A Night at WWE NXT
I watched the WWE NXT show at Pittsburgh’s Stage AE, and it was the most fun I’ve had at a wrestling show in a long time. That was because of the crowd, not the matches. When the matches lacked, the crowd made up for it.
The women were great: Exceptional singles bout between Banks and Lynch. The four-way with Kevin Owens, Samoa Joe, Finn Balor and Tyler Breeze was solid. Balor’s whole “strike a pose” routine is a bit overwrought, but he can go.
Memo to just about everybody: LEARN TO THROW A FRIGGIN’ PUNCH!
The promotion is so over among those attending, it’s hard to tell which individuals are over. Besides the two main events, the biggest response was generated by Enzo/Cass/Carmella thanks to Enzo’s singalong promo to open the show.
It’s magnificent. Enzo nails it, and the other two fill in the blanks. Enzo’s delivery and the crowd’s response make the act seem more special than it is. Enzo’s singalong is very reminiscent of the New Age Outlaws, but maybe even better.
I debated the merits of that promo with a couple good wrestling minds. One said, “It’s good, but way too long. It needs to be cut down.” The other said, “Raw is a three-hour show. When they get there, that promo is going to be a blessing.”
As I watched WWE NXT, it struck me: Put the same show in a bigger building in front of a WWE crowd, not an NXT crowd, and they’d defecate all over it. NXT is special because of its rabid nature, pride in the brand, and the notion that these guys and girls and going somewhere. It benefits by not being big-time.
It’s Ring of Honor with better lighting and production. Very enjoyable, but very much a niche promotion.
I’ve appropriated Enzo’s act for my radio show. By the time he gets to Raw, people will think he stole it from me. BA-DA-BOOM! SMARTEST GUY IN THE ROOM!
Follow Mark on Twitter: @MarkMaddenX
