‘WWE NXT’ Review (Jul 25th 2023)
Welcome to this week’s review of NXT, right here on Nerdly. Let’s get straight into it and see what went down in this episode…
Match #1: Carmelo Hayes, Trick Williams & Ilja Dragunov def. Schism
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
Trick Melo Gang and Ilja Dragunov proved they could work together by defeating Joe Gacy, Rip Fowler, and Jagger Reid, but there is still a level of animosity heading into their NXT Championship Match at the Great American Bash. Fowler and Reid tried to use their signature underhanded tactics to gain an advantage, but Carmelo Hayes had Trick Williams’ back and saved him from their clutches. Once Dragunov tagged into the match, his tenacity got the better of him as he accidentally hit Williams with a flying corkscrew elbow, and while it frustrated Hayes’, it didn’t affect his game as two Schism followers interfered and allowed the champ to hit Nothing But Net and pick up the win.
My Score: 3 out of 5
Match #2: Von Wagner def. Javier Bernal
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
The gigantic Von Wagner made a statement by destroying Javier Bernal in a matter of mere moments. Big Body Javy learned the hard way to not poke Wagner as he was tossed around the ring and ultimately put away by a thunderous bodyslam. After the match, Wagner put Bernal through a table, but Bron Breakker appeared and took out the much larger Wagner with a bone crushing spear.
My Score: 1 out of 5
Match #3: Kendo Stick Match – Dana Brooke def. Cora Jade
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
Dana Brooke exacted some payback on “NXT’s Resident Mean Girl” Cora Jade by beating her at her own game in a Kendo Stick Match. Jade unleashed her personal brand of brutality early on, using her kendo sticks to batter and bruise the body of Brooke, but once she grabbed a weapon of her own, the match took on a completely different complexion. As the two battled, Jade looked poised to win, but a well-timed drop toe hold planted Jade face first onto a chair. Brooke followed that up with a suplex onto a host of kendo sticks and a steel chair, and then she hit a Swanton Bomb for good measure.
My Score: 2 out of 5
Match #4: The Family def. Bronco Nima & Lucien Price
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
Despite already being the No. 1 Contenders to the NXT Tag Team Titles, Tony D’Angelo and Channing “Stacks” Lorenzo weren’t going to let disrespect from Bronco Nima and Lucien Price go unchecked as The Family won a big time match just days before their championship opportunity. Nima and Price looked impressive and used their combination of size and speed to bulldoze Stacks, shocking the NXT Universe with their amazing tandem offense. D’Angelo finally got into the match and quickly shook off any ring rust that he might’ve accumulated while locked up as he and Stacks managed to hit Bada Bing to earn the victory.
My Score: 2.5 out of 5
Match #5: Rhea Ripley def. Lyra Valkyria
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
WWE Women’s World Champion Rhea Ripley proved why she’s the Superstar to beat, but Lyra Valkyria managed to earn her respect. With NXT North American Champion “Dirty” Dominik Mysterio watching at ringside, Ripley went to work in the ring by overpowering Valkyria showing off that signature brutality. Despite how much Ripley threw at Valkyria, the NXT Superstar refused to give in and after spiking Mami with a big DDT, Valkyria nearly pulled off the upset with a diving splash, but Ripley kicked out. A frustrated Ripley ended up yanking Valkyria nearly out of mid air and proceeded to hit a Rip Tide, ending the match for good.
My Score: 3.5 out of 5
Final Verdict: 2.5/5
I might sound like a broken record but this week’s NXT opened strong and closed stronger… just like last week. And just like last week, it was a member of the main roster faction Judgment Day that closed NXT. I’m not the only broken record, am I? In between the two good matches, we got a terrible squash; a gimmicky women’s match that at least gave Dana Brooke a win; and a match that was messed up by the Axoim/SCRYPTS stuff, which totally blew the end of the match for me. Good to see Lyra Valkyria go toe-to-toe almost with Rhea Ripley in the main event. Matches like that can make new main event stars IMHO.
