WWE NXT Review - August 15, 2018

By Graham "GSM" Matthews

Street Profits def. The Mighty

I've been vocal in the past about how underutilized Street Profits have been lately, but I'm happy to see them back on NXT TV and receiving something of a small push. The Mighty beat them last time they clashed, so this was their chance to avenge that loss and they did so successfully. It was an enjoyable outing that further proved just how well-rounded the brand's NXT tag team division is right now. Personally, I'd have Street Profits be the ultimate tandem to take the NXT Tag Team Championship from Undisputed Era down the road.

Kairi Sane def. Aliyah

Damn, Aliyah looks almost completely different than when I last saw her on NXT TV. I don't say that as a bad thing, because she appears to be in great shape, but her new look took me a bit by surprise. She still doesn't do much for me and viewers have yet to be given a reason to care about her, but that might be because she's been positioned as an enhancement talent for years. Anyway, this was a solid showcase for Sane as her NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn IV opponent Shayna Baszler watched from afar. I love that she adopted a new submission finisher to win this match since Baszler is a submission specialist herself.

EC3 Attacked Velveteen Dream

I've really been digging what we've been getting from these two in recent weeks because of the chemistry they have as characters. We'll see how well they mesh in the ring at TakeOver (I'm sure the match will be a blast), but so far, this has been a fun feud. They had a strong verbal exchange here that hyped up their upcoming contest effectively, and it was smart to have EC3 stand tall if the plan is for Dream to go over on Saturday.

Tyler Bate def. NXT Tag Team Champion Roderick Strong

These two originally faced off earlier this year for a shot at the WWE United Kingdom Championship and it was an exceptional match. Well, this was no different as they once again killed it by going all out and delivering a hard-hitting and highly physical encounter. Every minute of this matchup was exciting and I was glad the interference from Kyle O'Reilly and Trent Seven at ringside was kept to a minimum. Finally, Bate picking up the win gives him and Seven a momentum boost ahead of their NXT Tag Team Championship rematch with Undisputed Era.

Overall Show

I was already anxiously anticipating TakeOver: Brooklyn IV (especially because I'll be there), but this go-home show made me more excited for the event than I was previously. The video packages for Johnny Gargano vs. Tommaso Ciampa as well as Adam Cole vs. Ricochet were fantastic, and the other advertised matches for Saturday received plenty of hype throughout the night as well. To top it all off, the main event was excellent, so this was everything a good go-home show should be.