Takeover: Orlando
Date: April 1, 2017
Location: Amway Center, Orlando, Florida
Attendance: 14,975
Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Tom Phillips, Percy Watson

It’s time for the big one again as NXT gets to run a major show from its home city. Wrestlemania is in Orlando this year and that means we get a special Takeover right down the road from Full Sail University. The main event is Bobby Roode vs. Shinsuke Nakamura II for the NXT Title in what might be Nakamura’s farewell. Let’s get to it.

I was in the arena for this show so it’s going to be my second look at it.

We open with a HHH voiceover talking about how this is our night to make history. Tonight we show the world that we are NXT and we are home.

The opening video looks at NXT over the years (or at least NXT from Full Sail), which really does include some amazing moments and stars getting their starts. This turns into a video on Roode vs. Nakamura, which is a fight over Roode fighting for himself and Nakamura fighting for the fans. The Women’s Title gets a quick look as well.

Sanity vs. Tye Dillinger/No Way Jose/Roderick Strong/Ruby Riot

Sanity all has black paint around their eyes, making them look like Deadpool. Actually hang on a second as Sanity jumped No Way Jose at Axxess and has put him out of action. We have a replacement though.

Sanity vs. Tye Dillinger/Roderick Strong/Ruby Riot/Kassius Ohno

The good ones hit the ring at a run and the brawl is on in a hurry. The women officially start things off with Cross throwing Riot across the ring by the hair. I still have no idea how that doesn’t make anyone scream. Ruby sends Cross into the corner so it’s off to Wolfe, meaning Ohno has to come in. That earns Wolfe and Young a big right hand each with Kassius easily taking over. At Takeover. Kind of makes sense no?

Young offers a distraction though and Wolfe takes over like the cheater he is. Another big elbow cuts off the heel control though and it’s off to Strong for some speed. Roderick does his running leapfrog (one of my favorites) and backbreakers Wolfe before kicking Dain in the head. I do love how face teams always stay on the apron and let their buddy fight everyone off at once. It’s just not polite otherwise you see. Dain runs him over though as the SHAVE YOUR BACKS chant start up.

Roderick’s comeback is cut off by a running dropkick and it’s off to Young for some choking. A top rope elbow draws Tye in for the save and there go the TEN chants. Eric misses a charge in the corner though and NOW it’s off to Tye with the hot tag. House is cleaned as everything breaks down, including Tye hitting a high crossbody on Wolfe, straight into a dive on Young for a sweet sequence.

Wolfe makes the save so Ohno loads up a dive but Wolfe moves just in time. Not that it matters as Ohno manages to bail by landing hands first on the apron and flipping onto his feet outside. Cross breaks up Ruby’s dive and the closest thing you’ll get to an NXT catfight breaks out.

That leaves Tye vs. Eric with Dillinger cleaning house, including a superkick for a close two on Dain. Onno BLASTS Wolfe with a forearm and Strong Sick Kicks Young to the floor. Roderick vs. Dain looks to give us a rather interesting showdown but the women jump on their backs. Tye loads up the Tyebreaker on Dain but Wolfe makes a save, setting up the Ulster Plantation (One Winged Angel) for the pin on Dillinger at 12:21.

Rating: B. This was a really good choice for an opener and could have been a classic if Tye had gotten the pin and FINALLY won something but instead let’s have him job again. You have to imagine a big showdown with Dillinger facing Young once and for all, but if he loses, I have no idea what’s left for him in NXT. At some point you have to actually win something and Tye hasn’t quite pulled that off yet. Also, Ohno was the only real option here. He’s been featured too much on NXT TV lately and he had to get a spot on here, especially with a great tease of something with Sanity going forward.

Edge and Beth Phoenix are here.

Andrade Cien Almas vs. Aleister Black

No real story here other than it’s Black’s debut and he needed an opponent. Black’s entrance (which I couldn’t see from the upper deck) is straight out of Nosferatu as he rises up from what looks like a casket and onto the stage. Black slingshots over the ropes and lands in a sitting meditation style position, which is almost guaranteed to become a signature pose.

They trade armbars and headscissor escapes to start until Black misses a swinging kick, leaving Almas to pose at him. Back up and Black kicks him to the floor for a dive, only to moonsault back into the mediation pose. Back in and Almas takes him into the corner for a stomping and one heck of a slap. A missile dropkick gets two for Almas and it’s time to start in on the arm.

Nigel isn’t sure on this as Black mainly uses kicks but figures it might just be overconfidence. Almost immediately thereafter, Black starts firing off the kicks to send Almas outside for a huge middle rope moonsault. Back in and Almas grabs a cross armbreaker over the ropes, followed by something like the Rings of Saturn (I’m glad that’s becoming more popular).

Black ducks the running knees in the corner and they trade kicks to the head for a double knockdown. A moonsault kick to Black’s head sets up a snap German suplex for two so Black starts snapping off kicks. Black Mass (a spinning kick to the head) knocks Almas silly at 9:35.

Rating: B-. This was fine without much of a story other than Almas getting cocky, as is his nature. I wasn’t wild on him at first but this was a solid debut performance. The meditation pose is going to be a winner for him, especially once we get to know him a little bit better. I also like the Black Mass as sometimes you just need to kick someone in the head.

Also of note, I wasn’t really able to pay much attention to the finish live as the fans in section 220 decided they were more important than the rest of the show. This included declaring their section’s greatness, chanting TWENTY after each near fall (“1-2-TWENTY!” Get it?) and calling the other sections around them S-A-W-F-T. You can imagine how this went and you can hear the other sections telling them to shut up during the ending.

We recap the Tag Team Title match, which is almost guaranteed to be the best match on the card. DIY and the Revival tore the house down for the better part of six months but the Authors of Pain took the belts from DIY, setting up a three way feud. This meant a triple threat elimination tag, which for once made perfect sense.

Tag Team Titles: Revival vs. DIY vs. Authors of Pain

The Authors are defending but before the match, William Regal presents some snazzy new title belts (the Women and NXT Titles will get new belts as well), possibly due to the Women’s Title being involved in Paige’s sex tape. Revival and DIY stare each other down before they both turn to face the Authors, drawing the first major pop of many. Rezar is sent into the barricade so DIY grabs a table, even though this shouldn’t be No DQ (I believe a DQ would count as an elimination).

Akam goes into the steps and the four challengers stare each other down, setting up the showdown that the fans really wanted to see. Nigel is beside himself as the champs are recovering while the other four fight each other. We settle down to a regular match until Akam tags himself in for a double clothesline.

Ciampa’s high crossbody is caught but he kicks Rezar in the head, only to have Revival back down the steps instead of taking a tag. That’s smart in this kind of a match, which shouldn’t be surprising given how intelligent those two come off most of the time. With the referee distracted, Dawson sneaks in for a DDT on Akam to give Ciampa two. Dawson comes in legally but takes a shot to the ribs. This time it’s DIY dropping to the floor because they’re just that smart.

Gargano tags himself in and gets two off the slingshot spear before kicking Dawson in the head. Johnny adds a slingshot DDT and the fans are WAY into this, just as you would expect them to be. The champs catch a dive so Ciampa tries a suicide dive of his own, only to have the Authors THROW GARGANO THROUGH THE AIR to break it up. Things slow down with Akam working on Gargano’s ribs, including throwing him up into a torture rack. Johnny finally sends Rezar into an uppercut from Dawson, allowing the hot tag off to Ciampa.

It’s time for a series of strikes into a pair of German suplexes on Rezar, followed by the running knee for two. With Rezar reeling, Gargano tries a powerbomb from the apron through the table but can’t put him down. Ciampa’s help isn’t enough so Revival punches Rezar in the jaw, setting up the double powerbomb through the table for the big crash and an even bigger cheer as the giant is in trouble. That leaves Akam on his own…and all four surround him.

Since he’s a monster though, he actually drops all of them on his own because screw it. A chop block brings Akam down though and Dawson slaps on the reverse Figure Four. Gargano thinks about breaking it up but adds his version of the Crossface for the double submission. The partners grab Rezar so he shoves them into Akam and company for the save, drawing a loud round of booing. A series of strikes drop Rezar and it’s Dawson/Gargano hitting DIY’s double strike. Naturally this means Ciampa and Wilder give Akam a Shatter Machine, sending the fans even further into orbit with the champs going outside.

The fight is on and Ellering cheers both teams on in a perfectly logical (yet still amusing) moment. Gargano and Wilder hit stereo dives on the champs and Ciampa goes up top, only to have Dawson SUPERPLEX HIM ONT THE BIG PILE OF PEOPLE, putting all six down at once. Dawson goes after Gargano (Nigel: “NO! This is a mistake!” It turns out that he’s right as the Authors get back in for the Last Chapter and the elimination on Ciampa at 18:54. You could feel the energy going out of the crowd at that point and it never recovered for the rest of the match (or show for that matter).

The fans chant DELETE (because they’re such big fans that they forgot the Hardys were 40 minutes away at Ring of Honor) but have to settle for Revival, who are now the most over team in the world. A German suplex/top rope elbow gets two on Rezar but Akam kicks Dawson in the face. Almost stereo powerbombs earn the champs a NO ONE LIKES YOU chant as this is getting brutal. Rezar spears Wilder into the barricade while Akam sends Dawson into the corner. The Super Collider retains the titles at 23:43.

