‘WWE NXT’ Review (Jul 4th 2023)
Welcome to this week’s review of NXT, right here on Nerdly, on a show that has gone viral from a Baron Corbin(!) promo this week! Let’s get straight into it and see what went down…
Match #1: Blair Davenport def. Roxanne Perez
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
The reign of terror from Blair Davenport will continue as she defeated former NXT Women’s Champion Roxanne Perez convincingly. The tenacity and ferociousness of Davenport were evident as the British Superstar tossed Perez around the ring, but Perez did manage to counter a superplex into a crossbody. Perez continued to fight back, but her attempt to take out Davenport on the outside backfired as she was sent face-first into the steel ring steps. That spelled the beginning of the end as moments later Davenport was able to hit Perez with a pair of crushing knee strikes that ended the match.
My Score: 2.5 out of 5
Match #2: Mustafa Ali def. Tyler Bate
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
The NXT North American Championship is firmly in the sights of Mustafa Ali after he defeated Tyler Bate in singles action. The Big Strong Boi used his incredibly, innovative offense to keep the experience Ali off-balance, but in the end, it was the sneakiness and veteran savvy of Ali that gave him the advantage. Both Superstars were perched on the top rope and as Bate nearly fell, Ali caught him, but after a sly smile, he dropped Bate into perfect position for the 450 splash that gave him the victory.
My Score: 3.5 out of 5
Match #3: Kelani Jordan def. Tatum Paxley
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
The career of Kelani Jordan started with a bang as the athletic newcomer defeated Tatum Paxley in her NXT debut. With Dana Brooke in her corner, Jordan struggled early on as the bruising Paxley grounded her and tried to wear her down throughout the match. Seemingly out of nowhere, Jordan expertly countered a slam attempt into a devastating stunner that gave her the first win of her NXT career.
My Score: 1.5 out of 5
Match #4: NXT Underground Match – Eddy Thorpe def. Damon Kemp
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
A brutal NXT Underground has seemingly become the fitting end for the bitter feud between Eddy Thorpe and Damon Kemp which saw Thorpe emerge victorious via TKO. Thorpe trained with former Olympic Gold Medalist and current WWE Superstar Gable Steveson, and it proved dividends as Thorpe crunched and battered his rival. Kemp, a former collegiate wrestler in his own right, was more than in his element and used his surroundings to get Thorpe off his game. The two Superstars continued to bash one another, but Thorpe managed to lock in a triangle submission/elbow strike combo that forced the official to stop the match and name Thorpe the victor.
My Score: 3 out of 5
Match #5: Lyra Valkyria def. Jacy Jayne
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
The foul-mouthed Jacy Jayne did not clip the wings of Lyra Valkyria as the Irish Superstar came out on top in a matchup between bitter enemies. Jayne was out to prove a point and mocked her opponent at every turn, jeering the crowd as she locked Valkyria in several holds and even smashing her face-first into the ring apron via a wheelbarrow facebuster. Valkyria rallied even after being locked into a double-leg Boston Crab but missed a diving dropkick. Moments later, Jayne went for a big pump kick, but Valkyria countered into an enziguri that rocked Jayne. Valkyria then set her up for a picture-perfect spinning kick that connected flush and put Jayne down for good.
My Score: 2 out of 5
Match #6: Loser Leaves NXT Match – The Dyad def. The Creeds
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
Julius and Brutus Creed must now leave NXT after losing to Rip Fowler & Jagger Reid, also known as The Dyad. The Creeds used their incredible strength and determination to pick up an early advantage, but the nefarious Fowler & Reid showed that they still had a few tricks up their sleeve. The Creeds were in deep trouble after The Dyad nailed Brutus with a diving Doomsday Device to the outside, but Julius used his remarkable athleticism to take out both Reid & Fowler single handedly. Suddenly, with the official dealing with a brawling Ava and Ivy Nile, a masked Superstar appeared and nailed Julius with a Schism mask, allowing The Dyad to hit a simultaneous double knee facebuster which not only won them the match but also forced The Creed Brothers to leave NXT.
My Score: 3.5 out of 5
Final Verdict: 3/5
A decent, if odd, week for NXT. We got some CLEARLY edited segments, the bizarre return of NXT Underground and a couple of women’s matches that didn’t quite hit. On the plus side, this week’s show had a great match between Tyler Bate and Mustapha Ali – more from those two please; and despite feeling a little out of place on this show, the NXT Underground match between Eddy Thorpe and Damon Kemp was actually pretty good. The big match this week though was the main event that saw The Creeds apparently leave NXT for good. I say apparently because anything can happen in wrestling – just look at this week’s aforementioned Baron Corbin promo. I have never, and I mean NEVER, been so interested in Corbin as I have after that vignette! A good week for NXT, it will be interesting to see Kelani Jordan’s progress on the brand going forward – she certainly, given the reaction on social media and the dirt sheets, has made quite an impact in her debut this episode!
