NXT – March 13, 2019: What Could Have Been

IMG Credit: WWE

NXT
Date: March 13, 2019
Location: Full Sail University, Winter Park, Florida
Commentators: Mauro Ranallo, Nigel McGuinness, Percy Watson

We’re less than a month away from Takeover: New York and the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic is already off to a fast start. Last week’s show was almost entirely devoted to the tournament, meaning tonight should have a little more variety to it. You can imagine a lot of the Takeover card already but some of the matches will be probably be confirmed this week. Let’s get to it.

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

We open with a recap of last week’s first round.

Opening sequence.

Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic Semifinals: Moustache Mountain vs. Forgotten Sons

Jaxson Ryker is at ringside as it’s Cutler and Black for the Sons again. Bate and Cutler take turns working on the arm to start but it’s off to Black for a slam and chinlock. That doesn’t last long as Bate fights up and brings in Seven to suplex Blake for two. Cutler starts in on the knee to continue a formula that has worked, including the spinning toehold to make Seven scream. The Figure Four goes on but is reversed in record time with Blake not just letting go for some reason.

Since the knee got a break in the Figure Four, Seven is able to bring in Bate for the airplane spin to Blake and since he’s that strong, he does it to Cutler at the same time (Nigel: “It’s a biplane spin!”). The Sons are sent outside where Bate misses the shooting star off the apron but is right back with the corkscrew dive back inside. The running clothesline/dragon suplex gets two on Blake with Ryker making the save. Back in and Seven loads up the Burning Hammer but Bate gets shoved off the top. That’s enough for Seven to take the top rope double stomp/reverse DDT for the pin at 9:40.

Rating: B. I would have bet on this one getting more time but I also would have bet on the Brits going to the finals so I was wrong all around here. The Sons haven’t been the most thrilling team in the world so far but they’re getting a nice push here and that’s the kind of thing you have to do at some point. Good match, which was the one thing I did expect.

Matt Riddle says he’s here to win titles so he checked to see if the North American Title came in Bro Size. Adam Cole comes up to say the title is coming back around his waist so a challenge is made.

Io Shirai vs. Bianca Belair

The winner gets a Women’s Title shot against Shayna Baszler, on commentary here, at Takeover. Feeling out process to start with Belair picking up the pace and taking her outside for a drop onto the steps. Back in Shirai rolls up the cocky Belair for two but gets caught in a double chickenwing. Shirai fights up and scores with a kick to the face but walks into the hair whip to put her in trouble again.

It’s louder than effective though as Shirai catches her on top with a super hurricanrana. The moonsault hits raised knees and Belair hits a spear to stay on the ribs. That’s enough for Baszler who goes to the ring and pulls Shirai to the floor for what will be a no contest but should be a DQ at 5:27.

Rating: C. Belair continues to just be there in this story as she’s not ready to hang with this level of talent. I’m sure we’ll get a four way at Takeover as Baszler needs better competition than but Belair isn’t at that level. Let it be a three way with the Sky Pirates in there instead as the match will be better and Belair won’t annoy me.

Post match Kairi Sane comes in for the save but gets choked out as well. Shirai makes the save and takes a choke of her own.

We look back at Keith Lee vs. Dominik Dijakovic from two weeks ago, followed by a near fight the following week. Their rematch is next week.

The four way for the Women’s Title is confirmed and Baszler isn’t happy. Why does this continue to surprise heels in this situation?

Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic Semifinals: DIY vs. Aleister Black/Ricochet

DIY has the matching shirts again. Black knees Ciampa down for less than a one to start and it’s off to the early armbar. Ricochet and Gargano come in and it’s time for Ricochet to flip around and dropkick Johnny outside. A springboard dropkick has Ciampa in trouble as well and it’s Black moonsaulting into the seated position with Ricochet sitting down next to him. Gargano comes back in with the slingshot spear to take over on Ricochet and it’s Ciampa coming in as the fans aren’t sure who they like more.

Back to back neckbreakers keep Ricochet in trouble, followed by Gargano coming in to stomp on the arm. The chinlock goes on for a bit until Ricochet makes the comeback, including sending Gargano into Ciampa who DDTs his partner by mistake. Black comes in and moonsaults onto both of them as everything breaks down. Ricochet and Gargano are sent outside but Ciampa hits an elbow to set up Meet in the Middle.

Gargano gets pulled back outside though and Black knees Ciampa in the head. Black takes too long going after Gargano though and gets caught in a Tower of London on the apron. The slingshot DDT gets two and DIY slaps on the stereo arm holds (with Nigel bringing up the Takeover: Toronto finish because he’s good at his job).

Black is in more trouble but Ricochet powers up and Death Valley Drivers Ciampa onto the other two for the save. The crash landed on Gargano’s knee so he bails to the floor, leaving Ciampa to trade forearms with Ricochet. They both get knocked down but since there’s no Gargano to tag, Ciampa has to try the Fairy Tale Ending on Black. That’s broken up and it’s Black Mass into the 630 to finish Ciampa at 13:15.

Rating: A-. This was well done storytelling as you can see something coming at the end that should be great stuff. Ricochet and Black teaming up to take out Ciampa doesn’t hurt the champ at all and gives them a path to Takeover, which should go very well for them. It might not be as good as some of the matches last week but what we got here was a more enjoyable story.

Post match Candice LeRae comes out to check on Gargano with Ciampa helping him up. Gargano needs help walking up the ramp as the fans applaud him. They get to the stage where Ciampa tries to throw him into the screen but Gargano’s knee is just fine and he sends Ciampa in instead. Candice has the biggest smile on her face as Gargano is back and suckered Ciampa in this time around. The JOHNNY WRESTLING chant ends the show as I get sad over how great this could have been in New York. It was a perfect setup for these two and Gargano could have finally conquered him if not for Ciampa’s neck.

Overall Rating: B+. While not quite up to last week’s nearly perfect show (which isn’t a fair comparison), this was another great week with an incredible angle to finish the night. They could have been heading for an all time feud blowoff in New York but the injury stopped everything in its track. What we got was very good here though and I’m not sure what to expect in the finals. Awesome show and Takeover, of course, is looking great.

Results

Forgotten Sons b. Moustache Mountain – Top rope double stomp/reverse DDT combination to Seven

Io Shirai vs. Bianca Belair went to a no contest when Shayna Baszler interfered

Aleister Black/Ricochet b. DIY – 630 to Ciampa

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2000 Monday Nitro and Thunder Reviews Part 1 (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/02/22/new-book-kbs-monday-nitro-thunder-reviews-volume-vii-january-june-2000/

And check out my Amazon author page with cheap wrestling books at:

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NXT – March 6, 2019: It’s A Takeover On TV

IMG Credit: WWE

NXT
Date: March 6, 2019
Location: Full Sail University, Winter Park, Florida
Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Mauro Ranallo, Percy Watson

Believe it or not it’s tournament time on a WWE show with the first round of the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic starting tonight. The interesting team involved is the reformed DIY, who are probably the favorites in the whole thing despite having the consistency of something with very low consistency. Let’s get to it.

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

The opening video looks at the Dusty Classic, with each team getting to say that they’ll be winning.

Opening sequence.

Of course we’re greeted by Common Man Boogie, because it couldn’t really be anything else.

Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic First Round: Aleister Black/Ricochet vs. Fabian Aichner/Marcel Barthel

Aichner and Black start things off with Aichner’s shoulder not even getting a one count. Barthel comes in and gets struck down in short order with Black armdragging him into an armbar. It’s already back to Aichner to stomp Black down in the corner as the villains take over for the first time. Barthel knees Black in the face and knocks Ricochet off the apron so he can get two.

