205 Live – May 7, 2021: My Hometown Boy

205 Live
Date: May 7, 2021
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Winter Park, Florida
Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Tom Phillips

We’re in for a kind of interesting show this time around in that we are going to be seeing some fresh faces. WWE has actually announced that some new wrestlers are going to be debuting here and that could make for quite the interesting night. Well maybe not interesting but at least new. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Ari Sterling vs. Samir Singh

Sunil is here with Samir. Ari is better known as Alex Zayne and is the first wrestler I’ve ever heard billed from Lexington, Kentucky. Samir grabs a headlock takeover but Sterling is right back up with an armdrag to the floor, setting up a slingshot springboard Lionsault to take him down again. Back in and Sterling works on a cravate but Samir breaks up a springboard to knock him outside.

Samir comes back in for a Boston crab but Sterling makes the rope. A hurricanrana is countered into another Boston crab so Sterling has to break it up again. Now the comeback is on, including a running flip ax kick to drop Samir for two. Samir gets up and tries a tornado DDT but Sterling shoves it off, setting up a backbreaker, which is flipped forward into a faceplant to put Samir away at 7:12.

Rating: C. It wasn’t a great match or anything but it was a completely effective debut. That’s what Sterling needed to do here and he had enough spots to make it work. Beating one of the Singh Brothers isn’t impressive, but it got his feet wet enough and he had enough charisma. Above all else, this show needs some fresh blood and if Sterling can be out there for some new matches, he should be fine.

We look back at Santos Escobar and Legado del Fantasma promising to take various titles from Kushida and MSK. Kushida popped up on the screen to challenge Escobar to a 2/3 falls title match next week.

Tony Nese/Ariya Daivari vs. August Grey/Ikemen Jiro

This is Jiro’s debut and apparently Ikemen means handsome. Jiro, wearing his yellow jacket, starts with Nese, and gets driven straight into the corner. A shoulder puts Jiro down but he nips up and tells Nese to try it again. It’s off to Grey, who gets double teamed in the corner to slow things down. A hurricanrana takes Daivari down but he decks Grey before the hot tag. Then the tag goes through a few seconds later so house can be cleaned, including a bulldog to Daivari.

Nese comes back in and stomps away though, followed by a sleeper from Daivari. It’s already back to Nese, who rolls over to knock Nese off the apron but gets knocked down by Jiro. The real hot tag brings in Grey to pick up the pace, including the running crotch attack to the back of the head while Daivari is in the ropes. The spinning suplex gets two on Daivari but Nese cuts Grey off, setting up the Lionsault for two.

Everything breaks down with Nese kicking Jiro straight in the face. A Dominator/sliding cutter combination gets two on Grey with Jiro diving in for the save. That means it’s back to Jiro to start taking over, including a bunch of strikes to the face. The villains are sent to the floor for the Asai moonsault, followed by a Swanton for two on Nese back inside with Daivari making the save. Jiro dives onto Nese and it’s a running kick to the face gives Jiro the pin at 10:25.

Rating: C. The jacket might take some getting used to but the energy was good and I wanted to see him pin one of these goofs. That’s what we got here, but the most important thing is that we are getting someone new around here. It was a good enough match and while I don’t think Jiro and Grey have much of a future as a team, beating Nese and Daivari is fine for a first step. Just don’t make it the tenth and eleventh steps.

Overall Rating: C+. In case I didn’t make it clear enough, the most important thing they did here was add in some new wrestlers. This show has had about the same ten people for months now and nothing has happened. Jiro and Sterling might not be the biggest stars ever around here, but at least they can give us something new. This has been one of the biggest problems on 205 Live for a long time now and for once, they actually did something about it. What a relief.

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

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Main Event – May 6, 2021: The One Off Televised House Show

Main Event
Date: May 6, 2021
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Winter Park, Florida
Commentators: Corey Graves, Byron Saxton

Things are starting to pick up around here a little bit, as we have had an angle and a much higher profile match over the last few weeks. Last week saw Ricochet face Mustafa Ali, which is not the kind of match that you get to see around here very often. Now we get to see where things go from here, which will likely be right back to normal. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Ricochet vs. Mustafa Ali

Ok so it’s still going for another week. Ricochet dropkicks him down at the bell and hits a flying forearm, allowing him to hammer away. A kick to the face knocks Ali out of the corner and a springboard clothesline gives Ricochet two. Ali flapjacks him out of the corner for a breather though and the sneering is strong as he shouts that Ricochet can’t beat him.

Ricochet kicks away from a half crab attempt but gets caught in it a few seconds later. That’s broken up with a rope grab and Ricochet goes up top for a shooting star press crossbody, because of course he does. A kick to the chest and a clothesline drop Ali, followed by a dragon suplex for two. Ali hits the knee again and grabs a rollup with feet on the ropes (ala how he won last week) but Ricochet reverses into a rollup of his own for the pin at 5:45.

Rating: C+. It’s almost hard to imagine a story being told with Main Event matches yet here we are, mainly due to how good these people can be in the ring. For the life of me I don’t get how they aren’t more prominently featured on one of the major shows, or just as a tag team who can bring some energy to the shows. Either way, it’s a nice little boost for Main Event, even if I have no reason to believe it lasts.

We recap Daniel Bryan pushing for Cesaro to get a Universal Title shot but ultimately getting one himself.

From Smackdown.

Universal Title: Roman Reigns vs. Daniel Bryan

Reigns, with Paul Heyman and some rather epic new music, is defending. Bryan dropkicks him into the corner to start and fires off the kicks but Reigns drops him with a single shot. A headlock is countered into a failed YES Lock attempt with Reigns bailing to the floor. That means a dropkick through the ropes into a running knee from the apron as we take a break. Back with Reigns turning him inside out off of a clothesline and grabbing a snap suplex.

The chinlock goes on to keep Bryan in trouble, followed by a right hand to the head to put Bryan down again. Bryan fights back with some kicks and puts Reigns on top, but the super hurricanrana is countered into a superbomb for two as we take a break. Back again with Reigns firing off some knees in the corner. Bryan gets in a shot of his own and puts Reigns on top for a belly to back superplex.

The cover is delayed so Reigns gets out, meaning they’re both down again for a bit. Bryan is up first and gets smart by kicking at the arm a bit more, followed by some snaps over his shoulder. Reigns misses a charge and falls to the floor, setting up the suicide dive. That’s pulled out of the air and Reigns snaps off a belly to belly. The spear only hits barricade though and we take another break.

Back again with Bryan hitting the Swan Dive for two but Reigns hits the Superman Punch for the same. The running knee connects but Reigns gets a foot on the rope. Bryan slaps on the YES Lock, which is quickly reversed into a cradle for the break. Reigns hits the spear for a near fall and Reigns is stunned. The guillotine can’t go on in full as Bryan reverses into the YES Lock again but Reigns powers out. The heavy forearms knock Bryan silly and a heck of a powerbomb plants him again. Reigns goes to pick him up and puts on the guillotine, this time with the healthy arm and Bryan is out at 27:18.

