WWE NXT Review - September 11, 2019

By Graham "GSM" Matthews

Damian Priest def. Boa

We haven't seen Boa on NXT TV since was eliminated in the first round of the NXT Breakout Tournament a few months ago. He had a fine showing here, but this was all about Priest showing off his vicious offense. His squash matches have been effective so far in establishing him as dominant, but I'm ready for him to move into a real rivalry with someone on the NXT roster.

Johnny Gargano Attacked Shane Thorne

Wow, that "Johnny Wrestling" chant Gargano received for two or so minutes straight was amazing and a true testament to how big of a star he's become on NXT. Those people really, really don't want him to leave, but I assume he'll be main roster bound before long. After laying out Thorne with a superkick, he teased that he was NXT "for life" (the nods to Bret Hart from Survivor Series 1997 and the New World Order were a nice touch), but obviously, this was taped weeks ago, so I'm sure he'll have his final match on the brand within the next few weeks before making the move to either Raw or SmackDown Live.

Pete Dunne def. Angel Garza

Dunne is one of the few people on any brand in WWE at the moment who comes across like a big deal every time his music hits and he makes his entrance. This was designed to get Dunne back on track following his loss at TakeOver: Toronto II last month, but it ended up being a fun showcase for Garza as well. The whole match was well wrestled and resulted in a good win for Dunne. Much like Dunne, Garza is destined for big things.

Cameron Grimes def. Raul Mendoza

What the hell was up with that top hat Grimes wore while walking to the ring? At any rate, this was a nice little match with both guys putting forth a hell of an effort. They weren't given a ton of time, but it was a treat while it lasted. Although I think Grimes needs some work in the personality department, he is a terrific wrestler and was able to remind everyone of that here. Meanwhile, Mendoza remains that guy who always makes his opponent look awesome but rarely wins.

NXT Women's Champion Shayna Baszler def. Rhea Ripley by Disqualification (Non-Title)

Like many others, I had high hopes for this anticipated encounter and it was ultimately average. That said, I don't want to call this a disappointment, simply because it was obvious that they were holding back for a potential rematch. What we did get before the non-finish was decent, but they're clearly capable of so much better. Hopefully Baszler vs. Ripley is revisited sooner rather than later, possibly at TakeOver: WarGames II in November.

Overall Show

After over seven years, this was the final taped edition of NXT, as the show will be going live for two hours every Wednesday night starting next week. It's an exciting time to be a fan of NXT and just wrestling in general. As for this episode, noting too noteworthy came out of it, but several Superstars were spotlighted and there was plenty of strong build for next week's big show which will feature Velveteen Dream vs. Roderick Strong for the NXT North American Championship, Matt Riddle vs. Killian Dain in a Street Fight, and an NXT Women's Championship No. 1 Contender's Fatal 4-Way match. Undisputed Era vs. Street Profits in a rematch for the NXT Tag Team Championship was also teased.