This was a decent episode of NXT, all of the matches were pretty good and some stories were moved forward. The highlight of the night was the main event in which the team of Roxanne Perez and Meiko Satomura was victorious. Satormura challenged for the NXT Women’s Championship after the match. That will be interesting since they're both baby faces at the moment. In the men’s division, Bron Breakker received a challenge from Jinder Mahal. The lowlight of the show was the Dempsey-Walker match. Not much action and the only point of the match was to shift Gulak from Walker to Charlie Dempsey.
The match rating gets a low score because none of the matches rose to the level of great. Several were good, but none were great. The show structure was good but was hurt by above-average segments that slowed it down. Vic Joseph and Booker T were great as usual but the crowd noise wasn’t great all the way through. The storytelling was decent but wasn't anything to write home about. Production was good but not great.
On tonight’s NXT: Bron Breakker returns. What does the champion have in store? Roxanne Perez teams up with Meiko Satomura in a match against Katana Chance and Kayden Carter. Will the individual talent of Perez and Satormura overcome the chemistry Chance and Carter? And Jacy Jayne explains why she turned on Gigi Dolin last week.
The show opens with a dedication to the recently deceased Jerry Jarrett.
GOOD Grayson Waller vs Tyler Bate:
Waller started by calling out Shawn Michaels as he pressed Bate’s face into the ropes. The action went outside the ring after Bate landed a shooting star press. Waller regained momentum after hitting Tyler Bate with a lariat. However, Waller was reeling after a clothesline and a spin from Bate. he tried to win the match by using Sweet Chin Music but Bate countered with a superkick of his own. In the finish, the official called out Waller for an illegal pin and Bate used this to roll up his opponent for the win.
Results: Tyler Bate by Pinfall via Rollup
Matt Cookson WR Star Rating – 3.25 Stars
Josh Briggs taught Brooks Jensen the 90-10 rule when it comes to kissing a woman. Then, Fallon Henley told Jensen that if a woman wants a good night kiss, she plays with her keys.
Grayson Waller had an altercation with Shawn Michaels backstage.
Apollo Crews responded to Dabba-Kato’s betrayal.
GOOD Jacy Jayne:
Jayne stated she has no regrets about attacking her former tag team partner. Jayne called out Dolin for taking all the credit and compared her to Marty Janetty. She ended by saying that while she was previously overlooked in Toxic Attraction, she is the last woman standing from the group.
Matt Cookson WR Star Rating – 3 stars
Thea Hail denied that she was mentally unready for her match after Schism abducted her.
Sol Ruca talked about perseverance and the development of her finishing move.
GOOD Tiffany Stratton vs Thea Hail:
Early in the match, the Dyad was seen in the crowd with their smiley face masks. Hail got more distraught as she saw Joe Gacy. Stratton used these distractions as opportunities to attack her opponent. Despite these distractions, Hail was still able to control this match. Hail’s perseverance wasn’t enough, as Tiffany Stratton won the match on a moonsault.
Results: Tiffany Stratton by Pinfall via Moonsault
Matt Cookson WR Star Rating – 3 Stars
Javier Bernal tried, unsuccessfully, to give Valentine’s gifts to Ivy Nile and Tatum Paxley. Isla Dan and Alba Fyre then both sent an ominous message to Nile and Paxley.
GOOD Axiom vs Damon Kemp:
Axiom came out swinging to seize the early advantage. Kemp countered with his strength, dropping Axiom with an electric chair suplex. In the end, Axiom finished off Damon Kemp with a Golden Ratio and got his revenge.
Results: Axiom by Pinfall via Golden Ratio
Matt Cookson WR Star Rating – 3 Stars
Fallon Henley resolved to Brooks Jensen that Kiana James is cheating on him.
Grayson Waller is escorted out of the building by NXT security, trash-talking HBK as he goes.