Rating: A-. Give this a more popular and less deflating ending and it’s the Match of the Year so far. Those first seventeen minutes or so were as smart and well thought out that I’ve seen in years but as soon as the Authors turned into Super Cena, everything went flying out the window. In theory this means DIY and Revival are heading to the main roster (this is being written after Revival debuted on Raw) and if that’s the case, this is the logical move. If DIY sticks around though, I have no idea what they’re thinking.

The NXT fans want to see DIY vs. Revival in their awesome matches and the Authors are as far removed from that as they could possibly be (not saying they’re bad, but that they’re not what the fans want). It makes them look unbeatable though and that means the team that takes them down will be even more awesome than anyone could imagine. It’s a great match but the ending really brings it back to earth.

We recap the Women’s Title match. Asuka is sitting by a pool and says the division rises and sets with her. She’s said she’ll keep the title forever but Ember Moon is undefeated as well. Asuka might be a more complete wrestler than Moon but she has the biggest weapon in NXT (close enough) in the Eclipse. That’s the whole idea: if Ember can hit that one big move, nothing Asuka can do matters. The video goes on a good bit longer than it needs to, which is a pretty common problem in WWE.

Women’s Title: Ember Moon vs. Asuka

Ember is challenging and has some of the best theme music in NXT at the moment. No special entrance for Asuka but I believe she has new gear. After the Big Match Intros, Regal presents the new title which looks like a cross between a UFC belt and the old X-Division Title. I really liked the first one but come on: it had to change eventually.

They lock up and go to the mat to start with neither being able to get any kind of an advantage. Stereo dropkicks go nowhere and it’s time for a standoff. Asuka offers a handshake but pulls her hand back instead, showing quite a bit of confidence (fair enough). Shoulders go nowhere as they’re doing a great job of portraying both of them as equal. The flying hip attack only sees Ember nip up….and make a not funny face in her way of saying bring it. Yeah that looked dumb.

Another hip attack sends Ember outside and it’s time to really take over with some spinning elbows to the head. A third hip attack drops Ember and Asuka fires off kicks to the chest. The Asuka Lock is broken up and Ember blasts her in the jaw to send the champ outside. They’re doing a really good job here of having Ember hang with Asuka until one big shot cuts her off all over again.

Case in point, Ember kicks her in the head but takes a Shining Wizard for two. The Asuka Lock goes on (To very little reaction for some reason. Even live this didn’t feel important.) with Asuka on Ember’s back, allowing Ember to drop backwards for the break. A good looking superkick drops Asuka and even more kicks have her reeling. Ember’s springboard is broken up though and a German suplex gives Asuka two.

Asuka loses a slugout and gets capture suplexed for two more. Ember loads up the Eclipse and throws Asuka off the top….only to have Asuka shove the referee into the ropes for the heel turn. Somehow that’s not a DQ (I need to read that WWE Book of Rules) and Asuka kicks her in the head to retain at 12:12.

Rating: B. Commentary really helped this one a lot as Nigel was selling the heck out of the idea that Asuka had met her match. That’s the story here and it worked really well: Asuka couldn’t beat Ember using her standard stuff and was in real danger from the Eclipse so she cheated to win instead. I’m fine with Ember losing as she never got to hit the Eclipse (so there’s your rematch) and you have Ruby Riot, Kimber Lee and Nikki Cross ready to challenge too.

In your big surprise of the night, DREW MCINTYRE is in the crowd. That’s the best news I could hear as McIntyre was all over Wrestlemania weekend and I’ve wondered why he isn’t WWE Champion like, now for example. I’m very happy with this and it couldn’t have been much of a better choice.

We recap Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Bobby Roode. As mentioned earlier, it’s basically Roode being out for himself and Nakamura being out for the fans.

NXT Title: Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Bobby Roode

Nakamura is challenging and does his entrance behind a translucent screen where you can see his shadow. That feels very Michael Jackson-esque for some reason. The fans of course sing Nakamura’s song (despite it not having any words) and it’s yet another awesome entrance. Granted they also sing Roode’s song as Roode spins around on a pedestal, accompanied by two pianos (TAKE THAT REBY!). Regal brings out the new belt, which looks almost identical to the Women’s Title.

We’re ready to go, but first this reason why I can’t stand Twitter. Phillips: “These fans are on their feet and they’re ready for this hashtag NXT Championship match!” Roode goes straight for the knees as the fans like both these guys. A headlock doesn’t get the champ very far so Nakamura lays him on the ropes for the head on Roode’s chest spot. Roode laughs off the bring it but gets caught up in the rapid fire strikes to bring him down.

Nakamura drops a knee and sends him into the corner for Good Vibrations. Roode gets in a dropkick and knocks Shinsuke off the apron and into the barricade for a crash. Nakamura seems to have hurt his shoulder but Roode opts to just stomp him down in the corner. Being the cocky jerk that he is, Roode stops for the GLORIOUS pose but still manages to chop Nakamura in the corner.

We hit the nerve hold for a long stretch (softening up the neck for the DDT) before Nakamura gets in a kick to the head for a breather. It’s time to start in with the knees, including one in the corner and one on the apron. Roode comes right back with a heck of a clothesline and a chop block to start in on the knee again. The knee is wrapped around the post and we hit a bad looking Figure Four. Nakamura turns it over to, sending Roode straight to the ropes so he can get right back to the knee.

Another hold is countered into a cross armbreaker but Roode gets to the ropes again. Nakamura fires off strikes in the corner but knees the buckle by mistake. That earns Roode a series of kicks from the good leg so he grabs a Backstabber to put both guys down. They slug it out with Nakamura kneeing his way out of a suplex and dropping another knee for two. Kinshasa sends Roode bailing to the floor but he kicks the ropes to hit Nakamura low.

The Glorious DDT connects for two and again Nigel is right there to sell the heck out of it. Roode goes to get the bell but gets kicked in the head, followed by the exploder. Kinshasa is countered into one heck of a spinebuster for two and Nakamura is done. Back up and Roode drives him into the corner for a tornado DDT into the Glorious DDT to retain at 28:14.

Rating: B+. This was….long. The first match had far better drama with the story around the knee while this was just more long than anything else. That’s not to say it’s a bad match but I did like the first one earlier. The key here though is Roode winning clean without ever really doing anything all that complicated to counter Nakamura’s insane offense. Roode is a very basic wrestler but he does everything so proficiently that it’s hard to beat him. It’s a very good match and pretty clearly Nakamura’s swan song, but not as good as the predecessor.

After the show ended, Nakamura got the big sendoff with his music playing and taking a bow to all parts of the arena. See you Tuesday.

Overall Rating: A-. This show has one problem: it’s going to be compared to Takeover: Dallas. Last year’s show was one of the best of all time while this was just a really good one. There’s absolutely nothing bad on here but the lack of title changes hurt things. This show felt like a big goodbye instead of NXT showcasing itself, which is one of the problems that a developmental territory is going to have. It’s an outstanding show though and definitely worth watching, only being held back by what happened last year.

Results

Sanity b. Tye Dillinger/Kassius Ohno/Roderick Strong/Ruby Riot – Ulster Plantation to Dillinger

Aleister Black b. Andrade Cien Almas – Black Mass

Authors of Pain b. The Revival and DIY – Last Chapter to Dawson

Asuka b. Ember Moon – Kick to the head

Bobby Roode b. Shinsuke Nakamura – Glorious DDT

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the NXT: The Full Sail Years Volumes I and II, now in PAPERBACK. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2017/03/24/kbs-history-of-nxt-volumes-1-and-2-now-available-in-paperback/

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

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

I took in Takeover tonight and, after going to see Dallas last year, this had a lot to live up to…..and it really didn’t come close. This will be the short version and I’ll get the regular review up ASAP, though the hotel’s wi-fi is spotty at best so please bear with me.

Dark matches:

Heavy Machinery b. Bollywood Boyz. I wasn’t in the arena yet as I got a bit lost on my way there but I can’t imagine this was anything out of the ordinary.

Peyton Royce b. Aliyah in about 3 minutes with a fisherman’s suplex. Aliyah got a very nice pop and looked better than she has before.

Oney Lorgan b. El Vagabundo in about five minutes with a rollup. Vagabundo was clearly Elias Samson in a mask and he even had a guitar for a song before the match. Oney got the mask off and won almost immediately in a not great match.

To the main card.

Eight person tag. Fun live but I can see how it might not be as great on TV. The place freaked when Ohno was announced and it was 100% the right call. He’s been heavily featured in recent weeks and it made no sense to not have him on here in some capacity. I really don’t know what they’re doing with Tye but LET HIM BEAT SOMEONE ALREADY.

Edge and Beth were shown and the place went nuts of course.

Aleister Black vs. Andrade Cien Almas. I couldn’t see what the grave entrance was from where I was sitting (three seats from the top of the building) but people seemed impressed. The match was fine with Black getting to show off. The main issue here though was an upper deck section (220) trying to take over the show with a bunch of chants about how they were the best section. Then on every near fall they would shout “1-2-20!” It got REALLY old in a hurry and took me completely out of the match.

