Well, it was my intent to do this live on Facebook, but the tech gods had other plans. So here’s my quick thoughts on the last two nights of action.
Pete Dunne vs. KUSHIDA – 3.5/5
- Great opening match. Both guys got to showcase the best of their arsenals. I don’t know why KUSHIDA keeps getting put in the role of a guy that’s relied on for a solid match but never really gets a push. He should be figured into the NA title picture again soon.
Gauntlet Eliminator – 3.5/5
- I think I like this concept and I would not be upset to see this make a move up to the main roster. All six guys got a chance to shine, storylines tightly co-mingled and Reed built some great momentum heading into night 2.
NXT Tag Team Titles – MSK vs. Grizzled Young Veterans vs. Legado del Fantasma – 5/5
- Can we please continue this three-team rivalry going? Like all three teams deserved to be wearing the belts after that one. I mean, spots on top of spots on top of spots. No surprise that MSK won, they’ve had the rocket strapped to their back since their debut and that is not a bad thing.
NXT UK Championship: WALTER (c) vs. Tomasso Champa – 4/5
- We said on Tuesday that these two would beat the piss out of each other and they did indeed. I think Ciampa got more offense in on WALTER than anyone has in a very long time in WWE. I would not be upset if these two did battle again. I still think that the main event of TakeOver: Dublin will be WALTER v. Balor but if it’s the return between these two it will burn the damn house down.
NXT Women’s Championship: Io Shiari (c) vs. Raquel Gonzalez – 4/5
- This match told a tremendous story, even if the ending was kind of predictable. Everyone will be talking about Io’s dive off the skull, which was one of the biggest impacts I’ve ever seen on a dive like that. I mean, Io flew so gracefully down and it was like dropping a bomb when Gonzalez caught her. You couldn’t have asked for a better match to put over a new champion. Gonzalez can and will have some more barn burners, I assume she’ll defend against Dakota Kai soon and eventually against Taya Valkerie (yes, I’ve already forgotten her new name from the terrible NXT random name generator). Io will hopefully make her way to the main roster and bolster the women’s division on Raw where some fresh blood is desperately needed.
Ladder match for the undisputed NTX Cruiserweight Championship: Santos Escobar vs. Jordan Devlin – 3.5/5
- I like how this match came in two parts. We started out getting a solid cruiserweight match and then it developed into a ladder match in the next gear. Jordan Devlin’s moonsault off the top of one of the ladders was absolutely picture perfect. Then immediately crashing and burning when Legado del Fantasma attacked. Which you kinda knew was coming. Devlin drew the short straw apparently and got to take all the biggest bumps. A good match, hit all the right highs, no really botches.
NXT Women’s Tag Team Championship: Ember Moon/Shotzi Blackheart (c) vs. The Way – 3/5
- A good tag match with an old school feeling. Shotzi started taking all the heat like right away. I was afraid this match wasn’t going to get the time to develop but I think it actually did. Everything was going well until The Way kinda missed catching Shotzi on a tope. Thankfully she looked to be okay after taking a nasty looking spill. Always love to see a good Tower of Doom spot, still a little amazed to see it in a WWE ring.
NXT North American Championship: Johnny Gargano (c) vs. Bronson Reed – 3.5/5
- I thought they told a great big man/little man story. Get an injury into the big man early so that Johnny’s offense made all the more sense. Gargano continues his TakeOver run. And good lord, I have never seen a man that big take a reverse rana. Reed did so much in a loss there. Vader would have been proud of the moonsault he threw down at the end of this match.
NXT Championship: Finn Balor (c) vs. Karrion Kross – 4/5
- Another great story told as Balor did what he said he would do, get Kross emotional in order to make a mistake and then injure a body part. There were so many close calls that Finn escaped that big blow before finally succumbing and re-building the beast in the process. Kross gets to pick up where he left off when he got hurt last summer and Finn gets to head home and build up a megamatch for NXT UK Takeover:Dublin with WALTER. Not to mention, let Kross run roughshot over the brand for the next several months and when he finally drops that belt, man, whoever he drops it to will be a seriously made man.
Unsanctioned match: Adam Cole vs. Kyle O’Reilly – 5/5
- The physicality, whoa boy. There is just too much here to be able to cover here. Just go back and watch this match. They beat the holy hell out of each other, told a great story. If this is the match that sends Adam Cole up to the main roster, it was a hell of a note to end his time in NXT on.
NXT Stand and Deliver Final Grade: A-
- Another incredible show from the black and gold brand that didn’t drag, didn’t have any matches that made you want to get up and walk away from. All the storytelling was tops.
The Finisher 