What usually happens is that after a disappointing Raw, SmackDown is often a breath of fresh air, and much like a crescendo, NXT is the magnum opus that caps off our week in wrestling.
Unfortunately, this week, on the heels of a brilliant episode of Smackdown, a breathtaking Last Man Standing match on Raw and one of the greatest main events of all time at Wrestle Kingdom 11, this two-hour NXT special from Down Under was a bit of a disappointment.
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The matches were good as they always are, but as one would expect there was no storyline advancement. Moreover, we already knew the results much before we saw the matches this week. So let’s head on to Melbourne, and discuss 5 points to note from Down Under.
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#5 ‘Ten’ is the new ‘Yes’
Does WWE have a gold mine in Tye Dillinger? While he is nowhere in the same league as Daniel Bryan in terms of wrestling ability, Dillinger has a connect with the crowd that few have had since Bryan called it a day.
Moreover, Bryan, despite all his ability became a sensation because of the ‘Yes’ movement. We do believe that ‘Ten' has the ability to be the next ‘Yes’ chant. Already, everyone in the main roster uses it despite Dillinger still being in the developmental brand.
Special marks to Corey Graves during the Dillinger/Murphy match against Samson/Roode for becoming absolutely maniacal with rage when Samson picked up the guitar and started singing. Samson too is hated on a level few heels are, at a time when more babyfaces are booed by fans than heels.
The Aussie fans were loud and raucous and the ‘drift away’ chants were strong through the contest. Murphy too received a great reaction at home for a wrestler whose greatest achievement has been dating Alexa Bliss. Roode, in all his glory, also impressed us all.
#4 Ember Moon eclipses her competition
Remember how the loud crowds are always asking Bayley if she’ll be their girl (we don't know how that works). This week, Australia's leggy blacked haired beauty was the crowd favourite as they serenaded her (despite her being a heel).
A far more important development was Ember Moon picking up the victory over Billie Kay and Liv Morgan. Each week, she proves that she's a dominant contender for Asuka’s NXT title, and it is very likely that she’ll be announced as the top contender at the next Takeover in San Antonio during Royal Rumble weekend.
Both Liv Morgan and Billie Kay showed signs of improvement and could become more dominant players in the months that follow. For now, they’re still quite green.
#3 The worst Revival match?
They may go hard, all day all night, but this week they had two muscular opponents from the football world, who were so green that even The Revival could not salvage the match they put on. They also looked muscular enough to give Lex Luger an inferiority complex.
This was probably not an Eva Marie/Dana Brook level bad match, but considering The Revival were involved, two men who have been stealing the show at every Takeover, it was underwhelming indeed.
The two men, Riddick Moss and Tino Sabbatelli need to watch matches featuring The Revival and learn the art of tag team wrestling. They certainly have miles to go, right now. Moving on...
#2 The crowd wanted #DIY to lose
Everyone loves #DIY right? These two underdogs who put on a great match every single time always impress, and we cannot help but love them, right? Right?
Wrong!
The rather vocal Aussie crowd was rooting for Thorne and Miller from the word go and really wanted their homegrown heroes to pick up the win. During near falls, they would scream in agony, 'That was three'.
Little did they know, that while Nakamura did pick up a victory in Japan, TM-61 isn't as high as Nakamura in the pecking order. The teams did show us some great skill and the crowd chanted ‘This is awesome’. This was the match of the evening, but honestly, just another solid NXT house show contest.
#1 The complete, unedited main event!
We have already reviewed this match before, but the version we had seen was heavily edited and cut down in length, by half. We finally saw the unedited main event, and while it was a good match, we could tell that we hadn’t missed much. What must be noted is that Nakamura’s knees are stiff as hell, and Joe’s forehead bore the brunt of Shinsuke's assault.
We are excited about next week when #DIY takes on The Revival and Asuka returns to Full Sail Arena. Goodbye for now!
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