WWE NXT Review - May 8, 2019

By Graham "GSM" Matthews

Bianca Belair def. Mia Yim

After teasing a face run earlier this year, Bianca already seems to be back to being a heel based off what we saw from here her. This was a pretty good match between her and Yim that had a nice pace and great intensity from both ladies. I was hoping Yim would come out on top and get herself one step closer to contending for the NXT Women's Championship, but no such luck. Then again, it made sense for Bianca to win after she was beaten yet again at TakeOver: New York, and the cheap finish sets up the need for a rematch.

Raul Mendoza def. Riddick Moss

Moss was last seen on NXT TV teaming with Tino Sabbatelli, and that was over a year ago. He recently returned from injury and appears to have a new gimmick where he's a fitness freak. I don't know if that will print money, but at least it's something for the guy and he plays the role well. This was a fun little match with a shocking outcome. That said, I assume Mendoza only won so it'll mean more when a bigger star beats him on an upcoming episode.

Matt Riddle def. Adam Cole

Undisputed Era has been in a bit of a slump recently, so I thought for sure Cole would win so he could bounce back and earn himself another opportunity at the NXT Championship at the next TakeOver. Thus, Riddle beating Cole was a pleasant surprise and gave Riddle the biggest win of his NXT career to date. This was a very entertaining main event with plenty of suspenseful nearfalls and a hot crowd to boot. Cole and Roderick Strong continue to tease tension, but I really hope they're able to eventually regroup and get back on the same page. All members of the group would be worse off if one of them leaves.

Overall Show

Yes, only three matches took place and the show fell short of the usual hour, but I still liked it a lot. Two stars from the women's division were showcased, Mendoza scored a rare win, Cole and Riddle ripped it up in the main event, Shayna Baszler and Io Shirai were shown brawling at the Performance Center, and The Forgotten Sons set up a future confrontation with The Viking Raiders after ambushing them earlier on in the day. Plus, Kushida will be appearing on next week's show. I have no clue what the card for the next TakeOver will look like on June 1st, but considering it will be the 25th installment of the event, I'm sure the brand is aiming to make it special.