So in addition to Summerslam, there was NXT’s biggest show of all time as they had roughly the same crowd as Summerslam in the same building for Takeover: Brooklyn. As usual I was way more excited for this than for whatever WWE was putting on as NXT actually knows how to build a full card. Let’s get to it.
We opened with HHH introducing us to the show and showing off the huge crowd. It never ceases to amaze me how much cooler HHH is on his own than when he’s on Raw. This feels like the closer thing to a real version of the guy and he’s a lot more enjoyable like this. Also his speech was like two minutes long, not twenty. Do that more on Raw.
The opening was a surprise as Jushin Thunder Liger pinned Tyler Breeze. I’ve been waiting for Breeze to be pushed towards the top of the promotion but Liger getting the win is far from the worst thing in the world. Above all here: I have full confidence in NXT’s ability to build Breeze back up. In WWE, or almost any other promotion for that matter, he would be finished for all intents and purposes. The match was good and Liger is a charisma machine so the fans ate this up.
The Vaudevillains brought in Blue Pants to help deal with Alexa Bliss and finally won the Tag Team Titles. As usual, Blue Pants was the perfect choice (save for maybe Lita) and the place was going insane for this. Bliss has a spot as the insanely petty and stuck up girl who can also be an evil mastermind so once you get her away from a dead end act like Blake and Murphy (they’re fine but this is almost guaranteed to be the peaks of their careers), she could do some awesome stuff.
My biggest takeaway from this match was how hot the crowd was. The match was just good instead of great but the people were all over the near falls. It’s what happens when they’re given a reason to care about something instead of being beaten over the head by the company saying how awesome it is. The Vaudevillains have earned the fans’ respect and they were rewarded for it with a great reaction here. It’s such a simple formula but almost no one gets it.
Apollo Crews debuted and beat Tye Dillinger. There isn’t much to say here but Crews looks like a shorter Ahmed Johnson but with more athletic ability. As long as he doesn’t get caught in bed with his goat lover while doing cocaine off an underage prostitute corpse, he’s going to be fine.
In what we’ll call the pleasant surprise of the night, Samoa Joe beat Baron Corbin with the Koquina Clutch. Joe is a likely candidate for the next title shot and this was a very good performance to get him there. This was two power guys beating each other up for ten minutes and it was all entertaining stuff.
I’m going to keep this separate from the next match: Stephanie came out to introduce the next match. Stephanie is officially the annoying mom who doesn’t get that her kids don’t want her around all the time because she’s going to make it all about herself instead of letting the kids have fun. Unfortunately there’s no way around her so we’re stuck with her ego and obsession with being there for every cool moment.
Next up was Bayley challenging Sasha Banks for the Women’s Title. This was good. Go watch it. Seriously what else do you want from me here? I’ll give them this: that sequence of the Bank Statement and the hand stomp is as good of a back and forth as I’ve seen since Benoit vs. Angle in 2003. The post match scene with the Four Horsewomen posing one last time was perfect too.
The main event saw Finn Balor defending the NXT Title against Kevin Owens in a ladder match that shouldn’t have gone on last. It’s a really fun match and all, but there was no way these guys were going to match what we saw beforehand. I’ve heard a lot of people say it wasn’t very good, but I think those opinions might change with this match in a vacuum instead of right after the classic beforehand.
These two ran into the problem that so many have with ladder matches: what else can you do in them? There have been so many ladder matches over the years and it’s almost impossible to come up with something fresh. Still though, they did what they were supposed to do and the match was a success. It just shouldn’t have gone on last, though I understand the mentality behind it.
So yeah, Takeover rocked, because that’s all NXT knows how to do. It’s such a well build promotion with good to great wrestling, well done stories and an assembly line of fresh talent coming in to restock the shelves when these people are taking up to the main show and wasted because Kevin Dunn and company have to teach them how to be wrestlers because of some grudge with HHH or whatever. Awesome show, watch it again, it’s better than Summerslam.
Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up my new book of NXT Reviews: The Full Sail Years Volume I at Amazon for just $3.99 at:
NXT Takeover: Brooklyn – Hugs Are Available At The Top Of The Ladder
NXT Takeover: Brooklyn Date: August 22, 2015
Location: Barclays Center, New York City, New York
Commentators: Byron Saxton, Corey Graves, Rich Brennan
It’s the biggest show in NXT history (so far) as NXT is on the road again. We have a double main event tonight with Finn Balor defending the NXT Title against former champion Kevin Owens in a ladder match and Bayley challenging for the Women’s Title against champion Sasha Banks. Let’s get to it.
HHH is in the ring to start and talks about how the NXT fans made this company unstoppable. They wanted something new and made it into a revolution. Because of that, the future is now. WE ARE NXT!
The arena looks amazing as this feels like a full on WWE pay per view.
Tyler Breeze vs. Jushin Thunder Liger
Breeze has a New York themed fashion show, complete with people dressed as the Empire State Building and the Statue of Liberty. Jushin of course gets the legend’s pop that he deserves but he doesn’t have his signature music. Tyler scores with an early shoulder and lays over the top rope. Jushin takes him down and drops an elbow to the back before laying out just like Tyler.
We get a modified surfboard before the real version has Breeze in even more trouble. Liger is just going through his normal stuff here. A monkey flip sends Breeze face first into the mat before Liger steals the selfie stick for a quick picture. The Liger Bomb is countered and Breeze goes for the mask to make him the most evil man in the building. The Supermodel Kick gets two and the fans argue about levels of gorgeous. A modified backstabber gets two more for Tyler and the fans think Full Sail sucks.
Back up and the Liger Kick stuns Breeze but he gets the knees up to block a splash. Breeze takes too long yelling at the referee though and eats the palm strike. The threat of another dive sends him to the floor, only to have Liger hit a flip dive off the apron. Back in and the Liger Bomb finishes clean at 8:38.
Rating: B-. As cool as it is to see Liger in WWE, I’m really not sure about that ending. You brought Liger in to make Breeze look good and then Liger beats him in less than nine minutes? I don’t hate the result because Liger is indeed a legend, but I wanted to see Breeze go on as one of the top names in the company and now he’s losing here? To be fair though, Sami Zayn is the biggest star in NXT history and got big by losing over and over.
Kevin Nash, Scott Hall and Sean Waltman are here.
Becky Lynch and Charlotte wish Bayley luck.
Nia Jax is coming. She’s not like other girls.
Tag Team Titles: Vaudevillains vs. Blake and Murphy
The Vaudevillains are challenging. They also have top hats, making them even more awesome. The question here is who the Vaudevillains have to counter Alexa, who calls them pathetic for coming out alone. Fans: “WE WANT BLUE PANTS!” And here’s Blue Pants. Gotch works on Blake’s (now in trunks instead of tights) to start as the fans chant BLUE PANTS CITY. English comes in with a big boot for two before cranking on an armbar of his own.
Murphy comes in and eats an armbar as well, which the fans declare as manly. Blake finally gets in a cheap shot and comes in for a chinlock. The champ switch off for another chinlock before Blake is sent out to the floor. He’s smart enough to pull Gotch off the apron though and the hot tag is prevented. That’s one of my favorite spots. Murphy throws Aiden into the air for a neckbreaker and a two count. Heel miscommunication finally allows English to dive over for the tag and Simon starts cleaning house.
A quick tag brings English back in but he’s quickly crotched on top. The superplex takes too long though and Gotch powerbombs both champions, setting up a high angle swanton from English for two. Blue Pants pulls Alexa down but they both wind up in the ring for a catfight. Murphy tries a rollup for a very hot near fall but walks into the Whirling Dervish for the pin and the titles at 10:16.
Rating: C+. If this is the worst match of the night, this show is going to rock. The Vaudevillains winning the titles is a long time coming and it makes sense that Blake and Murphy lose as soon as the odds are even. Good match here and the crowd was white hot on those near falls. I can’t imagine how the main events are going to be if this is an indication.
Neville and Cesaro wished Finn Balor luck earlier.
Tye Dillinger vs. Apollo Crews
Dillinger is the Perfect 10, which is cut into the back of his hair. Crews looks amazed to be here. Tye flips across the ring and declares it a 10. Crews cartwheels into a backflip and thinks it’s the same. A dropkick breaks up Crews’ springboard in a big crash and Tye pats himself on the back. Crews powers out of a chinlock but gets kicked in the face for two. An awesome standing enziguri smacks Tye in the head and a gorilla press drop into a standing moonsault is enough to put Dillinger away at 4:45.
Rating: C. Well that worked. Crews was incredibly impressive here and got to show off both the power and the athleticism here. This was an awesome debut and Crews looks like he’s going to be the next big thing in NXT. Dillinger looked good too and has something sweet with this Perfect 10 thing.
William Regal announces the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic, starting on September 2 and ending at the next Takeover on October 7 (a Wednesday). No more details are given but Regal says it will make the American Dream very proud.
