NXT
Date: March 7, 2023
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Booker T.

This is the Roadblock special, because we need a special event less than a month before what is probably the biggest NXT event of the year. Since the NXT Champion is in a six man tag, the real main event is probably Shawn Michaels appearing on the Grayson Waller Effect. NXT has teased Michaels fighting Waller, so odds are we see who is doing it in Michaels’ place this week. Let’s get to it.

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

We open with Tiffany’s Epiphanies, as Tiffany Stratton runs down the card and talks about how we got here. In her own style of course.

Tony D’Angelo vs. Dijak

This is the Jailhouse Street Fight, meaning a casket match with a jail cell (weird choice of name). Dijak tries a nightstick to start but gets clotheslined to the floor instead. It’s way too early to send Dijak into the cell but D’Angelo fights his way out of it too. After Stacks gets knocked down, they head back inside where Dijak hits High Justice onto a chair. Dijak throws in a bunch of chairs as commentary makes Big Boss Man references.

A bunch of chair shots put D’Angelo down but he catches Dijak on top with a chair shot. The flipping belly to back superplex sends Dijak crashing (that looked good) and we take a break. Back with Dijak hitting a springboard elbow to put D’Angelo through a table on the floor (that looked good). D’Angelo is back up with the belly to back Rock Bottom on the floor and they’re both down.

Dijak is sent into the cell but brings Stacks with him for the save. A discus boot to the face puts Stacks over the barricade so D’Angelo throws Dijak down. D’Angelo explodes with chair shots but a low blow gets Dijak out of trouble. Stacks dives into the cell to keep the door from closing, allowing D’Angelo to come back with a bunch of crowbar shots. The door is slammed onto Dijak’s head and D’Angelo locks him in for the win at 11:22.

Rating: C+. The elbow alone gets this a boost but otherwise, I have no idea why this needed to have the jail cell deal. It didn’t add much of anything and Dijak getting knocked cold in the cell isn’t much better than having him get pinned. This was a weird way to go, but a face D’Angelo could be….I’m not sure what actually.

Roxanne Perez is nervous about facing Meiko Satomura tonight and she has pushed herself harder than ever. She’s ready.

Josh Briggs comes in to Kiana James’ office to talk about Brooks Jensen and Fallon Henley. Briggs points out the flowers that someone (who he assumes to be Jensen) sent her and says his friends’ happiness is his own happiness. After pulling away the name card and hiding it under her planner, James seems concerned and agrees to call Jensen tonight.

Here is Gallus for a chat. They waste no time in calling out Pretty Deadly, who pop up on the platform. Gallus wants them down here face to face and ask what it is going to take to make that happen. Gallus lays the titles down and say come take them, so here is Pretty Deadly. The beating doesn’t take long and Pretty Deadly runs off without much of a fight. The eventual match should be interesting.

Lyra Valkyria isn’t pleased with Stevie Turner because she is here for a fight. Valkyria wants the Women’s Title too.

New signing Dragon Lee is here.

Indus Sher vs. Bron Breakker/Creed Brothers

It’s a brawl on the floor before the bell with Indus Sher taking over. We start with Veer and Breakker hammering on each other until Julius comes in to take over. Brutus slams Julius onto Veer for two before it’s off to Mahal. A suplex drops Mahal in a hurry and it’s off to Breakker to slug it out with Sanga. Everything breaks down and the good guys send them outside for the big flip dive, allowing them to pose as we take a break.

Back with Mahal kneeing Julius in the face for two but Julius flips out of a belly to back suplex. Sanga comes in to run Julius over but something like an Angle Slam gets Sanga out of it. Breakker gets the tag and scores with a moonsault before Julius hits a heck of a 450 for two. A Doomsday Deice is broken up though and Sanga runs Julius over. A side slam/middle rope elbow drop gets two and everything breaks down again. Everything breaks down and Breakker spears Sanga and Mahal. Julius slams Veer down, setting up a Doomsday Brutus Ball for the pin at 11:13.

Rating: C+. That should be the end of the Creeds vs. Indus Sher unless they run back the regular tag match one more time. Other than that, this was Breakker smashing people and the Creeds holding their own against the monsters. Mahal continues to add nothing, but that hasn’t stopped them for a long time now.

Long video on Gigi Dolin vs. Jacy Jayne.

It’s time for the Grayson Waller Effect. We waste no time in having Shawn Michaels come out as the guest, with Waller saying he would have freaked out if he was here at 12 years old. Waller brings up being a Bret Hart guy though, and Shawn says “we’re going there”? As the fans chant HB Shizzle (that will never get old), Shawn talks about how they used to be cool and wants to know what changed.

Waller talks about how he won the Iron Survivor Challenge, he was taking over. For some reason though, Shawn treats Waller the same as people used to treat Shawn in his day. Shawn was told he was too small and not a draw but look what happened. That doesn’t work for Shawn, who says Waller cashed in his title shot and lost. To see the problem, Waller needs to look in the mirror.

Waller says Shawn is only in the Gorilla Position every week because HHH had a heart attack. Shawn can give him that one, but Waller needs to understand something: HBK is directing this ship. Waller accuses Shawn of trying to get rid of him, maybe even cutting him after Wrestlemania, because they don’t want a star. That doesn’t work for Shawn, who says NXT has always been about the collective.

We hear a list of names who helped build the place (including the Undisputed Era) and the current stars, which includes Waller. The thing is, Waller is just a part of it. Waller: “I’m a part of it! I’m a part of it!” Waller doesn’t buy this team player stuff from SHAWN MICHAELS, but Shawn says that isn’t true of him now.

That sends Waller out of his chair, because Shawn doesn’t see what is right in front of him. Shawn: “ENOUGH!” People a lot bigger than Waller have been running him down for 40 years, but do not ever run NXT into the ground. Waller: “Then do something about it.” Waller issues the challenge for Stand & Deliver for Shawn to put on the HBK had one last time.

Shawn takes off his jacket and says that for over a decade, he has had people challenging him to a Wrestlemania dream match. People have been asking for dream matches for so long that they have backed the Brinks truck to his door. Heck the drivers know his address! Waller is just a guy and he’ll come and go. Everyone wants to fight Shawn, and nothing would make him happier than to beat Waller up at Stand & Deliver.

The reality is there is someone who wants to take Waller out even more, and that man is…..Johnny Gargano. The brawl is on and Waller bails in a hurry. Ok they needed someone big if Shawn wasn’t going to do it and Gargano fits. And remember: Waller interrupted Gargano’s NXT farewell and it was never followed up on, so well done for some continuity.

Gigi Dolin vs. Jacy Jayne

Dolin (who didn’t get an entrance) takes her to the floor to start and the brawl is on. Back in and Dolin cranks the arm and yells a lot before going right back to the floor. Dolin knocks her down again and we take a break. Back with Dolin fighting out of a chinlock but getting dropped with a clothesline for two. Dolin fires off kicks to the chest but Jayne grabs a neckbreaker. Dolin is right back with an abdominal stretch, which she swings back like a crucifix bomb….for the pin at 7:58. Well ok then.

Rating: C-. I’m not sure what happened here but it wasn’t an interesting or even important feeling match. The ending came out of nowhere and felt more like Dolin caught Jayne rather than beating her. This match showed one major problem: outside of having different hair color, there isn’t much to make these two stand out from each other. Save for a few moments here and there, they have never done anything other than stand behind Mandy Rose and be a team. That doesn’t work well when you need to make a new star and it wasn’t working here.

Post match Jayne shrugs off the impact of the abdominal stretch bomb and loads up a Pillmanization but referees break it up. So this is going to continue?

Brooks Jensen apologizes to Fallon Henley about the Kiana James stuff. Josh Briggs comes in to compliment him on the roses idea, but Jensen seems a bit confused. Anyway, James calls him (Jensen: “Hey girl.”) and they seem to have a date, with Henley being astounded by how he was talking. Henley and Briggs pick up on the roses deal and have an idea.

Here is Bron Breakker to say it’s time to set up the biggest match on the biggest stage. At Stand & Deliver, he wants Carmelo Hayes, and calls him out right now. Cue Hayes to say that yes, it is time for these two to go at it. Breakker says he has been going through challenger after challenger but he kept wanting it to be Hayes. They’re both ready to fight and they’ll do it at Stand & Deliver. This felt like they were building up a battle of titans rather than a personal feud and that is a good way to go.

Thea Hail is meditating with Tyler Bate when Chase U comes up. Hail is making progress in her recovery and she’s ready to be out there for now. Duke Hudson doesn’t buy Bate’s “snake oil” for a second.

Joe Gacy vs. Andre Chase

Joined in progress with Chase hitting a running clothesline and hammering away as Chase U is rather happy on the floor (Schism on the other hand is unhappy). Gacy knees him in the face and gets two off a brainbuster. Chase comes right back with the spelling stomps but gets caught on top. A sunset bomb gives Chase two but Thea Hail goes after Ava on the floor. That’s enough of a distraction for Gacy to hit the handspring lariat for the pin at 4:26.

Rating: C-. I’m out of ways to get upset at Chase losing and Gacy winning over and over. For the life of me I don’t get what NXT sees in Gacy and Schism but there is a chance that it involves the father of one of the team’s members. This didn’t have time to go anywhere and involved far too healthy of a dose of Gacy to be very good.

Isla Dawn and Alba Fyre are in the woods under the full moon and get rather spooky.

Post match Andre Chase tells Thea Hail he’s proud of her but Duke Hudson reminds Chase that he lost. Hudson says Chase U is a bunch of loses and a bloody joke before walking off.

Wes Lee issues another open challenge for next week. Cue Axiom to say he’s getting the shot, though Lee says get to the ring first. Seems cool with Axiom.

Women’s Title: Meiko Satomura vs. Roxanne Perez

Satomura is challenging. Bell, handshake, break nine seconds in. Back with Satomura taking her down with a test of strength but Perez pulls her into a chinlock. That’s reversed into an ankle crank before Satomura starts striking away at the face. A running forearm just wakes Perez up and she dragon screw legwhips Satomura down. Perez knocks her outside for the dive but a super Russian legsweep is blocked.

Satomura kicks away but Perez sticks the landing on a Death Valley Driver. Another attempt works and Satomura hits the cartwheel knees to the back. They head outside with Pop Rox not exactly working so Satomura hits Scorpio Rising for two, with the foot on the rope saving the title. Perez is fine enough to grab a rollup for the pin at 14:00.

Rating: B. This was the best match of the night and it was hyped up more than any other match, but it didn’t exactly feel epic. Part of that is due to Satomura being explained to us rather than shown to us. She is absolutely a legend and by far the best in-ring star in the division, but her only time under the WWE banner was in NXT UK. No one saw her there, so what is there for fans who haven’t seen her to go off? She’s clearly great if you just watch her in the ring, but you need more than that to make this feel like some huge accomplishment for Perez.

Post match respect is shown…and Perez collapses. Referees and medics come out, with Booker T. getting in the ring to check on her as well. Perez is taken to the back on a stretcher and into the ambulance to end the show. This feels like it is tying into the “I’ve never trained harder” promo from earlier.

Overall Rating: C+. I’m really not sure why this needed to be a special. There were some matches that felt bigger than normal, but giving the show a name and talking about it like it was something important didn’t really work. Having so much Stand & Deliver talk didn’t help either, as that show felt so much bigger than anything else that was going on here. What we got was good, but this certainly didn’t feel like a must see show, no matter what catchy name it had.

Results
Tony D’Angelo b. Dijak – Dijak was locked in the cell
Creed Brothers/Bron Breakker b. Indus Sher – Doomsday Brutus Ball to Veer
Gigi Dolin b. Jacy Jayne – Abdominal stretch bomb
Joe Gacy b. Andre Chase – Handspring lariat
Roxanne Perez b. Meiko Satomura – Rollup

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

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NXT
Date: February 28, 2023
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Booker T.

We are about a month away from Stand & Deliver and the card is starting to take shape. While nothing has happened yet and Roadblock is next week, you can probably figure out a lot of what is coming. One thing that is not entirely clear is what will be going on with Shawn Michaels and Grayson Waller, but maybe we can find out some more tonight. Let’s get to it.

