WWE NXT Review - October 11, 2022

By Graham "GSM" Matthews

NXT Champion Bron Breakker def. Javier Bernal (Non-Title)

Bernal is the same guy who lost to Hank Walker when he was still a "security guard" last month, so needless to say, he wasn't much of a threat to Breakker here. He's talented in the ring, but I'm glad this was a glorified squash and wasn't more competitive than it was. The post-match brawl with Breakker, JD McDonagh and Ilja Dragunov was the bigger focus headed into their NXT Championship Triple Threat at Halloween Havoc.

Nathan Frazer def. Axiom to Win the Best-of-3 Series and Qualify for the NXT North American Championship Ladder Match at NXT Halloween Havoc

Of the three matches these two have had, this was easily their strongest one and I'm glad they saved the best for last. Was it a total spot-fest? Yes, but it was a blast and the crowd was into it as well. It helped that there were stakes with the winner earning a spot in the Ladder match at Halloween Havoc. I don't expect Frazer to win the title, but he's an excellent addition, nonetheless. Both Frazer and Axiom are definitely better off coming out of this best-of-three series.

Indi Hartwell def. Valentina Feroz

Hartwell has kept busy on Level Up in recent weeks, but I believe she's been completely absent from NXT TV since her reunion with Dexter Lumis a few months ago. I figured her absence meant she was headed to the main roster in the near future and hopefully that will still be the case. Nonetheless, this was perfectly fine for what it was. Feroz needs more seasoning, but she's decent. I was more interested in Sanga leaving ringside with Veer Mahaan.

Edris Enofe & Malik Blade def. The Dyad and Josh Briggs & Brooks Jensen in an NXT Tag Team Championship No. 1 Contender's Triple Threat Tag Team Match

NXT's tag team division could definitely use some more depth, but this was a solid start. Briggs and Jensen don't interest me at all, but The Dyad can obviously go in the ring and Enofe and Blade are a fun up-and-coming tandem with great energy. This was well worked and the right team went over. I'm glad to see Enofe and Blade back on NXT TV after disappearing and only being featured on Level Up for a while.

Alba Fyre def. Jacy Jane

Fyre will get her shot at Mandy Rose's NXT Women's Championship at Halloween Havoc, so this was a warm-up for her. There wasn't much to the match, but it was decent while it lasted. The focus was more so on Sonya Deville returning afterward and attacking Fyre, setting up a bout between them for next week. Deville and Rose were obviously rivals the last time they interacted and she acknowledged that, but she explained that their friendship runs deep and that's why she wanted to help her. I don't think Deville is getting an extended run in NXT, but this was a cool surprise.

Wes Lee def. Channing "Stacks" Lorenzo

Lorenzo blamed Lee for injuring Tony D'Angelo in their match a few weeks ago and putting him on the shelf even though it was an accident. There was no drama surrounding the outcome, but it was a perfectly fine affair that furthered Lee's momentum heading into the North American title match at Halloween Havoc (and I assume he'll be winning). D'Angelo also told Lorenzo later on that Lorenzo be facing a mystery opponent of D'Angelo's choosing next week on the show.

Kiana James def. Thea Hail

James is still very much a work in progress and I'm not sold on the gimmick. I thought her team with Arianna Grace was a good use of both women, but it has since been revealed Grace is out injured at the moment. This was another brief bout, though shorter than the rest at only a minute long. Truthfully, I have no idea what purpose this served. This was a waste of time and would have been better off on Level Up.

Ilja Dragunov def. Grayson Waller

Waller ran his mouth earlier in the evening and got himself booked against Dragunov in this main event match. Waller is a super skilled competitor and always shines against his opponents, but there was no way he was winning here. At the very least, it was a competitive contest and Waller looked credible in defeat. The goofy crap with Waller being spooked by Apollo Crews' shenanigans was dumb, though. Post-match, Breakker attacked Dragunov out of retaliation for what happened at the start of the show and I was surprised he didn't get a more negative crowd reaction considering how much of a fan favorite Dragunov is.

Overall Show

I watched most of the show with the volume down, so I can't comment on how Booker T did, but I'm already looking forward to Wade Barrett being back behind the booth eventually. The show itself was adequate with nothing too terrible and nothing too terrific, but what's important is that there was plenty of build for next week's show as well as Halloween Havoc. It was an inconsequential episode on the whole that you can easily skip and you won't miss much.

SEE MORE: NXT Reviews