WWE NXT Review - November 8, 2022

By Graham "GSM" Matthews

Joe Gacy def. Cameron Grimes

If this really was the end of the feud (and it should be because it has overstayed its welcome and has largely been a drag), then it would have made sense for the babyface Grimes to stand tall in the end. However, if Grimes is indeed main roster bound as has been rumored, then I understand Gacy winning instead. They worked well together and had an enjoyable opener. I've never doubted Gacy's in-ring abilities, but the Schism stable still sucks. Maybe the addition of Ava Raine will end up helping in the long run.

Elektra Lopez def. Sol Ruca

As I've mentioned before, Ruca is a very athletic and impressive individual, but she's still very green and inexperienced. At least she's coming along nicely. Lopez, on the other hand, hasn't improved all that much, so I was worried this would be a total disaster. Thankfully, it was passable and didn't last long. Indi Hartwell got a measure of revenge on Lopez afterward to set up their eventual one-on-one match.

Charlie Dempsey def. Andre Chase

Chase beating Dempsey a few months ago bothered me to no end, so I'm happy Dempsey had a chance to avenge that loss here. This was a decent match while it lasted, but it was too short to be anything out of the ordinary. The right man went over, but the focus was on Duke Hudson throwing in the towel for Chase. I assume his time in Chase U will not last long. Also, has Thea Hail gotten more annoying to anyone else?

Channing "Stacks" Lorenzo def. Hank Walker

The Walker character quickly peaked as soon as he got an NXT performer contract (in storyline) with his win over Javier Bernal. I didn't care about him to begin with, but now he's just another dude on the roster. He scored a fair amount of offense, but Lorenzo went over as he should have. I'm not sure where this stuff with Lorenzo and Tony D'Angelo is headed, though. It feels like they're in a holding pattern until D'Angelo returns from injury.

Grayson Waller Hosted The Grayson Waller Effect with NXT Champion Bron Breakker and Von Wagner

I have zero desire to see Von Wagner challenge Breakker for the NXT Championship next week, but I understand it's merely a filler feud for Breakker before Deadline in December (or so I hope). I'll never understand why Von Wagner gets as much mic time as he does when he has Robert Stone as a manager. This was a solid segment that accomplished what it needed to. On a side note, it definitely seems like Waller will be on Raw or SmackDown in the not-too-distant future.

JD McDonagh def. Axiom by Referee Stoppage

I remember Jordan Devlin and A-Kid having some bangers on NXT UK, including in an Iron Man match last year if I'm not mistaken. This was as entertaining as you'd expect from them and I'm glad they were able to showcase their skills and weren't shortchanged for time. Axiom is excellent but is hindered by the silly mask. Meanwhile, McDonagh continues to build momentum with another win. I assume the referee stoppage finish was by design and Axiom isn't actually injured, but I could be wrong.

Damon Kemp def. Brutus Creed by Disqualification in a 5-Minute Challenge Match

By virtue of Julius Creed's win over Kemp at Halloween Havoc, Brutus was given five minutes in the ring with Kemp. Ultimately, he couldn't contain his anger and got himself intentionally disqualified. I loved Brutus' intensity and it was logical that he wouldn't care about getting the win. Despite the heel getting his comeuppance, I assume this rivalry isn't over yet, unless they're immediately transitioning into The Creed Brothers vs. Indus Sher.

NXT Women's Tag Team Champions Katana Chance and Kayden Carter def. Zoey Stark and Nikkita Lyons

I preferred their original encounter because of the hotter crowd, but this rematch was well-worked and told a good story with Stark's frustration. It boiled over afterward with Stark smacking Lyons with the title belt, cementing her heel turn. It was cool seeing the women's tag titles spotlighted in the main event for a change and they took the next logical step with Stark and Lyons. Here's hoping this means Lyons won't be anywhere near NXT Women's Championship contention any time soon.

Overall Show

Breakker vs. Wagner for the NXT Champion, McDonagh vs. Apollo Crews, and Mandy Rose vs. Alba Fyre in a Last Woman Standing match (another one?) for the NXT Women's Championship are all advertised for next week's show, but it wasn't as if this was a filler show. The entire second hour was eventful and the last three matches all had their moments in one way or another. There was a surplus of short matches that didn't add much to the episode, but the storyline progression on the whole was well done.

SEE MORE: NXT Reviews