Rating: A-. This was just a step behind their Fastlane classic and that’s more than great on a free TV match. There is something great about Bryan using the technical abilities to cut Reigns down but Reigns kept coming back with straight power. Then Reigns switched to the intelligence by switching to the good arm for the win and that was just too much. Awesome match here, and one of the better TV matches in recent memory. Also: McAfee was outstanding here and sounded like the best and most polished WWE broadcaster in a very long time. He really is awesome at this and I’m impressed.

Post match Reigns grabs some chairs but here is Cesaro for the save. Cesaro knocks Reigns to the floor but Jey Uso jumps him from behind. Uso ties Cesaro in the ropes and Reigns gives Bryan the Conchairto to end the show.

From Raw.

Eva Marie, now with slightly pink hair, is back. She is laying on a car and asking if she has out attention now. Eva says she wants to make things better and be in a place that challenges her, so the Eva-Lution has begun.

From Raw.

Cue Sonya Deville, who, after a break, is in the ring as Charlotte talks about how glad she is to be back. However, she needs to be added to the Wrestlemania Backlash title match because she is a big star. Putting her in the title match is going to make it a bigger deal because she is a big deal. She is an influencer and whether you love her or hate her, the division needs her. Charlotte tells Sonya to be fair to Flair, which is enough to get Sonya to add her to the title match.

Cue Rhea Ripley to say this is nonsense and Charlotte shouldn’t be in the title match again for the obvious reason: nobody likes her. Ripley and Asuka have a purpose in the match, but adding Charlotte is unfair. Cue Asuka to say she’s ready for both of the. Charlotte promises to win the title but Ripley gets in Sonya’s face. Charlotte jumps Ripley from behind and the fight is on with Asuka clearing the ring. I don’t think there was any doubt that Charlotte was going to be added, though it almost feels like trolling the fans.

Backlash rundown.

From Smackdown.

Aleister Black talks about people looking at him and judging him because this is the nature of man. We go to the animation again, with Black talking about walking the halls in high school and having everyone think something about him. People cared about building their own lives on a foundation of lies. Imagine thinking that is real or falling for that. His father never fed him those dreams, because the truth is that there is something horribly wrong with all of that and all of you. He could give us the keys, but he won’t. The animation is a different way to go and these are intriguing so far.

Jeff Hardy vs. Jinder Mahal

This is Mahal’s return for the first time in nearly a year and has Veer and Shanky, formerly known as Indus Sher, with him. Hardy charges at him in the corner and hammers away before firing off shoulders in the corner. Mahal gets in a shot to the back and we hit the chinlock. Back up and Mahal dumps him over the top for the big crash and we take a break before Veer and Shanky can maul him.

We come back with Mahal stomping away even more, followed by some shoulders to the ribs. A suplex gives Mahal two and we hit the abdominal stretch. Jeff jawbreaks his way to freedom and forearms him down, setting up the basement dropkick for two. Mahal avoids a charge in the corner though and hits a jumping knee to the face. The Khallas finishes Hardy at 9:18.

Rating: C-. Yep, this was a Jinder Mahal match and it’s the same thing it always was: the same boring, basic match, with Mahal being in great shape and not being able to do anything memorable whatsoever. I’m sure he’ll get some big push and will likely have a feud with Drew McIntyre, as fans continue to not be overly interested in the most generic heel wrestling imaginable.

Video on the Backlash triple threat match for the Raw World Title.

From Raw.

Bobby Lashley vs. Braun Strowman

Non-title and MVP is here too. Lashley’s running shoulder to start just annoys Strowman so he clotheslines Lashley outside instead. Back in and Lashley runs Strowman over with his own clothesline but Strowman is right back up….as Drew McIntyre comes out. The distraction lets Lashley take Strowman down again, allowing him to tease an alliance with McIntyre as we take a break. Back with McIntyre on commentary and Lashley choking on the rope.

Lashley keeps hammering away and hitting a running right hand in the corner as commentary brings up Drew McIntyre taking promo classes back in the day. Strowman is back with an electric chair to Lashley (whose eyes bug out when he goes up) but he slips out of the running powerslam. The Hurt Lock is blocked and Strowman hits a sidewalk slam. They head outside with the Strowman Express hitting McIntyre by mistake. McIntyre gets up on the apron and the distraction lets Lashley hit the spear for the pin at 13:12.

Rating: D+. Good night I’m bored with this feud. It’s just three people attacking each other over and over again on Raw, leading up to them all hitting each other at once (and I bet it doesn’t even turn into a paining as Eye of the Tiger starts playing). This three way feud has been so dull and lifeless and it needs to wrap up already. Next week is likely going to be McIntyre vs. Lashley because that’s the most obvious and easy thing that WWE could do, which is why I fully expect it.

Overall Rating: C. I’m not sure how to handle the idea of Main Event being treated like a (very minor) place where things happen. It was the kind of show that doesn’t mean very much but if we get to use it as a tryout for new things, I’ll accept it as the televised, one off version of a house show. The show still isn’t good, but at least it is moderately more interesting and that’s an upgrade.

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

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

AND

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Ring Of Honor TV – May 5, 2021: That’s Pretty Deep

Ring of Honor
Date: May 5, 2021
Location: UMBC Events Center, Baltimore, Maryland
Commentators: Ian Riccaboni, Caprice Coleman

We continue on the road to whatever the next pay per view is down the line because Ring of Honor doesn’t do very many of them. At the same time, the faction wars continue and another battle takes place this week as Tony Deppen of Violence Unlimited gets a TV Title shot against Tracy Williams of the Foundation. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Quinn McKay welcomes us to the show and runs down the card. Actually she has a personal note though, as she will not be here next week because she will be facing Angelina Love instead. So she’ll be here but not….here. Dang that’s kind of deep.

Bandido vs. Flamita

Yeah this should work, as this is fallout from Flamita walking out on Bandido in a recent tag match. Flamita says it’s time for Bandido to feel his heat while Bandido, rather politely, says things can’t be repaired. They go straight to the forearm off to start but neither can hit a kick to the face. Instead it’s a staredown and some yelling in Spanish. Flamita manages a dropkick to the floor and there’s the big dive to take Bandido out again.

We take a break and come back with Flamita hitting a running kick to the face in the corner for two but Bandido is back with the really spinning headscissors. Flamita falls outside so Bandido hits the big dive, allowing him to wrap Flamita’s leg around the post. There’s a broom (yes a broom) shot to the knee but Flamita’s knee is fine enough to crotch him on the barricade. Just to show off, Bandido stands up on the barricade and snaps off a hurricanrana to Flamita, also standing on said barricade.