Black kicks away from a reverse chinlock though and it’s off to Ricochet to speed things up. Kicks abound (Black must be rubbing off on him) and Ricochet sends Barthel into Aichner, who DDTs his partner by mistake. Thankfully Ricochet cuts off my rant about how stupid that is with a springboard European uppercut and the standing shooting star for two. Back up and Barthel throws Ricochet into a suplex from Aichner (Still cool, though not as cool as the powerslam that they used on NXT UK earlier today. Maybe having them on TV twice in one day is a bad idea.), followed by a double springboard moonsault for two.

Ricochet is back up but a kick to the back cuts off his dive, allowing Aichner to hit a springboard tornado DDT for two. Aichner gets low bridged to the floor and Ricochet rolls over to bring in Black, who was fine watching his partner get double teamed. The Europeans catch Black in the Tree of Woe for a double dropkick but Ricochet is in with a springboard hurricanrana to Barthel. A heck of a suicide dive takes Barthel down again but Aichner counters Black’s dive into a rollup for two. Back up and Black Mass finishes Aichner at 8:20.

Rating: A-. This was GREAT with everything but the first minute or two being all action with both teams looking awesome. I haven’t been a fan of Aichner and Barthel so far but they’ve figured it out in their last few matches and looked better and better every time. I was buying that Ricochet and Black were in jeopardy more than once here and that takes a lot when you can be pretty sure who is winning as soon as the teams come out. Incredibly fun match with all four looking awesome.

Moustache Mountain stares down the War Raiders.

We look back at Dominik Dijakovic vs. Keith Lee from last week with the double countout likely setting up a rematch.

Earlier this week, Dijakovic tried to get at Lee at the Performance Center but some wrestlers (including Eric Bugenhagen) held him back. The rematch is in two weeks.

Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic First Round: Oney Lorcan/Danny Burch vs. Forgotten Sons

Steve Cutler/Wesley Blake for the Sons with Jaxson Ryker on the floor. Burch takes Cutler down by the arm to start and it’s already off to Lorcan for a headlock. The Sons get him over into the corner to take over though and it’s a backbreaker into a double chokebreaker for two. Another double backbreaker gets one and we hit the reverse chinlock with a knee in Lorcan’s back. They’re certainly making sense so far. Lorcan fights up (of course) and brings in Burch to take over, including a release German suplex to both Sons.

The middle rope dropkick into the nipup brings Lorcan back in with Blake hitting a quick backbreaker for two. The Boston crab stays on Lorcan’s back until Burch headbutts the heck out of Blake for the save. Burch slips out of a powerbomb and it’s Lorcan firing off chops to both Sons. Everything breaks down and the spike DDT gives Burch two. Cutler blocks what looked to be a German suplex attempt and it’s Lorcan getting toss powerbombed into Cutler’s knees in the corner. A reverse DDT/middle rope double stomp combination finishes Lorcan at 8:21.

Rating: B. It says a lot when a rather good match isn’t stealing the show this week but that’s how good things have been so far. I’m surprised that the Sons won but beating Lorcan and Burch still has a lot of value to it. Lorcan and Burch are over as a team and the Sons definitely needed the win more. They’re not going to win the tournament, but at least a win is better than nothing.

Here’s Velveteen Dream to remind us that he’s North American Champion (his words) but it’s Matt Riddle interrupting. This could be interesting and, as expected, Riddle says that he likes the look of the title and wonders what it would look like around his waist. Dream says the spotlight is on him….and that becomes literal. I think we have the show stealer in New York.

Io Shirai and Kairi Sane both want the Women’s Title but have to worry about Bianca Belair. Shirai says it’s her destiny to be champion and switches to Japanese as she seems to say she’s the best.

Next week: Belair vs. Shirai in a #1 contenders match.

Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic First Round: Street Profits vs. Moustache Mountain

Bate and Ford hit the mat to start with an exchange of headlocks. Dawkins tags himself in to run Bate over for two and it’s back to the mat with a waistlock. Bate gets up with an enziguri and it’s off to Seven, who stands in place so Bate can hit his bounce off the shoulders senton for two. The Profits take over on Seven for a change and it’s a kick to the ribs to set up a cravate. The fans get behind Seven, who fights up with a hard DDT for the double knockdown. It’s back to Bate for the top rope back elbow to the Dawkins. The standing shooting star gets two and Seven sends Ford outside.

The Dragon suplex/clothesline combination is broken up and Dawkins spears Seven for two. Ford is back up for a heck of a dive onto Seven as Bate hits Bop and Bang on Dawkins. With Seven down, it’s the Sky High into the crazy frog splash for two on Bate. Seven is back up for a dragon suplex to Ford on the apron and Bate German suplexes Dawkins. The torture rack (with Seven nearly dropping him) to Dawkins into the top rope knee from Bate is good for the pin at 7:22.

Rating: B. Another very good match here with the Profits getting a rub in defeat. You almost have to have the Brits win here due to their status as major stars and that’s acceptable. The Profits aren’t ready to beat a team like them, though I’m not sure if they ever will be. At least they had a very good match here.

Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic First Round: Undisputed Era vs. DIY

Bobby Fish/Kyle O’Reilly for the Era here. Gargano and Ciampa come out to their own music but then switch to the DIY song on the ramp. Fish goes after Gargano’s leg to start as the DIY chants are clearly louder than the UNDISPUTED ones. With Fish not being able to do much, O’Reilly comes in and gets armdragged down. It’s also off to Ciampa for a wristlock so Fish tries his luck again.

Everything breaks down for a bit with Gargano diving onto Fish, leaving Ciampa to get a neckbreaker on O’Reilly for two. Fish is back up with a legsweep to take Gargano down on the apron though and the Era takes over. It’s a kneebar to keep Gargano in trouble and some right hands keep him down. Gargano kicks O’Reilly away but it sends him right over to Ciampa for a knock off the apron in a smart move.

Fish’s wheelbarrow suplex gets two on Gargano and it’s already time for the chinlock, complete with an appropriate fishhook. Gargano fights up and hits the tornado DDT/enziguri combination for the much needed breather but Fish is right there to pull Ciampa from the apron. As tends to be the case, the hot tag brings in Ciampa a second later and it’s time for the house cleaning as Ciampa is still great in this role. A knee in the corner sets up a Tower of London for two on O’Reilly and it’s time to roll some German suplexes.

It’s back to Gargano who gets caught in O’Reilly’s guillotine until Ciampa runs in with a knee to the head for the break. Gargano and O’Reilly strike it out with O’Reilly hitting a Dean Ambrose rebound lariat for a double knockdown and an NXT chant. Double tags bring in Ciampa and Fish with Ciampa teasing the German suplex off the apron. Instead it’s Gargano getting knocked to the floor, leaving Ciampa to take a super Falcon Arrow for a VERY close two.

The cross armbreaker is blocked so Fish adds a top rope headbutt to get the whole thing on. Gargano dives back in and shoves Fish onto the two of them for the break and they all head outside. O’Reilly hits a great looking running knee from the apron on Ciampa, who is right back up with a hanging DDT. Gargano’s slingshot DDT gets two on O’Reilly and it’s a dropkick to Fish, setting up Meet in the Middle to finish O’Reilly at 14:04.

Rating: A. I didn’t think anything would top the opener but of course DIY managed to pull it off. Were you expecting anything else? DIY really hasn’t lost a step at all and that’s not the biggest surprise given how well they know each other. What we got here was incredible stuff and while I’m surprised the Era lost so early on, at least we got an instant classic to wrap things up.

The War Raiders come out for the staredown to end the show.

Here are the updated brackets:

Aleister Black/Ricochet

DIY

Moustache Mountain

Forgotten Sons

Overall Rating: A+. What else is there to say? This was practically a short form Takeover with four very good to outstanding matches, all with a purpose and the big story being advanced. They even set up a non-tournament match in the middle of the show. While it may not have the same variety as some episodes, this is one of the best things NXT has ever done and it’s going to be hard to top. You know, because that’s always been the case for NXT.

