NXT
Date: January 17, 2018
Location: Center Stage Theater, Atlanta, Georgia
Commentators: Mauro Ranallo, Nigel McGuinness, Percy Watson

We’re still in Atlanta as we’re heading towards Philadelphia for the next Takeover. Last week saw the Undisputed Era beat down Aleister Black to end the show, earning Adam Cole an Extreme Rules match with Black in Philadelphia. Odds are we’ll get the final card for the next Takeover tonight so let’s get to it.

Opening sequence.

We see the shots of the crowd and there’s a rather prominent fan with a Britney Spears shirt. I’d wear that.

Heavy Machinery vs. Tino Sabbatelli/Riddick Moss

As usual, it’s a feud over Sabbatelli and Moss’ car. Otis runs Sabbatelli over with a hard shoulder to start and Tino isn’t sure what to do about that kind of power. Tucker comes in and grabs a front facelock to swing Tino around in a circle, only to have him land in front of Moss. Heavy Machinery crushes Moss between the two of them followed by something like a Worm into an elbow. It’s back to Tino to hammer on Otis until a clothesline allows the hot tag to Knight. Everything breaks down and Moss grabs a rollup with his feet on the ropes for the pin at 4:41.

Rating: C-. I’m glad Sabbatelli and Moss got a win and it’s not the biggest problem in the world as Heavy Machinery has already lost most of their steam. It’s also weird to have a power team like Heavy Machinery as good guys but it helps when Sabbatelli and Moss are good rich jerks. Buy something other than the car though.

Cole isn’t worried about Black because there are a million and one ways to hurt him. Bobby Fish and Kyle O’Reilly know everyone wants their titles but they’re all in the Era’s era. I’m still not sold on that name as Undisputed would just sound better.

We look back at the ending of last week’s show with the announcement of the Extreme Rules match. Shouldn’t that have aired before the promo?

Roderick Strong vs. Fabian Aichner

Strong tries a headlock to start as the fans seem split. A leg lariat gives Strong two but Aichner powerslams him out of the air as we take a break. Back with Aichner holding an abdominal stretch until Strong fights out. The Angle Slam is broken up so Strong settles for his first backbreaker. Aichner is right back with a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker of his own and goes up, only to dive into another backbreaker. The Strong Hold (now a Liontamer) is good for the tap out at 7:37.

Rating: C+. Aichner has a real future with a great look and an awesome set of skills but he needs a little something more to really make it work. Still though, it’s cool to see him getting chances against big names like Strong, who still needs a few more big wins to really get somewhere. He’s a good upper midcarder though and you can always use one of those.

Post match Strong says he wants Lars Sullivan, who had already said he wanted to face Killian Dain. So we might be looking at a three way?

Long video on TM-61, who will be back from injury rather soon. They’ve been out for a very long time. They’ve been training for years, including training under Harley Race. All the work has been worth it though and they’re ready to make it here. They worked their way through a WWE tryout but also were young boys in Japan. Next week we’ll get part two, which hopefully is as awesome as this one.

Aliyah vs. Lacey Evans

Aliyah gets taken down with a wristlock to start but walks into a jawbreaker. Evans is sent to the apron and kicks Aliyah’s leg out for a slingshot elbow. A slingshot bronco buster gets two more on Aliyah but she grabs a northern lights suplex. Back up and Aliyah charges into a right hand in the corner….for the pin at 3:24.

Rating: D+. Aliyah is starting to look better but she still needs some more polishing. Evans has a bit of a weird gimmick but it’s a little more interesting than some others. Ending a match with a right hand though is rather different as well, but it does make her look a little tougher than you would expect.

Post match Evans says she wants to bring some class to the women’s division and she’ll start with Nikki Cross. Shayna Baszler comes out and glares at Evans before grabbing her choke on Aliyah, who is still woozy from the right hand. Ember Moon runs in for the save and tells Baszler to try that on her. Baszler says she’ll do it when the title is on the line. Moon says name the time.

William Regal makes the title match for Takeover. Zelina Vega comes in to say Velveteen Dream deserves the shot more than Johnny Gargano so they should have a #1 contenders match.

No Way Jose is back next week. I liked the guy, but I hadn’t remembered he was gone.

Johnny Gargano comes to the ring and says bring Dream on. This isn’t a fluke and this is his time and opportunity. The match is on for next week.

We look back at the Undisputed Era attacking Sanity to avoid the title defense last week.

Authors of Pain vs. Street Profits

The winners get the title shot in Philadelphia. Akum shoulders Ford down to start and easily pulls him over to the corner so Razar can get in his own shots to the back. The fans are behind the Profits of course as Ford has to fight out of a full nelson. One heck of a full nelson slam gives Razar two and it’s off to a chinlock as we take a break.

Back with Ford fighting out of a front facelock and bringing Dawkins in to clean house. A spinebuster/missile dropkick combination gets two on Akum and that’s probably their best shot. The Super Collider into the Last Chapter ends Ford at 9:43 to send the Authors to Philadelphia.

Rating: C. The Profits will be back of course but this was a big loss for them. The Authors are in a weird place as they’re not being called up to the main roster for whatever reason but there are so many teams around who are more interesting or just better than they are. Throw in the soon to debut War Machine and I’m not sure where they’re going.

Overall Rating: C+. This was the kind of show that they needed heading into Philadelphia as some of the stories needed a little bit more heat. Tonight helped on those fronts as well as adding two fresh title matches to the card. I’m starting to look forward to Philadelphia, which wasn’t the case as we were coming into this show. Hopefully things are even better next week, which tends to be the case around here.

Results

Tino Sabbatelli/Riddick Moss b. Heavy Machinery – Rollup to Moss

Roderick Strong b. Fabian Aichner – Strong Hold

Lacey Evans b. Aliyah – Right hand

Authors of Pain b. Street Profits – Last Chapter to Ford

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the Monday Nitro and Thunder Reviews Volume VI: July – December 1999 in e-book or paperback. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2017/11/22/new-book-kbs-monday-nitro-and-thunder-reviews-volume-vi/

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

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

NXT
Date: January 10, 2018
Location: Center Stage Theater, Atlanta, Georgia
Commentators: Mauro Ranallo, Nigel McGuinness, Percy Watson

We’re on some hallowed ground tonight as NXT heads to the former home of WCW Saturday Night. The next three shows will be all about setting up Takeover: Philadelphia, which means we need some more matches announced. A good chunk of the card is already set but NXT somehow manages to make the shows building to the big show entertaining as well. Let’s get to it.

The Undisputed Era is ready to start their year of dominance by taking out Sanity once and for all tonight. Adam Cole is ready to start becoming the next NXT Champion. Simple and to the point here with something that you would expect them to say. Just ignore the whole “the beginning of the era of undisputed” making O’Reilly sound like Yoda.

Opening sequence.

The ring is turned to the side here, meaning wrestlers come to a corner when they come down the aisle. It’s an awesome visual and feels different, which is where NXT excels.

