SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
MAIN EVENT FEUDS
NXT MEN’S HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE
Current champion: Tony D’Angelo.
Things got very complicated on tonight‘s NXT show. We saw the debut of Nakaru. He is the former IWGP Champion who was known as Evil (stylized as EVIL) in New Japan Pro Wrestling. Nakaru won a short match against Lince Dorado, who is currently a trainer at the Performance Center. Nakaru won with his finisher which has been renamed “The Abyss.”
Later in this episode, we got to see the contract signing for Mason Rook, who the Orlando faithful have already started the chant, “He’s big, he’s bad, he can bodyslam your dad.” During the contract signing, Tony D’Angelo came out to confront Rook after last week’s attack on him. Mid-promo, Tony D was attacked by a Kam Hendrix. Rook took advantage of the chaos and landed a moonsault to the outside of the ring onto both Kendrix and D’Angelo.
Brandler’s Bit: Next week on NXT, they are advertised a tag team match with Rook and Hendrix going against Tony D and the NXT North American Champion Miles Bourne. This match should either clarify the title picture or make the picture as muddled as possible since the NXT North American and Heavyweight Champs seemingly have the same contenders.
One other thing to pay attention to for next week’s show: NXT North American Champion Myles Borne and Tavion Heights had a backstage conflict. Heights is upset with Borne, as Heights sees that Bourne is leaving his former partner behind to team with Tony D.
Will Heights’s anger and hurt play into next week’s title match?
NXT WOMEN’S TITLE
Current Champion: Lola Vice.
Throughout this edition of NXT they promoted Kendal Grey vs. Kelani Jordan as their main event and that the winner could be in line for a future title match. During the match, Izzy attacked Lola backstage. The two fought out to the ring. They knocked over Gray’s BFF Wren Sinclair, who was on crutches. This distracted Grey and led to Jordan getting the pinfall.
After the match, Lola went over to apologize to Wren. Grey pushed back at Lola. Dane came out and attacked Lola. At the end of night, Izzy Dame held up the NXT Women’s Heavyweight Title, communicating to all the fans that she is the one to beat.
Brandler’s Bit: In addition to Izzy Dame being the solid number one contender, they planted some seeds about having the former college wrestling champ, Kendal Gray, fight the former MMA champ, Lola Vice. In addition, they had a backstage segment of Sinclair and Grey reaffirming their friendship with a “pinkie swear.” This friendship will be an interesting story going forward.
MID-CARD FEUDS
Birthright (Uriah Connors, Charlie Dempsey, and Stacks) vs. Sean Legacy, Tate Wilder, and EK Prosper
Sean Legacy, Tate Wilder, and EK Prosper are new from Evolve. They are athletic and have a basic understanding of wrestling and how to put together a match. They will need a good deal of experience to move up the card.
Birthright is an interesting faction. They are second-generation wrestlers who have banded together because of their “birthright” in this industry. They are:
- Lexis King: Son of Brian Pillman
- Charlie Dempsey: Son of William Regal
- Uriah Connors: Son of Fit Finlay
- Arianna Grace: Daughter of Santino Marella
- Channing “Stacks” Lorenzo: Included due to his relationship with Arianna
I’m intrigued by this faction. Second- and third-generation wrestlers have a mixed outcome in wrestling history. For every Randy Orton or Rock, there is a Ted DiBiase Jr, or David Flair. What I’ve noticed is that this group is working hard. King has had a stop start push, but has gotten into amazing shape recently. Dempsey is great talent but does not have the personality of his dad. Grace has made significant progress going from a beauty queen persona to someone who can work a match. (I saw her title match defeat on TNA last week. She was quite good.) If I were Stacks, I wouldn’t buy a house with his “birthright money” because blood IS thicker than water!
Another interesting match and angle occurred this past Tuesday night was part of Noam Dar returning after a one-year absence due to severe knee injuries to go against The Vanity Project’s Jackson Drake. He was accompanied by Myka Lockwood and Smokes & Balor, the NXT Tag Team Champions. Lockwood is a former cheerleader; she was the base, the one that held up all the cheerleaders. She is in the original Chyna role with DX, the female muscle protector. Drake demonstrated great moves and great talent. Since this became a four-on-one attack. It was no surprise that Drake won.
What WAS surprising was what happened next. Dark State stormed the ring and challenged the Vanity Project (VP) to an NXT Tag Team Title match next week. Cutler James made the challenge to VP for the match. James demonstrated charisma and believability which is so much better than his very bland personality that he displayed previously. Dark State challenged its membership to band together for the titles. “When we are on the same page, no one can beat us,” they said.
Brandler’s Bit: Can Lennox and Shugars put their differences behind them for the title match next week or are they headed for a breakup? If the Vanity Project wins who will be their next challengers?
ARTICLE CONTINUED BELOW…
Check out the latest episode of “PWT Talks NXT” with Kelly Wells and Nate Lindberg, part of the PWTorch Dailycast line-up: CLICK HERE to stream (or search “pwtorch” on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or any other iOS or Android app to subscribe free)
WOMENS NXT NORTH AMERICAN TITLE
Champion Tatum Paxley
The first match on this edition of NXT was a tag team match between Zaria & Nikkita Lyons vs. Paxley & Lizzie Rain. Since Zaria didn’t feel a need to be in a tag team match, she of course refused to tag in when Lyons reached out for a tag late in the match. Rain defeated Lyons with her finisher “Thunder Struck.” Rain has connected the NXT audience. They love her rock ‘n’ roll persona.
Tatum won the NXT North American Title at Vengeance Day back in March. The following week she wanted to offer title shots to all wrestlers who deserved one. She was talked out of this plan by Izzy Dame and The Culling. Ultimately, they turned on her.
Tatum’s reign has led her to defeat both Dame and Blake Monroe. On this episode of NXT, she went back to her mission statement of offering title shots to deserving people. In a backstage segment, she offered to meet Lizzie for the NXT North American Title next week.
Brandler’s Bit: Since this brand does not deliver on its one-on-one matches, expect Zaria to interfere in the match. This will inevitably set up a three-way match soon.
LOWER CARD FEUDS
One other feud to pay attention to is Nattie versus Jaida Parker. Jaida interrupted Nattie who was filming a promo leading to much frustration on Nattie’s part. They are working on a slow build to their match.
NEXT WEEK
- NXT NORTH AMERICAN TITLE MATCH Lizzie Rain vs. Tatum Paxley
- NXT TAG TEAM TITLE MATCH Dark State vs. The Vanity Project
- Tony D’Angelo and Miles Bourne vs. Kam Hendrix and Mason Rook
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