In a short time, the NXT Womenâs title has built up quite the lineage. It all started with a precocious anti-diva and from there transitioned into an emerging Queen, a conquering BOSS, a beloved hugger and most recently, an unbeatable Empress. Considering the kind of impact that each of those women had in NXT and beyond,⌠itâs fair to say that being the brand womenâs champion is a very important thing. What if I were to tell you though that whilst it may not seem obvious as of right now, the beltâs current owner actually has the tools to end up a bigger and more enduring star than almost all of them. Iâm talking of course, about Ember Moon.
The first vignettes surrounding a then more mythical Moonâs debut emerged around 18 months ago, and sheâd have her first televiđŽsed bout at NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn 2. She was presented as a major player from the outset, on that night beating Billie Kay in front of a packed Barclays Centre. Moonâs athleticism was immediately impressive and paired with such an interesting and unique presentation, seemed set to create a dynamite package for the NXT Womenâs division. The end game was clear from day one, Asukaâs eventual conqueror had surely just arrived.
The truth was though, behind the cool contact lenses and neat entrance music, there wasn't a lot to see. I donât mean that as an indictment on Moon to be clear as once the bell rung, she usually did everything she could but this initial characterization was simply lacking in substance. I understand the idea of maintaining a characterâs mystique but as an audience, we were given almost too little to latch onto and that began to create a disconnect that stunted Moonâs momentum for a while. Nonetheless, Ember continued to win and the inevitable Asuka match was soon booked for TakeOver: Orlando.
Looking back, itâs hard to believe that by the time we got to this first title match, almođ°st eight months had transpired since Moonâs debut. Regardless of why, itâs fair to say that a poor job had been done in establishing who Ember really was and that created the sense that for all her talent, Moon was an undercooked challenger not quite ready to dethrone the unstoppable champion. The match itself would unsurprisingly be great and the finish smart as Asuka was forced to take a shortcut for the first time, retaining her title with a feel of uncertainty and perfectly laying the table for a major rematch down the line.
As most wouldâve predicted at the time, that rematch would eventually come in Brooklyn, but the developments that took place in between were interesting to say the least. With a shoulder injury briefly pulling her aside, Moon had a chance to focus on redirecting her character in the build-up to the awđ¨aiting Asuka rematch. Ember became a contender hungry for revenge and for my money, finally began to find herself as a promo. She started speaking with a little more conviction and was now channeling human emotions rather than trying too hard to play an enigmatic character that in truth, wasn't as engaging as it looked.
Moon did an excellent job in the lead up to Brooklyn and her TakeOver rematch with Asuka absolutely delivered once the bell rang. Iâve purposely avoided too much analysis of Emberâs in-ring ability here as not only are the other areas often more important in connecting but also because frankly, sheâs so good that itâs almost not worth discussing. Basically, Moon is the single most dynamic bell-to-bell female performer Iâve ever seen. Offensively, sheâs spectacular but much more than that, she wrestles with a vigor and passion that makes her work matter. Sheâs exceptional and showed that clearer than ever here with Asuka in Brooklyn.Â
Her selling was quintessential babyface brilliance, and exposed how misguided their initial direction was as Moonâs relatability became clearer by the minute. The match thrilled, especially in the latter moments but to the surprise of many, Ember once again wouldn'tâ come out the victor as Asuka remained champion. Regardless of the result the match had been an iđ¸nstant classic, even if one had to ponder its long-term impact on Moonâs popularity as a top female babyface. In hindsight, it may well have been a watershed moment for her, though time will tell as to how and why.
Either way Asuka would vacate her crown and move up to the main roster, but only after an embrace with Moon on NXT TV first, a spiritual ending to their rivalry so to speak. With no champion, four women earned a chance to battle for the title in a Fatal 4-Way at TakeOver: War Games. I must say that for me personalđly, Ember felt almost hiđˇdden in the background here at times but then again, the build for the match was rather limited in general with the story a simple one, she may have had no conqueror but who was Asukaâs successor?
Moon unsurprisingly found herself in the match and afđ ter ten minutes of battling it out with Kairi Sane, Nikki Cross and Peyton Royce, she scored the win. Ember Moon was finally the NXT Womenâs Champion. Though she wasn't the most popular choice among ardent fans, Moon made sense as the new centerpiece, especially considering her famous battles with the former champion. It had been a long journey for the victorious Moon and whilst I wish theyâd have delved into that story slightly better beforehand, this was the completion of a nice story and with Asuka handing over the belt, it was now Emberâs time to be champion.
This ushers in a very important moment for Moon. That NXT Womenâs title has transformed careers before and a quick look at the landscape shows that Ember will have to be a champion that brings others up as she tries to make her own reign one of the most interesting yet. That was already clear in her first defense too as Ember faced a departing Sonya Deville. Thus far, the brief direction has been fine even if uninspiring but fortunately, Moon has the raw ability needed to maintain thiđs divisionâs now famed importance on almost every major TakeOver show.
On the recent recap episode of NXT, Emberâs success story was detailed and with just a little bit of effort, the true magic of this character was finally being tapped into. Ember Moon is special but not for the reasons first suggested. Honestly, sheâs not particularly mysterious or intriguiđŞng but what she is can often be much more unique. Ember is likable. Her charisma is very human in that way. Itâs her smile that connects with people, not a blank stare. You see, the money in Ember Moon as champion existđs in her simply being her, a hard working underdog that has slowly but surely become one of the most skilled performers in her whole profession.
Ember said hersྲelf that losing in Brooklyn didn't matter because she had earned the NXT universeâs respect and honestly, I think I agree with her. Those losses to Asuka humanized this character and whilst for many thatâs a death knell, for Moon it may have been the road to stardom. In a world of wrestlers searching for their perfect character or gimmick, Emberâs route seems simple. The more she can make âEmber Moonâ like the performer behind it, the more popular itâll become, that I am confident of. Ember Moon is a star, and with a division now resting on her very capable shoulders, itâs finally time for her to shine.