We recap Baron Corbin vs. Samoa Joe. Corbin talks about his amazing background with all of his success in everything he’s done. He’s heard all these stories about people going around the world but he’s never heard of any of them. All Corbin had to do to come here is make a phone call. Joe answered a challenge and says he didn’t have to make a phone call because NXT called him.
Samoa Joe vs. Baron Corbin
The announcers think Joe is going to kill him. Joe has the Clutch on in less than a minute but Baron makes it to the floor. Back in and an enziguri in the corner puts Corbin right back on the floor, only to have him blast Joe in the face to stop a suicide dive. Joe kicks him in the face though and does his rotating submissions spot until Corbin puts his foot on the ropes.
Baron grabs a heel hook but Joe makes the rope a few seconds later. Something like a Boss Man Slam gets two on Joe so Corbin superkicks him. That earns Baron a second enziguri though and both guys are down. Back up and they slug it out with Joe taking over. Corbin locks the Muscle Buster before hitting kind of a loose Jackhammer for two. The End of Days is broken up so Corbin lifts him up into a choke spinebuster. Joe flips the cover into the Koquina Clutch though and Corbin is out at 10:24.
Rating: B-. Easily both guys’ best match in NXT as Corbin looks like he can last through a long match. Having Joe as the submission master who can switch to striking if need be is fine and Corbin worked the power style just fine. I’m always a fan of having people hit each other really hard and that’s what we got here. Good stuff.
Corbin says he never gave up.
Sgt. Slaughter, Ric Flair, female Japanese wrestler Kana and Team BAD are here.
Here’s Stephanie (whose music says she’s SELF MADE. You can’t buy comedy like that, though I’m sure she would have a crack team of comedy writers who are smart and funny to make them up if she could) to say we’re all making history right here and right now. A few weeks ago she started the Divas Revolution but it started right here in NXT. Therefore, she’s going to introduce the first main event.
We recap Bayley vs. Sasha Banks, which is about the spirit of the women’s division and Bayley fighting for the right thing. Sasha knows she’s the best though and wants to prove to Bayley that fairy tales don’t have happy endings. Bayley has lost over and over but tonight she’s more fired up than ever and has been on a roll.
Women’s Title: Bayley vs. Sasha Banks
Banks is defending. Bayley comes out with a yellow polka dot headband to honor Dusty in a very nice touch. Sasha on the other hand comes out in a Cadillac Escalade surrounded by a team of bodyguards. Sasha laughs off the Dusty wristbands and it’s a catfight to start. Bayley scores with a basement elbow for two and the fans are WAY into this. The champ sends her into the buckle over and over but Bayley shakes it off and ties Sasha in the Tree of Woe for a springboard elbow drop.
Banks goes outside for a breather so Bayley baseball slides her in the face. They fight into the corner where Bayley avoids the double knees, only to have a kick to the knee send her out to the floor. Sasha mocks the high fives to the fans before she hits Bayley’s running elbow to the back. The champ wins a slugout in the corner but still can’t hit the double knees. Instead she sends Bayley face first into the buckle and puts her on the top rope for the BIG double knees.
The kickout stuns Sasha so she tries some trash talk, only to be sent face first into the buckle. Bayley gets all aggressive with right hands but gets overzealous and sent outside. With desperation setting in, Sasha rips off the hand brace and sends the recently healed hand into the steps. That’s not enough so Sasha put the hand between the steps and the post and kicks them together to put Bayley on the floor and writhing in pain.
The referee takes too much time checking on her for Sasha’s liking though so Banks flips over him to land on Bayley. Back in and Sasha grabs the bad hand and walks the corner with it, snapping Bayley’s arm over the top. Sasha crashes hard on the floor though and seems to have banged herself up. The delay lets Bayley make her comeback with ax handles and the running corner elbow.
Sasha drops to her knees to block the Bayley to Belly and there’s the Bank Statement. Bayley crawls for the ropes but Sasha STOMPS ON THE BAND HAND to keep her away. Sasha tries to pull her back but Bayley rolls into a Bank Statement of her own. She cranks the heck out of that thing but Sasha rolls over to get her foot on the ropes. What a sequence. Bayley pulls her up to her feet for a Bayley to Belly but Sasha kicks out at a very close two.
With nothing else working, Bayley loads up the super Bayley to Belly but Sasha knocks her down. Bayley runs the corner for a forearm though and tries a super hurricanrana, only to have Sasha shove her away, sending Bayley crashing down onto her face. Sasha will have none of this waiting though and dives down onto Bayley for a VERY close two. They fight to the corner again and Bayley pulls off a super reverse hurricanrana. Sasha is DONE and the Bayley to Belly gives Bayley the title at 18:12.
Rating: A-. The wrestling and action have been topped before, but this was all about the story. Bayley showed all the heart in the world here and they managed to make me believe she actually might not get the title here. This felt like a war though and the fans carried it even higher than it was getting on its own. Awesome match here and I was right there with them every step of the way.
Becky Lynch and Charlotte come in to celebrate and it’s hugs all around, including one for Sasha. They all stand together and give the Four Horsewomen sign.
Seth Rollins is here.
Earlier tonight, HHH announced that NXT is taking over the UK in December.
We recap Kevin Owens vs. Finn Balor. Balor took the title from Owens in Japan so tonight it’s a ladder match to show that Japan was just a fluke.
NXT Title: Finn Balor vs. Kevin Owens
Ladder match with Balor defending and he’s in full demon mode. Balor does his big entrance and when the lights come on, Owens is sitting in a chair at ringside, leaned back against the barricade. Owens talks trash and starts going after the ladder but Balor pulls him back in and hammers away. Kevin drops him with an elbow to the jaw and drops the senton but the fans look at what seems to be a fight in the crowd. Thankfully Owens is smart enough to slowly walk around and stomp Finn until they have the crowd back.
After the powerbomb is countered, Owens drills him with the Cannonball as the OLE chants begin. The announcers acknowledge that it’s after 11 but they’re going to keep going. Graves: “It’s our network.” The Slingblade puts Owens down but he rolls out of the corner and goes for the ladder, only to be decked from behind. Balor gets crushed between the ladder and the ring so Owens loads up something but stops running and punches Finn in the face instead.
They fight into the crowd but Balor has to backdrop Owens over the barricade to counter another powerbomb. Owens whips him all the way over the announcers’ table then throws the covering at Balor. It’s ladder time again but Balor runs off the table to dropkick it into Owens’ face. Balor climbs but Owens pulls him down and throws him out to the floor, into another ladder. Some slams onto the ladder followed by a senton crush the champ’s ribs but he’s still able to backdrop Owens onto an open ladder for a sick crash.
Another Cannonball hits the ladder and Balor scores with a Coup de Grace but Kevin is up fast enough to powerbomb Balor off the ladder. Balor makes a save of his own and sends the ladder into Owens’ ribs. The powerbomb onto the apron is countered but Owens avoids a Coup de Grace off the apron. Balor charges right into the apron powerbomb and both guys are down. Owens tries to climb but Balor makes the save, only to get punched in the face again. With nothing else keeping Balor down, Owens bridges a ladder into the one that is standing like a platform but can’t hit the fisherman’s superplex.
Instead Balor rams Owens into the ladder, knocking him down and into a huge crash. The ladder is off center though and Owens gets up, only to be kicked down again. Balor looks at the crowd, likes what he hears, and drops the Coup de Grace off the ladder. That is SO risky and Balor is holding his ankle. Not that it matters as he climbs up and gets the belt to retain at 21:40.
Rating: A-. I liked the violence better here but the storytelling wasn’t quite as good as the previous match. Still though, outstanding match here with Owens playing the ultimate bully until Balor kept fighting to get the win. This was all about the violence and there’s nothing better to do in a ladder match. Really good main event even though the ending was never in doubt.
Overall Rating: A. Another excellent show here and did you really expect anything else? This is what NXT does: take their time building up a major card with two matches they know are going to blow the roof off the place and then a totally solid undercard to carry the rest of the show. Awesome stuff here and it’s great to see the show nail it on this big of a stage.
Results
Jushin Thunder Liger b. Tyler Breeze – Liger Bomb
Vaudevillains b. Blake and Murphy – Whirling Dervish to Murphy
Apollo Crews b. Tye Dillinger – Standing moonsault
Samoa Joe b. Baron Corbin – Koquina Clutch
Bayley b. Sasha Banks – Bayley to Belly
Finn Balor b. Kevin Owens – Balor pulled down the title
Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up my new book of NXT Reviews: The Full Sail Years Volume I at Amazon for just $3.99 at:
It’s only a few hours away but there’s always time for a preview. This is going to be the biggest show in NXT history (so far) as they’re in the same arena as Summerslam with 13,000 people. Tonight is a double main event of Bayley challenging Sasha Banks for the Women’s Title and Finn Balor defending the NXT Title against Kevin Owens in a ladder match. I’m way more excited for this show than Summerslam (which also looks like a good show) so let’s get to it.
