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As the week has progressed, the quality of wrestling has improved. Battleground was a snoozefest; Raw had its moments; SmackDown Live was good, but NXT was excellent. While the main roster has set things in motion for Summerslam, those in the developmental brand have their own version of Summerslam in sight: NXT Takeover: Brooklyn III!
This week, many plots that were set in motion over prior months came together to create an engrossing show. We bring you 5 highlights from the show that particularly caught our fancy and detail them to you in this countdown.
#5 Itami finally went full heel
The main event this week was an absolute slugfest, as one would assume with competitors as tough as Kassius Ohno and Hideo Itami. Weeks of frustration in Itami exploded in the main event, as the two battle hardened veterans collided this week. While it was impossible to determine which man would have come out on top, Itami put a full stop on things with a kick to Kassius Ohno's nether regions. While the announcers argued about whether or not it was intentional, Itami delivered two GTSs in unison, completely dismantling Ohno.
Does this kind of screwy finish imply that the two men will meet again in Brooklyn? Only time will tell for sure. What is heartening is the fact that Itami has a renewed character to portray, and he can now attempt to re-establish his name all over again. As we had seen in Chicago, he was not connecting with fans as a babyface and many doubted his future in NXT and even within the United States. This gives Itami a fresh coat of paint to start over again and make his mark.
#4 Match made official for NXT Takeover: Brooklyn III
The first time they met was in Orlando on Wrestlemania weekend, where Asuka comprehensively defeated Ember Moon, making her a casualty in her record-breaking reign of terror. Ember Moon took that defeat to heart and swore revenge, as Asuka broke record after record.
This week, Moon took on the much larger Lei'D Tapa from the MMA world, and despite the odds, made short work of the monstrous woman. She called out Asuka for a rematch and thankfully, William Regal was listening. Regal made the match official for NXT Takeover: Brooklyn III and Ember Moon finally has a chance to break Asuka's amazing streak for good.
To be honest, we see Ember Moon winning this big match. We cannot imagine anyone else dethroning Asuka right now, considering how the rest of the women's division has been booked. NXT has protected Moon's finisher, and we're certain it will come into play come Takeover: Brooklyn. Asuka returns next week and that should make things very interesting indeed.
#3 Too classy for NXT?
Both The Velveteen Dream and Cezar Bononi knew that they had limited time in front of the NXT Universe this week. Both of them made full use of the opportunity and put on a show to remember. The finesse of both men, especially The Velveteen Dream, is something to behold!
However, what caught our attention was his post match segment with backstage interviewer Kayla Braxton. When asked a question, The Velveteen Dream refused to answer a question in front of the shabbily attired NXT Universe (guess nobody's going to buy his own merchandise then, considering most of them were dressed in official WWE merchandise). This is one compelling character and we look forward to watching him develop over the years.
#2 Drew McIntyre cut the ultimate babyface promo!
We recently saw Drew McIntyre slay the Beast of Belfast, Killian Dain and become the Number 1 Contender for the NXT title currently held by Bobby Roode. This week, he cut the ultimate babyface promo and got the NXT Universe riled up against their champion. If you think about it, NXT Champions, while great workers have not really cut exceptional babyface promos, maybe in the company's entire storied history. McIntyre is a very different man from the imitator we saw in 3MB.
Well, next week, Bobby Roode will arrive in NXT and we can see how their feud develops until Takeover in Brooklyn. This feels like a big time main event, and unlike the Roode vs. Itami encounter, this feels like a program that could actually deliver big time. Bear in mind that we also saw Roderick Strong send Roode a threat via social media. Things really are heating up. Whew!
#1 A singles push for Johnny Wrestling?
In many ways, Johnny Gargano is the heart of the NXT Universe right now. He embodies the #DIY spirit that NXT has made its own. Even though he is the underdog more often than not, the crowd always gets behind him. With Tommaso Ciampa on the shelf, Gargano has a chance to really establish himself as a singles Superstar and maybe even a future NXT Champion.
Thankfully, this isn't Raw and he isn't William Regal's long lost son. Next week should be a great litmus test for Gargano as he faces Mendoza in singles competition, possibly to establish himself as a serious contender in the singles division.
See you again next week for yet another countdown. Catch you soon!
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