Last Month in NXT (September)

Hello everyone and welcome back to Talk Wrestling World, I hope you are all well and good and have not only had a good weeks but an awesome month! We have finally reached the end of September and to be honest I have no idea why I used the word "finally" considering it feels as though this month flew by! I mentioned in a recent blog post that at the start of the year the months seemed to be going by pretty slowly but once the Summer hit time just flew by like crazy! Anyway, the end of September means its time to introduce something new to my blog, something I have been thinking about starting for a while but just haven't got around to doing so until now. You guys know that I'm totally NXT obsessed, I have been for the past couple of years. Throughout the past twenty four months or so I have sat here and written so many blog posts focusing on the WWE developmental brand from NXT Takeover reviews to weekly highlights posts to booking and taking a looking at some of the standout stars on its roster and in NXT history. While NXT may not be at it's strongest point right now it continues to be one of the best and strongest rosters in all of wrestling and the weekly hour show remains a personal favourite with live takeover specials still some of the best wrestling shows of the year. With so many different blog posts now going up here on my blog I've struggled to write about NXT consistently here and so I've decided to dedicate the last Thursday of every month to talking about NXT taking a look back at the past four weeks. This is where I will discuss some of the best matches, segments and promos, the standout superstars and any news or updates concluding the post with a little list of what to look forward to next month. If this post goes down well I am planning on making this a regular thing so let me know what you think of the idea! As always, any recent blog post will be linked bellow and you can let me know what you thought of NXT this month by leaving a comment or by tweeting me over at @TezangiVictoria. 

Standout Superstars 

Street Profits
We kick start things off today with some lovely tag team wrestling chit chat. Earlier on in the week I uploaded a blog post listing five of my current favourite tag teams in the world of pro wrestling and in that post I mentioned that there were a couple of names I didn't get to discuss but promised to do so in up and coming posts, the Street Profits were one of those teams I was talking about. I had to fight with every urge not to include them in that post but the fact they are so fresh as a team and we haven't seen a great deal of them on NXT TV meant that I had to skip them out that time around. However, they do get a special little mention here today and honestly, they just had to be the ones to kick start this new little series here on my blog. As you guys know, right now I'm super high on tag team wrestling and I've really enjoyed taking some time to take a look into new teams and add some names to my list of current favourites and in the process of doing so I realised I'm totally obsessed with the Street Profits! A new exciting team full of energy, charisma and likability the duo consists of Angelo Dawkins and Montez Ford. If you read my blog right from the beginning you might remember me talking about Angelo Dawkins quite a bit. He featured in a couple of blog posts here and there and I mentioned how much I wanted to see him relay succeed and given the right direction, all these years later and he finally has that. As for Montez Ford, I really don't know much about this guy but what I do know is he has all the charisma in the world. My eyes are naturally drawn to him (not just because he's hella sexy), he has bags of energy and works the crowd perfectly. This month we saw the Street Profits gain more momentum and the crowd reaction and reaction online really did speak volumes. These guys are already crazy over and I'm super excited to see more of them in the next month as they build popularity, momentum, and really find their feet in NXT as a tag team.

The Undisputed 
It will come as no surprise to see The Undisputed up next in today's blog post. It was back at NXT Takeover Brooklyn III that we all got to witness the much anticipated debut of Adam Cole assisted by fellow faction members Kyle O'Riley and Bobby Fish. The three superstars made a huge impact on their debut night taking out the newly crowned NXT Tag team champions Sanity and new NXT Champ Drew McIntyre to close the show. Over the past month Cole, Fish, and O'Riley have continued their reign of dominance as they settle into the NXT roster making sure to make a fair share of enemy's. A brilliant tag team match involving Bobby and Kyle with Cole at Ringside against Tyler Bate and Trent Seven was highlighted as a favourite match of mine of the month and one I will be talking about in more detail later on and their attack on Wolf Gang the week before would add to their rise in momentum. We also got to see Adam Cole go one on one in his debut NXT match against Eric Young in what was again a very very revealing, interesting must see match that of course went down as a highlight this month in NXT. The match and the action from these guys over the past month has left fans totally excited for the future and whats to come from the Undisputed faction and honestly with so much buzz around them and knowing just how crazy talented these guys are I can't wait to see what the next month holds and where the WWE take these guys as they continue to develop and make their mark in NXT. These guys are the ones to watch.

