Okay, this wasn’t a great episode of NXT but it was a very good one. With two great matches and storylines that progressed well, it really did breeze by. The main event, of course, was off the charts, just like we expected. NXT may not have the momentum it had only a few years ago, and the crowds may be quieter, but the wrestling really is better than ever before.
As is customary, let us look at 5 aspects of this week's episode and touch upon their impact, over the long haul for the yellow brand. Let’s begin with a rivalry that is getting very personal and culminates on the 5th July episode of WWE’s beloved developmental brand.
#5 The rivalry gets personal
Bobby Roode has always been a lovable heel, with his catchy and hummable music and his amazing wrestling skills. Recently, we saw glimpses of a more vicious side of Roode, when he interrupted Roderick Strong, as he was addressing the NXT Universe for accepting him despite his faults.
Roode unleashed a barrage of personal comments about Roderick Strong’s family, creating massive heat and igniting a feud.
This week, we saw the Strong family arrive at NXT together- Roderick, his fiancee Marina Shafir and their child. Roode asked Strong’s lady love to be with a real man, incensing Strong and causing a fist fight among the two men in the backstage area.
The two men battle, strangely not at the next NXT Takeover, but in just two weeks on the July 5th edition of NXT for Roode’s NXT Championship. Whose evening will be glorious? Who will be victorious? Stay tuned to Sportskeeda Wrestling for our regular updates, to find out just who it is.
#4 NXT’s own Ronda Rousey discovered?
Remember Rachel Ellering, the daughter of the man who leads the Authors of Pain, Paul Ellering? She is known as Rachel Evers these days. Remember Daria Berenato, the professional wrestling judoka and MMA specialist from a few months ago?
She is now known as Sonya Deville and she really kicks some serious rear end with her hard-hitting strikes and painful looking submissions.
In our estimation, Sonya Deville has pretty decent chops and her gimmick can make her a very interesting character in the current NXT landscape if she were to be pushed right. NXT has certainly taken note of the popularity of MMA and how it has blown up, all across the world over the past years.
NXT’s own version of Ronda Rousey could make for some interesting confrontations in the women’s division soon. Although she has a long way to go, we see her in a strong place in the current women’s division.
#3 Look who's back again!
Ember Moon squared off against Peyton Royce this week, in the first match of the episode and they really kickstarted the show on the right note. Peyton played her role too, and so did Billie Kay acting like a despicable heel unit.
Both of these women have really come a long way and are actually far more impressive these days. Ember Moon went the distance and picked up the big win with an Eclipse. We are now fairly certain that she will become the next NXT Women's Championship contender, and it remains to be seen how she gets to that highly coveted spot.
#2 SAnity eyeing tag team gold now?
We recently saw how The Beast of Belfast, Killian Dain, is seemingly being pushed as a singles competitor of late. Nikki Cross has her hands full, with her big Last Woman Standing match on next week’s show. And now, it seems like NXT has found a new role for the two remaining members of SAnitY.
They will be used to bolster the tag team division, for the time being at least.
This week, they put on an impressive showing against the very green Ealy Twins, and if nothing else, they seem like credible contenders when pitted against The Authors of Pain. Will NXT actually commence a heel vs. heel program? The next few months should be interesting for the tag team division.
#1 A real slugfest main-event
Both these men are credible contenders for the NXT Championship, and they showed why this week. Both men took each other to the limit and made us bite our nails constantly as they traded moves, holds, and covers. Ultimately, Aleister Black triumphed over Kassius Ohno, but from the story they told, it seemed like he did so by the skin of his teeth.
It remains to be seen how this loss features into Ohno’s current relationship with Hideo Itami. Their clash is inevitable, but we wonder how the events of this evening will influence that particular story. On that note, we bid farewell to you. Join us again next week, for more points to note from NXT.
Send us news tips at [email protected]
One of Samoa Joe's colleagues had harsh words for him HERE
