NXT UK
Date: May 26, 2022
Location: BT Sports Studios, London, England
Commentators: Andy Shepherd, Nigel McGuinness

Things have been interesting around here as of late, but we are in a non-title week for a change. This time around the main event is a Heritage Cup Rules match between Charlie Dempsey and A-Kid, which should be a heck of a match. I’m not sure what else we’ll be getting, but I’m expecting some Lash Legend because it’s required these days. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Mark Coffey vs. Saxon Huxley

Coffey grabs the wrist to start before going with some forearms to the face instead. Huxley runs him over though and we’re already in a neck crank. Back up and they trade clothesline until Coffey gets in a backdrop. Huxley grabs a chokebomb for two of his own but Coffey hits a suplex, setting up a sliding forearm for the pin at 4:13.

Rating: C. This was a short match with the purpose of getting Coffey, and as a result, Gallus, back on track and that is not a bad thing. I could go with seeing Gallus going in a different direction and it seems that they might be doing just that, at least for now. If nothing else, the idea of Joe Coffey coming back for a showdown could be interesting.

Video on Ivy Nile, who is ready for her NXT UK Women’s Title match in two weeks.

Video on Sam Gradwell vs. Von Wagner. Both of them are ready for the other.

Emilia McKenzie vs. Lash Legend

Yeah you knew she would be here. McKenzie’s headlock doesn’t work as Legend sends her flying, earning a YOU SUCK chant from the crowd. Legend drops a big elbow and nips up for no count, despite a rather arrogant cover. A whip into the corner sets up an over the shoulder backbreaker but McKenzie slips out. McKenzie dropkicks the knee out so Legend drops to the floor, setting up a suicide dive to take her down again. Back in and a high crossbody gives McKenzie two more but Legend kicks her in the face for the pin at 6:07.

Rating: D+. I do get the idea thinking behind having Legend on a show like this where fewer people are going to see her, but at the same time it is a little hard to watch her drag down some of the stars around here. Legend is not someone who belongs on television yet so a web series might be the best option they have. It wasn’t even a good match, as McKenzie did what she could but then got kicked in the face. How fun.

Mark Andrews sneaks up on the still paranoid Kenny Williams and tells him to watch out. This doesn’t make Williams any more relaxed.

Sha Samuels vs. Damon Kemp

Noam Dar is here with Samuels. Kemp shrugs off the early wristlock attempt to start and wrestles him to the ground without much effort. Samuels manages to knock him into the corner though and a running splash staggers Kemp. A middle rope elbow gives Samuels two but he misses a middle rope backsplash. Kemp grabs a gutwrench suplex and starts the comeback but Dar grabs his leg. That’s enough for Samuels to hit a spinebuster for the pin at 5:43.

Rating: C+. I could go with more of something like this as Kemp has a little something going for him. He needs experience though and that is the point of something like this appearance, and he was even protected by Dar’s interference. Nice stuff here and Samuels gets a rare win as a bonus.

Video on Ashton Smith/Oliver Carter vs. Moustache Mountain vs. Die Familie in the triple threat Tag Team Title match in a few weeks.

Wolfgang offers Damon Kemp some coaching.

A-Kid vs. Charlie Dempsey

Heritage Cup rules. Round one begins with Dempsey taking him to the mat with a headscissors but A-Kid spins out and starts cranking on the arms. Dempsey ties A-Kid’s arm up and cranks away before getting two off a suplex. A-Kid is back up and tries a cradle but time expires.

Round two begins with A-Kid hiptossing him down for two but they go to the mat with a test of strength. A sunset flip gives A-Kid two more and they go back to the test of strength, with both of them flipping around on the mat to no avail. Dempsey grabs a spinning backbreaker to wrap up the round with A-Kid in trouble.

Round three begins with both of them grabbing a legbar at the same time, meaning it’s time to slap each other really hard. They both roll to the ropes before Dempsey blasts him with a running clothesline. A hard German suplex gives Dempsey two more so he ties up the legs and arm in that reverse cover of his for the tap at 2:19 of the round and 9:19 overall.

Round four begins with A-Kid striking away at the legs but getting his knee twisted. A-Kid is right back with more kicks before pulling Dempsey into a sleeper. That’s reversed but A-Kid fights out of a butterfly stretch and hits a running knee to tie it up at 2:36 of the round and 12:34.

Round five begins with Dempsey avoiding a charge but getting fisherman’s suplexed for two. Dempsey takes him down by the leg and plants him hard for two. A-Kid slips out of a sleeper and this a running kick to the chest for two of his own. The moonsault DDT plants Dempsey but A-Kid can’t cover in time and the round ends.

Round six begins with A-Kid hitting a running kick in the corner and some German suplexes drop Dempsey. Someone throws Dempsey a towel, which is tossed away just as fast, though Dempsey has found some brass knuckles. Those are thrown to A-Kid, with the distraction being enough Dempsey to grab the belly to back fisherman’s suplex for the pin and the win at 1:25 of the round and 18:10 overall.

Rating: B. Like this wasn’t going to be good, as you have this kind of talent in there and a lot of time to have their match. Sometimes you need a good wrestling match like this, though the ending left a good bit to be desired. You can only get so much of a result after that kind of a screwy finish, but A-Kid could have used the protection. Rather good stuff here and that shouldn’t be a surprise.

Overall Rating: C+. Solid show here and if you get rid of Legend, it’s that much better. It’s always a good sign when you have a positive show without the main eventers or a title match so they’re doing things well here. The main event is worth a look and we can get to the bigger stuff in the coming weeks. Nice job here.

Results
Mark Coffey b. Saxon Huxley – Sliding forearm
Lash Legend b. Emilia McKenzie – Big boot
Sha Samuels b. Damon Kemp – Spinebuster
Charlie Dempsey b. A-Kid 2-1

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NXT UK
Date: May 12, 2022
Location: BT Sports Studios, London, England
Commentators: Andy Shepherd, Nigel McGuinness

It’s a big time show this week as we have the 200th episode (though that doesn’t seem to be the case if you actually count them up). Counting issues aside, we have a big main event as United Kingdom Champion Ilja Dragunov is defending against Jordan Devlin in a title match that is also Loser Leaves Town. Let’s get to it.

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

The opening video looks at the title match.

Opening sequence.

Ashton Smith/Oliver Carter vs. Gallus

The winners move on to a triple threat Tag Team Title match and it’s the Coffey brothers for Gallus. Mark powers Carter to the mat to start and it’s quickly off to Joe for a chop as commentary talks about Joe never winning anything. Carter sends Mark into the corner with a headscissors and starts in on the arm, with Smith coming in to do the same. That doesn’t work for Mark, who runs Carter over and hands it back to Joe….who is quickly knocked to the floor.

We settle back down to Joe hammering on Smith, setting up an overhead belly to belly. Joe seems to tweak his knee on a leapfrog though, allowing Carter to come back in with a slingshot shoulder. An assisted 450 gives Smith two but a Silly String moonsault hits raised knees. Joe gets in another suplex and the hot tag brings in Mark to clean house. Mark hits a middle rope bulldog for two on Carter and a belly to back drops Smith. Joe comes back in with a high/low for two, leaving Mark to dive onto Carter. A missed springboard bangs up Joe’s knee again and another assisted moonsault gives Carter the pin on Joe at 10:24.

Rating: C+. They kept things moving here but Smith and Carter winning was the only thing that makes sense. The two of them have seemed primed to get the titles for awhile now and Gallus’ losing streak gets to continue. I’m not sure where that is going but things are continuing to go badly, which makes things interesting.

Post match, Gallus isn’t happy.

A-Kid has gotten his match with Charlie Dempsey to be held under Heritage Cup rules.

Video on NXT UK over the years and how some of them have gone on to main roster success. They’ve had some good stuff.

Lash Legend cuts off Emilia McKenzie’s interview but doesn’t have time for McKenzie getting annoyed at her.

Nina Samuels vs. Ivy Nile

Samuels offers a quick pose off, which is kind of stupid when Nile’s biceps are bigger than Samuels’ head. Nile takes her to the mat for a headscissors, complete with pushups. Samuels goes to the ropes for a needed breather before snapping Nile’s throat across the top. That lets Samuels get in her own pushups, followed by the double fish hook. Nile fights up with the kicks to various parts of Samuels and a running dropkick in the corner gets two. A slap to the face rocks Nile on the ropes but she’s right back with the dragon sleeper for the win at 4:43.

Rating: C-. This wasn’t much but it is nice to see Nile getting a win over a more established name. Nile seems ready to move up to the title picture soon as it isn’t like there is much more for her to do otherwise. Samuels is pretty firmly established in her spot and the Nina Samuels Show stuff can get her right back after another loss.

Damon Kemp doesn’t think much of Sha Samuels jumping him last week.

Dave Mastiff and Jack Starz mock one of Die Familie’s meetings, including a cardboard cutout of Charlie Dempsey’s head. A beating is promised.

Joe Coffey says he’s going to take some time away by himsel.f

Wild Boar blames Eddie Dennis for his troubles last year and now he wants revenge.

Kenny Williams continues to go insane and still believes that Tiger Turan is behind everything. He even has a wall covered in papers as all sane people do.

United Kingdom Title: Jordan Devlin vs. Ilja Dragunov

Dragunov is defending and this is Loser Leaves NXT UK. Devlin gets taken to the mat to start, with Dragunov working on a headlock. The comeback attempt just earns him another headlock before it’s time to go with the slugout. Devlin catches him on top with a shot to the face and it’s a brainbuster onto the top turnbuckle for a nice tribute to El Generico.

Back in and Dragunov can barely stand so Devlin kicks him in the ribs for two. A running legdrop just wakes Dragunov up but Devlin knocks him into the corner. One heck of a clothesline drops Dragunov and we hit the half crab, complete with some stomps to the head. That’s broken up though and Dragunov starts firing off elbows, with commentary saying Dragunov is more volatile than Bitcoin.

Back to back German suplexes drop Devlin again but he’s able to crotch Dragunov on top. A moonsault out to the floor drops Dragunov and a reverse cutter gets two back inside. Dragunov catches him on top with a superplex, setting up a hard forearm to the face for two. Torpedo Moscow only hits buckle though, allowing Devlin to hit the Devlin Side for the pin (with Dragunov’s foot in the ropes).

