Last week’s episode of NXT was almost like a highlights reel of the excellent NXT Takeover: Brooklyn II show. However, this episode of NXT felt, for all intents and purposes, like a restart of the brand with new stars, upcoming talent and fresh faces to replace the talent that was called up after the brand split.
Not much really happened on the show, but we sense that NXT is looking at building new talent to replace the current void. And creating new stars does take time. This episode of NXT was a step in that direction. Let’s look at our top 5 takeaways from what was in essence, an uneventful NXT show this week.
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1: The era of strong style has begun
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It will come as no surprise if Shinsuke Nakamura becomes WWE Champion one day. But with the departure of Finn Balor to the main roster, we’re certain that he will carry the NXT brand on his shoulders, into the future. This entire episode of NXT was essentially about him, building up his achievements since he made his debut on Wrestlemania weekend against Sami Zayn. Nakamura entered the NXT arena to rapturous applause and claimed that the NXT Championship was his biggest achievement. While he seriously needs to improve his promo skills, Shinsuke’s in-ring talent and charisma make up for it. His message was simple- ‘a new era had begun and it was the era of Strong Style.
Here’s something worth pondering, though. We wonder who his next opponent will be considering Samoa Joe seems like he’ll be off TV for some time, because of the real life injuries he suffered during their Takeover match.
2: The women's division desperately needs new stars
Make no mistake about this. Asuka is one of the best women’s workers in the history of the business. However, the rest of the division looks seriously green right now. With Bayley and Nia Jax (in addition to Alexa Bliss and Carmella) being called to the main roster, we wonder who Asuka’s next credible opponent will be. Ember Moon has looked impressive, but is she good enough to co-main event an NXT Takeover? Billy Kay and Liv Morgan too have impressed in recent times, but the star power of last year is gone. If there was ever a time to sign a star from the independents, it is right now.
3: Seeds for future feuds
No Way Jose scored a comprehensive victory over Angelo Dawkins this week. But that’s not the main story here. Shortly after his win, in the backstage area, he was confronted by ‘glorious’ Bobby Roode. We won’t wonder what this feud will be like because we’re sure it’ll be...GLORIOUS in every sense. Sorry, we just had to get that out of our system. The fact of the matter is this. Bobby Roode is on the way up to the main event picture, and this is probably a mini feud before he faces Nakamura for the NXT Championship. And that’s not all. Austin Aries, chomping on a banana, had a face off against Andrade Cien Almas. They’re set to square off next week. Will this be the greatest match that ever was? No. Whatever the case is, let’s see who goes over in this encounter.
4: The Revival- Gargano/Ciampa feud is not over
Tommaso Ciampa was without a partner this week, as a result of Johnny Wrestling being injured thanks to his Cruiserweight Classic match with T.J. Perkins (even though it was filmed weeks prior to his NXT Takeover: Brooklyn II event, but was telecast later). And like hounds, The Revival would gang up and attack the lone soldier. The action spilled out from the back, into the ring, where The Revival left Ciampa destroyed. Considering the quality of their match at Takeover: Brooklyn, we hope there are many other action packed matches lined up in this feud. Every time these guys get into the ring, they invariably deliver 5-star matches.
5: Tye Dillinger is finally on his way up the NXT ladder
For a long time, Tye Dillinger has seen big stars come to NXT and go to the main roster. He’s always been in the background, biding his time. And now he is over like never before. The crowd loves him at Full Sail University, as does the crowd at Brooklyn from what we saw last week. With consecutive wins over Blake and Murphy, in the last 2 weeks, Dillinger is poised to ascend to the pinnacle.
