NXT UK
Date: March 3, 2022
Location: BT Sports Studios, London, England
Commentators: Andy Shepherd, Nigel McGuinness

It’s time for another title week here as Ilja Dragunov is defending the United Kingdom Title against Nathan Frazer. That should make for a great one, as the two of them have a nice record of rising to the occasion in the big matches. Other than that, Gallus gets Sha Samuels in a preview of Joe Coffey vs. Noam Dar for the Heritage Cup later this month. Let’s get to it.

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

We open with a video on Nathan Frazer vs. Ilja Dragunov.

Opening sequence.

Sha Samuels vs. Mark Coffey

There are no seconds here for a change. They slug it out to start with Samuels headlocking him over. With that not working, Coffey is back up and starts working on the arm, setting up a Russian legsweep. A backdrop sends Samuels rolling to the floor but he’s right back in to kick away. Samuels drops him with a running clothesline before pulling up the suspenders for some reason.

Coffey gets twisted down by the arm and the logical armbar goes on. That’s broken up and Coffey runs him over for a change, setting up a double clothesline for a double knockdown. Back up and they slug it out until Coffey hits a half nelson slam, setting up a sliding uppercut for the pin at 7:40.

Rating: C. It’s almost strange to see Coffey having a singles match but he looked good enough in there. Samuels has gotten himself in pretty impressive shape so the his stuff has an extra impact. This was little more than a preview for next week though, which is probably going to feel like a major title match when we get there.

Charlie Dempsey interrupted A-Kid’s training session and asks for a demonstration of the style A-Kid was using. A-Kid says no because Dempsey will use it against him, only to have Die Familie jump him from behind. Dempsey tells them to back off as medics come in to check on A-Kid.

Isla Dawn is around what seems to be some castle ruins and sings a lot, talking about how Meiko Satomura will soon fall. Then she puts a flower in a box.

We look back at Trent Seven kind of cheating to retain the Tag Team Titles last week.

Moustache Mountain is happy with retaining the titles when Ashton Smith and Oliver Carter come in to yell about the ending. Seven says it’s about retaining the titles by any means so Smith and Carter want a rematch. Cool with the champs.

Dave Mastiff/Jack Starz vs. Pretty Deadly

Carter now has his leather vest to match Mastiff. Howley isn’t sure what to do with Mastiff to start so Mastiff drives him up against the ropes. Some kicks to the leg stagger Mastiff but he clotheslines both of them down at once. Stoker comes in and gets caught in the wrong corner so Starz can come in with a slingshot splash for two. It’s back to Howley, who gets his arm cranked on but Stoker is back in off a blind tag. That means Starz is sent into the post and the beating is on.

A splash/legdrop combination gets two on Starz and an assisted middle rope bulldog gets two. The chinlock goes on but Mastiff hits Howley from the apron. That means when Stoker catapults Starz, he is able to sunset flip Howley for two. The hot tag brings in Mastiff to clean house but Stoker grabs Starz’s new vest. It’s back to Starz to clean house in a hurry, including a powerbomb to finish Stoker at 10:35 (leaving Mastiff STUNNED).

Rating: C+. This is an interesting way to go for the story as Mastiff and Starz seemed to being on their way to a split and then come back to win a big match here. It makes enough sense and now we might be in for a new direction for the team. If nothing else, it was cool to see Starz get a win like this, as he has come a long way over the years.

Xia Brookside calls her dad and asks her for help with something. Then she yells at the cameraman for filming her.

The truck driver from last week is walking in the woods while someone (not clear if it is the truck driver or not) talks about surviving. The driver finds a tin can and some bones before what looks to be a masked man pops out from behind a tree. Voice: “The hunt has begun.” So it’s Wild Boar?

Video on Joe Coffey vs. Noam Dar, who meet next week for the Heritage Cup.

United Kingdom Title: Ilja Dragunov vs. Nathan Frazer

Dragunov is defending and can’t get very far off a wristlock to start. With that not working, Frazer backs him into a corner for the tease of a clean break, only to pull him down into a headlock instead. That’s fine with the champ, who switches into one of his own until Frazer fights up and starts running the ropes rather quickly, allowing him to run Dragunov over. Back up and Dragunov gets in a few shots of his own to slow things back down and start striking away.

A cobra clutch keeps Frazer down for a few more seconds so Dragunov chops him in the corner, setting up a spinning elbow for two. The cobra clutch takes Frazer back to the mat but this time he pulls himself up for an enziguri. Dragunov is fine enough to roll some German suplexes, with Frazer landing on his feet off the third though. Frazer gets knocked down again though and this time it’s a cobra stretch to put him in more trouble.

That’s escaped as well and Frazer superkicks him into a standing hurricanrana for two. An exchange of shots to the head goes to Dragunov, who forearms the mat by mistake. Frazer scores with a Sling Blade and a pair of superkicks get two more. That lets Frazer go up top but he has to roll through a slam back down.

Dragunov hits him with the bad arm before going up top but the injury lets Frazer catch up and hit a super hurricanrana. The phoenix splash gives Frazer two more and it’s time for the big slugout. Another hurricanrana is countered into a powerbomb to give Dragunov two so Frazer starts kicking at the bad arm. Said bad arm blasts Frazer with a clothesline, setting up Torpedo Moscow to retain the title at 14:31.

Rating: B. This didn’t quite get as good as I was expecting but it was very entertaining for a big television main event. Dragunov is likely going to hold that title for a long time to come and this was his latest effort against a rather tough challenger. Frazer will be back around the title picture one day, but he needed to be a bit more seasoned, which is where a loss like this can be helpful. Good match here, as both of them could be top stars for a long time to come.

Dragunov helps him up and shakes his hand to end the show.

Overall Rating: B-. As usual, the main event is the best part of the show and carries a lot of the rest of the week. Dragunov gets to keep his reign going for probably at least another month as we get to find out his next challenger. Other than that, Mastiff and Starz get their momentum back and we have another title match next week. Not too shabby, as always seems to be the case around here

Results
Mark Coffey b. Sha Samuels – Sliding uppercut
Dave Mastiff/Jack Starz b. Pretty Deadly – Powerbomb to Stoker
Ilja Dragunov b. Nathan Frazer – Torpedo Moscow

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

Remember to check out Wrestlingrumors.net for all of your wrestling headline needs.

NXT
Date: March 1, 2022
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Wade Barrett

We are about a month away from Stand & Deliver, which could stand to deliver some of its card this week. You can all but guarantee Bron Breakker defending the NXT Title against Dolph Ziggler, but they are going to need something a little bit better than that. Those two are in a tag match this week so let’s get to it.

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

Bron Breakker/Tommaso Ciampa vs. Dolph Ziggler/Robert Roode

Ciampa is in a Breakker style singlet here, which commentary calls Steiner-esque. Roode throws in a big bonus with the GLORIOUS theme It’s a brawl in the aisle to start with Ciampa hitting a big slingshot corkscrew dive to take out both of them in the floor. We settle down for the opening bell with Ciampa working on Ziggler and handing it off to Breakker, who gets dropped by Roode’s neckbreaker.

Ziggler grabs a chinlock but Breakker fights up and hands it off to Ciampa to clean house. A double clothesline looks to set up the Fairy Tale Ending but Roode drives him into the corner to escape. Roode’s spinebuster gets two and we take a break. Back with Ciampa getting caught in the wrong corner, setting up a powerbomb/neckbreaker combination for two.

Ciampa fights out of trouble though and the hot tag brings in Breakker to wreck both of them with suplexes. The Steiner efforts continue with Ciampa playing Rick in a Steiner Bulldog for two on Ziggler with Roode having to make the save. Ziggler’s rollup gets two but the Fairy Tale Ending gives Ciampa the pin at 15:03.

Rating: B-. Anything involving more of the Steiners is a good thing and that was the case here. Ciampa might not be Rick, but they had a good match here, especially with Breakker getting to wreck things. I’m not sure why Ziggler took the fall here with the title shot coming up, but Ciampa getting a win is a nice thing, as he could be in for a big Stand & Deliver match of his own.

LA Knight wants us to call someone and tell us to watch him call out Grayson Waller. I called a local beekeeper and told him to watch. He didn’t know who LA Knight or Grayson Waller were and yelled at me for disturbing him and his bees. Then he screamed because the bees were annoyed and stung him. But I did call like Knight told me to.

Gunther is ready for Solo Sikoa.

Here is LA Knight for a chat. He goes over his history with Grayson Waller, including some still photos. Cue Waller with Sanga on the platform, with Waller saying everyone sucks and goodbye. Knight shows us a shot of Knight standing over him last week. That was 2-0 for Knight, which is enough for Waller to agree to one more match next week: Last Man Standing. Works for Knight.

Persia Pirotta and Indi Hartwell make sure they are both focused, though Pirotta sneaks off to text someone.

We look back at the first matches of this year’s women’s Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic.

Women’s Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic: Indi Hartwell/Persia Pirotta vs. Dakota Kai/Wendy Choo

Toxic Attraction is watching from the balcony. Choo tries a drop toehold on Pirotta but stops to play peek-a-boo. Pirotta isn’t impressed and takes him into the corner, allowing the tag off to Hartwell. Choo isn’t having that and brings in Kai, for a double whip into the corner. A double faceplant gives Choo two but Hartwell elbows her down.

Hartwell grabs a top wristlock but Choo small packages her and rolls over to Kai for the hot tag. The running kick in the corner rocks Hartwell, who is over for the tag to Pirotta without much trouble. The fireman’s carry faceplant gets two on Kai, who is right back with a pump kick before knocking Pirotta to the floor. Choo, in slippers, goes up for a top rope Vader Bomb, setting up Kai’s top rope double stomp for the pin at 5:24.

Rating: C. The thrown together wacky team going over the established team? In this tournament? I’m as shocked as you are. The good part about this match is the fact that Persia and Indi are ready to move towards a split, which could make for an interesting story. The match wasn’t anything special, but what are you expecting from a short match with a team thrown together like this?