GOOD Bron Breakker confronted by Indus Sheer:
Jinder Mahal told Breakker he understands the pressure of being a champion. Mahal then told Bron Breakker the fans are sick of him and challenged Breakker to a title match. The champion accepted the challenge and called Indus Sheer the new 3 Man Band.
Matt Cookson WR Star Rating – 3 stars
Katana Chance and Kayden Carter apologized to Roxanne Perez for their aggressive way of requesting their tag match. Meanwhile, Meiko Satomura told Perez she has her reasons for agreeing to join the match.
Indi Hartwell told McKenzie Mitchell that Jacy Jayne is mistaken in believing she will be at the top of the women’s division.
GOOD Wes Lee vs Von Wagner for the NXT North American Championship:
Tony D’Angelo originally answered the open challenge but Dijak took him out. This opened the door for Von Wagner to seize the opportunity. In the match, Wagner overpowered Lee early on, nearly pinning him after a big boot. Later, Wes Lee chopped down the big man with a flurry of superkicks. Lee retained the title after a Cardiac Kick.
Results: Wes Lee by Pinfall via Cardiac Kick
Matt Cookson WR Star Rating – 3 Stars
ABOVE AVERAGE Hank Walker vs Charlie Dempsey:
This was a very short match. Walker had control early on as he had Dempsey in an arm bar. Charlie Demsepy reversed it, however, and forced his opponent to tap out. After the match, Drew Gulak abandoned his former student and left the ring with Charlie Dempsey.
Results: Charlie Dempsey by Submission via Ankle Lock
Matt Cookson WR Star Rating – 2.5 Stars
Mr. Stone attributed Von Wagner’s loss to the fact that Wagner hasn’t formed a connection with him.
Gallus gave Pretty Deadly a title match after PD failed to earn a match via a game of pool.
GOOD Ilja Dragunov, Trick Williams, and JD McDonagh:
Williams coaxed Dragunov to the ring but was dropped by an enzuigiri. McDonagh then showed up to call out Dragunov. Williams used this distraction as an opportunity to attack Ilja Dragunov from behind.
Matt Cookson WR Star Rating – 3 stars
The truth has been revealed: the guy Kiana James was talking to on the phone was her brother.
GOOD Kayden Carter and Katana Chance vs Roxanne Perez and Meiko Satomura:
Chance and Perez showed off their athleticism early in this match. Despite not having as much experience with her partner, she and Satomura had great chemistry. Carter and Chance went to their high-flying offense to moderate effect. Meiko Satomura avoided one of the moves. In the end, Perez hit Kayden Carter with Pop Rocks to pick up the win. After the match, Satomura told Perez that wanted a title match in exchange for tagging with her. The champion accepted.
Results: Roxanne Perez and Meiko Satomura by Pinfall via Pop Rocks
Matt Cookson WR Star Rating – 3.25 Stars
Overall…
This was a decent episode of NXT, all of the matches were pretty good and some stories were moved forward. The highlight of the night was the main event in which the team of Roxanne Perez and Meiko Satomura was victorious. Satormura challenged for the NXT Women’s Championship after the match. That will be interesting since they’re both baby faces at the moment. In the men’s division, Bron Breakker received a challenge from Jinder Mahal. The lowlight of the show was the Dempsey-Walker match. Not much action and the only point of the match was to shift Gulak from Walker to Charlie Dempsey.
The match rating gets a low score because none of the matches rose to the level of great. Several were good, but none were great. The show structure was good but was hurt by above-average segments that slowed it down. Vic Joseph and Booker T were great as usual but the crowd noise wasn’t great all the way through. The storytelling was decent but wasn’t anything to write home about. Production was good but not great.
Matches: 0.25/1 Stars
Show Structure: 0.75/1 Stars
Atmosphere: 0.5/1 Stars
Storytelling: 0.5/1 Stars
Production/Theme: 0.75/1 Stars
Overall Rating. 2.75/5 Stars
Photo Credit: WWE
For inquiries about the rating criteria check out the article announcing the new system here:
