NXT Unstoppable: Procrastinating more than Regal

A GREAT 80% OF A SHOW... A SOLID NUMBER, I THINK.

I'll admit I've been somewhat disinterested in wrestling overall for the last two or so months - the subpar ending to an incredibly over-hyped TakeOver: Rival and the slow weeks that followed left me disappointed with NXT, and the main roster was pretty boring before Bryan's injury announcement and Rusev losing to Cena, even if Cesaro & Kidd were on fire.

But as a TRUE FAN I still watched TakeOver: Unstoppable for more reasons than just so I can type something up about it criticising every aspect of the show, because that's all I do apparently.

So let's kick it off!

...This isn't a segway to the kick-off.

FINN BALOR vs. TYLER BREEZE

to determine the number one contender to the NXT Championship

'decent'

I'll admit, I kinda liked Tyler Breeze's entrance with the female model catch, it was different, but I didn't understand why Breeze took photos with them, I mean, isn't he meant to be the most gorgeous one? Shouldn't they want to take pics with him? Anyway, his attire was good, it reminded me of his nickname "The prince of prettyville", because of the royal red and gold colours. Nice touch, probably intended, so good on Breeze.

But the best part of the entrances and the match itself would have to have been Finn Balor's entrance again. Fin(n)ally adding something new to the mix with apropos demon/bat wings and some spikes on his back, it reignited the proverbial flame of CARING about his entrance again. Thankfully too, because it would've lost all meaning if it was the exact same look every time he came out. I really wish he wrestled in the fake dreads though.

Anyway, the match itself was nothing special. A few good spots like the double-foot-stomp to the back of Breeze on the outside, which was probably my favourite and the best part of the match overall.

But, I'm still constantly reminded that Breeze has entirely dropped his gimmick in-ring so he can impress people with his wrestling ability. Is that the point? I don't remember heels trying to impress the fans with their technical wrestling ability - their successful wrestling ability came from pushing their character through the mannerisms and specific moves in their repertoire, something Breeze did when he began with his character, and slowly lost over the months, until he completely stopped bothering. I am fairly sure Breeze went from never getting struck in the face (and if he did, it'd stun and daze him) to getting angry when he got struck in the fact, ultimately to... not caring at all. Were there reasons? I don't recall.

Considering the situation in the main event of the night, I wondered what the original point of the match was. Will Balor's number one contendership be used off of the specials again, like it was last time?

And WHY couldn't Breeze win?! One last hurrah and loss before leaving for a little while to get his character back together, or something like that.

DANA BROOKE & EMMA vs. CHARLOTTE & BAYLEY

for basically no reason whatsoever

'passable'

There's honestly not much to say about this match, it was what was expected. Charlotte and Bayley working together very suddenly though showing dissension almost all the time is probably my biggest disappointment overall. Second would be them winning. Though I'm far from a fan of Dana Brooke being on TV (I don't mind her herself though), I still think if you're gonna put someone on TV then don't make them look like shit, which is kinda what happened in this case seeing as she only debuted a few weeks beforehand.

On a side-note, when is Charlotte going up to the main roster? I don't think it's time - NXT's female division needs her - but I thought it was inevitable after the loss of her championship.

BARON CORBIN vs. RHYNO

to prove Baron Corbin isn't that bad of a wrestler

'disappointing'

Most seem to know I am, or maybe was, a vocal supporter of Baron Corbin earlier in his career. I was one of the few who was hoping he would debut 'officially' when he was still a barely-known albeit very tall jobber doing nothing but losing tag matches with Sawyer Fulton and being a part of multi-man battle royales,

The main reason I was a fan of the guy is because a tall, powerful and intimidating guy was what NXT needed at the time, and in a way, still does, even though Owens is filling the "intimidating bad guy" role pretty well. Corbin debuted not long after I was really hoping he did and it was alright, although he was a face and he grew his hair out which I thought and still think looked a lot less intimidating. I was hoping for a heel Corbin with shorter hair like he had pre-'official' debut and keeping the vest as soon as I saw it, but that didn't happen at all, but the squashes were still interesting.

At the special where he took on Dempsey and had a very very subpar match (even if not compared to stellar wrestlers that main event these shows) things looked bleak, obviously. Knowing most people would shit on a guy once they find out they can't perform to their abnormally high standard, I knew that the reaction to Corbin would abruptly turn more negative than ever, and it did.

Personally I stayed positive.

Until this match with Rhyno where he showed little to no improvement at all in the last few months, still using the same extreme lack of a moveset and looking like an idiot getting smacked around by a veteran like Rhyno, looking almost as bad winning as he would have lost. Whether that's on booking, I don't know, but he didn't impress me and my standards for a developmental talent are very fair.

I'm hoping that Corbin can return and display some kind of character if not an improvement in his wrestling ability. Some people with less or equal skill are doing a lot better than he is, so now I can agree in part with Reigns comparisons pre-Fastlane in which he seems un-ready for lengthier matches.