Shayna Baszler vs. Dakota Kai

This is both of their NXT in-ring debuts. Before the match we see a clip of Baszler randomly attacking Performance Center trainees for fun because that’s the kind of villain she is. Baszler drives her into the corner to start and takes Kai down into an armbar. A stomp bends Kai’s arm at a NASTY angle and that’s a referee stoppage at 1:23. Total squash and Baszler looked awesome here.

Post match Baszler stays on her until Ember Moon makes the save.

The Authors of Pain are ready to take care of the Street Profits. Since when can the Authors speak English?

General Manager William Regal talks to Baszler, saying that’s not going to get her a title shot. Baszler: “We done here?”

Kassius Ohno vs. Raul Mendoza

They even shake hands to start in a really old school move. Ohno grabs some rollups for a few early near falls but Mendoza is too fast. Mendoza hurricanranas him into a side roll but gets his head elbowed off without too much effort. An inverted Gory Special has Mendoza in more trouble until he reverses into a victory roll.

Back up and Ohno charges into a forearm in the corner, followed by a springboard spinning armdrag to drop Kassius again. Mendoza is showing off some very nice high flying here, which is exactly what he should be doing in a match like this. Ohno shrugs him off though and the High Tension Elbow Strike (running jumping elbow to the back of the head) ends Mendoza at 4:26.

Rating: C. This is the kind of thing that both guys needed. Ohno isn’t exactly a star in NXT but he’s great for a role like this: making people look good and using his experience to put together some better matches. Mendoza on the other hand is a rather good high flier and can showcase himself well around here. Mentioning that he’s been in so many matches against top quality talent shows that they’re likely to give him a win soon, which could lead somewhere for him.

Zelina Vega held a mini press conference saying she and Andrade Cien Almas aren’t worried about Johnny Gargano after beating him twice. That’s a fairy tale and Almas is reality. Vega is amazing at this condescending heel stuff and she’s made Almas that much better.

Johnny Gargano is thrilled to be #1 contender but here’s Velveteen Dream to interrupt. Dream wants a thank you for allowing Gargano to get his spot in the competition because Dream would have won it with ease. Gargano needs to thank him because Dream deserves his spot.

The Street Profits loudly come into Regal’s office and think they deserve a Tag Team Title shot. Regal seems to agree so next week it’s the Street Profits vs. the Authors of Pain in a #1 contenders match. More loudness ensues and Regal smiles.

Lio Rush vs. Lars Sullivan

This could hurt a lot. Rush dodges to start and even slaps Lars in the face. A kick to the jaw staggers Sullivan for a bit but he pulls Rush into the ropes to take over. Rush gets whipped hard into the corner but Lars misses a charge. That’s about it for Rush though as one heck of a clothesline turns him inside out, followed by the Freak Accident for the pin at 1:54.

Post match Sullivan talks about destroying everyone until he ran into a different kind of force. That was Killian Dain and Sullivan wants to see him again. For now though, Rush takes a super Freak Accident to really hammer home the punishment.

The Undisputed Era has attacked Sanity in the back. The Era says that’s it for the title shot.

Here’s the Undisputed Era in the arena for a chat. Cole thinks they’re missing something and Kyle asks where Sanity is. Maybe they forgot about their title shot tonight. Cole says they kicked the chaos out of Sanity but here’s a livid Nikki Cross trying to get at the Era. Referees hold her back but so Regal comes out to cut the Era off again. The boss says the titles are on the line tonight and here’s Roderick Strong to say he’ll fight right now. Strong offers to go find a partner but someone interrupts to say he’ll do it.

Tag Team Titles: Undisputed Era vs. Roderick Strong/Aleister Black

The teams are at different corners than the usual WWE formula with the champs on the left side closer to the hard camera. I don’t remember the last time I’ve seen the corners changed in WWE. Fish and O’Reilly are defending and get cleared to the floor, sending us to a break before the bell.

Back with the bell ringing and Black kicking away at both champs. A knee to Kyle’s head gets two and Strong adds a dive to the floor. Back in and Black’s Oklahoma roll gets two on Kyle, followed by an armbar to keep him in trouble. Strong comes in for a chinlock as the champs are still looking for their first offense. Fish finally takes Black’s knee out and we take a break.

Back with Kyle holding the knee and Fish adding a slingshot hilo for two. An exploder suplex gives Fish two but Black kicks O’Reilly away. There’s the double tag to bring in Strong and Fish as everything breaks down. The champs’ Ax and Smash is broken up with a jumping knee to the face and everyone is down. Cue Cole to go after Black, who stalks him into the crowd. Back inside, the champs go High/Low to retain at 11:50.

Rating: C+. This didn’t feel like the standard NXT main event but maybe they’re saving the Sanity match for another time. It was entertaining for what it was though and thankfully NXT is smart enough to not put the titles on a thrown together team like you would see so often on the main shows. Fine main event, but it felt more like a big time house show.

Post match Black comes in for the brawl but gets taken out. An AA onto an open chair knocks Black cold. The Era poses but here’s Regal to talk about Philadelphia’s extreme history. At Takeover: Philadelphia, Cole vs. Black will be an Extreme Rules match. Cole and Regal stare each other down to end the show.

Overall Rating: C+. This show felt a little off from the norm for NXT but it still did everything it needed to do. The big story here was the arrival of Baszler (nailed it) and some more matches being teased for Takeover. NXT can fill in the gaps over the next few weeks and that’s where they shine. Good enough show, but it didn’t feel like it had the same flow that most of their episode do.

Results

Shayna Baszler b. Dakota Kai via referee stoppage

Kassius Ohno b. Raul Mendoza – High Tension Elbow Strike

Lars Sullivan b. Lio Rush – Freak Accident

Undisputed Era b. Roderick Strong/Aleister Black – High/Low to Strong

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the Monday Nitro and Thunder Reviews Volume VI: July – December 1999 in e-book or paperback. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2017/11/22/new-book-kbs-monday-nitro-and-thunder-reviews-volume-vi/

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

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

NXT
Date: January 3, 2018
Hosts: Kayla Braxton, Mike Rome

It’s the first show of the year but as a special, we’re looking at the Best Of 2017 in a double length episode. These are always fun to look at as there’s nearly a guarantee that you’ve forgotten at least something that you’ll see tonight. There’s been a lot of good throughout the year for NXT so let’s get to it.

As usual, even if the versions presented on the broadcast are clipped, I’ll be posting the full review of each match.

Opening sequence.

We look at Bobby Roode defeating Shinsuke Nakamura for the NXT Title in January.

We look at the rematch from Takeover: Orlando with the full entrances, albeit with some different camera angles during the entrances. Roode retained and Nakamura got the big sendoff.

Video on Shinsuke Nakamura’s NXT career from William Regal announcing his debut all the way to his farewell in April.

Video on Drew McIntyre coming to NXT.

From Takeover: San Antonio.

Tag Team Titles: DIY vs. Authors of Pain

Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa are defending and unfortunately the Authors take off their jackets, meaning the name tags go away. Razar takes Ciampa into the corner and shouts at him a lot, drawing a PSYCHO KILLER chant from the crowd. Gargano tries the spear through the ropes and is casually swatted away. Everything breaks down and the champs just can’t do anything with rights and lefts.

