Following a weekend where the bottom fell out of the WWE universe, we needed a show that was fun and entertaining and recaptured what we love about wrestling.
Thank you, NXT, and thank you Triple H.
NXT answered the challenge with a great show and solid to great matches throughout.
Here are this week’s highs
- 205 Live being part of NXT. This is a touchy one for some fans, and that’s understandable. 205 Live was a fun show for fans of the cruiserweight division, but with the rise of NXT to the USA network, there’s been rumors of the 205 roster joining NXT and the other two WWE brands. With Drew Gulak’s defending NXT’s cruiserweight championship, it looks like that’s a reality.
- Lio Rush versus Drew Gulak. Regardless of the outcome, this was an awesome way to start the show, and this was arguably the best match of the night. It was a highly energized match that concluded with Gulak handing the belt to Rush and shaking his hand. It was a cool transition instead of the usual attacking or leaving the new champion to celebrate alone.
- Velveteen Dream. Dream’s challenge for Roderic Strong’s North American Championship included an image of Strong wearing only the championship belt, then an altered one with, well… let’s just say it wasn’t faltering. The pose and image was a throwback to Shawn Michaels’ Playgirl pose from the ‘90s, and added a fun bit of nostalgia and humor.
- Dakota Kai and Bianca Belair. A candidate for the best match, this had a little of everything from speed and finesse to power as both women put on a great show. The ending was satisfying, as was Belair’s challenge for the women’s championship.
- Walter and Kushida. It’s strange having so many matches listed as highlights, but it’s telling of the style of show NXT is. A battle between undefeateds was a great meshing of different sizes, strengths, and styles, this was the best match of the night. Having a main event going the full final twenty minutes of a show is rare anymore (any match going this long is, to be honest), and the fact that both superstars could keep the crowd engaged throughout spoke volumes to their talent and effort. Well done.
- Going over. For the second straight week, NXT went over its allotted two hour time slot by ten minutes. As mentioned last week, this is a sneaky way of stealing ratings as it adds in the rating for the first quarter hour at ten o’clock. Given the WWE’s penchant for WCW style bookings lately, this is the better part of that package.
Final thoughts and grade
NXT as different from the standard WWE programming as possible, and that’s a great thing. The intimate confines of Full Sail University are perfect for fostering a fanbase and drawing the crowd into the matches. It allows the fans to view the superstars as friends or family after seeing them so regularly, and this shouldn’t change to bigger venues just for the sake of flashy shows and more ticket sales.
Also, keeping the action ring-centric with only a couple of minutes spent on promos backstage or in the ring gives us an action packed experience that’s been missing in professional wrestling for over twenty years. It may be cook to hear the superstars talk smack, but it’s awesome to see them in action.
With so much to like, this is easily the best WWE programming on television even if the ratings don’t show it (for now). On a scale of one to ten, this gets a solid 9.
The matches were good to great, and the fans were electric throughout. It’s hard to ask for more than that from a promotion, but we will and NXT will continue to grow.