Devlin celebrates but here is Johnny Saint to say restart things. Another Torpedo Moscow is countered into a Canadian Destroyer (that was sweet) and a brainbuster gets two. Dragunov is back up with a German suplex and the Torpedo Moscow retains the title/gets rid of Devlin at 16:12.

Rating: B. Dragunov continues his reign in another good match, though some of his kickouts do get to be a bit much. There come points where he feels indestructible and that can be hard to take at times. Other than that, Devlin leaving could be interesting, as he could be on his way to regular NXT or out altogether, or he might be back under some shenanigans. Either way, I’m curious to see what is next for both of them, as Dragunov is in need of a new challenger and no one seems to be ready for him.

Dragunov celebrates and Devlin is crushed to end the show.

Overall Rating: B-. This was a much better show than the last few, as there is only so much you can get out of a show focused on the lower level NXT stars. Instead, this show was about the United Kingdom Title with a big time main event. That is what the show has been needing, though I have a bad feeling that this is a one off rather than a shift back to what made the show work over (most of) the last 200 weeks.

Results
Ashton Smith/Oliver Carter b. Gallus – Assisted moonsault to Joe
Ivy Nile b. Nina Samuels – Dragon sleeper
Ilja Dragunov b. Jordan Devlin – Torpedo Moscow

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NXT UK
Date: April 28, 2022
Location: BT Sports Studios, London, England
Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Andy Shepherd

We’re in a bit of a weird place here as there is no major match this week. Last week saw Moustache Mountain cheat to retain the Tag Team Titles and in two weeks, Ilja Dragunov defends the United Kingdom Title against Jordan Devlin. I’m not sure what that leaves us with this week but maybe they have something in mind. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Symbiosis vs. Wild Boar/Mark Andrews

Eddie Dennis is here with Symbiosis and it’s a big brawl on the floor before the bell. Andrews avoids a kick in the knee and hits a 619 on T-Bone’s leg, setting up a dropkick to the same knee. Boar comes in for a slam on Primate and then drops Andrews onto him for two. It’s back to T-Bone (still favoring the knee) for a forearm to the back and a belly to back suplex for two. Primate hits an elbow to the face as the villains keep taking turns beating on Andrews.

T-Bone makes the mistake of yelling at Boar though and Andrews slaps him in the face. With that not working, Andrews misses an enziguri but avoids Primate’s elbow, allowing him to dive over to Boar for the tag. A heck of a lariat gives Boar two on T-Bone and Primate is sent outside. Boar’s t-bone suplex gets two on Primate but Dennis gets on the apron for a distraction. Not that it matters as Boar sends Symbiosis into each other and suplexes T-Bone. Andrews adds Fall To Pieces for the pin on T-Bone at 7:26.

Rating: C. This was another step on the way towards Wild Boar vs. Eddie Dennis, which is getting quite a bit of time for a story that is only so interesting in the first place. It’s good to have Andrews back after such a long time away, but he does feel a bit inserted into the whole thing. Boar vs. Dennis could be good, though I’m not sure how much I care about getting to that point.

Post match Boar goes after Dennis and grabs the chain so the chase is on, with Dennis running out of the arena.

Video on Von Wagner, who is ready for Saxon Huxley.

Moustache Mountain arrived earlier today and no last week wasn’t nefarious. Trent Seven says that they are going to keep the titles no matter what but now the bosses (whose names he mispronounces) need to find them some real competition.

Sid Scala….is interrupted by Eddie Dennis running away from Wild Boar. Scala is tired of this running so let’s have a Dog Collar match. Boar shows up and chases Dennis off.

Angel Hayze vs. Xia Brookside

Eliza Alexander is here with Brookside, who looks annoyed at Hayze’s presence. Brookside works on the arm to start but Hayze reverses into a wristlock of her own. Brookside stomps on the foot to escape in about as simple of a counter as you can get (which isn’t a bad thing). That’s reversed with a wristlock takeover and a running kick to the head gets two on Brookside.

Hayze gets kicked out of the corner as Shepherd talks about how whiny Brookside has been as of late. The camel clutch goes on for a bit until Hayze fights up and scores with some forearms. A running shot to the face gives Hayze two but an Alexander distraction lets Brookside grab the rollup pin at 5:06.

Rating: C. This was just a step above a squash for Brookside but at least her bodyguard did something for once. I’m still not sure if she needs a bodyguard for the most part as I liked her better on her own, but she does at least have someone helping her get some wins. Not much of a match, but I can go for more Brookside most of the time.

Post match the double team beatdown is on but Amale runs in for the save.

A-Kid comes up to Charlie Dempsey at the Performance Center and wants to settle their differences for good. That seems to set up a match but nothing specific is mentioned.

Damon Kemp is officially in NXT UK. That’s a good thing, as wrestlers need to work in front of a different audience and with different people. Johnny Saint even comes in for a cameo to welcome him to the show.

Von Wagner vs. Saxon Huxley

Fallout from Huxley interrupting Wagner’s debut and calling him stupid. They go straight to the slugout to start until Huxley shoulders him down. Back up and Wagner scores with a jumping knee to the face as Nigel talks about how Huxley can be dangerous, depending on which voice in his head he listens to at the moment. A clothesline gives Wagner two and the chinlock goes on. Huxley fights up and hits some running shoulders, setting up a top rope clothesline for two of his own. The Thesz press sets up something in a fireman’s carry but Wagner elbows his way to freedom. Wagner’s Death Valley Driver finishes at 4:04.

Rating: C. Totally run of the mill power match here with Huxley getting to showcase himself while Wagner gets the win because WWE sees something in him. I’m not sure what that something actually is but they certainly see something. Huxley has a weird charisma to, but odds are this is about as far as it is going to go.

Post match Wagner says Huxley is the first of many and you’re just living in his world.

Gallus had a press conference earlier this week where they promise that they are united and stronger than ever. They all shake hands after answering no questions.

Tiger Turan, a masked man, is coming.

Video on Isla Dawn vs. Meiko Satomura in next week’s Women’s Title match.

Lash Legend is coming. Oh freaking joy.

Here are Sid Scala and Johnny Saint for the contract signing between Jordan Devlin and Ilja Dragunov. Both guys come to the ring and Devlin puts his feet up. Devlin blows into the microphone and says those are the winds of change. Dragunov doesn’t like Devlin belittling this place but Devlin says he IS this brand. He’s the reason for all of this pomp and circumstance but Dragunov says this title defines him.

Dragunov’s worst nightmare is to see Devlin holding the title and it isn’t happening. Devlin knows that it will happen, so Dragunov wants to raise the stakes. That could work, so Dragunov wants to make it Loser Leaves NXT UK. Devlin thinks Dragunov won’t want to be seen after he loses anyway, so he’s in. They both sign and the fight is on, with Dragunov putting the table up in the corner. Devlin uses Scala as a shield though and it’s the Devlin Side to put Dragunov through the table. The fans dub Devlin an Irish coward as he holds up the title to end the show.

Overall Rating: D. What in the world was that? Did they forget that they had a show here and threw out whatever leftovers they had? We got a match setting up a match between a wrestler and a manager, a match that was just a step above a squash, and Von Wagner. For the “important” stuff, we had a contract signing that ate up the last bit of the show and added a stipulation that could have been added in a graphic. This was a total misfire and I really, really hope that it’s a one off instead of the new direction around here

Results
Mark Andrews/Wild Boar b. Symbiosis – Fall To Pieces to T-Bone
Xia Brookside b. Angel Hayze – Rollup
Von Wagner b. Saxon Huxley – Death Valley Driver

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NXT UK
Date: April 14, 2022
Location: BT Sports Studios, London, England
Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Andy Shepherd

We’re in an interesting place here as this is one of the few shows without a title match over the next few weeks. Instead we have A-Kid vs. Teoman in a match that should be worth a look and some other stuff that should work out as well. This kind of show tends to work well for NXT UK so let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Coffey Brothers vs. Dave Mastiff/Jack Starz

Joe and Mastiff collide to start but the shoulders don’t send either of them anywhere. Mastiff tries it again to some more success before bringing in Starz. This doesn’t go as well as Joe takes him into the corner for the tag to Mark and some arm cranking. A double atomic drop sets up a backbreaker for two but Starz manages a dropkick. Joe gets driven into the corner for a change and the tag brings in Mastiff.

That actually doesn’t go well at first as Joe tries a slam, only to have Starz hit a dropkick to the back to knock Mastiff onto him. A slingshot splash gives Starz two, with Nigel wondering how Joe isn’t spitting up Irn Bru. Joe finally gets up and sends Starz at Mastiff, which is enough for a tag and another splash crushes Joe again. With the power not working, Joe gets in a shot to the face and hits a middle rope missile dropkick for the needed breather.

The hot tag brings in Mark to clean house and a middle rope bulldog gets two on Starz. A half nelson suplex is broken up though and Starz gets in a much needed backdrop. Mastiff comes back in but gets enziguried, only to have Joe tag himself in. Joe tries to get the pin himself but the delay lets Mastiff knock him silly. Starz’s powerbomb finishes Joe at 8:32.

Rating: C+. This got a bit of time and the story continues to be the issues between Gallus. They can’t win a match at the moment and I’m curious to see if it leads to a heel turn, a split or both. Starz has come a LONG way since he was the designated victim and this big guy/little guy team with Mastiff is working. The result was a bit predictable but I liked the match.

Post match the winners are happy and the losers aren’t. Wolfgang comes out to calm things down but Joe yells about how Mark and Wolfgang are the team and walks off.

Video on Ilja Dragunov retaining the United Kingdom Title last week over Roderick Strong.

After the match, the two of them met up in the back, with Strong saying Dragunov is special but they’ll see each other again. They shake hands but Jordan Devlin comes in to say he’s the Irish Ace. Dragunov sneers a bit.

