BRM Reviews the 5/10/2017 NXT (Roddy vs. Itami!)

[Big Red Machine]

ALEISTER BLACK vs. CEZAR BONONI- fun squash.
Good facials by Bononi throughout, although I think they might have wound up in third row after that final kick.

WOMEN’S TITLE PICTURE STUFF- Asuka actually looked concerned when Regal told her she’d have to face all four women. Meanwhile, Ember was injured by Asuka’s attack and will miss the Takeover show. I assume this is a work, and I think it’s a great example of how WWE should be using worked injuries in their storylines.

PETE DUNNE VIDEO PACKAGE- terrible.
This video package made me give less of a crap about Dunne than I did before. He came across as extremely generic.

RUBY RIOT VIDEO PACKAGE- F*CKING AWESOME.

NIKKI CROSS SIT-DOWN INTERVIEW- exactly what it should have been. You’ve got to see this.

DREW GALLOWAY INTERVIEW- Drew is a GIANT compared to this interviewer.
Drew started to cut what seemed like it was going to be an excellent promo before he was interrupted by a man I could not identify until he claimed to be former NXT Tag Team Champion Buddy Murphy, and no one disputed this claim, so I guess that’s who he was. He wants a match with Drew.

PATRICK CLARK VIDEO- no one could possibly care about him at this point.

DIY PROMO- fine. Then they were interrupted by a pair of jobbers, who at least seem to be over with the ladies due to their physiques. They were Tino Sabbitelli and Riddick Moss, who weren’t terrible on the mic. Then the babyfaces attacked them for no reason whatsoever, resulting in...

DIY vs. RIDDICK MOSS & TINO SABBITELLI- 4.5/10

POST-MATCH SEGMENT- boring.
Regal comes out and names them DIY the #1 contenders. Paul Ellering and the Authors of Pain come out and Ellering says that they will maim DIY. Then Regal announces that the match will randomly be a Ladder Match, to which I had the very same reaction as Nigel McGuinness: “WHAT?????” This is a gimmick match for the sake of a gimmick match. You’re better than this, NXT.

THE VERY SHORT INTERVIEWER INTERVIEWS KASSIUS OHNO- awesome.
Then he got interrupted by Andrade Cien Almas. They pushed the “Almas only cares about partying” narrative. Ohno wants a match with him next week, and Almas says yes.

TYLER BATE VIDEO PACKAGE- I still don’t care.

A MUCH TALLER INTERVIEWER INTERVIEWS RODERICK STRONG- fine

A MUCH TALLER INTERVIEWER INTERVIEWS HIDEO ITAMI- definitely the best promo he’s ever cut in English. It was quite good.

#1 CONTENDERSHIP MATCH: Roderick Strong vs. Hideo Itami- 8.5/10
Nigel drops a Kenta Kobashi reference. And several veiled ROH references. The match was awesome. The fans chanting “SWEEEEEET!” after every two-count are the epitome of what is wrong with wresting fans today.

A great episode of NXT, but mostly on the strength of the awesome main event.

[KILLdozer]

Man get this Patrick Clark idiot out of here!

Every time she says "Rise" , I expect Mil Muertes!

[KILLdozer]

Can we just stop those types of gimmicks already?

I suppose he's just going to jump right into a feud with Almas. Dancing, partying.