Mauling It Over - April 22, 2023: A Sparkling Future
- Mark D Mahler
- Apr 22, 2023
- 3 min read
When it comes to talented teams on the horizon, NXT's Diamond Mine appears to be certified for success
By Mark Mahler - 04.22.2023
Since NXT's inception, one thing Triple H and his team have been able to do is find some solid tag teams. FTR, Sanity, Authors of Pain, The Ascension, Undisputed ERA, Street Profits, War Raiders, DYI, and the Iiconics to name a few. Some teams get to the main roster and flourish, while others stumble and become a footnote in wrestling history. Some jump ship and show they were worth their weight in gold.
NXT right now has a very rare "Diamond" in the rough right now with the Creed Brothers and Ivy Nile. Diamond Mine which was originally under different management and paired with Roderick Strong, have shown they are a force and keep growing in the ring, in a backstage segment, and with the storylines they've had thrown at them.
Brutus Creed, Julius Creed, and Ivy Nile have shown they can go with any tag team, any wrestlers, and bring their best for TV and PLEs. Their uncanny knack to have chemistry with whoever they are in the ring with shown in their feuds with Indus Sher and Pretty Deadly, and also has them on a collision course with Gallus. Assuming Triple H doesn't draft them to Raw or Smackdown before that showdown with Gallus happens.
Brutus is very similar to Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart. He's a bruiser, an enforcer with Diamond Mine. But here is also so much more. Brutus isn't afraid to throw his weight around on the mat or from the ropes. He is a much more athletic big man and isn't afraid of showing it. He also has shown he can take some wicked bumps. His mat skills and speed are a deadly combination for any wrestler let alone the big man in a tag team.
Julius, on the other hand, has shown his stunning athletic prowess in the ring over the last couple of years and he keeps getting better. Not many men his size will attempt - let alone pull off - a clean moonsault.
He has this weird 'Montez Ford thing' going. That's like catching lightning in a bottle for WWE, as many fans online love asking when Montez is going to split from Dawkins and get his own singles run. Julius is someone to keep tabs on because he has a very bright future ahead.
Very rarely does anyone find a tag team of two people that can be interchangeably used. Brutus and Julius are both big and strong. Both have mat skills, and they can go aerial without notice. Not many previous tags teams have this mix between the two wrestlers and that makes Diamond Mine unique on many levels.
Ivy, who recently split from tag team partner Tatum Paxley, continues to be a shorter version of Shayna Baszler. Nile is quick, athletic, strong as an ox, and can pull out her finisher in the blink of an eye lady. Her work on Next Level shows the strides she is making in the ring and climbing that ladder to become a main player in the women's division. Pound-for-pound, she's also one of the strongest wrestlers in NXT. Beauty, brawn, and brains will get her pretty far with WWE.
The combination of the three in Diamond Mine has shown the group can work and has worked in NXT. They went from being hated heels to being cheered and over-the-top babyfaces. They have the crowd invested in them. With every move, submission, pinfall, or defeat? The Diamond Mine is a faction that clicks.
When the time comes for them to make the jump from NXT to the WWE I can see some ready-made feuds for them, but this will depend on how the draft goes. I see Diamond Mine being a team that can and will capture Tag Team Gold. I see Ivy being someone that will challenge for one of the women's titles. The sky is the limit for this talented trio of wrestlers. It's just a matter of seeing how the WWE showcases such a talented group.
Maul it Over!
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