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

We open with a huge brawl of people trying to get to the ring to answer Wes Lee’s open challenge for a North American Title shot. Dabba-Kato almost makes it in but Apollo Crews jumps him. Nathan Frazer returns and gets inside for the title shot.

North American Title: Nathan Frazer vs. Wes Lee

Lee is defending. Frazer headlocks him down to start and holds him there for a good bit. That’s broken up and Lee nips to his feet for a standoff. Lee takes Frazer down but they’re right back up with lee being sent outside. Frazer’s big dive is cut off by a kick to the head and we take a break.

Back with Frazer missing the Phoenix splash but a double crossbody leaves them both down. Frazer hits an AJ Styles moonsault into a (lifting) DDT for two and superplexes him into a spinning neckbreaker for two more. Lee is sent outside but Frazer’s big dive only hits the announcers’ table. Lee busts out a big flip dive to drop Frazer again and the Cardiac Kick retains the title at 13:33.

Rating: B-. This was the kind of fast paced, all energy opener that makes great sense as a choice to start the show. Lee gets another win on his long list as champion and there is a good chance the list could keep going for a good while to come. Frazer returning was a surprise too so this worked in multiple ways.

Respect is shown post match.

JD McDonagh talks about having a torn retina repaired. He loves inflicting pain and is ready to damage Ilja Dragunov.

Josh Briggs tries to perk Brooks Jensen up over his problems with Kiana James. Briggs says all men are stupid with women and he’s proud of Jensen for getting so far. Things seem to be a bit better.

Video on Tyler Bate.

Hank Walker and Axiom get into it over Walker hitting him to try to get to the North American Title match. Shoving ensues and a match seems likely for later.

Josh Briggs/Brooks Jensen vs. Indus Sher

Jinder Mahal is here with Indus Sher. Sangs powers Jensen around to start but Jensen manages a spinning faceplant. Briggs comes in for a front facelock but Jensen isn’t there for the tag. Instead Jensen comes in and gets knocked down by Sanga as the beating is on. Veer holds Jensen up for a kick to the ribs and we hit the cobra clutch. Jensen finally avoids an elbow and it’s Briggs coming in to clean house. Another double team doesn’t work as Jensen’s head isn’t in it, meaning it’s a chokeslam and Million Dollar Arm to finish Jensen at 3:27.

Rating: C. This was more about Briggs and Jensen’s issues than Indus Sher winning. Jensen and Briggs having issues with Fallon Henley and Kiana James is causing problems for the team and that isn’t good for their future. It still feels like there is a big reveal coming in that story and it wouldn’t surprise me to see it happen in the next few weeks.

Post match Mahal issues a challenge to the Creed Brothers for a six man tag next week.

Wendy Choo was attacked in the parking lot during the break and seems to have an injured elbow.

Here is Gigi Dolin for a chat. She says this is the last time that you’ll hear the Toxic Attraction theme song. Dolin is going to go fast because she isn’t Jacy Jayne, who loves to hear her own voice. She can live with the physical pain from Jayne jumping her because it told Dolin about herself. Dolin knows how to survive because her own mother used her as her own personal punching bag for years. Jayne calls herself the last woman standing but Dolin keeps getting back up. They’re fighting next week at Roadblock and Dolin is bringing everything she has. Dolin was trying here, but Jayne feels like a much bigger star.

We go to Chase U, where Duke Hudson tries to apologize to Thea Hail. She seems to accept it, but here is Andre Chase to talk about factions in WWE history. Schism hacks the classroom’s feed and talks about how fake Chase U is at everything. Chase is ready to fight next week. If it involves getting rid of cults in wrestling, I’m all for it.

Meiko Satomura vs. Zoey Stark

Roxanne Perez is on commentary as they grapple around to start. Stark slips out of a front facelock but Satomura grabs a headlock and grinds away. Back up and Stark sends her into the corner so Satomura needs a breather on the floor. That’s fine with Satomura, who kicks Stark down as we take a break.

Back with Satomura being sent into the corner again but being fine enough to kick a springboarding Stark out of the air. Stark comes up favoring her knee so Satomura kicks her down again and drops a top rope splash for two. Satomura’s cartwheel kick to the back misses though and Stark’s slingshot splash gets two. More kicks give Stark two but she misses a 450. The Death Valley Driver drops Stark and Scorpio Rising gives Satomura the pin at 11:16.

Rating: C+. This was a hard hitting match that was all about giving Satomura momentum going into next week’s title shot against Perez. Satomura is going to be able to have a good match with anyone and Stark can carry her own as well. This did what it needed to do but they were working hard enough to make it a bit better.

Post match Perez gets in for the respectful staredown.

We look back at Grayson Waller hijacking the production truck and calling out Shawn Michaels to end last week’s show.

Shawn Michaels has accepted the invitation for the Grayson Waller Effect next week at Roadblock.

There is no word on how injured Wendy Choo may be but Tiffany Stratton isn’t interested. Kayden Carter and Katana Chance think there Stratton is up to something, but she asks where they were when Nikkita Lyons was attacked. Hair flipping ensues.

We get the Montez Ford/Bianca Belair Titanic trailer.

The Creed Brothers need a partner against Indus Sher. They run into Damon Kemp and even though they don’t like him, he’s what they need next week. Kemp smirks a lot and turns them down. Bron Breakker comes up though and says he’s in. Julius asks if Breakker could have been here a minute earlier to avoid having to humiliate himself with Kemp but he’ll take the champ next week.

Sol Ruca vs. Elektra Lopez

Valentina Feroz is here with Lopez. Ruca has to flip out of a wristlock to start but gets sent to the apron. Lopez knocks her off the top and out to the floor in a heap. Back in and Ruca fights out of the neck crank before firing off the running shoulders. A butterfly suplex drops Lopez but she avoids a flipping clothesline in the corner. Lopez goes for her brass knuckles in the turnbuckle but Feroz has taken them away. The Sol Snatcher finishes Lopez at 4:56.

Rating: C. I’m not sure how much interest there is in this Feroz/Lopez stuff, but as usual this was more about making Ruca look good. The Sol Snatcher is going to get a reaction every time and Ruca is making it look a lot more natural. Ruca has all hf the tools to go somewhere and this was another step in the right direction.

Post match Lopez yells at Feroz, who lays her out with the brass knuckles.

Gallus is shooting pool and Mark Coffey is a bit worried about Pretty Deadly. A guy accidentally runs into Wolfgang and violence ensues.

Pretty Deadly is ready to talk to Gallus next week, despite a tweet from Drew McIntyre talking about how much trouble they’re in.

Katana Chance vs. Tiffany Stratton

Kayden Carter is at ringside. Chance hits a dropkick to start but gets sent to the apron, where she grabs a slingshot headscissors. Stratton takes her down and sets up a double arm crank to slow the pace a bit. Back up and Chance grabs a headscissors but cue Alba Fyre and Isla Dawn. The distraction lets Stratton pull Chance out of the air and plant her down. The moonsault (to Chance’s shins) is enough for the pin at 3:36.

Rating: C. Chance and Carter’s downhill spiral continues as Stratton still seems like the next big villain in the women’s division. That means giving her wins like this, though she might want to work on that moonsault. Stratton would be perfect as the villain who brags about being the champion, and the push towards the title is likely to happen sooner than later.

Post match Stratton says she wants the Women’s Title. So, sooner.

Brooks Jensen apologizes to Josh Briggs about what happened but Briggs tells him to get his girl back. Briggs will talk to Kiana James though.

Axiom vs. Hank Walker

Axiom goes straight for a choke to start but gets driven into the corner. A shot to the face annoys Walker, who knocks Axiom down hard. Walker spins him into a faceplant but Axiom is back with a running kick in the corner. Axiom’s high crossbody and some strikes just seem to fire Walker up but he blasts Axiom with a clothesline. A kick to the face staggers Walker though and the Golden Ratio gives Axiom the pin at 3:38.

Rating: C-. Axiom seems to be getting the feel of what he is doing more and more every week. He is turning into a heck of a high flier who can hang with anyone and that Golden Ratio is getting better and better. Walker is someone who has some tools but needs experience to put some things together. That might happen down the line, but it isn’t there yet.

Grayson Waller responds to Shawn Michaels. He knows to never say never, so don’t make him put Shawn in a place Shawn said he would never be in again.

Carmelo Hayes vs. Tyler Bate

Trick Williams is here with Hayes, who grabs a wristlock to start. Bate slips out of that but gets sent outside, where he comes back in quickly. They trade rollups for two each before Bate blocks what looks to be a Codebreaker. Some European uppercuts against the ropes stagger Hayes again and there’s a spinning headscissors to stagger him again. Bate dropkicks him to the floor and hits the big dive as we take a break.

Back with Bate having to deck Williams before airplane spinning Hayes for two. The rebound lariat gives Bate two more but Hayes plants him down hard. Bate is fine enough to catch Hayes on top with a superplex but Williams offers a distraction. Spiral tap misses for Bate and Williams grabs the Codebreaker into Nothing But Net for the pin at 11:20.

Rating: B-. These two are both reliable hands in the ring so it isn’t surprising that they would do well in the main event here. That being said, this didn’t quite hit a high level and it was more about Hayes getting another win to bolster his resume before Stand & Deliver. Hayes is ready to challenge for the title now, and beating Bate just got him a step closer.

Overall Rating: C+. This show was about building up Roadblock and that went well enough, even if it is a bit weird to have a big show three weeks before the biggest show of the year. What matters is Roadblock is being set up and then we can get ready for the real show. Another efficient show here though and that’s where NXT tends to shine.

Results
Wes Lee b. Nathan Frazer – Cardiac Kick
Indus Sher b. Josh Briggs/Brooks Jensen – Million Dollar Arm to Jensen
Meiko Satomura b. Zoey Stark – Scorpio Rising
Sol Ruca b. Elektra Lopez – Sol Snatcher
Tiffany Stratton b. Katana Chance – Moonsault
Axiom b. Hank Walker – Golden Ratio
Carmelo Hayes b. Tyler Bate – Nothing But Net

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

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

AND

Remember to check out Wrestlingrumors.net for all of your wrestling headline needs.

NXT
Date: February 21, 2023
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Booker T.

We are on our way to Roadblock and then Stand & Deliver, which means we should be in for some big stuff over the next few weeks. That includes this week, as Bron Breakker defends the NXT Title against Jinder Mahal. Ok so not everything can be the biggest deal in the world. Let’s get to it.

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

Trick Williams vs. Ilja Dragunov

Before the match, Williams says that if pain makes Dragunov feel alive, he’ll be on cloud nine tonight. Williams hits him in the face before the bell so Dragunov starts angry. That means an angry headlock on the mat, with Williams having to bail to the ropes. Back up and Dragunov hits a running knee in the corner for two, followed by another such knee to keep Williams down. Dragunov goes up but gets kicked in the leg, allowing Williams to knock him to the floor. Cue JD McDonagh to watch as we take a break.

Back with Dragunov fighting out of a cravate and hitting a 61Line for the double knockdown. With McDonagh on commentary, Dragunov knocks Williams down again and drops a middle rope knee. An enziguri staggers Dragunov, who is fine enough to hit a powerbomb for two more. The Torpedo finishes for Dragunov at 13:09.

Rating: C+. Dragunov is probably going to become a pretty big deal around here as he has the talent and bizarre charisma that makes fans care about him. At the same time, Williams continues to be one of the biggest unsung heroes of NXT. He’s smooth in the ring and knows how to talk. It’s a great combination and compliments Carmelo Hayes while also being his own thing. Williams deserves some more attention, as well as praise.

Jinder Mahal brings up Bron Breakker getting shaken up by the fans booing him. Tonight, he’ll win the NXT Title.

Fallon Henley tries to get in touch with Brooks Jensen after last week. Josh Briggs says Jensen needs time and Henley was wrong about the whole thing. She needs to go apologize to Kiana James, which she reluctantly agrees to do.

Earlier today, Meiko Satomura held a training session in the Performance Center, with Roxanne Perez joining in. Perez was the only one to make it to the end…..of the warmup, which seems to have her quite shaken.

Here is Tyler Bate for a chat. He wasn’t sure about coming to the United States but the love he had received from most of the fans tell him that he made the right decision. Bate has faced some very tough challengers, and now it is time to join a mystical journey. Cue Schism to interrupt, with Joe Gacy seeming to offer him a spot on the team. Bate is going to turn that down but Gacy threatens m him with gang violence. Cue Chase U to chase Schism off.

