The NXT thread

After Takeover: Rivals earlier this week was awesome, I thought the best wrestling show on TV / the Network needed it's own thread...

Kevin Owens won the NXT title by stoppage after almost killing Sami Zayn.

Finn Balor is the No 1 contender - and this match needs to happen at Mania. It would be a hell of a show-opener.

Sami Callaghan should finally debut next week, Baron Corbin looks like an absolute beast, and Sasha Banks is the best Diva WWE have had in years.

Also:

Kevin Owens is what Samoa Joe should have been 7 years ago.

It was brilliant.

Owens looking like an absolute monster, but not making Zayn look too weak

Balor/Neville was match of the night though, Balor challenging Taker for longest entrance?

Sin cara just looks like he doesn't give a fuck. Calisto botched nearly everything he done, I did like his hurricarana DDT thing though, that could be a better finishing move than that flippy thing he does.

Don't know why Corbin/Dempsy was a no DQ match, they didn't do anything different from a normal match.

Sasha Banks becoming champ was the right choice, i just don't like bayley, charlotte is an ugly bastard and Becky just needs to slow down a bit i think.

Itami/Breeze was a decent enough, hope he gets to use the GTS soon.

Balor/Owens and maybe Zayn added in has to happen at Maina.

Think Balor and Owens might be fast tracked to the main roster soon.

Nxt has become the best wrestling show around the commentators actually talk about the match and what they are doing rather than waffling on like raw and smackdown, and the wrestlers actually wrestle.

Balor vs Neville was definitely match of the night and I think was probably the best ive seen in wrestling for a long time. Would have liked it to go on a bit longer both put in an outstanding performance but think its now time for Neville to be called up to the main roster.

the divas match was good as well if only the main divas could put on a performance like that and given the time to be able to put on a match like that.

Owens vs Zayn was also another quality match liked the ending to it as well made Owens look unstoppable and like he would do anything to get to the top.

Takeover Rival was a great show. NXT is definitely a must watch and from the last Takeover to this one they have been clearly gaining momentum.

Bosch brings up a great point about commentary too. I've been enjoying Graves on colour commentary and overall they just get the job done. They all focus on psychology, why certain moves are used, momentum, sport science and they have personalities.

Bálor and Owens are definitely all round big match TV/PPV ready, Zayn and Neville have the ability, but they do look a bit like they are only performing for the crowd sometimes, like they have forgotten they are on TV. I don't really mind, but it's just something I noticed. Zayn in ring addresses the audience away from camera and Neville on commentary was funny, but not great for TV. He completely forgot Riley was setting up questions for obvious answers that show an insight within kayfabe, but he just took the question seriously and answered as if Riley was an idiot. Funny, but it wouldn't please Vince if it was Raw lol. It's great to see good honest top level wrestling on the network though. And WWE is hardly filled with great TV/PPV performers anyway. All four would fit in, but the first two just stand out a bit more with RAW being a mainstream TV mammoth

I like Baron Corbin psychologically, his stare isn't scary, but he looks emotionless and if you watch the last 2 matches before takeover he doesn't take his eyes off BullD once and wrestles as his character 100%. That evolved in the last Dempsey match but there was some awkward wrestling, and I haven't seen enough of Corbin to judge how good a match he can have. It might just be because BD didn't commit to taking moves, like the rope clothesline, just jump over it ya crap Rhyno infringement.

Sasha Banks deserved the win and the match was good. Exploder, German, Pump Handle... divas? are they fuck Divas, they're wrestlers. I liked the Submission into a pin finish too. It saves the tap out, but Sasha looked aware and smart to recognise Flair was too proud to tap, but worn out enough to pin.

I thought Callihan might show at Rival but they ran the stay tuned video, it was the first time anyone acknowledged the "hack" as there had been a few in the weeks before. He's going to add even more reasons to tune in.

Nothing more to add than the above really. Consistently excellent matches, top 6-8 guys are possibly the best a roster has ever had. Sexton makes good points about Zayn/Neville, I think Zayn will be huge though, similar to how Bryan has made it. He connects really well with an audience. There was a massive ole chant during a Divas match with Paige in (JBL pretended it was for Paige - European football chant) - think it may have been rumble or Raw straight after.

Its about only show I'm bothered about keeping up with. Don't think they'll give them a wrestlemania spot though - easily be match or the night. A fatal 4way for title with the main 4 guys would probably be match of the year.

Kevin Owens was excellent again without even having a match. One of the best commentary spots on any show in a while.

The Brian Kendrick was always a quality gimmick played well. The other guys should be able to learn alot about character from Spanky. I think i'd have marked out if it was a surprise return

NXT needs a longer show or even two shows a week

I wish The Brian Kendrick was a surprise return too, always loved that character and would have also marked out.

Remember he became World Champion during the Championship Srcamble Match lol.

I always liked kendrick, loved his and Paul London's tag team back in the day. Saw him at a house show in Cardiff, yelled something about him being London's bitch and got 'The Look' off Ezekiel Jackson, which scared the shit out of me!

Bit off tangent, but Jackson is possibly the hardest looking guy ever in wrestling, in Lucha Underground he looks fucking terrifying!

Solomon Crowe is an odd looking sod. I don't remember him being that short!

Another good match between Charlotte and Sasha Banks.

Tyler Breeze will be the next Adam Rose if he gets called up. That gimmick will die on its backside on Raw.

Finally... Alex Riley was great. PPlayed his part in the show perfectly.

does anyone else honk nxt is getting to big? By that I mean too many guys to fit into 1 hour? They all can't be on the show - but if they called up to the "main roster" they'd be lost in the crowd.

I think 4 or 5 matches is about right for an hours show; 2 of the matches on this week's show were like the old Superstars or Wrestling Challenge where a big name just whups an unknown jobber.

However, I do think some of them have no chance on the main stage - Tyler Breeze will go nowhere, I have a feeling Adrian Neville won't go too far - the ones I think will do well are Zayn (does the fan favourite underdog better than virtually everyone), Baron Corbin just looks the part but I'm not convinced how he'll go in a 15-20 minute match, Owens and Balor will be huge, and probably the tag champs if they can develop their personalities.

I don't think Neville will make it either unfortunately. Owens will be big. Don't know enough about Balor.

I haven't watched nxt for a few weeks or the PPV where Owens won the title but watched it last night but have been keeping up to date with it.

That 'end of days' move looks good

The End Of Days is my favourite finishing move at the moment.

I've been disappointed in the way Crowe's debuted and his gimmick. I personally really like his work but a hacker gimmick with that finishing move isn't a good fit. He will be jobbing to others within 2 months.

I think Neville stands a good chance of slotting in exactly where Evan Bourne was, perhaps a tag title run but largely just an opening match, big move guy.

As far as where the others go, I'd be an advocate of WWE having another show on the Network in which they have a glorified indy promotion with guys that haven't quite made it that were indy darlings. Shove Cesaro and Kidd on there, Adam Rose, Ziggler, and bring in some veterans like Samoa Joe. Then they can trim the main roster fat and have another moving point for NXT stars.

Crowe just reminded me of the evil dude out of The Incredibles, with the hair and facially.

Hideo Itami won the NXT tournament to be in the Andre Battle Royal, beating Balor in the final, also NXT had a live event in San Jose last night in front of a crowd of 5000, and Itami finally hit the GTS.

The instant he does that on the main roster, there are going to be sooo many CM Punk chants - even though Punk nicked it off him...