3 Ups And 2 Downs From NXT (December 14)

2. Storyline Progression

Damo’s introduction as the teased fourth member of SAnitY was not the plan - he is an eleventh hour replacement for the injured Sawyer Fulton - but it might just be a happy accident.

NXT has done the Monster Of The Week trope to death throughout its brief history. It would have been heavily ironic, had fans grown weary of the lone wolf behemoth act just as NXT found a man with genuine talent to play it. Instead, a plan is in place to position the Beast of Belfast as SAnitY’s henchman, likely to dominate the tag team ranks alongside Alexander Wolfe in 2017.

Or is it? Damo’s motivations are just ambiguous enough to create intrigue week-to-week. Is he forcing his way into the stable, or sending a message to them? Good episodic television requires a hook to ensure long-term audience investment - and a mystery is a foolproof method of doing just that.

Less intriguing was the set-up of Dario Berenato Vs. Billie Kay. The latter’s symbiotic partnership with Peyton Royce is a diminished return of Emma and Dana Brooke’s partnership, which was still very much in operation at this point last year. The Women’s division is thin enough in itself - inviting unflattering comparison is a curious creative misstep.