Chase U vs. Dyad

We’re joined in progress with Hudson coming in to drop an elbow on Reid. Chase gets driven into the wrong corner though as Booker has flashbacks about Boogeyman abducting his wife. A hard clothesline gets two on Chase and we hit the chinlock. Reid’s shoulder breaker gets two on Chase and we’re right back to the chinlock. Chase fights up and Hudson comes in to clean house. It’s back to Chase as everything breaks down, with Reid hitting a suicide dive on Hudson as we take a break.

Back with Chase getting the hot tag and cleaning house, including taking down Reid and Fowler at the same time. Chase dives onto Fowler on the floor and hits a high crossbody for two on Reid. The Russian legsweep sets up the Spelling Stomps but we stop for Chase to get between Thea Hail and Ava. The distraction lets Hudson get caught with the double Codebreaker for the pin at 12:33.

Rating: C+. Just let them win something already! NXT was handed a crazy over act with Chase U and they lose over and over and over. Save for a one off Tag Team Title shot in a four way this month, I can’t remember the last time they won anything of note. Now they go down again, and to freaking Schism of all people. Pretty decent match, but the frustration continues.

Post break Hudson blames Hail for the loss. Hudson: “Is this a university or a charity?” Great, as we’re getting to the split.

Earlier today, Mr. Stone tried to fire up Von Wagner when Tony D’Angelo and Stacks came in to yell about him costing them last week. The result is a match between Wagner and D’Angelo, much against Stone’s wishes.

Drew Gulak and Charlie Dempsey don’t think much of Hank Walker. Gulak wants someone willing to hurt people, like Dempsey.

Sol Ruca talks about loving to try new things, often involving surfing or a skateboard.

Jacy Jayne vs. Indi Hartwell

Hartwell misses a clothesline to start and gets caught with a neckbreaker for two. Some low kicks give Jayne two and we hit the chinlock. Hartwell fights up but gets sent shoulder first into the post. With Hartwell in trouble, cue Gigi Dolin to jump Jayne for the DQ at 5:08.

Rating: C. That was a bit sudden for a Dolin comeback but this is likely headed to a showdown at Roadblock, Stand & Deliver, or both. It wouldn’t surprise me to see these two have some kind of a big street fight or something like that, which should let them beat the fire out of each other. That might be a lot better than trying to have them do a regular, long form match. Then you have Hartwell and she….well she certainly exists.

Back to the Meiko Satomura/Roxanne Perez training session, with Perez trying but running out of energy. Satomura approves of the effort though, saying that the win comes from the heart, not muscles. Their title match is in two weeks.

Zoey Stark isn’t happy with Meiko Satomura being handed a title shot or everyone accusing her of attacking Nikkita Lyons.

Gallus vs. Malik Blade/Edris Enofe

Non-title. Blade and Coffey take turns powering each other up against the ropes to start. Wolfgang comes in for the running uppercut but cue some guys in costumes, with a cake. Blade and Enofe hit something like a suplex into a Backstabber for two on Coffey. Wolfgang is back up with the running forearm into a powerslam for the pin on Enofe at 3:49.

Rating: C-. I still like Blade and Enofe but it doesn’t seem that WWE thinks very highly of them, as they were little more than cannon fodder here. Gallus aren’t the most inspiring champions but they can do the power stuff. Pretty Deadly vs. Gallus worked well enough in the UK so maybe they can make it work again here.

Post match the guys in costumes present the cake, which makes the two year anniversary of Pretty Deadly beating Gallus for the NXT UK Tag Team Titles. Gallus cleans house but the real Pretty Deadly comes in from behind to beat up Gallus with chairs. That’s a more aggressive side from Pretty Deadly and I think I like it.

Dabba-Kato says that while Apollo Crews has been looking to the future, he has forgotten his past. He is here to hurt Crews.

Stevie Turner interrupts the announcers and uses a randomizer to pick who she should talk about. It’s Lyra Valkyria, who has those weird feathers. The stream ends just as Vic Joseph is ready to ask his own question.

Tony D’Angelo vs. Von Wagner

Stacks and Mr. Stone are here too. Wagner powers him around to start, followed by a big boot to drop D’Angelo again. A clothesline cuts off D’Angelo’s comeback but Wagner misses a charge into the corner. D’Angelo hits a belly to belly and spinebuster, followed by a belly to back slam for the pin at 3:49.

Rating: C. This Wagner story needs to wrap up already, as he continues to be one of the driest stars that is regularly presented anywhere on wrestling TV. Other than an oddly shaped head, there is nothing about him that makes him stand out in the slightest. Let it go already and get someone with a brighter future in there instead.

Post match D’Angelo says he’s sick of Dijak and wants a Jailhouse Street Fight at Roadblock.

Nikkita Lyons has undergone successful surgery but doesn’t know what happened when she was attacked. Tiffany Stratton pops in to say she’s tired of Lyons’ whining, but Lyons thinks that sounds suspicious. Stratton’s solution: leave for a year and get better.

Tatum Paxley and Ivy Nile agree they’re still a team, despite what Isla Dawn and Alba Fyre said. Paxley doesn’t seem so sure.

Carmelo Hayes praises Trick Williams for his efforts earlier when Tyler Bate interrupts. Bate talks about how there are going to be issues at times and Williams seems to improve. Hayes is glad that Bate’s journey has nothing to do with the NXT Title. Bate smiles a bit as Hayes and Williams leave.

Alba Fyre vs. Ivy Nile

Isla Dawn and Tatum Paxley are here too. Nile throws Fyre into the corner to start and hammers away for an early two. The comeback is on with Nile grabbing the Diamond Chain Lock, drawing Dawn to the apron. Paxley gets up as well, only to have Nile driven into her. The superkick and Alba Bomb finish Nile at 2:58.

Video on Bron Breakker.

Fallon Henley apologizes to Kiana James over the allegations of cheating. James didn’t tell her the truth because he wanted Henley to trust her. The apology is accepted, but James accuses Henley of being jealous of her relationship with Brooks Jensen. Either way, they’re good for now.

Wes Lee loved the open challenge so much last week that he’s going to do it again next week. It’s just who he is.

NXT Title: Bron Breakker vs. Jinder Mahal

Mahal, with Indus Sher, is challenging and takes Breakker down to start. Breakker is back up with a shoulder and spinebuster but it is too early for the Steiner Recliner. With Mahal on the floor, Breakker busts out the big running flip dive to take out the villains. Indus Sher teases getting involved so here are the Creed Brothers to get rid of them.

We take a break and come back with Breakker being sent outside. A whip into the steps has Breakker in more trouble but he’s fine enough to hit a spinebuster back inside. Mahal bails to the floor before the spear can launch, allowing Mahal to hit a superkick into a suplex for two. Breakker is back with a spear and release suplex for two of his own, The Khallas is countered and another spear retains the title at 10:47.

Rating: D+. Yeah I’m not a bit surprised that this didn’t work. Mahal has never been a ring general and Breakker hasn’t even been wrestling for two years now. There was no one to lead here and the interest in any Mahal match is going to be limited at best most of the time. Pretty bad main event event here and Breakker needs to move on to anything else.

Carmelo Hayes pops up on stage for the showdown…..but Grayson Waller takes over the feed and says he’s the new Main Event, Showstopper and Mr. Stand & Deliver. No one can stop him, including Shawn Michaels, so maybe Shawn can meet him on the Grayson Waller Effect in two weeks. Again: I don’t know what they’re doing with Shawn vs. Waller, but unless they have a heck of a surprise to fight for Shawn, it’s going to feel like a letdown if he doesn’t fight Waller himself. That’s certainly what they have been teasing.

Overall Rating: C+. The wrestling was up and down (with the main event being rather down) but what matters is they moved things forward towards both Roadblock and Stand & Deliver. This show has me wondering what they have planned for those events as NXT is doing a good job of setting things up for later. Pretty nice show this week, which saw more seeds being planted or getting to grow a bit on the way to the important stuff.

Results
Ilja Dragunov b. Trick Williams – Torpedo
Dyad b. Chase U – Double Codebreaker to Hudson
Jacy Jayne b. Indi Hartwell via DQ when Gigi Dolin interfered
Gallus b. Malik Blade/Edris Enofe – Running forearm/powerslam combination to Enofe
Tony D’Angelo b. Von Wagner – Belly to back slam
Alba Fyre b. Ivy Nile – Alba Bomb
Bron Breakker b. Jinder Mahal – Spear

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

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NXT
Date: February 14, 2023
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Booker T., Vic Joseph

It’s Valentine’s Day and that is not likely to mean much of anything here. We are about a month and a half away from Stand & Deliver and Carmelo Hayes is looking like a strong option to go after Bron Breakker’s NXT Title. Other than that, NXT has some work to do so let’s get to it.

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

In Memory Of Jerry Jarrett.

Grayson Waller vs. Tyler Bate

Waller takes him to the rope to start the choking, while shouting that Shawn Michaels bet on the wrong horse. Bate grabs his own foot and swings it into Waller’s face, followed by a dropkick for two. A quick shot lets Waller grab a cravate with the knee to the face getting two more.

The back and forth continues as Bate runs him over and hits a standing shooting star press for his own near fall. They go outside with Booker going on his latest long winded rant about how attitude will get you to Wrestlemania. Waller slides back in and then back outside for a hard clothesline and we take a break.

Back with Bate avoiding the rolling Stunner and hitting the rebound lariat for two more. A middle rope uppercut sets up the airplane spin for two on Waller and frustration is setting in. Waller is back with a leg lariat into an Unprettier for two of his own and more frustration sets in. With nothing else working, Waller Tunes Up The Band but Bate cuts him off with Bop And Bang. A superkick gives Bate two more with Waller having to grab the rope. Bate tries the sunset flip but Waller grabs the rope for two, only to have Bate break the grip and get the pin at 11:57.

Rating: B-. The Shawn stuff is interesting as I can’t imagine he’ll get back in the ring at an NXT show, but that is where they seem to be building towards. Unless Shawn has someone to fight for him, I’m not sure where that is going. Bate winning is a good thing as he needs to be rebuilt (again) and beating the most recent #1 contender is a good place to start.

Earlier today, Brooks Jensen was worried about Valentine’s Day with Kiana James, revealing that he has never kissed a woman before. Josh Briggs gives him an explanation (math is involved) and even starts to demonstrate when Fallon Henley comes in. Briggs explains what is going on and Henley says keep it simple: when Jensen drops off James at her door, if James plays with her keys, go for it. Jensen seems to feel better.

Jacy Jayne is coming to the ring but we can see Grayson Waller yelling at Shawn Michaels. Matt Bloom breaks it up and a furious Shawn says cut to the break.

Apollo Crews is up set at Dabba-Kato for returning and attacking him at Vengeance Day.

Here is Jacy Jayne for an explanation about turning on Gigi Dolin last week. Jayne says last week was the beginning of her story and now it is about her. She has been the talk of NXT for the last week and her name is on the tip of everyone’s tongue. Jayne has already watched the footage back 1000 times, so let’s make it 1001.

After that produced video rather than just the regular footage, Jayne calls Dolin Jannetty and says the days of Chuckie are over. Everyone needs to listen to her carefully: screw you. She is tired of being the third wheel in the most dominant faction in WWE history. But now, look who is the last woman standing. This wasn’t exactly original (the amount of “IT’S ALL ABOUT ME” promos over the years is astounding) but Jayne did deliver it well.

Chase U tells Thea Hail that she can talk to them about what Schism did anytime they want. She’s ready to go tonight though, and is going to say “Hi fear, I’m Thea.”

Video on Sol Ruca.

Thea Hail vs. Tiffany Stratton

The rest of Chase U is here too. Hail armdrags her down to start and hits a running dropkick for a bonus. Cue Schism (in different parts of the arena) to scare Hail though, allowing Stratton to knock her off the apron. Back in and Hail knocks her to the floor again, setting up the suicide dive. Ava Raine pops up for another distraction, allowing Stratton to plant Hail. The moonsault finishes for Stratton at 3:29.

