205 Live Date: November 7, 2018 Location: Manchester Arena, Manchester, England Commentators: Vic Joseph, Nigel McGuinness, Percy Watson
We’re across the pond this week with another show as we now have a new #1 contender for the Cruiserweight Title. Speaking of champion Buddy Murphy, he’ll be facing Mark Andrews tonight as a little bit of an international showdown. Other than that, it’s hard to say what we might be seeing around here but lately, that’s not the worst thing in the world. Let’s get to it.
Drake Maverick praises Mustafa Ali for becoming #1 contender and previews tonight’s show.
Opening sequence.
TJP/Mike Kanellis vs. Lucha House Party
Kalisto and Dorado for the House Party here. Dorado and TJP lock up to start with TJP going straight for the mask. Instead it’s off to Kalisto for some dancing and an armdrag. The fast pace continues with Dorado coming in for a splash and it’s off to Kanellis. The villains are sent outside and we get some double bicep poses from the masked guys. Back in and Dorado dropkicks Kanellis into an armdrag but it’s a cheap shot from TJP to take over.
Some running corner clotheslines keep Kanellis in control until TJP comes in and misses a running knee in the corner. The diving tag brings in Kalisto and it’s time to speed things up in a hurry. Kanellis comes in off a blind tag though and pulls Kalisto to the floor for a Russian legsweep into the barricade (with what has to be his third heard spot call of the match). Back in and the rib work continues but Kalisto reverses a waistlock into a DDT to bring in Dorado.
House is cleaned and a moonsault gets two on TJP. A double Golden Rewind cuts off the villains and it’s the stereo moonsaults to the floor for the big crash. TJP is fine enough to grab the very fast kneebar with Kalisto having to make the save. With Kalisto back outside, TJP pulls off the mask and celebrates, even though Dorado’s second mask is visible the second the first one comes off. A little dancing and a hurricanrana finish TJP at 10:07.
Rating: C. Not too bad here and it’s a good sign that TJP took the fall. Kanellis is still new around here and there’s no need to have him take a loss this early with TJP around. If nothing else it gives the House Party a win back after all the losses as the feud with TJP continues. The luchadors are still the right choice to open this show and that’s not the biggest surprise in the world. It’s a good act and the fans have fun with them so they’ll likely be around for awhile.
Post match TJP and Kanellis are ready to keep going but Maria says she’s got this.
Cedric Alexander was training at the Performance Center (with Steve Corino) when Lio Rush came in to mock Alexander for his losing streak. A match is made for next week.
Lio Rush vs. Josh Morrell
Morrell tells him to bring it and scores with an early enziguri. He heads up top so Rush shows him how to really hit one of those things, knocking Morrell out to the floor. A pretty hard Cannonball sets up the Final Hour for the pin on Morrell at 2:04. Rush getting ticked off because someone got in a shot on him is a good way to go and shows you how well he can do when the cockiness is knocked away.
Post match Rush talks about Alexander going back to the Performance Center and how hard he’s been working. That’s fine, but no one works harder than Rush. Next week, the Age of Alexander meets its final hour. Nice promo from Rush here as he was more serious than usual.
Video on Mark Andrews.
Mustafa Ali says he used to be called a baby but now he’s called the heart and soul of 205 Live. At Wrestlemania, he had a chance to be called champion and since then, he’s been fighting to get another chance. That’s the chance he has now and he’ll be called champion. I want to see him win and that’s not a feeling I often have.
Buddy Murphy vs. Mark Andrews
Non-title. The much bigger Murphy powers him into the corner so Andrews gets smart by slipping out and armdragging him down. The standing moonsault misses and that’s an early standoff. A quick run around the ring lets Andrews get two off a sunset flip back inside and Murphy gets kicked to the floor. Andrews hits a flip dive into a hurricanrana but gets lawn darted into the middle buckle back inside. A backbreaker makes things even worse for Andrews and the armbar goes on.
Andrews jawbreaks his way to freedom and hits a sick looking reverse hurricanrana (Murphy landed on top of his head) to send the champ outside. That means another shot to knock him over the announcers’ table and a diving forearm over the table keeps Murphy in trouble. Andres nails a flip dive off the steps and a standing corkscrew moonsault gets two. A moonsault into a tornado DDT is countered into a sitout powerbomb and Murphy is looking much better. Stundog Millionaire makes things a little worse but the shooting star hits raised knees. Murphy’s Law gives Murphy the pin at 10:58.
Rating: C+. Pretty good match here with Andrews getting to showcase himself a lot. There’s nothing wrong with losing to the champ, who gets a nice win here as well. They’re setting Murphy up for the big showdown with Ali and it’s a good idea to remind people that he really is good at what he does.
Overall Rating: C+. England suits this show well with a good night of action for the most part. This was a more story advancing show and that’s all well and good with the title match at Survivor Series and a big match set for next week as well. Above all else though I want to see Ali win the title and that’s a good way to get you invested in the next few shows. Nice stuff tonight, which isn’t much of a surprise.
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:
NXT UK – November 7, 2018 (Second Episode): They’re Doing The Little Things
IMG Credit: WWE
NXT UK Date: November 7, 2018 Location: Cambridge Corn Exchange, Cambridge, England Commentators: Vic Joseph, Nigel McGuinness
Just in case you haven’t had enough from this taping cycle yet. It’s the second of two shows today and that could mean a variety of things. Pete Dunne successfully defended his United Kingdom Title last week against Danny Burch so he’s going to need a new challenger. We’re not quite there yet though so they must have something else on tap for this one. Let’s get to it.
Earlier today, the Coffeys and Wolfgang came to work.
Opening sequence.
Congratulations to Toni Storm for winning the Mae Young Classic. We get a quick clip of the finals.
Toni Storm vs. Dakota Kai
They lock up to start with Kai driving her into the corner for a clean break. A handshake seems to suggest that things are ok but they both try kicks to the ribs, both of which are caught. Kai kicks her down for two but Storm is right back with an uppercut as we hear about Storm’s time in Japan. An STF goes on for a long time until Kai makes the rope and gets back up for another slugout.
Stereo headbutts give us a double knockdown but Kai is there with two more kicks. A snap German suplex sends Kai into the corner but she runs to the other corner for a kick to the head. The bicycle kick rocks Storm, who shrugs it off for some running knees in the corner. Storm Zero finishes Kai at 7:17.
Rating: C. The ending wasn’t exactly in doubt as Kai never wins anything and Storm is likely to be one of the big stars of the division. Storm has some of the best star power I’ve seen in a good while and it makes sense to have her win in the first match. Just get her some competition though, as it’s not like there isn’t a full tournament roster to pick from.
They shake hands post match and here’s Jinny to jump Kai from behind. This is her NXT. Welcome to the club.
Zack Gibson vs. Amir Jordan
Jordan dances to the ring. Gibson goes straight to the arm and slaps Jordan in the face. Jordan comes back with a wristlock of his own and some dancing, followed by a blocked sunset flip. With Gibson shouting that Jordan has no chance, the fans suggest standing up if you hate Gibson. More arm cranking doesn’t go anywhere as Jordan scores with a dropkick and a high crossbody gets two. That’s it for Jordan as Helter Skelter sets up the Shankley Gates for the tap at 4:25.
Rating: D+. This was longer than it needed to be though Gibson getting a win is a good idea. He’s the best heel around here (though the catchphrase isn’t great) and that’s the kind of thing they need to build up around here. Building some challengers for Dunne is a good idea and the more they can have, the more interesting things can be.
Post break Gibson says he’s soon to be known as the best around here. He’s won the United Kingdom Championship Tournament and beat then beat Noam Dar. Every day is one step closer to being the UK Champion because this is the best British wrestling. Everyone wants to be part of something special but he’s not going to share the top spot.
He keeps going on until Trent Seven shows up to ask if Gibson is delusional. Fans: “YES! YES! YES!” Trent talks about Gibson having a cup of tea while Moustache Mountain made history on the WWE Network. He did win the tournament, and also made everyone in the Royal Albert Hall take off their shoes. A challenge is thrown out and Gibson bails.
Video on Jordan Devlin’s debut two weeks ago.
Kenny Williams is ready to prove himself.
Kenny Williams vs. Jordan Devlin
Devlin takes him down with an armbar and they trade some flips into a standoff. Kenny gets dropped into a standing moonsault for two and it’s off to the neck crank. That doesn’t last long as Williams gets up and dropkicks Devlin to the floor for a suicide dive. A top rope back elbow gets two, followed by a rollup faceplant for the same. Devlin is right back up with the spinning fireman’s carry slam (I think Nigel called it Ireland’s Call) for the pin at 4:35.
