Jeremy’s WWE NXT Review 10.19.21

Greetings and salutations, NXT devotees! It’s Tuesday night, and that means that it’s time for another episode of NXT. I’m Jeremy Thomas, as always, and tonight WWE has a big show planned. We have a triple threat with implications for the NXT Women’s Tag Team Championship match at Halloween Havoc next week, Tommaso Ciampa teaming with Bron Breakker against the Grizzled Young Veterans, Tony D’Angelo in action and more. We have this last show before Halloween Havoc so there’s likely to be plenty to get into, especially now that NXT 2.0 has settled down just a touch.

The past week has been a pretty productive one for me, notably in terms of my Hooptober horror viewing challenge for 2021. I very much enjoyed the folk horror classic Witchfinder General starring Vincent Price, dug the Wes Craven fan-favorite The People Under the Stars, and thought Halloween Kills and Butcher, Baker, Nightmare Maker were decent. Outside of those I finished up Slasher: Flesh & Blood on Shudder and saw Midnight Mass on Netflix, both of which I thoroughly enjoyed. I hope your horror watching has been as successful this week!

Anyway, we’re gonna have a lot to cover tonight so let’s hop right in.

As a reminder, the GoFundMe for Larry’s daughters is still active and if you can make a donation, that would be awesome. Thank you so much to everyone who’s done so thus far.

LAST WEEK: Swerve retains the NXT North American Title with aid from Carmelo Hayes, only to have Hayes attack him and cash in his title shot to claim the title.

* We’re LIVE in the Capitol Wrestling Center. The Spin the Wheel is set up.

* Alicia Taylor introduces Carmelo Hayes as the new NXT North American champion, and Hayes comes out with Trick Williams. Trick tells Alicia that it sounded so nice he needs her to say it twice, so she does the intro again. A “YOU DESERVE IT!” chant begins, and Trick says they look good and have money, but most importantly they have gold. Nothing humble about them; you can find humble in the dictionary after “Hell No.” And we’re having a Melo-bration tonight.

Melo takes the mic and says he stepped on the scene four and a half months ago and blew through the Breakout Tournament to prove he is the final boss. He walked around for two months like Melo in the Chocolate Factory waiting for the opportunity to take what’s his before he swerved Swerve. He says when he shoots, he doesn’t miss and tfrom this point on, he’s calling the shots. He’s the leader of the New School, and it’s the A Championship as long as it’s around his waist. He doesn’t care if Ciampa, management, or anyone else has a problem with it.

And here comes Johnny Gargano! Johnny asks if you feel that? The energy in the room just changed. He says he doesn’t think they’ve been introduced and gives his name, saying he’s had his eye on Melo. As someone who’s held the title more times than anyone, he wanted to come out and congratulate Hayes. This is a Melo-bration and it’s fun, and he’s been having a lot of fun lately with bachelor parties, weddings, and honeymoons, oh my! But with Austin Theory on Raw, Indi married and Candice pregnant at home, he’s lost his Way. But he thinks what’s next for him is staring him in the face: being in this ring in front of these people against someone like Hayes. He says there’s a first time for everything regarding Melo not missing when he shoots, and suggests Hayes take a shot at him.

Trick says that Indi’s has been in Melo’s DMs all week. Gargano says funny but that’s his son in law behind them — Dexter is here! Hayes and Trick bail, but the title got left behind and Hayes shoves Trick at the ring where he ends up face to face with Dexter. They back off and Lumis and Gargano share a thumbs up. Hayes and Trick aren’t happy.

Odyssey Jones vs. Andre Chase

The two circle and Chase talks some shit before they lockup, which ends up with Chase shoved to the ground. Chase back up and he gets a headlock, shot into the ropes and he hits a weak kick. Jones no-sells it and throws Chase into the ropes, knocking him down with a body block. Jones sends Chase into the turnbuckle and charges in, but Chase moves and hits a dropkick off the second rope. Double stomp by Chase to the back, another to the chest and then a stomp to the head.

Chase with a couple of knuckle shots to the forehead and a DDT, cover but Jones powers out at one. Chase goes for a shot but Jones catches it and punches Chase down. Another shot and then a big bodyslam. Irish whip into the corner and an avalanche! He sends Chase to the mat and somersaults over him, hits a splash and covers for three.

Winner: Odyssey Jones (2:55)
Rating: N/A
Thoughts: An absolute squash match.

* Malcolm Bivens is with Diamond Mine and says earlier today he was doing what he does best — minding his own business and not getting jumped in the parking lot. He heard a lot of people asking for championship opportunities and thought that was crazy because the Creed Brothers deserve a shot. He says now that he knows how it works, Diamond Mine won’t be asking for opportunities; they’ll take it.

* Up next: the Creed Brothers battle Imperium.

