WWE NXT Review - October 11, 2017

By Graham "GSM" Matthews

Peyton Royce def. Nikki Cross in an NXT Women's Championship Qualifying Triple Threat Match

I still believe Morgan has hardly improved in the three years she has been with NXT, but on the bright side, this was a Triple Threat match, so Royce and Cross were able to carry a majority of the match. It was a decent match for the most part, but things got extra interesting when The Undisputed Era emerged from the back and brought Mae Young Classic competitor Taynara Conti along with them, who they manipulated into costing Cross the match. I'm not sure what the connection is there or if she's officially a part of the group, but it did make sense for The Undisputed Era to do that considering their recent bad blood with SAnitY. Meanwhile, I doubt Royce will walk out of TakeOver as the new NXT Women's Champion, but it's cool she'll be a part of the bout.

The Velveteen Dream def. Lio Rush

Fun fact: These two used to be tag team partners on the independent scene a few years back. That said, it shouldn't have come as any surprise that they have great chemistry together or that they would put together a nice little match. This was NXT viewers' first look at Rush in the ring and he definitely impressed and made the most of the opportunity, looking credible in defeat. Dream is growing on me fast as a character and I've been digging his feud with Aleister Black so far.

Lars Sullivan def. Danny Burch

Sullivan might still be green in the ring, but he's getting better and better by the week. Of course, working with someone as polished as Burch will obviously help, and this was fun while it lasted. Burch scored his fair share of offense and he made Sullivan come off as vicious as possible. Now that Sullivan has run through Burch and Oney Lorcan, I look forward to seeing who will be next to step up to face him.

The Street Profits def. Damien Smith and Markos Espada

As I've said before, The Street Profits (and especially their entrance) are such a damn blast to watch. They basically sweat charisma and the crowd at Full Sail University absolutely adore them. This wasn't the most exciting match given they went up against unknown opponents, but it did succeed in showcasing their signature spots and allowing them to continue building momentum.

Andrade "Cien" Almas def. Johnny Gargano

I would argue that these two stole the show at TakeOver: Brooklyn III and they repeated that feat on this show. While the match started out slow, they picked up the pace down the stretch and delivered an excellent match. The crowd got more engaged in the action as the matchup progressed and each of the nearfalls were well done. I liked how Zelina Vega once again attempted to cost Gargano the win by wearing a #DIY shirt, but Almas beat him in relatively clean fashion, regardless. Gargano can sustain the loss and Almas is quickly becoming a legitimate threat to the NXT Championship.

Overall Show

Needless to say, if there's one match you need to see from this show, it is unquestionably the main event between Gargano and Almas, but the entire episode was entertaining. The Street Profits picked up a win, Sullivan and Burch beat the crap out of each other, Dream and Rush had an enjoyable outing, and Royce advanced to the Fatal 4-Way for the women's title at TakeOver. The whole hour was fantastic and is worth checking out in my opinion.