Lars Sullivan 
Up next is Lars Sullivan. Just like the Street Profits, we don't know too much about Lars Sullivan. He's still a very fresh face here in NXT and we haven't seen him compete for NXT TV much but again he's someone I have been totally obsessed with. I mentioned the moment I first saw him that I was interested in his work. A very basic look he reminds me of a young Bruno Sammartino. The WWE have kept things pretty basic with Lars so far and I like it. He's the big guy, monster heel out to take out anyone that stands in his way and so far he has been impressive. He hasn't been involved in any big time matches that have showed off just how talented he is in the ring but he's a growing superstar. Fans are taking a liking to him more and more as we see his character grow and we see more of his wrestling skills. He's a captivating talent with a real interesting vibe and again I'm super excited to watch him grow and develop and find his feet in NXT. This month really has been about introducing new talent and adding the competition. Lars Sullivan is one to watch as he gains momentum and popularity and shows us all what he really is capable of. The moment he really gets going in NXT we all really are going to be impressed and the world won't stop talking about the one and only, Lars Sullivan.

Kassius Ohno
When reviewing NXT it can be difficult to be certain if certain people should be spoken about. With only an hour week it means that every week we're getting something different and realistically I could sit an mention at least seven superstars when it comes to standouts of the past month but keeping things short and simple means that I can't just run off talking about a shit load of superstars. Sometimes it only takes one match or one segment to really standout and earn the right to be listed as one of the most standout superstars of the month as you will tell from this final entrant. Kassius Ohno. You guys know, I'm a huge Kassius Ohno fan. Unlike a lot of the other superstars we have spoken about today, we all have seen a lot of Kassius over the years and know all too well that he is without shadow of a doubt one of the best wrestlers in the world today. This month he proved just that point when he took on Hideo Itami in one on one action. I will be talking about this match in full later on in today's blog post but boy was this is a good match. Both men had an amazing showing but it Ohno who really grabbed my attention. His hard hitting style had me totally hooked and it was brilliant seeing him compete in a standout match of the month and one of the best matches to come from NXT this year. I'm hoping in October we get to see even more of Ohno and more opportunities to see him compete in matches like this.

Segments and Moments that Grabbed my Attention

Asuka waves goodbye to NXT

This month we've all been doing a lot of talking about the empress of tomorrow, Asuka After retaining her NXT Women's championship last month at Takeover against Ember Moon it was soon announced that the champ had suffered a broken collar bone and would be out of action for a couple months. The news meant that it was also announced Asuka would be leaving NXT and once recovered from her injury would be making her way to the main roster after serving two years as part of the developmental roster. On an episode of NXT this month we saw Asuka wave goodbye to NXT as she stood in the middle of the ring and handed over her championship. The entire segment was a true highlight not only of the month or of the year but a highlight in women's wrestling. Never in history have we seen quite the women like Asuka. Regardless of what the future holds her NXT career insures that she will go down in history as one of the best and most dominant forces in WWE history. On the night she said her goodbyes to NXT general manager William Regal gave a lovely little speech about the champ honoring her and announcing the new she would be moving to bigger things up on the main roster. The empress of tomorrow soon joined and had what was a real special final few words with the NXT universe. Thanking the fans and the women in the back Asuka had us all feeling pretty emotional as a chapter in her career ended. As she finished things off announcing no one was ready for Asuka she was joined by Triple H in the ring who again finally topped things off listing her accomplishments as the undefeated, over five hundred day reign as champion, Asuka departed from NXT. A true bitter sweet moment it was amazing seeing a women honored like this. She deserved this moment completely and it was a real special moment seeing Asuka wave goodbye and see the amazing amount of respect from the fans and the locker room.

the Velveteen Dream heats things Up

I know I didn't mention him in my standout superstars of the month but trust me he really was a standout this month, of course I'm talking about, the Velveteen Dream. Now, I haven't actually spoken about the Velveteen Dream a lot here on my blog at all but I have made little comments here and there over on social media. If you don't follow me on twitter then let me just make it clear, I am totally obsessed with this guy. I love the character, it's very unique, very interesting and very very entertaining and it helps that the former tough enough competitor works it like a damn pro. He knows exactly what he's doing and how to come across convincing and totally gripping. From the moment the character debuted I've been interested in learning and seeing more about his character and while impressive in the ring during those very shot matches he has been apart of I have been desperate to see more and see what he can really bring to the table, this month we got just that as the WWE threw the Velveteen Dream into the spotlight and into a story that has gripped the NXT universe. A  couple of weeks back we finally got to hear Aliester Black speak after spending a few months as part of the roster. We have seen what he can do in the ring and boy is he impressive. Dominant, different, intimidating, Aliester Black brings something fun and unique to the table and has captivated the NXT fans completely. When he took to the mic Aliester took the time to properly introduce himself and allowing the fans to get to know a little bit more about him but still keeping things mysterious and leaving fans wanting more. He was however, interrupted by the one and only, the Velveteen Dream and in that moment I was totally hooked. Honestly, I didn't see this coming at all and because it was such a surprise and such an interest in combination I was completely hooked and did not take my eyes off the screen for a single second. The two superstars are very very different, the complete opposite of one another but it worked. Their chemistry was bloody brilliant. The intensity of both men was fantastic and the Velveteen dream honestly had me on the edge my seat hanging on his every word. This was a very very different take on things and there really is nothing like this happening right now in the world of wrestling. The segment reminded me of something we saw between the Undertaker and Goldust all those years ago with the same intensity, the same sexual vibe from the Velveteen dream that we got from Goldust and the unpredictability,. This one segment will go down as one of my faves of the year and I have been left desperate to see where this is going to go. Honestly, with all that is currently going on in the WWE right now, this is what I'm most excited about.