Tag Team Titles. Love the new belt designs. This was on its way to being match of the year so far (yeah spare me New Japan fans) until DIY went out. You could feel the energy go out of the arena as it was obvious that the Authors were winning. The place absolutely lost it when DIY and Revival teamed up for the finishers but once the double submission didn’t work, you knew it was over. I get the idea of both small teams are going up but right now, people want to see DIY and Revival doing awesome sequences, not two huge guys who do standard power moves.

Women’s Title. It seemed like these two were beating the heck out of each other and that’s a good thing. Asuka FINALLY going heel is the right move too as it makes her look vulnerable and gives her A TON of people to feud against. Ember will likely get a rematch, Ruby Riot would be a perfect opponent, Kimber Lee was wrestling at Axxess and Nikki Cross never got a one on one match. The division is suddenly flush with strong talent and that’s a very good thing.

Excuse me for one second.

FREAKING YES DREW IS BACK!!!!!

Sorry, back now. I saw Drew have an incredibly entertaining match on Friday and then got to meet him on Saturday. The more I see/hear from him, the more I love the guy. When I was at the SuperShow on Friday, I asked the guy next to me why Drew isn’t in the main event scene like NOW. Well apparently he was 24 hours away from debuting with NXT so I’m much happier.

NXT Title. The more I think about this match, the more I like it. They certainly took their time and built up a great match with Roode winning clean in the end, as he should. That’s the style you expect from someone like Roode and I thought it worked very well, especially near the end.

As you might expect, Nakamura got the big sendoff after the show. I recorded it (and filmed it sideways without shaking) so once it’s rendered on YouTube, I’ll throw it up.

It was a good show and a fun three hours (counting pre-show matches) but felt like one of the lesser Takeovers. With all the talent that’s been taken from them and the booking seeming to say that more people are leaving, there wasn’t much else they could do. I’ll save the rating for the review but it was feeling B-ish.

Takeover: Dallas
Date: April 1, 2016
Location: Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center, Dallas, Texas
Attendance: 9,000
Commentators: Tom Phillips, Corey Graves

This was the start of a huge weekend for WWE and we might be kicking things off with the best show of 2016. Takeover quickly became one of the coolest shows in wrestling and this might be the best of them all. This one is going to be all about the wrestling and that means the matches and stories are going to be able to speak for themselves. Let’s get to it.

The opening video looks at the history of Texas wrestling, including the Freebirds, Shawn Michaels and Steve Austin among many others. Naturally the last shot is of the Von Erichs, which is all it could have ended on. I love it when they put a theme to this show and talk about a major thing to make the show feel unique. It’s a nice touch and so much better than Backlash, No Mercy or Fastlane. This turns into a video on the major matches, which is rather odd when there are only five on the card.

One heck of an NXT chant gets us going.

Tag Team Titles: American Alpha vs. Revival

Revival is defending and this is one heck of a way to start off a show. Basically Revival feels like the flavor of the month (how wrong that wound up being) and Alpha basically looks like the most amazing team ever (pretty close, at least in NXT) so it’s time for a big old showdown. Gable and Dawson start things off and the fans chant for Gable in tune to Kurt Angle’s old music.

Scott takes him into the corner and slaps Gable in the face before hugging Dawson. Fans: “WHICH ONE’S DAWSON, WHICH ONE’S DASH???” I liked that one and to be fair I had to explain it to my wife at the show anyway. The fact that she doesn’t watch NXT has nothing to do with this whatsoever. Chad slaps Dawson and it’s a big standoff with the partners coming in as well. Things settle back down with Chad armdragging and headscissoring Dawson with ease. Jason comes in for that gorgeous dropkick of his and Gable gets two off a spinning middle rope crossbody.

Chad misses a dropkick but Jason is right there to save his partner from a double suplex. Stereo German suplexes send Dawson and Wilder to the floor as Alpha stands tall in the ring. Gable makes the mistake of going after him though and Wilder scores with one heck of a clothesline to really take over. It’s off to a Gory Special of all things but Gable uses some very impressive strength to counter into a sunset flip for two. A double DDT is enough to drop the champs, only to have Dash crawl underneath the ring to pull Jordan off.

Back in and a powerbomb/top rope clothesline combo is botched, making it into something more like a Dominator and drawing a BOTCHAMANIA chant. I rip on other crowds for stupid chants like that and NXT is no better: you hardly ever see a major botch in NXT so lay off of them. Dawson breaks up ANOTHER hot tag attempt but Gable crawls through his legs for the red hot tag so house can be cleaned. Jordan starts throwing suplexes and takes down the straps for the shoulders in the corner.

Dash saves Dawson from a belly to belly superplex and even holds Dawson’s leg on a near fall. Back up and Jordan gets kicked into an uppercut for the VERY hot false finish with Chad making the save. Jordan misses a shoulder in the corner but Chad tags himself in for two off a victory roll. Three more cradles get three more two counts on Dawson before Jordan makes his own blind tag. With Dash on the floor, Jordan runs around the ring to grab Dawson for Grand Amplitude, the pin and the titles at 15:11.

Rating: A. Just outstanding stuff here and it’s easy to see why this was a Match of the Year candidate. The Revival is just so incredibly smooth out there and new champs work like a well oiled machine as well. There’s a reason this was the hottest division in wrestling for a good while and these four guys just put on a classic to open this show.

Jim Ross and Michelle Beadle are here. This got a HUGE pop live.

Kota Ibushi is here too and the fans chant his name.

Asuka worked on her striking while Bayley hugged a fan.

We recap Baron Corbin vs. Austin Aries. Corbin was in the hunt to become #1 contender but tapped out to a double submission. That got rid of him entirely so he attacked Aries, NXT’s latest signing.

Austin Aries vs. Baron Corbin

It’s almost weird to see Aries come to the ring in NXT as he didn’t wrestle down there very long. The fans are split as Aries hammers away and takes out Corbin’s knee. A discus forearm puts Corbin on the floor for a top rope dive as we hear about Aries ending Samoa Joe’s (not named of course) ROH World Title reign. Back in and it’s Aries going shoulder first into the post as the slower pace starts to creep out.

We hit the nerve hold as Corbin makes sure to get in some good old fashioned trash talk. Aries makes his comeback with some chops and hard forearms to the jaw. A neckbreaker over the ropes sets up a missile dropkick to send Corbin outside. That doesn’t work either though as Aries scores with a suicide dive, only to get caught in the Deep Six on the floor. Austin just barely beats the count at nine and tells Corbin to bring it. Corbin loads up End of Days but Aries reverses into a rollup for the pin at 10:33.

Rating: B-. If that’s the worst match of the night, this is going to be one of the best shows in a very long time. Aries just kept coming at the much bigger Corbin and eventually caught him in a rollup for the pin like a smart wrestler should do. There’s something about Aries where he fights like someone a foot taller and 100lbs heavier, which makes him a very dangerous man. This would seem to set up a rematch but it wasn’t to be as Corbin made his main roster debut two days later.

We recap Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Sami Zayn. Basically it was clear that Zayn was about to head to the main roster full time and he needed a major opponent for his farewell match. That would be Nakamura, who was one of the biggest signings in company history. This is the match designed to steal the show and pretty much everyone knows it’s going to be amazing.

Scott Hall and X-Pac are here.

Sami Zayn vs. Shinsuke Nakamura

The roof nearly comes off for Sami’s entrance but Nakamura’s blows the roof all the way to Japan. Nakamura gets a LONG entrance too and you can just feel this is something special. The dueling chants begin immediately and the fans sound entirely split on this one. They stare each other down and it’s off to a YES chant. Nakamura ducks a lockup attempt and there’s no contact for the first minute.

Sami gets taken down but dodges some of the very hard looking kicks and it’s a BOTH THESE GUYS chant. They trade wristlocks until Sami gets in his three armdrags and tells Nakamura to bring it. It’s time for the kicks and knees though, meaning Sami is already checking his teeth. Nakamura loads up the boot in the corner but Sami grabs the foot and moves him away. I guess you could say he’s picking up Good Vibrations.

An enziguri staggers Sami but he’s still able to forearm Nakamura to the floor. Nakamura knees him in the head though and now Good Vibrations connects. Sami flips out of the reverse exploder though and low bridges Nakamura to the floor, setting up the big flip dive. A high crossbody gets a very hot near fall but Nakamura just knees the heck out of Sami.

That earns him a Michinoku Driver though, with Nakamura nearly landing square on his head. Both guys are slow to get up and we get the dramatic forearm exchange with the fans getting more and more into it every time. The pace picks up until neither can throw for a bit, only to have them pick up the pace all over again. They’re still going over a minute later (that’s nuts) and it’s a round of applause from the crowd while they’re still hammering each other in the head.

