IMG Credit: WWE

NXT
Date: November 7, 2018
Location: Full Sail University, Winter Park, Florida
Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Percy Watson, Vic Joseph

There are two shows left before Takeover and after last week’s show, we now have the big namesake match set up. There should be some interesting things before we get there as the card needs to be pushed hard as we head towards Los Angeles. Tonight we have Lars Sullivan wanting to destroy Velveteen Dream for daring to take a step towards the NXT Title. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Heavy Machinery vs. Forgotten Sons

Cutler and Blake for the Sons here. Blake armbars Knight to start before it’s off to Cutler, who gets taken down by a double crossbody. That means a tag to Dozovic so some people can be thrown around. The Worm hits Blake but a blind tag brings in Cutler for a shot to the arm to take over. The stomping on the arm begins and Dozovic’s arm is wrapped around the rope.

Blake grabs a triangle choke but gets powerbombed down, allowing the hot tag off to Knight. A Backstabber/top rope elbow combination gets two on Knight so it’s a PowerPlex of all things for the same. Dozovic makes the save but the Compactor is broken up with a low bridge. Blake gets shoved off the top though and it’s a pop up World’s Strongest Slam to finish Cutler at 8:25.

Rating: C+. This was a match that had no business being anything but they worked hard and turned it into something pretty entertaining. Heavy Machinery is a really fun team and that’s the kind of team that you can throw on almost any show for a good time. I’m surprised they got the win here, but at least they had some fun.

We look back at Candice LeRae yelling at Nikki Cross last week and Aleister Black coming out to yell at her.

Candice isn’t talking about what happened.

Shayna Baszler is with her fellow Horsewomen when William Regal comes in to announce Baszler defending against Kairi Sane at Takeover in a 2/3 falls match. An annoyed Shayna throws out the interviewer.

Dakota Kai vs. Taynara Conti

Kai blocks an early kick attempt and throws Conti down. Conti misses a charge into the corner and gets rolled up for two as they’re starting fast. A kick to the wrist slows Dakota down and another kick to the face gets two. Conti goes after the wrist but misses a charge in the corner so Kai can start in with the kicks. The Facewash sets up the running kick to the face, followed by the sunset flip Backstabber (the Kairopractor) to finish Conti at 4:49.

Rating: C-. Both of these two feel like they should be bigger stars than they are but neither has really clicked just yet. Kai is adorable and Conti has some great ability but it’s just not working yet. Their matches aren’t too bad either and they had something here with the strikes vs. the judo stuff.

Mia Yim is glad to be here but Bianca Belair comes in, wondering why a newcomer is getting this kind of attention when Bianca still hasn’t gotten her title shot.

We look back at Matt Riddle debuting last week.

Riddle and Keith Lee were celebrating the win but ran into Kassius Ohno, who didn’t seem impressed at all.

Video on WarGames, focusing on last year’s edition with the Undisputed Era winning and how we got to this point.

Johnny Gargano has sent in a video to respond to the questions of why Johnny why. Black has talked about being on a path but Johnny is on one too. He’s walking on the same path he was on the night Black was attacked. Johnny is on the path to defeating Tommaso Ciampa and winning the NXT Title. Black got in his way and he was just collateral damage. One evil thing doesn’t mean Johnny isn’t the hero at the end of this story. He still fights for what’s right, but NXT has taught him to fight a little dirty.

Now Black wants to kick his face off and that’s fine. He’s not afraid of the dark anymore and now he’s starting to like it. Johnny goes to the place where Black was found and promises to leave him laying again. Awesome stuff here, as Gargano has become so obsessed with Ciampa that he’s gone insane and abandoned himself to get there. The key to a heel is their actions have to be logical to themselves and themselves alone, because from Johnny’s perspective, he’s still the good guy. This was great and makes a lot of sense.

Velveteen Dream vs. Lars Sullivan

Dream gyrates a bit and then goes straight at him in a bit of a surprise. Lars throws him down but a running knee sends the monster outside. We get a little lucha Dream (totally could have been a hilarious Dusty Rhodes gimmick) with a dive to the floor and Sullivan gets sent into the steps. A belly to back toss sends Dream into the apron though and a running splash inside crushes him again. Dream gets tossed around and a HARD shot to the side of the head almost flips him over. Lars throws him to the floor and Dream is knocked silly.

Back in and Lars throws him into the air but gets dropkicked down twice in a row for two. Another slam cuts Dream off but he superkicks Lars on top. A superplex is broken up and Lars misses a Swan Dive, allowing Dream to hit the Dream Valley Driver. It’s time for the Purple Rainmaker but here’s Ciampa for the distraction. Back in and the Freak Accident finishes Dream at 8:59.

Rating: B. This was the David vs. Goliath story and they nailed it up and down. Dream knows how to play this role far better than I would have expected and they told a heck of a story with Dream surviving the whole way through. The ending keeps both guys looking strong too as the elbow might not have been enough to finish Black. Really good one here with the drama rolling.

Post match Lars leaves and Ciampa comes in to lay Dream out, saying he’s not in the champ’s league. Dream fights back though and hits a superkick, followed by the twisting DDT onto the title. The Purple Rainmaker is loaded up and, after pausing due to referees, Dream crushes Ciampa to end the show. Dream looked like a star here and that’s exactly the idea.

Overall Rating: B. Well, they’re definitely in Takeover mode and gave the focus to everything but WarGames tonight in a smart move. That match is going to be ready just due to the cages alone so setting up everything else was the right way to go. This was a heck of a show and Gargano’s explanation was a big highlight. He has some serious long term potential with that and I’m glad we’re getting to see the story unfold instead of rushing to the next idea in a month. More solid work this week, as Takeover is sounding great.

Results

Heavy Machinery b. Forgotten Sons – Pop up World’s Strongest Slam to Cutler

Dakota Kai b. Taynara Conti – Kairopractor

Lars Sullivan b. Velveteen Dream – Freak Accident

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

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

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

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

IMG Credit: WWE

NXT
Date: October 3, 2018
Location: Full Sail University, Winter Park, Florida
Commentators: Mauro Ranallo, Nigel McGuinness, Percy Watson

As usual, NXT knows how to build towards the future and that’s what they’ve done here. Next week we get the triple threat match for the North American Title and the week after that it’s the War Raiders getting their shot at the Tag Team Titles. Other than that, it’s time to continue searching for Aleister Black’s attacker and Lars Sullivan vs. EC3. Let’s get to it.

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

Nikki Cross talks about being ready to play with Bianca Belair again because Bianca didn’t play fair last time. Speaking of people who didn’t play well, she knows what happened.

Opening sequence.

Candice LeRae vs. Lacey Evans

Fallout from Evans insulting Candice’s abilities as a wife last week. They shove each other to start with the much bigger Evans taking her down by the throat. LeRae gets driven into the corner as well so she sends Evans face first into the buckle. A faceplant gets two so Evans runs her over without much effort. Hang on though as Evans needs to pat down her lipstick before taking LeRae down into a headscissors, complete with pushups.

