205 Live
Date: January 29, 2021
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Winter Park, Florida
Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Vic Joseph

We’re still in the middle of both Dusty Classics and that means another match taking up space on this show. That’s still a good idea too, because there is very little that 205 Live is going to be able to do that is anywhere near as important as something pretty big from NXT. Let’s get to it.

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

We open with a recap of the Women’s Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic so far.

Jake Atlas vs. Ariya Daivari vs. August Grey

Daivari takes over to start but Grey sends him outside for a suicide dive. Back in and Grey and Atlas fight over wrist control until Atlas cartwheels out of a hurricanrana attempt. Daivari misses a dive off the top, leaving the other two to keep fighting. Atlas gets knocked down though and Daivari flips Grey off the top onto him for two. With Atlas on the floor, Grey charges into an elbow to the face to give Daivari two more.

Grey gets chinlocked, which seems like a rather bad idea in a triple threat match. Indeed it is as Atlas comes back in to roll both of them up for two but Daivari knocks Atlas to the floor. Grey hits a high crossbody on Daivari but Atlas comes back in and everyone is knocked down. Atlas kicks Daivari in the face for two but Daivari is back up to hiptoss Grey into Atlas in the corner.

The Persian Lion splash gets two on Grey and Atlas is back in to hit him with a brainbuster. A dropkick puts Daivari on the floor but Grey is up with a superkick to Atlas. Grey dives onto Daivari and walks into a Stunner from Atlas, followed by the cartwheel DDT. Daivari breaks up the cover and hits Atlas with the chain for the knockout. Back in and the hammerlock lariat gives Daivari the pin on Grey at 10:58.

Rating: C. I felt like I was watching an indy show here with three people thrown into the match for no apparent reason other than they felt like they needed to have a triple threat match. The action was fine, but this match really did show you just how low level the 205 Live regulars seem to be.

We see Curt Stallion’s NXT promo about having a rocket attached to his back. Then he was attacked so the title match was off for the night. William Regal came in and yelled at Legado del Fantasma, setting up the match for next week.

Women’s Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic First Round: Zoey Stark/Marina Shafir vs. Shotzi Blackheart/Ember Moon

I think they’re smart to put this one on 205 Live. This is Stark’s debut and she starts with Blackheart, who is launched into the corner with some straight power. Moon comes in and it’s a double dropkick for two on Stark, who is already requiring cheating to take her down. It’s off to Shafir, who wrestles Moon down for two and a slam onto Stark’s knees gets two more. Moon kicks away from a cradle but Shafir flips forward to slap her in the face.

You don’t do that to Moon as everything breaks down, with Shotzi hitting a running hip attack to both of them in 619 position. Blackheart’s reverse Sling Blade plants Shafir but Stark gets in a cheap shot from the apron to put her in trouble. Stark comes back in to stomp away and drives some knees into Blackheart’s arm. A reverse t-bone suplex from Shafir sets up Stark’s running knee for two with Moon having to make a save. Shotzi enziguris her way to freedom though and the hot tag brings in Moon. Everything breaks down and Moon ties Stark up in a modified STF for the tap at 8:52.

Rating: C+. Stark came off like a potential star here and looked a lot more polished than most you’ll see in their debut. Granted it helps when you come in with this much experience from outside WWE and you could see it on display here. Shafir continues to be someone who looks like she needs more experience, but how much can you get when you’re only on TV once a….what, year or so? Then there’s Moon, who still feels like someone who isn’t close to being back to where she was before the injury. Shotzi and Stark had the energy here though and Stark got a heck of a rub.

Overall Rating: C. This wasn’t the strongest show and some of that is due to the matches not feeling important. They didn’t exactly give you much to get excited about here and you could feel how weak the card came off. That has been a problem for 205 Live for a long time and having a low level Dusty Classic match didn’t help that feeling. Not a bad show, but something that you absolutely did not need to watch, even for just over half an hour.

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IMG Credit: WWE

NXT
Date: June 12, 2019
Location: APGFCU Arena At Hartford Community College, Bel Air, Maryland
Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Mauro Ranallo

We’re on the road again for the first regular show as we head towards Toronto in August. I’m not sure what to expect going forward, but we have about two months before the next Takeover, which should be enough time to set up something great. Hopefully things get back to normal around here, though even their off weeks are still good. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

The announcers run down tonight’s double main event of Oney Lorcan/Danny Burch vs. the Undisputed Era and Kushida vs. Drew Gulak in a submission match.

