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After the explosiveness caused by the vicious trio from ROH last week, this was a far more tame show in comparison. It was built around Asuka and her departure from NXT to ascend to the main roster.
There were matches, and yes, there was continuity, but the overall show wasn't anything to write home about. We did not catch the telecast live and must mention a botch during the Lars Sullivan match, which suddenly cuts to footage of Mauro Ranallo introducing a SAnitY segment. This was an uncharacteristic botch from WWE and NXT, and one that we did not expect at all.
We have identified 5 points to note from the show. We present them to you, in the following countdown.
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#5 Who'll be Ruby Riot's tag team partner?
With Asuka's departure from the company, it is time for the rest of the women in the division to step up, and we saw the first glimpse of that with the interaction between Ruby Riot and NXT General Manager William Regal, this week on NXT. Riot faced Peyton Royce only last week but was thwarted by the numbers game, losing out because of Billie Kay's interference in the match.
She boldly asked for a handicap match, against the cunning Iconic Duo. Regal would not grant that but instead asked Riot to pick out a tag team partner and face the Iconic Duo in a tag team environment. This begs the challenge...who will come to Riot's aid when it is time to face Royce and Kay and perhaps, end this feud? We can think of a few names. Let us know your picks, in the comments!
#4 Babyface uses heel tactic
When you hear of a No Disqualification match between Kassius Ohno and Hideo Itami, you expect everything AND the kitchen sink. Unfortunately, this wasn't an all out brawl as one would have expected but still built to an interesting conclusion.
Yes, a steel chair reared its ugly head during the match, but the carnage wasn't a fraction of the destruction we witnessed between Asuka and Nikki Cross, during their Last Woman Standing contest. This was a hard fought match, but the most interesting thing to note in this match was how Kassius Ohno used a low blow to win the contest. Yes, Ohno and not his heelish opponent, Hideo Itami!
Despite the fact that it is Itami who has been showing a darker and seemingly eviler side to him, it was Ohno who really capitalized on the No DQ stipulation, in this regard. Kudos to him for selling his elbow to the very end. Even when he was celebrating with the crowd in attendance.
#3 Fight in the ring, bay bay!
Last week, Adam Cole, Kyle O'Reilly and Bobby Fish wreaked havoc on NXT, as they unleashed their reign of terror upon the brand, demolishing the new NXT Champion- Drew McIntyre. This week, while they did not appear on the show, we were glad to see that William Regal kept the continuity of their hottest angle going, by addressing the trio and telling them to keep the action inside the ring.
Is this an official invitation to them to make NXT their new home and get in the ring in the weeks that follow? We cannot wait for McIntyre and Cole to lock horns, and carry the brand on their broad shoulders. Kudos to Mauro Ranallo for mentioning this angle at the top of the show, during Andrade 'Cien' Almas' match.
#2 Undefeated for 523 days
From the moment she stepped into the NXT ring, Asuka proved that she was just a league above every other girl in the division. Despite her lack of fluency in English, she let her strikes and submissions speak for her, and will reign supreme as probably the greatest women's champion in NXT history. We doubt that her reign of dominance will be matched, at least in this era.
Bear in mind that Asuka stepped into NXT when the Four Horsewomen were called up. She carried the brand on her shoulders, and everyone who worked with her has benefited. Whether she goes to RAW or SmackDown Live, we hope that she will remain a top player. It would be criminal to misuse her. The audience's reaction to her departure was awesome, as was the cameo by Triple H at the end.
Asuka says that nobody is ready for her, right? We wonder if Vince McMahon is.
#1 Yet another curtain call
It's 2017 and the audience knows that the entertainment is scripted, in most parts of the world today. However, it pains us when wrestlers break character, during the course of a show, even if it is to bid Asuka farewell.
After watching Ruby Riot at odds with Billie and Peyton at the start of the episode, she was standing only a few feet away from them, in the concluding segment, this week. Even Nikki Cross seemed far more sane than usual, among her NXT buddies.
Triple H was notoriously a part of the MSG Curtain Call, and it is still spoken about, to this very day. One wonders if curtain calls are such a frequent feature of his NXT because he has a soft corner for them.
This was a pet peeve from an otherwise cool segment, this week. Join us again next week, for more observations, comments and points to note from NXT!
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