NXT recap & reactions: Odd man out

Roxanne Perez goes on the hunt, Ethan Page loses his smile, and Eddy Thorpe is a choice on this week’s NXT.

Actions Not Words

This might be short. Emphasis on might because when I aim for short I usually go long.

I don’t quite know what the territory is doing with Eddy Thorpe but I can’t say I like it.

If you remember, and he surely reminded us this week, someone beat up Eddy and took him out of the Iron Survivor Challenge match. Oba Femi, his replacement, won that match. Oba addressed Trick Williams this week with his usual mix of respect and disrespect done only in a fashion that he can. But then Eddy hit the ring and that’s when things got weird.

Eddy started everything on the wrong foot the second he opened his mouth. He said he wouldn’t let Trick ignore him or forget what Oba did to him. And I was with him a little there even though, again, this is out of nowhere. But then he connected his current struggles with the injustices indigenous Americans faced and continue to face in this country:

“My people have been through enough!”

Yup. Real words coming out of a real person’s mouth. I’m sure the move was part of making Eddy look like oblivious and obnoxious, which are usually two things necessary for a heel, so props for making it work. But it’s just a weird thing to get there. Then he looked worse when Trick barely acknowledged him and Oba gave him a few words before promptly turning his attention back to the NXT champion. Eddy stood there, microphone in hand, while these two cats acted like he didn’t exist.

Look, straight up and down, that’s not a good look. When anyone challenges the champion, or wants to insert themselves into a big match, there should be hope or some credibility. Eddy standing there like the kid on the playground no one wants to talk to made him look lesser than the two guys he believes he can defeat. Yes, he got his championship match after he got under Trick’s skin, but that feels more related to that well-documented boulder on Trick’s shoulder.

Then we got the final reveal when the credits rolled that Oba didn’t attack Eddy, much like he said; Eddy attacked Eddy. He set up this whole thing so he could get a title shot without fighting in the Iron Survivor Challenge. On one hand that makes him look like a conniving heel but on the other it makes him look weaker than flat soda. It also puts that line about his people in a very different context of which I can’t say I’m a fan.

Eddy finds himself in this position for basketball reasons. He went from a DJ beefing with Lexis King over EDM vs. Classic Rock, and now he’s getting a championship match playing the victim card and supposedly outsmarting everyone without convincing any audience member that he deserves it. I don’t see how this helps him or Trick, but that’s why I write about wrestling booking decisions instead of making wrestling booking decisions.

B-Sides

Pillar to Post

NXT kicked off in the rightful place this week: the women. Their Iron Survivor Challenge match rocked my world and it did a lot for everyone involved. Giulia came out first as the conquering hero, but not before Roxanne Perez spoiled her party like a spoiled brat. Something about this opening seemed off from a timing standpoint. Cora Jade followed Roxanne a few minutes later with a kendo stick in hand. She made sure that Stephanie Vaquer had no shot at helping Giulia escape the hands coming her way, but it was presented in the oddest way possible. Cora confessed to a crime before anyone even knew one took place, then we got video of said crime. Weird but they recovered at the end of the night.

Before getting there, Kelani Jordan stood by Giulia’s side while Stephanie recovered from the kendo lashing. That set up our main event tag team match.

I’m a broken record but I love when the heels attack before the bell rings! It’s a subtle gesture that goes a long way. It conveys everything about them and their feelings towards their opponents. Cora & Roxanne did just that while rocking their matching Shining twins outfits. Kelani & Giulia eventually found their footing and made it a back and forth match between two evenly matched teams. It also became clear that Cora & Roxanne were all about dividing and conquering. Eventually it worked when Giulia, understandably, battled Roxanne into the locker room after the champ delivered a Pop Rox to Kelani outside of the ring. The Pop Rox, combined with Cora’s DDT, took the former North American champ out and gave the heels a win. This was all leading to Stephanie’s triumphant recovery and getting a little revenge on her assailant.

This sets up Stephanie vs. Cora, while putting more heat on Roxanne vs. Giulia. The only person out of sorts here is Kelani. But that’s possibly by design as it continues her losing streak. I keep wondering if she’ll snap but there’s clearly a purpose to all these Ls.

Nice main event that kept the heels hot while making it obvious they need to get what they deserve.

Rarities

• Incredible match between Je’Von Evans and Wes Lee. I love that there’s at least one person out there who makes Wes look like a relatively mat-based wrestler instead of a high-flyer. To that point, Wes changes his style when he faces Je’Von. He uses his power and really expresses his heel-ness through physicality and ruthlessness. Wes makes himself into Je’Von’s perfect foil, who impresses me more every week. The man’s aerial offense never stops and he finds more ways to make it compelling simply by jumping higher every time. I don’t love him kicking out of the Cardiac Kick but I get it within the larger story: This was part of Je’Von solidifying his spot in the upper card. Kicking out of the Cardiac Kick is a big deal in that regard. My only hope is they don’t waste that moment of his emphatic victory over Wes. I get the feeling this isn’t over yet based on Wes’ facial expressions and all that steam coming out of his ears post match. Oh, and props to Je’Von for busting out the Pearl River Plunge!
• Shotzi is back! Fatal Influence stole a match from Tatum Paxley & Gigi Dolin. And by stole I mean Fallon Henley interfered to help her girls get the victory. While the post match beatdown commenced in two on one fashion, Shotzi saved the day. She’s Tatum’s “friend” and she made good on that friendship. This is a cool development because Shotzi is a ball of energy and injects some more charisma on that side of the ledger with Gigi and Tatum.
• Ethan Page’s ego—no pun—took a hit with another loss after Deadline. This time it came from Tony D’Angelo. Now, the interesting thing here is that Tony offered Ethan this match because he felt bad for the guy. Ethan, always the jerk, said that the North American championship is beneath him. All it took was the rest of the locker room clamoring for a shot for Ethan to come to his senses. But then he mentioned that if he can’t win that championship, then he doesn’t have much of a career. Which obviously telegraphed the outcome but sets up something potentially interesting with Ethan. I haven’t really found myself enthralled with anything he’s done since stepping into NXT minus that first moment. Making him a loser and revealing the man beneath the facade might get me there though.

I truly don’t know how to feel about this week. Je’Von vs. Wes Lee rocked and felt important. They’re looking for new ways to heat up Roxanne Perez vs. Giulia and those ways are working for me. But overall the show felt like a swing and a miss. This is the beginning of the build for New Year’s Evil, so I understand pieces need to fall in place. What I don’t quite get is why it feels a bit slapdash or at least not compelling. Eddy Thorpe vs. Trick Williams in a championship match next week? More misunderstandings and drama between Nathan Frazer & Axiom? Stephanie Vaquer is beat up earlier in the show but magically recovers with no visible signs of injury just in time for the show to end and not to have her friend’s back?

A very meh show that felt heavy on plot but light on detail.

What say you?