Csonka’s NXT 2015 Year in Review

Welcome one and all to my NXT year in review column. The purpose of the column is to look into the major shows (Takeover events) that NXT ran in 2015 and to share my thoughts. The NXT Takeover specials have been a joy for me to cover, and are one of the things that remind me why I love wrestling so much. Today I will look at the top matches of the year, the top performers from the promotion, share the show rankings from the year and discuss some other thoughts as we move into 2016. Thanks for reading and I hope that you enjoy…

Major NXT Shows For 2015
Here are my ratings for the 2015 major NXT events. You can click on the score to read the full review.

– NXT Takeover: Brooklyn – 9.0
– NXT Takeover: Rival – 9.0
– NXT Takeover: Unstoppable – 8.8
– NXT Takeover: Respect – 8.5
– NXT Takeover: London – 8.5

– OVERALL THOUGHTS: In 2015, NXT ran five Takeover specials, and delivered an average score of 8.76 for those events. For me the NXT Takeover specials have been must see TV, as they never disappoint. Much like Lucha Underground, I look forward to these specials with great anticipation. In many ways the Takeover shows remind me of my youth and enthusiasm for the Clash of the Champions specials. Back in the day, I used to get so excited for those specials and they felt like a big deal to me. These events were an important part of my wrestling youth, and now I as close in on 40, things like the NXT Takeover specials continue to give me new life as a wrestling fan. NXT keeps things simple, they set the feuds, they have clear-cut faces and heels, they build to the big show and when they get there, they deliver. They are what I want the WWE main roster to be, but they almost never are. I get that the big joke is that this is Triple H’s vanity project, but I frankly do not give a shit. I do not care who runs the show or who owns the show, when I watch and review a product I want quality. The NXT specials have given that to me, and I greatly appreciate them as a fan. To me, NXT is an oasis in the creative desert that is the WWE. For everything that the main product does wrong or everything they do to annoy or anger me, NXT goes the other way. If your not watching the NXT Takeover specials, you’re doing wrestling wrong.

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Ranking The Top NXT Matches and Performers For 2015
These are the top NXT matches from their major shows in 2015. If you haven’t followed the product and are looking to some matches to check out to get into the product, these are the matches I would suggest..

– From NXT Takeover: Brooklyn – Bayley vs. Sasha Banks [****¾]
– From NXT Takeover: Unstoppable –Sasha Banks vs. Becky Lynch [****½]
– From NXT Takeover: Brooklyn – Finn Balor vs. Kevin Owens [****½]
– From NXT Takeover: Rival – Kevin Owens vs. Sami Zayn [****½]
– From NXT Takeover: London – Samoa Joe vs. Finn Balor [****½]
– From NXT Takeover: Rival – Adrian Neville vs. Finn Balor [****¼]
– From WWE Beast in the East – Kevin Owens vs. Finn Balor [****¼]
– From NXT Takeover: Respect – Bayley vs. Sasha Banks [****¼]
– From NXT Takeover: Rival – Charlotte vs. Bayley vs. Sasha Banks vs. Becky Lynch [****]

* Kevin Owens: Kevin Owens wasn’t long for the world of NXT, but one thing that is for sure is that he made the most of his appearances. Kevin Owens had stellar matches with Finn Balor and Sami Zayn this year on NXT specials (Beast in the East is counted match wise because it was an NXT Title Match). To me, Owens was a breath of fresh air, as his style and demeanor felt completely different than anyone had to offer in NXT. Those that were fans of his knew that he could go, he came in and showed that and was soon “out of the territory” as they would say in the old days. Owens came into NXT like a hurricane, worked a great program with Zayn and then got the call to the main roster and then delivered a pair of great matches with Balor to set him as the next top guy upon his exit.

* Bayley: The rise of Bayley has been one of the best stories in 2015, not just in terms of “her push,” but in terms of her growth as a character and overall performer. One of the biggest joys in watching NXT programming is watching the younger prospect improve and evolve, and Bayley’s 2015 was truly great. She finally locked in her character, she won over the fan base and she climbed the mountain and is now at the top as the Women’s Champion. She’s exactly the kind of woman that you want as the babyface hero of the division as far as a character goes, and on top of that, she delivers in the ring. On the 2015 specials, she delivered great matches with Sasha Banks (twice) as well as in the four way and her rise (partly out of necessity) was most importantly organic. It just felt right in the timing and the way it happened, and Sasha was the perfect opponent for her. Along with these top tier matches, I think people really need to take into account the work in the NXT Takeover: London match with Nia Jax. Jax is very green and still developing, but Bayley’s work during the match in London was special and proved that she is a top tier performer. The bottom line is that she delivers in the ring, and there is money to be made with her if the creative would actually be creative and get behind her when she makes the main roster. She may very well be the best babyface in all of wrestling right now.