First up we have the debut of Apollo Crews against Tye Dillinger (the Perfect 10 guy). NXT really likes the idea of debuting their next big thing on these shows and this is the latest example. Crews looks awesome in training and has spent years showing off in the indies, so this should be fun. The ending is obvious of course, but this would be a good choice for an opener to get the crowd going.
Baron Corbin vs. Samoa Joe has the potential to be a great power brawl, which can often steal a big piece of the show. The thing is though, I’m not sure who goes over here. They seem to be worried about pushing Joe huge due to his unique contract situation (a totally reasonable perspective) and I could see Corbin being the low level challenger to Balor after Takeover before they start building up to the next major challenger. I’ll take Joe winning here, but I could see Corbin getting the big upset here.
I’ll go with the Vaudevillains taking the Tag Team Titles. I actually had a line about the champions retaining and it felt so totally wrong that I had to erase it. Blake/Murphy are a great way to make Alexa look good (you know, because she has such an issue doing it on her own) and even though they feel like transitional champions, they’ve held those things since January. I’d love to see more of Bliss, but I could easily see her getting a new act and be like the old Sunny, jumping from team to team whenever the old team is done. But yeah, should be new champions here.
Breeze over Liger. As amazing as it is to see Liger in the WWE, Breeze is looking like a star at this point and has gone so far past where his character should have come to a screeching halt (in a good way) and a win over a legitimate legend could make him look even bigger. Remember where I said Corbin could be the mini-bad to get Balor on to his next major opponent? That next major opponent should be Breeze, and I wouldn’t have an issue with Breeze taking the title. He’s more than earned it and he isn’t going to be called up anytime soon. On top of that the fans are accepting him due to the hard work and great matches he’s put on, so why not take a shot on him when Balor goes up north?
I would say Balor retaining the title is the most obvious ending in the world, but then I read something that got me thinking. Obviously one of the big stories lately has been HHH vs. Kevin Dunn over the NXT guys. Would it really shock you to see HHH send Owens back down to NXT so Dunn can’t ruin him on the main roster? It would be a much better way for Owens to stay over than by being a midcarder who is on the bad end of fat jokes because WWE thinks like a nine year old at times, so why not do it for a bit to restore his image? I think Balor wins, but it’s not as sure as I thought it was.
Finally, we have the match that I’m looking forward to more than anything on Summerslam, this year’s Wrestlemania, the Royal Rumble, and probably all the way back to Sami Zayn vs. Adrian Neville II. Bayley is challenging Sasha Banks for the Women’s Title and there is no reason to believe we’re not getting a title change here. Bayley has been chasing the title for over a year now and this feels like the night.
The key thing here though is why this feels so important. While I’m expecting the match to be good, I’m not expecting it to be as good as some of the other NXT women have done. However, what I’m expecting is one of the most emotional moments in recent years, and that’s WAY more important than the wrestling. The fans want to see Bayley win the title and that’s where the money is.
It’s such a well done story of one of the last few innocent people in wrestling fighting the good fight against someone who, while not full on evil when you think about it, isn’t the nicest person in the world. I’ve gotten so into this story and I want to hear that place erupt when she wins the title, which I’m almost fully certain she will.
Overall….my goodness that’s a heck of a card. The worst match is probably the Tag Team Titles, which should be a fun match depending on who the Vaudevillains have to counter Alexa (if it’s Blue Pants, the reaction will not be of this world). Couple that with a Brooklyn crowd and 13,000 people and this has the potential to be something better than good; it has the potential to be special.
Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up my new book of NXT Reviews: The Full Sail Years Volume I at Amazon for just $3.99 at:
NXT Date: August 19, 2015
Location: Full Sail University, Winter Park, Florida
Commentators: Byron Saxton, Corey Graves, Rich Brennan
It’s the go home show for Takeover: Brooklyn and the card is pretty much set in stone, meaning tonight is all about the final build. This Saturday is going to be the biggest show in NXT history with 13,000 fans in attendance, so hopefully this show sets the stage in a very big way. Let’s get to it.
We open with a recap of Finn Balor destroying Marcus Louis last week but getting attacked by Kevin Owens, including the Pop Up Powerbomb to leave the champion laying.
The recaps continue with a look at Bayley pinning Becky Lynch last week to earn a shot at Women’s Champion Sasha Banks. The staredown with Sasha made me want to see the match even more than I already did. Assuming Bayley wins the title (and Heaven help them if she doesn’t), the eruption is going to be off the charts.
Opening sequence.
Here’s NXT GM William Regal to open things up with a good old fashioned contract signing. It’s Bayley out first with Regal pointing out that she defeated Emma, Charlotte and Becky Lynch to earn the shot. Imagine that: earning a title shot because you beat all the contenders. Banks comes out and sees the girl Bayley hugged in the front row, who she promises to make cry. Now THAT is a heel.
Bayley thanks the fans and says she couldn’t be here without them. She’s had these title matches before but she’s let it slip through her fingers. Fan: “NOT THIS TIME!” Bayley: “Yeah that’s right.” She knows the people can feel it, she knows Regal can feel it and she thinks Sasha can feel it too. Bayley signs but Sasha mocks her for having such a big moment. Fans: “Let’s go Bayley!” Sasha: “There’s a reason the show is in Brooklyn and not here.” That earns her some of the loudest booing in her career.
Sasha promises to show Bayley why she’s the boss and stamps her signature on the contract. The champ goes to leave but Bayley says she’s watched a lot of WWE and this isn’t how contract signings end. Sasha isn’t scared because she isn’t Becky or Charlotte. Bayley really thinks she’s a role model to all the little girls in the audience? Sasha is the real role model because she’s going to teach them that fairy tales don’t have happy endings.
It’s not worth her time to fight Bayley tonight because Bayley is just not worth it. Banks leaves and Bayley looks like she’s about to cry but goes after Banks on the ramp until referees break it up. I haven’t wanted to see a match like this in a long time, probably all the way back to the first Shield vs. Wyatt Family match. As they always do, NXT knows how to take their time to build up a match, but more importantly they know how to build to a moment. I’m to the point where I have to see Bayley win the title and it’s going to be one of the best moments in a long time, even if it seems so obvious. Hopefully it’s not too obvious.
Apollo Crews video.
Tyler Breeze vs. ???
Breeze has a Liger mask to hang on the corner. The jobber doesn’t even have a name and the Supermodel Kick takes him out at 35 seconds.
Breeze puts the Liger mask on the guy post match and says he’s heard great things about Liger but he really isn’t impressed. Everyone here wants a little preview of what they can expect, so there’s a Beauty Shot to the jobber with Breeze counting his own pin.
Hype Bros/Enzo Amore/Colin Cassady vs. ???/???/???/???
Cass thinks that any Joe Schmo who wants to go toe to toe with him, Zo, Mojo and the Bro can only be described in one word. Mojo cranks on one of the nameless jobber’s wrists before it’s off to Ryder to send him into the buckle. Even the announcers aren’t naming these guys. A middle rope dropkick with Ryder landing on top for a cover connects before it’s off to Enzo to stay on the arm.
The first jobber brings Enzo to the corner for a tag to the guy in a shirt like Rollins used to wear for a kick to the head. Jobber #3’s chinlock doesn’t last long and the hot tag brings in Big Cass to clean house. Everything breaks down and the first jobber takes the Broski Boot, followed by #4 getting Cass’ side slam and the Rocket Launcher for the pin at 3:08.
Rating: C-. Total squash here and I kind of like the idea of the newcomers not even being named because it’s not worth the time. The announcers spent the entire time hyping up next week’s eight man tag with the winners facing Dash Wilder/Scott Dawson/Chad Gable/Jason Jordan.
Dash Wilder/Scott Dawson/Chad Gable/Jason Jordan say it’s going to be a bit more difficult for the Hype Bros/Enzo/Cass next week. Gable does his ready, willing and Gable line and his teammates groan.
Samoa Joe vs. Steve Cutler
The Rock Bottom out of the corner and the Koquina Clutch end Cutler in 33 seconds.
Corbin jumps Joe from behind and throws him back in the ring for End of Days.
The new and improved Bull Dempsey is here next week.
Blake/Murphy vs. Angelo Dawkins/Sawyer Fulton
Non-title. Fans: “Come on Blakey let’s go party.” I hate that song but good night that’s brilliant. Dawkins armdrags Blake down to start and dropkicks both champions down. Blake gets in a few shots but a shoulder puts him down and it’s off to Fulton to clean house. A swinging gutwrench suplex plants Murphy but he pops back up for the running suplex into Blake’s frog splash for the pin at 3:39.
Rating: C. It was to have this not be a squash but there was never any doubt as to who was winning here. Unfortunately we didn’t get enough Bliss here as she’s clearly the star of the team and by far the most interesting thing out there. Blake and Murphy are little more than passable but they have a gorgeous manager with attitude so they’re going to be fine.
