SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
This edition of the NXT show gave us two title defenses. It moved along the Dusty Rhodes Cup and set up Kelani Jordan’s next title defense.
NXT MENS HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION
Men’s Champion: Grayson Waller
Grayson Waller was supposed to defend his NXT Men’s Heavyweight Title against Mason Rook. Rook, however, was not medically cleared for the match, General Manager Stone offered an open challenge to the entire locker room for the title match. After the entire roster fought one another to get the ring, EK Prosper got to the ring first. Prosper and Waller had a heavy hitting back and forth match. Waller used an unexposed turnbuckle to injure Prosper’s throat. He continued to take advantage of Prosper. Prosper made a strong comeback but ultimately lost to Waller. Waller hit his rolling stunner for the win.
Brandler’s Bit: There are both positives and negatives. Let’s do the positives first. Waller is in amazing shape. His moves are sharp and crisp. He led Prosper to an exciting competitive match. I am impressed by the change in Waller from mid card fluff to top contender. Prosper continues to grow as a performer and wrestler and when he returns to the main roster should be in the top tier.
Let’s do the negatives: I don’t know this, but I would assume that Rooks was not medically cleared before 8PM Tuesday night. Instead of making a statement like “…. Due to Mason Rooks not being medically cleared, EK Prosper is going to be awarded an NXT title match. This is because of his change and progress over the past two months….”, NXT decided to treat the NXT Men’s roster like a bunch of Black Friday shoppers trying to get in the door first to get the best sales! In addition, what stopped any of those men from grabbing a chair and waffling everyone who was in their way? Worse, EK Prosper apparently is the only person who knows that you can enter the ring from the other side (considering we see this every week)? Come on NXT, suspension of disbelief is important in order to be a wrestling fan, but don’t write for fourth graders!
NXT WOMEN’S TITLE:
Women’s Champion: Kelani Jordan
Kelani came out and cut a promo citing that she “is not an afterthought but she is the standout.” She was interrupted by General Manager Stone who stated that Kelani’s next challenger will be decided by a Battle Royal consisting of NXT, Evolve, Raw, Smackdown, AAA and TNA women. The winner of the Battle Royal will face Kelani at NXT’s Halloween Havoc. After Stone’s announcement, Reina Volcan attacked Kelani stating, “I am in the Battle Royal.”
Here are combatants for next week’s match:
• Arianna Grace
• Layla Diggs
• Indi Hartwell
• Xia Brookside (TNA Knockouts World Champion)
• M by Elegance (TNA Knockouts Television Champion)
• Heather by Elegance
• Ivy Nile
• Kiana James
• Lady Shani
• Adelicious
• Lizzy Rain
• Thea Hail
• Skylar Raye
• ZARIA (NXT Women’s North American Champion)
• Izzi Dame
• Kali Armstrong
• Reina Volcan
• Nikkita Lyons (WWE EVOLVE Women’s Champion)
• Chantel Monroe
• La Catalina (AAA Reina de Reinas Champion)
Brandler’s Bit: A much better promo from Jordan. She found a tone that was not whiny, but was heelish and confident. Although I am not a fan of Battle Royals, this one has a much greater degree of unpredictability and has a direct path to the next Premium Live Event. I am hopeful that this match will also set up other matches as well.
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)
NXT WOMEN’S NORTH AMERICAN CHAMPION
Champion: Zaria
Zaria defended her Women’s North American Championship against Thea Hail. Hail earned her title match by defeating Zaria in a tag team match last week. Thea favored her injured arm throughout the match. This injury came as a result of Thea’s attacks on Zaria’s arm over the last two weeks. This match had good psychology as Hail continued to attack the injury. She had the champ in a Kimura on the mat, and it appeared that Zaria would tap out due to the pain. Zaria rebounded from this to go back on offense. Hail made one mistake. She went for her “Trust fall” senton, but Zaria reversed that into a Suplex. Zaria won with her F5 finisher.
Brandler’s Bit: A really nice match. This was well booked over the past few weeks creating confidence in Hail as an underdog babyface who could win the title. This last month or so has been Hail’s best work in her stay in NXT.
