Here are my thoughts on this week’s WWE NXT show:
The Good
For a one hour show, they pack in a good amount of entertainment. How is it that every other 3 hour Raw Show has to think of some nonsensical bits to fill up TV, when NXT pulls off all of these story lines & feuds? This was a solid show & this is coming from a guy who has barely watched NXT.
I have to give credit where credit is due. Sami Zayn is one heck of an entertainer. Last week he got a huge win over Titus O’Neil then lost to Tyson Kidd this past Raw. He almost comes off as the next Daniel Bryan. Well if Bryan remains injured, he maybe called up to the main roster sooner than later.
With that said, his match against Tyler Breeze was even more impressive. Breeze did take up most of the match, Sami Zayn was able to redeem his loss this past week with a pinfall. His promos are also Bryan-sque. He comes off as an underdog even though he probably has more experience than he is letting on.
From a guy who has never seen him in the ring in Japan, Kenta/Hideo Utami has this subtly in the ring I can’t shake off. There’s just this talented guy who happened to show up not that long ago & is already in a feud with champions in a WWE Ring. Kenta has a lot of respect obviously across the globe. I imagine his Indy Status matches that of CM Punk, Daniel Bryan, Austin Aries, Samoa Joe etc.
Of course there was the debut of Finn Balor. An Iris Wrestler. From what I hear, this guy has quite the buzz building up. It’s great that Hideo has a tag team partner now. These two have pretty good chemistry. While it was more of a beat down, it’s clear these two not only want the Ascension, they want the gold.
The Bad
Not a huge fan of Bayley. She’s a good wrestler which I can only say about half the entire locker room & i would rather her do the recycled BFF gimmick than this sibling rivalry crap with the Bellas, but her gimmick is weak, her music is bland, & Charlotte has been carrying this alliance. The Car Sale Floatees I’ll admit are kinda cool. It looks as though a new BFF team is forming in Sasha Banks & Becky Lynch. While Bayley does come off as a really good female equivalent to Colt Cabana & Lynch ‘ s gimmick echoes Lita, Banks is a product of similar flashy gimmicks to The Miz, Zack Ryder, Rob Conway, etc. & Charlotte, while good in the ring, has things about her that distract me. I don’t mind her using a remix of her Father’s entrance or the same moves or even the trademark “Wooooooo!” What bothers me is how certain facial expressions make her look distressingly like her Dad. Like I feel like Ric Flair in his prime’s face was sewn onto onto a blonde model’s face. The cartwheels don’t bother me either, just reminds me of that health nut Tiffany. Not that being healthy is wrong, just she over did it to to a point where she was easily forgettable. Charlotte’s nepotism & Her being champion are helping her reputation, I hope she can pull off being an individual. Natalya tried that now she’s back to managing her man.
The Vague
When I say vague, I usually mean segments I easily overlooked. For instance Tyson Kidd’s match for example. Other than The sharpshooter, I don’t think his match did him any favors other than being hot off a win from Sami Zayn. Jobbing to Sheamus doesn’t make him a threat as a heel or a baby face. I’ll always remember him as Hart family member. Also, did anyone notice Dash Wilder looks like Crimson?
There was a vignette for a new superstar debuting or making a return. Reminds me a lot of Mordecai.
In Conclusion
Overall, I’d award this show 3/5 stars. The buzz for NXT is definitely building. I hear more critical acclaim for this show than I do for Raw. Look forward to Zayn taking on NXT Champion Adrian Neville.
