BRM Reviews the 12/23/2020 NXT

[Big Red Machine]

STREET FIGHT FOR THE NXT TAG TEAM TITLES: Danny Burch & Oney Lorcan(c) vs. Drake Maverick & Killian Dain- 6.5/10
The champs entered first just so they could get jumped from behind. That’s never a good reason to break protocol. I don’t have a problem with the babyfaces doing that here because it’s a blood feud, but if in order to have the babyfaces do that you have to set it up with an unexplained breech of standard protocol, it’s not worth doing.
Maverick took a beating. The heels won clean. This was disappointing, considering the gimmick and the feud. This wasn’t helped by the fact that there was a spot where Dain was clearly supposed to go through a table to put him out but the table didn’t break and he still stayed down for the rest of the match.

A VERY GARGANO CHRISTMAS- They had several of these throughout the night. They were meh at best, and didn’t really serve a purpose. I did laugh at giving Indi Hartwell the “family nickname” and calling her “Indi Wrestling” and Candice telling her “we support you.” That’s some first-class trolling right there.

KYLE O’REILLY VS. FINN BALOR VIDEO PACKAGE- good

MCKENZIE MITCHELL INTERVIEWS TYLER RUST- good
Malcolm Bivens jumped in and did the interview on Rust’s behalf. Rust seemed to still be not quite on board with Bivens.

ISAIAH “SWERVE” SCOTT vs. JAKE ATLAS- 7/10
Scott won a great athletic match cleanly, then taunted Atlas before offering a mocking handshake, which Atlas turned down. This has been a very good slow heel turn.

MCKENZIE MITCHELL’S INTERVIEW WITH ADAM COLE & RODERICK STRONG IS INTERRUPTED BY THE VELVETEEN DREAM- good
Cole and Roddy were cutting a promo about Kyle’ success when TVD said that Kyle is the leader of UE now. Cole slapped TVD and insisted that there was no leader, then challenged TVD to a match later.

TIMOTHY THATHCER PROMO- good
He’s going to make an example of Leon Ruff… and if Tommaso Ciampa is the man he claims to be, he’ll come out and stop Thatcher from doing so.

SINGLES MATCH WITH RAQUEL GONZALEZ BARRED FROM RINGSIDE: Dakota Kai vs. Rhea Ripley- 7/10
Rhea’s arm got worked over but she came back, dominated, and won. Reina Gonzalez came out onto the stage during the match, which is bullsh*t because “barred from ringside” really should imply the entire area so that you can’t interfere or be a distraction. Rhea wasn’t distracted, though.

POST-MATCH SEGMENT- fine
Rhea and Reina had the predictable stare-down and brawl. When referees proved unable to break them up, the road agents were summoned and still had trouble breaking them up.

MCKENZIE MITCHELL INTERVIEWS TONI STORM- good
Toni is coming for the women’s title. She points out that she beat Io Shirai in the Mae Young Classic.

MORE OF XIA LI AND BOA TRAINING/GETTING TORTURED- snore

BRONSON REED vs. ASHANTEE THEE ADONIS- squash

MCKENIZE MITCHELL ASKS IO SHIRAI TO RESPOND TO TONI STORM’S COMMENTS-
Io was already in her gear and marching towards the ring. She ordered the audio technician to play her music, marched out to the ring, sat down in the ring with a chair and called Toni Storm out… but then got jumped from behind and obliterated by Mercedes Martinez.

LEON RUFF vs. TIMOTHY THATCHER- no rating, okay segment
Thatcher go distracted by Ciampa not showing up, allowing Ruff to roll him up and pin him. Thatcher attacked Leon after the match, so Ciampa came out and made the save. Ciampa then told Thatcher he would see him in the FIGHT PIT! YAY!

DAMIAN PRIEST VIDEO PROMO ON KARRION KROSS- good

PER DEXTER LUMIS’ DRAWING, WE’RE GETTING RHEA RIPLEY VS. RAQUEL GONZALEZ IN A LAST WOMAN STANDING MATCH AT NEW YEARS EVIL- fine

ARIYA DAIVARI vs. TYLER RUST (w/Malcom Bivens)- 4/10
Rust won clean in a match that probably should have been less competitive than it was. It was very good for the time it got, though.

MCKENZIE MITCHELL INTERVIEWS LEON RUFF- fine
He’s getting his rematch for the North American Title next week. He also reminds us that Johnny Gargano always loses singles titles in his first defense.

KARRION KROSS VIDEO PROMO ON DAMIAN PRIEST- great

THE VELVETEEN DREAM vs. ADAM COLE (w/Roderick Strong)- 7.75/10
Pete Dunne came out and took Roddy out. Cole won cleanly, and ended the show with a message of support for Kyle O’Reilly in his challenge for the NXT Title.


This was a fine episode of NXT. The wrestling was solid, and we got some very good build to New Years Evil. I can’t wait for the return of the FIGHT PIT!