Video on the Creed Brothers vs. Imperium, who meet for the Tag Team Titles next week.

Lash Legend vs. Amari Miller

This is fallout from Legend blaming Miller for her debut NXT loss. Legend kicks her in the face to start and then bends Miller’s back over her knee. Miller slips out and crawls over to the ropes, allowing her to hit some running kicks of her own. A low superkick sets up a step up moonsault for two on Legend, who pops back to her feet. That means a fireman’s carry slam is enough to finish Miller at 2:56. Miller is getting there but Legend continues to look like she’s in over her head in the ring.

Post match Legend says she’s ready for Nikkita Lyons. Oh boy.

Solo Sikoa wants Gunther to respect him and it’s going to be a fight.

Josh Briggs and Brooks Jensen want to ride something all night. Elektra Lopez comes in and doesn’t like it, but they mean a truck instead of a woman, as she seems to think. Lopez says they wouldn’t know how to handle a real woman, but Jensen says he’s never been with a real woman. Jensen: “BOOM! IN YOUR FACE!” Briggs looks stunned as Lopez walks away.

Gunther vs. Solo Sikoa

Gunther looks like he has slimmed down a lot. Sikoa gets elbowed in the face to start and a slam puts him down again. Some shots to the face stagger Gunther but he knocks Sikoa silly with a boot to the face. Sikoa’s fireman’s carry is broken up and Gunther blasts him with a clothesline.

The Boston crab goes on for a bit, with Sikoa getting out and slowly striking away. This time the Samoan drop connects to send Gunther outside, setting up a splash from the apron. Back in and Sikoa hits a superkick but the Superfly Splash misses. Gunther’s sleeper is broken up with a jawbreaker but he grabs it again and Sikoa…is planted with a powerbomb. Another powerbomb finishes Sikoa at 7:38.

Rating: C+. This was good but it didn’t hit that next level. Maybe it was the lack of believing that Sikoa had a chance, as Gunther seems like he should be a major player around here almost immediately. I was expecting more from Sikoa though, as he was almost squashed here save for a quick run at the end. Still though, Gunther winning is the right call and that is what matters.

Dolph Ziggler is annoyed at his loss but he’s still #1 contender. Tommaso Ciampa comes in to say he beat Ziggler so he should be getting that shot. Cue Bron Breakker, who says he’s ready for anyone at Stand & Deliver. Ciampa says he’s beaten Breakker so Breakker says he’ll beat them both. Ziggler is ready for his title shot next week as Breakker and Ciampa stare at each other.

Joe Gacy is ready to let Harland beat up Draco Anthony, but Anthony isn’t the cause of Harland’s anger.

Indi Hartwell and Persia Pirotta are annoyed at their loss but Duke Hudson comes in to console Pirotta. Hartwell can’t get Dexter Lumis to text her back. Shouldn’t he be here? Like he was last week?

Next week: Bron Breakker defends against Tommaso Ciampa and Dolph Ziggler.

Harland vs. Draco Anthony

Anthony snaps his arm across the top rope to start but gets splashed in the corner for his efforts. Another splash to the back crushes Anthony again but he’s back up with a flying shoulder. Harland slams him face first into the mat to cut Anthony off, setting up the belly to back slam for the pin at 2:29. Harland continues to be rather limited.

Post match Harland hugs the unconscious Anthony.

Carmelo Hayes, with Trick Williams, is ready for Pete Dunne.

Ivy Nile is training and tells Tatum Paxley to be serious if she wants to be part of the Diamond Mine.

Women’s Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic First Round: Cora Jade/Raquel Gonzalez vs. Yulisa Leon/Valentina Feroz

Leon works on Jade’s arm to start so it’s quickly off to Gonzalez. That’s fine with Leon, who brings in Feroz to work on Gonzalez’s arm as well. A sunset bomb does not work for Feroz though, as she gets tossed into the corner. Everything breaks down and Feroz LAUNCHES Leon over the top (the camera angle made that look incredible) onto Gonzalez, with Feroz adding her own dive. Back in and Feroz powerslams Jade for two but Jade gets over for the tag to Gonzalez. The Chingona Bomb plants Feroz and Gonzalez plants Jade on top of her for the pin at 4:48.

Rating: C. That’s how the match should have gone as Jade and Gonzalez have spent weeks being set up. Yes they’re another wacky team, but at least they’re a team with a monster who can run over most of the people she faces. It can be fun to watch Gonzalez wreck people and that is what she did here, even though Feroz and Leon’s big dives looked great.

Sarray shows her sun necklace to a bunch of the women when Tiffany Stratton comes in to call it tacky. Stratton offers one her necklaces but Sarray turns it down, earning herself a beating.

Tony D’Angelo is ready for Stand & Deliver.

Von Wagner vs. Andre Chase

Robert Stone and Bodhi Hayward are here too. Wagner starts fast and knocks him into the corner, setting up the big toss back out of the corner. Chase avoids a shot though and comes back with a knockdown of his own. The CHASE U stomp has Wagner in trouble but Hayward and Stone get into it on the floor. Wagner breaks it up with a punch to Hayward’s eye but Hayward tells Chase to get back in there. That’s what Chase does, and a fireman’s carry neckbreaker (Robert Roode’s Roode Bomb) finishes Chase at 4:05.

Rating: C-. I cannot get into Wagner no matter what he does and this was another good example. He doesn’t do anything outside of the ordinary and a lot of his stuff is just standard power offense. It seems that NXT wants to turn him into something but he feels as midcard heelish as you can get.

Nikkita Lyons is ready to face Lash Legend, perhaps on Lashing Out. That was one of the most awkward sounding promos I have heard in a long time. I don’t know if she was scared or something, but if that is normal for her, she shouldn’t be talking.

North American Title: Carmelo Hayes vs. Pete Dunne

Hayes, with Trick Williams, is defending. They run the ropes to start with neither getting anywhere, so instead it’s an exchange of hard shots to the face until they both go down. Something like the X Plex drops Hayes and we take an early break. Back with Hayes knocking Dunne does again and grabbing a neck crank.

A right hand to the face drops Dunne again but he punches a springboard out of the air. Hayes is fine enough to counter a suplex into a Backstabber for two but Dunne manages a quick Bitter End. The cover takes too long though and Hayes rolls away before Dunne can get on him.

Dunne goes for the fingers but Hayes reverses into the Crossface. Another Bitter end is countered into a suplex into a cutter to put Dunne down again. The top rope ax kick is broken up so Williams tries for a save, only to get his fingers snapped. Hayes shoves Dunne off the top though and finishes with the top rope ax kick to retain at 12:28.

Rating: B. As weird as it still feels to see Dunne taking a fall (even if it wasn’t an entirely clean ending), it’s nice to see Hayes continuing to add to his resume. Hayes has turned into one of the most consistent names in NXT and I’m starting to look forward to his matches. He has solid matches and he’s a good promo. That’s the kind of person NXT should be pushing and that is what they are doing here.

Post match Hayes and Williams brag about the win, with Hayes saying he’s on to Stand & Deliver, where the title will be defended in a ladder match. How long has it been since their last one? A month or so?

Overall Rating: C+. I’m not entirely sure when it happened, but NXT has gotten downright watchable over the last little while. The characters are starting to get established and they aren’t introducing a bunch of new people every week. This show had a lot of matches and some of them were rather quality, with the main event being a good showcase for both of them. Stand & Deliver could be a heck of a show, but it would be nice to actually announce something for the thing.

Results
Bron Breakker/Tommaso Ciampa b. Dolph Ziggler/Robert Roode – Fairy Tale Ending to Ziggler
Wendy Choo/Dakota Kai b. Indi Hartwell/Persia Pirotta – Top rope double stomp to Hartwell
Lash Legend b. Amari Miller – Fireman’s carry slam
Gunther b. Solo Sikoa – Powerbomb
Harland b. Draco Anthony – Belly to back slam
Cora Jade/Raquel Gonzalez b. Yulisa Leon/Valentina Feroz – Splash to Feroz
Von Wagner b. Andre chase – Fireman’s carry neckbreaker
Carmelo Hayes b. Pete Dunne – Top rope ax kick

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

http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6

AND

Remember to check out Wrestlingrumors.net for all of your wrestling headline needs.

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

It’s week #2 of this show, or week roughly #20 if you consider this to be the revamped 205 Live that it really is. Therefore the matches aren’t going to be anything of note but we might get some slight NXT star power around here. That is almost the only way to make the show feel important, though it is hardly consistent with what it offers. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Xyon Quinn vs. James Drake

Zack Gibson is here with Drake. Quinn can’t get a grab on him against the ropes to start so Drake mocks him a bit. A hammerlock works a bit better for Quinn, who stands up so Drake’s crossbody can bounce off of him. Drake bails to the floor and a Gibson distraction lets Drake get in a cheap shot. Back in and Quinn slugs away but has to power out of a sleeper. Quinn slams him off the top but Gibson offers another distraction, allowing Drake to grab a rollup for the pin at 4:47.

Rating: C. I’m not sure what happened to Quinn but he looked like someone who should have been a breakout star in the making. That hasn’t happened though, as instead he has fallen pretty far through the floor and can barely get on NXT these days. The match was a standard formula with the villains cheating with the numbers game and then picking up the win, meaning there wasn’t much to see here. Other than Quinn losing again.

Post match Quinn beats up Gibson to blow off some steam.

Sarray vs. Elektra Lopez

Legado del Fantasma is here with Lopez. Sarray tries to start fast and it’s a springboard armdrag to frustrate Lopez early on. That earns Sarray a grab of the hair and a wheelbarrow faceplant to plant her on her face. Sarray is back up with a rollup into a dropkick, setting up a double stomp. Another double stomp gets two but Sarray’s running dropkick against the ropes hits Joaquin Wilde and the distraction lets Lopez hit a spinning Dominator for the pin at 3:47.

