Stand & Deliver 2022
Date: April 2, 2022
Location: American Airlines Center, Dallas, Texas
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Wade Barrett

Somehow this is NXT’s first time on the road in over two years. It might not be Takeover, but it is one of NXT’s rare big shows and the card could look worse. NXT hasn’t had the chance to do something like this very often and at some point you need to just let them go out there and do their thing in front of a lot of people. Let’s get to it.

I was in attendance for this show, sitting in the lower level and facing the Titantron.

Kickoff Show: Women’s Tag Team Titles: Dakota Kai/Raquel Gonzalez vs. Toxic Attraction

Toxic Attraction is defending and are in matching green/black gear. Jayne goes after Gonzalez’s injured knee to start but Gonzalez drops her throat first across the top. It’s off to Kai for a crucifix and a near fall on Dolin as the fast start continues. As Barrett tries to figure out how, Gonzalez adds a swinging neckbreaker so Kai can get two. Dolin gets in a cheap shot from behind to take over but Kai slides between her legs to make the tag.

House is cleaned and a big boot into the spinning Vader Bomb gets two. Kai and Jayne kick each other down and we get the loud NXT chant. Toxic Shock (high/low) gets two on Kai, which seems to be a big deal (though I’m not sure I remember the team using it before). Cue Wendy Choo to throw her drink in Dolin’s face, allowing Gonzalez to add a big boot. Back inside, Kai’s scorpion kick sets up the Chingona Bomb for the pin and the titles at 7:57.

Rating: C. The title change was what mattered here but the bad part was how scripted everything felt. It came off like everything here was timed and staged all the way through and that isn’t a good thing. The match wasn’t supposed to be a classic or anything, but they got the important part right.

The opening video features a lot of the people on the show talking about how they are standing to deliver on their promises. I’ve heard worse ideas.

North American Title: Santos Escobar vs. Solo Sikoa vs. Cameron Grimes vs. Grayson Waller vs. Carmelo Hayes

Hayes is defending in a ladder match (because of course) and Sanga, the rest of Legado de Fantasma and Trick Williams are all here too. Only Hayes and Grimes get entrances in what I’m sure won’t mean a thing. Hayes talks trash to everyone else and gets beaten down until we settle to Grimes hitting a running kick to Escobar in the corner. Williams’ interference is cut off so we’re down to Escobar vs. Hayes for a change.

Grimes breaks that up though and takes turns beating on Hayes with Sikoa. It’s time for the first ladders to be brought in, with Escobar dropkicking one into Grimes. Waller sends Sanga to get the big ladder so Sikoa dives onto Sanga, earning a dive from Escobar. Grimes and Hayes hit dives of their own, leaving Waller to climb up to little avail. Back in and Sikoa crushes Waller with a ladder in the corner but Escobar crushes Hayes in front of Waller, making a bit of a sandwich.

Sikoa adds the running Umaga attack to crush everyone, which doesn’t seem that smart given the BIG LADDERS that he’s crashing into. Grimes cuts Sikoa off and avoids a superkick, leaving Sikoa’s leg tied in the ladder. Hayes is back up with a superkick to drive the ladder into Grimes but gets caught in Waller’s fireman’s carry. That’s fine with Hayes, who jumps onto the ladder and kicks Waller down. It’s Sikoa making a save but Escobar goes up top to slug it out on the ladder.

That means a sunset bomb to drive Sikoa into the ladder in the corner, because that’s the kind of crash you need to see. Grimes’ flipping powerslam plants Escobar…so Williams loads up a ladder of his own. Sanga comes in and chops the braces in half, leaving Wilde and Mendoza to grab a piece of the ladder each. Lopez hits a big dive off the top and it’s time to bridge some ladders between the ring and the barricade.

Sikoa tries a double Samoan drop on Wilde and Mendoza but just falls forward instead. Williams is back in and tries his own climb, which opens up a whole new bag of weird rules. That’s broken up as Grimes tilts the ladder over and out onto the pile on the floor for the big crash. Waller, Escobar and Grimes slug it out on top of the ladder until Waller is left alone, only to have Escobar make the save.

Another big knockdown leaves Sikoa to go up with Grimes making the save this time. In your “well that was dumb” moment of the match, Waller goes up on a ladder on the floor but elbows the bridged ladder only as Williams pulls Hayes out of the way. The crash leaves Waller laying, allowing Waller to go up and pull down the title for the win at 21:06.

Rating: B. This was the latest big match with everyone flying around and little more than one stunt after another. Some of the sports were good, but there is only so much you can get out of having five people (plus seconds) going nuts for twenty minutes. It was certainly fun and hopefully Waller is ok, but this was just another entry on a long list of ladder matches over the years.

Tommaso Ciampa talks about the long road he took to get here and everyone has helped him survive. Things like winning a title are great but having his wife suffer five miscarriages was a lot, though his daughter helps a lot. Together they made black and gold, so let’s do it one more time. He turns his chair around, showing the dates of the beginning and end of his NXT career.

Tony D’Angelo vs. Tommaso Ciampa

D’Angelo comes to the ring in a car with real like mobster AJ Galante (from a Netflix series). Ciampa one ups him though with a pretty cool highlight package of his career, which is one of the best in NXT history. In his own nice tribute, Ciampa fist bumps commentary, spits water like HHH and poses like Shawn Michaels because he knows who helped get him here.

Ciampa starts fast with a spinebuster but D’Angelo knocks him down and stomps away. That’s not going to work for Ciampa, who takes him outside and sends him into the barricade, setting up Ciampa’s apron applause. The floor mat is pulled back but D’Angelo is able to stomp away back inside as Ciampa takes too long. The chinlock goes on, prompting the fans to ask about the location of their pizza.

Ciampa fights up but misses the running knee, allowing D’Angelo to hit a Falcon Arrow. The Fairy Tale Ending is broken up so D’Angelo grabs a rollup (with trunks) for two more. Back up and Ciampa chops D’Angelo out of his singlet and then dropkicks him out of the air for a bonus. They slug it out with Ciampa getting the better of things so D’Angelo whips out the crowbar.

With that taken away, D’Angelo hits him low for two. Ciampa is back with Willow’s Bell into the Fairy Tale Ending for two so here’s the Gargano Escape (no name mentioned of course). D’Angelo makes the rope so they head outside, where D’Angelo hits a DDT onto the exposed concrete. Back in and D’Angelo kicks him in the head for the pin at 13:10.

Rating: C+. This was a weird one as while it made more sense to have D’Angelo go over, it was still hard to see Ciampa losing on his way out of NXT. It also doesn’t feel exactly right for D’Angelo to get the big win over Ciampa, but the farewell did feel like a special moment. It helps that the match was good, though I’m not sure how far D’Angelo is going without getting a bit more serious.

Post match Ciampa gets the big sendoff….and here’s HHH for the surprise appearance, his first on TV since his heart issue. HHH hugs Ciampa and says something to him, leaving Ciampa to get the moment. Granted it’s with HHH’s music and Titantron, but it is a moment.

Chase University is here.

Tag Team Titles: MSK vs. Creed Brothers vs. Imperium

Imperium is defending. Lee kicks Barthel into the corner to start and it’s Carter coming in to fire off his own kicks. Aichner comes in as well though and runs MSK over but Brutus comes in to run Aichner over as well. Carter gets Pounced against the ropes and the Creeds start throwing their suplexes.

MSK finally gets it together and kicks Brutus down before a combination stomp the chest gets two on Barthel. That doesn’t last long as Barthel is back up with a middle rope elbow, meaning Carter needs to be saved as well. Everyone but Lee gets sent outside so Lee hits the big dive, followed by a Spiral Tap for two back inside.

MSK gets creative by double superplexing Julius onto Imperium to send them outside. Brutus is fine enough to come off the top with a cannonball to Imperium but gets sent into the steps. Barthel tries to come back in but Lee hurricanranas him into a sitout powerbomb from Carter to give MSK the titles back at 11:32.

Rating: B-. It was a fun match and they had a bunch of big spots, but there is only so much that you can get out of another match with all those people running around. What we got here was good and MSK getting the titles back is a way to go, but the Creed Brothers are going to get the titles sooner rather than later.

Nikkita Lyons loves music and knocking people out. She’s a whole lotta woman ready to do a whole lotta whoopin.

Cameron Grimes is in tears over his win, which honors his father.

Joe Gacy and Harland are in Daley Plaza, where Gacy talks about how the Kennedy assassination brought people together. Gacy wants to bring people together and hopes they do so willingly rather than having to result to violence.

We look at the Women’s Tag Team Titles changing hands on the Kickoff Show.

We recap the Women’s Title match. Mandy Rose is the champion and the star, Cora Jade is the underdog who has always wanted to be champion and Kay Lee Ray/Io Shirai are two of the best in the world and want another title reign.

Women’s Title: Cora Jade vs. Io Shirai vs. Kay Lee Ray vs. Mandy Rose

Rose is defending (with a redesigned title) in our third multi-challenger match in less than two hours. Jade comes out with a fleet of skateboarders, but Rose tops her by descending down like an angel (or Shawn Michaels in 2009). Everyone goes after Rose to start (just like Carmelo Hayes in the opener) and the champ gets kicked out to the floor. Shirai and Ray go after Jade, who gets pulled outside, setting up the double suicide dives.

Back in and we get the Shirai vs. Ray showdown, with Shirai having to roll her way out of the KLR Bomb. Rose pulls Shirai to the floor and gets to pound on Jade, including a suplex for two. Jade low bridges Rose to the floor and it’s Ray hitting a big dive. Shirai adds a moonsault to the floor before taking Ray back inside for a stomp. A missile dropkick gets two on Ray with Rose making a save. Everyone gets back inside, with Ray grabbing a Koji Clutch on Rose and Shirai putting Jade in a Texas Cloverleaf at the same time (with Shirai falling backwards to crank Jade’s back very hard by mistake).

