WWE NXT 9/19/2023: 3 Things We Hated And 3 Things We Loved

Welcome to Wrestling Inc.'s surprisingly poetic weekly review of "WWE NXT!" With only a couple episodes left before the No Mercy premium live event on 9/30, "NXT" had a lot to do this week, including determining the finalists of the Global Heritage Invitational, advancing storylines in the "NXT" Championship and North American Championship pictures, and most importantly, showing us what happened when Jacy Jayne decided Thea Hail needed a makeover. And it had to do all of this around the massive splash that rippled across the yellow brand when Becky Lynch returned to "NXT" last week and won the women's title.

If you just want to know all the stuff that "NXT" tried to accomplish Tuesday night, check out our (tragically delayed) "NXT" results coverage. If, on the other hand, you want to know which of its would-be accomplishments were successes and which ended in failure, at least in the eyes of the WINC staff, this is the place for you. Here are three things we hated and three things we loved about the 9/19/23 episode of "WWE NXT."

In 2017, Tyler Bate and Pete Dunne seemed like the future of WWE. Central figures of the newly-minted "NXT UK," their intense rivalry produced amazing matches, most notably at "NXT" Takeover: Chicago. They were what could objectively be called "good wrestlers," with solid fundamentals and a genuine connection with the "NXT" audience, whose cups overflowed with "good wrestlers" in the halcyon days of "NXT" Black & Gold. Now, six years later, Bate and Dunne are still wrestling in "NXT," in front of a warehouse of local wrestling fans, much like they did in "NXT UK." Bate has plateaued in "NXT" and become a shadow of his once clean-cut self, while Dunne has been a largely marginal part of the main roster, where he was made into the snarling pitbull of The Brawling Brutes, even re-named "Butch" like a dog — hardly the future main-eventer that he seemed in "NXT."

The fact of the matter is that being a "good wrestler" is not something that really matters in WWE, and that has finally trickled down to "NXT."  A once-notable rivalry has been reduced to a block final match that ultimately doesn't matter that much. At the end of the day, the Global Heritage Invitational has been an excuse for wrestling junkies to get their fix of "good wrestling" while Noam Dar, Jakara Jackson, Lash Legend, and Oro Mensah try on costumes and mug for the camera.

Wrestlers like Bate, Dunne, or pretty much anyone in B Block are sacrificial lambs in the WWE. They kill time, trade holds, and get the crowd riled up, but the winner of the tournament will likely be sacrificed at the altar of Noam Dar and his so-ridiculous-they're-good ideas.

WWE and "NXT" sure love to pair up two singles stars and make them into a team, from Jacy Jayne and Thea Hail to Elektra Lopez and Lola Vice. Sometimes it naturally works out of the gate, sometimes it feels a bit forced or takes some time to iron out the kinks; thankfully, Tiffany Stratton and Kiana James are a case of the former.

As of late, James has been floating around the upper echelons of the women's division, and Stratton is recovering from losing the "NXT" women's title to Becky Lynch. From the get-go, Stratton and James felt like they gelled with one another and played off each other quite well, both in the ring and during their backstage segment as they prepared for their match against Lynch and her mystery tag team partner, Lyra Valkyria. This was only furthered by the resemblance in their attitudes, adaptations of similar characters, and in-ring styles.

As much as this feels like it might be a one time deal, I really hope that this pairing pops up again on "NXT" programming and gets some more television time in the future.

Amidst his amicable separation from "NXT" Champion Carmelo Hayes, Trick Williams asserted that he wanted to forge his own path in "NXT." Just weeks after this development, though, Williams finds himself in the middle of a few attempted recruitments. On Tuesday's episode of "NXT," Williams was approached not only by Dominik Mysterio, but by Joe Gacy and Ava of Schism, as well.

After The Judgment Day failed to recruit Jey Uso on "WWE Raw," Mysterio tried his best to reel in Williams. On a similar wavelength, Gacy and Ava indicated that The Dyad (Jagger Reid & Rip Fowler) had departed from their group, which left Schism down to two members. While both teams are understandably craving more numbers right now, the act of seeking out Williams specifically seems counterintuitive to me.

