NXT talk

[Woof]

Since it seems like there's a bunch of us who follow NXT but don't really care to have our discussion on the yellow brand buried in the morass of the weekly WWE TV threads, I thought I'd start one where we can just talk about all things NXT, so here it is. Have at it, boys.

[Woof]

And let me begin by saying that Samoa Joe-Tommaso Ciampa match tonight was a badass piece of work unlike what you usually see from WWE - no matter what the brand. Ciampa can come across as a dick at times, but man, he is willing to take as well as he gives. And it made Joe look like a monster. Great stuff.

[Coffey]

(02DEC2015)

 

This week's show was a lot of fun. NXT feels refreshing. It reminds me of the old WCW Saturday Night program, before WCW had Nitro, when Saturday Night was a show that was presented as more like the flagship instead of a showcase of the undercard talent. I mentioned as much on Twitter.

 

Really liked a lot of little things about this show. It's pretty incredible how on NXT something can be less than a minute long & still be impactful. On RAW, something will last 15-20 minutes & you're just counting down until it's over because you don't care.

 

Nia Jax throwing Bayley through the door was great. She still seems pretty green but I like her so far. The ring work will get better, I assume. Right now it feels like she's trying to learn pacing on how to work like the big person in a match.

 

Samoa Joe & Ciampa had a good match & that was the best Joe has looked in-ring, in my opinion, since he has showed up. Reminded me of the Ring of Honor Samoa Joe. Good to see some of the intensity return. His contract signing last week was also great.

 

There are some acts down in NXT, such as The Vaudevillains or Perfect 10 Tye Dillinger that I don't have any faith in because there's no way I can see those gimmicks working on the main roster. Just like Bo Dallas' gimmick or Emma's old gimmick. It works on the small stage but not the big stage. Look at The Ascension. They are jokes on the main roster. Jury is still out on Elias Samson's Harry Heck gimmick, which is what I'm thinking it is.

 

Jordan & Gable are great. I'm a little concerned that the Team Angle comparisons will hurt them. I also think that the "Ready, Willing & Gable" catchphrase is super lame. I think Jordan is one of the best prospects WWE has in all of NXT though. Including guys like Finn Bàlor, Baron Corbin & Apollo Crews.

 

Speaking of Corbin, he's improved a lot in a short time. He has a few ladies in the crowd tonight losing their minds. Dana Brooke has also really improved, which I actually found myself kind of disappointed that she didn't have a match this week.

 

As much as people seem to get offended so easily nowadays & how pro-wrestling fans manage to nit-pick everything (I'm also guilty of this) it's only a matter of time until someone gets upset by the Jack the Ripper NXT Takeover: London intro graphic, right? I'm really looking forward to that show.

 

Asuka is a star. Apollo Crews & Finn Bàlor are stars. The future of NXT looks exceptionally bright but I'm weary of when any of them get called-up to the main roster. Corbin might be the best fit for the main roster, actually.

 

James Storm comes off like a star. It's a shame he spent so many years in TNA. Something feels like it's missing during his matches though. I don't know if he just looks sluggish or what. As soon as the match starts & the cowboy hat comes off, some of his aura dwindles. He could work on the main roster right now though. He's no worse than the current Alberto Del Rio we have.

[vedhead]

I think the Joe vs Ciampa match was a perfect example of someone making his lower on the card opponent look like a killer, while still maintaining his Monster aura.

Just out of curiosity does Joe still do the Kawada kicks or have those gone by the wayside?

[The Chief]

Damn, glimpses of 2005 Joe tonight. Super solid episode of NXT tonight. Or as Chad Gable would say, sick.

[jcmmnx]

That was a really fun episode top to bottom. Joe turned back the clock 10 years that was a legit badass performance from him. I'm pretty much looking forward to everything that's being built up. I'm iffy on Corbin/Crews, but I think Corbin is getting pretty good and is so much better working heel. Nia Jax is taking the belt I know she's only been in short tv matches, but she has been perfect so far in the monster heel role. Asuka/Emma is going to be great if they give it more than 5 minutes. Jordan and Gable rule, and I think they over shadow Cass and Enzo at this point.

 

The main roster can't get anyone over, and NXT has the problem of an act like Jordan and Gable being too good and too over not to be the top face team being behind another incredibly over face team.

