-I have to admit, the idea of Myles Bourne wrestling Oba Femi for the NXT Championship on a PLE was tough to swallow last week when Bourne won a battle royal to earn that opportunity. However, Bourne cut an excellent promo on the show this week that more than made that match interesting. Bourne has a unique story — being partially deaf — and he leveraged that reality into a compelling mission statement. He talked smooth and looked confident in doing so. Is he going to win the championship from Femi at NXT Battleground? No, but he turned some heads and will likely get a strong underdog babyface reaction during the match.
Hey jealousy
-Speaking of Oba Femi, he had a solid match with Charlie Dempsey this week. If you watched Dempsey during this episode, his body language is conveying jealousy toward Bourne. I wouldn’t be surprised at all if the finish to the championship match at Battleground is Dempsey screwing Bourne over.
-What NXT has done with the Tony D’Angelo vs. Stacks program coming out of Stand and Deliver has been excellent overall, but this week was an ineffective chapter in the feud. First of all, the simple execution of a Stacks’ video playing during D’Angelo’s match is a silly finish. Why would NXT production play that during the match? Also, it aired at the exact same time the ring announcer belted out Wes Lee as the match winner, so you nobody really heard what Stacks said anyway. Just messy, minor league stuff that they have to get corrected. That said, Stacks vs. D’Angelo is set for Battleground and that should be a really strong encounter.
-I’m glad Jordynne Grace and Stephanie Vaquer were able to coexist as a tag team. There was enough tension between the two of them as opponents, but when it came down to it, they were able to beat Fatal Influence. The tension is enough to build this match on and should lead to drama. At the same time, they need a strong promo segment between just Grace and Vaquer to establish a real rivalry.
A big win
-Just like during his show-opening promo, Myles Bourne looked good in the ring opposite Ethan Page. Page is a big enough guy in NXT, so it means something that Bourne beat him. His push has come out of nowhere, but wins like this tell you NXT brass is behind him.
-Tatum Paxley is a ball of untapped potential for NXT. She’s got a true wrestling character to work with and it’s one that resonates with the audience. She’s not going to be seriously wrestling Vaquer for the championship anytime soon, but she certainly can carry a mid-card feud.
-My goodness, the backstage encounters between Kelani Jordan, Sol Ruca, and Zaria keep getting worse and worse. Jordan is AWFUL at these and yet she keeps getting stuck in the segments every week. Give it up! Jordan has plenty of value elsewhere, but this type of interaction just isn’t for her.
-NXT should keep the use of multiple camera contract signings to a minimum, but it worked to pull out every ounce of drama involving Trick Williams and Joe Hendry. Hendry showcased that he’s not just an entrance or song during this and was thoughtful in how he articulated how much the match with Williams meant to him. Williams was equally as good, but came across as unlikable compared to Hendry. That’s the idea here and the tone was hit perfectly. With Oba Femi facing a mid-level challenger in Bourne and Vaquer vs. Grace likely to end with Vaquer winning, the most compelling main event for Battleground is Hendry vs. Trick.
What did you think of this week’s episode of NXT? Let us know in the comments!
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