They both dive in to beat the count and it’s time to forearm it out. Flamita gets the better of things and knocks him down, setting up a quick 450. A MuscleBuster is countered into a kneebar, which is broken up in a hurry as well. They kick it out until they go down for a double breather. Back up and the referee gets bumped, allowing Flamita to hit a rather hard low blow. Flamita puts a boot on Bandido’s face for the pin at 14:24.

Rating: B-. The main point here was to make Flamita out to be a full on heel after Bandido suggested that they could be ok. Now the fact that they had a pretty awesome match with all of the flips and dives you would expect just makes it that much better. I’m still not entirely sure that they needed to split up Mexisquad but I can go for these two doing their crazy spots over and over again for a long time to come.

Beer City Bruiser/Ken Dixon vs. OGK

Before the match, Mike Bennett tries to calm Matt Taven down because he can’t get sidetracked from the Tag Team Title shot they are probably going to get. Dixon jumps Taven to start and stomps away in the corner until Taven snaps off a dropkick. A TKO across the top rope rocks Dixon again and something like a Blue Thunder Bomb gets two. Bennett comes in for a clothesline but it’s off to Bruiser for a big right hand and an “I’M THE BEER CITY BRUISER!” as we take a break.

Back with Dixon pounding Bennett until a quick Death Valley Driver gets him out of trouble. The hot tag brings in Taven to start cleaning house, including a swinging neckbreaker to Bruiser. Just The Tip gets two on Bruiser and everything breaks down. Taven misses Aurora Borealis on Bruiser and it’s back to Dixon to knock Bennett off the apron. Dixon plants Taven with a powerslam for no cover and OGK is right back up with a backpack Stunner/enziguri combination finishes Dixon at 11:40.

Rating: C. Dixon and Bruiser are fine as midcard villains but I’m not sure how far they are going to go. Granted it doesn’t help to have them in this kind of a spot as they are going to lose to a bigger team like OGK. Taven and Bennett work well together and I could see them getting into the Tag Team Title picture in a hurry.

Post match Taven hits Bruiser in the head with the beer bottle to even the score. Cue Brawler Milonas to glare at OGK and help Bruiser up, telling him that he was right all along. Milonas takes Dixon out and the Bouncers seem to be back, as they probably should be.

TV Title: Tony Deppen vs. Tracy Williams

Deppen is challenging and Williams takes him straight to the mat to start. An armbar goes on but gets broken up in a hurry as Deppen kicks his way off the rope. Back up and the rope break gets Deppen out of trouble but he talks a lot of trash. That earns him a series of strikes into the corner, setting up a Gory Stretch to put Deppen in more trouble.

We take a break and come back with Deppen snapping the neck over the top. They strike it out on the apron until Deppen enziguris him to the floor. The running cannonball staggers Williams and there’s a high crossbody to make it worse. Deppen chops away and puts Williams on top, where he DDTs him onto the buckle for a cool counter.

The Crossface goes on but Deppen crawls over for the rope. They slug it out again until Williams grabs a Death Valley Driver for two. Deppen punches him down and sets up a one armed Cattle Mutilation, with Williams having to slip out. The piledriver connects but Deppen goes to the rope as well. Williams is livid and slugs away but Deppen grabs a cradle for the pin and the title at 14:26.

Rating: C+. Good back and forth match here with the story seeing Deppen wrestling a regular match and Williams being so used to Pure Rules that he was thrown off. You have to give the new stable something and Williams is going to be fine based on his in-ring skills alone. Ring of Honor doesn’t change its titles very often so this felt like the important moment that it should have.

Violence Unlimited comes out to celebrate to end the show.

Overall Rating: B-. Ring of Honor continues to be one of the better shows around, even if it doesn’t exactly feel like a big deal. They use their talent in the right way though and the stories are easy enough to get into while also having some history to them. Good show here and it felt like a lot of things moved forward, which is not what you would expect from a weekly show most of the time.

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

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

AND

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

Daily News Update – May 13, 2021

Let’s do some AEW.

AEW Dynamite Match Ending Changed Due To Injury.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/aew-dynamite-match-ending-changed-due-injury/

Title Change Takes Place On AEW Dynamite.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/title-change-takes-place-aew-dynamite/

VIDEO: Bayley Wants A Fight After WrestleMania Incident.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/video-bayley-calls-bellas-wrestlemania-incident/

Several More Matches Added To AEW Double Or Nothing Card.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/several-matches-added-aew-double-nothing-card/

Velveteen Dream Backstage At Monday Night Raw, Status Update.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/update-velveteen-dreams-wwe-status-2/

NXT May Be Allowing A Lot More Fans Next Week.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/nxt-may-allowing-lot-fans-next-week/

Update On Mansoor’s Monday Night Raw Status.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/update-mansoors-monday-night-raw-status/

Damian Priest Was Told He “Was Done” If This Went Badly.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/damian-priest-told-done-went-badly/

As always, please click on all of the videos if you can, hit up the comments section and get on the site’s Facebook page.

Monday Night Raw – December 11, 2006: How To Accomplish Things

Monday Night Raw
Date: December 11, 2006
Location: Mohegan Sun Arena, Uncasville, Connecticut
Attendance: 5,500
Commentators: Jim Ross, Jerry Lawler

We’re getting close to the end of the year and that means it’s time for a new year. That would be New Year’s Revolution and we are starting to see the card coming together. In this case, that means we need to move forward towards John Cena defending the Raw World Title against Umaga and whatever else is added. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

John Cena vs. Armando Alejandro Estrada

Non-title. Before the match, Estrada says he knows no one here wants to see this match (Lawler disagrees) so we should just call it off. Estrada even offers a box of Cuban cigars to let him out of the match but Cena snaps one of them in half. Estrada: “That’s ok. Smoking’s bad!” How about Estrada’s diamond watch? JR thinks it’s out of the Uncle Elmer collection, and Cena snapping it in half might be proof. With that not working, Estrada busts out some cash and points out that we’re in a casino.

Cena takes said money and throws it into the crowd, meaning the match is still on. The destruction begins early with Cena knocking him around and easily blocking a brass knuckles shot. Estrada’s shirt is ripped open for the loud chops and Cena goes old school for the right hands to the head. The FU, with a smile, finishes in a hurry.

Post match Cena puts on the STFU but Johnny Nitro runs in for the save. Melina comes out as Nitro reminds Cena that he is training Kevin Federline for the Cena showdown on New Year’s Day.

Post break, Cena challenges Nitro for later tonight so Kevin Federline can get a preview.

Carlito/Jerry Lawler vs. Viscera/Chris Masters

This sounds like someone hit the random button on Smackdown vs. Raw. Lawler and Masters get things going with Masters hitting a quick slam. That makes Lawler think twice about things but Masters takes him into the corner for the tag off to Viscera anyway. The missed charge lets Lawler….get shoved by Masters so Viscera can hammer away against the ropes. Viscera drops the big elbow for two and we hit the chinlock, followed by the sitout chokebomb (that’s a big bump for Lawler) for two more.