Nakamura finally gets the better of it and knocks Zayn into the ropes where it’s a bunch of knees and kicks to the head. The fans start a KING OF STRONG STYLE chant as the referee cleans up Nakamura’s bloody nose. Sami gets back up though and takes Nakamura’s head off with a clothesline as you can see the fire in his eyes. Nakamura can’t get a cross armbreaker but he can get a triangle choke until Sami KICKS HIM IN THE HEAD over and over for the break.

Now it’s Nakamura taking cover in the ropes while Sami just unloads on him. Sami gets the Koji Clutch on in the middle of the ring but Nakamura escapes again and scores with a big kick. That puts both guys down and it’s a FIGHT FOREVER chant. The Helluva Kick misses but Sami reverses Kinshasa into the Blue Thunder Bomb for one of the hottest near falls you’ll ever see. When that move finally wins a match, the building is going to explode.

Nakamura rolls outside but he’s still able to block the diving DDT with a huge kick to the head. Sami is in BIG trouble so of course he’s back up and trying the exploder into the corner. Even more hard, hard strikes to the head break it up though and a running knee to the head knocks Sami silly. Kinshasa connects to give Nakamura the pin and the match of the year at 20:08.

Rating: A+. I’ve seen this match a handful of times now and I think I cringe a bit more every single time. These guys were beating the heck out of each other for twenty minutes and Sami just couldn’t hang with the King at his own game. It’s very much a passing of the torch moment as Sami had long since been the heart and soul of NXT but it was time for him to move up to the next level. Nakamura looks like a monster out there and it’s easy to see why he was NXT Champion just a few months later. Outstanding stuff here and still easily the most amazing match I’ve ever seen in person.

Post match Nakamura helps Sami to his feet for an embrace. Sami holds up Nakamura’s hand and Shinsuke leaves him alone for the big farewell. That was an incredible moment and Sami had earned every single bit of it.

We recap Bayley vs. Asuka. Bayley has been the face of the women’s division for so long now and is the last of the Four Horsewomen left standing in NXT. Then comes Asuka, who much like Nakamura is just on a whole other level and has run through the entire division. One of my favorite lines on Asuka here is from Dana Brooke: “Look what I tried to do to her.” Clip of Dana slapping Asuka in the face and getting her head kicked in. Dana: “Didn’t work.” There are definite Vader/Great Muta vs. Sting vibes here and it’s a story that is always going to work.

Stephanie McMahon is here and of course she’s booed out of the building.

Women’s Title: Bayley vs. Asuka

Asuka is challenging and walks through a shower of cherry blossoms (which you could see being poured from boxes by two people in the rafters) on her way to the ring. On the other hand, Bayley gets one heck of a superstar pop. I’ve said this many times before but I continue to be in awe of her level of overness down in NXT. We get our first Big Match Intros of the night and it’s time to go.

The fans start that rather annoying Will You Be My Girl song as Bayley has to avoid the first kick. It’s off to dueling ASUKA’S GONNA KILL YOU/BAYLEY’S GONNA HUG YOU chants as Bayley grabs an armbar. They both miss their sliding strikes and it’s an early standoff with Asuka looking a bit shaken for the first time. The first hip attack sends Bayley to the apron but Asuka misses a second and gets elbowed in the jaw.

Now it’s a series of elbows to rock Asuka until she catches Bayley in a Fujiwara armbar. That’s fine with Bayley who takes her into the corner for another elbow and a near fall. A top rope hurricanrana gives Bayley the same and it’s off to the guillotine choke that she used on Nia Jax. Notice that Bayley is trying everything that’s worked in the past, which makes perfect sense. She’s overcome the odds before so why not do the same thing?

Asuka reverses into an ankle lock though and now it’s Bayley’s turn to scream. That goes nowhere so Asuka starts unloading on her and you can see Bayley’s legs starting to shake a bit (literally and figuratively). Bayley gets in a suplex but a shot to the head puts her down again. They slug it out and Bayley looks to be in over her head until she reverses a big kick into a kneebar. The knee is sent into the mat and Bayley starts in on the OTHER knee which is a fairly unique strategy.

Asuka quickly reverses into a cross armbreaker but Bayley is too close to the ropes. The champ comes back and cranks on Asuka’s arm ala the final fall against Sasha Banks in the Iron Man match. The Bayley to Belly doesn’t work and Asuka snaps her over with a suplex into another armbar. That’s switched over to the Asuka Lock with a bodyscissors and Bayley is in real trouble. Somehow Bayley gets to her feet for a bit but Asuka pulls her back down and Bayley passes out to give Asuka the title at 15:22.

Rating: B+. This one was more about telling a story, which you don’t get enough of in wrestling. The idea here was Bayley doing every old move she had used before but not being able to get by the buzzsaw that was Asuka. It was a good way of showing that as good as Bayley is, Asuka is just that much better because she’s the new generation and the future of the division. It’s another passing of the torch moment and Asuka would hold the title for a very long time to come.

Asuka poses with the title as Bayley can barely move. There’s no helping hand this time though and Asuka just leaves.

We recap Finn Balor vs. Samoa Joe. These two had a war in London with Balor barely surviving and having one heck of a headache as a result. Joe won a series of matches to earn another title shot here in Dallas for a first ever rematch in a Takeover rematch. On top of that, Joe has turned into a psycho who is obsessed with winning the title.

Bobby Roode is here, drawing one heck of a gasp from the audience.

NXT Title: Samoa Joe vs. Finn Balor

Balor is defending……and he’s got a chainsaw. I really don’t think that requires much more of an explanation, do you? We’re already on the dueling chants as they slug it out with Balor headbutting Joe next to the eye, busting Joe WIDE open. As in the side of his face is covered in blood less than a minute in.

Balor hits a flip dive but gets sent over the barricade as the referee tries to wipe the blood off. In a great shot, Finn raises his head over the barricade and dives onto Joe again, only to have the referee pull things off for some toweling. Joe will have none of that (big pop for that) and kicks Balor in the head, setting up a big suicide elbow. And now let’s pause again for the sake of the trainers checking on Joe. Fans: “LET THEM FIGHT!” It’s kind of a shame that they’re having to stop such a hot match but that is one heck of a cut.

Joe throws him back in but we pause again to look at the eye. It’s not like it’s a just a trickle of blood or something so this is pretty necessary. Joe cuts off the PG SUCKS chant by planting Balor with a Rock Bottom out of the corner and the fans are right back into things. Another enziguri gets two and let’s stop things AGAIN to look at the cut.

The fans have a far more adult anti-PG chant until it’s back to the action. Joe can’t get the MuscleBuster so he kicks Balor in the chest and drops a very big knee for two. Balor scores with a dropkick and let’s get that towel in there again! Fans: “LET JOE BLEED!” A bunch of chops and kicks knock Joe outside but he blocks the Sling Blade. Fans: “WE WANT TOWEL!”

Joe’s backsplash gets two and it’s the powerbomb into the Boston crab into the Crossface but Balor rolls free and scores with a double stomp. Now the MuscleBuster gets two so Balor Peles him down for a breather. Balor goes Demon though and Joe looks scared for the first time. The running dropkick sets up a Coup de Grace but 1916 is countered into the Koquina Clutch. Balor channels his inner Bret Hart though and climbs the corner into a rollup to retain at 16:22.

Rating: A. Sweet goodness this was a heck of a fight. This was all about two guys beating the heck out of each other until one of them couldn’t get up. Since neither of them had enough to truly knock the other one out (though Balor didn’t cover after the Coup de Grace), it was a counter to win as Balor completely switched directions in the end. Great match, cut issues aside. Joe would actually win the title three weeks later in a surprise at a house show before moving on to a feud with Nakamura.

Posing and highlights take us out.

Overall Rating: A+. Oh like this was getting anything else. This is one of the best shows I’ve ever seen and it ran away with Show of the Year as it should have. The worst match on the card is the totally watchable Aries vs. Corbin match, which is certainly better than your run of the mill TV match. If you somehow haven’t seen this match yet, go out of your way to check it out because it’s arguably the peak of NXT.

Ratings Comparison

American Alpha vs. Revival

Original: B+

Redo: A

Austin Aries vs. Baron Corbin

Original: C

Redo: B-

Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Sami Zayn

Original: A+

Redo: A+

Bayley vs. Asuka

Original: B

Redo: B+

Samoa Joe vs. Finn Balor

Original: A-

Redo: A

Overall Rating

Original: A

Redo: A+

It says a lot when I gave a show an A and still feel like that’s criminally underrating the thing.

Here’s the original review if you’re interested:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2016/04/05/nxt-takeover-dallas-night-of-a-thousand-chants/

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the NXT: The Full Sail Years Volumes I and II, now in PAPERBACK. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2017/03/24/kbs-history-of-nxt-volumes-1-and-2-now-available-in-paperback/

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

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

NXT
Date: March 29, 2017
Location: University Area CDC Gymnasium, Tampa, Florida
Commentators: Percy Watson, Nigel McGuinness, Tom Phillips

It’s the final show before Takeover: Orlando and that means most of the card is set, though you can probably guarantee one more match that we’ll get to later. The show has been starting to look better in recent weeks though I’m not entirely sold yet. Tonight we’ll have a Loser Leaves NXT match between Kassius Ohno and Elias Samson so let’s get to it.

Opening sequence.

