18th May2023

‘WWE NXT’ Review (May 16th 2023)

by Phil Wheat

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: NXT Women’s Championship Tournament – Cora Jade def. Fallon Henley

The following is courtesy of wwe.com:

The Generation of Jade is one step closer to a reality as Cora Jade punched her ticket to the semi finals of the NXT Women’s Championship Tournament with a win over Fallon Henley. The matchup was hotly contested as both Superstars looked to prove themselves worthy, but a crafty game plan by Jade proved to be the difference. NXT’s Resident Mean Girl made it a point to attack Henley’s knees, and it ended up paying off. As the match continued after back and forth action, Henley nearly had Jade beaten, but her knee was too compromised to make the cover in time. Before she could put Jade away, Henley slipped up one final time which allowed Jade to hit a DDT and punch her ticket to the Second Round.

My Score: 2 out of 5

Match #2: The Creed Brothers def. The Dyad

The following is courtesy of wwe.com:

With an NXT Tag Team Championship opportunity firmly on their mind, Julius & Brutus Creed outlasted The Dyad in an incredible tag team match. Both teams tried to implement their style with the Creeds trying to speed up the pace while The Dyad wanted a more methodical approach. The action was fast and furious throughout and reached a boiling point when Julius Creed and Jagger Reid hit dueling 450 splashes off of the top rope and proceeded to bash each other with strikes. When Ava tried to interfere, Ivy Nile evened the odds which allowed Brutus Creed to hit a Brutus Ball on Rip Fowler. That move trapped Reid in the ring alone with Julius and the Creeds took advantage by pinning the helpless member of Schism.

My Score: 3.5 out of 5

Match #3: Carmelo Hayes & Trick Williams def. Drew Gulak & Charlie Dempsey

The following is courtesy of wwe.com:

With Tyler Bate & Wes Lee unable to compete after a blindside attack from Schism, NXT Champion Carmelo Hayes & Trick Williams stepped up to the challenge and not only competed, but defeated Drew Gulak & Charlie Dempsey. Dempsey & Gulak were very impressive, using their mat technician skills to gain an early advantage, but the NXT Champion was looking to make a statement and when he tagged into the match, he put on a clinic by downing both of his opponents using his incredible athleticism. Williams was equally as impressive, using his scrappiness and power advantage to nail Dempsey with a big boot, a move that set him up perfectly for Nothing But Net which gave them their victory.

My Score: 3 out of 5

Match #4: Kiana James def. Thea Hail

The following is courtesy of wwe.com:

Backtalk backstage made its way to the ring as a matchup between Thea Hail and Kiana James went the way of the savvy businesswoman. James was arrogant early on, shoving the younger Hail around the ring, but the peppy Chase U star rallied in a big way with key strikes and a splash to the outside, but an attempt to hit a top rope crossbody went awry when James rolled out of the way. Hail and James continued to go back and forth, but the veteran approach from James proved to be enough as one slip from Hail allowed James to nail the 401K and pick up the win.

My Score: 2 out of 5

Match #5: NXT Women’s Championship Tournament – Roxanne Perez def. Jacy Jayne

The following is courtesy of wwe.com:

Roxanne Perez is one step closer to regaining the NXT Women’s Championship after topping Jacy Jayne in the First Round of the NXT Women’s Championship Tournament. Jayne took control early on after sending Perez to the outside where she crashed and burned in front of the announce table. Jayne continued the assault in the ring, tormenting Perez’s back with a plethora of holds and stretches. Perez mounted a ferocious comeback, showing off that championship meddle that she’s shown numerous times before. Both Superstars continued to trade strikes, but a missed kick from Jayne was all it took as Perez countered with a Pop Rox to advance in the tournament.

My Score: 2.5 out of 5

Final Verdict: 2.5/5

You can’t help but notice that this week’s NXT despite some better matches, still felt very average. I’m guessing the “reset” post-Draft is taking longer for the black and gold brand. The two tag matches saved this episode from being totally underwhelming. Not sure what happened with the Women’s Championship Tournament matches – there was no excitement to the match-ups and that translated to the screen. Fingers crossed that something amazing happens next week, because right now I’m not holding out hope for the forthcoming NXT: Battleground!

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