6 Ups And 1 Down From Last Night's WWE NXT (June 29)
Which team reigns supreme?
With nearly two months to go until the next TakeOver special, one would think that NXT might hold off on announcing any big matches. That hasn't been the case. The brand has still been building up to some major showdowns, only they'll be taking place on the weekly TV show rather than live in Brooklyn.
The first match, of course, is the dream showdown between Finn Balor and Shinsuke Nakamura. The bout was made two weeks ago, and while it easily could have headlined TakeOver: Back to Brooklyn, it's happening sooner than that (probably so Finn Balor can jump to the main roster before SummerSlam). That bout will happen in just two weeks. Meanwhile, another huge match was announced on this week's program, one that'll take place in seven days.
Apart from that, seeds are slowly being sewn for what will end up being the "new" NXT - the brand, as it will stand, after WWE raids it for the brand split. New contenders are being built up in the women's and tag team divisions. Fresh faces are being introduced or given new motivation. And, of course, great wrestling remains the top priority.
Here are 6 ups and 1 down from June 29's NXT:
7. Downs - From Cien To Zero
Andrade "Cien" Almas was in action once more, this time taking on NXT talent Noah Potjes. The match was brief, and while there was nothing wrong with it (Almas got to hit some dazzling high-risk moves), it just didn't feel like the best use of the man once known as La Sombra.
For whatever reason, the crowd isn't responding to Almas the way one would hope. He was one of the top stars in Mexico, and his acquisition was every bit as newsworthy as Shinsuke Nakamura's, but so far, that hasn't translated into a reception from the Full Sail crowd. Maybe the problem is the fact that he was booked against Tye Dillinger twice in a row, or maybe there's something off with his presentation.
Either way, a case like that would call for some action - maybe Almas needs to get involved in a storyline, or maybe he needs to take on a heel whom the fans actually treat as a heel. Whatever the remedy, it wasn't a squash match in front of a nearly-silent crowd.