Appreciated Samoa Joe being the guy to suddenly provide the two main events actual backstory after months and months of NXT TV by just interviewing the people in the matches before the show.
1. NXT Tag Team Title #1 Contender Match: Breezango vs. Killian Dain & Drake Maverick
I’ll say this: the Peacock fast-forward/rewind capability whether on TV or mobile is way better than the WWE Network’s, though there is also the fact that the WWE Network probably gave up on any interface upgrade projects a couple years ago. Anyways, this was a ** tag match that I am docking a quarter of a star because of how everybody — Drake Maverick included — played up Drake Maverick doing Fandango’s hip swivel. Dain/Maverick vs. MSK, there’s a match we want to see. *3/4
1. Ladder Match – Undisputed NXT Cruiserweight Title: Jordan Devlin vs. Santos Escobar
I liked the approach to this if not the whole thing itself, a match where they rarely wavered in wanting to hurt each other. Devlin seemed a little more concerned with the grace of his moonsaults than kicking ass sometimes, but only sometimes. The wrestling was solid, and the ladder spots were more purposeful and less about CREATIVITY! – though sometimes they were about that too. Good effort, so-so as far as standing out from all the other ladder matches… or even probably needing to be a ladder match. ***1/4
2. NXT Women’s Tag Team Title: Ember Moon & Shotzi Blackheart [c] vs. Candice LeRae & Indi Hartwell
If I can push my spectacles up for a second, these teams had a pair of good matches back-to-back on the 2/10 and 2/17 NXT’s, with Ember & Shotzi’s Dusty Classic (and by proxy NXT Women’s Tag Team Titles) win in between at TakeOver: Vengeance Day. I liked those and I liked this too, but I wish this title match felt like a cut above and it just didn’t. Still has a mental Shotzi dive to the outside. Also has Ember Moon dancing and yelling “SUCK IT” on a comeback. So, yeah. ***
3. NXT North American Title: Johnny Gargano [c] w/ Austin Theory vs. Bronson Reed
I want Bronson Reed to work, but his first match of real note being getting his ribs worked over by Little Johnny Gargano in the confinements of a Good TakeOver Dream Match is another strange bump on the road. I’ve come around on Johnny the heel character, but Johnny the heel wrestler just feels like he’s wrestling the wrong match sometimes. That’s on my own weirdo expectations, but I watch this lifeless 15 or so minute attempt at an exciting match from two capable professionals and wonder what’s going on. I mean they blew a few spots too, but there were way more issues here. **1/2
4. NXT Title: Finn Balor [c] vs. Karrion Kross w/ Scarlett
A dread overcomes me as the prophecy foretold one year ago comes true, the warning after new NXT Champion Karrion Kross went down with injury that the year ahead would simply just be killing time week after week until NXT could get back to where it was then: NXT Champion Karrion Kross. Match felt like the mechanical execution of a team project deliverable with a toxic teammate. *1/2
5. Unsanctioned Match: Kyle O’Reilly vs. Adam Cole
Every wrestler in WWE has had to adapt to whatever uhhh THIS has been, a live audience exchanged for silent fans on screens or a few rows of people in masks and WWE merchandise. The best ones found ways around it, whether a credibility in their work or finding a void to fill or just being so spectacular it’s undeniable.
Of course, WWE hasn’t adapted themselves — that’s not in the business model, bay-bee! You can tell because of how often they stubbornly go back to the stuff they’ve deemed reliable even if that stuff keeps proving it isn’t: for instance, the big long feud-ending gimmick match that is just kind of a bunch of stuff.
One could say this ADHD generation just can’t pay attention to a 40-minute piece of business like this; one could also say that all that generation is yearning for is a reason to be roped in and focus. One might ALSO say that generation is in the match and just isn’t the greatest at using all this time.
I saw chairs, chains, a general commitment to kicking each other’s ass and looking menacing doing it. I saw a crazy man get kneed in the face as he sat in a chair that collapsed into another chair. I saw quality selling by wrestlers surrounded by the usual sales pitch from WWE. I may not agree with Kyle O’Reilly’s style choices, but I sure enjoy watching him wrestle. Don’t think I like watching him wrestle in what at this point I can only describe as WWE’s “look kid, you’re a star!” style though. ***
Happy Thoughts: This show somehow peaked at the opener, a pretty good Ladder Match — and then it ended with a big set piece that wasn’t a show-saver. Stand & Deliver Night 2 is lucky Night 1 exists. 1.75 / 5.0