Results

Aleister Black/Ricochet b. Fabian Aichner/Marcel Barthel – Black Mass to Aichner

Forgotten Sons b. Oney Lorcan/Danny Burch – Reverse DDT/middle rope double stomp combination to Lorcan

Moustache Mountain b. Street Profits – Burning Hammer/Top rope knee to the face combination to Dawkins

DIY b. Undisputed Era – Meet in the Middle to O’Reilly

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/02/22/new-book-kbs-monday-nitro-thunder-reviews-volume-vii-january-june-2000/

And check out my Amazon author page with cheap wrestling books at:

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

NXT UK – March 6, 2019: Half Is Twice As Good

IMG Credit: WWE

NXT UK
Date: March 6, 2019
Location: Coventry Skydome Arena, Coventry, England
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Nigel McGuinness

We’re back in England this week and with Wrestlemania weekend less than a month away, there’s a good chance that we’ll be hearing about a big match being set up for New York. Possibly even for the UK Title? With a certain Austrian challenging Pete Dunne? It’s kind of hard to imagine it being anything else so let’s get to it.

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

We open with a long and detailed recap of the issues between Jordan Devlin and Travis Banks, who meet in a falls count anywhere match tonight. They’ve got a nice midcard story going here.

Opening sequence.

Ligero vs. Joseph Conners

On the way to the ring, Conners says he lost last time because it was a bad day while Ligero doesn’t want to hear excuses. Ligero tries an early tornado DDT but gets shoved away, having to settle for a hurricanrana instead. Conners gets smart by tossing Ligero to the floor for a crash, followed by a tilt-a-whirl slam for two inside. A belly to back drop gets a few near falls and it’s a foot in the back for a double arm crank.

Ligero fights up and backflips over Conners for a leg lariat to the ribs. A springboard Stunner gets two and Conners’ slingshot DDT gets the same. Ligero is staggered and a belly to back suplex spun into a sitout faceplant gives Conners two more. Conners is getting frustrated so Ligero small packages him for two, followed by a bunch of spins into a crucifix for the pin at 9:40.

Rating: C-. Now can Conners go away for a long time please? He’s not interesting in the first place and this was another instance of Conners managing to lower his already worthless stock. Complaining about the new talent taking over doesn’t make sense when the show isn’t even six months old, but it’s not like Conners has anything else to talk about. Ligero continues to be fine and could be fed to a monster later.

Post match Ligero offers a handshake but Conners walks away.

Toni Storm wants to know what’s next. Jinny watches from behind.

Video on Wild Boar and Primate.

Gallus talks about how strong they are collectively. They want more respect from people like Walter and Pete Dunne because they command it. People like Walter have come into their house and taken food off their table. Those people aren’t on the table though, because they’re on the menu.

Walter has nothing to say.

Sam Stoker/Louis Howley vs. Fabian Aichner/Marcel Barthel

Stoker and Howley refer to themselves as Pretty Deadly. How Orndorff and Roma inspired. Aichner throws Stoker down to start so we need to stop for a hair check. Stoker can’t get out of an armbar and it’s a powerslam to plant him rather hard. Howley comes in as the announcers don’t seem to know which jobber is which. It’s off to Barthel, who gets caught in the wrong corner for some alternating right hands.

One heck of a headbutt takes Stoker down though and the butterfly suplex has him in even more trouble. Stoker’s comeback is cut off with a spinebuster and a kick to the chest, followed by a double sliding dropkick in the corner. Barthel throws Stoker to Aichner, who catches him in a suplex and walks around before powerslamming him down in an impressive power display. A powerbomb/middle rope European uppercut finishes Stoker at 3:56.

Rating: C. This is the match that Aichner and Barthel needed to have since their debut as they ran through the jobbers and hit some of their cool moves to make it look good. It was one sided and the beating was as decisive as you could get with Aichner getting to show off his power offense. That’s what they should have been doing from the beginning but for some reason we hadn’t seen it yet.

Video on Kay Lee Ray, who is here next week.

Charlie Morgan vs. Nina Samuels

They trade wristlocks to start with Samuels taking her down and driving a knee into the arm. The armbar goes on as Nina declares this the Nina Samuels Show. Morgan shoves her away and nails a kick to the head, followed by an enziguri to make it worse. Not that it matters as Nina is right back up with a fireman’s carry backbreaker for the pin at 3:20.

Rating: D. Morgan isn’t exactly thrilling and Samuels’ offense wasn’t the most impressive. I do like her obsession with the spotlight though and there’s something to her that makes me want to see more. The women’s division isn’t exactly deep at the moment so they would be smart to build some fresh names up like this.

Pete Dunne says the next time Gallus and Walter step in the ring with him, it will be the last time.

Next week: The Coffey Brothers vs. Pete Dunne/Walter.

Jeff Jarrett is here.

Jordan Devlin vs. Travis Banks

Falls count anywhere. The fight starts in the aisle with Banks suplexing him on the floor for an early one. They head into the crowd and up some steps with Banks knocking him off a balcony, with Devlin falling a full two feet to the ground as he was hanging on by his fingers. Devlin’s crossbody off said balcony looks a lot better and gets two and it’s time to go back to ringside. Devlin tries to bring in a chair but gets hit in the ribs instead as they head inside for the first time.

The ever greedy fans want tables but settle for a barrage of kicks to send Devlin outside again. Banks’ dive gets chaired out of the air on a dive attempt and it’s another chant that I can’t understand directed at Devlin. The fans switch to telling Devlin that his head is too big for him as Devlin gets two off a belly to back backbreaker. The release Rock Bottom into a standing moonsault gives Devlin two and he heads to the apron.

Banks is up this time though and shoves him down, sending Devlin knees first into the chair for a somewhat delayed two. The fans want and receive a table (maybe they’ll shut up now) but first, we have a ref bump. Banks’ Kiwi Crusher gets no count (well, one from the crowd) and Devlin gets back up for a headbutt. A very good looking top rope moonsault gets two and Devlin takes him up top for a superplex, which is rolled through into a Kiwi Crusher to give Banks two more.

They get up and slap it out in the middle of the ring until Banks goes with the Slice of Heaven, sending Devlin falling out to the floor. Devlin misses a charge into the steps and Banks stomps the leg into said steps. An ankle lock is broken up and they head to the apron with Devlin countering another Kiwi Crusher into a Spanish Fly through the table for the pin at 15:42.

Rating: B+. That was a heck of a fight with both guys beating the tar out of each other the whole time. They didn’t try to do anything too ridiculously over the top but the stuff they did looked good throughout and the match was exactly what it needed to be. Building up people like these two is going to get them somewhere, as whoever comes out of Wrestlemania weekend as champion is going to need a few challengers.

Overall Rating: B. Another rather good show here as things are starting to get consistently better around here. As is usually the case, it’s a positive sign that the shows without the top stars being featured are still working, as you can only go with Walter and British Strong Style so many times before the charm wears off. I had an easy time watching this and they’re figuring out how to make this work. The lack of a second hour is certainly a big part of the solution.

Results

Ligero b. Joseph Conners – Crucifix

Fabian Aichner/Marcel Barthel b. Sam Stoker/Louis Howley – Powerbomb/middle rope European uppercut combination to Stoker

Nina Samuels b. Charlie Morgan – Fireman’s carry backbreaker

Jordan Devlin b. Travis Banks – Spanish Fly through a table

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/02/22/new-book-kbs-monday-nitro-thunder-reviews-volume-vii-january-june-2000/

And check out my Amazon author page with cheap wrestling books at:

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

Dang It No

It’s just one more month!https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/nxt-champion-tommaso-ciampa-needs-neck-surgery-mean-title/

Tommaso Ciampa needs neck surgery and could be out for over a year, meaning the Takeover: New York match with Johnny Gargano is out and the title is going to be vacated. I was hoping he could hang on for one more month but you can’t take risks with a neck injury. No word on what it means for the title.