Rating: C-. Another watchable enough match with Lopez getting to look good against Sarray, who is already seeming to drop down the ranks. I’m still not sure how much of a future there is in the whole transforming schoolgirl thing, but losing to the occasionally wrestling manager isn’t exactly a good sign for her immediate future.

Jacket Time vs. Joe Gacy/Harland

Well, I guess this does count as star power. Gacy and Kushida fight over wrist control to start with Kushida spinning around on Gacy’s back and handing it off to Jiro. After teasing a hug, the threat of the jacket punch sends Gacy backpedaling. The jacket punch connects on the second try, but it knocks Gacy into the corner for the tag off to Harland. Dominance ensues, with Harland driving him into the corner and knocking Kushida off the apron as a bonus.

It’s back to Gacy, who catches Jiro with a DDT to put him down. That doesn’t last long though as Jiro is up for the tag back to Kushida without much trouble. House is cleaned, with Kushida grabbing the Iron Octopus on Gacy. Harland makes the save but has to be held back from massacring Kushida. It’s back to Harland to run Kushida over and splash Jiro for the pin at 6:55.

Rating: C. This was about as good as you’re likely to get around here, as Gacy can wrestle a decent match and Kushida can work with anyone. Jiro may be annoying but his style works out fairly well most of the time. That leaves Harland, who thankfully isn’t getting a lot of ring time at this point. Not much of a match, but it felt a good bit bigger than the other two.

Overall Rating: C-. I still can’t get too mad about a show that lasts around thirty minutes but this isn’t exactly interesting stuff. Above all else, it is the kind of show that comes and goes without anything happening. I’m not sure how much good it is doing as far as developing or improving some of these people, but at least they are getting in the ring in front of people in some way. That’s an improvement, right?

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

http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6

AND

Remember to check out Wrestlingrumors.net for all of your wrestling headline needs.

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

It’s time for another title show as Moustache Mountain is defending their Tag Team Titles against Ashton Smith and Oliver Carter. That could be quite the showdown, as NXT UK tends to do rather well when it comes to title matches. I’m curious to see what else they have on the show so let’s get to it.

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

The opening video looks at the Tag Team Title match, as Smith and Carter are ready for their big shot at the gold.

Opening sequence.

Amale vs. Xia Brookside

They fight over wrist control to start with Amale taking her down into an armbar. Back up and a shoulder drops Brookside, who can’t believe Amale would do that to him. Amale tries to pull her out to the corner but Brookside says Amale can’t do that. Brookside: “I’M SPECIAL!” Amale counters a crossbody into a slam and a basement dropkick gets two. Brookside finally gets in a shot of her own and chokes Amale on the ropes before standing on her back for some screaming.

The armbar has Amale in trouble and the look on her makes would make you think she is being stabbed by a lightning bolt. Some elbows to the head have Amale in more trouble and Brookside mocks her again. Back up and Amale strikes away, including a running boot to the side of the head. Brookside forearms her back though and a kick to the head makes it worse. Amale isn’t having that though and sends her into the corner for a running boot to the face. The Hope Breaker gives Amale the pin at 6:17.

Rating: C+. Brookside is really starting to feel it with this stuck up brat daddy’s girl and that could suit her very well going forward. At the same time though, Amale continues to seem to be the future of the division and odds are she will wind up being the Women’s Champion one day. If nothing else, they are building her up some something and having her win matches over and over is the right way to go.

Sha Samuels and Noam Dar want to see Gallus suspended for stealing Supernova Sessions. Instead, Sid Scala is giving Joe Coffey a Heritage Cup shot. Mark Coffey can face Samuels too.

Pretty Deadly walks through a Jack Starz/Dave Mastiff interview. Mastiff tells Starz that he knows what to do. That brings us to Challenge #4: Bomber Initiative. Starz goes into Pretty Deadly’s dressing room and we cut to Pretty Deadly in their street clothes….which now have holes in the chest. Yelling ensues.

Rohan Raja vs. Danny Jones

The rest of Die Familie is here with Raja. Jones can’t spin out of a wristlock to start but some right hands in the corner work a bit better. A knee to the ribs takes Raja down and a boot to the face sends Raja outside for a Die Familie meeting. For some reason Jones decides to go outside after him and gets driven into the apron to put Raja back in control.

A running basement dropkick to the back of the head gives Raja two but his trash talk brings Jones back up. An enziguri into a belly to back suplex drops Raja again but it’s a rather slow near fall. Jones’ banged up back gives out though and it’s a Backstabber into a jumping Downward Spiral to give Raja the pin at 5:03.

Rating: C. It wasn’t a classic or anything but it was a way to have Jones get in some offense before going down to the bigger star. That was a nice rub to Jones, with is really just a guy in trunks, which makes it a little harder to find something for him to do. Not a bad match whatsoever, and Raja gave him a pretty good bit here.

Post match the big beatdown is on with Jones being left laying, though Charlie Dempsey didn’t seem sure about it at first.

Eddie Dennis whispers to Symbiosis about how an arrow has to be pulled back before it can go forward. The team looks ready to come back.

A truck driver is distracted by eating a hamburger and hits….what might have been a werewolf. The wolf/person is watching from the road as the driver looks at some fur on the road. I have no idea who or what this was supposed to be about and thought it was some weird commercial.

Sha Samuels runs into Mark Coffey for an exchange of insults before their match next week.

Die Familie again runs into A-Kid and stares at him. Charlie Dempsey calls the other two off and asks if A-Kid has something to say to him. A-Kid thought Dempsey was better than that and Dempsey says maybe.

Andy Shepherd brings out Meiko Satomura to honor her career. First up, we see a video on her title reign and Andy hands her a bouquet of flowers. Satomura says thank you but Isla Dawn pops up (with the camera going a bit wacky, like it’s in a weird world) to say she is distressed over not receiving an invite.

She thanks Satomura for giving us something to desire but now she needs her final trophy. At the moment, Satomura possesses it, so Satomura says if she wants a title shot, all she has to do is ask. Dawn says she takes things and kicks Satomura in the head. Then she takes and eats the flowers. So she’s Maleficent with a taste for flowers?

Sam Gradwell tells himself to get over having his hair being shaved but what gets to him is people, like his son, asking what happened to his mohawk. He can get over Kenny Williams doing that, but he doesn’t think Williams can get over what Gradwell is going to do to him.

We look back at Nathan Frazer challenging Ilja Dragunov for the NXT UK Title.

Ilja Dragunov accepts the challenge, even though he had to win a battle royal just to get a title shot. Then he failed, because he wasn’t ready yet. He knows how good Frazer is, but he also knows how great he can be. Frazer isn’t ready, but he’ll take his first step.

Here’s what’s coming next week.

Tag Team Titles: Moustache Mountain vs. Oliver Carter/Ashton Smith

Moustache Mountain is defending. Bate and Smith lock it up to start with Smith having to bail to the corner to escape a takedown attempt. Carter comes in and gets taken to the mat as well but manages to pull Bate into an armbar. That’s broken up and Bate takes him down, allowing Seven to come in for an assisted twisting moonsault. Carter is able to forearm him into the corner and there’s an armdrag into an armbar.

Smith comes back in and gets chopped/slammed, allowing Seven to drop a leg for two. It’s back to Bate to grind away on a headlock before unloading with forearms to both of them. Smith gets in a shot of his own though and brings in Carter, whose springboard…is pulled out of the air. Bate swings him around to knock Smith down as well but it makes Bate dizzy too. That means Carter can kick Bate in the head before a hurricanrana out of the corner sends him flying.

Carter even knocks Seven off the apron before he can do anything about it but Bate is back up with a suplex. The running shooting star press looks to set up the Tyler Driver 97 but Carter backdrops his way out. Bate settles for the rebound lariat and it’s back to Seven, leaving Bate to knock Smith off the apron. Something like Private Party’s Silly String into a tornado DDT lets Carter hit a springboard moonsault for two of his own and Seven is in trouble.

Seven sends Carter outside though and hits the Seven Star Lariat on Smith. Emerald Flosion gets two with Carter having to make a save. Bate comes back in so Smith Blue Thunder Bombs him for two of his own. An assisted moonsault (how they won the tournament) gets two on Bate and Carter is down too. A Silly String moonsault is cut off by Seven so Smith goes with a top rope Rough Ryder for two on Bate.

One heck of a Doomsday cutter drops Bate again but this time it’s Seven making the save. Everyone is down for a much needed breather Smith knocks Seven’s right hand back into Bate but Seven and Carter are knocked outside. That leaves Smith to hit a great superkick on Bate but Bop and Bang into an enziguri knock Smith silly. Bate knocks Smith silly with a left hand and covers, with Smith getting his foot on the ropes….but Seven shoves it off so Bate (who didn’t seem to see what Seven did) can retain the titles at 13:12.

Rating: B. Action packed fight here as Moustache Mountain was stretched to their breaking point here, with Seven having to tease a bit of a turn to keep the titles. Smith and Carter were keeping up from these two every step of the way and that was an awesome thing to see. Pretty great main event here and I’m not sure who is going to be able to take the titles, but at least it will be fun to watch people try.

Overall Rating: B-. As tends to be the case, the main event carried this show as the other two matches were fairly skippable. The main event was worth seeing though and it made the show feel important. I’m curious to see where some of these stories are going and then you can expect some good matches to blow the stories off. Now just get some kind of a major show scheduled and we could get somewhere special. For now though, it just continues to be the best weekly WWE show.

Results
Amale b. Xia Brookside – Hope Breaker
Rohan Raja b. Danny Jones – Jumping Downward Spiral
Moustache Mountain b. Ashton Smith/Oliver Carter – Left hand to Smith

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

We are done with Vengeance Day and that means it is time to head on to whatever the next special show is going to be. The show is going to need a main event and odds are we will find out what that is tonight as Tommaso Ciampa and Raw’s Dolph Ziggler meet in a #1 contenders match. Let’s get to it.