* Finn Balor: Finn Balor had a great year, winning the NXT Title and showing the skills that got fans excited prior to his signing and proved that he deserved his spot with NXT. While Balor still has a way to go as far as promos, which I think we can all agree on, he has certainly been one of the top performers for NXT in 2015. Balor has been presented like a star, through some great video packages, and carries himself like a star through his great performances. While some only look at him as a gimmick entrance, there is no denying that the man delivers in the ring. In 2015, Balor delivered four top tier matches on the NXT/WWE specials, winning the NXT Title and proving that he is one of the best on the roster. Watching Balor in NXT as opposed to NJPW, you can see his growth as a performer as he continues to evolve as a performer; he’s almost a completely different wrestler and I mean that in a completely positive way. I hope he can continue to grow as a complete performer, because if he does, he will be a great asset (if booked properly of course) for the main roster.

* Sasha Banks: Topping things off Boss Sasha Banks. While we can be frustrated all day long in regards to her main roster presentation, Sasha Banks was truly the boss when it came to not only the women’s division, but NXT as a whole. The evolution of Sasha Banks as a character and in ring performer from mid-2014 to August of 2015 in NXT was truly amazing, going from a performer that looked to be solid with a nice character to an extremely well rounded performer in and out of the ring. Watching Banks over the last eighteen-months or so has been an absolute joy. Her improvement has been constant, and simply put she was a special performer for the company. It’s sad to see she’s doing nothing on importance on the main roster, but hey, Stephanie started a revolution and invented water and air and shit like that so huzzah. Sasha Banks was my top performer overall in NXT for the year, because she was the complete package in and out f the ring, with four top tier matches on the specials. The four-way, the Iron Man match with Bayley, the excellent match with Lynch and then the MOTY contender with Bayley in Brooklyn are all part of her excellent resume. I love Bayley and feel that she had an excellent year as well, but Banks is the top as far as this goes; she is the complete package and ruled NXT with an ever-growing set of accomplishments. The Boss wasn’t just a gimmick, she was in charge of NXT and made it a joy to watch.

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The Final Word on NXT

I almost cannot stress how great the NXT specials were in 2015. The shows simply delivered each and every time out. NXT TV is basic, sometimes boring, but it serves it’s purpose of giving the talent TV time, allowing them to learn, setting up programs and then delivering he goods on the big shows. It’s very simple, it’s basic fundamentals as far as wrestling goes and it works. Wrestling doesn’t need to be complicated, it doesn’t need a hundred twists and turns, because if you write simple and interesting stories and build to them in a logical fashion and then deliver on your big events, you’ve succeeded.

I never feel ripped off when I watch an NXT Takeover special. I watch the product leading into the Takeover special, I surely have expectations or thoughts on where things will go, but the specials delivered a good undercard and one or two great matches while either advancing or ending things and it’s very enjoyable. I do not feel ripped off with Authority bullshit, tons of distraction finishes or shenanigans (there is some but it is tempered) because the Takeover specials simply deliver. They are the new Clash of the Champion for me, I look forward to them, and they deliver each time out.

The women’s matches are not only treated seriously, but they are often times a marquee part of the show in either a semi-main or main event slot. I have said for years that women’s wrestling properly presented, can be a drawing point for mainstream wrestling. Time and time again all I heard was that they are “all tits and ass” and that “they look good, but women can’t deliver top tier matches.” I have always thought that was bullshit, SHIMMER has been able to deliver a great product over the years, but I will also concede that they are a small time operation. At times, TNA did well with their Knockouts division, on top of a good focus and even main evening Impact with the women, they also scored the strongest quarter hours for Impact numerous times. That’s a fraction of the WWE audience, but it does show that on a bigger level it can work. But NXT gets it right. They are a “women’s division” and not a “diva’s division”. They are booked in serious, but simple feuds that allow the fan base to get emotionally invested, they are given time and strong placement on their big specials, and they knock it out of the park and have deserved the praise they receive. I just wish that they could have this mentality on the main roster, because you can’t just tell people there is a “diva’s revolution,” you need to book it and allow it to grow organically as you reeducate the audience that you poisoned into thinking that anything but the main stars are a joke. But that won’t happen until two key people exit, so until that time, I will enjoy the ladies in NXT kicking ass.

The commentary team, while far from perfect, come across as focused and largely educated. Like on he main roster they also have someone on their ear, but that person is not yelling at them, telling then to tell jokes, belittle the performers or fake laugh. They are there to add to the in ring presentation, to be part of the story and not to take away from it. it seems silly to simply praise something for doing what it is designed to do, but considering the “main company” refuses to do so, this comes across as refreshing.

For as much as I love NXT, I will say that one thing they do need to work on is timing. There are times when the momentum is there, when you have to pull the trigger on things, and they do not always accomplish that. Example one would be Enzo and Cass heading into Brooklyn were just as over as always, but they were relegated to the TV tapings. While they played their roles well, that location was perfect to pull the trigger and give them the big win. Over the past few months Jordan and Gable have collected a huge following and have constantly improved. They were mad over on the UK tour, and like Enzo and Cass in Brooklyn, were on the TV portion of the Takeover: London event.

In conclusion, NXT was great when it came to their Takeover events, delivering a basic and old school approach with modern athletes delivering some special in ring performances. Talent will always come and go, but they have the right idea as far as their presentation and if they stay the course, I will be a happy wrestling fan.

“Byyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyye Felicia!”