 

I haven't seen a ton of James Storm's matches, but it always bugged me that he was doing these indy type moves when he should just be punching and stomping a mudhole in someone.

[Tim Evans]

Seeing Joe and Storm being motivated in NXT makes me sad that Bobby Roode is stuck in TNA. I would pay a lot of money to see Beer Money vs Gable/Jordan. I could also watch Emma squash enhancement talent women all day. Probably the best squash match wrestler on the roster today . Just a fun hour of wrestling.

[southofheavy]

I think a big part of the reason why Joe looked like the Samoa Joe of old is that he...didn't work like the Samoa Joe of old. He cut out the running around and concentrated on smacking the crap outta the guy in front of him.

 

Nia Jax looks better every week and Baron Corbin is putting it together. Excellent show.

[NotJayTabb]

I think Nia beating Bayley is the right way to go. She may be green, but having the monster get conquered at the first hurdle is just bad storytelling, and ruins her aura within a month or two of her debut. I'd go the whole hog, have Nia squash Bayley in 5 minutes and spend the next 5 months until the Mania shows showing Bayley trying to build herself back up and learning from her mistakes. Given how invested the crowd are in Bayley, I think it'd work.

 

I also would have Dash & Dawson retain the belts until they meet Jordan & Gable. Aside from the fact Enzo/Cass are appalling at everything, it also feels like the tag belts have pinballed about since the long Ascension run, so keeping them on the heel team for a while makes more sense. Jordan and Gable have considerably more upside than Enzo/Cass and are getting to be as over.

[Coffey]

WWE should really just make Enzo a full-time non-wrestler. He's a great mouthpiece & has a very Lou Albano/Jimmy Hart feel to him. Big Cass... I just don't see anything there.

[Woof]

As much as we love Joe and were psyched to see a return to form last night, I think a lot of credit for that performance has to go to Ciampa. He took the fight to Joe and forced him to respond. Most of the big exchange battles began with Ciampa getting in Joe's face - talking trash, slapping him. He's a super intense performer and he clearly is trying to prove himself during his trial run (or whatever it is) with NXT. Props to Joe for responding in kind and not totally guzzling him, but I think that match had more to do with Ciampa's approach to wrestling Joe than it did Joe suddenly just "returning to form".

Totally agree with NotJayTabb about the Nia Jax-Bayley deal. Bayley's had three feel good moments with the 2 wins over Sasha and then the win over Eva Marie last week (which I was convinced she was losing due to the set-up, so good on NXT for playing me). Now have her lost to a monster thereby giving her a new obstacle to overcome. Her character works as much thanks to the adversity she has to face as to the success she achieves. Her response to Nia's non-verbal "challenge" was great, as you could see the total "I'm in over my head, but that's how it goes" look on her face. You know, right up until Jax grabbed and hurled her through the door (which was phenomenal).

Loved the promo from Dash & Dawson, BTW. If they weren't so painfully short they'd have a big future, Tremendous heel logic by saying that Enzo & Cass hadn't earned squat, because from a kayfabe perspective, they haven't. This would be the perfect time for your on-screen authority figure to pop in and say, "perhaps they haven't, but you two seemed to consider them such a threat that you blindside attacked them and injured Cass, so here's a title match just so you two can prove how unworthy they are".

Week-in, week-out, this show delivers exactly what I want from a wrestling show. Decent matches, storyline progression (that's almost exclusively win-loss driven), and little surprises (Bayley through the door being this week's example). The champ wasn't anywhere to be found on this episode and it didn't matter. Great stuff.

[Codysseus]

I need a Chad Gable/Simon Gotch singles match or 4 in my life.

[fakeplastictrees]

Nia has size and presence, but nothing else. The two things she has can't really be taught so that's a good thing, but there is nothing in the ring that she does that makes me think she is a world beater. The simple offense is fine, but she can REALLY use a Vadersault in her list of chosen moves. Finishing everything off with a running sitout powerbomb also wouldn't hurt.