Some running knees work a bit better though and the monsters are knocked to the floor for a suicide dive and running knee from the apron. Back in and Akam casually slams Gargano over the top and the beating is on. It’s off to an over the shoulder backbreaker until Johnny slips down into an enziguri…..which has no effect whatsoever.

Gargano finally slips away and makes the hot tag off to Ciampa so house can be cleaned as well as possible. Some German suplexes take the Authors down and Paul Ellering is losing it on the floor. The referee tells Ciampa “six minutes left” as he chops away at Akam, who takes Ciampa’s head off for two. The champs get two of their own off a double spear but Johnny gets knocked to the floor again, leaving Ciampa to get caught in a powerbomb/neckbreaker combination for two.

Johnny is back in to break up the Last Chapter and it’s off to the double arm submission. Akam powers out of Johnny’s crossface though and slams Gargano onto Tommaso to break the other hold. That’s a really effective spot as the champs took their best shot and couldn’t stop the raw power. They slug it out from their knees but the double strike is countered into the Authors’ double powerbomb. The Last Chapter on Ciampa give us new champions at 14:27.

Rating: B. I’m kind of surprised here but at the same time not exactly. Coming in I didn’t think this would happen but now that it has, it makes the most sense. That being said, I was very, very pleasantly surprised here as I was expecting a big drop off and got the best match the Authors have ever had. It’s a good match though and that’s all you could ask for out of these guys.

We look at Drew McIntyre winning the NXT Title at Takeover: Brooklyn. Again it’s just a few minutes of highlights from a long match. Post match, the yet to be named Undisputed Era ran in and attacked McIntyre.

Video on the Undisputed Era, focusing on Adam Cole.

We look at the Undisputed Era stealing the Tag Team Titles two weeks ago.

Here are some of the tag teams to watch in 2018: the Undisputed Era, the Street Profits, Tino Sabbatelli and Riddick Moss, Heavy Machinery and TM61 (returning from injury in two weeks).

Video on Aleister Black vs. Velveteen Dream. I underrated the heck out of that match.

From Takeover: WarGames.

Aleister Black vs. Velveteen Dream

Black does his still awesome rising up entrance. Dream debuts some custom made tights with himself on one leg and Black on the other ala Rick Rude back in the day. The fans are rather pleased with Dream, even as he slaps Black in the face. They hit the mat to start with Black working on an armbar before grabbing something like an Octopus hold. Dream slips out and actually tries to turn it into a striking match, earning himself a trip to the floor.

That allows Black to backflip into his sitting pose, right in front of Dream. A hip swivel doesn’t seem to get on Black’s nerves, but he does look away a bit. Dream sits down as well as the fans chant SAY HIS NAME. Black crawls forward like Dream did a few weeks back, freaking Dream out for a change. Dream actually snaps his throat across the ropes to send Black outside, meaning it’s time for more posing.

Back in and Dream gets two off a good looking superkick before we hit a reverse chinlock (Dream: “SAY IT! SAY IT!”). Black gets tied up in the ropes as the fans really want him to say it. Dream slaps him though and that’s just not a good idea. Black speeds things up with some strikes and a springboard moonsault press for two (SWEET, according to the annoying fans).

A quick Death Valley Driver gives Dream two so he tries a super version, only to get kicked down. Black knees him in the face for a close two, only to get caught in a Sister Abigail into a DDT for a delayed two. The Purple Rainmaker lands on a raised boot though, sending Dream into the ropes. Black kicks him in the face but walks into a superkick. That’s enough for Black though and it’s Black Mass for the pin at 14:41.

Rating: B+. Who knew Dream had that in him? This was all about the mind games at first but at the end of the day, you (mostly) knew it was going to be Black Mass wrapping this up. Black seems ready to become a huge deal around here and Dream….I’m not sure where he goes from here actually. Really good match though.

Post match Black takes the mic and says “enjoy infamy….Velveteen Dream.” I’m not sure what to make of that. Sign of respect maybe?

Video on the build to Andrade Cien Almas vs. Drew McIntyre.

From November 17, the night before Takeover: WarGames.

NXT Title: Drew McIntyre vs. Adam Cole

Date: November 17, 2017

Location: Aztec Theater, San Antonio, Texas

Commentators: Mauro Ranallo, Percy Watson, Nigel McGuinness

Drew is defending, Cole has Bobby Fish and Kyle O’Reilly with him and Shawn Michaels is guest referee. McIntyre takes him down with almost no effort and Cole seems to need a fresh plan. Cole gets tossed off a headlock and bails to the floor as the stalling begins. Back in and a jawbreaker staggers Drew, allowing Fish to grab his foot. Fish and O’Reilly get on the apron so Shawn ejects them both.

That earns a SWEET CHIN MUSIC chant as reality sets in for Cole. One heck of a backdrop puts Cole down (well up and then down) and a poke to the eye has no effect on Drew. Shawn calls Drew off of Cole in the corner and McIntyre isn’t exactly happy. Cole takes the knee out though and it’s time for a break. Back with Cole getting powerbombed down and a super Celtic Cross getting two.

Cole is right back by kicking the knee out and hitting a Shining Wizard for two of his own. Sweet Chin Music (well you knew that was coming) is loaded up but Drew drops Cole with the Futureshock. Back up and Cole superkicks Shawn by mistake, meaning the Claymore gets a very delayed two. Cue Fish and O’Reilly to stomp Drew down for a bit but the comeback bumps Shawn again. Shawn is up fast enough to superkick O’Reilly and it’s a swinging Futureshock (cool) into the Claymore to retain the title at 15:12.

Rating: B. This was almost more about Shawn than anything else and that’s just fine. Shawn was a special attraction in this one and really, he’s more interesting than a house show title match. I’m sure Cole is going to be back in the title hunt eventually (around Brooklyn against Gargano would be a nice choice) and Drew should be on the main roster once he gets back from injury. There’s nothing left for him to do in NXT and his size is way too much for the rest of the roster.

Quick look at Almas winning the title the next night, during which Drew suffered a bad arm injury.

Almas is ready to face Johnny Gargano, who he insulted after Gargano won the title shot last week.

We look back at Asuka’s NXT career from her debut to vacating the title.

Package on the women’s division, including looks at the Iconic Duo, Lacey Evans, Kairi Sane, Bianca Belair, Vanessa Bourne, Shayna Baszler and Nikki Cross.

Last week, Sane made it clear that she wants the title but got choked out by Baszler.

Baszler debuts next week.

Video on WarGames, which really was the carnage that it should have been. I know it wasn’t quite the match that a lot of people were expecting but it was still a heck of a performance with some rather memorable spots. Let the WWE have its own version rather than a watered down version of the WCW style, which wouldn’t work today anyway.

We look back at the injured Tommaso Ciampa explaining why he turned on Gargano at Takeover: Chicago. DIY was supposed to have a moment but Ciampa hurt his knee during a match. Fans started talking about Johnny wrestling on his own and that’s not what Ciampa wanted, hence the betrayal. However, during the ladder match, Ciampa tore his ACL in the match and would be out for the rest of the year.

