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Thread: The NXT Thread

  1. #20401
    an affront to god mth's Avatar
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    WWE are saying Johnny is injured for what it's worth.

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    Hopefully it's nothing serious and they don't have to strip him. If they do, I think a perfect storyline would be that Theory has to defend it for Kushida (not tonight but down the road) and he loses it.

    Kushida is so good and it would be great to see him elevate that NA title.

  3. #20403
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    I thought he was being primed for Balor a few months back but if he's not heading for the main event, a nice solid NA Title reign for Kushida is just what the doctor ordered.

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    Damnit! Btw not about Kushida but Johnny being out.

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    I've been watching again for the last few weeks. Initially quite apathetically but there are a few things keeping me around now. It was weird seeing both Tyler Rust and Curt Stallion - two wrestlers who I had literally never heard of - popping up over the last few shows and learning that they've apparently been on TV for a while. I'm not familiar with their stuff on the indies either.

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    Think it's one of the two you mentioned, Rust or Stallion, but the last NXT I watched, he asked Regal for a match against Bronson Reed and the guys manager wasn't happy about it.

    There's a lot of new faces in NXT I'm not familiar with, I should watch it more but the Masked Dancer is just so much more exciting.

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    I will say this, despite me not being a fan of Grimes, Lio Rush Jr, Sam Shaw, they do have a place challenging for the NA title. They're not just a generic wrestler. I'm on the fence of some of these super new guys coming in that all look like scrawny Drew McIntyre's but you never know. If Kushida and Gargano are at the top, and you have those 3 from earlier plus Austin Theory, maybe throw in Kyle O'Reilly who people forget is Canadian and we've yet to have a Canadian NA champion.

    Going in a different direction real quick, and I apologize for how it's worded. Do you ever wonder why we don't see a tag-team from NXT break up and do singles stuff on Raw or SD? I think back to OVW and how you had Lesnar and Benjamin were a team, Cena and Rico were a team, but then when they get called up, not anymore.

    Or vice versa. Why don't we see 2 people get called up but then put as a tag-team? We saw it a little with Ricochet and Aleister Black but that wasn't full-time.

  8. #20408
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    With the Xia stuff being full blown Mortal Kombat schlock and Karrion/Scarlett being corny as hell... I think NXT needs to make sure they don't lean this much towards main roster storylines.

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    This version of Gargano is some of his best stuff.

  10. #20410
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    Commentary hit a high note. Beth being back has helped. The bickering they all have amongst each other is humorous to me while not taking away from the work in the ring.

    Incredibly fun opener. That felt like the best match I've seen from Legado and MSK is 3-3 for fun matches in NXT. I do like the subtle story that MSK has had to crank it up in each round. The assisting moonsault on the apron was wild. It was weird that the crowd was booing MSK and rooting for Legado. No idea what that was. Actually kind of surprised that the attack from Kross last week didn't play a role in the overall flow of the match or the finish. Good to see that.

    Great hype videos for Mercedes, Toni, and Io. Of course, the champ looked like a star, it helped reinforce the point on Toni's end that she's a legit threat, and we needed that hint of exposition for Mercedes and it ultimately just made her look like a badass.

    Strong badass-ery transition from Mercedes to Xia. Why it was disjointed, having Kacy and Kayden coming to check on Xia was a serviceable callback. Xia showed hints of her turn with those two ladies but it's been quite a while for them to check in on her lol. There's certainly a lot going on in this story. No matter the story, Boa always seems to be the whipping boy lol.

    Scarlett was like the blonde Jessica Rabbit or something with that door-opening reveal. Still don't have a clue why Kross and Scarlett are so fixated on the CW champion but that match should be really fun. Escobar having Legado hunt for Kross was a nice touch, too. Kross taking them out was great. I enjoy him much more as a talker than a wrestler. Could very well see that being the main event next week.

    Fantastic comedy but logical segment with The Way. I laughed my ass off with them coming back already in action to see Theory living Gargano over the top rope and Indi lifting him up to the turnbuckle. Being unable to walk due to a broken arm, Gargano looking wimpy during it all was the damn icing on the cake. "Dennis Charade-man" and not knowing Regal's voice, then being asked to be turned towards the stage, the fall into the chair and then the bump onto the mat...Gargano's humor has been sharp as a tack.

    Just based on the other end of the bracket, it was a matter of how Shotzi and Ember were going to win and not if they were going to win. It's absurd how talented Candice is in the ring. She does so many things and can work different styles at the drop of a hat. The tandem Old School into the Hurricanrana was sick. Unnecessary but nice dose of storytelling where Indi lost track of the match and thinking too much about protecting Candice but taking herself out as she was the legal teammate.

    The prophecy is close to being fulfilled, thanks to Regal. The problem is that the current champs help favor Shotzi/Ember being the winners this weekend. Please...give it to Dakota and Raquel. I'm just glad that the winners of the women's tourney get the same treatment as the men.

    Great video package for the title match. Simple but effective. "They see the poster boy for European wrestling. I see a geezer with a glass jaw." Damn, Dunne. He probably signed his death wish with that, but that was a hell of a line to throw at the champ.

    It was palpable the first time he showed up on NXT, as he played the part in Evolve, Theory is definitely going to be a player. This time with The Way has done wonders to work on his weakness, which is only going to help him in the long run. Good tease with Lumis getting involved to even the odds. I do think we're going to eventually get Kushida winning to NA championship but I don't think it's happening Sunday.

    So ominous with the Imperium video. Love it.

    STONKS...TO THE MOON! I figured they were going to come up with a hook for Grimes' return and this was a pretty witty one. It's a timely reference but it's a good spin on The Million Dollar Man, JBL, and coke-fueled Flair from the 80s. Grimes clearly has the personality to make it work. Sounds like he's going to have the opportunity to have a lot of rope with this, so I'm looking forward to seeing where he goes with it. He must have watched a lot of Alice while he was off TV.

    With the two tag teams in the main event, it wasn't a surprise that it was a grit and grind match. The breaks went the for Thatcher and Ciampa didn't work out for them this week. Subsequently, those breaks worked out for GYV and that proved to be the difference. It felt like they were in control most of the match so it was just a matter of time for them to get the win. A wonderful clash of styles is now set up for the final.

    Different outro rollout of the card. Mileage may vary on the cheesiness of it but I thought it was fun.

    NXT Takeover: Vengeance Day
    - Dakota Kai and Raquel González vs. Ember Moon and Shotzi Blackheart - Women’s Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic Finals
    - MSK vs. Grizzled Young Veterans - Men's Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic Finals
    - Johnny Gargano (c) vs. Kushida - NXT North American Championship
    - Io Shirai (c) vs. Toni Storm vs. Mercedes Martinez - Triple threat match for the NXT Women's Championship
    - Finn Bálor (c) vs. Pete Dunne - NXT Championship
    Last edited by BGMaverick; February 11th, 2021 at 12:05 AM.

  11. #20411
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    Give Grimes every NXT title!

  12. #20412
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    Opening tag delivered what I expected and was really good. That assisted moonsault off the apron was pretty dope. Didn't doubt MSK were getting the win. Suspect they're winning the whole damn thing and possibly the tag titles as well. Dudes are riding a rocket straight outta the gate.

