[5.0] "These underground matches are VERY hard to get into. It has it's good moments but the pacing is bad and I'm not a fan of it's presentation. I'm happy they're making Lola look dominant but I feel like they could've done it differently, tbh."
[6.0] "*** (06/10) Lola's fists don't lie, but NXT Underground matches are not everyone's cup of tea, so quite possibly her fists didn't do much for you. I thought that both fighters worked to a raw degree that gave off a sense of realism to the legitimacy of the underground match. It just seemed to stagnate from reaching that burner threshold from the restrictions of the setting and stipulation. Still, if you're the kind that digs the purity from graps, this was probably your jam. I know Meltzer liked this the most from the card."
[7.0] "This actually kinda rocked. NXT Underground is whatever and from what I can gather from the video package this feud was lackluster, but the heat felt very real I thought Shayna did an excellent job at trying to just pound away what she believes to be a fake fighter in Vice. Vice was good here too I would've liked a little more innovation to really make the finish hit home but it worked well!"
[4.0] "Sorry but I just hate the Underground stipulation. Lola Vice still has a lot to proove in my opinion and Shayna lost a lot of her aptitudes and aura since getting called up to the main roster. It was basically a MMA fight between 2 ex MMA fighters, but with false blows, which doesnt work at all for me"
[7.0] "Really enjoyed this match. There were plenty of nice takedowns that were delivered with impact as well as some well worked submissions and counters. There were obviously a lot of strikes and most of them looked great, although some, especially some of the hammer fists, were a bit iffy. The geeks around ringside are still very irritating so I absolutely loved Shayna randomly beating the shit out of some of them, it would have been even better if she'd have made way around the entire ring wiping every one of those clowns out along the way. In the end, Lola got the win with her great spinning backfist followed by some ground and pound. ***3/4"
[1.0] "I have a fleeting interest in MMA. Ill check it out when a big star like McGregor catches fire, but its never been a major sport of interest for me. I have zero interest in worked MMA. This match didnt even try to be anything resembling a legit fight. These two came out in their gis with gloves on, and within 30 seconds, they were rolling to the floor and throwing each other into barricades.I could understand this if it was at all like an MMA fight, but I cant see this connecting with MMA fans at all. This was just a bad match with some MMA dressings and a shitty finish. This is a deep cut, but it reminded me of the MMA Rules match at TNA No Surrender 2008 between AJ Styles and Frank Trigg. At least they kept the ropes up in that one. 1/2*"
[6.0] "I liked this match, really this was what Ronda and Shaynas match at Summerslam last year was supposed to be. Great strikes and submissions, and Lola actually got the win which was surprising to me."
[6.0] "This was a MMA style match , and honestly it wasn't that bad , but there were a lot of spots that seemed sloppy primarily from Shayna. There were some good strikes , and some brutal moves , the chokeholds also looked devestating . There were also a lot of slow points , this isn't in any means the best nxt underground match as there are better ones like Thorpe vs Dijak , and Damon vs Thorpe. I still found this enjoyable enough , and it was more enjoyable than Shayna vs Ronda from last year's SummerSlam."
[4.0] "I've never been a huge fan of these style of matches and this one was kind of dull in my opinion. This could have absolutely been worse had there been other competitors involved so you have to give Shayna & Lola credit for making this somewhat enjoyable. 2.5 stars at best."
[5.0] "Really poor. And the presentation was about as corny as it gets with all the performance centre crew banging on the mat etc. Despite going for a realer feel, it felt less real than the earlier ladder match! Both these ladies can fight which probably makes it harder to do this sort of match"
[5.0] "I just feel like every time WWE attempts a "MMA" type match it's always a flop for me. I appreciate WWE attempting something unique, but combining the styles just makes for a product that is awkward to watch. Things like Baszler attacking the people on the outside didn't help make it less awkward. I'm also not sure if I agree with the decision for Vice to win as well. I understand she's a former MMA fighter but Baszler has an upcoming match for the Women's Tag Titles and she also previously beat Ronda Rousey in one of these weird matches. At least this match was better than Baszler/Rousey, but that isn't a very high bar."
[4.0] "Their work was good, both are talented, but combat sports/undeground matches rarely ever work in pro wrestling and it showed here. It was kind of slow paced to me and it was by far the worst match on the card, which sucks to say because both Lola and Shayna are great"
[3.0] "I heartfully hate those "MMA replica" matches. I like both women there (specially Baszler, I think she's great), but a fake MMA match is not what I want to watch on a wrestling show. On the positive side, there was some good spots, but not enough to save the match. (*1/2)."