A kick to the face sets up the chinlock as Evans pulls the hair for some bad measure. Evans misses a slingshot elbow though and Candice scores with an enziguri. The middle rope swinging Downward Spiral gets two more and Evans says LeRae is a loser, just like her husband. That ticks LeRae off but she charges into the Women’s Right for the pin at 6:18.

Rating: C-. It seems like they really want to push the heck out of Evans but there’s such a firm gap between the title picture and everything else that there isn’t really a middle ground for him. They’re getting that right hand over as a finisher though and Evans is easy enough to hate that she’s likely going to get a title shot at a Takeover one day though and that’s fine.

Video on the North American Title triple threat match and what it means to everyone. Ricochet cares because it’s his, Cole cares because it’s proof that he’s the future and Dunne wants to prove even further that he’s the best in the world.

Video on the Forgotten Sons, in sepia.

Tommaso Ciampa sits in the back and says everyone is going to try to chop you down. They’re speculate and lie to try and steal your spotlight for themselves. Perhaps it’s to cover their own tracks and hide their own guilt, which is what Velveteen Dream is doing. Dream is living in a dream world where Ciampa attacked Aleister Black, but they both know what Black experienced. Maybe he should keep his theories to himself because Ciampa will turn the Dream into a nightmare. Ciampa vs. Dream sounds oddly fascinating.

Forgotten Sons vs. Vinny Mixon/Cesar Rise/Torry Kirsh

Who names these jobbers? Steve Cutler has a mask due to a broken nose in the team’s debut match. Ryker runs Kirsh over to start so it’s off to Mixon to get beaten up as well. The Tree of Woe makes things even worse for Rise as the announcers don’t bother trying to call the jobbers by their names. An armbar keeps Mixon in trouble for a few moments until it’s off to Rise for some failed clotheslines. Blake shows him how it’s done, followed by a middle rope double stomp/reverse DDT combination. A slingshot jackknife finishes Kirsh at 2:28. Exactly the kind of squash it needed to be.

We look back at Shayna Baszler vs. Kairi Sane being set up for Evolution.

Video on Baszler vs. Sane over the last year, which has been a pretty under the radar rivalry. Baszler has been going back to the basics, which means more MMA-style training.

Tony Nese wants top competition so he’s going to beat Johnny Gargano tonight.

Bianca Belair doesn’t want to play with Cross. She’ll embarrass Nikki instead and repeats Un-de-fea-ted over and over.

Johnny Gargano vs. Tony Nese

They fight over a wristlock to start until Nese runs him over with a shoulder. A running hurricanrana sends Nese to the floor but the suicide dive is broken up with a hard clothesline. Nese misses a charge in the corner so Gargano rolls him up, followed by the rolling kick to the head. Now the suicide dive hits as Gargano is looking more confident than he’s seen in a long time.

Nese suplexes him down for two and we hit the bodyscissors. Gargano leans back for a rollup but can’t break the hold. I’ll certainly take someone trying to do something other than just laying on the mat. Gargano fights up and hits the slingshot DDT, followed by the slingshot spear. Some kicks to the head have Nese in more trouble but he rolls out of the Gargano Escape. A buckle bomb has Gargano right back in trouble and Nese dumps him to the floor.

The second slingshot DDT attempt is countered into a backdrop for a nasty crash to the floor, setting up the big Fosbury Flop to the floor. Back in and Nese hits a great looking 450 for two, followed by a sick looking German suplex into the corner. The running knee is blocked by a superkick though and the Gargano Escape makes Nese tap at 9:43.

Rating: B. When Gargano is on his game, he can have some of the best matches in the world at the moment. Gargano looked like his old self here and that should mean a big match at the next Takeover. He doesn’t need to go after the title again right away, but one day he’s going to get his hands on that thing and it’s going to be one of the best reactions NXT has ever seen.

Video on Danny Burch/Oney Lorcan, who got together after beating each other up in a series of matches. That’s a story that has worked before and it’s working well here. Lorcan has been out for a few months with a broken orbital bone. No word on when they’re back in the ring.

Lars Sullivan vs. EC3

EC3 gets aggressive to start and goes right at Sullivan, only to be taken to the floor for a choke. Some rams into the steps FINALLY put Lars down and EC3 hammers away at the head back inside. A whip into the corner sends Sullivan shoulder first into the post and a slam puts the big man down again. Sullivan finally gets going with some shoulders in the corner and the heavy crossface shots to the jaw.

The big neck crank goes on for a few seconds but EC3 fights up and manages a suplex. A not great looking high crossbody gets two on Sullivan, who comes right back up with a huge clothesline. The Freak Accident is broken up and it’s a Cactus Clothesline to the floor. EC3 makes the mistake of charging at Sullivan though and it’s a Freak Accident on the apron. Back in and the diving headbutt finishes EC3 at 6:45.

Rating: B-. They did this the right way by keeping things moving but not letting it go on too long. The point here was EC3 chopping at the tree as well as he could but Sullivan was just too much for him. That’s a good story and the match was entertaining as a result. I’m not sure what EC3 can get out of NXT as he has everything he needs to be on the main roster. Give him a win and let him go up, hopefully as a heel like he should be.

Overall Rating: B. You know what impresses me the most about NXT? The amount of mileage they can get out of any given match or story. They’re still talking about the ladder match from New Orleans (in the main event) and then the Aleister Black injury, which dropped into their lap, is fueling EC3 vs. Sullivan, Ciampa vs. Dream, and the whodunit story, which is spinning into the Undisputed Era vs. everyone else story. You don’t get that out of any other company and it’s really impressive to see here.

The show itself was good with two strong matches and more setting the table for the bigger stuff down the line. Next week’s triple threat match has the makings of a classic and with WarGames coming up next month, it’s more good forecasts for NXT. I’m not sure I can remember the last time that wasn’t the case and that’s remarkable.

Results

Lacey Evans b. Candice LeRae – Women’s Right

Forgotten Sons b. Vinny Mixon/Cesar Rise/Torry Kirsh – Slingshot jackknife to Kirsh

Johnny Gargano b. Tony Nese – Gargano Escape

Lars Sullivan b. EC3 – Top rope headbutt

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

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

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

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

IMG Credit: WWE

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

Every now and then you get a dream match, but this time we have a Dream match. The big main event this week is Velveteen Dream vs. Johnny Gargano after Dream interrupted Gargano’s promo/therapy session last week. Other than that we might be getting some more information about who attacked Aleister Black. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Kassius Ohno vs. Kona Reeves

They start rather slowly with Reeves shouting that he’s the finest. That earns him a right hand to the jaw but Reeves comes back with a top rope ax handle. The Hawaiian Drop doesn’t work so Ohno hits the rolling forearm for the pin at 1:46. Thank goodness they’re pulling the plug on Reeves because it just wasn’t working.

