With the exception of the main event this episode was dope!
Especially Street Profits versus Humberto and his new partner!
Find out more by reading on!
This Review is dedicated to the memory of Pedro Morales (1942 – 2019)
Full disclosure, my brain currently holds the texture of mashed potatoes and I also had to google who Pedro Morales was.
Apparently he held the Intercontinental Title for a really long time.
With that in mind, let‘s begin.
Dominik Dijakovic vs. Shane Thorne:
Wait a minute!
Have the mighty fallen?
Where‘s the other half of TM61?
It looks like Shane‘s solo now… shame…
Wow!
They disbanded in December of 2018!
I had no idea!
Uncle Wikipedia is really helpful today!
Needless to say that I did enjoy this match as I was a really big fan of the Mighty and will continue to like Shane as a solo guy as well.
Yes, he made Dominik, who I didn‘t feel so great about until now, look like a machine!
Which was a good thing!
The audience also helped a lot in setting the tone, because they were completely behind him and recited his catchphrase so emphatically that you just had to love him by the time he pinned Thorne.
Really good start to a great episode!
Now, what you do is this.
You capitalize on it by having them feud for a bit.
This is a match up I wanna see more of!
Please!
Undisputed Era still think they‘ll get all the gold and yeah.
That‘s about all they said in their little storage room promo.
Nothing else to add here.
Thank u, next!
Bianca BelAir was pissed that Kairi and Io stole her win and she said she‘s still undefeated even though she isn‘t.
Yeah, the Japanese girls and her are certainly feuding.
Do I wanna see that?
Do I have eyes?
Yes, yes I do!
Humberto Carillo and Stacey Irvin Jr. vs. Street Profits:
For a second there I was worried we wouldn‘t actually get to see a match.
Kassius Ohno interrupted Humberto and Stacey and told us how awful the NXT Universe is and that he‘ll move on to somewhere else until he got knocked out by Keith Lee.
Then operations proceeded as scheduled.
But before we get to that let‘s talk about what Ohno said.
Does this mean he‘s leaving NXT soon?
I would totally love it if he‘d be moved to another brand, show up for two weeks and then be forgotten just like so many others.
I would really love that!
Okay, now, let‘s talk about Humberto and the debuting Stacey versus the sultans of swag!
No, I‘ve got a better idea!
You should just watch this match because it was one of those matches again!
The kind that are really fast and flippy and really right up my alley.
I love this match with all of my heart!
Match, will you be my Valentine?
Wait, that was yesterday, wasn‘t it?
Who cares! I loved this match today!
Obviously the Street Profits won, but everyone just killed it and elevated the status of the other wrestlers, especially Humberto, who just continues to elevate him and everyone he surrounds each time he steps into the ring.
I love that kid and I loved this match!
Rating: 4 out of 5
After the match the Street Profits declared war on the Raiders and then everybody wanted a piece of the pie as well.
Danny Burch and Oney Lorcan as well as Fabian Aichner and his partner came out and when all three teams intently looked into each other‘s eyes War Raiders came on stage and told them that they talk about war but they don‘t see anybody fighting.
Well, awesome!
That‘s so different from the cowardly way that Undisputed conducted themselves as champions!
Instead of running away from a fight they run towards it, nay, they demand it!
I like that from champions!
Speaking of the cowardly Undisputed Era, they attacked the Raiders from behind.
Well, they wanted a fight and they got one.
This segment was dope ass!
This episode so far was dope ass!
Everything is dope ass!
Taynara Conti vs. Aliyah:
When are we getting a female only Network show?
And I‘m not talking about a Tournament that I won‘t watch.
I want a show like NXT, 205 or NXT UK just for women!
I really, really do!
That would just be so dope!
This match certainly proved that they‘ve got more than enough talent to pull this off!
Aliyah was the one who won this little fight as she is one of the shiny new toys they‘re grooming in the division.
However, I was more impressed by Taynara.
Not only does her name sound like a fantasy novel aimed at teens, she‘s also really good!
You really feel like she‘s different with all of the Brazilian martial arts stuff thrown in.
And she also just seems like she‘s having a good time all the time.
With females too often they try to look good and don‘t emote in the ring, but Taynara did and it really made her shine.
Vanessa Borne was at ringside because she‘s buddies with Aliyah and while the two of them were celebrating after the win Shayna ran out and drove them on stage so that the champion‘ss minions could attack them from behind.
She then grabbed a mic and told everyone that NXT is the Shayna penitentiary.
Oh, wait, no, that‘s the Uso‘s catchphrase.
My bad.
But Shayna did essentially say that she‘s got NXT by the balls and everyone will get these hands.
Hm, getting hands was someone else‘s catchphrase, too, wasn‘t it?
In the immortal words of Winnie The Pooh: Oh, bother!
Johnny Gargano and Velveteen got highlight reel videos.
If you take into account that they‘ll get a giant North American title main event next week it‘s a bit underwhelming to say the least.
I guess they can‘t always feature everyone, right?
Ricochet vs. Adam Cole:
Riddle me something!
Is Ricochet currently a tiny bit under the weather?
Or was this slower match style in order to sell Adam Cole (Baybay) as a great big force in NXT?
Yes, this means that Cole was the more dominant man and Ricochet seemingly didn‘t flip and fly around as much as he usually does.
But because this served the purpose of elevating Cole I didn‘t mind it.
Also, the stunts that Ric did perform were good enough to make up for the lack of a quicker pace.
But I have to respectfully disagree with the NXT audience.
This wasn‘t one of those fight forever situations at all.
Not for me.
Hey, I get it, live everything is grander, but I just don‘t think I would‘ve chanted fight forever like they did.
I enjoyed this match, don‘t get me wrong, but it didn‘t blow me away.
Especially not after the absolutely fun ride that was the Street Profits match from earlier.
Now, if this would‘ve been more like that, then I probably would‘ve loved it.
Somehow Ricochet managed to win and afterwards Cole‘s minions came in to strike, but there was a man that helped the poor little Ric.
Aleister Black!
Well, okay.
Question numero two: What is their plan for Black?
Do they have one?
Ah, I think I know what they‘re doing!
Cole will most likely still feud with Ricochet for a while while Bobby Fish will fight with Aleister and the other two will try their hands at the War Raiders again.
Yeah, that sounds like a direction that‘s Mania weekend worthy.
I‘m intrigued to find out what the coming weeks will bring!
Color me dope ass!
I love saying that!
This episode was everything that encapsulates NXT.
Great showcases of incredible upcoming talents and compelling stories!
I especially enjoyed the Street Profits and Humberto!
And I really want a female only show!
Well, okay, I enjoyed almost everything.
The only two things that were a bit lacking were the build for the main event next week and the main event this week.
But I can oversee that cause everything else was awesome!
Sometimes you just don‘t want to be Winnie Pooh!
Not everything has to be a bother!
I‘m interested.
Do you like Humberto?
Tell me in the comments!
Feel free to share the spirit of NXT with your friends.
Now, I‘ll be seeing you on Sunday for an announcement post.
I‘ll change my release schedule and I‘ll inform you of the specifics then.
Until then, have a great weekend!