Masters comes in and takes some forearms to the chest but spends too much time posing, allowing Lawler to get two off a sunset flip. It’s off to Carlito to pick up the pace, including dropkicking Masters down. Viscera cuts him off with a heck of a sidewalk slam but Lawler is back in with the right hands. The splash crushes Lawler in the corner but Carlito slips out of the Masterlock attempt and rolls Viscera up for the pin.

Rating: C-. I can’t believe it but this worked out pretty well. Lawler was working hard in there and Viscera was fine in the monster roll. Leaving Carlito and Masters out of the mix for the most part was probably a good idea, which makes things all the weirder. Lawler continues to be better at this stuff than a lot of people might expect and it worked out well here.

Cryme Tyme played the Highlanders in some Three Card Monte earlier today. The Highlanders get hustled, as you might have expected. Charlie Haas comes in (I didn’t expect that) to say this is perpetuating stereotypes so JTG says they’ll try to make this a more appropriate environment. Shelton Benjamin comes in and doesn’t seem pleased, meaning tonight, the World’s Greatest Tag Team is back. Haas: “HE SAID THE WORLD’S GREATEST TAG TEAM IS BACK! DY-NO-MITE! FOR SHIZZLE!” Haas and Benjamin leave, with Rory saying he didn’t know Haas was black.

We look back at Kenny helping Rated-RKO win a match but get beaten down by DX after the match.

Kenny comes in to see Rated-RKO, who doesn’t like him taking credit for the win. Orton: “As quick as you can say Spirit Squad, you got superkicked and Pedigreed.” Edge tells Kenny to watch him beat HHH tonight.

Next week: a special three hour Raw, featuring a thirty man battle royal with the winner facing John Cena for the World Title the same night.

Highlanders vs. World’s Greatest Tag Team

Haas works on Rory’s arm to start but gets taken into the corner for a top rope ax handle from Robbie. An overhead belly to belly sends Robbie flying and Shelton adds a suplex of his own. There’s a slam onto Haas’ knee but Robbie manages a Russian legsweep, allowing the hot tag off to Rory. Everything breaks down and Shelton kicks Robbie outside. Shelton jumps over Haas to land on the hanging Rory’s back, setting up a rollup with trunks for the pin.

Rating: D+. It isn’t like there are many teams that much better than Haas and Benjamin at the moment so the match result is hardly some horrible decision. The Highlanders stopped mattering a long time ago, even after the boost from Roddy Piper. Getting Haas and Benjamin back to doing something is fine, and this worked for a return.

This Week In Wrestling History: AWA SuperClash III, with a focus on Von Erich vs. Lawler and that horrible finish. Why yes, there is an AWA DVD coming out soon.

Edge vs. HHH

No seconds here, at least to start. HHH goes straight to the brawling and takes it outside to send Edge into the announcers’ table. Back in and the jumping knee to the face sends Edge outside again, followed by an elbow to do it again. HHH follows but here’s Randy Orton for the DQ.

Post match the brawl is on until Shawn Michaels, Kenny and Ric Flair run in for the subsequent saves. Cue Coach for the six man announcement.

DX/Ric Flair vs. Rated-RKO/Kenny

We’re joined in progress with Flair chopping Kenny into the corner so HHH can come in for a delayed suplex. There’s the knee drop as Lawler gets in a South Park reference. Shawn comes in to use Kenny’s headband for a choke, because veterans can cheap and be charming. HHH adds a chop block so it’s off to Edge, who gets taken down by the leg as well. That’s enough for Orton to come in and break up the Figure Four, meaning it’s time to hammer on Flair.

The villains start taking turns on Flair, with Edge forearming him down in the corner to cut off a comeback bid. An elbow to the head gets two on Edge and the armbar goes on. With that dropped, Flair chops him out of the air and hands it off to Shawn to start picking up the pace. Shawn superkicks Edge but walks into the RKO from Orton to put them both down.

We take a break and come back with Shawn and Orton striking it out until Shawn grabs a swinging neckbreaker. Edge comes in but misses the high crossbody, meaning HHH can come in to really clean house. It’s quickly back to Flair for the Figure Four but everything breaks down again. Kenny tries his own Figure Four but Flair small packages him for the pin.

Rating: C+. This did what it needed to do, including letting Flair come back and get a win to put him back on the right track. There wasn’t much to the wrestling but it told a nice enough story. Also, having Kenny in there to take falls should help Edge and Orton from taking all of the falls.

Post match the good guys celebrate but Edge and Randy Orton come back in to clean house. The Conchairto is loaded up but HHH makes the save with the sledgehammer, including using it to knock a chair out of Edge’s hands in a cool visual.

Johnny Nitro and Melina are on the phone with Kevin Federline, who remind him that they are going to take care of John Cena tonight (along with reminding him of who they are). Coach comes in and says hi but Federline doesn’t know who Coach is. With that out of the way, Coach announces that Nitro is going to challenge Jeff Hardy for the Intercontinental Title at New Year’s Revolution in a cage. Melina looks nervous here and they all walk off, leaving Ron Simmons to come in for the catchphrase while Federline is stillon the phone.

Torrie Wilson is freaked out about facing Victoria because she is on the hit list. Carlito calms her down, partially with his lips.

Victoria vs. Torrie Wilson

Torrie looks terrified and gets kicked down without much effort to start. There’s a catapult to send Torrie throat first into the bottom rope and Victoria bites off one of Torrie’s fingernails. Torrie grabs a rollup for two, earning herself the Widow’s Peak for the fast pin.

Post match Victoria checks Torrie off the list. Cue Chris Masters to hit the ring with the Masterlock on Torrie. Carlito makes the fast save and staring ensues.

Umaga vs. Jeff Hardy

Non-title, Armando Alejandro Estrada isn’t here and Hardy gets shoved down in a hurry. The sunset flip is blocked but Umaga misses the sitdown splash. That lets Hardy hit a slingshot splash for two and the Whisper in the Wind sends us to a break. Back with Jeff kicking away at Umaga from the apron until Umaga pulls him down. They head back inside for the nerve hold, followed by….another nerve hold.

Hardy fights up so Umaga blasts him with a running clothesline for another knockdown. Umaga misses a top rope splash though and Hardy has a chance. The Swanton connects for two with the kickout launching Hardy. Umaga ties him in the Tree of Woe for the running headbutt. Back to back running hip attacks knock Hardy cold and the referee stops it.

Rating: C+. This was a pretty clever way to give Umaga a win without taking the title off of Hardy or having him get pinned. Umaga as being even more of a monster without Estrada around was a little more interesting and they are making the idea of Cena going after the monster more appealing. Nice storytelling here and it helped make the title match that much better.