Post match Ohno says he’s here to be the best, but now he gets it: there’s always going to be someone fresh and new. Whoever the next guy with buzz is, Ohno is going to be right here to knock them to the back of the line. That’s a good place for him as Ohno isn’t likely to make the main roster with his gut so let him be the NXT gatekeeper.

Connor’s Cure video.

Forgotten Sons vs. Street Profits

The Sons are Wesley Blake/Steve Cutler in a former military gimmick with Jaxson Ryker (Gunner) in their corner. Everything breaks down early on with the Profits dropkicking them to the floor, followed by a big flip dive from Ford. Back in and Cutler gets his arm barred but a blind tag brings Blake back in for a heck of a clothesline. A springboard kneedrop gets two on Ford and the Sons start taking turns hammering him down.

Cutler cranks on a reverse chinlock but his neckbreaker is countered into a backslide for two. That’s enough for the hot tag off to Dawkins as everything breaks down. Cue a masked man to go after Ford but he quick unmasks him as Shane Thorn. Ryker clotheslines Ford, leaving Cutler and Blake to hit a reverse DDT/middle rope stomp for the pin on Dawkins at 6:34.

Rating: C. Well that was quite a bit for a debut match. I like the fact that the Sons beat a bigger named team but it took a lot to make it work. I could have gone without all the interference, but at least we got to the right ending. The Sons could be an interesting gimmick, though this wasn’t the best start.

Heavy Machinery is in William Regal’s office where Otis admits that he broke the toilet in the Performance Center. Something about bad stomach chemistry. They also saw Tommaso Ciampa in the bushes near where Black was attacked.

We look back at the end of last week’s tag match between the Undisputed Era and Pete Dunne/Ricochet.

Post match, Ricochet and Dunne argued about who was responsible for the loss. They want each other’s titles. In two weeks: title vs. title. Well that should be awesome.

Video on the War Raiders.

Kairi Sane vs. Trish Adora

Non-title but Sane has a treasure chest, complete with a bunch of coins. Adora has some size to her with a lot of muscle. Sane takes her down into a rollup before switching over to a Brock Lock. That means a quick rope grab, followed by a spinning backfist to drop Adora. The Insane Elbow finishes Adora at 2:25. Adora has a good look but she didn’t get to do much here, which is understandable.

Post match here’s Shayna Baszler to shove the treasure chest over. Reality is going to hit the pirate ship like a cannonball when she enacts her rematch clause. The fight is on with Sane out striking Baszler and spearing her to the floor. Baszler’s confidence is a great feature for her and it’s making her stuff stand out.

Tommaso Ciampa is in the back again and says the crowd hasn’t seen him since Takeover because he doesn’t have a #1 contender. With Gargano defeated and Black injured, he really is the last man standing. The champ leads wolves and he’s at the top of the food chain. Follow the lead of the NXT Champion. Ciampa is amazing and that’s on his worst days.

Lars Sullivan is in Regal’s office and says he should have told the boss that he was medically cleared earlier on. He was there on the night of the attack to find Black because he owed Black a visit. When he arrived though, Black was already laid out. Sullivan saw the Undisputed Era driving off and Regal arriving. That’s fine for Regal, but Sullivan gets Raul Mendoza next week.

Velveteen Dream vs. Johnny Gargano

Dream poses at him to start and they hit the mat for some grappling. Back up and Gargano is more aggressive than usual with a forearm to the jaw and some Steve Austin stomps in the corner. A trip to the floor goes nowhere so it’s Dream hammering away back inside to slow Gargano down. Dream whips him so hard into the corner that Gargano is flipped upside down, followed by a neckbreaker for two.

We hit the chinlock for a bit until Johnny fights up with the hard shots to the face. Gargano scores with the slingshot spear and Dream bails to the floor where the Cannonball (more like a Blockbuster) from the apron puts him down again. Back in and Johnny misses his rolling kick to the head, allowing Dream to nail a Fameasser. An exchange of kicks to the head is capped off by Gargano clotheslining the heck out of Dream for two and they’re both spent.

They head to the apron for the slugout and Dream tries the Death Valley Driver on the apron. That’s broken up as well but Johnny tweaks his knee. Dream sends it into the steps and hits his twisting DDT back inside for a very near fall. Gargano’s springboard is broken up with a superkick but Dream misses the Purple Rainmaker onto the apron. Johnny nails him with a suicide dive and puts on the Gargano Escape on the floor.

The threat of a countout brings him back to reality but Dream beats the count as well. Gargano loads up a hanging DDT off the apron but lets Dream go before going too far. A fan with a Johnny Wrestling sign gets Gargano’s attention and he heads back inside. Dream calls him Johnny Failure as Johnny lowers the kneepad and the distraction allows Dream to hit the Dream Valley Driver for the pin at 15:51.

Rating: B+. This took its time getting going but once they got started it was off to the races. The Gargano story is rather interesting and while you can see the likely ending, the road there is one of the most entertaining things that NXT does. Throw in the fact that NXT is willing to let Gargano lose the big match and the drama will be off the charts. It’s also a great sign to see Dream get a huge win like this, as he beat one of the top stars in the promotion clean. Great stuff all around.

We get a split JOHNNY FAILURE/JOHNNY WRESTLING chant as Gargano is even more distraught. He walks off through the crowd, which sings the Goodbye Song. There’s also a JOHNNY chant as he leaves through the curtains to end the show.

Overall Rating: A-. Sometimes I can’t wrap my head around how well run this place is. They cut their losses on a character, debuted a stable, set up a rematch for the Women’s Title and had a great main event, all while advancing the overarching Black story, all in about an hour. On the main roster, that’s four months worth of work if they’re putting in the effort. Another incredible show this week and I don’t know why that still surprises me.

Results

Kassius Ohno b. Kona Reeves – Discus forearm

Forgotten Sons b. Street Profits – Reverse DDT/middle rope stomp to Dawkins

Kairi Sane b. Trish Adora – Insane Elbow

Velveteen Dream b. Johnny Gargano – Dream Valley Driver

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

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

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

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

IMG Credit: WWE

NXT
Date: August 29, 2018
Location: Full Sail University, Winter Park, Florida
Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Mauro Ranallo, Percy Watson

Every now and then you get a match that sounds so awesome on paper that it has to be great no matter what they do. That’s what we have tonight in the form of Pete Dunne teaming up with Ricochet to face the Undisputed Era in an all champions match. Other than that, the hunt for Aleister Black’s attacker continues. Let’s get to it.

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

William Regal is outside his office where a bunch of people are working. Tonight, he’s starting the investigation into who attacked Black. They’re being very smart by not just having Tommaso Ciampa do it and making an angle out of that. On the main roster, it would have been “Aleister is injured and he’ll be back in a little while.” Here, it’s turned into a big angle because it’s an opportunity presented to them. I know WWE loves to tout its own brilliance, but if you’re handed something like this, run with it and enjoy the free chance.