Akam vs. Johnny Gargano vs. Dash Wilder

Preview for Saturday’s triple threat for the Tag Team Titles. Akam goes after Wilder so Johnny jumps on the big man’s back, because that’s always worked so well over the years. Double teaming works a bit better though as Dawson dropkicks him to the floor before turning on Gargano almost immediately. Akam gets back in but he has to snarl at Scott Dawson for some attempted interference as we take a break.

Back with the Revival nowhere to be seen (apparently they just left instead of merely backing away before the break), leaving Akam to put Gargano in a torture rack. Johnny escapes and slugs away to limited avail before the slingshot spear is good for two. Unfortunately he decides to look away for a second and turns back into a boot to the face.

Johnny comes right back with three straight superkicks but Ra’zar pulls Gargano out at two. That earns Ciampa a beating on the floor and Johnny’s slingshot DDT is caught in mid-air. One heck of a powerbomb plants Gargano but here’s Dawson to grab Akam’s leg. Naturally that means Wilder can slide back in and steal the pin on Gargano at 10:11.

Rating: C. The wrestling wasn’t anything spectacular here but I love the booking. The Revival is smart enough to not try and go head to head with the Authors, as well as knowing better than to stay out there and waste energy before the title match. I can always go with smart wrestling and it worked very well here.

Video on Aleister Black vs. Andrade Cien Almas.

Heavy Machinery vs. Jonathan Ordegen/Mike Marshall

That would be Otis Dozovic and Tucker Knight as your standard big guy tag team, though they’re not huge enough to make them immobile blobs. Tucker and I think Jonathan start things off and we’re already in a bearhug. Otis tags himself in so Tucker throws Ordegen into another bearhug for a cool spot. Now it’s Marshall being pulled in for a double shoulder and a double chest bump to send the jobbers outside.

Ordegen offers a distraction so Marshall can get in a shot from behind on Knight, which pretty much wraps up the team’s offense. Otis comes back in and cleans house with clotheslines and elbows, including one to put Jonathan back outside. Dozovic picks up Marshall for a slam but doesn’t put him down, allowing Tucker to crash into Mike’s back. Otis picks Knight up and slams him down onto Marshall for the pin at 3:37.

Rating: C+. I had a lot of fun with this one and Heavy Machinery worked well together out there. I’m not sure how far they can go but they’re certainly good for stuff like this. They fought the Authors of Pain at a house show in January and it was rather entertaining so they can definitely hang with the bigger names.

We go to William Regal’s office for the contract signing between Asuka and Ember Moon. Asuka snickers at Ember’s name but Ember says Asuka has let the success go to her head. Ember signs and Asuka does the same with Moon saying she’s been ready for a long time. Regal says good luck and we’re done in maybe two minutes.

Long video on Bobby Roode vs. Shinsuke Nakamura. The video presents a battle for the future of NXT with Roode being out for himself while Nakamura does what the fans want. That’s about as basic of a heel vs. face feud as you’re going to get and that’s just fine.

Paul Ellering and the Authors of Pain think DIY’s fairy tale ends soon and the Revival just wants to be them.

Sanity vs. Ruby Riot/No Way Jose/Tye Dillinger/Roderick Strong is confirmed for Takeover.

Kassius Ohno vs. Elias Samson

Loser leaves NXT. They trade rollups to start before taking turns on the arm. Ohno gets the better of it, though sadly that means we have to look at his rather disturbing looking thighs. A backsplash gets two on Samson but they head to the apron where Ohno is sent into the post for a big crash onto the steps.

Back from a break with Samson working on the injured back with some kicks and knees. He switches gears with a Crossface though and Ohno has to roll over three times before making the ropes. Ohno blasts him in the jaw with some hard strikes, including a jumping knee to the face. A big boot gets two but a neckbreaker is countered into a backslide for two. Samson’s swinging neckbreaker gets the same, only to have Ohno blast him with the discus forearm to get rid of Samson at 12:47.

Rating: C. The only word I can think of is eh. Ohno has never really done it for me in NXT and that continues here. The match was fine but absolutely nothing I’ll remember in about an hour. It doesn’t help that the story felt slapped together for the sake of getting Samson on to the main roster (I have no idea why as it’s not like he’s been a huge deal in NXT) and giving Ohno a win. That being said, while it accomplished those goals, it certainly wasn’t exciting in the least.

Samson is dragged away by security but agrees to go quietly if he’s given his guitar back. Ohno offers to hand it back before stomping on it instead. So to recap: Samson is a drifter who FINALLY found a home in NXT and is being forced to leave. On top of that, his most prized possession is destroyed in front of his eyes by the person who forced him out of NXT. Why am I supposed to boo him again?

One last Takeover promo wraps up the show.

Overall Rating: C+. This is a good example of a shot where the wrestling wasn’t the point. Tonight helped build towards Takeover: Orlando with every match getting some focus and another match added to the card. It’s a perfectly fine show and it accomplished everything it needed to do. This was fine for a go home show, though the main event still felt forced in, which isn’t a good thing.

Results

Dash Wilder b. Johnny Gargano and Akam – Powerbomb to Gargano

Heavy Machinery b. Jonathan Ordegen/Mike Marshall – Dozovic slammed Knight onto Marshall

Kassius Ohno b. Elias Samson – Discus forearm

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the NXT: The Full Sail Years Volumes I and II, now in PAPERBACK. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2017/03/24/kbs-history-of-nxt-volumes-1-and-2-now-available-in-paperback/

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

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

NXT
Date: March 22, 2017
Location: University Area CDC Gymnasium, Tampa, Florida
Commentators: Percy Watson, Nigel McGuinness, Tom Phillips

The main roster isn’t the only place where we’re getting ready for a major show. There are only two episodes of NXT left before Takeover: Orlando and that means we need to hammer out the rest of the card. While the three title matches are set, you need a lot more than that to make a full show. Let’s get to it.

We open with a recap of Tye Dillinger/No Way Jose/Roderick Strong vs. Sanity.

Opening sequence.

Oney Lorcan vs. Andrade Cien Almas

This is over Lorcan standing up to Almas for bullying Hoho Lun last week. Lorcan shoves him down to start and Almas takes an early break on the floor. Back in and Almas loses a strike off, sending him right back outside. A chase goes badly for Almas too as he can’t get anything going so far.

Finally he’s able to send Lorcan head first into the corner before a running slap to the face makes Oney even madder. Lorcan pops back up and knocks him to the floor, only to dive off the steps and into a slam. We come back from a break with Lorcan going hard into the buckle so Andrade can do that cocky grin of his. We hit the chinlock to trigger Lorcan’s comeback, which includes a rather hard clothesline. A running Blockbuster is good for two but the half and half suplex is easily blocked.

One heck of a running European uppercut sends Almas outside and a big flip dive takes him down again. Four straight running charges in the corner set up the half and half for a VERY close two, which is pretty much going to do it for Oney’s chances. Almas avoids a dive off the top and cartwheels into a kick to the back of the head, followed by a clothesline to turn Oney inside out for two. The announcers are selling the heck out of these shots and the kickouts. The running double knees in the corner knock Lorcan silly though and the hammerlock DDT puts him away at 13:52.

Rating: B+. I was late to the party on Almas but he’s REALLY grown on me in recent weeks and I’m starting to see the star power that everyone said he had. Maybe it’s the change in look or the hard heel turn but I’m really digging him of late and this match made him look like a star instead of a goon with a smile. Check this one out and keep Lorcan in mind as well since he more than carried his part of the match.

DIY has gone around the world and they’re ready to show that all they need is a chance. They got one here in NXT and didn’t get along with the Revival from the day they got here. That led them to Takeover: Toronto and the greatest night of their lives but here comes the Authors of Pain to cue their dreams off again. DIY is a state of mind though and it’s all about everyone who has been there for them over the years. They’ll have their moment. This was a really solid promo from people you don’t expect to hear them from.

Alistir Black video.

We look back at Ember Moon Eclipsing Billie Kay onto the injured list (if that was a work, Kay is a better actress than I thought).

Asuka vs. Priscilla Zumiga

Non-title. There’s a good chance I heard the jobber’s name but I’m pretty sure she’s better known as Angel Rose. The bell rings and Asuka asks for a mic. She says this is for Ember Moon and takes Priscilla’s head off with a kick. Zumiga makes the mistake of hitting Asuka and gets kicked in the head again. That’s only good for two though as Asuka pulls up before the three. More hard strikes (Watson: “She might be trying to send a message to Moon!” Phillips: “You think?”) set up the Asuka Lock for the submission at 2:56.

Post match Asuka screams in Japanese before saying “no Eclipse”. They’re doing a great job of selling the idea that Ember has one big shot but otherwise she probably can’t hang with Asuka. That makes sense and is a great way to get the title off Asuka if she’s moving up.

The Revival says their name isn’t just a slogan. They’ve studied the best and of course they’re better than the best, including Arn and Tully, the Midnight Express and the Hart Foundation. They might not do a bunch of flips but they’re going to wind up on top of all their opponents. In Orlando, it’s their fate to become the greatest team of all time and that’s what they’re going to do.

