NXT Cliff Notes 8-26-20
- Sean Covington
- Aug 28, 2020
- 3 min read
Your new NXT champion begins the show and relinquishes the title due to injury. Excellent promo, I’m more scared of him than I was when he wasn’t injured. A hell of a promo and much needed, let’s hope for a speedy recovery.
Imperium [c] vs Breezango
Great opening match, we kick off the night with new NXT tag team champions. What a story for these to top tier athletes. Breezango captured their first WWE titles after years of being with the company and they are well deserved after a cool opening match. The division needs to be built back up after Covid-19, there are no real contenders out there right now.
Jake Atlas vs Tomasso Ciampa
The former champ made short work of the aspiring babyface. Ciampa had to go full heel and completely dismantle Atlas in order to show that he is still very much a threat.
Who wants to live forever?
Timothy Thatcher confronts Damian Priest and wants the first show at his title while Austin Theory confronts Bronson Reed. Great to see Theory back in NXT, he was on a Wrestlemania card and he will most certainly talk about it in every promo but it really is a huge accomplishment. Theory looked pretty good standing next to Reed as well, lots of beef!
Mia Yim vs Shotzi Blackheart
Robert Stone was carried off after being run over by Shotzi’s tank. Really good match for Yim but she lost so where do we go from here? Everyone is turning heel nowadays so I’m not sure that’s the right move. I’m not sure she’s good enough for the main roster yet. Shotzi wins!
Swerve Scott vs Santos Escobar [c]
Swerve showed grit and almost had the champ beat but the legendary lucha used his trusty mask to avoid defeat. Swerve should have been saved for later, he is legitimate and could win the title later this year but now he has a loss against the champ. I would have gone with Jake Atlas or someone else first. I want to see Kushida get a title at some point, maybe he’ll dethrone the legend.
Kyle O’Reilly vs Drake Maverick
I think Maverick is in the right place right now, it’s gonna take some time to build him up but I see him and Kushida holding titles next year. Maybe Drake could go back and forth from NXT UK to NXT and build himself up quicker.
O’ Reilly wins and Dain helps before the post match beat down gets really bad, then Dain attacks Maverick. Drake should have actually won there and O’ Reilly beating him down after the match would have made more sense, it also would have given Drake a boost heading into a match with Dain.
Io Shirai [c] & Rhea Ripley vs Dakota Kai & Raquel Gonzalez
Best match on the card by far. There was perfect psychology executed perfectly along with some polished wrestling from wrestlers with all sorts of different styles. Io is one of the best in the business and Raquel Gonzalez is going to be a huge star. Dakota Kai and Rhea are no slouches either, both well defined characters with unique movesets (unlike Tegan Knox). Gonzalez has to get that title in a year or so, I could see her and Shotzi battling for number one contender. Mercedes Martinez has unfinished business with Rhea, attacking her during her match, this led to Ripley being pinned by Gonzalez. The top of the women’s division is stacked and there are even more women waiting to get into that top tier.
Honorable mentions
Candace LeRae speaks on Tegan Knox.
Regal announces a fatal 4 way iron man match for the NXT title with Cole, Gargano, Balor and Ciampa. It’s already being called match of the year.
Final take
The wrestle was very good on this show, it hardly ever disappoints. Some feuds are continuing while others are starting to take shape. A great episode to follow a historic PPV.
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