WWE NXT Review - October 10, 2023

By Graham "GSM" Matthews

NXT Champion Ilja Dragunov and The Judgment Day Interrupted Cody Rhodes

WWE hyped up Rhodes' announcements as major, and they ended up being that we're getting an NXT Men's Breakout Tournament when the women's one is over as well as the return of the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic (though he didn't specify if it'd be for the men or women or both). He also declared himself general manager for the night. Dragunov, Dominik Mysterio and Rhea Ripley coming out set up an NXT Championship match between Dragunov and Mysterio for later on with LA Knight as the special guest referee (which was very random). I'm glad they got the current NXT Champion in this segment so he could benefit from the exposure of any potential new viewers who may not know who he is.

Asuka def. Roxanne Perez

I didn't think about how Asuka has never lost in an NXT ring before Vic Joseph mentioned that fact on commentary. She left the brand undefeated six years ago and has won every match she's had on the show since then. At any rate, this was disappointing at only six minutes long. Don't get me wrong, what we got was good, but this really should have been more competitive because it's not like Perez is much of a "rookie" at this point. By the way, a crazed Shotzi sat in on commentary and announced she'll be hosting Halloween Havoc again this year along with Scarlett (they're hosting a YouTube show together right now and it's worth checking out).

Tyler Bate and The Brawling Brutes (Butch and Ridge Holland) def. Gallus (Joe Coffey, Mark Coffey and Wolfgang) in a Pub Rules Match

Gallus are great in these Pub Rules-style matches because they allow the group to go all out and work their hard-hitting style. They had three quality opponents in Bate, Butch and Holland, so this was fun. They made the most of the stipulation and took the fight all over the place. The babyfaces winning should put this rivalry to rest and send Brawling Brutes back to SmackDown. I have no idea where Bate goes from here.

Bron Breakker Confronted John Cena

I love how much of Cena we got on this show. It would have been easy for him to be trotted out to be at ringside for the main event and have that be it, so this was a pleasant surprise. I enjoyed their exchange and thought both guys had strong mic work. Breakker has found his footing as a heel this year and having him interact with guys like Cena and Seth Rollins will only help him in the long run. I'd be down for this leading to an eventual match between them with Breakker going over.

NXT Champion Ilja Dragunov def. NXT North American Champion "Dirty" Dominik Mysterio (NXT North American Championship Was Not Defended; LA Knight Served as Special Guest Referee)

Mysterio was never going to win the NXT Championship, but this was super solid stuff with both guys benefiting. Mysterio got to share the ring with someone better than him, and Dragunov got to beat one of the most hated heels in the company. It was a win-win. As previously noted, Knight being appointed special guest referee was random and unnecessary, until he thwarted the interference of Judgment Day. Plus, the crowd was super into him throughout. Baron Corbin and Dijak emerged afterward looking for the next title shot, so they'll be in a number one contender's Triple Threat also involving Carmelo Hayes next week.

Lola Vice def. Dani Palmer in an NXT Women's Breakout Tournament Quarterfinal Match

I imagine officials are high on Vice because of her background in MMA. I haven't anything too special out of her so far on NXT TV or Level Up, but she has potential. Palmer is obviously athletic, but she's lacked a personality so far, so Vice advancing was the right call. Don't be shocked to see her in the finals. The match was fine for what it was, but it definitely paled in comparison to everything else on this episode.

Carmelo Hayes def. Bron Breakker; The Undertaker Attacked Breakker

This wasn't on the same level as their other encounters, but without anything at stake, that shouldn't be too surprising. This was still entertaining with John Cena and Paul Heyman adding a cool dynamic at ringside. Solo Sikoa coming out to brawl with Cena to back furthered that feud, and it was at that point I figured Breakker would win off the distraction. Well, apparently not, and that's fine. Breakker attacked Hayes afterward, and although "American Badass" Undertaker coming out to confront NXT's resident "Badass" Breakker played out predictably, it was a blast, regardless, and 'Taker raising Hayes' hand to end the night was a sight I never thought I'd see.

Overall Show

With AEW Dynamite airing opposite of this show, WWE attempted to stuff NXT with as much star power as possible. Was it desperate? Absolutely, but it ended up being an entertaining two hours, and I appreciated that they used said stars to elevate the current talent through various interactions. The crowd being as hot as they were from start to finish added to the exciting atmosphere as well. The question is if NXT can maintain the record-high viewership in the long run. I hope so because Shawn Michaels has found a rhythm that works for the brand lately and it has made the show the best it's been in years.

SEE MORE: NXT Reviews