Both holds are broken up and Jade hits a running springboard stomp to Rose’s back. Shirai 619s Jade to the floor and adds a missile dropkick to Rose. A German suplex gives Shirai two and a super C4 to Rose gets the same, with Jade diving in off the top for the save. Sliced Bread gives Jade two on Rose but Shirai knocks Jade down. The Moon Over Moonsault hits Jade but Rose hits a running knee to pin Shirai and retain the title at 13:28.

Rating: C+. The more I think about this, the more I like Rose retaining the title. She isn’t a top of the world worker, but that isn’t what they’re going for with her. Instead, this is more about Rose driving everyone crazy and holding onto the title while still being a good enough worker. The other three put in most of the work, but Rose is the right choice to retain here and is turning into a nice long term evil champion.

We recap Dexter Lumis/Indi Hartwell vs. Persia Pirotta/Duke Hudson in a showdown over who can be the best dressed. After a montage of the guys getting clothes from a western store, Lumis/Hartwell win a fan vote 89% to 11%. This was as dumb as you would expect.

Gunther vs. LA Knight

Gunther doesn’t like Knight running his mouth so much so they’re going to fight about it. They fight over a lockup to start until Knight wins a slugout and takes him to the floor. That goes better for Gunther, who hits an apron powerbomb and poses inside. The chinlock keeps Knight in trouble but he avoids a corner clothesline and hits a jumping neckbreaker.

Gunther knocks him down again though and the Boston crab goes on. Make that an STF as Gunther is smothering him so far. Knight manages a suplex for a breather, setting up the slingshot shoulder. Some stomping away in the corner sets up a slam into the jumping elbow and the running superplex gets two on Gunther. Back up and the big chop is blocked, setting up Gunther’s sleeper. That’s reversed into a Burning Hammer for two but Gunther catches him on top. A clothesline knocks Knight off the top and it’s the big splash to crush him. The powerbomb gives Gunther the pin at 10:27.

Rating: C+. It wasn’t a classic and there wasn’t much drama to it, but Knight was good enough to make Gunther break a bit of a sweat. Gunther is on his way to something a lot bigger in NXT and beating Knight can get him closer to the title picture. I don’t think there was any real doubt about the winner, but it was a good way to get Gunther on the card.

We recap Bron Breakker vs. Dolph Ziggler for Ziggler’s NXT Title. Ziggler came down to NXT and took the title from Breakker while bragging about all of his star power. Now Breakker wants to take the title back for the REAL NXT.

NXT Title: Dolph Ziggler vs. Bron Breakker

Ziggler is defending and has Robert Roode in his corner. Breakker goes after Roode to start and then jumps Ziggler, only to get cheapshotted down. The spinebuster/belly to belly plants Ziggler though and there’s the overhead belly to belly. The spear is loaded up but Roode grabs Breakker’s leg, setting up the big ejection (allowing Ziggler to pull off a turnbuckle pad behind the referee’s back).

Breakker is fine enough to hit a belly to back suplex, only to get crotched on top. Ziggler puts on the chinlock and a jumping elbow sets up chinlock, the sequel. Back up and Breakker fights out but gets caught on top. That means a chinlock with a bodyscissors, including Ziggler flipping over in a spot he hasn’t used in a long time. Breakker fights up again and fires off the series of shoulders. The super hurricanrana gets two and a big spear gets the same with Breakker looking frustrated by the kickout.

Ziggler knees him down but the superkick is countered into a suplex. The gorilla press powerslam connects…but Roode is back to pull Ziggler out. Breakker hits a running flip dive to the floor (with his foot getting caught on the top, thankfully not leading to a big crash) but Breakker comes back in with the Fameasser and Zig Zag for two of his own. The top rope elbow gets two more on Breakker, who hits another spear. The gorilla press powerslam is loaded up, only to have Ziggler rake the eyes. Breakker gets sent into the buckle and a superkick retains the title at 16:12.

Rating: B-. Well ok. This seemed to be the biggest layup of the weekend but they went in another direction. Breakker didn’t lose clean, but it’s weird to see him losing in any way at this point. Ziggler retaining is certainly a way to go and he has done some good things as champion, but I’m not sure if this was the right move.

Overall Rating: B. This isn’t a Takeover and isn’t close to being one, but it was the kind of show that made me want to see more from NXT and that is a great thing to see. NXT has taken some long steps forward and I’m liking it a lot more than was just a few months ago. At some point you have to go out there and get in front of some people and that is what they did here. The fact that they delivered made it even better.

Results
Cameron Grimes b. Carmelo Hayes, Grayson Waller, Santos Escobar and Solo Sikoa – Grimes pulled down the title
Tony D’Angelo b. Tommaso Ciampa – Fisherman’s neckbreaker
MSK b. Creed Brothers and Imperium – Hurricanrana/powerbomb combination to Barthel
Mandy Rose b. Io Shirai, Kay Lee Ray and Cora Jade – Running knee to Shirai
Gunther b. LA Knight – Powerbomb
Dolph Ziggler b. Bron Breakker – Superkick

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

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Took in NXT (not Takeover) Stand & Deliver and it was actually a pretty solid show.

The place was EMPTY with about 45 minutes before the start but it filled in very nicely. There were thousands of people there and the non-hard camera side was mostly full. The upper deck was tarped but the middle sections (which are small) had people. The hard camera side was mostly tarped with some sections open.

Kickoff Show: Women’s Tag Team Titles: Toxic Attraction vs. Raquel Gonzalez/Dakota Kai

The Kickoff Show match was nothing worth seeing, but the title change did pop the crowd. Wendy Choo was her usual annoying self but that is kind of the point….I hope. The big thing I noticed here was how everything felt choreographed. It came off like the women were doing their carefully planned out routines with everything laid out well in advance. It’s very noticeable and that’s not a great thing.

North American Title: Ladder Match

Of all the wild, multi person ladder matches I’ve seen, this was the most recent. What is there to say? There were a bunch of people flying around doing their spots and Cameron Grimes won. Other than Grayson Waller’s big crash or maybe breaking a ladder apart, I’m not going to remember any of this in a few days. That’s how ladder matches work these days and it doesn’t really mean much. Grime winning was the right move though and I’m glad he got it.

Tommaso Ciampa vs. Tony D’Angelo

This was a bit sad to see happen but D’Angelo going over makes sense. Ciampa has done everything there is to do in NXT and while I’m not sure if he’s going to the main roster or leaving, it was an emotional sendoff. The HHH cameo was awesome, but it was a little weird when he left and Ciampa was standing there in front of HHH’s Titantron with Motorhead playing.

Tag Team Titles: Imperium(c) vs. MSK vs. Creed Brothers

I really didn’t care to see this match, but it is nice to have the tag division getting somewhere again for a change. It isn’t the glory days, but it feels like there are teams fighting over the belts and that is more than has been seen as of late. If this leads to MSK being revealed as the team that attacked the Creeds and sets up a bit title match, everything should be fine. The Creeds are coming though and I don’t think that’s a secret.

Women’s Title: Mandy Rose(c) vs. Cora Jade vs. Io Shirai vs. Kay Lee Ray

Rose retained and I’m ok with that. Simply put, Rose isn’t some ring general who can steal a show every night, but she’s also FAR from some disaster who needs to be led through a match step by step. She gets a reaction from the fans and that is more than a lot of people are going to be able to say in NXT, or anywhere else these days. Yes the Toxic Attraction dominance is a little old, but Rose is the star of the team and I’m fine with her keeping the belt for a while longer.

Gunther vs. LA Knight

This was probably the second biggest layup of the show, as Gunther isn’t losing to someone like Knight. I like Knight, but he was out of his league here with a monster like Gunther. Odds are Gunther is moving into the title picture soon, as there isn’t anything else for him to do at the moment. It was cool to see Gunther in person, but we didn’t get the crazy loud chop for some reason.

NXT Title: Dolph Ziggler(c) vs. Bron Breakker

Then there’s this and….yowza. I would have bet money on Breakker winning here but they did a good enough job of shocking the heck out of me. Breakker not winning means he’s either already on his way to the main roster, or he’ll be getting the title soon. Either way, I was shocked by the result, but while Breakker was nervous and botched a bit, he was having a good match here. Ziggler deserves credit for that and that’s why he’s in NXT.

Oh and the Hudson/Pirotta vs. Lumis/Hartwell deal was as dumb as you knew it would be.

Overall Thoughts

There might not have been a classic and this is by no means Takeover, but they have done a heck of a job of turning NXT into something watchable. The characters are established and you can see what WWE wants to do with them. This wasn’t a great show, but it was an entertaining show and a nice warmup for later tonight. If that’s what NXT is going to be, I can live with it going forward, as this was an enjoyable enough afternoon.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

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NXT
Date: March 29, 2022
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Wade Barrett

It’s the go home show for Stand & Deliver and the card is all but set. We still have some matches that need a final push though and that is where this week’s show comes in. If nothing else, there is one spot left in the North American Title ladder match and it gets filled in this week. Let’s get to it.

Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.

Imperium vs. LA Knight/MSK

LAMSK (spelled like it sounds) jumps Imperium from behind to start and they start fast, with Knight and Barthel trading wristlocks. Barthel gets taken down and MSK hits a neck crank into a basement dropkick. A cheap shot finally takes Knight down though and Barthel kicks him in the chest. The fans want Gunther and receive him almost immediately, with some kicks tot he back keeping Knight in trouble. It’s already off to Aichner for a slam into the ropes for two and the beating villains continue their alternating beatdowns.