    Call the Tian Sha stuff schlock if you want, i think it's working and is dope. Xia is coming across as a big fucking deal and an absolute badass. The theatricality is fun and the creepy lady in the chair legit had me on the edge of my seat when Xia/Boa were apologizing post-match. Surprised/pleased to see them circle back to the Kacy/Kayden stuff as that kind of faded but never really got resolved. Now Xia's got something to do. Still curious how Boa fits into this and if he'll ever wrestle or if he's just a manager of sorts.

    I legit compared Scarlett to Jessica Rabbit when the wife and i were watching, too. Good lord she and Kross are absolute cartoon characters. They're Disney villains. They still haven't given any explanation why they're targeting Escobar and it's wierd but I am still curious how the match will be.

    First of all, super thankful that Johnny's injury was a work. Second of all, oh my god what a wonderful revelation of that. Hilarious segment. Just something funny after something funny after something funny. Theory's oblivious idiot turn to Kushida at the end had me laughing the hardest.

    Shotzi/Ember winning was no shock but I'll admit they almost had me with that Wicked Stepsister/Flying Elbow combo from the heels. Nice way to end it with Indi taking the hit for Candice. They're really doing a nice job using her and Theory as the proteges in this group. Candice really should get the Women's Title at some point. Power Couple, goddammit.

    I could have sworn we already knew the Women's Dusty Cup winners were getting a tag title shot but I guess I just assumed. And yup, that really seems to tip the favor towards Shotzi/Ember unless the titles change hands in the meanwhile (poor BGM). Thing is, if it is them, I actually think they've got a strong chance of winning the belts, as well, and finally making that tri-branded aspect mean something.

    Theory/Kushida was good. Figured we'd see Lumis somewhere in this, I keep expecting him during matches and it keeps being post-match, heh. Fun bit with the under the ring swap out. Seeing Lumis without his gloves felt a bit wrong, though, seemed naked without them. Still interesting that he's in the mix with this but not in the title match. They don't really seem to be selling that he's got his eyes on the title.

    Ok, Grimes' new layer is tremendous. I'm pretty sure the dude legit plays the market or whatever, I seem to recall him talking about some stock things he's involved with on his Twitter. So now, as if he wasn't enough of an obnoxious loudmouth asshole, he's also a RICH obnoxious loudmouthed asshole. He's everything you want in a guy you want to see get his ass beat and I love it.

    Didn't care about the main event so I was barely watching until the end. GYV won as I expected and that's fine.

    The TakeOver hype method at the end was pretty friggin' corny.

  13. #20413
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    One other note: This felt like an episode that was extra in the sense there was a ton of stuff going on. There were matches that were long but it didn't linger and then once it was done, they were on to something else quite quickly.

    Quote Originally Posted by mth View Post
    And yup, that really seems to tip the favor towards Shotzi/Ember unless the titles change hands in the meanwhile (poor BGM). Thing is, if it is them, I actually think they've got a strong chance of winning the belts, as well, and finally making that tri-branded aspect mean something.
    The only saving grace I see is that this is probably an entry point for a soft call-up for the winners and if that's the case and using that premise, I think the prospects are better that Dakota/Raquel win. Shotzi and Ember, for their own reasons, probably are best utilized within NXT and are different enough to stand out in a deep division. Whatever Vince sees in Nia, he'll have a better version in Raquel. They can fast-track further battles of the blood feud with Rhea, and Dakota is going to be a useful utility heel.

  14. #20414
    Furry, Filthy and Fun Badger's Avatar
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    I loved the Gargano/Regal back-and-forth.

    “Dennis Charademan!
    “The R stands for real!”


  15. #20415
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    Quote Originally Posted by BGMaverick View Post
    One other note: This felt like an episode that was extra in the sense there was a ton of stuff going on. There were matches that were long but it didn't linger and then once it was done, they were on to something else quite quickly.



    The only saving grace I see is that this is probably an entry point for a soft call-up for the winners and if that's the case and using that premise, I think the prospects are better that Dakota/Raquel win. Shotzi and Ember, for their own reasons, probably are best utilized within NXT and are different enough to stand out in a deep division. Whatever Vince sees in Nia, he'll have a better version in Raquel. They can fast-track further battles of the blood feud with Rhea, and Dakota is going to be a useful utility heel.
    If what you're implying is that all Vince sees is height, then I agree. But I don't see a single similarity in these 2 people outside of the fact they're both 6'0"

  16. #20416
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    Quote Originally Posted by BGMaverick View Post
    The only saving grace I see is that this is probably an entry point for a soft call-up for the winners and if that's the case and using that premise, I think the prospects are better that Dakota/Raquel win. Shotzi and Ember, for their own reasons, probably are best utilized within NXT and are different enough to stand out in a deep division. Whatever Vince sees in Nia, he'll have a better version in Raquel. They can fast-track further battles of the blood feud with Rhea, and Dakota is going to be a useful utility heel.
    Vince probably doesn't see much in Nia other than the fact that she's related to The Rock. If she was somebody else's boring cousin, she wouldn't have gotten anywhere near the front door. Vince has shown he can be blinded by size whether it be height or girth though.

    I totally agree that whatever badass Vince wants Nia to be, Raquel has shown that she can play the part better ten fold.

  17. #20417
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    I bet you Raquel wouldn't yell "My Hole" on TV, leaving me with countless hours of lafter.

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    Quote Originally Posted by VHS View Post
    Vince probably doesn't see much in Nia other than the fact that she's related to The Rock. If she was somebody else's boring cousin, she wouldn't have gotten anywhere near the front door. Vince has shown he can be blinded by size whether it be height or girth though.

    I totally agree that whatever badass Vince wants Nia to be, Raquel has shown that she can play the part better ten fold.
    There's also adaptability to Raquel's personality and demeanor. She clearly had an entry point with a Cowgirl gimmick or whatever it was supposed to be and she still had a decent appearance in the MYC with it. Then she kind of faded away to get seasoning. It's crazy that she reappeared last February so we've seen an evolution to her within the span of a year. She worked as an enforcer, a tag partner, and then had a big feud with one of the top women on the brand. Still has her moments where she looks a little like she's thinking the process out but she's really come a long way. Certainly much farther than Nia.

    You want someone who is visually imposing: she's on the level with Nia in a different way. You want someone who has more matches that talk about the performance rather than the potential safety implications: she's better than Nia there, and still developing.

  19. #20419
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    Quote Originally Posted by BGMaverick View Post
    There's also adaptability to Raquel's personality and demeanor. She clearly had an entry point with a Cowgirl gimmick or whatever it was supposed to be and she still had a decent appearance in the MYC with it. Then she kind of faded away to get seasoning. It's crazy that she reappeared last February so we've seen an evolution to her within the span of a year. She worked as an enforcer, a tag partner, and then had a big feud with one of the top women on the brand. Still has her moments where she looks a little like she's thinking the process out but she's really come a long way. Certainly much farther than Nia.

    You want someone who is visually imposing: she's on the level with Nia in a different way. You want someone who has more matches that talk about the performance rather than the potential safety implications: she's better than Nia there, and still developing.
    Much like how when Eva Marie and Mandy Rose were both up and coming, but you could clearly see Eva had no potential in comparison to Mandy.

    Raquel seems to have boat loads more potential even as a rookie compared to Nia, who still looks unconvincing and unimposing going on 6 years into being a wrestler.