Next week it’s Akum vs. Wilder vs. Gargano to preview the triple threat title match.

Long video on Bobby Roode vs. Shinsuke Nakamura. The idea is that it started last year when Nakamura made his debut and Roode showed up in the crowd, which was supposed to take the focus away from the in-ring action (not really but it’s fine for a plot point). Then Roode built himself up and surprised the champ by going after his knee. Nakamura went surfing and is ready for his rematch because he knows how to handle Roode.

No Way Jose, Tye Dillinger and Roderick Strong are ready for Sanity because they have a fair numbers game for once.

Heavy Machinery is coming next week.

Last week, Kassius Ohno said he didn’t expect to start off his second NXT run with a loss. Cue Elias Samson to sing about Ohno never being a champion and doesn’t belong here. Ohno doesn’t take kindly to this and Samson leaves.

Almas is ready to face Black in his debut at Takeover.

Sanity vs. No Way Jose/Tye Dillinger/Roderick Strong

Sanity is pulled outside to start and the brawl is on until Dillinger works on Wolfe’s knee with a series of stomps. Wolfe and Dain are sent outside for a big dive from Strong and we take a break. Back with Jose catching Wolfe in a side slam and stopping Young with a raised elbow in the corner. Dain finally takes over on Jose and the double teaming begins, only to have Jose roll over and make the hot tag to Strong. They’re certainly moving here. Everything breaks down though and the match is thrown out at 11:03.

Rating: C. Nice brawl here but you had to expect this one to go on to Takeover. This story has been well done since the beginning and the thrown together trio more than held their own against Sanity. I’m actually not sure who wins in the blowoff match and that’s a very good thing to have coming up.

The brawl keeps going after the bell with Dillinger stomping on Young until Nikki Cross jumps on his back. Cue the debuting Heidi Lovelace (not named on screen but the fans call her Ruby, as in her NXT name Ruby Riot) to take care of Cross, allowing the three guys to take out Dain to end the show.

Overall Rating: A-. Now that’s more like it! This was exactly the kind of strong push that NXT needed as we head towards Takeover, which was kind of lacking on the way there. All four announced matches got some time tonight (including Black vs. Almas, the latter of whom had a great match to build him up for the loss) and you can pencil in the eight person tag as well. Really solid stuff tonight and I want to see Takeover.

Results

Andrade Cien Almas b. Oney Lorcan – Hammerlock DDT

Asuka b. Priscilla Zumiga – Asuka Lock

Sanity vs. Tye Dillinger/Roderick Strong/No Way Jose went to a double DQ when all six brawled

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the History of the WWE’s Big Four Pay Per Views, now in PAPERBACK. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2017/01/27/kbs-reviews-now-available-in-paperback/

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

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

NXT
Date: March 15, 2017
Location: University Area CDC Gymnasium, Tampa, Florida
Commentators: Percy Watson, Nigel Mcguinness, Tom Phillips

It’s title time and that means we’re going to know who is heading to the main event of Takeover: Orlando. Tonight Bobby Roode puts the NXT Title on the line against Kassius Ohno with the winner facing Shinsuke Nakamura for the title at the big show. This has some serious potential so let’s get to it.

We get a quick look at the title match.

Opening sequence.

Ealy Brothers vs. Authors of Pain

Non-title and a result of last week’s beatdown of the Ealy Twins. Uriel tries his luck on Ra’zar and gets headbutted down with ease. The Super Collider sets up the Last Chapter for the pin on Uriel at 2:23.

Post match Paul Ellering says his men are close to creating a dynasty and aren’t scared of the Revival. Cue DIY to say they don’t know what Ellering means half the time but they know they can beat the Authors of Pain. This brings out the Revival to say they’re the best team in the world and want a rematch too. Now it’s William Regal coming out to make a triple threat elimination match for the titles at Takeover.

Heavy Machinery, a tag team comprised of Otis Dozovic and Tucker Knight, is coming. I saw them at a house show earlier this year and they were pretty good.

Video on Asuka’s dominance of the women’s division. She’s ready to crush Ember Moon at Takeover.

Macey Estrella vs. Nikki Cross

Estrella is sent face first into the mat to start and Cross hits six (yes six) straight swinging fisherman’s neckbreakers for the pin at 2:29. The idea was that Cross didn’t care how much she was hurting Estrella.

Post match Tye Dillinger and No Way Jose go after Sanity but get beaten down again.

Alistair Black video.

We look back at Billie Kay’s injury last week.

We go to the Performance Center to check on Kay but see Andrade Cien Almas going after Hoho Lun. Oney Lorcan intervened and kept Lun safe.

Lorcan says he saw Lun getting bullied last week and if Almas wants to do that, try bullying him. They have a match next week.

Next week will also have a six man tag between Roderick Strong/No Way Jose/Tye Dillinger vs. Sanity.

Ohno says he’s ready to make up for past failures.

Roode is ready to send Ohno packing.

NXT Title: Kassius Ohno vs. Bobby Roode

Ohno is challenging and wrestling in a shirt, likely to hide his not great physique. Roode is knocked to the floor to start and struck hard in the face back inside. Some chops and a clothesline put Roode on the floor and we take a break. Back with Roode in control, as is so often the case after a break. Roode slowly stomps and chokes away before hitting a hard clothesline in the corner.

More right hands have Ohno rocked as Roode isn’t exactly showing an in-depth offense here. We hit the chinlock for a bit before Ohno fights up with his strikes, only to be sent over the corner and out to the floor in a big crash. Back from a second break with Roode cranking on both arms and putting a knee in Ohno’s spine.

The Glorious DDT is countered into a release vertical suplex and Ohno gets in a sliding dropkick to the head. A spinning big boot to the jaw gets two for Ohno but Roode gets the same off a Backstabber. Ohno goes up and hits Diamond Dust of all things (flipping Stunner, one of my favorites) for no cover.

Instead Roode gets up and snaps off a spinebuster for two. Roode loads up the DDT again but Ohno just blasts him with the big forearm, sending Roode outside again. Back in and Ohno drops a big backsplash for two but Roode sends him throat first into the top rope. The Glorious DDT retains the title at 22:22.

Rating: B. This started slow but turned into a good match by the end. I’m not sure if Ohno is going to be a big star down here but there’s nothing wrong with being the guy you put with someone to get a solid performance. Roode vs. Nakamura II is going to be a lot of fun if they build off the previous version, though I’d bet on Roode retaining at this point.

Overall Rating: B+. This was all about the one match and the rest of the show did enough to help set up both Takeover and next week’s TV show. They accomplished a lot in just an hour and I’m more interested in seeing Takeover than I was before. The main event worked well and things are picking up when they need to. It’s like the old days but with weaker stars.

Results

Authors of Pain b. Ealy Brothers – Last Chapter to Uriel

Nikki Cross b. Macey Estrella – Swinging fisherman’s neckbreaker

Bobby Roode b. Kassius Ohno – Glorious DDT

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the History of the WWE’s Big Four Pay Per Views, now in PAPERBACK. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2017/01/27/kbs-reviews-now-available-in-paperback/

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

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

NXT
Date: March 8, 2017
Location: University Area CDC Gymnasium, Tampa, Florida
Commentators: Percy Watson, Nigel McGuinness, Tom Phillips

We’re on the road again and that means we’re getting closer to heading back to Orlando for the next Takeover. None of the card is announced yet but with four shows left, you can imagine how fast that’s going to change. We’re also a week away from Bobby Roode defending the NXT Title against Kassius Ohno. Let’s get to it.

Opening sequence.

Tye Dillinger vs. Eric Young

That’s quite the opener. Young sends Sanity to the back before going to the ring. There’s no bell just yet though as the team brings Roderick Strong’s unconscious body out to the stage. Tye goes to check on him and No Way Jose comes out as well. Dillinger and Jose charge the ring for the brawl but the numbers get the better of them and Sanity dominates.

Peyton Royce and Billie Kay are trying to find a place to hang their award for Breakout Star of the Year. For some reason they’re hanging it at the Performance Center and talk about the various posters they see around the place. Billie thinks their award should be bigger, like the Dusty Classic trophy. They see Ember Moon working out and jokes ensue until a trainer has to hold Moon back.

We see a shadowy man in a church. He says he’s neither a saint or a sinner and says “fade to black.” That would seem to be Alistair Black.

HoHo Lun vs. Andrade Cien Almas

The fans seem to enjoy chanting “LET’S GO HOHO” but Almas stomps him down and sends him hard into the corner. Some forearms to the head knock HoHo even sillier and a clothesline cuts off his comeback. The hammerlock DDT ends Lun at 2:34.

Billie Kay vs. Ember Moon

Kay and Royce don’t seem too worried here so Ember kicks Billie in the head to take over. Peyton gets pulled inside for a second, allowing Billie to catapult Ember throat first into the ropes. Billie gets in a rolling forearm for two but Ember comes right back with a series of kicks. Another Peyton distraction fails and the Eclipse is enough for the pin on Kay at 3:33.

Rating: C-. Billie and Peyton are a weird case as they have the character stuff down but they really don’t have the in-ring abilities to back it up. They can cheat to win but I’m not sure if it’s enough to keep them that high on the card. They’ll be fine as a new LayCool style act though and that’s good enough.