Video on Kenny Williams vs. Sam Gradwell, as Williams keeps pushing Gradwell, who seems ready to push back. They’ll be having a back alley brawl, which Williams says is a mistake for Gradwell. This gets some time and they make it look a good bit bigger than it had been coming in.

Here is Meiko Satomura for a chat about wanting her title back. Satomura wants Isla Dawn out here with the title right now so here is a laughing Dawn to respond. The lights dim and the camera gets a bit weird as Dawn talks about getting attached to the title. They have a future together, but she is willing to hand it back over on one condition: a rematch, under Dawn’s own chaotic rules. Dawn throws the title down and stares at her as the rematch is accepted. That works for Dawn, who mists Satomura and says she’ll get the title back in a world of darkness.

Amale will be watching Eliza Alexander’s match and says she is still full of rage. It is a matter of time before she gets her hands on Eliza and Xia Brookside.

Gallus argued during the break and Joe Coffey left.

Mark Andrews says he and Wild Boar have been friends for fifteen years. The only time that hasn’t been the case was when Eddie Dennis got involved. Boar promises to hurt Dennis as soon as he gets the chance. Andrews holds up a chair and Boar says Symbiosis is the hunted.

Eliza Alexander vs. Angel Hayze

This is Alexander’s in-ring debut and Xia Brookside is in her corner. Alexander grabs a headlock to start as we hear about Brookside’s father training Alexander when she was 13. Hayze grabs a rollup for two but gets taken down with a clothesline to the back of the head. There’s a kick to the back and the fans aren’t pleased with Alexander. The slow beating continues with Alexander dragging her around by the wrist but Hayze gets in some shots of her own. A Sling Blade gives Hayze two but Alexander cuts her off with another clothesline. One heck of a running knee knocks Hayze silly for the pin at 3:09.

Rating: C. That knee alone is going to get Alexander noticed as she blasted Hayze with that thing. Other than that, you had little more than a squash here, as Alexander toyed with her for a few minutes before getting serious to finish it off. Good debut here, though there is only so much to get out of something like this.

Emilia McKenzie talks about training hard and being successful thanks to coaching from Meiko Satomura. Stevie Turner pops in to say Satomura is helping McKenzie because Satomura doesn’t see her as a threat. McKenzie seems to think about it.

Moustache Mountain is ready for their 2/3 falls Tag Team Title defense against Oliver Carter/Ashton Smith. This includes Trent Seven being a good bit more nefarious lately as he has to keep the titles.

Teoman vs. A-Kid

The rest of Die Familie is here with Teoman. Feeling out process to start with A-Kid taking him to the mat. That doesn’t last long so let’s have a standoff. Teoman gets in a kick to the chest out of the corner but A-Kid seems pleased that things are picking up. A headlock takeover puts Teoman down but he switches into a headscissors. That’s reversed into a bow and arrow but Teoman slips out to land on top for a quick two.

A-Kid starts cranking on the ankle, which is reversed into a crossarm choke. With that not working either, A-Kid pops up for a dropkick to stagger Teoman again. Charlie Dempsey offers a distraction though and Teoman hits a dropkick down to the floor. Back in and the chinlock goes on for a bit, followed by a forearm to the back of A-Kid’s neck. A slam cuts off a comeback attempt but Teoman hurts his own knee to slow things back down.

The delay lets A-Kid fight up and chop away and a loud kick to the chest gets two. There’s a fisherman’s suplex for the same but Teoman is back with a kind of brainbuster onto the knee, setting up a sliding forearm for two of his own. A cross armbreaker is blocked as Teoman rolls over to the ropes, sending both of them to the apron. Teoman misses a sliding forearm and goes into the steps so A-Kid moonsaults onto the rest of Die Familie. The distraction lets Teoman hit a reverse flipping DDT for the pin at 11:12.

Rating: B. I keep going back and forth on both of these guys as they both seem ready to move up to the next level but it never seem to happen. Teoman does seem like the leader of the team, though Charlie Dempsey gets my attention every time he’s in there. As for A-Kid, he seems to be falling further and further down each week, even after that random NXT cameo. At least they had a good match here though, which shouldn’t be a surprise.

Teoman yells about the Eye seeing everything to end the show.

Overall Rating: B-. They had a series of good matches this week, though it is kind of interesting that we seem to be getting back to Jordan Devlin as the challenger for the United Kingdom Title. I have long since thought that Devlin would be getting the title, though I’m not sure if Dragunov is anywhere close to being ready to lose the belt. Other than that, this was a show about moving stories forward and as usual, NXT did it fairly well.

Results
Jack Starz/Dave Mastiff b. Coffey Brothers – Powerbomb to Joe
Eliza Alexander b. Angel Hayze – Running knee
Teoman b. A-Kid – Flipping reverse DDT

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NXT UK
Date: March 31, 2022
Location: BT Sports Studios, London, England
Commentators: Andy Shepherd, Nigel McGuinness

Last week saw a title match as Meiko Satomura successfully defended the Women’s Title against Isla Dawn, only to have Dawn steal the title belt after the match was over. Odds are that is going to be continuing in some way, but we also need to get closer to Roderick Strong challenging Ilja Dragunov for the United Kingdom Title. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Amale vs. Xia Brookside

Brookside gets punchy to start but Amale counters her crossbody with a slam. A fall away slam gets two but Brookside kicks her down out of the corner. Some rather bratty stomping on Amale’s back keeps her in trouble and Brookside fires off the shoulders to the back in the corner. The running knees to the back give Brookside a slow two and we hit the camel clutch.

Amale escapes and starts striking away, setting up a northern lights suplex for two. The Hopebreaker is blocked but so is Brookside’s Boston crab attempt. Instead Brookside bails to the floor so Amale can hit a running boot against the barricade. With Brookside thrown back in, a mystery blonde clotheslines Amale on the floor, leaving Brookside to hit the Broken Wings for the pin at 5:57.

Rating: C. Brookside cheating to win makes sense, though it’s almost weird to see Amale lose. She has cooled off a bit but it is clear that she has moved up the ladder more than a few steps. This is probably going to be the start of a longer story between them and Brookside having some muscle behind her makes it even more interesting.

Post match the blonde gets in the ring to pose and then leave with Brookside.

We get a creepy video with Isla Dawn singing about how she has something that belongs to Meiko Satomura. The bond between Meiko and her title is quite strong, but Dawn wants something from her. Either do what she asks….or else.

Video on Roderick Strong vs. Ilja Dragunov, with various wrestlers talking about how great it should be. A lot of them want a shot at the winner.

Trent Seven vs. Ashton Smith

Tyler Bate and Oliver Carter are here too. They fight over the lockup to start with Smith driving him up against the wall. Smith sends him into the ropes but gets crossbodied down. A hiptoss into a legdrop gives Seven two and a suplex gets the same. The chinlock doesn’t last long as Smith is back up with a face first drop on the country and a running shoulder. Smith starts in on the arm before loading up a superplex.

That’s broken up with some shots to the ribs so Seven tries a high crossbody, which is pulled out of the air in a nice power display. Seven is muscled up into a suplex for two but is fine enough to catch Smith on top. That means Seven can hit a superplex for two of his own and it’s time to slug it out.

The referee tries to break it up so Seven gets in a cheap shot, setting up a dragon suplex (Smith bounced off that thing). The suplex slam gets two but Smith goes after the arm to break up the Seven Star Lariat. Smith hits his own Seven Star for two and frustration is setting in. They go to the pinfall reversal sequence and Seven grabs the trunks for the pin at 8:52. Bate sees the cheating and is absolutely NOT cool with it.

Rating: C+. What matters here is they have me wanting to see what they are going to do with the title match. Seven is almost full on evil and that is going to either cause Bate to come with him or the two of them to lose the titles. It’s giving me Sting/Lex Luger from the Nitro era vibes and that means there are more than a few directions this thing could go. Nice match too, which is almost a bonus at this point.

Post match Bate applauds Seven but still looks annoyed. Smith and Carter aren’t happy either.

A-Kid is back and this place will always be special to him. He isn’t letting Teoman get away with what he has been doing lately.

Wild Boar, looking a bit crazy, is carrying a crutch and promises that he can handle anything that Eddie Dennis throws at him. Then he throws a bunch of stuff.

Oliver Carter and Ashton Smith aren’t happy with the cheating. Moustache Mountain comes in, with Trent Seven saying that was a win. The argument is on until Sid Scala comes in to say they’re going to figure this out in his office….next week. Seven tells Tyler Bate that a win is a win.

Tate Mayfairs vs. Kenny Williams

Williams stomps him into the corner to start and rakes a boot across the eyes. Mayfairs fights back but Williams takes his leg out without much effort. A rake to the back lefts Williams get two, complete with a knee on Mayfairs’ face. The double arm crank goes on, with Williams sitting on his back for some extra….I guess pain?

Mayfairs fights out and starts striking away, including a kind of step up right hand. Williams knocks him outside but doesn’t want a countout, instead throwing Mayfairs back inside for Bad Luck. That’s good for two, with Williams pulling him up instead of getting the pin (oh dear). Mayfairs is sent outside for a crawl underneath the ring, but Sam Gradwell pops out. Gradwell scares Williams off and throws Mayfairs inside for the countout win at 5:45.

Rating: C. I’m kind of over the slip on a banana peel finish to these squash matches but that is what we got here again. Gradwell wanting to dismantle Williams makes sense and it should make for a good fight, though this was a long way to get to an annoying loss for Williams. Mayfairs doesn’t seem like someone they are pushing, as he is another guy in trunks who happened to be in the right place at the right time.

Wolfgang is ready for Mark Coffey to win the Heritage Cup. Die Familie comes in and asks why Gallus always gets to represent heritage. Mark vs. Charlie Dempsey seems to be set up.

We get a face to face showdown between Ilja Dragunov and Roderick Strong. Dragunov knows of Strong’s reputation and says he feels the same way about wanting to push things to the next level. Strong sees a lot of himself in Dragunov for the same reasons. He knows Dragunov is the next real challenge and wants to add the title to his resume.

Dragunov accused Strong of not respecting him and says he became a new man when he won the title. Strong says Dragunov is living in the moment and doesn’t know what it feels like to lose. Nothing hurts Strong more than saying “I was” and Dragunov will feel that after their title match. They get in each others’ faces and Dragunov promises to stand his ground. Intense stuff here, which is where Dragunov excels.