NXT – February 27, 2019: New York State Of Mind With A Dusty Twist

IMG Credit: WWE

NXT
Date: February 27, 2019
Location: Full Sail University, Winter Park, Florida
Commentators: Mauro Ranallo, Nigel McGuinness, Percy Watson

It’s tournament time as the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic starts up next week. The question becomes what happens with everyone involved here, as there is often a case of big names teaming up to compete alongside the regular teams. It’s hard to make a tag team tournament interesting but NXT has done it before. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Here’s Johnny Gargano for a chat after losing his North American Title last week. He’s had an up and down year so far as he won the North American Title, became a member of the Raw and Smackdown rosters, and then lost the title to Velveteen Dream. He was Johnny Champion but then he was Johnny Failure again. Now he’s without a title again, so he needs to win another championship. He’s come to realize that the only reason he’s had any success around here….and here’s Tommaso Ciampa to cut him off.

Fans: “HE’S A CHAMPION!” Ciampa says the last few days have shown that Gargano is at his best when the two of them are together. They won on Raw and Smackdown but Gargano tried to defend his title alone last week and lost. This is destiny for the two of them because Gargano can get another title.

Last week William Regal announced the return of the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic, which is where it all started for the two of them. Takeover: New York can be their moment and it can end the same way Takeover: Phoenix did: the two of them together as champions. Johnny shakes his hand and DIY is back. Cool moment as the saga continues.

Ricochet has been having fun on Raw and Smackdown but there are still issues that he has to deal with down here. The Undisputed Era will never attack you one on one but he has Aleister Black by his side now. They want in on the Dusty Classic.

DIY runs into Candice LeRae, who doesn’t want to see this again. Johnny says trust him, but she’s not convinced.

Vanessa Borne/Aliyah vs. Taynara Conti/Xia Li

Borne elbows Conti in the face so it’s some Portuguese yelling and a kick to Borne’s face. A missed kick lets Conti grab a legbar over the rope but Aliyah’s interference lets Borne take over in the corner. Something like a reverse Bronco Buster has Conti in trouble and a double northern lights suplex gets two. Conti kicks Aliyah away though and it’s off to Li for the hard kicks to the face. Since Aliyah isn’t very good it’s back to Borne, who puts Li near her knee for a running neckbreaker from Aliyah into a backbreaker on Borne’s knee (kind of hard to describe) for the pin at 4:48.

Rating: D+. It’s still amazing that Aliyah has been around for so long and still can’t do anything above basic. The other three were looking sharp here and their parts were good enough, but the thing just died when Aliyah was in there. The ending, which not a great move in the first place, was also out of nowhere and it made for a bad finish to a decent enough match otherwise.

Velveteen Dream arrives (sans belt) but gets cut off by the Undisputed Era. Adam Cole does the talking but Dream wants to know how big his mouth would be when his backup was gone.

Io Shirai and Bianca Belair argue over who should be #1 contender. I’d like to argue that Belair shouldn’t talk anymore.

Dominik Dijakovic vs. Keith Lee

Lee now sings his own entrance music. Dominki’s headlock doesn’t work as Lee shoves him off for a leapfrog, only to have Dijakovic flip out of a hiptoss attempt. Dijakvoic tries a monkey flip but Lee sticks the landing, freaking Dominik out in a great visual. With the flips not working, Dijakvoic goes with a top rope forearm to the head, sending a growling Lee staggering around the ring.

One heck of a pounce sends Dijakovic flying but he’s right back with a sitout chokeslam for two. Lee is right back up and tosses Dijakovic through the air with ease. The discus big boot knocks Lee to the floor and just because he can, Dijakovic hits an Asai moonsault to take Lee down again. Both of them are down though and it’s a double countout at 6:50.

Rating: B. Well that was awesome. This was exactly the spectacle that it should have been and it was one of the more entertaining things I’ve seen in a good while around here. Sometimes it’s cool to have big guys do crazy athletic moves to each other than that’s what we got. You know we’re getting a rematch and I wouldn’t be surprised to see that set up a third match in New York.

Post match they have to be separated and Dijakovic says he’ll see Lee later.

Here are the brackets for the Dusty Classic:

Moustache Mountain

Street Profits

Oney Lorcan/Danny Burch

Forgotten Sons

DIY

Undisputed Era

Ricochet/Aleister Black

Fabian Aichner/Marcel Barthel

In two weeks: Shirai vs. Belair for the title shot in New York.

Here are Sasha Banks and Bayley for a big surprise return. Sasha says it’s good to be back and talks about how their journey to the Women’s Tag Team Titles started right here in NXT. The last time they were together in NXT was the Iron Man match, which freaks out Izzy (in the front row) all over again. Bayley: “It’s ok, she’s different now!” They want these titles to be the most sought after in all of WWE. They’ll be back to defend the titles here so the NXT women need to step up.

Mia Yim vs. Shayna Baszler

Non-title and Shayna takes Yim down without too much trouble. A missed right hand hits the mat though and Baszler gets sent outside for a suicide dive. Yim stays on the hand by stomping it onto the steps, only to miss a kick into the steps to bang up the knee. Baszler stomps on the leg, ignoring Mia’s demands of “DON’T YOU DO IT!”. The Kirifuda Clutch is blocked so Baszler grabs the leg again to keep Mia down.

That’s broken up but Mia can’t follow up because of the leg. Mia demands that Shayna knee her in the head but switches to a rollup for two instead. A kick to the head (with the bad leg) stuns Shayna for a very delayed two and it’s Shayna right back with a gutwrench faceplant for two of her own. Yim’s sitout powerbomb gets the same but Baszler pulls her into the Kirifuda Clutch. With Shayna trapping the arm to protect her own hand, Mia taps at 8:03.

Rating: C. I really don’t get the hype with Mia. She has a unique look and can work well enough but I’ve never found myself invested in her. Then again with Belair vs. Shirai already announced for the #1 contenders match, it isn’t exactly a secret that Baszler is moving on to a bigger challenge. The wrestling was fine, but I was waiting for it to be over more than anything else.

Overall Rating: B-. The opening segment helped carry this as it was another good show. You can see a lot of the pieces starting to come together for New York but we have a few more weeks to really set things up. Odds are we’ll be seeing the final showdown between Gargano and Ciampa, plus Velveteen Dream defending against Cole. Throw in the other two titles on the line plus maybe Lee vs. Dijakovic or Riddle doing something and you have another outstanding show in the works.

Results

Aliyah/Vanessa Borne b. Taynara Conti/Xia Li – Neckbreaker into a backbreaker to Li

Dominik Dijakovic vs. Keith Lee went to a double countout

Shayna Baszler b. Mia Yim – Kirifuda Clutch

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/02/22/new-book-kbs-monday-nitro-thunder-reviews-volume-vii-january-june-2000/

And check out my Amazon author page with cheap wrestling books at:

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NXT UK – February 27, 2019: British Wrestling

IMG Credit: WWE

NXT UK
Date: February 27, 2019
Location: Phoenix Convention Center, Phoenix, Arizona
Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Vic Joseph

We’re still in Phoenix and this time around we have a heck of a card, including a Tag Team Title match as the Grizzled Young Veterans defend the titles for the first time. The arguably bigger draw though is Walter, who will be facing Kassius Ohno for his biggest challenge to date. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Tyler Bate vs. Jack Gallagher

Feeling out process to start with Gallagher kicking him away and going for the leg but Bate is in the rope. Now it’s Bate taking him to the mat for a hammerlock but Gallagher walks on his hands for an anklescissors to take Bate down. Bate’s handstand counter doesn’t really work so he bounces around a bit until he’s able to flip out of the hold in another sweet counter sequence.

