BRM Reviews the 11/20/2019 NXT

[Big Red Machine]

OEPNING SEGMENT- meh
Becky Lynch has shown up to answer Hunter’s open invitation. My MOTHER is in the room, so I’m really worried about his show being… well… WWE. She immediately questions why a female wrestler is going around calling herself “the man.” Becky is getting a total babyface reaction even though she’s supposedly an invader. She’s here on NXT and cutting a promo on BAYLEY. Huh?
Once she starts talking about Shayna Baszler, the fans start chanting “Shayna’s gonna kill you,” but then start cheering for Becky. She calls out the Horsewomen but get Rhea Ripley instead. I should be excited about this match but it’s all for pointless Survivor Series crap so I don’t care. Just think about how many cool “first time ever” moments they are wasting on a weekly basis by including NXT in this. WALTER’s main roster debut, Baszler and Becky, Rhea and Becky, Cole and Bryan, Cole and Rollins… and that’s all coming from some who hasn’t seen most of the TV. I’m sure there are a million more with Riddle, Lee, Undisputed Era, Ciampa, etc. that I don’t know about.

Anyway, we wind up with…
RHEA RIPLEY vs. BECKY LYNCH- 5/10
They had a a decent match that WWE didn’t want to give us a finish to, so the Horsewomen ran in and attacked everyone for the DQ. IF YOU DON’T WANT EITHER WRESTLER TO LOSE THEN DON’T BOOK THE MATCH IN THE FIRST PLACE. Baszler gets knocked out of the ring, at which point each babyface takes out one of the sidekick horsewomen.
Beth Phoenix tells us that “Becky Lynch has been calling herself ‘the workrate queen.” Someone please explain “workrate” in a kayfabe way.” And if no one can do it, that’s a hint that it’s something Beth shouldn’t have said.

THE REVIVAL SHOW UP- They are getting escorted into the building by security so that all fighting happens inside the ring. Well… that’s a nice idea, at least.

KAY LEE RAY VIDEO PACKAGE- fine

KONA REEVES IS JUMPED BY RICOCHET- He’s wearing his Raw t-shirt so he’s supposed to be a heel, but did anyone think that RICOCHET showing up in NXT and replacing KONA REAVES in a match against MATT RIDDLE was going to get him booed?

MATT RIDDLE vs. RICOCHET- 5.5/10
The match was short, but great for the time it got. Cesaro and Nakamura tried to run in and got thwarted. Then Riddle pinned Ricochet with a roll-up but they got attacked by the Smackdown guys. Also, Roddy ran in, then also Finn Balor. The Balor vs. Riddle stuff was awesome, but the rest of this came across as the same painfully paint by numbers Survivor Series bullsh*t “hype” that has caused me to skip the past few months of main roster TV.

KILLIAN DAIN VS. PETE DUNNE VS. DAMIAN PRIEST VIDEO PACKAGE- fine
They’re now having a three-way #1 contendership match at TakeOver.

THE REVIVAL vs. UNDISPUTED ERA (Bobby Fish & Kyle O’Reilly)- 8.5/10
I swear to G-d, if there is any interference or a DQ or other such bullsh*t in this match I am shutting the show off.
So… f*ck. That was AWESOME. And yet I can’t help but feel disappointed because I know it’s not actually important in any way, and it feels like this match-up should have been a PPV main event.

THE VIKING RAIDERS ARE WITH THE FORGOTTEN SONS OUTSIDE- so I guess that’s our next match.

WOMEN’S WAR GAMES MATCH VIDEO PACKAGE- fine

KAY LEE RAY vs. DAKOTA KAI- 5.25/10
Kay Lee Ray wins clean.

POST-MATCH SEGMENT- another big invasion. SNORE. That’s how bad WWE’s booking of Survivor Series over the past four years has been. Something that should feel HUGE feels completely blasé, to the point of being boring.

THE VIKING RAIDERS vs. FORGOTTEN SONS (w/Jaxon Ryker)- 6.75/10
This was solid, but I think they made a huge mistake by not just going full-on hoss fight.

ADAM COLE PROMO ON HIS THREE POTENTIAL CHALLENGERS AT SURVIVOR SERIES- good

LADDER MATCH FOR ADVANTAGE IN THE MEN’S WAR GAMES MATCH: Adam Cole vs. Dominik Dijakovic- 7.75/10
They took lots of scary bumps. Why would you do this mere days before both TakeOver and Survivor Series?
Cole won, as heels usually do in these situations.

POST-MATCH SEGMENT- The obligatory invasion brawl happened. Rollins superkicking Cole got boos. Ciampa came out to confront Rollins. Then my DVR cut out. And I actually have adjusted for the overrun!

This was a good episode of NXT in the ring (especially once the big tag matches started), but it very much felt like it was dragged down by being a painfully paint by numbers hype segment to two shows that have already had so much paint by numbers hyping done for them.

[KILLdozer]

So days before the ppv and there's still no 4th man for Team Ciampa announced. So it's either happening on SD or the at the actual show...I have no idea who it would be with both Gargano and TVD injured...unless Gargano is a foolery and he comes back.

[Big Red Machine]

I've been assuming it will be Gargano, but it's odd that they didn't play up the mystery more.

[KILLdozer]

Yeah he's injured, unless that's all entirely kayfabe and he still shows up just in time.