Heritage Cup Title: Noam Dar vs. Mark Coffey

Dar is defending and has Sha Samuels in his corner, with Joe Coffey in Mark’s corner. Round one begins with the two of them taking their time before exchanging some wristlocks. Dar takes him down with a headlock before having to duck a right hand. Hold on though as Samuels gives Dar a shot from his flask, with the contents then being thrown into Joe’s face. Dar trips the frustrated Mark and gets in some laughs from the corner.

With that not having much staying power, Dar ties him up with something like the Tequila Sunrise. Some arm cranking wraps up round one, with Nigel being VERY pleased. Round two begins with Dar going right back to the arm, including countering a chinlock attempt into an arm crank. With the technical stuff not working, Coffey hits him in the face, only to charge into a small package to give Dar the first fall at 1:10 of the round and 4:41 overall.

Round three begins with Coffey hitting him in the face again for an early two and muscling Dar up for a backdrop. A German suplex gets two more so Samuels pulls Dar outside, only to get dropped by Mark. Back in and an enziguri ties us up at a fall apiece at 1:34 of the round and 6:44 overall.

Round four begins with Samuels begging the referee to give Dar more time, allowing Dar to kick Mark in the head for two. Some more kicks rock Mark but he manages a belly to back suplex out of the corner for a breather. Dar catches him on top and hits a running kick to the face, only to get knocked down hard for his efforts. They slug it out with Mark getting the better of things until he misses a jumping kick and hurts his leg again. Dar grabs the kneebar but time runs out to save Mark.

After the corner men nearly get into it (papers are torn up and thrown), round five begins with another forearm off. Dar hits a spinning elbow to the face but gets rolled up for a fast two. Something like a Tazmission crossface has Dar in a lot of trouble but Mark has to drag him away from Samuel’s attempted interference. Samuels offers another distraction so Mark lets go and Joe gets in the ring to glare. The distraction lets Dar hit the Nova Roller for the retaining pin at 1:47 of the round and 12:44.

Rating: B-. Dar cheating to retain has become a Bingo card entry as it seems almost like a guarantee whenever he puts the title on the line. Now he has run through all of Gallus and I’m not sure who is next, but I could see him holding the title for awhile to come. The fans still don’t like him, but it would be nice to see him do something a bit different, just to shake things up a bit.

Gallus shakes their heads to end the show.

Overall Rating: C+. There wasn’t anything great on this show, but they did a good job of making me want to see where some of the stories were going. That is one of the things that NXT UK does as well as anyone else these days, especially when a lot of the star power wasn’t here this week. Pretty good show here, though far from a classic.

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NXT
Date: March 29, 2022
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Wade Barrett

It’s the go home show for Stand & Deliver and the card is all but set. We still have some matches that need a final push though and that is where this week’s show comes in. If nothing else, there is one spot left in the North American Title ladder match and it gets filled in this week. Let’s get to it.

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

Imperium vs. LA Knight/MSK

LAMSK (spelled like it sounds) jumps Imperium from behind to start and they start fast, with Knight and Barthel trading wristlocks. Barthel gets taken down and MSK hits a neck crank into a basement dropkick. A cheap shot finally takes Knight down though and Barthel kicks him in the chest. The fans want Gunther and receive him almost immediately, with some kicks tot he back keeping Knight in trouble. It’s already off to Aichner for a slam into the ropes for two and the beating villains continue their alternating beatdowns.

Knight finally fights his way over to the ropes for the tag to Lee. Everything breaks down and Carter hits a dive, leaving Knight to stare Gunther down. We take a break and come back with Knight and Barthel coming in off the double tag, allowing Knight to clean house in a hurry. The big jumping elbow gets two, with Aichner making the save. Carter hits a running dropkick in the corner as Knight and Gunther fight into the back. That leaves Aichner to kick Lee in the face and blast Carter with a clothesline for the pin at 12:11.

Rating: C+. MSK losing doesn’t mean much here as the Tag Team Title match is more about the Creed Brothers than MSK, who are just kind of there too. It was nice to see Knight get to stand toe to toe with Gunther before their showdown on Saturday. That could be a nice fight and if they allow Knight to shine a bit, he could have a breakout performance. Fast paced opener here and I can always go for a good six man tag.

Post match the Creed Brothers come out for the three way staredown.

Io Shirai and Kay Lee Ray are ready to win the Women’s Title, even if it means beating one another. Ray throws out some good luck in Japanese, which Shirai returns in English.

Dakota Kai goes hunting for Wendy Choo but only finds Wendy’s stuff destroyed.

Earlier today, Ivy Nile told Tatum Paxley to work harder if she wants to be in the Diamond Mine.

Ivy Nile vs. Tiffany Stratton

Stratton takes her down without much trouble and hits the standing moonsault for two. Nile is right back up with a clothesline and Stratton backs off. That doesn’t last long as Stratton sends her into the ropes for a running hip attack to the back. A headlock takeover doesn’t last long on Nile so Stratton sends her face first into the mat. Nile is ticked off though and hits Stratton in the face. A running shot in the corner sets up a double arm crank until Nile sends her face first into the mat. Stratton is ticked off and comes back but here is Sarray for a distraction, allowing Nile to grab the dragon sleeper for the tap at 3:26.

Rating: C. This was little more than a squash for Nile until Sarray used her teleporting powers to get involved. What matters here is that Nile gets to beat someone else up as you have to imagine she is coming for the Women’s Title sooner or later. The match might not have been great, but Nile is a force and Stratton is growing on me.

Tommaso Ciampa is in his usual spot in the back and talks about how this is his place to connect with the people. The people and NXT have been his haven through a lot of troubles, including five miscarriages (egads) before his miracle daughter was born. They created the Black and Gold together, but now they are going to do it one more time. Ciampa stands up and the dates 9/9/15 – 4/2/22 (his debut to his final match) are written on the chair. I’m really curious about what is next for Ciampa, because going to the main roster almost seems impossible for him.

We get a video on Dolph Ziggler’s accomplishments in WWE.

Ziggler talks about coming to NXT as usual, but this time he is going to be staying a bit longer. He has been doing this time after time and how everyone wants him for media because everyone knows who he is. We see some clips of Ziggler’s path here as he talks about how everyone KNOWS Bron Breakker is taking the title from him at Stand & Deliver, just like the KNEW he would do it at Roadblock. He’s the star, and he’ll prove it again. Good video here, but it feels like Breakker’s likely title win would mean a lot more if he was winning it for the first time rather than regaining it.

Video on Cora Jade, talking about how she wanted to win the title and be like other NXT Women’s Champions (“Charlotte….don’t really like her”). She even has her notebook from high school where she wrote about wanting to follow her dreams as a wrestler instead of taking notes in math class. Yes the odds are against her, but she was never much for math anyway.

Legado del Fantasma vs. Josh Briggs/Brooks Jensen

Elektra Lopez and Fallon Henley are the seconds. Barrett talks about how Jensen’s love life can get him in trouble, allowing him to reference Will Smith. Briggs throws Wilde into the air for a crash onto the mat to start, followed by a fall away slam to make it worse. Briggs comes in but gets kicked in the ribs by Mendoza. A springboard is cut off though and Briggs drives him into the corner, setting up a double shoulder.

Jensen gets knocked outside though and Wilde hangs sideways off the post (that was impressive) before dropping straight down into a splash. Some running corner clotheslines knock Jensen silly again and a double suplex gets two. The chinlock is broken up though and the hot tag brings in Briggs to clean house. Lopez offers a distraction though, allowing Legado to knock him down. Henley goes after Lopez and Wilde’s 450 is cut off with a grab of the throat. The chokeslam sets up a high/low for the pin on Wilde at 5:36.

Rating: C. This is how you treat a team like Briggs and Jensen: let them go out there in their jeans and boots with their country girl manager and beat up some heels. It’s a formula that has worked for years and it worked again here. Odds are you can book the six person tag from here and that is an upgrade over Jensen’s dating issues.

Indi Hartwell and Persia Pirotta argue over their respective men and agree to a Texas sized showdown in Dallas, as judged by the NXT Universe. That’s going to be stupid isn’t it?

Cameron Grimes is nervous about his last chance match tonight because he needs this. Grimes wants to make his promise to his father come true.

Here is Toxic Attraction for a chat. Mandy Rose isn’t happy with Io Shirai and Kay Lee Ray adding themselves to the Women’s Title match but no she is not scared or worried. The three of them have dominated the women’s division for six months so now it is time to do it again at Stand & Deliver. Before we get there though, we have to talk about Wendy Choo and Dakota Kai, who failed in the finals of the Dusty Classic. They pull some of Choo’s stuff out of their backpack, revealing that the three of them took her out.

There is no one left to go after them and they are THE attraction around here. Cue Dakota Kai to go after them but the numbers game takes her down. That brings out Raquel Gonzalez for the real save and Toxic Attraction bails. Kai and Gonzalez have the big reunion and seem to be the next challengers as they hold up the titles. I’m not sure how epic of a reunion that is but there isn’t anyone else to go after the belts.

Carmelo Hayes and Trick Williams are excited for the ladder match when Grayson Waller and Sanga come in. Waller is ready to take the title but Hayes says he goes viral just by showing up. Glaring ensues.

Von Wagner vs. Bodie Hayward

Robert Stone and Andre Chase are here as seconds and Jacket Time is doing their own commentary. Hayward knocks him down to start but hold on as we cut to the attractive woman who has been appearing as of late. Jacket Time loses their mind over her as Wagner takes over inside with some shoulders to the ribs in the corner.

Hayward comes back with a running forearm but gets caught in a fall away slam. Wagner misses a running boot in the corner though and Hayward hits a running shoulder to put him down. Hayward isn’t having that though and runs him over, setting up something like a release AA for the pin at 3:41.

Rating: C-. Hayward is energetic in the ring but the Chase University bits are what matter most in the whole act. That makes things a little complicated as the matches aren’t worth seeing but the fans still like him. As for Wagner, he’s another big guy who does his thing and doesn’t seem to be getting very far as a result.

