The NXT Discussion Thread

[WyattSheepMask]

I took a look at the card and decided to only watch the last two matches as there wasn’t anything else I was interested in.

I gave up watching weekly pretty soon after the reboot, but I’ve always been slightly intrigued by what they’ve been doing with Joe Gacy’s character. Not in a “great! They’re doing a character whose all about inclusivity, acceptance...” sort of way, more in that I’m intrigued in what old man Michaels and old man Vince think that kind of person is (although I’m not sure entirely how involved Vince is with the actual writing)

I lost interest in the men’s War Games Match after they did the whole “two teams stand off from one another then charge” routine, it’s just the same fucking thing every fucking year. Kendo Sticks, Rubbish Bins and over the last couple years chains. Same old shit every time.
I did catch Grayson Waller’s massive elbow drop to LA Knight through the table towards the end though, that was really good. 
Bronn getting the pin sets up the title match between he and Ciampa at New Years Evil, where I reckon they’ll put the belt on him.

If this was Gargano’s last match in NXT then I hope to god he doesn’t go to AEW. While the likelihood of him going to there is admittedly pretty high, it’s not a given and I hope I never see him again

Edited December 6, 2021 by WyattSheepMask

[MVP RULZ]

2 hours ago, air_raid said:

I read the fans chanted “War Games” during the match and reacted to OReilly turning heel by cheering for him.

The games gone, Clive.

Dont think O'Reilly was the one turning heel

Von Wagner was the one who tried to cheap shot O'Reilly from behind (which he telegraphed terribly mind and made it so obvious thats what he was waiting for) 

O'Reilly counted it as like everyone else he could see it coming a mile off and then beat Wagner down 

[air_raid]

10 minutes ago, MVP RULZ said:

Dont think O'Reilly was the one turning heel

Von Wagner was the one who tried to cheap shot O'Reilly from behind (which he telegraphed terribly mind and made it so obvious thats what he was waiting for) 

O'Reilly counted it as like everyone else he could see it coming a mile off and then beat Wagner down 

That makes more sense. Rajah just had it as “OReilly attacks Von Wagner after the match and leaves him laying.” So piss reporting rather than piss poor fans. This time.

[Tsurutagun]

Made the rookie error of watching 1992 War Games the night before watching Black and Gold NXT vs Aftermath of diarrhoea after eating too many Starbusts NXT Wargames. 

1) Can the PC trainers actually teach these guys to brawl. Hitting people over and over again with a kendo stick is not brawling

2) The Match Beyond doesn't have to last 20 minutes. Going 38 minutes doesn't make a match epic. 

[air_raid]

9 hours ago, Tsurutagun said:

Aftermath of diarrhoea after eating too many Starbusts

Coincidentally, the title of the next Progress chapter.

[Tamura]

Tomasso Ciampa in the WarGames matches was absolutely atrocious, although I probably should blame which ever road agent was responsible for the spot. Ciampa gets hit over the back with a trashcan lid so his obvious reaction, just like any other person, is to lie down on the table. Could they really not have changed it to a spot where his opponent lifts/drops/whatever him onto the table, instead of just hokey contrived nonsense?

[DavidB6937]

45 minutes ago, Tamura said:

Tomasso Ciampa in the WarGames matches was absolutely atrocious, although I probably should blame which ever road agent was responsible for the spot. Ciampa gets hit over the back with a trashcan lid so his obvious reaction, just like any other person, is to lie down on the table. Could they really not have changed it to a spot where his opponent lifts/drops/whatever him onto the table, instead of just hokey contrived nonsense?

That's hardly a Ciampa specific thing. There are plenty of contrived table spots in all companies really. Same with non-table spots where they have to fall on the floor in exactly the right position to be hit with a top rope move. Or onto the rope for a 619. Or the all hanging around outside in a group so you can catch someone etc etc. There are so many spots like that that need to be done better.

[Loki]

NXT bounces back with a cracking Roderick Strong v Poppa Nephew match.  It's fascinating to see Strong and the referee talking his opponent through the match but Breakker continues to visibly get better every week.

The rest of the show was ok - Tony Dangelo is great and they've definitely got something with him as well.  And this Harland character is genuinely terrifying and threw Brian Kendrick down a flight of stairs which was cool.

Next week Dangelo v Pete Dunne, which should be a good one.

[Nick James]

Grayson Waller isn't getting the credit he deserves. A genuinely hateable heel in WWE in 2021 that is such a dickhead you can fully believe he is like that outside the ring too. 

[Shane O' Mac Version 2]

Met Waller quite a few times, pretty good dude but the "cocky athlete" part of his persona is definitely him. Like most good wrestling characters, Grayson Waller is Matt Farrelly with the volume turned way up.

[Nick James]

Watched NXT for the first time in months this morning to see the crowning of Breakker and it was a rather decent show.

Interestingly, Rick Steiner got in the ring to celebrate after the show, is this the first time he's officially been acknowledged as Brons dad?

 

 

Edited January 5, 2022 by Nick James

[Lenin]

Average match but the right time to strap the proverbial rocket to Bron. It'll be interesting to see what happens moving forward all the same, Ciampa has done everything he can in NXT and probably WWE. Bron won't be main roster ready until after Wrestlemania in my opinion.

Classy tweet and photo though. 

[I Bent My Wookie]

@Nick Jameshim using the Recliner and them saying he has become a Dog Faced Gremlin I feel is as close as they've come to mention who he is. 

[MVP RULZ]

Loads of subtle hints have been dropped over the last few months

The Entrance having the siren at the start, Talking about Math and % in one of his promos and being called "the Big Bad Booty Nephew" was probably the most obvious one

So they've leaned into it slightly without fully going all in on him being Steiner

[Loki]

On 1/5/2022 at 7:48 AM, Nick James said:

Watched NXT for the first time in months this morning to see the crowning of Breakker and it was a rather decent show.

Interestingly, Rick Steiner got in the ring to celebrate after the show, is this the first time he's officially been acknowledged as Brons dad?

 

 

That's the first time Rick's been in a WWE ring since, what, their little run in the early 90s?  In terms of steps towards Steiners in the HoF, it's surely significant.

My fantasy of course is that Scotty becomes his manager when Bron gets called up to Raw.  With Hunter now very much sidelined, this might even be possible now.

----

This felt like the official final Black 'n' Gold show, I'm assuming Ciampa is done with the company now.  It very much doesn't feel like a third brand any more, it's reverting to a developmental league with occasional sightings of main roster stars to give it some rub.  That might actually work better for WWE, but it's made the show less appealing I think.  AEW now provides the Indy+ thrills and stars that NXT used to.

Edited January 7, 2022 by Loki