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Following a fun debut episode of NXT 2.0, we are now settling into the new era of the former Black and Gold brand. The future, quite literally, is bright.
Episode two of NXT 2.0 did well to follow up on some of the main stories of last week's show, with the main players getting added focus and new ones being introduced. It has also built up nicely for next week, which will see three Championship matches.
The brand has not quite compromised on quality, with some solid in-ring action on the program. However, the priorities have clearly shifted. The old NXT is not coming back, but this change feels like the right decision, at least right now. This week was an encouraging one for the direction of the show.
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Let's take a look at the main positives and negatives of this week's episode. Leave your thoughts in the comments section if you disagree with this review.
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#3 Best/Worst: Chaos returns to NXT
NXT kicked off with a bunch of new faces in the ring, not counting the several characters that would be introduced to us throughout the episode. Tommaso Ciampa came out to cut a passionate promo following his NXT Championship win a week ago.
This was followed by a somewhat lazy promo train, with the likes of Cameron Grimes and LA Knight coming out one by one. The purpose of this was for a mass brawl to break out, truly encompassing the chaotic nature of NXT 2.0. William Regal may need to invest in another enforcer.
With so many debuting stars, the show truly feels unpredictable. The chaos further helps that notion, as it breeds competition. But something like this should remain a rare occurrence or it could come across as forced. This week's episode got its balance just about right, although the camera work could have been better.
We even got a glimpse of the backstage area, where there was even more fighting. Hopefully, this leads to a lot more fire in the stories that are told. There has to be a purpose to this chaos.
#2 Best: NXT is a wacky world again
As if it wasn't made abundantly clear before, NXT is once again a place filled with characters galore. The variety is unreal, with several new superstars being introduced. Last week, a few of them debuted without much explanation regarding their characters. The brand has rectified some of those errors through a few vignettes.
A lot of the new faces have received their distinct personalities, no matter how outlandish they are. This week, we learned that Josh Briggs and Brooks Jensen became a team after fighting each other in a bar and Andre Chase is a university professor with anger issues.
Grayson Waller said it best tonight when he came out to confront Roderick Strong. NXT is a jungle.
#2 Worst: Not every new gimmick has been great
While most debuting superstars have gotten fun characters on NXT, that isn't the case with everybody. Joe Gacy is playing the role of a champion of political correctness as a heel, which may not be the greatest idea in 2021.
He claimed the ring was a safe space and tried conflict resolution with Cameron Grimes. It did not work, as the Million Dollar Champion defeated Gacy soundly. It remains to be seen what happens next with this gimmick, but it has been questionable so far.
#1 Best: Bron Breakker looks like a megastar
Weird name aside, Bron Breakker is possibly the biggest positive of NXT 2.0 so far. He defeated LA Knight last week, before teaming with Tommaso Ciampa against Pete Dunne and Ridge Holland tonight. Breakker was mightily impressive here, showcasing why he is subject to such a big push instantly.
The son of Rick Steiner showed his immense power and even locked in the Steiner Recliner at one point. He would ultimately pin Holland with a power slam, following interference from Kyle O'Reilly. Bron Breakker then had an intense moment with Ciampa.
The new star spent a while gazing at the NXT Championship, before handing it over to The Blackheart. This was perhaps a tease towards a big title match between Breakker and Ciampa, which the former could end up winning. He has tremendous potential.
#1 Worst: Roderick Strong's NXT Cruiserweight Title win feels underwhelming
Sure, Roderick Strong winning the NXT Cruiserweight Championship is a positive. But how it happened was quite underwhelming. Diamond Mine still needs a major boost, with a strong victory for the former Undisputed Era member likely to have gone a long way in doing so.
KUSHIDA and Strong put on a good match before outside interference took away from it. The main ringside contribution came from Ivy Nile, the female member of Diamond Mine. This gave Roderick Strong the opening to pick up the victory with the End of Heartache.
Given how long we waited for this match, NXT should have made this a complete exhibition without any interference. There still needs to be some pure in-ring brilliance, in the middle of his new character-filled world.
