week’s NXT felt very average and there’s a good reason for that… the roster has been decimated by roster call-ups and so this episode was something of a ‘reset button’ for the black and yellow brand. That was evident by the fact this show featured nine(!) matches which, if memory serves, is the most matches we’ve ever seen on an episode of NXT; or any WWE-branded show for that matter!