[6.0] "Definitely better than Baszler's MMA Rules Match with Ronda Rousey back at SummerSlam 2023. This wasn't the greatest match or anything, but I think both women were presented well here. Vice getting the victory was a little expected, but I also think it was the right call. This was a big win that I think Vice needed, especially after not doing much after losing her Breakout Tournament Contract and losing to Natalya not long after."
[5.0] "This match was presented in a way that created certain expectations going into it, but every highspot that meant anything was about using the surroundings or the ring post, which made whatever striking they were doing and every submission attempt feel like a bridge between those spots or just filler. Although the way how Vice broke the sleeper hold by damaging Baszler's ankle led to Baszler trying to hit Vice with an exposed Running Knee, Vice avoided it and hit Baszler with a Backfist and Baszler fell out of the ring. After that they worked the finish which was really about Baszler hitting the ring steps head first on the outside (after destroying a bunch of dorks for shits and giggles) before Vice used it to her advantage and finished Baszler off with some ground and pound. I guess it was a way to protect Baszler while still making Vice look somewhat strong. They have created all of those limitations by themselves, so I can't call the work 'creative', at the same time a lot of thought went into structuring the match to make it stand out from the pack, for better or for worse."
[4.0] "Worked shoots like this are hard to do well and wwe just doesn't seem to be able to do them well. They require a a level of vicousness to try to make it seem real and I never got that from this. A lot of the strikes from both seemed weak. I wasn't a fan of the production for this either, with the lighting and people all around the ring...which led to an outright stupid ending. I'm supposed to believe that Shayna is going to lose focus and attack people not in the match that are just standing around? It didn't work and just made Shayna look like a moron."
[4.0] "Yeah nothing inherently wrong with this but this sort of worked MMA just doesnt do it for me, which is a shame because I tend to really enjoy technical submission heavy wrestling and this couldve had loads of that but there was too much fake looking kicking and punching and not enough mat work for me. At least the crowd was hot for the first time in this PLE."
[7.0] "Generally matches closer to MMA tend to be terrible in WWE, since the Fight Pit between Riddle and Thatcher I haven't watched something so different from the NXT product and it managed to be good, not wanting to compare the level of quality between the two matches, of course. At UFC Apex, this match made total sense and they knew what they were doing, going much further than expected and getting a positive result from here. Lola Vice worked well on Shayna Baszler's leg, which sold well. Something much more similar to a UFC fight, in an ideal location and the correct winner, Lola Vice is a future star. [3.5*]"
[6.0] "At least it was better than the Rousey vs Shayna match is all I can say really. Crowd saved this match even though it was good it just didnt have that big match feel that it needed. Also I dont understand the ending because Shayna didnt tap or get knocked out."
[5.0] "Yeah, I cannot get into that kind of thing. This is not as bad as Ronda vs Shayna, but not as good as it could've been. I liked the two precedent NXT Underground matches, because they were tough wrestling matches. This was worked MMA, but it didn't work ... somehow worked kicks don't work without the theatrics of wrestling. The end didn't worked also : for some reason, Shayna suddenly decided to attack the lumberjacks and lost her attention which helped Lola take back the control ... and then the referee decided to stop the match when Lola was attacking Shayna on the floor. This felt very underwhelming, was expecting something more decisive with that kind of stipulation. 5/10."
[3.0] "Oh wow, I hated this. What the hell were they thinking, running it back after the disaster with Ronda. This was so stupid, there were so many times where the ref should have called for the bell because one of the performers were being mauled and were obviously KO'd. Stupid rules, full of weak punches and worked submissions while they have the extras outside to have at least some kinda of cheering because they knew the live audience would not give two shits about it. Just a complete mess and I hope they never do it again."
[3.0] "As it goes for most Underground/MMA match types in wrestling, it just doesn't work. At least not for me. I will say there were a few fun spots that were mainly outside of the squared circle which I do feel like defeats the purpose of the match. Besides those few fun parts though, there was nothing else in this match that I liked. Between the hits not connected and a MMA bout in general being scripted, it is just always a disaster. That being said, this is still probably one of the better of this match type."