Post match Wagner jumps Jacket Time and rips up Ikemen Jiro’s jacket.

Tony D’Angelo is ready to take Tommaso Ciampa out of the chain and give him his last match in NXT. Then D’Angelo is taking over NXT as the new don.

Joe Gacy vs. Draco Anthony

Harland is here with Gacy, who shoulders Draco down to start. Back up and Anthony grabs an armdrag but stops to stare at Harland. That lets Gacy come back with a DDT and a chinlock, with trash talk included. Said trash talk lets Anthony…well nothing actually as Gacy hits a swinging Rock Bottom. Anthony fights up and hits a running elbow in the corner, setting up a suplex for two. Gacy slips out of another suplex (with Anthony falling down), followed by the handspring lariat to finish Anthony at 3:56.

Rating: C-. Gacy beat Anthony up here and Harland didn’t even need to help him win. Hopefully this doesn’t lead to Gacy gaining a following, as I could see Anthony turning on Xyon Quinn when Xyon is here to help him next time. Gacy just isn’t that interesting, with Harland being the latest in a long series of angry looking bodyguards.

The Steiner Brothers are going into the Hall of Fame, allowing commentary to FINALLY say that Rick Steiner is Bron Breakker’s father.

We get a video on Bron Breakker, who talks about how this is the biggest match of his life. His first title win was about proving himself but then he lost the title in a big surprise. Dolph Ziggler is here but he leaves as fast as he can every time. NXT is Breakker’s life and at Stand & Deliver, Ziggler has nowhere to run and hide. Breakker feels like a ticked off force in the vein of his uncle and that is a very good thing.

Stand & Deliver rundown, with Toxic Attraction defending the Women’s Tag Team Titles against Dakota Kai/Raquel Gonzalez added to the Kickoff Show.

Nikkita Lyons vs. Sloane Jacobs

Lyons slams her down to start but Jacobs is back with a Codebreaker to the arm. A suplex drops Jacobs though and there’s a Samoan drop to make it worse. Some kicks to the head set up the splits splash to finish Jacobs at 1:46 (with Jacobs looking bored as she is pinned).

Post match Lash Legend pops up to rat at Lyons and a challenge is issued for sometime after Stand & Deliver. Can we challenge Legend to never talk again?

Malcolm Bivens promises that the Diamond Mine is going to win everything at Stand & Deliver. The Creeds are left alone and get a text from whoever attacked them, saying they’ll be watching on Saturday. The area code is 781, which is from Boston (not mentioned here).

Cameron Grimes vs. Roderick Strong vs. A-Kid

The winner is in the North American Title ladder match. They all start fast with each one having to make a save. Strong can’t get a Boston crab on Grimes but A-Kid can’t get his sleeper. Grimes misses the Cave In, giving us a three way stand off. A monkey flip sends A-Kid into a hurricanrana to take Strong down and a dropkick puts Strong into the corner. Back up and A-Kid springboards into a wristdrag/headscissors combination to put the other two in trouble as we take a break.

Back with Carmelo Hayes on commentary and the rest of the ladder match entrants appearing to watch. Strong powerbombs A-Kid onto Grimes but can’t get a double Stronghold. Grimes is back up with a high crossbody on Strong and a swinging Side Effect on A-Kid. It’s A-Kid back on his feet to spike Grimes with a DDT and everyone is down. The three way slugout is on with Strong getting the better of things and powerbombing A-Kid onto Grimes. The End of Heartache drops A-Kid but Grimes hits the Cave In for the pin on Strong at 10:53.

Rating: B-. They went with the fast paced offense here and that is a good idea in a match like this. All of the other challengers coming out to watch made for a nice atmosphere and Grimes winning was the right call. You can have A-Kid and Strong go after the title later, but Grimes’ deal with his dad is the right trigger to pull at the moment.

Post match everyone involved in the ladder match promises to be champion, triggering a huge brawl to end the show.

Overall Rating: C+. I’m not sure when it happened but this show has gotten a lot more watchable in recent weeks. Above all else, it feels like a lot of the characters are starting to fit into their roles. They also aren’t throwing three or four new people out there almost every week so the wrestlers who are already around can develop a lot more. The show is still far from perfect, but I had a much easier time with this one than almost any NXT that I can remember in recent months.

Results
Imperium b. LA Knight/MSK – Clothesline to Carter
Ivy Nile b. Tiffany Stratton – Dragon sleeper
Josh Briggs/Brooks Jensen b. Legado del Fantasma – High/low to Wilde
Von Wagner b. Bodie Hayward – Fireman’s carry slam
Joe Gacy b. Draco Anthony – Handspring lariat
Nikkita Lyons b. Sloane Jacobs – Splits splash
Cameron Grimes b. Roderick Strong and A-Kid – Cave In to Strong

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

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

It’s another title week here as Isla Dawn gets her shot at the NXT UK Women’s Title and Meiko Satomura. That could make for a good showdown, as Dawn has cranked up the evil in recent weeks. In other news, Wild Boar gets his shot at Symbiosis, starting with T-Bone. Let’s get to it.

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

Quick video on Meiko Satomura vs. Isla Dawn.

Opening sequence.

Die Familie vs. Saxon Huxley/A-Kid

Teoman is here with Familie. A-Kid and Dempsey start things off with Dempsey working on an early armbar. Huxley comes in and slams his way out of another armbar before slamming Raja too. An elbow gets a rather delayed two and it’s back to A-Kid, who is quickly pulled into a Fujiwara armbar.

A-Kid breaks that up so Dempsey takes him down by the leg instead as this isn’t A-Kid’s night so far. Dempsey grabs a fisherman’s suplex for two and it’s off to a standing armbar. A jump over Raja finally allows the fast tag to Huxley though and it’s time to clean house in a hurry. Huxley hits a big clothesline for two on Dempsey but stops to chase Raja to the floor, allowing Dempsey to grab the Kimura.

That’s broken up as well and it’s back to A-Kid to German suplex Raja. Huxley adds a butterfly backbreaker to Raja with A-Kid adding in a running basement dropkick for two. Dempsey distracts the referee though and Teoman sends A-Kid into the barricade. The distraction lets Raja post Huxley and a jumping Downward Spiral finishes at 8:26.

Rating: C+. This took some time to get going but it felt like Die Familie had to work to get the win. That being said, it is a little surprising to see A-Kid get beaten up this badly. He didn’t get anything going here until the very end, which isn’t something you see from him very often. Dempsey looked dominant though and they might have something special on their hands with him.

We look at the return of Wild Boar and his quest for revenge on Symbiosis.

Amale is asked about this week’s Women’s Title match but Xia Brookside interrupts and asks about a possible rematch. Sure, but Brookside has no time to answer questions from the interviewer. Instead, Brookside calls her father and says IT’S TIME.

Wild Boar vs. T-Bone

Eddie Dennis and Primate are here with T-Bone. Boar comes in through the crowd and the beating is on with T-Bone being knocked outside before the bell. Back in and Boar sends him outside again but this time a Symbiosis distraction lets T-Bone get in a cheap shot. T-Bone starts in on Boar’s recently repaired knee, including an assist from Dennis for a running kick to the leg. A suplex gives T-bone two but Boar manages to send him chest first into the corner. The running shoulder to the ribs drops T-Bone and, after knocking Primate off the apron, Boar hits a jumping DDT for the pin at 4:38.

Rating: C. Boar returning wasn’t exactly a big deal but points for giving him a win to get him back on track (assuming he was on said track in the first place). I doubt Wild Boar is going to be the next big singles star around here but at least they are letting him do something to spice him up a bit. Now follow up with what they started here.

Ilja Dragunov, in a nice suit, talks about how he and Roderick Strong both know that diamonds are made under pressure, so it would be an honor to meet him in the ring. Just remember that the Czar doesn’t crack under pressure.

Earlier this week, Kenny Williams couldn’t find his car keys. He goes to his car and finds the doors, hood and trunk open and a tire missing. The interviewer suggests that it is tied to whomever sent him the note last week but he doesn’t want to talk.

Danny Jones vs. Jordan Devlin

Devlin drops him with an early chop and then hits a running elbow to the face. Back up and Jones hits his own chops in the corner but Devlin knocks him down without much trouble. A running knee to the ribs has Jones down again and a clothesline gives Devlin two. Some more forearms wake Jones up and he hits a jumping enziguri. There’s a running knee in the corner and a suplex gets two on Devlin. A double arm trap rollup gets two but that’s enough for Devlin. The slingshot cutter sets up a brainbuster to finish Jones at 4:43.

Rating: C. Jones is someone who has been showing up more and more in recent weeks so maybe they see something in him around here. That’s not the worst place to be, though Devlin isn’t someone who is going to lose outside of a big match. I keep waiting on the trigger to be pulled with him but that might not be happening anytime, either soon or far off.

Post match Devlin says the person who holds the title doesn’t matter, because there is only one Ace.

Video on Moustache Mountain having to get a little more evil to deal with Ashton Smith/Oliver Carter. Smith and Carter have some momentum though and are ready to keep going to get another title shot. The champs are ready for anything though.

Noam Dar is ready to complete the Gallus sweep in Heritage Cup Title defenses.

Women’s Title: Meiko Satomura vs. Isla Dawn

Satomura is defending and Dawn shoves her in the face a few times to start. A hard shot takes Satomura down but she blocks a bicycle kick and hits an uppercut. Some kicks have Dawn in more trouble as she seems to be a bit over her head here. Dawn tries to take her into the corner but gets kicked in the head. A neck snap across the top rope works a bit better for Dawn and she drags Satomura to the floor.

There’s a big boot against the barricade and we hit the chinlock back inside. Some knees to the back and face cut off Satomura’s comeback attempt but the second try works a good bit better. A spinwheel kick staggers Dawn and the Saito suplex gets two. Satomura’s frog splash hits knees though and Dawn is back with a dropkick. Dawn misses something off the top and gets caught with a Pele kick, setting up the Death Valley Driver for two. Scorpion Rising misses but Satomura is fine enough to grab a cradle and retain at 8:00.

