1. It’s NXT time, or it will be when my WWE network finally stops buffering. Our main event tonight is a Battle Royale to determine the number one contender for the NXT Women’s title.
2. Our first match of the night is Killian Dane from Sanity taking on Danny Burch. Dane is accompanied to the ring by Eric Young, which the commentators take to mean that Sanity have broken up. Okay…
3. The hard hitting Birch is a decent opponent for Dane, but this is basically a squash match for the man-bear. Dane wins with the Ulster Plantation. Hey, another reference to Irish history!
4. Video promo for the Velveteen Dream, which is Patrick Clark’s latest stab at finding something that works for him. Keep working on it, buddy.
5. Next up it’s the undersized tag team of Watts and Kunsman facing Heavy Machinery, and the jobbers get literally no offense before Dozevic and Knight hit a tag splash on both men for the pin. Fun for what it was.
6. After the match Heavy Machinery get on the mic and call out the Authors of Pain, but not before debuting their new catch phrase ‘steaks and weights’. Is there a chance that this could be the gimmick that finally gets Tucker Knight over?
7. Interview with DIY, who immediately take the piss out of Heavy Machinery, which makes me love them even more. They also call out the Authors, and point out that they’re entitled to a rematch, which will no doubt happen at the next Takeover.
8. Now it’s time for Hideo Itami to take on Kona Reeves, who jumps Itami before the bell showing a new vicious streak. After selling for a while Itami fires up and quickly hits the GTS for the pinfall victory.
9. Our main event tonight is a Battle Royale featuring Ember Moon, Peyton Royce, Ruby Riot, Billie Kay, Nikki Cross, Lacey Evans, Liv Morgan and a bunch of others who don’t get an intro because of an ad break. On a streaming service that I pay for. Typical shambolic Battle Royale with little wrestling and much punching and kicking. The final three are Riot, Moon and Cross, at which point this becomes an interesting match. And then Asuka interferes and kicks the crap out of everyone, setting up a fatal four way at Takeover.
10. Overall an unremarkable episode of NXT, with a trio of squash matches and a messy Battle Royale, but at least they’re setting up some interesting matches for Takeover: Chicago.
