It’s always a pleasure to report about WWE’s hottest brand- NXT, twice in the same week. In the aftermath of the excellent NXT Takeover: San Antonio, we saw three more matches before a packed crowd in the same arena.
We almost did not have five points to note from the show, since a majority of the show was a recap of Takeover. However, enough interesting things happened through the event to warrant yet another five points article, in the build to the Takeover on Wrestlemania 33 weekend. Without further ado, it's time for our weekly countdown.
#5 Tyler Bate makes NXT debut
Ever since Tyler Bate was crowned the first ever United Kingdom Champion, we hadn’t seen or heard from him except for an appearance at this weekend’s Takeover. We saw him in a showcase match this week, against the very impressive Oney Lorcan.
Both the men are great inside the ring, and we saw a glimpse of just how much potential a talent like Lorcan has, with some of the freshest moves we’ve seen in the recent past. Lorcan worked great against Bate as the UK Champion picked up a victory.
Bate has a great look and connects fabulously with the crowd. It is unclear how and where his title will be defended in the months that follow, but we're sure WWE has big plans for him. As a side note, Lorcan too has an immense amount of potential, and maybe if he was booked into a storyline he could be a mid-card NXT talent.
He’s already over in Full Sail University, and with the right booking, could definitely reach new heights.
#4 Does Ember Moon work here?
Ember Moon wasn’t a part of the Takeover card. However, she did face Aliyah in another showcase match before the packed house and this was broadcast on this week’s episode. Ember Moon was great as always and her finisher blows our mind every single time.
Aliyah too was impressive in her own way, as she took the fight to Moon and worked beautifully through the course of the match. It came as no surprise that Ember Moon won.
The real story here is the aftermath of the contest when Asuka was being interviewed backstage. When told that Ember Moon wanted a shot at her title, she asked if Ember Moon works for NXT! Ouch.
Ember Moon took the slight sportingly and seems primed to enter a program with Asuka. As it stands, this is the most exciting contest that we’ve not seen in the NXT women’s division so far. If this really is the next match planned for the division, it will tear the roof off the arena.
#3 Farewell Corey Graves
As he had announced at Takeover: San Antonio, Corey Graves will be stepping down as the voice of NXT. He will be replaced by the very able and capable Nigel McGuiness, who will be joining Tom Phillips and Percy Watson on commentary.
We saw a touching tribute to the man whose voice has become synonymous with the yellow brand of wrestling. Paul Heyman called him the best colour commentator in WWE currently for good reason. He will be missed (except when we are watching Raw and 205 Live)!
#2 Graves calls his last NXT match
No Way Jose and Elias Samson began a strange rivalry based on The Drifter interfering in a No Way Jose match and singing an awful song, which Jose rightfully claimed sucks. They took on each other in a hard-hitting contest, and Graves was on fire for this match.
He has expressed his disdain for The Drifter in the past, quite vocally. Calling his final NXT match, Graves absolutely buried Samson on commentary, and then went on to say how much he hates Tom Phillips and Percy Watson as well. No Way Jose ended the feud with an impressive win.
#1 Dillinger recounted an epic moment
He certainly isn't the best wrestler on NXT. He does not have an impressive build nor does he exude as much charisma as some of the other names on the roster. However, Tye Dillinger has become the darling of the whole NXT Universe, after losing time and time again.
15 years of effort brought him to the Royal Rumble, where ‘The Perfect 10’ entered at Number 10. The place came apart as Tye Dillinger barged to the ring. Although he did not come close to winning the Royal Rumble, he had won the hearts of the whole Alamodome.
Tye lived his grand moment again in an interview this week. If you haven't watched it yet, you definitely should. Warning: there may be tears.
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