WWE NXT recap, reactions, video highlights (August 26, 2015): HungOver: Brooklyn

Maybe I'm just wrestled out. Not gonna bury the lede here, though. This show was a slog.

Not in an "hated it" kind of way, either. I just don't even really want to talk about. But I haven't not reacted to an episode of NXT on cSs in more than two and a half years, and I'm not gonna miss one now.

Plus, how bout that opener, though?

Recap:

• We open with a highlight package of the infinitely better show we got on Saturday night - a promo we will see again in about an hour.
• The Realest Guys set Brooklyn afire with their entrance, and a perfectly structured curtain jerker allows all eight-men to look good while keeping the joint jumping.
• Everybody gets their stuff in on a hectic finish, but the last thing that happens is Big Cass slamming Enzo onto Chad Gable for a win.
• Former tag champ Neville wants in the Dusty Rhodes Memorial, and the General Manager is going to make that happen for him.
• Highlights of the NXT championship ladder match from TakeOver, and Finn Bálor promises to take NXT to new heights.
• Dark Emma's origin story is told.

Reactions:

• Goosebumps just waiting for Amore to start his spiel. Fantastic moment, and other than the Women's title match, probably the thing I'm most bummed I wasn't there to experience.
• Enough with the rigamarole on the microphone...just kidding, keep talking 'Zo. Loved that they kept it basic and, maybe it was the afterglow of their pop, but I thought everyone's entrances struck the right note. Hype Bros as enthusiastic babyfaces playing to their fans, the heels as no-nonsense, arrogant badasses.
• Only gripe about the eight-man is that it should have gotten about ten more minutes (and I thought that even before the rest of the no-reason-for-it-to-have-been-90-minutes special).
• Zack Ryder is a good pro wrestler, and great in this veteran fan favorite role. I am all aboard the Hype Bros train, since Iced Z is exactly who Mojo Rawley should be learning from...and the elimination of ass-based offense is even more important than the fact that being in a team keeps him fresh.
• Already the third most popular guy in this match, Chad Gable will only get more popular working with Enzo & Cass, as their interactions within and the finish of this bout establish he will be. Jason Jordan is an immense talent, with a real gift for non-verbal reactions...muscles he'll get plenty of opportunity to flex working with the Olympian.
• Though the kind of got short shrift, Scott Dawson & Dash Wilder continue to be put over in a big way by announce. And The Shatter Machine is DOPE.
• Initially, was still thinking I didn't like the decision to de-emphasize The Realest Guys for New York City, but watching them here made me realize that they're going to be huge everywhere, so it really doesn't matter. That may even work against them in terms of wins and losses, because they will not need titles to get pops.
• Amore should probably be the poster boy for what The Performance Center can do. It's not quite Sasha Banks-levels in that he's not one of the best in the world right now, but he's someone who had little independent experience that WWE Developmental has turned into a strong in-ring storyteller.
• Are they really just calling Enzo & Cass' finisher a Rocket Launcher? I'm sure they'll make it sound better when they say it, but I think they can do better.
• Bummed they didn't reference Adrian's history with the NXT tag titles, but considering one of the men he held the belt with was cut, another was forced to commentary due to concussion issues and the third is Bo Dallas, I guess I understand.
• Hoping they keep the focus of the tournament on the great core of young teams they have and not do too much shoehorning in of singles guys.

Recap:

• PCB pinkie swears that they can pick up meaningless wins here just as well as they do on the main roster. They can also show Becky Lynch's spot from SmackDown here, too.
• Eva Marie beat Carmella.
• Prince Pretty isn't done with that uggo-in-a-mask Jushin "Thunder" Liger.
• The other half of the main event talks to Devin Taylor in the locker room, complete with Dana Brooke head pat, on the way to a promo vid for the Total Diva that we've seen before.
• After her title win is highlighted, Bayley celebrates with her family.
• The tag team you always knew was coming is now here, as William Regal grants Baron Corbin' request to get in the tournment by putting him with Rhyno for the opening match against The Ascension next week.
• Kevin Owens still doesn't have any interest in talking about his latest NXT title loss.
• Another Bullfit hype video brings out a remarkably similar looking Bull Dempsey, who defeats The Drifter Elias Sampson.
• Fresh off his submission victory over Corbin, Samoa Joe is talking title match.

