WWE NXT: 31st August, 2016 - 5 points to note
Last week’s episode of NXT was almost like a highlights reel of the excellent NXT Takeover: Brooklyn II show. However, this episode of NXT felt, for all intents and purposes, like a restart of the brand with new stars, upcoming talent and fresh faces to replace the talent that was called up after the brand split.
Not much really happened on the show, but we sense that NXT is looking at building new talent to replace the current void. And creating new stars does take time. This episode of NXT was a step in that direction. Let’s look at our top 5 takeaways from what was in essence, an uneventful NXT show this week.
1: The era of strong style has begun
It will come as no surprise if Shinsuke Nakamura becomes WWE Champion one day. But with the departure of Finn Balor to the main roster, we’re certain that he will carry the NXT brand on his shoulders, into the future. This entire episode of NXT was essentially about him, building up his achievements since he made his debut on Wrestlemania weekend against Sami Zayn. Nakamura entered the NXT arena to rapturous applause and claimed that the NXT Championship was his biggest achievement. While he seriously needs to improve his promo skills, Shinsuke’s in-ring talent and charisma make up for it. His message was simple- ‘a new era had begun and it was the era of Strong Style.
Here’s something worth pondering, though. We wonder who his next opponent will be considering Samoa Joe seems like he’ll be off TV for some time, because of the real life injuries he suffered during their Takeover match.