By Jason Powell, ProWrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet)
NXT Hits
Tony D’Angelo vs. Kam Hendrix for the NXT Championship: It was cool to see Hendrix open the match with a Showtime Kick that led to an immediate near fall. Hendrix had a good showing despite taking a clean loss. Some of his facial expressions and mannerisms made him seem like a mid-card act, which is perfect while his character gets started in NXT. But it will be interesting to see if he possesses or can develop the ability to carry himself like a main event player when the time is right. The story of Naraku protecting D’Angelo until he gets his title shot is a unique way to generate interest in their eventual showdown match. It would have been nice if he and Mason Rooks had been given showcase wins on this show before they meet in a No. 1 contender’s match next week, but there’s only so much television time to go around.
NXT Women’s Champion Lola Vice, Kelani Jordan, and Kendal Grey: A solid segment that set up next week’s Jordan vs. Grey No. 1 contender’s match for a shot at the championship at the Great American Bash. Will there actually be a pin or submission finish, or will the NXT decision-makers revert to their tired formula by setting up yet another Triple Threat title match?
Dion Lennox and Osiris Griffin vs. NXT North American Champion Myles Borne and Tavion Heights: Clever booking in that DarkState got a needed win, while they added to the building tension between Borne and Heights. Are the creative forces finally committed to making the DarkState faction strong, or will they take the usual approach of killing any momentum gained from this win by having them lose their next match?
“OTM” Bronco Nima and Lucien Price vs. Shawn Spears and Niko Vance: The Culling finally appears to be on rocky ground, so there was no reason to think that Spears and Vance would win. Nevertheless, this was still a good television win for OTM. Here’s hoping that OTM is being built up to chase Brad Baylor and Ricky Smokes for the NXT Tag Team Titles. I cringed for Spears when I saw blood on his face out of concern that he had broken his nose. Fortunately, it looked like Price’s fingernail caught him right before the finish.
Jackson Drake vs. Tate Wilder: Another win for Drake, who should eventually be in the mix for a run with the NXT North American Championship. I’m still not crazy about a heel using a 450 splash as a finisher, but I’m high on the Vanity Club faction and the new dimension that Myka Lockwood brings.
Zaria vs. Lizzy Rain: A soft Hit for a match that felt like it went longer than it should have. Rain strikes me as being better in small doses and high-energy short matches. More importantly, Zaria should have beaten Rain or even some other wrestler in dominant fashion heading into her NXT North American Championship match next week. But there’s a bigger problem. Who is Zaria? No, I’m not talking about her independent wrestling history or the past athletic accomplishments they tell us about nearly ever developmental wrestler. Zaria looks like a comic book villain, so how about a good, realistic origin story, even if it’s pure fiction?
NXT Misses
Lexis King vs. Romeo Moreno for the WWE Speed Championship: Birthright is ice cold, and the WWE Speed titles are worthless.
Saquon Shugars: Shugars bickered with Dion Lennox until DarkState turned on him, and now Shugars is out for revenge. Great, but why should viewers care? It’s not like Shugars saw the error in his ways and gave the fans a reason to embrace his character. It’s going to take more than attacking a mid-card heel faction with a bat to hook the fans. There’s a lot to like about Shugars, including his charisma and his promo skills. He needs the right promo to win over the fans and to give them a reason to invest in his character.
Keanu Carver: His brief backstage verbal exchange with Tate Wilder and EK Prosper was fine, but Carver should be playing a bigger role on the show. He’s only had one television match since late April, which is absurd unless he’s nursing an injury. At the very least, Carver should be showcased in squash matches. He carries himself like a star, and his mic work feels more real than even the vast majority of the main roster wrestlers. The sky is the limit for Carver if he keeps improving in the ring and does business the right way behind the scenes.
(Jason Powell, founder and editor of ProWrestling.net, has covered pro wrestling full-time dating back to 1997. He hosts a weekly podcast, Pro Wrestling Boom, and also appears regularly on the Wade Keller Pro Wrestling Podcast. Reach him via email at dotnetjason@gmail.com and on social media via @prowrestlingnet.bsky.social or x.com/prowrestlingnet. For his full bio and information on this website, click here.)
Braun Breaker needs to drop the vision and bring up The Birth Right.