Rating: C. Not bad here, though neither has much that makes them stand out, which is the biggest issue around here. Devlin looked better and more well rounded though Williams’ flying wasn’t too bad. I could still go for more than “I’m British and I’m here to prove myself” because that’s kind of been covered to death.
Next week: an announcement from Johnny Saint.
Mark Andrews/Flash Morgan Webster/Ashton Smith vs. Coffey Brothers/Wolfgang
Webster kicks at Wolfgang’s knees to start so Wolfgang sends him straight into the corner with a hard forearm. Andrews and Joe come in with a faceplant getting one on Andrews and it’s off to Mark….vs. Mark. Thankfully Andrews flips out of a belly to back suplex and makes the hot tag to Smith for a running clothesline.
Everyone comes in for the big staredown until Smith settles down for a middle rope ax handle to Mark. Joe and Smith slug it out for a pretty cool visual with Joe grabbing a spinning butterfly suplex. It’s back to Andrews for a middle rope hurricanrana on Wolfgang but Andrews gets sent outside. That means a distracted referee and a stomping from the Brothers.
Back in and we hit the neck crank, followed by a crossarm choke. Wolfgang superkicks Andrews for two and it’s another chinlock. Mark slaps on a front facelock but lets it go to knock Smith off the apron. The delay allows Andrews to hit the Stundog Millionaire to escape. The hot tag brings in Webster for a Whisper in the Wind for two on Wolfgang. Smith comes in for a running boot in the corner but the Brothers chop him down.
Everything breaks down and Mark gets superkicked, only to have Joe spear Smith. Andrews hits a tornado DDT on Wolfgang and the double suicide dives drop the Brothers. A hurricanrana puts Wolfgang on the floor as well and Webster hits a big flip dive onto everyone. Back in and a spear cuts Webster in half, followed by a discus lariat and the pin at 14:46.
Rating: C+. This was fine, though the heat segment on Andrews in the middle went on for a long time. It makes sense to have the monsters win here as you need to build up some heels. The good guys weren’t anything special here but at least they got in some nice spots, including that flip dive from Webster.
Overall Rating: C. The show wasn’t bad but it was a far cry from the previous episode, which was quite entertaining from start to finish. They’re taking the right steps forward though and that’s a good sign. This is still the first wave of stories and they’ll eventually get on to the bigger stuff as time goes on. Still though, completely watchable show, though it doesn’t need to be the second of two in a row.
Results
Toni Storm b. Dakota Kai – Storm Zero
Zack Gibson b. Amir Jordan – Shakley Gates
Jordan Devlin b. Kenny Williams – Ireland’s Call
Wolfgang/Coffey Brothers b. Flash Morgan Webster/Mark Andrews/Ashton Smith – Discus lariat to Webster
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:
NXT UK – October 31, 2018 (Second Episode): That Wasn’t A Good Idea
IMG Credit: WWE
NXT UK Date: October 31, 2018 Location: Cambridge Corn Exchange, Cambridge, England Commentators: Vic Joseph, Nigel McGuinness
This is the second episode of the show today, because WWE would rather do two in a row than edit them together into one show, which would make my life easier. Anyway, things are starting to come together around here as some of the characters who were introduced earlier on in the series are starting to interact, which opens the potential for some stories. Let’s get to it.
Huxley and Seven start things off in a rematch from last week (earlier today thanks to WWE). Just like last time, Huxley gets the better of it early on, this time sending Seven outside so Gradwell can get in a few shots of his own. Gradwell comes in and forearms Seven in the head before dropping a headbutt on the shoulder for two. It’s back to Huxley, who seems to annoy Seven by hitting him in the face.
Seven kicks them both to the floor and brings in Bate for the big suicide dive. Back in and a standing shooting star gives Bate two but Huxley sends the moustached ones into each other. A spinebuster/Backstabber combination sets up a half crab on Seven, which is broken up because it’s a half crab. The hot tag brings in Bate and it’s a dragon suplex/clothesline combination to finish Gradwell at 6:06.
Rating: C. They need to build up some tag teams while it’s a good idea to put them together, putting them against the only actual team around at the moment isn’t the best idea in the world. The match was fine enough, though I don’t think the ending was ever exactly in doubt. Hopefully Seven and Bate become a full time American team one day as they’re more than good enough to hang with the best in WWE.
Travis Banks has been attacked.
Video on Isla Dawn.
Video on Jinny.
Mark Andrews thinks the Coffey Brothers attacked Banks and asks to fight in Banks’ place.
Isla Dawn vs. Nina Samuels
They fight over a lockup to start with Samuels driving her into the corner to little avail. Dawn elbows her in the face and snapmares her down but Samuels is right back up with a suplex. It’s time to start in on the arm, including a hard whip to send Dawn shoulder first into the post. Dawn gets two off a rollup and then kicks Samuels in the head. Something between a belly to belly and gutwrench suplex finishes Samuels at 3:22.
Rating: D. I wasn’t feeling this one as even with the video before the match, I’m not sure I know much about either of them, especially Samuels. Dawn looked to be the better of the two of them and you can all but guarantee the start of a Women’s Title tournament soon. This didn’t have the time to go anywhere, and that’s not the best idea when you’re trying to establish some people. Dawn didn’t get in much offense until the end, though that suplex was kind of cool.
Pete Dunne says he doesn’t need to be worried about Burch, because Burch needs to be ready for him. He doesn’t worry about Burch’s comments last week and Burch has his attention now.
Video on Jordan Devlin.
Eddie Dennis is still not happy with Pete Dunne and Mark Andrews moving on without him. He was the youngest principal in the United Kingdom but quit his job to dedicate himself to wrestling. After six months, he signed with WWE, even though he was injured for a lot of that time (Dennis: “Thanks for the calls guys.”). Now he has a lot to prove. I like this guy and he debuts next week.
Jordan Devlin vs. Tucker
Tucker spins out of a wristlock to start and hits a top rope back elbow to the jaw. An enziguri gets two but Devlin is right back with some right hands to the head. With that working so well, say it with me, it’s time to start on the arm. The arm is cranked on the mat and then wrapped around the top rope, followed by a dropkick for two. Tucker is back up with a springboard swinging Downward Spiral for two of his own. A Swanton hits knees though and Devlin hits a fireman’s carry into a reverse DDT (almost an AA/F5 combination) for the pin at 4:09.
Rating: C-. Devlin looked better of the two (with a cool finisher) but this didn’t do any favors to the idea that so much of the roster looks the same. The wrestling wasn’t bad but neither of them stood out and that’s a big part of the problem with this show. So many of the people look or act the same, which isn’t a good prospect so far. Oh and ENOUGH WITH THE ARM WORK!
Danny Burch has been wrestling for over fifteen years and knows Dunne is a well rounded wrestler. All Burch can do is wrestle as best as he can and win the title. The title match is in two weeks.
Mark Andrews vs. Wolfgang
I do not get Wolfgang and I don’t see that changing here. Wolfgang takes him into the corner and howls. You know, because his name has WOLF in it. Andrews gets sat on the top and Wolfgang points a finger at him. Back down and a headlock slows Wolfgang down but he blocks an armdrag without much effort. A springboard hurricanrana works a bit better for Andrews but his suicide dive is countered into a gorilla press onto the apron.
Back in and the pace slows a good bit with Wolfgang kneeing him in the ribs but not being able to toss Andrews outside. Andrews is back with some strikes to the chest and a 619 to the back draws a BRITISH WRESTLING chant. A middle rope spinning crossbody is countered into a gutbuster, followed by a spear for two. Wolfgang’s moonsault misses so Andrews is right back up with a tornado DDT. That’s enough to send Wolfgang to the floor for the big flip dive. The Stundog Millionaire sets up the shooting star to finish Wolfgang at 8:39.
Rating: C+. Not a bad David vs. Goliath formula here but nothing that hasn’t been done better multiple times before. Andrews is another case where the WWE version is that much better than the TNA version and it’s really rather impressive to see how solid of a high flier he can be. Wolfgang continues to be just another big guy though, which doesn’t work with how big of a deal he often is around here.
Post match they shake hands and Wolfgang leaves so here are the Coffey Brothers to beat Andrews down. Flash Morgan Webster runs in for the save with Wolfgang following, only to turn on Webster so the Brothers can get in another beatdown. As usual, this doesn’t work so well when Wolfgang just lost clean.
