NXT Date: July 5, 2017 Location: Full Sail University, Winter Park, Florida Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Mauro Ranallo, Percy Watson
The title shows continue as we have the NXT Title on the line tonight. Bobby Roode has gotten far underneath the skin of Roderick Strong, including talking about Strong’s wife. The title is up for grabs tonight with a ticked off Strong wanting both the title and a measure of revenge. Let’s get to it.
Opening sequence.
Strong and his family arrived earlier today.
Sanity vs. Kassius Ohno/Hideo Itami
Alexander Wolfe and Killian Dain for Sanity here. Ohno blasts Wolfe into the corner to start and it’s off to Itami for the kicks in the corner. Dain offers a distraction though and it’s Wolfe snapping Itami across the top to take over as we take a break. Back with Itami still in trouble as Dain easily cuts the ring off to keep him down. Itami comes back with kicks and Ohno is ready for the tag but Itami doesn’t even go near him. Instead it’s a Falcon Arrow to Wolfe but Ohno gets knocked outside by Dain. The GTS knocks Wolfe silly, only to have Dain crossbody Itami for the pin at 9:44.
Rating: C+. Fine storyline advancement here with Itami wanting to prove himself to continue making up for his loss to Roode. I can go for the long form story like this, though I’m not sure where it’s going to end. Itami might get a future title shot but a heel turn seems to be in his way first. Well, after a match with Ohno of course.
Ember Moon is training for her comeback at the Performance Center when Ruby Riot interrupts the mini press conference (in the Performance Center mind you) to say she should get the title shot instead. Moon doesn’t seem to mind.
We look back at the awesome Last Woman Standing match.
Video on Drew McIntyre.
Drew wants the winner of tonight’s title match.
We look at DIY splitting.
Johnny Gargano is back next week.
Billie Kay and Peyton Royce were annoyed that Peyton was the only one to remember Billie’s birthday when Andrade Cien Almas got into an argument with his unnamed female associate (Thea Trinidad).
Last week in an untelevised match, Bianca BelAir defeated Aliyah to qualify for the Mae Young Classic.
Video on Bobby Roode vs. Roderick Strong, which is the wealthy/powerful one vs. the family man who has worked to get here.
Strong has victory on his mind.
Roode says Strong is about to face reality.
NXT Title: Roderick Strong vs. Bobby Roode
Strong is challenging. Roode gets the better of an amateur exchange and does his GLORIOUS pose, earning himself a pair of dropkicks. A half nelson backbreaker drops the champ and we take an early break. Back with Roode grabbing a Blockbuster and stomping away, only to take another backbreaker.
Roode bails to the floor again but sends Strong’s knee into the steps to take over. It’s time to really work on the knee in the Ric Flair style, including a kick to the knee to cut off a comeback. We come back from a second break and come back with Strong kicking out of a leglock and sending Roode into the buckle.
The Angle Slam and another backbreaker give Strong two but Roode is right back with a chop block to take over again. The knee is wrapped around the post but Strong catches him on the top and shoves the champ out to the floor in a crash. A quick Glorious DDT gets two on Roderick and you can feel the crowd getting into things again, mainly because they knew better than to buy one finisher as the pin.
Now it’s Strong popping back up with knees to the face and a backbreaker for the pin…..with Roode’s foot underneath the ropes. That was a heck of a false finish with Strong all the way outside hugging his wife when he was told it wasn’t over. Roode knocks him off the apron and hits a Glorious DDT on the floor (with a sneer at Strong’s wife), followed by another inside to retain at 25:34.
Rating: B+. I’ve said this before and it’s still true: Roode doesn’t do anything flashy but he does everything so smoothly and simply that the style works. The leg work took away from Strong’s backbreakers and the Sick Kick, throwing off his entire offense. Couple that with a false finish and Roode being the kind of jerk that glares at a man’s wife before dumping him on his head and there’s very little to complain about here. It seems that Drew is waiting for the title and that sounds like a great main event in Brooklyn. Strong is similar to Ohno back in May: a one off challenger who will go back into the midcard after a nice rub in the title scene.
Strong hugs his wife to end the show.
Overall Rating: B. This was a lot of setting things up for later and that’s all fine considering we already have the Authors of Pain vs. Heavy Machinery next week. The main event was over half of the show and that meant it had the time that it deserved. That’s much better than the main shows where no matter what the main event is, it’s rarely going to get more than fifteen minutes. Good show here with a really solid main event.
Results
Sanity b. Kassius Ohno/Hideo Itami – Crossbody to Itami
Bobby Roode b. Roderick Strong – Glorious DDT
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NXT Date: June 7, 2017
Location: Full Sail University, Winter Park, Florida
Commentators: Percy Watson, Tom Phillips, Nigel McGuinness
Tonight is, in theory at least, all about Bobby Roode, who promised to show up for a Championship Celebration. Then again he said the same thing last week and had more important things to do. Teasing the crowd like that is far more effective of a heel tactic than a lot of them you’ll see so it’s not the worst idea. Let’s get to it.
We open with a quick video for tonight’s two big matches.
Opening sequence.
Heavy Machinery vs. Victor Andrews/Lars Sullivan
We actually get an inset promo from the jobbers with Victor being worried about his partner but Lars saying he’s got this. The huge Lars shoves Tucker into the corner to start and the shoulder blocks go nowhere. Knight actually gets taken down so it’s off to the much smaller Andrews, who is quickly bearhugged. Tucker throws Andrews into another bearhug and a belly to belly. The double standing splash crushes Andrews again and the double fall away slam (the Compactor) is good for the pin at 3:54.
Rating: D+. Just a squash and there’s nothing wrong with that. Sullivan continues to look great and is likely ready to be pushed at almost any time. I’m almost sure Heavy Machinery will be facing the Authors of Pain next in what could actually be an entertaining power feud. I don’t think they’d change the titles but it could be a lot of fun.
Heavy Machinery leaves so Sullivan annihilates Andrews, including an over the shoulder backbreaker. Fans to Sullivan: “SAY YOU’RE SORRY!”
We look back at No Way Jose returning to save Roderick Strong and Kassius Ohno from Sanity.
After the match, Killian Dain said no one was safe.
Here’s Roderick Strong for a chat. Over the last year or so, he’s been on quite the roller coaster (Was it the one at Wrestlemania?). Now he has a fiance and a beautiful baby boy. Now all he needs is the NXT Title. It’s no longer Roddy vs. the World because it’s his family vs. the World. This brings out Bobby Roode to talk about what an emotional story that was. Strong has a lot going for him right now with a hot fiance and a mostly normal boy.
Now Strong thinks he needs to move into the big house on the hill but it takes more than just asking for a title shot. Strong needs to stay in his lane and maybe one day they can take a picture together that he can show his kid. As for the title though, Strong just isn’t man enough to win it. This was the first step on what feels like a long road to a match and that’s fine.
Nikki Cross wants Asuka next week and gets her next week in a triple threat elimination match, also involving Ruby Riot.
Video on the Authors of Pain.
Sarah Logan vs. Peyton Royce
Logan is also known as Sarah Bridges but more famous as Crazy Mary Dobson. Sarah takes her down by the arm to start but Billie Kay’s cheering gets Peyton out of trouble. A good looking spinning kick drops Logan and it’s off to a chinlock. Logan fights up and hits a hard headbutt but gets kicked again, setting up a fisherman’s suplex to give Royce the pin at 3:44.
Rating: D+. Just a quick squash here as they continue to not have much for Dobson to do. Granted the same could be said for Royce and Kaye, who have been the same characters in the same place for a long time now. Granted they’re still good in those roles so it’s hard to complain about something that’s working.
After losing to Cesar Bonani last week, Andrade Cien Almas went out on the town again. An NXT reporter asked him about the loss so one of his lady friends slapped him in the face.
Oney Lorcan vs. Hideo Itami
Hideo takes him up to the ropes and slaps Oney in the face to start before a kick to the chest gets two. Lorcan gets the same off his running Blockbuster, only to charge into a kick to the head. It’s too early for the GTS as Lorcan slips out slaps the heck out of Itami over and over. They’re so bad that Itami stumbles to the floor, allowing Oney to hit a flip dive off the top. Back in and Itami begs off but uses the distraction to kick Lorcan in the knee. More kicks set up three straight GTS’s for no cover. Instead Kassius Ohno comes out to shove Itami down and it’s a no contest at 6:40.
Rating: C+. A lot of that is due to Lorcan’s slaps, which really did sound great. Lorcan is a heck of a tough jobber and can get a quick win if he’s given the chance. I’m already liking Itami’s heel character a lot more than his face stuff as the rapid fire kicks are a good way to cut someone down. Maybe this was what he was needing the whole time, as it’s not like anything else was working.
