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RAW and SmackDown Live fell in terms of viewership because of what can only be described as substandard content. On the contrary, NXT served yet another dollop of exciting content, from start to finish.
It certainly helps that the show is only an hour long. It also helps that NXT is always hungry with superstars waiting to impress, and they take no shortcuts, ever! There were far more than five points to note this week, but for the sake of tradition, we're going to keep it down to only five.
Tell us what you thought of the action this week. List down the good, bad and ugly in the comments down below.
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Without further ado, let's fast forward straight to the heart of the action, once again.
#5 So close yet so far
Roderick Strong almost won the NXT Championship at several points in this week's main event match, but as has been the story of his career, 'almost' was the key word here as well.
At first glance, Drew McIntrye towers over the much smaller Strong. To the most casual fans, one would imagine that a contest of this nature would be very one-sided. However, Drew McIntyre and Roderick Strong took each other to the limit in what can only be described as one of the best main events in this year's NXT TV. This was awesome!
It is interesting to note that, as close as this contest was, there was very little heat for the action in the ring. Mauro Ranallo did his best to make the action seem larger than life, but the audience at Full Sail Arena did seem a little disinterested. Of the two men, McIntyre got more of a babyface pop than Strong did.
We wonder if this is the last hurrah for Strong in NXT, at least for the time being, considering there are many other worthy contenders for McIntyre's championship. Also considering that this segment did transition into an interesting little reunion.
#4 ROH reunion?
We love how Creative has found a way to feature The Undisputed Era on every single show since they came to NXT. This week, they confronted Roderick Strong after his match, and seemingly teased an alliance with the man. Of course, if you've read the spoilers, skip right ahead. If you have not, continue on.
Roderick Strong was the anchor for Ring of Honor, one of the centrepieces of the wrestling promotion. It would only make sense that a faction that hails from the organization would want to recruit him into their fold and make the trio into a quartet. We're very curious to see how this story unfolds in the weeks of NXT television that follow.
We're all for this being Strong's next storyline because there's an element of suspense. The best stories are those in which the answer is not immediately obvious.
#3 Deja Vu
When this episode of NXT began, we wondered if it was a recap from a few weeks ago, considering that Ruby Riot was in yet another handicap situation with Kay and Royce. Thankfully, Mauro Ranallo's small tribute to legendary professional wrestling announcer Lance Russell (RIP) convinced us this was a brand new week of action.
Much like we'd seen then, Nikki Cross came out from the audience to help Riot out. With Cross' assistance, Riot managed to thwart the Iconic Duo yet again, making it seem like the two babyfaces are on the same page, for now. We wonder how this plays into the state of the NXT Women's Championship, that will be contested for, on Survivor Series weekend in Houston.
#2 A huge NXT debut
One glance at Kairi Sane and you know that she's meant for great things in NXT. It is almost hilarious to see someone her size deliver a spear, a move traditionally used by significantly larger performers. She took on Aliyah this week and defeated her in almost no time. Could she have the same run in the roster that Asuka did?
As for Aliyah, even she seemed much improved in the ring, compared to the inexperience she had shown during her last NXT run. Working with Kairi Sane could be a great way to hone her craft and pick up a few skills. And now, we move to the final point of our weekly countdown.
#1 Indie sensation's debut goes slightly awry
Even if you haven't heard of Lio Rush from the indies, chances are you have seen the clip of his that went viral on the internet, not long ago. The one where he no sells a table bump.
The independent sensation is now a part of NXT, but his debut against Aleister Black was ruined by The Velveteen Dream, a man who's been desperate for Black to notice him and pay attention to his highly eccentric ways.
As for The Velveteen Dream, while his elbow drop may not be as picture-perfect as the one Kairi Sane delivers, but because of his larger size, it looks quite deadly. We're really curious with regard to where his storyline with the enigmatic Black is headed.
That concludes our weekly review, beloved reader. Join us again next week as we dissect yet another episode of NXT. Of course, we have posted spoilers from the tapings on the site as well, so check them out or be careful, depending on how you prefer your sports entertainment action.
Join us for live coverage of Hell in a Cell too, this weekend. Until the next time, stay cool!
