The NXT Thread

[mth]

Darkstate got a name and some talking time which is good. Name's not the greatest but whatever. Curiousr that they came out at the close of the show but didn't actually do anything/attack anyone. Makes you wonder if maybe someone in the ring is part of the group. Trick? They've yet to attack him. Also, this Underground Match was pretty damn disappointing.

Stephanie killed it in her promo. "They can't speak English well enough" be damned. So many international stars have proven that's needing to speak English well or hell, damn-near at all, is a load of bullshit. Steph, Gulia, Penta, Iyo, Asuka, Shinsuke, etc. Getting a double dose of Steph next week is cool though I'm thinking that means she's losing the NA title back to Fallon since it's going on second. But maybe not.

Saints' backstage double entendre line was dumb. But his entrance seems to have improved and the match was decent.

Jensen's new gear made him look really out of place in The Culling.

[NeseToTheFace]

Only saw the main event and didn't think that was a good match for Trick. To me it highlighted how little a moveset that he has and can do with ease. A lot of scoop slams and running knees. Entrance gets the crowd hyped, but he just looks weak in the ring. And even weaker without ropes in the Underground. I thought the other guy looked solid and carried the match. I'm absolutely drawing a blank on his name which makes me feel like this was a bad match to put in the main event. I think if they opened with this it would've been better but felt like a wet fart to end the night.

[Badger]

Eddy Thorpe…but then again his character is pretty forgettable. He’s okay but nothing really stands out.

So the stable is called DarkState now…ehhh sounds like something edgy one would come up with in school playing one of the old Smackdown/WWF Attitude games. Hell my friend had a website called Darknation when we were in school.

[Donald Pleasence]

Please tell me it was an ebony porn site.

[Nash Diesel]

Not feeling Eddy Thorpe just yet.

I still think those cats should've gone by "Sons of Shield" because anyone with a memory is going to automatically think of 2 factions: Shield or Retribution. They're already rocking the looks they should try to get Seth Rollins to come down and be the mastermind.

[Murphy]

Has there ever been a decent 'Underground' match? Not really sure what type of fan they cater to, to be honest. It's different, I suppose, that's all I've got.

Stephanie has been awesome since she came in. No issue if Fallon takes the NA title back next week though.

[Donald Pleasence]

I watched an episode of NXT from 2014 the other day, it was Finn Balor's first WWE match, where he teamed with Hideo Itami vs. Justin Gabriel and Tyson Kidd.

It also featured Sasha Banks (with Becky Lynch as a manager?) vs. a sparkly Alexa Bliss.

Good to see Sasha Banks has not learned how to cut a good promo in the 10 years since.

[Donald Pleasence]

I watched an episode of NXT from 2014 the other day, it was Finn Balor's second WWE match, where he teamed with Hideo Itami vs. Justin Gabriel and Tyson Kidd.

It also featured Sasha Banks (with Becky Lynch as a manager?) vs. a sparkly Alexa Bliss.

Good to see Sasha Banks has not learned how to cut a good promo in the 10 years since.

[mth]

Enjoyed the Stephanie Show and the stuff with Trick/Evans/Oba/Darkstate is interesting. Trick is 100% their leader. Happy to see Tyson and Tyriek get another win, this time on the bigger show. Get them dudes after the tag titles soon, plz.

[mth]

I retract my previous statement re: Trick/Darkstate. Saw some speculation Stacks might actually be their leader which could be interesting. Or maybe they are just who they are. Good promo stuff with the NXT Title

Not thrilled with Steph relinquishing the NA Title. But at least she addressed the backlash to it right away with decent reasoning. ALready stoked for the ladder match. Lash/Zaria had some clunks but was pretty dope otherwise. Kelani beating Roxy is a big win but as I've said, sorry but she's just not doing a damn thing for me. Grace yeeting that security guard out of the ring was awesome.

Starks winning the NA Title was a nice surprise and I am so here for him against Page.

[NeseToTheFace]

The masks for the Darkstate guys are pretty silly. They keep slipping off, moving them back covering part of their face, repeat. Not discrediting your initial thought about Trick being the leader, but at first it reminded me of when CM Punk was off limits with The Shield. Good to see them cover that up this week. Where does it go? Like the Bianca/Naomi/Jade thing I'm not terribly intrigued. Yet. There's potential but I think they need to be put in some matches, like next week or after Trick could call them out and Ava turns it into a tag match playa.

[Nash Diesel]

I watched an episode of NXT from 2014 the other day, it was Finn Balor's second WWE match, where he teamed with Hideo Itami vs. Justin Gabriel and Tyson Kidd.

It also featured Sasha Banks (with Becky Lynch as a manager?) vs. a sparkly Alexa Bliss.

Good to see Sasha Banks has not learned how to cut a good promo in the 10 years since.

I used to go on Hulu and go back to the early years of NXT and I remember seeing RVD v. Neville....It also makes you feel old as fuck when you guys like Chad Gable with the long hair as a jabroni.

[Donald Pleasence]

I used to go on Hulu and go back to the early years of NXT and I remember seeing RVD v. Neville....It also makes you feel old as fuck when you guys like Chad Gable with the long hair as a jabroni.

Haha I remember that Chad Gable, when he would hold up the towel and saying something like Willing and Gable?

[3puppies]

Haha I remember that Chad Gable, when he would hold up the towel and saying something like Willing and Gable?

I can't remember - was that before or after he was Shorty Gable?

[Nash Diesel]

I can't remember - was that before or after he was Shorty Gable?

This was way back even before he teamed up with Jason Jordan as American Alpha in NXT. He started doing the Cena towel right before they were paired up. If you ever get a chance, check out American Alpha in NXT. They had an ok run on the main roster before they were split and they did the stupid Jordan=Kurt Angle's son angle.

I'm going to rant and say that was one of the worst "swerve" bookings in WWE history. Right up there with Jericho unifying the WCW/WWF titles. The obvious would've been Chad Gable=Angle's son but Vince is a weird dude and hangs out with weird dudes. So while it was a swerve, it also wasn't exactly a shocker when you sat back and thought about it lol.