I don't normally enjoy vignettes that run throughout the show. However, this week, I had the most fun I had in a while because of the awesome comedy skits from the Broserweights. Matt Riddle and Pete Dunne surprisingly even do well during the backstage shenanigans and it adds more to the tag team. Imagine the Rock 'n' Sock Connection in modern WWE and this is what you get—comedy gold.
Actually, my enjoyment of this week's episode stems from the backstage vignettes which were produced. From the previously mentioned Broserweights road trip to the build-ups for NXT Takeover: Portland, up to Tommaso Ciampa's look back on his quest to reclaim his beloved Goldie, these were the most entertaining parts of the show in my opinion. They just felt genuine and felt like a breath of fresh air. That's not to say that the matches weren't enjoyable; tonight, though, I felt they took a back seat.
Speaking of the matches, The Undisputed Era's backstage rampage from last week received their follow-ups this week. In a company wherein not all backstage angles have direct continuations, this felt refreshing. We had Bronson Reed try to get revenge from Roderick Strong (although he lost that match). At the same time, we also had KUSHIDA face Adam Cole in the main event. Both were great matches that served just to give the Era momentum while also addressing the previous week's incidents.
As a final note, the other matches didn't really mean much to me, although, in a good way, they had the most enjoyable wrestling exchanges I've had in a while. Angel Garza vs. Lio Rush felt like it was a PPV-quality match. The same goes for Johnny Gargano vs. Cameron Grimes. The only one I didn't like was Dakota Kai vs. Candice LeRae but I get that it was done to build interest for Kai vs. Tegan Nox for the PPV. This week was a good prelude for NXT Takeover: Portland.
Grade: A-
Match to Watch: Johnny Gargano vs. Cameron Grimes
Not-So-Full Sails
- Velveteen Dream looks like he came straight from the '80s. I'm enjoying this rivalry.
- While I enjoy Candice LeRae's and Dakota Kai's work, I feel that something is missing from both women's characters. I liked Kai's heel turn but she needs to keep the tenacity up. On that note, she did ramp it up after the match.
- Has it been a while since Johnny Gargano last wrestled? Why does it feel like I missed seeing him in singles matches.
- Angel Garza is growing on me. I have a feeling he's really destined for more. He has the potential to be even better than Humberto Carillo (or even Andrade).
- Has KUSHIDA's hype died down? He's slowly treading the path that Hideo Itami did when he was in NXT. I hope they don't waste this guy's potential.
Are you also tired of Dominik Dijakovic vs. Keith Lee? What did you think about Velveteen Dream's return? Are The Undisputed Era's championship belts in danger at Takeover: Portland? Hit us up in the comments section below.
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Miguel “The Migz” Llado is your master NXT reviewer at the Smark Henry offices. A lover of music, wrestling, videogames, and food, he lives his life tweeting his mind off (@the_migz) and ‘gramming random food items and locations (@tha_migz) while he pursues his musical career courtesy of his band The Mox (TheMoxGarageRock). You can also add him on PSN (MigzLlado) to show your WWE2K19 (or any PS4) skills. When not being a smark, he lives his life as an awesome architect, musician extraordinaire and armchair fantasy booker.
Photos and videos from WWE
*****
Miguel “The Migz” Llado is your master NXT reviewer at the Smark Henry offices. A lover of music, wrestling, videogames, and food, he lives his life tweeting his mind off (@the_migz) and ‘gramming random food items and locations (@tha_migz) while he pursues his musical career courtesy of his band The Mox (TheMoxGarageRock). You can also add him on PSN (MigzLlado) to show your WWE2K19 (or any PS4) skills. When not being a smark, he lives his life as an awesome architect, musician extraordinaire and armchair fantasy booker.
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