A Room with a Review: NXT 06/03/20

It’s time for NXT, still the beautiful oasis in the middle of WWE’s story desert.

• The show starts off with Goth Elsa Candace LeRae against Mia Yim. The match doesn’t last long before the two get counted out while brawling up the ramp. LeRae runs Yim into the TitanTron and when she tries to pile on, Tegan Nox comes out to push her back. Dakota Kai and Raquel Gonzalez take advantage of this by blindsiding Nox and Yim. Shotzi Blackheart comes out to help Tegan fight them to the back, leaving LeRae and Yim to keep going at it. Johnny Gargano and Keith Lee come out and the ghost of Teddy Long fills the room as this is now a mixed tag match.

• After the commercial break, it’s Mr. and Mrs. Wrestling vs Team Yimitless. Please note that neither Lee nor Gargano are in their wrestling gear. This ends up being a factor as Gargano pulls his car keys out of his pocket and jabs them in Lee’s eye while the ref is distracted. The women are the legal combatants, though, so while Mia is tending to Lee, Candace rolls her up for the pinfall victory.

• Backstage, it’s the blonde interviewer and Dexter Lumis. She asks if he thinks Velveteen Dream can beat Adam Cole, but Lumis walks away. He returns with an easel, a canvas, and markers. This is gonna be good.

• Video from earlier today finds Drake Maverick arriving at the arena. He says that he feels no pressure because he’s either going to be the NXT Cruiserweight Champion or he’s gone from the WWE.

• Next is a video package showing how Adam Cole and Velveteen Dream are each preparing for their match this weekend. Cole is celebrating with the rest of the Undisputed Era, as it’s the one year anniversary of him winning the NXT Heavyweight Championship; Dream is rollerblading around Orlando. UE has a delicious lunch; Dream talks into a mirror, which reflects a Prince impersonator talking back. This is wrestling!

• Back from commercial break and Dexter Lumis has drawn a caricature of him driving a truck with the non-Adam Cole UE members in the back. I guess he’s going to help keep them at bay during the championship match.

• Cruiserweight action as Tony Nese faces off with Isaiah “Swerve” Scott. During the match, Jack Gallagher comes out to distract Scott, but Swerve is able to reverse a move from Nese and turn it for a sunset flip for the win. 

• It’s a number one contenders match for the NXT Tag team Championships. It’s Bobby Fish and Roderick Strong vs Danny Burch and Oney Lorcan vs a mystery team. The mystery team is…Breezango! They are dressed as sexy astronauts, as is to be expected. Now I don’t know who to root for. This match is interesting as a representative of each team is in the ring at one time. Man, I love Oney Lorcan. He’s like if Cesaro came from Boston – just running around the ring uppercutting people, but possibly on meth. Dexter Lumis pops up in the crowd, distracting Bobby Fish long enough for Tyler Breeze to hit the Beauty Shot and Fandango the Last Dance for the victory. Imperium, the current champs, come down the ramp for intimidation purposes, but Indus Sher w/ Malcolm Bivens come out as well and stare down Imperium.

• Apparently Chelsea Green fired Robert Stone after last week’s show. 

• Next up is Aliyah against Santana Garrett. A disheveled Robert Stone comes to the ring, yelling support for Aliyah. Garrett gets the win after an impressive handspring moonsault. 

• They do a thing with the Women’s Championship match participants. Io Shirai goes full water ghost; Rhea Ripley gets up really early to work out; Charlotte Flair is at the Performance Center, training. 

• It’s Cameron Grimes vs Bronson Reed in a “hey, remember these guys” match. Grimes picks up the win with the Cave-In. Karrion Kross appears in the ring and Grimes takes a powder. Kross muscles up Reed for a snap side suplex, then trash talks Tomasso Ciampa. 

• Main event time. It’s El Hijo del Fantasma against Drake Maverick, with the winner walking away as the NXT Cruiserweight Champion. I’ve predicted Kushida interference here, yet others think Fantasma may be the one behind all of the parking lot kidnappings. Fantasma is almost toying with Maverick, using a lot of mat work and going for multiple pin attempts. They move to the outside and Fantasma hits a sit-out power bomb on the floor. Fantasma tortures Maverick’s back, but Drake fights back and throws him out of the ring. Two of the kidnappers come down the ramp, but before they can nab Fantasma, Maverick cuts them off and drives them back. Drake slides back in the ring, only to eat a superkick and a Phantom Driver for the win. Your new NXT Cruiserweight Champion is El Hijo del Fantasma, but Drake Maverick is out of a job. He soaks up the adulation from the crowd as he backs up the ramp, where he’s met by Triple H. Hunter has an NXT contract for Maverick to sign!

It was a good show with a great main event. I’m happy that Drake has a job, but I’m still a little uneasy as to whether it was a work or a shoot. What do you think about the Maverick storyline? Let me know in the comments below.

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