Opening sequence.

Here’s Johnny Gargano on a crutch for a chat. Gargano says the fans have always had his back and a JOHNNY WRESTLING chant cuts him off. He doesn’t deserve that right now and it’s a dueling YOU DESERVE IT/NO YOU DON’T chant. Johnny made a lot of promises like bringing the NXT Title back but he didn’t live up to his words. He lost both the match and himself and now he doesn’t know what to do.

After everything he’s been through, he doesn’t know what’s left. In Brooklyn, he became Tommaso Ciampa and now he’s in Gargano’s head. Johnny doesn’t know how to get him out and he has to be better for everyone. As Gargano is about to snap, here’s Regal to interrupt. Regal gets straight to the point: did Johnny attack Aleister Black? Gargano says you tell me so Regal asks him again.

Cue the Velveteen Dream to say he’s tired of hearing Woe Is Johnny. Tonight shouldn’t be about Johnny because it should be about the experience. It’s the experience that stole Brooklyn and tonight should be about the Velveteen Dream instead of Johnny Failure. That’s not cool with Johnny, who says his knee is just fine and throw the crutch at Dream. Regal says they fan fight next week. I completely support this.

Dakota Kai vs. Aaliyah

They lock up to start with Aaliyah using the hair to take her down. Kai kicks away and gets one off a double stomp but Aaliyah is right back up. Some shots to the back set up a camel clutch as the fans are split on Aaliyah here. Aaliyah runs her over for some more right hands, followed by the bodyscissors. Kai powers up and drives her into the corner for the break and hits some running kicks to the face. A hair takedown drops Kai again though and Aaliyah calls her stupid. That’s just rather mean so Kai hits her sunset flip Backstabber for the pin at 5:13.

Rating: C. I liked this more than I was expecting to as Aaliyah has found something with the aggression. She’s been around for a long time now and this is the closest she’s gotten to being anything. Kai is still around but she’s nowhere near as hot as she used to be. Not a bad little match though and Aaliyah looked stronger than usual.

Regal clears Dream in the Black situation for now. The Forgotten Sons (Steve Cutler, Wesley Blake and Jaxson Ryker) come in and say a security guard saw them in the parking lot at the time of the attack. That’s ok with Regal, who says they’ll have a tag match next week. Of note: Regal has his brass knuckles in a display on his desk.

Lars Sullivan seems to have attacked EC3.

Regal asks Nikki Cross what she saw from the roof during the attack. She says she saw it and knows who the attacker was but stops to answer the phone. The phone wasn’t ringing, but Cross talks into it anyway. Bianca Belair storms in to complain about being kept waiting and yells at Nikki for trying to touch her hair. Belair deserves a title shot and tells Regal to let her know the right decision when he’s done with his pet. She leaves and Regal says he has lots more questions for Cross. As usual, Cross comes off as actually nuts instead of the scripted nuts.

Raul Mendoza vs. Lars Sullivan

Sullivan is taking EC3’s place. Mendoza jumps Lars before the bell and gets destroyed, including a pop up powerslam. The Freak Accident leaves Mendoza laying. No match.

Tommaso Ciampa is in the back and says when he left about a year ago, he promised to come back as the ultimate SOB. He’s exceeded his own expectations though and is the greatest sports entertainer of all time. The title is his proof and it takes someone special to climb to the top of the mountain. It takes something even more to stay there though and that’s why he’s the main event.

Keith Lee vs. Luke Menzies

Menzies has some size to him and used to play professional rugby. Lee wastes no time with the hurricanrana and tells Luke to stop so he can bask in the glory. A few right hands have Lee rocked but he runs through Menzies in an impressive pounce. The Spirit Bomb (sitout Last Ride) is good for the pin on Menzies at 3:02.

Rating: C-. Lee is a crazy talented guy and there’s little reason to not push the heck out of him in short order. You don’t have someone who can do hurricanranas and sitout Last Rides and not do something with him. Thankfully NXT seems to get that idea and there’s some serious potential there.

Danny Burch and Oney Lorcan are back in two weeks.

Ricochet/Pete Dunne vs. Undisputed Era

Non-title. Actually hang on as Adam Cole wants Ricochet and asks Kyle O’Reilly to sit this one out. Fans: “EVERYBODY!” Dunne clotheslines the heck out of Cole to start and goes for the fingers, meaning it’s off to Ricochet vs. Strong. With Cole shouting that his loss was a fluke, Strong sends Ricochet face first into the middle buckle to take over. Ricochet is right back with a jumping neckbreaker to Strong and a rolling clothesline to Cole.

Since Dunne is fine with letting Ricochet do this on his own, Strong sneaks in with a backbreaker to take over. Cole hits a neckbreaker of his own and Strong adds a gutbuster to keep Ricochet in trouble. Strong grabs a cobra clutch as the fans are split between Ricochet and Cole. It’s back to Cole, who simplifies things with a chinlock. Ricochet fights up and kicks Cole away, allowing the hot tag off to Dunne.

Everything breaks down and it’s an X Plex to Strong but the Bitter End is broken up. Dunne’s triangle attempt is countered into a failed Stronghold attempt, with Dunne hitting a sitout powerbomb for two instead. Strong takes out Ricochet but Dunne takes out Strong, followed by the middle rope moonsault to take the Era out. That leaves Ricochet alone but he dives onto Dunne by mistake. O’Reilly throws Dunne back in and the Last Shot gives Cole the pin at 9:51.

Rating: B-. Well of course this was pretty good and setting up Ricochet vs. Dunne is a great idea. There are multiple options for where this story could go with Cole seeming to be a challenger as well. No one seems capable of beating Dunne one on one so doubling up on the challengers is as good of an idea as they have.

Ricochet gets beaten down as well but the War Raiders chase the Era off to end the show.

Overall Rating: C+. This was a show where they were setting up things for the future instead of doing things now and there’s nothing wrong with that. I’m really interested in seeing where the Whodunit story goes as there are almost endless suspects, including people who might not have even been around when the attack happened in the first place. Other than that we could be in for some very good TV in the next few weeks as there’s no Takeover for nearly two months, meaning a lot of this will play out on the regular shows. In other words, things are going to be getting even better.

Results

Dakota Kai b. Aaliyah – Sunset flip Backstabber

Keith Lee b. Luke Menzies – Spirit Bomb

Undisputed Era b. Pete Dunne/Ricochet – Last Shot to Dunne

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

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

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

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

IMG Credit: WWE

Takeover: Brooklyn IV
Date: August 18, 2018
Location: Barclays Center, New York City, New York
Commentators: Mauro Ranallo, Percy Watson, Nigel McGuinness

It’s time for the biggest show of the year and as usual, there are multiple options for most of the card. The key to tonight though is going to be the live crowd, who are going to be over the top for a show like this. If Gargano vs. Ciampa III is anything resembling the previous matches, we’re in for a major treat. Let’s get to it.