Video on Drew McIntyre.
Ember Moon wants the winner of next week’s triple threat.
No Way Jose vs. Killian Dain
The dancing doesn’t get Jose very far to start but a top rope ax handle and big boot send Dain outside. Back from a break with Dain planting him with a slam to slow things down. We hit the neck crank for a bit before a Wasteland and backsplash crush Jose all over again. Jose fights back with some chops but makes the mistake of trying a fireman’s carry. Dain misses a corner splash and eats a clothesline, followed by an impressive looking TKO. That’s about it for the offense though as Dain comes back with a running dropkick to knock Jose into the corner, followed by the Ulster Plantation for the pin at 10:33.
Rating: C+. I know he’s lost a lot of his fire but I still like Jose every time I see him. If you can get him away from the dead end dancing gimmick, he might be able to actually mean something one day. As he is he’s the perfect choice for a house show opener but I’d like to see him do something else. Dain is a great monster and should be able to be a big deal when he’s given the chance.
Overall Rating: B-. This was the NXT that I know and love. They had a bunch of things they needed to get done and as a result, a lot of stories were advanced. This show advanced several stories and had me wanting to see more from some of them. On top of that they hyped up next week’s title match to keep us coming back for more. Good show here and it’s nice to be able to say that about NXT more often.
Results
Heavy Machinery b. Victor Andrews/Lars Sullivan – Compactor to Andrews
Peyton Royce b. Sarah Logan – Fisherman’s suplex
Hideo Itami vs. Oney Lorcan went to a no contest when Kassius Ohno interfered
Killian Dain b. No Way Jose – Ulster Plantation
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NXT Takeover – Chicago: It Worked Before And It Works Again
Takeover: Chicago Date: May 20, 2017
Location: Allstate Arena, Chicago, Illinois
Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Tom Phillips, Percy Watson
How did we not get here before? If there’s one town that seems perfect for one of these things, it’s Chicago. We have a five match card here and thanks to the addition of the United Kingdom Title match, four of those matches are for titles. The card might be a bit predictable as is usually the case with Takeover but that doesn’t mean it’s a bad thing. Let’s get to it.
The opening video focuses on underdogs winning here in Chicago, including a shot of Wrigley Field. As a Cleveland Indians fan, SCREW OFF! The Cubs were the favorites coming into the World Series and it was really tiresome listening to people treat the Indians like they were some kind of nuisance that had to be dealt with so EVERYONE’S favorite team could win the World Series.
Roderick Strong vs. Eric Young
Strong comes through the crowd to lay out Sanity and Young is scared about having to be on his own. The fans are behind Roddy as you can tell it’s a hot crowd tonight. Young gets beaten around ringside before grabbing a neckbreaker back inside. Strong makes his comeback but goes after Wolfe and Dain, the latter of whom hits a crossbody on the floor to take over.
The slow beating continues inside with Young working on the neck to set up that wheelbarrow neckbreaker. Strong dropkicks him out of the air though and there’s the first backbreaker. A belly to back faceplant sends Young bailing to the floor but he gets in the wheelbarrow neckbreaker to take over again. It takes too long to throw him back inside though and Strong is out at two.
The top rope elbow looks to set up another wheelbarrow neckbreaker but Strong is ready for it this time. Another shot knocks Dain off the apron but Young breaks up the Angle Slam. The fans stay behind Roddy as he catches Eric on top and knees him in the jaw, knocking him down onto Sanity. Back in and a suplex into a backbreaker gives Strong the pin at 13:38.
Rating: B+. And that’s how you make a star. Tye Dillinger spent months trying to do what Strong just did in one match and it made Strong look like the hottest thing in the company. If nothing else I’m glad he’s going with something other than a running boot to the face, which is the same thing Drew McIntyre and Hideo Itami use, at least on occasion. Really good match here too with Strong never being far enough gone that you couldn’t believe he could make a comeback.
We recap the UK Title match, which I believe is the same recap that opened the UK Championship Special from earlier this week. Tyler Bate defeated Pete Dunne to win the inaugural title back in January but Dunne is back and more serious.
Jim Ross comes out for commentary on the next match.
United Kingdom Title: Pete Dunne vs. Tyler Bate
Bate is defending and has a mustache and beard, making him look like he’s a fourteen year old trying to buy beer. The fans are behind Dunne (the Bruiserweight) but Tyler does have some fans. At least they’re not cheering for CM Punk. Dunne works on his arm and cranks away a bit but can’t stomp Bate’s hand into the steps.
Instead Bate pulls away and pops him in the jaw (I believe that one was Bop), only to have Dunne hit an X Plex (release suplex) onto the apron. Back in and it’s time for more working on the finger but Bate shrugs off some kicks to the face. Bate grabs a suplex and flips out of another X Plex. A standing shooting star shows off some of Tyler’s athleticism but he gets caught in a triangle choke.
Now it’s time to show off the strength with Bate powerbombing his way to freedom. A very long and very fast airplane spin gives Bate two more and both guys are down. Dunne flips out of a German suplex and blasts him with a forearm, followed by an X Plex into a sitout powerbomb for a very near fall, drawing a standing ovation. They slug it out again with neither getting an advantage until Tyler rolls into a kick to the head.
Dunne gets out of the Tyler Driver but the Bitter End is countered into a DDT in an awesome counter. They’re somehow not done yet as Tyler goes up for freaking SPIRAL TAP and another near fall. Bate misses a big dive over the top and knocks himself silly though, setting up the Bitter End for the pin and the title at 15:29.
Rating: A. And that’s going on the Match of the Year list. That’s certainly the logical ending but I completely forgot about the story and was just watching them beat the heck out of each other and trading one major spot after another. Absolutely outstanding match and if Bate isn’t a major star one day, WWE is more inept than I was expecting them to be. Check this out if you have the chance.
We recap the Women’s Title match. There was a battle royal for the #1 contendership but Asuka interfered, making the classic mistake of thinking that she wouldn’t have any challengers. As is always the case, the boss made it a four way, though Ember Moon was injured and had to pull out.
Women’s Title: Asuka vs. Ruby Riot vs. Nikki Cross
Asuka is defending and undefeated. Nikki throws her jacket at Riot to start but a hip attack puts her on the floor. We get Ruby vs. Asuka with the fans being split again. Ruby sends her outside and loads up a dive, only to have Nikki come back in to break it up. Asuka comes back in with a missile dropkick to Nikki while landing on Ruby in a top rope splash. It lands on the knees but it’s still a cool looking spot.
With Nikki down on the floor, Asuka grabs a powerbomb on Ruby but Nikki makes the save. All three wind up inside again with Ruby mostly missing a hurricanrana on the champ. Asuka and Nikki head and Ruby dives on the champ, followed by a top rope backsplash for two on Cross. Nikki gets superkicked into a German suplex from Asuka but the champ catches Ruby’s dive in the Asuka Lock.
A reverse DDT onto the apron knocks Riot silly and Asuka’s baseball slide gets her caught in the ring skirt for a beating. All three are down for a bit until Asuka gets sent outside again, leaving Riot to kick Cross in the head. Asuka dives back in and runs the rope before making the save, forcing Riot off the cover so she doesn’t get the pin. The knee to the head knocks Riot silly and Asuka pins them both at 12:22.
Rating: C+. They were trying here but there were some noticeable botches, including the ending. I think the idea was for Cross to kick out and knock Riot into the shot to the head but that’s really not how it looked. It’s still good, but I don’t think there’s any secret to the fact that Moon is the real challenger and this was just a stop on the way there.
The Velveteen Dream arrives this Wednesday.
We recap Hideo Itami vs. Bobby Roode, which actually isn’t closing the idea. Itami is finally back and healthy and Roode needs an opponent. They’ve been going after each other for weeks with Itami knocking him out via GTS twice now.
NXT Title: Hideo Itami vs. Bobby Roode
Itami is challenging. A computer generated piano appears on stage and plays the start of Roode’s entrance before the real things takes over. Feeling out process to start with Itami taking him down into a headlock. Roode pulls him off the ropes though and grabs a Blockbuster for two.
We’re already in the chinlock as Roode is keeping things simple to continue his custom. Itami fights up and hits a running boot to the face, followed by some running clotheslines. A top rope clothesline really picks things up and Roode’s missed charge sends him shoulder first into the post. Roode escapes a weak Fujiwara armbar but gets caught in a Falcon Arrow for two.
