Following a tour of Australia, the stars of the WWE Network weekly show “NXT” entertained fans at the Riverside Municipal Auditorium on Thursday, Dec. 15, with high-flying moves, some comedy and plenty of action.
The developmental arm of WWE looks to groom male and female wrestling entertainment superstars of the future at the company’s Performance Center in Florida. There, recruits work to develop a persona, signature moves and gimmicks used in and outside of the ring with a goal to make it onto the main roster for shows such as “Raw” and “SmackDown.”
Here’s a look at the action in Riverside:
The fans
The live audience is a big part of the show’s success. Favorite wrestlers have their own chants, while up-and-comers are greeted with improvised remarks, both welcome and less-than-friendly – either way, the louder, the better. Tino Sabbatelli and Elias Samson heard chants of “Deleted!” and “We don’t know you!” during their matches.
And WWE reciprocated fans’ appreciation by asking audience members to post their favorite memories of the night using #NXTRiverside on Twitter, with dozens were shown on a screen during a brief intermission.
The anticipation
While waiting to stand in line to enter the venue, fans chatted about who they wanted to see. From the start there, were two – DIY, current tag team champions of “NXT” and up-and-coming star Shinsuke Nakamura. Fans were rewarded with both.
DIY’s match against former tag team champions The Revival was one of the highlights of the night, complete with a few high-flying athletic moves outside of the ring that caused many fans to crane their necks to catch the action. DIY ended up winning.
Star power
But it was Nakamura, the current “NXT” champion, who received the biggest reaction from the audience Thursday. As the superstar’s entrance music began, the crowd cheered loudly, singing along as the venue lit up with the glow of mobile devices as fans captured his entrance.
Watching from the front row was Nakamura’s rival Samoa Joe, who was not medically cleared to take part in the show’s main event, but still part of the drama. He interfered with the match of Nakamura and and partner Tye Dillinger as they faced Bobby Roode and Andrade “Cien” Almas. Despite the interruption, Dillinger and Nakamura were victorious and ended the show on a high note.
Women in the ring
Women’s wrestling has evolved as WWE continues to foster female talent. Thursday’s championship match pitted current champ Asuka against Ember Moon. The audience reacted with chants of “This is wrestling! This is wrestling!” While Asuka retained her championship, several in the crowd – and on social media – felt the match stole the show from other fan favorites on the card.
Contact the writer:khernandez@scng.com or @TheFactsKris on Twitter
