WWE NXT Review - February 3, 2016

Finn Balor takes control of Apollo Crews.

By Graham "GSM" Matthews

The Vaudevillians def. The Hype Bros

First and foremost, bonus points go to Corey Graves for bringing up "Ghosbusters" in reference to Mojo Rawley's bright green gear. He is officially the greatest commentator in NXT history. All right, in all seriousness, this was a fine tag team opener as the two teams worked well together. The Vaudevillians seemed to be headed toward a heel turn based off their recent vignettes, but they didn't show much in this match (to me, anyway) to solidify that turn other than them facing a face tandem. I don't care about them either way to be honest simply because the gimmick likely won't ever make it past NXT.


Carmella def. Emma

I hoped Emma wouldn't get lost in the shuffle after her feud with Asuka ended, and although she isn't doing anything of note right now, at least her matches feel meaningful through her pre-match backstage promos, something NXT has always done very well. The match wasn't anything above average, but that has to be considered a positive since Carmella has never been the best worker. To her credit, she has improved in the ring and her upcoming NXT Women's Championship match with Bayley should be fun.

---

Carmella slides up Emma for the victory.

Enzo Amore and Colin Cassady def. Local Athletes

I'm glad that Amore and Cassady haven't cooled off much despite falling short of winning the NXT Tag Team Championship in London. It looks like they still have their sights set on going after the twin titles and I'd assume they'll have a rematch with Dash and Dawson at some point before NXT TakeOver: Dallas. The squash match wasn't anything out of the ordinary, but it was during their post-match promo where they really shined.


Asuka def. Santana Garrett

For those unaware (though I'm sure you probably are by now), Garrett is pretty popular on the independent scene and previously wrestled in TNA as Brittany. Interestingly enough, I was first exposed to her on NXT back in late 2013 where she worked as an enhancement talent, similar to how she did here. She's a tremendous talent, and although she wasn't able to show off her offense here, hopefully she lands a contract with NXT before long. As for Asuka, she continues to be extremely entertaining to watch in the ring and I look forward to seeing what her future holds.


NXT Champion Finn Balor def. Apollo Crews (Non-title)

One of the many things I absolutely love about NXT is their attention to detail. I know, surprise, surprise, but Crews wanting a rematch with Balor after their previous clash a few months back ended in a non-finish was logical. I shouldn't have to praise that, but WWE and other wrestling companies do it so sparingly that I appreciate it whenever it's done. The match itself was just as good as the last time they met and the pace especially picked up down the stretch. Balor winning clean puts an end to their angle for now, but I hope we see Crews in the NXT Championship again down the line.


Overall Show

This was the last show taped at Full Sail University, so the crowd was understandably quiet for most of the night. Truthfully speaking, I can't blame them. There wasn't much to get excited about with the exception of the main event since everything else was mostly filler. I don't think I've ever referred to an edition of NXT as "bad" before and this episode was no exception, but only the main event is worth checking out. I would recommend holding off until next week, which was taped over Royal Rumble weekend.

---