Gutteridge’s WWE NXT Hit List: Highlights from the Melbourne, Australia show, including Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Samoa Joe for the NXT Title in a Steel Cage match, DIY vs. TM61, Moon vs. Morgan vs. Kay, and Dillinger and Murphy vs. Roode and Samson

By Darren Gutteridge

NXT Hits

DIY vs. TM61: Considering regular NXT viewers had already got to see Shinesuke Nakamura vs. Samoa Joe a few weeks ago, this was the best match of the show. It wasn’t a barnburner, but that is okay, it was instead an entertaining match that left something in the tank should they feel the need to revisit this match on a higher profile stage. Here’s hoping they do.

Tye Dillinger and Buddy Murphy vs. Bobby Roode and Elias Samson: A hot crowd and a galvanized Murphy helped this otherwise average tag match creep into the Hits. I still think Murphy has the talent to turn things around with the right gimmick and push, and isn’t “throwing things at the wall to see what sticks” the entire point of NXT?

NXT Misses

Ember Moon vs. Billie Kay vs. Liv Morgan: This felt the most like a house show match, made worse by the horrifying bump Liv took over the top rope. It was almost as horrifying as her outfit, which may be the worst gear in NXT history. For the sake of Moon’s push, it is probably best to consign this sloppy match to the history books and forget about it.

The Revival vs Tino Sabbatelli and Riddick Moss: Moss is still a mile away from being ready for TV. Admittedly, this was a glorified house show, so it is a little forgivable, but what I can’t forgive is putting Moss and Sabbatelli in a heel vs heel match against the Revival, who were over as babyfaces with the Australian crowd and yet worked as the heels. Someone call an audible! We might have just salvaged this otherwise messy match.

Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Samoa Joe for the NXT Title in a Steel Cage match: I wasn’t blown away by this match when it aired on NXT TV a few weeks ago due to their match in Osaka, Japan airing the week before. That is probably unfair to the match, but just imagine how over it I am now when I’ve been shown those two matches again on back to back weeks for the second time in a little over a month!

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