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I wouldn't say that a brand new season of NXT action is underway after the madness that we witnessed at TakeOver: XXV. I'd say that this week's episode was a pitstop between TakeOver and the action that's going to follow in the weeks to come.
There were some interesting developments and announcements that will play a very important role in the season of action that will kick off very soon. More importantly, the matches were extraordinarily good and wiped away the sour taste that the main roster left us with.
That said, I did not think that this was the best episode of NXT I've seen, purely from a storyline and booking point of view. But then again, I hold NXT to the highest standard, which is why even a good episode may sometimes fail to meet my expectations.
Here are 5 points that I thought were worth mentioning from the show, that I found particularly interesting.
#5 No Beth Phoenix on commentary
The first thing that I noticed when the action kicked off was that there were only two voices on commentary this week. Mauro Ranallo kicked off the action by saying that Beth Phoenix was on assignment and that he and Nigel McGuinness would be channeling their inner Gorilla Monsoon and Bobby 'The Brain' Heenan.
With all due respect to the WWE Hall of Famer, Beth Phoenix, I did not miss her on commentary at all. In fact, I daresay that it was a breath of fresh air to hear only two voices calling the action because Ranallo and McGuinness are both encyclopedias when it comes to combat sports and sports entertainment.
Ranallo and McGuinness truly are a commentary dream team. Any addition into the mix just dilutes their combination.
#4 A huge debut is planned for next week
A lot of you may know Damian Priest as Punishment Martinez. Martinez was a mainstay in Ring of Honor where he's a former ROH World Television Champion. He's been repackaged and will be known as Damian Priest, going forward.
Because the current NXT roster is not as stacked as it once was, with big-time Superstars like Aleister Black, Lars Sullivan, and Ricochet being called up not long ago, Damian Priest now has a chance to become one of the central figures of the brand. Priest is a very big man at 6' 6", so he could be one of the breakout stars in the main roster as well.
We all know that any acquisition by NXT is treated to his fullest potential on the black and gold brand. It's only when he's called up that the situation changes, not necessarily for the better.
#3 A dream rematch with a special stipulation
Kushida and Drew Gulak had put on a masterclass not very long ago when the two men engaged in a battle for the ages. They had a rematch this week, with a special stipulation.
Kushida and Gulak would take each other on in what was a fabulous submission match that had both men showcasing their vast submission vocabulary. It was a sight to see just how fluid, how gritty, and yet how artistic submission wrestling can be when two masters of the discipline engage in combat.
I loved the fact that while pinfalls were teased, we didn't go in for the typical 'no pinfalls are allowed in this match, or the other man would have won it' spot. Kushida won the match and I daresay that this was the right move as he's the guy with all of the momentum.
I wonder if Gulak stays with NXT now.
#2 Vanessa Borne and Aliyah want to teach English to Mia Yim
Aliyah and Vanessa Borne cut a pretty entertaining promo making fun of the way Mia Yim types on social media, to which Mia Yim replied in extremely poor grammar. They would also make fun of the way she dresses and suggest some fashion tips. It is clear that they are building towards a feud.
The two women have come together as a fantastic heel unit and they have been portraying two extremely elitist women who think that they're a level above everyone else in the roster. Aliyah, in particular, seems a lot more comfortable as a heel than she ever did as a babyface. It's taken her a very long time to find her footing but I'm glad she has.
I would love for these two to take on The IIconics someday. I think that they could potentially have quite a fantastic feud.
#1 A rivalry that is far from over
One of my favorite matches at NXT TakeOver: XXV was the ladder match for the vacant NXT Tag Team Championships. While The Street Profits emerged victorious in the match, it is clear that the other teams have unfinished business with one another even now.
Oney Lorcan and Danny Burch would square off against The Undisputed ERA in a match that was a showcase of just how talented and gifted all of the individuals are. The action was almost too fast to call at times, and any pair short of Mauro Ranallo and Nigel McGuinness would have faltered.
Just like the ladder match, Jaxson Ryker would interfere in the match and Lorcan and Burch would use the distraction to pick up a big win. This could be their biggest win considering how much momentum The Undisputed ERA has.
Will this earn them a title shot.
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