Another shot to the arm looks to set up the GTS but Roode slips away and snaps Itami’s throat across the top rope. They head outside with the shoulder going into the steps but Itami’s dropkick only hits the steps, leaving both guys down. Back in and Itami has a bad knee but still manages a running dropkick in the corner.
The GTS doesn’t work though and it’s a Glorious DDT for a close two. Itami pops up for a GTS but it knocks Roode to the floor and only gets two. Itami punches him in the face over and over but another GTS is countered into back to back Glorious DDTs to retain Roode’s title at 17:49.
Rating: B+. I love the fact that Roode keeps winning these matches pretty clean. It’s similar to Ric Flair as he takes a heck of a beating but then survives long enough until he can capitalize on a mistake. The matches continue to surprise and this was no exception, even though Itami felt like a one off challenger more than anything else. I’d assume Strong is next and that’s a very good thing.
Kevin Owens, Milwaukee Brewer Eric Thames, Sami Zayn, Pat Patterson and Kassius Ohno are here.
We recap DIY vs. the Authors of Pain. DIY finally beat the Revival but the Authors took them apart in their first shot at the titles. They haven’t gotten a rematch yet though and tonight it’s in a ladder match. The other issue is Tommaso Ciampa’s knee/ankle, which he injured at a house show two days ago. Word is he’s good to go but it should be interesting to see how he’s doing.
Tag Team Titles: Authors of Pain vs. DIY
DIY is challenging and it’s a ladder match. The fight is on in a hurry with the Authors being knocked outside. It’s too early for a ladder though and Akum is sent face first into the steps. DIY brings in a huge ladder to set up at ringside but have to dive underneath it to take the champs down.
For some reason they both climb the ladder, allowing Akum to make a pretty easy save. Razar does the slowest climb in history and DIY quickly breaks it up. The Super Collider doesn’t work but DIY gets dropped onto the ropes. Ciampa is holding his knee but seems to be good to continue. The Authors are smart enough to drop down and crush DIY with the ladder again.
Now it’s time for the big ladder and of course the fans (who have been good tonight) want tables. Two ladders are bridged from the apron to the barricade with a standing ladder between them but double powerbombs are broken up. Strikes to the head put the Authors on the ladders……and DIY climbs the big one. Stereo splashes crush the champs, with Gargano nearly overshooting his target.
Back in and all four go up two ladders with only Gargano being left, only to have Paul Ellering come in for the save. Gargano superkicks him down but the Authors get back up and massacre Ciampa in retaliation. Ellering gives the sign to end things and Gargano shoves Ciampa out of the way to take one heck of a ladder shot to the face. The champs both climb again and it’s Ciampa with a superplex THROUGH A LADDER (as in breaking it, not bending it) to put both guys down.
Akum knocks Gargano away before moving the ladder, which gets caught around his neck. That means Meet in the Middle to knock him silly and all four are down. DIY goes up at the same time but the Authors kick the ladder away and pull them down for the Super Collider. That’s enough to retain the titles at 20:11.
Rating: B+. That was very good stuff and they’ve made the Authors feel invincible but NXT is running the risk of ticking the crowd off by pushing the Authors so strong. You could hear the crowd turn on things both here and in Orlando when they retained as the fans want to see DIY with the titles but it really didn’t last very long. Still though, very good main event and the right choice to close the show.
Post match DIY gets the big heroes’ ovation….until Ciampa turns on Gargano and lays him out with a running knee to the face. White Noise off the announcers’ table and through a bunch of tables ends the show. That’s the right call as it’s not like they have anything else to do, especially since they’re clearly not getting the titles back.
Overall Rating: A-. Yeah this worked, even though it didn’t feel like a major show. I’m hoping we wait a few months to have another one as they don’t need to be monthly. Either way, at least we had an outstanding show here with the ending being the right idea. It says a lot when you can get a Chicago crowd to turn on you like Ciampa did at the end there. They put on a great show with the worst match being more than acceptable, which is how it was during the best days of NXT.
Results
Roderick Strong b. Eric Young – Suplex backbreaker
Pete Dunne b. Tyler Bate – Bitter End
Asuka b. Nikki Cross and Ruby Riot – Running knee to Riot
Bobby Roode b. Hideo Itami – Glorious DDT
Authors of Pain b. DIY – The Authors pulled down the titles
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When I heard about “Takeover: Chicago” taking place only about six weeks after “Takeover: Orlando”, I wasn’t all that thrilled with the concept. These shows work best when they have time to be built up instead of rushing things together like this. Then again, the idea of Takeover in Chicago is too much to pass up. It also helps that the show has been well built up in such a short amount of time and I’m actually looking forward to a lot of the card. Let’s get to it.
United Kingdom Title: Tyler Bate vs. Pete Dunne
We’ll start with a match that feels a bit tacked on for the sake of filling in a spot on the card. Bate defeated Dunne to become the inaugural champion back in January and has held the title ever since. Dunne became #1 contender on the recent “UK Championship Special” and the match was set for here. These two have been circling each other for a good while now and it makes sense for them to have a major rematch.
I see no reason for Dunne not to walk away with the title here. Bate was the feel good story of the tournament but Dunne seems to be the much more well rounded performer. Let him take Bate more seriously this time and give him a few Bitter Endings to wrap up the champ’s unbeaten streak. This should be a lot of fun and I have a feeling the Chicago crowd will eat it up, but the ending really shouldn’t be in any sort of doubt.
Tag Team Titles: Authors of Pain vs. DIY
Now this one took an interesting (and disappointing) turn over the last few days as Tommaso Ciampa injured his leg/ankle at a house show in Highland Heights, Kentucky. That’s normally something that can be worked around but it’s a bigger issue here with the ladder match stipulation. Either way, these teams have feuded for months and there’s an interesting potential to this match that you almost always feel around the tag division.
That being said, I think the Authors of Pain retain the titles here. The situation seems too perfect for DIY to get the titles back and that often means that there’s going to be a bit of a swerve. NXT did it in Orlando as the odds were stacked against the Authors and it might be the case again here. I’ll take the Authors to retain and the more I think about it, the more confident I feel in it.
Roderick Strong vs. Eric Young
This is the only non-title match on the card and it feels like one of the more important ones. There’s been a wave of new talent in NXT as of late and these two, along with Aleister Black and Drew McIntyre, have been some of the main players. I was worried that all four of them would miss the show but two out of four are better than none. Young and his Sanity group have been feuding with Strong and a variety of partners for months now and with Tye Dillinger up on the main roster, Strong is a logical target.
I can’t imagine Young goes over here as Strong has been pushed as a big player and it doesn’t make sense to have him lose in his first big Takeover singles match. Strong could easily become a contender to the NXT Title in the very near future and it would do him a lot of good to have him win here. The match should be fun too as both guys know how to go at a fast pace and put on an entertaining performance, but there’s no real reason to have Young get the win.
Women’s Title: Asuka vs. Nikki Cross vs. Ruby Riot
I actually got to see this match at the aforementioned Highland Heights house show on Thursday night and it was certainly entertaining. While it’s clear that the injury to Ember Moon has completely changed things around, it’s not out of the question that the title could change hands here. Riot and Cross are both just crazy enough to give Asuka a real challenge. Asuka doesn’t seem to know what to do when things get crazy, but she does always have the option of kicking someone in the head.
That’s what I see happening here, likely with a big kick to Cross’ head. Asuka seems destined to drop the title to Moon and with her not here, there’s no reason to have Asuka lose and then get the title back so she can lost to Moon all over again. Just let Asuka win here and then build up to the second showdown with Moon. Asuka has been working well in her new heel role and having her cheat to retain here would further that new stance even more. So yeah, the champ retains.
NXT Title: Bobby Roode vs. Hideo Itami
This one is interesting as well with the champ not really having a top challenger and Itami filling in the role due to necessity rather than being the best possible candidate. If nothing else, and it’s kind of sad to have to say this, it almost has to be now for Itami because there’s no way of telling when he’ll suffer another horrible injury that will put him on the shelf for several months.
I’ll go with Roode winning here, but the place is going to lose it when Itami hits the GTS. As annoying as it’s going to be, they’re going to chant for CM Punk because they don’t care that Itami invented the move. No, instead let’s focus on someone who won’t be there instead of what you paid to see because he’s the one thing that would make them happy, at least until five minutes had passed and they were sick to death of him too and started chanting for JBL or something.
Overall, this show feels like it has a steep hill to climb but it’s capable of doing so. The matches are interesting though I really do wish they had gotten Black and McIntyre on there, even in a quick squash each. The UK Title match should be fun but it doesn’t quite fit on the card, especially with what feels like more important talent that could use the spotlight. All that being said, this show should be fun and that’s really what matters most with these things.
