It’s that time once again, time to see what NXT has in store for us this week. I’ll be honest, the WWE hasn’t pulled me in this week (Unless we’re talking about WWE 2K18 video game, my review is here if you care). But with both Sanity and The Undisputed Era on the card, they were sure to steal the show, right? Well, let’s take a look.
Sonya Deville vs Ember Moon vs Ruby Riot
Firstly. No, I have no idea how the WWE get away with using lightsaber sound effects for Sonya’s entrance. The match excellently highlighted how much athletic ability Ember and Ruby had, they seemed to flow cohesively through the match. Sonya, on the other hand, was there to be the road bump for their progress and to an obstacle that needed to be overcome.
It’s clear that Sonya needs to develop, but she presented her self well thanks to the work from Ruby and Ember. While Sonya worked the ankle lock on Ruby, Ember leapt from the top turnbuckle to hit her Total Eclipse. Ember pinned Ruby and now heads one step closer to becoming NXT’s next women’s champion. Overall, not a bad match. I expected Ember to come out victorious but there were enough twists and turns to keep you guessing and a great way to kick off NXT.
Meanwhile
– We saw CCTV footage of Rodrick Strong getting approached by The Undisputed Era in what seemed like a friendly manner. While no violence took place, Strong seemed to brush off the encounter and walked away.
– William Regal was about to announce how the fourth competitor will be chosen for the NXT women’s championship when he was suddenly interrupted by the Iconic Duo of Billie Kay & Peyton Royce. Regal divulged his previous statement and stated that next week there will be a battle royal for the last spot.
– Drew McIntyre took part in an exclusive interview where he talked about his journey to becoming NXT champion. A more natural view from McIntyre as he seemed more relaxed and comes across as genuine. This all changed once Zelina Vega commandeered the interview and used it as a chance to warn McIntyre that Andrade would be coming for that NXT title.
Raul Mendoza vs Aleister Black
Before the match could even get underway, the goddam Velveteen Dream stole Aleister Black’s jacket in another attempt for Black to WITNESS HIM. Mendoza took advantage and managed to get in some impressive spots. But like most things that stand in Blacks way, Mendoza faced a flurry of kicks and succumbed to the Black Mass. While it was a squash match, it did give us more development in the feud between Black and Dream. Maybe even with Black showing signs that each attempt is bringing him closer to acknowledging the Dream.
Kassuis Ohno vs Cezar Bononi
I have only one criticism for Bononi, what is his character? Granted he hasn’t had much time to speak, but we don’t really know anything about who he is. You knew how it was going to go, Bononi dominated for a while but was stopped once Ohno gained the advantage and finished it with a rolling elbow. The match came and went without much fanfare, I’ll probably forget that it ever happened.
6-Man Tag Match – Undisputed Era vs Sanity
Sanity had the undisputed era under control, keeping them away from their partners with every opportunity. The tide did change to Adam Cole’s stable once Sanity got overconfident. We saw some excellent teamwork from TUE, mainly from Bobby Fish and Kyle O’Reilly who almost seemed to be telepathically linked.
While Eric Young & the gang did get some chances combine their skills, they mostly went out solo to take on each member. They could get away with that for a while, but the numbers game would always catch up to them. With Fish and O’Reilly taken out, the pack started to work their way to Adam Cole. Just before they could exact revenge, the Authors of Pain stormed the ring and dismantled Sanity.
A welcome surprise by the AOP, say what you want about their ring work but they have a strong presence in NXT. Now they’ve set their sights back on the Tag Team Titles, and anyone that stands in their way.