Welcome back everyone, this week’s WWE NXT wasted no time getting into things, so why should the WWE NXT recap?
WWE NXT Recap For April 29th
Kevin Owens Promo
On Raw or Smackdown, when the show kicks off with an in-ring promo, I usually sigh and prepare myself to hear the same bullshit I heard last week, with a 2 minute talking point being stretched into 20 minutes, thus killing any momentum or excitement.
When NXT does it, they get to the point in a satisfactory amount of time. That’s the beauty of an hour-long show. They don’t have time to dilly dally. They don’t have to stretch things out.
Another thing I love: the Bad Guy making very good points. Everything Owens said was right. Why should he give Zayn another title shot? Zayn went and licked his wounds for a month, Owens shouldn’t have to put the title on the line from a practical standpoint.
The people writing this show understand how people operate. Owens has no reason to put the title on the line until Zayn gets to him. The writers play on Owens’ insecurities. Owens is a fighting champion, but in the back of his mind, his character knows that his legacy is attached to Zayn’s and he hates that. It’s nice when wrestling remembers that these people are still supposed to act like people.
Alexa Bliss and Carmella Confrontation
Did you know that women wrestlers are allowed to have a conversation that doesn’t boil down to “Who is fat/a slut/a bitch”? Cuz I literally forgot that was even an option in women’s wrestling until this segment.
Alex Riley and Sami Zayn Confrontation
NXT made me interested in 4 different matches (Owens/Zayn, Enzo & Cass/Murphy & Blake, Carmella/Alexis and Zayn/Riley) in the first 16 minutes. 4 matches. 4 matches explained and invested in no more than 16 minutes into a show. Do you know how many matches are featured in the first 16 minutes of Raw? 1 max.
Enzo & Cass (W) vs Murphy & Blake
I’m changing my tune about Enzo and Cass’s in ring work. It’s improving dramatically, and they seem to be learning the nuances of tag team wrestling. Tag team matches that are basically two 1-on-1 matches happening at the same time are the worst.
Becky Lynch Promo
I like NXT acknowledging that these people have a resume prior to arriving there. Becky looks poised for a face turn against Sasha Banks. Banks is too good a heel, and Lynch seems wildly likeable, so why fight it?
Baron Corbin Vignette
This vignette did more to build interest in Baron Corbin than the eighty 10-second matches that he’s been having up until now. I really love the variety of how they’re presenting characters. We’ve only had one in-ring promo so far on the show. That’s good. That’s very good. Mikey likes this.
Bayley vs. Dana Brooke (W)
What Mikey does not like, is distractions from the top of the ramp. I hate them. I hate them so god damn much. Remember that time Lebron James spotted up to take a game winning three in the Conference Semifinals, but then he saw Tim Duncan on the sidelines and got psyched out and bricked it? No? Because that doesn’t happen in sports. Quit it. Just fucking quit doing this. We do at least one of these on each program every week since the beginning of time. Let’s all agree to knock it off.
On a good note, Dana Brooke didn’t look like absolute garbage this week.
William Regal Promo
Regal announces a #1 contender match between Hideo Itami, Tyler Breeze and Finn Balor. I love #1 contender matches, because they make winning and losing matter. And when winning and losing matter you can make the people involved matter. It’s a crazy concept, I know.
This also could lead to a Finn Balor heel turn, which if you’ve ever seen heel Balor from his days as the leader of the Bullet Club in New Japan, you’ll understand why I am so god damn excited for this. There’s something about an Irish guy being a dick head (see: Conor McGregor) that overjoys me.
Hideo Itami (W) vs. Adam Rose
If you had Itami win that Battle Royal, he could be doing exactly what they’re doing with Neville on the main roster right now. Instead, you gave it to the Big Show and haven’t mentioned it once since the night after Wrestlemania. What was the fucking point? How do you expect me to care about that match next year when you’ve made it abundantly clear that it does not matter whatsoever. Once again, Vince’s fault, not the fault of anyone involved with NXT.
Bayley promo
Another prime example of how women can be mad at each other without someone being fat, a bitch or a slut. Emma stole Bayley’s things and Bayley is pissed about it. That’s a fairly relatable grudge, right?
Becky Lynch (W) vs Someone
Another thing I love about NXT: enhancement talent. Bringing in wrestlers that the WWE isn’t trying to invest in is a great way to build the wrestlers you are trying to invest in.
Rhyno Promo
Short, sweet and to the goddamn point. Rhyno doesn’t like Corbin’s attitude and they’re going to fight about it. Simple.
Here’s a number for you: 18. Eighteen wrestlers were featured in an hour of television, yet when I watch Raw for 3 hours, I see the same god damn people over and over again. This is how it should be. A little foreplay. A little fucking.
Sami Zayn (W) vs. Alex Riley
Great way to further the feud between Owens and Zayn. Bad guys being bad. After everything Owens has done, how can you not want to see him get the shit beaten out of him? This is how you should end a wrestling show. Not with random tag team matches that nobody cares about featuring the same guys that are mad at each other every week.
Well that’s it for this week, thanks for stopping by. Before I wrap things up, I want to mention the passing of a wrestling legend, Verne Gagne.
Pro wrestling would have never became what it was without people like Verne Gagne. Almost every wrestler you love from your childhood exists because of Verne Gagne. Without him there’s no Hogan, there’s no Flair, there’s not much of anything.
Over the last decade, he’d been suffering from dementia and as much as it sucks to lose him, it’s good to know he’s at peace. He deserves peace after all he did for this stupid, childish thing that I love so much.
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