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I took in the NXT house show tonight in Highland Heights, Kentucky (basically Cincinnati) at the BB&T Arena on the campus of Northern Kentucky University. NXT was at this same arena about nine months ago and they’re already back, though after how things went tonight, I don’t know if there’s going to be a third show.
In short, the place was EMPTY. I showed up at about 7:00 for a 7:30 show and there were only a few hundred people in the arena (which isn’t even very big in the first place). After grabbing some food from the fastest concession stand I’ve ever seen and looking at one of the lamest merchandise stands I’ve ever seen (two titles, a poster of the people appearing on the show and a handful of shirts), I went into the arena and found out that I was sitting next to someone in the corner.
Since there were a few hundred empty seats closer, I sat in one of those, only to have an usher come up and say I could have a third row floor seat for free if I wanted. Even with the ushers giving away dozens of floor seats, there was still an empty seat next to me and three empty seats in what would have been the sixth row. There were a few more people in the stands later in the show but it was still really bad looking.
During the opening matches there was a video feed of the entrances on the Titantron but it had a slight delay, which was really jarring. Then they just stopped doing it and had regular entrance videos.
1. No Way Jose b. Wesley Blake via DQ at 4:23. This was a really oddly booked match with Jose dancing and doing the standard comedy stuff, only to have Blake choke him with his vest. I have no idea why they did it this was as Jose beat him up after the match and hit his pop up right hand finisher anyway. I know Blake is going to be facing McIntyre on TV next week but they can’t have him lose a match like this on a house show? Odd way to open a show but Jose has a future opening house shows for years. He might not work as a regular act and while that’s a problem, he definitely has a place.
2. Sonya Deville b. Lacey Evans at 8:18. This was WAY better than their squash match the previous night on TV. They beat the heck out of each other and Evans was rocking the former Marine gimmick and looked rather fetching doing so. I’ll let you figure out what I mean on that one. Deville hit a Shining Wizard for the pin. Also of note, Lacey’s daughter might have been in the front row. Either that or Deville had a very long running joke about yelling at a girl and calling her Lacey’s daughter.
DIY did a quick promo, talking about how they would beat Sanity later and then lead a parade down the Ohio River. They did almost the same thing at a show in Louisville where Gargano said they would ride horses to Indiana. Ciampa: “HORSES???” Anyway this was fine and I have no idea why it was the only one all night.
3. Drew McIntyre b. Patrick Clark at 8:45. McIntyre has more star power than anyone in NXT save for maybe Bobby Roode. He’s big, he’s in great shape, he wrestles like a veteran and he’s a former Intercontinental Champion. There’s something about him that makes you think he’s a bigger deal than anyone else around and that’s a very good thing. Can someone give me one good reason why he’s not on Takeover?
4. Aleister Black b. Oney Lorcan at 3:20. I was looking forward to this one and it was over way too fast. Much like the women earlier, these two beat the heck out of each other and the chops were some of the loudest I can ever remember hearing. Black’s entrance is still awesome and that Black Mass looks like it could stop a bull.
5. Asuka b. Nikki Cross and Ruby Riot at 9:54 to retain the Women’s Title. This was a preview for Saturday’s title match and there was one very odd detail: they used the old Women’s Title belt. I know they’ll use the new one on Saturday but why in the world not use it here?
Anyway, this was your standard “two in, one out” formula with everyone getting a chance to fight each other. One cool spot saw Asuka come in with a missile dropkick to Cross and land in a splash on Riot for two (I believe that’s how it went but it might have been Riot coming off the top.). We had some near falls until Asuka kicked Cross in the head to retain. Asuka definitely came off like a face here, complete with throwing her shirt to the crowd and offering one heck of a gorgeous smile.
Intermission with trivia and What Happens Next. This is a game where a kid is shown a clip and has to pick what happened next from four choices. Here’s the thing: not only was it the same clip from the last show I went to in the same building (which apparently was the same one they had used at other shows on the tour) but it was Vince being blown up in his exploding limo.
Just in case that’s not clear: the ONLY clip that they can pick from their ENTIRE VIDEO LIBRARY is a man apparently being killed in a firey explosion. You can’t pick, I don’t know, ANYTHING ELSE? The kid got a program, a card with the roster on it and a signed picture of Bobby Roode. At least the prize was good.
6. DIY vs. Sanity (Young and Wolfe) went to a no contest at 4:24. This looked to be the first longer match of the night but it was called off after Ciampa came off the apron with a running knee and seemed to hurt himself on the landing. He crashed all of ten feet in front of me and almost immediately got up and hopped to the back. Someone said he was busted open but I didn’t see it. This seemed like a legit injury as there was no reason to end the match so quickly with the show already seeming to fly by.
Post match Eric Young issued an open challenge for anyone to come out and fight Killian Dain.
7. Killian Dain b. Kassius Ohno at 12:00. This was about what you would expect from Dain as he powered Ohno down and used a bunch of chinlocks. Ohno fought back with some strikes and the pump kicks, plus a Diamond Dust of all things. Dain was busted open off a shot to the face (not bad) but finished him with the Ulster Plantation.
Post match Sanity beat Ohno down but No Way Jose came out for the same. The fans were into Ohno, especially his theme music.
8. Hideo Itami/Roderick Strong b. Bobby Roode/Andrade Cien Almas at 20:52. Let me put it very simply: Roode is an absolute star and he knows exactly what he’s doing out there. From his timing during the entrances (turning around to show off the GLORIOUS written on the back at the right times) to the pose to everything else, it turned into the biggest face pop of the night by a long stretch.
Anyway, this was about what you would have expected as the good guys controlled to start and threw in a lot of mocking Roode’s poses. At the same time, Roode was doing everything he could on the apron, including telling Almas to “come on amigo”. During Almas’ time in the ring, a fan shouted that Roode loved six sides and you could see Bobby covering up a laugh. Eventually Strong got beaten down but avoided a charge and made the hot tag to Itami. Everything broke down and Itami hit a GTS on Almas for the pin.
Itami went to the back almost immediately but Strong went around the ring high fiving fans (including me) and taking some quick photos, which I always find cool. The announcers gave us a quick thank you to end the night.
Overall it was a fun night and about what you would expect from an NXT house show. Counting Ticketmaster fees a mid level seat cost $40 and floor seats were $75, not counting any fees that would be included. A bit pricey but it’s the kind of arena where there isn’t a bad seat in the house. Go and check one of these out if you’ve never seen one before as you’re guaranteed some fun reactions and a good presentation.
Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the NXT: The Full Sail Years Volumes I and II, now in PAPERBACK. Check out the information here:
NXT Date: April 19, 2017
Location: Full Sail University, Winter Park, Florida
Commentators: Percy Watson, Corey Graves, Tom Phillips
We’re back to Full Sail with a major match to wrap up someone’s time in NXT. This week we have Tye Dillinger’s NXT farewell as he steps inside a steel cage with Eric Young. Dillinger has already moved up to the main roster so it’s his last chance to get a major win in NXT. Let’s get to it.
Opening sequence.
Here’s NXT Champion Bobby Roode to get things going. It’s a momentous occasion as he’s made back to back Wrestlemania weekends GLORIOUS. This year he sold out the Amway Center with 15,000 people seeing the biggest box office superstar in the business today. The future of NXT is in his control and the transformation of Bobby Roode’s NXT was completed.
Last week he saw Shinsuke Nakamura’s farewell and thought it was pathetic. There was no Roode on stage to say goodbye to him because he didn’t want to listen to Nakamura’s garbage. Nakamura had to run away from NXT after the beatings that Roode gave him so everyone can either get on the Roode train or get out. Cue the returning Hideo Itami to slap Roode in the face. Bobby takes his jacket off and starts talking trash, only to walk into the GTS. Itami straightens his tie and holds up the title. Hideo is fine for a quick challenger and as sad as this sounds, it’s probably better to get him in the title match before he’s hurt again.
Tyler Bate and Jack Gallagher have a very polite discussion about their upcoming UK Title match.
Roode is still getting up after the break.
Earlier today, Andrade Cien Almas interrupted Drew McIntyre during his workout and challenged him for next week.
Andrade Cien Almas vs. Danny Burch
Burch sends him into the ropes but Almas hangs on and shouts a bit. A belly to back sends Almas down again but he gets in a hard clothesline to take over. The double knees in the corner set up the hammerlock DDT for the pin on Burch at 2:57. Basically a squash.
Video on Asuka, who is still completely dominant. Some people, including Ember Moon and Ruby Riot, might see some weaknesses though.
