Character Development Segments
We were treated to a quick interview by The Velveteen Dream, followed by footage of Hideo Itami upset after his loss to Bobby Roode. Itami ended up screaming and shoving Kassius Ohno. This is a start of a heel turn from Itami, which I think could do him WONDERS on reviving his mediocre career in NXT.
Later on, we saw Ember Moon get her clearances to compete, as her injury is good to go now. With all of this being discussed backstage, it gives NXT’s story lines more time to develop and more realism. I liked this combination of wrestlers being shown. One of the flaws that NXT has is that they have so much talent but so little time to really get them all over at once. It really has become a sink or swim type environment, as you have seen with some mid card to upper card guys. Not that it is a bad thing, especially considering NXT Takeover shows are the most consistently booked shows. We get the best action from them over WWE Pay-Per-Views, so obviously WWE is doing something right. At the end of the day, NXT did a decent job at keeping important men and women in our mind with a short time to do it.
Andrade Cien Almas Loses
It would not be much of a story because that is all he really does these days. This time, it is an upset against Cesar Bonini, a guy that I would never want to meet in an alley way. What does this mean for Cien, a super talented guy that has very little going right for him? I think it means big changes are coming, whether it is in NXT or somewhere else. Could he be utilized like an Elias Samson, someone who was never HUGE in NXT, but very good? With his talent and looks, he will not be over…looked. The puzzling booking of him lacks logic and understanding to many people. He puts on great bouts and comes up short, but tonight loses in quick fashion by a roll-up.