Only 3 weeks in and we missed an NXT Report. Note it is time to get some staff coming out of Wrestlemania. I won’t bore everyone with week the old news, but have just a few comments on NXT’s first outing to Ohio.
It is clear the vision for NXT has changed or at least expanded to the idea of it being its own unique brand. The test drive in Columbus was a huge success. Crowd was even more jacked than the crazies at Full Sail were and they knew everything and everyone connected to the product.
NXT is getting a show on Friday Night of Mania week at San Jose State University and it will sell out and likely be one of the most talked about things as part of Mania weekend.
As for this week’s show, it was two title matches that we have to see. Alexa Bliss got a count out win and earned a shot at Sasha Banks for her NXT Women’s Title. Bliss did a decent job in the match. Really does a great job with facial expressions to the camera. Her work in ring is still a little bit off in comparison to the top girls like Banks, Charlotte and even Bayley. I still see a bright future for her on the main roster, as she will really appeal to the kids. She will also appeal to the adult males and she is very attractive. That is a winning combination. She predictably came up short falling prey to the Banks Statement the finishing submission hold of Sasha Banks. Stone Cold would approve of this finisher as she really locks it on every time. It is quickly becoming one of my personal favorites as far as submission finishers go male or female.
Couple back stage segments one setting up a feud with Bayley and Emma who seems to have gone heel in her return to NXT. In addition, a rubber match between Tyler Breeze and Hideo Itami in a two out of three falls match that is booked for next week’s show.
Breeze calling Devin Taylor Barbra Walters based on her simple question was a highlight for me. Taylor seems to be cast in the role once played by Maria now in ROH as the ditsy but loveable backstage reporter. Taylor has the ditsy down but I am not feeling the loveable part at the moment. Maria played that character so well and it is amazing the contrast of that to her current ROH character that is a mean and nasty female valet for The Kingdom.
Kevin Steen as you may have heard had to have a minor knee surgery. The last match he had in the can was his title defense against Finn Balor. These two were given almost half of the show and made use of the time with a fantastic match. Balor sold a leg injury that ultimately led to his demise and Kevin Owens would retain the NXT title via pinfall.
Another note word is that Sami Zayn may also be injured with a shoulder injury of some sort. There is no real info on it, as the injury hasn’t been a part of storylines to this point. The same is true for Owens. Sadly, fans at Mania will miss on seeing Owens and possibly Zayn Wrestle.
Someone will be getting a ticket into the Andre the Giant Battle Royal and will be determined in a tournament going on at Axcess or perhaps on the Friday night show in San Jose. Most people are suggesting Adrian Neville will win and get the chance to appear on Mania.
I think that would be a bad debut for him in terms of his finisher being from the top rope and this being a Battle Royal. The two don’t make for a happy marriage. Neville I see more than any of the other top NXT male stars having a hard time getting over on the main roster. Vince McMahon is likely to see his negatives more than his positives and that could spell doom for him. Triple H is a huge supporter though so maybe he can help Neville survive in the land of the sharks on the main roster at least at first.
Lastly, there has been a lot of talk of how you change the Diva’s Division and make it into something different. Aside from cutting the dead weight, like the Bellas and the other non-wrestling chicks out of the picture there could be another way too eventually.
Most will say that Charlotte is where this goes next but it isn’t where this is heading. No doubt, Charlotte will be a success but given her ties to Ric Flair being his daughter she is not the answer on here own to change the divas back to women.
Dana Brooke is being teased as debuting soon in NXT. Assuming she is capable in the ring, I have an idea that is long overdue for the Diva’s Division. UFC has Ronda Rousey and she is not going to be wrestling anytime soon in a WWE ring. Brock maybe back but the UFC’s number one draw is not stepping in a WWE Ring to fight.
I purpose you make Brooke into a Ronda Rousey like smashing machine. She is attractive like Rousey and is a fitness model and body builder. So, she has the look to be that attractive ass kicker. Only question is how quickly she can get good in the ring. You could book her in a way to protect her much as they have with Baron Corbin at first. Like the real Rousey, have her come out and just maul he competition. Hell on the main roster she can be part of the authority and make her Stephanie’s response to the Give Diva’s a Chance Movement. If A.J Lee is not sticking around have this girl debut taking out A.J and putting her into a wrestling retirement.
It could work and the WWE’s most successful Women’s Champion started as a fitness model that wasn’t the greatest wrestler in the world. Her name is Trish Stratus and she is the Ric Flair of Women’s wrestling with nine Championship reigns the most by any women in WWE.
Hell if some day the real Ronda comes maybe you have the biggest women’s match ever. It is just a thought of where they could go with Dana Brooke. Now can she do that Rousey ring walk death stare? I have no idea. Nevertheless, this is a gimmick that fits her well. If she can’t do an armbar have Chris Jericho teach her it was one of his 1004 moves in his great feud with Dean Melenko back in WCW.
That is it for NXT. Don’t forget later today a special edition of Condo on the Moon Podcast talking Brock re-signing and previewing the ROH show tomorrow in Cali with Walder and myself.