[8.0] "Over delivered - I never set high expectations for undergorund/MMA Rules matchups because they are difficult to sell to the crowd. The build ups are fun but they are usually anticlimactic ending. This was the opposite. Lola and Shayna absolutely knew what they were doing with this match here and I can say without a doubt it was one of the best matches on the card. The lighting, adding in the lumberjack style fans around the ring, and the spots were very believable. Shayna putting over Lola wasn't my favorite I think Shayna should have won here but regardless this was fun, and beat out my expectations. Well done"
[9.0] "This was actually a really fun match, usually I think matches like these dont really work, but this was definitely the biggest exception. Lola and Shayna both did well here, Shaynas performance this match reminded me of 2018-2019 Shayna and she put over Lola Vice in a great way. This was a great way to give Lola momentum after failing to win the womens title. The ending was also very well done, Im super excited for Lola Vices future, shes getting better after each and every week, and itll be exciting to see what they do with her after this win."
[9.0] "Had very low expectations going into this but was fully invested by the end. Great job of making both women look like badases and had me on the edge of my seat! Shayna is 43 so 17 years younger. Therefore you would think that she will start to wind down her in-ring career but could be a good bridge for those coming in from the MMA world especially with the partnerhip with UFC."
[8.0] "My expectations for this match were pretty low just because these worked style fights are so tricky to produce in a WWE setting but my god, did Lola and Shayna knock out of the park. This match makes it even more annoying knowing how checked out Ronda was when she did the job at summerslam and was never seen again because that match then had potential to surprise if everything went the right way. It did not, but this match did, and if you werent already on the Lola Vice train, there is still room. Lola Vice has everything you look for in a future star, and Im excited to continue to watch her growth in Nxt, and continue to watch her play her part in an exciting womens division."
[3.0] "First of all, I want to clarify that I am not a fan of MMA. But I must admit that I loved the atmosphere that this match provided. The lighting, the security that makes the fans outside and the atmosphere with an involved audience. Unfortunately it is MMA shooting and I do not like it, there are also a lot of submissions. The moments outside do not make me say "Wow this is crazy" while I have the impression that this was the desired effect. It is not my style of match but I want to emphasize that the atmosphere was great. (1*1/2)"
[3.0] "Weird match. I've enjoyed all the previous NXT Underground matches, but this one not so much. There are two legit MMA fighters trying to have a worked shoot MMA fight with the added goofiness of bad lighting and a bunch of people constantly banging on the ring. It's fine for regular episodes of NXT, but for a PLE it doesn't come across well at all. A more professional look would have helped a lot. The match itself was okay, again it just had a weird vibe. The punches looked bad, they're obviously trying not to hit each other. The submission work was better and looked more realistic. The action outside of the ring didn't fit with the rest of the match, especially when Shayna starts randomly attacking people for no reason. The finish sucked. Lola pushes Shayna over, who hit her head on the stairs, following that up with a spinning backfist and hammerfists before the ref stoppage. Lola winning is bizarre. Sure, you want to give the younger wrestler a victory over the veteran to build them up, but when Shayna beat Ronda Rousey, who in WWE lore is one of the most dangerous women ever, in a similar type of match, she should not be losing. I wasn't feeling this at all. 3/10"
[4.0] "The presentation is ok and I personally didn't mind the lighting like many others did, but I am not a fan of all the people at ringside and kinda makes the match feel like a goofy parody to me. While this was much better than Shayna vs Ronda due to these two wearing gloves so they could hit harder, I still don't really like the mixing of MMA and wrestling as it always looks phoned in and cheesy. Also, the wrong person won. In a match about being a tough fighter, you would think the person presented as a tough fighter should win."
[9.0] "It seemed like this match was mainly a platform for the younger talent to score a significant win over a veteran. They hyped up Shayna as the greatest MMA crossover star, and regardless of whether you agree with that, it's a big deal for Lola Vice to notch a victory over her. The match itself was really impressive. The submission work added a fun dynamic. However, it's always a challenge for these matches to feel as authentic as possible within the WWE framework, especially when they're stretched out over ten minutes of continuous fighting. Still, it managed to surpass expectations, especially compared to that bout between Shayna and Ronda Rousey that it aimed to emulate."
[10.0] "That NXT Underground match was a blast, easily the most entertaining NXT show I've seen since the days of Matt Riddle tearing it up in there. I was kinda hoping it would be a sort of WWE Brawl for All lite, but keeping the wrestling moves in definitely kept the energy high. MMA can be a bit of a snooze for those of us who are pro-wrestling diehards, you know? It's a bit bittersweet seeing Vice take the win, though. I can't help but remember Baszler's dominating NXT run, and part of me really wants to see her back at that level. But hey, she deserves props for putting over a future star like Lola."
