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

Ups...

1. The Right Woman Wins, Ultimately

Rhea Ripley
WWE.com

A good match, not a great match, this is what should open NXT: forward-thinking storytelling with a progressive result. Ish.

Bianca Belair and Rhea Ripley toyed with and subverted the expected strength versus flash dynamic in a way that served the storyline: this was a meeting set to determine which star was best-equipped to challenge Shayna Baszler. To do that—as proven over the course of Baszler’s stranglehold over the Women’s Title—it’s not enough to even be the best version of oneself.

This felt much less like get-sh*t-in flex, accordingly, and the fans went bonkers for the unpredictable drama and twisting content.

Ripley performed and was received as a star here—so much so that, already, she feels like the most credible threat and welcome successor to Shayna’s crown.

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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!