NXT 6/28

[MonteCarl]

I want to avoid the spoilers in the spoiler thread, so I started a new thread to discuss this week's show that just ended.

I feel like this was the best episode of NXT TV in a very long time. Oney busting up Hideo's nose in the first few seconds was brutal. I questioned why they'd even air it if they called off the match, but then Hideo came back down to the ring with the nose on the side of his face and he and Oney continued to beat the crap out of each other for several more minutes. I really dig Oney Lorcan, and I think this was the first time I really saw a great spark of fire in Hideo. Granted, that may be because of the busted nose, but still.....there was something there in him that has been missing since his debut.

And that women's last man standing match had a great epic match feel. I bought in to a few of the....what would you call them if not near falls?....near count outs??....and thought Nikki was actually going to take it, but then realized that if she had actually taken the title at a TV taping, that definitely would've been spoiled by now. So then I figured it would be a double count out. But then Asuka got up at the end after the table spot. Not a big fan of Asuka taking so much and kept on getting back up, but Nikki didn't get up there at the end. Though I'm pretty sure, up to that point, Nikki always got up at or before the 8 count with it not being a close call for her at all through the match. And, like with Hideo, this was the best fire I've seen from Asuka in a long time, if not ever.

Great stuff this week. Oh, and did anybody else notice the Great Balls of Fire commercial with audio for Brock/Joe but video for Reigns/Strowman? Funny.

[Greggulator]

Agreed. Two of the best NXT matches of the year. 

Hideo/Lorcan was such a great story. I loved Lorcan getting some just revenge right at the start and showing Itami he can hurt him. Itami looked a bit gutless (as a sort-of-heel should) before storming back to the ring. He sort of took a cheapshot right when the match began (as a sort-of-heel should) but then it just became a great sprint. Lorcan is so friggin' great at fast-moving brawls like that. He looks so stiff and snug at the right times. Itami's comeback faces and fighting spirit type attitude really broke out. Loved the end, too -- Lorcan's really good, but just comes up short against the best-of-the-best. He's a perfect gatekeeper. 

This transitioning into the woman's match was really clever. I can't recall NXT ever connecting a match/angle/match quite like that. Sanity looked really f'n cool there. 

I think this may have been Asuka's best match. What a great, nutty, chaotic brawl. Nikki is the best crazy person in years. She's like a female Cactus Jack in that way -- I completely believe she's out of her mind. They built to the final spot fantastic, which played off of the end of the match that set this one up. This is the best NXT Woman's Match since Bayley got called up.

[JCM]

Now that you mention the Nikki/Cactus comparison that was like the NXT version of Cactus vs Sting. Pretty nutty match and it has to rank as one of the most brutal women's matches ever in WWE. There was some sick bumps in this. I thought Asuka had a concussion after that powerbomb on the chairs spot. I feel like Ember has a lot to live up to following that. I don't know where Nikki goes from here maybe a continuation of the Ruby feud. I'd like to see Nikki break away from Sanity, but she's the only good thing about that group so they'll probably keep her with them if they have any big plans for them. Personally I just don't see much in Sanity, and I don't think it'll work very well on the MR.

Looking forward to Roddy vs Roode as that build has a very Steamboat vs Flair feel to it.

[FireThunder]

Lorcan: "Ah, my knee.  But nah, don't stop the match."  Itami: "Eh, whatever.  It's your funeral.  *GTS*"  Nice character building moment there for both guys.

I was just blown away at how violent the FIRST EVER LAST WOMAN STANDING MATCH (on NXT) was.  Asuka kicking the hell out of Nikki and Nikki returns the favorite with a series of nasty forearms to the head.  The spots on the piles of chairs, the hanging neckbreaker on the arena floor, culminating in the ladder spot.  I was so glad Mauro was back to call this (WHAT THE HELL IS SHE DOING NOW?).  Just great stuff.

[Eivion]

I liked them them fusing together the fuck up with Itami's nose and the rematch from the tapings. Have they ever done that before, using both the screwed up match and the rematch from one taping? .

Asuka/Nikki was pretty damn brutal. Loved Nikki's reactions with the kicks and her yelling at Asuka to get up after the first swinging fisherman. I was kind of surprised at how much shit Asuka was taking, but it sort of made sense with the monster they have kind of built her up as. Also dug the finish. Only wish the crowd was a bit more reactive. Kind of disappointed now this wasn't at a Takeover because it would have came off as an even bigger spectacle. This is best Nikki has looked in NXT yet, and it definitely is one of the best matches I've seen from Asuka be it in NXT or Japan.

[Kyuubi]

That was probably both Asuka's and Hideo's best matches in NXT. Asuka looked like a badass and quite frankly, I am glad she had one title reign defining match. Honestly, they should skip the pleasentries with Ember Moon and make their inevitable match a Hardcore one(Ember was a pretty awesome Deathmatch wrestler in her indie days).

WWE needs to buy out Io Shirai's contract because she is the only person who can and should defeat Asuka.

[NikoBaltimore]

Nikki looked like a million bucks even in defeat.  No matter what Asuka threw at her she had this devilish smile like she enjoyed it all.  She was just this incredible unstoppable monster that had Asuka near death a few times in the match.  Even when she started to wake up after the ladder ending spot she had a big smile going on.  For all the love Asuka got in this match (rightfully so) this was by far Nikki's best NXT match as well.  I'm hoping they build off of that and we see her get some kind of title run because she's that damn good.

[Rev Ray]

I loved Nikki attacking the car in the pre-show clip.

