NXT Minus 6: Standing. Delivering?

Brad Abel checks in with a look at NXT 2.0 Stand & Deliver by giving it the Minus 6 treatment!

6. Let’s get the garbage out of the way so we can focus on the good stuff.

• Mandy Rose is painfully average. Everything she says is boring. Her in ring work is forgettable. Other than be hot, she has yet to say or do anything remotely memorable.
• Tony Jabroni is a less clever Enzo and the male Mandy Rose in ring. He can pretend to replace Tommaso Ciampa, but that’s replacing a steak with a week old quarter pounder.
• There is nothing exciting about Cora Jade. Her offense looks more annoying than destructive, a jilted teenager slapping her boyfriend for following another girl on Instagram.
• Vic Joseph is the most bland, generic announcer in history. He could be calling a cricket match between India and Pakistan and it wouldn’t make a difference because all he does is spew generic nonsense. Someone is cleaning house! Business is picking up! History! Epic! History!

5. Match of the night (4.4 stars) was the tag team triple threat. Watching Imperium, MSK and Creed Brothers takes me back to the glory days of tag team wrestling with the Hardy Boyz, the Dudley Boys and Edge and Christian. I could watch any combination of those teams go at it every week. And I still say Brutus is the Creed with the highest ceiling. That cannonball was certainly a MAMA MIA.

4. Tommaso Ciampa created the most memorable moment of the night. His intro paying homage to HHH and Shawn Michaels was perfect. He even tried to put Tony Jabroni away with the Gargano Lock. Great stuff. Ciampa wrestled a 4 star match. Jabroni wrestled a 2 star match. I understand losing on your way out & putting over young talent, but you have to earn that spot, and Jabroni hasn’t.

3. HHH gave us the second most memorable moment of the night. Anyone who tells you wrestling isn’t real clearly doesn’t appreciate the significance of HHH meeting Ciampa at the top of the ramp after his match. Unlike the forced sentiment of WrestleMania 28 against Undertaker, HHH’s embrace of Ciampa truly felt like the end of an era.

2. Cameron Grimes gave us the third most memorable moment of the night. Winning the North American title for his dad was a nice touch, but it also felt like a lifetime achievement award. 3.5 star match with a 5 star ending. From his first match in the original Breakout Stars Tournament, it was obvious Grimes was a special talent. He’s a heel, a face, a goofball, a lackey, a technical savage. He can do it all, and he looks great doing it. I hope he gets a chance to add to the distinguished legacy of the North American title.

1. It’s no coincidence that all the current champions are either from the Black & Gold era or imports from RawDown. It’s also an unintended admission that the E has botched this transition royally. Other than Carmelo Hayes and the Creed Brothers, nobody else is close to being ready. Stop telling me they are young and need time to develop. I’m not the one who put so many wrestlers in a spot they weren’t ready for. If I want to support green ass rookies who aren’t ready for the big time, I’ll support my local indies. How much more time should I give this class before they have earned three hours of my attention?