-It’s pretty cool seeing Jordynne Grace on NXT. Not because of any forbidden doors or portals being busted open, but because she’s really good. She fits in perfectly with the NXT brand and did the same with top main roster WWE talent when she appeared in this year’s Royal Rumble. Grace was dominant in the match and why wouldn’t she be? They teased a little physicality between her and Roxanne Perez, but are making people wait to get a full dose of that on Sunday. Good stuff, a good presentation, and a simple, but effective go-home angle for the Battleground.
Shawn Spears? Still?
-Are we still doing this with Shawn Spears? That guy just can’t find another gear and the result is the same middling character wherever he goes. Good on Josh Briggs for stepping up and calling BS on Spears trying to educate younger talent, but c’mon, it’s Shawn Spears. This isn’t a great spot to be if you’re Briggs.
-A disappointing NXT Women’s North American Championship summit. The idea had potential. Had the championship been given some gravitas and meaning due to the framing each talent gave it, we’d be heading for a match on Sunday that had stakes and a great deal of drama. Instead, we got the standard and overdone “each person gets 10 seconds to talk” schtick leading to a brawl and a match. Each woman used their time on the microphone to get over a catchphrase instead of putting strong context behind their quest to become the first ever Women’s North American Champion. This had no depth, nobody looked better coming out than they did going in, and the title sat there as a toy to play rather than a prize to earn.
-We’ve got trouble brewing inside of Chase U. Again! Who would have thought! The entire Ridge Holland storyline is dead on arrival for me, so it’s unfortunate to see it wedged into Chase University. After the year of tumult that they’ve had, it would have been beneficial to just give them a run of good fortune and championships. Does that audience really want to see Chase U battle with itself again? No.
Keep it simple
-One of the better angles on the show this week was The Good Brothers attacking Nathan Frazer & Axiom. Just a straight up pro wrestling angle that got heat on the heels and sympathy on the babyfaces. Simple, but well done.
-Ok, now wait a minute. Did No Quarter Catch Crew cut a promo to themselves in a mirror? I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a little intrigued, but excuse me? What the hell is that? Why not just turn around? Why was the camera guy filming Charlie Dempsey talking to himself in the mirror to begin with. This was odd and awkward.
-Glad to see they didn’t hotshot the Heritage Cup back to No Quarter Catch Crew. Yes, it’s a bit strange for Tony D’Angelo to walking around with that thing, but that weirdness is better than having him lose it quickly.
Time for a change
-Well, you don’t too many Natalya wins these days, so take this one while you can. Nattie remarked on WWE Raw this week that it was time for a change. Is that change more time in NXT? Starting from the bottom? She’s due for a promo explaining that, as well as her appearances in NXT if she is going to be making more of them.
-The final hype for the NXT North American Championship match between Oba Femi, Joe Coffey, and Wes Lee at Battleground this week went exactly like the women’s summit went. Not good. This segment was one note and didn’t take advantage of the key storyline going in, which is Lee’s return to action and quest to win back the title he never lost. Sometimes simple is good and other times, simple means lazy. This felt like the latter.
-I don’t know what this new iteration of Wendy Choo is going to be, but I’m worried. Worried and skeptical. Someone change my mind.
-You can imagine the look of disgust on Sol Ruca’s face when Shawn Michaels told her she was going over in the six-woman tag match this week that featured all participants in the Women’s North American Championship Ladder Match on Sunday. Ouch. Why? Well, typically winners of these matches get the wins because they aren’t getting the big win at the PPV. It’s a time honored pro wrestling tradition. Now, Ruca should be in the conversation, yes, but she will be stronger in chase mode. Look for a heel to win the new title at Battleground.
All Ethan Page
-The segment of the night was the final contract signing with Ethan Page, Ava, and Trick Williams. Page was tremendous. He spoke really well and laid a good foundation for what he wants his character to be in NXT. Page referenced a long road to NXT, but didn’t take any cute shots at AEW — thank goodness. On the flip side, Williams came across as the leader of NXT as champion, holding down his home against an invader. The two men had chemistry and they built enough drama between them to warrant a PLE match with the championship on the line. It was nice to see some effort put in to defining and saying out loud how and why Page was getting a title shot so soon into his time with the promotion.
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