BRM Reviews the 6/12/2019 NXT

[Big Red Machine]

IO SHIRAI & CANDICE LERAE vs. THE HORSEWOMEN (Marina Shafir & Jessamyn Duke) (w/Shayna Baszler)- 5/10
A relatively short match but good for the time it got. The rating reflects the combination of the match and post-match brawl, because that’s how I feel like doing it right now. Candice was the babyface in peril and made a tag to Io, who ran wild. This included hitting Duke with Baszlre’s patented elbow-ruining stomp. Baszler pulled Duke to safety when Io was setting up for a moonsault so Io just turned around and moonsaulted Baszler instead. They were on the outside and he bell rang, although it was too quick to have been a count-out. I’m also pretty sure it wasn’t a DQ because although Io was beating on Baszler, I hadn’t seen Baszler do anything to Io yet. I guess it was just one of those “the referee has lost control of the match” no contests, but no matter what happened, it should have been clear to us what the result was. Io and Baszler brawled into the crowd while Candice and Shafir brawled on the ramp. Both were broken up by security, much to the disappointed of the live crowd.

VELVETEEN DREAM SELFIE PROMO- very short and kind of pointless

DAMIAN PRIEST DEBUTS NEXT WEEK- thanks for the update

SUBMISSION MATCH: Drew Gulak vs. KUSHIDA- 6.75/10
KUSHIDA worked the arm while Gulak worked the leg. KUSHIDA won in a mere ten minutes. Are they keeping his matches on the shorter side on purpose?
Gulak was very angry about his loss, but showed KUSHIDA respect with a handshake anyway.

VANESSA BOURNE & ALIYAH PROMO- Holy crap this was actually good!
Classic heel stuff dumping on Mia Yim and claiming that Mia is nowhere near as deserving of a title shot as either of them. Watching Mia murder these two in succession is going to be hilarious.

Io is getting a rematch for the title in a cage in two weeks.

DANNY BURCH & ONEY LORCAN vs. UNDISPUTED ERA (Kyle O’Reilly & Roderick Strong) (w/Bobby Fish)- 7/10
Another ten-minute match, but this one was very fast paced. The finish saw Jaxon Ryker show up for unknown reasons. I saw unknown because he didn’t just go interfere in the match. Instead be beat up security, then let himself be held back by referees. This distracted everyone, allowing Burch to shove Kyle into Roddy, knocking Roddy out of the ring, then roll Kyle up for the win. Regal came out to yell at Ryker. I guess this could continue to more dissension in Undisputed Era, but at the same time, Ryker not just running in and attacking them all felt very weird.


A good show from NXT, but I’m beginning to worry about these short TV matches. That’s fine for trainees, but pretty much everyone who wrestled on this show has some degree of star-power.

[Bob-O]

This included hitting Duke with Baszlre’s patented elbow-ruining stomp.

They named that, didn't they? I remember Mauro yelling it a bunch of times at TakeOver but for the life of me can not remember what he called it...

VANESSA BOURNE & ALIYAH PROMO- Holy crap this was actually good!

I'm always impressed by both of these two, it boggles my mind how long they've been jobbers on NXT. Bourne especially. She's got a hell of an entrance, she looks like a star, and despite my inability to remember her ever winning a match always cuts a promo the week before laying down that makes me believe that this might be "her week".

Aliyah's just hot in a way I like. Maybe it's because she loses all the time, and I see that and I'm like, "Hey... I'd probably have lost too... we have something in common! We should take our shirts off!", but idk. She's great.

[Big Red Machine]

This included hitting Duke with Baszlre’s patented elbow-ruining stomp.

They named that, didn't they? I remember Mauro yelling it a bunch of times at TakeOver but for the life of me can not remember what he called it...

VANESSA BOURNE & ALIYAH PROMO- Holy crap this was actually good!

I'm always impressed by both of these two, it boggles my mind how long they've been jobbers on NXT. Bourne especially. She's got a hell of an entrance, she looks like a star, and despite my inability to remember her ever winning a match always cuts a promo the week before laying down that makes me believe that this might be "her week".

Aliyah's just hot in a way I like. Maybe it's because she loses all the time, and I see that and I'm like, "Hey... I'd probably have lost too... we have something in common! We should take our shirts off!", but idk. She's great.

It's because they're both barely passable in the ring. Aliyah in particular used to be ATROCIOUS for YEARS. And she's not even someone they trained from scratch.