Here’s this week’s TV if you need a recap.

The opening video focuses on the main event, talking about Ciampa winning the title due to Gargano’s actions. The rest of the card gets a focus as well, but not as detailed.

Tag Team Titles: Undisputed Era vs. Moustache Mountain

The Era’s Roderick Strong and Kyle O’Reilly are defending after having traded the titles with the Brits over the summer. It’s an early slugout with Mountain getting the better of it off the sucker punches. We settle down to Seven getting two on Strong as the fans are split (well duh). O’Reilly comes in for the knees to Seven’s face and a kick to the head takes him down. Seven gets over to the corner for the tag though (way too early to consider it hot) and a hurricanrana has Strong in trouble.

Bate gets the swing/airplane spin at the same time but O’Reilly jumps on his back for a choke. That’s fine with Bate, who German suplexes Strong with O’Reilly still on his back (sometimes, there are no words) to take the champs down again. The running corner clotheslines have Bate in control again until O’Reilly scores with a running clothesline of his own. The champs start in on Bate’s knee with Kyle kicking him down and slapping on a leglock.

A Flair cannonball onto the leg keeps Bate down but he kicks Strong to the floor. O’Reilly is sent outside as well and there’s the hot tag to Seven. Suplexes abound until Strong kicks him in the head, setting up a brainbuster from O’Reilly for two. There go the dueling chants again and Strong’s Olympic Slam gets two more. Strong grabs the Stronghold on Seven and O’Reilly triangle chokes Bate. That’s fine with Bate, who lifts O’Reilly up with one arm and slams him into the other two for the break.

Bate wins a slugout with Strong to knock him outside, setting up the crazy no hands dive. The Tyler Driver 97 gets two on Strong (not a move that many people get to kick out of) so Bate goes up. After shoving Strong off for a crash, O’Reilly is back up to take out Bate’s knee. That means a heel hook with Bate screaming as he crawls across the ring. Seven starts coming in, allowing Strong to pull the two of them back to the corner. That’s enough for Seven to get the towel…..which he throws into the crowd before screaming for Bate to come on.

Bate keeps crawling and actually makes the tag while still in the hold, allowing Seven to hit the Seven Stars Lariat for a very close two on O’Reilly. Bate comes back in for the Burning Hammer/top rope knee (how they won the titles) for an even nearer fall and the fans are WAY into this all over again. It’s back to Seven for a full nelson so Bate can try something, only to be kneed in the face. The High/Low to Seven retains the titles at 18:06.

Rating: A-. And somehow, that’s probably the most controlled and tamest of their matches. I liked this one a little better than the previous two but you can’t go wrong any way. Bate is SCARY good for his age (or any age for that matter) and with some more time could be one of the best in the world. This was a blast and a great choice for the opener, though you could have gone with any possibility. Really hot match, as expected.

Post match the War Raiders come in and wreck the Era, which you knew was coming at some point. That might make things more interesting for the North American Title match as Cole might not have backup.

The announcers talk about someone attacking Aleister Black with results being promised at some point. A whodunit story could be rather interesting.

We recap Velveteen Dream vs. EC3. Both of them want to be in the spotlight and they both want to claim it in their own ways. They were a team in London but Dream walked out on him, which didn’t sit well with EC3 (Dream: “The Dream has no memory of that.”). Apparently EC3 didn’t bask in the experience, so now he has to learn the hard way.

EC3 vs. Velveteen Dream

Dream rises out of a hole in the stage and is wearing a crown, plus “Notorious D.R.E.A.M.” tights. On the back: “Call Me Up Vince.” EC3 shoves him around to start, including a second shove to the floor. Back in and Dream gets caught on the top for some kicks to the ribs, which bounce him up so high that he gets crotched on the top. Dream’s sunset flip is countered with a hip swivel so Dream tries to pull him down, meaning the trunks go a little low.

EC3 hits a People’s Elbow style…well elbow, complete with saying his name. They head outside again with Dream’s windup DDT sending EC3 head first into the ramp with a sick thud. Something off camera gets a YES chant (please, tell me it’s not a beach ball) and Dream hits a middle rope shot to the back. A neckbreaker sets up a neck crank, followed by a hangman’s neckbreaker to keep EC3 down. Back up and the forward DDT plants Dream (I still don’t care for that one) to give EC3 a breather.

Some shots to the jaw (EC3: “TOP ONE PERCENT”) look to set up the 1%er but instead it’s the headlock driver (the old 1%er) for two. Dream slaps him in the face and that means the beating is on until Dream hits him in the throat. EC3 muscles him up for a sitout powerbomb and a top rope superplex drops Dream again. The delayed cover only gets two and Dream is back up with a superkick. A Dream Valley Driver gets two so Dream hits a second onto the apron. The Purple Rainmaker, again on the apron, is good for the pin on EC3 at 15:05.

Rating: B. Another typically very good Dream match. The neck played throughout the entire match and of course Mauro was RIGHT THERE to make that clear. Dream needed this more than EC3 did as he’s turned into one of the guaranteed need to see performances. I’m scared about him getting the call up as Vince not getting his character could kill his career dead. EC3 will be fine based off of his look and mic skills alone so the loss doesn’t hurt him all that much.

Matt Riddle is here. That’s going to be a big deal.

We recap Adam Cole vs. Ricochet. Cole debuted a year ago and has taken NXT by storm. He knows Ricochet is very good if not great, but Ricochet isn’t special like Cole. Ricochet just wants to be the best, and happens to be a crazy good high flier. Cole won the North American Title in New Orleans with Ricochet getting close to it. Tonight he wants to take it home.

North American Title: Ricochet vs. Adam Cole

Cole is defending and comes to the ring on his own. The fans are behind Cole here but the Ricochet chants are there too. Feeling out process to start with Cole shouting about how Ricochet isn’t special. A headlock keeps Ricochet in trouble until he dropkicks Cole to the floor. That means a backflip into the superhero pose but Cole takes him down inside again.

More slaps to the head and more YOU’RE NOT SPECIAL’s tick Ricochet off but the fireman’s carry backbreaker takes him down again. Ricochet fights up from another chinlock and sends Cole to the floor for a no hands spinning dive. Back in and a springboard European uppercut gets two, followed by a standing shooting star and a middle rope corkscrew moonsault for two more. Mauro: “This guy’s a cheat code!”

Ricochet tries his handspring but gets caught in a Backstabber to cut him off. That’s fine with Ricochet who loads up another springboard but Cole is ready for him with a superkick…which Ricochet is ready for by adjusting in midair to block it. The standing Lionsault is cut off with a superkick to the upside down Ricochet (big gasp on that one) and the brainbuster onto the knee gives Cole a very close two.

