WWE NXT Review - May 24, 2022

By Graham "GSM" Matthews

Channing "Stacks" Lorenzo and Troy "Two Dimes" Donovan def. Edris Enofe and Malik Blade

Lorenzo and Donovan are as generic as they come, not to mention they're inexperienced, but maybe their pairing with Tony D'Angelo will help them in the long run. There's nothing interesting about them on their own, but they plays their roles well as D'Angelo's henchmen. Despite Legado del Fantasma making their presence felt by the entrance, Lorenzo and Donovan were still able to pick up the win. Enofe and Blade continue to impress as a team.

Sanga def. Wes Lee

Lee mouthed off to Sanga like a moron backstage last week and that was how this came about. We haven't seen much of Sanga since Grayson Waller fired him last month and I was worried he'd be on the chopping block. He isn't terrible by any means and he had a chance to show that here. Of course, having an opponent like Lee who could bump around like a madman for his offense certainly helped. This was a nice little match and it looks like Lee and Sanga will be aligned coming out of it with Xyon Quinn (who is finally back) playing the heel role.

Alba Fyre def. Elektra Lopez

The name change was dumb and unnecessary, but the former Kay Lee Ray still looks beyond badass. Maybe this gimmick overhaul of hers will end up being a positive thing for her, but time will tell. Lopez, on the other hand, simply isn't very good in the ring, but thankfully, Fyre carried her to a competent contest and it didn't last long. Lopez getting in the face of Cora Jade afterward sets them up to face off next week.

Roxanne Perez def. Lash Legend in an NXT Women's Breakout Tournament Semifinal Match

I was worried Legend would advance her and Perez would be bumped in the semifinals, but I can't stress how happy I am that wasn't the case. Legend had no business being in the finals, but to her credit, she had a passable performance here. Perez is much more of a total package than a majority of the division, so I hope she's able to win the whole thing. It would be fitting considering she won Ring of Honor's women's title tournament less than a year ago.

NXT Women's Champion Mandy Rose def. Indi Hartwell (Non-Title)

I appreciate that Hartwell didn't fade into obscurity now that her tag team partner and on-screen husband have been released. She wasted no time in calling out the NXT Women's Champion and standing out on her own. There wasn't much about the match that was memorable, but it was decent for what it was. Once again, ringside shenanigans involving the rest of Toxic Attraction allowed Rose to steal the win. I didn't think Rose would lose before defending the title against Wendy Choo and In Your House.

Tiffany Stratton def. Fallon Henley in an NXT Women's Breakout Tournament Semifinal Match

It was announced that Nikkita Lyons suffered some sort of injury and had to be pulled from the tournament. That's a bummer because she was bound to make it to the finals and potentially win there, too. I'd much rather that title shot go to Perez, but Lyons is undoubtedly a fan favorite and she's a much better fit for that spot in the finals than Stratton. On the bright side, Stratton gave it a commendable effort here and it was a serviceable match. Henley is the better worker of the two, but Stratton is a more logical choice to be in the finals despite not being included in the bracket in the first place.

Von Wagner def. Ikemen Jiro

The Von Wagner push isn't for me personally, but he's definitely improved from where he was even a few months ago, for whatever that's worth. His intensity makes his matches more bearable, even though he's largely abysmal on the whole. This was total domination from him as Jiro never stood a chance. Josh Briggs then went after him for what he did to Brooks Jensen, so that might be a match for In Your House (though I certainly hope not).

Duke Hudson def. NXT Champion Bron Breakker by Disqualification (Non-Title)

I'm likely higher on Hudson than most, but the way they've handled him so far has been beyond random. He went from feuding with Cameron Grimes to getting his head shaved to becoming more serious to dating Persia Pirotta to now stepping up to the NXT Champion. This lasted longer than I thought it would and it was fairly competitive, but I'm not sure how much Hudson actually gained from it. Yes, it was a disqualification win over the NXT Champion, but I doubt it actually leads anywhere except a possible rematch where Breakker will avenge his loss. Joe Gacy and his dumb druids getting involved was inevitable, so that once again made for a lame ending to the show.

Overall Show

NXT is the definition of developmental at this point, now more than ever. Most of these people are not remotely ready for television and most of the storylines are not compelling. It's a shame because I want to be more excited for the return of In Your House and some of the matches do have potential, but the build has been all over the place. NXT has had worse shows in the past, but losing so much established talent has hurt the weekly product.

SEEE MORE: NXT Reviews