{"id":87439,"date":"2019-10-10T13:02:25","date_gmt":"2019-10-10T18:02:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/?p=87439"},"modified":"2019-10-10T13:02:25","modified_gmt":"2019-10-10T18:02:25","slug":"nxt-hits-misses-10-9-gulak-vs-lio-rush-for-cruiserweight-title-breezango-vs-forgotten-sons-walter-vs-kushida-finn-balor-video-boa-vs-grimes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/2019\/10\/10\/nxt-hits-misses-10-9-gulak-vs-lio-rush-for-cruiserweight-title-breezango-vs-forgotten-sons-walter-vs-kushida-finn-balor-video-boa-vs-grimes\/","title":{"rendered":"NXT HITS &#038; MISSES 10\/9: Gulak vs. Lio Rush for Cruiserweight Title, Breezango vs. Forgotten Sons, Walter vs. Kushida, Finn Balor video, Boa vs. Grimes"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"pwtor-1878071413\" class=\"pwtor-before-content pwtor-entity-placement\"><hr \/><b>SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)... <\/b>\r\n\r\n<iframe src=\"https:\/\/widget.spreaker.com\/player?show_id=3076978&theme=light&playlist=false&playlist-continuous=false&autoplay=false&live-autoplay=false&chapters-image=true&episode_image_position=right&hide-logo=false&hide-likes=false&hide-comments=false&hide-sharing=false&hide-download=true\" width=\"100%\" height=\"140px\" frameborder=\"0\"><\/iframe>\r\n<hr \/><\/div><p>If you\u2019re looking for even more in-depth analysis of this episode of NXT, be sure to check out PWTorch Dailycast\u2019s &#8220;PWT Talks NXT&#8221; recorded last night right after the show concluded. Kelly Wells, Tom Stoup (reporting from Full Sail), and I discussed this action-packed episode for over two hours.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.spreaker.com\/user\/pwtorch\/20191009freenxt\">PODCAST STREAM\/DOWNLOAD LINK<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/pwtorch-dailycast\/id354947346\">SUBSCRIBE IN APPLE PODCASTS<\/a><\/p>\n<p><em><strong>(Or search &#8220;pwtorch&#8221; in any podcast app to subscribe.)<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><b>Drew Gulak vs. Lio Rush for the NXT Cruiserweight Championship &#8211; HIT:<\/b>\u00a0I\u2019m still wondering what is happening with 205 Live. As of this writing, there isn\u2019t much news and seeing the Cruiserweight Championship rebranded as the NXT Cruiserweight championship does not seem like a good sign for the brand. The announcers played up Lio\u2019s story, how he had a rough upbringing, and how he has a lot to prove, clearly positioning him as the face. The crowd was also solidly behind him as well. The match started off fast-paced, but Gulak quickly took Rush down to the mat to work Lio\u2019s arms and neck. Normally, I\u2019d be all for the mat wrestling and working a body part. But, after seeing Riddle vs. Cole last week, this was a bit of a lackluster start to the match in comparison. After the first commercial, with the match aired on split screen, they kicked it back into gear and Lio turned the match around taking it to Gulak. With all of the dirty laundry aired about Lio Rush months ago and his annoying \u201cLAAASHHHLEEEYYY\u201d chants, I wasn\u2019t very high on Rush. But this match sold me on him. His frog splash is absolutely beautiful and I was solidly behind him as Regal stapped the belt around Lio\u2019s waist. I just hope that Rush still has a brand to be the champion <i>of. <\/i><\/p>\n<p><b>Finn Balor Hype Video &#8211; HIT:\u00a0<\/b>I, for one, am very excited to see Balor back in NXT. Since he signed with the WWE, I feel like his NXT run was his best body of work. This minute-long video package certainly delivered in terms of a quick re-introduction of said body of work to a newer NXT audience.<\/p>\n<p><b>Teagan Nox Return Video &#8211; HIT:<\/b>\u00a0I covered the Mae Young Classic for the Torch last year and I don\u2019t think there was a bigger downer than Nox\u2019s injury. They did a great job quickly recapping the injury and her road to recovery. I\u2019m excited to see her return and where she lands among the NXT Women\u2019s division.<\/p>\n<p><b>Rhea Ripley vs. Aliyah &#8211; HIT:\u00a0<\/b>I continue to be impressed by Rhea Ripley, and this squash against Aliyah was no different. So brutal, intense and hard hitting. She called Shayna out after her quick win, and that should be one hell of a battle when it happens. I have to give Aliyah credit too. I remember when she first debuted on the brand and how green she was. Even in this very short outing, it was clear to me how much she has improved.