Rating: C. This was all about keeping Hail vs. Schism going and that feels like it is going to last for a long time. Getting inside Hail’s mind is a good way to go, but at the same time, but Schism has a tendency to drag down almost anyone they work with. Hopefully that isn’t the case here, as Chase U has taken enough damage already. Stratton gets a win as her comeback continues and that is about as good as she can do right now.

Javier Bernal comes up to Tatum Paxley/Ivy Nile in the back and offers to let both of them be his Javytine. Paxley is taken but Nile actually says yes. Then she chokes Bernal out. Isla Dawn’s voice pops up to threaten Paxley and Nile, who don’t seem pleased.

Axiom vs. Damon Kemp

Fallout from Kemp attacking him a few weeks back. Axiom goes right for him to start as Booker talks about the Matrix. The big kick to the head misses so Kemp heads outside, with Axiom hitting a suicide dive. Back in and Kemp snaps off a wheelbarrow suplex and Axiom is in trouble in a hurry. A release German suplex does it again and Axiom gets knocked out to the floor. Axiom strikes away back inside but his high crossbody is rolled through for two. Another German suplex gives Kemp two more but Axiom hits him in the face. The Golden Ratio finishes Kemp at 3:31.

Rating: C+. Axiom is falling into his groove as a rather good midcard star as they have gotten rid of some of the bad things that he had been doing. The superhero deal works well for him and he can back it up in the ring. I’m still not sure what is going on with Kemp, who could be a decent star, but that Diamond Mine feud seemed to ruin him for some reason.

We see some Instagram posts about Brooks Jensen and Kiana James’ Valentine’s Day date.

Fallon Henley has to tell Brooks Jensen what is going on.

Grayson Waller has been thrown out and rants about Shawn Michaels, saying there is no more Heartbreak Kid and he runs this place.

Here is Bron Breakker for a chat. Breakker says it doesn’t feel right around here because the next challenge feels bigger. The match everyone wants to see is Breakker vs. him (not named) but here are Jinder Mahal and Indus Sher to interrupt. Breakker wasn’t expecting them, but Mahal says you have to expect the unexpected. The villains get inside, with Mahal talking about the stress that Breakker has been under for nearly a year now.

Mahal asks if this is what Breakker expected as champion, and yeah it is. Breakker must be deaf if he doesn’t hear the small pocket of fans who are booing him. Mahal says you either die a hero or you become the villain. Breakker says the fans can think whatever they want, which Mahal refers to as arrogance. The tides are changing and Mahal issues the challenge for next week. The champ is in and says Mahal doesn’t need to waste time with the new 3 Man Band. Breakker: “Which one of you plays the guitar?” Mahal says he’ll still like Breakker after taking his title.

This was a good example of the problem being the messenger instead of the message. Jinder Mahal is someone fans are not going to take seriously and the 3MB joke didn’t help things. As a one off win it’s fine, but Mahal as generic villain isn’t helping him. Just have Breakker smash him and move on (which is probably what is going to happen).

Katana Chance and Kayden Carter confirm that they are down to face Roxanne Perez and Meiko Satomura. Perez and Satomura respect each other.

It’s time for an open challenge for the North American Title. Tony D’Angelo comes out to accept but Dijak jump him, with Stacks going to help. We have another challenger sneaking up on Lee though.

North American Title: Von Wagner vs. Wes Lee

Wagner, with Mr. Stone, is challenging. Lee fights back and tries to flip away in the corner, only to get dropped face first onto the apron. Stone reminds Wagner that he has to win back inside so it’s a clothesline for two on Lee. Back up and Lee ducks a big boot, setting up the standing moonsault to stagger Wagner. Lee’s tornado DDT is pulled out of the air and Wagner faceplants him for two. Lee slips out of a gorilla press, hits four straight superkicks, and finishes with the Cardiac Kick at 4:43.

Rating: C. This was power vs. speed 101 and as usual, it worked just fine. Lee is getting built up as someone who can over come the odds, which is going to make whoever beats him that much bigger of a deal. Then you have Wagner and I still don’t get it. He’s as generic of a monster as you can get and it still isn’t interesting no matter what.

Hank Walker has a new singlet but his old boots. Drew Gulak gives him some silver boots of his own.

Charlie Dempsey vs. Hank Walker

Drew Gulak is here with Walker, who shrugs off some forearms to the face to start. A collision goes to Walker but they trade big boots for a double knockdown. Walker tries a Fujiwara armbar but Dempsey reverses into his head and leg stretch for the tap at 1:41.

Post match Dempsey puts the hold back on but Gulak just stands there. Then Gulak and Dempsey leave together. Fair enough as Walker is kind of a loser.

Von Wagner is furious about his loss and Mr. Stone blames Wagner not having a connection to anyone. Wagner needs to break his walls down and Stone has time for the guy inside him.

Gallus is in the pool hall when Pretty Deadly comes in. A pool game breaks out and Pretty Deadly does well….albeit on the wrong balls. Gallus wins easily but Pretty Deadly wants a rematch. The deal is if Pretty Deadly keeps buying them drinks, they can keep playing, with Pretty Deadly getting a Tag Team Title shot if they win. Pretty Deadly loses at least seven games in a row and then get stuck with the (very long) bill. Gallus gives them the title shot anyway.

Ilja Dragunov talks about how pain makes you feel alive and he promises to hurt JD McDonagh. We cut to the arena, where Trick Williams calls out Dragunov. That works for Dragunov, who comes to the ring as Williams promises to drop Dragunov like a mix tape. Cue Dragunov to say Williams is an entertaining life of the party. Williams is dropped but here is JD McDonagh (with tape over his eye) to threaten Dragunov, allowing Williams to get in a cheap shot.

Post break, Trick Williams comes up to Carmelo Hayes and brags about what he just did.

We see Brooks Jensen taking Kiana James to her front door after their date. Jensen gives her astronomy trivia (which he gets wrong) and then goes to kiss her (following the key playing). Then Fallon Henley and Josh Briggs show up (How long have they been following them?) with Henley bringing up the phone call with an “I love you Zack” from a few weeks ago. It turns out Zack is James’ brother and he pops up at the door. James storms inside and Jensen leaves in heartbreak.

Here’s what is coming next week.

Meiko Satomura/Roxanne Perez vs. Kayden Carter/Katana Chance

Carter shoulders Perez down to start and hands it off to Chance, who trips Perez down. A sliding kick and slingshot hilo get two on Perez and we hit the armbar. Back up and Perez flips out of a hurricanrana but gets taken right back into the wrong corner. That doesn’t last long as it’s off to Satomura for the first time, including a handshake with Carter.

Everything breaks down with Perez and Satomura cleaning house with uppercuts. Perez dives through the ropes onto Chance and Satomura hits one on Carter as we take a break. Back with Perez fighting out of Chance’s abdominal stretch but getting dropkicked down. Perez jawbreaks her way to freedom though and it’s Satomura coming back in to strike away. Some kicks to the head get two on Carter and Perez adds a backflip moonsault for two more.

Carter grabs something like an STO to plant Perez but she Russian legsweeps her way out of trouble. It’s back to Satomura, who gets knocked into the wrong corner for a change. Everything breaks down and Perez is knocked to the floor. Satomura is right back with the moonsault knees to Chance, followed by a Pele to Carter. Perez comes back in for Pop Rox and the pin on Carter at 10:29.

Rating: B-. This was a “hey, look who’s here” match as Satomura being around is a cool thing to see. Carter and Chance still have some value as a team so Perez and Satomura beating them means a little something. You might as well make Satomura vs. Perez for the title now though, as it isn’t like Perez has another challenger at the moment.

Post match Satomura issues the challenge for the title match and it would be Perez’s honor.

Overall Rating: B. This is a great example of a show where the overall rating is greater than its individual parts. All kinds of things were advanced here and you even got some turning points in a few stories. It came off like they had a big checklist for the show and covered every single item. The show felt organized and well put together, as you can see a lot of Stand & Deliver coming from here. Heck of an episode this week and I could go for a lot more like this one.

Results
Tyler Bate b. Grayson Waller – Sunset flip
Tiffany Stratton b. Thea Hail – Moonsault
Axiom b. Damon Kemp – Golden Ratio
Wes Lee b. Von Wagner – Cardiac Kick
Charlie Dempsey b. Hank Walker – Head and leg stretch
Meiko Satomura/Roxanne Perez b. Kayden Carter/Katana Chance – Pop Rox to Carter

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

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AND

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NXT
Date: September 6, 2022
Location: capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Wade Barrett, Vic Joseph

We’re done with Worlds Collide and that means it is time to start the build towards whatever is next around here. Odds are that is going to be a big weekly show in a month or so, continuing a schedule that has severed NXT well. NXT has a fresh batch of stars from the UK here and now we get to see them full time. Let’s get to it.

Here is Worlds Collide if you need a recap.

We open with a long recap of Worlds Collide.

Here is Tyler Bate for a chat. He thanks the fans for having NXT UK’s back since the beginning, along with Bron Breaker for having such a great match. Cue Gallus to accuse Bate of letting the UK down and not being the Big Strong Boy anymore. The brawl doesn’t take long but Breakker runs in for the save. I think we have a tag match.

Pretty Deadly brags about winning more Tag Team Titles when Lash Legend comes in to brag about them.

Back on Sunday, Cora Jade interrupted Meiko Satomura and mocked her before setting up a match between them. Well not quite actually as Satomura already has a match with Roxanne Perez.

Doudrop/Nikki Ash vs. Toxic Attraction

Ash sends Dolin into the corner to start and hands it off to Doudrop for some heavy shoulders. It’s back to Ash, who is driven into the wrong corner so Jayne can pose a lot. Ash comes back with a chinlock to keep Jayne in trouble, setting up a swinging neckbreaker. Back up and Nikki gets knocked off the apron with Doudrop following in a bigger crash as we take a break.

We come back with Jayne grabbing a front facelock before taking Ash down with a neckbreaker. Ash fights up and gets over to Doudrop so house can be cleaned, including a double backsplash. Jayne has to save Dolin after a Cannonball so Ash ties her in the ring skirt for the hard forearms. Dolin goes up so Doudrop pulls her out of the air for a Michinoku Driver. The basement crossbody finishes Dolin at 10:40.

Rating: C. It says a lot when I was so sued to calling Toxic Attraction the champions that I almost did it again here. Doudrop and Ash might be sticking around long term and that isn’t a bad thing for them. Giving them a few wins at least reheats them a bit, though it may be too late for them to be brought back to any value.

Apollo Crews talks about Grayson Waller going for his eyes. Payback is coming.

JD McDonagh vs. Wes Lee

McDonagh headlocks him down to start as we talk about the return of Braun Strowman to Raw. Back up and Lee kicks him away, only to get his neck snapped across the top rope. We take a break and come back with Lee fighting out of a chinlock. The rapid fire kicks to the chest and a double stomp to the back have McDonagh on the floor. Lee knocks him over the announcers’ table and takes him back inside for a Meteora. A hard knee rocks McDonagh again but he pulls Lee into a suplex. Another attempt is countered into a sunset flip but McDonagh kicks him in the face. The Devil Inside finishes Lee at 9:34.

Rating: B. Lee was bringing it here and McDonagh was right there with him the whole way, making for another good match. These guys were working hard and keeping the pace fast, which is more than you see most of the time in a match on this level. I’m still not sure what Lee is going to do and McDonagh’s oddness makes him hard to pin down as well. For now though, I’ll settle for something like this.

Tony D’Angelo and Stacks are having coffee when Pretty Deadly comes in to join them. D’Angelo asks them how much it cost to get Damon Kemp to screw over Diamond Mine. Prince burns his mouth on the coffee before saying they did everything themselves.

Meiko Satomura vs. Roxanne Perez

Perez is looking rather nervous here and Satomura takes over on her arm to start. Back up and Perez sends her into the corner, setting up a headscissors into a rollup for two. Satomura pulls Perez down into a choke but vets reversed into an STF, causing Satomura to elbow her way to freedom. Perez sends is outside for a heck of a suicide dive and we take a break.

Back with Satomura pulling on both arms but Perez fights up and grabs a Russian legsweep. A Koji Clutch is broken up and Satomura hits a running spinwheel kick. Perez catches her up top with a super hurricanrana for two, giving us the shocked kickout face. Satomura has had it with her and comes back with a Pele kick into Scorpio Rising for the pin at 11:22.