Overall Rating: C-. This wasn’t quite as good as the first show, mainly due to the lack of the better main event. They’re starting to tell some stories and I’m curious about where some of them are going, but having just a few minutes per match without much promo time to really build things up. Also, I really wouldn’t recommend two hours of this in a week. The show just isn’t strong enough to support that much in a single day yet and today made that obvious.
Results
Moustache Mountain b. Sam Gradwell/Saxon Huxley – Dragon suplex/clothesline combination to Gradwell
Isla Dawn b. Nina Samuels – Gutwrench belly to belly suplex
Jordan Devlin b. Tucker – Fireman’s carry into a reverse DDT
Mark Andrews b. Wolfgang – Shooting star press
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:
NXT UK – October 17, 2018 (Debut Episode): Nice To Meet You
IMG Credit: WWE
NXT UK Date: October 17, 2018 Location: Cambridge Corn Exchange, Cambridge, England Commentators: Vic Joseph, Nigel McGuinness
So over the last few years, WWE has been going over to the UK for some one off shows and they’ve been pretty good. Since it’s WWE though, that means it’s time to start a whole new weekly show (currently their fourth show on Wednesdays) under the NXT banner. I’m not sure what to expect here so let’s get to it.
The opening video looks at the history of WWE in the UK and HHH talks about how ever empire has a beginning.
Opening sequence.
The announcers preview the show. Dang Joseph is way taller than I thought.
Mark Andrews vs. Joe Coffey
Coffey is a big guy who has his brother Mark in his corner. The brothers were rather violent back at the UK Title Tournament shows back in June so they’re certainly villains. Coffey powers him to the mat to start and gets two off a test of strength grip. The much smaller Andrews gets in a shot to the face and a springboard hurricanrana has the fans right back into things.
Coffey is right back up with some hard shots to the face and just plows through Andrews with a shoulder. A swinging butterfly suplex gets two and we hit a cross arm choke to keep Andrews in trouble. Mark Coffey is about to get in a cheap shot but gets caught, leaving Joe to run Andrews over instead. Back in and Andrews slugs away for all he’s got, capped off by an enziguri to put Coffey down.
A double stomp to the ribs sets up a standing corkscrew moonsault for two and Andrews is running out of steam. Coffey has had it with Andrews and hits a pop up powerslam for two of his own but the Stundog Millionaire gets Andrews out of trouble for the moment. Mark Coffey saves Joe from the shooting star so Andrews dives onto both of them for the big crash. Back in and Mark Coffey offers another distraction, allowing Joe to hit a hard belly to belly into a discus lariat for the pin at 7:37.
Rating: C+. Good choice for an opener here as you need something entertaining to get the fans into the feel of the show. The Coffey Brothers are going to be solid heels as they’re bigger than most of the people on the show and work well together. On the other hand you have a high flier like Andrews, who is always going to be worth a look. Nice match here and it even sets up some stuff going forward. Not bad at all and a smart move to put Joe over someone who has been on the main roster.
Post match the double beatdown is on but Flash Morgan Webster makes the save with his helmet as payback for the brothers beating him down back in June.
Eddie Dennis is the Pride of Wales and has been friends with Andrews and Pete Dunne for years. He’s got some stories.
Here’s the very popular Moustache Mountain (Trent Seven and Tyler Bate) to talk about this being the most important day in the history of British wrestling. This is the birth of NXT UK so let’s pause for the UK chant. Just a few months ago, they stood in this very ring and became the NXT Tag Team Champions. Since then, HHH has mentioned something about some NXT UK Tag Team Titles. There’s just one problem: there aren’t any other tag teams in NXT UK. There is however a boat load of talent in the back so let’s have some of them become teams to give Moustache Mountain some competition. Posing and cheering ensue.
Dave Mastiff, a big man with a huge beard, is coming to show what he’s made of. Mastiff has to weigh at least 350lbs if not more. That’s certainly a bit different.
Clip of Noam Dar returning in June and becoming #1 contender.
Sid Scala vs. Dave Mastiff
Mastiff’s entrance gets a gasp. Scala on the other hand doesn’t get much of a reaction because he’s just a guy in trunks. Mastiff drives him into the corner as the announcers aren’t even pretending that this is going to be competitive. A big toss sends Scala flying and Mastiff hits a rather impressive dropkick to cut him down. There’s a release German suplex into the Cannonball in the corner for the pin at 1:58. Exactly what it should have been.
Nina Samuels is ready to show what she can do.
Nina Samuels vs. Toni Storm
You can feel the star power from Storm. Toni takes her down by the head to start, drawing a rather positive chant from the crowd. Back up and Samuels slaps her in the face, earning a series of strikes into the corner. Storm misses a charge though and a running knee gives Samuels two.
Some stomps keep Storm in trouble so she fights up with forearms to the face. A kind of sloppy tilt-a-whirl backbreaker gives Samuels two and it’s time to start mocking Storm. Naturally that fires Storm up (Samuels kind of had it coming) and it’s a release German suplex into Storm Zero (White Noise onto the knee) to give Storm the pin at 4:09.
Rating: C. Oh yeah Storm is going to be a star and there’s no stopping that. She has a great look, the charisma, the presence and can work in the ring. Not bad for someone in her early 20s. Samuels got to show off a bit here and wasn’t very impressive. Her offense was very basic and nothing she did really stood out.
Next week: Tyler Bate vs. Wolfgang.
United Kingdom Title: Pete Dunne vs. Noam Dar
Dar is challenging and General Manager Johnny Saint is in the ring for the introductions. Dunne gets a hero’s welcome, as you had to expect. Feeling out process to start but hang on because the fans need to sing Happy Birthday to Dar. That’s not cool with Dunne so he blasts Dar with a clothesline, which is fine with the fans as well. Dar sends him outside for a hard soccer kick to the arm and Dunne in in some sudden trouble.
Back in and Dunne hits a quick X Plex for a breather and unloads in the corner. Dar kicks him with the face so Dunne flips out of a German suplex and gets two off a powerbomb. A northern lights suplex gives Dar the same so Dunne goes for the fingers like a true villain who the fans cheer anyway. Dar is right back with a release fisherman’s suplex onto the apron and they’re both down. Stereo dives beat the count at nine as the fans declare this awesome.
Dunne goes to the fingers again so Dar spins around into an elbow to the face. A leglock is reversed into a cross armbreaker but Dar reverses that into an ankle lock. Dunne staggers him with an enziguri so Dar forearms him in the back of the head for the double knockdown. Dar kicks the leg out but the Nova Roller is forearmed out of the air. The Bitter End is reversed into a kneebar with Dunne having to dive for the rope. That’s enough for Dunne, who bends the fingers back again and stomps on the arm, setting up the Bitter End to retain at 11:35.
Rating: B. This didn’t have the drama or the emotion (or the time) that a lot of Dunne’s matches have but Dar more than showcased himself here. They’re doing a very good job of having Dunne get closer and closer to losing the title but surviving in the end. Whoever eventually figures out the puzzle is going to look like a star and that’s the point of such a long title reign. Good first main event here.
Post match Dunne offers a handshake but the injured Dar sticks his pinkie up, which Dunne seems fine with as he returns the gesture and smiles.
Overall Rating: B+. This is a situation where the wrestling and the content weren’t exactly the point. The purpose of this show was to start off strong and they did just that. You got an introduction to several characters and that’s going to be the case for the first few weeks. The main event was a solid match and we know Dunne is the man around here, while the rest of the show was about setting up a foundation. This was a success, and while there’s a long way to go, they’ve started well.
Results
Joe Coffey b. Mark Andrews – Discus lariat
Dave Mastiff b. Sid Scala – Cannonball
Toni Storm b. Nina Samuels – Storm Zero
Pete Dunne b. Noam Dar – Bitter End
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:
205 Live – March 27, 2018: I Can’t Get Used To This Show Being Good
IMG Credit: WWE
205 Live Date: March 27, 2018 Location: PPG Paints Arena, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Commentators: Vic Joseph, Nigel McGuinness
There are two shows left to get through before Wrestlemania and that means we need to finish the build to the Cruiserweight Title match. As for tonight though, we have a four way match to find a new top contender. Drake Maverick didn’t officially call it a #1 contenders match but that seems to be the case. It’s almost like this show has a plan now and is actually follow through. Let’s get to it.