Billie is hurt and trainers have to come check on her. She’s conscious and her limbs are moving. The fans cheer for her to get up and she’s able to sit up on her own. Kay is crying and the fans give her a round of applause as she gets to her feet. She gets out of the ring on her own and walks to the back slowly. The fact that she’s able to stand is a great sign. Also of note: while she was down, the announcers put the Eclipse over as a devastating move that can put anyone down. You don’t hear something like that often enough.

TJ Perkins is ready to face Shinsuke Nakamura tonight.

Ealy Brothers vs. Revival

No match again as the Authors of Pain come out and destroy the Twins.

The Authors go after the Revival but have to settle for beating up the Brothers again.

William Regal makes Ember Moon #1 contender.

We get a sitdown interview with Kassius Ohno who says it’s a little weird to be back here where he was four years ago. He’s won titles everywhere he’s gone and he wants to win the NXT Title.

Bobby Roode is at his home for a satellite and doesn’t care what Ohno said. Would you rather have a champion in a suit or a long haired hippie from the 70s? Roode throws the camera crew out.

TJ Perkins vs. Shinsuke Nakamura

Perkins tries to go after the leg but Nakamura sits out on him and they go to the ropes. Nakamura takes him down but it’s another standoff, followed by Nakamura’s COME ON to a nice reaction. TJ takes him down with a headscissors and dabs, only to have Nakamura escape and do the same thing.

Nakamura is sent to the floor and avoids the slingshot dropkick before kicking TJ in the chest. Back from a break with Nakamura missing a basement dropkick and possibly tweaking the knee. It’s fine enough for Good Vibrations but Perkins comes back with a jumping neckbreaker. The second slingshot dropkick connects and a middle rope DDT gets two on Nakamura. A big shot to TJ puts both guys down but Perkins gets smart and kicks the knee out.

Nakamura grabs a Fujiwara armbar but Perkins quickly reverses into something like a Scorpion Deathlock. That goes nowhere so TJ grabs the kneebar until Nakamura makes the ropes. Back up and Nakamura’s knee is WAY too fine as he knees TJ in the head. Another one to the ribs sets up the reverse exploder. Kinshasa is enough for the pin on Perkins at 14:59.

Rating: B. I liked this more than I was expecting as it was much more than just having Nakamura squash him in short order. Perkins was smart out there and had Nakamura in trouble before the ending was exactly what you would expect. This is a good example of a match that was better than expecting and didn’t need to be any kind of show stealing classic. Good stuff here.

Regal says the winner of Roode vs. Ohno has to defend against Nakamura at Takeover.

Overall Rating: B-. This show was about setting up stuff for the future and that’s all it needed to be. We’ve got one (technically two) match set for Takeover and that means we should be getting the rest of the card filled in pretty soon. I’m sure you can guess most of it but part of the fun in NXT is watching them set this stuff up.

Results

Andrade Cien Almas b. HoHo Lun – Hammerlock DDT

Ember Moon b. Billie Kay – Eclipse

Shinsuke Nakamura b. TJ Perkins – Kinshasa

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the History of the WWE’s Big Four Pay Per Views, now in PAPERBACK. Check out the information here:

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NXT
Date: March 1, 2017
Location: Full Sail University, Winter Park, Florida
Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Percy Watson, Tom Phillips

It’s the final night of the taping cycle and we’ve got a big title match to send us out. This time around it’s the Authors of Pain defending the Tag Team Titles against the former champions DIY. These teams had a surprisingly good match back at Takeover: San Antonio so maybe they can pull it off again here. Let’s get to it.

Preview for tonight’s show, including Asuka defending the Women’s Title against Peyton Royce.

Opening sequence.

Sean Maluta vs. Patrick Clark

Clark is your latest “flamboyant” wrestler so Maluta punches him in the face during his opening…..shall we say prancing. Maluta gets two off a Shining Wizard but Clark gets all ticked off and hammers away in the corner. A suplex sets up a chinlock and of course Maluta makes a quick comeback. Clark will have none of that though and hits a bad looking Fameasser for the pin at 2:40. The fans didn’t seem impressed though Clark has a really athletic and lanky body which could be used in a better gimmick.

Sanity wants Tye Dillinger to accept his fate and stop drowning in his own choices. Instead of dragging his friends down with him, Tye needs to face Eric Young on his own. Nikki Cross says if he doesn’t, the whole world will burn.

Women’s Title: Peyton Royce vs. Asuka

Royce won a triple threat last week to earn her shot. Feeling out process to start with Nigel talking about other great female Japanese wrestlers (and managing to plug the Network at the same time). A shoulder just fires Asuka up and she forearms Peyton down. Both of them miss big kicks and it’s a standoff.

Back to back hip attacks put Peyton on the floor but she sends Asuka into the steps as we take a break. We come back with Asuka fighting out of a chinlock (as is customary) so Royce starts working on the arm that went into the post. A standing armbar only seems to tick the champ off and a suplex drops Peyton.

Asuka starts striking away but hurts the arm again. Instead it’s a Shining Wizard for two on Royce but a spinning kick to the face gets the same on Asuka. That goes nowhere though as Asuka kicks the heck out of Peyton and spins her down into the Asuka Lock to retain the title at 11:20.

Rating: C+. They did a very good job here of making Asuka look vulnerable. One of the biggest problems is finding a realistic opponent for her and this was as good as it was going to get with either Royce or Billie Kay. Asuka wasn’t in the greatest danger here but she also didn’t squash Peyton, which made for a much better match.

Post match Billie Kay comes in for the double team but Ember Moon makes the save. Asuka holds up the title and Ember stares her down. There’s Takeover.

We look back at Takeover: San Antonio where Shinsuke Nakamura’s knee was injured. Kassius Ohno checked on him in the back.

Here the end of last week’s episode with Kassius Ohno saving No Way Jose from Bobby Roode and getting in a fight with Ohno clearing house.

William Regal makes Roode vs. Ohno for the title in two weeks.

Paul Ellering gives the Authors of Pain a pep talk.

Wolfgang is coming.

Shinsuke Nakamura is back next week.

Tag Team Titles: Authors of Pain vs. DIY

DIY is challenging. Akum stares Ciampa down to start but Tommaso isn’t the slightest bit intimidated. The double spear through the ropes drops Akum and some double clotheslines put the champs on the floor. Ciampa tries a dive through the ropes but gets sent hard into the post to put him right back down.

Back in and Ciampa gets caught in the wrong corner and runs into a backbreaker for two. Ciampa chops and slaps the heck out of Akum but gets caught in an assisted backbreaker to put him down again. The one sided beating takes us to a break with Ciampa in trouble. Back with Tommaso avoiding a charge and making the hot tag off to Gargano so things can speed up. A suicide dive drops Akum and a springboard moonsault does the same to Razar.

The double strike to the corner drops Akum for two and Ciampa grabs his flip over armbar. Razar makes the save and sends Gargano to the floor. Ciampa gets in a kick though and Gargano comes back in for a double powerbomb out of the corner. Razar saves his partner from the running double strike (which really needs a name) but it’s time for the stereo armbars. Cue the Revival for the DQ at 13:25.

Rating: B. These matches are giving me a Sting vs. Vader vibe where the smaller guys do whatever they can to take down the monsters but then they get hit really, really hard. The ending was the right call as all three of them deserve to be in the title hunt and there’s a chance that the title match will be outstanding. The Authors are a good choice here for the sake of mixing things up and that makes for a good dynamic.

Back to back Shatter Machines let the Revival stand tall to end the show. I can’t stand them (triple threats, not the Revival) but this better set up a triple threat tag match for the titles at Takeover.

Overall Rating: B. Fifty minutes go by and we seem to have two title matches set up for Takeover. In two or three weeks we’ll likely have the NXT Title match and you can probably pencil in either Young vs. Dillinger or a big tag match as well. This show flew by and gave us some good wrestling as a bonus while setting up the big card. Good stuff all around, as usual.

Results

Patrick Clark b. Sean Maluta – Fameasser

Asuka b. Peyton Royce – Asuka Lock

DIY b. Authors of Pain via DQ when Revival interfered

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the History of the WWE’s Big Four Pay Per Views, now in PAPERBACK. Check out the information here:

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NXT
Date: February 22, 2017
Location: Full Sail University, Winter Park, Florida
Commentators: Tom Phillips, Percy Watson, Nigel McGuinness

We’re getting closer and closer to Orlando as we’re….well we’re still in Orlando but it’s not the big show yet. Tonight’s big deal is a triple threat match for the #1 contendership to the Women’ Title as Asuka is in need of some more competition. It’s hard to say what else we’ve got coming up around here and that’s a good thing as you could be in for a good surprise. Let’s get to it.

In Memory of George Steele.

Quick video on the triple threat.

Opening sequence.

Liv Morgan vs. Peyton Royce vs. Ember Moon

#1 contenders match and Morgan is in Space Jam Tune Squad inspired gear. Moon gets sent to the floor to start and Morgan does a Matrix move to avoid the a spinning kick. The two of them head outside and Ember hits a dive over the top to take Morgan down. We take an early break and come back with Morgan taking Peyton’s long legged choke in the corner.

