Previously on the Best and Worst of NXT: Bianca Belair became the number one contender to Shayna Baszler’s NXT Women’s Championship, Heavy Machinery got peaced out to the main roster by Undisputed Era, and a Forgotten Son had a match so bad the announcers forgot to call it. All you missed between that episode and now are some highlights, and Kassius Ohno thinking losing to a guy twice in a row means he’s winning.
If you missed this episode, you can watch it here. If you’d like to read previous installments of the Best and Worst of NXT, click right here. Follow With Spandex on Twitter and Facebook. You can also follow me on Twitter, where everything and everyone is terrible.
And now, the Best and Worst of WWE NXT for January 9, 2019.
Best: The Cohesiveness Of This Universe
I talk a lot about how well constructed NXT’s ongoing stories are, so I want to take a second to compliment this week’s opening for using the standard WWE “promo parade” to actually tie stories together and enhance them, instead of just reminding us what the stories are and setting up a match.
The last time we saw Johnny Gargano, he was winning a cage match against Aleister Black with the help of his former best friend and now (supposed) blood rival Tommaso Ciampa. Ciampa, in backstage promo form, made it clear that he understands Gargano better than anyone in the world, and that Johnny’s passion takes the form of a single-mindedness that laser focuses him on a task that makes everything else in his life fade away. That’s been Ciampa for a long time, but now he’s corrupted Gargano’s brain and disappointed him enough that he can turn Gargano in a different direction by the shoulders and “sic” him on people. Not only will that keep Gargano out of his hair, it’ll manage a lot of his top contenders. He did it back in August by accident when he pissed off Gargano so much that Gargano attacked the third guy in a triple threat match in the parking lot and injured him to make an upcoming Ciampa match one-on-one.
This week’s episode starts with Gargano once again trying to “explain himself,” bringing up how Ciampa’s a piece of trash and how he wants the NXT Championship. But, uh, Ciampa also mentioned that Gargano wants the North American Championship, which is true, and uh, <oh no, my Johnny Gargano brain can’t think about anything but the North American Championship, GIMME GIMME GIMME. Good Dude Ricochet shows up and reassures his homeboy Gargano that he can get a shot whenever he wants, homeslice, no diggity.
Here’s the rub: Gargano doesn’t know how to deal with someone saying, “yes, you wanting a match with me is fine, let’s have a match and still be friends afterward!” Ciampa knows this, so he interrupts the promo before they can make a match official. When Ciampa shows up, Gargano almost immediately interrupts him, tells him he hates him, and tells him to go away, because this is just about JOHNNY AND THE NORTH AMERICAN CHAMPIONSHIP, even though he opened this same promo talking about Ciampa. Ciampa knows he’s done a good job.
Unfortunately for Ciampa, though, he’s been paying so much attention to his own machinations and Gargano’s career trajectory away from him that he’s not focusing enough on the guy singularly focused on him: the former champion, Aleister Black. Black shows up on the screen, crucially mentioning that he’s aware of what Ciampa’s doing to Johnny, referring to it as “grooming [his] dog of war.” When Black mentions the championship, Ciampa goes from holding it at his side to cradling it against his chest. That’s good character work.
Another problem for Ciampa is that everyone in NXT is playing Full Sail, but Black’s out here playing WrestleMania.
Black uses TELEPORT and it’s SUPER EFFECTIVE! He chases Ciampa out of the building … and while the distraction is going on, Johnny Gargano decides to sneak attack superkick cheap-shot a guy who JUST told him they could have a championship match without making it all weird and personal. Such brilliant pacing from everyone involved. Ciampa’s molding Gargano in his own image, everyone but Aleister Black is too stupid to articulate it, and Gargano no longer knows how to be a normal person.
Best: The Belair Witch Project
Up next is Nikki Cross’ graduation from artistically fulfilled workhorse to occasional battle royal participant millionaire as Bianca Belair finally gets a definitive win over her and sends her off to the main roster. I think Cross gets something about Belair that a lot of people don’t; she’s not going to seem as “good” when she’s in there trying to wrestle like Becky Lynch or Sasha Banks, she’s going to excel when she’s, for lack of better phrasing, wrestling like Goldberg. She’s a power wrestler. Her impressiveness is in her strength and athleticism, and having her exhibit those more creatively is the key to getting her over with anyone who isn’t already on board. That’s my opinion, at least. I don’t know why you aren’t already on board.