Post match Umaga hits another hip attack and Samoan Spikes Hardy and the referee. So why would Estrada be at ringside for the Cena match?

John Cena vs. Johnny Nitro

Non-title and Melina is here with Nitro. Cena charges straight in and starts the fight early, including an elbow to the jaw. An even harder clothesline takes Nitro’s head off as JR is going on a rather long rant about respect. Nitro gets knocked outside as we hear about Cena being a huge wrestling fan as a kid. Lawler comments by talking about how Melina has some magnificent Muracos.

Melina pulls Nitro outside so Cena glares at her and clotheslines Nitro again. A legsweep lets Nitro put his feet on the ropes for one, followed by a dropkick to finally put Cena on the floor for a change. With Melina hitting a rather long scream, Nitro sends him into the steps for two and Melina yells even more. A neckbreaker gives Nitro two and he low bridges Cena outside to make it worse.

Back in and Cena wins the slugout, only to get poked in the eye. We hit the sleeper so Cena drops backwards for the crash break. Nitro puts it on again but Cena fights up to power out of it again. A belly to back faceplant gives Nitro two and the corkscrew moonsault connects, even if it almost wound up looking like a Swanton to the knee. Cena fights back up and initiates the finishing sequence, capped off by the FU for the pin. It’s as sudden as it sounds.

Rating: C. I’m curious if that landing knocked Nitro a little silly and they went to the finish in a hurry as a result. The landing looked awful as Nitro almost landed on his own head so there wasn’t much room for error. Cena winning isn’t going to hurt Nitro, as he and Hardy can have a rather good match under any circumstances. Good enough main event here.

Overall Rating: C+. This show had the focus that they have been needing to get ready for the pay per view. Between the main event guys looking unstoppable and the other matches getting some attention of their own, I’m wanting to see the pay per view that much more. They still need to add a few more things, but we can cover that on next week’s special show. This week had its own tasks though and for once, WWE took care of them and more.

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

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

AND

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

New Column: This Time For Sure

Raw does it again (and again and again and again and again).

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/kbs-review-time-sure/

Dynamite – May 12, 2021: Storytelling Is Fun

Dynamite
Date: May 12, 2021
Location: Daily’s Place, Jacksonville, Florida
Commentators: Excalibur, Jim Ross, Tony Schiavone

We’re officially done with Blood & Guts, meaning that it is time to start up the fallout. At the same time, we have three shows left before Double Or Nothing and the card has barely been started so AEW might want to get around to that. Thankfully we are going to find out the #1 contender tonight, as Pac and Orange Cassidy face off for the right to challenge Kenny Omega. I’m sure it makes sense somehow. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

New Japan United States Title: Yuji Nagata vs. Jon Moxley

Moxley is defending and Excalibur dives right in to listing off various Japanese legends that Nagata has been associated with over the years. Moxley comes out to Wild Thing, which I’m assuming is his music in New Japan or something. Nagata knees him in the ribs to start and they head outside to keep up the brawling. Back in and Moxley clotheslines away in the corner, followed by a running knee to the seated chest.

There’s a kick to the chest for two more, only to have Nagata kick even more. An exploder gets two on Moxley, who is right back with a German suplex into the running lariat for two. More kicks put Moxley down for another two and the seated armbar goes on. Moxley makes the rope and comes back with a basement clothesline for two more. The Paradigm Shift retains the title at 8:28.

Rating: C+. This was certainly fine enough and I’m sure Moxley got to have a lot of fun out there. They didn’t overstay their welcome whatsoever and it was a fine way to appeal to the New Japan fans who are already watching the show. Thankfully they didn’t waste too much time on the guest star match, so it isn’t exactly something worth complaining about.

Post match Moxley bows in respect to Nagata, who does the same thing right back.

We run down the card.

Most of the Inner Circle knows that they had the Pinnacle beaten but let it slip away. Then MJF showed his true colors by having Santana detained for using a fork on him last week. They’re still alive, so the Pinnacle failed last week and now the Inner Circle wants a rematch. If they don’t get one, tonight’s coronation of the Pinnacle is going to be their funeral. If only there was a pay per view coming up to host that big gimmick match, or say the full return of fans in less than two months.

Here is Cody Rhodes for a big announcement. Cody talks about how it is fun to be an American and even though there are various problems with the country, he has never not been proud to be an American. Then you have Anthony Ogogo, who spends all of his time trash talking America. That’s fine because it is his freedom to do so, because he has a visa from the United States.

America is a place where the dream lives, from an Italian immigrant being World Heavyweight Champion for over 4000 days to a 16 year old boy from Pakistan coming to America, inventing a new kind of bumper, and changing the lives of everyone in this city (speaking about Tony Khan’s father Shad). There was segregation in Atlanta until the early 1960s and now in that same city, his wife is going to give birth to a beautiful daughter who is both black and white. Therefore, it is time to fight at Double Or Nothing, where the full capacity audience will see the return of the American Dream, when he faces Ogogo.

This was a heck of a promo from Cody, even if turning him into the All American after having a flag draped over him might be a bit of a jump. That being said, the American Dream deal should be a rather nice moment and it is Dusty’s son, so it isn’t like trying to make someone into a Dusty knockoff with no reason. It might be a stretch in some ways, but it’s close enough that it counts.

Video on SCU being friends with the Young Bucks, but then everything fell apart.

Tag Team Titles: SCU vs. Young Bucks

SCU is challenging, with JR pointing out that they have been #1 contenders for ten weeks, making me wonder why they needed to win a #1 contenders match last week. Also, if SCU lose, they’re done as a team. Kazarian takes Matt down to start and it’s a clothesline/belly to back suplex combination to drop Matt again. Nick gets kicked in the chest and clotheslined in the back of the head but manages to take Daniels outside. A powerbomb onto the apron has Daniels down as we take a break.

Back with SCU hitting Celebrity Rehab on Nick but Matt breaks up the Best Meltzer Ever. Daniels gets posted to open him up badly, leaving Kazarian to pull Nick in for the slingshot cutter. A northern lights suplex gets two on Matt, with Kazarian being sure they had the pin. Kazarian gets a rollup but Doc Gallows offers a distraction (JR: “Why would you want to converse that long with Doc Gallows?”) to break up the count.

Kazarian hits a Styles Clash for two, drawing an AJ Styles chant, which might not be the desired result. A superkick into a Tombstone into a knee gets two with Daniels finally getting back in for the save. Angel’s Wings hits Nick to send him outside and Daniels pulls Kazarian to the corner for the tag. Matt spears Daniels down and hammers away at the eye, drawing even more blood.

The Angel’s Wings doesn’t work due tot he blood loss and Daniels can barely pull himself up. Matt: “I’m sorry, I love you”. The superkick gets two but Daniels is back with the release Rock Bottom. The BME connects (after Daniels slips on the first attempt) for two with Nick making the save. Matt busts out some cold spray to the eyes and hits him in the head with the can for the next near fall. The BTE Trigger retains the titles at 13:50.