Video on last week’s fatal four way with Gargano becoming #1 contender, earning a shot at Takeover: Philadelphia.

Also set for Philadelphia: Adam Cole vs. Aleister Black. I’m not sure Black wins that one and that makes things more interesting.

Gargano talks about his rough 2017, which started at such a high but then came crashing down around him, including the DIY split and all the losses that followed. He always knew he could do it though and 2018 is going to be the best year of his life. It makes sense to give Gargano this kind of focus as there’s no doubt that he’s going to be one of the top stars in NXT in 2018, likely holding the title at some point. He had a rocky 2017 but the performances were always there.

Here are the categories for NXT’s End of the Year Awards

Takeover of the Year

Match of the Year

Tag Team of the Year

Breakout Star of the Year

Male Competitor of the Year

Female Competitor of the Year

Future Star of NXT

Rivalry of the Year

Overall Competitor of the Year

We get a long profile on Ember Moon, which started with her growing up in Texas watching wrestling with her grandfather. She went to train with Booker T. but got shot down in her first WWE tryout. WWE told her she didn’t have the Diva look (read as: she’s not a blonde model more than likely) but Norman Smiley say something in her. She stuck with Booker’s Reality of Wrestling promotion and developed a following, eventually earning herself a job after a second tryout.

Moon debuted with her crazy entrance and the Eclipse and was off to the races. Eventually she lost to Asuka though and it crippled some of her confidence, only to win the vacant title a few months later. Moon talks about knowing she can do it and being ready for anything to end the show. I remember watching an episode of the Reality of Wrestling show and thinking she was the standout star of the show. It turned out that she had already been signed by the time I saw it so maybe I have an eye for talent.

Overall Rating: B-. Normally I never know what to do for a Best Of show but this actually had some effort put in, which is a nice touch. They covered a lot here and I can appreciate the extra time being spent on something like this instead of just throwing a bunch of matches out there to fill in time. They even managed to add in extra stuff for next week and hype the Takeover because that’s what NXT knows how to do.

The exclusive match was fun and made the show feel special, but I really liked the profile on Moon. We really don’t know much about her and if there’s one thing WWE knows how to nail, it’s introducing you to a character and making them feel important. That’s what I got out of Moon and that’s what WWE needed to do more than anything else with her. Good show here, and the new year should be off to a hot start.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the Monday Nitro and Thunder Reviews Volume VI: July – December 1999 in e-book or paperback. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2017/11/22/new-book-kbs-monday-nitro-and-thunder-reviews-volume-vi/

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

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

NXT
Date: December 27, 2017
Location: Full Sail University, Winter Park, Florida
Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Percy Watson, Mauro Ranallo

I know I say this a lot but it’s a big night around here. This time around we have the four way match for the #1 contendership to the NXT Title as Johnny Gargano, Lars Sullivan, Killian Dain and Aleister Black fight for a shot at Andrade Cien Almas. That should be a nice way to wrap up the year so let’s get to it.

Opening sequence.

Street Profits vs. Chris Star/Riley Apex

Those are some rather jobberish names. Ford and we’ll say Star start things off with a shoulder dropping Chris. It’s off to Dawkins for some rapid fire high fiving. A corner splash crushes Apex and it’s the spinebuster into a frog splash to give Ford the pin at 1:49. Total squash with the only noteworthy moment being Apex having a fitting description of NWO JBL.

The Profits hit the crowd and say they want the titles in 2018. It’s not like they’re getting anywhere else squashing jobbers so this works.

Women’s Title: Sonya Deville vs. Ember Moon

Moon is defending. Deville goes straight for a kneebar but Moon is way too close to the ropes. Back up and they both miss some kicks to give us a standoff. A dropkick puts Deville on the floor for a breather as Moon is seemingly a bit hesitant to follow up. Moon speeds things back up with a dive off the apron to the floor and we take a break.

Back with Deville striking away and grabbing a waistlock. Moon finally sends her face first into the turnbuckle for a breather but can’t follow up. Some hard strikes to the chest give Moon two more and a springboard dropkick has Deville in more trouble. The Eclipse retains the title at 10:03.

Rating: C. This was a nice first defense for Moon, especially when no one was buying a potential title change. The Eclipse is still one of the coolest finishers in wrestling and beating someone on the main roster is a good way to make Moon look all the more dominant. There are some big names coming for her though and there’s no way around that.

Post match Kairi Sane comes out and motions that she wants the title. Moon agrees but Shayna Baszler sneaks in and chokes Sane out.

Paul Ellering says the Authors of Pain’s time isn’t over yet and they’re coming for the titles.

Moon says bring on all the challengers.

Video on how everyone qualified for the four way.

Next week is a two hour Year in Review show.

In two weeks, Sanity gets their rematch for the Tag Team Titles.

Killian Dain vs. Aleister Black vs. Johnny Gargano vs. Lars Sullivan

One fall to a finish and the fans are WAY behind Gargano here. Black goes after Sullivan to start and a hard shot sends him outside. After moonsaulting into his seated position, Black moonsaults out onto Sullivan…..who catches him. Dain takes Sullivan down with a suicide dive and we take a break.

Back with Black kicking Sullivan up the ramp but getting shoved into the barricade. Dain throws Gargano onto Black before loading up the announcers’ table. Gargano climbs the set to escape a powerbomb and kicks Sullivan onto the table instead. Dain DIVES off the stage to crush Sullivan through the table and Gargano is stunned.

Black and Gargano head back to the ring and the fans REALLY like this one. The slingshot spear is countered with a hard knee to the head. One heck of a superkick staggers Black into the Gargano Escape but Dain comes in for the save. A backsplash gets two on Black and a powerbomb into an elbow is good for the same on Gargano. Dain heads up but it’s a double powerbomb to pull him out of the corner for another big crash. Somehow Sullivan staggers back to the ring to clean house, including a powerslam for two on Gargano.

It’s time for another big man showdown and back to back clotheslines put both guys down. Black comes back in and cleans house with the kicks including Black Mass to Sullivan, only to have the Undisputed Era come out to break up the pin. A Last Shot on the floor drops Black until Gargano dives onto Adam Cole. Gargano sends the monsters into the steps and the slingshot DDT gives Johnny the pin on Black at 16:40.

Rating: B+. That’s a great way to have Gargano win and to close out the year at the same time. Gargano was basically done a few weeks ago and now he’s risen back up the card to become a top player. If you have him ready to win the title and then have Ciampa return to screw him over, the whole thing is pure gold. The battle of the monsters was very good here too and there were multiple ways to go for the winner here. Really fun match though and Black vs. the Era could be very entertaining.

Overall Rating: B. This was a good way to wrap up the year and it was a fun show as well. Taking next week off is fine too as there’s only so much you can do with a lack of TV available. They’ve set some stuff up for the future, which is pretty much NXT’s trademark at this point. Good show, very good main event and goals accomplished, which is really all you can ask for.

