4 Ups And 2 Downs From WWE NXT (Nov 4)
Ups...
4. ReEmber ReEmber, The 4th Of November
Giving the last week's audience breakdown (NXT enjoying something like a 100,000 viewer swing between their women's division and AEW's, and Io vs Candice being a bigger draw than Penta vs Kenny Omega...!) it was no surprise to see two of the division's Next Most Likely open the show was no big shock.
It feels a harsh appraisal, but Ember Moon is still a good few steps behind her heyday on this brand. What was clearly booked as a very physical match occasionally stalled as the former NXT Women's Champion took an extra second here or there to transition between segments.
However, when things did get going, this was a sensational opening match. After a sluggish start, the action after the commercial break was spotless and, conversely, full of great spots. Moon's better moments, combined with how solid and slick a worker Kai has become, made this such a natural pairing for the division.
As loathe as I am to praise a needlessly screwy finish, having Ember Moon seemingly awaken something insider herself, only to get caught out with a distraction, leaves a lot of room to return to this match. However you arrive at more of this, it's a good thing.