WWE NXT Review - March 4, 2015

Could Sasha Banks successfully retain her title?

By Graham "GSM" Matthews

Tyler Breeze def. Adam Rose

The reaction Rose received when he made his entrance is pure proof as to how much they've ruined his character since the main roster; he was too over in Full Sail University to be brought up so quickly. While this really wasn't much of a match, Rose and Breeze kept things entertaining with their mannerisms, and it was a nice win for Breeze as he continues to feud with Hideo Itami. I also really liked how the finish came out of nowhere and Rose didn't lose in defeat as a result, though it doesn't really matter since he's been relegated to being a jobber anyway.


NXT Tag Team Champions Blake and Murphy def. Angelo Dawkins and Sawyer Fulton (Non-title)

We haven't seen much character development from Blake and Murphy aside from that one from them a few weeks ago, so I'm not even sure if they're supposed to be faces or heels. Either way, this was a nice albeit brief showcase for them. On a side note, this was our first official look at the Shoot Nation tag team and I hope they become a mainstay in the tag team division going forward.

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Kevin Owens and Alex Riley come face-to-face.

Baron Corbin def. Local Athlete

This was your typical squash match from Corbin, but of course, most of the focus was on Kevin Owens bullying Alex Riley on commentary. If there was ever a time to do this, it was during this match; short, sweet and to the point. Owens continues to do an amazing job at being a total jerk you want to see get their comeuppance, while at the same time it's a smart way of getting Riley back into the ring. By the way, what's next for Corbin? I don't have the slightest idea.


Solomon Crowe def. Bull Dempsey

For his in-ring debut, Crowe was impressive and performed very well against Dempsey. Granted, Dempsey may not have been the best first opponent for him, but the fact he was able to get a decent match out of him should be commended. Dempsey got in more offense than I would have liked, but given the vast difference in size between the two, it was understandable.


NXT Women's Champion Sasha Banks def. Charlotte

Did you honestly expect anything less than a great match from these two? They've faced off close to a dozen times it feels like, but their matches never seem to get old. Not only do they have tremendous chemistry together, but they keep on coming up with ways of making their matches feel fresh and innovative. The dirty finish gave Banks a solid title defense under her belt but also allows the feud between her and Charlotte to continue if they opt to go that route. Finally, I loved how they were positioned in the main event of the show, making the match that much more important. NXT is the only show where you'll see that, sadly, until they wake up and realize the value of the women on the main roster.


Overall Show

While most of the matches on this show were inconsequential, I enjoyed every one of them, along with each of the backstage segments. Perhaps it's just me being an optimist and/or loving the NXT brand, but at the very least, all the matches served a purpose and furthered some sort of storyline. The Breeze/Rose match, albeit random, was fun, the tag team match put over the champs (and debuted a new tandem), Owens and Riley furthered their feud, Crowe made his in-ring debut, and the women had another gem of a match. All in all, this was a very enjoyable edition of NXT that is worth seeking out if you haven't already seen it.

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