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    Quote Originally Posted by VHS View Post
    With the Xia stuff being full blown Mortal Kombat schlock and Karrion/Scarlett being corny as hell... I think NXT needs to make sure they don't lean this much towards main roster storylines.
    People watch NXT are into that shit too. There's room for it all.

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    Comparing Nia Jax to Raquel is like comparing Viscera to Diesel.

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    I also think NXT deserves credit to power through WWE's self-sabotaging when it comes to tag teams. Despite their ability to do great work, the booking often tends to make it as a means to fill time or build teams only to destroy them. It could be very easy to follow suit but NXT doesn't do that. NXT's tag division goes through ebbs and flows but there's not many instances where they go through painful droughts with very little to work with. They got very close to that during the early portion of the pandemic, but the division is very healthy now and they've produced a heck of a tournament to this point. The main roster has really done a number on tag teams and it's a shame that they likely will do that to whichever teams out of this group end up on the main roster.

    Lucha House Party is a solid example. One group's trash is another's treasure.

  23. #20423
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    Quote Originally Posted by Nash Diesel View Post
    Comparing Nia Jax to Raquel is like comparing Viscera to Diesel.
    Raquel is SO much better than Jax that it's crazy.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Nash Diesel View Post
    Comparing Nia Jax to Raquel is like comparing Viscera to Diesel.
    this made my day lol

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    I think Raquel and Shayna would be a more apt comparison. They’d stack up quite well against each other.

    Raquel’s obv taller but it’d still be an intriguing match-up.
    Last edited by Badger; February 11th, 2021 at 6:53 PM.

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    Raquel reminds me of Chyna if I'm totally honest. Tall, not as muscular but in good shape, does a few moves and they all look brutal.

    Rhea Ripley reminds me of Masa Chono.

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    Raquel is better than Chyna ever was in the ring IMO

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    I quite like Raquel Rodriguez.

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    Chyna in this era would’ve been good, actual female competition and of size to take her on.

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    Quote Originally Posted by kdestiny View Post
    Raquel is better than Chyna ever was in the ring IMO
    Awesome. I guess I wasn't really speaking on the level of skill but match quality is subjective. My point was purely visual. They're tall, good shape, do the 4-5 moves they have very well and they're believable.

    If you want to split hairs and talk about who was better, I'm sure Chyna would have loved to have had the dance partners and trainers to make her look great. I don't know if Terri Runnels and Hardcore Holly could channel their inner Io Shirai lol. Chyna v. Masa Chono though, pretty dope.

    Quote Originally Posted by Badger View Post
    Chyna in this era would’ve been good, actual female competition and of size to take her on.
    I think that if she had the level of training that a lot of the women have these days she would've been stellar. A real athlete and got the job done. She was in an era where everyone from the top to the bottom were essentially working a similar kick-punch rest hold signature finisher match. Most could wrestle more than that style but 7-8.0 ratings weren't happening because people wanted to see Bret Hart and 123 Kid have a clinic they wanted to see The Rock and Mankind fuck each other with chairs lol.

    Chyna now would be like a Charlotte Flair. Maybe not as graceful but she'd be doing moonsaults and shit. She wasn't awkward like a lot of taller women can be in wrestling and like I said earlier she looked believable. Moves looked brutal.

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    I would love to see Raquel vs. Jericho for what it's worth.

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    Quote Originally Posted by kdestiny View Post
    I would love to see Raquel vs. Jericho for what it's worth.
    It would suck.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Nash Diesel View Post
    It would suck.
    It would be better than Chyna/Jericho.

    Can't believe you compared Chyna to Charlotte Flair.

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    Triple H on Edge/NXT:
    Quote Originally Posted by gerweck.net
    * WWE Hall of Famer Edge wants to work more in NXT. Triple h said Edge has been talking to him for more than one year about coming to NXT to wrestle and to speak with the roster. He even provided a list of NXT Superstars he wants to work with. Edge wants to put over the younger wrestlers. He thinks Edge’s return has been done really well
    Good god, yes, please. Few ways they could go about it: have him go after the NXT Champ for Mania being obvious but he could also come up short against one of the other champions at Mania and then come to NXT afterward. Could even have the NXT Title match at Mania but have a guy like Kross screw him for taking the spot from a young guy like himself so he kicks off a non-title feud in NXT.

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    Interested what they do with Kross. I think some of the shine of the character has worn off since his debut. Injury and time off wasn't a big deal to me, as whether he is there or not there's always someone else who steps up. Could be an opponent of Hurt Business to even things up at some point.

    Love Kushida's work of late. Hope they put the NA title on him either this show or in another month if Gargano keeps attempting to dodge him, weasel his way out of a match, get DQ'ed or whatever.

    A lot more clicking in NXT than the main roster right now, feels like everybody has something they're involved in. Introducing that Rust guy didn't hurt, and they have a deep enough roster to involve a lot of people and nobody really gets lost in the mix.

  36. #20436
    Furry, Filthy and Fun Badger's Avatar
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    NXT doing a lot of things well but mixed feelings about the Men’s Dusty Cup. 1. Nothing against MSK as such but given how dominant Escobar has been why did Legado not follow suit to the final? MSK aren’t bad but they don’t ooze charisma to me. 2. The odd couple Ciampa/Thatcher should’ve made the finals and their alliance did not last long enough. 3. Raquel, maybe this will pay off later and I’m being a bit impatient but after Wargames, why is she not getting the first crack at Io?

    Mixed feelings about this Io/Boa thing. It is giving them something to do but how long will it last and does seem a bit on the corny side. She could’ve been a badass face.

    Few minor things as love things like the Way and Balor/Dunne coming to fruition. Hope Mcafee reappears again soon though does understand he has a busy schedule m.

  37. #20437
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    Quote Originally Posted by Badger View Post
    NXT doing a lot of things well but mixed feelings about the Men’s Dusty Cup. 1. Nothing against MSK as such but given how dominant Escobar has been why did Legado not follow suit to the final? MSK aren’t bad but they don’t ooze charisma to me. 2. The odd couple Ciampa/Thatcher should’ve made the finals and their alliance did not last long enough. 3. Raquel, maybe this will pay off later and I’m being a bit impatient but after Wargames, why is she not getting the first crack at Io?

    Mixed feelings about this Io/Boa thing. It is giving them something to do but how long will it last and does seem a bit on the corny side. She could’ve been a badass face.

    Few minor things as love things like the Way and Balor/Dunne coming to fruition. Hope Mcafee reappears again soon though does understand he has a busy schedule m.
    MSK is certainly charismatic as hell in the ring. They really haven't gotten a lot of time to share who they are on the mic. Mendoza and Wilde are basically talented underlings for Escobar so they probably leveled out appropriately. Got some wins but didn't get the big run. All in all, they're doing great because they were two talented guys who were underutilized before this grouping with Escobar.

    To me, 3 of the 4 teams were viable to make it to the finals. Ciampa/Thatcher are going to have some kind of falling out and I'm interested to see where it goes. If anything, it seems like they threw people off the scent. The Dusty has been a tournament littered with champions who ultimately are makeshift teams so they probably leaned into to that to create a fun swerve.

