By Don Murphy, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@DonThePredictor)
NXT holds its Great American Bash event tonight in Orlando, Florida, at the WWE Performance Center. Notably, this is the first NXT event, outside of TV, to be aired on the CW Network. I’ll be interested to see how the show does ratings-wise, as the brand is in a transitional phase right now. With the recent call-ups of Sol Ruca, Fatal Influence, Ethan Page, Trick Williams, and Joe Hendry, the creative team is putting out newer, and in some cases, greener stars, to see if anything catches on. It’s been a work in progress, but perhaps coming out of the Bash, we’ll have a clearer picture of where things are headed. As an aside, I appreciate that the brand is taking its live event tour on the road outside of Florida. That said, I want them to start doing that more consistently with their premium events. The Performance Center is fine for weekly TV, but for shows like the Bash, you want a vibe that feels bigger and more important. Let’s run down the card!
Tony D’Angelo vs. Naraku for the NXT Championship. I think that Tony D’Angelo has done more in NXT than anyone expected him to. That’s just my take, anyway. The “mob boss ” gimmick initially came off as very “’80s,” and many weren’t sure how it would hold up in today’s era. And, to everyone’s surprise, it got over. I’m not saying it was a massive box office success, but NXT got about as much out of that as you could hope for. And I appreciate the anticipation that the gimmick, while popular in NXT, would likely not fare as well on the main roster. Hence, we have this new, edgier, badass gimmick. It’s been fine, though again, I’m not sure it stands out on the main roster, which is what I think the plan is for D’Angelo sometime this year, possibly shortly after this show. The tried-and-true fireball angle on Tuesday gives D’Angelo an out for losing to the newly signed Naraku and puts him in chase mode for a bit before he moves on from NXT.
Don Predicts: Naraku defeats Tony D’Angelo to win the NXT Championship.
Lola Vice vs. Kendal Grey for the NXT Women’s Championship. This one is a bit of a toss-up, but I feel like Vice is another talent that’s likely to make the main roster jump soon. This NXT title reign was her “gold watch ” for all of her effort on the brand. The creative forces are very high on Grey. I see the potential, but more work needs to be done on the character side. She has a good backstory, but not one that is overly unique. She’s down-to-earth and relatable, which is a good thing. She just needs some more seasoning, and I think a run with the NXT Women’s title and some good opponents can help her get there.
Don Predicts: Kendal Grey defeats Lola Vice to win the NXT Women’s Championship.
Zaria vs. Tatum Paxley for the NXT Women’s North American Championship. Keeping with the theme of main roster call-ups, I think Paxley’s time is coming. This will be the obligatory rematch and successful title defense before both move on to other things. For Zaria, I hope this means the monster heel run we’ve all been waiting for since her arrival almost two years ago. I’m not sure why they waited so long, but I am curious to see what comes next.
Don Predicts: Zaria defeats Tatum Paxley to retain the NXT Women’s North American Championship.
Myles Bourne vs. Tavion Heights for the NXT North American Championship. This is another toss-up. NXT has tried to get Bourne over, and I don’t think it’s working at the level they want it to. He has a nice story, but they’ve relied too heavily on the narrative of “I don’t want to be known as the deaf guy, ” that it’s become one of the things he always brings up. As for Tavion, there’s something there, and this new edge is a move in the right direction. I think a run with the North American Championship might serve him well.
Don Predicts: Tavion Heights defeats Myles Bourne to win the NXT North American Championship.
Wren Sinclair vs. Arianna Grace for the WWE Women’s Speed Championship. The Speed titles do nothing for me, but at least we know it will be quick. I will say that if anyone can make this particular title entertaining, it’s Grace. As for Sinclair, she’s fine but a little too over-the-top in her mannerisms and facial expressions. That said, these may work better as a heel, and with Kendal Grey possibly winning the NXT Women’s Title, this may be the path we’re headed down.
Don Predicts: Arianna Grace defeats Wren Sinclair to win the WWE Women’s Speed Championship.
Saquon Shugars vs. Dion Lennox. I’ve always thought that Shugars had more potential than being a character in the DarkState faction. I’m cautiously excited to see him in a singles role and am hoping that this is a showcase win for him. My concern is that they’ve been telling the story of Lennox being alone for this match. This signals to me that we may be getting a new member of DarkState, which I am not a fan of.
Don Predicts: Saquon Shugars defeats Dion Lennox.
Shiloh Hill vs. Tristan Angels. I’m a big fan of Angels, even if he is a total copy of the original Hunter Hearst Helmsley character for 1995. I can’t say the same for Hill, but his goofy mental character seems to be over with the live crowd, so it is what it is. Angels needs a win here, and Hill is over enough that one loss won’t derail him too much.
Don Predicts: Tristan Angels defeats Shiloh Hill.
The NXT Women’s Championship match will be the main event, and the NXT Championship match will open the show. Vic Joseph and Wade Barrett are expected to be on commentary. The three-hour NXT Great American Bash special airs live tonight on The CW Network (and Netflix internationally) at 6CT/7ET. The show runs head-to-head with the AEW Forbidden Door pay-per-view event. Jason Powell will be covering AEW Forbidden Door, so I’ll be covering this one. My review will be available afterward, and Jason will have an audio review for Dot Net Members (including our Patreon patrons) on either very late Sunday night or Monday morning.
I’ll be back on Thursday with a review of a special Thursday night edition of AEW Collision. Until then, enjoy wrestling!
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