Knight finally fights his way over to the ropes for the tag to Lee. Everything breaks down and Carter hits a dive, leaving Knight to stare Gunther down. We take a break and come back with Knight and Barthel coming in off the double tag, allowing Knight to clean house in a hurry. The big jumping elbow gets two, with Aichner making the save. Carter hits a running dropkick in the corner as Knight and Gunther fight into the back. That leaves Aichner to kick Lee in the face and blast Carter with a clothesline for the pin at 12:11.

Rating: C+. MSK losing doesn’t mean much here as the Tag Team Title match is more about the Creed Brothers than MSK, who are just kind of there too. It was nice to see Knight get to stand toe to toe with Gunther before their showdown on Saturday. That could be a nice fight and if they allow Knight to shine a bit, he could have a breakout performance. Fast paced opener here and I can always go for a good six man tag.

Post match the Creed Brothers come out for the three way staredown.

Io Shirai and Kay Lee Ray are ready to win the Women’s Title, even if it means beating one another. Ray throws out some good luck in Japanese, which Shirai returns in English.

Dakota Kai goes hunting for Wendy Choo but only finds Wendy’s stuff destroyed.

Earlier today, Ivy Nile told Tatum Paxley to work harder if she wants to be in the Diamond Mine.

Ivy Nile vs. Tiffany Stratton

Stratton takes her down without much trouble and hits the standing moonsault for two. Nile is right back up with a clothesline and Stratton backs off. That doesn’t last long as Stratton sends her into the ropes for a running hip attack to the back. A headlock takeover doesn’t last long on Nile so Stratton sends her face first into the mat. Nile is ticked off though and hits Stratton in the face. A running shot in the corner sets up a double arm crank until Nile sends her face first into the mat. Stratton is ticked off and comes back but here is Sarray for a distraction, allowing Nile to grab the dragon sleeper for the tap at 3:26.

Rating: C. This was little more than a squash for Nile until Sarray used her teleporting powers to get involved. What matters here is that Nile gets to beat someone else up as you have to imagine she is coming for the Women’s Title sooner or later. The match might not have been great, but Nile is a force and Stratton is growing on me.

Tommaso Ciampa is in his usual spot in the back and talks about how this is his place to connect with the people. The people and NXT have been his haven through a lot of troubles, including five miscarriages (egads) before his miracle daughter was born. They created the Black and Gold together, but now they are going to do it one more time. Ciampa stands up and the dates 9/9/15 – 4/2/22 (his debut to his final match) are written on the chair. I’m really curious about what is next for Ciampa, because going to the main roster almost seems impossible for him.

We get a video on Dolph Ziggler’s accomplishments in WWE.

Ziggler talks about coming to NXT as usual, but this time he is going to be staying a bit longer. He has been doing this time after time and how everyone wants him for media because everyone knows who he is. We see some clips of Ziggler’s path here as he talks about how everyone KNOWS Bron Breakker is taking the title from him at Stand & Deliver, just like the KNEW he would do it at Roadblock. He’s the star, and he’ll prove it again. Good video here, but it feels like Breakker’s likely title win would mean a lot more if he was winning it for the first time rather than regaining it.

Video on Cora Jade, talking about how she wanted to win the title and be like other NXT Women’s Champions (“Charlotte….don’t really like her”). She even has her notebook from high school where she wrote about wanting to follow her dreams as a wrestler instead of taking notes in math class. Yes the odds are against her, but she was never much for math anyway.

Legado del Fantasma vs. Josh Briggs/Brooks Jensen

Elektra Lopez and Fallon Henley are the seconds. Barrett talks about how Jensen’s love life can get him in trouble, allowing him to reference Will Smith. Briggs throws Wilde into the air for a crash onto the mat to start, followed by a fall away slam to make it worse. Briggs comes in but gets kicked in the ribs by Mendoza. A springboard is cut off though and Briggs drives him into the corner, setting up a double shoulder.

Jensen gets knocked outside though and Wilde hangs sideways off the post (that was impressive) before dropping straight down into a splash. Some running corner clotheslines knock Jensen silly again and a double suplex gets two. The chinlock is broken up though and the hot tag brings in Briggs to clean house. Lopez offers a distraction though, allowing Legado to knock him down. Henley goes after Lopez and Wilde’s 450 is cut off with a grab of the throat. The chokeslam sets up a high/low for the pin on Wilde at 5:36.

Rating: C. This is how you treat a team like Briggs and Jensen: let them go out there in their jeans and boots with their country girl manager and beat up some heels. It’s a formula that has worked for years and it worked again here. Odds are you can book the six person tag from here and that is an upgrade over Jensen’s dating issues.

Indi Hartwell and Persia Pirotta argue over their respective men and agree to a Texas sized showdown in Dallas, as judged by the NXT Universe. That’s going to be stupid isn’t it?

Cameron Grimes is nervous about his last chance match tonight because he needs this. Grimes wants to make his promise to his father come true.

Here is Toxic Attraction for a chat. Mandy Rose isn’t happy with Io Shirai and Kay Lee Ray adding themselves to the Women’s Title match but no she is not scared or worried. The three of them have dominated the women’s division for six months so now it is time to do it again at Stand & Deliver. Before we get there though, we have to talk about Wendy Choo and Dakota Kai, who failed in the finals of the Dusty Classic. They pull some of Choo’s stuff out of their backpack, revealing that the three of them took her out.

There is no one left to go after them and they are THE attraction around here. Cue Dakota Kai to go after them but the numbers game takes her down. That brings out Raquel Gonzalez for the real save and Toxic Attraction bails. Kai and Gonzalez have the big reunion and seem to be the next challengers as they hold up the titles. I’m not sure how epic of a reunion that is but there isn’t anyone else to go after the belts.

Carmelo Hayes and Trick Williams are excited for the ladder match when Grayson Waller and Sanga come in. Waller is ready to take the title but Hayes says he goes viral just by showing up. Glaring ensues.

Von Wagner vs. Bodie Hayward

Robert Stone and Andre Chase are here as seconds and Jacket Time is doing their own commentary. Hayward knocks him down to start but hold on as we cut to the attractive woman who has been appearing as of late. Jacket Time loses their mind over her as Wagner takes over inside with some shoulders to the ribs in the corner.

Hayward comes back with a running forearm but gets caught in a fall away slam. Wagner misses a running boot in the corner though and Hayward hits a running shoulder to put him down. Hayward isn’t having that though and runs him over, setting up something like a release AA for the pin at 3:41.

Rating: C-. Hayward is energetic in the ring but the Chase University bits are what matter most in the whole act. That makes things a little complicated as the matches aren’t worth seeing but the fans still like him. As for Wagner, he’s another big guy who does his thing and doesn’t seem to be getting very far as a result.

Post match Wagner jumps Jacket Time and rips up Ikemen Jiro’s jacket.

Tony D’Angelo is ready to take Tommaso Ciampa out of the chain and give him his last match in NXT. Then D’Angelo is taking over NXT as the new don.

Joe Gacy vs. Draco Anthony

Harland is here with Gacy, who shoulders Draco down to start. Back up and Anthony grabs an armdrag but stops to stare at Harland. That lets Gacy come back with a DDT and a chinlock, with trash talk included. Said trash talk lets Anthony…well nothing actually as Gacy hits a swinging Rock Bottom. Anthony fights up and hits a running elbow in the corner, setting up a suplex for two. Gacy slips out of another suplex (with Anthony falling down), followed by the handspring lariat to finish Anthony at 3:56.

Rating: C-. Gacy beat Anthony up here and Harland didn’t even need to help him win. Hopefully this doesn’t lead to Gacy gaining a following, as I could see Anthony turning on Xyon Quinn when Xyon is here to help him next time. Gacy just isn’t that interesting, with Harland being the latest in a long series of angry looking bodyguards.

The Steiner Brothers are going into the Hall of Fame, allowing commentary to FINALLY say that Rick Steiner is Bron Breakker’s father.

We get a video on Bron Breakker, who talks about how this is the biggest match of his life. His first title win was about proving himself but then he lost the title in a big surprise. Dolph Ziggler is here but he leaves as fast as he can every time. NXT is Breakker’s life and at Stand & Deliver, Ziggler has nowhere to run and hide. Breakker feels like a ticked off force in the vein of his uncle and that is a very good thing.

Stand & Deliver rundown, with Toxic Attraction defending the Women’s Tag Team Titles against Dakota Kai/Raquel Gonzalez added to the Kickoff Show.

Nikkita Lyons vs. Sloane Jacobs

Lyons slams her down to start but Jacobs is back with a Codebreaker to the arm. A suplex drops Jacobs though and there’s a Samoan drop to make it worse. Some kicks to the head set up the splits splash to finish Jacobs at 1:46 (with Jacobs looking bored as she is pinned).

Post match Lash Legend pops up to rat at Lyons and a challenge is issued for sometime after Stand & Deliver. Can we challenge Legend to never talk again?

Malcolm Bivens promises that the Diamond Mine is going to win everything at Stand & Deliver. The Creeds are left alone and get a text from whoever attacked them, saying they’ll be watching on Saturday. The area code is 781, which is from Boston (not mentioned here).

Cameron Grimes vs. Roderick Strong vs. A-Kid

The winner is in the North American Title ladder match. They all start fast with each one having to make a save. Strong can’t get a Boston crab on Grimes but A-Kid can’t get his sleeper. Grimes misses the Cave In, giving us a three way stand off. A monkey flip sends A-Kid into a hurricanrana to take Strong down and a dropkick puts Strong into the corner. Back up and A-Kid springboards into a wristdrag/headscissors combination to put the other two in trouble as we take a break.