The Creed Brothers vs. Imperium

Aichner and Brutus start off with some counter-wrestling. They come off the ropes and collide with neither falling, then Aichner hits a drop toehold. Barthel in and he gets backed into the ropes, Creed shrugs off some shots and slams Barthel to the mat. Barthel counters out and locks in a wristlock, but Brutus gets out and suplexes him down. Barthel takes advantage of some crap talking to come back with some shots, some back and forth before Barthel hits a big kick off the ropes.

Brutus manages to push Barthel into his corner and Julius tags in, he shrugs off some shots from Barthel and gets him in the corner. Barthel knocks him down and comes up onto the second rope but Strong grabs his leg. That allows the distraction and Julius yanks him down. Gutwrench suplex, and Brutus tags in. Barthel gets thrown around and Brutus covers for two.

Julius tagged in and he suplexes Brutus ONTO Barthel, then covers for two. Brutus with a sleeper but Barthel flips him out of it, he goes for a tag and Brutus pulls him back. Barthel rolls him up for two and then tags in Aichner! He comes in hot, Brutus tags in and Aichner gets him in a fireman’s carry for a somersault Samoan drop! Cover for two, broken up by Julius. Barthel tagged in, he comes off the second rope but gets caught into a gutwrench suplex for a pin, broken up by Aichner. Aichner is sent to the outside — and here come Kushida and Jiro! They distract the Diamond Mine, Barthel rolls Julius up for three!

Winner: Imperium (5:36)
Rating: ** 1/2
Thoughts: Perfectly good match. It’s a little early for the Cre4eds to lose so I’m not sure about that, but at least there’s an excuse for the loss.

* After the match, MSK attack Imperium as they celebrate! Kicks to Aichner and a double stomp to the back – Hot Fire Flame to Aichner! He gets pulled out — and Wes Lee dives onto them! MSK challenge Imperium for Halloween Havoc.

* Out in the wild with Kyle O’Reilly and Von Wagner for bonding time. Von gets a big-ass chunk of wood and they run through some exercises with it, plus pull-ups against a tree and chopping into a log. Von says they have one more training before the day: 12-ounce curls. KOR says Von’s out there but he is too, and if they get on the same page they can cause some damage.

* A vignette airs for Cora Jade, who is up next.

* Joe Gacy says last week was a setback and maybe NXT 2.0 isn’t a safe space after all, but the mission is the same. We don’t need violence to settle our issues, he won’t be triggered, buzz words yadda yadda. He asks us to take his hand — or not us, but rather Harland. “Follow me, little snowflake.”

* Legado Del Fantasma is in the ring. Santos says may God bless you with luck, which were the first words he ever heard in this business and he’s always been blessed by it. Except for last week. He calls out Carmelo as a “lucky son of a bitch!” He then laughs and says it seems to him like his luck has just vanished. So when he finds his championship, he and Senorita Luck are going to find him.

He then gives the mic over to Elektra, who tries to speak but is cut off by Cora’s music.

Cora Jade vs. Elektra Lopez

Luckup and Lopez slams Jade down to the mat, then manhandles her in the corner before whipping her across the ring. Big bodyslam and some trash talking. Another bodyslam by Lopez, but Jade comes back with shots and gets to her feet. Lopez kicks her down and sends her hard into the turnbuckle, then starts choking her before flinging her across the ring like a rag doll. Back suplex, countered into a roll-up by Jade but Lopez with a quick clothesline. Inside cradle, and Jade gets the win!

Winner: Cora Jade (1:49)
Rating: N/A
Thoughts: They’re trying to manufacture an underdog thing here, and it may even work. I hope it does, because Jade is good in that role. I’m skeptical with their track record about such things though.

* Ciampa and Breakker are backstage with McKenzie who asks if they can co-exist. Breakker says he’s seen this before, and miscommunication is the norm so watch yourself. Ciampa reminds Bron that he said he’d keep Ciampa safe, so he’s just following Bron’s lead.

* We get a recap of the events leading to tonight’s LA Knight vs. Grayson Waller match.

Io Shirai vs. vs. Perisa Pirotta vs. Jacy Jayne

Io and Jacy surround Persia, but Jacy walks right past her and slaps Io! Io slaps back and Persia clotheslines then down, then hits splashes in the corner before Io and Jace focus on her and take her down. Io covers but Jacy pulls her off.

Io and Jacy start trading shots, Jacy with a knee to the jaw and front facelock, but they take a break to kick Persia. Double suplex attempt to Persia, but she reverses it! She gets Jacy up on her shoulders but Io with a front dropkick! She goes for the submission but Persia just picks her up in her arms and slams her down. Persia goes at Io but Io pulls the ropes down. Jacy does for a dive and OH SHIT THAT WASN’T GOOD. She catches her feet and slams down to the floor. Io dives onto Persia and we’re on PIP break.

