And then I was like, “didn’t I write a review for NXT R-Evolution two months ago?” And then I remembered that I did…. But the site crashed or
something and the review was lost FOREVER. It probably sucked at the time.
But we’re back! And not at all better than ever. In fact, I’m very tired
and ready for bed. I should have asked Richard Staple to write this for me, he
would have killed it. Maybe he’ll do a top ten moments from last night…. We
can only hope. But seriously, read his stuff.
So, NXT: Rival. F**k these titles. Honestly. I know it makes sense in
the context of the show but come on. Anyway, great show, right? We can all
agree on that. Everything delivered exactly up to expectations. Nothing broke
the mold but nothing fell (all that) short. It helps that half of the best
workers in the company make up the bulk of the active developmental roster. At
least a little bit.
So anyway, here we go.
Actually, before we start, no more Benoit articles. Honestly, we had 2
in one week recently. NO MORE. If you’re thinking of writing a Benoit article
that’s anything besides “the best Benoit matches you’ve never seen,” you can
f**k right off.
Sorry.
NXT: Rival. Main Show.
Didn’t watch the pre-show, sorry.
Hideo Itami vs Tyler Breeze
Star: Itami
A solid/uptempo opener that was yet another attempt to spotlight Itami
and his offense. I will say that I have grown a little worried about Hideo and
his ability to adapt to the WWE style. Yes, I know he had a very strong match
against Finn Balor a couple weeks back but that was to be expected. This felt
like a bit of a make or break moment for him and he really came through. Also,
Breeze, to his credit, looked as good as I’ve ever seen him. A good way to
start the show.
Baron Corbin vs Bull Dempsey
Star: N/A
Not a good match but also not a train wreck. I’ve never liked Dempsey
but he has grown on me ever so slightly. As for Corbin, I love the look but
he’s starting to feel like the white Roman Reigns. I don’t even hate Roman. But
do we need another man-of-few-words lone-wolf character? Anyway, both guys have
a long way to go. I do have high hopes for Corbin though; I hope they don’t
rush him.
Buddy Murphy and Wesley Blake vs The Lucha Dragons
Star: Solomon Crowe
An ugly match that was real close to turning into a disaster. These teams just did not click and the
Dragons had a few crowd killing botches early on. I don’t know what it is about
the Sin Cara character, but everything connected to him just gets worse.
Kalisto is a fantastic wrestler but pair him with Sin Cara long enough and he
begins to seemingly regress. Oh, and that f**king horrible dub-step theme Blake
and Murphy have. Man. Wasn’t that the original WWE network launch theme?
Best spots of the match took place before and after the bell. Pre-match
Murphy did his little dive-through-the-bottom-rope-and-pose thing. Enjoyed
that. Post-match we got a Solomon Crowe is coming next week blip. Excited to
see him finally come into the fold.
Finn Balor vs Adrian Neville
Star: Balor
Unsurprisingly, this was a spotlight match for Balor. I wish the crowd
hadn’t cast aside Neville so boorishly but I do understand how a feeling of
lethargy may have cultivated in regards to his character. Why is Neville still
in developmental? Whatever. A great match that built towards its crescendo in a
very WWE manor. I do feel like the announcers belabored the point about the
match starting slow. We get it, these guys normally work a faster pace. But
yes, the match did build nicely and the crowd was worked into a frenzy by the
end. Also, NXT crowd, f**k off with your “match of the year” chant for a 13
minute match. Did you even watch the 3-way from the Rumble? You guys are
reaching Impact Zone levels of annoying. Stop chanting stupid s**t.
Sasha Banks vs Charlotte vs Bayley vs Becky Lynch
Star: Banks
I love Sasha Banks. I’ve loved her for months now. She’s f**king great.
Yes, Charlotte is still the most complete women’s “performer” on the ENTIRE ROSTER….
But Sasha is my girl. Real good match here. Props to Bayley and Lynch for
looking better then I’ve ever seen them. Lynch, especially, impressed me a lot.
This is now 5 women’s matches on NXT specials and none of them have
disappointed…. F**k the divas scene on the main roster.
Kevin Owens vs Sami Zayn
Star: Zayn
One of the longest running feuds across multiple wrestling promotions
has now hit NXT. And…. It’s still good. Part wrestling match, part Steen-style
brawl, part storyline drama, this match offered up a lot. From an in-ring
standpoint, this was nowhere near the classic that Zayn and Neville put on two
month back, but the presentation of the match and finish made it nearly as
memorable. Very old-school storytelling with the new bully in town beating up
the big-hearted babyface. Zayn is just fantastic. I’ve said it before and I’ll
say it again, he’s the best babyface on the ENTIRE ROSTER. Just the facials and
the fighting spirit. All in all, a match that’s worth checking out with a
finish that leaves the door open for a follow-up angle.
So…. That’s it. Do you agree or disagree? Thoughts, feelings? Let me
know below.
Cheers
