What’s up Diva fans and welcome to this week’s NXT Redux. Fresh off her win on NXT: ArRIVAL, NXT Women’s Champion Paige is back in action, against one of the many thorns in her side, the Boston Banshee, Sasha Banks. Can Charlotte help Sasha sneak a win or will Paige just be her usual self and add another “X” in the win column?
TO THE VIDEO!
Out first this week is the woman whose photograph I often sing Natasha Bedingfield‘s classic hit “I Wanna Have Your Babies” to, it’s Paige. (Did I just admit that? Womp womp) She’s looking pretty damn fine in purple and I’m no fashionista when it comes to women’s clothing but I’m glad she’s ditched the dark lipstick. Give me none at all and a natural look or the bright red please Paige! I’m going to move on as a I sound like a moody boyfriend who dictates what make-up his girlfriend can and can’t wear. I’m being nice, honestly!
Her opponent is out next, and apologies Paige but I think Sasha’s new attire is one of my favourite Diva ring attires I’ve ever seen. A sick combination of my two favorite colours; Sasha is working it. Looking good Banksy! Of course, Sasha is joined by her BFF cohorts, Charlotte (in human form) and Summer Rae (in stick form).
The match starts with Sasha taking exception to the fact Paige has a new t-shirt on WWE Shop, and well, she’s only just got nice ring attire. Paige takes exception to Sasha putting her grubby mitts on her apparel and proceeds to kick her intestines inside out with a thrust kick. Paige then turns Sasha into a ragdoll, throwing her around like launching someone is going out of fashion. After letting out one of her ever so awesome hellish screams, Hell in Boots stomps a mudhole into Sasha in the corner. After a cover, Paige whips Sasha, yet Banks reverses it, trapping Paige in the corner before unleashing a fierce flurry of slaps.
With the momentum shifted, Sasha takes a page out Paige’s book, thrusting the Anti-Diva across the ring by her hair. She follows that sour move up with a bitter collection of boots to the shoulders as Paige sits in the corner in a bad way. Sasha goes for a cover yet it’s unsuccessful, so she changes tactic, locking Paige in a straight-jacket clutch submission. Paige tries to mount a comeback yet The Boss shuts her down with a clothesline.
The crowd get behind the NXT Women’s Champion, which fires up her opponent. Sasha brings the sass as she chokes Paige out on the middle rope. Sasha goes back to the same submission as before, a nice bit of cohesion with her finisher, which is a straight-jacket neckbreaker. Sasha loves getting her opponents in a twist! After a while having Sasha’s knee dug into her kidneys, Paige manages to make it to her feet, squashing Sasha in the corner before pummeling her with a series of vicious back elbow strikes.
Paige keeps the momentum up with three connected clotheslines before destroying Sasha with a piercing dropkick. Paige then grabs Sasha by the ankles and refuses to let her cocky adversary free. She locks in the Scorpion Cross Lock and that’s all she wrote. Paige wins yet again!
After the match, Charlotte attacks Paige from behind, knocking her down with some stiff strikes. Much to the BFFs chagrin (and mine as she’s on NXT all the bloody time), Natalya makes the save for Paige.
Later in the show, the lovely Devin Taylor is backstage with the adorable Doctor of Huganomics, Bayley. Bayls explains that since she’s became besties with Natalya, she’s met Bret Hart and can now watch all his matches on the WWE Network. Let’s not lie Bayley, that iPad isn’t even turned on. The BFFs then make their presence felt, saying Bret Hart is a has-been and looks homeless. Well, they’re only saying what we we’re all thinking. Oh the heel in me.
Bayley wonders why Summer isn’t here, before taking the Summer head stick and putting on a hilarious voice, declaring how the BFFs stink of cheese. Sasha and Charlotte are outraged and they become even more outraged when Nattie makes her way onto the scene. Tal and Charlotte exchange some pretty good banter before Natalya gets all History Channel on us again, declaring how her and Charlotte have both came from a long line of great men. The staredown is clearly too dramatic (or laughable) for the BFFs, and they walk off.
Thoughts: Very nice match between Sasha and Paige this week. Sasha once again continues to convince me with the portrayal of her heel character and it’s brilliant to see how much better she is becoming at interacting with the crowd. It’s only a small detail also, yet I love how her finisher makes her cross her opponents arms, as did she submissions she used in this match. Nice little touches like that impress me. Crisp and presentable work from Miss Banks. Except that slight botch of not getting up correctly before Paige’s third clothesline, but I’ll let you off!
As for Paige, I may be bias, but she has everything. The moveset, the look, the entrance theme, the character. She is the total package, like Prince Albert Lord Tensai Jason Albert said. For a man named Matt Boone, his mix of names have always been strange. That’s WWE for you though!
Another total package but in a comedic way as opposed to serious is Bayley. This girl will 100% be the next NXT Women’s Champion. Her character is as cute as a button and her delivery is spot-on. Her impression of Summer was silly yet hilarious and I don’t know what it is, but she has that certain something that helps me get behind her.
The BFFs also performed well in this segment. Although I was unsure on Charlotte’s heel promo delivery at first, her improvement is obvious. Practice makes perfect. Well, for most people, except Nattie and trying to be a Face. I love you but your character screams heel. Please return to your devilish ways soon and I’ll be shouting “YEAH, BABY!” from the rooftops no problem!
And with that, stay tuned, Jack will be back!
