WWE NXT brought in some big star power tonight courtesy of The Undertaker, but that wasn’t all the show had up its sleeve, as it also dealt with the aftermath of both Great American Bash and TNA Slammiversary in compelling ways, not to mention Evolution 2. If you aren’t caught up on tonight’s NXT, you don’t need to worry, as we’re breaking down the biggest moments of the night in our new regular feature Hits and Misses. Whether it’s someone’s win streak, a much-needed spotlight, a disappointing fall from the top, or a surprise appearance, we’ve got you covered, so let’s get started with one of the first big moments of the night.
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Miss: Booker T
Tonight’s NXT got things started like only NXT can thanks to the presence of Booker T, and he did his part to get the crowd hyped. Booker T hyped up the return of The Undertaker as well as a number of matches on the card, but when he arrived at the in-ring debut of Blake Monroe, he actually referred to a different Monroe.
Booker T said Monica Monroe instead of Blake Monroe, and those who are familiar with Booker T’s Reality of Wrestling promotion know that Monica Monroe is part of the ROW Women’s Tag Team Champions (alongside Gigi Rey). Monica even mentioned Booker’s name switch on social media while also giving a shoutout to Blake, and the commentary team gave Booker T endless grief about the flub when he got back to the table.
Hit: Jasper Troy
While LFG is currently in the midst of its second season, it’s already establishing itself as a real place to generate stars. Case in point, Jasper Troy, who has been a freight train since arriving in NXT after winning a contract, and his roll isn’t stopping. Not only did he go toe to toe with the NXT Champion Oba Femi, but now he’s mixing it up with one of NXT’s newest signings, Ricky Saints, and he’s looking like a true force to be reckoned with. Troy put Saints through a hell of a match, and then showcases his power and fearlessness with a big-time final spot to get the win.
Miss: Ricky Saints
On the other side of that equation is Saints, who has the ability to make anyone he faces look like a million bucks in the ring. He did that in spades throughout his match against Troy, and that follows two spectacular matches against Page, where he did the exact same thing. The problem is with all of these Saints lost, and no matter how strong they make him look in these losses, they are still losses. This is juxtaposed with his win streak right after he got to NXT, which also included a Title win, but that was also very short-lived. Here’s hoping things turn around and Saints can get some key wins here soon.
Hit: Undertaker and Trick Williams
At one point this was actually split down the middle, with Williams in my hits and Undertaker in my misses. After rewatching the exchange though and how it all came together, I’m more inclined to give the whole segment a hit. If you didn’t believe that Williams could hold his own against anyone by now, this exchange should finally push you over the hump. Williams was effortless here, looking not one bit out of place standing next to one of WWE’s living legends, but credit to Undertaker as well, as there was a pretty natural chemistry between the two as they jabbed each other on the mic. Undertaker got in some good digs that only feed Williams’ current villain arc even further, and Williams went all out for a choke slam sell that is probably going to be a meme immediately.
Hit: Jordynne Grace and Blake Monroe
Speaking of villain arcs, that brings us to Blake Monroe, who finally had her in-ring debut as part of NXT. It’s been a different sort of rollout for Monroe since joining WWE, but things shifted at Great American Bash for both Monroe and Jordynne Grace, and tonight those shifts were solidified, promising bigger and better things for both superstars. Monroe got a pretty straightforward win against Wren Sinclair, but it was the unhinged nature of Grace and her collision with a delightfully evil Monroe that really sold this segment. Monroe seems far more at home as a heel, and Grace now has a welcome edge that feels like a crucial missing piece. Both shined here, and there is potential for a truly riveting feud moving forward too.
Hit: Ethan Page
Ethan Page came out to celebrate his NXT North American Championship, but as we should have known, there was far more to Page’s plans than initially expected. While Page did spotlight his own talents and Championship status, he then switched into pure troll gear and revealed that he was changing the NXT North American Championship to the NXT Canadian Championship, complete with a new Title and Canadian Flags. This segment was gold and highlights just how great Page is on the mic, but it also led to another unexpected challenge from of all people TNA’s Santino Marella. While TNA has gotten the short end of the Title win stick to this point, perhaps a Santino win is in the cards to even that out a bit in the near future.
Miss: Oba Femi’s Title Challengers
Now, let me preface this with Oba Femi is not remotely a miss. Femi continues to impress regardless of who he is facing in the ring, and he’s everything you want in a Champion. He’s actually been doing his job a little too well though, as the only person who felt like they gave Femi a true run for his money was Jasper Troy, and he wasn’t about to win the Title that early in his NXT run.
While Yoshiki Inamura and Josh Briggs helped deliver a great match, it never seemed as if Femi’s Title dominance was ever at stake. It’s also been teased that Trick Williams could face him again down the line, and that doesn’t feel like a fresh match-up either, given that they’ve faced each other numerous times at this point. Right now, the compelling challengers for Femi are slim, so without bringing someone new in to jump into the fray immediately, it feels like we’re going to have to wait a while for NXT to properly build up someone that can actually pose a threat to the Champ.
Alright, those are our hits and misses for tonight’s WWE NXT, but let us know what you thought of NXT in the comments, and you can talk all things wrestling with me on Bluesky @knightofoa!
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