[10.0] "This match is bound to divide opinions, but personally, I found it quite enjoyable, it stood out as a unique offering amidst the rest of the show, which was a welcomed change. Shayna & Lola seamlessly integrated the MMA style into their performance, executing it in a convincing and sensible manner. Overall, I thought it was exceptional given its objectives. Both Lola Vice and Shayna Baszler displayed formidable presence and dominance throughout the entire match. It's high time Shayna was depicted as the fierce competitor she truly is and this delivered all the elements fans anticipated from like Shayna vs Ronda Rousey at SummerSlam. The outcome was fitting, solidifying Lola Vice's trajectory as a rising star. I have great expectations for Lola Vice; she possesses abundant potential and is destined to shine wherever her journey takes her post-NXT. However, I'm in no hurry to see her depart NXT just yet, there's still a plethora of opportunities waiting to be explored and achieved here."
[3.0] "As someone who enjoys the shoot style of Battlarts, Fu-Ten, & RINGS. I knew for a fact it wouldn't be like that because this is the WWE. So I was at least hoping for Shamrock vs. Vader from '97. Nope didn't even get that. This is just a regular wrestling match with shoot style rules, there's walk and brawling, the crowd on the outside of the ring is a weird choice and they're constantly involved in this match. They don't really strike each other as hard as they possibly can, not until the finish, but it's mostly submission moves and stairs spots, not even some crazy grappling. What a shame. *1/2"
[6.0] "A weird match to rate. Ive enjoyed the three NXT underground matches prior to this one and this one was not bad but it would be my least favorite of the four. The look of the match wasnt the most appealing. I like both talents but some of the action lacked more than I had anticipated. I appreciated Lola getting a decisive win over not only a main roster name but a big name in NXTs history as well. I felt Shayna looked a bit foolish with taking out some of the ringside attendees which felt out of character for her. I did want to like this more than I did but I wouldnt say it was bad."
[7.0] "I struggle to fully buy into these Underground matches, but this one was still a solid contest. There was a good energy to the match; the promos and cameos from UFC stars helped create a big fight feel to the occasion. Shayna did good work selling her knee throughout - she rightfully dominated until Lola was able to wear down that knee. Evenly matched from then on out until the messy ending. It was a bit hard to follow. The KO itself was played well and looked legit. Lola Vice gets a signature win and has a ton of potential. Cool to see her try to submit Shayna a few times rather than just rely on her striking."
[7.0] "This was at times messy given the nature of a worked shoot and these two in particular being legit MMA athletes but it was a lot of fun throughout. Kinda split on the people around the ring pounding on the mat and yelling. I get what they're going for but it comes off way too inauthentic. The spots were they get tossed into them though are worth it. The finish was pretty damn silly, with Shayna tripping over a guy she took out and going head first into the steel steps. Goofy as hell and if that was meant to protect her... I don't know if it did."
[9.0] "Again for what it was, I thought this was tremendous. Both Lola Vice and Shayna Baszler looked like incredible badasses throughout the whole match. Its about time Shayna is portrayed like the killer that she is. This was everything Shayna vs Ronda Rousey from SummerSlam shouldve been. Great atmosphere and this excelled in standing out from current WWE/NXT match types, which can be hard to do in 2024. Lola has incredible upside and I think she can be one of the cornerstones of any womens division."
[5.0] "Shootstyle wrestling generally does not go well. This is probably the best version of shootstyle wrestling that I have seen and even still I wasn't really a big fan even though I like both of these workers a good amount. The people standing around the ring slapping the mat only really subtract from the match especially when they just left the ring anyway. The finish was pretty good I guess? Outside of that it was generally boring and not enough to convince me that NXT should stick with the whole NXT Underground thing"
[1.0] "So Shayna can beat Ronda the "baddest woman on the planet", but not Lola Vice, yeah that's believable... This match seemed very scripted, most of their punches didn't even connect and it looked slow and too planned out. Also, what is Lola's character? All she does is shake her ass... That's not a character, how is she supposed to be a believable competitor when all she does is focus on shaking ass over her opponents. Shayna should've won this match, I'm sorry, but having her beat Ronda but losing to Lola! ? Yeah, no. Thankfully Shayna is leaving and focusing back on the main roster because feeding her to Lola is lame and it shouldn't have happened. If they wanted to make it seem like a real MMA x MMA match, let them actually beat the crap out of each other like they'd do in the MMA, not this scripted shit."
