‘WWE NXT’ Review (Jun 13th 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: Wes Lee, Tyler Bate & Mustafa Ali def. Schism
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
The mystifying Schism was no match for the combined forces of Mustafa Ali, Tyler Bate, and the NXT North American Champion, Wes Lee. The camaraderie of Joe Gacy, Rip Fowler, & Jagger Reid was on point to begin the match as they flexed their collective muscles to keep their opponents down and off-balance. The action broke down and it caused the official to miss Bate tagging into the match, but Gacy’s pinfall on Lee was broken up by a second official recognizing the error. Lee, Bate, and Ali used the confusion to their advantage and defeated Schism to put this terrible ordeal behind them.
My Score: 3.5 out of 5
Match #2: Thea Hail def. Cora Jade
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
The No. 1 Contender to the NXT Women’s Championship, Thea Hail, reaffirmed her status by forcing Cora Jade to tap out in the middle of the ring. Jade was in control for the beginning of the match, but Dana Brooke appeared which drew the ire of Jade. NXT’s Resident Mean Girl had Hail in a bad spot on the outside and even threatened to hit her with her signature kendo stick, but the official confiscated it and while their back was turned, Brooke shoved Jade into the steel steps. With Jade reeling, Hail was able to lock in a Kimura Lock and picked up the huge victory ahead of her future NXT Women’s Title Match.
My Score: 2 out of 5
Match #3: Nathan Frazer def. Oro Mensah
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
With Noam Dar dealing with an apparent injury, Nathan Frazer defeated Dar’s “Main Man” Oro Mensah, who was defending the cup on Dar’s behalf. Frazer won the first fall on a quick roll up and despite having all the momentum, a distraction by Jakara Jackson and Lash Legend allowed Mensah to hit a rolling kick in the corner to even up the score at one apiece. In the waning seconds of Round 4, Legend and Jackson once again tried to interfere, but Yulisa Leon and Valentina Feroz evened the odds which allowed Frazer to counter, hit a Phoenix Splash, and win the NXT Heritage Cup.
My Score: 3 out of 5
Match #4: Axiom & SCRYPTS def. Dabba-Kato
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
Despite Dabba-Kato’s incredible size and strength, the team of Axiom & SCRYPTS chopped the giant down and walked out as the victors. Dabba-Kato started the match by throwing both of his opponents around the ring, but as the bout continued, he couldn’t keep up with their speed. After several high-flying moves by both Superstars, Axiom nailed a vicious Golden Ratio which gave the newfound allies the win.
My Score: 2 out of 5
Match #5: Malik Blade def. Edris Enofé
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
In a matchup of tag team partners, Malik Blade topped Edris Enofé in an attempt to strengthen their relationship as a tag team. The two Superstars showed off their incredible athleticism with remarkable dives, but it was a cheeky reversal by Blade that allowed him to roll up Enofé to earn the victory.
My Score: 1.5 out of 5
Match #6: Roxanne Perez def. Tatum Paxley
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
“The Prodigy” Roxanne Perez has her sights set on Blair Davenport, but first she had to deal with Davenport’s new ally, Tatum Paxley. Perez was noticeably angrier and more aggressive than usual, firing off a multitude of heavy shots, sending a message to Davenport in the process. Paxley gave a valiant effort and even locked in a Boston Crab submission at one point, but one taste of Pop Rox was enough to give Perez the victory.
My Score: 2 out of 5
Match #7: Baron Corbin def. Ilja Dragunov
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
Baron Corbin punched his ticket to Week Two of NXT Gold Rush as he’ll challenge Carmelo Hayes for the NXT Championship after becoming the No. 1 Contender by defeating Ilja Dragunov. Dragunov was still reeling from his injuries suffered during his Last Man Standing Match against Dijak at NXT Battleground, and Corbin quickly used it to his advantage by tossing Dragunov all around the ringside area. Dragunov mounted a ferocious comeback and displayed his trademark toughness, but Bron Breakker appeared and distracted Dragunov long enough for Corbin to nail an End of Days to win the match.
My Score: 3.5 out of 5
Final Verdict: 2.5/5
Another OK week for NXT, matching last week’s in terms of presentation but opening and closing strong with a couple of great matches. And, like last week, we got another great match from Baron Corbin! I don’t know what it is about NXT but it seems to have – for now – turned around Corbin fortunes. Plus we got a great response to Brom Breakker’s challenge from Seth Rollins, teasing the title match between the two fantastically.
