6 Ups And 3 Downs From WWE NXT (Aug 24)
What did WWE NXT have in store for us at the start of this new era? More of the same, apparently.
WWE.comAnd there you have it. An era reportedly ended with a TakeOver event for the ages. A dominant Champion has officially moved over to pastures main roster and taken up a new stance on mask-wearing. The one-time face of the brand appears to be on the cusp of becoming All Elite. And a new direction focused on younger, beefier, and mouldable talent looks to be upon us.
But to expect NXT to become a completely different beast entirely in the space of a few days was always going to be rather unrealistic. Instead, the black and gold show kicked off this bold new era with a bit of a safe sparkler - and we're not talking about the ones showering our one true Million Dollar king Cameron Grimes to the ring.
The same logic gaps that were there a week ago refused to die a death, but the brand still offered up its usual array of eclectic match-ups, ranging from violent slug-fests to slick tag team eliminators. Last night also saw a victorious Samoa Joe return to Tuesday nights with his shiny new belt, determined to set his sights on a new challenge... or should that be challengers.
There's an argument to be made that it's never been harder to figure out where the show goes from here than it is in this very moment, with so many shifts and alterations seemingly going down every week - from releases to call-ups. But with that chaos also comes opportunity, and hopefully the beginning of an epic new chapter for some of the brand's once overlooked faces...