(And wow-ing me is really important to the WWE as we're all well aware, heh.)
Let's see what the Florida team has cooked up for us, shall we?
No Way Jose vs. Austen Aries
NWJ has been growing on me as an entertainer, but he needs a broader arsenal of moves before I'd rank him among the other solid workers in NXT. Aries is a ring veteran who is known for pulling great matches out of people, but his run with the 'E has left much to be desired. This feud seemed like a step down for The Greatest Man That Ever Lived, but as the weeks have worn on, I think it's done wonders for his onscreen character. He just wants to be taken seriously sooo bad! I think Aries needs the win here to establish himself a bit, and NWJ doesn't. He's a comedy act for now, and comedic wrestlers don't need wins.
Bobby Roode vs. Andrade "Cien" Almas
There's a high ceiling for Almas, and I get the feeling we've only seen a fraction of what he can do thus far, but his debut and subsequent matches seem to have fallen flat with the crowd. This match is more about introducing us to the GLORIOUS presence of Roode. Roode was a mainstay in TNA/Impact for nearly a decade and whether he was tagging with James Storm or harassing a rookie Eric Young as the second coming of the Million Dollar Man, he was one of their top heels in and out of the ring. They could go two ways with this: Roode could walk in and simply body Almas, or get punked out to set up a more ruthless turn. I'm leaning toward the former, since they need to line up some solid contenders for the champion ASAP.
The Revival vs. Tommaso Ciampa & Johnny Gargano
I feel like The Revival lost some steam somewhere along the way. I think not having American Alpha or Enzo & Cass to play off of has hurt them a bit. I want them to retain, just so they can establish themselves with a long title run and fine-tune that smash-mouth "no flips, just fists" style. Ciampa and Gargano teased a breakup during the Cruiserweight Classic, but cooler heads prevailed and we got a handshake and a hug instead. Could a loss here bring that pot back to a boil? Perhaps.
Asuka vs. Bayley
The buildup to this match hasn't been the greatest thing in the world, but man, I just wanna see these two throw down! I predict Asuka will bring that long-dormant mean streak out in Bayley the way Charlotte did a while back, but will ultimatelt retain. Bayley is on her way to one of the main rosters, mark my words. Maybe the 'E will have a fall draft of some sort? Plus, Asuka needs to have a nice, long title run for the same reasons as The Revival. Let her hold onto that strap for a good long while, so once they move her up to Raw or Smackdown, she'll have a reputation to make up for her promo skills. (And she doesn't need promos anyway, just that crazy smile.)
Samoa Joe vs. Shinsuke Nakamura
One thing that irks me about Joe's title reign is the way they tried to retroactively act like her just walked in, stomped on Finn, and grabbed the belt. He battled Finn Balor for months. Aside from that, this match has had a decent build, with things really heating up in the last two weeks. Shinsuke stealing Joe's nose is the .gif of the century and his unusual demeanor makes it hard to compare him to other comedic acts we've seen. He has a goofy persona that masks what a killer he is in the ring. I don't think WWE has had a character quite like him in their roster before. This one is tough to call. I think we'll get more than one match of it, with the eventual loser moving up to one of the main two rosters. I want to think Joe will hand Shinsuke his first loss here, but with so many of the heels going over before this match, I also think they'll want to end on a high note with the good guy winning.
Either way, it's gonna be a slobberknocker, as Good 'ol J.R. likes to say. Thanks for reading! Drop me a line on Twitter (@ChrisBComics) or via e-mail (backissuechris@gmail.com).
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