Williams was adamant about establishing himself as a singles superstar, or in his words, a "Batman." Williams has already addressed his reasoning for splitting up with Hayes, so why revisit it so soon? I want to see what Williams can do on his own, but attempts to recruit him to another team hinder that vision. Since declaring his interest in the singles spotlight, Williams has wrestled a pair of televised one-on-one matches, including a competitive showcase against Ilja Dragunov. He has the potential to do much more, though — if he's kept away from the tag team scene.

WWE broadcasters sound like robots. They're too polished, too clean, and often have the cadence of ChatGPT made flesh and blood. Which is why it is so refreshing to just hang out every Tuesday with Booker T.

This week, Booker T was as relaxed as ever, his eyes redder than a baboon's backside, and proceeded to hang out, talk s***, and yell nonsense for two hours, and it was an absolute delight. Booker brings an immense "party uncle" vibe to the "NXT" broadcast, and it's a blast to hear him get almost incoherently enthralled by matches. As an example, there is no one with whom Booker is more enraptured than Carmelo Hayes. The tone, timbre, and energy of Booker's commentary change when Hayes is wrestling. The WWE Hall of Famer is an essential ingredient in Hayes's aura, as he sells the "NXT" Champion as nothing less than a must-see talent.

Booker at his best can feel like 2000s Jim Ross, as he's clearly got favorites and he's not afraid to make it clear when something isn't working. Instead of calling something "bowling shoe ugly," he simply becomes non-verbal during matches and segments that aren't working for him. He carries himself like a legend that needs to be won over, as opposed to a shameless salesman being fed tag lines. He doesn't sound like the voice of the fans. He doesn't sound like the voice of the company. He sounds like a wrestler who's been around the block a few times, knows a thing or two, and likes what he sees from the young developmental talent of "NXT." You honestly couldn't ask for a better guy to talk WWE fans into the stars of tomorrow.

"NXT" has become the land of the main roster talent. Not only are Becky Lynch and Dominik Mysterio holding "NXT" titles, but they each had a match, a backstage segment, and in the case of Lynch, an in-ring promo segment to kick off the show. If all that wasn't enough, Butch advanced to the finals of the "NXT" Global Heritage Invitational after he defeated longtime friend Tyler Bate and will be facing Joe Coffey next week to determine who will go on to face Noam Dar for the Heritage Cup Championship at "NXT" No Mercy.

I have nothing against Lynch, Dominik, or Butch. In fact, I think all three of them are amazing talents. That having been said, I generally watch "NXT" to see the up-and-comers, not those who I can find on "Raw" or "SmackDown". Don't get me wrong, I love the occasional appearance from a main roster star, but when three of them collectively take up six segments of a show that doesn't have an endless supply of air time and appear week after week, I become less enthusiastic.

Many pundits were critical of Becky Lynch's "NXT" Women's title win last week, but as "WWE SmackDown" commentator Corey Graves pointed out, Lynch's victory elicits a multitude of benefits, including a boost in viewership. With Lynch's presence, "NXT" is able to draw more eyes to its product and its developmental superstars.

On Tuesday's episode of "NXT," Lynch was slated to compete in a two-on-one handicap match against former "NXT" Women's Champion Tiffany Stratton and her newfound ally, Kiana James. Prior to the match, though, Stratton and James attacked Lynch from behind. Luckily for Lynch, Lyra Valkyria, a fellow Ireland native, arrived to even the odds, paving the way for a main event tag team match instead.

While the ratings for "NXT" have yet to be tallied, Lynch's appearance in the opening and closing segments of the show should result in promising numbers for WWE's development brand once again. Last week, Lynch drove the "NXT" ratings up 26% in comparison to the episode prior, making it the most-viewed "NXT" episode since October 28, 2020. Valkyria's association with Lynch inherently elevates her stock as well. And after headlining "NXT" — or should I say "N-BEX-T" — two weeks in a row, "The Man" is now scheduled to defend her "NXT" Women's Championship against Stratton at "NXT" No Mercy, which should attract even more viewership for the company.