FEEDBACK: upNXT July 13th 2021

General
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upNXT Kross vs Gargano
upNXT Kross vs Gargano1920×1080 283 KB

Allo, allo, allo! Davie Portman requesting all of your feedback for tonight’s WWE NXT featuring Karrion Kross vs Johnny Gargano for the NXT Championship!

Braden Herrington and I will be going LIVE on Twitch at 10:15pm with our review of tonight’s NXT.

Or you can download the audio show by searching for “upNXT” wherever you find your podcasts!

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MJ here with some hot takes that most upNXTperts will flame me for - it’s fine, I know people talk.

  • Ikemen - knock off Hiromu - is dead on arrival. They could not have clowned this character any more - I mean he’s trained by Tajiri and Great Muta, literally the only two Japanese wrestlers I think WWE recognizes. (Okay, fact checked myself, he was trained by Taijiri, but that isn’t a selling point on Japaense talent coming to WWE).
  • Okay, I’ll say it: WAR GAMES!!! At least we’ll get a fresh matchup this year with Hit Row and Legado Del Fantasma (bookmark this for when somehow that isn’t the match they do)
  • RIP Women’s Division - I know people won’t like me saying it - but this new crop feels like it’s taken a big step back in overall presence. Over time they may all have potential but this isn’t that Best Division in Wrestling anymore which is was only a year ago
  • Duke Hudson’s Imagnie Dragon’s sounding theme is solid.
  • Cole is so far above the majority of this roster that being merely in his presence makes somebody feel elevated. I have liked Bronson a long time and would love a strong feud with Cole but again…just wanna see everyone including Bronson with Joe instead

So Johnny is at the losing clean on TV in title matches point of his NXT run. He’s the best. He got a stellar match outa Kross and is never not going to be the heart of NXT. Kross felt like a champion against Gargano which is more than anyone’s gotten out of him so far. Not a big fan of the angle with Joe. I was kinda digging who will Joe feud with each week and I don’t see him winning the title.

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Jesse from the 6

After weeks of Johnny Gargano attacking Kross from behind and still getting beaten up. After weeks of Johnny attacking Kross with his buddy Theory and still getting beaten up. And after weeks of Johnny being made to look like a fool at every opportunity, we get a match. A 14-minute match in which Kross dumps Johnny on the edge of the table for some reason, spends half the time arguing with Joe, and then finishes the match by ragdolling Johnny with seven unanswered moves. NXT took their all-time best performer and turned him into a clown to progress a feud between their champ and the referee of the match.

I’m not saying the match was bad. Johnny is the GOAT of NXT; he can have a great 14-minute match with anybody. With a different story, I could have really enjoyed this. But as it was presented, it just pissed me off.

I don’t know who this NXT is for, but it’s not me. I’m out. Call me back when Cool Kyle is champ and Johnny is the Rebel Heart again.

Take Care

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