Recapping the final NXT weekly show before Takeover: Chicago hits on Saturday night.
McIntyre Wants Blake (For Some Reason)
Drew McIntrye is a hell of a superstar, and can obviously deal insane amounts of damage to his opponents — as he did to poor Sean Maluta to start the show, where McIntyre easily won by pinfall — but he’s not even in my top three superstars I’d like to see eventually face Bobby Roode for the NXT Championship. I have Aleister Black, Roderick Strong, and Nikki Cross in my top three. Sure, you could say that Cross shouldn’t be in this group because she can’t technically become NXT Champion, but you’d better say it softly so she doesn’t here you.
You know who is last on my list? Wesley Blake. After the match, McIntyre was asked about Blake, and issued him a challenge for next week. Why does McIntyre care what Blake thinks? A former Tag Team Champion with Buddy Murphy is Blake’s biggest claim to fame, which is nothing to scoff at until you realize they won it more than two years ago. In fact, I don’t even remember the last time Blake was on television before McIntyre brought him back into relevancy last week. Once McIntyre defeats Blake — and I’m sure he will — expect him to be a prominent part of the NXT Championship conversation, whether we agree that he should be or not.
“I want SAnitY.”
It looks like Roderick Strong got his wish, and will have a match against Eric Young at Takeover: Chicago. Not trying to make a pun here — but is he insane? There’s almost no chance Young walks to the ring by himself, so unless Strong’s allies No Way José (still injured) or Kassius Ohno (more likely than José, but still unlikely) step in for backup, I don’t see things going too well for our hero.
Eric Young is the leader of SAnitY, but he may be the least scary of the entire group. Killian Dane is scarier, Alexander Wolfe is scarier, and Nikki Cross? Let’s not even go there. Eric Young was the one to fight Tye Dillinger in his curtain call cage match, and now Young will fight Roderick Strong. I know Young is the wily veteran of the group, but there’s an obvious reason Killian Dane was picked to make an appearance in the Royal Rumble: he’s strong and has talent. Dane should be the one fighting, and ultimately putting over, Roderick Strong, but Eric Young will have to do for now. Dane is to SAnitY what Braun Strowman was to the Wyatt Family, and him leaving the group would be the ultimate addition by subtraction for NXT.
An Interview and A Preview
In an exclusive interview, Asuka did her best Bill Belichick impression and didn’t answer a single damn question. Asuka will be facing Nikki Cross and Ruby Riot in a Triple Threat match for the NXT Women’s Championship, so it’s understandable that her focus is more shifted toward that than answering some fluff questions. Asuka is the most dominant woman in NXT history, and will more than likely retain her title on Saturday night. No more questions.
With some in-ring action, we got to see a glimpse into the future of the NXT Women’s Division as Sonya Deville faced off against Lacey Evans. Deville is a frightening woman, and Evans learned that the hard way. She looks like she could be the fifth Horsewoman of UFC. According to Tom Phillips, Deville is trained in Judo, Muay Thai, Boxing, Wrestling, and Jiu-Jitsu. After watching her finish Evans with a Step-Up Kick, it’s hard to see her taking her sweet time in her rise through the rankings.
I’d already put Deville higher than Peyton Royce, Billie Kay, and even Ruby Riot, who should thank whatever god she prays to that she has been given this opportunity for the belt, when she hasn’t done a thing to earn it.
A Final Push
Neither of these guys started this episode of NXT with any hint they’d be on the Takeover card this weekend, but that did not matter as the final match of the go-home show featured Kassius Ohno (and his tight Orlando Magic get up) fighting Andrade Almas. It was actually a fun match, and ended with Ohno knocking Almas out to win by pinfall. Ohno has been getting pushed hard since his return to NXT, and if I were to look in the crystal ball and see a glimpse of a month from now, I’d see Ohno and Drew McIntyre fighting for the No. 1 Contender spot. Not much else to say about Almas, who is still talked about like he’s not a jobber, but sure feels like one.
Roode’s Reckoning
Throughout the night, we got to see quick snippets of the Hideo Itami’s greatest NXT moments. This included his debut, where he changed his name from Kenta and took out both members of The Ascension as they were at the height of their powers. It also showed his most recent stretch, including his interruption of Bobby Roode’s Championship celebration, and his defeat of Roderick Strong in the best non-Takeover match since Sami Zayn and Cesaro fought in a 2-out-of-3 Falls match.
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Bobby Roode closed the show with the microphone in his hand. Talking about how Itami would never hit the GTS on him again. Of course, since this is WWE, Itami came out and laid waste to not only the security guards, but Roode himself, using the GTS. This entire feud has been rushed, but none of it will matter once these guys step in the ring and show why they are world class athletes. If I was a gambling man, I’d lay all of the money on Roode retaining, and would bet the match is going to be over twenty minutes long. It’s going to be … glorious.