This was a very good episode of NXT. The highlight of the show was easily the Jailhouse Streetfight to kick off the show. There were several near victories throughout the match that increased the suspense. Also, several spots added to the entertainment of the match in which Tony D’Angelo came up victorious. The only lowlight was the promo segment with Gallus and Pretty Deadly. It accomplished its goal but wasn't memorable.
The matches were great but most were around three stars. The show was very easy to watch throughout but not every match was great so that hurt it. The score for atmosphere loses points only because a few segments lacked great crowd noise but was otherwise great. Storytelling was excellent from Bron Breakker and Carmelo Hayes to Grayson Waller and Shawn Michaels. A lot to look forward to from that standpoint. Production was good but there wasn't anything special.
On tonight’s episode of NXT: Dijak and Tony D’Angelo face off in a Jailhouse Street Fight. Who will come out on top in this physical battle? HBK, Shawn Michaels joins the Grayson Waller Effect. Will he straighten out Waller? And in the main event, Roxanne Perez defends the NXT Women’s Championship against the Final Boss, Meiko Satomura. Will Perez pass her toughest test yet?
Tiffany Stratton gave a preview of Roadblock in a special edition of “Tiffany’s Epiphanies”
AMAZING Tony D’Angelo vs Dijak in a Jailhouse Street Fight:
Dijak evened the odds by taking out Stacks Lorenzo early on. To clarify, this match is structured similarly to a casket match except the only way to win is by locking your opponent inside of a jail cell instead of a casket. As expected, this match was very hard-hitting with several chair shots. In fact, Dijak hit his finisher in a way that landed D’Angelo on a chair. The action didn’t stop there, as Dijak sprung from the top rope to elbow-drop his opponent through a table. Each man managed to avoid the cage several times, with the Don targeting Dijak’s dislocated finger in order to escape. Finally, Tony D closed the door on Dijak after leveling his opponent with a crowbar. Assist goes to Lorenzo who sacrificed his own body to help the boss.
Results: Tony D’Angelo defeated Dijak
Matt Cookson WR Star Rating – 4 Stars
Roxanne Perez said this her toughest title defense yet and has trained accordingly.
Josh Briggs approached Kiana James in an effort to fix Brooks Jensen’s relationship with her. In response, she promised to call Jensen.
ABOVE AVERAGE Gallus and Pretty Deadly:
Pretty Deadly talked from the balcony to avoid getting too close to Gallus. After insulting their Scottish heritage, Pretty Deadly demanded a shot at reacquiring the tag team titles. Gallus then invited the Englishmen to the ring for a brawl.
Matt Cookson WR Star Rating – 2.75 Stars
Lyra Valkyria announced her intention to challenge Roxanne Perez for the NXT Women’s Championship.
After a video promo from Ilja Dragunov, Dragon Lee was shown in the audience.
GOOD Bron Breakker and the Creed Brothers vs Indus Sher:
The fighting quickly got started outside the ring. Once the match officially started, Breakker and co displayed impressive athleticism by simultaneously jumping over the top rope onto Indus Sher. Later, Julius Creed nearly pinned Sanga after he and Breakker splashed onto Sanga. In the finish, Julius Creed lifted Veer on his shoulders while Brutus dropped Veer with a Brutus Bomb.
Results: Bron Breakker and the Creed Brothers by Pinfall via Brutus Bomb
Matt Cookson WR Star Rating – 3.25 Stars
GREAT Shawn Michaels on the Grayson Waller Effect:
The crowd was pumped for HBK, chanting his name and singing his theme even after his music stopped playing. Waller told Michaels the reason for the animosity is because he believes Michaels is holding him back. Then, Grayson Waller went for the low blow and said HBK only has his job because of Triple H’s health problems. Waller also ripped into the crowd and said he’s sick of NXT. As Shawn Michaels reached his limit, Waller challenged him to a match at Stand and Deliver. While Michaels would love to kick Waller’s you know what, instead he introduced his actual opponent for Stand and Deliver: Johnny Gargano.
Matt Cookson WR Star Rating – 3.75 Stars
GOOD Gigi Dolin vs Jacy Jayne:
Gigi Dolin controlled this match early on but Jayne turned things around by drawing Dolin out of the ring. While there, Jacy Jayne tried to use a chair but Dolin countered the attack. After a lot of back and forth, Dolin finished off her opponent. Post-match, Jacy Jayne attacked Gigi Dolin.
Results: Gigi Dolin by Pinfall
Matt Cookson WR Star Rating – 3 Stars
Josh Briggs now believes that Kiana James is cheating on Jensen.
GOOD Bron Breakker and Carmelo Hayes:
Breakker snuck into the ring and immediately called Carmelo Hayes to the ring. Hayes said it was time for them to have a match at Stand and Deliver. They talked about how Triple H and HBK said they were the future of NXT. They then agreed to a title match at Stand and Deliver.
Matt Cookson WR Star Rating – 3 Stars
Tyler Bate helped Thea Hail overcome her issues with some meditation.
GOOD Joe Gacy vs Andre Chase:
Gacy controlled the match early on but Andre Chase fought back. Chase landed a side slam on Gacy and nearly pinned him. A confrontation between Thea Hail and Ava Raine caused a distraction, allowing Gacy to finish off Chase with a clothesline.
Results: Joe Gacy by Pinfall via Clothesline
Matt Cookson WR Star Rating – 3 Stars
Duke Hudson ripped into the rest of Chase U for not taking wrestling seriously enough.
Wes Lee issued another open challenge for the North American Championship that was answered by Axiom.
GREAT Meiko Satomura vs Roxanne Perez for the NXT Women’s Championship:
The two exchanged intense looks as they shook hands to start. Satomura targeted Perez’s limbs, weakening her ability to go on offense. The champion powered through the pain to passionately strike her opponent. Later, Meiko Satomura tried a splash off the turnbuckle but Perez countered. In the finish, Perez countered a move to roll up Satomura for the victory. After the match, Perez collapsed and was stretchered out of the arena.
Results: Roxanne Perez by Pinfall
Matt Cookson WR Star Rating – 3.5 Stars
Overall…
This was a very good episode of NXT. The highlight of the show was easily the Jailhouse Streetfight to kick off the show. There were several near victories throughout the match that increased the suspense. Also, several spots added to the entertainment of the match in which Tony D’Angelo came up victorious. The only lowlight was the promo segment with Gallus and Pretty Deadly. It accomplished its goal but wasn’t memorable.
The matches were great but most were around three stars. The show was very easy to watch throughout but not every match was great so that hurt it. The score for atmosphere loses points only because a few segments lacked great crowd noise but was otherwise great. Storytelling was excellent from Bron Breakker and Carmelo Hayes to Grayson Waller and Shawn Michaels. A lot to look forward to from that standpoint. Production was good but there wasn’t anything special.
Matches: 0.5/1 Stars
Show Structure: 0.75/1 Stars
Atmosphere: 0.75/1 Stars
Storytelling: 1/1 Stars
Production/Theme: 0.75/1 Stars
Overall Rating. 3.75/5 Stars
Photo Credit: WWE
For inquiries about the rating criteria check out the article announcing the new system here:
