5 Ups & 5 Downs From Last Night's WWE NXT (Dec 11)

by Michael Sidgwick

1. The Right Man Wins

Finn Balor
WWE.com

Tommaso Ciampa's quest to reclaim Goldie is a TakeOver main event. His winning here would have lived down to the criticisms of NXT on USA as reactionary and desperate at the detriment of a gripping, long-term picture.

A Keith Lee win and flash-forward to an interference-driven loss wasn't a terrible idea, at all, but it had an air of cop-out about it, and his taking the loss was reassurance that he is perceived by brass as a long-term prospect. Keith Lee's momentum isn't the concern here; Finn Bálor's lack of it was. His history as a main roster World Champion and NXT legend demands an immediate push into the main event picture. His character is of a man who transcends the current main event because, without him, it would not exist.

Adam Cole Vs. Finn Bálor is a very interesting, different, and completely unpredictable match. The all-heel dynamic is fascinating, and if handled correctly - which is all but guaranteed - should manifest as the sort of match that is very rarely witnessed on North American TV. It really puts over the suspension of disbelief element, because why do two heels never wrestle?

A weird, refreshing and thoroughly captivating atmosphere is set to descend over Full Sail next week.

Advertisement
Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!