NXT Minus 6: The Female Big Dog

Here Comes The Big Dog? More like Here Comes The Female Big Dog, according to Bradley Jay!

Rhea Ripley is the female Roman Reigns.

6. I’m

6. I’m as happy as anybody to see Johnny Gargano back in Full Sail, but his return should have been handled very differently. Flattening someone with a chair is easy. Gargano should have raised the chair while Finn Balor cowered in fear, then put it down without hitting him. The image of Prince Coward would have taken this rivalry to the next level. 

5. How do you work a body part? Ask Killian Dain. Other than a few face punches, 99% of his offense was focused directly on the ribs of Jimmy Archer. That is how you work a match. Damn shame he’s not more over.  Bonus points for kicking his legs like Barney Rubble when he hits the Senton. 

4. I’m not sure where this KUSHIDA was for his first 6 months in NXT. Starting with his match against WALTER, he’s really picked up his game. Now I see why his signing was such a big deal. He wrestles like a guy who spent a big chunk of his childhood bending 2 wrestling action figures into every improbable combination possible. 

3. Don’t you dare take your eyes off me! I won’t, Io Shirai. I promise I won’t. 

2. Unpopular opinion time: Rhea Ripley is so much better suited for the main roster. She is more of a character than a wrestler. Good size. Great look. I’m still not impressed with her in-ring ability. On Brad’s big list of women who should have beaten Shayna Baszler, she comes in a distant fourth. She is the female Roman Reigns. 

1. This week’s That’s Why I Love Wrestling Award goes to…Cameron Grimes. In the obligatory “watch them warm up backstage” shot prior to the match, Grimes isn’t just stretching, he’s also working on his double stomp, The Carolina 2-Step. That is commitment to the character. Attention to detail takes you from good to great. Get it, Grimey.

Come back next time & I’ll be dishing out some year-end awards you absolutely won’t see anywhere else.