They are working on Zaria’s character as well. She continues to be humiliated by Izzy Dame and laughed at by the rest of the women’s locker room by showing pictures of Zaria acting in a school play. Zaria’s revenge may start in next week’s Battle Royal and will lead to a match between the two of them.
DUSTY RHODES TAG TEAM CUP CLASSIC MATCHES
There were two matches in the Dusty Cup.
Fraxiom vs Dark State
This was an incredible contrast in styles and experience. Fraxiom are the most underutilized wrestlers on the main roster. Both Fraser and Axiom have speed, agility, and the ability to sell other’s offense. Dark State (Cutler James & Osiris Griffin) were slow, lumbering strong wrestlers who were outclassed in this match. They hit some strong double team moves, but this was all Fraxiom. They hit their “Spanish Fly/Phoenix Splash” finisher for the win. They go against Noam Dar and Romeo Moreno in the next round.
Brandler’s Bit: Great short match demonstrating just how good Fraxiom is. I can’t wait for the semifinal match between Dar & Moreno vs. Fraxiom. That will be the match of the tournament. No Dion Lennox for Dark State due to his involvement with Cruz Montana?
Birthright vs. AAA’s Mini Vikingo & Chazz Hall
Birthright (Stacks and Uriah Connor) took on the Evolve/AAA pairing. What a contrast in styles. Birthright is an old school cheating tag team. Vikingo and Hall are all energy, with jaw dropping high flying moves. After several back-and-forth attacks, Mini Vikingo won with his 630 finisher off the top rope. They will go against the top seed, The NXT Tag Team Champions, The Vanity Project, in the semifinals.
After the match, Stacks & Connors beat up their opponents. Zilla Fatu came out for the save and beat up all of Birthright. Fatu challenged Lexis King to a match.
Brandler’s Bit: Hall and Vikingo meshed pretty well for a team that hasn’t worked together. The Vanity Project will work well with them. If they really want to push an underdog team, an upset of the champs is very possible.
PROMO SEGMENTS
Myles Borne returns
Borne delivered a promo reiterating his reason for his turn. He said he is now “the real Myles Borne” not part of a team that doesn’t allow all of him to be present. At the end of the promo he stated, “you never liked me, you felt sorry for me I was the deaf kid…. I feel sorry for all of you – I’m the deaf one but I’m the one in the ring and you are watching me…….”
Brandler’s Bit: This promo was boring and in very poor taste. Myles said words which lacked any emotion. Later in the promo, he appeared more confident, but still he got no reaction. Then came the tasteless part. Months ago, I complimented NXT for NOT using Borne’s disability as part of his babyface character so the fans will have sympathy for him. Tuesday, using his disability was a low class way to explain his heel turn. This was incredibly “tone deaf!”
Cruz Montana
In great contrast to Borne’s promo was the segment with Cruz. Last week, Dion Lennox trash talked Montana making fun of his addiction, his mother’s drug dealing etc. Montana used his real-life struggles with addiction, his father’s addiction and his mom dealing drugs in order to pay the bills, in what was an emotional segment. It wasn’t soap opera- ish to evoke sympathy. This was a man who has had pain and struggle in his life, and has overcome it. His pain came through as he retold telling his daughter that he needed to get to rehab to get healthy. He said to Lennox, “My past is my superpower…. I am a finisher.”
Brandler’s Bit: I am touched by this promo. This is NOT a “hey let’s use a sad story to manipulate the audience and get them to feel bad for him” as a character development plan. We have seen this many times in NXT and on the main roster. This is real, gut level honesty, with Cruz showing emotions, to tell a story. Lennox is already overmatched on the microphone with anyone. They shouldn’t ask him to have further promos with Cruz.
NEXT WEEK ON NXT
- Battle Royal to determine Kelani Jordan’s opponent at NXT Halloween Havoc (I think anyone can win this, but Volcan would be my guess.)
- Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic: Tokyo Bad Boys vs. Sean Legacy & Dorian Van Dux (I love Legacy and DVD; Tokyo Bad Boys are AAA wrestlers.)
- Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic: Shido Ash & Viktor Zanov vs. Hank & Tank (Hank & Tank are always on television, Ash & Zanov are EVOLVE wrestlers.)
- Shiloh Hill vs. NARAKU (grudge match)
