Undisputed Power
My boys! Man, that NXT Championship looks great around Adam Cole’s waist. This wasn’t the smoothest promo from Adam Cole; I’ve definitely seen him do better. This opening segment also suffered from the “rotating door” effect that has plagued Raw and Smackdown as of late. Regardless, it was an entertaining segment and it seems the cracks in Undisputed Era have been temporarily filled.
Grade: B+
Raul Mendoza vs Damian Priest
Let’s ignore the fact that I totally forgot they changed Punishment Martinez’s name. This was about one step up from a squash match, but it was perfect for the debut match for Damian Priest. It made him look ominous, which is perfect for his character.
Winner: Damian Priest
Grade: B
NXT Breakout Tournament
There’s going to be an eight-man elimination tournament, with the winner getting a title shot. I love a good tournament so I’m expecting big things out of this. Also name changes, name changes everywhere!
Not Graded
HBIC
Mia Yim got a great package that explored her background and where she came from. I really, really liked this. It gave Yim’s character a lot more depth and probably garnered even more support for her from the fans.
Grade: A
Taynara Conti vs Xia Li
Both ladies have improved so much over the last couple of months! The match was a tiny bit clunky with a few obvious spot calls, but it was still good. Li’s kicks are so cool to watch; she’s like a video game character come to life.
Winner: Xia Li
Grade: C+
The grind don’t stop for the Street Profits
I love that the Profits do these Snapchat-style videos. They’ve got a match against the Forgotten Sons next week so let’s see how the new champions do in their first title defense.
Not Graded
Tyler Breeze, Velveteen Dream, and Matt Riddle vs Bobby Fish, Roderick Strong, and Adam Cole
I was interested to see how well Dream, Riddle, and Breeze would work together as a team, but they gelled fine despite a few minor moments. I was also expecting Cole to send in the others for the match, so it was a pleasant surprise to see him as a participant. This match was excellent! The pacing was great, the in-ring action was solid, and there was just enough theatrics and heel tactics. Everyone got time to shine as well, a crucial part of multi-person matches.
Winner: Bobby Fish, Roderick Strong, and Adam Cole
Final Thoughts
First off, I want to talk about Beth Phoenix on commentary because she is absolutely crushing it! And this was a great episode! NXT has been a little lackluster following Takeover 25, but this shows that the black and yellow brand is getting back on track.
Overall Grade: B+