Rating: B. This was the kind of match they needed to have and SCU gets to go out with a rather good showcase. I’m kind of glad they didn’t end with the weapon shot, as it would have been as cliched as you could get, and Daniels being busted open but still fighting told a good story. This was a solid match and in a way, it is good to get rid of SCU as the tag division has way too many teams at the moment.

Post match SCU is stunned but we need to cut to the back where Jon Moxley and Eddie Kingston wreck the Elite’s dressing room.

During the break, SCU has a big emotional hug goodbye. Heaven forbid we show THAT live instead of Moxley and Kingston throwing a bunch of stuff.

Christian doesn’t think much of Taz critiquing him, because it has as much weight as someone critiquing Taz at a buffet table. Next week, Christian has an open contract to face any member of Team Taz before he moves on to the Casino Battle Royal at Double Or Nothing (it wouldn’t be a pay per view without a battle royal or ladder match). Matt Sydal interrupts to say not so fast, because he has signed up to face Christian next week and then is going on to win the battle royal.

Pac vs. Orange Cassidy

For the World Title shot at Double Or Nothing. Pac takes the sunglasses to start and breaks them up, meaning it’s a Beach Break for a very early two. Cassidy sends him outside for a suicide dive and busts out a backup pair of sunglasses. We take a break and come back with Cassidy being sent hard into the barricade, followed by a dropkick to turn him inside out.

There’s a missile dropkick to put Cassidy down again so Pac loads up the Black Arrow. Hold on though as Cassidy rolls under the corner and poses up at Pac, who hits a heck of a Liger Bomb for two. We take another break and come back with Cassidy down so Don Callis comes out (because of course he does) to say Pac needs to pick up the pace. Cue Kenny Omega with the belt shot to Pac, giving us a double countout at 14:03.

Rating: C. And now we get the triple threat match because that’s what happens in a situation like this. It’s not the worst idea to go that way but at least they didn’t have Cassidy get some fluke win. The match was fine enough and the ending sets up a logical title match, though it wasn’t exactly an original way to go.

Post match Callis says Omega is getting a night off at Double Or Nothing so it’s time for a road trip. Tony Schiavone announces the triple threat title match. Omega: “YOU DON’T KNOW ME! YOU GOT NO POWER OVER ME! YOU DON’T KNOW ME!” This is as cliched of an announcement as you can get, though seeing heels stunned by never learning can be a little funny.

The Good Brothers and the Young Bucks are livid over their dressing room being destroyed, but the Bucks would rather brag about getting rid of SCU. They’ll defend the titles against the Varsity Blonds next week and then, as humble Christian men, invite Moxley and Kingston to a superkick party at Double or Nothing.

The Dark Order promises to get Hangman Page back on top of the rankings but Page thinks it was Taz helping Brian Cage beat him. So how about Taz stays in the back and it’s one on one, which makes it double or nothing for Cage. John Silver: “That’s the name of the pay per view! Did you do that on purpose???”

Here is the Pinnacle for the coronation, with MJF (in a pink suit) wearing a crown. MJF: “Don’t boo people! BOW!” We hear about the ratings success, including Shawn Spears helping them get some rather good numbers in Canada. But sure, the Inner Circle wants a rematch…..and he says no. Tully Blanchard talks about being on top before and they were there again last week.

The Pinnacle took everything the Inner Circle had and then saw the Inner Circle give up to save Chris Jericho. When you quit, you just quit and leave the Pinnacle at the top of the world. Tully even has a gift for them: some very expensive watches, to remind them of when they were at the top of the world. Cue the Inner Circle in a jeep with a trailer (because this company LOVES having someone drive in), with Chris Jericho popping out. His arm is in a big cast but he still wants a rematch, which MJF declines again.

Sammy Guevara sprays them down with A Little Bit Of The Bubbly from a water cannon and everyone is soaked. Then they honk the horn a lot until MJF agrees to Stadium Stampede II at Double Or Nothing. We’ll throw in a bonus though: if the Inner Circle loses, they have to break up forever. Jericho pauses a bit on that one and the match isn’t official yet. This might have had a bit more impact if we hadn’t had SCU being forced to break up after losing about 45 minutes ago. Or if Kurt Angle/Steve Austin hadn’t done the truck thing better with milk/beer.

Britt Baker is ready to win the Women’s Title because she isn’t letting the pain from a broken face last year break her. It’s poetic that Hikaru Shida broke her face and now Baker is going to take the title from her. We see clips of Baker breaking up the AEW photo shoot for Forbes Magazine and Baker promises to win the title.

Thunder Rosa vs. Jazmin Allure

Rosa throws her into the corner to start and hammers away, setting up the running dropkick into the corner. A shoulder breaker into the Fire Thunder Driver finishes Allure at 1:53.

Here’s what’s coming next week and at Double Or Nothing.

We look at Mark Sterling, formerly MJF’s agent, pitching his services to Jade Cargill.

Jade says she handles her own business and is that b****.

Darby Allin is back in Seattle to remember how far he has come. He has seen Miro go from a gamer to a best man and now he is coming for the title. Win or lose, Miro is going to admit that Allin is one of the toughest men he has ever faced.

TNT Title: Miro vs. Darby Allin

Allin is defending and Miro jumps him before the bell, with the beating being on in a hurry. They head outside with Allin being posted and then sent over the barricade. A suplex sends Allin back to ringside and they head outside, where Allin says ring the bell. Miro superkicks him for two and they head outside with Allin nailing some shotgun dropkicks. The suicide dive drops Miro (and it was a great one) but he throws Allin with a suplex and we take a break.

Back with Allin in trouble and Sting down thanks to Scorpio Sky and Ethan Page taking out his knee during the break. Another suplex sends Allin into the corner but Allin manages to grab a choke. He jumps on Miro’s back and they head outside with Allin grabbing the nose (sounds dumb but it’s smart when you think about it), only to be driven hard into the barricade.

Back in and Sting (fine after the jumping) fires Allin up enough to start the comeback, including the flipping Stunner for two. A pop up powerslam is countered into another flipping Stunner but the Coffin Drop is countered into a German suplex, with Allin backflipping onto his feet. The Code Red gets two but Miro pulls him into the Game Over and wrenches all the way back for the stoppage and the title at 14:48.

Rating: B+. The wrestling itself wasn’t the best (though it worked) but this was all about the storytelling, with Allin fighting until the bitter end but not being able to overcome the monster. That is a story that will always work and Allin is one of the easiest guys in the world to get behind given his size and willingness to give it everything he has. I had a really good time with this and it was the only possible ending.

Post match Page and Sky jump Sting again (as the first one didn’t quite take) so the Dark Order runs out to chase them off. Miro celebrates but Lance Archer comes out for the staredown to end the show.

