-Another win for the oddball tag team of Sol Ruca and Zaria. The wins are important, but I’ve yet to be won over. The team still feels like a thrown together deal. The cohesion between both is forced. Stuff like their entrance is more of Ruca just globbing onto Zaria than it is anything of notable team substance. I give NXT full credit for working to build them as a team and if the cohesion comes together later, so be it. Until then, this continues to scream Zaria is turning sooner than later.
Green does her thing
-On that note, it was fun seeing Chelsea Green and Piper Niven in the NXT environment. Green is a blast and in the intimate environment of the Performance Center, that landed even better than it does on Smackdown.
-I know Cora Jade is kind of a face of NXT, but as more talent is brought in around her, the more she stands out as less ready and more green than other stars. Jordynne Grace is the latest example of that. Grace and Jade come across as on entirely different levels. Jade deserves a slot opposite Grace when taking into account her longevity on the brand, but in terms of skill level, she’s reaching.
-The Grace vs. Jade match was fine while it was going on, but the abrupt end to address Jade’s injury kept it from being anything special. Look for them to run this one back sooner than later. Hopefully Jade is ok.
Unhinged Trick
-Count me in for watching an unhinged Trick Williams each week. Eddy Thorpe bringing out a news side of Williams is good for Williams as he gets ready to make his leap to the main roster. He comes across as less of an underdog and more of a bad ass babyface when he shows the edge he did this week.
-Thorpe vs. Williams in an NXT Underground Match works well enough for me as the blowoff to their feud. Williams has to win. He’s going to likely face Oba Femi at Stand & Deliver and to do that with the most momentum as possible, he needs to wrap this program up with a W.
-Jaida Parker and Kelani Jordan had a very nice outing. Good action and the audience was into it all the way. These two women take wins and losses all the time, so it’s hard to determine whether or not the win for Parker really means anything.
-I enjoyed the little press conference gimmick that both Oba Femi and Moose participated in. Not much substance in what either guy said, but the setting was fresh. Thumbs up.
Nostalgia City
-The Hardys in an NXT ring. Who woulda thought? This was good. Paint by numbers from a segment perspective and all used to build up Hardys vs. Fraxiom next week, but it being The Hardys out there was just cool to watch. I’d imagine we get Fraxiom winning next week, but you can’t overestimate how much WWE loves nostalgia. Plus, a Hardy win sets up a rematch between the two teams at Stand & Deliver.
-Cool interview with Je’Von Evans and Ethan Page. This is the best feud in NXT right now and the interview drove home their personal issues.
-Dear god … Shawn Spears is the NXT North American Champion. Spears holding gold in 2025?! Why does WWE troll me like this? Look, provided this is a short run and Ricky Saints or someone like that chases Spears down and wins the title, this is a boneheaded move. Nothing screams “stop watching” more than Shawn Spears does. Saints and a very short list of other guys can save it. Fingers crossed that is the route they go.
What’s next?
-What’s next for Tony D’Angelo? He’s in a perpetual weird position. There isn’t much left for him to do in NXT at the level he’s at. The only thing left for him is the NXT Championship and that seems like a reach. That would typically mean a main roster move, but his character and schtick doesn’t work great up there — unless Triple H is invested in making it work and making him a big part of the show each week. His act can’t be done halfway without it seeming comedic. I don’t think Triple H has the space for the right type of investment in D’Angelo to get him as over as he is in NXT.
What did you think of this week’s episode of NXT? Let us know in the comments!
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