Io Shirai/Candice LeRae vs. Marina Shafir/Jessamyn Duke

Shayna Baszler is watching from the ramp. Shirai has a banged up shoulder so Candice starts by running Shafir into the corner for a jackknife rollup for two. Back in and Shafir hits a kick to the face so Duke can come in for a kick to the back. It’s back to Shafir for a judo throw and something like a torture rack but with Candice bent around the back instead of the shoulders.

That’s broken up but Shafir kicks Shirai off the apron to keep Candice in trouble. Candice manages to send Duke into Shafir and an enziguri allows the hot tag to Shirai. The 619 hits Duke and a springboard missile dropkick makes it worse. Shirai hits the Baszler arm stomp on Duke but Baszler pulls her away from the moonsault. That’s fine with Shirai, who moonsaults onto Baszler instead. Candice dives onto Shafir and Duke and the match is thrown out at 5:45.

Rating: C+. There was some energy to this one and the match worked well as we’re supposed to ignore Shirai losing her mind at Takeover. Candice continues to be rather spunky and the kind of person you want to see win. This felt fun and I had a rather good time with it, so you can call this a very nice surprise.

The huge brawl continues post match with Baszler getting involved as well. Referees have trouble breaking it up and can’t quite get them apart.

We look back at Tyler Breeze vs. Velveteen Dream at Takeover.

Dream talks about how it’s solid and dependable, but he doesn’t mean the title. Get ready for the next experience.

We look back at Drew Gulak vs. Kushida from two weeks ago.

Drew Gulak vs. Kushida

Submission match. Kushida goes with a bodyscissors to start as the announcers get in their MMA terms. Gulak has to cover up and Kushida spins around his back to show off a bit. Back up and Kushida starts in on the arm before sending Gulak outside without much trouble. The armbar goes on but Gulak reverse slams his way out of trouble. The Gory Stretch goes on with both of Kushida’s arms being bent backwards until they almost touch each other.

That’s broken up so Gulak goes with something like a Boston crab to switch over to the back instead. An armtrap headlock (Mauro: “As annoying as a robocall.”) keeps Kushida down before Gulak switches over to a regular armbar. Kushida gets out of that as well and it’s a hiptoss into a basement dropkick. A springboard tornado DDT sets up the cross armbreaker but Gulak gets a foot on the rope.

They roll around into what would have been a pinfall reversal sequence in a regular match but this time Gulak gets into an ankle lock. Kushida escapes again and takes it to the apron for some kicks to the chest. They slug it out back inside with Kushida hitting a handspring elbow. Kushida headscissors him down and slaps on the Hoverboard Lock for the quick tap at 10:07.

Rating: B. This never hit the higher level I was expecting but they can only do so much with ten minutes. Some of the grappling was awesome here though and the counters were starting to get really good. What matters most here though is Kushida getting this kind of a push as he continues to look awesome every time he’s out there.

Post match Kushida applauds him and Gulak shakes his hand.

Aaliyah and Vanessa Borne don’t like the idea of Mia Yim thinking she should get a title shot. They don’t think she looks like a champion so they’ve got her some books, including books on fashion, English and grammar. If she can’t read, how can she use the books? We really need smarter heels around here.

In two weeks: Shirai vs. Baszler for the Women’s Title in a cage.

We look at Mansoor winning the battle royal at Super ShowDown and his post match speech. The latter was good, the former not so much.

Oney Lorcan/Danny Burch vs. Kyle O’Reilly/Roderick Strong

Lorcan and O’Reilly grapple to start with Kyle taking him to the mat for a broken up leglock. With that not working, they hammer on each other in the corner until O’Reilly kicks him in the face. Everything breaks down and it’s a big slugout with the Era being sent outside for the running dive from Lorcan.

Burch sends O’Reilly into the half and half suplex from Lorcan with Strong having to make a save. It’s back to Strong for the loud chops in the corner and the first backbreaker keeps Lorcan in trouble. A running knee to the back makes it even worse and Lorcan’s throat is catapulted into the bottom rope. The chinlock goes on but Strong lets go so he can knock Burch off the apron in a smart move. Another slugout goes to O’Reilly but Lorcan is right back with a running Blockbuster.

That’s enough for the tag off to Burch so house can be cleaned. A powerbomb into the Crossface has O’Reilly in trouble but Strong makes a quick save. O’Reilly hits a Dean Ambrose rebound lariat for two with Lorcan diving in for a save. Everything breaks down and it’s a four way knockdown. Cue Jaxson Ryker, who beats up security on the way to the ring. The distraction lets Burch roll O’Reilly up for the pin at 9:45.