[Ready_Willing_Gable]

Was there ever any update on Liger's NXT status? Last I heard more appearances were possibly on the cards. I hope so, he could do some really cool stuff rather than the constant flurry of 8-tags with Captain New Japan at the start of NJPW shows. Actually, didn't he actually start a feud with somebody at Power Struggle? So perhaps he has a WK10 match then says his goodbyes

[ezgo]

If we get the Joe from that main event at Takeover it could be an early MOTYC for 2016. Working heel really brings out the fire in Joe and I feel like having someone he can work stiff against will raise the level of Finn's game as well. Also I think Bayley can definitely pull a good to great match out of Jax, she proved she could carry Eva to a good match and Jax is a better worker right now than Eva in my opinion. The only reserve I have about Takeover is that I wish we were getting Jordan and Gable vs. The Mechanics, but Enzo and Cass getting their moment should be good too.

[Loss]

Nia has size and presence, but nothing else. The two things she has can't really be taught so that's a good thing, but there is nothing in the ring that she does that makes me think she is a world beater. The simple offense is fine, but she can REALLY use a Vadersault in her list of chosen moves. Finishing everything off with a running sitout powerbomb also wouldn't hurt.

 

In an ideal world, she could get over on those aspects alone, but it requires careful booking. Charlotte didn't get it, so I don't expect Nia Jax to get it either.

[SomethingSavage]

Exactly. It's that careful, hands-on, attentive booking that gets them over within the NXT landscape.

 

But it's also the lack of that same careful, hands-on, attentive booking that usually kills them dead after the dreaded call-up.

[shoe]

I'm surprised that they are going to Nia Jax so quickly as a challenger. Johnny and I have discussed it on TWIW before that we thought Bailey would start out with an Emma like foe , while Nia would be like Mr.T in Rocky 3 guzzling people for 6 months. The other thing with developmental you never know who's getting the call and it causes you to speed up your plans. For all the things NXT does well I feel this would be the time to build and give Nia Jax seasoning underneath and really build her into a monster. You know do some stretcher jobs. Book her right she doesn't need a vadersault to get over.

[Ricky Jackson]

My guess is they want to tell the story of Bayley on the road back to regaining the title from the monster for a Mania weekend show, so Jax has to win the title now

[Tim Evans]

Anyone watch the go home show for Takeover? Thought they did a real good job hyping up the women's matches and the tag title match. Serious Enzo Amore is really good. They did a better job hyping those 3 matches than the main event which should be good but it's one of the lesser main events of these shows.

 

January 2016 should be pretty big for NXT in Orlando. They are running 3 tapings in January, 2 at full sail and one at UCF for the Rumble weekend. According to HHH, the UCF show is not a Takeover. If they tape 3 shows a night, that should have shows up to March. Apparently they are making a big announcement after the Holidays which I guess will be a regular touring schedule.

[Jimmy Redman]

I wouldn't sell the main event short. It's not the most interesting main we've ever had, but Joe has been on fire as a performer lately and looks set to deliver huge in his first main event. I've also enjoyed the super simple, oh so NXTish build, with Joe simply dominating Balor at every turn to create a big challenge for the champ. Joe has been choking Balor out every week to the point where if/when he puts the Clutch on during the match and Balor escapes, that is a big moment and they'll have earned it.

 

But yeah, the go home was great and built to every Takeover match really well. One can't really say enough good things about NXT. It's really the only thing keeping me interested in wrestling.

[dexstar]

Asuka getting distracted by Emma's music but winning calmly with a head kick KO instead of losing by flash roll up was a nice little subversion of a common Raw finish

[Woof]

Asuka getting distracted by Emma's music but winning calmly with a head kick KO instead of losing by flash roll up was a nice little subversion of a common Raw finish

 

Which was helped a great deal by Dana's gasp and "oh shit" face immediately afterwards.

[thebrainfollower]

Good use of Eva Marie too, getting the victory over Bayley without actually having to wrestle title matches if they go that route. Gets her heat

[Johnny Sorrow]

The lack of love out there for BAMF is fucking baffling. Blake and Murphy are fucking great and Bliss is fucking perfect as the mouthpiece . It's like people are still judging Blake and Murphy based on what they were like a year ago. They've gotten so god damned good on all levels while still keeping bad guy heat through ring work AND all the actually important shit without talking. They're clearly the best team in NXT. No one in the crowd is trying to turn them into good guys, therefore....best tag team in WWE.