Long recap of Eric Young vs. Tye Dillinger. Tye lost to Eric a few months ago but refused to join Sanity. This set off a major feud with Tye finding a bunch of friends to help him fight. Sanity won in Orlando but tonight it’s one on one in a cage for the final blowoff.
Liv Morgan/Aliyah vs. Billie Kay/Peyton Royce
Billie and Liv get things going with nothing happening for a good while until Liv grabs a sunset flip and rolls Billie around in a circle for some near falls. Aliyah comes in for a middle rope legdrop, only to eat a discus forearm. It’s off to Peyton for a spinning kick to the face and what looked to be a three count. Aliyah grabs a sunset flip with Liv dropkicking Billie away so Aliyah can get the pin at 3:14.
Rating: D. I’m really not sure what to make of this half of the women’s division. The bullying story is fine enough but it doesn’t feel like it’s going anywhere. Peyton and Billie are a great duo but there isn’t much for them to do with Asuka on top of the division. Aliyah and Liv really don’t do anything for me and I think NXT is starting to agree.
Almas vs. McIntyre is official for next week.
Eric Young vs. Tye Dillinger
In a cage and Young sends Sanity to the back. Tye pulls him inside and hammers away to start but can’t hit a very early Tyebreaker. Eric gets a toss into the cage and Tye is in trouble as we take a break. Back with Young getting two off a middle rope forearm to the back of Tye’s neck.
Tye’s right hands don’t get him very far as Young powerbombs him out of the corner for two. It’s too early to escape though as Young gets tossed off the top, sending us to another break. Back again with Young catching Tye on top and throwing him down again. One heck of a top rope elbow drop gets a very delayed two but Eric can’t follow up.
Eric is busted open but takes too long to go after Tye, who grabs a Tyebreaker to put both guys down. Dillinger goes for the door but here’s Sanity to slam it shut. Roderick Strong, Kassius Ohno and Ruby Riot run out for the save (so much for No Way Jose) but Dain runs both them and the referee over. Killian gets inside so Tye dives off the top to take out both Young and Dain before crawling out for the win at 23:06.
Rating: B-. This was more long than good but the problem is still very obvious: the ten gimmick is far more over than Tye, who just isn’t all that interesting. Dillinger is fine but he’s really just average in the ring. I’m sure he’ll do well on the main roster with the TEN thing, though I’m not sure how long he’s going to last. The cage match was exactly what it needed to be though with Dillinger defeating Young once and for all, giving him a big win to go out on. He hasn’t had that in NXT and now it’s a signature moment for him. Good match but nothing remarkable.
Dillinger locks Sanity inside the cage and celebrates to end the show.
Overall Rating: B. Good show here as they had the big match to go with setting up some stuff going forward. The women’s tag was short and Royce/Kay are entertaining enough to make it an easy sit which Almas got a win to regain some credibility. Roode vs. Itami is a good choice for the title match in Chicago and the show was a fast way to help set all these things up going forward.
Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the NXT: The Full Sail Years Volumes I and II, now in PAPERBACK. Check out the information here:
Takeover: Orlando Date: April 1, 2017
Location: Amway Center, Orlando, Florida
Attendance: 14,975
Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Tom Phillips, Percy Watson
It’s time for the big one again as NXT gets to run a major show from its home city. Wrestlemania is in Orlando this year and that means we get a special Takeover right down the road from Full Sail University. The main event is Bobby Roode vs. Shinsuke Nakamura II for the NXT Title in what might be Nakamura’s farewell. Let’s get to it.
I was in the arena for this show so it’s going to be my second look at it.
We open with a HHH voiceover talking about how this is our night to make history. Tonight we show the world that we are NXT and we are home.
The opening video looks at NXT over the years (or at least NXT from Full Sail), which really does include some amazing moments and stars getting their starts. This turns into a video on Roode vs. Nakamura, which is a fight over Roode fighting for himself and Nakamura fighting for the fans. The Women’s Title gets a quick look as well.
Sanity vs. Tye Dillinger/No Way Jose/Roderick Strong/Ruby Riot
Sanity all has black paint around their eyes, making them look like Deadpool. Actually hang on a second as Sanity jumped No Way Jose at Axxess and has put him out of action. We have a replacement though.
Sanity vs. Tye Dillinger/Roderick Strong/Ruby Riot/Kassius Ohno
The good ones hit the ring at a run and the brawl is on in a hurry. The women officially start things off with Cross throwing Riot across the ring by the hair. I still have no idea how that doesn’t make anyone scream. Ruby sends Cross into the corner so it’s off to Wolfe, meaning Ohno has to come in. That earns Wolfe and Young a big right hand each with Kassius easily taking over. At Takeover. Kind of makes sense no?
Young offers a distraction though and Wolfe takes over like the cheater he is. Another big elbow cuts off the heel control though and it’s off to Strong for some speed. Roderick does his running leapfrog (one of my favorites) and backbreakers Wolfe before kicking Dain in the head. I do love how face teams always stay on the apron and let their buddy fight everyone off at once. It’s just not polite otherwise you see. Dain runs him over though as the SHAVE YOUR BACKS chant start up.
Roderick’s comeback is cut off by a running dropkick and it’s off to Young for some choking. A top rope elbow draws Tye in for the save and there go the TEN chants. Eric misses a charge in the corner though and NOW it’s off to Tye with the hot tag. House is cleaned as everything breaks down, including Tye hitting a high crossbody on Wolfe, straight into a dive on Young for a sweet sequence.
Wolfe makes the save so Ohno loads up a dive but Wolfe moves just in time. Not that it matters as Ohno manages to bail by landing hands first on the apron and flipping onto his feet outside. Cross breaks up Ruby’s dive and the closest thing you’ll get to an NXT catfight breaks out.
That leaves Tye vs. Eric with Dillinger cleaning house, including a superkick for a close two on Dain. Onno BLASTS Wolfe with a forearm and Strong Sick Kicks Young to the floor. Roderick vs. Dain looks to give us a rather interesting showdown but the women jump on their backs. Tye loads up the Tyebreaker on Dain but Wolfe makes a save, setting up the Ulster Plantation (One Winged Angel) for the pin on Dillinger at 12:21.
Rating: B. This was a really good choice for an opener and could have been a classic if Tye had gotten the pin and FINALLY won something but instead let’s have him job again. You have to imagine a big showdown with Dillinger facing Young once and for all, but if he loses, I have no idea what’s left for him in NXT. At some point you have to actually win something and Tye hasn’t quite pulled that off yet. Also, Ohno was the only real option here. He’s been featured too much on NXT TV lately and he had to get a spot on here, especially with a great tease of something with Sanity going forward.
Edge and Beth Phoenix are here.
Andrade Cien Almas vs. Aleister Black
No real story here other than it’s Black’s debut and he needed an opponent. Black’s entrance (which I couldn’t see from the upper deck) is straight out of Nosferatu as he rises up from what looks like a casket and onto the stage. Black slingshots over the ropes and lands in a sitting meditation style position, which is almost guaranteed to become a signature pose.
They trade armbars and headscissor escapes to start until Black misses a swinging kick, leaving Almas to pose at him. Back up and Black kicks him to the floor for a dive, only to moonsault back into the mediation pose. Back in and Almas takes him into the corner for a stomping and one heck of a slap. A missile dropkick gets two for Almas and it’s time to start in on the arm.
Nigel isn’t sure on this as Black mainly uses kicks but figures it might just be overconfidence. Almost immediately thereafter, Black starts firing off the kicks to send Almas outside for a huge middle rope moonsault. Back in and Almas grabs a cross armbreaker over the ropes, followed by something like the Rings of Saturn (I’m glad that’s becoming more popular).
Black ducks the running knees in the corner and they trade kicks to the head for a double knockdown. A moonsault kick to Black’s head sets up a snap German suplex for two so Black starts snapping off kicks. Black Mass (a spinning kick to the head) knocks Almas silly at 9:35.
Rating: B-. This was fine without much of a story other than Almas getting cocky, as is his nature. I wasn’t wild on him at first but this was a solid debut performance. The meditation pose is going to be a winner for him, especially once we get to know him a little bit better. I also like the Black Mass as sometimes you just need to kick someone in the head.
Also of note, I wasn’t really able to pay much attention to the finish live as the fans in section 220 decided they were more important than the rest of the show. This included declaring their section’s greatness, chanting TWENTY after each near fall (“1-2-TWENTY!” Get it?) and calling the other sections around them S-A-W-F-T. You can imagine how this went and you can hear the other sections telling them to shut up during the ending.
