6 Ups And 2 Downs From Last Night's WWE NXT (May 11)
The build to TakeOver begins!
One week after Samoa Joe made his first TV appearance as NXT Champion, Finn Balor made his return to Full Sail University. Though his 292-day reign with the belt had come to an end, Balor was focused on diving right back into competition and doing whatever he could to work his way back into contention. He got his chance in the form of a match with "The Drifter" Elias Samson.
Also in action were NXT Tag Team Champions American Alpha. While Jason Jordan and Chad Gable were only competing in what amounted to a squash match, they were confronted after the bout by a team looking to get their hands on gold once more.
Finally, Shinsuke Nakamura - whose sole televised NXT matches have been recorded at the Kay Bailey Hutchinson Convention Center - made his Full Sail University debut, taking on Alex Riley in a bout that was announced last week. Would Nakamura continue his run of success and get a great reaction from the crowd, or would a competitive match with a forgotten talent hurt his mystique?
All questions were answered - and several new ones were raised - as TakeOver: Revenge drew ever closer. Here are 6 ups and 2 downs from Wednesday's episode of NXT TV.
8. Downs - Generic Young
Though Eric Young wasn't on this week's episode of NXT, a promo with the former TNA Heavyweight Champion that was recorded last week aired. In the video, Andrea DiMarco asked Eric Young why he had come to NXT. Young replied by saying that he was a fan of the competition that the brand offered - the best of the best came to fight in NXT, and that's where he wanted to test himself.
There was nothing specifically wrong with the promo (aside from the fact that it was full of repeated lines, a crutch for WWE's scripting team), but again, it didn't do much to make Young feel interesting. WWE continues to trade on the fact that fans already know and care about Young, and while many do, it still feels like he's in danger of quickly blending into the scenery.
Hopefully, WWE can tweak Young's character beyond what it is now. Even if it takes a heel turn, Young should be standing out.