Scott Dawson/Sylvester Lefort confrontation with Enzo Amore/Colin Cassidy
Four insane men in one room making zero sense. SAWFT! I did enjoy Dawson’s sad “ooh” response to Sylvester’s reason why he hadn’t been paid yet. Trying to grade segments like this is impossible, if judging it by main-roster standards. Sure, it’s ridiculous stuff, but it’s so great to see guys who get to be characters and having some fun, which is something severely lacking in WWE beyond guys like Damien Sandow. So it might be stupid at times, but at least they’re not afraid to let loose and give us the goofy.
Main Event-worthy
Summer Rae cuts down Sasha Banks
I like how this promo was lite on the normal Diva name-calling and heavy on Summer’s intensity and desire to be a WWE superstar. She correctly touts she’s on the main roster, but claims she doesn’t need to slum it down in NXT. This is complete bullshit, of course, not just because the Women’s wrestling in NXT far surpasses WWE, but also ‘cause Summer has yet to have a match on the main roster. As a heel promo, her intensity and “backbone” angle about kicking Paige’s was a nice complement to AJ’s promo on RAW. If they can keep this strong focus of feuds being about the best women’s wrestler, the division will only get better and better.
Raw-worthy
***
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j_q9Lv_n-oo
Scott Dawson vs. Enzo Amore
Not a lot of great wrestling on this episode of NXT, which I’ll forgive after getting a Match of the Year candidate last week. This match really just set up Alexander Rusev joining Sylvester Lefort’s Legionaries group, which the announcers curiously no-sold as it happened. This was a classic mid-card Raw style clusterfuck of a spot, with the patented distraction finish to round things off.
Scott Dawson’s gas station mechanic gimmick will get him nowhere, I can’t believe there’s somebody backstage that thinks this is great. If the entire hook is “redneck hangs out with sweaty Frenchman” then yikes. Dawson is fine in the ring, and if William Regal compares you to Arn fucking Anderson each week, you can’t suck. Just drop the menial labor schtick and give him anything else to do.
Enzo and Big Cass are supposed to be heels, but “S-A-W-F-T SAWWWWWFFFFTTT“ is as over as anything in NXT, and The Realest Guys in the Room are a better version of 3MB – hilarious heels that are fun to watch get beat up. I watched this episode three times, and I laughed each time on Enzo’s “zero dimes” line.
Enzo/Big Cass-SmackDown! worthy, Main Event (at best) for everyone else.
