-Tony D’Angelo threw a classy celebration for himself after winning the NXT North American Championship last week. He balanced confidence and strength with humility and put Oba Femi very strong with how he spoke about him. D’Angelo’s best promo yet.
-As for Oba Femi, he was equally as effective. He owned the loss like a babyface should, but then went hard at D’Angelo and told him the loss was a one time thing. Makes perfect sense to run the match back at Halloween Havoc.
No more holiday themed matches … stop!
-Now, as for Halloween Havoc, NXT needs to stop with the silly holiday themed match names. Femi and D’Angelo will be competing in a Tables, Ladders, and Scares Match? C’mon. Pure ridiculousness. Not only does it sound goofy, watering down names of what are supposed to be dangerous stipulation matches hurts the product long term.
-Stephanie Vaquer was terrific in her NXT television debut. She seemed to grasp the concept of being a television character and came across as a star. Hat tip to Wren Sinclair. The match was about Vaquer, but Sinclair kept up and played her role well.
-Vaquer and Guilia against Roxanne Perez & Cora Jade is a smart match for NXT to go to at this point. It allows for Vaquer and Guilia to be presented as equals and at the same time, holds Perez off from having to face one of the two in a singles match. Good booking.
-Ok, the Gentleman’s Duel was one of the most random match gimmicks ever on NXT TV, but it kinda worked. All the rules and criteria for the match forced the attention of the audience. This isn’t something NXT should break out again anytime soon, but it randomly worked on this night. That said, I’m not sure what WWE has in Ora Mensah or Lexis King at this point. They both are cold acts looking for a spark.
Sorry, Lola
-Is NXT cold on Lola Vice? I wouldn’t blame them if they were. Nikkita Lyons returning with win over Vice is surprising. Just a couple months ago, Vice was featured in big time matches and now she’s doing the returning star job? Not a great sign for her, but she never really delivered in the big spots when she had the chance to. The character doesn’t know what it is, making it impossible for the audience to deeply invest in.
-Pop of the night award goes to Andre Chase. Ridge Holland vs. Riley Osborne existed for the Chase return to happen and it got over huge. Chase vs. Holland is a match that people clearly care about and reaction to this angle this week proved that. I don’t know what the long term potential is for Chase University on the main roster, but the group have proven success at making the audience feel something.
-Another win for Brooks Jensen? Kind of a squash too. With Shawn Spears at his side, Jensen doesn’t have a lot of upside, but someone backstage is behind him that’s for sure.
Simple is good
-A solid enough main event triple threat match. Evans and Lee both got their stuff in, but Page as the winner made the most sense. A gimmick match between him and Trick Williams for the NXT Championship fits — aside for the yet again BAD Halloween themed match. A Devil’s Playground Match? Goodness.
What did you think of this week’s episode of NXT? Let us know in the comments!
Subscribe to the Brass Ring Media YouTube channel HERE.
Become a Brass Ring Media member HERE.