Gallagher switches to the ankle by allowing Bate to grab a foot, knowing that he can counter into a better hold for some rather scientific style. That’s escaped as well and Bate traps one arm to pull on the other. Gallagher is up again for a stomp to the knee and a rather nasty Indian deathlock. Bate slips out again but still can’t maintain a hold of his own.

Instead Gallagher pulls him into Eddie Guerrero’s Lasso From El Paso but lets go as Bate is getting too close to the rope, switching over to an arm pull. With the submission attempts not working, Gallagher tries a sunset flip but Bate rolls over into a cradle, sending them around the ring for a series of one counts that lasts a good twenty seconds. That’s broken up and Bate grabs a quick rollup for the pin at 9:47.

Rating: B-. This was very, very different than your usual match but also highly entertaining. Some of the psychology and scientific counters were outstanding here, though the ending was so out of nowhere that it didn’t quite work. It made sense with Bate realizing that he couldn’t outwrestle Gallagher and powered him down for the pin instead, but it felt out of place after what they had been doing for the first nine and a half minutes.

Jordan Devlin jumped Travis Banks at the UK Performance Center with wrestlers and trainers breaking it up.

Video on Walter.

Video on Nina Samuels.

Eddie Dennis talks about rupturing his pectoral muscle just over a year ago. Then he signed with WWE that May because adversity motivated him. Now he’s back and more vindictive than ever, so he’s taking down the roster one by one.

Kassius Ohno vs. Walter

It’s weird seeing these two with people equal to their size. A test of strength goes to Walter, even as Ohno tries to take the knee out. Walter wristlocks him into an armbar and Ohno makes the mistake of chopping him. One heck of a big boot sends Ohno outside as Nigel compares Walter to the early years of Andre the Giant: stand there and don’t be aggressive, but attack when someone comes near you.

Ohno gets in a backsplash to the arm as Walter gets back in and pounds away with forearms in the corner. The cravate is broken up with a hard shove and they go to the strike off with Walter chopping him in the back. A big German suplex drops Ohno and a running seated senton gets two. Ohno knees him down but misses a moonsault, allowing Walter to dropkick him into the corner. The powerbomb finishes Ohno at 8:37.

Rating: B. I liked this one in a different way from the opener, partially because they went with a change of style, which is one of the best things they could have done. Ohno clearly wasn’t winning, but that doesn’t mean he can’t put up a good match on the way. This was all about two big guys hitting each other really hard and it gave Walter a bit of a sweat for the first time. That’s a good step for him and the match took both of them in the direction they should be going.

Ligero is willing to beat up Joseph Conners again if he has to.

Next week: Ligero vs. Conners and Banks vs. Devlin in a falls count anywhere match.

Tag Team Titles: Grizzled Young Veterans vs. Danny Burch/Oney Lorcan

James Drake and Zack Gibson are defending. Drake grabs Burch’s arm to start as it’s the early setup for Gibson’s Shankley Gates. That’s reversed into a regular armbar and then a hammerlock as Burch takes over on the mat. Gibson comes in and punches Burch in the face, giving us a nice mixture of the first two matches. It’s already back to Drake, who gets slapped in the chest so Burch can bring Lorcan in. As usual, Drake isn’t quite as skilled as Gibson but that’s how teams work. Drake pokes Lorcan in the eye and sends him into the post as the champs take over for real.

Back in and the chinlock goes on, followed by a nerve hold to really mix things up. Gibson gets two off a belly to back and it’s right back to the chinlock. Somehow, Lorcan is able to fight off a variety of chinlocks and bring in Burch for the suplexes. A middle rope dropkick sends Drake into his own corner so Burch forearms Gibson off the apron. Everything breaks down with Lorcan getting knocked outside, setting up the Ticket to Ride for two on Burch. A pair of headbutts get Burch out of trouble though and Lorcan comes in with a double Blockbuster.

It’s already back to Burch (that was fast) with a Doomsday Device getting two as Gibson backdrops Lorcan onto the cover for the break. All four come in and Lorcan (legal) grabs the half crab on Drake as Gibson (also legal) puts Burch in Shankley Gates. The slap off breaks the holds and it’s Lorcan hitting a running dive to take out both champs. Back in and the elevated hanging DDT gets two on Drake so Burch punches him in the face. Lorcan gets knocked to the floor though and the Ticket to Mayhem finishes Burch at 13:08.

Rating: B. Another very good showing here with the two teams working well enough together to give you the hope of a title change. They also seem to be planting the seeds of Gibson being the focal point of the team (as he should be) which could be leading to a split. Throughout the match the announcers talked about Gibson having a God complex, which very well could cause some tension between the two of them. It’s WAY too early to split them though as they could hold the titles for several months to come.

Overall Rating: A-. Now that was a fun show with three high quality matches. As tends to be the case around here, the storytelling isn’t the strongest and having the focus be on the wrestling instead of the stories is a good way to go. You can’t do that every week, but when they get it right, it works very well. I had a great time with this and it flew by while leaving me wanting to see more, which is one of the best things that can be said.

Results

Tyler Bate b. Jack Gallagher – Rollup

Walter b. Kassius Ohno – Powerbomb

Grizzled Young Veterans b. Oney Lorcan/Danny Burch – Ticket to Mayhem to Burch

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/02/22/new-book-kbs-monday-nitro-thunder-reviews-volume-vii-january-june-2000/

And check out my Amazon author page with cheap wrestling books at:

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NXT – February 20, 2019: Choose Your Own Ending

IMG Credit: WWE

NXT
Date: February 20, 2019
Location: Full Sail University, Winter Park, Florida
Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Mauro Ranallo, Percy Watson

I’m not sure what to think about this show as it could go in two very different directions. The major announced match is Johnny Gargano defending the North American Title against Velveteen Dream with two endings having been taped. On the other side though, WWE has promised a major announcement, which doesn’t bode well since the four biggest names from the show have appeared on this week’s Raw and Smackdown. Let’s get to it.

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

The opening video looks at Gargano vs. Dream, which should be a big match.

Opening sequence.

Aleister Black vs. Roderick Strong

Fallout from last week when the Undisputed Era beat down Black and Ricochet. Strong takes him down with a single leg to start and grabs an armbar, which lasts as long as an armbar is about to go. Black’s German suplex gets two but Strong sends him outside for a dropkick through the ropes. A drop onto the steps sets up a reverse chinlock with a knee in the back as Strong keeps it on the mat, where it’s hard for Black to kick very well.

Back up and Strong puts him on top, only to have Black slip out of a top rope superplex. His powerbomb doesn’t work though as it’s the first backbreaker to put Strong in control again. You would think he’d have gone there earlier. Black knees his way out of a suplex attempt and the strikes are on in a hurry. A running kick to the face sets up the brainbuster for two and Strong is in trouble. Black knees him to the face but Strong is right back with a torture rack backbreaker on the apron. The belly to back faceplant has Black in trouble but he snaps off Black Mass for the pin at 8:28.

Rating: B. I could watch these two trade backbreakers and kicks to the face for a long time and that’s what they did here. Black is someone who can beat anyone with that kick to the face and it’s not like Strong is going to lose much by getting beaten by someone as good as him. Very nice match here, which is going to be the case with any combination of the people involved.

Post match Kyle O’Reilly and Bobby Fish run in for the beatdown, drawing in Ricochet for the save.

We see Shayna Baszler, Marina Shafir and Jessamyn Duke invading the women’s locker room last week and nearly starting a brawl.

Bianca Belair says 2018 was her year and it was the referee’s fault that she lost at Takeover: Phoenix. Now Io Shirai and Kairi Sane are trying to get in on her title shot and that’s not cool. You know what else isn’t cool? Belair.

We look at the four NXT main roster debuts.

In two weeks: the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic is back with the winners getting a title shot at the War Raiders at Takeover: New York. Four teams have been announced so far: the Undisputed Era, Fabian Aichner/Marcel Barthel, Forgotten Songs and the Street Profits. The other four will be announced next week.