Rating: B-. More goodness here and a very nice rub for Perez. You can see so much natural talent and star power in her matches and giving her a match with Satomura is a great way to go. Satomura sticking around is a good thing as she adds value to anyone doing anything, including as she did with Perez here.

Respect is shown post match but Cora Jade runs in to stick Perez down.

Tyler Bate and Bron Breakker are ready to take out Gallus.

Damon Kemp explains how he tore Diamond Mine apart from the inside because he didn’t like being left as the bench as a backup. He knew Roderick Strong and Julius Creed were going to explode and he stirred the pot. Then he took Strong out in the parking lot and cost the Creeds the Tag Team Titles. More on this next time. I’ve heard far worse explanations.

Dyad tries to recruit Kiana James, who gives them a polite brush out. Then James runs into Arianna Grace, who seems to be what James was looking for. Someone hugged the Dyad as the women were talking.

Trick Williams vs. Ricochet

Carmelo Hayes is on commentary. Ricochet kicks him to the floor and Hayes isn’t sure what to do early on. Back in and Ricochet starts cranking on the arm but Williams manages a pop up uppercut for two. Williams takes him outside for some rams into the announcers’ table, setting up a running neckbreaker for two more back inside. Ricochet fights up and hits a springboard crossbody into the Recoil into the shooting star press (with a stare at Hayes) for the pin at 5:13.

Rating: C+. They kept this one quick and Ricochet was his usual high flying self. Williams continues to be someone that is fun to watch but that you also want to see get hit in the face, which is an impressive combination. I’m not sure if Ricochet is sticking around full time, but another match with Hayes would not be the biggest shock.

Tony D’Angelo and Stacks are still having coffee when Cameron Grimes walks past. Grimes says they’re just like Joe Gacy and he still doesn’t need anyone. D’Angelo throws an insult so Grimes throws the coffee, earning himself a Rock Bottom through the table.

Sol Ruca, a surfer, is coming.

Diamond Mine is ready to wreck Damon Kemp, plus Pretty Deadly next week. Pretty Deadly comes up to say not so fast, because the people can vote on the stipulation so Pretty Deadly can prove everyone wrong.

Axiom vs. Nathan Frazer

First match in a best of three series. They trade wrist control to start before Frazer reverses into a headlock, allowing them to flip up to their feet. Frazer dropkicks him to the floor for a dive and we take a break. We come back with Axiom sending him to the floor for a suicide dive before starting in on the arm back inside.

Frazer fights up again and hits something like AJ Styles’ moonsault into a reverse DDT for two, followed by a Sling Blade. The running shooting star hits knees though and Axiom pulls him into a triangle choke. Frazer makes the rope and pulls Axiom into a half crab, followed by something like the old Haas of Pain to send Axiom to the ropes as well. Back up and Axiom hits a heck of a jumping kick to the face for the pin at 11:42.

Rating: B-. This was more of the modern style match with both guys hitting their stuff and trying to wear the other one down until the big finish could give them the win. I don’t know if I need to see them do this two more times, but it is good to get them both on television a bit more often. They have the in-ring abilities but are still needing something to do, so this is better than nothing.

Javier Bernal annoys Hank Walker (security guard) and a fight nearly breaks out until Walker goes to escort Gallus to the ring.

Quincy Elliott is here next week.

Here’s what else is coming next week.

Gallus vs. Tyler Bate/Bron Breakker

Mark Coffey is here with Gallus. Breakker headlocks Joe Coffey to start and takes him down in the corner before handing it off to Bate. Joe gets over for the tag off to Mark so it’s a double suplex to drop Gallus. We even get an old school Steiner pose we we take a break. Back with Bate hitting a big dive to the floor but a Wolfgang distraction lets post Breakker to take over again.

Back in and the rib work begins, including some forearms to the ribs and a chinlock. Mark grabs a bearhug but Bate slips out and goes through the legs to set up the hot tag. Breakker comes in for the spinebusters and a Steiner Bulldog gets two. All The Best For The Bells is cut off with a spear and the Tyler Driver 97 finishes Mark at 10:51.

Rating: C+. I’m not wild on Gallus losing again but at least they lost to a pair of big singles stars. Bate getting the main event pin should help him a bit and they had another hard hitting match on the way there. Gallus could use a win of its own and soon, but it’s far too early to write anyone off.

Post match the winners celebrate but JD McDonagh runs in to take them both down, including a big beating to Bate to end the show.

Overall Rating: B. This was a heck of a show with nothing close to bad and a bunch of good to very good matches. Throw in some angle advancement and that is a heck of a good use of two hours. NXT might not what it once was but it is still a very nice show a lot of the time. This is one of their best in recent memory and it comes off a pretty good Worlds Collide, so they might even be on a roll.

Results
Nikki Ash/Doudrop b. Toxic Attraction – Basement crossbody to Dolin
JD McDonagh b. Wes Lee – Devil Inside
Meiko Satomura b. Roxanne Perez – Scorpio Rising
Ricochet b. Trick Williams – Shooting star press
Axiom b. Nathan Frazer – Running kick to the face
Bron Breakker/Tyler Bate b. Gallus – Tyler Driver 97 to Mark

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

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AND

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This is a unique kind of show as it is going to be the big finale for NXT UK, which has been all but done for a very long time now. It is nice to have a show that actually seems to make it matter again though and I could go for seeing what they have in mind. There almost has to be at least one NXT UK star to leave with a title and there are a few options to make that work. Let’s get to it.

NXT Women’s Tag Team Titles: Katana Chance/Kayden Carter(c) vs. Doudrop/Nikki Ash

This was a match set up with a surprise return from Doudrop/Ash, who have lost all kinds of matches on the main roster so this is the best thing that they could do. For once I’m not being sarcastic there, as there is a good chance that they will actually be treated as something seriously in NXT. Then again there is only so much that you can get out of Doudrop/Ash, but I’ll take what I can get.

The champs retain here, as there is no reason to believe that Doudrop and Ash, who have been treated as major total failures on the main roster. Chance and Carter need to be built up as champions, especially when they didn’t beat the previous titleholders. The team will be fine by building them up with some wins, including some wrestlers who are on the main roster (despite how little they do there).

North American Title: Carmelo Hayes(c) vs. Ricochet

Now we have a returning star getting a shot at a title that he held during his time in NXT. That isn’t a bad way to go and Ricochet even sounded decent on the microphone while the match was set up. What matters here though is that Hayes is going to be made to look good against someone as talented as Ricochet, which is why you bring him in for this spot in the first place.

It should be a good match but there is no reason to believe that Hayes is losing so we’ll say he retains. Hayes is someone who has become a big star in NXT because he is one of the more consistent names around. I’m curious to see how well this goes and Hayes can keep up with Ricochet so they should be in for a heck of a match. It’s a good way to go and this has a lot of potential.

NXT Tag Team Titles/NXT UK Tag Team Titles: Creed Brothers(c) vs. Brooks Jensen/Josh Briggs(c) vs. Pretty Deadly vs. Gallus

This is the first of three title unification matches and that means we have some options. To make it even better, we are going with elimination rules, meaning that while there are going to be a lot of people in the ring for even longer, there aren’t going to be champions who stole a pin to leave with all of the belts. I can always go with that more and it is making me happier with this match.

I’ll go with….dang I this I’ll take the Creeds to win the whole thing, even if I really want to say Gallus. Pretty Deadly isn’t likely to win the titles back and Jensen/Briggs have felt like a filler team since they won the titles. This is a match that will give the show the chaotic feeling that it has been needing and it is a good way to build up the Creeds (or Gallus) and that makes a lot of sense.

NXT Women’s Title/NXT UK Women’s Title: Mandy Rose(c) vs. Meiko Satomura(c) vs. Blair Davenport

I certainly wouldn’t consider this a dream match but it is a match with multiple possibilities. The biggest thing here is that Satomura does not seem likely to take the titles. While I can’t imagine she is there to give up the fall, there is little reason to have her win either. Satomura is a legend but she has served her main purpose as champion already. That leaves us with two options, neither of which is that thrilling.

I think I’ll take Rose winning here, as NXT is trying desperately to make her into as big of a deal as possible. Nikkita Lyons still seems to be the most likely candidate to take the title from her and that means she needs to keep her belt here. Davenport might be there to take Scorpion Rising so Rose can steal the pin, but either way I’ll go with Rose retaining here after probably the weakest match on the show.

NXT Title/NXT United Kingdom Title: Bron Breakker(c) vs. Tyler Bate(c)

This is an interesting way to go for Breakker as it is much more about competition/the title rather than something personal. That isn’t something he has done very often and it should be interesting to see how he does. Breakker is someone who can do all of the physical stuff (minus some hiccups here and there) and Bate is already an established star, so this should be a heck of a fight.

As much as I would be interested in Bate becoming the champion and getting the biggest win of his career, there is no reason to believe that Breakker is losing here. Breakker is the future of NXT (if not WWE) and giving him another win over an established star is the smartest way to go. Breakker wins here, and he does it after another classic from Bate, who is near the top of WWE when he is on his game under the bright lights.

Overall Thoughts

The go home show made me a lot more interested in this show than I would have been otherwise and that is where I am a few days out. What matters is giving us a bunch of good matches to establish the former NXT UK stars as big deals around here. That is going to be easier said than done, but they have made me interested in a show I didn’t care to see, so well done in continuing an NXT tradition, even as another ends.

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NXT
Date: August 30, 2022
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Wade Barrett, Vic Joseph

It’s the go home show for Worlds Collide and that means we should be in for the hard push towards the show. Since we currently have a two match card, I’m expecting quite a few matches to be added to the show this week. I’m not sure what that is going to be, but it almost has to happen. Let’s get to it.

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

Grayson Waller vs. Apollo Crews

Crews’ intro cuts off Waller’s pre-match speech, much to Barrett’s annoyance. Crews grabs a headlock to start as commentary talks about his random visions, which just aren’t going to be explained. Waller fights out but gets dropkicked down, allowing Crews to dribble an invisible basketball and dance a bit. The very delayed vertical suplex slam puts Waller back down but he seems to go to the eye to get a breather. A medic comes out to check on Crews and we take a break.

Back with Crews fighting out of a chinlock but his slingshot hilo is countered into a sleeper. Crews breaks out of that too and kicks him in the head but Waller gets in a shot of his own to slow him down. The rolling Stunner is almost countered into a spinebuster, only to have the second attempt connect to give Waller the pin at 11:13.

Rating: C. Waller’s push continues, even if it doesn’t seem to be going anywhere anytime soon. At the same time, Crews seems to be in NXT to put others over and that might be the best use for him. You could put him into a title hunt almost immediately or even bring him back t the main roster, but for now, this seems to be about it for him.

The Diamond Mine is ready to fight but Roderick Strong wants to talk about the security footage from a few weeks ago. Julius Creed doesn’t care, but here are Ivy Nile and Tatum Paxley are ready for their tag match against Katana Chance and Kayden Carter.

Bron Breakker is in the locker room when Finn Balor pops up to say he made the NXT Title the standard. He’s also beaten people twice his size so don’t underestimate Tyler Bate.

Tatum Paxley/Ivy Nile vs. Kayden Carter/Katana Chance

Non-title. Nile takes Carter down for an early two and sunset flips her for the same. Chance comes in to roll Paxley up for two more, followed by a double clothesline for a double knockdown. As they’re both down, we see that Toxic Attraction has left the Toxic Lounge. Cue Gigi Dolin and Jacy Jayne for a distraction, which draws Nile away. The 450/neckbreaker combination finishes Paxley at 4:16.

Rating: C-. Not much to this one, but it does say something that NXT seems to have some teams that can be thrown out there every now and then. It wasn’t exactly a great match and was there for the sake of the Toxic Attraction run-in, but at least the champs got a win. Now just find some better challengers for the champs and start making them seem better.

Post match Chance and Carter grab the mic but Doudrop and Nikki Ash interrupt. They like the idea of a party, but they also want a title shot on Sunday. Sure.

Kiana James is in her office where she is ready for Zoey Stark tonight.

The Schism is ready for some ceremony involving Cameron Grimes.

Carmelo Hayes and Trick Williams arrive but don’t want to talk about anything but Hayes’ opponent at Worlds Collide.

