JT on NXT – 10 thoughts with Bayley, Nia Jax and a Battle Royale!

10 Thoughts, Reviews, Top Story

JT on NXT logo

1. We kick off with a recap of NXT Takeover: Respect, which was a great show across the board, particularly the final rounds of the Dusty Rhodes Tag Classic.

2. Bayley has almost unlimited potential in the WWE, and I look forward to an ongoing feud with Sasha Banks once she hits the main roster. I am less keen on Alexa Bliss, and I freaking hate the Dubstep Cowboys, but if anyone can pull a good match out of mini muscle Barbie, it’s Bayley.

3. No surprise that Joe wants the NXT title, but I like the swerve of Regal announcing the battle royale. Good way to prolong the program with Balor.

4. Hey, Fulton and Dawkins are back! And there is no way in hell they are going to beat brand new champs the Vaudvillains. Along with the ridiculous triple mohawk comes a change in character for Fulton and Dawkins, dropping the over-used amateur wrestling gimmick for something a little different. Doesn’t give them the win, though.

5. ‘That was manly,’ has to be one of the best chants ever. I really enjoy the work of English and Gotsch, but I wonder how (of if) they will make the transition to the main roster.

7. Call me crazy, but Nia Jax sounds almost exactly like Chyna. Fortunately she’s a lot better in the ring. Solid debut from the Samoan diva, who proves you don’t have to have implants to make an impact in NXT.

6. Why do the Mechanics look like a bowling team? Shouldn’t they be wearing oil-stained shirts with their name on the pocket or something?

8. The battle royale started out as a clusterf**k as usual, with almost the entire NXT roster in the ring. I get perverse enjoyment from Rhyno wandering around the ring looking for someone to hit, and Steve Cutler is the first elimination. Hands up if you could pick Steve Cutler out of a police lineup. Yeah, me neither.

9. Random stuff happens for the next few minutes, as Raw rejects and jobbers get tossed out of the ring. Enzo dances, then gets thrown out by Tye Dillinger, who in turn gets thrown out by the inexplicably popular Bull Dempsey. Rhyno ejects Bull, then Corben tosses Mojo Rawley, eliminating two of the most annoying wrestlers in the match.

10. The final four are Breeze, Crews, Corbin and Joe, which I think is a fair approximation of the NXT title scene over the next 18 months. The crowd is solidly behind Apollo Crews, who ends up eliminating Baron Corbin for the number one contendership for the NXT title. Yeah, that works for me…

JT is a hot air balloonist, writer and tattoo aficionado. He writes about movies, science, music, video games, action figures and professional wrestling.