Mia Yim vs. Xia Li

We get a handshake to start and they lock up to the mat with neither getting an advantage. Mia backs up in a hurry from the threat of a bunch of kicks, only to get rolled up for two instead. Now the big kick to the chest connects and even more kicks put Yim down again. Li jumps into a shot to the face though and Protect Your Neck gives Mia the pin at 3:56.

Rating: D+. I wasn’t feeling this one for the most part, though it could have been worse. The problem here was Yim getting beaten up until the very end and then hitting her pretty lame finisher. Li’s kicks looked good and those are going to get her somewhere. Throw in the cool fan entrance and she’s going to be fine.

Post match Baszler, Shafir and Duke run in for the beatdown until the unnamed rookies run in for the failed save.

Gargano is warming up when Candice LeRae comes in to ask how he’s doing. He’s fine, but Tommaso Ciampa pops in. Gargano says he needs her instead of him, but Ciampa will be watching tonight. Well until the main roster gets involved that is.

We get a sitdown interview with Jeremy Borash talking to Matt Riddle. Matt isn’t going to change who he is with the hat and flip flops because he was told a long time ago to tune himself up instead of down. Riddle wants a title and it doesn’t matter which one.

Next week: Yim vs. Baszler.

North American Title: Velveteen Dream vs. Johnny Gargano

Dream is challenging as he cashes in his Worlds Collide tournament win. They go to the mat to start with Dream getting an armbar. Gargano spins out as we see Ciampa watching from the rafters. One heck of a slap sends Gargano to the floor for a bit as frustration is setting in. The champ comes back inside but Dream slides in front of him for an OOO from the crowd.

Another slap has Gargano rocked and Dream nails a top rope ax handle. Dream takes too much time going up though and gets pulled down so Gargano can take over for the first time. Some knees have Dream in trouble and a neckbreaker gets two. The arm work continues with Gargano bending it around the rope, only to have Dream swing away anyway. Gargano sends him outside though and more shots to the face keep Dream in trouble.

Dream finally gets in a clothesline and of course things are instantly even again. A running clothesline sends Gargano outside and that’s enough for a top rope ax handle. Back in and Dream takes him up top but gets crotched instead, setting up a spinning Downward Spiral for two. They bang heads and go to the apron, with Gargano hitting a superkick. The slingshot DDT is cut off but so is the Dream Valley Driver on the apron. Gargano hits the suicide dive, only to walk into wind up DDT.

Dream misses the Purple Rainmaker though and Gargano goes up. This time it’s Dream catching him though and a super Dream Valley Driver gets a VERY close two. Gargano bails outside and superkicks a diving Dream out of the air for a big crash. The slingshot DDT gets two more, earning a standing ovation. Gargano is up first and hits a superkick but a running tornado DDT is countered into the Dream Valley Driver. A second Driver sets up the Purple Rainmaker to make Dream champion at 20:30.

Rating: A-. Well that worked. These two know how to make anything work well and they did just that here, with an awesome back and forth match as Dream FINALLY wins the big one. It also helps set things up with Gargano choking in his first title defense, which should give him even more issues with Ciampa going forward. Great match with better storytelling, as things are starting to to roll towards New York.

So I guess the Dusty Classic was the big announcement? That’s a relief, but also kind of a letdown.

Overall Rating: A. Yeah I’d say they’re still good, though with all of the main roster stuff looming, I’m more than a little nervous. The best part about NXT has been that they don’t have to deal with everything that goes on from the main roster and I’m worried that WWE is going to need to “fix” things down here, which is the last thing they need right now. At least we had another great show here, and there’s a chance that nothing will change in the near future.

Results

Aleister Black b. Roderick Strong – Black Mass

Mia Yim b. Xia Li – Protect Your Neck

Velveteen Dream b. Johnny Gargano – Purple Rainmaker

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 1997 Monday Night Raw Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/11/20/new-paperback-complete-1997-monday-night-raw-reviews/

And check out my Amazon author page with cheap wrestling books at:

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

NXT UK – February 20, 2019: Like Their American Cousin

IMG Credit: WWE

NXT UK
Date: February 20, 2019
Location: Phoenix Convention Center, Phoenix, Arizona
Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Vic Joseph

It’s the second week in Phoenix and last week got things off to a good start. The different venue and crowd offer a nice change of pace and that can help freshen things up a little bit. We’re still on the way towards Walter vs. Pete Dunne for the UK Title and with the right build, it could be a classic. Let’s get to it.

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

We open with a recap of Toni Storm beating Rhea Ripley to become Women’s Champion last month and Ripley not handling the loss well. The rematch is tonight.

Opening sequence.

Mark Andrews/Flash Morgan Webster vs. Coffey Brothers

For the sake of sanity, I’ll only refer to Mark Coffey as Mark and Mark Andrews as Andrews. Mark literally throws Flash around to start and it’s off to Joe for some stomps to the ribs. A quick dropkick gets Flash out of trouble and it’s off to Andrews as the pace picks up in a hurry. That’s a good thing for Andrews, though a blind tag lets the Brothers hit a pop up uppercut to take over again. You can’t beat the brotherly thinking. A double chop keeps Andrews in trouble and they take turns on full nelsons.

Joe switches to a double underhook but a buckle bomb attempt is countered and the hot tag brings in Flash. The standing Lionsault sets up a hurricanrana from the apron to the floor to keep Mark down. A jumping knee to the face into an assisted moonsault gets two on Joe. We settle back down with Joe slugging away at Andrews until Flash tags himself in to help on a tornado DDT. Stereo flip dives to the floor drop the Brothers and there’s a Stundog Millionaire to Joe. Mark suplexes Andrews onto the apron though and All The Best For The Bells finishes Flash at 8:29.

Rating: B-. This was a good sign on multiple fronts, starting with the fact that it was a rather nice match. As usual, power vs. speed is something that is always going to work and that was the case here. Other than that, it makes the Coffey Brothers they should have been all along. Joe vs. Pete Dunne was good, but when you have your brother right there, why is he teaming with another guy like Wolfgang? It never made sense, though Joe vs. Dunne was a better idea than Dunne vs. Wolfgang any day.

Video on Nina Samuels, who seems to like the spotlight.

Jordan Devlin is back in Ireland and promises to be the best, as always.

Video on Kay Lee Ray, who is awesomely Scottish and coming to the women’s division.

Trent Seven vs. Shane Thorne

Shane is making the rounds as of late and this makes as much sense as anything else for him. Feeling out process to start with Seven’s wristlock giving Thorne some early problems. Thorne’s shoulder doesn’t get him very far so he snaps Seven’s arm across the top rope. The shoulder gets wrapped around the post and it’s off to an armbar. Seven is right back up with a suplex into a slam for two and it’s off to a rather quick Figure Four.

The hold is turned over and they fall to the floor with both guys banging up their knees. Back in and Thorne gets slammed off the top but manages to block the Figure Four. A hard belly to back suplex puts Seven down for two and a kind of chickenwing hold is right back on the arm. Not that it matters as Seven shoves him away and hits the Seven Star Lariat for the pin at 8:59.

Rating: C. I know the Mighty wasn’t the most popular team in the world but Thorne is carving out a very nice place for himself as someone who can have a watchable match with just about anyone. That’s going to keep him around for a long time and we had a nice match here. Seven sells limb injuries well and this was no exception.

Jack Gallagher wants to wrestle in NXT UK and will talk to Johnny Saint about it over a cup of tea.

Here are the Grizzled Young Veterans for a chat. The heat isn’t as strong on Zack Gibson here as he talks about how hard the two of them have worked to get here. He doesn’t like being here instead of back home in Liverpool having a cup of tea, but he’s here to explain why British wrestling is the best in the world. They can’t have the best competition because they are the best competition.