Rating: C+. They were in a weird spot here as Satomura is a much bigger star than Dawn, who is only starting to move into a more serious role around here. That left the match feeling more like waiting around until Satomura won, though Dawn has come a long way in recent months. She might be able to stay higher up in the division and it would be deserved.

Post match Dawn steals the title and leaves to end the show.

Overall Rating: C+. This was another show that didn’t have most of the main stars but still came out well enough. While the action itself here wasn’t exactly blowing me away, the show continues to set things up in the future and keep me wanting to come back for more. That isn’t something that happens very often and I could go for more of it for a long time coming.

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

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

Stand & Deliver is coming up soon and now we have the main event set, as Bron Breakker will get his rematch against Dolph Ziggler for the NXT Title. Other than that, we have some qualifying matches for the North American Title ladder match and the finals of the Women’s Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic. Let’s get to it.

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

Trick Williams and North American Champion Carmelo Hayes arrive and don’t care about who make it into the ladder match.

North American Title Ladder Match Qualifying Match: Roderick Strong vs. Solo Sikoa

Malcolm Bivens is at ringside. Strong grabs a choke to start as Carmelo Hayes and Trick Williams join commentary. Sikoa fights out and the strike off is on, with Strong getting knocked down against the ropes. Back up and Strong knocks him down again to take over, setting up the reverse chinlock. That’s broken up and Strong chops up against the ropes with a knee to the ribs getting two.

A powerslam gives Strong two more and here is Santos Escobar sauntering down to ringside. Sikoa tosses his way out of the corner to start the comeback though and some right hands set up a headbutt to put Strong down again. The Samoan drop gets two and Malcolm Bivens is starting to panic. Sikoa gets crotched on top but Strong’s superplex is broken up. The Superfly Splash sends Sikoa to Stand & Deliver at 9:18.

Rating: C. This was pretty simple and to the point and the right person won. Strong might not be the most interesting star in the world but he is going to give you at least a decent match every time. That is the kind of guy you can use on a show full of inexperienced guys and he was doing hit thing again here.

Persia Pirotta and Indi Hartwell bickered about men earlier today, setting up Pirotta and Duke Hudson being at ringside for Dexter Lumis’ match tonight.

Tony D’Angelo vs. Dexter Lumis

Indi Hartwell, Persia Pirotta and Duke Hudson are here too. Dexter scares him into the ropes to start but the early Silencer is broken up. D’Angelo hammers away until a fall away slam sends D’Angelo flying. A slam into the jumping legdrop gets two and we hit the chinlock until D’Angelo jawbreaks his way to freedom.

They fight outside with D’Angelo sending him into the steps and doing Tommaso Ciampa’s pat on the back as we take a break. Back with Lumis hammering away, setting up a bulldog and a belly to back suplex. A double clothesline puts both of them down so D’Angelo goes over to his crowbar. Pirotta tries to take it away from him but the crowbar gets swung into Lumis’ face. The swinging fisherman’s neckbreaker finishes Lumis at 10:32.

Rating: C. The stuff with the woman continues to be one of the dumbest things going on around here and this didn’t help things. D’Angelo’s gimmick is still as over the top as it gets in NXT, but he can have a pretty good match and is certainly dedicated to what he is doing. He also needs the boost on the way to Stand & Deliver so they had the right idea here.

Post match D’Angelo talks about how Tommaso Ciampa knew he was done last week and the new Don of NXT arrives at Stand & Deliver. Cue Ciampa through the crowd with the Fairy Tale Ending to lay D’Angelo out. Stand & Deliver might be Ciampa’s final chapter in NXT and he’s writing his own fair tale ending.

Robert Roode isn’t happy that people have forgotten what he has done around here. Dolph Ziggler wants Roode to take out Bron Breakker tonight before Stand & Deliver.

Grayson Waller is ready to go to Stand & Deliver and will take out A-Kid to get there.

Elektra Lopez vs. Fallon Henley

Legado del Fantasma, Brooks Jensen and Josh Briggs are all here. Lopez jumps her to start and stomps away against the ropes. A toss by the throat sends Henley flying and we hit the double arm crank with feet in Henley’s back. Hold on though as the guys brawl on the floor, allowing Henley to get in an elbow for two. Lopez isn’t having that though and it’s a Blue Thunder Bomb to give Lopez the pin at 3:42.

Rating: C-. The lack of Briggs and Jensen talking made this that much better, as Henley continues to be worth a look and Lopez is getting the near monster vibe down. You can pencil in the six person tag pretty soon and that is not a bad use for everyone involved in this whole thing. The match wasn’t great, but Lopez threw Henley around well enough to make it work.

Draco Anthony is in the back when Xyon Quinn comes in. Anthony gets a call from Joe Gacy, who basically invites him to join the cult. Quinn says Anthony knows what he has to do.

Wendy Choo has had a lot of orange soda and is ready to win the Dusty Classic. Dakota Kai wasn’t sure about the team but now she knows it was the right thing to do.

Robert Roode vs. Bron Breakker

Dolph Ziggler joins commentary as Roode runs Breakker over to start. Breakker shows him how to shoulder someone down and then it’s a powerslam to drop Roode again. They go to the floor for more brawling until a Ziggler distraction lets Roode stomp away back inside. A suplex drops Breakker but he’s right back up with a certainly not Steiner Line. Breakker misses a charge into the post thanks to Ziggler, which is enough for an ejection.

We take a break and come back with Roode hitting a Scott Steiner style elbow drop into the pushups. This means it’s time for commentary to say they know who that’s referencing without actually saying it. Breakker fights up and takes him into the corner for a top rope Frankensteiner, only for Roode to come back with a spinebuster for two.

The Glorious DDT is broken up but a spear is cut off with a knee. The second attempt at the spear cuts Roode down for two. Breakker’s gorilla press doesn’t work and the Glorious DDT gives Roode two. Back up and Roode heads to the middle rope, only to dive into Breakker’s powerslam for the pin at 15:10.

Rating: C+. Again, putting someone as new as Breakker into a match like this with someone as talented as Roode is a good idea. Let people like Roode and Ziggler walk Breakker through the match to help with the inexperience, which you can still see at times. There are points where Breakker doesn’t seem to know what to do so having a veteran out there can help bring him back on track. It’s a good idea and he made it through a fifteen minute match as a result.

Post match Ziggler superkicks Breakker and says the title stays with him until he gives it away.

Indi Hartwell is checking on Dexter Lumis when Persia Pirotta and Duke Hudson come up. Pirotta says Hudson can beat anyone so Dexter….goes over to his sketch pad, where somehow he draws a picture of Gunther (in two colors despite using one marker).

We go back to Chase U where Bodie Hayward gives a speech on fortitude about Von Wagner attacking him. A student raises his hand, earning himself a profanity laden rant. Chase asks where Hayward learned to talk like that, with Hayward saying it was from Chase himself. After a second of thought, Chase says that’s one of the most beautiful things he’s ever heard and yells at the student too. This continues to be one of the funniest things going in NXT.

North American Title Ladder Match Qualifying Match: Grayson Waller vs. A-Kid

A-Kid starts fast with a springboard hurricanrana and an armdrag into a dropkick. Waller takes him down, only to get hurricanranaed again. There’s a dropkick to send him outside so Waller tries the rolling Stunner, only to get reversed into a choke. That’s reversed into a suplex and now the rolling Stunner connects for the pin on A-Kid at 2:48. Well it was nice while it lasted with him.

Post match Carmelo Hayes and Trick Williams pops up to say the three losers in the qualifying matches can have a triple threat for the final spot. That means it’s A-Kid vs. Cameron Grimes vs. Roderick Strong. Williams suggests he’ll be with A-Kid’s mom tonight so A-Kid kicks him in the head.

Robert Stone and Von Wagner are ready for next week when the attractive woman who has been around Stone in recent weeks comes up, saying they need to talk business.

Creed Brothers vs. Grizzled Young Veterans

The Veterans talk about jumping the Creeds before the match and then do just that. Brutus says ring the bell and then suplexes Drake around without much trouble. The Veterans get Brutus into the corner to start hammering away but it’s off to Julius without much effort. A Stretch Muffler sends Gibson straight to the ropes so Drake can come back in.

Brutus gets knocked off the apron but Julius slugs away at both of them. Gibson grabs the leg though and Drake takes over again, meaning Julius can get forearmed down. What looks to be a Doomsday Device is loaded up but Julius slips out and Drake tweaks his knee. A shot to the knee sets up Brutus’ sliding lariat for the pin at 4:14.

Rating: C. They have something with the Creeds but like so many others around here, the team needs some more polish (and some better looking gear). The good thing is they have time to fix things up, even though it seems likely that the Creeds get the Tag Team Titles in the near future. As for the Veterans…dang they could have been a heck of a team around here but it isn’t likely to ever happen.

Post match a camera pops up in Diamond Mine’s locker room, showing two people trashing it. Texts appear on screen, saying the Creed Brothers can’t find them, so enjoy the view.

Gunther vs. Duke Hudson

The rest of Imperium and Persia Pirotta are here. Gunther grabs a headlock to start but Hudson slips out and fires off some right hands. Hudson’s elbow cuts off a charge as the camera cuts are on in rapid fire. Some chops cut Hudson down and Gunther cranks on the neck. There’s the big chop to rip Hudson’s skin off (that thing echoed) and the fans are VERY impressed. The sleeper is broken up and Hudson hits a big boot. A slingshot German suplex (that’s a new one) gets two and Gunther isn’t having any more of this. He unloads on Hudson in the corner and it’s a big boot into a powerbomb to finish Hudson at 3:52.

Rating: C+. That chop alone is worth the bonus points here as Gunther basically mauled Hudson. That’s a lot better than focusing on Hartwell vs. Pirotta again and it’s always nice to see Gunther getting to smash someone. Hudson is someone worth a look most of the time, but he had no business hanging in there with Gunther any longer than he did here.

Post match Gunther says he’s the toughest competitor around here and doesn’t like someone like LA Knight….and that’s enough for Knight to come to the ring. Gunther cuts off the catchphrase and says Knight needs to listen. Knight threatens to knock Gunther’s block head off his dad body before suggesting a match at Stand & Deliver. Instead of issuing the challenge though, Knight hits him in the face so the beatdown is on, with MSK running in for the save. Imperium is cleared out in a hurry.

Video on Cameron Grimes being disappointed in himself. His dad passed away just after Grimes signed to NXT and now it is time for the most important match of his career. Carmelo Hayes made the announcement of the triple threat match fifteen minutes ago and Grimes had time to get a video made, complete with clips of his dad edited in?

Women’s Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic Finals: Wendy Choo/Dakota Kai vs. Io Shirai/Kay Lee Ray

Toxic Attraction is at ringside. Ray and Choo exchange chops to start until Choo gets a near fall off a rollup. Kai comes in to kick Ray in the face for two but it’s off to Shirai to take over. The 619 is loaded up but only hits Choo’s raised pillow. Kai is sent outside anyway and Ray dives onto Choo. Shirai does the same to Kai and we take a break.

Back with Ray in trouble and getting taken off the top in a big crash. Shirai comes in for the save and everything breaks down, with Ray hitting a top rope flip dive. Kai kicks Ray down though and Choo hits the top rope Vader Bomb. Shirai dropkicks Kai into the cover for the save and then butterfly backbreakers Kai down. The KLR Bomb sets up the Moons Over Moonsault for the pin on Choo at 10:18 to give Ray and Shirai the tournament.

Rating: C+. They went with the right choice here as it was the better and more talented team winning over the underdogs. That’s how you have to go to make the tournament sound more legitimate, even if the whole thing felt like some thrown together requirement. Choo was more tolerable here as she wasn’t doing as much shtick (pillow spot aside) and got to show how good she can be in the ring when you ignore the ridiculous gimmick. I can go with that, and maybe now they can find something else for her.

Post match confetti falls but Toxic Attraction gets in the ring, with Mandy Rose saying Ray and Shirai won’t be winning the Tag Team Titles. Ray and Shirai say they’re ready to take out Toxic Attraction, but instead of going after the Tag Team Titles, they’ll use their title shot to make the Women’s Title match a fatal four way (because that’s a thing that can be done apparently). The brawl is on with Cora Jade running in to help clear out Toxic Attraction to end the show. It’s a weird way to get there but I’ll take the four way over the worthless Tag Team Titles.

Overall Rating: C+. The show had more bad than good, but the bad continues to be some really dreadful stuff. The good thing is we have Stand & Deliver all but set and that is going to make the next few weeks a lot better. They moved a lot of stuff forward this week and helped set up the big show’s card so it was certainly a productive week, which is more than you get around here sometimes. Good enough show and the better stuff seems ready to come.

Results
Solo Sikoa b. Roderick Strong – Superfly Splash
Tony D’Angelo b. Dexter Lumis – Fisherman’s neckbreaker
Elektra Lopez b. Fallon Henley – Blue Thunder Bomb
Grayson Waller b. A-Kid – Rolling Stunner
Creed Brothers b. Grizzled Young Veterans – Sliding lariat to Drake
Gunther b. Duke Hudson – Powerbomb
Kay Lee Ray/Io Shirai b. Wendy Choo/Dakota Kai – Moons Over Moonsault to Choo

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

We have a guest start this week as Roderick Strong is coming over from NXT. That isn’t something that happens very often and I’m curious to see where it leaves. It very well may be a one off match, but it’s a little weird to see WWE suddenly caring about this show after years of indifference. Let’s get to it.

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

In Memory Of Scott Hall.

Opening sequence.

Oliver Carter vs. Tyler Bate

Ashton Smith and Trent Seven are here too. Bate works on a wristlock to start but Carter slips out and grabs one of his own. They go to a quick pinfall reversal sequence and it’s off to an early standoff. Carter takes him down with an armbar and then does it again to show off. Back up and Bate hits a running dropkick out to the floor for a crash.

Bate starts in on the ribs but gets taken down by a quick crossbody. That doesn’t see to bother Bate, as he is right back with the airplane spin into a gutbuster for two. An abdominal stretch with an elbow in the ribs has Carter in trouble and Bate turns it into an octopus to make it worse.

Carter falls down for the escape so Bate small packages him for two. A half nelson backbreaker gives Carter two of his own and they trade strikes to the head. The Tyler Driver 97 is countered into a hurricanrana for a VERY close two and the seconds get in a fight on the floor. The distraction is enough for Carter to backslide bate for the huge upset at 10:11.

Rating: B-. Now that is an upset and they actually surprised me with the clean (enough) finish. Beating Bate means a lot more than beating Seven so this is the way to go if you want to make Carter and Smith feel like a threat. If nothing else, Seven has been paranoid about keeping the titles and the loss might have Bate doing the same, which could get interesting.

A-Kid asks a raving Saxon Huxley to be his tag partner against Die Familie and gets a shouting yes.

Wild Boar looks at a mask and says he blames Eddie Dennis for everything that happened to him last year. Vengeance is sworn.

Nina Samuels vs. Emilia McKenzie

Samuels slips out of a headlock to start and they trade wristlocks. Some armdrags put Samuels down and McKenzie goes up for a middle rope hurricanrana. A slam cuts McKenzie off though and things slow down. Samuels kicks her into the corner to set up the chinlock, which is broken up as per expected.

McKenzie hits some clotheslines and a belly to back suplex and Samuels is sent outside. That means a big suicide dive to knock Samuels into the barricade for the crash and they’re right back in. McKenzie goes up but gets pulled off the top (by the hair, to make it even worse) for two and Samuels is frustrated. Samuels misses a moonsault though and McKenzie hits a quick spear for the pin at 9:43.

Rating: C+. McKenzie continues to be good for some nice performances and beating Samuels is a solid win for her. I don’t know if she goes anywhere with Meiko Satomura as champion but building for the future is a wise move. Samuels continues to be herself: a character that is easy to dislike who has been in the same place on the card for years now.

Mark Coffey leaves Sid Scala’s office and has gotten himself a Heritage Cup Title shot. Joe Coffey seems happy for him.

Someone, possibly Sam Gradwell, has left Kenny Williams a note saying he has made a lot of enemies. Williams isn’t too worried, but does seem a bit nervous when someone shuts the locker behind him.

Symbiosis comes in to see Sid Scala, as Wild Boar wants a match with Eddie Dennis. That’s not going to work for Dennis, who suggests Primate instead and then leaves before Scala can make a decision. Scala has to make a call as I try to get my mind around the idea of someone named Wild Boar making a formal request.

Aleah James vs. Stevie Turner

They fight over wrist control to start until Turner shoulders her down and glares a lot. A running headscissors gives James two but Turner hits a boot to the head. Another running kick to the head and a forearm get two more and we hit the chinlock with a knee in James’ back. James finally fights back but a Side Effect gives Turner two more. Back up and James grabs an O’Connor roll and bridges back for the pin at 4:11 for the clean pin.

Rating: C. I’m still not sure what they’re doing with Turner, who seems like she should be a bigger deal than she is and just never gets there. James is hardly a star and she beat Turner clean without as much as a fluke mishap. Maybe James is on her way up, but Turner seems to be falling lower and lower with every match.

Sha Samuels is now taking bets on Mark Coffey vs. Noam Dar. Someone calls in and Coffey takes a bet on Coffey…..at nearly 1700-1. Oh this isn’t going to end well.

Video on Meiko Satomura vs. Isla Dawn, who meet for Satomura’s Women’s Title next week. Dawn looking more and more insane makes her feel extra evil.

Roderick Strong vs. Wolfgang

Strong gets a nice reaction and there are no seconds here. Wolfgang powers him to the apron to start so Strong goes for the leg. That just makes him have to bail back to the floor as they’re firmly in first gear to start. Back in again and Strong goes after the arm but gets reversed into a headlock. Wolfgang lifts him up by the arm but Strong gets it back to the mat and grabs a chinlock.

That’s broken up and Strong is sent outside, where Strong drops him onto the barricade. Strong takes it into the corner back inside and strikes away, only to stop to yell at some chanting fans. Wolfgang gets taken down into a reverse chinlock but fights up and drives in some shoulders to the back in the corner. A powerslam gives Wolfgang two and the Caber Toss sends Strong flying again. The spear only hits buckle though and Strong scores with a jumping knee for the pin at 9:51.

Rating: C. I wasn’t feeling this one as it wasn’t exactly a barn burner. Strong is a much bigger star and there wasn’t much drama, which left Wolfgang feeling like he was just there to take a fall. Odds are Strong has a big match before heading back stateside and that is a good use for someone who has more star power than most of the NXT UK roster.

Post match Strong, who is bleeding from the eye, challenges Ilja Dragunov to end the show.

Overall Rating: C+. The slightly disappointing Strong match aside, I had a good time with this show as the other matches were entertaining. It continues to be a positive sign that NXT UK can put on engaging shows without a lot of its top stars around. I’m curious as to why Strong was brought over though, as NXT UK has been almost completely isolated for the better part of ever and now, here’s a guest star. Just please don’t let the people with authority remember this show exists. I can’t take another loss.

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NXT
Date: March 15, 2022
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Nigel McGuinness

We have just over two weeks to go before Stand & Deliver and the big story coming out of last week’s show was Dolph Ziggler winning the NXT Title from Bron Breakker by pinning Tommaso Ciampa in a triple threat. That should be setting up the rematch at Stand & Deliver with Ciampa left out so let’s get to it.

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

We open with a look at Dolph Ziggler winning the NXT Title last week.

Here is the special guest star the Miz for MizTV. The fans seem happy to see Miz, who hypes up his Wrestlemania match. With that out of the way, here is Dolph Ziggler, with Robert Roode, as this week’s guest. Ziggler is rather happy to be champion and we see a clip of Bron Breakker not being allowed into the building earlier.

Roode and Ziggler brag about how much money they have but here is LA Knight to interrupt. If Breakker can’t come in and challenge him tonight, he’ll be the one challenging Ziggler instead. Ziggler says he only faces superstars so thanks for coming. Knight says he’s a megastar and Ziggler says he only fights in the main event, so Miz makes the title match for tonight (because he can do that).

