SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
TOP TIER FEUDS
(1) Adam Cole vs. Johnny Gargano vs. Tommaso Ciampa vs. Finn Balor
New Developments: The 60-minute Iron Man Match ended with Cole and Balor tied with two falls a piece. A tie-breaking match was announced for next week.
Highs & Lows: With no real issues between the four guys in the match, it felt like watching an All-Star Game instead of a heated fight. Iron Man matches can be hard to watch because everyone has to pace themselves and then turn it on at the end. Balor and Cole each pinned each other once during the match, so that helps build the suspense and tension of the one-on-one match next week.
Start of Feud: August 26, 2020
Forecast & Prediction: Balor should win next week against Cole, since Cole just lost the title after a record-breaking reign. Balor’s win and reign would be great to rebuild him as a star after his difficulties on the main roster. It would be good to see him planted at the top and would give many fresh matchups at the top of the card.
(2) Io Shirai vs. Dakota Kai & Raquel Gonzalez
New Developments: No new developments this week
Highs & Lows: Last week’s tag match with Ripley against Kai and Gonzalez was great and laid the groundwork for the next few months of feuds at the top of the Women’s Division. This match helped push Io, Ripley, and Gonzalez forward to their next chapters, but it seemed to leave Dakota as the odd woman out.
Start of Feuds: August 5, 2020
Forecast & Prediction: I think we will see more development on this feud starting next week. While this will eventually lead to Io vs. Ripley, Io will probably need to go through Gonzalez first.
MIDDLE TIER FEUDS
(1) Breezango (and Isaiah “Swerve” Scott) vs. Legado del Fantasma
New Developments: Breezango & Scott took on Legado del Fantasma in a six-man street fight. Legado del Fantasma looked great with some creative, hard-hitting offense. Breezango used the street fight stipulation to do some spots that didn’t match the new serious mentality that they have tried to take on in their tag matches. Imperium eventually came out and attacked Breeze, but Breezango was able to get the upper hand and took out everyone except for Escobar with dives to the outside. Scott was able to get the pin on Escobar who was distracted by the chaos outside the ring.
Highs & Lows: Breezango has looked good since returning to NXT. This match brought back some of the silliness that had taken away most of their credibility on the main roster, but hopefully they are able to get back to their more serious attitude when they get back to a normal tag team match. Legado del Fantasma has looked like a threatening faction that could continue to dominate the cruiserweight and tag team divisions, but their credibility took a hit due to the fact that they were easily distracted and taken out by Breezango’s silliness.
Start of Feud: July 8, 2020
Forecast & Prediction: With Imperium coming out to help Legado del Fantasma, I see a rematch for the NXT Tag Team Titles on the horizon. I would eventually like to see the Tag Team Titles on Legado del Fantasma, but they need to make Wilde and Mendoza stand out more as individuals instead of just Escobar’s henchmen.
(2) Rhea Ripley vs. Mercedes Martinez
New Developments: Ripley gave a backstage promo talking about her hatred and history with Martinez and the Robert Stone Brand. She said she thought Martinez would have gotten the message when she got power bombed onto the concrete. Ripley then challenged Martinez to a steel cage match. Later in the show Martinez accepted the challenge and the match will take place next week.
Highs & Lows: The feud between Ripley and the Robert Stone Brand seems to have gone on longer than is necessary. However, a steel cage match is a great way to showcase Ripley as one of the top Women’s stars and finally finish this feud.
Start of Feud: August 5, 2020
Forecast & Prediction: This should be a fun match to watch. I expect Ripley to win and then move to a feud with Dakota Kai and/or Raquel Gonzalez, before eventually getting a title shot against Io.
(3) Damian Priest vs. Timothy Thatcher
New Developments: Thatcher got a tainted victory against Bronson Reed. Thatcher was able to show his toughness and submission capabilities over a larger opponent.
Highs & Lows: Thatcher continues to have good matches that make him out to be an incredibly tough opponent. It’s good to build Thatcher back up as a credible threat and challenger for the North American Title, since he has taken a few recent losses. I want to see more of what Priest’s side of this angle will be as the feud continues to develop.
Start of Feud: August 26, 2020
Forecast & Prediction: I still believe this will be resolved in the next couple of weeks on TV, before Priest eventually ends up facing one of the other ladder match challengers in a one-on-one fight.
(4) Candice LeRae vs. Tegan Nox
New Developments: Another video package continued to highlight the history and friendship between LeRae and Nox. This time the video was narrated by Nox who talked about the shift in personality to the “Gargano Way.” Nox talked about how she hoped the two of them could sort out their differences. After LeRae’s win against Kacey Catanzaro, she spoke in the ring about how she was distracted during the match about the things Nox had said. She invited Nox to her house and said that dinner was on her.
Highs & Lows: These two video packages have been really well done, especially having Nox’s video following LeRae’s. After watching Nox’s video, I feel drawn to her and see the hope that she just wants to get her old friend back.
Start of Feud: August 26, 2020
Forecast & Prediction: This will continue to play out over the next few weeks, probably with a Dinner with the Garganos video package either next week or the week after, which will lead to a couple matches to ultimately settle the feud.
LOWER TIER FEUDS
(1) Undisputed Era vs. Drake Maverick (and Killian Dain?)
New Developments: No new developments this week.
Highs & Lows: This feud feels like it’s below Undisputed Era, mostly because it started with UE stopping a match between Drake and Killian and threw them out of the ring like it was nothing. The match between O’Reilly and Drake was good and could be used to help establish O’Reilly as a singles star, but it could also lessen UE’s overall status within NXT by being involved in lower tier feuds.
Start of Feud: August 12, 2020
Forecast & Prediction: This might eventually lead to a team-up between Drake and Killian or it might just lead to a match between the two without interruption. If Undisputed Era is going to eventually turn on Cole, establishing O’Reilly as a credible singles threat now is a good move.
(2) Bronson Reed vs. Austin Theory
New Developments: Reed had a match against Timothy Thatcher. Reed lost the match after sustaining an elbow injury and being attacked by Austin Theory when the ref wasn’t looking.
Highs & Lows: Reed looked good in the match against Thatcher until he was attacked by Theory. Theory attacking Reed helps establish him as a cowardly heel that you want to see Reed get in the ring.
Start of Feud: August 26, 2020
Forecast & Prediction: This will be a short feud to help build up Reed after his loss at Takeover and will hopefully also build Theory as another solid mid-card heel. I’d expect to see this settled in the next week or two on TV.
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