Overall Rating: B. Another good show here, with the wrestling being good to very good throughout and the rapid fire build towards Double Or Nothing beginning. That has been needed and while the card still has some work to do, the core is right there. They still need to slow down on a few things and cut out some of the 80s/90s tributes, but overall, it is a fast paced show and the kind of entertaining night that you know you’re going to get from AEW.

Results

Jon Moxley b. Yuji Nagata – Paradigm Shift

Young Bucks b. SCU – BTE Trigger to Daniels

Pac vs. Orange Cassidy went to a double countout

Thunder Rosa b. Jazmin Allure – Fire Thunder Driver

Miro b. Darby Allin – Game Over

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

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

AND

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

Daily News Update – May 12, 2021

Seems like an NXTish day.

AEW’s Ricky Starks Out Of Action With A Broken Neck.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/aews-ricky-starks-action-broken-neck/

Important Update On Monday Night Raw Injury Scare.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/important-update-monday-night-raw-injury-scare/

John Cena Returning To WWE Programming As Narrator Of New Series.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/john-cena-returning-wwe-programming-narrator-new-series/

Very Interesting Note On WWE And Daniel Bryan (And Walter).

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/interesting-note-wwe-daniel-bryan-walter/

VIDEO: Surprise Return Takes Place During NXT.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/video-surprise-return-takes-place-nxt/

1990s WWE Star Making Special NXT Appearance.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/1990s-wwe-star-making-special-nxt-appearance/

Surprise? WWE Has Some Plans For Eva Marie’s Return.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/surprise-wwe-plans-eva-maries-return/

Return Of The Limitless? Keith Lee Hints At Return To NXT.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/keith-lee-hints-return-nxt/

As always, please click on all of the videos if you can, hit up the comments section and get on the site’s Facebook page.

NXT – May 11, 2021: Takeover-Esque

NXT
Date: May 11, 2021
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Winter Park, Florida
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Wade Barrett, Beth Phoenix

It’s another double title night as we have two titles on the line. As a bonus, one of the matches, in this case Kushida defending the Cruiserweight Title against Santos Escobar, will be two out of three falls. That’s nice enough, but will it be nicer than Raquel Gonzalez defending the Women’s Title against Mercedes Martinez? Well yeah it probably will but that’s beside the point. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening recap/preview.

Karrion Kross vs. Austin Theory

Non-title and Scarlett/Johnny Gargano are here. Theory is rather worried to come in but Gargano talks him into it, meaning the stalking can start fast. A clothesline doesn’t do much to Kross but his clothesline takes Theory’s head off. Kross looks annoyed at Theory and tosses him with a Doomsday Saito. Gargano offers a distraction though and Theory rakes the eyes to take things outside.

A DDT on the floor drops Kross but Theory breaks the count at nine for some reason. Kross gets posted and Theory hits a rolling clothesline as we hear the Bronson Reed gets a North American Title shot against Gargano next week. Kross comes right back with another Doomsday Saito and Theory is out, even as Kross hammers away at the back of the head. The Krossjacket choke finishes Theory at 6:03 as Kross stares at Gargano.

Rating: C. I would have bet on total destruction here but Kross got in enough offense to make it work. Theory is someone who could be a star if he was given the right kind of presentation as the talent is certainly there. That being said, there was no reason for Kross to break a serious sweat here and that did not take place, so they did it the right way.

Post match Finn Balor pops up behind Karrion Kross to say he doesn’t wait in lone. The match is on at some point in the future.

Earlier today, Leon Ruff asked William Regal for a match tonight but was turned down because of the beating he took last week. Ruff wrecked Regal’s desk but Angry Daddy Regal got serious and told him to get out.

Breezango vs. MSK

Non-title. Lee and Breeze start things off with Breeze taking him down and strutting a bit. Back up and Lee drops him with a shoulder before flipping over Breeze to show off as well. Their stereo superkicks connect with each other’s feet and we get the wincing standoff. Lee comes in and takes Breeze down, setting up some dancing. Fandango comes in and runs the ropes to go over both of them before colliding with Breeze.

Back up and Breeze runs the ropes as well, with the referee dropping down and then leapfrogging over him, allowing Carter to hit a dropkick. Back from a break with Fandango dragging Lee over to the corner, where Breeze slingshots him….into Fandango. That’s enough for the hot tag to Carter and the push moonsault gets two.

Fandango makes the save and it’s time for the four way slugout. Breezango gets the better of things but Carter catches Fandango on top. A running knee puts Fandango on the floor and Carter hits a middle rope moonsault to take out both of them. Back in and a running dropkick in the corner sets up the spinebuster/Blockbuster combination to finish Breeze at 10:49.

Rating: C+. The match was pretty good but e pluribus gads Breezango is one of the least interesting things NXT has had in a long time. The interest goes away as soon as they are shown doing almost anything and that has been the case for a long time. MSK is very good at what they do, but my goodness they are not an interesting team to watch. I’m not sure how to fix that, but being a bit more serious would be a good start.

Post match Breezango teases turning on MSK but shake hands in peace.

Johnny Gargano goes into William Regal’s office and wants to know why he made the match against Bronson Reed. Of course Regal doesn’t hate him, because Gargano is the North American Champion and has his own headband! Gargano doesn’t seem convinced and storms off.

Commentary talks about Takeover: In Your House II when Ever-Rise pops up behind them. Those guys have grown on me so much.

Here is Pete Dunne, with Oney Lorcan, to talk about Finn Balor getting the next shot at Karrion Kross. Dunne can’t blame him because Kross knows how tough Dunne really is. The open challenge is on and here is Leon Ruff to jump Dunne from behind.

Pete Dunne vs. Leon Ruff

Oney Lorcan is here with Dunne. Ruff starts fast and hammers away but Dunne counters a jump out of the corner. Dunne starts working on the hand but Ruff snaps off a hurricanrana. One heck of a clothesline cuts Ruff off though and it’s right back to the hand cranking. A big stomp on the arm makes Ruff scream and it’s time to bend the arm around the rope.

Ruff manages an enziguri out of the corner and a missile dropkick to put Dunne down. Dunne pops back up with a dropkick and then knocks the middle rope twisting cutter out of the air. A Figure Four necklock with some elbows to the head have Ruff knocked silly and the referee stops it at 3:03.

Rating: C+. I continue to marvel at how much Ruff has gotten out of this run and jobbing to Dunne after getting in a few shots is not a bad role to have. That being said, Dunne looks primed to become the next big thing around here and is starting to feel more like his NXT UK version. That is a great thing for everyone around, because that Dunne is one of the best in the world.

Post match, Dunne breaks the fingers for a bonus.

Legado del Fantasma promises to get the Cruiserweight Title back tonight.

Frankie Monet debuts in two weeks.

Also in two weeks: Kross vs. Balor II for the title.

