WWE NXT Review - August 2, 2022

By Graham "GSM" Matthews

Katana Chance & Kayden Carter def. Toxic Attraction (Gigi Dolin and Jacy Jane), Ivy Nile & Tatum Paxley, and Valentina Feroz & Yulisa Leon in a Fatal 4-Way Tag Team Elimination Match to Win the Vacant NXT Women’s Tag Team Championship

Truthfully speaking, I had no desire to see the NXT Women's Tag Team Championship brought back after one of the belts was thrown in the trash by Cora Jade last month. No disrespect to the women, but the division has been pretty pointless thus far. If they're going to keep the titles around, the powers that be really need to put in more of an effort to make them important. That said, this was a step in the right direction. The order of eliminations was logical, everyone worked with a sense of urgency, and the crowd was hot for the action. Chance and Carter winning felt like a big moment because it's been long overdue for them.

NXT North American Champion Carmelo Hayes def. Nathan Frazer

This was an open challenge from Hayes. Giovanni Vinci was the first to accept, but Frazer ran into the ring before him, so he got the shot instead. A drink then got spilled on Vinci at the commentary desk because of Frazer, so I don't blame Vinci for being pissed at Frazer. Hayes vs. Frazer was a nice sprint and I'd definitely be down for a rematch between them down the road. In the meantime, I'm really looking forward to Hayes vs. Vinci for the title.

NXT Champion Bron Breakker and JD McDonagh Signed the Contract for Their NXT Championship Match at NXT Heatwave

McDonagh has portrayed an American Psycho-esque heel since coming to NXT and I think it's an interesting approach as they try to make him look like a threat to the NXT Championship. Stabbing his own hand with the pen was slightly silly, but I thought this was a solid match otherwise. I still don't think McDonagh is leaving Heatwave the NXT Champion, but I appreciate the effort, nonetheless.

NXT Women's Champion Mandy Rose def. Sarray (Non-Title)

I like how they tapped into Sarray legitimately breaking Rose's nose last year and Rose wanting to avenge that here. Sarray has spent some time over in NXT UK lately, but I'm glad NXT is where she'll be primarily based. They had a decent match in the five minutes they were allotted, but it didn't have a chance to be much more than that. This gave Rose another win before she defends against Zoey Stark at Heatwave.

Axiom def. Duke Hudson

I'm still not sold on the Axiom character. A-Kid is a terrific talent and he seemed to be doing just fine on NXT earlier this year before being repackaged, but maybe this will end up getting over with the audience. He's portraying your typical underdog. Beating Hudson at this point practically means nothing with how many losses he's endured this year, but at least it's someone the fans are familiar with. This was fine while it lasted.

NXT Tag Team Champions The Creed Brothers def. Tony D'Angelo and Channing "Stacks" Lorenzo

Props to D'Angelo for filling in for Troy "Two Dimes" Donovan in this storyline. I assume Donovan and Lorenzo would've gotten the title shot had Donovan not gotten released. This was a well-worked match and it played out as you'd expect with the returning Santos Escobar costing The D'Angelo Family the tag titles. I assume this is building to a big blow-off at Heatwave between Escobar and D'Angelo.

Joe Gacy def. NXT UK Tag Team Champion Brooks Jensen

Maybe Gacy's pairing with the former Grizzled Young Veterans will make his act more compelling, but time will tell. So far, it hasn't really changed my opinion on his shtick one way or another. If anything, I feel like it's a total waste of Grizzled Young Veterans, but hey, at least they're back on TV. This was a nothing match to give Gacy a win and to further Jensen and Josh Briggs' feud with Pretty Deadly. Could we see the former Grizzled Young Veterans challenge for the NXT Tag Team Championship or the NXT UK Tag Team Championship soon?

Alba Fyre def. Lash Legend

This rivalry has been a desperate attempt on NXT's part to give Legend credibility, but she's far from ready for television. Thankfully, with Fyre being as talented as she is, she was able to carry Legend to a competent contest here. It wasn't going to be an instant classic, but for what this was, it was passable and it had the right result. Now please let Fyre move on to bigger and better things, please.

Solo Sikoa def. Von Wagner in a Falls Count Anywhere Match

While I haven't cared a whole lot about this feud myself, Von Wagner has been bearable and Sikoa has been kept busy. Thus, I can't complain too much when it comes to this feud or this blow-off, which exceeded my expectations. They made good use of the stipulation and they kept it interesting throughout. The finish also came off really well, even though it was exactly what Sikoa did to Boa earlier this year. Sikoa winning was the only acceptable outcome. Is a main roster call-up in his immediate future?

Overall Show

NXT has been a serviceable show as of late as they build toward Heatwave in two weeks, but this wasn't one of the brand's better shows in recent weeks. A lot of the stuff served a purpose and made sense, but there really wasn't anything worth seeking out since most of the matches were on the shorter side. Sikoa vs. Von Wagner was shockingly the highlight of the night, and I should never be saying that about a Von Wagner match. The title change to kick off the night was notable and a nice moment, though.

SEE MORE: NXT Reviews