Matt Riddle and Keith Lee Will Keep NXT Hot

By Matthew Klink (@klinkmatt)

November 20, 2018

The Future of NXT is in the hands of Matt Riddle and Keith Lee

With every other article in the WWE Universe being about the call-up of Aleister Black, Undisputed Era, Kairi Sane, the Four Horsewomen, and so on, the worry does start to crop into the back of our minds as to what’s next for NXT.

So what is next for NXT? Well, for the time being they still boast one of the deepest rosters NXT has ever had. You’d have to figure that money-makers like Gargano, Ciampa, and Undisputed Era are the ones getting the strongest consideration.

But that would still leave the likes of Ricochet, Pete Dunne, Velveteen Dream, Heavy Machinery, War Raiders, Bianca Belair, Io, Dakota Kai, Sane, and more!

And if I’m going to throw Io onto the list of people hanging around, it’s time to mention the other two talents on the men’s side that’ll keep NXT relevant going into 2021: Keith Lee and Matt Riddle

Both men have been putting on very convincing shows, so far, and have shown no signs of slowing down. The past couple of weeks have included squash matches for both men and a showcase of power for Lee. The best part is how the roster is lining up for these two to find success deep into 2019 and beyond!

Bask In His Glory

Keith Lee put on a clinic in “Big Man” Wrestling on NXT this past week. While I’m a novice, in regards to Keith Lee knowledge and his talents, I can’t help but jump on the bandwagon after his battle with Lars Sullivan.

Lars Sullivan, currently making his exit from the NXT roster, was booked to clash with Lee to help push the “Next-Man-Up” as well as give a fond farewell. For me, the only takeaway was the potential for Keith Lee going forward and how amazing he’s going to be as our future NXT Champion.

If you haven’t seen it yet, here’s a clip from the WWE’s YouTube page:

Lee suffers from his cuddly attitude on the mic. But his in-ring skill is ready for PrimeTime. It’s all in the details for Lee. The details starts with his punches and work out from there. One of the most basic wrestling moves has become a must-see-move for Lee.

Each swing of his arm is matched perfectly with a chest slap to give a little extra “oomph” to his lefts and rights. And if that wasn’t enough attention to detail, Lee is perfectly positioned against the hard camera to ensure the magic isn’t ruined when he does.

If you need a comparison to a move that is probably more devastating, but doesn’t look as bad, go right back to the same match. When Lars Sullivan uses his arm as a club and bashes Lee on the back of the head, the crowd is silent. Despite the fact that this move could cause a concussion, nobody moves.

But Lee’s punches get “oo-s” and “ah-s” because he’s got his swing mixed with a loud slap. Maybe if he landed the punches it would be just as silent as Sullivan’s clubbing blow, but then it wouldn’t be pro wrestling. It would be something dumb, like UFC.

While Lee continues to build himself up, I’ll continue to enjoy the squash matches. But Lee showed us all that he has the ability to redefine “Big-Man” matches. As he continues to grow, we can all get excited because Lee also has a couple of his old rivals ready to hit regular programming: Dominik Dijakovic being one.

Oh Right! And the Super King of Bros, Matt Riddle.

The Super King of Bros, Matt Riddle

If it wasn’t painfully obvious to the audience, that Matt Riddle is going to get a super-push, it definitely was to Kassius Ohno at NXT TakeOver WarGames.

Riddle took down Ohno in a record breaking bout that played out like a fight between John Bender and Andrew Clark in Breakfast Club:

While it was Kassius Ohno making the threats, at TakeOver WarGames, it was Matt Riddle following through.

Now, there isn’t too much to take away from that match based on Riddle’s skills. But we do know the WWE is trusting him to go on a heck of a run. Building this match up for over two months, it felt like we were going to get something special. instead, the WWE told us that the best is yet to come.

Riddle and his barefoot ways look technically sound when he’s with the right fighting partner. I wonder if the WWE just wants to keep him safe and sound while he gets acclimated with the giant production, that is the WWE.

Regardless, Ohno was definitely having his way with the roster, leading up to this match. The WWE had no problem shutting down that momentum for Riddle.

NXT Going into 2019

Like I said, not everyone is going to get the call-up. But we all know the rosters are already incredibly deep (even on the main roster) and the WWE also hasn’t considered decreasing their collection of all-star talent (with Walter being the latest big signing).

So was there really a question of whether or not NXT was going to be okay after WrestleMania? Probably not. But at least we know that the two guys looking to get the biggest push are already well on their way to taking over.

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