<\/p><div id=\"pwtor-2725976670\" class=\"pwtor-content pwtor-entity-placement\"><div align=\"center\" data-freestar-ad=\"__336x280 __336x280\" id=\"pwtorchcom_test_300x250\">\r\n  <script data-cfasync=\"false\" type=\"text\/javascript\">\r\n    freestar.config.enabled_slots.push({ placementName: \"pwtorchcom_test_300x250\", slotId: \"pwtorchcom_test_300x250\" });\r\n  <\/script>\r\n<\/div><\/div>\n<p><b>Breezango vs. Forgotten Sons &#8211; HIT:<\/b>\u00a0I have a soft spot in my heart for Breezango, even if I am still bitter about them not calling their tag team Fa-breeze. Or because their entrance tonight made me want to hit the mute button. That jackhammer noise was awful jarring. The match was supposed to be Breezango vs. Ever-Rise, but Jaxson Ryker from the Forgotten Sons dragged both members of Ever-Rise from the back, lifeless as their music hit. I thought it was a little odd that the Sons just took their place without any sort of explanation, but at the same time I\u2019m happy to see the Sons get some air time. This was a pretty short but action packed match and a dominant victory for the Forgotten Sons.<\/p>\n<p><b>Boa vs. Cameron Grimes &#8211; MISS:\u00a0<\/b>A very quick squash victory for Grimes, which was slightly disappointing to me because I wanted to see the styles clash between Boa\u2019s martial arts and Grimes\u2019 brawling. I\u2019m not sure why Killian Dain ran down to the ring and then laid waste to Boa. Neither Grimes nor Boa had anything to do with his loss to Riddle a couple weeks ago, so it seemed rather arbitrary that he just chose to take his frustrations out on Boa.<\/p>\n<p><b>Roderick Strong vs. Isiah \u201cSwerve\u201d Scott &#8211; HIT:<\/b>\u00a0Surprisingly, I have only seen the former Shane Strickland in action since debuting as Isiah Scott in NXT. After this match, I think I\u2019m going to be going down a Strickland rabbit hole on YouTube later tonight.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>Roderick Strong is one of the best and most polished on the NXT roster and Isiah Scott looked like he absolutely belonged in the ring with a wrestler of Strong\u2019s caliber. Over the past couple months there has been a lot of chatter about the lack of racial diversity at the top of the card across not only all the WWE\u2019s rosters but AEW\u2019s as well. Of course, this topic gained quite a bit more fuel after Kofi\u2019s loss to Lesnar last week. Again, I\u2019m new to Isiah Scott\u2019s body of work. But judging by his performance tonight and how he was able to get the crowd behind him as the match went on, dare I say that perhaps Isiah Scott could be an athlete that could make his way to one of the main event scenes in WWE in the near future?<\/p>\n<p><b>Undisputed Era, Velveteen Dream, and Ciampa &#8211; HIT<\/b><span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0:<\/span>\u00a0We haven\u2019t seen many story-developing promos over since NXT\u2019s jump to USA. It\u2019s almost strange to say that this was refreshing after an hour plus of intense wrestling. On RAW an SD, how often do we just want the promos to end? This segment was gold all around. The Undisputed Era came off as the smarmy heels that they are as they touted how great they are, even though we all know that they take a page out of Eddie Guerrero\u2019s book and cheat to win (RIP and Happy Birthday, Eddie!). Dream pulling out that photo of Roderick Strong channeling his inner 1997 Shawn Michaels was pretty funny, though possibly a little bit too low-brow for how classy Dream always comes off as. Ciampa only said a few words, but that\u2019s all he needed to say. \u201cGoldie, I\u2019m back.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><b>Dakota Kai vs. Bianca Belair &#8211; HIT:\u00a0<\/b>You know, I love the visual of Belair\u2019s incredibly long ponytail whipping around the two competitors throughout the match. It\u2019s a constant reminder that she always has a near-legal weapon on her. The match itself was alright, but compared to some of the other matches on the card it wasn\u2019t quite the barnburner that it may have looked to be on paper. Regardless, the two women did a fair job. I think if you look at this match in a bubble, on it\u2019s own, it would have stood out more than it did. I still think it was hit-worthy, even if it may have been one of the lower points of the night. Belair calling out Ripley, saying that she won\u2019t be the one to put down Baszler put Belair right in the title hunt. Well deserved.