Best Matches of the month 

Hideo Itami VS Kassius Ohno
First up a match we have already touched on today, Kassius Ohno vs Hideo Itami. This was actually the match that inspired me to write this post in the first place. I was watching this particular episode and I realised I don't get to speak about these amazing matches very often at all unless its over on social media and here is the place I want to be writing about such matches and in detail and so I got the idea to take notes on some of these epic matches, moments, and standout superstars and put that all into one blog post once a month and so here we are. The feud between Ohno and Itami is something that has been in the works for a couple of months. The WWE haven't gone over the top with it or done too much but instead just let it play out and because of that things have felt very natural and I've been able to enjoy the action that we have seen a heck of a lot. The two have worked little tag team matches alongside each other and there and segments have been shown throughout the month but it was in September the two went one on one at full sail. When it comes to this feud everything stems from Hideo's frustrations. After failing to capture the NXT Championship from Bobby Roode a few months back he really struggled to control he's frustrations and instead took all the out on Kassius Ohno. This past month the two were able to sort their differences in the middle of the ring in what was  a true hard hitting, personal and intense that match reminded us all why they really are two of the best wrestlers in NXT right now Neither superstar may not be working in the championship picture right now but this match showed both are championship material. This was the match of the month I found most emotionally invested when it comes to NXT and the story behind it, the action, the intensity, and the strong wrestling from both men made this an epic must see.

Pete Dunne VS Wolf Gang
This past month we really got to see more of the talent in the UK divison as Pete Dunne defended his WWE United Kingdom Championship against ICW star Wolf Gang and the match would result in a couple more appearances from the British stars later in the month, something I'm really happy about! The title match between Dunne and Wolf Gang was easily a personal favourite of mine. The two had went toe to toe at full sail and had everyone in the room on their feet loving every bit of action. Their chemistry was strong and I felt the passion from both men. As an ICW fan I've seen a lot of Wolf Gang over the years and now just how amazingly talented he is. I mentioned back in January that I was super excited to see him part of the UK Championship tournament and while he doesn't look to be on his way to catching gold any time soon I was delighted to see him given the opportunity to show the WWE universe what he is capable of and really allow the fans to get to know and what he is about more. This match was a brilliant way for him to showcase his talents and he did just that. Close calls, impressive spots had everyone focused on the action in the ring and Wolf Gang really did deliver surprising those who may not be as familiar with him. He's efforts however, were not quite good enough and it was Pete Dunne who walked out still champion, of course the right move. A predicable end result but an excellent match and true standout.

Tyler Bate and Trent Seven VS Kyle O'Riley & Bobby Fish
And finally we have some tag team action. Following their attack on Wolf Gang, Bobby Fish and Kyle O'Riley were faced with a tag team match against Tyler Bate and Trent Seven in what went down as one of my fave matches of the entire month. Earlier this week I uploaded a blog post listing my top five current favourite tag teams and Mustache Mountain were one of the names I of course mentioned in that post. I've been totally obsessed with these two for the past year and you can check out why in that post which will be linked bellow. This month the two had the opportunity to team up once again for NXT TV taking on the two new arrivals in what was a gripping entertaining match I totally loved. All four men had a brilliant showing their diversity and talent keeping everyone on the edge of their seat completely invested. Of course Fish and O'Riley picked up the win adding to their momentum but Bate and Seven had a fantastic showing and all round this main event did wonders for all four men.


And there we have it. Last month in NXT. I had so much fun writing this post despite feeling really unwell mid way through. This past month has seen a lot go down in NXT with new arrivals, the start of new storyline's and feuds, goodbyes, new chapters and the road to the next NXT Takeover event. It's been a fun four weeks and I plan on making posts just like every single month. I would love to know what you guys think of this post and what you would like to see added to future posts like this by leaving a comment bellow or by tweeting me over at @TezangiVictoria.

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