Reactions:

• And then, the wheels fell off the show.
• Really can't objectively critique anything that BEX or Char did tonight, because there was way too much of their main roster schtick present for me to do anything but roll my eyes. As I said up top...a lot of stuff has gone down over the last seven days, and the last thing I needed tonight was Divas Revolution in my NXT. Unfortunately...
• Don't have much to say about the women's singles match. You saw it, or, if you didn't, don't bother. Eva's horrible, Carmella's not much better (and should be on the Alexa Bliss plan because her act becomes instantly more grating when she's not around The Port Authority - her "trying too hard" problem is similar to one R. Reigns in my opinion) and this was a match that should have happened in the gym or in front of 500 people in Florida.
• And that's the thing, for anyone who wants to say "it's Developmental" or "Eva's a star"...not really and not for doing this. Setting aside the debate about NXT's role for now, I would rather whatever work is going into developing Eva Marie (or Dana Brooke, or Carmella) go into building up someone who has a chance of being the next Bayley or Sasha. And they're making plenty of money on All Red Everything as is, she doesn't need to be taking up time on this show.
• There's an opportunity cost for the resources being spent on trying to turn a Maxim model (or fitness competitor, or cheerleader) into a wrestler. And that it's obviously a priority for the organization over finding more young talents with wrestling experience doesn't bode well for the future of women's sports entertainment.
• Changing the subject (for now)...man, is Tyler Breeze something. And, more Liger in NXT? Tyler maybe getting his win back? Interesting...
• Since I have zero chance of better explaining what Brooke looked like tonight, I'm just going to kick it to a Twitter pal:

  Dana Brooke looks like a girl who got into her mom's make-up case for the first time. #WWENXT

  — Wrestle Watcher Mike (@WrestleWatcher) August 27, 2015

• Also, Lynch and Charlotte's comments about Emma being Dana's "lap dog" better have been a messed up ad lib. The Aussie is the alpha in that duo.
• Konnor & Viktor are going to come back to a show they dominated for a two years and job to a "Creative has nothing for you" team, aren't they?
• Why did we need a segment with a guy who's no longer on this show making promises about a match he already won? All but one of the TakeOver fallout videos they showed tonight have been online since Saturday night, and while I get the need to use this show - which does air on Hulu and I believe some international markets - to sell WWE Network, they really bloated this episode. And that's without even getting to the commercials for other shows, the UK tour, etc, etc.
• Don't understand anything about what's happened with Bill Dumpster the past two months. It's funny because he looks the same, but can now "Hulk Up" and has inherited some of Mojo's butt stuff...I guess.
• Sampson seems like he might be a decent hand, but character as is doesn't add anything.

Recap:

• Nia Jax is on her way.
• Even in a week where Jon Stewart marked out about Ric Flair, Apollo Crews' reaction to his debut this weekend is still probably the fan-ish thing a pro did in Brooklyn.
• Quiet down boys, Alexa Bliss has business she plans to settle with Ole Blue Pants next week.
• #DivasRevolution package re-introduces us to Charlotte, who is Flair's daughter, don't ya know. WOOO!
• A mess of a main event seems to end prematurely with a win for Emma, followed by the PCBers taking out their frustration on their opponents to end the night with the good girls standing tall.

Reactions:

• Boy, I hope Rocky's other cousin can wrestle.
• Not to pick on the Finn faithful, but Crews' "nice guy living the dream" presentation is instantly more accessible and appealing than the champ's.
• Worth noting that the BAMF promo we got on this 'sode replaces the Vaudevillains one we got online over the weekend, the only switch that occurred. Smart call, and a good sign for Bliss. Maybe not so much for Aiden English & Simon Gotch, who were pretty much a non-factor just days after their title win.
• And then, roof flew off the show.
• A discussion I've had several times now with The General concerns how The Boss just rubs him the wrong way, such that he finds her annoying. But at least he can watch her in the ring and say, "yeah, she's great at this". I have the same kind of reaction to Brooke (even on things that a lot of people whose opinions I respect seem to enjoy)...and then when she's between the ropes, I still have to hide my eyes.
• What a mess the Fatal 4Way was, and near as I can tell, 99% of it is on The Killah Barbie. Poor Drake Wuertz didn't work as hard in 2013 when he made to the semis of The Battle of Los Angeles (shameless plug - watch for Bill Hanstock's coverage of Pro Wrestling Guerilla's big event this weekend right here at Cageside Seats!) as he did in this match getting around Dana or helping her into position.
• Story I've heard on the finish, and it makes sense after seeing it, is that BEX got her bell rung and was relying on the pin being broken up by...guess who?...so the match could continue to the finish Charlotte ended up executing anyway.
• Which I guess is just because #DivasRevolution booking means The Nature Girl should go over a lot, and because - with the possible exception of Eva Marie (who I still think they'd kind of like to be a babyface on the main roster if not in NXT) - this was a night when the good guys & girls won. But the finish fail actually sets up the Women's title picture better, because Emma needs to be Bayley's first challenger if there's any hope of the division not experiencing an immediate dip in quality.
• Because I'm really scared the two women I don't even want on my screen - Eva and Dana - are getting title shots otherwise.
• And to think, they probably thought not main eventing TakeOver with Sasha/Bayley would be forgiven because they put this thing on last for the taping...

My word, the state of women's wrestling has me in the dumps. Watch the tag match (which, on its own, I'd probably grade an A-) and skip the rest (which rates [fart noise]) and hope things turn around with the start of the Dusty tourney next week.

Or just go rewatch Saturday night's show, which is amazingly only 30 minutes longer but will go by at least twice as quick.

Grade: D+

Well? Whatcha got?