Women’s Title: Mercedes Martinez vs. Raquel Gonzalez

Gonzalez, with Dakota Kai, is defending and gets knocked down to the floor to start. Martinez scares Kai over the barricade and dives off the apron to take Gonzalez down. We take a break and come back with Gonzalez hitting a heck of a clothesline for two. The chinlock goes on but Martinez punches her in the face for the break. Well that works. Something like ground and pound has Gonzalez in trouble and it’s off to a sleeper.

Gonzalez rams her into the corner for the break but gets forearmed hard in the face. The hanging DDT (or maybe a fisherman’s buster) out of the corner gives Martinez two and they head to the apron, with Martinez hitting a spear. Back in and Gonzalez flips her throat first onto the top, which puts Martinez on the floor again.

This time Gonzalez posts her but Martinez comes back in with some forearms to the face. A clothesline cuts Martinez down for two and a backbreaker is good for the same. The lifting powerbomb is countered though and Martinez hits a running knee to the face. There’s the fisherman’s buster for two on Gonzalez, followed by some knees to the face. Gonzalez is right back with a big boot (because knees to the face can be shrugged off) into the lifting powerbomb to retain at 11:58.

Rating: B. This was about two strong, hard hitting women hitting each other in the face over and over again and that’s what they did. I’m not sure if there was any real drama over a possible title change here, but Gonzalez getting a nice win and making the powerbomb look good in the process is smart. Good stuff here, limited selling of shots to the face aside.

The Way seems to have attacked Bronson Reed.

Here is Isaiah Scott, who introduces his new group, which seems to be called Hit Roh (pronounced Row), featuring AJ Francis, Ashante Adonis and Briana Brandy. The three of them put a chair in the ring for Scott, who talks about the mistakes he has made in NXT. He has been thinking that he is a dangerous man, and now it is time to have some people who think like him.

First up is Francis, now known as Top Dollar. He is the top in everything and raps a bit about how great he is. Brandy dubs herself B Fab and talks about how she is the mind of the team. She put money on Leon Ruff’s head so Dollar dropped him. Scott dubs the team as NXT’s new problem. If it gives Scott something to do, that is some awesome news.

We go to an auction for a house, with Cameron Grimes showing up and bidding eight million dollars. Ted DiBiase pops up and bids TWENTY MILLION DOLLARS, sending Grimes into hysterics all over again. These things continue to be gold.

Zoey Stark used to be a fan of Toni Storm but then she went all nuts. Storm doesn’t like her because Stark lives in the gym and works hard to be here.

Oney Lorcan vs. Kyle O’Reilly

Pete Dunne is here with Lorcan. This is fallout from earlier when Lorcan said O’Reilly couldn’t beat anyone, which had O’Reilly thinking Lorcan had been in the sun too long. Kyle dives for the leg to start but gets caught in a front facelock. O’Reilly escapes a headscissors so Lorcan takes his head off with a clothesline. The triangle choke over the rope has Lorcan in trouble until O’Reilly has to go after Dunne. Lorcan gets in a cheap shot from behind and we take a break.

Back with Lorcan hammering away, including some shots in the corner. O’Reilly hits a running knee to the knee though and some more knees to the chest have Lorcan in trouble. A belly to back suplex sets up a quickly broken kneebar, so O’Reilly hits the brainbuster. The top rope knee to the back finishes Lorcan at 8:58.

Rating: B-. Lorcan is one of those guys who can go out there and have a fine match with anyone, meaning it felt like O’Reilly had to do something to win here. That’s what you need in a match like this, as you can pencil in O’Reilly vs. Dunne for Takeover. Good match, with that top rope knee getting turned into a pretty serious finisher.

Post match Pete Dunne comes in for the big beatdown but Bobby Fish returns for the save. O’Reilly is glad to see him but they agree to go their own ways because they have their own things going on. That’s good, as there is absolutely nothing left for them to accomplish as a team.

We get a superhero movie trailer style vignette for the Way.

Bronson Reed is sick of the Way so next week, the title match against Johnny Gargano is inside a cage.

Cruiserweight Title: Santos Escobar vs. Kushida

Escobar is challenging and this is 2/3 falls. The brawl starts in a hurry and Kushida is sent outside, where Legado del Fantasma tries to jump him. Cue MSK immediately to take them out though and all four are ejected. Kushida hits a big flip dive from the top to drop Escobar and we take an early break.

Back with Escobar working on a half crab before putting Kushida on top. A fireman’s carry drop puts Kushida ribs first into the turnbuckle and we hit most of a Boston crab on the steps, with Kushida’s throat going into the post. Back in and the surfboard has Kushida in trouble, followed by a reverse chinlock to work on the back even more. Escobar stomps in the corner but a superplex is countered into a sunset flip for two. Back up and Escobar grabs the Phantom Driver for the pin and the first fall at 10:57. Commentary says we’re going to a break but hang on as Kushida grabs a cross armbreaker to even things up at 11:23.

Now we take the break and come back with Escobar snapping Kushida’s arm across the top and hitting his signature suicide dive tot he floor. Back in and Kushida counters the double underhook gutbuster and takes Escobar down for a breather. Kushida kicks him to the floor and takes Escobar down by the arm, only to miss the running kick to the arm back inside. Escobar rolls him up for two and counters the Hoverboard Lock into a small package for two more.

They go into the pinfall reversal sequence, with Kushida’s cradle (that he used to win the title in the first place) getting two. A double clothesline puts them both down though and we need a breather. Back up and Escobar takes him to the top, only to get pulled into the Hoverboard Lock. Kushida rolls it into the middle of the ring but Escobar makes the rope anyway. A suplex sends Escobar into the corner and a bridging northern lights suplex retains the title at 22:14.

Rating: B+. These guys work very well together and it is nice to see Kushida get a win after a big match like this. That being said, the ending was rather abrupt and I was almost expecting some kind of shenanigans. I’ll take Kushida retaining the title clean though, as it makes his title reign feel that much more established. I’m not sure what is next for Escobar, but having the goons with him should keep him fine for a long time. Good wrestling match here, and sometimes that is what you need, especially if it makes the Cruiserweight Title look important for a change.

Overall Rating: A-. This was almost Takeover-esque with some of the matches working very well. Granted this show did start off a little bit slowly, but once it got on a roll, it was on a roll in a big way. I liked this one a lot and they made me care about things I likely wouldn’t care about otherwise. Very good show here, and a nice example of what NXT can do when they are focusing well, including setting up stuff for the next few weeks. That’s quite a use of two hours.

Results

Karrion Kross b. Austin Theory – Krossjacket choke

MSK b. Breezango – Spinebuster/Blockbuster combination to Breeze

Pete Dunne b. Leon Ruff via referee stoppage

Raquel Gonzalez b. Mercedes Martinez – Lifting powerbomb

Kyle O’Reilly b. Oney Lorcan – Top rope knee to the back

Kushida b. Santos Escobar 2-1

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