An exchange of hard (and loud) strikes to the head gives us a double knockdown with Cole landing on top for two more. Ricochet is back up with his reverse hurricanrana but doesn’t cover, instead going up top, allowing Cole to roll outside before Ricochet can dive. A running hurricanrana brings Cole off the apron and to the floor (Mauro: “MAMA MIA!”), setting up the 630 for the pin and the title at 15:24.

Rating: B+. Egads Ricochet is fun to watch. That kind of flipping just isn’t normal and he makes it look way too easy every single time he’s out there. I’m fine with them changing the title as Cole is the kind of guy who can be a star no matter what he does. Ricochet winning the title gives him some more legitimacy and whoever gets to beat him will be an awesome heel. Awesome match, again.

Kevin Owens and Mark Henry are here.

We recap Shayna Baszler vs. Kairi Sane. Kairi beat her in the finals of the Mae Young Classic but Baszler has rocketed up the card ever since. She won the Women’s Title and has been the classic bully, with Sane being one of the only people who has figured her out. Baszler beat her in the rematch but this is the rubber match for Shayna’s title. Sane has been extra aggressive as of late, which could be an issue for the champ.

Women’s Title: Shayna Baszler vs. Kairi Sane

Baszler is defending and the rest of the MMA Four Horsewomen are in the crowd, meaning the fans all look at Ronda. Shayna is extra cocky here but Sane starts more aggressive, going after the leg and trying an early Stretch Muffler. The champ bails out to the floor and Sane is right there with a shot off the apron to take her down again.

Back in and Shayna gets in a shot at the knee and bends it back while throwing some MMA style strikes to the head. The knee gets bent backwards before Shayna stands the leg up and stomps on the ankle, bending it at a VERY scary angle. Sane gets all fired up and hammers away with Shayna not being able to keep up with her. A spinning backfist sets up a slow motion Walking the Plank and Sane goes up.

The delay is getting worse though and Baszler catches her with a gutwrench superplex for a big crash. Baszler gets in a knee to the face for two but the Interceptor cuts her down. A middle rope Insane Elbow to the back has Shayna down and she rolls to the floor before Sane can hit the big one. Instead it’s a high crossbody to drop Shayna again and the Insane Elbow gets two back inside.

Sane puts on the Anchor but Baszler spins around and snatches her into the Kirifuda Clutch. The arm begins to fade until Sane pops up and grabs the rope for the break. Baszler goes for the heel hook but gets reversed into the Anchor. Sane puts it on again in the ropes and goes up for the Insane Elbow, which hits knees. The Kirifuda Clutch goes on again, only to have Sane backflip into a rollup for the pin and the title at 13:46.

Rating: A-. My goodness they’re on a roll tonight and who cares if my predictions are through the floor. Sane winning actually surprised me and that’s a great way to end the match. They can have a fourth match down the line if you absolutely have to, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see Baszler on the main roster pretty soon now. She’s clearly gotten the hang of this in a hurry and putting her on the main roster isn’t the craziest idea in the world.

We recap Tommaso Ciampa vs. Johnny Gargano. Johnny has been driven mad by Ciampa, who is the embodiment of evil. After defeating Gargano in Chicago, Ciampa set his sights on Aleister Black and the NXT Title. Gargano cost Black the title by mistake so Black blamed Johnny for Ciampa being champion. That looked to set up a triple threat match but Black was attacked in the parking lot, meaning it’s a Last Man Standing match for the title instead.

NXT Title: Johnny Gargano vs. Tommaso Ciampa

Ciampa is defending in a Last Man Standing match and still comes out with no music. Even the New York fans are all over Ciampa and Johnny jumps him during the entrance to get things going in a hurry. They head outside with Ciampa shoving him into the steps but Johnny whips him into the barricade and pulls the floor mat up. Johnny slips out of a hanging DDT from the barricade and hits a flip dive off the apron. With Percy saying HERE WE GO, Johnny tosses Ciampa at him for another crash.

Ciampa is fine enough for a running White Noise through the Spanish announcers’ table but Johnny is up at eight. They head inside with Ciampa grabbing a chair for some choking in the corner. Ciampa tries a charge but gets a chair pelted at his knee instead. The chair is wedged in the corner but Ciampa slaps on a sleeper in a smart move. The referee says 22 as Ciampa puts his feet on the rope, which is perfectly legal here.

We get the dueling chants as Johnny fights up and Lawn Darts him face first into the chair. It’s table time with Johnny stacking up two of them with one upside down on top of the other. Not wanting to die off a suplex through the tables, Ciampa reverses into some rolling German suplexes, followed by chair shots to the back. Three straight Project Ciampas have Johnny mostly dead and Ciampa sits down to watch the count. That’s such a heel move. Johnny somehow pulls himself up for a superkick and they’re both down.

A slugout goes to Gargano and he rolls over for the kick to the head. The slingshot spear is countered into the Fairy Tale Ending (Angel’s Wings) but Johnny reverses that with a hurricanrana. Now it’s Johnny’s turn for a German suplex and a double clothesline puts them both down again. They’re up at ONE and slug it out again until Johnny hits a clothesline but can’t follow up. Ciampa rolls outside and Gargano is up at nine for another superkick from the apron.

The Cannonball misses though and Gargano lands with a thud. The Fairy Tale Ending on the steps knocks Gargano silly again for nine, though he’s down again at nine and a half. Gargano can’t remember what planet he’s on so Ciampa starts cutting up the ring mat, which is how he won in Chicago. That takes too long though and Gargano sprays him with a fire extinguisher before pulling out the faithful old crutch. That’s broken over Ciampa’s back and Gargano hits his own hanging DDT onto the exposed wood.

Ciampa slides out at nine again so Gargano suicide dives him onto the announcers’ table. A superkick hits a production worker by mistake so Ciampa hits a running knee to drive a chair into Gargano’s head. Ciampa isn’t done yet though as he buries Gargano underneath everything he can find, including the barricade, a bunch of chairs and the unconscious production worker. That’s only good for nine and Ciampa falls down in disbelief.

With nothing else working, Ciampa tries to handcuff Johnny but gets punched in the face instead. Now it’s Johnny trying to handcuff him, only to get elbowed right back. Instead they fight over towards the tables set up a long time ago and a superkick puts Ciampa through the wood. Johnny can’t even look at Ciampa uses the crutch to get himself up (smart move). Ciampa tells him to follow up the ramp so Gargano does just that, eventually locking on the Gargano Escape to make him tap. With that not working, Gargano cuffs him to a piece of the stage.

Ciampa begs off but Johnny grabs him by the beard and superkicks him in the face again. Johnny yells that Ciampa did this as Ciampa keeps getting to his feet at seven, though he can’t stay up due to the cuffs. The knee pad comes down and Johnny hits the running knee but goes flying off the stage and into a bunch of equipment, injuring his knee in the process. Ciampa comes off the stage and lands on his feet to retain at 33:55.