The preview looks at tonight’s four way with comments from all four entrants. As usual, this is a great way to throw you into things and get you ready for the show. Why can’t WWE understand that?
Opening sequence.
Mark Andrews vs. Tony Nese
Nese throws him down and we hit the bicep pose. They hit the mat and Andrews tries a headstand to get out of a headscissors. For once though, Nese picks him up and drops him down like a piledriver while sitting down. That’s a new one and rather smart. Andrews’ neck is fine enough to armdrag Nese into an armbar but Nese nips up to avoid a clothesline. That always looks cool.
More armdrags have Nese in trouble (I mean, as much trouble as an armdrag can cause) but a hurricanrana sends him to the floor. Back in and the flip dive is cut off with an elbow and it’s Nese taking over for a change. We hit a bodyscissors to work on Andrews’ ribs and a running knee makes them even worse. Back up and a Rey Mysterio sitout bulldog plants Nese and a tornado DDT does it again for two. Andrews sends him outside and hits a moonsault to the floor in a good looking landing.
Nese goes back to the power with a hard running clothesline and a heck of a forearm. A double springboard Lionsault only hits mat though (Nese shouldn’t go with the flying) and they trade the hard/rapid fire shots to the face. A double stomp to the ribs rocks Nese again and Andrews is stunned at the kickout. Back up and Nese tries a slam but gets countered into the Stundog Millionaire. The shooting star press gives Andrews the pin at 11:14.
Rating: C+. Andrews certainly isn’t the biggest or best guy in the world to watch but I have a good time with his matches. There’s something about him that makes the matches all the more entertaining and the shooting star press works well for him. Nese isn’t much more than a low level heel but at least the physique makes him seem like a bigger deal. You have to have people like that on the roster, just for stuff like this if nothing else.
Post match Andrews tells Maverick that he wants Gulak. The match is made for next week.
Gulak wants to know why Andrews is on 205 Live. The win over Mark, and keeping the dragon sleeper on longer than he needed to, was a lesson. Drew is the best submission specialist in WWE. If you step to him, you will tap out.
Earlier today, Maverick oversaw a face to face interview between Cedric Alexander and Mustafa Ali. They agree that they’re friends and it’s an honor and a privilege to face off in their first Wrestlemania. Their friends and family will be there and Cedric can’t wait to be a real champion for his daughter.
Ali brings up Cedric’s failures in the title matches before but Cedric can never finish his story. He’s writing his own story too and his also ends with his daughter calling him a champion. Cedric is ready to stomp out Ali’s heart, which Ali says is exactly what he’ll have to do. They’re teasing both of them turning and that makes for an interesting match.
TJP vs. Kalisto vs. Buddy Murphy vs. Akira Tozawa
One fall to a finish and the winner probably gets a title shot at some point in the future. Kalisto takes Tozawa into the corner while the other two just watch. Tozawa gets sent outside for a falling flip splash and Buddy is tossed as well, leaving TJP to casually chill in the ring. Murphy comes back in and will have none of the headscissors into the dab. Back in and Kalisto breaks up Murphy’s dive but here’s Tozawa to kick him down for two.
TJP offers Buddy a handshake and turns on him almost just as fast. I mean, did you expect anything else? Just to show off, TJP puts Tozawa in an Indian Deathlock while putting Kalisto in an abdominal stretch at the same time. Kalisto fights out and chops TJP down, hurting Tozawa’s leg even more. The hold stays on while TJP gets two off a northern lights suplex to Kalisto.
Tozawa finally gets a breather and it’s Murphy coming back in for a neckbreaker on TJP. Buddy cleans house but TJP takes him down this time. Another convoluted spot sees TJP put Tozawa in a Gory Stretch and Kalisto in a Rocking Horse at the same time. That goes nowhere so it’s just a Texas Cloverleaf on Tozawa. Kalisto runs in for the save but gets taken down as well, putting all four down at once. This time it’s Tozawa coming in and cleaning house with a series of kicks.
We unleash the dives until Tozawa loads up the top rope backsplash. That’s broken up as well but Kalisto gets sent down to the mat in a crash. In a crazy spot, TJP puts Kalisto in a surfboard, Murphy covers TJP, and Tozawa comes off the top with the backsplash to crush Kalisto. I know it’s contrived but dang that looked cool. Tozawa’s Shining Wizard gets two on TJP with Kalisto breaking it up. TJP grabs a kneebar but Buddy makes the save and hits a big twisting dive onto Tozawa and Kalisto. Back in and Murphy’s Law ends TJP at 13:17.
Rating: B. This was a heck of a cruiserweight showcase match with Murphy looking especially strong. The announcers made sure to go out of their way to talk about Murphy beating three former Cruiserweight Champions. They’re treating this as a big deal and creating a new star in Murphy is a good idea.
Overall Rating: B-. The sitdown interview wasn’t the best stuff but it’s a good idea to create some tension between the two of them. The main event was much better with the four of them beating each other up with some crazy spots. As has been the case for about two months now, they’re doing exactly what they need to do and getting things accomplished. That’s more than 205 Live did for well over a year and now things are picking up. Well done all around and a good show.
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205 Live Date: March 6, 2018 Location: Resch Center, Green Bay, Wisconsin Commentators: Vic Joseph, Nigel McGuinness
We’ll set up the other half of the semifinals tonight and get the tournament down to four possible champions. The problem with that is where we go from here, but there’s always the chance of making things work better after Wrestlemania. If the matches this week are as good as last week, everything will be fine. Let’s get to it.
We open with the now traditional recap of last week’s matches, which is still a really good idea.
Opening sequence.
Drew Gulak says he doesn’t have a PowerPoint because he’s been too focused to open Microsoft Office. Dude get Libre Office.
Cruiserweight Title Tournament Quarterfinals: Drew Gulak vs. Mark Andrews
Andrews’ music is still downright snappy. They’re a bit tentative to start until Gulak’s chop in the corner pops Andrews’ eyes open. Gulak takes him down by the wrist so Mark springboards up for the break. A basement dropkick gives Mark one as they speed things up in short bursts. Andrews’ Code Red is broken up and Gulak forearms him in the jaw.
Drew actually hits a gorilla press of all things before going back to the arm. A variety of armbars set up a keylock but Andrews fights up with an enziguri. They head outside with Mark hitting a moonsault off the announcers’ table as Mark starts putting something together. Back in and a slingshot Mysterio sitout bulldog keeps Drew in trouble. Again: technician vs. speed is a formula that’s always going to work and it’s just fine here. Gulak counters a kick to the chest with an electric chair for two and Andrews is cut off again.
Back up and Mark just unloads in the corner, followed by a hurricanrana out to the floor. Mark’s moonsault out to the floor drops Drew again and panic begins setting in. Gulak grabs him BY THE BEARD (dude too far) and clotheslines Mark out of the air with a hard shot. The Stundog Millionaire out of nowhere drops Gulak but the shooting star hits knees. The dragon sleeper makes Mark tap at 12:10.
Rating: B. Drew continues to look like a killer but this wasn’t quite as aggressive as last week. Andrews fighting from underneath the whole time was a good idea and he plays the underdog quite well. Gulak winning was the right call of course though and he could make for a great finalist, if not champion. I still miss the PowerPoints though.
Drew takes his time letting go of the hold.
Akira Tozawa and Hideo Itami come in to see Drake Maverick, who has put them into a tag match tonight. Drake thinks they could be a good team but Itami threatens to fire him if he’s wrong.
Mustafa Ali is in a parking lot to talk about Buddy Murphy. Buddy wants to call himself the best kept secret but a good man fights for himself instead of others. This had very low production values and I could go for more of something like this in the future.
Hideo Itami/Akira Tozawa vs. Nement Alexander/Scott James
Tozawa and Alexander start things off and Akira peppers him with forearms to the head. Alexander gets in a few shots to the head so Tozawa kicks him in the ribs. Itami comes in for some running shots in the corner before it’s off to James. A running kick to Scott’s face sets up the top rope clothesline as the squash is in full swing. Itami adds a running dropkick in the corner and Tozawa drops the top rope backsplash for the pin at 2:52.
Video of Roderick Strong training.
Cedric Alexander says one more match stands between himself and his Wrestlemania moment. This time will be different.
Last night, Murphy had to weigh in. They seem to include a bad take of Maverick’s statement, including him saying excuse me, counting down to the start of the next take and saying the line again. That’s a bad botch even by WWE’s standards. Murphy has lost even more weight.
