Some brief thoughts on a terrific show. I need to rewatch the last 2 matches and am very much looking forward to that.
Ladder Match: WWE/NXT multi-man matches almost always exceed expectations. Whether its the agents/producers and/or the talent involved, they find creative and effective ways to spotlight everyone in the match and this was no different. There were moments for everyone here to shine, with Dream and Ricochet standing out the most from where I sat. They also did a great job maintaining suspense until the very end as I didn't see Cole winning, and while I do find that booking questionable I'm curious to see where they go with it given the booking of the tag titles. These matches as a rule never hold up quite as well on rewatch as more traditional outings, but there's no denying how great a job they did mixing in ridiculous spots with a number of storyline/character points without ever feeling like a tired car crash.
****1/4
Baszler/Moon: I'm still waiting for someone to carry Baszler to the heights she reached with Io Shirai in Stardom last year. But outside of Ciampa (who's in another league) she's probably the most effective and natural heel in the company right now. Its a great character and you can see how comfortable she is with it. On the other hand, Moon and the company have done next to nothing to make me care about her in the build to any matches, and she's not the easiest wrestler to connect with in the ring. A friend mentioned that this match was pretty sloppy, but in a good way, as that lent itself to some strong struggle and conflict. I think that's right on point. For whatever reason this just didn't connect with me in the way you want from a great match outside of the extended choke at the end. They did a great job there in the vein of Tanahasi/Suzuki from the end of January and was the best part of this match. I think Baszler will shine more with babyfaces she can really dominate, like a Kairi Sane or Candice Lerae, or perhaps an ace type worker like a Shirai, who doesn't exist on this roster right now. Moon just doesn't fit into what seems to be her strong suit. This was good, that's just why I don't think it was capable of being much more than that.
***1/2
AOP/Undisputed Era/Strong & Dunne: Definitely didn't see this turn coming but with Fish out and Roddy having lost just about every big match as a babyface, it does make some sense. Not much to say about the match itself. AOP continue to look good and hope that continues if a promotion is indeed coming. This wasn't as strong as I hoped for, but it was all about the angle.
***1/4
Almas/Black: I still don't quite get Black at this level, but on this night Almas cemented himself for me as a major player. The Gargano feud and Vega undoubtedly brought him there, but he's now got the confidence and presence to go along with work in the ring that is devastating (those elbows and knees!) but also self-limiting in an important way. He understands exactly who he is and how he should present himself while mixing in high spots for maximum impact. I'd like another run with Gargano, but if he is in fact moving up I hope its with a legit push. Its really something how they have Vega interfere in every match -- repeatedly -- but never seem to overdo it to the point that it takes away from the match. I like how the finish played off of her involvement along the way as well.
****
Gargano/Ciampa: So this was fantastic. I've seen a ton of praise for this already, with many calling it among the greatest matches in NXT/WWE history. It wasn't quite there for me as at basically the entire way it didn't draw me in the way Gargano/Almas did in January. That's not a knock but if I liked something a few months ago more, I can't quite go that high here. Whereas that match felt like it flew by and had me on the edge of my seat for the duration, this seemed to run a few minutes long and overstayed its peak just a bit. That's not a knock on the match, just what was occurring to me on a comparative basis with January. I absolutely love how they pulled off a long match that was built on such intense hatred without ever really working it like a traditional bout. The emotion and hatred were palpable throughout and you never lost sight of the fact that this was a blood feud. Speaking of blood, I was *positive* we were getting a bloodbath here when the ref had gloves on before the bell (as well as at one later point in the match), but obviously that wasn't the case.
The bumps and big spots here were spaced out and given time so that everyone of them mattered, from the work ringside and on the floor to the spots around the crutch and brace. Also just a masterful job building and teasing a bump on the exposed apron early before paying it off late. Yeah, this was pretty great but in the moment I didn't think it was among the best matches I'd ever seen, hence the rating below. On the other hand, there aren't many wrestlers or matches that evoke such strong feelings when watching them. Johnny Gargano is now involved in a few of those, including on this night, so maybe it should be higher.
Either way, wrestling is freaking great and despite watching a metric ton all weekend I am stoked for another marathon tonight. LOVE THE WRESTLING!
****1/2