    If Raquel wasn't getting a title shot, giving her and Dakota a tag run with possibly larger implications works for me. They clearly veered after WarGames but there's more than enough depth in that division to where it's all good and again, they made good use of Raquel in the meantime. This also tells me they're not quite ready to pull the trigger on Io losing the title. Someone, my guess is Mercedes, is just in the mix to eat a pin right now.

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    I’d love Raquel/Dakota to get the classic but pretty sure it’s gonna be Shotzi/Moon (sorry I know Shotzi tries hard, she’s just not my cup of tea). Love to be proven wrong on that though given the winners get tag title shots and Nia/Shayna are the champs at the moment, that’s likely where this is going.

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    I thought I'd hate MSK and the little mic time they've had has been annoying but they've been really entertaining in the ring and I love how strong they've been booked right off the bat. So refreshing. Really good match with LDF this week. They're one of those acts I imagine I would have no interest in if they were on the main roster but in NXT they work.

    Overall I though it was a very good show this week, don't think there was anything I skipped. Good matches and memorable segments. I'm on board with the Chinese comic book stuff to be honest. It's supernatural in wrestling done well. The Undertaker/Kane origin angle from back in the day was one of my favourite things in wrestling as a kid and this reminds me of that. Speaking of things that reminded me of the attitude era, the Gargano/Regal segment brought back memories of similar segments from back in the day too. Top stuff.

    I'm really enjoying Thatcher and Ciampa as two guys who don't really give a fuck about anything other than fighting. I feel like that's one thing modern wrestling is missing - in the US anyway. Characters who look like they actually want to fight people rather than just put on a show.
    Last edited by Ringo; February 13th, 2021 at 6:24 AM.

  40. #20440
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    I’m all for Xia Li being more badass but dunno if this is the way to go. Whole thing reeks a bit of bad Ministry of Darkness.

  41. #20441
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    However I cannot say enough wonderful things about the Grimes gimmick. That’s corny but corny works for him.

    He’ll probably fall flat on his arse but it’ll be hilarious when it happens!

  42. #20442
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    Quote Originally Posted by Badger View Post
    I’m all for Xia Li being more badass but dunno if this is the way to go. Whole thing reeks a bit of bad Ministry of Darkness.
    It's a deep, deep division and she needed something to stand out.

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    Kayden yelling at the dude in the chair and then Boa getting choked out was cringe though. I hope they dial back on the theater because that's not what I want in NXT.

  44. #20444
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    VENGEANCE DAY PREDICTIONS

    Men's Dusty Cup Finals
    MSK vs. GYV

    Pretty certain MSK win this one.

    Women's Dusty Cup Finals
    Ember Moon & Shotzi Blackheart vs. Dakota Kai & Raquel Gonzalez


    Could easily see this going either way if it weren't for the fact that the current tag champs are Shayna/Nia in which case I'm saying Moon/Blackheart win it.

    NXT North American Championship
    Johnny Gargano vs. Kushida


    Almost certain that Theory and Lumis get involved somehow but the question is whether that helps or hurts Gargano's chances 'cuz I could see this one going either way, as well. I'll say Lumis helps Kushida win it and then confronts him post-match indicating he wants a title shot as a thank you.

    NXT Women's Championship
    Io Shirai vs. Toni Storm vs. Mercedes Martinez


    I feel pretty safe in saying Io retains and will soon be defending against Xia Li.

    NXT Championship
    Finn Balor vs. Pete Dunne


    Another one where I'm pretty sure the champ is retaining. But man, part of me thinks McAfee might pop up and help Dunne win and that the news we won't see him for a long time is a smokescreen. But I'll say Balor keeps it 'cuz Kross is coming down the pipe.

    All in all, very excited for the show. What say you folks?

  45. #20445
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    MSK
    Dakota/Raquel
    Gargano
    Io
    Bálor

  46. #20446
    Turning back time Kdestiny's Avatar
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    usa
    MSK
    Ember/Shotzi
    Gargano
    Io
    Balor

  47. #20447
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    Quote Originally Posted by kdestiny View Post
    MSK
    Ember/Shotzi
    Gargano
    Io
    Balor
    This.

  48. #20448
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    brazil
    Same but I think Kushida has a chance. Strong card anyway. The three title matches should all be fantastic and the two Dusty finals are probably the right pairings to end two enjoyable tournaments.

  49. #20449
    too big to fail Tainted Eclipse's Avatar
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    looks like a strong card. i'll give it a chance. don't think i've watched an NXT show since whenever that in your house card was.

  50. #20450
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    usa
    Why are they doing a show on Valentine’s Day and not calling it Valentine’s Day massacre

  51. #20451
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    really liked the rap intro

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    damn that dusty classic final was fantastic.

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    LA Knight sounds like a jobber from Velocity.

  54. #20454
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    Quote Originally Posted by BGMaverick View Post
    MSK
    Dakota/Raquel
    Gargano
    Io
    Bálor

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    This was the last Takeover of the Network Era. Crazy to think that the next time we see a Takeover it's going to be on Peacock. Takeovers have had to hit a new norm since the pandemic started. Despite that, they've still delivered and this chapter was no different. This probably needs to be bookmarked as an all-timer.

    LA Knight (fka Eli Drake) made his debut on the kickoff. He probably won some points by calling Brandon Walker a big idiot. It'll be interesting to see how he fits in the landscape. Kind of get the sense him showing up in NXT is probably 2-3 years after the peak window for him, but the guy can talk with the best of them. It's good to see that they used this opportunity to debut someone. It feels like forever and a day where they had someone ringside as a new signee. Clearly this was a spin on it, but it's nice to see that old staple of Takeover return.

    Different opening with Josiah Williams rapping, essentially setting up the card. Different but I thought it was cool. If anything, he potentially figured out the national mystery of MSK (Must-See Kids).

    Nice themed set for Takeover. No ramp and everything was connected to the stage.

    Takeovers usually lead off with a slappin' tag match so I'm happy to see the ladies had the shot to start things off and get that nod of respect. It was an interesting match as it was set up to where the faces were out to single out Dakota, thus creating a weird hot tag effective for Raquel. Also an odd spot where Dakota was stopped by the ref because she was coming to break up the tag. The pace was all over the crazy and chaotic in parts. Despite the weird booking, it was clear they wanted to make Raquel look like a force of nature. Wild, physical match. My prophecy is one step closer! Nia's hole is officially on notice.

    Funny start to the NA championship match to see Theory kidnapped backstage by Lumis. The spot where they basically countered each other for a good 10-15 seconds, at full speed, after Gargano broke out of the crossface was spectacular. Kushida was trying his damndest to systemically dismantle Gargano and he was close so many damn times. All of the comedy and banter in the weeks leading up to the match kind of downplayed the fact that Gargano/Kushida was set up to be a straight up banger. Instant classic, without a doubt. Wow. Really surprised it was clean because I figured they'd extend it to get Kushida the win later. At this point, find whatever reason you need to run it back. Need more of that, and need Kushida to seal the deal.

    Incredibly tough spot for MSK and GYV, following up that masterpiece, but they really did a wonderful job. Great story on Carter becoming a wrestler due to the fact that he watched wrestling with his father and that was their connective tissue. Probably could have used that exposition leading into the tournament or during it but it's good to hear that stuff to help add layers. Easy to tell story as each team tried to dictate their own pace. Lee's dives just look absolutely effortless. So smooth with that athleticism. Sounds like the dump button wasn't ready when Nash was firing up lol. The Doomsday Device on the outside? Yikers. The right team won. Tremendous job building a team quickly in MSK, and it's probably right to pull the trigger and give them the belts. GYV, once again the bridesmaids.