Rating: B. Anytime they want to completely stop with this Ryker stuff, I’d be completely ok with it. He doesn’t exactly fit with what they’re going for at the moment and having him be the big Frankenstein monster in the ladder match felt completely out of nowhere. It’s not that he’s a bad character or addition, but keep him out of this division at the moment.

Overall Rating: B+. Three good matches, storyline advancement and a big main event set up for two weeks. It’s too early to know where things are heading for Toronto but unlike the main roster, I have every confidence that NXT can make something like that work. Just keep giving us shows like this and my head might stop hurting a bit after Monday and Tuesday nights.

Results

Candice LeRae/Io Shirai vs. Marina Shafir/Jessamyn Duke went to a double disqualification when all four brawled on the floor

Kushida b. Drew Gulak – Hoverboard Lock

Oney Lorcan/Danny Burch b. Kyle O’Reilly/Roderick Strong – Rollup to O’Reilly

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s History Of In Your House (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

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IMG Credit: WWE

NXT
Date: February 6, 2019
Location: Full Sail University, Winter Park, Florida
Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Mauro Ranallo, Percy Watson

We’re back to the regular shows and it’s just in time too as we’re about two months away from Takeover: New York. That could mean some matches being set up in a hurry, though it’s not clear what some of those could be. The big draw this week is Johnny Gargano appearing as North American Champion for the first time, which could be rather interesting. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Here’s Gargano to open things up and he’s very proud of his new title. The fans give him a JOHNNY CHAMPION chant and Johnny says we deserve it. He doesn’t say which we he’s talking about but here’s Tommaso Ciampa to cut him off. Ciampa says they do deserve it and that Johnny showed that he can follow the champ’s lead. Now they’re both champions and WE own NXT. There is nothing that can stop them because this is their home. Johnny: “No.”

There is no “our moment” because he only came out at the end of Takeover: Phoenix to show that he’ll never need Tommaso Ciampa. This brings out Velveteen Dream to say tonight isn’t about any of them. Tonight is about the moment and the man that stole Takeover: Phoenix. He took everything over just by showing up and while they were putting the finishing touches on their fairy tale ending, Dream was winning the Worlds Collide tournament.

That gives him a title shot of his choice so Ciampa stares him down. Dream doesn’t want him to steal the spotlight, because he’s more interested in Gargano. Johnny says he was putting on another Match of the Year and winning the title before representing the NXT Universe in the Royal Rumble. If this is what Dream wants, then go for it because Johnny wins. Dream is cool with that, but wants to know if he’s facing Johnny Champion or Johnny Jack***. The staredown is on and the fans are rather pleased.

This worked very well, as the story continues to go on and on without dropping steam. I know the end goal of all of this is Gargano taking the title from Ciampa once and for all, but that moment isn’t set in stone somewhere. We’re not counting down to some predetermined moment (Such as EVERYTHING HAS TO HAPPEN AT WRESTLEMANIA OR SUMMERSLAM!!!) and the story is getting to grow on its own. That would make a huge difference on the main roster, but for some reason it’s completely against the rules. That’s a very different way of storytelling and it works quite well.

Jaxson Ryker vs. Mansoor

Mansoor is from the Saudi Arabian tryouts. Ryker takes him into the corner and ties Mansoor into the Tree of Woe for some kicks to the ribs. Mansoor gets in a few shots but Ryker spears him out of the air, setting up a sitout chokeslam (almost more of a spinebuster) for the pin at 1:32. Just a squash.

Post match Ryker chokebusters him again.

Adam Cole cuts off an interviewer before Ricochet can be brought in. Cole says he’s championship material unlike the one trick pony Ricochet. This brings in Ricochet to say he must have knocked Cole’s screws loose when he beat him for the North American Title. A match is made for next week.

In two weeks, Gargano defends against Dream.

Drew Gulak vs. Eric Bugenhagen

Eric, with a sweet 1970s mustache, plays the air guitar on the way to the ring to a rather confused reception. He even throws out a guitar pick, which the camera tracks down. I’m sure you can imagine Nigel and Drew’s reactions to this. The fans DEMAND an encore as Bugenhagen stops so the match can begin. A very high pitched scream ensues as Gulak stomps him down, earning a BU-GEN-HA-GEN chant.

Gulak snap suplexes him for two and we hit the chinlock. Eric fights up and slaps on an abdominal stretch, which of course turns into more air guitaring (Eric: “YOU WANNA ROCK???? LET’S ROCK!!!!”). Drew has had it and suplexes him down, setting up the Gulock for the tap at 2:34. We might have the next Blue Pants here.

Post match Gulak isn’t pleased with fighting “Ben Stiller from Dodgeball” because he’s the best submission wrestler in the world. Is this the best NXT has to offer? The open challenge is on and we have a very quick answer.