Post match the Vaudevillains come out to introduce their counter to Bliss. Before they can say anything though, Bliss comes up and slaps them both twice. Fans: “WE WANT BLUE PANTS!”
Next week it’s Carmella vs. Eva Marie, which is one of the matches being taped before Takeover. Also next week, the eight man tag mentioned earlier and Charlotte vs. Emma vs. Becky Lynch vs. Dana Brooke.
Here’s Kevin Owens with a ladder for his last speech before the title match. After annoying the fans by bringing up Brooklyn, Owens calls the fans hypocrites for hating Takeover not being here in Florida. These are the same fans who chant FIGHT OWENS FIGHT, unless he’s laying a finger on Sami Zayn or mentioning John Cena, which makes them boo. If he talks about beating John Cena though, everyone cheers. The NXT fans are the John Cena of wrestling fans because nothing genuine comes out of their mouths.
They talk about wanting NXT to succeed and grow but then they boo when it’s selling out a 13,000 seat arena (“which only sold out once I was in the main event”) because it’s being taken away from then. He’s sick of coming here and performing in front of trash like this. However, it’s going to make him feel better to beat a clown like Balor in front of a crowd worthy of seeing him. As for Balor, he needs to understand that Japan was a fluke.
What Owens has done to guys like Sami Zayn is nothing because now he needs the NXT Title to shove it in the faces of these stupid fans. Saturday is going to be destroy Owens destroy and climb Owens climb. Fans: “FALL OWENS FALL!” Owens is on top of the ladder and there go the lights.
Balor is sitting on the top rope so Owens wisely climbs back down. They don’t wait for the brawl and Owens is knocked to the floor with a big ladder shot to the face. Fans: “RUN OWENS RUN!” Balor climbs the ladder and says he’s retaining the title and shutting Owens’ mouth on Saturday.
Overall Rating: B. This is a good example of a show where the wrestling is the least important thing on the card. Tonight did an outstanding job of building the card for Saturday with Owens showing why he’s a master on the microphone by pointing out everyone’s hypocrisy and then losing the fight. I’m far more excited for Takeover than I am for Summerslam, which is the case with almost all of the NXT shows these days. Excellent go home show here that did everything it was supposed to do.
Results
Tyler Breeze b. ??? – Supermodel Kick
Hype Bros/Enzo Amore/Colin Cassady b. ???/???/???/??? – Rocket Launcher
Samoa Joe b. Steve Cutler – Koquina Clutch
Blake/Murphy b. Angelo Dawkins/Sawyer Fulton – Frog splash to Fulton
Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up my new book of NXT Reviews: The Full Sail Years Volume I at Amazon for just $3.99 at:
NXT Date: August 12, 2015
Location: Full Sail University, Winter Park, Florida
Commentators: Byron Saxton, Corey Graves, Rich Brennan
It’s time for another show built around a #1 contenders match as Bayley is facing Becky Lynch for the right to go to Brooklyn and challenge Sasha Banks for the Women’s Title. The Takeover card is mostly set and it’s time to firm things up, which can often lead to the best shows in a cycle. Let’s get to it.
After last week’s show, Regal confirmed that Owens vs. Balor will indeed be a ladder match. This was a long speech from Regal, clocking in at about 90 seconds.
Opening sequence.
Solomon Crowe vs. Tye Dillinger
It’s the debut of Dillinger’s Perfect 10 gimmick, which has been tearing up the NXT house shows lately. This is a simple one: Dillinger does moves and then holds up cards with scores on them. They fight over wrist and arm control to start before some nice standing switches set up a snapmare from Ty. Dillinger: “10!” A cartwheel gets the same score and there are 10 signs in the crowd. Oh yeah the gimmick is over.
Solomon trips Tye down and backflips into a headscissors, only to kick Dillinger in the head. Crowe charges into a boot in the corner though, setting up a stomp on the ear for 10. We hit a chinlock on Solomon before a single right hand puts him down. That’s fine with Solomon who starts slugging away and hits a Twist of Fate for no cover. Crowe gets kicked to the floor but pops back in, only to walk into a one knee Codebreaker for the pin at 4:36.
Rating: C. This was all about getting the gimmick over and that certainly was a success. Dillinger plays the new character to perfection and there’s a solid midcard future for him. Crowe on the other hand……yeah this isn’t working. I’d love to see the hacker gimmick come back as it has potential, but this little monster thing is going nowhere.
Mojo Rawley has been calling Zack Ryder since 3am and is already in his gear even though they’re not having a match tonight. He has to be ready you see. Mojo claims that he met ten chicks at the club last night but Ryder says no way. After some counting, Rawley says it was twelve. These two work well together.
Axel Tischer vs. Baron Corbin
The fans boo Baron out of the building, referring to him as boring. Baron slowly stomps away to play up the idea before End of Days takes care of Axel in 34 seconds. I love that Baron is one of the only things out there every week. It’s a nice way to build him up as a monster.
Post match Baron says he needs better competition because no one gets up from End of Days. Cue Steve Cutler, who gets laid out as well. This brings out Samoa Joe, who offers to exchange fisticuffs with Corbin at the present moment. Baron declines, but agrees to a confrontation at a time to be determined. This is a mere ruse of course, as Corbin uses his pugilistic skills but End of Days is countered into the Koquina Clutch to put Corbin out. The fans are very pleased with Joe.
Bull Dempsey is still training and continues to look like Bray Wyatt’s fat brother.
Tyler Breeze thinks his match with Liger is the perfect fit. Regal has brought in “Yushin” Thunder Liger. That’s what Regal did with Hideo Itami and that went well for Tyler, so domo arigato Mr. Liger, and thank you for making Breeze the new face of Japan.
Marcus Louis vs. Finn Balor
Non-title and non-demon here. I believe this is Balor’s first match on TV since winning the title. Balor cranks on a headlock to start and easily takes Marcus down to the mat. Marcus yells in his face a lot and gets two off a Rock Bottom before ripping at the champ’s face. That earns Marcus a chop in the corner, followed by the Sling Blade. A running corner dropkick sets up the Coup de Grace to give Finn the three count at 2:44.
Owens runs out and decks Balor from behind as Finn poses on the stage. The champ escapes a powerbomb to the apron though and dropkicks Owens through the barricade. They head inside and Kevin scores with the Pop Up Powerbomb before posing with the title.
The Vaudevillains have a plan to deal with Alexa Bliss in Brooklyn. Bliss comes in and mocks them for needing a way around her. Both guys get slapped, but Bliss is nice enough to wish them good luck. Well that’s nice of her.
Apollo Crews is coming at Takeover. His training video shows off some very impressive athleticism.
We run down the Takeover card, including Joe vs. Corbin. This looks awesome actually and is one of the better shows they’ve had in a long time. Of note: the Women’s Title match is listed after Owens vs. Balor.
Bayley vs. Becky Lynch
The winner gets Sasha Banks, out for commentary here, for the title at Takeover. Bayley even does a little dance and motions having the title around her waist. Could she get any more adorable? Feeling out process to start as the fans are way behind Bayley, which says a lot as Becky is very popular around here. Becky rolls over Bayley and hits a pair of very nice armdrags into an armbar.
The fans are split now as Becky takes her into the corner for a knee to the ribs. A bulldog gets two for Bayley but Becky comes back with a freaky hammerlock northern lights suplex for two of her own. I love the psychology behind that as Lynch focuses almost exclusively on the arm to set up the Disarm-Her. Byron and Sasha talk about the victory party after Takeover as Becky puts one foot on Bayley’s forearm and the other foot behind her triceps to push and pull at the same time. Well that’s different.
Sasha thinks Becky should be going after Bayley’s bad hand but Becky just isn’t smart enough for that. Sasha talks about Jay-Z showing up in Brooklyn. Saxton: “Is Darius Rucker (a country singer) going to be there?” Becky cranks on a chinlock while trapping the arm at the same time as we take a break. Back with Bayley escaping a pumphandle slam and rolling Becky up for some near falls. The arm starts giving out on her though and a pumphandle suplex gives Becky two more.
The running legdrop misses though and Bayley starts busting out her variety of back elbows. Bayley comes up favoring her hand but is still able to catch Lynch on top, pulling her down with a nice powerslam. The Disarm-Her goes on out of nowhere but Bayley is right next to the ropes. Another pumphandle is countered into a snap suplex but Becky grabs an armbar to break up the Bayley to Belly, only to have Bayley slip around into a rollup for the pin and the title shot at 16:15.
Rating: A-. I don’t know if it’s me being a Bayley fan or what but I haven’t been as excited to see a match as I am to see this title match than I’ve been in a very long time. It’s been such a well built story and the reaction if (more likely when) Bayley wins the title is going to be insane. This is another good example of women being able to tear the house down better than the men can as they built up the arm work throughout the match and then played it into the ending. You can’t beat that.