    Josiah Williams had a busy night: Intro rap, and the Grimes rap. What a mini music video that was haha.

    Once again it needs to be said: Mercedes had one of the luckiest breaks of 2020 as she got out of Retribution and got to go back to NXT. She didn't have a lot of time to re-establish her character in the build to this but she made the most of the opportunity. I also love how she's pretty much the only one in WWE now using the spider suplex lol. Poor table, clearly scared of Toni breathing on it so it just broke lol. Barrett tried his best to cover for it by mentioning MSK in the previous match but that wasn't going to fly. This match felt flatter than the other ones prior on the card but it was still a fun triple threat. Once this got established as a triple threat, I saw it was a means to get Toni more focus, get a defense for Io, and Mercedes to eat the pin. Check - check - check. Could see it could just to Toni/Io now.

    Really high stakes on the line in the main event. Winner was getting the championship and the loser finally had to eat carbs (both dudes were shredded). It was kind of interesting to see a similar type of match, in a way, earlier in the night with Kushida/Gargano. This one was slower but it was the same point that the challenger was locked in on trying to manipulate a body part on the champion. It got out of that phase eventually and the pace quickened but if they kept it that way, it could have been something on a different level if it was a submission match. They were milking nearfalls all night long and they luckily only used that sparingly here. The dropkick on Dunne to set up the finish looked brutal.

    NEVER TRUST THE END CREDITS ON NXT

    There was one of two things I thought were happening after the match and we saw one of them lol. I kind of thought the teasing of Imperium could lead to Walter showing up on the screen to challenge Bálor, with UE on Bálor's side but....looks like we've got a dispute within the era. This is much-needed for Undisputed Era. While they attempted to lean into a babyface Cole, it wasn't taking in a clear manner, and it was for KOR. I imagine KOR and Cole is the way they're going and they slowly get Kross back into the title picture (though I hope they still have a rabbit in their hat and do the Walter idea). There could be a fun Bálor/Cole mach in there but it feels like the civil war within UE is the larger story there.

  56. #20456
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    Triple H notes:

    - Felt like with the action, a signee debuting, and the shocking ending, this felt like a throwback to NXT from a while back.
    - Early signs suggest they went through Takeover and the talent appears to be injury-free.
    - He said the women's triple threat was slated to go as long as 20 minutes but they went about 12. Said they had some blips along the way and they opted to go shorter than the available window. Was very proud of their ability to ad lib to the botched spot with the table.
    - Felt like MSK knocked every opportunity out of the park that was presented to them so they were fast-tracked onto TV. Cited that they're sponges and love the moments to be coached up on what they need to do, leaving ego at the door.
    - Said the time was right for LA Knight to arrive. Said there's no ceiling for his potential, or anyone who comes into NXT, and that Knight wanted the biggest platform he could have so he came to NXT.
    - As of right now, there is no expected change to the frequency of Takeovers when they move to Peacock.
    - Asked to assess the commentary team since Ranallo departed, he said it was right for both sides (NXT and Ranallo) to go in the directions they went but he's still a huge fan of him. He is thrilled with the dynamic that the commentary team has at the moment. He put over all three commentators and their ability to adapt in their own way but seemed to really go out of his way to praise Barrett.
    - Timing isn't right for a Latin American expansion for NXT but it is still a goal for them.
    Last edited by BGMaverick; February 14th, 2021 at 11:35 PM.

  57. #20457
    an affront to god mth's Avatar
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    Hell yeah, great show.

    Ok, so LA Knight is Eli Drake, got it. Don't honestly know anything about him but the talking he did sounded good so that's a plus.

    Utilizing Josiah Williams' skills is long overdue. Dude has some dope raps on their YouTube that I strongly suggest you check out (he does a full fantasy Rumble as a rap, it's insane).

    Women's Dusty Final was very good. They went full tilt and beat the crap out of each other and did some great big spots. Once again, lots of focus on Raquel being a beast. Happy for my boy BG getting his wish. I'd be very pleased to see these two teams going at it again for the Tag Titles once Raquel/Dakota win them and bring them to NXT, please (a ladder match would be fucking nuts).

    NA Title match was friggin' awesome. Several stretches of high speed counters that were just incredible. Nice to see Johnny seemingly leave the comedy at the door and just go like classic Johnny TakeOver. Especially with the clean win, it really seemed like it was re-establishing that as goofy as he's been since the turn and all the shortcuts, he can still just fucking GO. With Lumis abducting Theory earlier, i thought that shit might come back up later in the match yet, so I was surprised it didn't and was even more surprised there was no follow up at all on the show whatsoever. I actually think that it seems Kushida was the filler before Gargano now moves back into things with Lumis, maybe...

    I think I'm crushing on Wes Lee, guys. Dude seems to be outshining Carter a bit in my eyes and he cute. But yeah, Men's Dusty Cup absolutely delivered. Holy balls to that Doomsday Device on the outside. MSK got that rocket strapped on and it's a good ride so far. I'll have no complaints if they're the champs soon.

    Loved the music video for Grimes. Josiah's gettin' work. Hope that's his new theme song. Stackin' money TO THE MOON. Had the thought that'd it'd be kind of hilarious if he was one of those celebs that stupidly burns through their money and turns around to find they're unexpectedly broke, like rich ol' Grimey only last a couple weeks 'cuz he's an idiot...

    Women's Title did feel like it didn't hit the same highs as the other matches on the show. I'll blame part of that on the table falling apart. Just felt like it didn't click into that higher gear and the finisher nearfalls near the end felt more like they were expected rather than believable. But they still went hard and it was quite solid regardless. Great dive off the scaffold from Io. EDIT: Well, apparently its time was almost cut in half so that explains it.

    Really good main event. Really nice work targeting the body parts and selling them throughout the match, great exchanges of holds and countering. Definitely the kind of match where you could buy that this shit is legit, real fight feel. The low-blow/Bitter End near the end almost had me but Finn winning was still expected.

    Post match I was groaning at first as I called UE coming for the save and thought we were just getting some boring ol' pose to close the show or maybe this was some sort of new Bullet Club/Finn joining UE thing. i was screaming at the TV for Kyle to kick him in the dick or something so I was very happy when Cole hit the kick and even more so when he hit it on Kyle, too. Been waiting for this damn UE split for what feels like forever. 'Bout goddamn time.

  58. #20458
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    Quote Originally Posted by BGMaverick View Post
    Triple H notes:
    - Asked to assess the commentary team since Ranallo departed, he said it was right for both sides (NXT and Ranallo) to go in the directions they went but he's still a huge fan of him. He is thrilled with the dynamic that the commentary team has at the moment. He put over all three commentators and their ability to adapt in their own way but seemed to really go out of his way to praise Barrett.
    They really are having fun together.

    Case in point:
    As Kushida came out, Joseph said that Gargano was quoted as saying, "If you're not in The Way, stay out of The Way."
    Barrett said, "That reminds me of my old group that used to say, 'You're either Nexus or you're against us.'"
    Beth IMMEDIATELY chimed in and said, "Well, hopefully The Way is a little more successful than them. Let's get back to the core of the issue here..."

