NXT Great American Bash Night One Review
Last night the WWE took us bath down memory lane with
another retro PPV title, the Great American Bash. After the success of NXT
Takeover: In your House fans sat back and enjoyed part one of a special NXT titled
The Great American Bash as the WWE went head to head with AEW’S Fyter Fest. The
NXT special saw must-see matchups and potential match of the year candidates thanks
to well-timed bouts and fantastic booking throughout. Here today I am going to
be reliving all the action in a full and honest review!
Tegan Nox vs Dakota Kai vs Candice LeRae vs Mia Yim
There is so much tension and history between the women
involved in this opening fatal four-way match up. The bout not only highlighted
the depths and strength of the NXT Women’s division but the ongoing feuds
involving Mia and Candice as well as Nox and Kai. From the get-go, the match highlighted
both rivalries and with the heels playing their roles perfectly both Candice
and Dakota exited the ring and awaited their perfect time to insert themselves into
the match. Now, there were a few botched and messy moments in the early section
if this bout, however, each woman got in a strong amount of offense and we did
see some great storytelling and teamwork In those early stages. Candice was the
first to be eliminated thanks to Mia along with the assist of Nox. Her early elimination
did not come as a surprise and has ensured that we will get more from her and
Yim very soon (next week). She did, however, fit in some great spots including a
dive from the middle rope that looked so damn elegant! Yim was next to be
eliminated which again did not come as a surprise as its clear the WWE had
intentions on focusing more so on Yim and Rae’s rivalry in the coming week!
The match for me did grow far more entertaining and much
stronger when it became one on one between Kai and Nox. These two work so incredibly
well together and considering their history the booking here was fantastic. For
once we had no interference from Raquel and the wrestling that went down
between these two was incredible, sure to be a highlight of both their wrestling
careers and a brilliant way to kick start the night. The result saw Nox pick up
the victory and become the new number, one contender. A perfect result, a great
simple way to conclude Nox and Kai’s rivalry and some awesome storytelling
throughout!
Timothy Thatcher vs Oney Lorcan
One of the matches I was most looking forward to last night
was, of course, Timothy Thatcher vs Oney Lorcan. Both superstars are hard-hitting
talents with a mat and classic wrestling style that truly does complement one
another. They are of course are remarkably similar in their styles and so from the
get-go, it was clear this could be a serious match of the year contender and I
was not left disappointed. Yes, I would have loved to have seen this go on for
a little longer but for the time they had Thatcher and Lorcan provided fans
with a classic, old school style pure wrestling contest you just had to love! The
hard hits, the chops, and the submission holds took us back to the days of
simple brutal wrestling and with the exclusion of flips and fancy s**t I really
enjoyed the basics of this match and the genuine intensity both men brought to
the table. Lorcan is one of the best yet underrated on the scene today and here
in this match he really did shine despite his loss. Thatcher continued to gain
momentum scoring another big win, but the match overall was a true highlight
and different to everything else on the card completely.
Rhea Ripley vs Aliyah & Robert Stone
Talking of bringing something different to the evening the
handicap match which involved former NXT Women’s Champion Rhea Ripley taking on
Aliyah and Robert Stone were totally different from everything else we saw last
night but I’m not mad about it. This was simple entertainment and exactly what
Ripley needed after a tough few months. This handicap match reinforced just how
dominant, powerful, and badass the Aussie star is and while it wasn’t a
wrestling masterclass like the match prior it was a more comedic set up that genuinely
was entertaining and more relaxed. Ripley did score the needed win here but it
must be noted that Aliyah and Robert Stone truly do make for the perfect
pairing and the WWE may have finally figured out what feels most natural and
fitting for Aliyah. I do hope we see more of these two together for their
natural chemistry and how well they bounce off one another is most certainly
entertaining.
Dexter Lumis vs Roderick Strong (Strap Match)
Here we had an NXT first, a strap match, between Dexter
Lumis and Roderick Strong. Now, if you know me you know that I am a huge fan of
both these superstars and I have really been enjoying the story between them
and the character development we have seen from Lumis but with a stacked card
full of must-see matches I did wonder how well this bout would stand especially
considering the stipulation of the first-ever NXT Strap Match that was attached to this encounter. In the end, I was surprised
at just how good this match was! It’ one I’m sure to go and re-watch and was
another reminder of just how damn good Dexter Lumis is! The storytelling and
chemistry between the pair are undeniable and together they worked an intense
and physical match we all enjoyed! This Was a career highlight for Lumis not
only because he scored the win but the performance he had here! The way he used
the strap, the character work, his display of power and strength as well as how
strongly he matched Roderick’s wrestling ability had fans with their eyes fixed
on this up and coming star! Again, the match stood out for being different to
anything else on the night, and as a major fan of both superstars I can honestly
say I loved this match and was pleasantly surprised with how strong of bout
this was!
Sasha Banks vs Io Shirai
Dream matches do not get quite as big as Sasha Banks vs Io
Shirai! When this was announced for the Great American Bash NXT special, I was
gobsmacked and legit had been counting down the days till I got to enjoy this
encounter. As two of the very best in the world, it has been a dream to see Banks
and Io meet in the ring and last night fans were treated to one heck of a main
event! This was a collision between an NXT all-time great and one of the
leading figures of the black and gold brand today and together they brought out
the best in one another. Their styles complimented each other well and with
both women seeking inspiration from the Lucha Libre style throughout their
careers that were on very clear display. It’s been a while since we have seen Banks
perform at this level and it was a reminder to us all of just how damn good she
is as an all-round performer and wrestler. The distractions from Bayley were
annoying at times but not overdone like we usually see on Smackdown and the
closing result that saw Asuka make an appearance and cost Banks the match
spraying the green mist in her face was generally perfect booking allowing
Banks to not look week, Io to score the win and the build to Sasha vs Asuka to
have more depth. I would, however, moving forward love to see a tag team match involving
these four women!
Overall, NXT Great American Bash night one was just
brilliant! We had some fantastic segments and promos in between matches
including hearing from Keith Lee and Adam Cole ahead of their huge collision
next week. The main event was fitting to close the show and the addition of no
adds during this match was great as it allowed us to really enjoy a classic dream
match! Each bout delivered something different and I can honestly say I enjoyed
every single match of the evening. Next week we have intense tag team competition,
a street fight between Candice LeRae and Mia Yim, a showing from Mercedes Martinez
and the winner takes all main event between Keith Lee and Adam Cole! I’ll be
reviewing part two this time next week so be sure to join me again, in the meantime, you
can tell me what you thought of night one down in the comments or tweet me over
at @TezangiVictoria.
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