Banks stands on the table and stares Bayley down to wrap this up.
Overall Rating: A. Just when NXT seems to be slowing down, they throw out something like this. They’ve taken a character as silly and innocent as Bayley and turned her into one of the most over acts in all of NXT, to the point where I want to see her win the Women’s Title more than I wanted to see Sami Zayn win the NXT Title. The rest of the show was awesome too, as we saw a new gimmick, made a match for Takeover, and built up almost everything else on the card. This was a great wrestling hour and that’s where NXT excels.
Results
Tye Dillinger b. Solomon Crowe – Codebreaker
Baron Corbin b. Axel Tischer – End of Days
Finn Balor b. Marcus Louis – Coup de Grace
Bayley b. Becky Lynch – Rollup
Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up my new book of NXT Reviews: The Full Sail Years Volume I at Amazon for just $3.99 at:
NXT Date: August 5, 2015
Location: Full Sail University, Winter Park, Florida
Commentators: Rich Brennan, Corey Graves, Byron Saxton
We’re on the road to Brooklyn and most of the card can be seen from here. With just three shows left, it’s time to add some build to a lot of the midcard matches as the main event is pretty much set. There’s a good chance we’ll be seeing more of Charlotte vs. Bayley tonight as Bayley is aiming for the Women’s Title again. Let’s get to it.
In memory of Roddy Piper.
Opening sequence.
Charlotte vs. Bayley
They’re starting fast this week as the bell rings less than three minutes into the show. After a handshake, Bayley grabs a headlock and takes Charlotte over, only to have Charlotte nip up to her feet. A hammerlock and headscissors earn similar results for Bayley but Charlotte comes back with the rolling figure four headscissors to put Bayley down hard. Things get a bit more aggressive as Bayley scores with some ax handles to the chest, only to get kneed in the face for two.
Back from a break with Bayley countering the Figure Eight into a small package for two of her own, followed by the middle rope elbow to the jaw. Bayley lifts her up onto the top rope for a hurricanrana (that’s a new one), dubbed awesome by the fans. They slug it out (fans: “WOMEN’S WRESTLING!”) and a spear gets two for Charlotte. The young Bayley fan in the crowd freaking out on these near falls is great to see. Charlotte gets the Figure Eight but Bayley is too close to the ropes.
They fight over a backslide with Bayley climbing the ropes and flipping over Charlotte into the Bayley to belly for……two? That’s a very rare kickout. Now a German gets two more on Charlotte so she rolls Bayley up, sending Bayley head first into the middle buckle for a cool move. Charlotte goes up but Bayley grabs a super Bayley to belly for the upset pin at 12:22. The same fan that freaked out on the kickout is shown crying.
Rating: B. This was a really fun back and forth match with both of them working hard to one up the other. The big spot to end the match makes more sense as Bayley had to bust out something big to finally beat Charlotte and prove she’s worthy of getting a shot. Above all else though, the young girl being happy tells you all you need to know about Bayley. Wrestling has rarely had a character girls her age can look up to and Bayley is nailing the role to perfection.
Post match Bayley gives the girl her headband. That’s awesome.
We get a sitdown interview with Kevin Owens, who doesn’t like Michael Cole implying that his apology for jumping Finn Balor and William Regal wasn’t sincere. Regal said he wanted to see Owens lose and it takes a real man to say that behind someone’s back. “Or a real man’s man should I say.”
Owens needs the NXT Title back, not just because it’s worth more money, but because it reminds him of what he did to Sami Zayn and he likes that feeling. However, he’s scared of Regal screwing him like Montreal, which is where Owens is from after all. Therefore, why not make the rematch a ladder match? Cole asks if Owens can beat Balor and Kevin walks off. I like making it a ladder match as we’ve covered a regular match so why bother doing it again?
Bull Dempsey doesn’t like the video of him trying to get in shape last week and wants to do it right. This doesn’t go well either but it’s to be continued.
Baron Corbin vs. Steve Cutler
I’m starting to recognize these jobbers. The jobber would be the guy losing to Corbin via End of Days at 22 seconds.
Bayley comes in to see William Regal and nervously asks him for a Women’s Title match. Regal thinks she deserves one, but so does Becky Lynch. Therefore, next week it’s Bayley vs. Becky for the shot at Sasha in Brooklyn. Regal throws in that Bayley is his niece’s favorite wrestler. I’m getting into this story more and more every week. I want to see Bayley win the Women’s Title and it’s going to be an awesome moment when she finally does.
Tyler Breeze vs. Aaron Solo
We haven’t see Tyler in the ring in awhile. Breeze stomps Solo down in the corner to start, then pounds him down on the mat, then hits the Beauty Shot for the pin at 52 seconds. Well that worked.
Post match here’s Regal to announce Tyler’s opponent: Japanese legend Jushin Thunder Liger. The fans are STUNNED and we get a Liger video, which is one of those things you never expected to see in WWE.
Uhaa Nation video, who is now known as Apollo Crews. His debut is in Brooklyn.
Finn Balor gets a sitdown interview of his own and talks about what an honor it is to be NXT Champion. He’s known Kevin Owens for about a year now and after getting to know him, he really isn’t surprised by what happened at the contract signing. Owens may be a man of words, but Balor is a man of actions, and Owens’ actions don’t back up his words. Sami Zayn has been helping Balor get ready for the title match and Finn doesn’t care if it’s a ladder match, a cage match or a street fight, because he’s going to prove that Tokyo wasn’t a fluke. When asked if the Demon will appear, Balor gives a vague “we’ll see.”
Dash and Dawson vs. Hype Bros
Mojo and Dawson get things going with Rawley cranking on a wristlock and bringing in Ryder for the double knees in the corner. We get a WOO WOO WOO chant to the New Day rhythm but a Dash distraction lets Dawson pull Ryder off the middle rope and take over. Ryder takes a quick double teaming before slipping over for the hot tag to Mojo. Rawley cleans house and holds up Dash for the elevated Rough Ryder and the pin at 3:33.
Rating: C. This tag division continues to have depth and I’m so glad that Ryder is getting some TV time out of the deal. I’ve never liked how WWE wasted him and it’s nice to see him getting something other than a jobber’s treatment. Mojo and Ryder compliment each other in a weird way and should be fine as a meal for some big heel team.
Dash and Dawson beat up Ryder post match and lay him out with the Shatter Machine.
The Vaudevillains are given a rematch for the NXT Tag Team Titles in Brooklyn. Regal advises them to come up with a way to counter Alexa Bliss.
Bull Dempsey has some more success with his training and seems to be making progress, even being able to turn over a big tire.
Rhyno vs. Samoa Joe
This should be a hard hitting ending to a pretty nothing feud. Joe fires off right hands to start but Rhyno rams him face first into the buckle. That’s fine with Joe who sends Rhyno outside and scores with the suicide dive. Back in and the corner enziguri drops Rhyno again but he comes back with a spinebuster as we take a break.
After the commercial it’s Joe coming back with an STO, earning him a TKO for two. Joe’s middle rope boot to the face puts Rhyno down but he grabs a belly to belly. The Gore hits a boot so Rhyno settles for a clothesline for two instead. Rhyno makes the mistake of going to the middle rope, earning himself another enziguri and the Muscle Buster for the pin at 12:57.
Rating: C-. It’s a good enough power brawl but Joe is still “Samoa Joe: that guy you’ve seen elsewhere”. He hasn’t been wasted but after a big debut, Joe has just been a midcarder doing nothing of note since. I could see him being the opponent for Corbin in Brooklyn though, followed by a run higher up on the NXT ladder.
Overall Rating: C+. As usual, NXT provides a great blueprint for how to build up a big show. They didn’t have much of a midcard set for Brooklyn but in an hour they set up a Women’s Title match, a Tag Team Title match and a match with a legend, along with (for all intents and purposes) adding a stipulation for the title match. I had a good time with this show, but swapping the opener and main event would have been a good idea.
Results
Bayley b. Charlotte – Super Bayley to belly
Baron Corbin b. Steve Culter – End of Days
Tyler Breeze b. Aaron Solo – Beauty Shot
Hype Bros b. Dash and Dawson – Middle rope Rough Ryder to Dash
Samoa Joe b. Rhyno – Muscle Buster
Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up my new book of NXT Reviews: The Full Sail Years Volume I at Amazon for just $3.99 at:
NXT Date: July 22, 2015
Location: Full Sail University, Winter Park, Florida
Commentators: Corey Graves, Rich Brennan, Byron Saxton
We’re officially on the way to the next Takeover in Brooklyn with an announced main event of new NXT Champion Finn Balor defending against former champion Kevin Owens. This makes for an interesting match as Owens has kind of outgrown NXT despite only being there about seven months so far. It should be interesting how they get to the show so let’s get to it.
A quick opening video shows us Balor returning to Japan to win the title.
