Aleister Black defeated Curt Hawkins
Still in front of the Chicago crowd, WWE NXT gives us a packed night of action and recaps from NXT Takeover: Chicago. Aleister Black took on Curt Hawkins, a rematch from their encounter on WWE Main Event a few weeks ago. Flips and kicks are the name of the game for Black. A skilled combination of strikes really gave Black the upper hand. Hawkins played a little cat and mouse until a back flip off of the second rope connected from Black. He followed up with his finishing kick for the win.
Still not saying a word, Aleister Black continues to impress and tonight was more of an actual match than what we have seen over the past few months. He is so good in the ring, a faster and more athletic CM Punk. His size also helps him against bigger opponents and his entrance is really unique. There is not much to dislike about the guy right now and his progression will see more of a faster pace now that we have a few months before the next NXT Takeover event. Black, in 5 minutes of a match, gave us just enough to wet out pallets.
The Velveteen Dream on NXT
The Velveteen Dream Debuts. If you have never seen Patrick Clark before, get a chance to watch his match on NXT. He squares off against a jobber, but his speed and precision is really impressive. One of the things I liked about his first match was his ability to land punches and strikes. He looks like he is really unloading on his opponent, not like Ambrose who still can’t land a punch. The end of the match was a nice reverse neckbreaker and a very long landing elbow drop from the top.
The match was simple, nothing amazing, but Dream showcased his combination of aggression and athleticism for his first match. Good things could be in store for him, given the appropriate time and development in NXT. He is a very gimmicky character, but many of these have worked in NXT. He is a guy that can connect with the crowd, even if it is in a heel persona. Hopefully, he continues to own his gimmick and the writers can tweak small details to make him more intriguing heading into the summer months.