Results

Street Profits b. Chris Star/Riley Apex – Frog splash to Apex

Ember Moon b. Sonya Deville – Eclipse

Johnny Gargano b. Lars Sullivan, Aleister Black and Killian Dain – Slingshot DDT to Black

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the Monday Nitro and Thunder Reviews Volume VI: July – December 1999 in e-book or paperback. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2017/11/22/new-book-kbs-monday-nitro-and-thunder-reviews-volume-vi/

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

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

NXT
Date: December 20, 2017
Location: Full Sail University, Winter Park, Florida
Commentators: Mauro Ranallo, Percy Watson, Nigel McGuinness

It’s a big night for NXT as we have a pair of title matches this week. Pete Dunne will be defending the UK Title against former champion Tyler Bate and Sanity defends the Tag Team Titles against the Undisputed Era. That’s not bad for a one two punch (Bop and Bang perhaps?) so let’s get to it.

Opening sequence.

Tag Team Titles: Sanity vs. Undisputed Era

Eric Young/Killian Dain (defending) vs. Bobby Fish/Kyle O’Reilly here. Dain and Fish start things off with Bobby’s sleeper doing as well as any sleeper works on a monster. The challengers bail to the floor as the fans are behind Sanity. A gutbuster drops Kyle and Young drops a middle rope elbow for two. Young gets in a shot tot he head but Fish trips him up to send us to a break.

Back with Young in more trouble and getting suplexed into the corner. We hit the armbar for a bit until Young knees O’Reilly in the ribs. A neckbreaker gives us the double knockdown but Fish is smart enough to draw Dain in to prevent the hot tag. Young low bridges Kyle outside though and now the tag brings in Dain for the house cleaning.

Dain drops Kyle with a Michinoku Driver for two and it’s already back to Young for a powerbomb. Cue Adam Cole to crotch Young though, drawing in Nikki Cross to dive onto Adam. Young gets two more off a neckbreaker to Kyle but Cole posts Dain. A suicide dive takes Cole down but Young walks into a High/Low for the pin and the titles at 14:58.

Rating: B. Sanity feels like transitional champions and that’s ok. The Undisputed Era are the guys who will be getting the big matches and big title defenses, meaning whoever takes them down them will look like world beaters. It’s an entertaining match with all four moving quite well, along with making Dain look like more of a monster as O’Reilly and Fish were running scared of him for a long chunk of the match.

Cole celebrates with the new champs, showing off near elation to really sell the moment.

Video on Roderick Strong before his Fatal Four Way Qualifying Match later.

Shayna Baszler is coming.

Heavy Machinery admires Tino Sabbatelli and Riddick Moss’ car until the owners show up. Trash is talked but the rich guys drive away. I can approve of more of Tino on TV.

We look back at Sonya Deville beating Ruby Riott a few weeks ago.

Sonya challenges Ember Moon for next week. The title match is confirmed.

Video on Lars Sullivan.

We look back at Aleister Black kicking Adam Cole’s head off last week.

Fatal Four Way Qualifying Match: Roderick Strong vs. Lars Sullivan

Strong goes right at him to start but gets taken down with a hard shot to the face. The Angle Slam doesn’t work either and Lars forearms him in the back. We hit the bearhug until Strong strikes his way to freedom. Some running forearms stagger the big man but he blasts Strong in the head. For some reason Lars goes up top but gets superplexed down for two with the near fall barely getting one. Some jumping knees give Strong two but a pop up powerslam cuts him off again. The Freak Accident sends Sullivan to the #1 contenders match at 5:43.

Rating: C+. They’re pushing the heck out of Sullivan and that’s exactly what they should be doing. The guy looks like a monster and he’s being treated like one as well. If there’s one thing NXT knows how to do (and there are more than one), it’s make build up the next big thing in short order. Sullivan was barely a name months ago and now he’s looking like the biggest monster around here since…..Bray Wyatt maybe?

The Street Profits talked to some fans earlier this week. The fans seemed to like them.

The four way is next week with Aleister Black vs. Killian Dane vs. Johnny Gargano vs. Lars Sullivan.

Tyler Bate is ready to take his title back.

United Kingdom Title: Tyler Bate vs. Pete Dunne

Dunne is defending. The fans are split to start as Dunne takes Bate down into an armbar. Bate reverses into one of his own but has to jump out of a headscissors (with a wave to Dunne for a nice bonus). They fight over a test of strength on the mat with Bate getting powered down but bridging out in an impressive power display. A left handed sucker punch drops Dunne for two but Pete gets in a hard forearm outside to take over.

Bate stomps Pete’s hand into the steps, only to get suplexed off the steps for a cool visual. Back in and Dunne stomps on the hand to pop a finger out of joint. Tyler pops it back in so Pete stomps on it AGAIN like a true villain should. Back up and Tyler tells him to bring it before countering a kick into a t-bone suplex. A rolling kick to the head looks to set up the Tyler Driver 97 but Dunne reverses into a triangle.

Bate’s powerbomb counter doesn’t work so he picks Dunne up AGAIN, drapes him onto the middle rope and catapults him into the top for the break. Not bad at all. The airplane spin into the reverse airplane spin is followed by a THIRD spin but Bate’s delayed cover only gets two. Dunne crawls over to the ropes so Bate climbs the ropes for another superplex and two more. They trade hard kicks with Bate getting the better of it as Dunne looks out. Dunne grabs the arm for a quick Bitter End but Bate is up again.

They trade clotheslines before heading to the apron to slug it out again. Back in and Dunne punches him in the face and gets two off an X-Plex into a sitout powerbomb. Bate knocks him outside for a big dive, followed by the Tyler Driver 97 for an even closer near fall. Back up and Bate tried a German superplex but Dunne lands on his feet, setting up the Bitter End to retain the title at 22:54.

Rating: A-. I was thinking this would be a downgrade from their previous match and while that was the case, it was still one heck of a slugout with both guys hitting each other as hard as they can. There’s a poise between these two and it makes for some outstanding matches. They need to find Dunne some new challengers now as you don’t want to burn the fans out on something like this, no matter how good the matches are.

We’re off the air thirteen minutes after the hour. That might be the third or fourth time that this show has ever run long.

Overall Rating: A+. And that’s why NXT is the best wrestling TV show in years. In an hour and fifteen minutes we had an instant classic, a #1 contenders qualifying match and a title change. That’s some of the tightest TV you’ll see anywhere and it was outstanding stuff. The build to Takeover should start soon and that could be an incredible show given where some of the pieces seem to be setting up. Incredible TV here and one of the best NXT’s ever.

Results

Undisputed Era b. Sanity – High/Low to Young

Lars Sullivan b. Roderick Strong – Freak Accident

Pete Dunne b. Tyler Bate – Bitter End

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the Monday Nitro and Thunder Reviews Volume VI: July – December 1999 in e-book or paperback. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2017/11/22/new-book-kbs-monday-nitro-and-thunder-reviews-volume-vi/

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

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

The version that aired on USA was missing a match (likely due to time constraints) between Ember Moon and Peyton Royce.  Here it is, in case you wanted my thoughts on a five minute match.  I’ll also edit this into the regular review.

