Opinion
NXT Minus 6: The Best Matches of 2019
Bradley lists out the top NXT matches of 2019 and crowns his match of the year!
I saved the best for last.
Everything 4.8 stars or better.
Three 5-star matches.
Undisputed Era versus The Revival, NXT TV, November 20, 4.8 stars
A dream match-up of sorts. Timing. Teamwork. Intensity. Dash Wilder eats the pinfall with a defiant “kiss my ass.” Rewatching this match made me realize I should have done a separate list just for all the great tag team action we got from NXT in 2019.
Lio Rush versus Angel Garza for the NXT Cruiserweight Title, December 11, NXT TV, 4.8 stars
Even before the opening bell, these two turned up a level of intensity not typically seen in the Cruiserweights. I appreciate the addition of Rush’s wife in a tasteful way that made sense without being overbooked. I feel bad that his title run was so short; Rush is a special talent. However, Garza’s victory was well deserved. He’s worked his ass off to get over for all the right reasons.
Io Shirai versus Shayna Baszler, cage match for the Women’s Title, June 26, NT TV, 4.8 stars
There are matches in a cage, and then there are cage matches. Everything Baszler and Shirai did was all about the cage. The big spots. The hard shots. The ending. What a gloriously tragic ending. My heart broke for Shirai when Baszler fell out of the cage onto the floor. Then we get the birth of batshit crazy Io, and for that I will be forever grateful.
Fatal 5 way for #1 contender spot, Ricochet versus Aleister Black versus Adam Cole versus Matt Riddle versus Velveteen Dream, 4.8 stars
I believe the expression is “turning chicken shit into chicken salad.” We don’t get Ciampa-Gargano IV for the title. Instead, our consolation prize is this hot gem. So many subplots & history between all the contestants made for great drama. And of course, an ending that set the stage for one of NXT’s all time great rivalries. Bonus points for Mauro Ranallo referring to Ricochet as the Lord of the Fly.
Johnny Gargano versus Adam Cole, Takeover New York, 4.8 stars
I wanted this to be 5 stars. I wanted it to be MOTY. It almost was. The end brought me down. After taking all that punishment, one guy fights off 4 and still kicks out of a dump truck of finishers? Sorry. No. Despite the ending, it was a great match & a deserving moment for Johnny Takeover.
Io Shirai versus Candae Lerae, Takeover Toronto, 4.8 stars
The Evil Genius of the Sky is crazy wicked. Even her walk to the ring screams insanity. I had low expectations for this match, primarily because I’ve not been impressed with Lerae. I’m happy to say I was very wrong. Lerae more than held her own, but Crazy Io was just too much. Possibly my second favorite NXT Women’s match ever, behind Bayley-Banks in Brooklyn.
Men’s War Games, Takeover War Games III, 4.8 stars
Car crash of the year. Insane violence. A super avalanche Air Raid Crash. And Kevin Owens!!! It wasn’t perfect, but after what every man went through for our entertainment, I wouldn’t criticize a single thing.
Adam Cole Versus Johnny Gargano, NXT Championship Match, Takeover XXV, 4.9 stars
This was better than their previous match. The underlying story of their familiarity led to some amazing counters & chain wrestling. Gargano in particular hit moves I’ve never seen from anybody. The only reason I’m not giving this 5 stars is they relied too heavily on superkicks. At times it felt like I was watching the Young Bucks battle each other.
NXT Tag Title Ladder Match, Takeover XXV, 5 stars
It starts with an air guitar battle with Montez Ford and Kyle O’Reilly. It quickly turns into very real violence. They played fast and loose with the ladders. I even loved Jaxson Ryker’s appearance. Watching 6 guys flatten a human being with a ladder is a sight to behold. I’ve written about how special the ending is, with Angelo Dawkin’s nuclear spear and Ford’s leap onto the ladder. Lost in the excitement was the ridiculous bump Wesley Blake took off the ladder. Much respect for that. I can’t remember the last time I ended a match with an audible “holy f$%&ing $h!T!” The story was simple: be the best team in a place where that still means something. If for only one night, the Street Profits could honestly say they were the best tag team on the planet. The story. The effort. The emotion. The ending. Perfect.

Tyler Bate versus WALTER, Takeover Cardiff, 5 stars
Not to take anything away from WALTER, but this match is Tyler Bate. The Big Strong Boi gave us his Sgt. Pepper. It is one of the single finest performances I have ever seen. When it was over, I had a tear in my eye, not because Bate lost but because I knew I had just witnessed a masterpiece. Bate’s effort touched me in a way that few matches ever have. And to think that he was only 22 at the time is still something I can’t quite comprehend.
War Raiders versus Aleister Black & Ricochet for the NXT Tag Team Titles, Takeover New York, 5 stars
It’s hard to create genuine moments in wrestling today. Everybody knows everything. Eras are ending. History is made. Torches are passed. That’s why this match is so special. The action was amazing. When it was over, I gave it 4.9 stars. The post-match put it over the top. The show of respect from the War Raiders to Black/Ricochet was genuine class. The fans send off felt so spontaneous and was almost more emotion than the arena could hold. The in-ring action, the level of respect between the competitors and the gratitude from the fans is absolutely everything that is great about wrestling. It was a moment you simply could not script or predict. For that reason, it is my 2019 NXT Match of the Year.
Thanks for spending your time with my crazy ramblings about the best wrestling on the planet. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoy writing it.
Here’s to a great 2020 from the Black & Gold Standard!
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Opinion
Chris King: The Wyatt Sicks’ Wasted Potential By WWE
Chris King takes a look at the WWE and their wasted potential of Uncle Howdy and the Wyatt Sicks faction.
