Hi guys! Welcome to this week’s NXT recap. On tonight’s program, Candice LeRae and Lacey Evans squared off in one on one action. In addition to Evans and LeRae’s collision, we saw the resurfacing of Vanessa Borne, as she was interviewed by the NXT press earlier in the day.
I respectfully disagree with Vanessa on the grounds that pirates are cool and @KairiSaneWWE is the coolest pirate. pic.twitter.com/OHx2E7x3eD
— TDE Wrestling (@totaldivaseps) June 28, 2018
Borne started off her interview by stating that she would be NXT Women’s Champion soon enough. Before answering another question however, Borne took the opportunity to run down Kairi Sane. Borne claimed that when she gets the chance to face Sane, she’s going to make sure that Kairi can’t walk out of the ring. Borne then went on to say that when it’s all said and done, people will be worshiping her and not the Pirate Princess.
Later on in the evening, Evans and LeRae met in the squared circle. What started off as a back and forth contest changed to a one-sided affair after Evans targeted LeRae’s left arm. Despite Evans’ onslaught, LeRae was able to make a comeback using her good arm and a few snapmares. The end of the match saw LeRae implement a jumping facebuster, an UnPrettier and a springboard moonsault to win the contest.
This is @CandiceLeRae's time. pic.twitter.com/Ogoh3rZXHQ
— TDE Wrestling (@totaldivaseps) June 28, 2018
Following her victory, LeRae was interviewed by Cathy Kelley backstage. Candice discussed how while she’s worried about her husband Johnny Gargano, she now knows that she can’t let his affairs interfere with her career. LeRae stated that if anything, seeing Johnny’s drive has inspired her to chase after her own dreams. Candice ended the interview by stating that her goal is to win the NXT women’s title.
Thoughts: The Vanessa Borne segment was a nice surprise. I’ve probably said this at least over 9,000 times, but I love side stories and feuds. The story between Evans and Kairi Sane played out really nicely. So if Borne can get some of that same spotlight, I think it would do wonders for her status within the NXT women’s division. In terms of in-ring work and overall character, I think Borne hasn’t reached her full potential yet. That being said, I do think Borne has potential to be great both in the ring and on the microphone. So hopefully, if a side story is played out between her and Sane, Vanessa gets a chance to break out.
The match between Candice and Lacey wasn’t the smoothest or fluid. But it got a decent amount of time. And there were small things I enjoyed while watching this bout. Evans’ confidence and ring presence seems to grow each time we see her compete on television. Tonight was no different. To me, she seemed so confident. Additionally, Candice gave me hope with this match tonight. It still wasn’t her best showing. And I know readers have been critical of Candice in the past. But I think Candice bumps and sells well. And in the last moments of the match, she shined offensively. Furthermore, I still believe that Candice is wickedly talented, and can put on a good match. With more matches, I hope Candice shows the world what she can do.
I really enjoyed the post-match segment with Candice. To me, it was a perfect statement to describe her place within NXT right now. She still showed concern for Johnny. But unlike the last couple of weeks, LeRae was more focused on her own career. I think it’s definitely time to involve Candice with the rest of the NXT women’s division as it allows for more fresh matches. Seeing how she made her intentions to be the next NXT women’s champion, it makes me wonder whether or not she’ll be Shayna’s next challenger. We still didn’t get a clear picture of who Shayna’s next challenger may be with this week’s installment of NXT. But Candice is definitely an option. Her and Shayna squared off during last year’s MYC. So there’s already a little bit of backstory for those two if the writers decided to go down that route. But for now, the title picture, albeit competitive, still seems unclear.
Are you looking forward to seeing Borne and Kairi face off? What did you think of Lacey and Candice’s match? Do you see Candice being Shayna’s next challenger? Let us know in the comments below!
