WWE NXT Review - September 18, 2014

Tyson Kidd and Sami Zayn collide in the main event.

By Graham "GSM" Matthews

NXT General Manager William Regal Made a Match Official for the Main Event

Titus O'Neil felt out of place among the NXT elite, but it was still good to see him, nevertheless. He's been treated like a joke on the main roster since the split of the Prime Time Players, so I'd love to see him become a regular on NXT going forward so he can rejuvenate his career like Tyson Kidd has. Speaking of whom, he, Adrian Neville and Sami Zayn all played their parts well here and set the stage for the tag team main event nicely. Isn't it great to have an NXT General Manager that actually appears on the show each week?


NXT Women's Champion Charlotte def. Emma (Non-title)

These two had a stinker of a match earlier this year, and it's amazing how much has changed in only a matter of months. It wasn't a great match by any means, but it was an improvement over their past encounters for sure. There were some sloppy spots, but they pulled together a fine matchup. Emma is another individual that I'd like to see on NXT more often, especially given the fact she's not being utilized at all on the main roster right now.

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Baron Corbin makes quick work of CJ Parker.

Hideo Itami def. Justin Gabriel

This wasn't the red-hot match I expected it to be, but it was definitely an impressive outing from Itami in his first match. Their lack of in-ring time may have been what worked against them, but in the three minutes they had, Itami and Gabriel had an enjoyable contest. The post-match attack on Itami gave The Ascension their heat back from last week. They seem to be building toward an Ascension vs. Itami and Funaki match which could be a lot of fun.


Baron Corbin def. CJ Parker

This was the same standard squash match we saw last week at TakeOver, only 30 seconds longer. I've got no complaints, though, since I'll never whine about Parker being decimated. In all seriousness, they're establishing Corbin as a dominant force and I look forward to seeing how he evolves as a character going forward. He's obviously got the look of a star, but can he go in longer matches? Only time will tell.


Tyson Kidd and Titus O'Neil def. NXT Champion Adrian Neville and Sami Zayn

Again, O'Neil was an odd fit in this match, but he didn't stick out like a sore thumb and he worked well with the others. Zayn and Neville trying to out do each other was a nice touch and I like how it cost them the win in the end. It gave Kidd a much needed victory and teased tension between Zayn and Neville in the process. I'd be fine with a babyface vs. babyface match for the title at the next special, but if someone has to turn, it should be Neville.


Overall Show

After a great live special last week, this was a solid follow-up show featuring a lot of the stars from TakeOver. Charlotte furthered her momentum, Corbin had another good showing, Itami made his in-ring debut and the main event was entertaining. There's a lot to like about NXT right now and I'm glad they're building off the buzz the brand garnered from TakeOver. If they can keep this up going forward, we've got a very fun fall ahead of us in NXT.

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