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

We open with a long Vengeance Day recap.

Here is NXT Champion Bron Breakker for a chat. He talks about Santos Escobar being a tough opponent last week but now it is time for a new opponent. That could be as soon as Stand & Deliver, which will take place over Wrestlemania weekend. Cue Dolph Ziggler, who says he’ll be NXT Champion sooner than later, but the question is whether Breakker will make it to Stand & Deliver as champion.

Tonight, Ziggler is going to take out Tommaso Ciampa and get his title shot, but Breakker wants to fight over Ziggler superkicking him last week. Ziggler says Breakker has the night off this week, meaning he can watch Ziggler do what he does best. These two could make for a good title match and it’s a smart way to use Ziggler to help get Breakker over.

LA Knight vs. Grayson Waller

Sanga is here with Waller, who runs away to start, then does it again for a bonus. Back in and Waller gets in a cheap shot, only to get crotched on top. We take a break and come back with Knight yelling at Sanga and getting sent into the steps as a result. A top rope elbow gives Waller two but he spends way too much time setting up his rolling Stunner (from the floor), allowing Knight to counter it with a belly to back suplex. Knight hits his running clothesline into a backdrop but a Sanga distraction blocks the BFT. Waller grabs a rollup with trunks for the pin at 9:54.

Rating: C. The ending suggests that this is going to keep going and that is not the worst idea. It would make sense for Knight to continue going after Waller, perhaps on his way to the main roster just after Stand & Deliver. I’m not sure if they can stretch it out that far, but Waller getting wins is the right thing if they want him to be such a big deal.

Post match Knight beats on Waller again and drops Sanga with the BFT. Waller gets one as well.

Dakota Kai finds Wendy Choo, who is her partner in the Dusty Cup. Didn’t Kai make it clear last week that they WEREN’T going to team together? Anyway, Kai is upset that Choo is asleep and is worried about having a partner. Choo says Kai has never had her as a partner and leaves. Kai laments to her imaginary/invisible friend.

Cora Jade took Raquel Gonzalez to an adventure park to train and it turns out that Gonzalez is scared of heights. Jade: “You are the height!” They climb on various things and Gonzalez does not take it well, especially the ziplining finale. She finally goes through and her fear is conquered. Now, to conquer the Dusty Cup. This has been your latest example of NO ONE TALKS LIKE THIS!

Toxic Attraction is on the platform in the Toxic Lounge and mock Jade and Gonzalez.

Women’s Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic First Round: Kay Lee Ray/Io Shirai vs. Lash Legend/Amari Miller

Legend shoulders Shirai down to start but Shirai gets over to the apron. She seems to slip off a springboard but a regular dropkick frustrates Legend instead. Miller tags herself in and misses an elbow, allowing Shirai to hit a flapjack. Ray comes in and takes over on Miller, including some hard chops. It’s back to Legend, who gets caught in the KLR Bomb. Shirai’s Moons Over Moonsault finishes Legend off at 2:42. Basically a squash, as it should have been.

Dante Chen is ready to take out Duke Hudson and get his revenge.

Josh Briggs films Brooks Jensen for a dating service, but Jensen can’t even remember his name.

Dante Chen vs. Duke Hudson

Chen jumps Hudson from behind in the aisle and we start fast with Hudson in trouble. They get inside where Chen grabs a DDT for two before hammering away in the corner. Hudson is back with a kick to the face and a Razor’s Edge finishes Chen at 2:17. Hudson has talent and thankfully didn’t have much trouble with someone as low on the ladder as Chen.

Here are Trick Williams and Carmelo Hayes to brag about Hayes retaining the North American Title over Cameron Grimes last week. Hayes doesn’t care who he is facing or where he is doing it, because he’s what people will be talking about. Cue Pete Dunne to interrupt and the challenge is on for next week. Williams doesn’t seem interested but Hayes says he’s on, only to get jumped from behind by Cameron Grimes.

Cameron Grimes vs. Trick Williams

Joined in progress with Grimes running Williams over and taking him down with a clothesline. Williams manages a kick to the chest and a jumping clothesline of his own, meaning the stomping can ensue. The chinlock goes on as Barrett sings the Applebees jingle. Williams shrugs off a comeback attempt by knocking him down again and grabbing something close to a cobra clutch.

Grimes fights back up and hits a powerslam swung into a Side Effect. They head outside with Grimes missing a Cave In off the steps but hitting a superkick instead. Back in and Grimes comes off the top with a high crossbody, which mostly hits Williams in the face. The Cave In finishes Williams at 5:58.

Rating: C. There were some sloppy parts in here and it’s weird seeing Grimes have a match that is so off. At least Grimes is winning again as it makes a lot of sense to give him a nice win to get him on track after last week. Not a great match due to some less than sharp work, but it’s how things should have gone.

Brooks Jensen still can’t get the dating video right. He doesn’t know what Transformers are and is still rather hung up on Kayden Carter.

Bron Breakker comes in to see Tommaso Ciampa as he is warming up. Breakker leaves him in the zone but Ciampa says they’re 1-1 and he needs to know who is the better man.

Nikkita Lyons says she is a whole lot of woman who is ready to do a whole lot of whipping.

We go to Chase University for a lesson on intestinal fortitude. Andre Chase does not think Von Wagner has much fortitude left now that he has aligned himself with Robert Stone and freaks out over the idea of someone asking what he’ll do in the ring with Wagner. That was a teachable moment, as Chase continues to nail this stuff.

Nikkita Lyons vs. Kayla Inlay

This is Lyons’ debut and she doesn’t think much of Inlay trying a wristlock. An armbar keeps Inlay in trouble and a hiptoss makes it worse. Inlay blocks a German suplex though and chokes on the ropes, setting up some knees to the ribs. Lyons punches her in the ribs for trying a comeback. Another German suplex is blocked with a stomp to the floor but a third attempt sends Inlay flying. A splits sitdown splash finishes Inlay at 4:02.

Rating: C-. Lyons certainly has a unique look and is a giant compared to a lot of the division, but this needed to be much more one sided. Inlay got in a lot here for someone who is lucky to make it to LVL Up and her blocking the German suplex over and over didn’t work. Lyons will probably be fine, but this wasn’t a good start.

Persia Pirotta says Duke Hudson looked good out there and Hudson kisses her. Indi Hartwell comes in to say gross so Persia leaves. Hudson says Hartwell used to enjoy it but Hartwell says that was a long time ago. Hudson says it doesn’t have to be and Dexter Lumis just happens to be standing by. Lumis leaves with Indi going after him and saying she despises Hudson. NXT’s co-ed locker rooms continue to be odd.

Robert Stone and Von Wagner are ready for Andre Chase.

Here are the Creed Brothers with Malcolm Bivens to celebrate winning the Dusty Classic. Imperium doesn’t have their amateur wrestling background and haven’t defended their titles in weeks. The Creed Brothers are the real deal and Imperium are a bunch of coleslaw and sauerkraut eating….and here is Imperium to interrupt. Gunther doesn’t like what he is hearing and the brawl is on, with Gunther grabbing Bivens by the throat. Cue Solo Sikoa to superkick Gunther down, much to Bivens’ surprise/thankfulness. Bivens offers a very shaky thumbs up but doesn’t seem to know what is going on.

The dating video still doesn’t work but Fallon Henley comes in to say Brooks Jensen can just take a picture, which she does, and set up his profile, which he’ll do. Jensen yells at Josh Briggs for wasting so much time on a video. Henley did something amazing here: she talked like a human being.

Joe Gacy and Harland show us a clip of the two of them going after Draco Anthony in the gym. Gacy sees Anthony as someone he can mold and that will starts next week.

Women’s Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic First Round: Tatum Paxley/Ivy Nile vs. Kayden Carter/Kacy Catanzaro

Catanzaro rolls Paxley up for two t start and tries a headscissors, only to get punched in the face by Nile. A kick to the throat drops Catanzaro again but she slips over and brings in Carter to pick up the pace. An assisted spinning side slam drops Carter and Paxley adds a standing twisting moonsault. Catanzaro makes the save though and sends Nile outside, leaving Paxley to get caught with the neckbreaker/450 combination for the pin at 3:23.

Rating: C+. Carter and Catanzaro continue to be one of the better women’s teams around here and that could be a good thing for the rest of the tournament. Odds are the tournament has a decent final four, though it does make you wonder why they needed to have eight teams in the first place. I know four is kind of a lousy number, but why stretch it out for the sake of stretching it out?

Post match, Nile chokes Paxley out.

Solo Sikoa is ready to take out Gunther next week. Malcolm Bivens comes in to say that he had Gunther where he wanted him, but good luck next week. Sikoa says he did that for himself.

LA Knight wants another shot at Grayson Waller.

Tommaso Ciampa vs. Dolph Ziggler

For a future shot at Bron Breakker’s NXT Title. They go to the mat to start with Ciampa hitting him in the face to start the frustration. It’s too early for the Fairy Tale Ending and Ciampa misses a running knee to the face as well. A headbutt takes Ciampa down for two and we’re already on the chinlock. Ciampa fights up and makes the clothesline comeback but has to block the Zig Zag. A knee to the face puts Ziggler down and we take a break as Ciampa applauds himself.

Back with Ciampa fighting out of another chinlock and hitting a hard running clothesline for two. They slug it out until Ziggler scores with a dropkick into the Fameasser for two of his own. The superkick is cut off with another knee and Project Ciampa gets two. Ciampa lowers the knee pad and hits another running knee (following the Kenny Omega formula) for two more, with Ziggler getting a foot on the ropes.

They fall out to the floor for a bit before Ziggler grabs a sleeper with a bodyscissors back inside. That’s broken up as Ciampa gets to his feet and then drops backwards for the break and a near fall. They head to the apron for a slugout and an Air Raid Crash onto said apron (with about four camera cuts in five seconds) knocks Ziggler silly. Hold on though as a cameraman decks Ciampa with his camera, leaving Ziggler to hit the superkick for the pin at 15:35.

