What’s up, all you loyal NXT followers? If you’re like me and still on a magical high from seeing Naomi, Cameron Lynn, and Brodus Clay make their phenomenal, brilliant, tremendous debuts on Monday Night Raw, you too questioned how NXT could possibly live up to that joy. But honestly, who are we to even doubt this Wednesday afternoon treat? NXT lived up to the hype as always as we saw a tremendous segment between Alicia Fox and Maxine that certainly straddled the PG line. On top of that, the two also faced off in a match, as we got some added backstage segments between many of the people involved in “Maxine’s Choice”. Clearly this is Maxine’s world and we just live in it… and you know what? I’m perfectly fine with that.
Enough of my babbling, let’s proceed on!
Following a BRAND NEW OPENING VIDEO which finally seems to confirm that my god, NXT, is staying around for the long haul as an official brand, we head to the ring where Matt Striker stands microphone in hand. He reiterates that next week is the 100th episode of the program, which emanates from Las Vegas, Nevada! Striker continues that for the past few weeks he has been bringing back former talent, before welcoming a former pro from Season 3, Alicia Fox. Foxy makes her way out to the ring in her fancy fox hood and struts down the ramp while pa-pa-pa-partay serenades us in the background.
Matt takes pleasure in her Fancy Fox Hood, as she then begins to purr like a cat which randomly amuses me. He mentions that on Season 3, she was a pro, and her rookie has since taken NXT OVER! She claims that she tried to sell Maxine on eBay so many times before (what?!)… but she is then cut off by the green stage effect and dance club remix theme of the woman in question. Maxine makes her way out from the back and states that she’s so happy Fox could join them tonight, however this is her ring and Alicia was no use to her during her rookie season of NXT, much like how she’s a waste of space now! Fox says that when she tried to help Maxine as her pro, she was stubborn, rude, and belligerent, but Maxine begs Alicia to tell her something she doesn’t know already.
Matt Striker tries to calm them down, but Maxine tells him to “SHOVE IT SEACREST”, as Alicia Fox apologizes and asks how she is doing… or better yet, who is she doing? (Insert my “Oh, hell no” moment number one of the night) Maxine declares that Alicia just gets lonely at night without a tender touch, so she has to stick her nose in Maxine’s business. She continues that it doesn’t matter who or what she does, because she always ends up on her feet. This amuses Foxy because she thought Maxine was more comfortable on her back! (Insert “Oh, hell no” moment number two.) Fox then pushes Maxine onto her back, but Maxine regains her composure and says that she actually prefers being on top, before spearing Alicia to the floor and going at it! The two have to be separated by a referee, as Matt Striker announces they will square off right now!
The ladies circle around the ring, as the bell sounds and they lock up. Maxine backs Fox into the corner until she is forced to back up, as the two lock up again. Alicia shoves her former rookie back, but Maxine connects with a kick to the abdomen. Fox sends Maxine off the ropes and leapfrogs over her, to which Maxine somersaults underneath the legs! She charges off the opposing side, as Alicia bends down into a split hoping to trip her up, but Maxine shows her improvement by stopping herself and dropping a vicious knee to the backside. From there, she locks in a choke, but Alicia snapmares her out of it. Maxine quickly gets up and DRILLS Alicia in the face with a big boot for a few two counts, as the two back up into a corner and Maxine slams her head into the stomach.
Maxine proceeds to throw Alicia down with a hairmare, but Fox kicks her off. Maxine shoots back up and hits a sick European Uppercut, before taking her former pro to the corner and lifting her leg up with a nice chokehold. Alicia hilariously screams for Maxine to get her stinky leg off of her, which sparks Maxine to attempt an Irish whip. Fox reverses it, and sends Maxine flying, but Maxine leaps onto the second rope and proceeds to hop over Alicia. She wraps her legs around Fox’s back and locks in a vicious hold, but Alicia thankfully managed to grab onto the ropes before she could be taken to the center of the ring. Maxine fakes Fox out with an Irish whip and rolls her up with an O’Conner Roll, but Alicia manages to roll through and score the victory! She celebrates her win, as Maxine locks on angrily from the ring at her former pro and we head to a commercial break.
(Note: I am aware that no Divas are in this segment, but they are mentioned and it plays a part in the “Maxine’s Choice” saga so I am including it so that nobody is lost if they don’t see.)
Following a victory for Trent Barreta as he faced off against Tyler Reks, we head backstage to see Derrick “Sweet Meat” Bateman and Justin Gabriel coercing together about Gabriel’s jacket. They fist bump to being on Team Single, as Derrick finally seems to have given up on Maxine and wants to let her marry Dirty Curty. He says the only thing that bothers him is that something happened between he and Aksana, but Gabriel corrects him that he believes it had to do with the text he sent to Teddy Long. Derrick seems lost and pulls out his phone to check the message. He claims he never sent this, as Justin Gabriel claims he either left his phone at the bar again, or someone hacked his email. He continues to tell Bateman that perhaps his password should no longer be “1234” anymore, as Derrick lets out a large “CUUUURTTIIISSSSSSSS” scream, and we head to a break.
Backstage, we see Maxine and Aksana standing together as Maxine claims that Alicia’s victory over her earlier was a fluke. She continues on that she is so sick and tired of all of this drama, but Aksana says that she is here for Maxine, and any help she needs she can ask her. Suddenly, Sweet Meat walks into the picture and demands a moment alone with Maxine. They both try to talk over each other, but finally Maxine takes control and says that they are DONE. She adds that she knows what he did, and as he tries to correct her, she silences him and announces that her new fiancée and herself are going to go to the top and leave Derrick down in NXT so he can enjoy the 200th show while he’s still stuck here. She then excuses herself to go watch her Johnny’s match and pulls Derrick’s nifty skull cap over his eyes before heading out.
Following Dirty Curty’s victory over Alex Riley, he and Maxine begin to celebrate in the ring until Sweet Meat makes his way out from the back and says this doesn’t concern Maxine, before calling her “toots” and outing that he knows what Dirty Curty did. He adds that he’s not sure how he did it, but that next week, this all ENDS. (Insert me pounding my fists on the ground in fury at the thought of “Maxine’s Choice” not gracing my computer screen any longer.) Derrick then walks back up the stage, as Maxine and Johnny question what he could be talking about and we come to a close.
Thoughts: I’ll start with the brilliant segment to open the show between Alicia and Maxine, which I think proved that when she isn’t short on time or rushed, Alicia is actually pretty funny on the mic. Her delivery on the lines to Maxine were on point, and I think Maxine was top notch as always. As much as I love Maxine being on NXT, I really think she could benefit the division to be placed in it. I feel like WWE will see that she is a tremendous talker, and actually allow her to cut more promos than the usual Diva because she has the skills. But overall, the segment reminded me of something we would seen in the “golden age” of the division, and I thought they both came off great in it.
The match, though shorter than past NXT matches, I thought was better than their first outing together. They seemed to mesh better, and given that we got an actual segment between the two to set it up, I don’t really mind it being only two minutes. It feels so weird to actually see two females in a WWE ring get seven minutes to open a show with a promo and match, but that’s why NXT is the hidden gem of the company.
I also beg Derrick Bateman to please take this week and reconsider putting an end to this saga. I don’t know what I would do without getting to recap “Maxine’s Choice” every week, although thanks to the Funkasaurus’ debut, it’s not to the level of extreme depression I would have faced since I now have a backup plan. Still though, I beg this story to go on forever and I hope it never ends.
