Day 5 2024

 

NXT 4/30/24: Spring Breakin’ Night 2

NXT North American Title Match

Ivar vs. Oba Femi(c)

Oba came out of goddamn nowhere and is a perfect example of what NXT was technically created to achieve. A former shot putter turned prospective wrestler, he spent some time on NXTs B-Show Level Up, before moving to the main brand. He won the 2023 Breakout Tournament and found a foothold with the audience in no time. Dude was over with the crowd faster than Andrade, ridiculous.  Ivar is part of a recent trend of sending main roster talent with nothing to do to NXT to justify earning a paycheck and actually working. It gives their career a nice kick in the pants and has refreshed several wrestlers in the eyes of the fans. 

Bottom line, these are two big dudes ready to slap meat. Ivar, 360, 6’ 2’’ against Oba, 270, 6’ 4’’. Ivar wrestles like he has something to prove and hits the highlight reel early with a Cannonball Senton off the apron. Oba shoos it off and the two brawl in the ring before Ivar whips out his dick…metaphorically, again on the outside with a Running Crossbody on a seated Oba that destroys the barricade and a goddamn Cannonball Senton from the top rope to the floor. Again, 360 pounds and doing this shit with ease. It’s terrifying what the human species is capable of when they’re athletic enough. 

But that also exposes a flaw. While agile as Hell, Ivar is also a massive dude which makes one if what he does not end as smoothly as it does for someone with less to control like Ricochet. Especially against a greenhorn like Oba who doesn’t have the experience to control the situation and recover it. He does an admirable job when they fuck up a mid-rope spot recovering with a vicious Rolling Elbow. Ivar tires for a Moonsault but Femi stops him and hits a Samoan Backdrop for a two count. Second attempt at the Ivar-Sault lands and he almost Billy Kidman’ed Oba. Just a nasty landing. A nearby bottom rope saves Obas ass though and we get a third attempt which Oba counters with an Electric Chair Drop that almost goes very wrong. A Pop-Up Powerbomb seals this for Oba after a brutal 11 minutes. 

This was great despite some sloppiness. I’m firmly on the Oba bandwagon and the dudes only gonna get better. Ivar gets a chance to show off and takes it, can’t remember the last time we saw the dude show off like this on the main roster. Hell of a way to open a show.