BRM Reviews the 2/6/2019 NXT (awesome!)

[Big Red Machine]

OPENING SEGMENT- good
Johnny Gargano comes out and talks about being “Johnny Champion.” The crowd is split about 85-15 in Johnny’s favor. He declares that “Johnny Wrestling is back.”
Then Tommaso Ciampa came out and told Johnny “I’m not here to take away from your moment; I’m here to elevate your moment.” Ciampa talks about how them being champions together was their dream and now they have achieved it. Gargano says that he came out at the end of TakeOver not to celebrate with Ciampa but to show Ciampa that Johnny Gargano does not and has never needed Tommaso Ciampa.

The Velveteen Dream came out and reminded everyone that he won the Worlds Collide tournament. Ciampa gets in his face but TVD surprises everyone and says he doesn’t want the NXT Title. Instead, he wants the NXT North American Title. A confrontation was had and words were exchanged. The only part of it that seemed particularly meaningful was TVD asking Gargano if he was going to be “Johnny Champion” or “Johnny Jackass.” Gargano feels like a real, honest-to-G-d tweener right now, which is quite rare.

HOLY SH*T DREW GULAK IS IN THE PARKING LOT!

MANSOOR vs. JAXSON RYKER (w/Forgotten Sons)- squash

UNDISPUTED ERA TRIES TO STEAL RICOCHET’S INTERVIEW WITH CATHY KELLEY- Cole and Ricochet cut promos on each other. A challenge to a match next week was made and accepted. After Undisputed Era left, Ricochet said he would win the North American Title back as soon has he had the chance.
Speaking of said title, The Velveteen Dream will get his title shot in two weeks.

DREW GULAK vs. ERIC BUGENHAGEN- 0.5/10
Bugenhagen is a wacky goofball comedy dork who sings high notes. The fans immediately loved him because this is what wrestling fans have come to in 2019. He had a relatively competitive match with Drew Gulak until Gulak locked in the Gu-Lock. Why couldn’t this just have been a squash?

DREW GULAK PROMO- He is insulted to have been given such a goofball for an opponent. He demands that someone else come out to face him... and out comes MATT RIDDLE! Words were exchanged, and soon enough we got…

DREW GULAK vs. MATT RIDDLE- 8/10
This was basically watching an EVOLVE match in NXT. It rocked!

BIANCA BELAIR, KAIRI SANE, & IO SHIRAI vs. THE FOUR HORSEWOMEN (Shayna Baszler, Jessamyn Duke, & Marina Shafir)- 7.75/10
GREAT tag team stuff. Io Shirai pinned Shayna Baszler, so should be next in line for a title shot. Bianca Belair was not particularly happy about this, and, in fact, not long before this they did a spot where babyface in peril Kairi Sane managed to crawl to her corner and tried to tag Shirai in but Bianca intercepted the tag, ran into the ring, and hit Baszler with her a finisher for what surely would have been the victory had Duke and Shafir not ran in and broken it up. Basically what I’m trying to say is that this is definitely something worth keeping an eye on.

An awesome episode of NXT!

[KILLdozer]

As Nigel McGuinness put it...That "Guggenheim" was just way too much. I muted it every time he shouted. Even the woman referee visibly couldn't stand him!

[Bob-O]

Ciampa gets in his face but TVD surprises everyone and says he doesn’t want the NXT Title. Instead, he wants the NXT North American Title.

I'm really looking forward to this match, but I found this to be awkward. I know it's Dream and he's gonna do whatever, but passing on Ciampa and the NXT Title is essentially VD (<---hahaha! I never realized his name did that. that sucks! lmao) admitting that he can't beat him, or it's elevating the NA Championship over the NXT Championship... since Gargano and VD don't have any history/beef, one has to assume it's one or the other. They should have built to something, the only way around it would be to make it personal before challenging Johnny. NXT is usually really good at short builds, this is disappointing for them.

BIANCA BELAIR, KAIRI SANE, & IO SHIRAI vs. THE FOUR HORSEWOMEN

This is a little nit-picky, but coming off of Gulak/Riddle, I would have enjoyed this match so much more had they let the babyfaces come out hot. I was REALLY grappled out at this point.

I usually enjoy the crowd at Full Sail, but the 'You Can't Wrestle' chants really pissed me off. Save that shit for Nia, not for girls in developmental TRYING TO LEARN HOW TO WRESTLE.

[Big Red Machine]

BIANCA BELAIR, KAIRI SANE, & IO SHIRAI vs. THE FOUR HORSEWOMEN

This is a little nit-picky, but coming off of Gulak/Riddle, I would have enjoyed this match so much more had they let the babyfaces come out hot. I was REALLY grappled out at this point.

I usually enjoy the crowd at Full Sail, but the 'You Can't Wrestle' chants really pissed me off. Save that shit for Nia, not for girls in developmental TRYING TO LEARN HOW TO WRESTLE.

I think it was more meant as a "working" taunt, because the women it was aimed at are shoot wrestlers.

[KILLdozer]

If that son of a bitch tells me "she's from Maldovia" one more GOT-DANG time!

[Bob-O]

DREW GULAK vs. MATT RIDDLE- 8/10
This was basically watching an EVOLVE match in NXT. It rocked!

I think it's worth noting that the two shook hands at the end. Not in a "whoah, they're tag team partners now!" way, but the mutual show of respect that I don't remember ever seeing in a WWE ring... yet this match had me waiting for it.

I haven't read the spoilers to this set of tapings beyond them taping two finishes to VD/Gargano. I'm hoping Gulak is sticking around...