Source: WWE.com

Pops & Botches: WWE NXT – 10.14.2020

 

Last Time on WWE NXT…

Ember Moon had her first match in about a year, Drake Maverick and Killian Dain finally became “friends”, Ridge Holland got a new car and then unfortunately immediately got injured, and Johnny Gargano became a supervillain.

This Week: The North American Championship is up for grabs, we have three #1 Contender Matches, and TONI STORM IS HERE! Let’s see how it all went down.

POP: Tag Team Wrestling

Following a fired up promo from Kyle O’Reilly reminding everyone that the UE is still on the lookout for whoever got Ridge Holland to take out Adam Cole (despite the piped in crowd noises telling us that the UE are still heels? What is going on), we get a #1 Contender’s match between the UE and 1-2 Punch.

This match was hard hitting as fuck. There were multiple instances where Oney and Danny hit a grown ass man with another grown ass man. AEW gets a lot of well-deserved love for their Tag Team division, and NXT’s Tag Team division has been somewhat depleted lately, but don’t sleep on it. The matches are consistently fire.

UE take the W here, and I have no doubt their eventual title match against Breezango will more than live up to expectations.

POP: Essential Workers

Technically this wasn’t on the show, but this was too funny not to mention.

It is a scientific fact that abs make you aerodynamic.

Prinxe Update

Is the NXT Championship cursed or something? First Karrion Kross, now Finn had to get surgery on his jaw (complete with graphic photography THANKS FOR THAT WWE, WHAT THE HELL). For now, they’re planning to wait and see how he recovers from his surgery before they make any decisions on the NXT Championship. Let’s hope for the best.

POP: Alexa, play Savage (Remix) by Megan Thee Stallion feat. Beyoncé

Ember talks about having a pretty bad 2019 (haha this year hasn’t been so great either) and why she decided to come back to NXT instead of…those other programs.

“Why did I come back to NXT? Did you watch RAW?”

I just wanna say how happy I am to see Ember Moon on my television again, and to see her in what’s probably the best women’s wrestling division in wrestling right now.

Mid: The Set-Up

Bruh, I saw you hit your head on the top rope there during your entrance.

Honestly, the match between Ashante and Jake Atlas was very much an afterthought during this segment which is fine I guess because the actual important part is 2/3rds of Legado del Fantasma coming down during the match, and then trying to attack Ashante after Atlas gets the flash pin on him.

Atlas saves him and they’re ready to take them on until Santos Escobar pulls up to use the “damned numbers game” against them, but Swerve shows up with some chairs and the heels of course, back off. That 6 man tag is gonna be crazy, assuming that’s what they’re building to.

Also between Escobar’s suit and Ashante’s…well everything, Breezango has gotta start handing out commendations or medals or something, right?

“Riddle me this, Batman!”

Johnny Gargano sure is great!

Following a short interview where the Power Couple decide to go full delusional heel and just straight up say they won when in fact, they did not, Johnny faces…hey, Johnny Gargano sure is a dope wrestler isn’t he? Both he and Candice are consistently among the highlights of NXT lately. 

Anyway, here’s his title match with Andrade (neé Almas) at TakeOver: Philadelphia. Truly a 5-star match.

POP: “He’s Dead.”

Not sure who he means, but he sounds problematic.

POP: West Coast/West Coast Beef

At first, I was gonna give this #1 Contender’s match a “Mid”. It started out fine, but wasn’t wowing me. Both Shotzi and Candice are amazing wrestlers but I was feeling kinda “meh” about the match. And hey, for NXT, even “meh” is still pretty good.

But after the commercial break, both these women really turned it up to 10. I also love that Shotzi is so amazing that she’s even been able to win over Wade Barrett within a handful of weeks(“I guess I am one of the weirdos.”). That reverse Cattle Mutilation Shotzi put on Candice was pretty amazing too. 

The finish comes when Candice is outside the ring and Gargano Way hopeful Indi Hartwell sneaks some brass knuckles to her and she uses them on Shotzi, gets the W and is on her way to face Io for the Women’s Championship at NXT Halloween Havoc.

Side note: Candice knocking over Shotzi’s helmet is the most scumbag shit I have ever seen and I hope Io absolutely wrecks her. That monster. We’re still unsure of the status of Helmet, so make sure to go to WWE.com for any updates.

Can’t believe they aired this on live tv

POP: NEVER MIND THAT SHIT, IT’S TONI TIME!

Toni Storm >>>>>>> Everyone Else. Welcome to NXT Domestic, Toni.

POP: Killian Dain, The Furry

I checked, and I cannot believe they haven’t already begun selling “The Furry and The Fury” shirts. C’mon guys, it’s a license to print money, and it’s inclusive! 

“I told you that in confidence, man.”

Dain is starting to get on my bad side telling them to cut off that absolute banger of a theme song like that. I got all excited to hear it again and everything. Ah well, this segment was still fun with Dain murking Imperium every time he got in the ring and Drake trying his best and even getting some offense in as well, but it’s Imperium so of course, Imperium eventually takes it with an Imperial Implosion. 

Afterwards, Ever-Rise shows up to beat up Drake over their loss to F&F, but Dain shows up to save his not friend and even says to him “NOBODY HITS YOU, BUT ME!” Their non-friendship is truly heartwarming. Shout out to Wade for being furious that he isn’t hitting Drake more.

same energy

Mid: At least Cameron Grimes was on the show this week

Yeah, this match didn’t do much for me. Obviously I didn’t think it was bad because I would’ve given it a botch, but I just didn’t really feel strongly about it one way or the other. Lumis impressed me with certain moves like his Kip-Up into a leg drop while still selling his hurt ankle, and I always like Damien Priest but this just kinda fell flat to me.

However, my boy Grimey showed up to save the Main Event and cost Dexter the championship and got a Reckoning for his troubles (you’re on thin ice, Priest). Johnny Karma however whacks Priest while he’s about to do something cool with the Xtron and that brings out GM William Regal who (along with Halloween Havoc host, Shotzi) punish the Power Couple by letting them know their title matches will be determined at random via “Spin The Wheel, Make A Deal”. Last minute POP to Shotzi rising from the depths of…a big ass Cauldron (I think? The wrestlers probably should’ve been more worried about that.) and also ending the show with maniacal laughter.

“THIS ONE’S FOR HELMET!”

EVERYONE KNOWS JOHNNY GARGANO HATES WHEELS!

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Please: Don’t Try this at home.

Peace.

Next Week:

Breezango (c) vs. Undisputed Era – NXT Tag Team Championship Match