Cruiserweight Title Tournament Quarterfinals: Mustafa Ali vs. Buddy Murphy
Murphy takes him into the corner and pops Ali in the chest for a mostly clean break. A hard shoulder takes Ali down again as Gulak is watching in the back. Buddy slaps on a headlock to slow things down a bit as the slow pace seems to work well for him. Back up and a hurricanrana takes Buddy down but he’s waiting when Ali charges at him, causing Ali to stop cold.
With Murphy being bigger and stronger, Ali goes simple by dropkicking him in the face. A HARD clothesline takes Ali down though as Murphy glares down at Ali. Buddy’s superplex is broken up and Ali hits a 450 onto the extended arm. Ali is another step ahead as he avoids a charge, sending the same arm into the post. The rolling X Factor gets two but a tornado DDT is countered with a toss over the top.
Murphy goes aerial with a running flip dive and the Sasha Banks top rope double knees for two more. Now it’s Ali coming back by sending the arm into the corner and snapping off a reverse hurricanrana. One heck of a tornado DDT plants Buddy and Ali blasts him with a hard forearm. Buddy tells him to bring it and then kicks Ali in the face. Murphy’s Law (the pumphandle Death Valley Driver) doesn’t work before of the arm and Ali grabs a cradle for the pin at 11:06.
Rating: B. I was digging the heck out of this with a great story of Murphy being bigger and stronger and winning with the raw power. Ali had to get creative and took away part of that advantage with the arm injury. Murphy is the bigger guy but he’s wrestling at a much lower weight than usual, making it harder for him to keep up with someone naturally smaller and more adept at the style. This was a great story being told and the action backed it up. Ali has grown on me by leaps and bounds in recent weeks and I want to see him go further in this tournament and 205 Live in general.
The final four:
Cedric Alexander
Roderick Strong
Drew Gulak
Mustafa Ali
Overall Rating: B+. Two good matches and a nice little squash. What more do you need from a show that doesn’t even last fifty minutes? This show is starting to act more like NXT every week and that’s a very, very good thing. They have an idea here and it’s working very well, which is all you can ask for. Very fun show here and I want to see where this tournament goes, which I never would have expected coming in.
Results
Drew Gulak b. Mark Andrews – Dragon sleeper
Hideo Itami/Akira Tozawa b. Nement Alexander/Scott James – Top rope backsplash to James
Mustafa Ali b. Buddy Murphy – Rollup
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205 Live – February 13, 2018: The Power is the Point
205 Live Date: February 13, 2018 Location: Rabobank Arena, Bakersfield, California Commentators: Vic Joseph, Nigel McGuinness
The tournament continues this week with two more previously announced matches. This show has done a very good job of setting the tournament up and making me want to see it week to week. That’s a very positive sign for the show and if they keep this up, they might just fix the show. Let’s get to it.
The opening recap, narrated this time, looks back at last week’s tournament matches.
Quick preview of tonight’s matches.
Opening sequence.
Mark Andrews (he was in the UK Title tournament) is ready to stage dive and high five his way to Wrestlemania. I’d recommend getting on a plane.
Cruiserweight Title Tournament First Round: Mark Andrews vs. Akira Tozawa
Andrews’ early headlock doesn’t get him anywhere but an ankle crank works a bit better. An Octopus Hold keeps Tozawa in trouble as this has been a lot more dominant than I was expecting. They chop it out with Tozawa getting the better of it, setting up a backsplash for two. Unfortunately it doesn’t get the strongest response, mainly due to all the empty seats in the lower arena.
Tozawa takes him down and cranks on the arm/ribs, only to have Andrews fight up with a 619 to the gut. Andrews mixes things up with an Indian Deathlock of all things and Tozawa is screaming more than usual. Back up and a Shining Wizard knocks Andrews silly, followed by a heck of a suicide dive for two. Andrews is right back with a shotgun dropkick in the corner and a standing corkscrew moonsault for two of his own.
Tozawa drops him HARD on his head though and Andrews is staggered. He’s not staggered enough to get caught in a suplex as Tozawa is reversed into the Stundog Millionaire for two. Andrews scores with a super hurricanrana for two but the shooting star doesn’t connect. Instead it’s an Oklahoma roll to give Andrews the pin at 12:28, meaning we get more of his sweet theme music.
Rating: B. It never ceases to amaze me how horribly TNA managed to book Andrews. There he was a guy who rode a skateboard for no apparent reason and could only do a shooting star press. Here, he’s a smaller guy who fights from underneath and hangs in there until he can hit his big moves. This wasn’t a classic or anything, but it blows away anything Andrews did in TNA. Funny how that works no?
Jack Gallagher will be facing Mustafa Ali next week in the first round but Drake Maverick cuts him off. After recognizing the make and style of Gallagher’s suit (Drake: “I have two myself.”), he says Jack needs some better ring gear for his match next week. Fair enough, even though the suit gave him a very unique look.
Next week’s other first round match: Ariya Daivari vs. NXT call up Buddy Murphy.
Video on Buddy Murphy, an Australian and former NXT Tag Team Champion. He’s normally heavier than 205 but he’s been in special training to get under the weight limit. We also see the official weigh-in, where he weighed 204.4lbs.
Cruiserweight Title Tournament First Round: Drew Gulak vs. Tony Nese
The Zo Train collides. They’re rather serious to start until Nese throws him down and strikes the bicep pose. Drew wrestles him to the mat and cranks on a rather hard chinlock. Nese can’t shake off an arm hold as Drew is wrestling a much more technical style this time around. A HARD kick to the head blocks Nese’s half crab attempt but Tony is right back up with his own series of strikes for one.
Nese throws one one of the strangest holds I’ve seen in a long time as he ties Gulak’s legs up and uses one of his own legs to keep them in place. Tony’s other leg is wrapped around Drew’s neck in a half nelson, which I think is the focal point. It’s certainly different, though I’m not sure if it’s worth the effort to put it on. The hold doesn’t last long so they head outside with Gulak hitting a belly to back suplex on the floor.
Back in and Gulak DDT’s the knee as he continues to pick Tony apart piece by piece, including another arm hold. Nese finally runs him over to get a breather as Gulak has been smothering him so far. A headbutt to the chest gives Nese two but Gulak slugs right back at him to keep things even. Drew COMPLETELY changes his established style with a running dropkick (Vic: “HE LEFT HIS FEET!”) before grabbing Tony by the beard in a dastardly move.
We hit the guillotine choke on Nese but he drops Gulak on the apron for a breather. A Fosbury Flop takes Gulak down with Nese sticking the landing for good measure. Back in and Gulak gets planted with a pumphandle sitout powerslam, followed by an Alley Oop onto the top turnbuckle.
Gulak gets TOSSED into the corner but the running knee misses. They chop it out on the floor but Nese is sent face first onto the announcers’ table. For some reason Gulak snaps and sends Nese into the table over and over , followed by a HARD shot to the face back inside. Drew gives him a double powerbomb and screams a lot, followed by the dragon sleeper for the referee stoppage at 16:11.
Rating: B+. Where in the world has this been? I was loving Gulak’s comedy stuff and I’d love to see it come back again but this was VERY entertaining with the rather average looking Gulak going crazy and destroying Nese. That being said, Tony looked awesome here as well, showing off his crazy athleticism to go with a fire that we haven’t seen from him on 205 Live. Very good match here with both guys hitting each other really hard.
Gulak holds up the title to end the show.
Overall Rating: A-. These tournament shows have been nothing short of great with one action packed match after another. Sometimes you need to have some crazy fun matches and Drake as the energetic yet forceful boss makes it even better. I had a good time with this show and it was very entertaining stuff, though I’m curious to see where they go after the tournament ends. We’ll get to that when we have to though as this was a great show.
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UK Championship Special: They’re Not Old Enough For This
UK Championship Special Date: May 19, 2017
Location: Epic Studios, Norwich, England
Commentators: Jim Ross, Nigel McGuinness
This was a special two day event taped about two weeks ago as WWE continues their UK expansion. The idea here is to set up the UK Title match at Takeover: Chicago, which was announced before this show ever aired. The initial tournament shows were a lot of fun so hopefully this continues the trend. Let’s get to it.
We look back at the tournament with Bate shocking everyone, including himself, by winning the title. The participants talk about how it’s changed their careers in a positive way. Everyone is after Bate and the title though.
Video on Wolfgang, a big Scottish wrestler who is more aggressive now that he lost to Bate.
