By Jason Powell, ProWrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet)
NXT Roadblock Hits
Shawn Michaels on the Grayson Waller Effect: Waller continues to shine on the mic, and Michaels was really good both in terms of his logic and in putting over the NXT brand. The comedic DX comedy skits have their moments, but it’s always a treat to see the more serious version of Michaels. I don’t think anyone should have been truly surprised that this didn’t result in Michaels returning to the ring. It was a bit risky to tease that as a possibility, but they came through with a satisfying payoff by having Michaels introduce Johnny Gargano as Waller’s opponent for Stand & Deliver. Here’s hoping that we get the likable NXT version of Gargano and not the disappointment that his main roster persona has become.
Roxanne Perez vs. Meiko Satomura for the NXT Women’s Championship: A good main event and it felt like a big feather in the cap of Perez to beat the Japanese legend. They did a good job of building to the match with the unconventional approach of showing the challenger leading the champion through her workout routine. I’m not sure what to make of the post match angle of Perez passing out after Satomura raised her arm. I’m not really sure what that sets up, but I am looking forward to the Perez vs. Tiffany Stratton match that’s been teased for Stand & Deliver.
Dijak vs. Tony D’Angelo in a Jailhouse Street Fight: A helluva brawl to start the show. Both men worked really hard and Channing “Stacks” Tatum deserves credit for the punishment he took in his supporting role. It’s been surprising to see Dijak take high profile losses early in his latest NXT stint, but he’s good enough that it doesn’t feel like any long term damage has been done. That said, he needs a meaningful win soon. Dijak keeps racking up strong in-ring performances and hopefully the creative team will reward him with a strong push.
Bron Breakker, Julius Creed, and Brutus Creed vs. Jinder Mahal and “Indus Sher” Veer Mahaan and Sanga: A crowd pleasing brawl with the babyface team going over strong. I was a little surprised to see Brutus pin Mahaan, as I thought they might have Breakker pick up the win for his team to avoid having one of the Creeds beat a member of Indus Sher. Nevertheless, this was an entertaining six-man tag. On a side note, Breakker’s segment with Carmelo Hayes was a simple and effective step in the build to their showdown match for the NXT Championship.
Joe Gacy vs. Andre Chase: As much as I want to see The Schism either find an actual purpose or disband, Gacy and Chase made the most of the time they had and produced a good television match. The Thea Hail story continues to make for a cute undercard comedy bit. Duke Hudson melting down over Chase U’s losing ways was a nice development.
NXT Roadblock Misses
Gallus and Pretty Deadly segment: Here’s hoping their NXT Tag Team Title match wins over the fans next week, because this verbal exchange played to a very quiet crowd. The issue continues to be that the Gallus duo of Mark Coffey and Wolfgang have not connected with the North American fans.
Jacy Jayne vs. Gigi Dolin: I was surprised that they went to this match as quickly as they did following the strong breakup angle. Both wrestlers cut one big promo each coming out of the split and then they raced right to their first match prematurely. This just didn’t feel as big as it could have had they taken more time with the build. Dolin going over was also a minor surprise. The post match angle was designed to give Jayne her heat back, but they had the referees run out before her character could do any real damage. I’m sure there’s more to come, but the approach they took didn’t leave this viewer anxious to see what’s next.
Be the first to comment