‘WWE NXT: Heatwave’ Review (Aug 22nd 2023)
Welcome to this week’s review of NXT Heatwave, right here on Nerdly. Let’s get straight into it and see what went down in this special episode…
Match #1: Ilja Dragunov def. Trick Williams
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
The Mad Dragon walked out of NXT Heatwave with the win, but Trick Williams proved to himself, to Ilja Dragunov, and to the NXT Universe that he is indeed more than a sidekick. Dragunov unleashed his hellacious offense highlighted by his vicious chops and reckless abandon, but Trick responded in a big way thanks to his size and strength advantage. Both Superstars did their best to deliver the winning blow and a top rope Uranage from Trick looked to be it, but Dragunov proved to truly be unbreakable as a pair of devastating flying elbow strikes proved to be enough to win the match.
My Score: 3 out of 5
Match #2: Ivy Nile def. Ava
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
Ivy Nile defeated the villainous Ava, but the numbers once again proved that she is overpowered when it comes to battling the Schism alone. Ava used her incredible power to toss Nile around, but the in-ring savviness of the veteran proved to be useful as one masterful counter allowed her to lock in her signature Dragon Sleeper and submit Ava. After the match, several Schism members attacked Nile while Ava was pulled out of the ring by two other Schism followers.
My Score: 1 out of 5
Match #3: NXT Heritage Cup – Noam Dar def. Nathan Frazer
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
Noam Dar is now a three-time NXT Heritage Cup Champion as he defeated Nathan Frazer to reclaim his coveted cup. The first fall came in round two went to Dar as Dabba-Kato appeared at ringside and destroyed Tyler Bate, distracting Frazer and allowing Dar to roll him up for the win. The second fall belonged to Frazer after a remarkable superplex/twisting neckbreaker combo, much to the chagrin of the rest of The Meta-Four that were at ringside. The decisive fall came in the sixth and final round and it went to the Scottish Supernova as The Meta Four’s distraction allowed him enough time to the Nova Roller and win the NXT Heritage Cup.
My Score: 3.5 out of 5
Match #4: Dragon Lee & Lyra Valkyria def. Dominik Mysterio & Rhea Ripley
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
The team of Dragon Lee & Lyra Valkyria picked up a major victory as they defeated NXT North American Champion “Dirty” Dominik Mysterio and WWE Women’s World Champion, Rhea Ripley. Lee & Valkyria looked strong early on using some tandem offense, but the chemistry between Ripley and Mysterio was too strong as they managed to take control of the match and ground their high-flying opponents. After tossing Valkyria into the barricade, Ripley looked poised to help “Dirty” Dom overcome Lee, but her opponent at Payback, Raquel Rodriguez, appeared and attacked her without the referee seeing, allowing Lee to pin the North American champ and give his team the win.
My Score: 3 out of 5
Match #5: NXT Championship – Carmelo Hayes def. Wes Lee
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
The NXT Championship remains with Carmelo Hayes as he continues to prove just why he calls himself “HIM”. Both Superstars looked for an advantage, and with retaining his title being the only thing on his mind, Hayes nailed a springboard reverse DDT that sent both competitors crashing through the announce table. Moments later, Lee crashed and burned with a dive to the outside, and Hayes capitalized by hitting Nothing But Net and successfully defending his title.
My Score: 3.5 out of 5
Final Verdict: 4/5
Another solid “premium event’ show from the WWE’s third brand, one that – women’s match aside – delivered over and over and over. Much more so than a number of other recent WWE programming. The ONE only other downside to this show? That nasty-looking spot in the main event, hopefully Lee is OK (or if it wasn’t a botch goddamn that was a good “performance”). A very strong showing from NXT this week that raised the bar for ALL of the company’s “premium” event shows.