We recap the Tag Team Title match, which is almost guaranteed to be the best match on the card. DIY and the Revival tore the house down for the better part of six months but the Authors of Pain took the belts from DIY, setting up a three way feud. This meant a triple threat elimination tag, which for once made perfect sense.
Tag Team Titles: Revival vs. DIY vs. Authors of Pain
The Authors are defending but before the match, William Regal presents some snazzy new title belts (the Women and NXT Titles will get new belts as well), possibly due to the Women’s Title being involved in Paige’s sex tape. Revival and DIY stare each other down before they both turn to face the Authors, drawing the first major pop of many. Rezar is sent into the barricade so DIY grabs a table, even though this shouldn’t be No DQ (I believe a DQ would count as an elimination).
Akam goes into the steps and the four challengers stare each other down, setting up the showdown that the fans really wanted to see. Nigel is beside himself as the champs are recovering while the other four fight each other. We settle down to a regular match until Akam tags himself in for a double clothesline.
Ciampa’s high crossbody is caught but he kicks Rezar in the head, only to have Revival back down the steps instead of taking a tag. That’s smart in this kind of a match, which shouldn’t be surprising given how intelligent those two come off most of the time. With the referee distracted, Dawson sneaks in for a DDT on Akam to give Ciampa two. Dawson comes in legally but takes a shot to the ribs. This time it’s DIY dropping to the floor because they’re just that smart.
Gargano tags himself in and gets two off the slingshot spear before kicking Dawson in the head. Johnny adds a slingshot DDT and the fans are WAY into this, just as you would expect them to be. The champs catch a dive so Ciampa tries a suicide dive of his own, only to have the Authors THROW GARGANO THROUGH THE AIR to break it up. Things slow down with Akam working on Gargano’s ribs, including throwing him up into a torture rack. Johnny finally sends Rezar into an uppercut from Dawson, allowing the hot tag off to Ciampa.
It’s time for a series of strikes into a pair of German suplexes on Rezar, followed by the running knee for two. With Rezar reeling, Gargano tries a powerbomb from the apron through the table but can’t put him down. Ciampa’s help isn’t enough so Revival punches Rezar in the jaw, setting up the double powerbomb through the table for the big crash and an even bigger cheer as the giant is in trouble. That leaves Akam on his own…and all four surround him.
Since he’s a monster though, he actually drops all of them on his own because screw it. A chop block brings Akam down though and Dawson slaps on the reverse Figure Four. Gargano thinks about breaking it up but adds his version of the Crossface for the double submission. The partners grab Rezar so he shoves them into Akam and company for the save, drawing a loud round of booing. A series of strikes drop Rezar and it’s Dawson/Gargano hitting DIY’s double strike. Naturally this means Ciampa and Wilder give Akam a Shatter Machine, sending the fans even further into orbit with the champs going outside.
The fight is on and Ellering cheers both teams on in a perfectly logical (yet still amusing) moment. Gargano and Wilder hit stereo dives on the champs and Ciampa goes up top, only to have Dawson SUPERPLEX HIM ONT THE BIG PILE OF PEOPLE, putting all six down at once. Dawson goes after Gargano (Nigel: “NO! This is a mistake!” It turns out that he’s right as the Authors get back in for the Last Chapter and the elimination on Ciampa at 18:54. You could feel the energy going out of the crowd at that point and it never recovered for the rest of the match (or show for that matter).
The fans chant DELETE (because they’re such big fans that they forgot the Hardys were 40 minutes away at Ring of Honor) but have to settle for Revival, who are now the most over team in the world. A German suplex/top rope elbow gets two on Rezar but Akam kicks Dawson in the face. Almost stereo powerbombs earn the champs a NO ONE LIKES YOU chant as this is getting brutal. Rezar spears Wilder into the barricade while Akam sends Dawson into the corner. The Super Collider retains the titles at 23:43.
Rating: A-. Give this a more popular and less deflating ending and it’s the Match of the Year so far. Those first seventeen minutes or so were as smart and well thought out that I’ve seen in years but as soon as the Authors turned into Super Cena, everything went flying out the window. In theory this means DIY and Revival are heading to the main roster (this is being written after Revival debuted on Raw) and if that’s the case, this is the logical move. If DIY sticks around though, I have no idea what they’re thinking.
The NXT fans want to see DIY vs. Revival in their awesome matches and the Authors are as far removed from that as they could possibly be (not saying they’re bad, but that they’re not what the fans want). It makes them look unbeatable though and that means the team that takes them down will be even more awesome than anyone could imagine. It’s a great match but the ending really brings it back to earth.
We recap the Women’s Title match. Asuka is sitting by a pool and says the division rises and sets with her. She’s said she’ll keep the title forever but Ember Moon is undefeated as well. Asuka might be a more complete wrestler than Moon but she has the biggest weapon in NXT (close enough) in the Eclipse. That’s the whole idea: if Ember can hit that one big move, nothing Asuka can do matters. The video goes on a good bit longer than it needs to, which is a pretty common problem in WWE.
Women’s Title: Ember Moon vs. Asuka
Ember is challenging and has some of the best theme music in NXT at the moment. No special entrance for Asuka but I believe she has new gear. After the Big Match Intros, Regal presents the new title which looks like a cross between a UFC belt and the old X-Division Title. I really liked the first one but come on: it had to change eventually.
They lock up and go to the mat to start with neither being able to get any kind of an advantage. Stereo dropkicks go nowhere and it’s time for a standoff. Asuka offers a handshake but pulls her hand back instead, showing quite a bit of confidence (fair enough). Shoulders go nowhere as they’re doing a great job of portraying both of them as equal. The flying hip attack only sees Ember nip up….and make a not funny face in her way of saying bring it. Yeah that looked dumb.
Another hip attack sends Ember outside and it’s time to really take over with some spinning elbows to the head. A third hip attack drops Ember and Asuka fires off kicks to the chest. The Asuka Lock is broken up and Ember blasts her in the jaw to send the champ outside. They’re doing a really good job here of having Ember hang with Asuka until one big shot cuts her off all over again.
Case in point, Ember kicks her in the head but takes a Shining Wizard for two. The Asuka Lock goes on (To very little reaction for some reason. Even live this didn’t feel important.) with Asuka on Ember’s back, allowing Ember to drop backwards for the break. A good looking superkick drops Asuka and even more kicks have her reeling. Ember’s springboard is broken up though and a German suplex gives Asuka two.
Asuka loses a slugout and gets capture suplexed for two more. Ember loads up the Eclipse and throws Asuka off the top….only to have Asuka shove the referee into the ropes for the heel turn. Somehow that’s not a DQ (I need to read that WWE Book of Rules) and Asuka kicks her in the head to retain at 12:12.
Rating: B. Commentary really helped this one a lot as Nigel was selling the heck out of the idea that Asuka had met her match. That’s the story here and it worked really well: Asuka couldn’t beat Ember using her standard stuff and was in real danger from the Eclipse so she cheated to win instead. I’m fine with Ember losing as she never got to hit the Eclipse (so there’s your rematch) and you have Ruby Riot, Kimber Lee and Nikki Cross ready to challenge too.
In your big surprise of the night, DREW MCINTYRE is in the crowd. That’s the best news I could hear as McIntyre was all over Wrestlemania weekend and I’ve wondered why he isn’t WWE Champion like, now for example. I’m very happy with this and it couldn’t have been much of a better choice.
We recap Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Bobby Roode. As mentioned earlier, it’s basically Roode being out for himself and Nakamura being out for the fans.
NXT Title: Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Bobby Roode
Nakamura is challenging and does his entrance behind a translucent screen where you can see his shadow. That feels very Michael Jackson-esque for some reason. The fans of course sing Nakamura’s song (despite it not having any words) and it’s yet another awesome entrance. Granted they also sing Roode’s song as Roode spins around on a pedestal, accompanied by two pianos (TAKE THAT REBY!). Regal brings out the new belt, which looks almost identical to the Women’s Title.
We’re ready to go, but first this reason why I can’t stand Twitter. Phillips: “These fans are on their feet and they’re ready for this hashtag NXT Championship match!” Roode goes straight for the knees as the fans like both these guys. A headlock doesn’t get the champ very far so Nakamura lays him on the ropes for the head on Roode’s chest spot. Roode laughs off the bring it but gets caught up in the rapid fire strikes to bring him down.
Nakamura drops a knee and sends him into the corner for Good Vibrations. Roode gets in a dropkick and knocks Shinsuke off the apron and into the barricade for a crash. Nakamura seems to have hurt his shoulder but Roode opts to just stomp him down in the corner. Being the cocky jerk that he is, Roode stops for the GLORIOUS pose but still manages to chop Nakamura in the corner.
