10 Ups & 3 Downs From Last Night's WWE NXT (Sept 25)
6. Bro Cole
WWE.com
A follow-up far more satisfying than the match that came before it, Adam Cole and Matt Riddle's brief interaction served as instant set-up for their huge main event next week.
It was perfect character work on both counts - Cole's obnoxious swagger was completely undone by Riddle's restored chill and wicked quick submission game.
In 30 seconds, the strengths and weaknesses of Challenger and Champion alike were both established, nobly attempting to create a suspension of disbelief even if the result probably really doesn't carry the drama the brand may need to keep viewers on the hook.
Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation over 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. Within the podcasting space, he also co-hosts Benno & Hamflett, In Your House! and Podcast Horseman: The BoJack Horseman Podcast. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, Fightful, POST Wrestling, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett
