NXT recap & reactions (Oct. 18, 2022): The go home Theory - Cageside Seats

NXT is bringing a batch of favorites location this week. It’s astir arsenic if thing large is happening successful wrestling that they’re alert of and privation to look bully for a reason. Hmm. Not sure. Anyway, Geno is manning the blog this week. He’s not Claire but he’ll do.

Let’s speech NXT!

He Bleeds. We Can Kill Him

Anyone coming astatine Bron Breakker looks for the weakness. The glitch successful his strategy that gives them an opening for the W. Ilja Dragunov believes helium recovered it erstwhile helium accidentally headbutt Bron past week. Sure, it wasn’t meant for Bron, but he’s gladsome it happened. It showed him Bron is mortal.

The information that we’re present wherever these 2 are astatine likelihood shows that JD’s program is working, a information Kevin Owens pointed retired portion the 3 men guested connected The KO Show. KO is simply a quality truthful he’s enactment disconnected by McDonagh’s creepiness. Even during the segment, JD conscionable creeped everyone retired done his beingness alone. Got to maine excessively and I wasn’t adjacent there.

You ticker wrestling truthful you cognize however this goes. Eventually, everyone progressive fought, contempt the information KO told them to chill. When does anyone ever perceive to that successful wrestling? JD watched for a spot portion the 2 fought—clearly foreshadowing for Halloween Havoc—but yet got progressive successful the action. Well, alternatively the enactment progressive him.

But nary of that is the large communicative here. None of the absorbing quality enactment betwixt the 3 men oregon KO’s drama is the cliffhanger for NXT’s adjacent large event. No, that grant belongs to Austin Theory.

Theory showed up, briefcase successful hand, hinting astatine cashing successful that declaration for the NXT championship. That makes each the consciousness successful the satellite based connected Theory’s past mates weeks connected Raw, positive the information he’s not beating Roman Reigns astatine immoderate constituent betwixt present and WrestleMania. Dragunov, the past antheral lasting successful the ring, held the loop precocious and acted arsenic if Theory didn’t exist. Which is fitting based connected the mode some men represent their respective characters and however different wrestlers respond to them.

It’s a bully wrinkle going into Halloween Havoc and genuinely makes 1 wonderment if Bron’s clip arsenic champion is up. There are present 4 threats for his rubric and those aren’t large odds.

The champion conception of the nighttime by far.

Extracurriculars

Firm Biz

Overpowering Rhea Ripley was ne'er an enactment for Roxanne Perez. Being smarter and quicker than Ripley was the sanction of the crippled if she wanted immoderate accidental astatine getting a W. And for a little moment, she was. Rhea dominated astir of the lucifer done sheer force. It was the emblematic David and Goliath story. Of course, successful this version, Goliath came equipped with Dominik and the remainder of the Judgment Day. That was the quality successful the match.

Now, connected an analytical leve, which is wherefore I’m here, WWE enactment themselves successful a bind. Rhea Ripley can't suffer to anyone successful NXT, overmuch little Roxanne. But Roxanne can’t look anemic going into Halloween Havoc. Logic says a decorativeness filled with shenanigans is successful the cards. But that’s not precisely what we got here. Dom distracted Roxanne but helium didn’t truly interfere. Sure, the distraction proved fatal arsenic Perez took her oculus disconnected her hostile and caught a Rip Tide, but a distraction isn’t existent interference. A DQ decorativeness makes cleanable consciousness successful this script but that’s not what we got. Rather than looking similar a rival who gave it her each but got outnumbered, Roxanne looks similar a rival not astute capable to support her attraction squarely connected her opponent.

Le boo.

But There’s More...

Cora Jade vs. Raquel Rodriguez got the decorativeness I wanted for Roxanne vs. Rhea. Cora baited Raquel into striking her with the kendo stick, the ref rang the bell, and Roxanne attacked her rival, who basked successful the glory of her inexpensive W. It was amusive seeing Roxanne get her hands connected Cora if lone for a small bit.

Stack Bundles

Shinsuke Nakamura came backmost to NXT for astatine slightest 1 night. And it’s each acknowledgment to Tony D’Angelo. Nakamura served arsenic Stacks’ punishment. And yeah, it was a punishment. The Don made a repast retired of the information Stacks went down aft 2 Kinshasas, but that’s besides kinda not true. the archetypal knocked Stacks retired of the ring, portion the 2nd came erstwhile Stacks accepted the inevitable.

Meh.

Got That Fire

So, arsenic I ever say: Stay distant from abduction angles, NXT. Mandy Rose showed up this week aft Alba Fyre abducted her a mates weeks ago. We got nary explanation, nary reasoning, oregon nary existent resolution. Just Mandy saying Alba made the incorrect determination abducting her. What? That’s it?

At that point, Alba bushed backmost the remainder of Toxic Attraction and Sonya Deville, past tangled with Mandy. Something astir this feud conscionable isn’t moving for maine and Alba, who felt similar a menace for this title months ago, present seems similar different bump successful the road.

As for the lucifer betwixt Sonya and Alba, it was okay. But conscionable not capable time. That’s ever a detriment to shows this packed.

The Score

Speaking of quick! Carmelo Hayes & Trick Williams faced Wes Lee & Oro Mensah successful a tag lucifer that seemingly lasted each of 5 minutes. It truly was a blink and you missed it bout that started successful the locker country and ended successful speedy manner successful the ring. But the constituent wasn’t the lucifer itself; the constituent was bringing the ladder lucifer competitors unneurotic successful a shot of chaos. And that’s what we got aft the doorbell rung.

While the “match” did thing for me, I’m inactive precocious connected this ladder match.

Young Gunz

The six-man tag was a batch of amusive and truly dope. The O.C. joined Cameron Grimes—for a fee—against The Schism. Grimes worked beautifully with Gallows & Anderson. truthful overmuch truthful that they looked similar a seasoned three-man group. We got creaseless interactions, fluid teamwork, and a bully opposition successful styles. The Schism performed good too, which makes it shameful they’re trapped down this existent gimmick. Although, commentary deed connected thing precise absorbing for Joe Gacy: He despises Grimes due to the fact that helium can’t power him. Gacy feeds disconnected easy manipulated minds and mislaid souls. Finding idiosyncratic who is neither is his kryptonite. I similar that a full batch and anticipation we get much of it.

The O.C., of course, picked up the W for their squad due to the fact that nary 1 is showing up from the main roster and taking an L this week.

The Host with the Most...and a Tank

Shotzi is your Halloween Havoc host. Thought you should know. Oh and Chucky volition beryllium determination too. I committedness you. And Quincy Elliot is her co-host acknowledgment to a beauteous commanding triumph implicit Xyon Quinn. Quinn kept utilizing his powerfulness successful vain connected Elliot, who is conscionable excessively overmuch for that. Quincy, either due to the fact that of the past sanction oregon the attire, truly reminded maine of aged schoolhouse Missy Elliot this week. I appreciated that precise much.

And Hank is inactive successful Quinn’s business. So yeah, that’s a happening happening precise soon.

This was a precise mean variation of NXT. Especially for a spell location show. While they decidedly acceptable the signifier for Halloween Havoc, there were a batch of balls successful the aerial that created a precise hard juggling act. At times, it conscionable wasn’t compelling television. Doesn’t mean it was a atrocious show, but conscionable a small beneath average. However, it didn’t damper my hopes for Halloween Havoc astatine all. So that’s a plus.

Grade: B-

That’s my people and I’m sticking to it. Your turn.