The NXT Championship scene has been chaotic ever since a slew of new guys debuted on the developmental brand following WrestleMania 42, including new signees as well as others brought up from “WWE EVOLVE.” New stars such as Mason Rook and “WWE LFG” talent Kam Hendrix have been vying for a shot at Tony D’Angelo’s gold, but at the Great American Bash, it will be former IWGP World Heavyweight Champion EVIL, now known as Naraku, to face off against the former “Don of NXT.”
While any other time, a former NJPW star competing in WWE would be exciting, and it’s certainly something fresh for the brand right now, the end result of this match is obvious, thanks to the chaos of the last few months. The amount of interference that can, and likely will, happen in the match makes it one of the most solid duds on the premium live event. A majority of WWE fans are exhausted by DQ finishes and matches ending due to overt shenanigans on the main roster, and bringing that trope to “NXT,” a brand that was once so revered for the in-ring work of the stars, feels pretty lame. The likely end of this match sees Rook and Hendrix get involved, or even Jackson Drake, who attempted to shoot his shot at the gold on Tuesday, leading to D’Angelo retaining, but hopefully without making Naraku look weak.
Naraku became number one contender to the title in the first place off a distraction from Hendrix. There’s no way this match ends without interference, as WWE likely won’t want Naraku to lose his first title shot clean. It doesn’t seem like the time to take the gold off D’Angelo, a solid force on the show for years, as these new talents continue to cement themselves and grow in “NXT.”
It also feels like there’s more story to tell with Naraku, and this match is partially a dud because his beef with the champion feels very unfinished. He initially told D’Angelo he wanted to protect him and the title before he got his own shot at the gold, but that only lasted for maybe a week before he became D’Angelo’s next challenger. On the episode before the PLE, Naraku also shot a fireball out of the contract for the match at D’Angelo, almost taking him out of the bout entirely, a pretty silly, yet poignant move that makes it feel like this won’t be their only clash.
There are so many solid matches, like the NXT Women’s Championship and the North American Championship, set for the show. The presumed wonky finish of this one, and the predictability of it, makes D’Angelo vs. Naraku a dud.
Written by Daisy Ruth
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