Much like this week's episode of SmackDown Live, NXT was a ‘nothing’ show really until the very end. At the conclusion of the show, the main event left us on a high note, but the rest of the show was crammed with ‘filler’.
It did not help that the Full Sail University audience was only a shadow of what they used to be, in terms of energy. However, storylines were advanced as we move towards yet another NXT Takeover special. We bring you five highlights from the show, in our weekly recap.
#5 NXT Women's Division finally shines
It’s been a long and trying road for the women of NXT thus far. Not only have they lived in the shadow of the Four Horsewomen, their matches have been the weak link in every NXT Takeover special.
Asuka’s reign owes its existence, in our opinion, in part, to the fact that she really had no contender who could hold the title and be seen as a believable NXT Women’s Champion. Nikki Cross and Ruby Riot rose to the challenge this week, and boy, did they deliver!
In the main event of the evening, Ruby Riot showed some fiery athleticism that had been missing in the women’s division for a long time. Asuka was great as always, and while Nikki Cross’ gimmick does not truly allow her to shine as a legitimate wrestler, she took an awful lot of punishment.
The brawl continued to the back where Asuka banged Cross against a garage door and the latter drowned the Women’s Champion in some icy cold water. The table spot at the end was breathtaking as well. We commend these women for a great performance indeed.
#4 Another woman awaits her turn
Ember Moon has awaited her opportunity for a long time now, having been sidelined due to an injury. She makes her comeback next week, in a match against Peyton Royce. One assumes that Moon will be booked to win this match, and possibly challenge Asuka for her Championship at the next Takeover special on Summerslam weekend.
Will it be the end of Asuka’s dominant reign, at the event, when she faces Ember Moon for the second time? Or will Asuka ascend to the main roster undefeated and unbeaten?
We must admit that Peyton Royce has been pretty impressive as well, having grown leaps and bounds since the time she first stepped foot in NXT. Already a better worker than her partner Billie Kay, we think that she can definitely have a good match with Ember Moon next week.
We do not foresee Royce winning the match, but we can certainly see it being an entertaining match indeed.
#3 Goliath vs. Goliath battle
We do not foresee a lot of moonsaults and 450-splashes when The Authors of Pain square off against Heavy Machinery, at some point in the future. The seeds were sown this week when it took only one Author of Pain to demolish two enhancement talent guys.
The other was having a conversation with Paul Ellering, on the outside. Paul Ellering then called out Heavy Machinery, and this seems to be the program heading into the next pay-per-view. This is almost akin to the tag team version of Samoa Joe vs. Brock Lesnar, and we love it, Maggle.
#2 Daria Berenato unleashes the Deville within
Sonya Deville was formerly known as Daria Berenato, and her previous gimmick was that of an MMA fighter in the sports entertainment world. She will be wrestling under the name Sonya Deville now and will incorporate elements of MMA and other martial arts into her offensive arsenal.
This is obviously WWE's attempt at capturing the popularity and appeal of MMA and getting tongues wagging with a performer of this nature. It remains to be seen whether Deville has the charisma to get this gimmick over, and whether she can be a serious contender for the coveted NXT Women's Championship in due course of time.
#1 Takeover-worthy match next week!
Wow...this match is happening on NXT Television, and not at a Takeover special. Kassius Ohno, one of the hottest signings by NXT this year, will face Aleister Black, another hot NXT signing next week.
It is impossible to predict who will go over, as this is an important match for both men at the moment. Black seems to be higher on the totem pole, but Ohno is involved in a storyline, heading into an inevitable feud with Hideo Itami in the near future. This will be a great match for sure, and we cannot wait to check it out.
Join us next week, for more points to note from NXT!
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