Back with Carmelo Hayes on commentary and the rest of the ladder match entrants appearing to watch. Strong powerbombs A-Kid onto Grimes but can’t get a double Stronghold. Grimes is back up with a high crossbody on Strong and a swinging Side Effect on A-Kid. It’s A-Kid back on his feet to spike Grimes with a DDT and everyone is down. The three way slugout is on with Strong getting the better of things and powerbombing A-Kid onto Grimes. The End of Heartache drops A-Kid but Grimes hits the Cave In for the pin on Strong at 10:53.

Rating: B-. They went with the fast paced offense here and that is a good idea in a match like this. All of the other challengers coming out to watch made for a nice atmosphere and Grimes winning was the right call. You can have A-Kid and Strong go after the title later, but Grimes’ deal with his dad is the right trigger to pull at the moment.

Post match everyone involved in the ladder match promises to be champion, triggering a huge brawl to end the show.

Overall Rating: C+. I’m not sure when it happened but this show has gotten a lot more watchable in recent weeks. Above all else, it feels like a lot of the characters are starting to fit into their roles. They also aren’t throwing three or four new people out there almost every week so the wrestlers who are already around can develop a lot more. The show is still far from perfect, but I had a much easier time with this one than almost any NXT that I can remember in recent months.

Results
Imperium b. LA Knight/MSK – Clothesline to Carter
Ivy Nile b. Tiffany Stratton – Dragon sleeper
Josh Briggs/Brooks Jensen b. Legado del Fantasma – High/low to Wilde
Von Wagner b. Bodie Hayward – Fireman’s carry slam
Joe Gacy b. Draco Anthony – Handspring lariat
Nikkita Lyons b. Sloane Jacobs – Splits splash
Cameron Grimes b. Roderick Strong and A-Kid – Cave In to Strong

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NXT LVL Up
Date: March 25, 2022
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Sudu Shah

We’re back in Orlando and things have actually been changing a bit as of late. That could open up some doors going forward around here, though I wouldn’t get my hopes up. There are some names who are becoming regulars around here, as the levels of the NXT roster become more defined. Let’s get to it.

Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.

Opening sequence.

Joe Gacy vs. Quincy Elliott

Elliott is a rather large man and before the match, Gacy says he deserves a chance. Gacy’s headlock doesn’t get him very far as Elliott hits a shoulder. Some gyrations mess with Gacy so Elliott grabs a headlock. That’s broken up so Gacy stomps him down in the corner before driving in elbows on the mat. The armbar goes on, with Gacy looking a bit crazy. Elliott fights up and hits a splash to the back as Gacy tries a drop down (smart). Gacy gets tied in the Tree of Woe but Harland offers a distraction so Gacy can escape. The handspring lariat finishes Elliott at 4:16.

Rating: C-. Gacy continues to be a weird case as he is annoying on the mic but decent enough in the ring, making his matches a lot easier to watch than his talking. Elliott is big and has some charisma, which should be enough to keep him around for the time being. I don’t know how long that goes, but it’s more than some people could do.

Iva Nile vs. Kiana James

This is James’ debut and she talks about working in an office job three months ago. Nile cranks on a wristlock to start before firing off some uppercuts. A running forearm and kick in the corner drop James for two as Malcolm Bivens isn’t looking worried at ringside. James fights out of a neck crank and makes the comeback, including a side slam for two. Nile has had enough though and grabs the dragon sleeper for the tap at 4:16.

Rating: C. This was almost a squash for Nile and that is where she tends to shine. Nile is great as the seasoned striking/submission star who can mow down anyone in front of her. James is the latest new name around here and you can only get so much out of seeing her getting beaten up for most of a four minute match.

Jacket Time vs. Edris Enofe/Malik Blade

Blade and Jiro go to the mat to start with neither being able to get much of an advantage. Back up and Blade hits a dropkick before handing it off to Enofe. That works a bit better for Jiro, who hands it off to Kushida for a basement dropkick. Jiro is right back in for the jacket punch but Enofe is right back on the arm.

That’s switched into a half crab but Jiro is right out, meaning Blade needs to come back in to work on the arm. Jiro armdrags his way to freedom though and it’s back to Kushida to clean house. A dive to the floor drops Blade and Jiro comes in off the top for two. Everything breaks down and a belly to back suplex tossed into a sitout powerbomb finishes Kushida at 7:13.

Rating: C. Sometimes you need a young heartthrob team who can be built into something and that seems to be what they are trying with Enofe and Blade. That is something that has worked forever in wrestling and they are good enough to make it work, at least on this low of a level. Keep building them up and NXT might have a little something with them. As for Jacket Time, the writing seems to be on the wall and that isn’t exactly promising.

Respect is shown to end the show.

Overall Rating: C-. This show continues to not be worth much and that was the case again here, as there just wasn’t anything close to necessary viewing. What we got instead was a trio of matches between people who might be something in the future but aren’t there yet. While that does fit in with the Level Up idea, it doesn’t exactly make for thrilling television.

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NXT UK
Date: March 24, 2022
Location: BT Sports Studios, London, England
Commentators: Andy Shepherd, Nigel McGuinness

It’s another title week here as Isla Dawn gets her shot at the NXT UK Women’s Title and Meiko Satomura. That could make for a good showdown, as Dawn has cranked up the evil in recent weeks. In other news, Wild Boar gets his shot at Symbiosis, starting with T-Bone. Let’s get to it.

Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.

Quick video on Meiko Satomura vs. Isla Dawn.

Opening sequence.

Die Familie vs. Saxon Huxley/A-Kid

Teoman is here with Familie. A-Kid and Dempsey start things off with Dempsey working on an early armbar. Huxley comes in and slams his way out of another armbar before slamming Raja too. An elbow gets a rather delayed two and it’s back to A-Kid, who is quickly pulled into a Fujiwara armbar.

A-Kid breaks that up so Dempsey takes him down by the leg instead as this isn’t A-Kid’s night so far. Dempsey grabs a fisherman’s suplex for two and it’s off to a standing armbar. A jump over Raja finally allows the fast tag to Huxley though and it’s time to clean house in a hurry. Huxley hits a big clothesline for two on Dempsey but stops to chase Raja to the floor, allowing Dempsey to grab the Kimura.

That’s broken up as well and it’s back to A-Kid to German suplex Raja. Huxley adds a butterfly backbreaker to Raja with A-Kid adding in a running basement dropkick for two. Dempsey distracts the referee though and Teoman sends A-Kid into the barricade. The distraction lets Raja post Huxley and a jumping Downward Spiral finishes at 8:26.

Rating: C+. This took some time to get going but it felt like Die Familie had to work to get the win. That being said, it is a little surprising to see A-Kid get beaten up this badly. He didn’t get anything going here until the very end, which isn’t something you see from him very often. Dempsey looked dominant though and they might have something special on their hands with him.

We look at the return of Wild Boar and his quest for revenge on Symbiosis.

Amale is asked about this week’s Women’s Title match but Xia Brookside interrupts and asks about a possible rematch. Sure, but Brookside has no time to answer questions from the interviewer. Instead, Brookside calls her father and says IT’S TIME.

Wild Boar vs. T-Bone

Eddie Dennis and Primate are here with T-Bone. Boar comes in through the crowd and the beating is on with T-Bone being knocked outside before the bell. Back in and Boar sends him outside again but this time a Symbiosis distraction lets T-Bone get in a cheap shot. T-Bone starts in on Boar’s recently repaired knee, including an assist from Dennis for a running kick to the leg. A suplex gives T-bone two but Boar manages to send him chest first into the corner. The running shoulder to the ribs drops T-Bone and, after knocking Primate off the apron, Boar hits a jumping DDT for the pin at 4:38.

Rating: C. Boar returning wasn’t exactly a big deal but points for giving him a win to get him back on track (assuming he was on said track in the first place). I doubt Wild Boar is going to be the next big singles star around here but at least they are letting him do something to spice him up a bit. Now follow up with what they started here.

Ilja Dragunov, in a nice suit, talks about how he and Roderick Strong both know that diamonds are made under pressure, so it would be an honor to meet him in the ring. Just remember that the Czar doesn’t crack under pressure.

Earlier this week, Kenny Williams couldn’t find his car keys. He goes to his car and finds the doors, hood and trunk open and a tire missing. The interviewer suggests that it is tied to whomever sent him the note last week but he doesn’t want to talk.

Danny Jones vs. Jordan Devlin

Devlin drops him with an early chop and then hits a running elbow to the face. Back up and Jones hits his own chops in the corner but Devlin knocks him down without much trouble. A running knee to the ribs has Jones down again and a clothesline gives Devlin two. Some more forearms wake Jones up and he hits a jumping enziguri. There’s a running knee in the corner and a suplex gets two on Devlin. A double arm trap rollup gets two but that’s enough for Devlin. The slingshot cutter sets up a brainbuster to finish Jones at 4:43.

Rating: C. Jones is someone who has been showing up more and more in recent weeks so maybe they see something in him around here. That’s not the worst place to be, though Devlin isn’t someone who is going to lose outside of a big match. I keep waiting on the trigger to be pulled with him but that might not be happening anytime, either soon or far off.

Post match Devlin says the person who holds the title doesn’t matter, because there is only one Ace.

Video on Moustache Mountain having to get a little more evil to deal with Ashton Smith/Oliver Carter. Smith and Carter have some momentum though and are ready to keep going to get another title shot. The champs are ready for anything though.