Rating: B. This felt like a heavyweight slugfest, meaning a match between two main event stars who were beating each other until one of them was left standing. The cheating was a good way to protect Ciampa, who didn’t need to take a clean loss. It was the best match on the show by far and felt like it belonged in this spot.

The cameraman is….Robert Roode. The beatdown is on but here is Bron Breakker for the save. Breakker makes the challenge for the tag match for next week. Ziggler and Roode charge back in and get beaten down again in a huge brawl to end the show.

Overall Rating: B-. The main event carried this a lot higher as it got time and was high quality, but the rest of the show was only so good. The Dusty Classic matches could have been a lot worse, mainly because they didn’t include the segments of the teams being put together. Some of the other stuff, such as Knight, Grimes and Hudson worked as well, making this a pretty good show. Maybe things are starting to come together around here, which would be nice after some dry months.

Results
Grayson Waller b. LA Knight – Rollup with trunks
Kay Lee Ray/Io Shirai b. Lash Legend/Amari Miller – Moons Over Moonsault to Legend
Duke Hudson b. Dante Chen – Razor’s Edge
Cameron Grimes b. Trick Williams – Cave In
Nikkita Lyons b. Kayla Inlay – Splits sitdown splash
Kayden Carter/Kacy Catanzaro b. Tatum Paxley/Ivy Nile – Neckbreaker/450 combination to Paxley
Dolph Ziggler b. Tommaso Ciampa – Superkick

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

It’s a new show, which seems likely to be a fresh coat of pain with a new name for what 205 Live has been for the last several months. That does not exactly get my attention going, but 205 Live has been decent enough recently. Granted some of that was due to how short the show has been and that might be changing. Let’s get to it.

Opening sequence (which 205 Live hasn’t had in forever).

Here are Joe Gacy and Harland for a chat. Gacy says that he told us he was an agent of change and now everyone is welcome around here. That’s why Harland will be in the first match on this show.

Harland vs. Javier Bernal

Harland hammers him in the corner and tosses him right back out of it. Bernal’s face is rammed into the mat over and over but he comes back with forearms and a dropkick. That’s broken up with no trouble and a belly to back slam (ala John Cena’s finishing sequence) gives Harland the pin at 2:04.

Fallon Henley/Kayla Inlay vs. Ivy Nile/Tatum Paxley

Malcolm Bivens is here with Paxley (debuting) and Nile, who seems very popular. Nile takes Inlay down without much effort as the fans think Ivy is going to kill her. Henley comes in to help double team Nile down and then a solo shot does the same for an early two. A blind tag brings Paxley in though and she chokes away on Henley in the ropes. Paxley’s standing flip dive gives Nile two and a German suplex gives Nile the same. Nile grabs a headscissors choke but Henley rolls away and brings in Inlay to clean house. Everything breaks down and Nile dragon sleepers Inlay out at 4:13.

Rating: C. The rush to make some teams for the women’s Dusty Classic continues, even if it feels more like a Lethal Lottery than anything else. It isn’t like there is any kind of a division at this point and there never has been, so this is about as good as it could be. Maybe they could find something that even works for the future.

The Rock narrates the Rocky Johnson Black History Month video.

Kushida vs. Edris Enofe

Ikemen Jiro and Malik Blade are here too. Feeling out process to start with Kushida taking him to the mat for a quick amateur ride. A headlock has Enofe in more trouble but he slips out and grabs one of his own. Back up and a running hurricanrana drops Enofe and Kushida sends him outside.

They head right back in with Enofe running him over for two, setting up a half crab. The rope is grabbed so Enofe hits a quick suplex. Enofe heads up top so Kushida hits a handspring kick to the face for a breather. Kushida gets kicked away but manages to dropkick him out of the air. Some kicks stagger Enofe a bit and it’s a tornado DDT into the cross armbreaker. With that broken up as well, Kushida tries the handspring elbow but Enofe dropkicks him in the back. A shooting star press gives Enofe the upset pin at 7:01.

Rating: C+. Kushida is always good for a look and that was the case again here. He did a great job of putting Enofe over, which gives me some hope for Enofe’s (and Blade’s) future. Hopefully they actually follow up with some of this stuff, but you never can tell around here. For now though, at least Enofe got a little something out of this win.

Overall Rating: C. Oh yeah this is still 205 Live and nothing has changed but the name and look of the show. The wrestling was the same, most of the people were the same and the vibe was the same. That being said, these changes are LONG overdue and the show isn’t exactly bad. Nothing worth going out of your way to see, but it’s fine for an NXT B show.

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

Things toned down a bit last week after back to back title match weeks. This time around seems to be more of the former as well, with the main event being a grudge match between Wolfgang and Jordan Devlin. Other than that, it’s hard to say what we might be getting around here week to week. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Sam Gradwell vs. Kenny Williams

Hold on though as Williams, in street clothes, is out on crutches. There was a terrible accident so the match cannot happen. Hold on to that holding on though as Sid Scala pops up on screen to say there is no evidence of Williams being injured, so start the match. Gradwell pulls him in and hammers away to start as Williams is rocked early.

A forearm out of the corner staggers Gradwell and a rake to the eyes lets Williams hit a rebound lariat. The cravate goes on for a bit before Williams rakes at the back. Gradwell fights up and hits some clotheslines into a butterfly suplex, only to get rolled up for two. Back up and Williams tries a sunset flip but Gradwell sits down on him for the pin at 3:58.

Rating: C. Williams finally gets caught and oddly enough it’s in a wrestling counter, which was a nice change of pace after Gradwell being all intense most of the time. It’s nice to see Gradwell getting a win, even if it is a small one like this. Odds are the feud continues though and I’m not sure if that is the best thing, as it’s only so interesting.

Post match Williams jumps Gradwell with the crutch as this is indeed going to continue. Williams pulls out some scissors from underneath the ring and cuts off Gradwell’s mohawk to really make this personal. Gradwell is furious, though not quite furious enough to go after Williams, who is standing at the entrance.

We recap Gallus stealing Jordan Devlin’s sunglasses last week.

The Coffeys find this funny but Wolfgang takes it a bit more seriously.

Xia Brookside is very happy to have an interview but she freaks out when she is asked about Amale. Her daddy will be hearing about this!

We recap Jack Starz wanting to earn one of Dave Mastiff’s bomber jackets, meaning Mastiff has some challenges for him.

First up it’s Challenge #1: Bomber Physicality. That means an hour of free squats, but Mastiff forgets to check on him and comes back three hours later, with Jack mostly still squatting and a pool of sweat underneath him.

Challenge #2: Bomber Appetite. Starz has to eat a bunch of what looks to be cookies or crackers.

Challenge #3: Bomber Guts. Starz has to streak through the Performance Center but he can’t do it and runs off (censored) instead.

Sam Gradwell is furious and goes hunting for Kenny Williams.

Angel Hayze vs. Emilia McKenzie

McKenzie grabs a headlock to start but gets rolled up for a fast two. Hayze hiptosses her over for two more and it’s off to a front facelock. That’s eventually broken up with McKenzie powering her down for two of her own. There’s a forearm for two more and McKenzie grabs a chinlock.

This time it’s Hayze fighting up and hitting her own forearm for a breather. A running elbow in the corner sets up a Sling Blade for two as McKenzie is having to work here. McKenzie is right back with a fisherman’s neckbreaker into a belly to back suplex for a needed breather. A superkick gives Hayze two more but McKenzie grabs a wheelbarrow faceplant for the pin at 4:57.

Rating: C+. This was a back and forth match and much better than I would have expected. Hayze got in a ton of offense here and looked like a pretty solid prospect, making this a very nice surprise. The women’s division can always use some fresh stars and if that is Hayze, good for her.

Earlier this week, Nathan Frazer talked about how last week’s win over Teoman might shut up Die Familie for a bit. As for facing the Ring General (no name given), he was scared to death of what was in front of him and he didn’t know how he got there. Now he needs something new though, so he’s challenging Ilja Dragunov for the NXT UK Title. That’s a big step forward.

Die Familie is in their apartment, where Teoman says he’s ashamed of his loss. Rohan Raja says Teoman kept his promise of looking after his family, but Teoman says he will never be a loser, as long as the family wins. Charlie Dempsey says the loss might make the family come closer together.

Stevie Turner vs. Myla Grace

They fight over a lockup to start with Turner taking her into the corner. Grace armdrags her down into an armbar but Turner is back up with a Thesz press. A running boot to the face knocks Grace against the ropes for two and we’re off to the chinlock. Nigel tries to explain Stevie’s futuristic deal as Grace fights up, including a clothesline which is more like a punch to the stomach. Turner cuts that off without much trouble though and finishes with a Side Effect at 4:36.

Rating: C. I’m not sure what is missing from Turner but she has yet to click around here. Granted part of that is due to the still weird futuristic deal, which seems to involve her wearing slightly strange clothes. Grace was fine here, but didn’t exactly stand out for the most part.

Sid Scala announces that Meiko Satomura will be presented with a gift next week.

Moustache Mountain is very happy with their Tag Team Titles and now they’re ready to defend against Ashton Smith and Oliver Carter. Smith and Carter are ready too, with the title match coming next week.

Jordan Devlin vs. Wolfgang

Feeling out process to start with Wolfgang driving him into the corner. It’s time to work on the arm, including some driving shoulders to put Devlin down. Back up and Devlin’s running shoulder has no effect so Wolfgang shows him how it’s done, which bangs up the arm even more. Another shoulder puts Devlin on the floor but he pulls Wolfgang outside too. It turns out that it’s a bad idea to brawl with someone named Wolfgang, as Devlin is beaten up against the barricade.

