The Good, Bad and Ugly: NXT (03/27/2019)

After a horrendous Monday Night Raw and a sensational SmackDown Live, we are with the very best of the best NXT!  Always a Good time, it would seem especially after last week (Good as hell) that they are still on top of their game.  Can NXT continue at this pace?  Let’s get down to ringside!

GOOD

Adam Cole/Johnny Gargano

Now I am personally not a huge “fight forever” type of guy, unless you are talking gold.  This is Gold though.  Could you ask for a better Title Match?  No way!  Gargano is Red Hot and Adam Cole is a Top Shelf Superstar.  The match will be Good, it cannot fail, no matter what.  Cole and Gargano are amazing and the promo was solid from start to finish.  If we couldn’t already be excited enough the back and forth and the struggle of the audience to choose a side is just amazing.  Adam Cole is a strong heel, Gargano is a freak baby face.  This is legendary!  Cole of course got the last word with his boys up the ramp behind him.  This will be amazing and we aren’t even at the take home show!  Keep it going, no one will mind!  Great Opening!

Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic Finals- Aleister Black and Ricochet vs. Forgotten Sons (Winners Face NXT Tag Team Champs War Raiders at Takeover)

Forgotten Sons are a lost cause especially against Ricochet and Black.  Anyone who had their money on Forgotten Sons obviously are super new to the world.  This was a pretty pointless match considering how important the results are.  Black and Ricochet of course took almost full control of this match, going back and forth with devastating moves destroying their opponents.  Forgotten Sons were not just fish and a barrel here though.  Once they got some breathing room they took their attention on isolating Ricochet and taking advantage of their chemistry.  The frequent tags and isolation nearly paid off but finally Ricochet tagged in Aleister Black who just flattened his opponents.  Black dominated but was taken down with a sick “under-hook backbreaker.”  Ricochet saved the day assisting Black and taking back control.  It looked as though the Forgotten Son’s would not be denied but again the team of Black and Ricochet came back strong.  It surprisingly could have gone either way, so many close calls, especially Good for the Forgotten Son’s.  Even causing Jaxson Ryker to be ejected from ringside.  This gave Black just enough time to get a grip, hit a “Black Mass” and followed by a “630” by Ricochet for the impressive victory.  Ricochet and Aleister Black Win the Dusty Rhodes Classic and will face the NXT Tag Team Champs War Raiders at Takeover.  The Champs came down to the ring to get a closer look at their next challenge.  This was awesome and will be a winner when it goes down at Takeover.    

BAD

Kacey Catanzaro and Lacey Lane vs. Aliyah and Vanessa Borne

Lacey Lane has a very unique Good look.  Catanzaro is a hell of an athlete as well. Of course Aliyah and Borne are textbook heels.  This wasn’t anything special and apparently Shayna Baszler and company agreed.  Baszler came out and Aliyah and Borne hi-tailed it out.  Surprisingly Kacey Catanzaro put up a bit of resistance but was made short work of by the NXT Women’s Champ.  Baszler is awesome but this was lame.  Not that the match was anything special but a pointless run in wasn’t par for the NXT course.  Kind of Bad actually.    

Matt Riddle vs. Kona Reeves

Kona Reeves is no Velveteen Dream.  Riddle the “King of Bros” has a hell of an opportunity at Takeover and it is an uphill battle to say the least.  Speaking of Dream just as Riddle got going, Velveteen interrupted in a King like fashion and Kona Reeves nearly got the Win from it.  However it was “The King of Bros” who would not be denied regaining momentum and hitting a match ending “knee strike, series of elbows, and finally a Bromission” for the victory.  The North American Champion toasted Riddle on his victory leading to Riddle taking a short walk up the ramp to confront and disrespect his Takeover Opponent.  Riddle isn’t great and this match wasn’t either.  Another Bad Match this week.    

UGLY- Nope but it was Bad at times.

FINAL

Good- 2

Bad- 2

Ugly- 0

Overall

Bad?  Well, honestly when NXT is Bad enough to have a tie, it is Bad all over.  There were Good things that happened but it certainly wasn’t par for the NXT course.  This was a rare blemish but at a critical time.  Takeover looks a lot better than WrestleMania on paper and history shows, it probably will be.  It was a rare tough night but it happens.  I don’t expect it to a frequent occurrence.

Raw was unforgivably Ugly.  SmackDown Live was a clean Good show, and shockingly NXT did not deliver.  It was a crap week overall minus the “blue” brand and it happens the week before the take home episodes are to air.  Hopefully it was to get it out of their system before it really matters but whatever the case, there is always next time.  Thank you for reading, catch you next week with a jam packed WrestleManina/Takeover extravaganza, and more of your favorite Good, Bad and Ugly, only on thechairshot.com.