7 Ups & 3 Downs From Last Night's WWE NXT (Oct 23)

Downs...

1. Muddied Waters

Io Shirai Rhea Ripley
WWE.com

The Io Shirai interference in the opener tainted Rhea Ripley’s win.

It was a clear attempt to weave a multi-pronged story together, which is good—theoretically—but it rendered the result somewhat indecisive. It moved that story forward, but not in a way that felt truly conclusive. Ripley is the clear choice to usurp Baszler. Her path should be clearer. Not to the detriment of drama, or her challengers in the field—but not in a way that muddies her aura as a killer.

This potentially leaves Belair with justification for a rematch.

Isn't this the "no BS" alternative to the main roster?

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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!