Chris King takes a look at the WWE and their wasted potential of Uncle Howdy and the Wyatt Sicks faction.
It’s that time of the year again, folks; it’s unfortunate and downright awful that so many WWE superstars got released today. I’m not going to list all of them, but I am going to talk about one of my favorite factions,
The Wyatt Sicks. Nikki Cross, Joe Gacy, Erik Rowan, and Bo Dallas (Uncle Howdy) were something special. After Bo’s brother Bray Wyatt’s tragic passing, WWE felt like there was a hole that needed to be filled. Wyatt was one of the most creative and brilliant characters, and Bo would be taking over his brother’s concept and bringing it to life. In 2024, at the end of an incredible documentary highlighting Wyatt’s career and struggles, Bo appeared on the screen portrayed as Uncle Howdy. The last time Uncle Howdy was seen on-screen was at the 2023 Royal Rumble, where Wyatt defeated LA Knight in a Pitch Black Match. Howdy jumped off a structure onto Knight.
This post-credit scene sparked so much speculation and excitement that Wyatt’s brother would carry on his legacy and possibly debut the faction that was Wyatt’s concept. On the June 17th episode of Monday Night Raw, The Wyatt Sicks made their dramatic debut ,destroying the backstage area as well as “murdering” Chad Gable. It was such an iconic arrival for Howdy as he made his menacing walk from the back into the audience who were chanting “Holy Shit.” The Sicks and American Made (Chad Gable and The Creed Brothers) battled for months, with The Sicks being victorious. On the September 9th episode of Raw, The Sicks defeated them, with Howdy getting the win with Sister Abigail.
The following year, The Sicks would move over to Friday Night SmackDown, and it seemed like WWE had a plan in place. They would win the tag team championships from The Street Profits and start to look dominant. Now, what should have happened next is Howdy should have won the United States title. The Sicks could have held all the gold over on the blue brand, but it never happened. The Sicks entered into a never-ending feud with The MFT’s (Solo Sikoa, Tama Tonga, Tonga Loa, JC Mateo, and Talla Tonga.) It started off exciting, and the WWE Universe was red-hot for their interactions.
After months of repetitive matches and The MFT’s stealing their lantern, the feud grew tiresome and boring. Even Tama asked Solo why they are still holding onto the lantern, as it was destroying them as a whole. Finally on the SmackDown before Mania, Tama
gave the lantern back to Howdy against Solo’s wishes. Please explain to me why both factions fought almost every single week instead of just having one final blowoff match at WrestleMania.
It should have been either a massive street fight or a falls count anywhere match on the grandest stage of them all. Instead, it turned into a meaningless week-after-week extravaganza that benefited no one. The MFTs won the rivalry, and The Sicks don’t even work for WWE anymore. This was the same criminalized creative process that Wyatt dealt with during his first run in the company.
We’ll never know how much of a dangerous force The Wyatt Sicks could have been in the WWE. For all their careers’ sake, I hope they stay far away from the company for as long as possible. Every superstar that was cut deserves better!
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Opinion
Chris King: Bloodline Saga: Is This the Right Call For WWE?
Chris King questions the WWE’s logic in setting up Jacob Fatu as the next challenger for World Heavyweight Champion Roman Reigns
Chris King questions the WWE’s logic in setting up Jacob Fatu as the next challenger for World Heavyweight Champion Roman Reigns
Roman Reigns is once again World Heavyweight Champion after his dominant win over CM Punk at WrestleMania 42. On the following night on Monday Night Raw, The OG Bloodline came back together as a well-oiled machine as The Usos stood side by side with Roman. With the WWE Universe asking who would be the first to challenge “The Tribal Chief,” Jacob Fatu shocked the world by answering the call.
Fatu is running hot after his impressive win over Drew McIntyre and feels like he is ready to become the new world champion. This bloodline segment ended Raw, and it picked right back up on SmackDown with even Solo Sikoa and the MFTs involved. This is now two shows that have been centered around The Bloodline saga, and it’s made me question whether or not WWE should be retelling this story.
The Bloodline (Roman Reigns, The Usos, and Solo Sikoa) ran WWE for over four years as Reigns’ henchmen, doing his dirty work to retain his title. Even though Roman has declared he doesn’t want Jey and Jimmy to serve him, it sure seems like WWE are spinning their wheels. Fatu could add a whole new chapter into the story, even if he’s not able to beat Roman at Backlash. “The Samoan Werewolf” could be forced to do the same thing as Jey did all those years ago and fall in line.
In my opinion, I feel like Fatu should be challenging for the Undisputed WWE Championship because that’s a title I feel like he should win. I understand standing up to your blood and trying to prove you’re the best, but I don’t think this is the right move. It feels like 2022 all over again, as The Bloodline is the central focus on both shows. If Fatu doesn’t win, what happens to all his momentum he’s been building over the last two years?
Why did WWE make this the best choice for storyline purposes? Why couldn’t creative have come up with a different challenger for Roman? There are so many other superstars that could challenge The Tribal Chief, such as Rusev, Bron Breakker, Gunther, or even a returning Sheamus.
I just can’t help but question WWE’s logic here, and it kind of reminds me of all the times The Shield reunited. Could WWE be pushing the same storyline too many times here? Could the WWE Universe get tired of this rinse and repeat cycle of The Bloodline Saga?
Are we about to see all the weekly episodes solely focused on The Bloodline again? Will it be cinema… Yes. Is there still money in The Bloodline… Yes. Was it the right call? That’s to be determined!
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