We open with the champ, holding the title in his hand instead of around his waist, which is something I’ve always been a fan of. After a quick YOU DESERVE IT chant, Balor talks about all the places he’s wrestled and how hard of a decision it really was to come to NXT. However, the moment he was handed the NXT Title, he knew it was all worth it so he could hold this title up. As for Owens, yeah he’s done a lot, but there’s one thing he couldn’t do: pin Finn Balor. He couldn’t do it in Tokyo and he won’t do it again in Brooklyn. This was a nice, to the point debut promo for the title reign and Balor looks like a star.
Eva Marie is very thankful for an opportunity tonight and is taking it so seriously. There’s a misconception about her but she’s ready to show what she has so open your eyes.
Eva Marie vs. Cassie
First sign of trouble: Graves tells the other commentators to pick their jaws up off the floor during Eva’s entrance. The NXT girls’ looks are almost never mentioned and it sets them apart from the Divas and it’s the first thing mentioned about Eva. The LET’S GO EVA/EVA SUCKS chants start up almost immediately as Eva cranks on a wristlock followed by a decent suplex for two. We hit the armbar on the mat for a good while before Cassie kicks her in the face for two of her own. Eva grabs a quick Sliced Bread #2 for the pin at 3:52.
Rating: D+. Well, she didn’t bomb. The problem though is that’s the only standard Eva had to reach here. She didn’t have to be anything great and while she could be good in the ring one day, there’s always going to be a mark on her due to how she got into WWE. This could have been far worse, but it’s like watching a Tough Enough rookie having their debut: after all this time, she’s only up to average. It’s a step up, but she had nowhere to go but up.
Tyler Breeze is in Regal’s office and wants something good for Takeover.
Baron Corbin vs. ???
I don’t even have time to look up the jobber’s name before End of Days wraps this up in 12 seconds. I believe it was Jesus de Leon, who has appeared on a TNA One Night Only show and some indy shows.
Samoa Joe vs. Mike Rallis
Joe has new, far more sinister music which takes out the stupid upbeat sound of his original. That’s one of my favorite things in NXT: they actually fix big problems like that instead of just waiting for fans to go numb to them. Mike goes right at Joe to start and pounds away with some forearms, only to have Joe stomp him into the corner. The Rock Bottom out of the corner sets up the Muscle Buster to end Rallis at 2:05.
Emma and Dana Brooke aren’t worried about Bayley.
Bayley vs. Emma
This is about revenge after Emma broke Bayley’s hand about two months ago. I know it’s goofy and aimed at kids, but there is something so goofily innocent about Bayley that I can’t help but smile every time she does anything. I’ve said she’s the purest face in wrestling right now and the more I see her the more right I think I am. Emma slaps her in the bad hand (still in a brace) to start and takes over for a few moments, only to have Bayley send Emma face first into the buckle a few times.
A bulldog gets two but Dana offers a distraction so Emma can post the bad hand. Emma pulls on the fingers so hard you would think she was trying to steal them (but I’m sure she meant to pay for them). She cranks on both arms for a choke but Bayley comes back with ax handles to the chest. A pull of the hair tie sets up a middle rope elbow to the jaw for two and the fans are right back with the BAYLEY chants. Dana tries to interfere again but gets ejected, setting up the Bayley to Belly (didn’t it used to be the other way around?) for the pin at 5:37.
Rating: C-. This was about revenge and Bayley did exactly what she should have done here. Now, assuming this ends Bayley vs. Emma, there’s almost no reason not to send Bayley after the Women’s Title. It’s been a very long time coming and the fans would erupt when she finally wins it. Bayley is as close to a female Sami Zayn as you can get and the win would be a great main event for a Takeover if they want to roll the dice.
Post match Bayley says she wants the title and wants to beat the best to get there. Therefore, she wants a match with Charlotte.
We get a clip of the NXT girls making their in ring debut at Battleground.
Charlotte is thankful for the opportunity when Dana Brooke comes in. Dana is tired of everyone getting a chance because of their last name when she has never gotten a single shot. Charlotte likes the sound of that and says Bayley can wait a week.
Vaudevillains vs. Angelo Dawkins/Sawyer Fulton
Gotch and Dawkins get things going but it’s quickly off to Fulton to lay a beating down on Simon. Something like a Hart Attack with a dropkick instead of a running clothesline gets two on Gotch and it’s off to an abdominal stretch. Gotch picks up his own boot and kicks Angelo in the face to escape (that’s just cool) and makes the tag off to English. The Whirling Dervish puts Dawkins away at 2:47.
Blake/Murphy/Alexa aren’t impressed by the Vaudevillains and think Gotch and English are from the old days of 1999. The title match is next week and Bliss guarantees they retain the belts. That could open some doors for a new team at Takeover, such as some hometown boys.
It’s time for Balor and Owens to sign the contract for Takeover with Regal moderating. He talks about the largest audience in NXT history but Owens comes out to cut him off. Before he can say or do anything though, here’s Finn Balor to look like a star again, offering a very nice visual compared to Owens’ brawler look. Balor goes to sign but Owens asks him how it feels to be champion. How does it feel to defend the title in the biggest main event in NXT history (“which takes place in BROOKLYN!”)? And how does it feel to go in as the underdog.
Balor was exactly right earlier in the night when he talked about all the things Owens did, such as beating up Rusev, sending Neville out of NXT, crippling Sami Zayn twice and beating John Cena. All that was in his first six months, so now he gets to show the fans that Japan was just a fluke. Balor can’t wait to make Owens eat those words and both guys sign. There goes the table and Regal gets punched in the face. Balor forearms Owens to the floor and dropkicks him for good measure to end the show.
Overall Rating: C+. I had a good time with this show and I was amazed by how fast it went by. This was about setting up Takeover as they have five weeks and most of the card isn’t set already. The wrestling wasn’t the point here and it covered a lot of the stuff it needed to get to. They’ll be fine going forward and the Brooklyn crowd is going to help the show a lot. Fun, well done show this week.
Results
Eva Marie b. Cassie – Sliced Bread #2
Baron Corbin b. Jesus de Leon – End of Days
Samoa Joe b. Mike Rallis – Muscle Buster
Bayley b. Emma – Bayley to Belly
Vaudevillains b. Angelo Dawkins/Sawyer Fulton – Whirling Dervish to Dawkins
Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up my new book of NXT Reviews: The Full Sail Years Volume I at Amazon for just $3.99 at:
NXT Date: July 15, 2015
Location: Full Sail University, Winter Park, Florida
Commentators: Corey Graves, Rich Brennan, Byron Saxton
It’s a title show as Charlotte came out last week to help Sasha Banks, in exchange for a title match tonight. These two have had some big showdowns in the past and this should be the same, especially after their debuts this past week on Raw. The other major story will be the return of Sami Zayn for an update on his injury. Let’s get to it.
Chad Gable/Jason Jordan vs. Steve Cutler/Elias Samson
This is Gable/Jordan’s debut as a team after Jordan spent weeks trying to find a partner and Gable saying they would work perfectly together. Gable quickly takes Cutler down for two and shows off some very nice technical stuff for some rollups. Cutler finally drives Chad into the corner and tags off to Samson for some right hands in the corner.
It doesn’t last long though as Gable drives him into the corner for a tag to Jordan, who powers Cutler down with ease. In a very unique looking double team, Jordan lifts Cutler up in a belly to back but drops him into a bridging belly to back from Gable for the pin at 2:47. Cool finisher at least and Gable looked good.
Clip of the NXT girls debuting on Raw and cleaning house. No sign of Stephanie and suddenly this is WAY better. That triple submission is an awesome visual.
Samoa Joe vs. Axel Tischer
Axel is German. Joe peppers him with strikes in the corner to start, kicks Tischer in the face and hits the backsplash, followed by the Rock Bottom out of the corner and the Muscle Buster into the Koquina Clutch for the tap out at 2:59. Total squash and that’s a good idea for Joe at this point.
Video on Baron Corbin’s athletic background. He boxed, did judo, won conference titles in college football and played in the NFL. At least he’s accomplished something though, because most of the guys in NXT are popular on the internet after being paid in hot dogs and chips. Corbin is in NXT to destroy the internet’s heroes. Well that came out of nowhere and tells us about 1.9 million times more about Corbin than we ever knew. Nice job there, as is always the case with these videos.
Here’s Eva Marie to talk about how awesome she is and announce her in ring debut next week. Get your little signs ready! There’s a chance that could be good, but oh man it’s not going to be well received.
Blake/Murphy vs. Angelo Dawkins/Sawyer Fulton
Non-title. Blake and Murphy start by taking turns on Dawkins with Blake slapping on a chinlock. Murphy comes in for a chinlock of his own as the announcers talk about sandwiches for no apparent reason. Dawkins fights up but Blake is smart enough to pull Fulton to the floor. The brainbuster and frog splash are enough for the pin on Angelo at 3:03.
