In our opinion, this week's episode of NXT happened a few weeks too late. There was nothing to complain about in terms of in-ring action from Osaka, Japan and the matches were actually quite solid. However, not only have we seen the Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Samoa Joe match in the past but we even found out the top contender for Nakamura’s Championship in last week’s episode.
In our opinion, NXT missed a chance to close the year with a bang, like SmackDown did with their brilliant triple threat main event.
In any case, the talent that comprises NXT never disappoints and it’s always a treat to see them in a new environment. Japanese fans weren’t as vocal as American ones during the match and this made the setting very interesting and exotic. Here are five points to note from this week’s episode of NXT!
#5 Homecoming queen reigns supreme
We’ve seen Asuka and Nia Jax lock horns in the past, and battle it out in Takeover: The End. This was a revival of their feud (not you, Dash and Dawson), as the main roster giantess returned to the land of far better booking and significantly worse pay- NXT!
The two women had a really good match, we thought. Asuka can just work circles around every other woman in NXT and with due apologies to Charlotte Flair, even the main roster. Nia Jax is also a much-improved performer, and this could have been the best match she was ever part of!
What spoiled this match for us was Nia behaving rather dumb. The only way for a challenger to win a Championship title is by pinfall or submission. When Jax almost decimated her opponent, she tossed Asuka out of the ring. When Asuka got back into the ring, she was tossed out again.
Even the commentators at the announce desk could not resist making snide remarks at Nia Jax’s dumb behaviour! Countouts do not win you titles, Nia Jax. Duh...
#4 A truly massive upset
Oney Lorcan, a man who looks like he would fit right into The Bushwhackers, if they ever wanted to wrestle under the Freebird Rule, is actually a renowned indie wrestler. Performing under the gimmick of Biff Busick, Lorcan has proved himself to be a very good hand in the ring.
Thankfully, Triple H and company realise his worth and allowed him to score a massive upset.
It must be noted that his opponent, Andrade ‘Cien’ Almas returned in a mask this week, reprising his gimmick as La Sombra, from his independent days! We would have assumed that he’s higher up the food chain than Lorcan is and that this would be a squash match for Almas.
Turns out that Lorcan’s vicious-looking top rope suplex actually got him the three-count! Whoa. Considering that Lorcan appeared on SmackDown previously, we do hope that WWE believes in the young man.
#3 An unlikely tag team unit
#DIY is filling the boots of The Revival as NXT Tag Team Champions. Well, those are boots that are not easily filled. The Revival has transformed Tag Team Wrestling, making their match on the card the most must-see program in the whole event. Thankfully, #DIY did not disappoint either.
Akira Tozawa and Tajiri teamed up, presumably for no other reason than because they are both Japanese. While the crowd did get behind them, there were many #DIY fans as well. Heck, there were even ‘Johnny Wrestling’ chants after Johnny Gargano egged them on.
The match went on for a long time, but there were enough good spots to get a ‘this is awesome’ chant going.
Tozawa and Tajiri are now both part of 205 Live, and one assumes we’ll get to see a lot of them in the future. As for #DIY, we cannot wait for their rematch with The Revival on NXT television.
#2 Some NXT women are still green
Billie Kay and Peyton Royce have improved tremendously in the ring. Sadly, when surrounded by the calibre of matches in the rest of the card, they still have some way to go. Liv Morgan and Aliyah, on the other hand, definitely have a long way to go! There were flashes of promise through the tag team match, but it was underwhelming overall.
The NXT Women’s Division is strange indeed. At the top of the food chain, Asuka and Ember Moon are miles ahead of the rest. The others have a long way to go before they’re even NXT Takeover match worthy. We do hope these women pick up the pace.
Can we also mention that Phillips and Graves were brilliant in calling the match? Who needs Percy Watson? Who? Who? Who?
#1 A real clobberin’ main event!
We had reported about this match in the December 7th edition of our ‘5 Points to Note’ article. This time around, we rewatched the match and enjoyed it quite immensely.
Samoa Joe and Shinsuke Nakamura work well together, and Joe’s deceptively quick moves are brilliant. The two men employed psychology, as Joe worked on Nakamura’s knee to take away his knee-based offence! Nakamura sold like a pro.
Eventually, the babyface mounted a comeback and managed to defeat the Samoan Submission Machine, with the same injured knee and a Kinshasaaa!
Shinsuke Nakamura, arguably the most popular babyface in NXT history then celebrated his win at home. Well, at Osaka, which is still closer to home than Full Sail University. All in all, this was a pretty entertaining episode, but we should have seen it sooner.
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