Back in and the slingshot cutter is blocked, allowing Wolfgang to hit a delayed vertical suplex for two. It’s back to the armbar but Devlin knocks him outside. The Asai moonsault is pulled out of the air but Devlin manages to post him shoulder first for a breather. Devlin’s armbar is broken up as well but he kicks at the arm to cut Wolfgang down again. The arm is fine enough to hit a gorilla press drop, only to have Devlin get his knees up to block a moonsault.

Devlin gets a cross armbreaker but Wolfgang is in the ropes almost immediately. There’s a running kick to Wolfgang’s arm and another puts him down on the floor. Back in again and Devlin grabs a hammerlock before kicking at the arm again. Wolfgang manages a catapult over the top to send Devlin outside for a breather before hitting a top rope ax handle back inside.

The spear only hits buckle though and now the slingshot cutter gives Devlin two. Devlin unloads on him with shots to the head but Wolfgang hits a spear, which hurts his arm even more though. Wolfgang goes up top but gets caught with a super Spanish Fly….for two. That’s enough for Devlin, who hits the 450 for the pin at 13:43.

Rating: B. This was the kind of match where they didn’t have much of a build coming in (stolen sunglasses remember) but put together a good story with both of them having bad arms. Wolfgang looked solid in a rare singles match but there wasn’t much drama as Devlin needed to get a win after losing to Ilja Dragunov a few weeks back.

Overall Rating: C+. The main event is quite good but this show was really feeling the lack of star power. Maybe they front loaded these tapings too much or something but the last two weeks haven’t been as sharp as the weeks before them. I’m not sure what they are going to do next with with Satomura’s gift, though maybe it can lead to something bigger. Good show, assuming you don’t mind the midcard getting the focus.

Results
Sam Gradwell b. Kenny Williams – Rollup
Emilia McKenzie b. Angel Hayze – Wheelbarrow faceplant
Stevie Turner b. Myla Grace – Side Effect
Jordan Devlin b. Wolfgang – 450

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: February 15, 2022
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Nigel McGuinness

It’s a big show this week with Vengeance Day. That means the card is stacked, including the finals of the men’s Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic and a main event of Bron Breakker defending the NXT Title against Santos Escobar. Other than that, maybe we get a surprise or two as well to go with the huge lineup. Let’s get to it.

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

The opening video features Toxic Attraction texting each other about tonight’s show. I’m sure one of them being around a pool, one of them being in lingerie and one of them looking at herself in a mirror is just a coincidence.

Pete Dunne vs. Tony D’Angelo

In a weaponized steel cage, because a cage just isn’t good enough around here. D’Angelo comes out in a rather expensive car. It’s a brawl to start with D’Angelo being sent into the cage but coming back with a hard slam for a breather. D’Angelo goes for a tool box but Dunne slams the lid onto it instead. Dunne uses a wrench to bend the fingers back, though the fingers are fine enough to blast Dunne with a fire extinguisher.

A superplex brings Dunne off the top and D’Angelo zip ties Dunne’s wrists behind his back. Dunne is fine enough to pull D’Angelo into a guillotine choke, meaning D’Angelo has to pull out some cutters to free himself (and Dunne). Back up and Dunne hits the Bitter End for two, followed by D’Angelo hitting him low. Forget About It gets two more and they’re both down. Dunne hits him in the back of the head though and it’s the Bitter End onto a bunch of weapons for the pin at 9:53.

Rating: B-. They didn’t have a lot of time here and having weapons in a cage seems a bit redundant, but the effort was there and carried this to a good match. D’Angelo has gotten a lot better in recent months and Dunne is probably an important part of that improvement. Working with the talented veterans is a good thing and it seems to have worked for him here.

Raquel Gonzalez calls Cora Jade at 5:00am because it’s time for training. They go to the Performance Center and we get a training montage, with Gonzalez not exactly convinced that Jade wants it this much.

The Creed Brothers say they’ll win because they’re better.

MSK says they’ll win because they’re ready.

Women’s Tag Team Titles: Toxic Attraction vs. Persia Pirotta/Indi Hartwell

Toxic Attraction, with Mandy Rose, is defending and jump the challengers from behind to start fast. Hartwell and Pirotta are sent outside for some flip dives before the bell before they head back inside for the official start. Pirotta fall away slams Jayne and hits a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker, setting up a clothesline from Hartwell. A Rose distraction lets Jayne get in a kick to the face though, meaning Rose is ejected.

We take a break and come back with Hartwell hitting a faceplant on Jayne. Pirotta comes in to clean house and hits a double Samoan drop on the champs. Everything breaks down and Pirotta heads outside, where she is sent into the steps. Some Jayne interference allows Dolin to plant Hartwell, setting up a high/low to retain the titles at 7:49.

Rating: C-. This was the usual messy match from these four and that is not remotely surprising. The women’s tag team division barely exists and that makes the upcoming tournament sound even worse. It’s the kind of thing that should be let go already, but I can’t imagine that actually happening anytime soon.

Wendi Choo asks Amari Miller to be her partner in the Dusty Classic but Hartwell already has a partner. Choo asks Dakota Kai, who ignores her by talking to…someone who is not there.

Grayson Waller brings cops to arrest LA Knight, but has Sanga stay by the car. I see no future issues with this plan whatsoever.

Josh Briggs and Brooks Jensen are at a bar, where Briggs wants to know about how his date with Kayden Carter went. They had dinner, talked about the Dusty Classic, and it was nice. Then Carter said he was like a brother to her, which Briggs doesn’t like. They ask the bartender, who happens to be NXT’s Fallon Henley, what that means. Jensen will have a friend for life, which is enough to make reality set in. Henley and Briggs say he’s in “the Zone”. I’d be more worried about having Jensen, who is twenty, at a bar. That place’s license is going to be in trouble.

Here is LA Knight, with Grayson Waller immediately coming to the ring with police. He says that he can’t sleep since this stuff with Knight started, but Knight has some footage of his own. Knight shows us a clip of Waller attacking him recently, which just happens to go against the restraining order. That means the whole thing is invalid, which is news to Waller. Knight clears the ring and the match is set for next week.

Indi Hartwell and Persia Pirotta are unhappy with their loss but Dexter Lumis comes in. Indi leaves with him, so here is Duke Hudson to leave with Pirotta.

Tommaso Ciampa is sick of people acting like NXT is a minor league. He still wants the NXT Title back and if he has to go through Dolph Ziggler, so be it. This was a very intense promo from Ciampa and he sold the heck out of the thing.

North American Title: Cameron Grimes vs. Carmelo Hayes

Hayes is defending and has Trick Williams with him. Grimes takes him down by the arm to start and the trade wrist control for a bit. Hayes works on a wristlock but Grimes is back up with a backdrop for a breather. They go outside where Grimes gets his leg swept out on the apron, setting up a kick to the back of the head back inside. A springboard legdrop knocks Grimes out of the ropes and we take a break.

Back with Hayes still working on the arm but Grimes manages his backflip powerslam to put them both down. Grimes avoids some Williams interference and knocks Hayes into the corner. A very spinning Side Effect gives Grimes two but Hayes is back with a springboard spinning forearm to the face.

Grimes superkicks him for two and is stunned at the kickout, even though he should know better than to think a non-finisher is going to end a match. A nice high crossbody gets two on Hayes but he rolls outside. That means Grimes can dive off the apron to take out Williams, only to be sent face first into the barricade. Back in and Hayes hits a spinning faceplant for two, setting up a crossface. That’s countered into a rollup for two so Hayes goes up top for the ax kick to retain at 15:55.

Rating: B. Best thing on the show so far by a mile as you had two talented people getting to do their thing for a long time. Grimes can work well with anyone and Hayes is one of the smoothest workers on the roster. It was too early for Hayes to win the title, though I’m not sure what is next for Grimes either. Both guys would be fine on the main roster, but I’m almost scared to know how bad NXT would be without them.

Video on the Dusty Classic.

Kay Lee Ray breaks stuff with her baseball bat because she wants Io Shirai to get fired up. Shirai gets into the breaking things too. Zoey Stark comes in and can’t believe Shirai destroyed a bunch of things so Shirai breaks more.

Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic Finals: MSK vs. Creed Brothers

Brutus takes Carter down to start but Julius’ waistlock doesn’t get him very far. Some kicks drop Julius and a double stomp puts him down as well. Lee hits a big flip dive over the top to take Brutus down but a heck of a running shoulder knocks Lee off the apron and into the announcers’ table.

We take a break and come back with Carter in trouble but managing to get over get over to Lee for the hot tag. The Final Flash gets two on Brutus with Julius making the save. Lee and Brutus are sent outside, leaving Julius to hit the sliding lariat to Carter for the pin and the tournament at 9:36.

Rating: C+. There wasn’t exactly a ton of drama here but the action was good enough to make it work. The Creeds are absolutely the right call here as they have gotten a lot better in the last few weeks. MSK on the other hand are starting to feel like they are just kind of there and that is never a good place to be.

Nikkita Lyons says her dad taught her that she was here to bring people together. Then we seem to see one of her music videos. She debuts next week and wants us to watch out for this lion’s roar.

Here is Imperium, with the fans chanting WALTER. Gunther: “IT’S PRONOUNCED GUNTHER!!!” They congratulate the Creed Brothers on their win and promise to crush them in their title match. As for Gunther, he wants some gold of his own so he will be watching the main event rather closely. Cue Solo Sikoa, who doesn’t care about the mat but wants to smack the taste out of Gunther’s mouth. A fight is teased.

Dolph Ziggler is ready to take out Tommaso Ciampa and show him what a star does. They meet next week.

Carmelo Hayes and Trick Williams are happy to have retained the title but Pete Dunne interrupts. He seems to have eyes for the title.

NXT Title: Bron Breakker vs. Santos Escobar

Bron is defending and walks away from a burning Vengeance Day logo in the back. Breakker grabs a headlock to start and then runs Escobar over with a shoulder. Back up and Escobar hits a dropkick to the face so Breakker glares at him. Another hard shoulder knocks Escobar silly and there’s a backbreaker to make it worse.