We hit the nerve hold for a long stretch (softening up the neck for the DDT) before Nakamura gets in a kick to the head for a breather. It’s time to start in with the knees, including one in the corner and one on the apron. Roode comes right back with a heck of a clothesline and a chop block to start in on the knee again. The knee is wrapped around the post and we hit a bad looking Figure Four. Nakamura turns it over to, sending Roode straight to the ropes so he can get right back to the knee.
Another hold is countered into a cross armbreaker but Roode gets to the ropes again. Nakamura fires off strikes in the corner but knees the buckle by mistake. That earns Roode a series of kicks from the good leg so he grabs a Backstabber to put both guys down. They slug it out with Nakamura kneeing his way out of a suplex and dropping another knee for two. Kinshasa sends Roode bailing to the floor but he kicks the ropes to hit Nakamura low.
The Glorious DDT connects for two and again Nigel is right there to sell the heck out of it. Roode goes to get the bell but gets kicked in the head, followed by the exploder. Kinshasa is countered into one heck of a spinebuster for two and Nakamura is done. Back up and Roode drives him into the corner for a tornado DDT into the Glorious DDT to retain at 28:14.
Rating: B+. This was….long. The first match had far better drama with the story around the knee while this was just more long than anything else. That’s not to say it’s a bad match but I did like the first one earlier. The key here though is Roode winning clean without ever really doing anything all that complicated to counter Nakamura’s insane offense. Roode is a very basic wrestler but he does everything so proficiently that it’s hard to beat him. It’s a very good match and pretty clearly Nakamura’s swan song, but not as good as the predecessor.
After the show ended, Nakamura got the big sendoff with his music playing and taking a bow to all parts of the arena. See you Tuesday.
Overall Rating: A-. This show has one problem: it’s going to be compared to Takeover: Dallas. Last year’s show was one of the best of all time while this was just a really good one. There’s absolutely nothing bad on here but the lack of title changes hurt things. This show felt like a big goodbye instead of NXT showcasing itself, which is one of the problems that a developmental territory is going to have. It’s an outstanding show though and definitely worth watching, only being held back by what happened last year.
Results
Sanity b. Tye Dillinger/Kassius Ohno/Roderick Strong/Ruby Riot – Ulster Plantation to Dillinger
Aleister Black b. Andrade Cien Almas – Black Mass
Authors of Pain b. The Revival and DIY – Last Chapter to Dawson
Asuka b. Ember Moon – Kick to the head
Bobby Roode b. Shinsuke Nakamura – Glorious DDT
Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the NXT: The Full Sail Years Volumes I and II, now in PAPERBACK. Check out the information here:
Last year, NXT held its first Takeover event during Wrestlemania weekend with the instant classic “Takeover: Dallas”. The show stole the spotlight over Wrestlemania weekend and was pretty easily the best show of the four days, possibly even the year. Now it’s time for round two and as luck would have it, NXT is in their own backyard, making this almost like a cross between a major house show and one of their biggest pay per views of the year. You don’t hear something like that very often so let’s get to it.
Sanity vs. Tye Dillinger/Roderick Strong/No Way Jose/Ruby Riot
We’ll start with the most recently added match as Sanity makes a rare appearance at full strength against the combined forces of Tye Dillinger/No Way Jose/Roderick Strong/Ruby Riot. This has been simmering for months now and as usual, it’s a pretty simple idea. Sanity has gone after Dillinger and it was time to even the numbers up a bit as Dillinger was tired of all the beatings. His team came together over the next few weeks and now we have a full on match between the eight of them.
Very simply put, if Dillinger doesn’t get the fall here (it doesn’t matter who it’s over but Young would be preferable), I have no idea what they’re thinking. The fans are dying to explode for Dillinger and what better place is there than this Takeover? Sanity isn’t the most interesting team in the world aside from having a really cool look. While they need the win, I think they can bounce back better. Dillinger has lost so many times already that I’m not sure how many more times he can bounce back from losing on the big stage. I really hope they don’t screw this up as they’re running out of time to capitalize on Dillinger’s popularity.
Aleister Black vs. Andrade Cien Almas
We’ll move on to a pretty big debut with Black making his first in-ring appearance in NXT. He already had a match at the WWE United Kingdom Championship tournament under his Tommy End moniker but this week is the first time we’ll see his new gimmick. Almas has been on a roll lately with the heel character really starting to hit its stride. His match with Oney Lorcan last week was a major highlight and helped set him up for this match against Black.
That being said, this is another match where the winner should be obvious. NXT isn’t going to put Black out there in his debut and have him lose so Almas has next to no chance. That being said, you could have made the same case last year about Sami Zayn vs. Shinsuke Nakamura and that turned out fine. I’m hoping that Black can go in the ring well enough to match his great vignettes though that’s what got Almas in trouble for his debut. But yeah, Black wins here and does so handily.
Women’s Title: Asuka vs. Ember Moon
Asuka won the Women’s Title about a year ago in Dallas and hasn’t looked back since. She’s completely steamrolled over everyone she’s faced and it’s almost impossible to imagine her losing a match. That’s where the story has worked so well. It’s pretty much been acknowledged that Ember Moon can’t hang with Asuka all the way through a match but what she can do is hit the Eclipse, which has been built up as the most dangerous weapon the division has ever seen. It’s almost reminiscent of Steve Austin vs. Shawn Michaels as all Austin had to do was catch Michaels once and it would be over. The question is can Moon get that far.
As logical as it would be to have Asuka lose here and go on to the main roster soon after, I’m really not sure that happens anymore. NXT has done a nearly flawless job of making Asuka feel unbeatable and that’s still the feeling I have here. Moon should be the favorite and the place will go nuts if the Eclipse gives her the title, but I’m actually going with Asuka in my regular prediction almost guaranteed to be wrong. Moon is the best candidate to dethrone Asuka but I actually don’t think she does.
Tag Team Titles: DIY vs. Revival vs. Authors of Pain
I’m very rarely a fan of triple threats but this is a case where the story has been built precisely in this direction, which makes it more than acceptable. Revival and DIY had some incredible matches against each other last year but now they’ve run into a wall with the champions, who run over everything in their path. Having the other teams band together to fight the Authors is interesting and could make for a very good story to the elimination tag, especially if one of the other teams gets to conquer them in the end.
I’ll go with the Authors retaining here as DIY could easily be brought up to the Cruiserweight division while the Revival seem like perfect additions to the main roster tag divisions. The Authors are perfect choices to keep the titles until a new team is put together to slay them. I don’t know who could fight DIY save for maybe Sanity, which doesn’t seem like the most interesting thing in the world. We’ll go with the titles being retained, which would make the most long terms sense.
NXT Title: Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Bobby Roode
We’ll wrap it up with a rematch as Nakamura, this time on two good knees, tries to get the NXT Title back from Roode, who took it from him in a great match back at “Takeover: San Antonio.” This time around Nakamura knows not to underestimate him, which could make for an interesting change of pace. Roode has looked great since winning the title while Nakamura has spent most of the time rehabbing his injured knee.
I think I’ll go with the champions making a clean sweep as, much like the Revival, there’s no need to put the title back on Nakamura. He’s held it twice already and is more than ready to move up to the main stage. Just let Roode move on and feud with someone new (Dillinger for example) before losing the title at “Takeover: Brooklyn III”. The match will be fun, though I’m curious as to how they could have Nakamura lose to Roode again without some sort of shenanigans, which you don’t get too often in NXT.
Overall, the show looks good but not great. As is almost always the case, it’s going to come down to the performances, which have a tendency to be outstanding. Let the wrestlers do their thing in a logical manner and everything will be fine. The crowd is going to carry a lot of this and that’s what arguably matters most at any given NXT show. Last year set a very high bar but I believe NXT can actually pull something like this off again.
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NXT Date: March 15, 2017
Location: University Area CDC Gymnasium, Tampa, Florida
Commentators: Percy Watson, Nigel Mcguinness, Tom Phillips
It’s title time and that means we’re going to know who is heading to the main event of Takeover: Orlando. Tonight Bobby Roode puts the NXT Title on the line against Kassius Ohno with the winner facing Shinsuke Nakamura for the title at the big show. This has some serious potential so let’s get to it.
We get a quick look at the title match.
Opening sequence.
Ealy Brothers vs. Authors of Pain
Non-title and a result of last week’s beatdown of the Ealy Twins. Uriel tries his luck on Ra’zar and gets headbutted down with ease. The Super Collider sets up the Last Chapter for the pin on Uriel at 2:23.