Cora Jade doesn’t like Toxic Attraction, who have put Raquel Gonzalez out of action for four to six weeks. Somehow she has all three of their title belts though and it seems like she has plans for them.

North American Title Ladder Match Qualifying Match: Santos Escobar vs. Cameron Grimes

The rest of Legado del Fantasma is here and Carmelo Hayes and Trick Williams are on commentary. Feeling out process to start with Grimes jumping over Escobar’s legsweep and telling him to do something to his grits. Grimes’ wristlock doesn’t get him very far as Escobar takes him down against the ropes and stomps away as Barrett says he is bout it bout it. Grimes sends him outside but a Legado distraction lets Escobar take out the legs as we take a break.

Back with Escobar kicking away but getting sent to the apron. Grimes gets kicked in the head though, allowing Escobar to go up. Escobar hits a top rope ax handle to the head for two but Grimes is back with a running forearm. A trip to the floor lets Grimes hit a big flip dive to drop Escobar again. Back in and Grimes’ high crossbody is countered into a gutbuster for two. Grimes is back up with a superkick and loads up the Cave In, which is countered into the Phantom Driver to give Escobar the pin at 11:24.

Rating: C+. Another solid performance from Grimes, even though he loses again. At some point you need to let him win something that matters (the Million Dollar Title seems like forever ago) or the spark is going to die. Escobar going into the title match is fine, but I could have gone without Grimes taking another fall.

Io Shirai and Kay Lee Ray are ready to win the Dusty Classic.

Wendy Choo loves orange soda (Is it true?) but Dakota Kai will pass. Toxic Attraction comes in to ask about the titles but yell at Choo and Kai, who should be thanking them for their Dusty Classic win. Toxic Attraction is off to find the titles, with Choo and Kai saying they’re hot but weird.

Video on A-Kid.

A-Kid vs. Kushida

The winner gets a North American Title qualifying match next week and A-Kid doesn’t get an entrance. They go with the test of strength to start and hit the mat with Kushida flipping out of a headscissors. Back up and it’s an armdrag into a dropkick before taking Kushida down by the arm. The threat of a double arm hold sends Kushida over to the ropes and he’s right back with a Boston crab. With that broken up, A-Kid snaps off a German suplex and a northern lights suplex for two. A springboard moonsault DDT finishes Kushida at 4:59.

Rating: C+. A-Kid looked good enough here and that should be enough to give him something worthwhile in the next few weeks. I don’t know if he’s here full time or just for a few matches but it’s nice to get some fresh blood around here. He is going to need a bit more of a character (and perhaps a name change) but he has the in-ring skills to hang with a lot of people.

Santos Escobar brags about being the greatest luchador of all time….when the Mysterios come in. The rest of Legado seem to be in awe but they mock Dominik, setting up a match.

Video on Tiffany Stratton vs. Sarray.

Tiffany Stratton vs. Sarray

Stratton jumps Sarray in the aisle, prompting Joseph to say “Sarray didn’t even have the chance to transform.” With that out of the way, Stratton stomps on her in the corner but has to avoid the dropkick against the ropes. A handspring splash in the corner sets up the corkscrew Vader Bomb to give Stratton the pin at 52 seconds.

Gunther doesn’t respect LA Knight for using his mouth so much but Knight doesn’t care. Watch him win the title.

Cora Jade has strung up one of the Tag Team Title belts so Jacy Jayne comes up to pull it down, triggering a cage to close behind her. Jade comes up and mocks her as I try to figure out A, where the camera was in the cage that films Jade mocking her and B, why we actually just had a trap rigged up backstage.

Here is Tommaso Ciampa for a chat. He talks about how he has been at this for seventeen years and has always wanted to find a place that he can call home. That is what he found in NXT and the fans seem appreciative. Ciampa talks about some of his high points in NXT but knows we can’t recap the last seven years.

He always had his fans with him and sometimes he even thinks back to NXT New Orleans where he came out to no music and received a chorus of boos. It was clear that they were making something special and that he could be that guy. Fans: “YOU’RE THE GUY!” It has been a long journey of ups and downs and setbacks and from black and gold to 2.0. The one thing that stuck was he never left and the people never left, which sets off a PLEASE DON’T GO chant.

Ciampa isn’t sure what is next for him but he has been thinking about his perfect fairy tale ending. Walking into a show like Stand & Deliver over Wrestlemania weekend as NXT Champion sounds like a perfect ending. The fact of the matter is that he didn’t capitalize on that, just like he didn’t get to walk in to Brooklyn as champion three years ago.

These last seven days, he keeps wondering what is next for him. He isn’t sure about where this is going, but here is Tony D’Angelo, who throws down his crowbar. D’Angelo has been thinking about who he needs to beat to put in the history books. The match seems to be set for Stand & Deliver and they shake hands, with D’Angelo kicking him low. D’Angelo promises to become the new Don of NXT. I’m not sure if this is it for Ciampa, but having D’Angelo as his last match isn’t quite inspiring.

Persia Pirotta vs. Indi Hartwell

They seem to be cool with each other to start before Pirotta shoves her down. Pirotta goes for Hartwell’s wedding ring, which just annoys Hartwell. Pirotta: “HE DOESN’T WANT TO TALK TO YOU!” Cue Duke Hudson to ringside but Dexter Lumis pops out from underneath the ring. The distraction lets Hartwell slip out of a fireman’s carry and roll Pirotta up for the pin at 2:33.

Post match the guys get in and the couples engage in a kiss off contest, leaving all four of them on the mat. I eagerly await the mixed tag.

Gigi Dolin has to climb onto a dumpster to get her title back, but then the dumpster is closed, with a forklift going on top of it. Cora Jade pops up to mock her through the roof.

Joaquin Wilde vs. Dominik Mysterio

The rest of Legado del Fantasma and Rey Mysterio are here. Dominik anklescissors Wilde to start but Wilde sticks the landing, leaving Dominik staring up at him. A very springboardy wristdrag takes Wilde down but he pulls Dominik off the middle rope for a crash. Mysterio is back up with a headscissors (which isn’t quite on the head) but an Elektra Lopez distraction lets Wilde get in a kick to the head. Cue Fallon Henley for the staredown with Josh Briggs and Brooks Jensen backing her up. The distraction lets Dominik hit a 619 into a frog splash for the pin at 3:05.

Rating: B-. This was a good, action based match with the interference and distractions serving as a fine enough way to go. Dominik looked better than usual here, as he belongs on a smaller show like this until he figures out something other than being Rey’s son. He can do enough in the ring to have a decent match, but he needs matches like this to let him grow.

Scott Hall tribute video.

Cora Jade still has the Women’s Title and some spray paint as she heads over to Mandy Rose’s car. Mandy is in the back though and jumps Jade, screaming about the tricks that Jade has been playing. A running knee knocks Jade silly and the title match seems to be set for Stand & Deliver. Mandy spray paints Jade’s back for the Scott Hall tribute.

Here are the Creed Brothers, who demand to know who attacked them last week. Cue MSK, who says they didn’t do it (Barrett: “LIARS!”) but the Brothers don’t seem to buy it. Now it’s Imperium popping up on the platform to laugh at both of them. The challenge is made for Stand & Deliver so let’s have a triple threat match. Yes I said a triple threat match for the Tag Team Titles, believe it or not. Imperium says they fear no one so the match is on.

Cameron Grimes is tired of losing over and over but now he is going to be watching Stand & Deliver from home. The last thing he told his father was that he signed to NXT but now he’s still here and disappointing everyone.

Edris Enofe and Malik Blade are in the back to explain to Malcolm Bivens why they attacked Toxic Attraction’s waiters last week. That is their alibi for not attacking the Creed Brothers, followed by the Grizzled Young Veterans saying they didn’t need to take the Brothers out. The Creeds vs. the Veterans is set for next week.

NXT Title: LA Knight vs. Dolph Ziggler

Ziggler, with Robert Roode, is defending. Knight shoulders him down to start but gets taken into the corner. A snapmare sets up a chinlock from Ziggler before he comes back with some right hands to the head. Knight flips out of a suplex though and a neckbreaker gets two. Ziggler is sent outside as Knight seems to be favoring his ribs, though he is fine enough to snap off a powerslam as we take a break.

Back with Knight fighting out of a sleeper with a bodyscissors, even driving Ziggler into the corner. Knight counters the Fameasser into something like a powerbomb and the stomping is on in the corner. There’s the jumping elbow for two as we cut to the back where Bron Breakker comes inside. Knight takes him up top for a top rope superplex, followed by a Burning Hammer for two, with Ziggler getting a foot on the rope. BFT is blocked though and Ziggler hits the superkick to retain at 11:50.

Rating: B-. I say this a lot but when you take two talented guys and let them do their thing for a somewhat extended amount of time, you are going to get a good match. That is what happened here and it was entertaining stuff, as Knight was a good foil for Ziggler, even if he had no chance of winning the title. The good thing about having Ziggler go over some people is they aren’t getting beaten by someone who is beneath them, so it isn’t like Knight takes a big hit from the loss. At the same time, Ziggler gets to look good, making this a smart move all around.

Post match here is Bron Breakker to say he wants the rematch at Stand & Deliver. Roode is dropped and Ziggler says it’s on to end the show.

Overall Rating: B-. The show still had problems, but it was WAY better than last week, with good action and a lot of things being set up for Stand & Deliver. You had three matches set for the show, some of which sound interesting, to make the card mostly come together. At the same time though, stuff like Jade hiding the titles was a bit much, along with the Indi vs. Persia stuff that started off silly and then got even worse. I like the guest stars coming in too, if nothing else just for the sake of offering some bigger names to pull the others up a hair. Much better show here, and that is a nice relief.

Results
Santos Escobar b. Cameron Grimes – Phantom Driver
Tiffany Stratton b. Sarray – Corkscrew Vader Bomb
A-Kid b. Kushida – Moonsault DDT
Indi Hartwell b. Persia Pirotta – Rollup
Dominik Mysterio b. Joaquin Wilde – Frog splash
Dolph Ziggler b. LA Knight – Superkick

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.