WWE NXT Review: Results, Analysis, and Grades for September 28

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 12:06 p.m. ET

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Source: WWE.com, NXT

Find out everything that happened on Wednesday’s episode of WWE NXT.

Previously on WWE NXT, Samoa Joe chewed up and spit out HIPAA Privacy Rules and spilled the beans on Shinsuke Nakamura’s injury. With the NXT Champion on the shelf for a minimum of 6-12 weeks, Joe wants his championship back. He threatened William Regal, telling him that if Regal doesn’t make a decision, Joe will make it for him. What he means is anyone’s guess.

Elsewhere, Cedric Alexander made the leap from Cruiserweight Classic to NXT, after a quick stopover on Raw. Alexander, one of the standouts from the CWC, took on and defeated Andrade “Cien” Almas. Following the match, Almas seemed upset, but offered Alexander an embrace out of respect. Surely, that won’t come back into play at any point.

This week on NXT, the only match advertised ahead of time was a Women’s Division match. Liv Morgan has spent the past few weeks building herself up to challenge Asuka. Tonight, she’ll get her shot in a non-title match. Will Morgan Liv to see another day? Or will Asuka kick her head off faster than that Dad Joke made you groan?

In other NXT Universe news, Tye Dillinger has put together a bit of a hot streak. Will he keep that going? And Hideo Itami and Austin Aries have engaged in a somewhat one-sided battle over the past several weeks. Can Full Sail University contain these two superstars?

With the next TakeOver special scheduled for Survivor Series weekend in November, we’re likely getting closer to the point where that show’s card will need to take shape. Challengers for each championship will emerge, rivalries will intensify, and matches will be signed. Will that begin tonight?

Please continue reading for everything that happened on Wednesday’s episode of WWE NXT.

Source: WWE.com

Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic

In a cold open, General Manager William Regal announced that the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic will be held again this year. The brackets will be revealed on social media over the next few days. The finals will be held at NXT TakeOver: Toronto in November, and the first matches will be seen next week on NXT.

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Bryan’s Thoughts: It’s great that the tournament is back for another year. Tag team wrestling is often one of NXT’s strong points, and with teams like TM61 and the Authors of Pain in the company now it’s a great opportunity for them.

In addition, last year’s tournament brought us the debut of Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa. Over the past year, they’ve had a great run with some great matches, including an instant classic against The Revival in Brooklyn. There’s no telling who may be introduced to NXT this year in the tournament.

Also, look at that first round match above. The Revival are studs, and Alexander is amazing, and this may be the kick in the pants Almas needs to turn things around. A+ match here.

Tye Dillinger vs. Angelo Dawkins

Result: Tye Dillinger defeated Angelo Dawkins via pinfall

Rating: 2.0 out of 5 stars

Dillinger continues his hot streak, picking up another victory over an NXT veteran. As for Dawkins, well, my wife watched this week’s episode and wanted to know why he looked like he was making brownies.

The match itself was perfectly fine, but the real news is what came after the bell. In-ring action being a means to an end isn’t the greatest thing in the world, but it is what it is. And really, any appearance by Bobby Roode is welcomed.

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So Roode comes to the stage, continuing to be amazing at leading the Full Sail crowd on before dropping a bombshell. Not saying “glorious” when it’s perfectly set up and appropriate is heel work at its best, at least for Full Sail. Same for referring to Dillinger as “not quite a 10.” Roode says he wants to win the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic, since he came to NXT to win.

But he hasn’t made many friends since being in the company, and I guess Austin Aries is busy at the moment. So Roode – despite already saying that he doesn’t think Dillinger is a 10 – asks Tye to be his partner. Dillinger accepts, and we have our first entrants in the second annual Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic.

The Ealy Brothers (Gabriel & Uriel) vs. The Revival (Scott Dawson & Dash Wilder)

Result: No Contest

Rating: No Rating

Man, I was in the middle of preparing a “Well, it’s obvious that the Ealy Brothers are going to cheat at some point, look at the Kinesio tape in identical places on these identical twins” spiel when Samoa Joe stormed the ring.

Anyway, the match never happens because Samoa Joe, ironically enough, is the most honest man in NXT. He said “if you don’t do A, then I’ll do B,” and he is following through. Empty threats don’t exist in his world.

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The Revival, even without competing, once again show why they are among the best performers in NXT history. When they saw what Joe was doing, Dawson zipped his jacket back up on their way back up the ramp. And Dash raised his arms in victory, since they were leaving on their own two feet. Subtle things like that are the difference between good and great, if you ask me.

Oh, and when the Ealy Brothers finally debut for real, they’re absolutely going to pull a Killer Bees/Twin Magic thing. Why else would they have the Kinesio tape in the exact same spot?

Hideo Itami Backstage

Itami says he’s looking forward to facing the debuting Lince Dorado tonight, because Dorado has heart. This is in contrast to Austin Aries, who’s just a big baby and a coward. Itami says he thinks he needs to be put to sleep again.