Noam Dar is ready to complete the Gallus sweep in Heritage Cup Title defenses.

Women’s Title: Meiko Satomura vs. Isla Dawn

Satomura is defending and Dawn shoves her in the face a few times to start. A hard shot takes Satomura down but she blocks a bicycle kick and hits an uppercut. Some kicks have Dawn in more trouble as she seems to be a bit over her head here. Dawn tries to take her into the corner but gets kicked in the head. A neck snap across the top rope works a bit better for Dawn and she drags Satomura to the floor.

There’s a big boot against the barricade and we hit the chinlock back inside. Some knees to the back and face cut off Satomura’s comeback attempt but the second try works a good bit better. A spinwheel kick staggers Dawn and the Saito suplex gets two. Satomura’s frog splash hits knees though and Dawn is back with a dropkick. Dawn misses something off the top and gets caught with a Pele kick, setting up the Death Valley Driver for two. Scorpion Rising misses but Satomura is fine enough to grab a cradle and retain at 8:00.

Rating: C+. They were in a weird spot here as Satomura is a much bigger star than Dawn, who is only starting to move into a more serious role around here. That left the match feeling more like waiting around until Satomura won, though Dawn has come a long way in recent months. She might be able to stay higher up in the division and it would be deserved.

Post match Dawn steals the title and leaves to end the show.

Overall Rating: C+. This was another show that didn’t have most of the main stars but still came out well enough. While the action itself here wasn’t exactly blowing me away, the show continues to set things up in the future and keep me wanting to come back for more. That isn’t something that happens very often and I could go for more of it for a long time coming.

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NXT
Date: March 22, 2022
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Wade Barrett

Stand & Deliver is coming up soon and now we have the main event set, as Bron Breakker will get his rematch against Dolph Ziggler for the NXT Title. Other than that, we have some qualifying matches for the North American Title ladder match and the finals of the Women’s Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic. Let’s get to it.

Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.

Trick Williams and North American Champion Carmelo Hayes arrive and don’t care about who make it into the ladder match.

North American Title Ladder Match Qualifying Match: Roderick Strong vs. Solo Sikoa

Malcolm Bivens is at ringside. Strong grabs a choke to start as Carmelo Hayes and Trick Williams join commentary. Sikoa fights out and the strike off is on, with Strong getting knocked down against the ropes. Back up and Strong knocks him down again to take over, setting up the reverse chinlock. That’s broken up and Strong chops up against the ropes with a knee to the ribs getting two.

A powerslam gives Strong two more and here is Santos Escobar sauntering down to ringside. Sikoa tosses his way out of the corner to start the comeback though and some right hands set up a headbutt to put Strong down again. The Samoan drop gets two and Malcolm Bivens is starting to panic. Sikoa gets crotched on top but Strong’s superplex is broken up. The Superfly Splash sends Sikoa to Stand & Deliver at 9:18.

Rating: C. This was pretty simple and to the point and the right person won. Strong might not be the most interesting star in the world but he is going to give you at least a decent match every time. That is the kind of guy you can use on a show full of inexperienced guys and he was doing hit thing again here.

Persia Pirotta and Indi Hartwell bickered about men earlier today, setting up Pirotta and Duke Hudson being at ringside for Dexter Lumis’ match tonight.

Tony D’Angelo vs. Dexter Lumis

Indi Hartwell, Persia Pirotta and Duke Hudson are here too. Dexter scares him into the ropes to start but the early Silencer is broken up. D’Angelo hammers away until a fall away slam sends D’Angelo flying. A slam into the jumping legdrop gets two and we hit the chinlock until D’Angelo jawbreaks his way to freedom.

They fight outside with D’Angelo sending him into the steps and doing Tommaso Ciampa’s pat on the back as we take a break. Back with Lumis hammering away, setting up a bulldog and a belly to back suplex. A double clothesline puts both of them down so D’Angelo goes over to his crowbar. Pirotta tries to take it away from him but the crowbar gets swung into Lumis’ face. The swinging fisherman’s neckbreaker finishes Lumis at 10:32.

Rating: C. The stuff with the woman continues to be one of the dumbest things going on around here and this didn’t help things. D’Angelo’s gimmick is still as over the top as it gets in NXT, but he can have a pretty good match and is certainly dedicated to what he is doing. He also needs the boost on the way to Stand & Deliver so they had the right idea here.

Post match D’Angelo talks about how Tommaso Ciampa knew he was done last week and the new Don of NXT arrives at Stand & Deliver. Cue Ciampa through the crowd with the Fairy Tale Ending to lay D’Angelo out. Stand & Deliver might be Ciampa’s final chapter in NXT and he’s writing his own fair tale ending.

Robert Roode isn’t happy that people have forgotten what he has done around here. Dolph Ziggler wants Roode to take out Bron Breakker tonight before Stand & Deliver.

Grayson Waller is ready to go to Stand & Deliver and will take out A-Kid to get there.

Elektra Lopez vs. Fallon Henley

Legado del Fantasma, Brooks Jensen and Josh Briggs are all here. Lopez jumps her to start and stomps away against the ropes. A toss by the throat sends Henley flying and we hit the double arm crank with feet in Henley’s back. Hold on though as the guys brawl on the floor, allowing Henley to get in an elbow for two. Lopez isn’t having that though and it’s a Blue Thunder Bomb to give Lopez the pin at 3:42.

Rating: C-. The lack of Briggs and Jensen talking made this that much better, as Henley continues to be worth a look and Lopez is getting the near monster vibe down. You can pencil in the six person tag pretty soon and that is not a bad use for everyone involved in this whole thing. The match wasn’t great, but Lopez threw Henley around well enough to make it work.

Draco Anthony is in the back when Xyon Quinn comes in. Anthony gets a call from Joe Gacy, who basically invites him to join the cult. Quinn says Anthony knows what he has to do.

Wendy Choo has had a lot of orange soda and is ready to win the Dusty Classic. Dakota Kai wasn’t sure about the team but now she knows it was the right thing to do.

Robert Roode vs. Bron Breakker

Dolph Ziggler joins commentary as Roode runs Breakker over to start. Breakker shows him how to shoulder someone down and then it’s a powerslam to drop Roode again. They go to the floor for more brawling until a Ziggler distraction lets Roode stomp away back inside. A suplex drops Breakker but he’s right back up with a certainly not Steiner Line. Breakker misses a charge into the post thanks to Ziggler, which is enough for an ejection.

We take a break and come back with Roode hitting a Scott Steiner style elbow drop into the pushups. This means it’s time for commentary to say they know who that’s referencing without actually saying it. Breakker fights up and takes him into the corner for a top rope Frankensteiner, only for Roode to come back with a spinebuster for two.

The Glorious DDT is broken up but a spear is cut off with a knee. The second attempt at the spear cuts Roode down for two. Breakker’s gorilla press doesn’t work and the Glorious DDT gives Roode two. Back up and Roode heads to the middle rope, only to dive into Breakker’s powerslam for the pin at 15:10.

Rating: C+. Again, putting someone as new as Breakker into a match like this with someone as talented as Roode is a good idea. Let people like Roode and Ziggler walk Breakker through the match to help with the inexperience, which you can still see at times. There are points where Breakker doesn’t seem to know what to do so having a veteran out there can help bring him back on track. It’s a good idea and he made it through a fifteen minute match as a result.

Post match Ziggler superkicks Breakker and says the title stays with him until he gives it away.

Indi Hartwell is checking on Dexter Lumis when Persia Pirotta and Duke Hudson come up. Pirotta says Hudson can beat anyone so Dexter….goes over to his sketch pad, where somehow he draws a picture of Gunther (in two colors despite using one marker).

We go back to Chase U where Bodie Hayward gives a speech on fortitude about Von Wagner attacking him. A student raises his hand, earning himself a profanity laden rant. Chase asks where Hayward learned to talk like that, with Hayward saying it was from Chase himself. After a second of thought, Chase says that’s one of the most beautiful things he’s ever heard and yells at the student too. This continues to be one of the funniest things going in NXT.

North American Title Ladder Match Qualifying Match: Grayson Waller vs. A-Kid

A-Kid starts fast with a springboard hurricanrana and an armdrag into a dropkick. Waller takes him down, only to get hurricanranaed again. There’s a dropkick to send him outside so Waller tries the rolling Stunner, only to get reversed into a choke. That’s reversed into a suplex and now the rolling Stunner connects for the pin on A-Kid at 2:48. Well it was nice while it lasted with him.

Post match Carmelo Hayes and Trick Williams pops up to say the three losers in the qualifying matches can have a triple threat for the final spot. That means it’s A-Kid vs. Cameron Grimes vs. Roderick Strong. Williams suggests he’ll be with A-Kid’s mom tonight so A-Kid kicks him in the head.

Robert Stone and Von Wagner are ready for next week when the attractive woman who has been around Stone in recent weeks comes up, saying they need to talk business.

Creed Brothers vs. Grizzled Young Veterans

The Veterans talk about jumping the Creeds before the match and then do just that. Brutus says ring the bell and then suplexes Drake around without much trouble. The Veterans get Brutus into the corner to start hammering away but it’s off to Julius without much effort. A Stretch Muffler sends Gibson straight to the ropes so Drake can come back in.

Brutus gets knocked off the apron but Julius slugs away at both of them. Gibson grabs the leg though and Drake takes over again, meaning Julius can get forearmed down. What looks to be a Doomsday Device is loaded up but Julius slips out and Drake tweaks his knee. A shot to the knee sets up Brutus’ sliding lariat for the pin at 4:14.