Joseph Conners is a high flier says his future looks good.
Wolfgang vs. Joseph Conners
The arena looks a bit dark. They trade shoulders to start with Wolfgang kicking him in the face to take over. JR makes sure to tee up McGuinness for some easy questions, which is exactly what Nigel is supposed to be able to do as an analyst. Wolfgang blocks some suplex attempts before lifting Conners up for a very delayed one of his own.
It’s way too early for the Howling (Swanton) though as Conners shoves him to the floor for a crash. Back in and a bad looking slingshot splash gives Conners two as the fans are trying to get back into this. Nigel gets into the simple story of the English vs. Scottish rivalry as Conners kicks Wolfgang in the ribs to keep him on the floor. Joseph throws him back in to crank on something like a seated abdominal stretch.
That’s enough to start a comeback (as is always the case) but a crossbody messes with Wolfgang’s damaged ribs. Wolfgang thinks about the Howling again but comes down instead. A gutbuster sends Conners outside as the fans seem to have sided with Wolfgang. The ribs are made even worse by a sitout spinebuster but Conners gets speared out of the air. The Howling gives Wolfgang the pin at 11:00.
Rating: C+. Good but not perfect way to open the show. There wasn’t much of a spark here and a face power wrestler vs. a heel speed wrestler is always a bit of a weird choice. The ribs were a simple enough story to keep things rolling but the match was nothing that hasn’t been done if not done better before.
Tyler Bate and Mark Andrews are getting ready.
TJP/Brian Kendrick vs. Dan Moloney/Rich Swann
So it’s a match on a UK show that only has one person from the UK (Moloney). That’s probably not the best choice to use on a show like this, especially after the lackluster opener. Also, you have RICH SWANN on the card and you don’t use him in the opener? This is quite the curiously booked show. Finally, TJP (who JR keeps calling Perkins) covers his ears to block out Rich’s music.
Kendrick and Moloney get things going with a feeling out process until the veteran drags Dan into the corner. TJP comes in and the fans start singing about him in some rather unflattering terms. JR: “What’s this wanker thing they’re talking about?” Nigel basically tells him not to ask if JR wants to keep his job.
The heels try some cheating with TJP grabbing an arm over the ropes, only to make the mistake of not looking and working over Brian’s arm by mistake. TJP comes in and gets kicked in the head for a hesitant two, perhaps because Moloney made sure to look at the camera (which he was probably told to do) first. It’s off to Swann for some dabbing, which angers TJP so much that he misses a charge out to the floor.
One heck of a flip dive takes out both Kendrick and TJP, which is made even better when Swann sticks the landing. Back in and some double teaming puts Swann in trouble for all of fifteen seconds before he kicks Kendrick in the face. Moloney comes in off the hot tag for some chops and a clothesline to Kendrick.
More double teaming (they’re good at that) takes Dan down though and TJP covers his ears to block out the singing. We hit the chinlock for a bit before Dan backdrops his way to freedom, setting up the real hot tag to Swann. Everything breaks down and Swann gets caught in the Captain’s Hook with Moloney making the save. Swann is tossed to the floor and Kendrick grabs a sloppy rollup (with tights) for the pin at 11:30.
Rating: C. This didn’t work and the fact that Moloney is only twenty years old has a lot to do with it. You can tell that he’s really young and is still having to think a lot out there, which can cause some problems. That’s not say he was bad, but you could tell he was easily the weakest in the ring. The rest of the match was good enough but they never really hit the top speed that you’ve seen them reach before. Granted a lot of that could be due to the whole being in another country issue, which is a common problem.
We look at Wolfgang injuring Trent Seven’s arm the previous night.
Seven doesn’t have a broken bone and is going to keep at it. Pete Dunne, his opponent for the night, comes in and hits him in the bad arm. That guy is a special kind of heel.
Video on Pete Dunne, who is rather evil. The tournament got him the credit he deserves and he’s been making money ever since.
Trent Seven has a sweet mustache and hits people really hard.
Trent Seven vs. Pete Dunne
The winner gets a UK Title shot at Takeover: Chicago. Dunne comes out with his Progress Wrestling Championship but it’s not on the line here. The fans are split here between Mustache Mountain and the Bruiserweight before going with BRITISH STRONG STYLE instead. Pete starts on the good arm in an interesting strategy but Seven goes to the ropes.
One heck of a chop with the bad arm drops Dunne but he kicks Seven in the arm to send Trent outside. The arm gets crushed between the steps and the post before it’s back to working on both arms at once. A kick to the mustached head gets two but he sends Pete outside for a flip dive.
Back in and another shot to the arm looks to set up the Bitter End, only to have Trent nail a hard left armed lariat for two. A suplex into a powerslam gives Trent two more but the arm is sent into the post. Pete can’t quite grab a Kimura (which sends JR into a mini rant about how it’s a double wristlock and NOT a Kimura) so he sends the bad arm into the barricade instead.
The arm is good enough for a dragon suplex onto the apron and both guys are left in a heap on the floor. They both dive in at nine and Dunne manages to flip out of a dragon superplex, only to eat a huge lariat for a very delayed two. The Seven Star Lariat is broken up though and we hit another double wristlock. Trent slips out again but walks into the Bitter End to send Pete to Chicago at 14:47.
Rating: B+. This was all about the arm and Dunne being one of the most evil wrestlers around because he’ll do whatever it takes to win. The fact that the match was another brutal back and forth fight makes Dunne look great all over again. Seven seems like a comedy guy with the mustache stuff but he’s more than capable of backing it up in the ring.
Dunne says he’ll be champion by any means necessary.
We recap Tyler Bate vs. Mark Andrews. Bate (now twenty years old) won the inaugural title in January while Andrews was a semi-finalist. It’s the young upstart vs. the slightly more experiences high flier.
UK Title: Tyler Bate vs. Mark Andrews
Bate is defending. The fans serenade Bate with a song and then boo someone out of the building for trying a TNA chant. They take their time to start with Andrews working on the arm before Bate twists all over the place to escape. Bate powers out of a front facelock by casually setting Mark on top and walking away to get under his skin a bit. Andrews gets taken down to the mat for a double arm crank but he reaches the ropes and gets a clean break. That might be brought up again later.
They trade some flips and cartwheel up before nipping into a standoff for some applause. The sportsmanship starts going away as they go nose to nose and yell a bit. Andrews goes back to the technical stuff and manages a modified Octopus Hold. Bate shows off the freakish strength by walking the hold over to the ropes for the break. Tyler slaps on a reverse Boston crab which Nigel names and JR calls innovative. Something tells me JR isn’t a big Colt Cabana fan.
Bate grabs the arms to lift Mark up for a little rocking back and forth. Mark comes right back by sending him outside for a big flip dive and a double stomp to the chest for no cover. With nothing else working, Bate starts swinging before avoiding a charge to send Mark outside. This time it’s Tyler hitting a dive of his own but it’s too early for the Tiger Driver 97.
A Frankendriver gives Andrews two and he takes Bate to the apron for a standing Sliced Bread #2. Mark’s moonsault to the floor is caught so he goes with a tornado DDT instead. Unfortunately Bate is out on the floor and therefore able to kick out when Mark finally gets him back inside. Mark gets crotched on top (Fans: “NO MORE KIDS!”) and takes a jumping European uppercut to put both guys down. Of course that means they slug it out from their knees with Bate getting the better of it, as you might expect.
There’s the airplane spin but Bate takes too much time resetting, allowing Mark to hit a reverse Frankendriver for a close two. Now the fans are getting into these near falls because they’re smart enough to know the match wasn’t ending earlier. Bate is ready for the shooting star but his super Regal Roll is countered into a super hurricanrana, followed by a running shooting star for two.
The champ is reeling but still manages to earn his independent credibility with a superkick. His suplex is countered into the Stundog Millionaire but the shooting star hits Bate’s raised knees. The fans get behind Bate again as he kicks Mark in the head, followed by the Tyler Driver 97 to retain at 24:15.
Rating: A-. There’s very little I enjoy watching more than taking two wrestlers and having them look so polished and untouchable at first and watching them be broken down until they can barely stand. That’s exactly what we got here and it made for one heck of a fight. Bate is scary good for his age and TNA continues to look like a bunch of morons for wasting someone capable of doing this. If you watched Andrews in TNA, you would think he was a one move wrestler. Now he had a great match that went nearly twenty five minutes. Who do you think did the better job with him?
