NXT – July 19, 2017: I’m Getting the Itch
NXT
Date: July 19, 2017
Location: Full Sail University, Winter Park, Florida
Commentators: Mauro Ranallo, Nigel McGuinness, Percy Watson
It’s all about the NXT Title tonight as Drew McIntyre faces Killian Dane for the title shot at Takeover: Brooklyn. Bobby Roode suggested the match for the shot at his title, which would suggest than shenanigans are afoot. Other than that we’re getting ready for the rest of the show, which is just a month away. Let’s get to it.
Opening sequence.
Ember Moon vs. Ruby Riot
The fans sound split here. Mauro asks Percy to give us the keys to victory for both of them. As you might expect, Watson has no idea and just says they both want to win. Thankfully Nigel is there to say it’s all about the Eclipse as they trade some early rollups. Riot monkey flips her but Moon lands on her feet but takes her down again and grabs a chinlock. Ember reverses into a bow and arrow for a bit (which Percy manages to identify as a hold working on the back) but Riot is right back up to hit Ember in the face. A Flatliner drops Riot for two and we take a break.
Back with Riot hitting a top rope backsplash for two but getting sent hard into the corner to change control again. Riot catches her on top with a hurricanrana though and the fans are WAY into this one. Ember goes with a roaring elbow and a modified backbreaker, setting up the Eclipse to put Riot away at 11:35.
Rating: B. This match felt important instead of just another match. As has been the case, they continued to build up the Eclipse as the biggest move in NXT and probably the one move that can finish Asuka no matter what she throws at Ember. Riot definitely has a following too and she’ll get her chance once things shift at the top of the division.
Earlier today Kassius Ohno was giving an interview when Hideo Itami came in to ask about their match next week, which Ohno requested. No violence ensues.
The Street Profits are coming.
Oney Lorcan vs. Danny Burch
Feeling out process to start with both guys getting an early two, only to have Burch punch him in the face to take over. Burch hits a dropkick and head kick in the corner, followed by the Tower of London (a hanging Diamond Cutter, Nigel’s old finisher) for two. Lorcan gets in a shot to the face of his own and it’s time to exchange some hard uppercuts. Danny turns him inside out with a clothesline and a rather sloppy powerbomb gets two. Back up and Danny misses a dive out of the corner and Lorcan rolls him into a half crab for the tap at 4:38.
Rating: C+. They were hitting the heck out of each other here and I like the idea that they have this kind of match on NXT from time to time. There isn’t much of a story here but they hit each other really hard and offer entertaining enough matches to warrant time on the shows. Sometimes that’s better than doing the same stuff over and over every week. Good little match here.
Danny shakes his hand post match and asks for one more match. Oney is game.
No Way Jose vs. Cezar Bononi
The fans sing about Jose and he scores with an early armdrag. Bononi takes him into the corner and gets in a good looking dropkick before throwing Jose around. That goes nowhere though as Jose gets in a clothesline and some dancing, followed by the pop up uppercut for the pin at 2:09.
Post match Andrade Cien Almas comes in to go after Bononi (who upset him a few weeks back) but Jose chases him off.
Drew McIntyre vs. Killian Dain
The winner gets the title shot against Roode at Takeover: Brooklyn. It’s odd to see Drew fighting someone bigger than he already is, which shows how small a lot of the NXT roster really is. Dain can’t intimidate him to start and gets taken down by a top rope shot to the head. Killian is right back with a basement crossbody to send Drew outside though and we take a break.
Back with Drew still in trouble and getting tossed hard into the corner. Dain stomps on the chest and drops a running elbow for two. Some hard crossface shots to the jaw have Drew in trouble. We hit the neck crank for a bit before Dain hammers away in the corner, only to get caught in a running powerbomb to give Drew a near fall of his own.
White Noise gets two more, only to have Dain hit a quick Wasteland into a backsplash into a Vader Bomb (collectively named the Belfast Blitz). The Ulster Plantation is broken up and the referee tells them they have two minutes left. Dain takes him up again and grabs a fisherman’s superplex for a delayed two but walks into Future Shock for one. Drew’s shocked face is great and it’s even worse when the Claymore (running boot to the face) isn’t even enough for a cover. A second Claymore sends Drew to Brooklyn at 13:35.
Rating: B-. Well you can’t say they didn’t have Dain looking strong with that ending. This was another good, hard hitting brawl with two big guys beating the heck out of each other until Dain couldn’t get up anymore. Drew winning is the right call and I wouldn’t be surprised if he didn’t win the title in Brooklyn as he’s looking like one of the most polished performers in the promotion at the moment.
Drew says he’s coming for the title to end the show.
Overall Rating: A-. The goal here was to set up a title match at Takeover and they nailed that as well as they could have. The show also had two very solid matches and a good brawl between Burch and Lorcan as a bonus. This was a very entertaining fifty one minutes of wrestling and I’m starting to get the itch for a Takeover, which has potential to be a very impressive show. Really good outing this week.
Results
Ember Moon b. Ruby Riot – Eclipse
Oney Lorcan b. Danny Burch – Half crab
No Way Jose b. Cezar Bononi – Pop up uppercut
Drew McIntyre b. Killian Dain – Claymore
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And I know it would be pretty much Shesmus/Cesaro II, but I’d love to see Burch and Lorcan end up as a team. The tag division in NXT is a bit thin so I don’t think it would be the worst idea.
They just know how to do things right. There’s rarely a misstep. Having read some spoilers, I have very high hopes for Takeover: Brooklyn.