The challengers can be from 205 Live, NXT or NXT UK because it won’t matter. Oney Lorcan and Danny Burch can come for their shot whenever. Here are Burch and Lorcan in person with Burch telling Gibson to shut up. Burch is proud to be British but he’s more proud to represent these fans. The match is next week but Burch and Lorcan chase them off now.

Next week: Gallagher vs. Tyler Bate.

Also next week: Walter vs. Kassius Ohno. That’s a stacked show.

Women’s Title: Toni Storm vs. Rhea Ripley

Storm is defending and the fight starts before the bell with Ripley throwing her into the corner. The bell rings and Ripley stomps away before forearming the champ against the ropes. Ripley starts in on the back with a backbreaker getting two as the pace slows a bit. The bodyscissors goes on for a bit until Storm is up with some right hands.

Those just earn her a dropkick for two, which is quite the visual from the rather big Ripley. The standing Cloverleaf has Storm in even more trouble but she rolls Ripley outside. That means a suicide dive to start the real comeback and a running hip attack in the corner makes things worse for Ripley. The back is too banged up for Storm Zero so it’s a Backstabber instead, which works well enough.

Storm takes some time following up though and it’s a slugout from their knees. The champ gets the better of it but gets caught on top, allowing Ripley to grab a superplex for two. Ripley misses a charge into the post though and a quick Storm Zero retains the title at 11:00. That was a very fast finish and it felt like they had another minute or two in there.

Rating: B-. It wasn’t anything great but it was high enough quality to work just fine. Storm retaining wasn’t exactly a surprise and that’s ok for a pretty big TV main event. Both of them looked polished and the women’s division is getting some depth, meaning that it doesn’t have to be these two over and over. Ripley can go rebuild for a bit and she’s going to be fine in the long run.

Overall Rating: B-. This show worked well as it felt more like a regular NXT show: one feature match and enough other stuff to keep the whole thing entertaining. They moved around enough from one story to another and all of those things feel fresh. Also, and again just like NXT, they don’t have the same people on every week and it keeps the shows from being repetitive. They’re getting the formula right and that’s a very positive sign.

Results

Coffey Brothers b. Flash Morgan Webster/Mark Andrews – All The Best For The Bells to Webster

Trent Seven b. Shane Thorne – Seven Star Lariat

Toni Storm b. Rhea Ripley – Storm Zero

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/11/20/new-paperback-complete-1997-monday-night-raw-reviews/

And check out my Amazon author page with cheap wrestling books at:

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NXT UK – February 13, 2019: The UK Invasion

IMG Credit: WWE

NXT UK
Date: February 13, 2019
Location: Phoenix Convention Center, Phoenix, Arizona
Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Vic Joseph

Things are getting more interesting around here as Walter continues to be the biggest thing to be added to the show since its inception (all those months ago). For now though, we’re in Phoenix for some shows taped at the Royal Rumble Axxess. We should be in for some fun shows around here and some guest stars aren’t out of the question. Let’s get to it.

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

In Memory of Pedro Morales.

Opening sequence.

Here’s Toni Storm to open things up. She won the Mae Young Classic and then it was Toni Time at Takeover: Blackpool. Toni knew that Rhea Ripley would be coming to get her title back though because Storm is a bully. She’s beaten Ripley before though and she can do it again. This brings out Rhea, who now has what sounds like THIS IS MY BRUTALITY before her theme music. She’s the first ever NXT UK Women’s Champion and she’s sick of hearing the comparisons to Storm. The rematch is brought up and Storm says “that’s nice”. The fight is on with Rhea quickly bailing.

Noam Dar vs. Jordan Devlin

Devlin’s wristlock is countered into a headlock, followed by some arm cranking on Devlin’s arm for a change. That just earns him a release Rock Bottom into a standing moonsault but the fans think he still sucks. We hit the double arm crank on Dar for a bit before he fights up and kicks Devlin off the ropes.

An exchange of kicks puts both guys down and Dar slaps on the ankle lock. That’s escaped as well and the Irish Ace Cutter gives Devlin two. They head outside with Devlin loading up a whip into the steps, only to have Travis Banks come out to yell. Dar’s ankle goes into the steps but Devlin stops to fight Banks, allowing Dar to grab a rollup for the surprise pin at 10:20.

Rating: C. I’m not big on either guy (though I’m much higher up than I used to be) and this was a completely middle of the road match. Neither does much that grabs your attention and while this was little more than a way to advance Devlin vs. Banks, it wasn’t exactly thrilling. Then again nor was it bad, so we’ll go with right in the middle.

Post match Devlin stays on Dar, drawing Banks in for the big fight.

Next week: Ripley vs. Storm for the title.

Two weeks from now: Walter vs. Kassius Ohno.

Jinny vs. Mia Yim

Jinny takes her straight down into a front facelock until Mia reverses into one of her own. An armbar is broken up just as fast and Mia grabs a rollup for two. The running hurricanrana doesn’t work either as Mia cartwheels her way out and takes Jinny down for some slaps to the arms. With none of the holds working, Jinny goes with blunt force trauma in the form of a Downward Spiral into the middle rope. A slap to the face gives Jinny two and she pulls on Mia’s arms for good measure.

That’s broken up and Mia slaps on a Tarantula of her own. Mia adds a neckbreaker for the double knockdown before firing off some shots to the face. A Cannonball connects as you can see the Axxess venue in the background. It’s not a bad thing but it’s just so odd to see. Jinny misses a charge and gets German suplexed into the corner, sending herself outside for a much needed breather. Back in and Jinny scores with a kick to the head, allowing her to throw her feet on the ropes for the pin at 7:55.

Rating: C-. Jinny is someone who seems like she would gain a lot from some talking segments that get to showcase herself outside the ring a bit more. Her work is fine enough, but the only things I know about her is she’s mean and cares about fashion. I need a lot more than that, and it would be nice if they let us have something.

Wolfgang vs. Pete Dunne

Non-title and no seconds here, oddly enough. Wolfgang goes for the arm to start so Dunne spins out and takes Wolfgang down with a total of no effort. Another grab of the wrist sends Wolfgang out to the floor and it’s time for a breather. Back in and a referee distraction (stop telling Dunne the rules) lets Wolfgang get in a forearm, setting up the required chinlock.

Dunne fights out of that as quickly as anyone fights out of a chinlock and nails a middle rope dropkick to the knee. An ankle lock sends Wolfgang bailing to the ropes, followed by sending Dunne face first into the apron. Back in and Dunne stomps on the arm as Nigel talks about Wolfgang having a SUBURBAN COMMANDO tattoo on his forearm. Well I’m a fan for life.

Wolfgang drops him ribs first across the top rope to bang Dunne up but Dunne avoids a charge and is right back with a bunch of slaps in the corner. Dunne flips out of a release German suplex and nails the X Plex for two. It’s time to bend the fingers back, followed by the stomping to Wolfgang’s head. Dunne pulls him into a triangle until a buckle bomb breaks things up.

The spinning release fisherman’s suplex gets two but Dunne nips up before the Howling. There’s a stomp to the fingers but Wolfgang is right back with a hard clothesline. Darren Young’s Gut Check gives Wolfgang a very delayed two as Wolfgang grabs his knee. He gets up limping, prompting Nigel to say he thinks Wolfgang has a bad knee. That kind of line sounds so out of place from him. Anyway the Howling is countered into the finger bending to make Wolfgang tap at 10:43.

Rating: B-. Leave it to Wolfgang to give Dunne one of his worst matches ever and leave it to Dunne to still make it entertaining. That’s not fair to Wolfgang as he was pretty good here, but the problem is having him get in on the same ground floor as Bate, Dunne and Seven. That’s being the other rookies in 2002 and it just doesn’t work. Walter is the end game for Dunne anyway, so keeping him strong like this is the only way to go.