Ember Moon vs. Peyton Royce

Non-title. Royce gets a rather nice reaction. Peyton wastes no time in kneeing her down, only to get caught in a headscissors. That’s enough to send Peyton bailing to the floor so Moon dives onto both of them for a not great looking crash (she didn’t get a ton of height). Back up and Royce’s version of the Tarantula takes us to a break.

We come back with Moon armdragging her way to freedom and kicking Royce in the ribs. A double underhook is blocked and Royce fires off some kicks to the face for two of her own. The kickout draws some screeching and Mauro calls Peyton Royce the J Lo of WWE. Nigel: “IT’S PEY RO!” Royce’s spinning kick is countered and a middle rope stomp to the ribs sets up the Eclipse for the pin at 7:36.

Rating: C. You can see Royce’s dance background very clearly when she spins and it’s a nice touch. As usual, the Iconic Duo are some of the best things in the division but they need to actually win something at some point. Not a bad match at all, but Moon has bigger challengers coming after her.

Post match Billie Kay jumps Moon (Mauro: “Every kick begins with Kay!”) and Royce adds a knee. Nikki Cross of all people makes the save. The Aussies bail and Nikki looks at the title.

NXT
Date: December 13, 2017
Location: Full Sail University, Winter Park, Florida
Commentators: Percy Watson, Mauro Ranallo, Nigel McGuinness

This is a special show as we’re on the USA Network as part of WWE Week. It’s the first time that the modern version of NXT has aired on TV and there’s no way to guess how well this show is going to draw. That being said, it’s a big time show with a qualifying match for the upcoming four way #1 contenders match. Let’s get to it.

Note that there was a slightly different version of this show airing on the WWE Network. Things aired a bit out of order so if you’re reading this after watching the normal version, there might be a few differences.

We open with a look at the NXT Title situation and the four way #1 contenders match being set up last week.

Opening sequence.

Andrade Cien Almas vs. Fabian Aichner

Non-title. Aichner beat Almas a few months back before Almas won the title. Almas dropkicks him down to start but charges into a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker. The champ bails to the floor but gets caught with a HUGE springboard dive. Back in and a tornado DDT gets two on Almas, followed by a hard powerbomb for the same. They head outside with Almas sending him into the steps as it’s time to get fired up. Back in and the hammerlock DDT puts Aichner away at 2:15. Fun while it lasted.

Video on Aleister Black.

Video on Ember Moon, including her rise to the Women’s Title.

Authors of Pain vs. Danny Burch/Oney Lorcan

Burch slugs away at Akum to start and everything breaks down in a hurry. Burch and Lorcan both hit running shots in the corner but Razar runs Lorcan over. A death valley drivers into the corner sets up the Super Collider and the Last Chapter ends Lorcan at 1:18. Another very energetic match while it lasted but rather short.

Next week: Tyler Bate vs. Pete Dunne for the UK Title and Undisputed Era vs. Sanity for the Tag Team Titles.

The following match didn’t air on the USA version but did air on the Network.

Ember Moon vs. Peyton Royce

Non-title. Royce gets a rather nice reaction. Peyton wastes no time in kneeing her down, only to get caught in a headscissors. That’s enough to send Peyton bailing to the floor so Moon dives onto both of them for a not great looking crash (she didn’t get a ton of height). Back up and Royce’s version of the Tarantula takes us to a break.

We come back with Moon armdragging her way to freedom and kicking Royce in the ribs. A double underhook is blocked and Royce fires off some kicks to the face for two of her own. The kickout draws some screeching and Mauro calls Peyton Royce the J Lo of WWE. Nigel: “IT’S PEY RO!” Royce’s spinning kick is countered and a middle rope stomp to the ribs sets up the Eclipse for the pin at 7:36.

Rating: C. You can see Royce’s dance background very clearly when she spins and it’s a nice touch. As usual, the Iconic Duo are some of the best things in the division but they need to actually win something at some point. Not a bad match at all, but Moon has bigger challengers coming after her.

Post match Billie Kay jumps Moon (Mauro: “Every kick begins with Kay!”) and Royce adds a knee. Nikki Cross of all people makes the save. The Aussies bail and Nikki looks at the title.

The Street Profits talked to the fans, who seem to like them.

Sanity says they haven’t left the battlefield and next week, they’ll finish what they started.

Adam Cole is ready to win the NXT Title.

Shayna Baszler is coming.

Fatal Four Way Qualifying Match: Adam Cole vs. Aleister Black

Black gets him to the mat for a headscissors but Cole easily flips out for a pose. Back up and Black calmly drops him before firing off the rapid strikes. A knee to the head has Cole bailing up the ramp. We take a break and come back with Cole driving him down into a Crossface until Black gets over to the rope. Cole manages to pose but Black doesn’t think much of the trash talk.

Back up and Black starts the strikes, including the running kick to the head. The springboard moonsault drops Cole again but it’s too early for Black Mass. Instead Cole goes up but dives into a kick to the head for two. A jumping enziguri sets up Cole’s Backstabber for two more and we hit that NXT chant. More kicks to the head rock Black and the fireman’s carry backbreaker gets two more. Black blocks a low superkick though and knees Cole in the jaw. Cole: “WHAT DO YOU GOT???” Black Mass ends Cole at 11:15.

Rating: B. Black may do a lot of strikes but sweet goodness Black Mass looks great every time. There’s something so sweet about kicking someone in the face and Black makes it look awesome. Cole losing clean is a bit surprising but I’d be stunned if Black isn’t NXT Champion in the fairly near future.

Overall Rating: B-. This was a showcase episode and aside from the lack of a women’s match (which may be due to the shortened run time thanks to the longer commercials), they hit every important point here. The champion was in action, they had an energetic tag match and a solid main event that advances the top story. Solid show here that flew by in a good way.

Results

Andrade Cien Almas b. Fabian Aichner – Hammerlock DDT

Authors of Pain b. Danny Burch/Oney Lorcan – Last Chapter to Lorcan

Ember Moon b. Peyton Royce – Eclipse

Aleister Black b. Adam Cole – Black Mass

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the Monday Nitro and Thunder Reviews Volume VI: July – December 1999 in e-book or paperback. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2017/11/22/new-book-kbs-monday-nitro-and-thunder-reviews-volume-vi/

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

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

NXT
Date: December 6, 2017
Location: Full Sail University, Winter Park, Florida
Commentators: Mauro Ranallo, Nigel McGuinness, Percy Watson

Things are about to get interesting around here again as we start the process of crowning a new #1 contender to challenge Andrade Cien Almas for the NXT Title. That process will take place over the next several weeks as we’ll have four qualifying matches to set up a four way match with the winner getting the title shot. Let’s get to it.

We open with William Regal announcing the competition to establish a new #1 contender. Velveteen Dream was scheduled to face Kassius Ohno but is being held out due to an injury. A replacement will be named.

Opening sequence.