Drew Gulak vs. Matt Riddle

They grapple against the ropes to start until Riddle takes him straight to the mat in an armbar. A pull of the hair gets Gulak out of trouble so Riddle slams him right back down to take over again. More grappling goes nowhere until Gulak takes him down into a headscissors. One heck of a kick drops Drew though and a backsplash makes things even worse. Back up and Drew stops a charge with a hard boot to the jaw, followed by a dropkick to put Riddle on the floor.

Gulak slaps on a headlock to keep things slow before switching into a double arm crank with Riddle face down on the mat. Riddle finally fights up and hits a fisherman’s buster for the break and a double knockdown. A dragon screw legwhip takes Riddle right back down and it’s off to a Fujiwara armbar. Riddle has had it with Gulak and powerbombs the heck out of him, setting up a knee to the face for a crazy close two. The Bromission makes Gulak tap at 9:25.

Rating: B+. This was a blast with both guys doing everything they could think of to each other, making for a heck of a performance. Gulak showing up is a nice touch as he’s one of the more talented people around and can wrestle with anyone. It gave Riddle a sweat and beating a main roster talent, even a lower level one like Gulak, means something. Very nice match.

Post match they do the Catch Point (stable from Evolve) handshake.

Sky Pirates/Bianca Belair vs. Shayna Baszler/Marina Shafir/Jessamyn Duke

Baszler works on Belair’s arm to start until Belair does the same. Shafir and Duke take their turns and get slammed down without much effort. Belair presses Sane up for a drop onto Duke but Shafir takes over in the corner to take over. Sane isn’t having that and unloads with strikes to Shafir, including a hard kick to the back. Shafir gets headbutted down as the fans chant PLEASE TAG SHAYNA. Geez that’s harsh.

The fans get their wish a few seconds later as Shayna comes in and takes over on Sane, including a few shots in the corner. It’s back to Shafir for a hard headbutt before Shayna comes back in to kick at Sane. Shayna cranks on the leg to make Sane scream and Duke coming in, earning herself a YOU CAN’T WRESTLE chant. Sane finally sends Duke outside and rolls over for the tag to Sane as the pace picks way up.

Running knees to Duke in the corner set up a 619 and a springboard missile dropkick to Baszler. It’s already back to Sane for the Insane Elbow and another near fall as Shafir makes the save. Belair tags herself in (fair enough as Sane was going to tag Shirai in again) and hits the KOD but Baszler makes the save. Everything breaks down and Sane dives onto Shafir and Duke, leaving Shirai to hit a moonsault for the fast pin on Baszler at 9:28.

Rating: C+. Shafir and Duke are pretty clearly not ready for this level and need more time, but I heartily approve of Shirai going after the title. High flier vs. submission wrestler can make for some great matches and the fans are going to be behind Shirai no matter what she does. I had a lot of fun with this, though the NXT fans ripping on Duke and Shafir isn’t the best sign for their futures.

Belair doesn’t seem happy that she didn’t get the pin to end the show.

Overall Rating: B+. What didn’t this show have? You had an awesome match from Riddle and Gulak, a move forward in the women’s division, some major developments at the start of the show, and the Bugenhagen wackiness. As can be the case, NXT knows how to do a lot of things on one show and mix things up like no other show. This was an incredibly entertaining hour with so many different things running around that it’s almost impossible to get tired of any of them. Check this one out, especially Riddle vs. Gulak.

Results

Jaxson Ryker b. Mansoor – Chokebomb

Drew Gulak b. Eric Bugenhagen – Gulock

Matt Riddle b. Drew Gulak – Bromission

Sky Pirates/Bianca Belair b. Marina Shafir/Jessamyn Duke/Shayna Baszler – Moonsault to Baszler

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

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

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IMG Credit: WWE

NXT
Date: January 30, 2019
Location: Talking Stick Resort Arena, Phoenix, Arizona
Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Mauro Ranallo, Percy Watson

We’re still in Phoenix for the followup that came before the big show. This should be a much more laid back night with just the dark matches from Saturday’s Takeover, which should be a good bit of fun. The ton of recaps should help speed things up a bit too. Let’s get to it.

Here’s Takeover if you need a recap.

We open with the customary long recap of Takeover. Not everything gets attention here though, including the lack of anything on the Tag Team Titles.

Opening sequence.

