WWE NXT Review - December 27, 2017

By Graham "GSM" Matthews

The Street Profits def. Kris Starr and Riley Apex

The Street Profits debuted in NXT four months ago, yet I'm far from bored of seeing them compete against unknown wrestlers, mostly because they're so damn entertaining to match. Granted, the matches themselves are nothing special, but they are successful in showcasing the popular tandem. Afterward, they cut a promo in the crowd talking about how 2018 will be their year, so I imagine they'll have the NXT Tag Team Championship in their sights soon.

NXT Women's Champion Ember Moon def. Sonya Deville

I realize Deville defeated Ruby Riot in a No Holds Barred bout earlier this month, but was it really necessary to give her a title shot considering she's already on the main roster and everyone knew she wasn't winning? That said, I'm happy she did the honors on the way out to someone who is still in NXT and it was a good match. I assume it took place at the end of the tapings because the crowd wasn't too lively for it, but the post-match angle with Kairi Sane showing interest in challenging for the title and the debuting Shayna Baszler attacking her was well done.

Johnny Gargano def. Aleister Black, Killian Dain and Lars Sullivan in an NXT Championship No. 1 Contender's Fatal 4-Way Match

This exciting main event was the absolute perfect to close out for 2017 for NXT. All four wrestlers held their own and had excellent performances with Sullivan and Dain doing their thing as the big men of the matchup and Black and Gargano mixing it up in entertaining fashion. I liked how they took the fight around ringside and how The Undisputed Era (and Adam Cole specifically) cost Black a shot at the strap, setting the stage for a likely rematch between them at TakeOver: Philadelphia. Gargano has been on this road to redemption for a while now, so him winning was a pleasant surprise that the crowd came alive for. Gargano vs. Andrade "Cien" Almas for the NXT Championship in Philly should be a blast.

Overall Show

Although this was largely a one-match show, it was an enjoyable edition of NXT on the whole. The Street Profits continued to build momentum with their win, Moon successfully defended her title, and a new contender to the NXT title was crowned. That four-way was truly terrific and well worth going out of your way to see, especially the ending. Next week's episode will be a 2017 recap show, so I'll be back to reviewing NXT in two weeks, which will feature The Undisputed Era vs. SAnitY in a rematch for the NXT tag titles. Until then, have a happy new year!