Here is Schism, with Joe Gacy being proud of the Dyad’s efforts. He’s so happy that they get smiley face pins to show how great they are. They are moving up the Schism’s tree, and yes there is a graphic. The Dyad is rather pleased with what they’re doing, but for now, Joe Gacy wants to talk about Cameron Grimes. He can never be happy without the Schism so here is Grimes to answer.

Cue Grimes, who says the team has been after him for a few weeks but he has realized he doesn’t need them. Gacy talks about how Grimes keeps failing and has not titles, but Grimes still isn’t interested. That makes Gacy bring up Grimes’ dead father, and that’s enough for the fight. Grimes cleans house, but walks into Gacy’s handspring…..hug? Grimes leaves and is rather confused. I’m rather confused as to why Gacy, who might be the worst thing in wrestling, is still around.

Roxanne Perez can’t believe Cora Jade turned on her and goes nuclear by blocking Jade’s number.

Tyler Bate is in the back when Finlay comes in to say there’s a call for him. Pete Dunne is on a tablet and says go unify those titles for NXT UK. Yes Dunne, not Butch.

Lash Legend/Pretty Deadly vs. Josh Briggs/Brooks Jensen/Fallon Henley

Henley goes after Legend to start but gets choked on the ropes for her efforts. Wilson comes in and gets slapped by Henley, allowing Briggs to come in for the big shoulder. It’s off to Prince, who comes off the top and lands in an atomic drop. Henley kicks Legend down and gets LAUNCHED over the top onto all three villains as we take a break.

Back with Briggs getting knocked down and pounded by Wilson, setting up some choking from the floor. The chinlock goes on but Briggs powers over and brings in Jensen to start cleaning house. Jensen and Prince knock each other down so Jensen goes for the tag, only to have Gallus come out. The women get in a fight, leaving Joe Coffey to kick Jensen into a rollup to give Prince the pin at 11:31.

Rating: C. this was all about getting Gallus out there and probably helping to set up the four way for both sets of Tag Team Titles at the pay per view. The distraction helps keep the champs looking ok and Henley vs. Legend was at least energetic. It’s still the weakest title match at the moment, but at least they seem to have a direction.

Shayna Baszler comes in to see Mandy Rose, who says she’ll be passing Baszler soon. Baszler tells her to unify the titles or nothing from the last year matters.

JD McDonagh twists the mic cube around and says people find him creepy, including Wes Lee. He doesn’t care about what people think or about things like feelings. Did you know McDonagh is weird? I don’t know if they made that clear enough.

Andre Chase vs. Charlie Dempsey

Chase U is here with Chase, as you might have guessed. They go with the grappling to start with neither being able to get very far. A test of strength results in them flipping down to the mat, with no one getting an advantage. Chase starts working on the arm to take over but Dempsey isn’t having any of that. Instead, Dempsey pulls him down into a string of holds, from a Fujiwara armbar into an STF into something like a Regal Stretch. Bodie Hayward annoys Dempsey though, causing him to let go and suplex Hayward on the floor. That’s enough of a distraction to let Chase grab a rollup pin at 5:11.

Rating: C. Not much of a match but it deserves some credit for the surprise ending. Dempsey was pushed as a killer in NXT UK but I like Chase actually getting a win. The whole Chase U act has figured out its ceiling and giving them a win like this isn’t the worst idea. There is always going to be room for someone like Dempsey and he’ll be fine, but Chase has a more unique talent and that deserves some attention.

Meiko Satomura runs into Alba Fyre (who Satomura beat to win the NXT UK Women’s Title) and they exchange respect.

Tyler Bate runs into Gunther, who tells him to bring the Bate that fought him in Cardiff to face Bron Breakker.

Kiana James vs. Zoey Stark

Stark starts fast and knocks her down, setting up a springboard corkscrew dive for two. A quick trip to the floor goes badly for James but she’s right back with an armbar inside. Stark fights up and hits a running knee for two of her own, setting up the flipping knee for the pin at 4:20.

Rating: C-. Another short match that didn’t have the time to go very far, but Stark winning gives her a nice boost back up. James is someone with charisma and a different kind of character but she hasn’t actually done much yet. She shouldn’t have started doing so here either, so this was the right way to go.

Post match Nikkita Lyons runs in to chase James off.

Blair Davenport is ready to unify the women’s titles on Sunday. Rhea Ripley pops up to say she has held both titles so do the same thing she did.

Nathan Frazer and someone else are reading WWE comic books. Frazer misses NXT UK and says the guy next to him wouldn’t know what that’s like. It’s Axiom, who agrees to face Frazer in a British rounds match under Heritage Cup rules at Worlds Collide. Then they trade comic books.

Gallus vs. Diamond Mine

Brutus has to fight out of early trouble and gutwrench suplexes Mark, allowing the tag off to Kemp for a waistlock. Everything breaks down and Diamond Mine tries stereo submissions to send us to a break. Back with Julius powering Joe up for a release slam, setting up the ankle lock. Mark trips Julius on the apron though and some shots to the back keep him in trouble.

Julius fights out of Joe’s chinlock and Wolfgang’s front facelock but still can’t make the tag. A missed charge allows the tag off to Kemp to clean house, but here is Roderick Strong with his phone. Kemp throws it on the floor for a stomping but the distraction lets Joe hit All The Best For The Bells for the pin at 11:00.

Rating: C+. Much like the other six man, this was a bunch of waiting around until we got to the important stuff with the interference. You knew there was going to be someone getting involved somehow and in this case, it was Strong messing things up for his own team. Gallus are fine as the bullies and the Creeds are growing on me, so this was at least decent until the obvious ending.

Post match Pretty Deadly runs in for the brawl but the locker room clears out, with a bunch of referees getting in on it.

Bron Breakker is in the back watching when Ciampa sits down next to him. Ciampa holds the title and talks about what he helped make it mean. It’s Breakker’s world now and he has to defend the brand.

Carmelo Hayes and Trick Williams interrupt a chat about Sunday’s show because Hayes wants an opponent.

Quincy Elliott is still coming.

Worlds Collide rundown, now with Pretty Deadly, Josh Briggs/Brooks Jensen, Gallus and the Creed Brothers in a unification match.

Here are Carmelo Hayes and Trick Williams to demand to know who Hayes is facing at Worlds Collide. Hayes has already unified titles so this is nothing new for him. He isn’t a secondary champion and the lack of competition means he is not going to Worlds Collide. There is no one on his level or on a level beneath him. Then the lights go out and it’s…..Ricochet. Hayes: “Look he got a microphone. I don’t know if he knows how to use it though.”

Ricochet thinks Smackdown needs to be part of Worlds Collide. While he respect Hayes and all his title defenses, he can’t actually remember any of them. That’s why Ricochet is ready to give Hayes one to remember, which has Hayes ready to fight. Williams gets kicked down and Hayes springboards into a Recoil, leaving Ricochet to pose to end the show. Ricochet is a good choice as he means something around here and he probably wasn’t on a lot of radar. Just don’t let him talk that much.

Overall Rating: C+. The guest stars gave this a lot of energy and it made the show feel more important, at least for a week. They have taken Worlds Collide from a pretty one note show and turned it into something that could be quite the interesting mess. I’m more interested in where it goes now than I was coming into this week though and that means they did something right.

Results
Grayson Waller b. Apollo Crews – Rolling Stunner
Katana Chance/Kayden Carter b. Ivy Nile/Tatum Paxley – 450/neckbreaker combination to Paxley
Pretty Deadly/Lash Legend b. Josh Briggs/Brooks Jensen/Fallon Henley – Rollup to Briggs
Andre Chase b. Charlie Dempsey – Rollup
Zoey Stark b. Kiana James – Flipping knee to the face
Gallus b. Diamond Mine – All The Best For The Bells to Julius

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

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Pancakes And Piledrivers II
Date: April 7, 2018
Location: Sugar Mill, New Orleans, Louisiana
Commentators: Rich Bocchini, Jake Manning, Marty DeRosa

This is a show from Pro Wrestling Revolver plus some other companies (AAW/Fight Club Pro), with the show being billed as the Indy Summit. The show took place over Wrestlemania XXXIV weekend and I had a ticket to this show but went to WrestleCon instead. Odds are I made a mistake but let’s get to it.

The opening video looks at the promotions included for a nice change of pace.

Jeff Cobb vs. Shane Strickland

Yeah this is going to be fun, even with Matt Striker as ring announcer. At the very least, seeing Strickland’s Ain’t Nobody entrance is always awesome. Strickland hurts his arm on an early clothesline attempt so Cobb grabs him by the throat. A charge into the corner takes too long though, allowing Strickland to go up top. That’s fine with Cobb, who pulls him out of the air and hits the swinging belly to back toss. The huge beal out of the corner sends Strickland flying again as commentary mocks the building for being filthy but not allowing the advertised pancakes.

Strickland tries to come back with a chop, allowing Cobb to show him how one is properly thrown. They have the same exchange with forearms but Strickland manages a kick to the head into a German suplex. The running kick to the head gives Strickland two and a hard knee to the head makes it worse. The Swerve Stomp gets two but Cobb sends him into the corner for a running uppercut. A headbutt plants Strickland again and the Tour of the Islands gives Cobb the pin at 7:59.

Rating: C+. Nice opener here as we get one of the things that WrestleCon does well: putting together indy (well then indy) stars and letting them have a fun match. Strickland continues to feel like a star and it is no surprise that he has become a bigger deal. Cobb is a monster who can run over anyone and it is always fun to see him throw people around.

Post match Strickland thanks all three companies for putting the show on.

Colt Cabana/Marty DeRosa vs. Joey Ryan/Session Moth Martina

It’s still weird to hear Ryan being treated as some kind of awesome star. Martina on the other hand goes around the ring drinking with fans, which makes her seem rather popular. Grinding on everyone in the ring makes it even better (Better?) as this is going to be an interesting one. This is DeRosa’s, usually a commentator, debut and he has gear very similar to Cabana’s.

Ryan oils up and gives Cabana some for he and DeRosa to share. The bell rings and Ryan tells Cabana to touch it but, after an apology to the crowd, he declines. Ryan thinks DeRosa might do it instead so Cabana brings him in…and has to hold DeRosa back from touching it. DeRosa and Ryan trade wristlocks to start but Ryan still can’t get him to touch it. If that won’t happen, maybe DeRosa will touch Martina’s….uh, yeah.

Cabana is MORE than willing to try (Martina doesn’t seem to mind) but they’ll wrestle instead. Well maybe not as Martina grinds on Cabana to get out of a waistlock and Ryan tags himself back in. Cabana does his STOP, WHAT’S THAT and slaps Ryan in the face and annoyance begins to grow. DeRosa and Martina come in with DeRosa slapping her in the same way, which is NOT COOL with a lot of people. Ryan knocks DeRosa into the corner for a Bronco Buster (the long form) from Martina.

With DeRosa down, it’s time for the lollipop from Ryan’s trunks. Cabana breaks that up and it’s stereo Bionic Elbows to the….villains? DeRosa busts out a super hurricanrana for two, followed by a Figure Four. Cabana puts Martina in the Billy Goat’s Curse at the same time but Martina crawls on top of DeRosa’s face and bounces for the double break.

Then Kiss Me by Sixpence None The Richer starts playing (ok that’s a plus) and romance is teased….until DeRosa and Cabana’s hands are put between Ryan and Martina’s respective legs. There’s the double flip (with the referee falling down too) and Ryan pulls out a sucker/Martina pulls out a prophylactic from their tights, which go into Cabana and DeRosa’s mouths. Stereo superkicks are good for stereo pins for Ryan and Martina at 8:12.

Rating: F. This is the definition of a your mileage may vary match and that isn’t the best thing to see. Ryan’s shtick didn’t work for me before everything came out about him and it’s even more uncomfortable not. The match was pure “comedy” and barely a match, but what else were you expecting here? Absolutely not my thing and the kind of stuff I never need to see again.

Peace is made post match as Jim Cornette insults abound.

Eddie Kingston vs. Juice Robinson

Kingston comes out to David Starr’s music as the result of a lost bet. They go technical to start with Kingston working on a hammerlock before switching into a top wristlock. Back up and Robinson hits a spinwheel kick, setting up a Cannonball in the corner. A high crossbody gives Robinson two as commentary talks about Sami Callihan. Kingston isn’t having that and knocks him outside, setting up the big suicide dive.

