-It’s fun to see Becky Lynch in the NXT environment. Obviously, WWE can’t play this card too long because they don’t want to A) overexpose Lynch and B) define her down by being an NXT mainstay. That said, it’s working right now. Not only is it drawing eyes, but it’s elevating Tiffany Stratton and making for fun television.
-Lynch’s promo to start the show was a well laid out and well executed babyface, “I won” promo and Stratton came across as petty and unlikable when she confronted Lynch. All of this is exactly how’d you want this to go. Their interaction also set the table and hook for the main event later on. Thumbs up.
-I get a kick out of the Stacks and Tony D’Angelo vignettes. They are well done and lean in to exactly what their gimmick is. With this type of act you can’t hedge and these two never do.
-Guys, I’ll just say it. I like Ilja Dragunov as a wrestler, but strongly dislike him as a title challenger. He lacks a personality that I can invest in and just comes across as overly reactive all the damn time. He’ll have a good match with Carmelo Hayes, but eh, I’m looking forward to a better Hayes opponent soon.
-The Global Heritage Cup Tournament continues to be a fun watch. As long as this stays in the middle or lower part of the card, it has a place on the show each week.
-What’s going on with Roxanne Perez? She’s a key piece of the NXT puzzle right now and needs something relevant to do each week.
-You KNOW I’m on the Eddy Thorpe hype train, so a Strap Match between him and Dijak sounds good to me. This has been an entry level feud for Thorpe that he’s played behind in almost the entire way. Getting the W next week is important as is having a memorable match.
-Carmelo Hayes vs. Dominik Mysterio as a match was a backdrop to the Hayes vs. Dragunov feud as well as Mysterio vs. Dragon Lee, which will take place on Monday Night Raw. To that end it was fine, but those two have a full tank of gas left to explore should they cross paths for a match or feud again.
-Joe Gacy has really lost his way and momentum. He’s lined up to feud with Trick Williams after their encounter segment this week, but Williams is clearly the guy with a higher upside right now. Gacy is in a tough spot. He needs wins for his character to work, but isn’t over enough to get them.
-Good main event. Action packed for sure and did a lot to build Stratton vs. Lynch 2 with the Extreme Rules stipulation. This was simple, but effective in moving the feud between Lynch and Stratton along. You’re looking at the No Mercy main event right there. When’s the last time a women’s match has main-evented an NXT PPV? 2020 In Your House with Charlotte involved? It’s been a while, so this is a great move for Stratton and the NXT brand.