By Jason Powell, ProWrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet)
NXT Hits
Je’von Evans vs. Sean Legacy vs. Ashante Thee Adonis in a Triple Threat: The show peaked with this opening match. That says more about this match than the show quality. It felt pretty obvious that Adonis would take the loss, but the winner and how they got to the finish were not so predictable, and the wrestlers came through with a fun match. Evans was already a rising star before the match, and it feels like it’s already safe to use the same label for Legacy, who is off to a hot start during his first month on the brand. Here’s hoping that Adonis won’t be overlooked, as he has a fun character, a lot of charisma, and he can go in the ring.
Joe Hendry and Trick Williams: The musical approach won’t be for everyone, but it all came together nicely and made for a good final push for the TNA World Championship match at Battleground. As much as I look forward to Stephanie Vaquer vs. Jordynne Grace for the NXT Women’s Championship, the TNA World Championship match feels bigger heading into Sunday’s premium live event.
Oba Femi and Myles Borne: A solid verbal exchange. Femi has his act down, whereas Borne is still a work in progress. He felt like he was reciting lines more than speaking in a natural voice at times, but there was more good than bad. Borne says he doesn’t want to focus on his hearing issues, yet then he spends a lot of his promo time talking about being a champion for people with disabilities. It’s working for now, but one can only hope that he will introduce more layers to his character. I threw in the towel on WWE LFG a few weeks in because it was nothing special and there’s way too much pro wrestling content to keep up with. But Jasper Troy has a unique look, and it was cool to see him established as a big deal right out of the gate by having him attack the NXT Champion.
“OTM” Bronco Nima and Lucien Price vs. Kale Dixon and Uriah Connors: A quality win for OTM that showcased them properly as a powerhouse tag team. Dixon and Connors taking the loss makes storyline sense because Chase U2 is just getting started, and Andre Chase hasn’t had a chance to coach them up.
Kelani Jordan vs. Zaria: A soft Hit for a decent match. It felt odd that the stipulation was that Jordan had to beat Zaria to get a shot at the NXT Women’s North American Championship, yet nothing was on the line for Zaria. Can we just hurry up and get to the part where Zaria turns on Sol Ruca? And they better not overthink this by turning Ruca heel just no one will see it coming.
Tatum Paxley: I never thought I’d be so happy to see a pro wrestling character acting so gloomy. Paxley has been in dire need of a gimmick makeover, and it seems like she’s finally getting a chance to shake things up. Here’s hoping that she has officially moved on from playing with dolls and won’t be cast as a kooky babyface going forward.
NXT Misses
Shawn Spears vs. Josh Briggs: The younger wrestlers involved in The Culling have upside, but the faction as a whole already feels flat. It looked bleak in this match, but I continue to hope that the creative team is working toward a Briggs, Brooks Jensen, and Fallon Henley reunion. That said, Yoshiki Inamura returning to resume teaming with Briggs would be a nice consolation prize.
Lola Vice vs. Fallon Henley: A minor Miss for a match that simply overstayed its welcome. I’m high on both wrestlers, but they both feel a little too cold at the moment to justify topping ten minutes in a match that felt like it was mostly about the friction between Henley and Jacy Jayne.
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