[6.0] "This match was pretty good. As usual this is NXT Underground so not only is it not going to last long, It's also gonna be very hard to watch with the dimmed lights. However compared to past underground matches this one was really good. It brought back an older version of Baszler while still putting over the young and talented Lola Vice. But as do NXT Underground matches go, they never usually last long or are usually memorable. But now I am very interested in seeing what's next for both Lola Vice and Shayna Baszler."
[8.0] "The second best NXT Underground match, I don't think they could top DIJAK vs Thorpe, but they did a really great job here, and the finish was really good too, with the ref stopping the match but Shayna trying to continue, this was like they wanted Ronda vs Shayna to be, this was a nice mix of shoot style and worked match, surprised they let Lola win but it was welcomed one, this was great way to put her over as a dominant force after losing his Breakout contract, puts her like a strong challenger for either women's belt"
[9.0] "I was super hyped for this match because I really liked Lolas Spring Breakin match, I just wish that since these two fought in MMA that this would be a fight pit match, or just the cage that they use at the Apex center, because the fight pit match is just wrestling in the dark without any ropes that dont count pins. Im liking this feud and Im starting to like Lola Vice so much more. I really think that Lola is going to be a future world champion, and I really like her theme. This was a lot better for Shayna after she had that horrible Match at SummerSlam. I like how brutal they were. Heres the thing. I would just tell them who the winner is and they figure out the rest of the match, because then it would feel more like a fight and Brutal less like a wrestling match. I was really not expecting them to use the announcers table and for them to be able to like knock them out there or win from there. Some of the punches felt a little weak and soft. It was just a little weird that Shayna was just randomly attacking the people outside.I like how Vice won the same way she did at Spring Breakin, and I like how there treating her like Timothy Thatcher, how she is the queen of the underground match like he was with the fight pit. I think Vice against Asuka in this would be awesome."
[4.0] "I think I just really hate worked shoot matches. Shayna comes off looking very very stupid for constantly getting baited into hitting the ring posts, steps, and other objects as well as the fact that she randomly started beating up the extras. The actual ring work wasn't anything bad but for what is supposed to feel like a shoot fight, the punches just looked weak at times. I understand that they have to do this for safety reasons so my issues are not with the wrestlers themselves but rather the stipulation."
[9.0] "NOW THAT'S A FIGHT. Very good performance between Shayna and Lola, it really seemed like they hated each other and they sold it tremendously. I think it's possibly the best they've done in NXT Underground, and it really shows that both were MMA fighters because their skills came to light and they knew how to sell everything as if it were real, a true delight from start to finish. They really establish Lola as an imposing figure and a heel to watch in the coming months and Shayna is so underrated."
[4.0] "I still dont get these WWE x MMA matches. I am just under the impression that MMA in order to look convincing and real, has to actually be real. I just thought that when they were punching each other it just looked silly. When they were applying submissions I did not mind it, but then for some reason even though she was clearly going to win Lola Vice just let go of her rear naked choke. Why? Another thing about this match is I just dont like what they are doing with Lola Vice. Her whole gimmick is that she shakes ass and is good in MMA. I just never liked her character and think that as a talent they are not doing her enough justice. Everyone else can like this match however much they want, but the whole match just was not for me."
[7.0] "A good NXT Underground match right here but obviously the wrong winner with Lola Vice managing to get the win with a spinning backfist then hammer hits. Made Shayna Baszler look really weak and stupid as she went after some extras for no reason and basically fucked herself for the whole match. We got some good spots and moments and impressive MMA work with both of them managing to make it look detail and realistic at times. I was expecting more but I'm happy for what they gave us in this match overall. 7/10"
[7.0] "The ambiance just added so much to this match, a lot of the credit for it goes to the venue but I really enjoyed the empty ring, darkened lighting, and everybody around them. This match was everything it should've been as a worked MMA fight, some pretty exciting moments but Shayna going on a rampage on the underground folks felt really dumb and took me out for the finish, which was a cool moment thanks to the referee but I didn't like how Shayna acted afterwards. This was a lighter version of Shayna's great match with Masha at Bloodsport, even if it was longer, and shows just how good Baszler still is."
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