WWE NXT Review - August 21, 2019

By Graham "GSM" Matthews

Jordan Myles Confronted Undisputed Era

It made sense to kick off the first fresh show coming out of NXT TakeOver: Toronto II with Undisputed Era considering they were the focal point of the event. Roderick Strong, Kyle O'Reilly and Bobby Fish all complained about getting screwed out of the NXT North American and NXT Tag Team Championships respectively and how they all deserve rematches. Before they could it make it to the back, Myles emerged and went face-to-face with Adam Cole, signifying that he's chosen to contend for the NXT Championship. That match will take place on NXT TV in two weeks.

Damian Priest def. Mansoor

I was just thinking earlier this week about how Mansoor hasn't been featured on NXT TV whatsoever since his big Battle Royal win at Super ShowDown in June. That's not to say he should have been factored into any TakeOver plans, but they could have gotten him on the show at least once or twice to capitalize off his momentum. This was all about Priest and getting his offense over following his victory against Keith Lee a few weeks ago. The overall presentation of his character needs some tweaking before he can get to that next level, though.

Mia Yim def. Vanessa Borne

Borne and Aliyah made life miserable for Yim before Yim started feuding with Shayna Baszler, so they have history. Borne has definitely improved from when I first saw her two years ago, but I have yet to see an above-average match from her. This was mostly designed to be a showcase for Yim and to allow her to bounce back from her loss at TakeOver. Baszler and her cronies confronting Yim afterward genuinely surprised me, just because I thought their rivalry was over. I guess they could build to a rematch on an upcoming episode of NXT TV, but that initial encounter didn't leave me wanting to see them go at it again.

Shane Thorne def. Bronson Reed

Throne always impressed me during his time in TM-61 and I'm glad he's gradually getting more and more television time. I like the idea of him feuding with participants from the NXT Breakout Tournament and he had another quality contest here with Reed. I really thought Reed would win, but apparently not. The match wasn't anything worth writing home about, but I'm curious who will end up giving Thorne his comeuppance.

NXT North American Champion Velveteen Dream Addressed Roderick Strong

Dream coming out on the stage laying on his custom couch will never get old to me. He addressed his pinfall win over Pete Dunne in Toronto and how Strong has an open invitation to challenge for his championship again one-on-one. I assumed that was the direction they would go in and I'm glad they are. I'd be shocked if they waited until TakeOver: WarGames III (which isn't for another three months) to do the rematch. Maybe the debut show on USA Network?

Killian Dain def. Matt Riddle

I love how these two came close to facing each other on several other occasions because it made this match that much more meaningful. The intensity and sense of urgency was excellent with both guys beating the hell out of each other. Dain has been a man reborn since returning to NXT and I can't wait to see more from him as he continues to reinvent himself. It was smart to have him beat Riddle in their first official matchup because it keeps their rivalry alive and makes Dain look strong with Riddle not losing much in defeat (his rib injury from TakeOver was his out for losing).

Overall Show

The main event was terrific, but there wasn't a ton else on this edition of NXT that I'd classify as being overly special. A handful of Superstars were spotlighted, but honestly, my favorite part of this episode was the hype video for Keith Lee vs. the returning Dominik Dijakovic next week. That plus the NXT Tag Team Championship rematch between Street Profits and Undisputed Era will make next week's show must-see. Match-wise, check out Riddle vs. Dain but feel free to skip the rest.