 

And yeah, some of those bumps in that match were brutal.  That powerbomb to the floor had to suck as it looked like Asuka's head bounced on that landed and the superplex spot on the table looked like they landed really hard before the table collapsed. 

 

"Ohhhh, we're probably going to do this again...."

 

[mattdangerously]

8 hours ago, Kyuubi said:

WWE needs to buy out Io Shirai's contract because she is the only person who can and should defeat Asuka.

I've got good news and bad news for you.  The good news is that she's reportedly accepted an offer to join NXT.  The bad news is that she's got an injured neck and won't be available for a while.

[mattdangerously]

Am I the only one who thinks Velveteen Dream's doesn't wrestle like his character?  His moveset is so bland for such a flamboyant persona.  He needs to play to the crowd more, as well.

[JCM]

51 minutes ago, mattdangerously said:

Am I the only one who thinks Velveteen Dream's doesn't wrestle like his character?  His moveset is so bland for such a flamboyant persona.  He needs to play to the crowd more, as well.

I was surprised to hear them say he was only 21. I think it's still a work in progress. I like how he gets pissed whenever someone hits him in the face. He's more vicious than you'd expect the character to be which I think is by design. I'm interested to see how he does in a competitive match.

 

[NikoBaltimore]

30 minutes ago, JCM said:

I was surprised to hear them say he was only 21. I think it's still a work in progress. I like how he gets pissed whenever someone hits him in the face. He's more vicious than you'd expect the character to be which I think is by design. I'm interested to see how he does in a competitive match.

 

I saw him have a competitive match against Aleister at the Bel Air house show.  He did pretty well considering his experience level and while you knew he would lose it was a damn good match.  So I would bet he'll be just fine for the long haul.

[Wyld Samurai]

5 hours ago, mattdangerously said:

Am I the only one who thinks Velveteen Dream's doesn't wrestle like his character?  His moveset is so bland for such a flamboyant persona.  He needs to play to the crowd more, as well.

I think he should study Rick Martel film.

[quackhell]

Nikki Cross is so dialed into her character it is ridiculous. She commits to it completely and is so much fun to watch. That match really gave an indication of what can happen when they kind of take the brakes off of the wrestlers a little. You don't want them doing it all the time, but damn they both delivered at such a high level. Also the jacket Asuka was sporting during the car assault was money. 

I think I want Nikki to depose Eric Young and takeover Sanity as the new even more psychotic leader.

[MonteCarl]

I loved when NIkki got right up to Asuka on the ground and just softly talked saying "Get up. Please get up. Get up". That's some psycho stuff, there. Loved Nikki's character work through the whole match. This match made her a star.

[southofheavy]

1 hour ago, quackhell said:

I think I want Nikki to depose Eric Young and takeover Sanity as the knew even more psychotic leader.

That is a fantastic idea.

[EVA]

I had the same thought about Nikki as leader of Sanity last night.  Really, the whole act came off a lot fresher without Eric Young's played-out ass on the mic.  Wolfe stumbled over half his lines, but at least he's a believable nutter.

[Go2Sleep]

Is there always this much post-edited commentary on NXT? The difference in Mauro's first-take and re-shoot voices was really stark, and the fact that they had him talking over the finish when clearly none of the announcers were on headset in the background was seriously bush league.

Lorcan has to be the most underused guy on the roster right now. He gets the absolute best out of everyone.

Asuka/Nikki was easily the best Nikki has looked in WWE, but much of that credit has to go Asuka having no regard for her body. That backdrop driver on the chairs was nasty, and I'm pretty sure she hit her head on the edge of the ramp on that floor powerbomb spot. She also did a really good job timing her 9-counts for someone that (I could be wrong, but assume) hasn't done this type of match before.

I think the match I want to see most in NXT right now is Asuka vs. Oney Lorcan.

[Greggulator]

Velveteen Dream is going to be such a big deal in about one year. I've been a mark for this bit since Patrick Clark start coming out in this persona. He's gone from "Chapelle As Prince" to making it his own character really quickly.

They don't know if the character is a face or a heel yet. It's a heel character (him saying Full Sail lacks the proper ambiance for him) but people are eating it up. Once they figure it out his in-between work will come.

[sydneybrown]

Absolutely LOVED this show.  I admit I read the spoilers and I was shocked the Itami/Lorcan stopped for blood match was shown.  But wow, it made the follow-up SO much better.  It just felt so real.  Such a great storyline that made both look better, when the whole thing could have easily have made both of them look worse.

And that Cross/Asuka match.  Goddamn.  I'm a huge Nikki Cross fan, but when she took that bump into the chairs and went from "I'm crazy, I love the pain" to "Oh my God, this hurts so much,"  that was such a defining moment. I actually felt sorry for her.  Like she was breaking character over how much she was hurting, and maybe she was or wasn't, but it totally sucked me in.  And I've watched Asuka go into that pile of chairs on the floor a dozen times, she is either an amazing seller or she really bit it when her head smacked the ramp.  

[The Man Known as Dan]

I'm pretty sure Lorcan is the best in ring worker the WWE employs right now not named Styles.

[JonnyLaw]

I can't wait for the inevitable Lorcan-Cesaro match.

[JCM]

I can't see Lorcan getting called up in his current form. Pale ugly dude who stiffs people doesn't sound like a gimmick Vince would be crazy about.

[quackhell]

Sheamus does all right. 

[JustJay]

Sheamus is also about 6'5 and 270. Oney Lorcan is great in his role but I don't see him getting called up anytime soon. He is in the Tye role as of now. If they need some fresh face on 205 he might get called up for that.

 

Loved this show and I absolutely loved the main. Asuka is so great but Nikki was the star in this match. Amazing performance by her.