11 Ups & 7 Downs For NXT In 2018

2. The Undisputed Era

The Undisputed Era are excellent at what they do. They aren't supposed to be the coolest guys in the room, but a group of jumped-up high-school jocks who think they're the coolest guys in the room. Kyle O'Reilly, that glorious little goofball, plays air guitar with his Tag Team Title on the way to the ring. Their ring entrance is calibrated specifically so that Adam Cole can point to his big, smug face on the 'boom!'. Roderick Strong literally called The Mighty 'The Weaky' on this week's NXT TV, and his cohorts retorted with 'sick burn.' These guys are dorks, and that's why they work.

Generic cocky heel stables have been done a thousand times before, but knowing that Undisputed aren't anywhere near as subversive as they deem themselves is the kicker. The characters mesh perfectly. Cole's the biggest personality, but each has a voice of their own, and with Roderick Strong reborn as a heel after his vanilla babyface run, they've struck an awesome balance.

Their in-ring fortunes have been middling in 2018. Cole was the first North American Champion and his pals have held the tag belts for a considerable length of time, but they haven't cracked the NXT Title picture itself yet. Rather than being a problem, this gives one (Cole, probably) a clear goal to work for in 2019. Their work isn't close to done.

Undisputed get extra points for crowd control. They're treated like babyfaces when the music hits, but have become extremely adept at turning cheers to jeers when the bell rings. Accomplishing this through sharp, effective heel work, they help readdress any wonky crowd reactions, though it's unlikely they'll ever shed the positivity completely.