Rating: D+. Total squash in a night of them with the champions looking great. They’re a pretty generic team but at least Alexa is nailing her role as the manipulative, stuck up boss. They should have a fun match against the Vaudevillains too and have made solid champions after looking like filler coming in.
The champs beat Dawkins down post match and flip Alexa into the air for the Sparkle Splash. Again, that looked cool.
Here’s Sami, with his arm in a sling, for his big update. After the OLE chants finally die down, Sami talks about how great it is to hear that the fans haven’t forgotten about him. It’s been a rough patch for him because he’s gone from the best year of his career in 2014 to the worst year of his career in 2015 because he isn’t likely back to close out the year.
He isn’t finished by a long shot though because he has goals. Like being able to find a comfortable position to sleep in or come back and regain his NXT Championship. There’s no greater motivator than revenge and Kevin Owens’ career is going to be linked to his career forever. Owens better watch, because Sami is coming for him. Not much to be heard here, but Sami’s charisma carried it everywhere it needed to go.
We look back at Charlotte being granted a title match.
Clip of Owens losing the NXT Title to Finn Balor in Japan.
At Comic Con, William Regal announced Owens’ rematch for Takeover: Brooklyn. Both guys traded some shots at the press conference.
Women’s Title: Charlotte vs. Sasha Banks
Sasha is defending. Charlotte starts slowly by shoving Sasha into the corner (too common a move) and throwing in a little Flair strut. The champ is sent down into the ropes and Charlotte nips up just because she can. A knee to the face and the double knees in the corner put Charlotte down for two as the momentum swing takes us to a break. Back with Charlotte getting choked in the corner (because where else would it be?), allowing Sasha to bust out the Flair strut.
We hit the chinlock with Banks’ boots in the back, followed by a figure four neck lock. The fans misfire pretty badly here with a Sasha Banks chant to the New Day rhythm. It doesn’t work for everything guys. Charlotte powers up into a powerbomb but both of them are down for a count of seven. It’s Charlotte up first with a backslide, but instead of trying a pretty obvious failure, she drops to her knees for a backbreaker instead. That’s a new one on me.
Banks gets two off a regular backslide but makes the mistake of ranting about how much better she is, thereby earning her a boot to the face. The Figure Eight is countered into a VERY close rollup, only to have the hold go on with Charlotte losing some hair extensions in the process. Sasha makes the ropes but Charlotte rolls under the ropes with the hold still on in a cool visual. Back up and Charlotte’s slam is countered into the Bank Statement. The hold stays on longer than it ever has before but Charlotte finally taps at 16:30.
Rating: B. This division is really becoming its own worst enemy as they’re getting caught in their own success. With their classics at Takeover, even a really good match like this is considered a letdown. Banks and Charlotte are going to be great additions to the Divas’ division and could easily carry the whole thing on their backs, assuming we can get the Bellas out of the way first.
Above all else though, this showed the difference between the Divas and the NXT girls. All night long, this match was treated as a major deal and as big as any showdown you’ll see on Raw. The fans bought what the promotion was sending them though and that makes it seem like something special. I don’t remember the last time any Diva has hooked the fans in, but this is proof it can be done if set up right.
They shake hands and hug for a cool moment to end the show.
Overall Rating: C+. This was an interesting show as they started setting up Takeover: Brooklyn and reminded us that some people are around, followed by a good main event to cap things off. That’s NXT in a nutshell: a big match and setting up stuff for the future. Good show here and the main event is worth checking out for some of the cool and unique offense.
Results
Chad Gable/Jason Jordan b. Steve Cutler/Elias Samson – Bridging belly to back suplex to Samson
Samoa Joe b. Axel Tischer – Koquina Clutch
Blake/Murphy b. Angelo Dawkins/Sawyer Fulton – Frog splash to Dawkins
Sasha Banks b. Charlotte – Bank Statement
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NXT – July 8, 2015: Do We Have Proof He’s A Human?
NXT Date: July 8, 2015
Location: Full Sail University, Winter Park, Florida
Commentators: Byron Saxton, Corey Graves, Rich Brennan
We have a new NXT Champion though we’re likely only going to hear about it in voiceovers as this is a taped show from a few weeks back. Finn Balor took the NXT Title from Kevin Owens in Tokyo on 4th of July and you know Owens is going to be gunning to get his title back. Other than that though, we have the Vaudevillains vs. Enzo/Cass for the #1 contendership. Let’s get to it.
Sasha Banks/??? vs. Dana Brooke/Emma
The new announcer introduces Dana and then throws in that she’s accompanied by her partner Emma. Dana laughs at Sasha for not having a partner so the fans chant Blue Pants. Sasha is ready to fight on her own but here’s someone to back her up.
Sasha Banks/Charlotte vs. Dana Brooke/Emma
Charlotte says she’ll be Sasha’s partner but Banks owes her one. Banks kicks Dana around to start but Brooke runs when it’s off to Charlotte. That means it’s off to Emma, who bails to the floor to avoid a knee drop. The heels finally take over but the fans are busy arguing over whether Dana is rachet or not. Emma bodyscissors Charlotte to slow it down but she fights up for the tag off to Sasha and the champ cleans house. A running knee in the corner and the Bank Statement makes Brooke tap at 4:39.
Rating: C. This didn’t have time to go anywhere and it dragged the match down a lot. Dana tapping out is a bad sign for her but I don’t think anyone really bought her as the top star of the division or anything like that. Sasha vs. Charlotte again is going to be fine and Becky and Bayley returning will make things even better.
As you might guess, Charlotte’s payment will be a title shot next week, which Sasha is just fine with.
Bayley says she can’t wrestle at the moment because of a broken hand. She’ll be back for the NXT Title, but Emma is in for more than a hug.
Video on Finn Balor’s rise to the top of NXT and becoming #1 contender.
We get a clipped version of Balor vs. Owens for the title in Tokyo, but here’s the full match in case you haven’t read it yet.
NXT Title: Finn Balor vs. Kevin Owens
We get the Demon entrance and oh yes it’s still glorious. For a bonus, the camera changes to an arena shot at the crescendos of the music. To make it feel even more special, we get the full on flower presentation from geisha girls (Owens throws his into the crowd of course) and streamers for both guys. Get this through your head ROH: doing the same thing for every match doesn’t make it feel more special. Hideo Itami is shown in the front row and we’re ready to start. Balor has more paint than ever with his face, torso and left leg covered.
Balor charges at the bell and loads up the Coup de Grace in the first ten seconds. Owens rolls outside so Balor nails a big dive as the NXT chants start up. He tries to bail again and eats a baseball slide as Balor is all over him. Back in and Owens hammers away to take over for the first time. Owens: “AND THAT’S WHY I’M THE CHAMP!” We hear more of Balor’s accomplishments in New Japan as Owens takes some bows.
It’s off to Chinlock City before a forearm breaks up Balor’s springboard. The slow pace is working for Kevin here and it fits him very well. Finn beats the count back in but takes the backsplash for two. Back in and Owens snapmares him down and runs the ropes….before stopping for a chinlock. Owens: “Are you not impressed? I don’t care. I hate this country and all its stupid people!” Balor fights back again with a middle rope forearm for two so Owens does Cena’s finishing sequence, complete with an attempted AA.
Balor is afraid of a lawsuit over gimmick infringement (only Kurt Angle can steal that many finishers) and slips out twice in a row. Bloody Sunday is teased (and the fans gasp) but it’s a Pele Kick to put Owens down instead. Owens takes a big flip dive and a top rope double stomp to the back, followed by a reverse Bloody Sunday (not called that of course) for a VERY close two. The Coup de Grace misses though and Owens’ Cannonball gets two. The package piledriver slam gets the same but Balor hits a quick Sling Blade.
Another Coup de Grace is countered so Balor kicks him in the head and FINALLY connects with the stomp….for two. Dang I thought that was it. Owens can’t hit the swinging fisherman’s superplex so he settles for a middle rope Regal Roll for two. That looked great. Kevin’s Swanton hits knees and the real Bloody Sunday gets an even closer two. They’re trading bombs here and it’s getting awesome. Owens makes the eternal mistake of slapping a hero in the face and saying the hero can’t beat him. Balor dropkicks him into the corner, hits a running corner dropkick and a second Coup de Grace for the title at 19:30.
Rating: B+. Was there ever any doubt that this was going to be awesome? Owens is one of the best heels that I’ve seen in years and he does everything he can do to make you hate him. The fact that he can go as well as he does in the ring makes him even better, which is saying quite a bit as he’s that good as a character.
Tatsumi Fujinami congratulates Balor on his win.
Kevin Owens doesn’t have anything to say about the loss.
Chad Gable doesn’t know why Jason Jordan doesn’t want him as his partner other than he’s happy with losing. Jordan finally comes up and asks Gable to be his partner next week. Well it’s more saying they’ll be partners next week but it’s as polite as Jordan gets.
Solomon Crowe says he’s back to be the resident monster.