Io Shirai/Kairi Sane vs. Marina Shafir/Jessamyn Duke

Mauro dubs the nice team the Sky Pirates, thereby winning the world. Shafir, in what looks like a protective face mask, gets taken down by Shirai to start. It’s off to Kairi (to a BIG reaction) to face the much taller Duke, who wants a test of strength. Things turn into a bit of scrapping with Sane getting the better of it and bringing Shirai back in for a double dropkick to the back of the head. Shafir offers a distraction though and Duke kicks Shirai’s knee out to take over.

The double teaming begins with Shafir flipping Duke over into a kick to the ribs. A butterfly stretch keeps Shirai in trouble and a butterfly suplex gets two. Shafir grabs a guillotine choke so Shirai climbs the ropes into something like Sliced Bread for the break. That’s enough for the hot tag to Sane as the pace picks up in a hurry. The Interceptor cuts Shafir off and the sliding forearm in the corner keeps her in trouble. A pop up elbow hits Shafir and the Insane Elbow is good for the pin at 6:40.

Rating: C+. Duke and Shafir are still very green and need a lot of ring time (totally understandable as they’re still really new) but WOW the Pirates looked awesome here. They work so well together, have a cool name and gimmick, and looked dominant in their win. Push the heck out of these two.

Video on Ricochet vs. Johnny Gargano.

Johnny promised a Match of the Year and a win, both of which he delivered. Winning feels great.

Video on Bianca Belair vs. Shayna Baszler.

Belair says being un-de-fea-ted is a mindset instead of wins and losses. Oh good grief we still have to hear that line? As for Sam Roberts saying Belair didn’t deserve to be in the match, Belair pushed Shayna to the limit.

Video on the War Raiders vs. the Undisputed Era.

The Raiders say the Era earned their respect but the era is over. Their reign starts now.

Video on Matt Riddle vs. Kassius Ohno.

Riddle says the win wasn’t the point here. This was about making a mark by beating Riddle until he gave up. Ohno was broken tonight and that’s going to happen to anyone who tests him.

Video on Tommaso Ciampa vs. Aleister Black, including the pose with Johnny Gargano after the match.

Paul Heyman praised Ciampa on Twitter.

After the show ended, Velveteen Dream, Ricochet and Adam Cole got involved to turn it into a big six man brawl which spread backstage. This set up Halftime Heat’s six man tag.

Video on NXT names in the Royal Rumbles.

Forgotten Sons vs. Street Profits

Cutler and Blake for the Sons here and the Profits have some Harlem Heat inspired gear for a cool touch. Dawkins and Blake start things off but everything breaks down in a hurry with Blake being backdropped onto Cutler on the floor. Back in and Cutler gets flapjacked onto Blake as it’s all Profits so far. Cutler finally grabs a backbreaker on Ford, followed by a belly to back for two. Blake drops a knee to the back and a buckle bomb into raised knees stays on the back.

Another backbreaker draws Dawkins in for the save, allowing Ford to send both of them outside. A missed top rope splash sends Blake into the mat and there’s the hot tag to Dawkins. Everything breaks down as Dawkins cleans house, including Ford hitting a crazy high flip dive onto Blake. Ford gets serious with a sip from the cup, setting up a Doomsday Blockbuster for two as Blake makes a very good save. Jaxson Ryker makes a save of his own so Dawkins stares him down, allowing Blake to hit his own dive. Back in and the Memory Remains (reverse DDT/double stomp) combination finishes Dawkins at 7:18.

Rating: C. I still dig the Street Profits but I’m not sure how much value the Sons have. Granted winning some matches means a lot more down in NXT so just having them win a few matches here and there could do some good. The Raiders are going to need some challengers so the Sons could be fine for a one off. Nice energetic match here, though I could have gone with a different result.

Overall Rating: C. Obviously the wrestling didn’t matter than much here but this isn’t your normal NXT. We’ll get back to the regular kind of shows next week with some of the bigger names coming back and the road to New York beginning. The wrestling here was fine with the Sky Pirates being a great addition, though I’m not sure who they can fight. Anyway nothing show here, but that’s to be expected.

Results

Io Shirai/Kairi Sane b. Marina Shafir/Jessamyn Duke – Insane Elbow to Shafir

Forgotten Sons b. Street Profits – Memory Remains to Dawkins

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

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

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

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

IMG Credit: WWE

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

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

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

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

Opening sequence.

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

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

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

Dominik Dijakovic is coming tonight.

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

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

Aaron Mackey vs. Dominik Dijakovic

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

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

Shirai is now in the #1 contenders match.

Heavy Machinery vs. Danny Dacarto/Mike Howell

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

Johnny Gargano vs. Aleister Black

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Results

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

Dominik Dijakovic b. Aaron Mackey – Feast Your Eyes

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

Johnny Gargano b. Aleister Black – Meet in the Middle

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

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