Io and Persia fought during the break while Jacy was nowhere to be seen. Not sure if I missed her being taken to the back or what. Persia has Io in a bear hug and yeah, apparently Jacy is in the back and this is a singles bout. Persia slams Io down, covers for two. She picks Shirai up and hits several shoulder thrusts in the corner, then whips Io across the ring and covers for two.

Suplex from Persia and she goes for another, but Io with an inside cradle for two. Persia plants Io with a clothesline and gets a nearfall. Io is battling back with thrusts and forearms, she comes off the ropes and goes for a rana but Persia catches her for a sitdown powerbomb for two.

The crowd is behind Io as both women are down. Persia is looking frustrated and she gets up, lays in a shot to Io’s back and then some more to boot. Io is fighting back though, and she hits a big rooundhouse kick. 619 and a springboard dropkick to the knee, cover gets two. Io locks in the crossface, Persia is holding on. She manages to get up and kicks Io up, but Io wriggles out and hits a German suplex! Io stomps over Persia, moonsault off the top! Cover for three.

Winner: Io Shirai (11:23)
Rating: ** 1/4
Thoughts: I’m giving this some leeway because obviously Jacy’s trip changed the dynamic of this match and they had to improvise a lot. Io was off her game and it showed, but they did about as well as they could have given the circumstances.

* Io spins the wheel with Zoey by her side: it’s a Scareway to Hell Ladder Match! Well, that should be exciting. Indi and Persia don’t seem happy about it though.

* Apparently in the locker room moments ago, Legado beat up Cora’s boyfriend Trey Baxter. Briggs and Jenson ran in for the save and brawl with Legado.

* A vignette for Tony D’Angelo airs. He’s up next.

* We get a vignette for Solo Sikoa, billing him as “the Street Champion of the Island.”

* Backstage, Jiro sneaks up on Kushida in the bathroom and talks about how excited he is to team with Kushida. Kushida says he needs to be Style Strong like Jiro, but Jiro empties out Kushida’s backpack and puts Kushida’s gear on him. They high five and the room gets blue.

Tony D’Angelo vs. Ru Feng

Lockup and D’Angelo gets Feng in a headlock, gets sent into the ropes and knocks Feng down. Takedown and a little amateur stuff, then a snapmare into a laying headlock plus noogies. Back to their feet, Feng hits some kicks and comes off the ropes right into a big elbow. D’Angelo with kicks and then a short-arm clothesline. He hits a big suplex into a fisherman’s swinging neckBreakker for three.

Winner: Tony D’Angelo (1:45)
Rating: N/A
Thoughts: Yeah, still not sold on Tony yet. His character is…fiiine, I suppose. He isn’t getting enough time to show off his wrestling skills though.

After the match, Alicia says that Mark, the producer of Lashing Out, went missing and does Tony know anything about it? He says Alicia is being nosy and he doesn’t know nothing about anything. He tells her to get herself something nice and FUHGEDABOUTIT!

* It’s time for Duke’s Poker Room. Duke talks poker and says his three fives are good. He calls and wins. He gets a full house against the next guy, then looks to the camera and says his poker room is always open and we can call him the house — because the House Always Wins.

* We’re supposed to have Josh Briggs and Brooks Jenson in action, but one of them is down and Joaquin Wilde hits the other one with a chair. Legado comes out laughing as we go to break.

Josh Briggs & Brooks Jensen vs. Legado Del Fantasma

We’re back and the match has begun because why the fuck not. Wilde is assaulting Jenson in the corner but Jenson turns it around and flings Jenson across the room. Briggs tags in, the slam Wilde down off the ropes and then plants Wilde with a one-armed choke slam.

Wilde out of the ring and Briggs follows, Santos shoves Briggs into the apron while the ref is distracted. Wilde in and tags in Mendoza who hits a baseball slide dropkick on Briggs. Mendoz pounds on Briggs and then pulls him up, tagging in Wilde. Wilde charges in for a clothesline and tags in Mendoza, who does the same. Wilde’s turn again, then Mendoza for one more. Wilde in, double-team back suplex. Cover gets two.

Briggs shoves Wilde off but Wilde with a kick, he tags in Mendoza who goes up top for a big splash! Cover for two. He sits on Briggs and locks in a crossface, but Briggs stands up. Mendoza gets the tag and catches Briggs foot as Wilde is sent over to the ropes, but Briggs muscles over to tag in Jensen! He comes in hot, big boots Wilde down, and then beats on Wilde in the corner. Big powerslam, he tags a swing at Escobar who got on the ropes and hits a back body drop on Wilde. Briggs out and he takes out Escobar! Mendoza gets the tag, Wilde and Mendoza with the double team finish.