Marcus Louis vs. Solomon Crowe
Louis is back with no music but he’s still crazy. A chop puts him down and Crowe puts on a standing Crippler’s Crossface with his leg tied into Louis’ to crank on the shoulder. That’s a new one. Louis crotches him on top for a very aggressive two and puts on a kneeling abdominal stretch. Crowe fights up again and slaps on a Brock Lock, apparently called the Crowebar for the tap out at 3:18.
Rating: C-. Well Crowe looked better, but it’s still not fitting for him. I’m also never a fan of a crazy guy tapping out as it shows way too much logic and common sense to give up like that. The match wasn’t anything special but neither guy has anything going for them so seeing them on TV is a good sign.
The Vaudevillains say they’ll be the #1 contenders.
Clip of some guys congratulating Balor on winning, including John Cena. Balor says this couldn’t have gone any better.
Vaudevillains vs. Enzo Amore/Colin Cassady
English is rocking a MANLY beard. Enzo and Gotch get things going with Simon getting a rollup for two. Off to English for a headlock on the mat but he’s back out just a few seconds later. Cass shoves both of them to the floor and calls them S-A-W-F-T as we take a break. Back with Cass throwing Enzo into Aiden for two but Enzo charges into a boot in the corner, giving him one of the best eyes wide open stunned faces I’ve ever seen.
It’s Enzo playing the semi-human in peril (I’ve yet to see actual proof that he’s a person) in a chinlock followed by a legdrop before diving over for the tag to Colin. Everything breaks down and Aiden gets kicked in the face. The Rocket Launcher has to be changed into a cross body though and English rolls through for the pin and the title shot at 10:48.
Rating: C+. I liked this more than I thought I would but my goodness they’re really not going with Enzo and Cass getting the titles in Brooklyn? Are they just asking for the worst reaction in years? I know the Vaudevillains will be well received, but my goodness this is one of those layup ideas that they’re just missing. Granted there’s another month before we could get there so all hope isn’t lost.
Overall Rating: C+. This was another shot that set the stage for later more than a good stand alone episode. However, it’s setting up Takeover in Brooklyn and there’s no way that’s not going to be awesome due to the crowd reaction alone. Things will pick up when they can say Balor won the title instead of just having the commentary do it, but Sami will get a great reaction next week in the last show of the taping cycle.
Results
Sasha Banks/Charlotte b. Dana Brooke/Emma – Bank Statement to Brooke
Solomon Crowe b. Marcus Louis – Crowebar
Vaudevillains b. Enzo Amore/Colin Cassady – English rolled through a high cross body
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NXT Date: July 1, 2015
Location: Full Sail University, Winter Park, Florida
Commentators: Byron Saxton, Rich Brennan, Corey Graves
It’s the show before the big title match in Tokyo and we actually have a main event announced in advance. This week’s big match is Samoa Joe/Finn Balor vs. Rhyno/Kevin Owens, which isn’t exactly what the champ should be doing but it makes sense given the story. I can’t imagine Owens is champion next week but I’ve been surprised before. Let’s get to it.
The opening video is just a quick preview of the tag match.
Vaudevillains vs. Scott Dawson/Dash Wilder
Gotch and Wilder start things off with Dash quickly shoving him into the corner for a tag off to Dawson. Well that was pointless. Simon gets a quick two out of the corner and it’s off to English for a MANLY elbow. A back elbow and knee drop put Simon down and Dawson drives elbows into the face. The manliness starts running low though so it’s off to English to squeeze the juice out of oranges and shave with broken glass. Or maybe for the Whirling Dervish from English for the pin at 3:07.
Rating: D+. This was basically a squash and a way for the Vaudevillains to say that they’re here as faces. The fans are going to cheer for the MANLY stuff because it’s goofy fun and the guys are good enough to make a pretty unique gimmick work. I like the team, but they need some better opponents than a pair of jobbers.
Becky Lynch has a hip flexor injury and will be out for a few weeks.
Baron Corbin vs. Tucker Knight
Knight looks a lot like Rusev. End of Days in 47 seconds.
The Vaudevillains and Enzo/Cass are in Regal’s office. As you might expect, he snaps after about ten seconds of chattering. It’s a #1 contenders match next week.
It’s time for the last part of the Finn Balor documentary. Balor talks about loving how he spawns creativity from fans with their art. Some of the pictures are cool and I know I’m right because Sami Zayn agrees. We see the Finn Balor debut with Prince Devitt popping up on screen and how he knew the fans were accepting him.
The name is a combination of an Irish warrior named Finwick who went to war against the evil King Balor. The fact that his dad is named Finn didn’t hurt either. Matt Bloom (Jason Albert, NXT trainer) says there wasn’t much in ring stuff to teach him but he had to learn cameras. Balor says every entrance is a movie, which is an interesting way to look at it.
Quick talk about the Demon giving him more confidence before it’s off to saying he’s ready to take the title in Japan. A music video of him with some kids doing the Balor pose and everyone talking about how amazing Balor is ends this. These three parts are collected in an NXT special and I really, REALLY recommend you take the thirty minutes to watch it. These are some of the best documentaries WWE has ever done and they make me think Balor is ready for the WWE main event scene right now.
Eva Marie trained earlier today as Regal watched. That could be anywhere between a pleasant surprise to my mind exploding in shock to exactly the disaster a lot of people are expecting.
Emma vs. Carmella
The lack of caring for Carmella when Enzo and Cass aren’t there is astounding. Feeling out process to start with Carmella taking her down in a headlock, followed by a hurricanrana out of the corner. Emma grabs the ropes (that’s kind of lame) and puts on a bodyscissors for a bit. Carmella fights back and hits a running boot to the side of the head, only to be pulled down into the Emma Lock for the tap out at 4:12.
Rating: D+. This is more proof that there are two kinds of NXT Divas. Some of them are capable of having a classic match if they’re given enough time and look as polished as any male wrestler. Then you have the lower level, who look about the same as most of the main roster Divas and do little for me. Guess which group these two are in.
Bull Dempsey tries to break open a vending machine when Regal shows up to yell at him. The chocolate on Dempsey’s lips don’t make things any better.
Jason Jordan is annoyed at losing again last week so Chad Gable comes up to offer his services again.
Tyler Breeze vs. Tye Dillinger
Dillinger charges into a boot to start but slugs Breeze down to take over. Tye mocks the photos and the fans give him a ten, which hasn’t been explained on NXT so far. A hurricanrana and right hands (straight out of Shawn Michaels’ playbook) set up the Beauty Shot for the pin at 2:50.
Emma and Dana Brooke interrupt a Sasha Banks interview to admire the Women’s Title. A challenge is thrown down and Sasha says she’ll find a partner.
Rhyno/Kevin Owens vs. Samoa Joe/Finn Balor
Joe is billed at 302lbs which sounds bigger than you would think, but it’s nice to just admit that he’s a bigger guy. Rhyno and Joe slug it out to start with Joe taking over and nailing the jumping kick in the corner. Off to Balor vs. Owens with Finn dropkicking him down but being sent to the floor for daring to try a suplex. Back from a break with the champ holding Balor in a chinlock. That’s really dull stuff so it’s back to Rhyno for a delayed vertical suplex with some squats thrown in.
Points to Rhyno for picking things up a bit. Owens puts on another chinlock but makes sure to stick out his tongue to the crowd because he makes chinlocks something special. Some of the time at least. We get the Cena finishing sequence but Balor escapes the AA and makes the hot tag to Joe. Rhyno plants him with a spinebuster and Owens adds something resembling a Pop Up Powerbomb. It’s back to Balor for a Pele though and the Gore nails the champ by mistake, setting up the Coup de Grace for the pin on Owens (first time in NXT) at 12:40.
Rating: C. This was fine, but what does Joe actually add to NXT? He’s just Joe at this point and hasn’t done anything other than his first big showdown. Maybe now that Owens is going to be shifting to the main roster he might have a story coming soon, but there’s nothing significant for him right now. I’d love to see him do something and it’s WAY too early to write him off, but so far there’s nothing special. There’s nothing to talk about with the match as it’s booking 101 to set up a title match.
Overall Rating: C. Much like the main event, this was fine but there’s not much you need to see here. Balor continues to look like a million bucks and Breeze is actually an awesome face due to the amount of hard work he’s put in over the last year or so. Overall though this feels like the doldrums that NXT hits when they’re about to start getting ready for a big Takeover, which I believe is around Summerslam time. Totally watchable show that set up some future matches, but not much on its own.
Results
Vaudevillains b. Scott Dawson/Dash Wilder – Whirling Dervish to Dawson
Baron Corbin b. Tucker Knight – End of Days
Emma b. Carmella – Emma Lock
Tyler Breeze b. Tye Dillinger – Beauty Shot
Finn Balor/Samoa Joe b. Rhyno/Kevin Owens – Coup de Grace to Owens
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