There’s a good chance that you’re a fan of NXT. I mean, if you’re not, I don’t really know what else to tell you. It’s one of the best wrestling TV shows ever and can put on good shows in almost any way you ask. One of the key things is their diversity, which you can see in their main events, especially as of late. Here are the last four TV main events:

December 19 – Johnny Gargano vs. Aleister Black

December 12 – Ricochet vs. Tyler Breeze

December 5 – Shayna Baszler vs. Dakota Kai

November 28 – Lars Sullivan vs. Keith Lee

That’s a cage match with a brutal backstory, an athletic spectacle in the midcard, a hard hitting women’s match and two hosses hitting each other really hard. They’re four very different kinds of matches with eight different people instead of the same thing you see so often on Raw or Smackdown. There isn’t some main event group that dominates most of the shows and commentary treats whatever the main event of the week is as the most important thing in the world. It’s certainly not something unique to NXT, but no other company does it as often or as well.

IMG Credit: WWE

NXT
Date: December 19, 2018
Location: Full Sail University, Winter Park, Florida
Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Percy Watson, Mauro Ranallo

We’ve got a pair of big matches this week, starting with Marina Shafir and Jessamyn Duke making their in-ring debuts against Io Shirai and Dakota Kai. Other than that though we have Johnny Gargano vs. Aleister Black inside of a steel cage. You don’t get these things very often in NXT and that alone makes it feel more special. Let’s get to it.

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

The opening video looks at Gargano vs. Black, which has certainly been built up well over the last few weeks

Opening sequence.

Marina Shafir/Jessamyn Duke vs. Io Shirai/Dakota Kai

Kai takes Duke down to start and gets in a quick double stomp to the chest. It’s off to Shafir for something close to an Eye of the Hurricane for two and it’s back to Duke for the neck crank. Kai finally scores with a scorpion kick to the head for a breather and that’s enough for the hot tag to Shirai. A 619 hits Shafir and a springboard dropkick keeps her in trouble. The running knees in the corner make it even worse and with Kai taking Duke off the apron, Shirai drops the moonsault for the pin at 4:27.

Rating: C-. Duke and Shafir didn’t get to show off that much but they weren’t in there long enough to embarrass themselves either. They’re not ready to beat a team like Shirai and Kai anyway so the ending is perfectly fine. This was perfectly fine and keeping it short was the absolutely right idea.

Dominik Dijakovic is coming tonight.

We look at Matt Riddle beating Punishment Martinez two weeks ago but getting jumped by Kassius Ohno.

Riddle can’t blame Ohno for jumping him from behind after Riddle knocked him out in seven seconds last time.

Aaron Mackey vs. Dominik Dijakovic

Dominik starts striking away with ease early on and a standing throw over his shoulder makes things even worse. Feast Your Eyes (a reverse AA into a knee to the face) finishes Mackey at 1:18. Total squash and rather intimidating performance from Dijakovic. I’m still not sure why they needed to change the name though.

Video on Heavy Machinery. They get a Tag Team Title shot next week in what sounds like a farewell match.

Shirai is now in the #1 contenders match.

Heavy Machinery vs. Danny Dacarto/Mike Howell

Otis throws Danny around to start and it’s off to Night to throw Danny onto his shoulders for one ram into the corner after another. Cue the Undisputed Era for a distraction but the Compactor connects anyway…for two. Another Compactor crushes Howell and it’s a double Compactor for the pin at 3:22.

Rating: D+. Literal squash here with the Compactor being a good finishing move. This worked perfectly well but I’m not sure how many teams Heavy Machinery is going to be able to do this to or with on the main roster. They seem almost destined to become cannon fodder in short order, which is about as much of a death sentence as you can get. As usual, enjoy them in NXT while you can.

Johnny Gargano vs. Aleister Black

Inside a cage with pinfall, submission or escape rules. Gargano runs out and jumps Black before he can get inside and they fight on the floor before the bell. Some kicks to the chest rock Gargano and Black throws him inside so we can officially get going. A dropkick to the knee takes Johnny down but Gargano sidesteps the standing Lionsault. Black kicks the cage by mistake but Gargano is smart enough to climb back down because he knows Black isn’t done yet.

Some left hands have Black in more trouble and even more rock him in the corner. Black comes back with more kicks and goes up top but, realizing that it’s too early to leave, moonsaults down onto Johnny in a good looking jump. Some whips into the cage have Gargano in more trouble and it’s time for the rapid fire kicks. Black goes all the way up and gets a leg over the top but comes back in instead, which sounds destined to cause him trouble later.

Gargano can’t get out either as Black pulls him back down so they’re both on the top. You don’t do that to Gargano, who jumps up for a heck of a sunset bomb (that looked sweet) and a near fall as the fans are impressed. Gargano actually wins a strike off until Black takes his head off with a jumping knee to the face. That’s almost enough to knock Gargano out of the cage but Black pulls him right back in. Black gets caught in the Gargano Escape though and the break only earns him a whip into the cage.

Johnny slaps it on again before going up, with Black charging up the ropes for the save. They’re on top again and Black shoves off what looked like a super cutter, setting up a Meteora instead. A German suplex gives Black two but Johnny sends him into the cage. Gargano says he absolves Black of his sins and loads up the superkick, only to charge into Black Mass.

After taking their time getting up, Black goes for the door and Johnny goes over the top but here’s Tommaso Ciampa to slam the door on Black’s head. Johnny climbs back in and, with chants of DIY, Gargano and Ciampa hit Meet in the Middle. Even though the fans cheered for it, they seem shocked when it actually happened. A smiling Ciampa leaves a confused Gargano to get the pin at 18:00.

Rating: A-. Heck of a match here but the ending is all that is going to matter. There are several ways to go with that finish as Gargano looked unsure of what he was doing but he certainly didn’t mind embracing the evil to take care of Black. Ciampa’s smile suggested that this was what he wanted all along and that leaves some very interesting options on the table. Black might even want to get some help against the possibly reunited team….and I have no idea who he might pick.

The match itself was a blast with both guys hitting some huge spots and trying to win but coming back for more violence. This was great all around, but the ending stole the show and leaves you wondering what we have next. Gargano being added to the title match in Phoenix wouldn’t shock me either and would make sense at this point.

Overall Rating: B+. The main event is more than enough to carry this but the rest left a bit to be desired. Dijakovic had a good debut and the Heavy Machinery squash was fun, but the tag match was pretty uneventful and felt like something they needed to get out of the way rather than anything that mattered. Still though, the twist ending is great and came after an awesome match and that’s more than enough to make things work for another week.

Results

Io Shirai/Dakota Kai b. Marina Shafir/Jessamyn Duke – Moonsault to Shafir

Dominik Dijakovic b. Aaron Mackey – Feast Your Eyes

Heavy Machinery b. Danny Dacarto/Mike Howell – Double Compactor

Johnny Gargano b. Aleister Black – Meet in the Middle

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

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

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

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

IMG Credit: WWE

NXT
Date: December 5, 2018
Location: Full Sail University, Winter Park, Florida
Commentators: Mauro Ranallo, Nigel McGuinness, Percy Watson

We’re back to Full Sail this week after taking last week’s show off for the sake of a week in San Jose, California. You could get some fun stuff this time around as well and a lot of that is due to starting the build towards Takeover: Phoenix. There are a bunch of ways the card could go and each one of them could be a lot of fun. Let’s get to it.

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

In memory of Dynamite Kid.

Opening sequence.

Matt Riddle vs. Punishment Martinez

This is Martinez’s, a former ROH TV Champion, debut after signing not too long ago. They fight over a lockup to start and Riddle goes straight for the rear naked choke. That’s broken up with raw power so Riddle kicks away in the corner (with a BRO after each one). A Flying Burrito of all things rocks Martinez so he nails a spinwheel kick to the face. One heck of a clothesline has Riddle in more trouble so he comes back with some strikes to the ribs. A kick to the head has Martinez down and the Bromission makes him tap at 3:09.

Rating: C. Martinez looked awesome here (as tends to be the case) but this was an important test for Riddle. After being tested for the first time, he turned it o and beat the monster, which makes him look even better than usual. That’s the kind of thing you need to do with Riddle: show what he can do when he needs to, which makes him seem all the more dangerous.

Post match Kassius Ohno jumps Riddle.

Video on Ricochet.

Ricochet says he came here to win and that seems to be doing well since he has the North American Title. Now he wants to defend it and he’s going to do that next week. He’s off to find out who William Regal has in mind for him.

Heavy Machinery training video. They want the Tag Team Titles and have been on a roll in recent months. It’s been all steaks and weights and their journey isn’t complete until they win the titles. I’m very impressed that they’ve managed to keep this team going as it’s not the most in-depth concept but they’re still entertaining.

Three weeks from tonight, there will be a four way match to crown a new #1 contender to the Women’s Title. Bianca Belair qualified over the weekend.

Humberto Carrillo/Raul Mendoza vs. Forgotten Sons

Carrillo and Mendoza impressed me last time around. Steve Cutler and Wesley Blake for the Sons here. Mendoza slips between Cutler’s legs to start and dropkicks him down, followed by a wheelbarrow splash from Carrillo (stolen from the Lucha Bros). Blake comes in for a hard chop but Carrillo backflips away in a rather impressive looking sequence. Everything breaks down and Carrillo goes outside, leaving Blake run blast Mendoza in the face.

The Sons start in on Mendoza’s back with Blake stomping away and Cutler coming back in for a reverse chinlock. Mendoza flips away though and the hot tag brings in Carrillo to speed things back up. Cutler gets sent outside and a heck of a missile dropkick puts Blake down. A backflip into a moonsault gets two but Mendoza gets dropped again, leaving Blake to send Carrillo into the corner. The stomp/Scorpion Death Drop combination finishes Carrillo at 4:49.

Rating: C-. The Sons are an idea that should be better than they are. Maybe it’s the lack of Ryker in the ring but what we’re getting just isn’t doing anything for me. Carrillo and Mendoza on the other hand are an awesome team and two guys who are becoming a lot of fun to watch. I wouldn’t mind seeing more of them, which is about as nice of a thing as can be said.

Velveteen Dream, after turning on his music, says people are still talking about him after Takeover: WarGames II. The fans are still asking about him and he’s even heard HHH asking about him. Therefore, he won and Dream over.

The Undisputed Era doesn’t like EC3 and Bobby Fish says these waters are infested with sharks. While slapping a chair, Fish says they’ve bit him before and promises to do it again. They laugh off the tag division (Strong: “The Mighty. More like the Weakey.”) because this is their division, and that is undisputed.

Hanson is recovering from a host of injuries in WarGames.

Shayna Baszler vs. Dakota Kai

Non-title and Baszler has Marina Shafir and Jessamyn Duke with her. Kai goes straight at her to start and hits an early kick, sending Baszler rolling outside. She’s a little more comfortable out there though and sends Kai into the post to take over. Back in and Baszler loads up the stomp to the arm but Kai rolls away this time.

Baszler snaps the arm back anyway, making the referee ask if Kai can continue. Kai is fine enough to hit a rolling kick to the head and more kicks have Baszler in trouble. There are the running kicks in the corner but Baszler knees her in the face. Another kick drops Baszler and a top rope double stomp gets two. Baszler grabs the arm again and Kai has to climb the ropes for the break. A gutwrench superplex sends Kai flying but Baszler can’t follow up. Kai snaps off more kicks but gets pulled down into the Kirifuda Clutch for the tap at 6:07.

Rating: B. For the time they had, this was an awesome match with Kai giving it everything she had before falling in the end. I’ve been a fan of Kai’s since she debuted as there’s that special charm to her that makes you want to see her win. Baszler is a monster though and it’s hard to imagine her not being on the main roster early in the new year.

Post match Baszler and company beat Kai down until Io Shirai runs in for the save.

Dijakovic is still coming.

Next week: Bobby Fish vs. EC3 and Ricochet defends the North American Title.

Here’s Tommaso Ciampa for a chat. He’s proven himself to be a man of his word time after time. First he ended the fairy tale and then he turned the dream into a nightmare. The fans still don’t believe in him though and neither do the voices of NXT. But MAMA MIA here he stands! This title reign will go down in history as the greatest of all time and one day children will study his greatness. He was the best in the world in 2018 and 2019 will be no different, but here’s Aleister Black to disagree.

Black talks about finishing Johnny Gargano after Ciampa pulled Johnny’s puppet strings. The original sin must be destroyed though, and that’s why Black is getting his rematch at Takeover: Phoenix. This brings out Gargano to say he and Black aren’t finished yet. It’s over when Gargano says it’s over but Ciampa is impressed by Johnny suddenly growing a spine and becoming Johnny bada**. Fans: “JOHNNY BADA**!”

In Ciampa’s opinion, it should have been the two of them inside the cage at WarGames so maybe they need to finish their business. Maybe they need to finish it….say inside of a steel cage? Gargano is in but Black says that Johnny Wrestling is dead. He’ll fight Gargano anywhere, even in the parking lot. Gargano: “How did that go for you last time?”

The threat of Black Mass sends Gargano running so Black hits it on Ciampa to end the show. The mileage they’ve gotten out of this feud and story is remarkable. It doesn’t feel like they’re dragging it out and I want to see where it goes. Great stuff here and a very solid segment to set up a big match.

Overall Rating: C+. I watched this directly after the two NXT UK shows this week and it’s such a remarkable difference. It’s not a fair comparison to make as NXT UK hasn’t even had fifteen episodes yet, but the character development and pure variety you get around here is so much stronger. In the four major segments tonight you have an MMA fighter, luchadors, a women’s match, and a three way feud built entirely on hatred. There’s something for everyone and that’s just not the case over in the UK. I know they’re at two very different stages, but my goodness there are some lessons to be learned at Full Sail.

Results

Matt Riddle b. Punishment Martinez – Bromission

Forgotten Sons b. Humberto Carrillo/Raul Mendoza – Scorpion Death Drop/middle rope stomp combination to Carrillo

Shayna Baszler b. Dakota Kai – Kirifuda Clutch

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

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

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

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

In which I look at three NXT stars from Takeover.  I mean, it’s not like anything happened this week that I missed by writing this on Saturday is there?

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/kbs-review-nxt-three/

IMG Credit: WWE

Takeover: WarGames II
Date: November 17, 2018
Location: Staples Center, Los Angeles, California
Commentators: Mauro Ranallo, Nigel McGuinness, Percy Watson

Yeah I think this is going to do just fine. Not counting the show’s namesake match, it’s a big card with a 2/3 falls title match, an NXT Title match and what could be a heck of a grudge match. As usual, NXT knows how to present a big card with all the junk trimmed off to give us the best show possible. Let’s get to it.

The opening video looks at the four matches on the card, with WarGames getting a little more attention than everything else.

The announcers preview the show with Mauro talking about Stan Lee passing away and comparing the main event to the Infinity War.

Here’s Matt Riddle, who isn’t scheduled to be on the show. He’s supposed to face Kassius Ohno on NXT this Wednesday but since they have a ring….two rings right here, let’s do this right now. Ohno comes out and says ring the bell.

Kassius Ohno vs. Matt Riddle

Bell, Riddle knees him in the face, pin in six seconds. Oh yeah I think they’ve got something with Riddle.

Women’s Title: Kairi Sane vs. Shayna Baszler

Baszler is defending and this is 2/3 falls after they’ve traded the title a few times over the last several months. Sane dropkicks her in the corner at the bell and hits a neckbreaker, followed by a running Blockbuster. The running seated clothesline sends Baszler outside and a running elbow from the apron takes her down again. With the referee checking on Baszler, Jessamyn Duke and Marina Shafir run in and beat Sane down. Back in and the Kirifuda Clutch makes Sane tap for the first fall at 2:00.

The fans aren’t happy and Sane makes it worse by trying it again early on, sending Sane to the ropes this time. Baszler stomps her in the head and puts on the neck crank before going back to the Clutch. Sane flips back for two and the break before going into a slugout. That goes badly for her too as Shayna knocks her silly and hits a hard clothesline.

Baszler takes her to the apron for a suplex but Sane reverses into a DDT, freaking out Duke, Shafir and the referee. With Shayna confirmed to not be dead, Sane ducks some kicks from Duke and Shafir, setting up the big dive onto everyone. Back in and the Insane Elbow ties things up at 7:37.

Three straight spears and a pair of spinning backfists look to set up another Elbow but Baszler pops up. They slug it out on top with Sane managing a sunset bomb for two. Duke offers a distraction so Shafir can shove Sane off the top. Cue Dakota Kai and Io Shirai for the save with Shirai hitting a moonsault off the top onto everyone. The distraction lets Sane get up top for the Insane Elbow, but Shayna reverses it into a rollup for the pin to retain at 10:56.

Rating: B. Where’s the rest of this match? This felt like the first two thirds or even one half of a great match but they cut it off as things were starting to cook. You would think this sets up a six woman tag as Shayna shifts over to either Kai or Shirai. Either way, good match, but I could have gone for a lot more of this. I do remember hearing something about Baszler being hurt so maybe that’s why it wasn’t quite as long.

X-Pac is here.

We recap Aleister Black vs. Johnny Gargano. Black was attacked by a mystery man, sending NXT into a month plus long whodunit story. It turned out to be Gargano, who was rapidly losing his grip on reality as he became more and more obsessed with stopping Tommaso Ciampa. He did one horrible thing for the sake of the greater good and has started living in the darkness. The problem: he’s starting to like it there.

Johnny Gargano vs. Aleister Black

Gargano: “Bring me the Black Mass!” Black’s rising up entrance is back and now his vest has horns. They stare each other down to start as the fans seem split. Gargano slaps him in the face so Black kicks him right back. Another kick puts Gargano on the floor and it’s time for Johnny to duck some right hands. Gargano avoids them so well that he sits in the middle of the ring to taunt Black even more. A few more punches are ducked so Black kicks him in the face and a knee sends Gargano outside.

Black moonsaults into the seated position and gets kicked in the face for his efforts. The fans aren’t happy as Gargano stomps away in the corner and it’s off to a surfboard. The over confident Johnny slugs away in the corner but misses the rolling kick to the head. Instead a running big boot sends Gargano outside for the big flip dive. Back in and a Lionsault to a standing Gargano for two and Black kicks him outside again. The middle rope moonsault misses so Johnny hits a suicide dive DDT. A slingshot DDT gives Gargano two and the chance to say that he’s the chosen one.

Black, apparently not one to have Jeff Jarrett’s good name sullied, strikes away but gets caught with a reverse hurricanrana. Gargano charges into a knee to the face though and they’re both down again. The slingshot spear is kicked out of the air and Black hits a springboard spinning knee to the chest. A German suplex gives Black two and we have dueling THIS IS AWESOME chants. Johnny is fine enough to spin into the Gargano Escape, which Black escapes by rolling Gargano up.

The Lawn Dirt sends Black face first into the middle buckle and it’s time for the DIY superkick. Hang on though as Black sits down and demands Johnny’s best shot. Gargano does just that, followed by a running knee for two. That’s too much for Johnny and he’s not sure what to do next. He lifts Black to his knees and forearms him in the head, starting the slugout.

This goes badly for Gargano but he shoves Black of the top to break up a springboard. Another suicide dive is kneed out of the air though and they’re both down on the floor. Gargano begs both off and forgiveness before asking for Black Mass. That’s reversed into a rollup and then the Gargano Escape, with Black again rolling his way out. A jumping spinning knee to the face rocks Gargano and Black Mass knocks Johnny silly. Black won’t let him go down though and hits a second Black Mass for the pin at 18:06.

Rating: A-. The story here was Gargano trying to go to the levels of evil that he needed to beat Black but not being able to get that deep yet. There’s still too much humanity in Johnny and the old good guy held him back just enough from being able to beat Black. On the other hand, this match was about two guys hitting each other in the face really, really hard and that’s entertaining every single time. Black winning is a little surprising, but you know Gargano isn’t done with Ciampa yet. Losses don’t affect him like they do with most people so we’re a long way from done.

How to help with the California wildfires.

We recap Tommaso Ciampa vs. Velveteen Dream. The Dream accused Ciampa of attacking Black and said he wanted a title shot to give the fans an experience at Takeover. The match was made and Dream is ready to stop Ciampa from stealing the spotlight any longer.

NXT Title: Velveteen Dream vs. Tommaso Ciampa

Dream is dressed as Hollywood Hogan (complete with boa) so the announcers make as many Hogan references as they can, complete with Nigel reciting Real American lyrics. Ciampa makes sure to step into the middle of the ring for the spotlight during the Big Match Intros. The fans are behind the Dream here and a lockup nearly sends Ciampa to the floor. Instead Dream takes him to the mat and poses a bit as Ciampa covers his head. Ciampa even goes for the hair so Dream slaps him in the face.

The Fairy Tale Ending is broken up but Ciampa manages to steal the headband. That’s cool with Dream, who rolls outside and grabs the title. Ciampa isn’t having that so the chase is on with Dream hammering away and snapping Ciampa’s throat across the top (Dream: “Welcome to the experience!”). Dream gets the head band back and puts a hand to his ear, setting up a big boot but Ciampa rolls away before the big leg. Instead Dream settles for a top rope ax handle to the floor, only to have a springboard broken up.

Back in and the running knee (with the brace) knocks Dream silly and a second one sends Dream outside again. The chinlock goes on (with a long piece of spit falling out of Dream’s mouth) with Ciampa shouting NIGHT NIGHT. Dream comes back with a neckbreaker and a forearm into the nipup. Now the three right hands set up the big boot and a pair of legdrops (Is he trying to kill him???), followed by a spinebuster for two.

Ciampa bails so Dream dives on him but it’s too early for the Purple Rainmaker. Dream goes after the knee instead and puts on the Figure Four around the post. Ciampa taps, but it doesn’t matter since they’re in the ropes. Back in and Dream wisely goes with a regular Figure Four so Ciampa tries to roll it over. In something I’ve never seen, Dream lifts his leg, kicks Ciampa in the face, and puts it right back down to keep the hold on. The hold is finally broken so Dream suplexes him over the top but falls outside with him. They’re both down on the floor, with Ciampa untying his boot.

Both of them are back in at nine and Ciampa rolls him up with tights but the referee catches it just in time. The Dream Valley Driver gets two but hits springboard crossbody is kneed out of the air. Project Ciampa gets two more so Ciampa unlaces the boot even more and tries to walk out. Dream isn’t having that and hits the twisting DDT onto the title for a VERY close two. Another Figure Four is broken up and Ciampa loses his boot, setting up the hanging DDT for an even closer two.

With nothing else working, Ciampa pulls the floor mats back but another hanging DDT on the floor is broken up with a crash over the announcers’ table. Ciampa actually stops to yell at Mauro, allowing Dream to hit the Dream Valley Driver on the exposed concrete. Back in and the Purple Rainmaker connects for a crazy close two but a second on the apron completely misses. Ciampa hits the hanging DDT onto the steel partition between the rings to retain at 22:26.

Rating: A. There was no reason for this to so good but egads Dream pulled off another classic here. I bought the heck out of some of those near falls, even though Dream winning the title was a long shot at best. This was a great example of two guys doing everything they could when the spotlight was on bright and that’s a great sign. Outstanding match here as Dream continues to come up huge on the grand stages.

Dream is still out cold after the recap video.

Nita Strauss is here.

The cage is lowered.

We recap WarGames. The Undisputed Era have been tormenting Ricochet, Pete Dunne and the War Raiders for months, causing the four of them to reluctantly band together to fight them off. This led to a bunch of brawls and of course that means WarGames. The Undisputed Era won last year so they have some experience, but that doesn’t mean much in this match.

Pete Dunne/Ricochet/War Raiders vs. Undisputed Era

There is a big cage (still no roof) over both rings. Both teams will send in one man to start the match and the two of them will fight for five minutes. After that, the Undisputed Era (who won the advantage in a match on NXT) will send in a second man for a 2-1 advantage for three minutes. When that time is over, the other team can even things up for three minutes. They alternate until all eight are in and then it’s first pin or submission to win. You cannot win the match until everyone is in. If you escape or leave the cage, you forfeit the match for your team.

Cole and Ricochet (with which face paint just like his partners) start things off. They each stay in their own ring until Ricochet comes across to start the fight. Some early right hands don’t do much to Ricochet, who bounces back up with his headscissors into the dropkick. Ricochet dives into a Backstabber though and the fireman’s carry backbreaker keeps him in trouble. The slow beating continues (makes sense as you want to conserve energy) until Ricochet kicks him out of the corner.

A springboard (from one ring to the other) uppercut drops Cole and it’s Kyle O’Reilly coming in next (albeit a little after five minutes). O’Reilly goes straight after the back and takes out Ricochet’s knee with a dragon screw legwhip. The double stomping continues until Ricochet sends them into each other. Another fireman’s carry backbreaker, this time from Cole onto O’Reilly’s knee, keeps Ricochet in trouble and it’s Hanson, with a bad knee, coming in to even things up.

The big man starts cleaning house with a seated senton out of the corner and a cartwheel just to annoy Cole. A long series of running corner clotheslines sets up a double Bronco Buster and Ricochet is back up. That means Hanson dropping down to be a launchpad for a running shooting star (cool) to O’Reilly. The spinning powerslam is broken up though and it’s back to Ricochet chopping Cole in the corner.

Roderick Strong is in to make it 3-2 and the pace picks up again with running knees in the corner. A half nelson backbreaker drops Ricochet and a torture rack backbreaker does it again. The Era is back up for the triple teaming on Hanson, including an Angle Slam from Strong. More running strikes in the corner keep Ricochet and Hanson in trouble as the announcers are already saying the Era is going to win.

Rowe evens things up and the Era is smart enough to be waiting on him in the same cage. That doesn’t seem to matter as Rowe starts throwing suplexes and heavy forearms. O’Reilly’s choke goes nowhere as Hanson is back up. Just to show off, Rowe hits a powerbomb on Strong and a World’s Strongest Slam on O’Reilly at the same time. That’s not normal by any definition. Cole immediately bails but backs into Ricochet so the Raiders send him face first into the cage. Bobby Fish is released from his cage but steals the lock and doubles up Dunne’s cage in a smart move, throwing the key into the crowd.

Fish pulls out some Undisputed Era chairs and the Era starts unloading. Rowe gets Rock Bottomed through an open chair and the dominance is on. The clock runs out but the referees can only open one lock. Back to back superplexes have the Raiders mostly done, allowing Cole to talk trash. The referees finally find some bolt cutters so the also injured (knee) Dunne limps to the ring and finds a kendo stick to battle his way inside. Ricochet adds a dive to take out all of the Era, allowing Dunne to find some more weapons.

That includes some tables and Dunne finally gets in, meaning the match is now officially on. The weapons are in full force with the Era taking a heck of a beating. Dunne starts breaking fingers and Hanson puts a trashcan over Cole’s head so Rowe can lift him up and drive Hanson into Cole in the corner. Rowe slams Hanson onto O’Reilly and Strong takes a German suplex/springboard clothesline combination. A trashcan to the head saves Strong from the same fate and the comeback is on again.

Dunne is surrounded but fights off all four of them at once, including a kneebar on Fish. O’Reilly makes the save and finds a chain but Dunne ties him up with it and grabs a guillotine choke. That’s broken up with a chair to Dunne’s bad knee and the ankle lock goes on with the chairs being used to hold off Ricochet and the Raiders. Strong pulls back on Dunne’s face with a chair at the same time until Ricochet dives over for the save. Everyone is down again until Hanson gets up to start punching.

Ricochet is up with a super hurricanrana to Fish while Dunne hits a butterfly superplex on Strong at the same time. Hanson loads up a table, which breaks as soon as he puts Cole on it. Instead it’s a pop up powerslam for two on Cole but Fish drives Rowe through a table between the rings. O’Reilly gets Ricochet in a triangle choke on a table, allowing Hanson to splash him through the table for the break (in more ways than one). Strong makes a save though and everyone is down again.

Cole and Ricochet go up top for a slugout but Strong has the bright idea of trying to knock Ricochet off, which is the same as forfeiting. I guess we needed a tribute to the Bunkhouse Stampede as well. Dunne and Rowe come over for the save and it’s a Tower of Doom off the side of the cage. Ricochet is left on top of the cage though so everyone stands up right in front of him (never liked that) for a near 720 moonsault onto everyone for the big knockdown. Mauro: “MAMA F’N MIA!” Oh I think that one was deserved.

Everyone gets up with each team standing in one ring and it’s time for the big standoff, which does look rather cool. They all get between the rings and erupt. That doesn’t last long so it’s Fallout to Strong with O’Reilly making another save. Hanson handsprings O’Reilly and Fish down but gets superkicked by Cole. Ricochet gets superkicked as well and Dunne takes the Last Shot for two. Dunne hits a quick Bitter End and Ricochet adds a shooting star press for the double pin on Cole at 47:06.

Rating: A. I’m not exactly sure what to think of this. First of all, the original format is WAY better. Having nine people on three teams was too messy and didn’t really suit the way this match has gone over the years. WarGames is one of those nearly perfect concepts and there’s very little reason to tweak it that much. This style was much, much better and made it a lot more enjoyable.

I liked the match a lot, though it felt like it dragged at some point (which can happen in WarGames) it really could have been about ten minutes shorter. They did a very good job with building up the drama and it felt more like WarGames, but it wasn’t quite as brutal as last year’s match. The ending was the right call as there wasn’t anything to be gained by having the Undisputed Era win again. That spot with all eight of them going into the center was excellent and drew me right back in though and the double pin was a great way to wrap it up.

Above all else, this felt more like WarGames, which was lacking last year. I could still go for less weapons in there and more use of the cage (the lack of a roof doesn’t bother me and makes for better camera shots) and of course blood, but that’s just not going to happen, which is understandable. Anyway, great match but it didn’t quite hit the level of the best WarGames matches.

Dunne and Ricochet look at each other and then pose on top of the cage with their titles.

Overall Rating: A+. With that kind of match quality up and down the card, what else could you go with here? Just one incredible match after another with a lot of doors being left open for the next Takeover in January. The people were on their games tonight with Dream and Black looking awesome (Black/Dream vs. a reunited DIY anyone?) in particular and WarGames blowing the roof (ok the non-existent roof) off the place. Another incredible entry in the series with a level of match quality that you just don’t get anywhere else.

Results

Matt Riddle b. Kassius Ohno – Jumping knee to the face

Shayna Baszler b. Kairi Sane – Rollup

Aleister Black b. Johnny Gargano – Black Mass

Pete Dunne/Ricochet/War Raiders b. Undisputed Era – Shooting star press to Cole

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2003 Smackdown Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/09/07/new-book-kbs-complete-smackdown-2003-reviews/

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

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

IMG Credit: WWE

NXT
Date: October 31, 2018
Location: Full Sail University, Winter Park, Florida
Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Vic Joseph, Percy Watson

Things got cranked up in a hurry last week as we now have two major stories going on at once. First and foremost, Johnny Gargano revealed himself as the man who attacked Aleister Black a few months ago, ending a long whodunit mystery and likely setting up a war at Takeover. Other than that, we might be heading for a triple threat match for the NXT Title with Tommaso Ciampa defending against Lars Sullivan and Velveteen Dream. Let’s get to it.

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

We open with a recap of the search for Black’s attacker, with Nikki Cross saying she knew who did it and Black showing up last week, only to be attacked by Gargano. The “I’M RIGHT HERE” line is great.

Opening sequence.

Nikki Cross vs. Mercedes Martinez

This could be interesting. The fans are behind Martinez as Nikki seems rather pleased to be shoved back into the corner. With that not working, Nikki takes her down by the arm instead. Back up and Martinez charges into a boot in the corner but blocks the tornado DDT without much effort. A guillotine choke with the leg hooked keeps Cross in trouble but Mercedes lets go, allowing Cross to make a comeback with a bulldog.

Nikki is bleeding from the cheek as Martinez counters the fisherman’s neckbreaker into a spinebuster for the double knockdown. A pair of backdrop drivers set up a release German suplex but the fisherman’s buster is countered into a Regal Cutter. Nikki plants her with a DDT and the fisherman’s neckbreaker is good for the pin at 6:20.

Rating: B-. Well you knew Martinez would be a few steps ahead of almost anyone else they brought in. Nikki wasn’t about to lose when she was in such a prominent role in the Black/Gargano story and we even got a good match out of the whole thing. I don’t know if Martinez is going to be staying around but WWE could get a lot out of having her in the division.

Post match Candice LeRae (now with bangs that made me barely recognize her) to ask what Nikki is doing, but she leaves without saying anything. Nikki runs into Black at the entrance though and leaves the other way. Black goes to the ring where Candice says Johnny isn’t here. Black says Johnny is gone.

We recap the Street Profits vs. the Mighty with Montez Ford’s knee being hurt to give the Mighty the win. They even stole the Profits’ cup.

The Mighty vs. Street Profits

Thorn and Dawkins start things off and it’s already time for Thorn to bail towards the ropes. Everything breaks down in a hurry and the Profits clear the ring in a hurry. Ford’s big flip dive takes both of them out but Miller busts up his spine back inside. The pace slows a good bit with Ford trying to fight out of the corner but getting caught in a Falcon Arrow for two.

Ford finally goes aerial by diving over Thorn and making the hot tag off to Dawkins to clean house. Dawkins’ powerbomb is countered with a hurricanrana so Thorn loads up Miller in a powerbomb as Miller superplexes Ford for a cool double team spot. That’s good for two with Dawkins making the save, leaving Ford to hit the frog splash for the pin on Thorn at 7:07.

Rating: C-. It’s very rare that a feud in NXT does nothing for me but that’s the case here. I don’t know if it’s the Mighty (though that seems to be a strong possibility) but this has been one of the most lifeless stories I can remember NXT putting on in a long time. It’s not that it’s terrible or even bad. Instead, it’s not interesting and that’s actually worse.

The Profits regain the cup.

William Regal makes Velveteen Dream vs. Tommaso Ciampa for the title at Takeover. Black comes in and wants Gargano, so Regal makes that match for Takeover as well.

Lars Sullivan is throwing a bunch of stuff because that was his title shot. If Dream is in that spot now, Sullivan will take him out and replace him.

Luke Menzies vs. Matt Riddle

Riddle’s theme music starts with BRO, he’s billed as the King of Bros, and he jumps into the air to kick his flip flops into different corners, meaning he’s wrestling barefoot. Riddle takes him by the leg to start and flips him into a quickly broken cross armbreaker. Menzies hits him with a running shoulder so Riddle starts snapping off the kicks to the chest. A running forearm in the corner misses and Menzies tosses him with a belly to belly.

Riddle is right back up with a kick to the head and another one to the chest as the fans are WAY into the BRO chants. A running knee to the chest sets up the hard elbows to the face, followed by something like a seated abdominal stretch (also called a Twister, or the Bromission here) for the tap at 3:22.

Rating: C. Well that worked. Riddle looked awesome (because he is awesome) and while Menzies got in some offense, Riddle shrugged all of it off and destroyed him for the win. You can pencil him in for a bigger match at Takeover against Kassius Ohno and that’s where we’ll get the real showcase. Good debut here though, with the match going as it should have and the submission finisher looking great.

Clip of Shayna Baszler regaining the Women’s Title at Evolution.

After the match, a still weakened Sane went after Baszler but just didn’t have the energy.

Next week: Sullivan vs. Dream.

Oney Lorcan/Danny Burch vs. Raul Mendoza/Humberto Carrillo

Mendoza and Burch start things off and we get a nice handshake. A headscissors takes Burch down and it’s off to Carrillo to work on the arm. Some European uppercuts get Burch out of trouble though and it’s already off to Lorcan. Humberto gets caught in a double top wristlock but backflips out with a double armdrag.

Lorcan and Burch are sent outside for stereo suicide dives but Humberto’s moonsault hits raised boots (with Lorcan shoving his feet up instead of just holding them up). Mendoza comes in and hits some running forearms, followed by an enziguri for each of them. Burch hiptosses him into the corner though and it’s the spike DDT for the pin at 3:17.

Rating: C+. That was WAY better than I was expecting, which is a nice relief as I was hoping they wouldn’t squash someone as talented as Mendoza. They had me thinking we might even see the big upset here, which is hard to pull off in a match this short. Both teams could go somewhere and I hope we see more from Mendoza and Carrillo.

The Undisputed Era is doing their usual promo in the back when the War Raiders run in and jump them ahead of their scheduled match. They fight outside with Cole being lawn darted into a production truck but Strong comes back with a trashcan. Some weapons shots have the War Raiders down but here’s Ricochet to dive off a table to take everyone down. Fish tries to get inside but Hanson shows up and throws him into a garage door.

With Ricochet and Cole fighting elsewhere, the other five come inside with the Raiders wrecking the three of them. Ricochet and Cole join them but a shot to Hanson’s knee cuts him down. The Era takes over but here’s Pete Dunne (POP) with a chair for the save. Cole’s hand is smashed as Ricochet and Rowe are back up. Cue Regal and the fans know what’s coming. WARGAMES is officially confirmed between the eight of them, sending the Era into a panic to end the show.

Overall Rating: C+. The ending announcement alone is cool to see and helps the show itself, which was already pretty good. This was the night where a lot of Takeover’s card was set up in one night and that often makes for some of the most entertaining shows they have. I’m fired up for the show now and that means they did their job here, as the perfect timing of these things continues.

Results

Nikki Cross b. Mercedes Martinez – Fisherman’s neckbreaker

Street Profits b. The Mighty – Frog splash to Thorn

Matt Riddle b. Luke Menzies – Bromission

Oney Lorcan/Danny Burch b. Raul Mendoza/Humberto Carrillo – Spike DDT to Mendoza

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2003 Smackdown Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/09/07/new-book-kbs-complete-smackdown-2003-reviews/

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

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

IMG Credit: WWE

NXT
Date: October 24, 2018
Location: Full Sail University, Winter Park, Florida
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Nigel McGuinness, Percy Watson

It’s a big night this time around as Aleister Black now knows who attacked him. Therefore, it’s highly likely that we find out tonight too, which should be a heck of a moment. There are several suspects out there and a lot of them are strong possibilities. Other than that though, it’s time to get ready for the next Takeover. Let’s get to it.

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

Earlier today, William Regal assigned security to have Black see him before getting inside.

Opening sequence.

Here’s the Undisputed Era to get things going. Bobby Fish is officially back and that’s something everyone should fear. Just as the War Raiders. The Undisputed Era is NXT, which brings Cole to Ricochet, who still has his property. A few weeks back, Ricochet beat Pete Dunne to retain the North American Title in a triple threat match but didn’t pin Cole, because Ricochet can’t do it. Cue EC3 to interrupt because he sees Cole as trying to sound impressive because the team is scared. Cole cuts off the catchphrase with a SHUT UP EC3 and a match is made.

Adam Cole vs. EC3

Cole gets aggressive to start and hammers away in the corner but EC3 punches him outside without too much effort. A superkick slows EC3 down on the way back in though and a swinging neckbreaker keeps him down. Cole grabs a front facelock and gets two off the fireman’s carry neckbreaker. The facelock goes on again as Fish orders the referee to ask him. EC3 finally fights up and snaps off a German suplex but the Era offers a distraction. Cole’s superkick looks to set up the Last Shot but EC3 is up with a clothesline. That’s not enough or Cole though as EC3 grabs a rollup for the pin at 6:56.

Rating: C-. Kind of a dull match here but that’s been the case for a lot of EC3’s stuff. He looks and talks well but once the bell rings, he’s only so interesting. Cole can have a great match with the right opponent, though it’s clear that EC3 doesn’t fit in there. It also doesn’t help that EC3 was kind of thrown into this match, as the Era already has enough enemies.

Post match the beatdown is on, with a High/Low to EC3 setting up the Last Shot. Fish crushes the leg with a chair. Fans: “THANK YOU BOBBY!”

Nikki Cross warns security, telling them that he’s coming. Vic: “Who does she mean?” Do they write these lines to try and sound as dumb as possible?

Aaliyah vs. Mia Yim

This is Mia’s first NXT match in four years and first as a member of the roster. Aaliyah snaps her throat first across the top and puts on an early chinlock, followed by the right hands to the head. The second chinlock goes on so Mia drives her back first into the corner for the break. Some clotheslines and a dropkick put Aaliyah in the corner for a Cannonball. Soul Food is good for the pin on Aaliyah at 3:39.

Rating: D+. I’m not as big on Yim as some people but it makes sense to bring her in. She was one of the most popular stars in the Mae Young Classic and she has more than enough of a resume outside of WWE. Aaliyah is a good first win for her as it gets her feet wet, which I’m sure will set her up for something down the road.

Bianca Belair demands that Regal give her a title shot. With Bianca gone, Regal says he doesn’t know what Nikki said to Black last week but….here’s the Era to interrupt. With Kyle O’Reilly talking to himself, Cole tells Regal to get his act together. Regal says it’s the other way around, because next week the War Raiders will face Fish and Cole.

We see the Roman Reigns segment from Raw.

Video on Lacey Evans.

Video on Kairi Sane vs. Shayna Baszler. I’d assume they had to cut something for the sake of that Reigns segment and it’s throwing things off a bit. This is a lot of videos in a row.

Justin Xavier vs. Kassius Ohno

Xavier’s shoulder bounces off of Ohno but an elbow works a bit better. That’s fine with Ohno, who hits a heck of a big boot. A fireman’s carry slam sets up a running legdrop and another running boot cuts Xavier off. Back to back backsplashes set up the rolling elbow for the pin at 3:05.

Rating: D. Just a squash to set up Ohno to face Matt Riddle at the next Takeover. Ohno is the perfect choice for something like that as Ohno is one of the few guys guaranteed to have at least a passable match. He’s also still enough of a name that beating him means something and they’ve set up a nice little story for the debut.

Post match Nikki comes out to say he’s coming. Nigel says it’s clearly Black (meaning it’s not) and wonders who he’s coming for.

Matt Riddle makes his in-ring debut next week.

Here’s Regal to announce the NXT Title match at Takeover. This brings out Tommaso Ciampa, who tells Regal not to stare at the title. If Regal has some announcement, go ahead with it so here’s Velveteen Dream to interrupt. Dream says the WarGames fans want an experience so Regal needs to say his name. Now it’s Lars Sullivan interrupting, saying they need to be mindful of where they are. He recommends they leave his territory because the NXT Title belongs to them.

Dream understands that Lars thinks of himself as a nightmare, but when you speak to the Dream, wear some pants. Lars grabs him but here’s Cross to point to the back. We cut to said back where Black is kicking everyone he can find. Black comes into the arena and kicks Sullivan but want to know where HE is. Regal doesn’t know but Johnny Gargano comes in and lays Black out. Gargano: “I’m right here.”

It wasn’t the biggest secret in the world, but that was a really effective reveal. The fans got very quiet when Gargano attacked and that’s the entire point. Gargano was a prime suspect due to never actually denying what happened and suddenly being his old self again, which felt rather out of place for NXT storytelling. This can set him up for a long heel run, possibly even teaming with Ciampa again, before he finally becomes NXT Champion at some point down the line. Very well done here.

Overall Rating: C+. The wrestling wasn’t great here but really, none of that means much of anything as this was ALL about the big ending. Black vs. Gargano, especially a freshly heel Gargano, should be a heck of a fight as Takeover starts to look even better. This show took some steps towards the show and I’m looking forward to seeing how we get there. The reveal was the best part of the show and it’s all that really mattered.

Results

EC3 b. Adam Cole – Rollup

Mia Yim b. Aaliyah – Soul Food

Kassius Ohno b. Justin Xavier – Rolling elbow

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2003 Smackdown Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/09/07/new-book-kbs-complete-smackdown-2003-reviews/

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

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

IMG Credit: WWE

NXT
Date: August 8, 2018
Location: Full Sail University, Winter Park, Florida
Commentators: Mauro Ranallo, Percy Watson, Nigel McGuinness

It’s time for a big match this week with Aleister Black vs. Johnny Gargano. These two have a shared enemy in Tommaso Ciampa, who won the NXT Title thanks to Gargano accidentally knocking Black out. We’re very close to Takeover and that means we need a main event, which is likely to be announced tonight. Let’s get to it.

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

The opening video looks at Gargano costing Black the title, which really was a well done piece of business.

Opening sequence.

Nikki Cross vs. Amber Nova

Nikki drives her into the corner and laughs a lot so the spunky Nova tries a hurricanrana. That’s blocked without much effort so Nova uses the legs to pull Nikki face first into the top turnbuckle. A straitjacket choke has Nikki in trouble for a few moments but Nova gets thrown down with ease. The fisherman’s neckbreaker finishes Nova at 3:24.

Rating: D+. This was actually a few steps above a squash with Nova getting to shine a little bit. Cross is in a weird place as she’s no longer in the Women’s Title picture and doesn’t really have a story at the moment. That’s one of the good things about NXT though: they’re smart enough to put these people on TV, even in short matches like this, just to keep things fresh.

Video on Keith Lee, who debuts tonight.

Ricochet comes out for a match but gets jumped by the Undisputed Era. Adam Cole promises to mangle Ricochet at Takeover.

Vanessa Borne’s plan for tonight: win the match and qualify for the Mae Young Classic. Tonight the world is getting the vision that it deserves. She yells at the interviewers for taking up too much of her time.

Adrian Jauode vs. Kassius Ohno

Jauode, who looks a lot like Tommaso Ciampa, is in a sleeveless gi and has a martial arts background. Some cartwheels distract Ohno and Jauode takes him to the mat. That goes nowhere as Ohno kicks him in the face and drops the backsplash. Another big boot has Jauode in trouble but he comes back with a belly to back suplex. Ohno shrugs it off and hits the Dream Crusher for the pin at 2:56.

Earlier today, EC3 went to Velveteen Dream’s home for the Experience. They go for a walk around the pool with EC3 thinking he’s about to be shoved in. He came here to fight Dream but he’ll wait for Takeover. It’s going to be worth the wait when it’s the one (“allegedly”) vs. the top 1%. Dream doesn’t care for being disrespected like that but drops his sunglasses. EC3 picks them up and sends a charging Dream into the water. Dream seems to be drowning but EC3 points out that it’s three feet deep and everything is fine. This was as odd as you would expect a trip to Dream’s house to be.

Marcel Barthel vs. Keith Lee

Barthel is German and the h is silent. Lee is nicknamed Limitless and weighs 325lbs but can wrestle like a cruiserweight. The fans are way behind Lee as Barthel looks concerned. Barthel: “NEIN!” Lee pops him with a left hand and shouts the exact same thing. A leapfrog into a dropkick has Barthel down again but he’s back up with a corner enziguri. Lee misses a charge in the corner but easily blocks a suplex attempt. Barthel gets knocked away with something like a pounce, followed by a fireman’s carry into a Jackhammer for the pin at 4:24.

Rating: C+. You would have expected a squash here but Barthel didn’t look bad at all. He has a good look, he had a presence and his stuff looked good. That being said, this was all about Lee, who is an athletic freak and can do things that people his size just shouldn’t be able to do. His progress around here should be interesting to see.

The Street Profits are at an ATM for an episode of Street Talk, where they rip on the Mighty, both for being Australian and for talking weirdly. They meet next week.

Mae Young Classic Qualifying Match: Vanessa Borne vs. Taynara Conti

Conti is in a gi as well. Borne isn’t interested in fighting over a lockup to start and sends Conti face first into the buckle. With shouts of I DESERVE IT, Borne takes her to the mat for a dragon sleeper. That’s broken up and Conti kicks at the arm but gets smacked in the face. A right hand annoys Conti so she reverses a crucifix into a spinning slam for the pin at 4:05. That looked like it was edited as I don’t think Conti hit it very clean. I think it was supposed to end in a Rock Bottom or side slam but Conti just shoved her down instead.

