NXT Year in Review: Awards!

Brad Abel continues his look at (most of) 2021 in NXT with his personally chosen special awards!

I’ve got some random accolades to give out before we get to the main event.

Rivalry of the Year: Meiko Satomura versus Kay Lee Ray

Talk about quality over quantity. They fought two times, and both are MOTY candidates. Normally I would want more from such a flawless pairing, but in this instance I’m happy with those two matches frozen in time.  

Mama Mia! Award: Bronson Reed flattens Santos Escobar through the security wall at In Your House

Reed is the first and only repeat winner of the Mama Mia, given to the one moment I could watch on repeat. He actually squished Escobar through a wall on two separate occasions. Does that make him a three time winner? It’s fun watching big guys throw their weight around.

Self Burn of the Year: Cameron Grimes

“I’m so rich I live under two bridges!”

Most unappreciated match of the year: Meiko Satomura versus Aoife Valkyrie, NXT UK Television 04-29

In general, unless your name is WALTER, NXT UK doesn’t get the love it deserves. This featured some absolutely amazing ground work from both women. It’s easily Valkryie’s best showing yet, which is to be expected against a pro like Satomura. The end was a bit disappointing as each woman spent extended time in submission holds that they no-sold, but once you’ve checked out the typical top 10 this match is very much worth your while.

Actual Burn of the Year: Adam Cole

“You know what they do to make Adam Cole feel special? They ring the freaking bell!” In hindsight, that line might have been the one to seal the fate of Karrion Kross.  

Faction/Stable of the Year: The Way

I could not in good conscience have a superlatives list without Johnny Gargano. Hit Row came on strong but got 2.0’ed. Legado Del Fantasma had their moments. Overall, no group was as consistently entertaining as The Way. It’s a shame Gargano never got to pass the torch to Austin Theory, but we’ll always have the No-Look High Five.   

Best Takeover: Vengeance Day

It feels like this happened a lifetime ago. I am so sad that we’ll never get this again from NXT, but so happy that we got what we did. Five matches, and four came in at 4.3 stars or higher: Kai & Gonzalez/Blackheart & Moon, Gargano/Kushida, Balor/Dunn, GYV/MSK. And it ends with Adam Cole throwing a one-man superkick party! Oh wrestling, I’ll always be your bitch.

The Most NXT Match of the Year Ilja Dragunov versus Sam Gradwell NXT UK TV 03-04

This is not the best match of the year. It is the match that best exemplifies what NXT is (was) all about. In 2021 NXT UK absolutely perfected the one-week storyline, and this match is a master class. It started out with really interesting grappling and broke down to a savage brawl. Post-match, Gradwell is laughing because he got knocked out and Dragunov is attacking a ref. Top notch action. Beautiful characters. Insane drama. This was as good as a mid-week match could be with minimal build and nothing bigger on the line. Good. Things. Happen. When. You. Let. Wrestlers. Wrestle! 

Next Up: Wrestlers of the Year