Headed into its’ seventh WrestleMania Weekend, NXT was going through some stuff.
Last September it became NXT 2.0 (really more 6 or 7), an attempt to both re-brand and prepare a future WWE roster for a world where athletes like Gable Steveson could easily slot in and reign supreme. New characters and gimmicks were introduced at a rapid pace, many by awkwardly pushing out existing ones. Much of its’ early voice was defined by pushing back against the last one, but it neglected to come up with its own and all that was left by WrestleMania Weekend was Dolph Ziggler and a new color palette that stirred memories of The New Rockers.
0. WWE Women’s Tag Team Title: Toxic Attraction [c] vs. Raquel Gonzalez & Dakota Kai
The kind of tag match you have when you’re on the NXT Stand & Deliver Kickoff Show and are going to win the NXT Women’s Tag Team Titles then drop them back a few nights later before one or both of you is called up to SmackDown. Everyone hit their cues but not a point, which tends to happen a lot around here. **3/4
1. Fatal 5-Way Ladder Match – NXT North American Title: Carmelo Hayes [c] vs. Cameron Grimes vs. Solo Sikoa vs. Santos Escobar vs. Grayson Waller
More bumps, but less experience — sometimes the angle and velocity with which Solo Sikoa propels himself towards a propped-up ladder stands out and looks incredible, and sometimes Grayson Waller jumps from really high to elbow drop a floor. WWE’s reliable way of opening a show in exciting fashion, getting a few more guys in a prime spot on the card, and ensuring at least one or two are injured. Feel-good win!! ***1/4
2. Tony D’Angelo w/ AJ Galante vs. Tommaso Ciampa
Tony D’Angelo is one of NXT 2.0’s new characters who stood out early with an over-the-top accent and gimmick where he’s, I don’t know, mob-adjacent. He has the external attributes of a potential WWE Star — fun promos, big guy, hairy chest — but this was his third match ever that went 10+ minutes and it happened at lunchtime. Ultra-basic, bordering on mediocre. Triple H making the surprise appearance to embrace Ciampa afterwards was nice, if not a little on the nose. **1/2
3. Triple Threat Tag Match – NXT Tag Team Title: Imperium [c] vs. MSK vs. The Creed Brothers w/ Malcolm Bivens
Some highlights: Wes Lee’s corkscrew plancha. The Creed Brother cannonball. That hurricanrana from the apron that sent Marcel Barthel into Fabian Aichner. This was a fun match that had a few too many of Towers of Doom. ***1/4
4. Fatal 4-Way Match – NXT Women’s Title: Mandy Rose [c] vs. Io Shirai vs. Kay Lee Ray vs. Cora Jade
After the Fatal 5-Way Ladder Match and Triple Threat Tag Team Match, I thought the Fatal 4-Way Match didn’t sound so impressive. Io Shirai flying around is still pretty spectacular, otherwise there was a Canadian Destroyer on the apron or something. ***
5. LA Knight vs. Gunther
This is no longer TakeOver and he is no longer WALTER, as he is Gunther. And he’s gotten svelte for his run in America, a trimmed-down frame and jaw cut from steel that I hope doesn’t eliminate the aura that the name change probably already did. There wasn’t much here of note besides LA Knight blocking a chop from and doing a Burning Hammer on Gunther, and those are bad notes. **3/4
6. NXT Title: Dolph Ziggler [c] w/ Robert Roode vs. Bron Breakker
Besides all the chinlocks this was a serviceable enough match in positioning Steiner Jr. as everyone’s new fav, though flat and counter-productive in how transparently it continued to do it… the saga of NXT 2.0 as a whole, really. Then Ziggler actually retained the title too and the show just ended, which felt like it was something out of the Twilight Zone. ***
Happy Thoughts: Unexceptional show lacking any big moments or purpose… other than that, the wrestling was solid. 2.0 / 5.0
