7 Ups & 3 Downs From Last Night's WWE NXT (Oct 23)
7. Finn Bálor Turns Heel
Finally.
NXT has finally provided a true reason to tune back in next week beyond the promise of the sort of very good pro wrestling match that is too commonplace to truly savour. Finally, NXT learned or re-learned the true trick of great TV: the emotional hook.
After Johnny Gargano emerged to back up his old #DIY partner Tommaso Ciampa—a nice moment worthy of an Up in itself—Finn Bálor arrived on the scene to further even the odds.
The blocking of the turn was exceptional and so removed from NXT’s customs. Instead of cinematically drawing back for the purpose of “tension”, Bálor stepped forward and immediately smashed Gargano in the face with a Pelê kick. He spent just enough time registering the pop before the scene took on a note of melodrama, and then dropkicked Gargano through the barricade in a terrific-looking spot. He looked bigger, physically and in terms of his recovered presence, than he has in years. Johnny Gargano was the perfect target for this assault, too: he has assumed Bálor’s long-forgotten role as the heart of the brand.
The match will be exceptional, provided Bálor can recover his form, too—but it’s more than that, for once.
Bálor is a superb heel. If he can recover that character, NXT just improved by orders of magnitude.