Winner: Legado del Fantasma (5:18 show)
Rating: ** 1/2
Thoughts: Solid enough for the time it got. It was a solid clash of styles and they worked well off each other.

* We get a vignette hyping up Raquel vs. Mandy at Halloween Havoc.

* We get another vignette teasing the return at Halloween Havoc. I’m sure someone’s figured it out based on the clues, but not me.

* Trick and Carmelo are looking for the title and they find art from Dexter inviting them to a Haunted House next week to get his title.

LA Knight vs. Grayson Waller

The two jaw at each other and the NXT cameraman cuts away just before they collide to show the audience for some reason, but either way Waller gets a roll-up for two. Waller with a shot to the jaw and a backslide attempted, blocked by Knight but Waller gets another cover for two.

Knight sends Waller in the corner and he goes up and over Knight, hitting another rollup for two. Knight quickly starts battering Waller and takes control, then runs at Waller but gets sent to the apron. He hits a slingshot shoulder tackle for two.

Knight with a chinlock, but Waller gets out and lays in a couple of forearms and elbows before hitting a side kick and a tripping uranage. Waller up to the middle rope, he comes off ducking knight but gets hit with BFT for the pin.

Winner: LA Knight (2:47)
Rating: N/A
Thoughts: Expected quick win is expected.

* Set for Next Week:
– Scareway to Hell NXT Tag Team Championship Ladder Match: Io & Zoey vs. Toxic Attraction vs. Indi and Persia
– Spin the Wheel Make the Deal NXT Women’s Championship Match: Raquel Gonzalez vs. Mandy Rose
– Spin the Wheel Make the Deal NXT Tag Team Championship Match: MSK vs. Imperium
– Solo Sikoa debuts
– NXT Championship Match: Tommaso Ciampa vs. Bron Breakker
– Special Guest: Chucky
– Host: LA Knight

Bron Breakker & Tommaso Ciampa vs. Grizzled Young Veterans

Bron starts against James Drake. Lockup and Drake with a headlock, shot into the ropes and gets knocked down. Breakker tells him to try again and Drake runs into a brick wall, Breakker then with a headlock. Breakker shot into the ropes, he rolls over Drake and manhandles him, then slams him down on the mat. Drake ducks a lockup and hits a shot to the side, headlock. Breakker into the ropes, he catches Drake as he leaps and SLAMS him down!

Ciampa wants the tag and Breakker says no, so Ciampa tags himself in but eats a shot to the head. Gibson tags in now but Ci8ampa is wild off the ropes, hits a couple of splashes and then takes them both down. Charging knee strike to Gibson in Breakker’s face as we go to break.

Zack Gibson took over on Ciampa during the break and as we come back, Drake is in with a headlock on the champion. Ciampa fights to his feet and punches out. He’s shoved into the hostile corner, knocks Gibson off the apron and hits a boot on Drake. Back suplex by Ciampa and he’s going for the tag, but Gibson pulls Breakker off the apron! Drake keeps in control until Gibson tags in and pins Ciampa for two. Gibson with a shot to Ciampa and chokes him against the ropes before hitting a big kick. More choking against the ropes, he tags in Drake who comes off the top for a double axehandle to Ciampa’s back as Gibson holds Ciampa!

Ciampa fights back with chops but Gibson with a knee lift and some big punches and stomps. Drake in, Gibson holds him as Gibson goes up top, dropkick into a Flatliner and then a submission attempt, but Ciampa fights free! Drake grabs the beard to get control back and then lays in firsts. NeckBreakker by Drake, countered into a DDT!

Both men down, but Breakker off the apron to cut off a charging Gibson. Ciampa is pissed that he wasn’t there and tags him hard. It looks like Breakker is about to hit Ciampa, but Ciampa ducks and Drake takes it. Breakker throws Drake around and locks in the Steiner Recliner. Gibson breaks it up with a kick to the head but gets thrown out of the ring. Gorilla Press into a powerslam, that gets the pin.

Winner: Bron Breakker & Tommaso Ciampa (10:56)
Rating: ***
Thoughts: A very good main event here, this did a lot to help get Breakker over. I don’t think this storyline feud is great because we have the same thing going on on Raw, it reeks of laziness but it’s working well enough thanks to Ciampa and Bron.

After the match, Ciampa leaves with Goldie but Bron calls him back into the ring. He steps in and they stare off as we cut to black.

5.0

The final score: review Not So Good

The 411

This was the very definition of a "meh" episode of NXT. We had one very good match, one match that could have been good if not for an unfortunate botch, and a couple of okay ones that resulted in talent that still need to be built up (the Creeds and Briggs & Jensen) taking losses. Meanwhile, there were a lot of squash matches and a little build to Halloween Havoc. However, this show didn't do what was needed to make next week seem important. I'm looking forward to next week's show, but this? This didn't do much to sell me on it.