ENZO & BIG CASS vs. BLAKE & MURPHY (c)

for the NXT Tag Team Championship, and to show how little that title matters with the 8:50 time

'bretty gud'

Yet another short tag team championship match on an NXT special, and likely still more people complaining that the tag team champions Blake & Murphy aren't doing anything interesting or are, themselves, uninteresting. It's a sad and vicious cycle in NXT if you can't tell. Bookers don't give you time, people still think it's the performers lacking.

Anyway, the match was entertaining and a very fitting (though unfortunate) mid-card act. Enzo & Cass doing great in their roles as well as Blake & Murphy. Enzo being completely dominated in ring by two much better wrestlers with a great synergy as a team is perfect at the moment, though it'll probably run dry eventually. The NEED for Enzo to rely on Cass is fantastic as well, and making Cass out to be an incredibly dangerous SEVEN FOOT TALL MONSTER is probably the best thing going outside of the main event of NXT right now. Cass is virtually unbeatable without getting cheated or let down by Enzo, which is exactly how it should be - and exactly how it should be when they're champions too, which I hope is inevitable.

Ultimately I'm a little bit disappointed with that apparent swerve at the end with Bliss joining forces with Blake & Murphy to officially change the name of the group to "BAMF", but, eh, can't control everything I suppose. A heel Bliss is better than a face Bliss, even if no Bliss is better than any Bliss, so it's the second best option.

I'd definitely like to see Enzo & Cass climb the ranks again to get another shot at the titles, but with Enzo actually breaking through and looking a bit more like a force in the ring. Not 'strong' but just not quite as weak, where he can at least land a combo of punches or something on the opponents. Still rely on Cass to win though, that's a winning combination.

BECKY LYNCH vs. SASHA BANKS (c)

for the NXT Women's Championship, and to essentially main event the show

'fantastic'

I don't know if it's even necessary to put my thoughts into words on this match, it was great. I don't like revising on these things because I feel I always forget things, but I could probably say it was the best divas match of NXT history without feeling like I lied.

Though, with the revising I just mentioned I don't like doing, it feels as if this match was a much better submission based match than the Natalya vs. Charlotte match which was also very well received. Instead of the submissions and limb-picking being somewhat overlooked in the match and going un-sold for a fair portion of it, the entire match between Banks and Becky was consistent in the pain selling. The match even trumped Banks vs. Charlotte in the intensity department from Sasha, who was ruthless as ever in this match.

On a/the only downside of the match, it could have went longer. The listed time is about fifteen and a half minutes, and when I think about it, another two to five minutes could have made the match a whole lot better. It feels like they only got about three quarters of the way into selling their injuries, and though the end of the match was fantastic, it could have drawn on a couple of minutes before that spot. We know the pair were working eachothers' arms for the majority of the match but we never got to see what we often see in matches like this, where the injury seller is on the brink of giving up not from a submission, but just from the pain that has been inflicted during the match, but still fighting back. Becky showed a slight bit of this but never went deep enough, which definitely could have been enhanced with some more minutes.

SAMI ZAYN vs. KEVIN OWENS (c)

for the NXT Championship

'that wasn't a match'

Yea, this wasn't even a match. It should have been a count-out multiple times in the match, it's as if they botched and the ring bell went off when it never was supposed to, or something like that, because that was horribly booked for a main event match in NXT, which is often booked pretty fucking well especially with referee involvement.

Nothing to even talk about with the supposed match, it was what it was, a showing for Zayn to look like he'd not give up despite injury which is probably too much for him to actually wrestle through. The last powerbomb did look legitimately damaging given his shoulder situation (apparently anyway) though, I'll give it that.

One of the best parts of the night was the interaction between Owens and Regal though. The few moments they had together in that scrimmage was fantastic. Overshadowed by the Samoa Joe 'debut', but ultimately an amazing little quarrel which leaves so many options for continuity.

Will Regal get rid of Owens and he gets a speedy main roster call-up? Will Regal wrestle again and get his ass whipped by Owens? Will he strip Owens of the title? There are a hell of a lot more options with this.

Though, with Samoa Joe coming out, I'm really liking how Owens is being portrayed as a sympathetic, kinda likeable, but despicable heel, and getting in trouble with so many people because of it. He's feuding with Zayn and Cena on the main roster, and the tension with Regal and now Joe can be added in as likely "feuds", with the hatred between him and Riley and other commentators because of what he has done to Riley, you could consider him even hated by the entire commentary team, bar maybe one or two of them "bad commentators" (I don't pay attention to who's who any more) and ultimately Owens even being disliked strongly by Balor as well.

In a sense I dislike how he's such a focal point of the show considering how long he has been contracted by WWE and every other reason but I can't deny how fucking well he has been booked and how gripping everything he is doing on NXT is. I don't care for Kevin STEEN but Kevin Owens as a WWE performer is probably the best thing going right now, NXT or main roster. A great performer, decent promo, and so very well booked.

Samoa Joe I don't care about though. :-)