Post match Dunne comes out to deck Andrews, drawing out William Regal to stare him down. Bate and Dunne stare each other down to end the show.
Overall Rating: B. The first two matches, while good, really do feel like little more than weak appetizers before the two outstanding feature matches. You can feel a real feud here with Bate vs. Dunne and it’s no surprise that their match in Chicago was a near masterpiece. Fix up the first two matches on this show and it’s a classic. As it is, it’s just very good.
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NXT Date: February 22, 2017
Location: Full Sail University, Winter Park, Florida
Commentators: Tom Phillips, Percy Watson, Nigel McGuinness
We’re getting closer and closer to Orlando as we’re….well we’re still in Orlando but it’s not the big show yet. Tonight’s big deal is a triple threat match for the #1 contendership to the Women’ Title as Asuka is in need of some more competition. It’s hard to say what else we’ve got coming up around here and that’s a good thing as you could be in for a good surprise. Let’s get to it.
In Memory of George Steele.
Quick video on the triple threat.
Opening sequence.
Liv Morgan vs. Peyton Royce vs. Ember Moon
#1 contenders match and Morgan is in Space Jam Tune Squad inspired gear. Moon gets sent to the floor to start and Morgan does a Matrix move to avoid the a spinning kick. The two of them head outside and Ember hits a dive over the top to take Morgan down. We take an early break and come back with Morgan taking Peyton’s long legged choke in the corner.
Peyton sends her to the apron and puts on something like a full nelson with her legs before letting it go to put Ember back on the floor. Morgan comes back with an ankle scissors out of the corner for one but can’t follow up because it’s just an ankle scissors. The real comeback starts with a kick in the corner and a bulldog, finally drawing Ember in for the save.
A headscissors puts Moon right back outside though and it’s time for a superplex. Peyton isn’t fast enough though as Ember sneaks in to make it a Tower of Doom and all three are down. Moon loads up the Eclipse but Billie Kay takes it instead of Morgan, leaving Peyton to knee Ember in the face. A fisherman’s suplex to Morgan is good for the pin and the title shot at 11:54.
Rating: C+. That’s really the only option as Morgan has already been destroyed by Asuka and I’d assume they’re keeping Moon for a big showdown. The idea here was to keep Moon on the floor because otherwise it would have been her dominating the other two and slipping on a banana peel to lose in the end. Royce winning is the right call though I can’t imagine that title shot comes before Takeover.
Video on Pete Dunne and Mark Andrews.
Kassius Ohno is coming back.
Shinsuke Nakamura is healing up.
Mark Andrews vs. Pete Dunne
Rematch from the tournament where Dunne beat Andrews. Dunne goes straight for the fingers to start and then rips at the nose like a true heel. Andrews pops back up and sends him to the floor for a moonsault armdrag to take over. A second attempt doesn’t work though and Dunne forearms him in the jaw, followed by stomping the fingers onto the steps.
We take a break and come back with Andrews flipping Dunne over and grabbing a springboard hurricanrana. Dunne is ready for the shooting star though and forearms Andrews out of the air. The X Plex gets two but Andrews gets out of the Bitter End. A reverse hurricanrana of all things puts Dunne down again. Another Bitter End is reversed into a small package for two and the X Plex is countered into the Stundog Millionaire. Dunne gets the knees up on the shooting star though and the Bitter End wraps Andrews up at 13:52.
Rating: B+. This was very good stuff and the wrestling was enough to overcome the lack of a story coming in. In theory this sets up Dunne as the first real challenger to Bate but it’s not clear if anyone from outside the UK can challenge for the UK Title. You can also add Andrews to the list of people TNA screwed up horribly.
Kay and Royce are ready to take the Women’s Title back to Australia.
Patrick Clark is in action next week.
Tye Dillinger is ready for Sanity, no matter what they throw at him.
No Way Jose vs. Bobby Roode
Non-title and Roode’s entrance is reaching Undertaker lengths. Roode takes him to the mat to start and slaps the afro a bit. Back up and it’s dance time with a clothesline freaking Roode out a bit. The big spinebuster plants Jose again though and we take a break. Back with Roode striking the pose and grabbing a chinlock. Jose makes his comeback and cleans house with chops and a cobra clutch slam. The big right hand puts Roode on the floor but he comes back in and hits the Glorious DDT for the pin at 10:39.
Rating: C+. This was the kind of match that Roode needed. Jose is going to be fine with a loss to the champ and Roode gets a win over someone with some credibility. That being said, the credibility isn’t going to last all that long if he never wins a match anytime soon. Good enough though and a third solid match on a good show.
Post match Roode goes after the knee until Kassius Ohno makes a big return for the save. Roode asks who Ohno is so Kassius talks about how he’s been around the world. Now Ohno wants what Roode has, so Bobby is willing to put the title on the line right now. Roode gets in a cheap shot and starts in on the knee, only to get knocked out to the floor for his efforts. Ohno poses to end the show. Ohno got a strong reaction (not quite Nakamura but still a star level reception) and that’s a good thing as he’s likely going to be in the title scene very soon.
Overall Rating: A-. This was the pure wrestling show with almost no storyline development but three strong matches in the span of an hour. Sometimes you just need a long show with a lot of good wrestling and that’s what took place here. I had a good time with this and it went by fast, especially with the big angle to end the show. NXT needed a show like this and it worked very well.
Results
Peyton Royce b. Ember Moon and Liv Morgan – Fisherman’s suplex to Morgan
Pete Dunne b. Mark Andrews – Bitter End
Bobby Roode b. No Way Jose – Glorious DDT
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WWE UK Title Tournament Day Two – January 15, 2017: He Rules Britania
WWE UK Tournament Date: January 15, 2017
Location: Empress Ballroom, Blackpool, England
Commentators: Michael Cole, Nigel McGuinness
We’re back with the second and final day of the tournament where we’re see the first champion crowned. The first day was more fun than I was expecting with some good action and a few personalities getting to stand out. I’m not sure who is getting the title but that makes it a lot more fun. Let’s get to it.
We open with a recap of last night’s show. Seems appropriate.
Recap of Pete Dunne attacking Sam Gradwell along with their first round matches.
The second round has twenty minute time limits.
Quarterfinals: Pete Dunne vs. Sam Gradwell
Gradwell, with tape on his back after the attack from yesterday, goes right after him to start and clotheslines Dunne to the floor. That means a big suicide dive and Dunne is sprawled all over the place. A butterfly suplex on the ramp has Pete in more trouble as the story from last night has already done this match a lot of good. A missile dropkick drops Dunne but hurts Sam’s back as well.
The back is fine enough for a Michinoku Driver for two on Dunne as this is one sided so far. Pete rolls outside and takes a crossbody with the fans getting WAY into Gradwell. Back in and Dunne shoves him off the ropes for a big crash onto the apron, messing up the back all over again. Gradwell dives back in to beat the count but gets slammed into the corner to give Pete the pin at 4:50.
Rating: B-. This was all about the storytelling which is the most important thing you can get around here. The story with the back injury made things interesting and Pete came off as the real villain of the whole thing, which is a perfect role for him. I bought the idea that he wanted to win no matter what the cost and that gives him a character going forward.
Dunne says he was making a name for himself last night and that’s not controversial.
We look at Joseph Conners and Mark Andrews’ first round matches.
Quarterfinals: Joseph Conners vs. Mark Andrews
Andrews starts with some very fast rollups for two each but Conners elbows him in the face to cut off the offense. Joseph tries his own sunset flip, only to have Mark roll through and dropkick him down for two more. That sends Joseph outside but he avoids a moonsault off the apron and drop toeholds Andrews into the steps.
The fans are entirely behind Andrews and an enziguri staggers Joseph enough to give Mark a breather. Andrews sends him into the steps to even things up and there’s a cannonball off the barricade for good measure. Back in and Andrews’ standing moonsault hits knees and a slingshot Downward Spiral (cool) gives Conners two. Joseph takes too long putting Andrews on top though and a super hurricanrana brings him down. The Stunner out of a suplex (Stundog Millionaire) knocks Conners silly and the shooting star sends Andrews to the final four at 8:14.
Rating: C+. As much as I didn’t like Andrews in TNA, it’s rather amazing to see how much more interesting he is when he doesn’t have TNA holding him down. I mean, he’s not great or anything but he’s perfectly watchable, which is a HUGE improvement over being one of the least interesting guys I’ve seen in such a long time.
Wolfgang and Trent Seven first round recaps. Cole mistakenly says Seven beat Roy Johnson in the first round.