Rating: D+. I’ll give them some points for the surprise ending there as Borne seemed like the big star and just got pinned clean. They like to go for the international picks in the Mae Young Classic so going with the Brazilian wrestler is a smarter way to go. Borne is already somewhat established so a win over here means a little something for Conti.

Quick look at Kairi Sane saving Candice LeRae from Shayna Bazler last week.

Next week: Sane vs. Aaliyah and Tyler Bate vs. Roderick Strong.

Former UFC Heavyweight Champion Cain Velazquez is here.

Aleister Black vs. Johnny Gargano

They go right at each other to start and Black scores first with a hard kick to the chest. Gargano rolls over for a kick to the head and that means the suicide dive. As one fan is VERY pro-Black, Johnny throws him back in for some stomps in the corner. The slingshot spear is countered with a knee to the face and Black wants Gargano to look at him. They trade clotheslines and kicks for a double knockdown but here’s Ciampa to throw Gargano outside for the DQ at 2:30. I’m glad they kept this very short as Gargano vs. Black is a match that should get the full on treatment instead of going long and then having interference.

Ciampa beats them both up as the fans chant for a triple threat. Gargano gets in a shot on him so Ciampa bails, leaving Black and Gargano to fight some more. Referees break it up but here’s William Regal to make a triple threat for the title in Brooklyn to end the show. Somehow that’s the first ever triple threat NXT Title match in Takeover history (assuming it happens due to Black’s injury).

Overall Rating: B-. This was a different kind of show as they touched on a bunch of stuff while also setting up the big main event. A bunch of wrestlers got some focus tonight and that’s a good thing, especially with so many people on the NXT roster. The wrestling was nothing great but the storytelling was there and that’s the more important thing. Good show here and a way to make me care about Takeover that much more.

Results

Nikki Cross b. Amber Nova – Fisherman’s neckbreaker

Kassius Ohno b. Adrian Jauode – Dream Crusher

Keith Lee b. Marcel Barthel – Fireman’s carry Jackhammer

Taynara Conti b. Vanessa Borne – Spinning Slam

Johnny Gargano b. Aleister Black via DQ when Tommaso Ciampa interfered

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2003 Monday Night Raw Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/07/23/new-book-kbs-complete-2003-monday-night-raw-reviews/

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

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

IMG Credit: WWE

NXT
Date: August 1, 2018
Location: Full Sail University, Winter Park, Florida
Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Percy Watson, Mauro Ranallo

Last week, evil won. Tommaso Ciampa defeated Aleister Black to become the new NXT Champion, thanks to an accidental belt shot to Black’s head at the hands of Johnny Gargano. That is Gargano’s, as well as a lot of other people’s, worst nightmare and it’s going to make for an interesting future. Let’s get to it.

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

In Memory Of Nikolai Volkoff and Brian Christopher.

Long recap of last week’s title change. The crowd energy really did make that so much better, as is normally the case around here.

Opening sequence.

Heavy Machinery vs. The Mighty

The Mighty have new black coats and throw them at Heavy Machinery’s faces. Those coats are thrown back at them and followed by right hands before the bell even rings. Otis spins Miller around before planting him with a slam but Thorn is right back with a high dropkick (to a not very high Otis) to take over. A double belly to back suplex gets two and Thorn starts in on the arm.

They switch to the more traditional route with a chinlock, along with the traditional comeback via a belly to back suplex. That’s enough to bring in Knight to throw the Aussies around, followed by a Cannonball off the apron to take them both down. Back in and a chop block cuts Knight off…and we’ve got the Street Profits in the crowd. The Mighty are distracted enough to allow the hot ta to Otis and the Compactor finishes Miller at 5:15.

Rating: C-. Very formula based tag match here until the main roster style finish, which isn’t the best sign in the world. The good thing is that it doesn’t happen around here very often so maybe it’s just a one off thing instead of the crutch that it has become on the main roster. I like the Profits too so this is a positive sign, especially with the division getting some more depth.

Moustache Mountain vs. Matt Knotts/???

Bate starts with the bigger Knotts, who mocks the wave. That means one heck of a left hand to Knotts’ jaw and Seven comes in for the chops. The unnamed jobber (Mauro: “His opponent.”) comes in and gets chopped as well, setting up a dragon suplex. Bate’s t-bone suplex drops Opponent and the top rope knee/Burning Hammer combination is good for the pin on Opponent at 2:21. Mountain looked great.

Post match Moustache Mountain apologizes to the fans for losing the titles. Bate apologizes for throwing in the towel but they’re invoking their rematch clause for Takeover: Brooklyn. That’s going to be a VERY interesting crowd reaction.

EC3 vs. Kona Reeves

I don’t have to say this very often around here, but please make it short. Reeves can’t get out of a headlock to start as Nigel actually tries to compare him to Barry Windham. Thankfully EC3 hits a good looking elbow to make me forget about how ridiculous that statement was.

A cobra clutch (the Kona Clutch) has EC3 in trouble for all of a few moments before coming back up with left hands. EC3’s running flip neckbreaker but here’s the Velveteen Dream (DON’T START DOING THIS NXT!) who says someone still can’t get over Royal Albert Hall. Dream points behind EC3 and the Hawaiian Drop gives Reeves two. Reeves yells a lot and the One Percent finishes him off at 5:32.

Rating: D+. EC3 looked good but my goodness Reeves is just lame. He doesn’t have a great look (it’s fine), his offense is really dull and his character feels like he’s ripping off a few other wrestlers. Hopefully this is it for him, as his finisher couldn’t get a win and Reeves didn’t look good otherwise. Dream on the other hand is one of the best things about NXT at the moment but PLEASE tell me these distractions aren’t going to become a thing. At least it didn’t lead to a loss.

In the back, EC3 says he’d love to join Dream’s experience because he knows it’s going to turn into a fight. He is the best here, he is the best there, he is the best anywhere.

Shayna Baszler vs. Candice LeRae

Non-title. Baszler offers LeRae a chance to leave and gets dropkicked for her efforts. LeRae goes for the arm but gets tossed outside, setting up a whip into the steps. That means Baszler can start in on the arm, bending it all over the place and stomping on it to bend it in rather painful directions. An enziguri gives LeRae a bit of relief and she takes Baszler down with a one armed snapmare.

Baszler staggers up and walks into a spinning middle rope Downward Spiral for one. A suicide dive has Baszler in even more trouble and the jumping tornado DDT gets two. Ms. LeRae’s Wild Ride is pulled down into the Kirifuda Clutch (the same way Baszler beat her in the Mae Young Classic) but this time LeRae grabs the rope. An Unprettier sets up a Lionsault but LeRae only hits mat. Baszler kicks her in the arm and the Clutch is good for the tap at 7:57.

Rating: B. They were working here and that made for a very good match. LeRae is similar to her husband: it’s so easy to get sucked into her matches because she plays a great underdog and that’s what happened here. I was wanting to see her get the win here and that’s a great sign for a regular TV match.

Baszler goes after her again after the match but Kairi Sane makes the save. Sane checks on LeRae and Baszler kicks at her again, meaning referees have to hold Sane back as Baszler leaves.

Moustache Mountain is ready to beat the Undisputed Era again. They run into the War Raiders, who says they’re coming for whoever leaves Brooklyn with the titles.

Regal makes EC3 vs. Dream and Adam Cole vs. Ricochet for the North American Championship for Brooklyn.

Next week: Ricochet is back and Keith Lee makes his in-ring debut.

Here’s Ciampa for his first comments as champion. Mauro says Ciampa makes Thanos look like the Wizard of Oz. Now that’s a great line. Ciampa is reveling in being the champion and points at individual fans, laughing about his win and saying he told us so. Once he’s in the ring, Ciampa says he and the title make a beautiful couple. He’s a man of his word and won’t be listening to the fans telling him to shut up.

