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With the Great American Bash in the rear view mirror, this edition of NXT was focused on the next steps in developing stories.
NXT TAG TEAM TITLES
Current Champions: The Vanity Project Ricky Stokes & Brad Balor with Jackson Drake and Lockwood.
The Vanity Project (VP) were challenged by the brother team of El Hijo de Dr. Wagner and Galeno. The brothers come from a long line of AAA wrestlers starting with the original Dr. Wagner. They were formidable challengers to VP. Balor & Smokes used classic heel tag team strategies, taking advantage of interference by Drake and Lockwood. VP wins with a double team stomp.
Brandler’s Bit: It was great to have VP defend the title. To give the tag team division some airtime, Stone booked a tag team Fatal 4-way to determine the number one contender.
The teams included: Dark State, OTM, Birthright, and Dorian Van Dux (DVD) & Legacy. I’m hoping that DVD & Legacy win because it will be a fresh matchup. VP vs DVD & Legacy would be a great match.
NXT MEN’S HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE
Current champion: Tony D’Angelo.
Tony, with his bandaged eye, came out for a promo. He challenged the Men’s Division to stand up. As he headed to the locker room, he was hit in the face by mist sprayed by Nakaru. The assault continued. Nakaru then hit “Enter the Abyss” to finish the attack.
Brandler’s Bit: Another strong promo with great intensity by Tony D. In pro wrestling, promos are almost always interrupted. In this case there was no interruption, but when things appeared calm, there was the sneak attack. The D’Angelo and Nakaru story will have more chapters.
NXT WOMEN’S TITLE
Current Champion: Kendal Grey
Grey won the NXT Women’s Title at the Great American Bash defeating Lola Vice in a great match. She came to ring to talk to the NXT fans. She admittedly said that she was more nervous about talking than the match on Sunday. With much more pace and confidence (and lots of breathing) she talked about how she would fight anyone. Anyone apparently meant anyone and she will meet Nattie next week on NXT.
A main event match was made between Tatum Paxley and Kelani Jordan. This was set up by a run in by Jordan during the Kendal segment. Jordan was intercepted by Tatum.
This should have been a great match between two evenly-matched wrestlers. It wasn’t. It was clunky. There were many missed spots. Jordan won with her “one of a kind” split legged moonsault. Right after the match, Paxley was attacked by an unnamed woman (Nikki Blackheart). Blackheart used a “torture rack” move (almost falling) to injure the surprised Paxley.
Brandler’s Bit: Kudos to Kendal Grey for working on her craft to deliver an adequate promo. She was initially very nervous as evidenced by her repeated slow breathing. Later in her promo, she got much more confident in her speaking and came across confidently as a champion. We could get picky about her repeated use of “you guys” to the audience, but we won’t. At the end of the promo, she used the phrase “You can’t keep up with Kendal” which I hope will be her catch phrase. Her match with Nattie will be an excellent test for her development.
Kendal’s BFF Wren Sinclair did come out to share a cake with Kendal. As a longtime fan of wrestling, seeing a cake usually means it’s going in someone’s face. (I can think of countless WWE angles, but the one that stands out most is the Mid-South Wrestling angle with “Cowboy” Bill Watts and Jim Cornette. Of course, Cornette got the cake from the usually super gruff Watts.) No cake in the face here; the friends continue to be great friends, supporting each other in their championships.
When the unnamed wrestler showed up to attack Tatum, I was having WCW Nitro flashbacks of Scott Hall showing up on Nitro. Tony Schiavone on commentary was trying to use his name “you know him from that other organization” but due to legal issues couldn’t call him by any wrestling name. Apparently, that is also the case in NXT. The “Nikki Blackhart” name has not cleared trademarking, so she was the not named by Vic Joseph.
ARTICLE CONTINUED BELOW…
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MID-CARD FEUDS
WOMEN’S NXT NORTH AMERICAN TITLE
Champion Zaria
Brandler’s Bit: Stone announced a Fatal 4-Way no. 1 contender’s match for next week’s show. It will be: Izzi Dame vs. Lizzie Rain, vs. Layla Diggs, vs. Thea Hail in the battle of wrestlers who have one syllable last names! This could be Rain’s win since she is over with the NXT audience and a Brit versus an Aussie matchup would be very different feud in an American promotion.
WOMEN’S MID-CARD
Jaida Parker vs. Karmen Petrovic (with Nattie, Layla Diggs, and Evolve Women’s Champion Nakita Lyons). Petrovic was last seen in AAA as the female member of the Dogs of Evil (Los Perros del Mal) faction. Jaida was booked very strong defeating Petrovic with her “hipnotic” into “déjà vu” finisher.
Brandler’s Bit: It seems that Jaida will run the gauntlet to get another match with Nattie. She is so talented and connects to the audience in a very different way than the other women on the roster. I love that Nattie is working with her to push her to the next place in her career.
MEN’S MID-CARD
Ek Prosper vs. Keanu Carver. This was supposed to be El Hijo del Vikingo defending his AAA Latin American Title. He was attacked by Carver setting up this rematch from last week. Prosper is so good at being the underdog baby face who makes comeback after comeback. He won with a moonsault.
Brandler’s Bit: On Tuesday this felt like a “bait and switch.” On Wednesday, we learned that Vikingo was injured warming up, so NXT called an audible. They kept Prosper strong for that title match which could be an amazing high-flying battle. Carver was criticized on commentary by Booker T who usually praises him to the moon. I’m wondering if Booker T’s comments are related to Carver continuing to lose in matches that he should win.
One other match occurred Tuesday night which is demonstrating the depth of the Men’s Division. It was Jackson Drake with the Vanity Project and Lockwood vs. Mason Rook. The very athletic Drake vs the very powerful and agile Rook gave NXT fans a match between some future title contenders. Drake hit some high-flying moves. He had help from his VP stable mates allowed him to hit a backstabber for the win. Lockwood held down Rook’s foot preventing a kick out. Post match, Rook beat up both Balor and Smokes.
Brandler’s Bit: If they are setting up a future Tony D vs Jackson Drake match, sign me up for that. This 23-year-old has an amazing future and combined with his Vanity Project teammates could lead to the heel faction with having all the belts.
Next week on NXT:
- The two Fatal Four-way matches
- Grey vs. Nattie
- A singles match between Niko Vance and Shiloh Hill
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