    Damn...lol.

  59. #20459
    an affront to god mth's Avatar
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    Vic laughed real hard at that burn, too. And so did I.

  60. #20460
    too big to fail Tainted Eclipse's Avatar
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    that was the most i've enjoyed a takeover in a very very long time. the men's tag and the main event both felt like MOTYCs to me. the weakest match was the opener, which had some moments of really bad execution, but also had good moments too.

  61. #20461
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    Hell of a show. I've missed a few Takeovers during the pandemic but in the period before it hit I thought there was a couple that weren't quite on the level they used to be and I'd generally become a bit apathetic towards the brand. Especially lengthy Adam Cole matches. This one delivered in a big way though, even without a full crowd.

    Liked the introductory rap. Fit the valentine's day theme.

    Opener had some sloppy moments early on but it got better and they went all out. Raquel killed it and is clearly in line for a big push this year. Was surprised to see her and Kai win but I like it. I really like the Baszler/Jax team but hope the NXT women win it. Would be refreshing and they'd have more challengers on NXT as well as being able to defend against Raw and Smackdown teams.

    Johnny/Kushida was a blast. Bit too long for me but nothing major. I was pulling for Kushida but I did expect Gargano to retain. What I didn't expect was that would it be a clean win. Guessing Dexter will be the one to dethrone Gargano now? I fear that Kushida will be forgotten again but hopefully that won't be the case.

    LA Knight sounds like an American sports team, weird name. Maybe there'll be a story behind it. It'll be good to have a top tier promo guy like Ricker in NXT though. Never been particularly interested in his matches but I imagine he'll be doing a lot of talking.

    Men's Dusty cup final was just fantastic, my match of the night I think. MSK and especially Wes Lee were on fire - a star making performance from him really. Glad they won, booking a new act to win something major so quickly feels like something WWE don't do enough of. GYV lose in the final again but I don't think they needed it as much as MSK.

    Women's title was the weakest match of the show although I am enjoying seeing Mercedes having her time in the spotlight. Surely they should be building to her winning the title, would be a great story. The table breaking was so awkward. Nice dive from Io off the lighting thing however.

    That Balor/Dunne video package is something else. "They see the poster boy for European wrestling, I see a geezer with a glass jaw" is such a class line. I liked that they included the Edge promo too. Made the match feel like an even bigger deal. Really liked all the mat stuff here and I didn't feel like it went on too long at all. Definitely about time TUE broke up, they seem like the stalest thing in NXT. I much prefer KOR to Adam Cole so I'll be happy to pull for him as the babyface.

  62. #20462
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    First Takeover I've watched since I think before the pandemic. I only watched some of the highlighted matches, but hot damn, the NA Championship and main event matches were insanely good. Gargano/Kushida in particular felt out of this world.

    I'm also happy to see Eli Drake finally show up, even if his new name is dumb as shit. I was literally just thinking it's weird he hasn't popped up in AEW or WWE.

  63. #20463
    OBJECTION Psycho666Soldier's Avatar
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    Well apparently I should go back and watch MSK/GYV, but eh.

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    Great show! The main event, NA title, and Men's Dusty cup all delivered. The women's matches were decent but not great. I loved the ending to the show as well. Made it feel bigger than just a transitional show.

  65. #20465
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    Quote Originally Posted by Psycho666Soldier View Post
    Well apparently I should go back and watch MSK/GYV, but eh.
    It's a really fun tag match.

  66. #20466
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    LA Knight. Rest In Peace Eli Kennedy.



















    Kennedy.

  67. #20467
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    If anyone cares...

    Meltzer enjoyed the show. He was confused by the end result of Gargano/Kushida in the sense it was a clean win, there was no comedy present in Gargano's character and all of that. Felt Gargano came out looking like a persevering babyface, but the match was phenomenal. Kind of had that same feeling for Dunne/Bálor but also enjoyed that match. He really, really enjoyed MSK/GYV. Felt like that was star-making performance for MSK and was right up there with one of the better performances he's seen from them.

    Loves what's going on with Cameron Graves. He's not sure what's going to happen with LA Knight because he's on the older side but his talking ability is going to separate him from the pack. Thinks the signing of Taya is interesting but not young. Thinks it is coup that they signed Blake Christian since he's younger than most of the signees and he's extremely talented.

    Thought the main event was very good and liked the post-match angle. Said it was time to break UE up and he envisions they're going to Cole/Bálor but I'm still not sure I see that. Thinks Strong will side with Cole and Fish (when he's not hurt) will side with KOR.

  68. #20468
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    Just because there's a change in Gargano's character, he doesn't have to be chickenshit all the time. I have no problem with him going over him clean on this occasion. It just means he can brag even more.

    Great show all around, the men's matches stood out for me more than the women's, particularly the Men's Dusty tag match as MSK are just something else. Liked the UE heel turn FINALLY happening.

  69. #20469
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    Quote Originally Posted by Badger View Post
    Just because there's a change in Gargano's character, he doesn't have to be chickenshit all the time. I have no problem with him going over him clean on this occasion. It just means he can brag even more.

    Great show all around, the men's matches stood out for me more than the women's, particularly the Men's Dusty tag match as MSK are just something else. Liked the UE heel turn FINALLY happening.
    If Dave paid attention the theme of Gargano was that he was taking this more serious than we were used to seeing lately. The announcers literally touched on 400 times during the match it seemed. Every move, every motion.

    I wouldn't even say it was a CLEAN win. He planted with him with the DDT on the outside walkway then stuck his ass again. A lot of fans are just used to so many protected wins that when a "clean" one happens it's mind blowing. I saw Ric Flair beat plenty of babyfaces clean in the middle of the ring with the figure 4 and he's arguably the best chickenshit heel of all time.

  70. #20470
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    how Dave can say Gargano beating Kushida is an issue is beyond me. Sorry but Gargano is higher on the pecking order than fucking Kushida is.

  71. #20471
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    I don't think anything about how that match went down took away from Gargano's heat, and felt he emoted as chickenshit heel in his position should. There was the pinfall after he counted the superplex where he had this, "God damn it, why won't he stay down?!" look on his face that felt like heel panic rather than broken down babyface.

    I think in general that chickenshit heels should have a balance. Most often they win through cheap tactics, but you have to give the those matches where they prove they can actually go to make beating them both a reward and a legit accomplishment.

  72. #20472
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    Reading the reaction and analysis from those in the know about NXT (of which I definitely am not) reaffirms my belief that the WWE will be in great hands once Paul finally gets to call the shots.

    One of the key points of the wrestling industry is for the old guys to put over the new guys on their way out the door, it’s time for Head Booker Vince to do the job for Paul.

  73. #20473
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    Quote Originally Posted by PurePlayer View Post
    how Dave can say Gargano beating Kushida is an issue is beyond me. Sorry but Gargano is higher on the pecking order than fucking Kushida is.
    I can't speak for Dave but if it's about who's "higher" than the other, I would say that if Gargano can lose to Lion Ruff then he can most certainly lose to Kushida.

    Kushida has wins over Velveteen Dream, Ciampa, Thatcher, he's also defeated Gargano twice in tag-team matches. So I'm not sure what Dave is talking about, did he say he thought Kushida should have won based on rankings or something?