This is what happens when the most dangerous man in NXT takes his place at the head of the table. The fans chant at him even more so Ciampa complains about how heavy the title is on his shoulder. The icing on the cake was Gargano proving himself to be a failure because Ciampa won again. Ciampa was the magic answer to Black and now Black and Gargano can bicker about who is 2A and 2B. It doesn’t really matter because the gap between 1 and 2 has never been stronger. NXT will forever be the A show because he is the greatest sports entertainer (erg) of all time.

Ciampa sits in the ring and here’s Black to interrupt. Gargano sprints past him though and the fight is on with Ciampa being knocked to the floor. The champ bails through the crowd (that can’t be safe) and Gargano says he’s the reason Ciampa is champion. Black superkicks Gargano and the fans think Gargano deserved it. Well yeah he pretty much did. Black agrees with Gargano being to blame to end the show.  Great ending here, with both challengers having a legit reason to go after the title and Black wanting to take out Gargano for what he did.  The triple threat is the right call here and it should be awesome.

Overall Rating: B. Good main event and a hot ending to the show make this the kind of show I look forward to from NXT. The opening matches weren’t the best but they were short enough to not really hurt things. On top of that we had matches made for both next week and Takeover, as the card comes together in a hurry, as it only seems to do around here. This was a very easy show to watch as the time continues to fly by.

Results

Heavy Machinery b. The Mighty – Compactor to Miller

Moustache Mountain b. Matt Knotts/??? – Top rope knee/Burning Hammer combination to ???

EC3 b. Kona Reeves – One Percent

Shayna Baszler b. Candice LeRae – Kirifuda Clutch

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2003 Monday Night Raw Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/07/23/new-book-kbs-complete-2003-monday-night-raw-reviews/

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

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

IMG Credit: WWE

NXT
Date: July 25, 2018
Location: Full Sail University, Winter Park, Florida
Commentators: Mauro Ranallo, Percy Watson, Nigel McGuinness

It’s a big match night as we have a rare NXT Title defense. Aleister Black is putting the title on the line against Tommaso Ciampa, who would make a rather terrifying champion. We’re less than a month away from Takeover: Brooklyn IV and that means it’s time to start putting things together. Let’s get to it.

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

The opening video looks at the setup for Black vs. Ciampa, with both of them talking about being the devils of NXT. Ciampa says he needs one chance to win the title and his ascension will be complete.

Opening sequence.

Adam Cole vs. Sean Maluta

Non-title. Maluta goes straight for a rollup before switching to a neckbreaker to bang Cole up. That’s about it for Maluta’s offense as Cole kicks him in the ribs and superkicks him out of the air. The Last Shot puts Maluta away at 2:15. Just a squash.

Post match Cole says he’s the hottest commodity on any brand and is defending his title around the world. Tonight he gave this guy an opportunity so if anyone…and here’s Ricochet. Oh I think I could go for this. Ricochet congratulates him on not running from his competition for once, even though Cole couldn’t even remember his opponent’s name tonight. All Cole has done is become a coward but if he wants to prove otherwise, how about a title match in Brooklyn?

Cole passes and leaves so Ricochet calls him a coward again. That’s too far for Cole so he goes back to the ring but Ricochet is ready for him, sending Cole back to the floor while Ricochet flips into the superhero pose. That brings out Kyle O’Reilly and Roderick Strong but the War Raiders are right behind them. Was there any reason to not push them straight to the title picture? Actually there is, as Moustache Mountain pop up to chase the champs into the crowd. I could go for moustaches vs. beards for the title shot. Going from one Takeover match to three in about fifteen minutes is pretty nifty work.

Earlier today, William Regal (welcome back) held the contract signing for Shayna Baszler vs. Kairi Sane. Baszler didn’t want to call this a rematch because not only has she beaten Sane since the Mae Young Classic but she’s not the same person. Sane hasn’t done anything since then and things are going to change. Sane signs and says they both know she can win. Baszler sneers that off because Sane is just a fake pirate. She signs as well and seems rather annoyed at what Sane said.

We look back at Velveteen Dream walking out on EC3 during the UK show.

Tenilla Price vs. Lacey Evans

I can’t find anything about Price but she gets an entrance. Lacey throws her into the corner for the slingshot Bronco Buster but a moonsault hits knees. That’s it for Price as the Woman’s Right is good for the pin at 2:04.

Bianca Belair is injured but doesn’t need to explain anything. She’s still way ahead of everyone else and she’s un-de-feat-ed, which she says four times in less than thirty seconds.

Candice LeRae tries to go after Shayna but gets held back.

NXT Title: Tommaso Ciampa vs. Aleister Black

Ciampa is challenging and still has no music. He even breaks up Black’s pre-match poses like a real villain. They lock up hard to start with Black getting the better of a technical exchange on the mat. It’s almost weird to see Ciampa wrestling but it makes sense because his hatred is at Johnny Gargano alone. A small package gives Black two as they’re still firmly in first gear. The hanging DDT is quickly broken up and Black hits his first kick to the chest to keep Ciampa down.

More kicks have Ciampa on the floor and Black moonsaults into the seated position so he can mock Ciampa’s wave. Back in and Ciampa gets in his first real shots to put Black on the floor for a whip into the steps. Now it’s Ciampa’s turn to mock Black’s pose because what’s good for one devil is good for another. Ciampa stays on the back with a backbreaker and an abdominal stretch.

Nigel is right there to talk about how this will weaken the Black Mass because it’s based on core strength because Nigel actually knows how to analyze a match. A Texas Cloverleaf switches over to the legs but Black is in the ropes pretty quickly. Black is fine enough to escape a super White Noise and a collision gives us a double knockdown, continuing the odd theory of one move balancing out a long stretch of offense.

More kicks have Ciampa in trouble and the standing Lionsault gets two. A hard kick to the head is good for the same and some kicks to the chest (Black: “TWEET ABOUT THIS!”) rock him even more. He’s fine enough to hit a top rope DDT for two but Black is right back with kicks to the head. A big spinning kick to the head sets up a German suplex for a near fall and Ciampa bails to the floor. Black misses a moonsault though and Ciampa sends him into the cameraman.

Back in and the hanging DDT gets a VERY close two so it’s time to pull the ring mats up. The referee starts yelling so Ciampa comes back in, only to be shoved into the referee, knocking him to the floor. Black Mass connects but there’s no one to count. Ciampa goes for the eye and grabs the title but here’s Gargano to superkick him. Gargano tries to take the belt away, sending it square into Black’s head. Ciampa sends Gargano outside and a lifting sitout Pedigree (Christopher Daniels’ Angel’s Wings, a FAR better finisher than that lame neckbreaker Ciampa was using) finishes Black at 22:18.

Rating: A-. It’s basically Shawn/Bret/Undertaker at Summerslam 1997 and that’s not a bad place to be. You could easily get to a triple threat from here and for once I like that idea instead of going with the trilogy. Black vs. Gargano could be awesome on its own and you could really milk the build to Gargano vs. Ciampa III where Gargano goes back to his normal self (how fitting of a first line to his theme music: “Be yourself, can’t be no no else.”) to defeat the evil once and for all.

The match itself was a great piece of drama with Black knowing he had the big weapon ready to win in the end but getting caught by outside interference and Ciampa being evil enough to take him down. Black is kept very strong as he knocked Ciampa cold and didn’t lose clean, making this another near perfectly booked match.

The lack of music makes it all the more eerie and thank goodness the fans boo him out of the building instead of the YOU DESERVE IT stuff. Ciampa poses to end the show.

Overall Rating: A. Sweet goodness they know how to do this stuff. This was a tremendous episode from a storyline advancement perspective as we now have a big time main event plus several other midcard feuds ready to go. You can pretty easily see the Takeover card from here, which says a lot given how little of it was set coming into tonight. The main event is great and worth seeing, but now I’m a lot more interested in Takeover than I was. They always have that one show to draw you in and that’s what they did here.

Results

Adam Cole b. Sean Maluta – Last Shot

Lacey Evans b. Tenilla Price – Woman’s Right

Tommaso Ciampa b. Aleister Black – Lifting sitout Pedigree

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2003 Monday Night Raw Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/07/23/new-book-kbs-complete-2003-monday-night-raw-reviews/

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

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