Peyton sends her to the apron and puts on something like a full nelson with her legs before letting it go to put Ember back on the floor. Morgan comes back with an ankle scissors out of the corner for one but can’t follow up because it’s just an ankle scissors. The real comeback starts with a kick in the corner and a bulldog, finally drawing Ember in for the save.

A headscissors puts Moon right back outside though and it’s time for a superplex. Peyton isn’t fast enough though as Ember sneaks in to make it a Tower of Doom and all three are down. Moon loads up the Eclipse but Billie Kay takes it instead of Morgan, leaving Peyton to knee Ember in the face. A fisherman’s suplex to Morgan is good for the pin and the title shot at 11:54.

Rating: C+. That’s really the only option as Morgan has already been destroyed by Asuka and I’d assume they’re keeping Moon for a big showdown. The idea here was to keep Moon on the floor because otherwise it would have been her dominating the other two and slipping on a banana peel to lose in the end. Royce winning is the right call though I can’t imagine that title shot comes before Takeover.

Video on Pete Dunne and Mark Andrews.

Kassius Ohno is coming back.

Shinsuke Nakamura is healing up.

Mark Andrews vs. Pete Dunne

Rematch from the tournament where Dunne beat Andrews. Dunne goes straight for the fingers to start and then rips at the nose like a true heel. Andrews pops back up and sends him to the floor for a moonsault armdrag to take over. A second attempt doesn’t work though and Dunne forearms him in the jaw, followed by stomping the fingers onto the steps.

We take a break and come back with Andrews flipping Dunne over and grabbing a springboard hurricanrana. Dunne is ready for the shooting star though and forearms Andrews out of the air. The X Plex gets two but Andrews gets out of the Bitter End. A reverse hurricanrana of all things puts Dunne down again. Another Bitter End is reversed into a small package for two and the X Plex is countered into the Stundog Millionaire. Dunne gets the knees up on the shooting star though and the Bitter End wraps Andrews up at 13:52.

Rating: B+. This was very good stuff and the wrestling was enough to overcome the lack of a story coming in. In theory this sets up Dunne as the first real challenger to Bate but it’s not clear if anyone from outside the UK can challenge for the UK Title. You can also add Andrews to the list of people TNA screwed up horribly.

Kay and Royce are ready to take the Women’s Title back to Australia.

Patrick Clark is in action next week.

Tye Dillinger is ready for Sanity, no matter what they throw at him.

No Way Jose vs. Bobby Roode

Non-title and Roode’s entrance is reaching Undertaker lengths. Roode takes him to the mat to start and slaps the afro a bit. Back up and it’s dance time with a clothesline freaking Roode out a bit. The big spinebuster plants Jose again though and we take a break. Back with Roode striking the pose and grabbing a chinlock. Jose makes his comeback and cleans house with chops and a cobra clutch slam. The big right hand puts Roode on the floor but he comes back in and hits the Glorious DDT for the pin at 10:39.

Rating: C+. This was the kind of match that Roode needed. Jose is going to be fine with a loss to the champ and Roode gets a win over someone with some credibility. That being said, the credibility isn’t going to last all that long if he never wins a match anytime soon. Good enough though and a third solid match on a good show.

Post match Roode goes after the knee until Kassius Ohno makes a big return for the save. Roode asks who Ohno is so Kassius talks about how he’s been around the world. Now Ohno wants what Roode has, so Bobby is willing to put the title on the line right now. Roode gets in a cheap shot and starts in on the knee, only to get knocked out to the floor for his efforts. Ohno poses to end the show. Ohno got a strong reaction (not quite Nakamura but still a star level reception) and that’s a good thing as he’s likely going to be in the title scene very soon.

Overall Rating: A-. This was the pure wrestling show with almost no storyline development but three strong matches in the span of an hour. Sometimes you just need a long show with a lot of good wrestling and that’s what took place here. I had a good time with this and it went by fast, especially with the big angle to end the show. NXT needed a show like this and it worked very well.

Results

Peyton Royce b. Ember Moon and Liv Morgan – Fisherman’s suplex to Morgan

Pete Dunne b. Mark Andrews – Bitter End

Bobby Roode b. No Way Jose – Glorious DDT

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the History of the WWE’s Big Four Pay Per Views, now in PAPERBACK. Check out the information here:

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NXT
Date: February 15, 2017
Location: Full Sail University, Winter Park, Florida
Commentators: Tom Phillips, Nigel McGuinness, Percy Watson

We’ve got two big matches for tonight with a title on the line. First up it’s the Aussie women Billie Kay and Peyton Royce teaming up to face Liv Morgan and a mystery partner. We’ll cap it off with Tyler Bate making his first defense of the WWE UK Title against the debuting Trent Seven. Let’s get to it.

Quick look at Bate vs. Seven.

Opening sequence.

Authors of Pain vs. Garrison Spears/Lance Anoa’i

Non-title and Lance is Samu’s son. It’s total domination with stereo Death Valley Drivers putting the jobbers into the corner. The Final Chapter ends Spears at 1:20.

The jobbers get a Super Collider post match.

Video on Tyler Bate.

Billie Kay/Peyton Royce vs. Liv Morgan/Ember Moon

Kind of an obvious pick. Moon spins away from Billie to start and the Aussie is already looking shaken. Billie is smart enough to twist away and get in a kick to the ribs, only to get tossed down with a suplex. The hot tag brings in Morgan to a very limited reaction (that’s hard to do in NXT) for the house cleaning. An STO gets two on Peyton as everything breaks down. Moon gets sent outside and Billie knees Morgan in the side of the head for the pin at 3:18.

Rating: C-. I’m still confused by Morgan as they seem to want her to be the new big star of the division but keep having her do jobs in the bigger matches like this one. It’s also interesting that they didn’t have Moon get the pin here as it’s pretty clear that she’s going to be the next challenger for Asuka’s title and she wasn’t exactly the star of the match here.

We look back at Sanity telling Tye Dillinger that he belongs to the team and then beating him down later in the night. No Way Jose and Roderick Strong made the save.

Strong and Jose don’t like bullies and respect Dillinger enough to give him a hand.

Here’s DIY with something to say. They realized their dream in Toronto but that dream became a nightmare in San Antonio. They’ve never fought anyone like the Authors of Pain but they saw doubt in their eyes. No matter how much they’re beaten down they’ll never quit fighting so it’s time for a rematch. Cue Paul Ellering to say the match can take place in two weeks. DIY doesn’t want to wait but here’s the Revival to beat them down, only to have the Authors chase them off.

Video on Trent Seven.

Video on Kassius Ohno, who returns soon.

General Manager William Regal announces a #1 contenders triple threat match for next week between Peyton Royce, Ember Moon and Liv Morgan.

UK Title: Tyler Bate vs. Trent Seven

Bate is defending. They start slowly with both guys having a clean break and offering a twirl of the others mustache. Bate bounces off the much bigger Seven until Trent runs him over with a much harder version. Nigel starts talking about cricket and gets in a few jabs at Watson (not that difficult) as the slow beating continues while taking us to a break.

Back with Trent getting two off a backslide and Bate giving us that great scared face in the corner. Tyler finally gets going and knocks Trent outside for a good looking dive over the top. Back in and the Seven Stars Lariat is broken up so Tyler grabs the airplane spin. Since it’s just an airplane spin though, Trent pops up and gets in a powerbomb for two. A half crab (not a great one though) has Bate in trouble but the hold doesn’t last that long.

It’s time for rights and left (Bop and Bam if you haven’t been formally introduced) but Seven just blasts him with the Seven Star Lariat for two. You know, if it hardly ever finishes anyone, it’s not really a finisher. Trent takes his sweet time going up and gets caught in a super exploder suplex for two. Bate gets all fired up and hits the rolling kick to the head, followed by the Tyler Driver ’97 for the pin at 15:39.

Rating: B. I’m not really feeling Seven yet but I’m digging the heck out of Bate the more I see him. The fact that the guy is just nineteen years old is mind blowing as the guy looks like he’s been doing this for years, despite also looking like he’s about fourteen years old. These matches don’t really have stories but they’re knocking the heck out of the work, which is all they can really do at this point.

They shake hands post match.

Overall Rating: B-. Kind of a middle of the road show this week as we’re still getting ready for the bigger stories but it was still entertaining enough. The show breezed by and that makes for a very easy fifty minute show, especially with a strong main event. They also made sure to announce stuff for the future, which is still one of their greatest strengths. It’s never “what does someone have in store” but rather “this is what you’re going to get”. That’s a very key difference and incredibly important.

Results

Authors of Pain b. Garrison Spears/Lance Anoa’i – Final Chapter to Spears

Peyton Royce/Billie Kay b. Ember Moon/Liv Morgan – Knee to Morgan’s head

Tyler Bate b. Trent Seven – Tyler Driver ’97

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the History of the WWE’s Big Four Pay Per Views, now in PAPERBACK. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2017/01/27/kbs-reviews-now-available-in-paperback/

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

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