Here are Andrade Cien Almas and Zelina Vega for the big championship celebration. Vega tells us to get on our feet while Almas says he told us all so. He laughs at the idea of injuring Drew McIntyre and says WE ARE NXT to wrap things up in a hurry.

Earlier today, Lars Sullivan called Roderick Strong a handsome guy, which Sullivan certainly isn’t. All Lars cares about is getting his hands on Strong so he can become the NXT Champion.

Fatal Four Way Qualifying Match: Trent Seven vs. Killian Dane

Seven charges straight into a forearm and a running dropkick sends him into the corner. We hit the neck crank on Seven for a bit before he kicks Dane in the knee and grabs a DDT. The Seven Stars lariat is cut off with a crossbody for two more. A second attempt at the lariat gets two but Dane is right back up with a backsplash into a Vader Bomb to end Seven at 3:13.

Rating: C. Now that is how you make Dane look like an unstoppable monster. He beat the heck out of Seven here, nearly no sold his finisher, and ended him in short order. Dane looked awesome out there and someone pinning him later will look like a bigger deal as a result. Seven will be fine of course as he just needs a promo about his mustache to get him back on track.

The Undisputed Era talks about awesome they are with Adam Cole promising to take out Aleister Black next week. The week after that, Fish and O’Reilly will take the Tag Team Titles from Sanity.

Ruby Riott vs. Sonya Deville

No holds barred. Sonya wastes no time in throwing her down, only to get rolled up for one. A snap suplex gives Ruby one but the Riot Kick is countered into an ankle lock. Ruby grabs a rope but realizes it doesn’t matter, meaning it’s a kick to the head for the break instead. Back from a break with Sonya breaking up a dragon suplex and driving a hard knee into the ribs for two.

A jumping lariat gets the same and we hit the chinlock. Riott fights up with some forearms to the jaw, followed by a springboard faceplant for two of her own. Sonya is smart enough to head out to the floor and Ruby’s ankle is fine enough for a suicide dive. Back in and Sonya kicks her in the face, followed by a triangle choke (in the ropes, which doesn’t matter) for the knockout at 11:15.

Rating: C+. This was hard hitting stuff and a good way to wrap up the feud. They made a big point out of Riott not tapping, which keeps her looking strong in defeat. That’s the right call when you have two people who recently made their debuts on Raw. Good fight here and the ending worked well.

Ember Moon is answering questions when the Iconic Duo comes up. Moon didn’t pin Peyton Royce so she should get a title shot. The match is quickly granted for next week.

Pete Dunne defends the UK Title against Tyler Bate in two weeks.

Video recapping the history between Bate and Dunne.

Fatal Four Way Qualifying Match: Kassius Ohno vs. Johnny Gargano

They circle each other for a bit with a handshake being the only contact in the first minute. Some early cradles give both of them two each until Gargano kicks him in the face to take over. The slingshot spear is countered though and Ohno blasts him in the face to send us to a break.

Back with Ohno dropping a knee to the face with the knee pad pulled down. Gargano tries to fight back so Ohno kicks him square in the jaw for two instead. The backsplash hits knees though and Johnny scores with some clotheslines of his own. A hurricanrana out of the corner sets up an enziguri to send Ohno outside.

Now the slingshot spear connects for two but Johnny misses his rolling kick to the head. Ohno has to bail out of his own dive to the floor and it’s a suicide dive into a tornado DDT to drive Ohno into the ramp. That should probably kill him but he’s right back up without too much energy.

Back in and Ohno’s Cyclone Kick gets two and frustration sets in. Gargano gets two off a victory roll but Ohno hits a great looking flying forearm to the back of the head for the same. Mauro: “What is Johnny Gargano made of??? SOMEONE TEST THAT MAN’S DNA!!!” A series of kicks has Kassius reeling though and the Gargano Escape makes him tap at 14:40.

Rating: B+. This was a heck of a beating with the two guys hitting each other as hard as they could for a long time. Gargano surviving to win in the end was the right call and tells a much better story. Ohno is the kind of guy who can lose over and over again and still come out just fine, which is what will happen here. Really great fight though with the right ending.

Gargano calls Ohno back to the ring for a fist bump of respect to end the show.

Overall Rating: B. The main event more than carries this show but it’s clear that we’re in for the long form build on a lot of these stories. The best thing continues to be building up more than one week’s worth of matches, which gives you ample reason to come back. You get the feeling that this is a very well planned out show and that’s such a nice change of pace over Raw and Smackdown, which feel like they’re made up that day (likely because that’s probably true).

Results

Killian Dane b. Trent Seven – Vader Bomb

Sonya Deville b. Ruby Riott – Triangle choke

Johnny Gargano b. Kassius Ohno – Gargano Escape

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the Monday Nitro and Thunder Reviews Volume VI: July – December 1999 in e-book or paperback. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2017/11/22/new-book-kbs-monday-nitro-and-thunder-reviews-volume-vi/

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

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

NXT
Date: November 29, 2017
Location: Aztec Theater, San Antonio, Texas
Commentators: Mauro Ranallo, Percy Watson

We’re back on the regular schedule this week as it’s time to get ready for Takeover: Philly. Therefore, we need to deal with the lack of Drew McIntyre, who has wrecked his elbow and be out for several months. Tonight will be at least partially focused on the women though with Kairi Sane facing Peyton Royce. Let’s get to it.

We’re in San Antonio this week with some matches from a recent house show.

Street Profits vs. Riddick Moss/Tino Sabbatelli

Dawkins waistlocks Moss down without much effort and gets in a slam for good measure. Ford comes in for the belly to back moonsault but Sabbatelli gets in a cheap shot to take over. That goes nowhere though as the Profits clean house without much effort. Back from a break with Ford being knocked off the barricade to really take over for the first time.

Moss stops to mock Ford’s dancing before hitting the chinlock. Ford flips out of it though and avoids a charge in the corner, setting up the hot tag to Dawkins as house is cleaned. An elbow gives Tino two with Moss grabbing Ford’s feet, forcing the referee to break things up. Back up and the spinebuster into the frog splash ends Sabbatelli at 12:49.

Rating: C. I’m starting to dig the Profits but they still need a better set of opponents. They’re nailing the charisma though and that’s what’s going to get them a lot further than anything else. Sabbatelli has a great look but his in-ring work just isn’t the best in the world. Moss….well he’s there too.

Last week the UK guys set up a tag match for this week.

Trent Seven and Tyler Bate are ready for said tag match and are ready to teach a fake team a lesson.

Mark Andrews is teaming with Pete Dunne tonight so he can get a future UK Title shot.

Kairi Sane vs. Peyton Royce

Peyton hiptosses her down to start but gets rolled up for a quick two. A dropkick gets the same, only to have Peyton spin kick Sane in the face for the same. Back from a break with Sane holding a chinlock until Sane fights up and hits a spear to cut her off. A running Blockbuster sets up the sliding corner elbow but it’s too early for the Insane Elbow. Sane stomps her down again, cuts down Billy Kay and drops the Insane Elbow for the pin at 9:46.

