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Our preview for tonight's WWE NXT on USA, where Chase U will defend the NXT Tag Team Titles against former champs Tony D'Angelo and Stacks.
Posted in: Review, Sports, TV, USA Network, WWE | Tagged: Bron Breakker, Dolph Ziggler, Go-Home Show, Ladder Match, NXT, NXT 2.0, NXT Stand and Deliver, recaps, Triple Threat Match, USA Network, Wrestlemania, wrestling, wwe
NXT 2.0 Recap 3/29: Not Doing Much To Sell NXT Stand & Deliver
This Saturday afternoon will see the NXT brand's biggest show of the year, NXT Stand & Deliver. Their event in front of the Dallas crowd will kick off the in-ring action for the first day of WrestleMania and showcase battles for all of the brand's titles. The biggest battle will of course be for the NXT Championship, where former Champion Bron Breakker will look to regain the belt from the man who took it, Raw star Dolph Ziggler. Will either man get any last shots in before Saturday's match? Let's take a look at this week's episode of NXT 2.0 and find out.
LA Knight & MSK vs Imperium
This one's a brawl from the start, as Knight and MSK jump Imperium from behind during their entrance.
The ensuing match is a decent one, which is no shock seeing who's in the ring here. Towards the end, Knight and Gunther brawl around ringside and over the crowd barrier into the back. This leaves just the two tag teams and Aichner blasts Carter with a huge Lariat for the pinfall.
Winners: Imperium
After the match, The Creed Brothers walk to the stage and have a staredown with the other teams.
Next, we get a video promo from Kay Lee Ray and Io Shirai ahead of their NXT Women's Title match on Saturday.
We now go backstage to find Dakota Kai looking for Wendy Choo, only to find her stuff all torn up.
Ivy Nile vs Tiffany Stratton
Ok, so these two are trying a lot here and that can't be overlooked, but they're just not there… yet. There's no denying the pluses and potential for both of these women and while they are quite there skill-wise yet, the intensity is clearly there and in time, I think we're looking at two stars here.
Eventually, Sarray gets involved and the distraction allows Nile to lock Stratton in a Dragon Sleeper for the submission.
Winner: Ivy Nile
Next, we get a video promo from Tommaso Ciampa where he thanks the NXT fans for their support throughout his career and kind of promises that his Stand & Deliver match will be his last in NXT.
From there, we go to a video package about Dolph Ziggler's WWE career, his journey to becoming NXT Champion, and his upcoming match with Bron Breakker.
What's next? Yet another video package, this time about Cora Jade and her journey to challenging for the NXT Women's title this Saturday.
Josh Briggs & Brooks Jensen vs Legado del Fantasma
Not a bad match here, but it's pretty noticeable how much better Wilde and Mendoza are than Briggs and Jensen. But again, it's not bad. The ending sequence doesn't make much sense, as Wilde hits a top rope 450 Splash on Briggs, but Briggs grabs him by the throat (even though he full-on landed the big move) and Chokeslams him, before hitting a double team move with Jensen for the pinfall. I didn't think Briggs was being presented as The Undertaker, but whatever.
Winners: Briggs & Jensen
We now go to the locker room to find Indi Hartwell and Persia Pirotta hanging out and gossiping, despite feuding for weeks now? That makes no sense, but hey! I'm just the jerk that has to watch this crap, right? Anyways, they again fail the Bechdel Test big time by spending the whole segment arguing over whose man is better, and in Dallas, they're going to have fans vote on who's a better couple. I think we have a new WrestleMania weekend highlight to look forward to!!!
We then go to a backstage interview with Cameron Grimes, where he says he's nervous ahead of tonight's Triple Threat Match and that he needs to go to NXT Stand & Deliver and win the North American Title to honor the promise he made to his late father.
Toxic Attraction hits the ring now and Mandy Rose cuts a promo promising she'll win her title match this Saturday. They then brag about assaulting Wendy Choo earlier and mock that Gigi Dolin and Jacy Jayne have no challengers for their Women's Tag Team Titles, which brings out Dakota Kai, who charges the ring to fight, but is outnumbered. Raquel Gonzalez then runs in to make the save and she and Kai hug to reunite. They then hold up the Tag Titles to show they're challenging them.
We now go to a backstage interview with Carmelo Hayes, who brags about the qualifying matches he's created and that he'll be on commentary for the Triple Threat Match tonight. Grayson Waller then interrupts and says he'll join him and he's going to beat him on Saturday.
Bodhi Hayward vs Von Wagner
So before the match, they show that Jacket Time has their own little announce table, where they speak only in Japanese and Jiro horndogs over some blonde next to them, and… this just all feels really racist and weird.
Anyway, the match isn't anything notable. Wagner strongmans Hayward most of the time and while Hayward gets some momentum at one point, Wagner puts him away with a turning Death Valley Driver.
Winner: Von Wagner
After the match, Wagner beats up Jacket Time and tears Jiro's jacket in half. What a dastardly heel!
Next, we go to a video promo from Tony D'Angelo, who threatens Tommaso Ciampa ahead of their match Saturday and says he's going to control everything in NXT after.
Joe Gacy vs Draco Anthony
An ok short match here that packs a lot of action into a short amount of time. Gacy puts it away with a Springboard Lariat for the pinfall.
Winner: Joe Gacy
We now go to a video package about Bron Breakker, showing his journey to being NXT Champion and facing Dolph Ziggler at Stand & Deliver.
Nikkita Lyons vs Sloane Jacobs
A total squash here as Lyons defeats Jacobs with a kick combo and a Split Legdrop for the pinfall.
Winner: Nikkita Lyons
After the match, Lash Legend appears on the Tron and insults/challenges Lyons. Good luck to Lyons for having to work with Legend, that's all I'm going to say.
We now go to a backstage promo from Malcolm Bivens and Diamond Mine, where he hypes up Roderick Strong for the Triple Threat Match tonight and The Creed Brothers for their Tag Title match Saturday. Someone then texts Brutus Creed, wishing them good luck on Saturday and the brothers think it's who jumped them last week.
A-Kid vs Cameron Grimes vs Roderick Strong
It seems like they didn't time the show well tonight, as this is a suspiciously fast-paced and short Triple Threat Match. There's plenty of fun action here and it's by no means a bad match, but you can tell they were up against it time-wise. The match has an equally quick ending, as Strong hits an End of Heartache on A-Kid, only to be blasted with a Cave-In by Grimes for the pinfall.
Winner: Cameron Grimes
After the match, all of the Ladder Match competitors flood the ring for a donnybrook as NXT 2.0 ends.
And that's that for the go-home episode of NXT 2.0 and it was a mixed bag. I found it very odd that we didn't have appearances from the two men in the main event match of Stand & Deliver and that even though this was the go-home show before what's supposed to be the brand's biggest event of the year, the screentime was dominated by just regular matches that had nothing to do with it. Not a great way to build interest in the event this weekend.
Till next time friends.
3/29 NXT 2.0
3/10
There were some ok matches this week, but the absence of the two men fighting for the NXT title this Saturday and a poor job building the event on the go-home show was really a missed opportunity and a bad job at storytelling.
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