Mandy Rose vs. Ember Moon

Result: Ember Moon defeated Mandy Rose via pinfall

Rating: 2.0 out of 5 stars

It’s still a little stunning to me that out of all the Tough Enough competitors in the most recent season, Rose is one of the first to get regular television time. What happened to Josh, man?

But she holds her own in the ring, so good for her. It’s a little rough around the edges, but that bump on the top rope stunner from Moon was Dwayne Johnson-esque. It’s clear she wants to succeed and is putting in the work, and a little more time should make her one of the top women in the division.

Ember Moon continues to impress as well, and despite what happens later in the episode in the Women’s Division, it’s her time to make a move. More on that in a bit.

DIY Backstage

Gargano and Ciampa say they have a checklist of things they want to achieve. First, they want to win the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic, since that’s how they entered NXT. Second, they want to beat The Revival. Third, they want to win the NXT Tag Team Championships.

Related: I don’t think Gargano and Ciampa know how a checklist works, since they were checking the items off after reading them. Hey, guys, I love you, but you check things off after you finish them.

Source: WWE.com

Authors of Pain (Akam & Rezar, w/ Paul Ellering) vs. Jesus Urnett & Jonathan Cruz

Result: Authors of Pain defeated Jesus Urnett & Jonathan Cruz via pinfall

Rating: 1.5 out of 5 stars

Ho hum, another Authors squash. I really enjoy what they do, but we’ve seen so much more from them. The “two steps forward, one step back” approach has its benefits, but it can hinder things a bit.

Ellering taking the mic after the match provides a little foreshadowing, as “chapter one is finished, but chapter two will bring a plethora of pain.” Aside from his weird pronunciation of “plethora,” Ellering adding in, “that’s all you need to know” is terrifyingly cryptic.

What else can Akam and Rezar do? Are they going to break out a high-flying arsenal and destroy opponents from the air? Turn them into a hybrid of a Sherman Tank and a B-52 Bomber?

William Regal Backstage

Regal says he can’t exactly provide an update on Shinsuke Nakamura. He says Nakamura is eccentric and doesn’t answer his phone, so there are no updates. He’s about to inform us of some teams in the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic, but is interrupted by Blake and Murphy. Despite trying to show unity, it quickly breaks down into the two bickering, and Regal dismisses them from his office.

Source: WWE.com

Liv Morgan vs. Asuka

Result: Asuka defeated Liv Morgan via submission

Rating: 1.3 out of 5 stars

Well, the crowd got this right at the beginning with the “Asuka’s Gonna Kill You” chant.

Clearly, the point of this match is to highlight the divide in the NXT Women’s Division. On one side, you have Asuka. On the other side, you have literally everyone else. And between the two sides is the Pacific Ocean.

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Poor Morgan, bless her heart, did what she could. But a couple of forearms and a dropkick ain’t gonna get it done against a wrecking ball like the NXT Women’s Champion. One forearm and a wicked Rings of Saturn variation later, and the match was over before it even started.

After the match, Asuka makes this completely clear by outright saying – again – that no one is ready for her. As mentioned above, it’s painfully obvious that Ember Moon will be the next credible challenger for the NXT Women’s Championship. Whether or not she’s really ready is irrelevant, because she’s the best there is.

With Asuka so head and shoulders above the rest of the division, and Moon still relatively new, it’s possible that NXT TakeOver: Toronto will feature a placeholder challenger for the NXT Women’s Championship. Maybe Billie Kay gets the nod, or even Liv Morgan gets another chance. But I doubt Moon gets the shot that soon because she is the credible threat. It would be much more impressive if she dethrones an Asuka who has destroyed literally everyone else in the meantime.

Lince Dorado vs. Hideo Itami

Result: Hideo Itami defeated Lince Dorado via pinfall

Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars

Does Hideo Itami have a vendetta against CHIKARA or something? Drew Gulak two weeks ago, Dorado tonight – someone tell Johnny Gargano to watch his back.

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Maybe it’s me, but I feel like Itami is being groomed for a possible heel turn. He’s been much more aggressive since his return from injury, but he’s also been much more cocky. The repeated sequence of removing the kneepad, faking a kneedrop, and dismissively kicking a downed opponent in the face is like Heel 101.

It would make some sense for Itami, who missed over a year with an injury and watched NXT evolve without him. I’d be angry, too, if I was supposed to be a huge focus in the company and it barely missed me.

Itami isn’t even the top international superstar in NXT anymore – and it’s arguable that’s he’s not even the best from his own country. With Nakamura atop the promotion, Itami needs to evolve to stand out – maybe being the big bad will work for him.

Major props to Dorado for selling the heck out of the GTS. The veteran just crumpled to the mat, which is pretty accurate for getting your bell rung by a knee to the face.

The post-match attack by Aries was picture perfect. The entire feud is being built around the notion of cowardice, and Aries is nailing every beat. He may be the best cowardly heel of the past several years, because it’s so believable – and unnecessary, from a realistic standpoint. Why should Aries be a coward? He’s great!

What did you think of this week’s episode of WWE NXT?

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