<\/p>\n<p><b>Kushida vs. Walter &#8211; HIT: <\/b>As I\u2019ve said in prior editions of NXT Hits and Misses, I have yet to see Walter in action and I\u2019m a little bit mixed on the big man. He absolutely has a presence about him, but I feel like he was pretty gassed about halfway through the match and looked to be struggling to catch his breath. However, I did have some issues with Playstation Vue and USA\u2019s feed, so a lot of this match was watched in a pixelated glory. The styles clash between the big man style of Walter and the martial art\/high flying style of Kushida didn\u2019t work quite as well as I had hoped when the match was announced. There were a few sloppy looking spots including a small package attempt by Kushida that planted Walter on the back of his head. All that said, overall I still think this was hit-worthy. The David vs. Goliath-esque story told in the ring was done well and the action never stopped. Sure, there was room for improvement. But it was a decent way to close an action packed two hours.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><strong>RECOMMENDED:<\/strong>\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/2019\/10\/04\/nxt-hits-misses-10-2-cole-defends-against-riddle-velveteen-dream-experience-baszler-vs-larae-for-womens-title-street-profits-challenge-oreilly-fish-more\/\">NXT HITS &amp; MISSES 10\/2: Cole defends against Riddle, Velveteen Dream Experience, Baszler vs. LaRae for Women\u2019s Title, Street Profits challenge O\u2019Reilly &amp; Fish, more<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div class=\"pwtor-end-article-groups pwtor-entity-placement\" id=\"pwtor-937339611\"><div id=\"pwtor-1030457557\"><div align=\"center\" data-freestar-ad=\"__336x280\" id=\"pwtorchcom_medrec_3\">\r\n  <script data-cfasync=\"false\" type=\"text\/javascript\">\r\n    freestar.config.enabled_slots.push({ placementName: \"pwtorchcom_medrec_3\", slotId: \"pwtorchcom_medrec_3\" });\r\n  <\/script>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\nTHANK YOU FOR VISITING<\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<div class=\"mh-excerpt\"><p>If you\u2019re looking for even more in-depth analysis of this episode of NXT, be sure to check out PWTorch Dailycast\u2019s &#8220;PWT Talks NXT&#8221; recorded last night right after the show concluded. Kelly Wells, Tom Stoup <a class=\"mh-excerpt-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/2019\/10\/10\/nxt-hits-misses-10-9-gulak-vs-lio-rush-for-cruiserweight-title-breezango-vs-forgotten-sons-walter-vs-kushida-finn-balor-video-boa-vs-grimes\/\" title=\"NXT HITS &#038; MISSES 10\/9: Gulak vs. Lio Rush for Cruiserweight Title, Breezango vs. Forgotten Sons, Walter vs. Kushida, Finn Balor video, Boa vs. Grimes\">[&#8230;]<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":87350,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"episode_type":"","audio_file":"","podmotor_file_id":"","podmotor_episode_id":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"","filesize":"","filesize_raw":"","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":"","itunes_episode_number":"","itunes_title":"","itunes_season_number":"","itunes_episode_type":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[52,28,27],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-87439","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-opnionandanalysis","category-specialists_hitsandmisses","category-specialists"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/post\/2019\/10\/Kushida-Walter-NXT_3x2_600.png","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/87439","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=87439"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/87439\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":87442,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/87439\/revisions\/87442"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/87350"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=87439"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=87439"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=87439"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}