WWE NXT Review - August 23, 2022

By Graham "GSM" Matthews

NXT Champion Accepted NXT UK Champion Tyler Bate's Title for Title Challenge at Worlds Collide

Neither of these guys are known for having exceptional mic skills, but I thought they had a solid verbal exchange to set up their championship unification match at Worlds Collide. It's certainly going to be an interesting main event, but I have no doubt that Breakker is winning. Either way, it should be great stuff. Bate deserves a real run in NXT if NXT UK is no more and a strong showing against Breakker would go a long way in establishing him as player on the brand.

Gallus (Mark Coffey and Wolfgang) def. NXT UK Tag Team Champions Josh Briggs and Brooks Jensen by Count-Out

Although Gallus are former NXT UK Tag Team Champions, I wouldn't have minded them getting the belts back. That's how little I care about Briggs and Jensen. Maybe they still will if there's some sort of tag title unification match at Worlds Collide because they never should've been the champs to begin with. Either way, this was perfectly fine while it lasted. The finish was lame, though. Pretty Deadly and Diamond Mine brawled with the other teams at ringside. I was never a Gallus guy, but they do add more depth to NXT's tag team ranks.

Apollo Crews Attacked Grayson Waller on The Grayson Waller Effect

Talk shows weren't really a fixture on the last incarnation of NXT and that was what I liked about the brand. Lash Legend had her own talk show at one point and it was terrible, so I wasn't sure how this was going to go. Sure enough, it delivered. Waller works well in the environment a lot like The Miz does (who Crews compared him to) and their verbal exchange was entertaining. There were a few strong one-liners in there and it left me looking forward to their eventual match.

Cameron Grimes def. Javier Bernal

Grimes really should have been called up to the main roster following his loss to Breakker at The Great American Bash last month. The problem was that Vince McMahon was still running things at that point, so they went ahead and transitioned him into a program with Joe Gacy that doesn't have a ton of a potential. Maybe he can make the move once it's over? Either way, this was a nice little match, even though it was a glorified squash.

Blair Davenport def. Indi Hartwell; Davenport, NXT Women's Champion Mandy Rose and NXT UK Women's Champion Meiko Satomura Faced Off; InDex Reunited

There was a lot going on here. First of all, Davenport vs. Hartwell was disappointing. I'm sure they're capable of a quality competitive match, but they kept it on the shorter side to showcase Davenport, so what we got wasn't very smooth. Post-match, Davenport called out Rose, which then brought out Satomura, and a Triple Threat was made official for Worlds Collide with both belts on the line. I fear Davenport is taking the fall for Rose, and that sucks for Satomura. I've actually enjoyed Rose's reign for the most part, but her taking Satomura's title is a bit unbelievable for me. The angle that followed with InDex reuniting and Lumis giving Hartwell a love letter before he was taken away by the police was wonderful. I'm happy that actually got closure because it ended out of nowhere earlier this year when Lumis was released, or is it possible we have yet to see the last of them together?

The Dyad def. Cruz Del Toro and Joaquin Wilde

I feel so bad for the former Grizzled Young Veterans every time I see them. Their new names and new looks are awful and their alliance with Joe Gacy feels like an absolute waste of what they can do. This was decent for what it was but too short to be anything out of the ordinary. Interestingly, Tony D'Angelo scolded Del Toro and Wilde following their loss and then Santos Escobar pinned up the rest of Legado del Fantasma in a car outside of the building. Could the entire group be headed for a main roster call-up after all?

NXT UK Champion Tyler Bate def. Von Wagner (Non-Title)

It's been a few years since Bate was last in action on NXT TV, so this served as a nice reminder of what he can do for anyone who doesn't keep up with NXT UK. He's a hell of a talent at only 25-years-old. Wagner was weird opponent for him, especially since they still seem to be high on him, but maybe they wanted to make the outcome more uncertain? Nonetheless, this was serviceable stuff and gave Bate a win before he likely loses to Breakker at Worlds Collide.

Wendy Choo def. Tiffany Stratton in a Lights Out Match

I don't know if the concept of a Lights Out match was invented in AEW, but that's the first thing I thought of when I heard that stipulation announced for this matchup. This wasn't anything close to those in that it wasn't nearly as hardcore, and while I'm not fan of the overly extreme crap, that's the whole point of Lights Out matches. That said, I applaud their effort for making the most of their environment, incorporating a slew of weapons and beating the hell out of each other. It was better than anything else we've seen them involved in so far, so there was that. Both of these women can work but need significant character overhauls.

Overall Show

There's no doubt that the build for Worlds Collide is incredibly rushed and it's hard to care about most of the matches because barely any of the NXT UK stars have been established on NXT TV, but I can't say I'm surprised with how little WWE has cared about the brand in recent years. This show suffered from everything feeling rushed and was pretty subpar on the whole, even by NXT 2.0 standards. The stuff with Hartwell and Lumis was fantastic, though. I'd be down for more logical storyline crossover between NXT and the main roster in the future.

SEE MORE: NXT Reviews