The MVP of NXT
Written by Mark Adam Haggerty
Wednesday has become the number one night for professional wrestling; NXT has gone head-to-head with Lucha Underground since the latter debuted at the tail-end of the summer. Twenty-six weeks later and neither show has lost momentum, in fact, they’ve only gotten better! Not since the Monday Night Wars have we had two top-notch sports entertainment programs to choose from, and thanks to DVR, we don’t have to. This week’s episode of NXT was another home run that carefully set the stage for what’s to come at Takeover on May 20th. My name is Mark Adam Haggerty, with you on a weekly basis to present—”The MVP of NXT.”
Kevin Owens is not the "MVP of NXT" for the first time in over two weeks. He was thoroughly entertaining during his interview with Michael Cole, but I wouldn't feel right awarding him the honor for the third week in a row, especially if he didn’t have a match. I already did that last week. So who, pray tell, did I consider the number one performer on this week’s episode? There were quite a few contenders including Uhaa Nation who didn’t do anything aside from sign a contract, and he still made an intense impact. But rather than the newest face on the roster, I decided to go with one of the NXT veterans. A man who has challenged for the NXT championship on multiple occasions, and on May 20th will enter a triple threat wherein he hopes to become number one contender again. Of course I’m referring to the one and only “Prince Pretty,” Tyler Breeze.
Tyler has been a staple of NXT since the debut of the WWE Network in February 2014 and has been featured as a prominent part of every subsequent Takeover special. I would dare say Tyler Breeze may be the most talented member of the developmental roster that wasn’t already established on the independent circuit beforehand. Tyler was trained by the record-setting Lance Storm, who at one time held three different championships while part of WCW. It would certainly seem that Tyler has picked up quite a few interesting nuances from the “Perfect Storm,” which make for an interesting dynamic when paired against the Japanese “Strong-Style” employed by Hideo Itami and Finn Balor. While Tyler definitely deserves recognition for his previous contributions to the overall product, I have decided to declare him the "MVP of NXT" because of his actions on tonight’s broadcast.
Tyler went one on one with Hideo Itami, as a preview for their upcoming triple threat with Finn Balor at Takeover. The match was exciting from start to finish with both men gaining the upper hand on the other, and Tyler coming within mere inches of victory. An ill-timed running offensive maneuver from Hideo to Finn Balor, who was seated at ringside, and the former
IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion was unwittingly involved in the action. Hideo eventually conquered the cocky “King of Cuteville,” earning the 1-2-3 and the psychological advantage over Breeze going into their next encounter. After the match however, Breeze was afforded a moment to gain retribution, when he Super Kicked Finn Balor square in the jaw, and delivered a debilitating "Beauty Shot" to Hideo Itami. He might have lost the battle, but Tyler Breeze has his sights set on winning the war.
The question now relates to where Tyler goes from here. Of course the short answer is: "Takeover, to see who will become the number one contender." But does Breeze really stand any chance against the lights of Hideo Itami AKA KENTA and Finn Balor AKA Prince Devitt? One has to wonder who will be wearing the NXT strap at the end of May 20th, and this humble wrestling pundit is quick to predict Kevin Owens to retain. I think Sami Zayn is a bit fragile at the moment, and might require time off to recuperate from various nagging injuries. If there's going to be a heel title holder, can we really expect Tyler Breeze to challenge for his championship? Perhaps Kevin Owens is enough of a "character babyface" to contend with the tremendously bold Tyler Breeze. That remains to be seen, but I look forward to the day that Tyler Breeze is able to retrieve the title from all of the "uggos" and return it to "Cuteville" where it belongs.
Thank you for stopping by for another edition of “The MVP of NXT.” Remember to keep checking out Cheap-Heat and Daily Wrestling News for all of my latest work; follow me through social media via TapeTraderz and on Facebook at “The B+ Players” ; and be sure to catch my tri-weekly podcasts available exclusively at Cheap-Heat.com!