    Quote Originally Posted by Psycho666Soldier View Post
    I don't think anything about how that match went down took away from Gargano's heat, and felt he emoted as chickenshit heel in his position should. There was the pinfall after he counted the superplex where he had this, "God damn it, why won't he stay down?!" look on his face that felt like heel panic rather than broken down babyface.

    I think in general that chickenshit heels should have a balance. Most often they win through cheap tactics, but you have to give the those matches where they prove they can actually go to make beating them both a reward and a legit accomplishment.
    Exactly. Wasn't that the big harp on Seth Rollins when he won the WWE title? He was never winning clean, at all, not even a protected win like we saw last night with Gargano v. Kushida but it was always interference of some kind. I understood that heels don't need to win clean and that was the point of his character-that the Authority always had his back which lead to the Triple H feud. But I understood that fans wanted to see him get at least one or two decent wins that didn't require Corporate Kane to help.

  74. #20474
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    Quote Originally Posted by Nash Diesel View Post
    I can't speak for Dave but if it's about who's "higher" than the other, I would say that if Gargano can lose to Lion Ruff then he can most certainly lose to Kushida.

    Kushida has wins over Velveteen Dream, Ciampa, Thatcher, he's also defeated Gargano twice in tag-team matches. So I'm not sure what Dave is talking about, did he say he thought Kushida should have won based on rankings or something?
    I think my main point is that it's not unreasonable to believe Gargano can beat Kushida clean. In fact, if I were to choose going in, I would say that is the most reasonable result.

  75. #20475
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    Quote Originally Posted by Tyson View Post
    Reading the reaction and analysis from those in the know about NXT (of which I definitely am not) reaffirms my belief that the WWE will be in great hands once Paul finally gets to call the shots.

    One of the key points of the wrestling industry is for the old guys to put over the new guys on their way out the door, it’s time for Head Booker Vince to do the job for Paul.
    I will say this....I think running NXT and running WWE are impossible to compare. Vince doesn't just give the greenlight on what should be on tv. If we're simply saying Vince should let Triple H be the final say in creative, that's a different story.

    It's hard to really think that when Vince is gone things will be better because barely any of us on this board at least know of a WWE without Vince calling the shots. Even when Vince was in the steroid trial, he was still the man. When he got into that bad accident and had to be in a wheelchair for a minute, still the man. I wish we had 2-3 months where we could say "Hey remember this time in 2016 when Vince was gone and Trips ran Raw/Smackdown for 3 months? That was awesome and look at the rise in ratings!"

    Unlike WCW where you could literally section off a 10 year period like a pizza where Bischoff ran during here and Watts did here, Russo here, etc. WWE it's 10000% Vince. NXT unfortunately is not a good measuring stick. The ratings have flatlined around 500-600k on average, that's horrible. The shows aren't consistently great. I would also like to know how often he goes to bat for his people because holy shit.....You would think that he'd be fighting for his NXT people but God damn lol. Goldberg just swoops in and kills them all.

  76. #20476
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    Quote Originally Posted by PurePlayer View Post
    I think my main point is that it's not unreasonable to believe Gargano can beat Kushida clean. In fact, if I were to choose going in, I would say that is the most reasonable result.
    Oh yeah I agree about the result. I don't think going in I was expecting a straight up clean win and this wasn't. He planted Kushida on the outside then drilled him again. They protected Kushida and showed Gargano still had to do a heelish move by hitting the finish on the outside first. We saw almost the same thing with him and Ciampa when Ciampa hit that DDT on the exposed ring to beat John.

  77. #20477
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    Another note: he wrestles sparingly (which is a good thing) but the trend now is that Bálor's matches tend to follow a course of action where the work is entirely done in the ring. If there is stuff done outside of the ropes, it's just done on the apron. Interesting wrinkle for him.

  78. #20478
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    Quote Originally Posted by BGMaverick View Post
    Another note: he wrestles sparingly (which is a good thing) but the trend now is that Bálor's matches tend to follow a course of action where the work is entirely done in the ring. If there is stuff done outside of the ropes, it's just done on the apron. Interesting wrinkle for him.
    That is very interesting and something I'll have to start paying attention to while he wrestles.

  79. #20479
    Furry, Filthy and Fun Badger's Avatar
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    I don’t know if that’s maybe by design because of how injury-prone he’s been.

  80. #20480
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    I love Balor's work so much since he went back to NXT. His promo work is really good right now. I wish they let him run with this character when he was on the main roster.

    I would like to see the demon every now and then. Even if it's just once or twice a year.

  81. #20481
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    Quote Originally Posted by PurePlayer View Post
    I love Balor's work so much since he went back to NXT. His promo work is really good right now. I wish they let him run with this character when he was on the main roster.

    I would like to see the demon every now and then. Even if it's just once or twice a year.
    Product of hindsight. I think on the main roster they see him as someone who can appeal to the multiple demos they want to reach every week. Even choosing him over legit LGBT talent on the roster to champion that message. And they did it respectfully. I think now if he does come back to Raw or Smackdown, he needs to keep this mentality.

    The only piece we're missing is a full blown heel run. I want to see him as a heel in WWE but I honestly don't know if it can happen. It felt like they tried to go that route when he returned to NXT with him attacking Gargano and Riddle, but he's like Daniel Bryan. Sooo good in the ring, embodies everything the current audience wants to see so how can you truly hate the man? Give him the Cena-Roman push even at 40, he can pull it off.

  82. #20482
    an affront to god mth's Avatar
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    Austin Theory's current profile pic on Twitter:

    ...and his last post was...


    ...the rest of The Way are also doing a lovely job selling the angle on their social media.

  83. #20483
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    I still don't get Dexter. At all. I think out of anyone on this entire board I have the most diverse taste but even I can't get into Dexter or find a reason WHY people like him. I don't get the gimmick. He just stares at you and then what?

    I need to know WHY this guy has fans. Is it the matches? The backstory that nobody knows about? Is it simply the look?

  84. #20484
    an affront to god mth's Avatar
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    Because he's fucking awesome.

  85. #20485
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    brazil
    Thought I'd catch up on some of the NXT I missed. Was watching the backlot brawl from In Your House where Dexter shows up, bundles TUE into his boot and just drives off. Was that ever mentioned again on TV? Was hilarious. An Uber randomly showed up early on as well lol.

    Outside of here, Dexter seems to be one of the least popular acts on the whole brand. Presumably because his wrestling isn't all that and his gimmick is seen as a bit cheesy. I like him though. It's kind of the whole package. The look, the way he moves around the ring. He's pretty unique.
    Last edited by Ringo; February 17th, 2021 at 4:42 AM.

  86. #20486
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    uk
    Quote Originally Posted by mth View Post
    Because he's fucking awesome.
    This

  87. #20487
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    Quote Originally Posted by Ringo View Post
    Thought I'd catch up on some of the NXT I missed. Was watching the backlot brawl from In Your House where Dexter shows up, bundles TUE into his boot and just drives off. Was that ever mentioned again on TV? Was hilarious. An Uber randomly showed up early on as well lol.