Rating: C. They have something with the Creeds but like so many others around here, the team needs some more polish (and some better looking gear). The good thing is they have time to fix things up, even though it seems likely that the Creeds get the Tag Team Titles in the near future. As for the Veterans…dang they could have been a heck of a team around here but it isn’t likely to ever happen.

Post match a camera pops up in Diamond Mine’s locker room, showing two people trashing it. Texts appear on screen, saying the Creed Brothers can’t find them, so enjoy the view.

Gunther vs. Duke Hudson

The rest of Imperium and Persia Pirotta are here. Gunther grabs a headlock to start but Hudson slips out and fires off some right hands. Hudson’s elbow cuts off a charge as the camera cuts are on in rapid fire. Some chops cut Hudson down and Gunther cranks on the neck. There’s the big chop to rip Hudson’s skin off (that thing echoed) and the fans are VERY impressed. The sleeper is broken up and Hudson hits a big boot. A slingshot German suplex (that’s a new one) gets two and Gunther isn’t having any more of this. He unloads on Hudson in the corner and it’s a big boot into a powerbomb to finish Hudson at 3:52.

Rating: C+. That chop alone is worth the bonus points here as Gunther basically mauled Hudson. That’s a lot better than focusing on Hartwell vs. Pirotta again and it’s always nice to see Gunther getting to smash someone. Hudson is someone worth a look most of the time, but he had no business hanging in there with Gunther any longer than he did here.

Post match Gunther says he’s the toughest competitor around here and doesn’t like someone like LA Knight….and that’s enough for Knight to come to the ring. Gunther cuts off the catchphrase and says Knight needs to listen. Knight threatens to knock Gunther’s block head off his dad body before suggesting a match at Stand & Deliver. Instead of issuing the challenge though, Knight hits him in the face so the beatdown is on, with MSK running in for the save. Imperium is cleared out in a hurry.

Video on Cameron Grimes being disappointed in himself. His dad passed away just after Grimes signed to NXT and now it is time for the most important match of his career. Carmelo Hayes made the announcement of the triple threat match fifteen minutes ago and Grimes had time to get a video made, complete with clips of his dad edited in?

Women’s Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic Finals: Wendy Choo/Dakota Kai vs. Io Shirai/Kay Lee Ray

Toxic Attraction is at ringside. Ray and Choo exchange chops to start until Choo gets a near fall off a rollup. Kai comes in to kick Ray in the face for two but it’s off to Shirai to take over. The 619 is loaded up but only hits Choo’s raised pillow. Kai is sent outside anyway and Ray dives onto Choo. Shirai does the same to Kai and we take a break.

Back with Ray in trouble and getting taken off the top in a big crash. Shirai comes in for the save and everything breaks down, with Ray hitting a top rope flip dive. Kai kicks Ray down though and Choo hits the top rope Vader Bomb. Shirai dropkicks Kai into the cover for the save and then butterfly backbreakers Kai down. The KLR Bomb sets up the Moons Over Moonsault for the pin on Choo at 10:18 to give Ray and Shirai the tournament.

Rating: C+. They went with the right choice here as it was the better and more talented team winning over the underdogs. That’s how you have to go to make the tournament sound more legitimate, even if the whole thing felt like some thrown together requirement. Choo was more tolerable here as she wasn’t doing as much shtick (pillow spot aside) and got to show how good she can be in the ring when you ignore the ridiculous gimmick. I can go with that, and maybe now they can find something else for her.

Post match confetti falls but Toxic Attraction gets in the ring, with Mandy Rose saying Ray and Shirai won’t be winning the Tag Team Titles. Ray and Shirai say they’re ready to take out Toxic Attraction, but instead of going after the Tag Team Titles, they’ll use their title shot to make the Women’s Title match a fatal four way (because that’s a thing that can be done apparently). The brawl is on with Cora Jade running in to help clear out Toxic Attraction to end the show. It’s a weird way to get there but I’ll take the four way over the worthless Tag Team Titles.

Overall Rating: C+. The show had more bad than good, but the bad continues to be some really dreadful stuff. The good thing is we have Stand & Deliver all but set and that is going to make the next few weeks a lot better. They moved a lot of stuff forward this week and helped set up the big show’s card so it was certainly a productive week, which is more than you get around here sometimes. Good enough show and the better stuff seems ready to come.

Results
Solo Sikoa b. Roderick Strong – Superfly Splash
Tony D’Angelo b. Dexter Lumis – Fisherman’s neckbreaker
Elektra Lopez b. Fallon Henley – Blue Thunder Bomb
Grayson Waller b. A-Kid – Rolling Stunner
Creed Brothers b. Grizzled Young Veterans – Sliding lariat to Drake
Gunther b. Duke Hudson – Powerbomb
Kay Lee Ray/Io Shirai b. Wendy Choo/Dakota Kai – Moons Over Moonsault to Choo

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

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NXT LVL Up
Date: March 18, 2022
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Sudu Shah, Nigel McGuinness

We are well on the way to Stand & Deliver and believe it or not, something actually happened here last week. Josh Briggs and Brooks Jensen jumped the Grizzled Young Veterans last week to wrap up the show, which was the first time there was an angle of any kind on this show. Now let’s see how it is not followed up on this week. Let’s get to it.

Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.

Opening sequence.

Xyon Quinn vs. Damon Kemp

Respect is shown to start and Kemp can’t take Quinn down with a single leg. A test of strength has Quinn down but he bridges on his neck and fights back up. Kemp’s crossbody bounces off Quinn, giving us some quality posing time. The cravate goes on as Quinn has a cut on his nose. Kemp reverses into a chinlock and a running shoulder in the corner, setting up another chinlock. Quinn fights up and strikes away, setting up his running punch for the pin at 5:24.

Rating: C. I’ve liked Quinn for a long time now and it is nice to see him getting a win for a change. That hasn’t been the case for a long time now and while he has a lot of work to do, it is a good sign to see things changing around a bit. Kemp is going to be fine because of his amateur skills, though this is the kind of match that he needs at the moment.

Lash Legend vs. Valentina Feroz

Yulisa Leon is here with Feroz. The fans seem behind Feroz but there are some dueling chants to even it out a bit. Feroz goes right after her to start but gets tossed down hard, setting up a rather delayed vertical suplex. The jumping elbow (which looks awkward as well) gets two on Feroz, who is right back with a guillotine choke. Legend powers out and makes the rope before tossing Feroz down anyway. Feroz is right back up with a high crossbody, which is pulled out of the air but Feroz reverses into a choke with her legs. That’s broken up as well and Legend kicks her in the face for the pin at 4:53.

Rating: D+. It takes something special to make a jumping elbow drop look weird but Legend is making it work. Legend is just not ready for prime time yet and if WWE just has to have her on television, this is the extent of what she can do. She needs a lot more practice and ring time and this is going to help her more than anything else.

Post match Legend grabs the mic and says you knew this was coming. She throws out a threat to Nikkita Lyons too.

Bodie Hayward vs. Dante Chen

Andre Chase is here with Hayward. They trade wrist control to start until Hayward grabs a headlock to take him to the mat. Chen fights back and takes him down into an armbar. That’s broken up as well and Chen charges into a spinebuster for two. A splash to Chen’s back sets up a waistlock as Robert Stone comes out to watch. Chen fights up and strikes away, including a running boot to the face. Hayward hits a clothesline and some running shoulders but a Stone distraction lets Chen grab a rollup for the pin at 6:05.

Rating: C. I don’t know if the Stone interruption means he is working with Chen, but that would be the most interesting thing Chen has done so far. He is completely fine in the ring, but he is another name on a long list of wrestlers with absolutely nothing that makes him stand out. NXT really needs to work on that, because there are a lot of faces in the crowd at the moment and that doesn’t help anyone.

Overall Rating: C-. This was a bit of a step down from last week, but at least they did have a tiny bit of storyline stuff in the end. That can go such a long way in making the show more interesting and it did so here. The wrestling alone isn’t enough to make the show work, so give me a bit of intrigue to make it more interesting. If that’s what we’re going to be getting going forward, this is a much more appealing show, even with fairly weak wrestling.

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NXT UK
Date: March 17, 2022
Location: BT Sports Studios, London, England
Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Andy Shepherd

We have a guest start this week as Roderick Strong is coming over from NXT. That isn’t something that happens very often and I’m curious to see where it leaves. It very well may be a one off match, but it’s a little weird to see WWE suddenly caring about this show after years of indifference. Let’s get to it.

Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.

In Memory Of Scott Hall.

Opening sequence.

Oliver Carter vs. Tyler Bate

Ashton Smith and Trent Seven are here too. Bate works on a wristlock to start but Carter slips out and grabs one of his own. They go to a quick pinfall reversal sequence and it’s off to an early standoff. Carter takes him down with an armbar and then does it again to show off. Back up and Bate hits a running dropkick out to the floor for a crash.

Bate starts in on the ribs but gets taken down by a quick crossbody. That doesn’t see to bother Bate, as he is right back with the airplane spin into a gutbuster for two. An abdominal stretch with an elbow in the ribs has Carter in trouble and Bate turns it into an octopus to make it worse.

Carter falls down for the escape so Bate small packages him for two. A half nelson backbreaker gives Carter two of his own and they trade strikes to the head. The Tyler Driver 97 is countered into a hurricanrana for a VERY close two and the seconds get in a fight on the floor. The distraction is enough for Carter to backslide bate for the huge upset at 10:11.

Rating: B-. Now that is an upset and they actually surprised me with the clean (enough) finish. Beating Bate means a lot more than beating Seven so this is the way to go if you want to make Carter and Smith feel like a threat. If nothing else, Seven has been paranoid about keeping the titles and the loss might have Bate doing the same, which could get interesting.

