Good day guys and gals! I hope you’ve got your boss glasses shined up real nice, and I hope you’ve practiced your woo-ing, because we’re just six days away from another highly anticipated NXT Live Special, in that of TakeOver: [R]Evolution. Last week, we saw a promo between Bayley and Team B.A.E., as well as Carmella‘s third venture in the squared circle, but tonight it’s Charlotte‘s turn as she goes one on one with Mia Yim! In addition, we’ve got some appearances by Sasha, Becky and Bayley, so let’s kick things off in style.
The music of our faithful Women’s Champion hits, and out she struts from the back looking ready for singles competition as made evident by our ring announcer, JoJo. We get a match graphic promoting NXT TakeOver next Thursday, which will see the Queen City resident’s Womens Championship up for grabs against the one, the only, the Boss of NXT, Sasha Banks!~
Back in the arena, we return to see Charlotte’s opponent in the ring already, and while commentary of course will surely do anything but give exposure to unsigned talent, it’s none other than my dream acquisition for the company, Mia Yim! So technically, I’m sort of living a dream right now and have programmed my brain to pretend I’m seeing Mia make her NXT debut. Of course, her name has been changed per their rules, so I’ve decided in Bobby’s world (haha) of NXT, she is known as Nikita Sage. And her character is that of an assassin sent to take over the women’s division after receiving training from across the globe and mastering every style known to woman.
Oh, and she dances. WWE loves them some dancing.
Okay, back to reality and the crowd is already chanting “Nikita, Nikita, Nikita”! Just kidding, but they are chanting “Mia!” which makes me happy because I’m assuming that’s about all we’ll get. Charlotte runs off the ropes and executes a “Woo!”, before the two lock up and she shoves Mia off. Head slam in the turnbuckle corner, followed up with a second attempt until Mia counters out and nails a kick! Charlotte then scores with a knee, hits the neckbreaker and finishes her off with the Natural Selection.
Good lord, the commentators didn’t even have enough time to acknowledge Charlotte was wrestling a human being, much less give her a name. Now I sort of feel guilty, but then I don’t because dang it, maximize your minutes team. Give her an identity in the two seconds you had! I don’t even care if it was “Red shorts”.
As Charlotte celebrates, out comes Sasha! She has a microphone in hand and calls Charlotte’s little victory impressive. All she wants though, is that NXT Womens Championship, and she demands Charlotte hand it over because she’s just gonna beat her for it anyways. Charlotte wants to fight now, but Sasha says “NO!” because nobody tells the Boss what to do — she decides when things are going to get done.
Charlotte starts a “Ratchet” chant up with the crowd, sparking Sasha to question it before stating that Charlotte thinks she’s soooo special just because of her last name. What she fails to realize though, is that Sasha has more flair in her pinky finger than the champion’s got in her entire body — as a matter of fact, she’s got more flair than both Charlotte and her little daddy combined. Sasha claims that after she beats Charlotte next week, she’s going to end up nothing more than a loser… just like her pathetic old man.
Youch. (Buy YES at the promo time!)
Oh but wait, here comes Bayley! She has a mic in hand while limping out onto the stage with a crutch. Bayley states that Charlotte might not say it, but she will…
“Why don’t you shut your stupid ratchet face UP?!”
Sasha then kicks the crutch out of Bayley’s grip, before decking her with a boot in the injured knee. Charlotte proceeds to charge down and scare her off, but then our bossy cheetah leaps forward to attack… only the champion spots her in time and catches her mid-leap! She physically carries Sasha down the ramp and throws her inside the ring, but before she can attack Sasha, out comes Becky to provide a distraction long enough for Banks to hit The Bank Statement! She then grabs the Women’s Title and poses over the fallen body of Charlotte as this remains the final image we see heading into TakeOver.
Thoughts: God yes! THIS is the kind of stuff I want to see on NXT every single week. Now don’t get me wrong, I do enjoy NXT and what it provides, but if I’m being honest, I’ve kind of grown bored recently. It’s not the girls fault, but when your division is so small and all we really see is singles match after singles match with the same few women, maybe a tag here and there, it’s sometimes draining even if the ring action is never short of excellence. This felt fresh and it felt much, much needed to hype TakeOver.
I don’t think I even know what to say about the match. Part of why, to me, these work for Carmella is because we’re supposed to believe she’s only been training a few months. On the flip side, I don’t really know if I like them doing it with Charlotte. I know she’s built up as a force so it’s seen as bulldozing over someone, but she had a perfectly lengthy match with Santana Garrett early on in her career so I don’t see why she couldn’t have done the same with Mia, at least for maybe three or four minutes and a little more even.
It’s no surprise that I want Mia in NXT. She’s completely different from everyone they have signed in both developmental and the main roster, not to mention her phenomenal ring work needs no praising. We don’t really have a Diva right now that takes high risks in NXT, and so even from that perspective I just think it’s absolutely stupid they haven’t picked her up. But at least now we got to see her on screen so perhaps it’s a step in the right direction! I hope so, because I just want her signed so bad. I’ve been screaming it off the roof top of Full Sail University any chance I get. Why can’t you hear me, Triple H?
The aftermath is where things got really good. Sasha Banks is just perfection to me, and she has been for such a long time but it makes me happy that she’s fiiiiiiiinally getting the chance to show it. I’ve been championing this girl all year, and I still remember sitting in the bleachers with a pissed off bitchface when she didn’t make the finals of the tournament. While I still think the build up would’ve been everything for a triple threat with Bayley, I’m remaining very invested in this feud, and tonight was exactly what needed to be done to give it that last minute oomph heading into next week.
I normally don’t like to pick sides, but I’m so Team Sasha come next week. Charlotte has literally faced everyone, and I think the only two candidates who have been established as women to take her title are Bayley and Sasha Banks. Because Bayley feels done for now, It’s kind of become an all or nothing in Sasha’s court now, and I think all things happen for a reason. Her promo ability has grown so much, and it really feels like now is the time to pull the trigger. A mistake NXT has made before, in my opinion, is that they wait too long to push some of these girls to the top, and then when they do, it kind of feels like it came after their peak in popularity. Charlotte escaped that, and I think they capitalized on her at exactly the right moment to turn her into a star. Now though, I’m ready to see something fresh and I feel like there are so many possibilities for Sasha as champion.
I’m fully expecting them to go all out, and I hope we get a video package detailing their history together. With how well NXT live specials promote the women’s matches, I’d honestly be upset if we didn’t get one considering this is by far the feud with the most build up between the four we’ve had headline a live show. Bayley and Charlotte (because their earlier past was for the most part neglected), didn’t really have a TON of story going on, but dammit if that video package (and those facial expressions!) didn’t make it seem as if those two had been rivaling for six years ala Trish & Lita.
Needless to say, I think the sky’s the limit for what they can accomplish next week. I truly hope whatever happens, we can just get some fresh blood in the division. Honestly, I don’t have much faith in debuts considering the only girl who was working live events was Dana, and even that has seemed to stop for now. You never know what can restart after a live special though. Perhaps if Devin Taylor doesn’t end up with a rose each week from her future Bachelor, we can get her back again? Maybe Leyvonna can debut, or at least get a ring name? And do I need to mention JoJo again considering I do it every week? BECAUSE I WILL. #Justice4JoJo
