-One of these weeks, NXT General Manager Ava is going to have a clean show. Just once. NXT gets an “A” for effort on trying to tie backstage attacks and production together. It’s a small touch, but Ava calling up the producer and letting them know of live changes because of attacks makes it seem a little less staged. It’s not perfect, but it’s a strong attempt at something different. Are there too many backstage attacks like we saw this week on Joe Hendry? Well, that’s a different question.
Trolling
-Is every pro wrestling promotion trying to troll me? What’s with booking babyface vs. babyface and heel vs. heel in tag team feuds these days? FTR vs. Don Callis Family in AEW, The Usos vs. Alpha Academy on WWE Raw, and now DarkState vs. The Culling? What the hell is happening? DarkState and The Culling are similar heel teams in terms of tone. Too similar. It makes zero sense to position them against one another.
-Jaida Parker has an aura about her that jumps through the TV. Parker had a short match with Nikkita Lyons this week, but it was effective in getting her a victory. I hope we see Parker and Blake Monroe become a deep and personal feud. Both women could thrive in a storyline like that.
-Ethan Page continues to try and manipulate Myles Borne and Borne keeps not taking the bait, but losing because of it. Borne is a strong enough babyface where a storyline like this can work. My sense is that fans don’t want to see that guy cheat to win. They just want to see him win and win the right way. Borne vs. Page is the feud here and that will certainly end with Borne holding up the NXT North American Championship after a clean and legitimate victory.
-The Dion Lennox push continues? Like I said above, he got the win over Borne this week and will wrestle for the NXT Championship next week. That said, Borne still has the storyline around him. Even with the loss, he’s still a bigger focus than Lennox.
Is Tony D’Angelo ready?
-I hope Tony D’Angelo is ready to give the promo of his life next week on the show. D’Angelo has attacked people for weeks and said he would essentially tell his story of why next week. He needs a home run. The angle with D’Angelo since returning has been intriguing, but the story needs to really kickstart now. D’Angelo has to deliver to not only give it context, but to also remind the audience why they should care.
-A Lexis King win this week? It’s bitter cold out, but I didn’t think hell was freezing over.
-Let the Zaria heel turn begin. Zaria let her emotions get the best of her this week and she attacked poor Thea Hail. Sol Ruca isn’t going to like that. Mark it down — you heard it here first — Zaria vs. Ruca at Stand and Deliver over WrestleMania weekend.
-Is Andre Chase ok? That dude got the tar beat out of him by Keanu Carver. Carver looked great and has to at least be in the conversation to win the NXT Championship ladder match next week.
-Ok, I turned my head and paid extra attention when Jackson Drake cut his promo in the ring after the Carver vs. Chase match. His mic work stood out over everyone else. There is a natural ability there that doesn’t just get some cheap heat, but that connects.
It’s Saints time
-Well, at least Joe Hendry was healthy enough to do his little spin entrance thing. Eye roll. It makes sense for Hendry to be in the bigger championship ladder match, but he’s got to figure out when and when not to drop the gimmicky part of his character. This entrance was that time. Ricky Saints certainly has the most notoriety of everyone in the title match next week and for that reason, he’s my pick to win. Again, I’d look at Carver. There is a big-time intensity there. He looks like he really wants to hurt people out there. Good character and good selling.
What did you think of this week’s episode of WWE NXT? Let us know in the comments!
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