A Raul Mendoza distraction lets Escobar knock Breakker outside though and there’s the big suicide dive. Escobar neckbreakers him over the middle rope as the fans are split again. Escobar crushes Breakker’s face against the post and talks trash, which is enough to fire Breakker up.

House is cleaned, including taking out the rest of Legado. Cue Dolph Ziggler for a superkick though and Escobar gets a close two. Tommaso Ciampa comes in to take out Ziggler but Escobar hits a tornado DDT. A frog splash doesn’t work though and it’s a spear from Breakker, setting up the gorilla press powerslam to retain the title at 12:02.

Rating: B-. Breakker continues to wrestle beyond his means, having matches he should not be able to pull off. There was a lot going on here but it made a lot of sense to put him in there with a veteran like Escobar. The match was good enough and felt like a big show’s main event, though there wasn’t exactly a ton of doubt.

Overall Rating: B. This show was presented as a big deal and that is what we got here. What matters is having a series of good matches with nothing bad, at least in the ring. There are also some things set up for the next few weeks and that is always a tricky task to pull off. As usual though, the problems come from the talking/backstage segments, which range from bad to horrible, as these characters aren’t good in the first place and the performances are even worse. The show was much more positive than negative, but those negatives are pretty hard to get through.

Results
Pete Dunne b. Tony D’Angelo – Bitter End onto a pile of weapons
Toxic Attraction b. Indi Hartwell/Persia Pirotta – High/low to Hartwell
Carmelo Hayes b. Cameron Grimes – Top rope ax kick
Creed Brothers b. MSK – Sliding lariat to Carter
Bron Breakker b. Santos Escobar – Gorilla press powerslam

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NXT UK
Date: February 10, 2022
Location: BT Sports Studios, London, England
Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Andy Shepherd

For once, we don’t have a title on the line and after last week, that might be a good thing. Last week’s Women’s Title match ended with a fluke injury to Blair Davenport and she is likely to be gone for a long time. This week’s show is about revenge though as Nathan Frazer gets his hands on Teoman. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Amale vs. Nina Samuels

Fallout for Samuels taking over Amale’s interview and mocking her. Amale slugs away with forearms to start but Samuels grabs a hiptoss. Back up and Amale grabs a butterfly suplex but they head to the apron where Samuels trips her down. A high kick into a slingshot splash gives Samuels two and she rakes Amale’s face into the mat.

The chinlock puts Amale in trouble for a bit until she fights up for the clothesline comeback. A backsplash crushes Samuels for two but she is right back with a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker for her own near fall. That’s too much for Amale, who hits a running kick in the corner, setting up the Hope Breaker to finish Samuels at 4:18.

Rating: C. Amale gets a nice win to boost her a bit and that is the kind of thing that she can always use. It still seems like she is going to be one of the next big projects in the women’s division and a title match in a few months would not surprise me. Now just find something for her to do on the way there and things should be set.

A-Kid continues trying to teach Saxon Huxley etiquette, which doesn’t exactly work. Then A-Kid leaves and Huxley is completely sane and normal, only to go nuts again when A-Kid comes back.

Someone steals Noam Dar’s Heritage Cup and locks Dar and Sha Samuels in their locker room.

We look back at last week’s street fight, with Meiko Satomura defending her title due to Blair Davenport’s injury. There is no update on Davenport’s injury.

New #1 contenders Ashton Smith/Oliver Carter run into Moustache Mountain so trash talk can be exchanged. Their title match is in two weeks.

Gallus, now with the Heritage Cup, has taken over the Supernova Sessions set. Actually let’s make that Gallus Boys On Top, with Jordan Devlin as the first guest. Devlin isn’t happy with the changes and thinks they stole his sunglasses. I assure you that Wolfgang putting some sunglasses on is just a coincidence. We’re out of time…but here are Sha Samuels and Noam Dar to interrupt. Samuels makes a bunch of threats but Gallus stops for some pictures with the Heritage Cup. Arguing ensues and Joe Coffey tells Dar to enjoy the Cup while he can. Gallus dances to Dar’s funky music.

Jack Starz and Dave Mastiff try to talk about what happened last week. Starz wants one of Mastiff’s vests but Mastiff says he has to earn it. That’s cool with Starz.

Kenny Williams, in a thunderstorm, talks about how Sam Gradwell has been after him. Williams can weather any storm though.

Saxon Huxley vs. A-Kid

Huxley starts with the stalking and A-Kid has to dodge around in the corner. A-Kid is put on the apron where he gets in a shot to the face, followed by raising a boot in the corner. That doesn’t work for Huxley, who throws him down and then launches him with a slam. Huxley sends him chest first into the corner and gets two off a backbreaker.

Some running sits onto A-Kid’s back sets up a quickly escaped over the shoulder backbreaker. A-Kid picks up the pace with a dropkick and a running kick to the arm. Huxley is sent outside for a suicide dive but he plants A-Kid with another backbreaker back inside. Some forearms to the chest keep A-Kid in trouble until he hits….I think a Sliced Bread out of the corner. An enziguri sets up a springboard moonsault DDT (that was sweet) to finish Huxley at 7:04.

Rating: C+. A-Kid is one of those guys who can work well with anyone and that was on display here with the NXT UK version of Bruiser Brody/Berzerker. It’s nice to have someone as versatile as A-Kid around and he looked good against the monster. At the same time, Huxley does his thing very well, and I’m curious about the “he’s actually smart” deal from earlier.

Post match, respect is shown and the still slightly nuts Huxley runs off.

Gallus is happy with their show but Jordan Devlin jumps Wolfgang and steals his sunglasses back.

A-Kid is happy with his win but here is Die Familie. Charlie Dempsey nods at A-Kid but nothing gets physical.

Here’s what’s coming next week.

Teoman vs. Nathan Frazer

The rest of Die Familie is here with Teoman. Frazer takes him down to start and hammers away before grabbing a headlock. Back up and some right hands stagger Teoman but he’s fine enough to counter a springboard into a neck snap across the top. Teoman grabs a chinlock and we get some rather blatant spot calling.

Some right hands to the ribs and then the back of the neck keep Frazer down but he punches his way back up. They fight to the floor and it’s Frazer hitting a moonsault off of the barricade to drop Teoman again. A few shots stagger Frazer though and it’s a double arm crank back inside.

Frazer fights up and manages a kick to the face, which is finally enough for a double knockdown. A running forearm and a Sling Blade drop Teoman and Frazer dives onto Die Familie for a bonus. Back in and a springboard moonsault is kicked out of the air to give Teoman two. Frazer grabs the rope for a Seth Rollins spin into an enziguri to drop Teoman and, after taking care of Die Familie, the Phoenix splash gives Frazer the pin at 13:11.

Rating: B-. It’s nice to see Frazer getting a win like this for a change as he hasn’t had the best win/loss record, at least in bigger matches. This time he got the chance to showcase himself, including beating the odds with the rest of the team. Other than that you have Teoman continuing to be just kind of there, though Charlie Dempsey still feels like someone who could be the breakout star from the team.

Overall Rating: B-. As usual, the show knows how to get through a bunch of stuff and cover a lot of stories at once. That is hard to do for most shows but NXT UK manages to make it work almost every time. Again, that might have something to do with the show being taped in advance, but I’ll take what I can get. Another good show here, which shouldn’t be a surprise.

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NXT
Date: February 8, 2022
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Wade Barrett

We are a week away from Vengeance Day but there is another title match to get through first. This week will see Mandy Rose defending the Women’s Title against Kay Lee Ray in a match that seems likely to have some shenanigans. Other than that, we continue the men’s Dusty Classic while trying to find a field for the women’s version. Let’s get to it.

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

The opening video features Mandy Rose talking about all of her success and demands to be taken serious.

Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic Semifinals: Grizzled Young veterans vs. Creed Brothers

The Creeds break up the Veterans’ trash talking entrance and start the fight fast. That means Gibson gets beaten down inside as the brothers get to take turns on him. Brutus suplexes Julius onto Gibson but a cheap shot allows the tag to Drake. Julius runs Drake over without much trouble and isn’t fooled as Gibson comes in off a blind tag. Some alternating Creed knees to Gibson’s ribs set up a gutwrench suplex so Drake tags himself back in.

The Veterans get in a double team on Brutus on the floor though and it’s a catapult to send him throat first into the ring structure. Back in and the chinlock stays on the throat but Brutus manages to muscle Gibson up for a suplex. Drake cuts off the hot tag attempt with a sleeper though and Brutus is cut off again. That’s broken up though and the hot tag brings in Julius to power Drake around.

A suplex gets him out of a front facelock and everything breaks down. Drake hits a heck of a suicide dive to take out Julius on the floor, setting up a Doomsday Device for two back inside. It’s back to Brutus to clean house with the power but more double teaming takes him down. What looks like a 450 is loaded up but Julius runs in to run the ropes and superplex Drake for a huge crash. The basement lariat finishes Gibson at 12:03.

Rating: B. There was a story here with the Veterans having experience but being taken down by the power and ability. The fans were WAY into the Creeds and that is something that has been lacking from this version of NXT. This was a high intensity match though and the Creeds finally getting their shot at Imperium (assuming we don’t get a surprise) sounds good.

We look at Raquel Gonzalez beating Cora Jade and Gonzalez agreeing to team with her.

Jade is happy but Yulisa Leon/Valentina Feroz come in to mock her in Spanish. Gonzalez pops in to out-insult them. Leon and Feroz leave, with Gonzalez saying only she can call Jade that. Jade: “Wait, what did they call me?”

Last week, Wendy Choo and Amari Miller stole Tiffany Stratton’s credit card.

This week, Choo and Miller celebrate credit card fraud/theft/whatever illegal activity that was.