Post match Paul Ellering says his men are close to creating a dynasty and aren’t scared of the Revival. Cue DIY to say they don’t know what Ellering means half the time but they know they can beat the Authors of Pain. This brings out the Revival to say they’re the best team in the world and want a rematch too. Now it’s William Regal coming out to make a triple threat elimination match for the titles at Takeover.
Heavy Machinery, a tag team comprised of Otis Dozovic and Tucker Knight, is coming. I saw them at a house show earlier this year and they were pretty good.
Video on Asuka’s dominance of the women’s division. She’s ready to crush Ember Moon at Takeover.
Macey Estrella vs. Nikki Cross
Estrella is sent face first into the mat to start and Cross hits six (yes six) straight swinging fisherman’s neckbreakers for the pin at 2:29. The idea was that Cross didn’t care how much she was hurting Estrella.
Post match Tye Dillinger and No Way Jose go after Sanity but get beaten down again.
Alistair Black video.
We look back at Billie Kay’s injury last week.
We go to the Performance Center to check on Kay but see Andrade Cien Almas going after Hoho Lun. Oney Lorcan intervened and kept Lun safe.
Lorcan says he saw Lun getting bullied last week and if Almas wants to do that, try bullying him. They have a match next week.
Next week will also have a six man tag between Roderick Strong/No Way Jose/Tye Dillinger vs. Sanity.
Ohno says he’s ready to make up for past failures.
Roode is ready to send Ohno packing.
NXT Title: Kassius Ohno vs. Bobby Roode
Ohno is challenging and wrestling in a shirt, likely to hide his not great physique. Roode is knocked to the floor to start and struck hard in the face back inside. Some chops and a clothesline put Roode on the floor and we take a break. Back with Roode in control, as is so often the case after a break. Roode slowly stomps and chokes away before hitting a hard clothesline in the corner.
More right hands have Ohno rocked as Roode isn’t exactly showing an in-depth offense here. We hit the chinlock for a bit before Ohno fights up with his strikes, only to be sent over the corner and out to the floor in a big crash. Back from a second break with Roode cranking on both arms and putting a knee in Ohno’s spine.
The Glorious DDT is countered into a release vertical suplex and Ohno gets in a sliding dropkick to the head. A spinning big boot to the jaw gets two for Ohno but Roode gets the same off a Backstabber. Ohno goes up and hits Diamond Dust of all things (flipping Stunner, one of my favorites) for no cover.
Instead Roode gets up and snaps off a spinebuster for two. Roode loads up the DDT again but Ohno just blasts him with the big forearm, sending Roode outside again. Back in and Ohno drops a big backsplash for two but Roode sends him throat first into the top rope. The Glorious DDT retains the title at 22:22.
Rating: B. This started slow but turned into a good match by the end. I’m not sure if Ohno is going to be a big star down here but there’s nothing wrong with being the guy you put with someone to get a solid performance. Roode vs. Nakamura II is going to be a lot of fun if they build off the previous version, though I’d bet on Roode retaining at this point.
Overall Rating: B+. This was all about the one match and the rest of the show did enough to help set up both Takeover and next week’s TV show. They accomplished a lot in just an hour and I’m more interested in seeing Takeover than I was before. The main event worked well and things are picking up when they need to. It’s like the old days but with weaker stars.
Results
Authors of Pain b. Ealy Brothers – Last Chapter to Uriel
Nikki Cross b. Macey Estrella – Swinging fisherman’s neckbreaker
Bobby Roode b. Kassius Ohno – Glorious DDT
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NXT Date: February 22, 2017
Location: Full Sail University, Winter Park, Florida
Commentators: Tom Phillips, Percy Watson, Nigel McGuinness
We’re getting closer and closer to Orlando as we’re….well we’re still in Orlando but it’s not the big show yet. Tonight’s big deal is a triple threat match for the #1 contendership to the Women’ Title as Asuka is in need of some more competition. It’s hard to say what else we’ve got coming up around here and that’s a good thing as you could be in for a good surprise. Let’s get to it.
In Memory of George Steele.
Quick video on the triple threat.
Opening sequence.
Liv Morgan vs. Peyton Royce vs. Ember Moon
#1 contenders match and Morgan is in Space Jam Tune Squad inspired gear. Moon gets sent to the floor to start and Morgan does a Matrix move to avoid the a spinning kick. The two of them head outside and Ember hits a dive over the top to take Morgan down. We take an early break and come back with Morgan taking Peyton’s long legged choke in the corner.
Peyton sends her to the apron and puts on something like a full nelson with her legs before letting it go to put Ember back on the floor. Morgan comes back with an ankle scissors out of the corner for one but can’t follow up because it’s just an ankle scissors. The real comeback starts with a kick in the corner and a bulldog, finally drawing Ember in for the save.
A headscissors puts Moon right back outside though and it’s time for a superplex. Peyton isn’t fast enough though as Ember sneaks in to make it a Tower of Doom and all three are down. Moon loads up the Eclipse but Billie Kay takes it instead of Morgan, leaving Peyton to knee Ember in the face. A fisherman’s suplex to Morgan is good for the pin and the title shot at 11:54.
Rating: C+. That’s really the only option as Morgan has already been destroyed by Asuka and I’d assume they’re keeping Moon for a big showdown. The idea here was to keep Moon on the floor because otherwise it would have been her dominating the other two and slipping on a banana peel to lose in the end. Royce winning is the right call though I can’t imagine that title shot comes before Takeover.
Video on Pete Dunne and Mark Andrews.
Kassius Ohno is coming back.
Shinsuke Nakamura is healing up.
Mark Andrews vs. Pete Dunne
Rematch from the tournament where Dunne beat Andrews. Dunne goes straight for the fingers to start and then rips at the nose like a true heel. Andrews pops back up and sends him to the floor for a moonsault armdrag to take over. A second attempt doesn’t work though and Dunne forearms him in the jaw, followed by stomping the fingers onto the steps.
We take a break and come back with Andrews flipping Dunne over and grabbing a springboard hurricanrana. Dunne is ready for the shooting star though and forearms Andrews out of the air. The X Plex gets two but Andrews gets out of the Bitter End. A reverse hurricanrana of all things puts Dunne down again. Another Bitter End is reversed into a small package for two and the X Plex is countered into the Stundog Millionaire. Dunne gets the knees up on the shooting star though and the Bitter End wraps Andrews up at 13:52.
Rating: B+. This was very good stuff and the wrestling was enough to overcome the lack of a story coming in. In theory this sets up Dunne as the first real challenger to Bate but it’s not clear if anyone from outside the UK can challenge for the UK Title. You can also add Andrews to the list of people TNA screwed up horribly.
Kay and Royce are ready to take the Women’s Title back to Australia.
Patrick Clark is in action next week.
Tye Dillinger is ready for Sanity, no matter what they throw at him.
No Way Jose vs. Bobby Roode
Non-title and Roode’s entrance is reaching Undertaker lengths. Roode takes him to the mat to start and slaps the afro a bit. Back up and it’s dance time with a clothesline freaking Roode out a bit. The big spinebuster plants Jose again though and we take a break. Back with Roode striking the pose and grabbing a chinlock. Jose makes his comeback and cleans house with chops and a cobra clutch slam. The big right hand puts Roode on the floor but he comes back in and hits the Glorious DDT for the pin at 10:39.
Rating: C+. This was the kind of match that Roode needed. Jose is going to be fine with a loss to the champ and Roode gets a win over someone with some credibility. That being said, the credibility isn’t going to last all that long if he never wins a match anytime soon. Good enough though and a third solid match on a good show.
Post match Roode goes after the knee until Kassius Ohno makes a big return for the save. Roode asks who Ohno is so Kassius talks about how he’s been around the world. Now Ohno wants what Roode has, so Bobby is willing to put the title on the line right now. Roode gets in a cheap shot and starts in on the knee, only to get knocked out to the floor for his efforts. Ohno poses to end the show. Ohno got a strong reaction (not quite Nakamura but still a star level reception) and that’s a good thing as he’s likely going to be in the title scene very soon.
Overall Rating: A-. This was the pure wrestling show with almost no storyline development but three strong matches in the span of an hour. Sometimes you just need a long show with a lot of good wrestling and that’s what took place here. I had a good time with this and it went by fast, especially with the big angle to end the show. NXT needed a show like this and it worked very well.
Results
Peyton Royce b. Ember Moon and Liv Morgan – Fisherman’s suplex to Morgan
Pete Dunne b. Mark Andrews – Bitter End
Bobby Roode b. No Way Jose – Glorious DDT
Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the History of the WWE’s Big Four Pay Per Views, now in PAPERBACK. Check out the information here: