NXT 2.0 debuts tonight (Sept. 14) from the newly remodeled Capitol Wrestling Center (CWC) in Orlando, Florida.
Advertised for the show:
- The debut of NXT 2.0
- InDex Wedding
- LA Knight vs. Kyle O’Reilly vs. Tommaso Ciampa vs. Pete Dunne in a fatal four-way for the NXT Championship
- Raquel Gonzalez vs. Franky Money for the NXT Women’s Championship
As usual, here are our five questions about NXT tonight:
1) What exactly does NXT 2.0 look like?
All we really know is that the NXT was deemed “too dark” and “too indie” so it needed a refresh. We know that the new logo is full of bright colors and looks like it popped right out of 1994 and into 2021, but that’s basically it. It’ll either be really cool and worth all the hype, or it will be bland, disappointing, and business and usual. I’m betting on the latter.
2) InDex is canon, but will their love survive a wrestling wedding?
What can I say here? It’s a wrestling wedding. Despite Beth Phoenix’s best efforts, it’s going to end in heartbreak, chaos, and crumbled cake. The real question is, “who is going to mess it up?” In the past few weeks, Johnny and Candice Wrestling have come around on Dexter Lumis. They’ve learned to look past his serial killer vibes and have accepted him as the man who makes their Indi happy. Or have they? Tonight could very well be both the end of InDex and The Way.
Or it could be a new challenger for Lumis. He’s been so busy courting Indi that he has hardly had any time to wrestle. Perhaps a new challenger will emerge.
Or by the twist of twists, Indi decided to call the wedding off because she realizes that stalking ain’t cute. Unlikely, but it would be nice.
3) Who is walking out the new NXT Champion?
It really feels like the NXT Championship is cursed.
After all that. After ALL THAT. AFTER ALL THAT. Samoa Joe is being forced to relinquish the NXT Championship due to injury. In his relinquishing announcement, he made it sound like he would be back, but at this rate, who knows. A year ago, he was on commentary. A couple of months ago, he was unemployed. Who knows what happens to Joe now? Hopefully, he comes back; he practically saved NXT these past few months dragging Karrion Kross’s boring carcass around, but will there even be a place for Samoa Joe in NXT 2.0? Only time will tell.
But that is future NXT’s problem. Tonight the fatal four-way previously scheduled to be a number one contender’s match has been turned into a championship match. LA Knight, Tomasso Ciampa, Pete Dunne, and Kyle O’Reilly will face off tonight, and whoever wins will get to call themselves champion. But who will it be?
My guess is Tomasso Ciampa. There isn’t a place for him in the mid-card, and he just finished doing the whole tag team thing. Plus, NXT knows that he is a draw and can elevate the locker room through championship bouts. It doesn’t matter if he’s a heel or a face; he’s a great champion. LA Knight is, frankly, too silly, Pete Dunne may or may not be on his way out, and Kyle O’Reilly, fantastic wrestler though he may be, has been floundering with his character work outside of ERA. Tomasso has the same “I will kill you, but I also respect you” vibe that Samoa Joe has. It makes sense for him to take Joe’s place.
4) Franky Monet talks a big game, but will that translate into a championship win?
When NXT signed Taya Valkyrie, it was a very big deal. Taya was one of the most well-known and beloved female wrestlers on the indie scene. That plus her work in Impact and Lucha Underground, many were excited to see what she would do in WWE. Rechristened Franky Monet, she showed up in style, and...well, she hasn’t done much. Honestly, as a huge Taya fan, the whole Franky Monet gimmick in NXT has been disappointing. Hopefully, tonight, even if she doesn’t win the championship from Raquel, she can live up to her potential. It would be great if they somehow figured out how to work up to a longer feud between Raquel and Franky. Franky needs more on-screen time that isn’t a weird throw-away backstage segment.
5) B-Fab versus Elektra Lopez when?
The feud between Hit Row and Legado del Fantasma has been ongoing for months. It’s had its ups and downs, but ultimately has been a great vehicle not only for the faction leaders but for their henchmen. Well, all the henchmen except for B-Fab, as she was the lone woman for several months, and we all know how WWE are big fat cowards when it comes to intergender wrestling.
Fortunately for us (and B-Fab), Legado de Fantasma recently added Elektra Lopez to their familia. She’s only been in NXT for a few weeks, but she has already proven herself to be a huge asset. She’s not just a pretty face; she’s a viable threat. The promos between the two are already fire, but what we really need is an actual match between these powerhouses!
Give us your questions and answers in the comments below. Then join us in our live blog, and we’ll see what Qs and As tonight’s show gives us.