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Best and Worst of WWE NXT The Great American Bash - Superstar returns after 10 months, Samoa Joe to cause title change?

By Divesh Merani
Modified Jul 07, 2021 09:59 IST
The Great American Bash was a fun show.
The Great American Bash was a fun show.

NXT produced its biggest episode since moving to Tuesday nights, honoring the legacy of Dusty Rhodes with The Great American Bash.

As expected, it was a stacked show. Several titles were defended, while we saw a major return and an incredible main event. NXT delivered on all the plot points it set out to cover.

Some things were not that great, including an ill-advised title change. But the majority of The Great American Bash truly showed how good NXT is. The future is bright for the black and gold brand in multiple ways, with the Breakout Tournament beginning next week.

Changes could be coming to NXT in the coming weeks, courtesy of a few WWE main roster call-ups. But how well is the black and gold brand going to adapt to them? Probably like always - just fine.

Anyway, here is a review of the positives and negatives of NXT The Great American Bash. What did you think of the show? Let us know in the comments below.

#1 Best: Could Samoa Joe cost Karrion Kross and run him out of NXT?

The Great American Bash saw the perfect balance of big matches and storyline progression. William Regal booked an NXT Championship match for next week's episode, with Johnny Gargano challenging Karrion Kross.

The two Superstars had a hostile war of words at The Great American Bash. Gargano flat-out told Kross that he "sucks" while the NXT Champion somewhat foreshadowed a move to WWE's main roster. He mentioned winning the WWE Championship and main-eventing WrestleMania as some of his goals.

Due to the increasing animosity between Gargano and Kross, Regal added Samoa Joe as the special guest referee for the NXT Title match next week. This is an intriguing prospect and has multiple different possibilities. How will the former WWE RAW star factor into the outcome of the match?

Joe has had some tension with Karrion Kross. The two have had multiple staredowns all around the Capitol Wrestling Center and it could all come to a head during the title match. Could Johnny Gargano become NXT Champion as soon as next week? It certainly is possible.

#1 Worst: Tegan Nox's NXT return was underwhelming

First off, it is wonderful to see Tegan Nox back on NXT after being out injured for close to a year. She's been through a lot since signing with WWE, spending a lot of time on the sidelines. The Welsh star was the subject of the charging battery vignettes that built on NXT towards The Great American Bash.

However, the manner of her return was not at all the greatest. Nox simply walked out to no music and distracted Candice LeRae without much intensity, en route to The Way losing the NXT Women's Tag Team Championships to Zoey Stark and Io Shirai. She then chased LeRae out of the ring.

This was an ill-advised move. LeRae and Indi Hartwell have done well with the Tag Team Titles, with their reign not feeling complete at all. NXT missed the boat on potentially stacking The Way with gold if Johnny Gargano is to become NXT Champion next week.

Also, the NXT Women's Tag Team Championship has not been booked the best since its introduction less than four months ago. We have already seen multiple abrupt switches involving the belts, with Stark and Shirai being the fourth Champions.

#2 Best: Exciting times for the NXT Tag Team Championships

The opener of The Great American Bash saw MSK retain their NXT Tag Team Championships against Tommaso Ciampa and Timothy Thatcher. It was hard-hitting affair, with both teams competing for blow-for-blow.

The challengers had a great showing at The Great American Bash and looked like they would win the NXT Tag Team Titles, with Ciampa coming close on multiple occasions. However, Wes Lee and Nash Carter pulled out the victory after a quick roll-up. Toothless Timmy was not happy about this.

As far as Tag Team Title matches go, this effort was a solid showcase for both teams. MSK continued to impress with their in-ring skills, even if the NXT crowd is not completely behind the duo. The future does look bright for them, as well as the division they are anchoring.

Several teams might be next in line for a shot at the NXT Tag Team Championships. The Grizzled Young Veterans are a good option, but all signs point towards HitRow dethroning MSK. After Isaiah "Swerve" Scott became the NXT North American Champion, the group's momentum has only increased.

#2 Worst: NXT doesn't pull the trigger on Cameron Grimes as Million Dollar Champion (yet)

NXT could have crowned their hot new babyface as the Million Dollar Champion but decided against it. Cameron Grimes has grown massively over ever since he became an accidental millionaire, thanks largely to his segments with 'The Million Dollar Man' Ted DiBiase.

The WWE Hall of Famer brought back the Million Dollar Championship at NXT TakeOver: In Your House, where LA Knight won the title in a gripping Ladder Match. To be fair, it seemed like the black-and-gold brand would be building to a Grimes victory which might still eventually happen.

NXT should have pulled the trigger on him becoming Million Dollar Champion at the Great American Bash. But as of right now, Grimes is Knight's butler after losing to him. Sure, this will lead to some entertaining segments. The popular superstar will likely do very well as the Virgil to LA Knight's Ted DiBiase.

Hopefully, Cameron Grimes will win the belt from his new boss soon. It would be a huge missed opportunity for NXT if it doesn't happen, as it feels like his destiny to do so.

#3 Best: Adam Cole and Kyle O'Reilly deliver in the main event of NXT The Great American Bash

After NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver, it seemed like Kyle O'Reilly and Adam Cole couldn't do anything more to each other. Their Unsanctioned Match went too long and bordered on overkill at multiple points. That is why their match at The Great American Bash was a pleasant surprise.

Yes, it was still very long. But it did have a logical flow to it and built up nicely from the start. The NXT fans gradually got more and more into it, while the former Undisputed Era partners wore each other down.

O'Reilly nearly made Cole submit, while the former NXT Champion hit all of his big moves. From the superkick to the Last Shot, to a Panama Sunrise, Adam Cole truly brought out the big guns.

Kyle O'Reilly's stubborn resistance was broken after he missed a diving knee, opening himself up for another couple of Last Shots. Cole earned the hard-fought victory clean as a whistle. This was much better and more digestible than their previous outing.

NXT tends to over-indulge on ridiculous false finishes. Hopefully, that can be avoided when Cole and O'Reilly clash in their inevitable third match. Their battle here was a great way to end this special episode of NXT.