Rating: D+. Sane continues to not exactly thrill me in the ring though I’ve seen far worse. I get the hype and she has a great look but I’m still waiting on the great match. Royce and Kay are still good foils for the faces but they have to actually win something at some point to really make things more believable.

We look back at Sonya DeVille vs. Ruby Riot from last week. Next week it’s a no holds barred rematch.

We look back at Andrade Cien Almas winning the NXT Title from Drew McIntyre. Drew’s injury is also confirmed.

Tyler Bate/Trent Seven vs. Mark Andrews/Pete Dunne

Dunne front facelocks Bate to start before a hard shot to the face allows the tag off to Andrews. Seven comes in as well but gets dropkicked down for a fast two. It’s back to Dunne to crank on the fingers and we take a break. Back with Andrews working on Seven’s arm until the much bigger Seven blocks a monkey flip.

That’s fine with Dunne, who comes back in with a Backstabber to take Seven down all over again. A quick Seven Stars Lariat cuts Dunne off though and the hot tag brings in Bate to clean house. Tyler hits a middle rope elbow to the jaw but the Tyler Driver 97 is broken up. Andrews’ standing corkscrew moonsault gets two and the fans think this is awesome.

Andrews loads up a top rope hurricanrana but Dunne slaps him in the face for a tag. Not that it matters as the hurricanrana sends Bate into a sitout powerbomb for a strong near fall. A step up enziguri drops Seven but Andrews can’t hit the shooting star on Bate. Instead it’s the airplane spin until Dunne tags himself in. It doesn’t do much good though as Bate drops Dunne with a shot to the face, setting up the Tyler Driver for the pin at 15:53.

Rating: B. The usual good stuff here, though not as great as they’ve been before. This should set up another Bate vs. Dunne match and I’m not sure how many people would really be complaining. Bate and Seven are a really solid team and I wouldn’t mind seeing them in the Tag Team Title hunt, assuming their schedules would allow it.

Dunne lays Andrews out to end the show.

Overall Rating: C+. It’s always good to have these shows taped just in case you need something like this. They were able to deal with the holiday schedule and still deliver a perfectly watchable show with a good main event. That’s a lot better than a Best Of show or something like that, which often feel like a waste of time.

Results

Street Profits b. Tino Sabbatelli/Riddick Moss – Frog splash to Sabbatelli

Kairi Sane b. Peyton Royce – Insane Elbow

Tyler Bate/Trent Seven b. Mark Andrews/Pete Dunne – Tyler Driver 97 to Dunne

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the Monday Nitro and Thunder Reviews Volume VI: July – December 1999 in e-book or paperback. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2017/11/22/new-book-kbs-monday-nitro-and-thunder-reviews-volume-vi/

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

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

NXT
Date: November 22, 2017
Location: Toyota Center, Houston, Texas
Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Percy Watson, Mauro Ranallo

We’re finally getting to the end of the Houston tapings with a pair of dark matches from this weekend’s Takeover: WarGames. Therefore, aside from the two matches, expect a lot of recaps from Saturday. That’s not the worst thing in the world though and lets the main stories take a breather. Let’s get to it.

The long recap of Saturday’s show kicks us off.

Opening sequence.

Ruby Riot vs. Sonya DeVille

Before the callups, which are mentioned and even shown during the entrances. Feeling out process to start and they head to the mat with DeVille grabbing a waistlock, only to get thrown off without too much effort. Back up and DeVille slide kicks the bad leg out and we take a break.

We come back with DeVille staying on the leg and grabbing a spinebuster for two. A leglock keeps Riot in trouble until she fights up with some clotheslines and an STO for two. Sonya slaps on a triangle choke and switches into an ankle lock until Riot makes the dive to the rope. Back up and Riot hits a quick Pele kick to the face for the pin at 10:34. It’s as sudden as it sounds.

Rating: C-. It’s kind of a weak way for both of them to go out as neither of them did anything special here. At least they had a match to close out their mini feud though, which is more than some people get at times. DeVille looked good but I could still go for some more development for Riot. You would have thought she was going to be in the Women’s Title hunt picture but this is quite the sudden promotion.

Quick look at Velveteen Dream vs. Aleister Black.

Quick look at Lars Sullivan vs. Kassius Ohno.

Sullivan says he took those kicks like a man and he dominated like he knew he would. If anyone wants to step in his way, they’ll be destroyed too. I really could have gone with him never talking as he doesn’t have the most intimidating voice.

Video on the Women’s Title match.

Ember Moon says this is a dream come true and everything has paid off. She’s going to keep fighting as hard as she can. Remember when Moon used to be nearly supernatural and is now just a woman who fights? That’s quite the drop of a gimmick.

Video on Andrade Cien Almas winning the NXT Title.

McIntyre is banged up and disappointed by the loss. If it is a torn bicep, I’m hoping he doesn’t come back to NXT and just goes up to the main roster. It’s not like he has anything else to prove down there.

Last week, the Street Profits were dancing on a car when Riddick Moss and Tino Sabbatelli came up. An argument broke out and a match was set for next week.

Also next week: Kairi Sane vs. Peyton Royce.

Long video on WarGames, showcasing just how brutal it really was.

Sanity could barely walk after the match.

Undisputed Era bragged about their win.

UK Title: Pete Dunne vs. Johnny Gargano

Dunne is defending and has to spin out of an early wristlock. The technical wrestling goes to Gargano, who sends Dunne outside and follows him out with a cannonball off the apron. Dunne is right back up with an X Plex onto the apron though and we take a break. Back from a break with Dunne cranking on both the arm and the fingers, with Mauro being smart enough to say it helps prevent the Gargano Escape.

Johnny rolls away and hits the rolling kick to the head for a breather. The slingshot spear gets two and a suicide dive into a DDT should have Dunne rather dead. Instead he’s able to block a slingshot DDT into something like a bridging belly to back suplex for a near fall. The Bitter End is countered into a DDT and the Gargano Escape goes on, only to have Dunne bite the fingers for the break.

Dunne’s enziguri staggers Johnny but he takes Dunne’s head off with a clothesline for a double knockdown. Gargano picks up Dunne’s mouthpiece….and superkicks the heck out of Dunne for two. The slingshot spear only hits forearm though and it’s the Bitter End to retain the title at 12:54.

Rating: B. Gargano was a good choice for this as he can wrestle a good match against anyone. Dunne is just on another level though and while some of that is due to being on the show so infrequently, there’s some incredible talent there. The fact that he’s only 24 years old is downright staggering as he could easily have another fifteen years in front of him. Really good match here, as expected.

Overall Rating: C+. I never know how to rate these recap shows as the two matches ranged from good to not bad but the focus was on taking a breather after the big show. Things will pick up again next week as they’re already having to get ready for the build towards Philadelphia. This was more like a week off than anything else, though it was still certainly watchable and set stuff up for next week.

Results

Ruby Riot b. Sonya DeVille – Pele Kick

Pete Dunne b. Johnny Gargano – Bitter End

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the Monday Nitro and Thunder Reviews Volume VI: July – December 1999 in e-book or paperback. Check out the information here:

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