Rating: A. It’s very good, but it’s not quite up to the level of their previous matches. To be fair though, that’s not exactly something you can ask them to do given how incredible the first two were. The other problem is having three straight incredibly brutal and violent matches in a row was pushing it a bit too far. It’s still a great match though and when this was just below the masterpieces they did the first two times, they’re in pretty awesome shape.

Mauro says Gargano may have dislocated his knee. Now that’s an interesting way to go. Johnny is slowly walked up to the ramp and sat down as the copyright notice comes up…and Ciampa comes back out. One more pose with the title ends the show.

Overall Rating: A+. What does it say when these shows have figured out how to be so good for so long in a row that the surprise and shock factors are just gone? It’s an amazing show and one of the best of the year, but that’s what you expect from these things anymore. That’s the kind of place that almost no wrestling company has ever been to and I have no idea how to react to something like this.

It’s another outstanding show with Dream vs. EC3 lagging behind in a match that was only a solid “good to very good”. Come on guys, pick up the slack already. The formula NXT has figured out should be required reading (possibly omitting the sections about the budget and having WWE hand pick all this talent) as they know how to get the most out of everyone they have. These are compelling stories with insanely great matches to blow them off. That’s great wrestling, and this was another instant classic show.

Results

Undisputed Era b. Moustache Mountain – High/Low to Seven

Velveteen Dream b. EC3 – Purple Rainmaker

Ricochet b. Adam Cole – 630

Kairi Sane b. Shayna Baszler – Rollup

Tommaso Ciampa b. Johnny Gargano – Gargano couldn’t answer the ten count

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

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

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

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

IMG Credit: WWE

You can tell it’s serious when you get to part four. This show has become NXT’s flagship event of the year, even beating the annual Wrestlemania weekend show. They’ve had to change the main event around due to an injury, but since NXT is the charmed/prepared promotion, they’ve managed to switch the match up into something that may work even better. Imagine that: a promotion actually having a backup plan and making it a good one. Let’s get to it.

Women’s Title: Shayna Baszler(c) vs. Kairi Sane

The more I think about this one, the less sure I am about anything. In theory, Baszler is holding onto the title for the sake of eventually dropping it to a fired up Dakota Kai. However, Kai hasn’t exactly done much as of late and that part of the story seems to be over. Maybe they’re going with the long game, but every week that goes by makes it seem less likely. So where do we go from here instead?

Well I think it’s going on to find someone else to take the title from Baszler, because I don’t see Sane doing it. Sane has defeated her before in a good match last year, but I don’t think she wins the rubber match. Baszler is awesome at the moment and whoever takes the title from her is going to get a heck of a rub. The thing is Sane is already over and doesn’t need the title, though she does need something. I just don’t think it happens here as Baszler retains the title.

Velveteen Dream vs. EC3

I know I’ve said this a lot, but Dream needs to win this match. The problem is, you can only say that so many times before it stops mattering. At least that’s the case most of the time, but Dream has a special kind of charisma where his wins and losses almost don’t matter. He’s at the point where he’s the gatekeeper to the higher levels of NXT and while that’s a good spot to be in for the sake of security, you can only be there for so long without winning something of note.

That being said, I’ll take him to win here in the upset. EC3 is still pretty new around NXT and that would make him the likely candidate to pick up the win, but I think Dream finally gets the big win (beating Kassius Ohno seven months ago doesn’t count). You can easily make this a cheating win for Dream, who needs to do something to cut off all of the face reactions he’s receiving. EC3 can bounce back and even win the rematch, but Dream has to get something and soon.

North American Title: Adam Cole(c) vs. Ricochet

It’s kind of amazing how similar Ricochet and Dream are, especially when they’re so different on the surface. It turns out that they’re in a similar situation though as Ricochet needs a win as well, but it’s not as bad as Dream’s situation. Ricochet is clearly destined to be a big star on the roster (both developmental and main) but in a way it’s the Andre the Giant syndrome: if you put the title on him, you have to take it off of him. Having him lose clean would be a bad idea but here, you have the option of the Undisputed Era helping Cole retain.

That’s what I think happens here. Ricochet can have his day later on (and you know that’s coming, perhaps against Tommaso Ciampa should he retain) but for now, Cole retains and loses to someone else in a few months. Just have the Undisputed Era help him (Bobby Fish doesn’t have a match later in the night) and everything falls into place. This is the one that I’m the least sure about, but it’s going to be a fun match regardless of the finish.

Tag Team Titles: Undisputed Era(c) vs. Moustache Mountain

Speaking of the Undisputed Era, they’re defending in the match that is likely to blow the roof off of the Barclays Center. These two have had two rocking matches already and there’s a great chance that they’re going to do it again on the biggest stage they’ve had yet. They’ve already traded the titles so a title change is certainly a possibility.

That being said, I don’t think it’s going to be a reality. Moustache Mountain is a great team but they’re going to be over no matter what they do. Undisputed Era is a team that is defined by the amount of gold that they have and keeping the North American and Tag Team Titles would be a great way to show that off. Throw in some cheating and everything will be fine, including a prodigy like Tyler Bate. The question here is how great can this match be and the answer, much to my delight, is likely quite.

NXT Title: Tommaso Ciampa(c) vs. Johnny Gargano

Last Man Standing and EGADS there are some possibilities here. This was originally going to be a triple threat match also including Aleister Black, but that left you with the pretty obvious ending of Ciampa retaining by pinning Black. Now though, you have SO MANY CHOICES. Do you have Gargano lose and join up with Ciampa? Do you have Gargano finally win the title to end the feud? Do you go to a double knockout and allow them to do the triple threat later? Does Candice LeRae turn on Gargano and join Ciampa? Any of these is a very possible and rather interesting option.

I’m going with….Ciampa retaining but you again I’m not even remotely sure. There are too many ways to go to know something like this for sure and that’s what makes this so much fun. The one thing I know for sure is that these guys are going to beat the living heck out of each other than that’s what they specialize in doing. Throw in the possibility of it tying into whoever attacked Black and this is the most interesting thing on the show by a wide margin.

Overall Thoughts

This is another show where the card looks great and there isn’t a single thing on there that makes me think it’s going to be bad. NXT knows how to tear the freaking house down and I have no doubt that they’re going to do it all over again here. This show should be a complete blast and if the previous Brooklyn events are any indications, we’re in for a fun night all around.

Oh and no Matt Riddle. Just a hunch that is likely to be wrong.

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

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

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

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

IMG Credit: WWE

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

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

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

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

Opening sequence.

Nikki Cross vs. Amber Nova

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

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

Video on Keith Lee, who debuts tonight.

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

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

Adrian Jauode vs. Kassius Ohno

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

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

Marcel Barthel vs. Keith Lee

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Former UFC Heavyweight Champion Cain Velazquez is here.