    Outside of here, Dexter seems to be one of the least popular acts on the whole brand. Presumably because his wrestling isn't all that and his gimmick is seen as a bit cheesy. I like him though. It's kind of the whole package. The look, the way he moves around the ring. He's pretty unique.
    Yeah, it was the start of a whole thing with Roddy that went on for awhile. Had a fear of trunks, had to go to thearpy, eventually led to a strap match with Lumis at Great Merican Bash.

    Dexter definitely seems to be a fairly polarizing act. I see a fair amount of love for him on social media but definitely a few negative comments and there's a handful of reviews I tend to read that don't like/get him.
    To be more specific from my previous most, at least for me, he's the complete package: he looks cool, solid in ring, has some cool moves, unique as hell style/mannerisms/movement, cool character (that I can relate to being an artistic wierdo myself), enigmatic/intriguing. There's just no one like him. He's fascinating, badass, talented, and distinct.
    I have to laugh when people write him off as cartoony because then you turn around have have Karrion Kross/Scarlett out there who're goddamn over the top cheesy Disney villains and folks seem to love them.

  88. #20488
    Furry, Filthy and Fun Badger's Avatar
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    Is Cameron Grimes supposed to be parodying someone in particular with his new gimmick? Closest I can think of is the Beverly Hillbillies.

    He is cartoony and over the top but that is what is great about it and he owns the role.

  89. #20489
    an affront to god mth's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Badger View Post
    Is Cameron Grimes supposed to be parodying someone in particular with his new gimmick? Closest I can think of is the Beverly Hillbillies.

    He is cartoony and over the top but that is what is great about it and he owns the role.
    Don't think so. Just playing off the legit GameStop stock stuff that went down and the fact that he is legit into stock stuff in real life and apparently legit came into money in real life, too.
    Last edited by mth; February 17th, 2021 at 11:58 AM.

  90. #20490
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    Oh that was an actual thing?

    Let’s just say a better more entertaining version of JBL. Though I did get a kick out of JBL trying to fight “Godzilla”

  91. #20491
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    I don't care for Dexter Lumis either. I don't like his wrestling style and don't get the gimmick.

  92. #20492
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    Quote Originally Posted by mth View Post
    Yeah, it was the start of a whole thing with Roddy that went on for awhile. Had a fear of trunks, had to go to thearpy, eventually led to a strap match with Lumis at Great Merican Bash.

    Dexter definitely seems to be a fairly polarizing act. I see a fair amount of love for him on social media but definitely a few negative comments and there's a handful of reviews I tend to read that don't like/get him.
    To be more specific from my previous most, at least for me, he's the complete package: he looks cool, solid in ring, has some cool moves, unique as hell style/mannerisms/movement, cool character (that I can relate to being an artistic wierdo myself), enigmatic/intriguing. There's just no one like him. He's fascinating, badass, talented, and distinct.
    I have to laugh when people write him off as cartoony because then you turn around have have Karrion Kross/Scarlett out there who're goddamn over the top cheesy Disney villains and folks seem to love them.
    I wouldn't say Kross and Scarlett are "cartoony". Maybe visually Scarlett will sometimes have that Maleficent meets Catwoman look going but other than that I'm not seeing "cartoony" I'm seeing CORNY lol. I'm not a fan of their act, Scarlett is smoking hot, always has been since ROH, but that's about it for me.

    I wouldn't even call Dexter cartoony, just boring. If what you described is what people take away from it then it makes sense. For me it doesn't help that he's basically doing the same weird, creepy shit he was doing in TNA as Sam Shaw only now he doesn't talk and he draws more. With a character like this, for as long as he's been doing it, we need him fleshed out more. Or maybe put him in scenarios that don't make everyone look stupid as fuck.

  93. #20493
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    I like Dexter and the gimmick works in the NXT universe but not sure how well it would translate over to the main roster if he were called up now.

    Though I like him, I kinda agree he needs a bit more fleshing out.

  94. #20494
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    brazil
    Big Updates On Triple H Creating A Second WWE NXT Show

    The second WWE NXT show is tentatively titled “NXT EVOLVE” and will include a title belt.

    It was originally reported back in December, exclusively here at Wrestling Inc, that Triple H created a team to oversee a new NXT show, which would apparently be a minor leagues system for the NXT brand. It was reported then that Gabe Sapolsky was leading the team, and that he had been given several agents and writers to help him get more comfortable with writing TV. This was seen as a case of Triple H giving “the ball” to Sapolsky as he is a big believer in his abilities. The idea behind this new show was described as a “NXT for NXT.”

    The original idea was for the show to be akin to another promotion running in some of the smaller tier markets that NXT serviced, but with live events likely to not return, the new idea was to just make a TV series. The goal then was to launch the show in early 2021, but the concept was delayed and will likely face more delays.

    In an update, Fightful Select has revealed new details on the second NXT show. The working title is “NXT EVOLVE” and there have already been graphics created with that branding, and a new title belt created with that name. Plans can always change but “NXT EVOLVE” is the tentative name of the project.

    Sapolsky and Jeremy Borash are both heavily involved in the production, which is said to be noting like anything else WWE is producing. The tapings for the concept took place at the warehouse that WWE briefly used for as a makeshift Performance Center during the COVID-19 pandemic last year.

    WWE has already filmed some content for the show, using several of the newer talent acquisitions that were signed since the summer of 2020. NXT’s Josiah Williams, who just did the hip-hop intro for the “Takeover: Vengeance Day” event, was the host of the “NXT EVOLVE” show.

    It was noted that the new NXT show had more of a “fight” feel to it. There was no live commentary, so anything that would be added would be done in post-production.

    It was also said that planning for this new NXT project goes back as far as two years ago with various versions of the show being pitched and thrown around. Different names had also been discussed for the title of the show, starting with “NXT Underground” a few years ago. It was reiterated that plans for the new show could change as the platform and solid plans are not set in stone.

    Stay tuned for more.
    Not surprised to hear they're working on something like this. NXT hasn't really been "developmental" for a long time now and with so much established talent signed there's less and less room to develop their own performance center graduates. I guess EVOLVE and the house shows were serving that purpose before and they can't do them at the moment.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Badger View Post
    I like Dexter and the gimmick works in the NXT universe but not sure how well it would translate over to the main roster if he were called up now.

    Though I like him, I kinda agree he needs a bit more fleshing out.
    How does it work in the NXT Universe though?

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    Quote Originally Posted by Nash Diesel View Post
    How does it work in the NXT Universe though?
    Kinda hard to explain but I think it’s stood out well enough so far but he still has room to grow. If he got called up at this stage, they probably wouldn’t know how to book it properly. I hope he stays where he is for the time being though.

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    ANNOUNCED FOR TONIGHT:

    Kyle O'Reilly kicks off the show looking for an explanation from Adam Cole.

    Both Men's and Women's Dusty Cup winners will celebrate their victories.

    Candice LaRae & Indi Hartwell vs. Ember Moon & Shotzi Blackheart

    Karrion Kross vs. Santos Escobar

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    Quote Originally Posted by mth View Post

    Karrion Kross vs. Santos Escobar
    No idea why, but the match has been pulled from tonight's episode.

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    Quote Originally Posted by BGMaverick View Post
    No idea why, but the match has been pulled from tonight's episode.
    Yeah, I just went to WWE.com and I see that now. Huh. Well, they did that when Stallion got jumped so maybe there'll be some storyline thing that shuffles things around...?

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    Rust is boring, all I can say about him.

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