Wendy Choo vs. Tiffany Stratton

Choo works on the arm to start and frustrates Stratton by dodging some kicks. A one footed dropkick sends Stratton into the corner, setting up a running elbow (with Choo putting her hands under her head like she’s asleep). Now it’s a chinlock with a similar motion but Stratton (who seems to have broken a nail) fights up. Choo gets knocked into the corner and kicked down, setting up a corkscrew Vader Bomb to finish Choo at 3:01.

Rating: C-. There might be some hope here, as while Stratton isn’t much of an original idea, she’s a lot better than Oops I Feel Asleep. The credit card story is stupid but this should be the end of it, at least for now. They need some new stars in the women’s division and Stratton could be a little something if she is given the chance.

Draco Anthony is disappointed with his lost but Joe Gacy and Harland come in for a pep talk.

Pete Dunne is ready to crush Tony D’Angelo in a cage next week. Anthony comes in to offer him good luck before their match tonight but Dunne would rather snap his fingers.

Draco Anthony vs. Pete Dunne

Joined in progress with Anthony hitting a suplex but Dunne goes for the singers to cut that off. More finger twisting ensues, followed by a Kimura that is broken up pretty quickly. A suplex sends Dunne outside, where he has to deal with an interfering Tony D’Angelo. Back in and the Bitter End finishes Anthony at 4:42.

Rating: C. Anthony got to do some stuff here before falling to Dunne, as he should have. What surprised me here was the fact that Dunne had to deal with the interference but didn’t lose as a result. It was nice to see a change from the expected result, as WWE has a bad tendency to stick with the same tired formulas.

Post match Dunne goes after D’Angelo and busts out a bunch of weapons. D’Angelo declares the guy “Looney Tunes” and Dunne says let’s take all of these weapons and attach them to the cage. Sure why not.

Zoey Stark says Io Shirai needs a new partner for the Dusty Classic. She needs to be someone hard hitting and just as crazy as Shirai, so Shirai says she’s in.

Dakota Kai finds Wendy Choo’s shopping bags (which she and Amari Miller just left there) and says they won’t make her happy.

LA Knight vs. Sanga

Grayson Waller is here with Sanga. Knight comes to the ring and instantly feels like a star. He looks like he has been there before and has charisma instead of being the same assembly line style person with some gimmick that defines him. It’s such a notable difference. Knight slugs away at Sanga (with the amazing mustache) to start but gets knocked outside with a single shot.

Sanga gets posted (that sounded hard) but is still able to block BFT. Knight is right back up with a springboard dropkick for two, with Sanga kicking him off. Waller takes off a turnbuckle pad, but the distracted referee misses Knight raking Sanga’s eyes. Sanga misses a charge into the exposed buckle though and it’s a jumping neckbreaker to give Knight the pin at 3:11.

Rating: D+. It wasn’t exactly good but I’ll take this over building Sanga up as the next monster with little chance of becoming a star. Knight vs. Waller isn’t quite a mega feud but it’s something for Knight to do before he (presumably) gets called up to the main roster. Sanga looks intimidating but he wasn’t exactly looking great here, which probably won’t stop him around here.

Post match Knight jumps Waller and beats him down but has to bail from Sanga.

Duke Hudson isn’t worried about Dante Chen….and he wants Indi Hartwell to win the Women’s Tag Team Titles.

It’s time for a Championship Summit between Bron Breakker and Santos Escobar. Breakker is ready to fight and says let’s just flip the table over right now. Escobar calls him naive and says he is pulling all the strings. Breakker still wants to fight….and here is Dolph Ziggler, who has been arguing with Breakker on Youtube and Twitter. Ziggler has a seat at the table and puts his feet up before saying Breakker is doing well enough on Twitter, but who is he? Breakker: “I’M THE NEXT CHAMPION PAL!” He offers Ziggler the next shot after Escobar, but Ziggler calls that a rookie mistake.

Ziggler lists off his accomplishments and says that even though he has lost 99/100 matches or so, Breakker knows what he can do. Cue Tommaso Ciampa to cut Ziggler off (while calling him kid) and say he likes the idea of getting the title back. Escobar cuts them both off and says he’s going to win the title and then deal with Ziggler and Ciampa. That’s not cool with Ciampa, who says he’s next in line, if that’s ok with Kid.

Ziggler laughs off the idea of Ciampa fighting in the same place in front of the same people and wants to know when the gloves come off. Ciampa kicks him in the face and they fight tot he floor, leaving Legado del Fantasma to jump Breakker from behind. Breakker fights back but gets put through the table to leave him laying.

This was a nice surprise as Ziggler is the kind of person who could do a lot of good around here. We get one of his best promos in a LONG time as he was getting to do something different than the same stuff he has been doing for about ten years now on the main roster. Ziggler vs. Ciampa to set up Ziggler vs. Breakker works, as NXT gets some star power from someone who could be useful around here. Good stuff and better thinking.

Kay Lee Ray breaks a bunch of stuff with her bat.

Grayson Waller says LA Knight just broke his restraining order and next week, he’s going to jail.

Dakota Kai vs. Sarray

Joined in progress with Sarray missing the Sunray dropkick and getting caught with some running kicks to the face in the corner. A missile dropkick gives Sarray two but Kai hits a Scorpion kick (on the second try) for two of her own. Back up and Kai misses her kick in the corner, setting up a kick from Sarray. The Sunray dropkick sets up the high collar suplex for the pin on Kai at 4:11.

Rating: C. I’m not sure what is going on with Kai but she has gone from someone who felt ready to break into the main event scene to cannon fodder for the Sarray rebuilding project. This was a competitive match but it was over in four minutes with Sarray hitting her scary finisher for the win. Kai seems in a downward spiral and that’s kind of weird given how much more she has been appearing with her new persona.

Carmelo Hayes and Trick Williams are at the barber shop and convince everyone that Hayes is the favorite against Cameron Grimes next week. As usual, Hayes is one of the best things about this show as he feels like he’s being an amped up version of himself rather than a character.

Toxic Attraction and Indi Hartwell/Persia Pirotta talk trash about their Tag Team Title match. A photo of Hartwell/Duke Hudson is pulled out though and the fight is on.

WWE celebrates Black History Month with a look at Jackie Joyner-Kersee.

Nikkita Lyons knows how to sing and how to fight.

Brooks Jensen and Josh Briggs try to ask out Kayden Carter and Kacy Catanzaro for Valentine’s Day but it winds up being more of a group thing. Jensen even offers to pay Briggs to take one of them away at a movie but doesn’t have much money.

Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic Semifinals: MSK vs. Malik Blade/Edris Enofe

MSK takes over on Blade to start and a Bronco Buster gets an early one. Enofe comes in and gets kicked down as well, meaning it’s back to Blade, who gets kicked down again. We take a break with MSK in full control and come back with Enofe getting suplexed down. Blade comes back in for a rollup on Lee and a gordbuster/cutter combination gets two. Carter comes back in for a save though and Blade is sent to the floor. A corner dropkick sets up the Doomsday Blockbuster to send MSK to the finals at 9:30.

Rating: C+. They had a tricky path to walk here as MSK felt like major favorites who then had to make you believe that Blade and Enofe had a chance. That didn’t really happen, but I like Blade and Enofe together. At the same time though, MSK needed to win here as the Creeds beating Blade and Enofe wasn’t going to mean a thing.

Cameron Grimes is in Cameron, North Carolina and talks about his humble beginnings. Now he is a self made man and has everything he wants…except some gold.

Wendy Choo mocks Dakota Kai for losing her match and leaves in a huff.

Indi Hartwell/Persia Pirotta jump Toxic Attraction on the way to the ring but Mandy Rose, who wasn’t really hurt, has to defend the title anyway.

Women’s Title: Mandy Rose vs. Kay Lee Ray

Rose is defending and gets chopped so hard that her choker is knocked off. Rose gets in a few shots of her own but is quickly knocked outside, setting up the dive from Ray. Back in and Rose sends her head first into the middle buckle and then does it over and over for a bonus. The bodyscissors goes on and we get an audio update on Toxic Attraction and Hartwell/Pirotta being escorted from the building.

Ray gets her face slammed into the mat and it’s off to an abdominal stretch with an elbow in the ribs. That’s broken up and Ray pulls her into a Koji Clutch but Rose is out pretty fast. The KLR Bomb is countered into a sunset flip to give Rose two but Ray superkicks her down. Ray goes up….and Toxic Attraction is here anyway to distract the referee/shove Ray off the top. Rose’s running knee retains the title at 8:02.

Rating: C-. After having watched Ray for a long time in NXT UK, it is sad to see her being toned down like this so Rose can keep up. I don’t think it’s any secret that Rose isn’t the best in the ring, but she is wrestling/acting EXACTLY as she should be. It wouldn’t make sense for Rose to be out there tearing the house down when she openly brags about how her looks get her everywhere. She wrestles a safe, basic style that gets her where she needs to go and I’ll take that over a lot of the other people you see doing the same match over and over. That being said, the ending sucked the life out of this and that’s never good.

Post match Toxic Attraction loads up the bat but Io Shirai runs in for the save. Toxic Attraction is cleared out and we have another Dusty Classic team to end the show.

Overall Rating: C. I almost never have any idea what to make of this show anymore and that was the case again here. It’s a bunch of stuff happening and while there are good parts, there are also a lot of things that are just flat out dumb. They try to rush through too many things and it leaves you with a lot of “get this over with” feelings. The good stuff does work and there was a lot of it tonight, but then you see one of WWE’s bad ideas and you know it’s only going to get worse.

Results
Creed Brothers b. Grizzled Young Veterans – Basement lariat to Gibson
Tiffany Stratton b. Wendy Choo – Twisting Vader Bomb
Pete Dunne b. Draco Anthony – Bitter End
LA Knight b. Sanga – Jumping neckbreaker
Sarray b. Dakota Kai – Sunray dropkick
MSK b. Malik Blade/Edris Enofe – Doomsday Blockbuster to Enofe
Mandy Rose b. Kay Lee Ray – Running knee

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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