10 Thoughts on NXT – February 3rd 2016 (Asuka vs Santana Garrett, William Regal, Carmella vs Emma)

10 Thoughts, Reviews, Top Story

JT on NXT logo

  1. It’s NXT time and we’re kicking off in the most gentlemanly way possible, with Simon Gotch and Aiden English of the Vaudvillains facing the highly caffeinated Hype Bros. Much as I enjoy the villains old-school style, I can’t really see them making the leap to the main roster, particularly taking into account how poorly novelty tag team The Ascension have performed. And while I’m sure Zack Ryder is a nice guy, the less said about the Hype Bros the better.
  2. Not a bad interview with Carmella, who has improved significantly both in the ring and on the mic. There is no way I can see her taking out BFF Bayley for the title next week, but I have no doubt they’ll both be working hard to put on the match of the night.
  3. And just to keep us interested, we’ve got Carmella vs Emma up next. While the result was never really in doubt leading into the Carmella/Bayley title match, Emma did a good job of making Carmella look strong without slowing down, and Dana Brooke did her platinum cheerleader thing on the outside like a pro.
  4. Recap of the double tap out submission of Baron Corbin from last week, followed by an interview with Sami Zayn who has faith in William Regal. Samoa Joe declines to be interviewed.
  5. Next up we’ve got Enzo & Cass vs a couple of unnamed jobbers in a total squash. Yawn.
  6. Interview with Apollo Crews prior to his match with Finn Balor in the main event. As ever, Crews is earnest and likeable, but not particularly interesting. I really like Crews in the ring, but maybe he needs to travel the world for a couple more years to build a little more experience and character.
  7. Regal shows that he is not a simpleton by cutting Corbin out of the rematch between Sami Zayn and Samoa Joe. Just sit in the back and watch, Lurch, as two wrestling professionals show you how it’s done.
  8. Asuka vs Santana Garrett was fun, as Asuka casually took everything Garrett could throw at her before kicking the crap out of her. Garrett is crisp in the ring with some nice transitions, putting up a decent fight before tapping out to the Asuka lock. I look forward to seeing what Garrett can do against the other NXT women.
  9. Apollo Crews vs Finn Balor took a while to get going, with Balor holding the headlock like is was 1985. Back from the break we’re still in the rest holds, and I can’t help wishing I’m watching Prince Devitt vs Uhaa Nation in an indie match rather than this WWE formula bullshit. Naturally we build to a conclusion with finisher attempts and kick outs, and an entertaining back-and-forth from two talented performers saves the match from Raw level forgettability. Nice show of respect at the end, but I can’t help agree with those people who say that Crews is going to get lost in the shuffle of new NXT signings like Nakamura and Karl Anderson.
  10. With the exception of the main event and a decent (if short) match between Asuka and Santana Garrett, this felt like a filler episode of NXT. Bring on the next Takeover!
JT is a hot air balloonist, writer and tattoo aficionado. He writes about movies, science, music, video games, action figures and professional wrestling.