NXT – August 28, 2019: As Good As It Gets
IMG Credit: WWE
NXT
Date: August 28, 2019
Location: Full Sail University, Winter Park, Florida
Commentators: Mauro Ranallo, Beth Phoenix, Nigel McGuinness
We’re down to three weeks to go before the big switch over and tonight we have what might be the last title match on the hour long version. That would be the Street Profits defending the Tag Team Titles against the Undisputed Era as the Era’s quest for all the gold continues. Let’s get to it.
Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.
Quick look at tonight’s title match.
Opening sequence.
Io Shirai vs. Cami Fields
Shirai hits a running dropkick at the bell and loads up what looks to be a package piledriver. Cami backdrops out but Shirai lands on her feet and hits another dropkick. The moonsault gets two with Shirai pulling her up, followed by something like a reverse Koji Clutch to make Fields tap at 1:43.
Post match Shirai pulls out the kendo stick but Candice LeRae makes the save.
Video on Kushida.
Keith Lee vs. Dominick Dijakovic
Hold on as Lee has to conduct the crowd for an OH BASK IN HIS GLORY chant. Lee shrugs off some kicks to the ribs to start and hits a big shoulder. That just earns him the cyclone boot but Lee blocks a suplex attempt and hits him in the face. Lee gets sent to the apron but Dijakovic won’t let himself go face first into the buckle. Instead Lee hits a slingshot crossbody for two, followed by one heck of a lariat for the same. They fight to the apron with Lee spinebustering him down onto the apron, but this time Lee isn’t settling for the countout.
Dijakovic gets in a boot and Lee heads outside again, meaning it’s a big running flip dive (Nigel: “If he flies, he flies.”) because OF COURSE HE CAN DO THAT. Back in and Dijakovic tries a top rope flip dive but Lee catches him in the air. The powerbomb is countered as Dijakovic backflips out, setting up the toss suplex. The moonsault gets two on Lee so they head up top, with Lee busting out a super Spanish Fly. This time it’s Lee going up and, after elbowing Dijakovic off the top, getting superkicked in the leg to bring him back down. Feast Your Eyes finally finishes Lee 11:19 for the standing ovation.
Rating: A-. It might not have been the highest quality or anything like that, but this had more HOW DID THEY DO THAT moments than anything I’ve seen outside of some crazy lucha stuff in a long, long time. I was sitting here wondering how in the world they could keep doing these big spots and then they just kept doing it. This was incredible stuff and I had as good of a time watching it as I’ve had in probably a year watching a regular TV match.
We get a career retrospective on Johnny Gargano, who seems ready to leave. We start with a look at DIY’s success before moving on to the split, the matches with Andrade and then the classics with Ciampa, capped off by him finally winning the NXT Title in the match with Adam Cole. If that had been the finally victory over Ciampa, it would have been an all time feud. We also see part of his big farewell after Takeover: Toronto.
Shane Thorne comes up to commentary and asks why we’re talking about Gargano and not his win streak or his devastating kicks. Focus on the present people.
We look back at Mia Yim going after Shayna Baszler last week.
Mia begged William Regal for another title shot and was told no because she already had her chance. Fair point.
Here are Shayna and the Horsewomen for a chat but Rhea Ripley of all people shows up and takes the mic, saying Shayna hasn’t beaten her b****. The trio bails.
Video on Pete Dunne, who wants the North American Title and will break anyone who tries to stop him.
Next week: Jordan Myles vs. Adam Cole for the NXT Title.
Tag Team Titles: Undisputed Era vs. Street Profits
The Profits are defending after pinning the illegal man at Takeover. The fans want the smoke as Fish grabs a wristlock on Ford to start. O’Reilly comes in for a headlock and some spot calling, one of which seems to be bringing in Dawkins to take O’Reilly down. Everything breaks down for a bit with Ford hitting the crazy high dropkick and getting tossed onto Fish for two.
Ford gets taken into the corner for the hard strikes from O’Reilly, with the leg being twisted around the rope to make it even worse. A cannonball down onto the leg is broken up but O’Reilly pulls the leg down so Fish can hit the slingshot hilo. Ford gets back up and manages to get over for the tag to Dawkins, who cleans house. A spear gets two on Fish but O’Reilly is right back with Chasing the Dragon for a rather near fall.
O’Reilly grabs the kneebar until Ford makes the save and everyone is down. We get the four way slugout until Dawkins hits a Sky High on Fish. The Rock Bottom into the frog splash (from Dawkins for a change) gets two on O’Reilly with Fish making the save. Ford hits a running flip dive but misses the real frog splash. Dawkins’ spear hits a raised knee and it’s High/Low to Ford for the pin and the titles at 11:31.
Rating: B. Good match here with the Street Profits going down in a hot one. The Era getting the titles back might not be the most exciting way to go but it comes at the end of a reign that saw the Profits grow up before our eyes. They went from the fun, goofy team to actual stars on this show and that’s how you make someone matter. They’ll be fine with the entrance alone and if their matches keep getting better, they could be quite the force for a long time.
The rest of the Era comes out to celebrate to end the show.
Overall Rating: A+. Yeah that’s probably higher than it should be but who cares. I had a blast watching this whole thing and it was one of the best, most entertaining hours of TV I can remember in a long time. There wasn’t a single bad thing on the entire show and it set up a few very interesting things down the line. I’m almost scared of where things are going on USA but they’re going out with a heck of a taping and one of the best shows I can remember them doing.
Results
Io Shirai b. Cami Fields – Reverse Koji Clutch
Dominick Dijakovic b. Keith Lee – Feast Your Eyes
Undisputed Era b. Street Profits – High/Low to Ford
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