SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
WREN SINCLAIR vs. KELANI JORDAN – HIT
This harder heel edge suits Kelani Jordan really well. Loved the jump-start to the match; it’s rare when the wrestler entering the ring does that, so it stood out.
Jordan’s targeting of Wren Sinclair’s injured knee gave the match a strong story, and her aggressive targeting of the injury helped the crowd fully get behind the very popular Wren Sinclair.
The NXT women’s division has a really strong base now, even after the call-ups. These two, along with Kendell Grey, Izzy Dame, Jada Parker, and the champ, Lola Vice, should have NXT in a strong place for the rest of the year.
DARKSTATE PROMO – HIT
They needed to do this promo after last week’s attack on Saquon Shugars, but it had a rough start, sounding way too scripted. I actually liked Osiris Griffin pointing out that all members of DarkState have a college athletic background except Shugars; at least that gave somewhat of a reason for the turn last week. Dion Lennox did get going in his 2nd stint on the mic. He was really good, and he was rightly spotlighted here.
SEAN LEGACY vs. DORIAN VAN DUX – Speed Tournament Match – HIT
The Speed matches are not everybody’s cup of tea, but when they feature 2 newer wrestlers like Legacy and Van Dux, they work. They get to showcase a ton of their moves, and the crowd laps it up. Of course, 3 minutes is in no way enough time. Give these matches 5 minutes.
Both wrestlers are really good with years of experience behind them. It will be interesting to see what they have in store for them. I’d be looking to get Legacy involved in the upper mid to main event scene sooner rather than later.
TONY D’ANGELO PROMO – MISS
Using this as the slow build for an inevitable Tony D vs. Naraku match was fine. I would normally question Cam Hendrix getting a title shot this early, but it’s pretty clear Tony D will put him away next week. Hendrix is confident on the mic and does show promise, so hopefully they have a plan for him, too. Naraku definitely has some aura about him; he has worked hard on his English and delivered well. At this stage, Tony D vs. Naraku does feel like a big match and one to look forward to.
ARTICLE CONTINUED BELOW…
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NATHAN FRAZER vs. ROMEO MORENO – Speed Tournament Match – HIT
A speed match in every sense of the word. Going this quickly and keeping it so slick is some going! Fraser is lightning! Hopefully, with the rumoured attempted rebuild of the main roster tag division, he and his partner Axiom will get some deserved TV time. Moreno didn’t miss a beat either. A great match, but as with all high-quality speed matches, I wish it could have gone longer.
OTM vs. THE CULLING – MISS
Non-match and a huge miss. The OTM music barely played before Shawn Spears, and Niko Vance attacked from behind. Last week, we got that great segment with OTM and this was the follow-up?! Just awful. The only redeeming factor may be that they wanted the match to have more time when it does happen.
CHARLIE DEMPSEY vs. SHILOH HILL – HIT
Arguably, Shiloh Hill is the most popular wrestler with the live NXT crowd right now. I think he’s coming along really well. A slight tweak to the ‘wacky’ character he’s playing outside of the ring would be ideal because inside the ring, the manic Mick Foleyesque style is really working for him. Dempsey did his job really well, giving Hill a tough, competitive match. He does still remain lost in the background of the Birthright faction, however.
LOLA VICE (c) vs. IZZI DAME – NXT Women’s Championship Match – HIT
Great main event!
Lola Vice continues to do really well in the role of champion, and Izzi Dame looked great throughout as a deserving challenger. The interference with OTM running off the rest of the Culling didn’t completely ruin the match or dictate the finish, and the crowd stayed into this one throughout. The match length was about perfect, too.
Dame’s improvement should also be pointed out. She’s now got a tough physical style and didn’t hold back in this one.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Overall, a good show. It’s sometimes easy to forget that NXT is the development brand and at the minute they are doing just that. There are an awful lot of new wrestlers in spotlighted positions , and, despite the continued awfulness of the vast majority of backstage skits and segments, I think they’re doing pretty well.
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