Good day everyone, and welcome to this week’s NXT Redux!~
For the first time since transitioning onto the WWE Network, NXT has taken it upon themselves to move the show up a day and an hour, thus pushing through from Thursdays to Wednesdays and from 9 to 8. Because of this we’re here a little earlier than usual and we’ve got a nifty match to kick off the Wednesday era in that of Charlotte and Natalya taking on Sasha Banks and Becky Lynch.
Without any further ado, let’s get underway!
Following an oh-so drama filled Total Divas promo featuring (1/3 of the shows saviors) Paige licking Natalya’s face and Eva Marie very ill, we head back to the venue as world’s greatest theme song hits and out struts Team BAE. Once they step into the ring, they’re interrupted by the theme of our coveted women’s champion, as both she and Natalya walk out looking ready for competition.
We kick things off with Becky and Natalya as the twosome chain wrestle around the ring to LONG dueling chants of “Let’s Go Nattie/Let’s Go Becky”. Oh my lord, this chant. Becky rushes outside to seek comfort from Sasha, as Charlotte and Natalya take both women out! Natalya throws Becky in the ring and engages in a little face off of sorts, before tagging in Charlotte as both women hit a double team stalling vertical suplex.
Charlotte with a bodyslam, followed by a tag to Nattie and a double team wheelbarrow splash. Sasha tag in! Natalya hits a Russian leg sweep, then transitions into a snapmare/basement dropkick for a two. Banks now wrecks Nattie with a set of double knees, but only attains a near fall. She continues the assault as the crowd gets behind Nattie, but Banks doesn’t let this take her off her game as she locks in a choke.
Natalya finally fights out and tags in Charlotte, who runs rampant over Sasha with some chops, followed by her suplex fakeout into a neckbreaker move! Becky breaks it up. They try to double team Sasha, but the champ cartwheels through a double clothesline attempt. Nattie now drags Becky to the outside, while Charlotte gets hit with The Bank Statement! One… two… three! Sasha pins Charlotte!
DEATH. Sasha is so excited she screams out “I WON!” right in the camera, as both women taunt their fallen opponents and head up the ramp in celebration.
Thoughts: A pretty good week for the NXT Divas, but I have to admit I am very much more looking forward to what we’ve got in store. This more felt like the end of semi-stalling around, while also finally allowing Sasha to get that clean victory over Charlotte and prove she deserves to be in title contention. That’s completely fine, and I have no problems with it… but let’s get to next week please!
The match itself was fun for the time it was given. I felt it was a great showcase to put on NXT’s first transition to Wednesday nights as, even though I have been vocal about Natalya being in the division long term, I don’t have a problem with one off appearances. The match was set up by the promo two weeks ago, and it completely worked in all aspects.
With the promotion of NXT moving anyways, it’s good to fill this episode with some faces from the main roster that are easily recognizable like Tyson and Nattie. That will perhaps continue getting new faces to check the show out if they suddenly find themselves home on Wednesdays but might be out on Thursdays. As far as the action goes, I was pretty into it. It wasn’t one of those NXT matches I’ll probably remember very long after it’s gone (minus Sasha’s brilliant “I WONNNN”), but it didn’t seem too short and it definitely felt fresh (which is always my #1 goal with their matches on the episodes).
In the long run, I thought this week was good. But like I said above, I’m so ready to see where we head from here, as the next shows will be on the final taping before NXT’s upcoming live special!
Oh, I almost forgot… let JoJo wrestle!