A-Kid asks a raving Saxon Huxley to be his tag partner against Die Familie and gets a shouting yes.

Wild Boar looks at a mask and says he blames Eddie Dennis for everything that happened to him last year. Vengeance is sworn.

Nina Samuels vs. Emilia McKenzie

Samuels slips out of a headlock to start and they trade wristlocks. Some armdrags put Samuels down and McKenzie goes up for a middle rope hurricanrana. A slam cuts McKenzie off though and things slow down. Samuels kicks her into the corner to set up the chinlock, which is broken up as per expected.

McKenzie hits some clotheslines and a belly to back suplex and Samuels is sent outside. That means a big suicide dive to knock Samuels into the barricade for the crash and they’re right back in. McKenzie goes up but gets pulled off the top (by the hair, to make it even worse) for two and Samuels is frustrated. Samuels misses a moonsault though and McKenzie hits a quick spear for the pin at 9:43.

Rating: C+. McKenzie continues to be good for some nice performances and beating Samuels is a solid win for her. I don’t know if she goes anywhere with Meiko Satomura as champion but building for the future is a wise move. Samuels continues to be herself: a character that is easy to dislike who has been in the same place on the card for years now.

Mark Coffey leaves Sid Scala’s office and has gotten himself a Heritage Cup Title shot. Joe Coffey seems happy for him.

Someone, possibly Sam Gradwell, has left Kenny Williams a note saying he has made a lot of enemies. Williams isn’t too worried, but does seem a bit nervous when someone shuts the locker behind him.

Symbiosis comes in to see Sid Scala, as Wild Boar wants a match with Eddie Dennis. That’s not going to work for Dennis, who suggests Primate instead and then leaves before Scala can make a decision. Scala has to make a call as I try to get my mind around the idea of someone named Wild Boar making a formal request.

Aleah James vs. Stevie Turner

They fight over wrist control to start until Turner shoulders her down and glares a lot. A running headscissors gives James two but Turner hits a boot to the head. Another running kick to the head and a forearm get two more and we hit the chinlock with a knee in James’ back. James finally fights back but a Side Effect gives Turner two more. Back up and James grabs an O’Connor roll and bridges back for the pin at 4:11 for the clean pin.

Rating: C. I’m still not sure what they’re doing with Turner, who seems like she should be a bigger deal than she is and just never gets there. James is hardly a star and she beat Turner clean without as much as a fluke mishap. Maybe James is on her way up, but Turner seems to be falling lower and lower with every match.

Sha Samuels is now taking bets on Mark Coffey vs. Noam Dar. Someone calls in and Coffey takes a bet on Coffey…..at nearly 1700-1. Oh this isn’t going to end well.

Video on Meiko Satomura vs. Isla Dawn, who meet for Satomura’s Women’s Title next week. Dawn looking more and more insane makes her feel extra evil.

Roderick Strong vs. Wolfgang

Strong gets a nice reaction and there are no seconds here. Wolfgang powers him to the apron to start so Strong goes for the leg. That just makes him have to bail back to the floor as they’re firmly in first gear to start. Back in again and Strong goes after the arm but gets reversed into a headlock. Wolfgang lifts him up by the arm but Strong gets it back to the mat and grabs a chinlock.

That’s broken up and Strong is sent outside, where Strong drops him onto the barricade. Strong takes it into the corner back inside and strikes away, only to stop to yell at some chanting fans. Wolfgang gets taken down into a reverse chinlock but fights up and drives in some shoulders to the back in the corner. A powerslam gives Wolfgang two and the Caber Toss sends Strong flying again. The spear only hits buckle though and Strong scores with a jumping knee for the pin at 9:51.

Rating: C. I wasn’t feeling this one as it wasn’t exactly a barn burner. Strong is a much bigger star and there wasn’t much drama, which left Wolfgang feeling like he was just there to take a fall. Odds are Strong has a big match before heading back stateside and that is a good use for someone who has more star power than most of the NXT UK roster.

Post match Strong, who is bleeding from the eye, challenges Ilja Dragunov to end the show.

Overall Rating: C+. The slightly disappointing Strong match aside, I had a good time with this show as the other matches were entertaining. It continues to be a positive sign that NXT UK can put on engaging shows without a lot of its top stars around. I’m curious as to why Strong was brought over though, as NXT UK has been almost completely isolated for the better part of ever and now, here’s a guest star. Just please don’t let the people with authority remember this show exists. I can’t take another loss.

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NXT
Date: March 15, 2022
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Nigel McGuinness

We have just over two weeks to go before Stand & Deliver and the big story coming out of last week’s show was Dolph Ziggler winning the NXT Title from Bron Breakker by pinning Tommaso Ciampa in a triple threat. That should be setting up the rematch at Stand & Deliver with Ciampa left out so let’s get to it.

Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.

We open with a look at Dolph Ziggler winning the NXT Title last week.

Here is the special guest star the Miz for MizTV. The fans seem happy to see Miz, who hypes up his Wrestlemania match. With that out of the way, here is Dolph Ziggler, with Robert Roode, as this week’s guest. Ziggler is rather happy to be champion and we see a clip of Bron Breakker not being allowed into the building earlier.

Roode and Ziggler brag about how much money they have but here is LA Knight to interrupt. If Breakker can’t come in and challenge him tonight, he’ll be the one challenging Ziggler instead. Ziggler says he only faces superstars so thanks for coming. Knight says he’s a megastar and Ziggler says he only fights in the main event, so Miz makes the title match for tonight (because he can do that).

Cora Jade doesn’t like Toxic Attraction, who have put Raquel Gonzalez out of action for four to six weeks. Somehow she has all three of their title belts though and it seems like she has plans for them.

North American Title Ladder Match Qualifying Match: Santos Escobar vs. Cameron Grimes

The rest of Legado del Fantasma is here and Carmelo Hayes and Trick Williams are on commentary. Feeling out process to start with Grimes jumping over Escobar’s legsweep and telling him to do something to his grits. Grimes’ wristlock doesn’t get him very far as Escobar takes him down against the ropes and stomps away as Barrett says he is bout it bout it. Grimes sends him outside but a Legado distraction lets Escobar take out the legs as we take a break.

Back with Escobar kicking away but getting sent to the apron. Grimes gets kicked in the head though, allowing Escobar to go up. Escobar hits a top rope ax handle to the head for two but Grimes is back with a running forearm. A trip to the floor lets Grimes hit a big flip dive to drop Escobar again. Back in and Grimes’ high crossbody is countered into a gutbuster for two. Grimes is back up with a superkick and loads up the Cave In, which is countered into the Phantom Driver to give Escobar the pin at 11:24.

Rating: C+. Another solid performance from Grimes, even though he loses again. At some point you need to let him win something that matters (the Million Dollar Title seems like forever ago) or the spark is going to die. Escobar going into the title match is fine, but I could have gone without Grimes taking another fall.

Io Shirai and Kay Lee Ray are ready to win the Dusty Classic.

Wendy Choo loves orange soda (Is it true?) but Dakota Kai will pass. Toxic Attraction comes in to ask about the titles but yell at Choo and Kai, who should be thanking them for their Dusty Classic win. Toxic Attraction is off to find the titles, with Choo and Kai saying they’re hot but weird.

Video on A-Kid.

A-Kid vs. Kushida

The winner gets a North American Title qualifying match next week and A-Kid doesn’t get an entrance. They go with the test of strength to start and hit the mat with Kushida flipping out of a headscissors. Back up and it’s an armdrag into a dropkick before taking Kushida down by the arm. The threat of a double arm hold sends Kushida over to the ropes and he’s right back with a Boston crab. With that broken up, A-Kid snaps off a German suplex and a northern lights suplex for two. A springboard moonsault DDT finishes Kushida at 4:59.

Rating: C+. A-Kid looked good enough here and that should be enough to give him something worthwhile in the next few weeks. I don’t know if he’s here full time or just for a few matches but it’s nice to get some fresh blood around here. He is going to need a bit more of a character (and perhaps a name change) but he has the in-ring skills to hang with a lot of people.

Santos Escobar brags about being the greatest luchador of all time….when the Mysterios come in. The rest of Legado seem to be in awe but they mock Dominik, setting up a match.

Video on Tiffany Stratton vs. Sarray.

Tiffany Stratton vs. Sarray

Stratton jumps Sarray in the aisle, prompting Joseph to say “Sarray didn’t even have the chance to transform.” With that out of the way, Stratton stomps on her in the corner but has to avoid the dropkick against the ropes. A handspring splash in the corner sets up the corkscrew Vader Bomb to give Stratton the pin at 52 seconds.

Gunther doesn’t respect LA Knight for using his mouth so much but Knight doesn’t care. Watch him win the title.

Cora Jade has strung up one of the Tag Team Title belts so Jacy Jayne comes up to pull it down, triggering a cage to close behind her. Jade comes up and mocks her as I try to figure out A, where the camera was in the cage that films Jade mocking her and B, why we actually just had a trap rigged up backstage.

Here is Tommaso Ciampa for a chat. He talks about how he has been at this for seventeen years and has always wanted to find a place that he can call home. That is what he found in NXT and the fans seem appreciative. Ciampa talks about some of his high points in NXT but knows we can’t recap the last seven years.

He always had his fans with him and sometimes he even thinks back to NXT New Orleans where he came out to no music and received a chorus of boos. It was clear that they were making something special and that he could be that guy. Fans: “YOU’RE THE GUY!” It has been a long journey of ups and downs and setbacks and from black and gold to 2.0. The one thing that stuck was he never left and the people never left, which sets off a PLEASE DON’T GO chant.