It’s also important to have this match now, as Belair’s spent most of her time in the company beating people who are on her level or below, and she’s heading into a championship match on prestigious-ass TakeOver against a woman who works a completely different style from everyone else. Belair’s ability to take damage and recover from it is essential to believing she stands a chance against Baszler, because if Nikki Cross’ running crossbodies can take her out, what’s she gonna do when she gets kneed in the face and has her elbow stomped off?
I’m really excited for that match, and build-up matches like this one with Cross show me that Bianca’s got more in the tank than just a fun character and a theme song that makes white folks dance hilariously in the crowd. One of the coolest things about NXT as a brand and TV project is that we get to see talented people learn and develop new talents, so they can join WWE fully-formed and rounded well by some of the greatest pro wrestlers and wrestling minds in the history of the business.
(And, you know, then we get to wonder why you’ve got to put so much time and effort into a performer just to have them wrestle three TV matches a year and only show up to be a lumberjack or help break up a pull-apart brawl, but that’s another conversation.) (I’m sure Nikki will be fine, she’s as good at this as anyone I can think of.)
As for the match itself, I like that they gave it a big callback spot — the Vader-squish on the ramp that caused a double count-out the last time only gets a 9 count for both competitors this time, because they’ve both got something to prove — and that even feuds contained to weekly TV get the love and respect and attention to detail as TakeOver bouts. I like this show a lot, can you tell?
Best: Jobber Squashes That Matter
Okay, three things.
1. My new favorite match type is “NXT tag team match that only lasts a few minutes but everybody goes SUPER HARD, even if they’re local talent.” Fabian Aichner and Marcel Barthel are clearly the focus here and the other guys are clearly enhancement, but someone who put the match together realizes everyone gets more out of a little competition than a complete trouncing. If you see Baron Corbin or Bull Dempsey or whoever killing guys who don’t deserve to be in the ring, what good are they? If you see them defeat someone who looks like they’re worth a damn, even if they’re obviously just there to make the other guy look good, doesn’t that make it feel like they’re better at what they do?
2. Despite having an “H” on his tights, that guy being thrown into outer space by Aich-man is “Stanley Watts,” aka Hector Perfecto. He’s awesome and makes every bit of offense look so good it makes Mauro go WAOOOOOWWWW. Sign him immediately, or at least bring him back often enough that we find out how high Keith Lee could throw him. Give him a week on Smackdown and put him in there against Cesaro, I want to see if we can hit the lights.
3. I sure hope we get a slightly longer version of this match type with Barthel, Aichner, Oney and Twoey. OH WE’RE DOING THAT RIGHT AWAY YOU SAY, THANK YOU VERY MUCH KIND SIR.
BEST: EVERYBODY WANTS TO BE POPPY
As I talked about on the site yesterday, the best and most unexpected news of the week is that POPPY is providing one of the themes for NXT TakeOver: Phoenix. If you’re (over thirty and) not familiar with Poppy, here’s a video of her explaining the reality of God, followed by her singing Merry Christmas to the tune of Happy Birthday to a house plant. I love Poppy, I am Poppy, and I’m not sure whether or not this means I’m part of an Illuminati cult.
Furthermore,
Make her the NXT backstage interviewer you cowards.
Best: Ethan Carter Goes To The Renn Faire
Finally this week we have EC3 vs. Adam Cole, which serves two purposes:
- finish the now truncated EC3 vs. Undisputed Era story, since he’s headed up to one of the main roster shows as the centerpiece of that Glacier-esque “coming soon” sextet, and
- to tie together that lingering feud with the ongoing Undisputed Era vs. War Raiders beef, setting up an NXT Tag Team Championship match for NXT TakeOver Phoenix
I’m sad we won’t get more time with EC3 in NXT, where Derrick Bateman was king, but I also realize that he’s the most main roster friendly person who’s ever step foot in that yellow-roped ring, and that it’s about time he Got That Money. He goes out on his back here, just like Nikki Cross and all good-hearted fictional wrestling people, and Adam Cole will get to retroactively brag about beating him out of the company (even though he did it with three people interfering).
Next Week:
- The Street Profits are in action, and bring the swag like no observable amount of other people are able to
- Keith Lee sees how high he can throw Kassius Ohno, which is probably still pretty high
- Poppy meeting the Velveteen Dream
- that last one’s not happening but I’m going to try to will it into existence
See you then!
