NXT ON USA PRIMER 4/22: Finn Balor vs. Velveteen Dream, Cruiserweight Tournament matches continue including Drake Maverick, Nox & Blackheart vs. Kai & Gonzalez

By Amin Ajani, PWTorch contributor


SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...

Finn Balor looks to remind Velveteen Dream who’s the greatest NXT Champion of all-time. Plus, El Hijo del Fantasma makes his debut as the tournament to crown a new Interim Cruiserweight Champion continues tonight. It’s sure to be another action-packed episode of NXT which takes place tonight from Full Sail University on the USA Network. Let’s take a look at what’s currently advertised for tonight’s show.

ADVERTISED MATCHES & SEGMENTS

  • Finn Bálor and The Velveteen Dream go one-on-one
  • Tegan Nox & Shotzi Blackheart face off with Dakota Kai & Raquel Gonzalez
  • El Hijo del Fantasma debuts against Jack Gallagher
  • Kushida and Tony Nese clash in Interim NXT Cruiserweight Title Tournament action
  • Drake Maverick battles Jake Atlas in a Group A Interim NXT Cruiserweight Title Tournament Match
  • Finn Balor and The Velveteen Dream go one-on-one

Velveteen Dream had his eyes set on Adam Cole’s NXT Championship but his path to the championship has taken a detour after getting into a confrontation with Finn Balor. Balor took exception to Dream’s claim that Cole was arguably the greatest NXT Champion. Dream didn’t back down as he challenged Balor to a match. The question is who will emerge victorious?

(Amin’s Analysis: I’m looking forward to this as this should be a great match as both Balor and Dream are both very talented wrestlers. This will be interesting as it could be a way to add Balor to the NXT Championship program with Cole and Dream since he can’t wrestler WALTER with the ongoing circumstances.)

Tegan Nox & Shotzi Blackheart face off with Dakota Kai & Raquel Gonzalez

Bitter rivalries will clash in tag team action tonight as Dakota Kai & Raquel Gonzalez will take on Tegan Nox & Shotzi Blackheart. The rivalry heated up last week after Blackheart made her presence felt when she helped Nox pick up a hard-fought victory over Gonzalez. Now that the odds are even, who will come out victorious?

(Amin’s Analysis: I’ve liked how this program has been playing with the added wrinkles of Blackheart and Gonzalez to keep the rivalry between Kai and Nox going. This should be a solid match and I would like to see Kai’s team win to establish them a top heel unit.)

El Hijo del Fantasma debuts against Jack Gallagher

The tournament to crown a new Interim NXT Cruiserweight Champion continues tonight and will be highlighted by the debuting El Hijo del Fantasma who takes on Jack Gallagher in Group B action. The question is can Gallagher play spoiler and upset Fantasma in his debut match on NXT?

https://twitter.com/WWENXT/status/1250590399401525248

(Amin’s Analysis: This should be a great showcase match for Fantasma as I expect he will bring a different style and be one of the major standouts in the Cruiserweight tournament.)

Kushida and Tony Nese clash in Interim NXT Cruiserweight Title Tournament action

Group A action begins tonight as Kushida will take on Tony Nese. Kushida who’s one of the most decorated wrestlers will look to make his presence felt but standing in his way is Nese who’s a former Cruiserweight Champion. Who will make their

(Amin’s Analysis: This should be another solid match featuring two very talented wrestlers. Kushida is my pick to win the tournament as he’s an amazing wrestler and will take the Cruiserweight division to the next level.)

Drake Maverick battles Jake Atlas in a Group A Interim NXT Cruiserweight Title Tournament Match

Drake Maverick will face Jake Atlas in the other Group A tournament match. Maverick will look to make a lasting impression and so will his opponent Atlas who just recently signed with NXT. Who will take one step closer to becoming Interim Cruiserweight Champion?

(Amin’s Analysis: I’m most looking forward to seeing this especially after the news of Maverick being released by WWE. Maverick was a tremendous asset to the 205 Live division as he was a big part in helping the Cruiserweight division grow. I would like to see this match get some time and have Maverick showcase his wrestling ability.)

The Big Takeaway From Last Week’s Show

Karrion Kross officially made his NXT debut after ambushing Tommaso Ciampa who was ready to put his issues with Johnny Gargano and Candice LeRae behind him. Timothy Thatcher also made his debut as he took the place of Pete Dunne as he and Matt Riddle successfully defended the NXT Tag Team Titles against Bobby Fish & Roderick Strong of the Undisputed Era.

OVERALL THOUGHTS…

Expect the wresting on the show to be the highlight of tonight’s episode of NXT as the spotlight will shine on the Cruiserweight Division. Looking forward to seeing what the fallout will be from Kross debut and if Balor will be added to the NXT Championship picture. Overall, this should be another enjoyable episode of NXT.


CATCH UP… 4/15 NXT ON USA REPORT: Wells’s report on Riddle & mystery partner vs. Fish & Strong, Cruiserweight championship league beginning

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