Ciampa isn’t sure what is next for him but he has been thinking about his perfect fairy tale ending. Walking into a show like Stand & Deliver over Wrestlemania weekend as NXT Champion sounds like a perfect ending. The fact of the matter is that he didn’t capitalize on that, just like he didn’t get to walk in to Brooklyn as champion three years ago.

These last seven days, he keeps wondering what is next for him. He isn’t sure about where this is going, but here is Tony D’Angelo, who throws down his crowbar. D’Angelo has been thinking about who he needs to beat to put in the history books. The match seems to be set for Stand & Deliver and they shake hands, with D’Angelo kicking him low. D’Angelo promises to become the new Don of NXT. I’m not sure if this is it for Ciampa, but having D’Angelo as his last match isn’t quite inspiring.

Persia Pirotta vs. Indi Hartwell

They seem to be cool with each other to start before Pirotta shoves her down. Pirotta goes for Hartwell’s wedding ring, which just annoys Hartwell. Pirotta: “HE DOESN’T WANT TO TALK TO YOU!” Cue Duke Hudson to ringside but Dexter Lumis pops out from underneath the ring. The distraction lets Hartwell slip out of a fireman’s carry and roll Pirotta up for the pin at 2:33.

Post match the guys get in and the couples engage in a kiss off contest, leaving all four of them on the mat. I eagerly await the mixed tag.

Gigi Dolin has to climb onto a dumpster to get her title back, but then the dumpster is closed, with a forklift going on top of it. Cora Jade pops up to mock her through the roof.

Joaquin Wilde vs. Dominik Mysterio

The rest of Legado del Fantasma and Rey Mysterio are here. Dominik anklescissors Wilde to start but Wilde sticks the landing, leaving Dominik staring up at him. A very springboardy wristdrag takes Wilde down but he pulls Dominik off the middle rope for a crash. Mysterio is back up with a headscissors (which isn’t quite on the head) but an Elektra Lopez distraction lets Wilde get in a kick to the head. Cue Fallon Henley for the staredown with Josh Briggs and Brooks Jensen backing her up. The distraction lets Dominik hit a 619 into a frog splash for the pin at 3:05.

Rating: B-. This was a good, action based match with the interference and distractions serving as a fine enough way to go. Dominik looked better than usual here, as he belongs on a smaller show like this until he figures out something other than being Rey’s son. He can do enough in the ring to have a decent match, but he needs matches like this to let him grow.

Scott Hall tribute video.

Cora Jade still has the Women’s Title and some spray paint as she heads over to Mandy Rose’s car. Mandy is in the back though and jumps Jade, screaming about the tricks that Jade has been playing. A running knee knocks Jade silly and the title match seems to be set for Stand & Deliver. Mandy spray paints Jade’s back for the Scott Hall tribute.

Here are the Creed Brothers, who demand to know who attacked them last week. Cue MSK, who says they didn’t do it (Barrett: “LIARS!”) but the Brothers don’t seem to buy it. Now it’s Imperium popping up on the platform to laugh at both of them. The challenge is made for Stand & Deliver so let’s have a triple threat match. Yes I said a triple threat match for the Tag Team Titles, believe it or not. Imperium says they fear no one so the match is on.

Cameron Grimes is tired of losing over and over but now he is going to be watching Stand & Deliver from home. The last thing he told his father was that he signed to NXT but now he’s still here and disappointing everyone.

Edris Enofe and Malik Blade are in the back to explain to Malcolm Bivens why they attacked Toxic Attraction’s waiters last week. That is their alibi for not attacking the Creed Brothers, followed by the Grizzled Young Veterans saying they didn’t need to take the Brothers out. The Creeds vs. the Veterans is set for next week.

NXT Title: LA Knight vs. Dolph Ziggler

Ziggler, with Robert Roode, is defending. Knight shoulders him down to start but gets taken into the corner. A snapmare sets up a chinlock from Ziggler before he comes back with some right hands to the head. Knight flips out of a suplex though and a neckbreaker gets two. Ziggler is sent outside as Knight seems to be favoring his ribs, though he is fine enough to snap off a powerslam as we take a break.

Back with Knight fighting out of a sleeper with a bodyscissors, even driving Ziggler into the corner. Knight counters the Fameasser into something like a powerbomb and the stomping is on in the corner. There’s the jumping elbow for two as we cut to the back where Bron Breakker comes inside. Knight takes him up top for a top rope superplex, followed by a Burning Hammer for two, with Ziggler getting a foot on the rope. BFT is blocked though and Ziggler hits the superkick to retain at 11:50.

Rating: B-. I say this a lot but when you take two talented guys and let them do their thing for a somewhat extended amount of time, you are going to get a good match. That is what happened here and it was entertaining stuff, as Knight was a good foil for Ziggler, even if he had no chance of winning the title. The good thing about having Ziggler go over some people is they aren’t getting beaten by someone who is beneath them, so it isn’t like Knight takes a big hit from the loss. At the same time, Ziggler gets to look good, making this a smart move all around.

Post match here is Bron Breakker to say he wants the rematch at Stand & Deliver. Roode is dropped and Ziggler says it’s on to end the show.

Overall Rating: B-. The show still had problems, but it was WAY better than last week, with good action and a lot of things being set up for Stand & Deliver. You had three matches set for the show, some of which sound interesting, to make the card mostly come together. At the same time though, stuff like Jade hiding the titles was a bit much, along with the Indi vs. Persia stuff that started off silly and then got even worse. I like the guest stars coming in too, if nothing else just for the sake of offering some bigger names to pull the others up a hair. Much better show here, and that is a nice relief.

Results
Santos Escobar b. Cameron Grimes – Phantom Driver
Tiffany Stratton b. Sarray – Corkscrew Vader Bomb
A-Kid b. Kushida – Moonsault DDT
Indi Hartwell b. Persia Pirotta – Rollup
Dominik Mysterio b. Joaquin Wilde – Frog splash
Dolph Ziggler b. LA Knight – Superkick

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

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AND

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LVL Up
Date: March 11, 2022
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Sudu Shah, Nigel McGuinness

We’re in a new NXT era as Dolph Ziggler won the NXT Title. That was a bit of a surprise when it took place but now it seems like all roads lead to Bron Breakker getting his title rematch at Stand & Deliver next month. With a few weeks to go, it is now time to see how this NXT show has nothing to do with any of that. Let’s get to it.

Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.

Opening sequence.

Trick Williams vs. Guru Raaj

Carmelo Hayes is here with Williams and sits in on commentary. Williams grabs a headlock to start as Hayes talks about how he is a bigger star than the NXT Champion (who he doesn’t mention here, as this was filmed before NXT). Raaj sends him into the corner but comes back with a kick to the face. A running corner clothesline connects and it’s time for something like a standing Disarm-Her. Raaj fights out and hits some running forearms, setting up the COME ON to the crowd. Williams is back with a spinning kick to the head and a running neckbreaker finishes Raaj at 4:09.

Rating: C-. Pretty dull squash here, but what mattered was Hayes on commentary, making this match feel like a much bigger deal than it had any right to be. Hayes is one of the best people on the NXT roster today as his matches are smooth and he sounds good when he talks. Williams is fine for a bodyguard/lackey/partner, but Hayes doesn’t need anyone to talk for him.

Ivy Nile vs. Brooklyn Barlow

Malcolm Bivens is here with Nile and the debuting Barlow looks a bit like Tiffany Stratton. Nile wastes no time in hitting a spinebuster but Barlow wristlocks her down into an armbar. A sunset flip out of the corner gives Barlow two so Nile hits her in the face. A standing reverse cravate has Barlow in more trouble but she makes the clothesline comeback. An Oklahoma roll gives Barlow two so Nile Dragon sleepers her for the win at 3:53.

Rating: C. Nile continues to look like a monster and someone who could become a major title threat in the short or long term. There is always room for someone with the submission work like her and that was on display here. As for Barlow, she is another blonde who is going to need to find something to make her stand out. Being in the ring for about four minutes is no way to determine what she can do, but at least she got her toes wet.

Josh Briggs/Brooks Jensen vs. Grizzled Young Veterans

A rather fetching woman stares at Jensen during his entrance and he certainly notices her. Gibson gets double shouldered down to start but Briggs gets dragged into the corner for a shot from Drake. Briggs shrugs that off and knocks him into the corner, allowing Jensen to come back in for the snap jabs. Some double teaming takes Jensen down though and Drake grabs a chinlock. Jensen belly to back suplexes his way to freedom as Nigel keeps making Freebirds references.

The hot tag brings in Briggs to clean house and everything breaks down. A missile dropkick/Downward Spiral combination gets two on Briggs as Jensen is still down on the floor. Drake misses a running corner dropkick and it’s Jensen coming back in to take over. Hold on though as the woman in the crowd distracts Jensen, allowing Drake to counter a suplex and fall on top of him as Gibson holds the foot (ala Bobby Heenan) for the pin at 7:06.

Rating: C. Again, it makes all the difference in the world when you have some names you might care about on the show. Briggs and Jensen are one of the easiest gimmicks to book and they looked decent here. The Veterans should have been a breakout team a long time ago but for now, this is about all they’re going to be good for, as sad as it might be.

Post match Fallon Henley comes out to yell at the Veterans and Briggs/Jensen take out Drake to end the show. Hokey smoke was that an angle on this show?

Overall Rating: C+. This is the definition of false hope but I’ll take what I can get with the angle at the end of the show. Yes it’s just a quick thing with some teams who aren’t going to matter but if it actually goes somewhere, it is an improvement over what this show has been doing so far. The star power was better this week too and it was a completely easy show to watch. Nice job, and hopefully they do it again.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

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