BRM Reviews the 5/18/2016 NXT

[Big Red Machine]

BLAKE & MURPHY (w/Alexa Bliss!) vs. AUSTIN ARIES & SHINSUKE NAKAMURA- 3.5/10
Aries & Nakamura win. It was really just them doing their stuff. Blake & Murphy got in almost nothing. Alexa is furious at Blake & Murphy for being losers. She walked off instead of checking on them. Then Blake walked away from Murphy, too (but well after Alexa).

KATHY INTERVIEWS BAYLEY- decent promo by Bayley.

ASUKA VIDEO PACKAGE- good.

KATHY INTERVIEWS NO WAY JOSE- he makes a “Manny being Manny” joke. I laughed. The rest of this… well… No Way Jose is a GREAT undercard character, but he should not be doing promos like.

CARMELLA PROMO- the stuff about herself was good. The stuff about Enzo should have been said weeks ago. The stuff about Cass… I guess she doesn’t actually watch Raw because Cass’ main event never actually got started.

PEYTON ROYCE vs. CARMELLA- 3/10
Carmella needs to learn to do her intro with a normal cadence like Enzo does. She comes across so awkward. The match itself was better than I thought it would be. Royce is a perfect example of WWE giving someone a wacky character when all they need to do is just be an aggressive heel. Stop all of this weird sh*t with the flower.

FACEBOOK NXT TITLE MATCH ANNOUNCEMENT/CONTRACT SIGNING- good.
We’re getting a cage match for the title at the next Takeover show.

BLAKE, MURPHY, & ALEXA BACKSTAGE- she dumps them for losing too much. HOORAY! Also, she says she’s going for the NXT Women’s Title. DOUBLE HOORAY!

TOMMASO CIAMPA & JOHNNY GARGANO vs. DANNY BIRCH & RON RYZIN- 4/10

REGAL MAKES AN ANNOUNCEMENT- We’re getting American Alpha vs. Revival at the next Takeover show. He also made a point congratulating Enzo & Cass and the Vaudevillains for doing so well on the main roster. That was nice.

BAYLEY vs. NIA JAX- 7.5/10
AWESOME selling from Bayley. Nia beat the sh*t out of Nia and worked over about three different parts of her body. Nia also looked good here. Her movements have started to look a lot more fluid and a lot less like… well… a big giant klutz.

A pretty good show from NXT, but mostly on the strength of the main event. Also, lots of Alexa Bliss!

[cero2k]

BLAKE, MURPHY, & ALEXA BACKSTAGE- she dumps them for losing too much. HOORAY! Also, she says she’s going for the NXT Women’s Title. DOUBLE HOORAY!

May as well fire them now, neither of them are worth anything without Alexa. Also, i don't know why you're happy that Alexa will be sacrificed by Asuka

[Big Red Machine]

BLAKE, MURPHY, & ALEXA BACKSTAGE- she dumps them for losing too much. HOORAY! Also, she says she’s going for the NXT Women’s Title. DOUBLE HOORAY!

May as well fire them now, neither of them are worth anything without Alexa. Also, i don't know why you're happy that Alexa will be sacrificed by Asuka

Stop saying that! She's totally going to beat Asuka in, like, three minutes at most. That Asuka loser stands no chance!

Seriously, though... (and get ready because this is a little weird). Alexa seems to be quite prone to nosebleeds, and the one Asuka gave her last week was pretty brutal. I think they could use that in the build (and having Alexa fight through it) to really push that she's tough, which would be a new dimension for her, and would be memorable because it hasn't been done with women in a long time. (And yes, I did recently watch the Lita vs. Ivory match from Survivor Series).

[cero2k]

Seriously, though... (and get ready because this is a little weird). Alexa seems to be quite prone to nosebleeds, and the one Asuka gave her last week was pretty brutal. I think they could use that in the build (and having Alexa fight through it) to really push that she's tough, which would be a new dimension for her, and would be memorable because it hasn't been done with women in a long time. (And yes, I did recently watch the Lita vs. Ivory match from Survivor Series).

that could be a great babyface turn, powering through blood or injury always connects with the crowd, but I don't think they should do it unless they're ready to push her beyond a contender. If she's gonna fight through hell, she needs to come out with something eventually. I could even be a normal program, doesn't have to be for the title (like Sexy vs Mariposa)

[Big Red Machine]

Seriously, though... (and get ready because this is a little weird). Alexa seems to be quite prone to nosebleeds, and the one Asuka gave her last week was pretty brutal. I think they could use that in the build (and having Alexa fight through it) to really push that she's tough, which would be a new dimension for her, and would be memorable because it hasn't been done with women in a long time. (And yes, I did recently watch the Lita vs. Ivory match from Survivor Series).

that could be a great babyface turn, powering through blood or injury always connects with the crowd, but I don't think they should do it unless they're ready to push her beyond a contender. If she's gonna fight through hell, she needs to come out with something eventually. I could even be a normal program, doesn't have to be for the title (like Sexy vs Mariposa)

I hope they really take their time with her because that division has been so completely drained by the combination of the Divas Revolution and the totally illogical snatching away of Emma and Dana. Especially on the heel side, they have no depth at all. The only ones who can put on a decent enough match on TV and Alexa and Nia. They could definitely buy some time with a Nia Jax monster heel title run, but I figure they're going to feed her to Asuka right now, which leaves you with no one who can reasonably beat Asuka (as from Bayley, but I don't think they'll do that).

[KILLdozer]

I just read Aries v Nakamura for Takeover...

[Big Red Machine]

I just read Aries v Nakamura for Takeover...

That is the rumor. I don't think it has been officially announced anywhere.

[Bob-O]

I just read Aries v Nakamura for Takeover...

That is the rumor. I don't think it has been officially announced anywhere.

It's there. I was thinking it at the end of the match when Nakamura wouldn't give him the pin (Aries has been crying for attention, Nakamura is getting all the hype... it's going to be a nice heel turn for Aries me thinks.)

They actually surprised me with Nakamura here! I was expecting Bobby Roode, failing that, I figured Eric Young. The NXTNA iNvasion WILL happen! :p (Joe, Aries, Young, and Roode are TAKING OVER!!!)

Royce is a perfect example of WWE giving someone a wacky character when all they need to do is just be an aggressive heel.

I liked it. I know what you're saying, but I didn't think this was too bad. The Flower/Poison Ivy thing was subtle enough to set her apart from the rest of the jobbers we've seen the last few weeks. It's at least something fresh, and something I think she could get over.

Nia also looked good here. Her movements have started to look a lot more fluid and a lot less like… well… a big giant klutz.

Haha! Nia's movements remind me of the characters in the original WWF Wrestlemania game for the NES.

[KILLdozer]

All you need now is Abyss to show up and Storm to return and TNA no longer has any of the original mainstays/big names at all left.

[Big Red Machine]

All you need now is Abyss to show up and Storm to return and TNA no longer has any of the original mainstays/big names at all left.

Don't worry. TNA has a secret weapon: CHRIS HARRIS!

[KILLdozer]

Blaster Jackson or whatever his name was in WWE? That very short lived...

[cero2k]

You mean 2009 Hall of Famer Braden Walker!?

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