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It's impossible to put into words just how talented the men and women of NXT are and just how loaded the current roster is. I honestly wonder how many of them will get a chance to shine on the main roster, when they are finally called up. But right now they're in the developmental territory and they're outshining the main roster. What a great show this week.
As we head into the TakeOver in New York during WrestleMania week, the pieces are all lining up for NXT. Old faces grow frustrated while new faces line up to claim the prize. The action is fast and furious every single week.
I've identified 5 points that I found particularly exciting on this week's episode and listed them in this article as well. I wonder how the pieces will align ahead of NXT TakeOver: Blacklist.
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Maybe these following points will give us a clue.
#5 A furious main event match
The Undisputed ERA promised that they would be dripping in gold in the year 2019. As Mauro Ranallo would joke- they're not dripping in gold, they are ice cold. At this point in time, the once flourishing unit has no titles at all to their name and this is eating them up.
Adam Cole set out to set things right on this week's episode of NXT when he challenged Ricochet to a singles grudge match. The winner would get back in the running for the North American Championship once again, was the belief. This was a very different sort of Ricochet match because Cole worked on his leg all throughout.
While Ricochet would finally win the match, the Undisputed ERA would jump him. Not even Aleister Black's assistance was enough to have the babyfaces standing tall.
#4 Kassius Ohno threatens to quit the company
Kassius Ohno has had enough. After being the hottest superstar when he first rejoined NXT, he has fallen down the ranks and his value has decreased over time. Kassius Ohno has had it and he threatened to quit on this week's show.
Keith Lee would give him some retribution right before Ohno's departure, leaving him laying on the steel ramp. He would also cut a hilarious promo and it is clear that he will be one of the favourites of the NXT Universe, in the coming months. He certainly has the size and athletic ability to make it as a singles star, and he showed us just how talented he is on the microphone as well, this week.
Kassius Ohno's departure could be a very interesting storyline going forward. After his feud with Matt Riddle, this could be just what the doctor ordered for him.
#3 The tag team division heats up
The Street Profits had some fun with Kassius Ohno who lay on the ramp after Keith Lee knocked him out. They would then go to the ring where their opponents Humberto Carrillo and Stacey Erwin Jr. waited for them.
They did not have too hard a task defeating this team which comprised primarily of enhancement talent. During the course of the match, they showed a mean streak that we don't usually associate with the Street Profits, to show that they mean business.
When the match was over and done with, the Street Profits threw their name into the hat to compete for the NXT Tag Team Championships and sent out an invitation to the current Champions- The War Raiders, for a future clash. Of course, this would also bring out other deserving teams like Barthel and Eichner, Lorcan and Burch and The Undisputed ERA.
Tag team wrestling has never been hotter.
#2 A new alliance is born
My first thought when I saw Aliyah in her current avatar is that she looks a lot like Carmella with her new gear. The announcers played up the fact that her gear was all designer made. And when she stepped into the ring to work with Taynara Conti, she showcased the fact that she's just as mean.
But now, she has a friend and a comrade to help her out. This is 'the vision' Vanessa Borne, who allowed Aliyah to pick up the win against Conti. Aliyah even showed a little more submission-based offence on this week's show, when she forced Taynara Conti to tap out.
Aliyah certainly has the look to succeed on the main roster but the question remains if she will ever grow to main event potential while she is in NXT, the land of in-ring work as she grows into a composite performer. I think with Borne by her side, she could.
#1 The three Horsewomen send a message across
Ronda Rousey is not the only Horsewoman who's rattled right now. Shayna Baszler is equally unhinged, after suffering a loss at the hands of Io Shirai not long ago. And she let her feelings be known by crashing the women's match in NXT. She was accompanied by Duke and Shafir, of course.
Whom will the NXT Women's Champion face off with, in her next feud? It certainly looks like Io Shirai is the top contender, though Bianca Belair wants another shot at the title too. And maybe Kairi Sane has her own designs on the Championship, that nobody knows about yet.
And finally, we come to the end of this review, of what was a great episode of NXT. If you watched the show, please let me know if you agreed or disagreed with my assessment.
What do you think of the TakeOver: Blacklist name?
