A Room with a Review: NXT 03/04/20
This week’s NXT is an episode full of pre-tapes, bookended by cage matches. It’s a roller coaster of emotion!
- We’re starting off with the first of TWO steel cage matches tonight. Tegan Nox will be facing off against Dakota Kai w/ Raquel Gonzalez. The match is really slow going early on, as it seems to be lacking the heat this blood feud should have. I think they spent it all on the street fight in Portland. As expected, Gonzalez gets involved and pins Nox between the door and the cage, which allows Kai to escape for the win. I’ll admit that I was expecting a little more from these two.
- Finn Balor has a pre-taped backstage promo where he reacts to Imperium’s challenge from last week. He says they’ll see him sooner than they expect. I guess that means he will be popping up on NXT UK.
- Next is another pre-taped segment, this one with NXT Women’s Champion Rhea Ripley. Rhea is at Raymond James Stadium, home of WrestleMania (and the XFL’s Tampa Bay Vipers, as was evident be nearly every camera angle in the segment). It was a nice little package that helped give Ripley backstory.
- We have our first qualifying match for the women’s #1 contender ladder match at Takeover. It’s Shotzi Blackheart w/ her little tank vs Chelsea Green w/ Robert Stone. Somebody really needs to buy that man some socks. Chelsea Green throws a killer Japanese arm drag. Green wins a quick one with the I’m Prettier. Kind of interesting, as it seemed like they were building Shotzi up quickly.
- After a commercial break, Keith Lee heads to the ring so we can bask in his glory. He gets interrupted by Cameron Grimes, who must be excited that Skynyrd is coming to Florida on Sunday. Lee casually takes off his jacket while Grimes puffs himself up. Lee shoves Grimes clear out of the ring and says Cameron can have a title match next week.
- Plain-vanilla-ass Austin Theory was getting interviewed before the show when he claimed to be one of the best NXT superstars of all time, even though he just started with the company. Swerve Scott took offense and challenged him to a match tonight.
- Next up is a tag team match between Kyle O’Reilly and Bobby Fish and Danny Burch and Oney Lorcan. Undisputed Era wins the match and says that they are ready to get their tag team titles back. The Broserweights come out to accept their challenge, but they get jumped from behind by Grizzled Young Veterans. They say that they’re going to be the champions.
- After the commercial, it’s Isaiah “Swerve” Scott vs Austin Theory. Theory looks like Buff Bagwell and a ferret had a love child. This was easily the most interesting match that Theory has had in NXT, as he gets the win with the ATL.
- Next is a pre-taped, sit down interview with Johnny Gargano and Mauro Ranallo. Johnny cements his new-found heeldom by getting in Mauro’s face, which prompts the announcer to walk off the set.
- Main event time. It’s the second cage match, this one between Velveteen Dream and Roderick Strong. Now this match has the heat that the other one was missing. Roddy’s wife Marina slides a kendo stick through the cage, but Dream gets control of it. Dream goes to the top of the cage to drop the elbow, but the rest of UE get involved. Adam Cole gets in the cage and Dream lets Strong escape the cage, then locks the door so it’s just him and Cole. He sacrificed the win to get his hands on the NXT Champion.
This wasn’t as good as some other episodes of NXT, but when you’re always at a nine, you’re allowed a seven from time to time. What was your favorite part of the show? Let me know in the comment section below.
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