Robinson’s piledriver attempt is countered into a backdrop on the floor, setting up a big whip into the barricade. Back in and the waistlock goes on to keep Robinson down, followed by the rapid fire (minus rapid fire) chops in the corner. That’s reversed into some chops from Robinson and a layout powerbomb gets two. Kingston runs him over again and NOW it’s time for the big chop off (which you knew was coming). Robinson gets in another shot and grabs Pulp Friction for the pin at 8:29.

Rating: C. That ending came out of nowhere and it wasn’t exactly a great match in the first place. This felt more like the match where someone said “hey they’ve never fought before” and that was the extent of the planning. Granted there is only so much that you can do with a story on this show, but this was just kind of there for the most part.

Fight Club Pro Title: Meiko Satomura vs. Kimber Lee vs. Jessicka Havok

Satomura is defending and this is the top title of the promotion (out of England, owned by Trent Seven) rather than the Women’s Title. Striker, ever the nitwit, insists that it IS the Women’s Title, even though that title doesn’t seem to have ever existed. Havok clotheslines both of them down to start and does it again to Satomura for daring to fight back.

Satomura and Lee get together and start striking away to take Havok down, leaving Lee to forearm away at Satomura for a bit. Some kicks to the head rock Lee but she’s back with a bridging German suplex for two. Havok is back in though and tosses Lee around with no trouble. Three straight running kicks to the face stagger Lee even more but Satomura forearms Havok away. A DDT sends Havok outside and Lee gets Death Valley Drivered for two. Satomura hits Scorpion Rising to retain at 6:06.

Rating: C. That was rather sudden as Havok never came back in after the DDT. Not having a title changed here isn’t exactly shocking and it was cool to see Satomura getting to showcase herself. Lee is someone I never could get into but she is talented. Havok on the other hand is a total monster that you get as soon as you see her. Perfectly fine match here, but I was expecting more.

AAW Title: Trevor Lee vs. ACH

ACH is defending and Lee’s (probably better known as Cameron Grimes) AAW Heritage Title isn’t on the line. Lee bails to the floor to start and grabs the mic, allowing him to complain about this show taking place at “eleven o’clock in the afternoon”. These people here don’t care that he was out late on Bourbon Street but all that matters is that he is going to win the AAW Title. Not some loser like ACH who can’t even get on another show this weekend, but a real champion.

After bragging about the money he is going to make, Lee gets hit in the face, only to have ACH miss the 450 back inside. A shot to the face knocks out ACH’s tooth or gum but he is fine enough to avoid the Cave In. ACH is back with a superkick into a brainbuster for…..the pin at 3:10!

Rating: C+. Sure why not, as Lee’s promo and then getting getting shut up so fast was funny, but the wrestling was barely half of this. Sometimes you need a fun match like this, even if it was probably a way to cut time on a loaded show. ACH really was a talented guy before he went a bit bonkers, while Lee would go on to a rather nice career.

Post match, Lee reminds us that he is STILL the Heritage Champion.

OVE vs. Brian Cage/Joey Janela/AR Fox

Tornado rules. That would be the Crist Brothers/Sami Callihan, who are billed under both of their names (Ohio vs. Everything and Ohio Is For Killers). Jake Crist isn’t waiting on the bell and flip dives onto everyone, setting up an Asai moonsault as we’re just getting started without a bell. Penelope Ford comes out to watch as Dave takes Fox inside for a wind up DDT. Janela high crossbodies Fox but gets clotheslined by Callihan.

Cage is waiting on him so Callihan spits in his face….which earns Callihan a heck of a discus lariat. Jake knocks Cage outside but his suicide dive is caught in a suplex because Cage can do that. Everyone else heads outside, leaving Janela to hit a big top rope flip dive. Dave goes up so Ford catches him and it’s a superplex onto the big pile. That’s too far for Callihan, who powerbombs Ford onto a slightly smaller pile, which has commentary freaking out. Not over what Ford did, which was more dangerous, but just what Callihan did. Hypocrites.

Back in and a bunch of strikes to the face leave everyone down as commentary talks about Ford’s Gizmo themed gear. OVE is back up with stereo superkicks but charge into superkicks. Fox avoids a charge though and hits a Spanish Fly, setting up a 450 for two. Jake is back in with a Death Valley Driver to Fox, setting up the spike Tombstone (Killing Spree) for….one?

Everyone is back up for the big staredown, with Cage hitting an F5 and Fox hitting a Death Valley Driver of his own, setting up a triple cover. OVE breaks up stereo triple superplexes so Fox knocks Dave down instead. Fox loads up a frog splash but Jake dives from the adjacent corner with a super cutter to knock Fox cold for the pin at 8:45.

Rating: B-. Thank goodness they went to the finish after that cutter because nothing was going to top that one. Fox was knocked silly and there was no reason to try anything else. The rest of the match was your usual insanity that comes with such a stipulation and it went rather well, at least partially helped because OVE is a regular team. That finish looked great though and it carried the match a lot higher.

PWR Scramble Title: Matt Palmer vs. Jake Manning vs. Caleb Konley vs. Trey Miguel vs. Clint Margera vs. Jason Cade vs. Ace Romero vs. Curt Stallion vs. Maxwell Jacob Friedman vs. Myron Reed vs. Connor Braxton vs. Omari

Palmer is defending and this would be your OH COME ON match of the show, as there are TWELVE PEOPLE in this. Everyone but MJF jumps Palmer to start and toss him outside, leaving everyone else to brawl inside. Reed is left alone to dropkick Cade outside so Stallion comes in to dropkick him. Romero hits a dropkick to Stallion but the rather tall Braxton kicks Romero outside.

Palmer and MJF double team Braxton and we seem to have a partnership….until they both poke eyes and kick each other low, which is good for a handshake out of mutual respect. That’s always nice to see. Omari and Margera hit stereo flip dives onto the floor, followed by Miguel’s springboard flip dive. Manning’s top rope trust fall (while still reading his Boy Scout manual, as is his custom) takes everyone down, leaving Romero (nearly 400lbs) to hit his own dive, much to the fans’ delight.

Back in and we get the required Tower Of Doom, albeit with Palmer and MJF teaming together, teasing a split, and then splitting in the span of ten seconds. Braxton and Stallion double team Romero, with the former managing an impressive slam. Manning is back in with a backbreaker into a lifting Downward Spiral to Stallion and we hit the parade of secondary (or maybe primary) finishers. Omari takes Miguel out so MJF tries to steal the pin, only to get rolled up by Palmer (with trunks) to retain at 8:14.

Rating: C. Yeah it was fine and that’s all I can think of to say about it. What in the world are you supposed to do with a dozen people doing spot after spot for about eight minutes? Palmer stealing the pin doesn’t so much prove anything as he just was in the right place at the right time. That is how these matches always go and while they get a lot of people on the show, they almost never do anything for me as no one gets to stand out in the slightest.

Lucha Bros vs. Jack Evans/Teddy Hart

First half of a double main event and it takes a good while for the Bros to get here. As usual, Evans runs his mouth a lot before the match, which will likely continue after the bell. Fenix and Evans start things off and yes Evans is still running his mouth, which is rarely a good idea. They trade their flips until Fenix kicks the leg out for no count before flipping up into a standoff.

Hart and Penta come in and the chop off is on fast before Hart complains about the lack of respect. A Backstabber drops Penta and Evans springboards in to kick Fenix in the head. That leaves Hart to hit a hanging piledriver/DDT at the same time to drop both Bros. Evans does a triple backflip into the corner to poke Fenix in the eye, which he describes as never before seen. The Canadian Destroyer into the moonsault gives Hart two on Fenix but Penta is back in for a change.

The double teaming takes him down as well, only to have the Bros pop up for running corner clotheslines. Penta gives Hart a heck of a superkick into the corner, with Evans being tied in the Tree of Woe to put them on top of each other. Fenix flips Penta onto the pile before Evans is tied up in a surfboard. That’s not enough for Penta though, as Fenix pulls on the arms at the same time.

Since that doesn’t really work nearly as well as the single version would, Evans hangs on until Hart makes the save. Penta Canadian Destroyers Hart for two with Evans making a save of his own. A springboard doesn’t work for Evans as he falls off the top but he’s right back with a middle rope Phoenix splash for two as Fenix makes his own save.

Fenix hits a rolling cutter on Evans as the referee is trying to restore order for whatever reason. One heck of a Project Ciampa drops Fenix and Evans adds the 630 for two more. Penta powerbombs Evans onto his knee for his own near fall, setting up a stereo Pentagon Driver/Black Fire Driver to give the Bros the double pin at 10:34.

Rating: B-. I would call this the “well, what did you expect” special, as you know what you’re going to get when you have a match involving these people. There is nothing else to expect from these four getting into a match and they made it work well. Let them go out there and do their flips and dives to pop the crowd and that’s all you need. Fun stuff of course, despite being total junk food wrestling.

AAW/PWR Tag Team Titles: Besties In The World vs. Aussie Open vs. Rascalz

The Besties (Davey Vega/Mat Fitchett) are defending both sets of titles in a ladder match. The Rascalz (Dezmond Xavier/Zachary Wentz) are debuting their name, having been formerly known as Scarlett And Graves (weird name). That leaves Aussie Open (Kyle Fletcher/Mark Davis), who have nothing of note but I needed a reason to say their names. And yes, the Besties are the team who do their entrance to Truly Madly Deeply by Savage Garden and yes it is still amazing.

Hold on though, as Fitchett wants tables and chairs added in to the ladders because they’re hardcore! Vega: “NO WE’RE NOT!” Striker says everything is legal, despite it being a ladder match where everything is legal in the first place. A bunch of weapons are thrown inside as commentary talks about how ridiculous it is to have all of these totally unnecessary things underneath the ring.

Ladders and plywood are placed in the corner and Fitchett and Miguel are knocked into/through them. Vega goes up top and gets caught by a bunch of people who shove him through another plywood board. Aussie Open and the Rascalz slug it out with the bigger Fletcher being the last man standing. Wentz chairs him off the ladder though and goes up, allowing commentary to mock JR’s voice on the famous Jeff Hardy ladder climb.

With that broken up, Wentz hits a big step up dive onto a pile on the floor, followed by Fitchett’s running lip dive. Davis Arabian presses onto a bunch of people, leaving Xavier alone with a ladder in the ring. Instead of going for the belts, he climbs the ladder and shooting stars down onto the pile. Vega has used the delay to put a board over six chairs at ringside and superplex Wentz through it for the next big crash.

Back in and Fitchett kicks Xavier in the face but it’s Aussie Open cleaning house. Davis’ running forearm in the corner rocks Xavier and the Aussies both climb at once (Commentary: “No, no, no.”). Fitchett makes the save and the champs crush Aussie Open with ladders in the corner. The Rascalz are back in to kick the Besties down, including Wentz superkicking a chair into Fitchett’s face. Davis comes back in this time and powerbombs Xavier with one arm (dang) but gets kicked in the face by Wentz as well.

Xavier is back up to kick Fletcher and Fitchett down, leaving everyone on the mat. The Aussies catch Xavier going up and Fletcher dives off the top for a cutter (not quite OVE level but not bad). Wentz chops at the Aussies but gets thrown into a ladder in the corner for his efforts. That’s enough to dent the ladder so Fletcher gets on Davis’ shoulders but the champs turn it into a Doomsday Device. The Besties hit stereo piledrivers on the Rascalz (illegal in Louisiana) and retain the titles at 14:10.

Rating: B. It was a six man indy ladder match and that should tell you everything that you need to know. There were cool spots and a lot of carnage until one of the teams got the titles, which is exactly how something like this was supposed to go. It’s nothing great or memorable but for a big main event on a show like this one, it went well and was probably the best thing on the card.

Post match the Besties say that’s how you win gold together (Fan: “THEY’RE SILVER!”) but they want to call out….DAVID ARQUETTE??? AND HE’S HERE! Arquette pulls out a $100 bill scarf and says the Besties just want his money, before bragging about the big names he has faced. He says he’s a real champion and that WWE ruined WCW. Then he pulls off his jacket and reveals a NEVER BEEN PINNED shirt. Arquette seems to challenge the Besties to a match and leaves through the crowd to end the show on an awkward note.

