NXT

[LK3185]

Wasnt Swerve in that tournament? He just had a showcase match with Roddy

I didn’t bother to look up if he was in that so...

[comfortablynumb]

I don't really have anything bad to say about Grimes I'm just not a fan of the hat. Makes him stand out from other bearded wrestlers though I guess. I do agree with Pen he got his best reaction yet on the latest episode of NXT.

[Oliver]

He's had no promos, and maybe 6 matches. Comparing him to the rest of the roster isn't fair. Compare him to the other guys who debuted for that breakout tournament, and tell me Cameron isn't the most over and best pushed despite not winning it?

I don't thing this is wrong - my point was simply his connection with me. I've got hopes for him, but I don't really know who Cameron Grimes is yet, and aside from that one rambling promo in a scrapyard (was it in a scrapyard? For some reason in my head it was in a scrapyard) I'm not sure he's had much of a chance to tell us either.

There's definitely something there with him, I'd like to see NXT get it out of him. We've said that recently NXT hasn't done much in the way of promos, and that's what I'd like to see Grimes having - pre-match or post-match promos to tell us who his character is. Because other than 'dude in hat' I've got nothing.

[Kleckamania]

Wasnt Swerve in that tournament? He just had a showcase match with Roddy

I didn’t bother to look up if he was in that so...

He was. He lost to.... Cameron Grimes in the 1st round. I think his match against Roddy was his 2nd Televised match. And he was one of the guys who got a bigger pop.

[LK3185]

I have only been watching NXT tv again since it came to USA. Had stopped all but Takeovers for last few years.

Swerve>>> Grimes

[PEN15v2]

(Swerve) was. He lost to.... Cameron Grimes in the 1st round. I think his match against Roddy was his 2nd Televised match. And he was one of the guys who got a bigger pop.

Fair point, though he's also had exposure on 205 Live. I don't know how much that's worth in NXT these days though, as 205 Live is an after thought.

That Breakout Tournament had a lot of interesting stars, but Cameron Grimes is the one getting the most attention. Not a bad choice, but I felt Dexter Lumis was the most interesting character, and am waiting for more from him.

I don't thing this is wrong - my point was simply his connection with me. I've got hopes for him, but I don't really know who Cameron Grimes is yet, and aside from that one rambling promo in a scrapyard (was it in a scrapyard? For some reason in my head it was in a scrapyard) I'm not sure he's had much of a chance to tell us either.

There's definitely something there with him, I'd like to see NXT get it out of him. We've said that recently NXT hasn't done much in the way of promos, and that's what I'd like to see Grimes having - pre-match or post-match promos to tell us who his character is. Because other than 'dude in hat' I've got nothing.

It's still early, on a show that is also in transition. He's still getting over, and I still feel he's doing fine overall. I don't really care for him either, but I don't care for Ricochet, and he's obviously doing fine too.

[Oliver]

Didn't Swerve also get on 205 Live? Not so much a promotion as a sidestep, I guess, but I seem to remember him being in a 5 on 5 match. Also maybe a one off bout with Gulak?

[Team Farrell]

Wait, are Tegan Nox and Ciampa having their NXT return matches on the same night? That's pretty stiff, WWE. Maybe hold one off a week so that Nox isn't completely overshadowed.

[PEN15v2]

What's the point of spreading it out an extra week? She's barely had any exposure, so it's like her debut essentially - she'll win a squash/establishing match whether its this week or next. Her return would have been overshadowed by almost anything else that takes place.

[comfortablynumb]

I agree. She's still a newbie to NXT audiences and needs to be built up. Has she even had a NXT TV match?

[PEN15v2]

COACH, do you have any insight how restrictive it is for Tegan Nox to work with 2 knee braces?

[Powder]

Based on conversation with Coach in the General Discussion thread about how NXT is still a developmental promotion, wiith some stars that are well above the developmental stage, you could clearly see last night that this was the case. The matches and the show was good, but it did not compare the AEW's show last night. AEW's roster is mostly veterans with years of experience, with many fresh faces to the general viewer. But those new faces have experience and the matches showed that.

NXT was good, but some of the matches looked like developmental talent still working out how to wrestle matches, which is ok. The stand out star of last night was Keith Lee. He should be the next break out star. A guy that size with the agility and stamina. Wow. I have not heard him speak, can he? I do not know. But from the 2 matches I saw him, wow, just wow.

The rest of the show was ok. Rhea Ripley has presence, and with practice, will be killer on the mic. Shayna Baszler needs mic work, because her promo was meh, but overall I like her and her crew.

But to who won the night? AEW was more polished, and all around told better stories. Each match had a purpose and moved the overall product forward.

I like NXT and I want it to succeed, but so far I think it is 3-0 in AEW's favor.

[Oliver]

But those new faces have experience and the matches showed that.

I mean, define experience?

NXT had three people who, I think, are purely PC trained - Kayden Carter, Boa and Taynara - who were basically only out there to take a loss.

Otherwise, the least experience on the show was Matt Riddle (4 years) who is often flagged as having a spectacular natural talent for pro wrestling following his MMA transition. Otherwise you're looking at the six/seven years of Aichner, Nox, and Dijak, all of whom are well travelled and seasoned within that time frame. I think almost everyone else on the show last night had a decade or more experience of pro-wrestling.

I don't think that's particularly different from AEW having the likes of Darby Allin, Jungle Boy, and Marko Stunt, all of whom are 22 and have 3/4 years experience, turning up to take losses while the more experienced guys on the roster top and bottom shows.

So, I'd say the blend in talent experience is pretty similar. What you might be right to say, though, is that the experienced guys on the AEW roster - your Jericho's, Moxley's, Rhodes' etc - have more experience of wrestling in front of a camera where selling to that camera is the number one aim. You don't get that a lot in the talent that NXT have - arguably it's the major thing that NXT coaches people to do.

As far as NXT goes, I really dug the show last night but do think it's their weakest recent effort. 8 matches is probably the most they've done in that timeframe, and I think there wasn't a lot which really stuck around as a result - part of that was to get guys like Ciampa, Nox, and Dain big wins that reestablish themselves, so many of the matches were reasonably one sided. I think that made the overall show a little squiffy.

Personally, I'd probably have pulled two out of the three Nox, Dain, and Riddle matches and then given a bit more time to Ciampa/Garza and whichever one of those was kept. I think otherwise there was some pretty good stuff on the show.

I did like that we got some backstage stuff with the UE, too - the shows have been lacking that.

I can't really be bothered to rank one show against the other going forward, as I've just been enjoying having two really good wrestling shows airing in a week. Three if you count the NWA Powerrr one. Whether one is better than the other is going to become really moot soon.

[Cult Icon]

Just want to clarify Ollie; Kayden Carter isn't PC trained. She wrestled in Mexico for The Crash for several years as Lacey Lane before WWE signed her. Unless I hallucinated seeing her at that Crash WrestleCon show at last year's Wrestlemania. Which I may have!

[Powder]

Oli, that's is fair and a good explanation.