Aleister Black vs. Johnny Gargano

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

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

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

Results

Nikki Cross b. Amber Nova – Fisherman’s neckbreaker

Kassius Ohno b. Adrian Jauode – Dream Crusher

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

Taynara Conti b. Vanessa Borne – Spinning Slam

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

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

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

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

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

IMG Credit: WWE

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

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

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

In Memory Of Nikolai Volkoff and Brian Christopher.

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

Opening sequence.

Heavy Machinery vs. The Mighty

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

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

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

Moustache Mountain vs. Matt Knotts/???

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

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

EC3 vs. Kona Reeves

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

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

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

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

Shayna Baszler vs. Candice LeRae

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Results

Heavy Machinery b. The Mighty – Compactor to Miller

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

EC3 b. Kona Reeves – One Percent

Shayna Baszler b. Candice LeRae – Kirifuda Clutch

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

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

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

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

IMG Credit: WWE

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

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

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

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

Opening sequence.

Adam Cole vs. Sean Maluta

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

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

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

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

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

Tenilla Price vs. Lacey Evans

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

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

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

NXT Title: Tommaso Ciampa vs. Aleister Black

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Results

Adam Cole b. Sean Maluta – Last Shot

Lacey Evans b. Tenilla Price – Woman’s Right

Tommaso Ciampa b. Aleister Black – Lifting sitout Pedigree

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

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

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

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

IMG Credit: WWE

NXT
Date: July 11, 2018
Location: Full Sail University, Winter Park, Florida
Commentators: Mauro Ranallo, Nigel McGuinness, Percy Watson

It’s rematch night and in this case we have a title on the line. This time around it’s about the Tag Team Titles as new champions Moustache Mountain defends against former champions the Undisputed Era. Other than that we’re still in the early stages of the build towards Takeover: Brooklyn so let’s get to it.

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

We open with a very quick look at Moustache Mountain winning the titles in England.

Opening sequence.

Adam Cole vs. Danny Burch

Non-title. Danny goes technical to start with a takedown but Cole grabs a headlock to slow things back down. A shot to the face puts Cole on the floor so he gets in a neckbreaker to take Danny down again and keep the pace slow. Back in and Cole grabs a suplex and drives some knees to the back, allowing him to be as smirky and cocky as you would ever expect him to be.

We hit the chinlock (you knew that was coming) for a few moments until Danny powers out. A German suplex gets two and Danny slaps on a quickly broken Crossface. The Tower of London out of the corner is good for two more but Cole kicks him in the knee. The fireman’s carry neckbreaker and original Last Shot set up the new Last Shot to put Burch away at 8:50.

Rating: C+. Burch was good for rising up and making Cole sweat but this was exactly how it should have gone. Cole is a bigger star with a much brighter future. Have him win here and move on to something bigger after a good match. Burch is fine for a role like this and thankfully NXT knows just how to use him.

Earlier this week, Candice LeRae was happy with her win but ran into Shayna Baszler. The champ’s advice was just to be a happy sidekick so the fight was on.

Dakota Kai is ready to rise back up the rankings when Lacey Evans comes in. Lacey doesn’t like the idea of Kai as champion because it would sully the title. The challenge is made for next week and Evans seems to accept.

Kairi Sane vs. Vanessa Borne

Borne takes her into the corner to start so Sane goes away from the power, opting for a dragon screw legwhip instead. A leg lock doesn’t get Sane anywhere as Borne rolls her over into a bodyscissors and a spinning suplex. Borne stops to pose though and it’s Sane coming back with a neckbreaker, only to bang up her back even more. Back up and a spear cuts Borne in half and there’s the sliding forearm in the corner. Sane gets slammed off the top but pops back up with a spinning backfist. The Anchor, a rather hard half crab, makes Borne tap at 5:58.

Rating: C. Sane being built up as a challenger for Baszler makes sense given their history, especially with the Mae Young Classic coming up again. That should make for a fine one off challenge and if their second match is as good as their first, everything is going to be fine. That being said, LeRae and Kai are a little more interesting for more serious challengers so the division continues to look awesome.

Post match, Sane says she’s beaten Baszler before and she’ll do it again.

Johnny Gargano tells Aleister Black that Tommaso Ciampa cannot become NXT Champion no matter what. Black says he’s got this and leaves, only to get jumped by Ciampa. A hanging DDT from a table to the floor knocks Black cold.

Tag Team Titles: Moustache Mountain vs. Undisputed Era

The Era is challenging. We get the Big Match Intros and the fight is on in a hurry. The champs whip them into each other and take turns flipping each other onto both challengers. They head outside with the Era getting beaten up even more as this is one sided so far. Seven knees the steps though and the Era has a very sudden target. Back in and it’s time to go after the knee in a variety of painful ways as the fans are still dueling with the chants. O’Reilly slaps on the leg lock to keep Trent in trouble before cannonballing down onto the knee.

A rollup gives Seven a desperate two but it’s off to Strong to keep him in trouble. We hit the leg lock again but Seven fights up, only to have O’Reilly run over and pull Bate off the apron. The leg lock goes on yet again and again Strong is there to cut Bate off from the save. One more kick to the face is finally enough for Seven to get over to Bate and the hot tag finally brings him in.

Bate speeds things way up and uppercuts O’Reilly down, setting up a running shooting star press. We get the crazy airplane spin/giant swing combination on the Era as the trainer is checking on Seven’s knee. The Tyler Driver gets two on Strong with O’Reilly making a save to put all four down. O’Reilly kicks Bate in the head and the brainbuster gets two more. Seven is back up and tags himself in to slug away, including a weakened Seven Stars Lariat for two on Strong.

The knee gives out again though and a chop block sets up a kind of inverted Texas Cloverleaf (cool) until Bate dives in for a save. A middle rope knee to Seven’s knee sets up another heel hook but Seven kicks him in the head to finally make the break. O’Reilly grabs an even stronger version and Bate finally throws in the towel to save his friend, giving the Era the titles back at 17:17.

Rating: B+. That’s a great story with Seven being Bate’s mentor and the younger Bate wanting to save his friend instead of worrying about the titles. This easily sets up a rematch in Brooklyn and with that kind of a crowd, it could be even better than this one. Bate continues to be scary good, especially for someone of his age.

The rest of the Era comes out to celebrate as Bate and trainers tend to Seven to end the show.

Overall Rating: B. That main event more than carries this one and you can start to see the pieces being put together for Brooklyn. Above all else though, the women’s division looks better and better with each passing week as there’s depth there and you don’t know who is going to be the one to take the title from Baszler. If nothing else we’re almost guaranteed some more talent from the tournament so things are looking up even more. Another strong show from top to bottom here as they’re ready for Brooklyn.

Results

Adam Cole b. Danny Burch – Last Shot

Kairi Sane b. Vanessa Borne – Anchor

Undisputed Era b. Moustache Mountain via referee stoppage when Bate threw in the towel

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of the NXT The Full Sail Years Volume III (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/05/25/new-book-nxt-the-full-sail-years-from-dallas-to-new-orleans/

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

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