Overall Rating: B-. I had fun and it only went a little over two hours so it didn’t overstay its welcome. What matters here is getting a bunch of people on a show and popping the crowd over and over. You don’t look for continuity or logic here and what we got here lived up to those requirements. It’s cool to see some of the non-WWE stars out there doing their thing and there is only one match that really didn’t work on the whole card. Fun stuff and I’m kind of regretting not taking it in live.

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NXT UK
Date: July 28, 2022
Location: BT Sports Studios, London, England
Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Andy Shepherd

It’s title time again this week as Ilja Dragunov remembers that he is the United Kingdom Champion and defends against Wolfgang. Gallus has been doing better in recent weeks with Mark Coffey winning the Heritage Cup so maybe we are in for some more of their momentum. Other than that, I’m sure it will be the usual random assortment around here. Let’s get to it.

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

The opening video runs down tonight’s card.

Opening sequence.

Tag Team Titles; Josh Briggs/Brooks Jensen vs. Wild Boar/Mark Andrews

Boar and Andrews, who commentary says have been friends for years, are challenging. Boar cranks on Jensen’s arm to start and Andrews comes in to work on the knee. A blind tag brings Briggs in though and a double shoulder runs Boar over. It’s back to Andrews, who gets planted with an assisted powerslam and the chinlock goes on.

Briggs comes back in for a chinlock of his own but throws Andrews into a Stundog Millionaire on Jensen. The tag brings Boar back in to clean house, including the Boar splash to crush Jensen for two. Another Stundog Millionaire hits Briggs but Fall To Pieces lands on raised knees. Jensen hits the sliding lariat for the pin at 11:12.

Rating: C. Briggs and Jensen aren’t a great team but they fill in a role rather well. They have the size and the gimmick where you know exactly what you are getting and they do a nice job with it. Boar and Andrews aren’t some big time challengers but for a one off title defense, they filled in the spot well enough.

Respect is shown post match.

Sam Gradwell is coming for Trent Seven.

Meiko Satomura and Sarray had a very respectful press conference and are both ready to win in their title match next week.

Amale vs. Blair Davenport

Davenport’s headlock seems to annoy Amale to start but Davenport sends her outside. Amale misses a running boot and crashes into the barricade to make it even worse. Back in and some shoulders set up a cobra clutch on Amale, who has to fight up. The comeback is on with some shots to Davenport’s face but she kicks Amale in the face for two. A running knee to the face sets up a Falcon Arrow to finish Amale at 5:50.

Rating: C. You can probably pencil in Davenport as the next challenger to the Women’s Title and it is pretty easy to see why. She has the look and attitude to make her feel like a big deal and that is often all you need. It seemed like she was ready to take the title from Satomura before the injury and maybe they are just picking up where things got delayed. Amale seems to have cooled off, which is kind of a shame as she seemed ready to move up.

Oliver Carter seems to have broken into Die Familie’s apartment and helped himself to their stuff.

Sha Samuels is now giving away his clothes to pay off his gambling losses.

United Kingdom Title: Ilja Dragunov vs. Wolfgang

Wolfgang is challenging and we get the Big Match Intros. Dragunov gets powered into the corner to start but is right back with some headlock takeovers. An exchange of shoulders goes to Wolfgang but he charges into another headlock takeover. Dragunov picks him up but seems to hurt his back. That works for Wolfgang, who puts a knee in the back while grabbing a chinlock.

A whip into the corner lets Wolfgang pose, which doesn’t seem to be the best idea at the moment. There’s an elbow drop on the back, which gives out again as Dragunov tries to pick him up. The enziguri misses for Dragunov and Wolfgang hits him in the back, only to have the enziguri connect on the second attempt. A middle rope knee connects for Dragunov and a backsplash does the same, only to hurt his own back.

Wolfgang grabs a torture rack and drops Dragunov back first onto his knee for two. One heck of a forearm gives Dragunov two more and he has to pull himself to the top for the backsplash, leaving him screaming in pain and not covering. Wolfgang is back with the suplex faceplant for two but the slingshot spear is cut off with a knee. Somehow Dragunov manages a slam and the Torpedo (minus Moscow) retains the title at 15:58.

Rating: B-. I wasn’t nearly as into this one as I was most Dragunov matches, but was anyone buying Wolfgang as a threat to the title? He felt like someone who was built up for a few weeks for the sole purpose of losing here, though he has turned it up a bit himself in recent weeks. Dragunov needs a new big bad though and I’m not sure who that is going to be at the moment.

Respect is shown to end the show.

Overall Rating: C+. This show was stacked with a pair of title matches, but nothing really broke through to that next level. What matters is having some star power though, as it has been lacking in recent weeks. NXT UK has lost some a good bit of its momentum but even their weaker shows are still an easy hourish watch. That will do for now, but they need to find something to get another fire going.

Results
Josh Briggs/Brooks Jensen b. Wild Boar/Mark Andrews – Sliding lariat to Andrews
Blair Davenport b. Amale – Falcon Arrow
Ilja Dragunov b. Wolfgang – Torpedo

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NXT UK
Date: July 21, 2022
Location: BT Sports Studios, London, England
Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Andy Shepherd

We’re coming off of a title change last week as Mark Coffey FINALLY took the Heritage Cup from Noam Dar, ending his record reign. After the match, Joe Coffey made his return to celebrate with his brother as things seem to be going well for Gallus for a change. Let’s get to it.

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

We open with a recap of Mark Coffey’s win last week.

Opening sequence.

Isla Dawn vs. Fallon Henley

Henley forearms away to start and hits an elbow to the face before armdragging her into the ropes. That means a forearm to the face but Dawn sends her into the corner to take over. A running kick to the chest gives Dawn two and we hit the cross arm choke. Henley fights up and drives her into the corner for the break, only to get kicked in the head. Dawn hits a half nelson slam for the pin at 5:13.

Rating: C-. I continue to have no idea what is going on with the bottom half of the women’s division as Dawn gets a win after seemingly not winning anything for the better part of ever. At the same time, you would think that Henley would be one of the more protected stars from NXT, though it does at least give Dawn a win with some value. That isn’t likely to go anywhere, but at least she got something.

Sarray is happy to be here but stops to ask Meiko Satomura for a match. Satomura is down for a change, but tells Sarray to be prepared.

We look back at Amale beating Stevie Turner but not impressing Blair Davenport.

Amale goes to find Blair Davenport and says she’s keeping her anger for whenever they get in the ring.

Josh Morrell vs. Dave Mastiff

Morrell has both shoulders taped up. Mastiff grabs a headlock to start and takes it to the mat, where Morrell hand walks his way to freedom. A wristlock has about the same luck as Morrell spins out, leaving Mastiff frustrated. Instead of the holds Mastiff tries the power, with a hard shoulder and belly to back suplex to drop Morrell for the first time. The slow pounding begins, with Mastiff forearming him down and putting on the nerve hold.

Back up and an overhead belly to belly sends Morrell flying for two in a good looking crash. Morrell can’t get a sunset flip but he can hit a dropkick, setting up a corkscrew moonsault for two. Another dropkick puts Mastiff on the floor, setting up a big running flip dive. Back in and Mastiff snaps off a powerbomb into a Regal Roll for two. Another Regal Roll sets up a backsplash to finish Morrell at 7:01.

Rating: C. So you have Morrell get a win a few weeks ago and then he gets beaten down here in a near squash. I’m not sure what the logic is there, as Morrell seems to have something that might be worth giving a small shot. Mastiff winning is fine enough, but why have Morrell lose after building him up recently?

Respect is shown post match.

Sha Samuels and Noam Dar are having some trouble paying off the gambling debts from last week’s Heritage Cup loss. They can’t even afford a paper or booze so Dar leaves. Two hours later, Johnny Saint showed up to get his money, sending Dar running off.

Josh Briggs and Brooks Jensen are fired up to be champions and they’re down for a title defense against Wild Boar/Mark Andrews.

Nina Samuels vs. Emilia McKenzie

They fight over a lockup to start until McKenzie gets up the ropes for a quick hurricanrana. Samuels gets taken into the corner for some kicks to the leg but sends McKenzie face first into the ropes. A dropkick to the back puts McKenzie in trouble and she gets tossed around the ring without much trouble.

The comeback is cut off with a forearm to the face for a delayed two before Samuels puts her on top. That’s fine with McKenzie, who pounds her down for a crash outside. Back in and a faceplant drops Samuels for two but McKenzie misses a charge into the corner to give Samuels two of her own. That doesn’t seem to matter as McKenzie hits a spear for the pin at 4:57.

Rating: C. They’re building to something with McKenzie, as she isn’t happy with Meiko Satomura paying more attention to Sarray. A win here gives her a bit of momentum and it wouldn’t shock me to see her get involved in the upcoming Sarray vs. Satomura match. That’s a way to go, as McKenzie is certainly talented enough to go somewhere if given a chance.

We get a face to face showdown between Ilja Dragunov and Wolfgang before Dragunov’s United Kingdom Title defense next week. Wolfgang has wanted to be champion since 2017 and wants to take it from Dragunov. That’s cool with Dragunov, who says Wolfgang is the kind of person who helped him get to the title in the first place.

Wolfgang wants to win the title, but Dragunov talks about Wolfgang being stuck in the shadow of Gallus. Next week, Dragunov wants to fight Wolfgang one on one, not a member of Gallus. Wolfgang is ready to do Dragunov a favor by taking the champion’s burden away, but Dragunov doesn’t think so. Simple and to the point here, but it’s a little hard to buy Wolfgang as a major threat to Dragunov.

Trent Seven vs. Sam Gradwell

Seven is sent outside with Gradwell hitting a suicide dive eleven seconds in. Gradwell knocks him around ringside before pulling Seven off the apron to keep him in trouble. They get up to the apron, with Seven nailing a hard lariat to drop Gradwell for a needed breather. Back in and a suplex drops Gradwell, allowing Seven to kick away at the chest. That just wakes Gradwell up so he fires off forearms to the face and a belly to belly suplex for a bonus.

A running clothesline puts Seven on the floor again but he’s right back in for a hard suicide dive to knock Gradwell into the barricade. Back in and Gradwell catches him on top for a top rope butterfly suplex (and a heck of a crash). That’s enough for Seven to run, which is enough of a ruse to let Seven send Gradwell knee first into the steps. They get back in and it’s time to stay on Gradwell’s knee, with the brace being ripped off.

Something close to a Figure Four has the knee in trouble, though Gradwell turns it over, with Seven getting straight to the rope. Gradwell hits a hard clothesline for two but Seven goes right back to the knee. The Seven Star Lariat gets two so Seven grabs the knee brace. A big swing misses, so Gradwell drops him with a discus forearm. Gradwell picks up the brace but gets it taken away, allowing Seven to kick him low (because he’s a modern heel). Another Seven Star Lariat finishes Gradwell at 11:02.

Rating: C+. This was the same problem that Seven has had since his heel turn: he’s only so good/interesting in the ring and his way out of trouble is a low blow. Other than the eventual match with Tyler Bate, I’m not sure how interesting he is going to be. As long as he isn’t pushed as the next top heel or even a huge deal, it should work out, but I don’t know what kind of legs he has in this role after the Bate showdown.

Post match Seven loads up another low blow but Tyler Bate returns and chases him off to end the show (with Seven giving a great “I’ve just seen a ghost” face).

Overall Rating: C-. Not their best effort of a show, as you can feel the energy draining out. Maybe things can get a bit better with a fresh taping cycle, but Dragunov vs. Wolfgang isn’t exactly a top feud. I don’t know if Seven vs. Bate is the big solution, but things have not been the most thrilling around here as of late. At least the NXT invasion seems to have gone away, though it isn’t like things are great again. This wasn’t a very interesting show and that needs to change in the coming weeks.

Results
Isla Dawn b. Fallon Henley – Half nelson slam
Dave Mastiff b. Josh Morrell – Backsplash
Emilia McKenzie b. Nina Samuels – Spear
Trent Seven b. Sam Gradwell – Seven Star Lariat

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

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AND

Remember to check out Wrestlingrumors.net for all of your wrestling headline needs.