Who were the big winners and losers on this week’s episode of NXT?
After WWE NXT on Wednesday, there are a handful of superstars who are seeing their stock rise. Likewise, a couple of superstars look like they’ve hit a rough spot. A pro wrestler’s career is always full of peaks and valleys, but in WWE they get magnified because of the number of eyes on them at all times.
With that said, let’s take a look at some superstars on the move after NXT this week.
Winners
Bobby Fish & Kyle O’Reilly
Fish and O’Reilly made their names in Ring of Honor and New Japan as a tag team, but this was the first time since joining NXT they teamed up. And boy, did they show why they are a great tag team.
The chemistry shown throughout the match by Fish and O’Reilly was first rate all the way. Being in the ring with another great tag team – Trent Seven and Tyler Bate, known as Moustache Mountain – made this a phenomenal match, but Fish and O’Reilly shined throughout.
Following the match, The Undisputed Era of Fish, O’Reilly, and Adam Cole (baybay) saw their feuds with both SAnitY and Drew McIntyre continue. Coming in to NXT in such a high profile manner and immediately attacking both the NXT Tag Team Champions and the NXT Champion means big things are on the horizon. This week, Fish and O’Reilly especially proved their worth in the ring.
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The Velveteen Dream
I’m going to say this right out of the gate: I do not like The Velveteen Dream. Maybe it’s because I like Prince too much, maybe it’s because I’m old, maybe it’s because I think Patrick Clark could work wonders as “Patrick Clark,” I don’t know.
But the character is not my cup of tea.
HOWEVER, I can’t let that get in the way of the fact that Dream killed it last night.
He’s entering into his most high pofile story to date – with Aleister Black. And he more than held his own on the mic with Black, who had yet to speak at all in his NXT career.
I’d also like to point out that if Velveteen Dream can turn me onto him, he’d be the second NXT character that everyone loved but I hated on their debut that I eventually came around on. That’s what NXT does for these characters – they present them in such a way that you almost can’t hate them. He’s got a ways to go, but last night Velveteen Dream took a huge step forward.
Losers:
Tino Sabbatelli
Honestly, this is more for Sabby being a cocky jock and failing. Calling guys like that “losers” always warms this nerd’s heart, you know?
.@JohnnyGargano has his hands full on @WWENXT as he faces @TinoSabbatelli! #WWENXT pic.twitter.com/TnfrWZWh7t
— WWE (@WWE) September 21, 2017
Last week, Johnny Gargano defeated Riddick Moss in a pretty good match. After it was over, Moss’s tag partner Tino Sabbatelli boasted that Gargano’s win was a fluke, nothing more. He issued a challenge to Johnny Wrestling, and it was quickly accepted.
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This week, as would be expected, Gargano kept his momentum moving forward, while Sabby was forced to eat his words. There are no flukes in Johnny Wrestling’s world. Perhaps inexperience cost Sabbatelli a win this week, but more likely than not it’s that Gargano is just that good. And maybe now Tino will think twice before opening his mouth.