Fit Finlay is here.
Quarterfinals: Wolfgang vs. Trent Seven
They start slow for a change until Seven slaps him in the face. That earns him a suplex and they head outside to start the brawl. A moonsault off the barricade crushes Seven but Wolfgang bangs up his knee. A suicide dive drops Wolfgang again but he comes right back with a superplex to put both guys down.
The Seven Star Lariat is countered into Wasteland, only to have Wolfgang miss the moonsault. Another Seven Star actually connects for just two so Seven actually tries a super piledriver. Since there’s no way that’s happening, Wolfgang headbutts him down and hits the Howling (Swanton Bomb) for the pin and the big upset at 6:43.
Rating: C+. This was a better performance from Wolfgang than last night and I’m really surprised at the upset as Seven looked like a threat to win the whole thing. It’s a good match though the surprise that Seven went out that fast is pretty jarring. At least we had a surprise though and that’s a good thing.
Jordan (not George as Cole puts it) Devlin and Tyler Bate first round recaps.
Quarterfinals: Jordan Devlin vs. Tyler Bate
Bate tweaks his mustache instead of shaking hands, earning himself a forearm to the back of the head to start us off. That doesn’t last long as Devlin is knocked to the floor for a suicide dive, only to have Devlin start in on the arms. A monkey flip gets Bate out of trouble and a middle rope elbow to the jaw gets two. Devlin actually hits Bate in the face with the rope, only to miss a moonsault. The Tyler Driver 97 is countered with a hurricanrana but the second attempt sends Bate to the semifinals at 6:06.
Rating: C. Bate is very up and down but the time issues are causing problems on this show. There’s only so much that can be done in a six minute match, especially with people we have less than ten minutes of time with in the first place. Devlin going out this early is a surprise but at least the fans are responding to Bate and he has a great finisher.
I love the little wave that Bate does.
Here are the updated brackets:
Pete Dunne
Mark Andrews
Wolfgang
Tyler Bate
Video on the final four and how they want to win.
Robbie Brookside is here.
Semifinals: Pete Dunne vs. Mark Andrews
Dunne takes him straight to the mat and grabs a chinlock but a spinning armdrag sends Pete to the floor. That of course means a big flip dive as Andrews has shown me more in the last two matches than in his entire TNA run. As usual, I blame TNA. Pete bends the fingers back and goes for the stomp on the steps but Andrews snaps off a hurricanrana to take over again.
A standing 450 moonsault (GEEZ) gets two on Dunne and a springboard hurricanrana sends him outside again. Didn’t we just see this? Andrews’ latest dive is caught and dropped onto the apron, followed by a release suplex (the X Plex) onto the ramp. That’s still not enough to get a countout so Dunne stomps away on the head. Back in and yet another X Plex is countered into the Stundog Millionaire (that name is rapidly losing its charm).
Dunne has a counter of his own though as the shooting star is reversed into a rollup for a very close two. The pumphandle Downward Spiral (Bitter End) is broken up and the fifth or so X Plex is countered into the fourth or so hurricanrana for two. Another shooting star misses and ANOTHER FREAKING X PLEX sets up the Bitter End to send Dunne on at 10:45.
Rating: B-. This match is going to get high praise and I get why but DANG I was getting tired of that stupid X Plex in the second half of the match. I don’t like it when Lesnar does the same suplex over and over and Dunne is the same way. It’s still entertaining enough but this is going to be praised to death for one of the things that gets on my nerves more than anything else.
Cole and McGuinness talk about their media coverage over the last few days.
Semifinals: Wolfgang vs. Tyler Bate
They talk trash for the first minute plus until Bate is driven into the corner. That earns Wolfgang some hard shots to what might be a broken nose. Bate is too small to pick him up though and Wolfgang takes him down again. The middle rope moonsault misses again and Bate kicks him in the nose. You don’t kick a guy named Wolfgang in the face so he grabs a gorilla press into a powerslam (which the announcers say is like a Pop Up Powerbomb). The Howling is WAY off though and the Tyler Driver 97 ends Wolfgang at 6:00.
Rating: D+. Maybe it’s just overkill but I’m having some issues caring for either of these guys. Bate is small and young enough to make for an interesting character in this big underdog run and that’s all you can do with some of these characters. Bate vs. Dunne is a solid little story and I’m sure the match will be good. Watchable match here but the clock issues keep hurting things.
Wolfgang shakes hands post match and leaves, allowing Dunne to come out here and send Bate shoulder first into the post. Regal comes out to chase him off with Dunne PANICKING. At least there’s something for the finals.
Nigel, a good commentator, tells us that Dunne uses an arm hold. Above all else, that felt natural instead of like they were hammering it over our heads. Simple, yet effective.
Medics check on Bate who finally sits up. The shocked look on his face is a nice touch.
Here’s Neville for a match but first he’s got something to say. Neville gets a HUGE ovation but he talks about being forgotten by everyone, including the UK fans here in this tournament. Of course he wasn’t allowed to enter because otherwise it wouldn’t have been a contest. There isn’t a man in this kingdom or on this continent that deserves to be across the ring from him and of course that means theme music.
Neville vs. Tommy End
Feeling out process to start as we hear about End being trained by Kassius Ohno, who has been re-signed in the last few weeks. End snapmares him down and sits on the mat for an awkward staredown. Neville is sent outside for more strike exchanges with End coming out on the bad side for a change. We hit a chinlock back inside (it would be odd to do it outside) as we hear a voiceover talking about….there being no updates on Bate’s condition.
The running kick to the side of End’s head gets two but Neville dives into a kick to his own head. End gets in even more strikes and sends him outside for a middle rope moonsault. Cole: “Who says Tommy End can’t fly?” Uh, no one so far Cole. A spinning kick to the head (following a good fake) sets up a German suplex for two on Neville. End loads up something on the top but gets hurricanranaed back down, setting up the Red Arrow for the pin at 8:39.
Rating: C. Not bad here and Neville winning was the only possible outcome given that he has a pay per view title shot coming up. End was fine and I’m sure NXT will do a better job of building him up than a special like this. It’s a perfectly fine match and I’m digging heel Neville more and more every single week.
Bate has a separated AC joint but he’s fighting anyway.
Here’s Finn Balor (rocking the heck out of a suit) for a chat before the main event. Balor puts the tournament over and the fans decide that they deserve it. It’s time for the finals.
Well, it will be after we look at how both guys got to the title match.
UK Title: Pete Dunne vs. Tyler Bate
William Regal is in the ring with the belt and Bate is coming in with a very bad shoulder. A lockup doesn’t go anywhere to start so Dunne slaps him in the face, earning an ANGRY 19 year old stare. Bate’s wristlock doesn’t go anywhere so Dunne goes to the first armbar. Bate comes back with a dropkick to stagger Dunne and there go the fans with their chanting all over again.
It’s off to an ankle twist to slow Dunne down as Cole starts reading Tweets. They head outside with Tyler flat out winning a slugout, which is rather surprising. Back in again and Pete finally kicks him in the arm, only to get sent into the post for his efforts. A quick exploder sends Dunne flying but the shoulder is too gone for the Tyler Driver. The airplane spin (with three different rotations) gives Bate two but he gets caught in a triangle choke.
That doesn’t work either so Bate knocks him to the floor for a Fosbury Flop of all things. A 450 lands in a stomp (not clear if that was intentional) but Dunne kicks out again. The Bitter End is only good for two and the fans are WAY into this, as they should be. It’s off to the double wristlock (Kimura) with Dunne wrapped around Tyler’s body but Bate muscles him up into a brainbuster. They slug it out again and Tyler kicks him in the head, setting up the Tyler Driver for the pin and the title at 15:12.
Rating: A-. That might be a bit high but I got WAY more into this than I was expecting to. Bate winning is a nice choice and having him beat Dunne was as good of a story as they were going to be able to pull off. This was a much better match than I was expecting and this is the kind of match the tournament was needing to make it memorable. Great main event and Bate looked like a star despite his age.
HHH, Finlay, Regal and Balor present Bate with the title to end the show.
Overall Rating: B. I liked this one a lot more than the previous night and it’s a good way to wrap the thing up. Given that the title isn’t likely to mean much in WWE, this was perfect for a two day event that really doesn’t mean much in the big picture. It leaves a door open for WWE in the UK and that’s really all they wanted so it’s hard to complain. I liked the matches well enough and some people made their names so it’s definitely a success.
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