BRM Reviews the 6/26/2019 NXT (disappointing)

[Big Red Machine]

NXT BREAKOUT TOURNAMENT QUARTERFINAL MATCH: Joaquin Wilde vs. Angel Garza- 6/10
DJ Z’s new light-up costume design makes him look like a very lame Predator cosplayer. Both guys got brief intro videos during their entrances where they cut a short promo. Wilde was good; Garza was excellent. This was a great showing from both guys with lots of high-impact stuff. They told a story with Garza’s overconfidence but Garza still picked up the win.

KUSHIDA VIDEO PACKAGE- decent

DAMIAN PRIEST INTERVIEW FROM AFTER LAST WEEK’S MATCH- good
The guy has tons of charisma.

NXT TAG TEAM TITLE MATCH: Street Profits(c) vs. Forgotten Sons (w/Jaxson Ryker)- no rating, decent segment
This was not originally scheduled as a title match but the Street Profits offered to put their belts on the line so it became one (after getting Regal’s approval over the referee’s headset).
The match ended in a quick DQ when Jaxson Ryker interfered. The Forgotten Sons beat the Street Profits down until Danny Burch & Oney Lorcan made the save. Once the heels left we got a stare-down between the two babyface teams when Burch & Lorcan picked up the title belts. Burch & Lorcan eventually handed the belts back, but with Lorcan pointedly telling Angelo Dawkins “Remember: You owe us.”

A BEARDED MAN WATCHES FILM IN A DARK ROOM- I’m not sure who this is.

VANESSA BOURNE & ALIYAH PROMO FROM EARLIER TODAY- good heel promo on Mia Yim, who Aliyah is apparently wrestling next week.

NYKOS RIKOS vs. KEITH LEE- no rating, GREAT squash

ADAM COLE CELEBRATION TOUR VIDEO- fine
The important part here was him making fun of Johnny Gargano for never traveling like a rich person. It ended with him going into a doughnut shop called “Gargano’s.”

STEEL CAGE MATCH FOR THE NXT WOMEN’S TITLE: Shayna Baszler(c) vs. Io Shirai- 6.75/10
The fans responded to Io’s big moonsault off the top of the cage by chanting “YOWEE WOWEE!” I hate wrestling fans.
They did a lot of stuff and the match was brutal, but by the end I was just so annoyed by all of the interference (in a f*cking cage match!) and the “heel wins on a fluke” finish. The purpose of a cage match to keep interlopers out and keep the competitors from fleeing in fear so that we can determine who the better wrestle is. This gimmick match failed at both of those things! Can’t a cage match be a damn blow-off anymore?

POST-MATCH SEGMENT- good angle
Io goes nuts and destroy Candice LeRae. This was a good angle, but it doesn’t lessen any of my above frustrations.

This was a disappointing episode of NXT. There was some good stuff here and the opener delivered for the time it got, but the big cage match they have been building up for weeks was a huge disappointment.