Overall Rating: C+. Perfectly watchable show here which felt like a combination of a regular show and a special. The whole show feels like it’s on hold until Walter vs. Dunne is set up and that’s fine, though it can’t last forever. I can imagine that one taking place in April over Wrestlemania weekend and if it just happens to be in New York, so be it. Anyway, it should be a blast whenever it happens because they’re putting in the effort to build the characters, which is what matters most.

Results

Noam Dar b. Jordan Devlin – Rollup

Jinny b. Mia Yim – Kick to the head

Pete Dunne b. Wolfgang – Dunne bent his finger back

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/11/20/new-paperback-complete-1997-monday-night-raw-reviews/

And check out my Amazon author page with cheap wrestling books at:

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

NXT – February 13, 2019: When The Stars Are Away, It’s Still A Great Show (I’m Bad At Rhyming)

IMG Credit: WWE

NXT
Date: February 13, 2019
Location: Full Sail University, Winter Park, Florida
Commentators: Mauro Ranallo, Nigel McGuinness, Percy Watson

We’re coming up on the build towards New York and that’s going to be a big night, with some of the card starting to come into focus. The big story continues to be Johnny Gargano vs. Tommaso Ciampa, but Velveteen Dream is getting involved as well, which could make for some very interesting curves. He does certainly know how to shake things up. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Dominik Dijakovic vs. Shane Thorne

Thorne gets smart by going after the arm to start, including wrapping it around the ropes and kicking away a bit, followed by a dropkick to the side of the head. Dijakovic shrugs it off with some power but Thorne stays smart by wrenching the arm some more. A belly to back suplex puts Dijakovic down but he superkicks Thorne off the top for a big crash. Dijakovic, who stands 6’7, nails a big springboard spinning ax handle to the floor (Fans: “FEAST YOUR EYES!”), setting up Feast Your Eyes for the pin at 4:22.

Rating: C. I still don’t know why his name isn’t just Dominic Dijak but at least he got a win here and looked fine doing so. Thorne has nowhere to go but up as he’s starting from scratch and looked good here. I hope he gets at least a chance and in NXT, they might be willing to actually give him a chance. Nice little match here that actually had me wondering for a bit.

The Undisputed Era says they’re having a down start to their year but losing the Tag Team Titles mean they’re all free to go for singles gold. Tonight, Adam Cole is starting with Ricochet.

We look back at the end of last week’s show with Io Shirai pinning Shayna Baszler.

Shirai wants the title but Bianca Belair isn’t sure about that.

Humberto Carrillo and Stacy Ervin Jr. are here for a tag match (with Mauro doing their introduction via voiceover for some reason) but Kassius Ohno interrupts. He knows how the crowd is around here but he won’t be around much longer. Instead he’s going somewhere to be appreciated….and here’s Keith Lee to knock him out with one shot to the face. Lee says he could have hit Ohno in the “dangly bits” like Ohno did to him and apologizes for the interruption.

Humberto Carrillo/Stacy Ervin Jr. vs. Street Profits

The Profits mock Ohno, who is still out as they walked past. Carrillo and Ford start things off with some fast paced counters, capped off by stereo missed dropkicks. A whip into the corner just lets Carrillo flip around a bit, followed by some rather nice armdrags into an armbar. Dawkins comes in with a heavy shoulder but Carrillo is right back up with a spinning kick to the face. A running shooting star gets two on Dawkins but Ervin walks into a rather fast spear to put him in trouble.

The chinlock doesn’t last long so Ford hits a SCARY belly to back, dropping Ervin on the back of his head so hard that the referee immediately slides over to check on him. Ervin is right back up and rolls over for the tag to Carrillo so house can be cleaned. A handspring elbow drops Dawkins and a big dive into an armdrag sends Ford outside. Everything breaks down and a very high moonsault gets two on Dawkins. Back up and Ervin gets caught in an electric chair, setting up the Doomsday Blockbuster to give Ford the pin at 6:15.

Rating: C+. Some of those dives and flips looked great and I could go for more of either team. I’ve liked the Profits for a long time now and having them get into the title picture would be fine. The same is true for Ervin and Carrillo, even though the latter is already up on the main roster, as he should be.

Post match the Profits say they want in on the title picture because they’re ready to go to war at any time, even with the War Raiders. This brings out Fabian Aichner and Marcel Barthel to say they should get the shot. Cue Oney Lorcan and Danny Burch power walking to the ring for a three way argument but the War Raiders come out to request more fighting over the titles. The Undisputed Era comes in from behind but the Raiders clear the ring without much trouble.

Johnny Gargano says 2018 was an up and down year but he knows his endgame. Now he knows what he wants to do and is ready to show the locker room. Johnny Wrestling is back.

Next week: Gargano defends the North American Title against Velveteen Dream.

Taynara Conti vs. Aliyah

Aliyah’s gear is designed by Versace. Conti wastes no time in trying an armbar but Aliyah is right back up with a faceplant as Vanessa Borne is out at ringside. Aliyah kicks her in the back a few times but gets sent face first into the middle buckle. Some throws by the arm have Aliyah in more trouble and a kick to the face makes it even worse. The armbar over the ropes stays on the arm but Borne grabs Conti’s leg, allowing Aliyah to slam her off the top. A series of kicks to the back of the head makes Conti tap at 2:52.

Post match Borne raises her head but here’s an angry Shayna Baszler to chase them off. Jessamyn Duke and Marina Shafir come in from behind though and it’s a big beatdown to all three. Shayna says this is the new reality.

Video on Velveteen Dream winning the Worlds Collide tournament and getting the North American Title shot.

Adam Cole vs. Ricochet

Cole starts fast with right hands in the corner before going after the leg. The knee is wrapped around the post and then around the rope back inside as Cole certainly has a focus. Ricochet gets in an enziguri for a breather but Cole is right back on him with more shots to the knee.

A knee crusher keeps Ricochet in trouble but he’s right back with a hard clothesline off the good leg. Somehow he’s fine enough to hit a standing moonsault for two so Cole goes right back to the knee. The fireman’s carry backbreaker gives Cole two of his own but he misses an enziguri. Ricochet grabs a suplex, only to get caught in the brainbuster onto the knee. That’s only two as well so Ricochet is right back up with a reverse hurricanrana.

Ricochet gets to the top but seems to slip/have his knee give out on what looked like a Swanton attempt. They forearm it out with Cole getting the better of things but taking too long going up top. Ricochet’s elbows don’t work as Cole knocks him down, only to have Ricochet pop back up. Some rolling suplexes set up Vertigo (Samoan driver) to finish Cole at 15:15.

Rating: B+. This was a heck of a match with a different side of Ricochet coming out. It’s cool that he got to do some stuff other than the flips for a change and having something like Vertigo as a more traditional finisher can help keep the big spots fresh. Cole was working hard too and they had a good story with the knee. I liked this more than I thought I would and it was a great main event.

Post match the Undisputed Era runs in to beat down Ricochet. Aleister Black tries to come in for the save and gets taken out as well to end the show.

Overall Rating: B. I know the Gargano vs. Ciampa feud is becoming an all time classic, but it’s a good sign that they can go almost completely away from it for a week and have a rather solid show. Other than Gargano’s promo, there was nothing about them on here and it was nice for a change. That’s a very good sign for the future and hopefully something they keep up. I say hopefully with a bit of a smile as they’ve done it for years now. Anyway, very good show, as you probably knew in advance.

Results

Dominik Dijakovic b. Shane Thorne – Feast Your Eyes

Street Profits b. Humberto Carrillo/Stacy Ervin Jr. – Doomsday Blockbuster to Ervin

Aliyah b. Taynara Conti – Kicks to the head

Ricochet b. Adam Cole – Vertigo

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/11/20/new-paperback-complete-1997-monday-night-raw-reviews/

And check out my Amazon author page with cheap wrestling books at:

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