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

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

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

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

Tag Team Titles: Undisputed Era vs. Moustache Mountain

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

EC3 vs. Velveteen Dream

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

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

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

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

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

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

North American Title: Ricochet vs. Adam Cole

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

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

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

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

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

Kevin Owens and Mark Henry are here.

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

Women’s Title: Shayna Baszler vs. Kairi Sane

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

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

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

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

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

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

NXT Title: Johnny Gargano vs. Tommaso Ciampa

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Results

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

Velveteen Dream b. EC3 – Purple Rainmaker

Ricochet b. Adam Cole – 630

Kairi Sane b. Shayna Baszler – Rollup

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Velveteen Dream vs. EC3

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Overall Thoughts

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Opening sequence.

Adam Cole vs. Danny Burch

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

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

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

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

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

Kairi Sane vs. Vanessa Borne

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

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

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

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

Tag Team Titles: Moustache Mountain vs. Undisputed Era

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Results

Adam Cole b. Danny Burch – Last Shot

Kairi Sane b. Vanessa Borne – Anchor

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

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

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

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

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

NXT
Date: June 27, 2018
Location: Full Sail University, Winter Park, Florida
Commentators: Mauro Ranallo, Percy Watson, Nigel McGuinness

It’s time to start getting ready for Brooklyn as the next Takeover is only about a month and a half away. The big story this week is the return of NXT Champion Aleister Black, who will be making his first comments since retaining over Lars Sullivan in a brutal match at Takeover: Chicago II. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Moustache Mountain has won the Tag Team Titles from Undisputed Era at the United Kingdom Championship Tournament event. They’ll be in action tonight.

Here’s Black for a chat. Black talks about the adversity he faced in Chicago in the form of Sullivan. That man did things Black didn’t think was humanly possible, but Aleister made him fade to black. Cue Tommaso Ciampa (again with no music) to say it’s time to stand face to face with the devil. Black can dress things up all he wants but he’s the NXT Champion. In Black’s case, the title makes the man instead of the other way around. That same night in Chicago, Ciampa beat Johnny Gargano WITH HIS HANDS TIED BEHIND HIS BACK.

Now it’s time to focus on the title because Black has something Ciampa wants. Black threatens to kick his head off but Ciampa wants him to think before he speaks. See, when Ciampa beats him, the title goes away but so does Black’s mystique. Ciampa sits down on the stage, does the evil wave, and promises to make the title reign fade to black. This was the logical progression for Ciampa and him winning the title would be a great moment.

We see an X-ray of Sullivan’s head, showing that he wrestled half of the match against Black with a broken jaw.

Vanessa Bourne had a press conference earlier today and wanted to know why Kairi Sane dresses like a pirate. Why don’t more people want to be like Sane? Tonight, Sane is in for a beating and Bourne will be the new poster girl for NXT.

Kona Reeves vs. Max Humberto

The fans are behind Humberto, even knowing his name. We hear about Reeves being mentored by fellow Hawaiian Don Muraco, which isn’t a name you hear dropped very often. Reeves headlocks him down and pounds the chest with some forearms. Back in and a boot to the face drops Humberto, setting up the Hawaiian Drop for the pin at 2:49. Total squash and Reeves still does nothing for me.

Clip of Moustache Mountain winning the titles.

Candice LeRae vs. Lacey Evans

LeRae starts fast with some armdrags but a pull of the hair lets Lacey send her shoulder first into the post. The arm gets twisted down to the mat as the pace slows in a hurry. We hit the seated cobra clutch and the fans are already clapping for Candice to get back up. Candice fights out and grabs a neckbreaker and nails some right hands of her own. An Unprettier (called a Vertebreaker by Mauro) sets up a very high Lionsault to give Candice the pin at 5:38.

Rating: C+. Candice is rather spunky and knows how to do a comeback, which should make it very easy to push her as a big time face around here. Throw in her husband’s popularity and it should be even easier. The Lionsault looked great and that’s a pretty nice win considering how hard Evans has been pushed in recent months.

Johnny Gargano is shaken up after Chicago but he’s watched it again to see what Ciampa did. He doesn’t care where it happens, but he’s going to fight Ciampa again, whether it’s next week or in a grocery store because this ends when Ciampa does.

Heavy Machinery cooks some food and wants the Mighty.

Next week: Gargano vs. EC3.

LeRae is worried about Gargano but she wants the Women’s Title.

Moustache Mountain vs. Dave Dixon/Carl Axelrod

Dixon and Axelrod have a Titantron and theme song, but they also have a beatdown from behind at the hands of the Undisputed Era. No match.

Kyle O’Reilly says the titles only changed hands because of the home field advantage so they’ll be cashing in their rematch soon and taking the titles back. The beatdown is teased but here’s Ricochet for the save.

Ricochet/Moustache Mountain vs. Undisputed Era

Bate wristlocks O’Reilly into a wristlock to start and it’s quickly off to Ricochet for a slingshot hilo. The Seven Stars Lariat is blocked and it’s off to Cole, who gets chopped down to one knee. A DDT gets two on Cole and the assisted backsplash crushes Strong and Cole. Ricochet gets in a moonsault onto the same two and it’s Strong taking the beating this time. Bate comes back in but a distraction lets Strong hit a half nelson backbreaker to take over.

It’s off to the chinlock for a bit before Cole hits a snap suplex for two. The Era starts in on the arm with Cole sliding in with a knee to the shoulder and, as you might expect, a shoulder breaker. Bate scores with an exploder suplex and brings in Ricochet to clean house. A springboard elbow to the jaw gets two on O’Reilly but the guillotine choke has Ricochet in very quick trouble.

Somehow he’s able to make a tag to Seven, who breaks the hold with a full nelson on O’Reilly. The Era has had enough of Seven and it’s a fireman’s carry backbreaker into a running knee to the face. Seven is fine enough to clothesline the heck out of O’Reilly and bring Ricochet back in as everything breaks down. Cole and Ricochet kick each other in the head and everyone is down.

Two pairs fight on opposite apron, leaving Cole and Ricochet to hit each other in the head a lot. The High/Low doesn’t work on Ricochet (because of course he can flip out of it) and there’s the 630 to Cole for two with O’Reilly making a very timely save. A release suplex onto the apron cuts Ricochet off though and Cole gets the pin at 13:28.

Rating: B-. Very fun match with Ricochet doing his superhero style flipping and diving and the Era getting a pin, although not on the champions, to keep them hot on the trail for the titles. Moustache Mountain can do more than their usual match and as long as you can let Bate go nuts out there every now and then, the team is going to be fine.

Overall Rating: B. Solid effort this week with two good matches and the big title feud being set up at the beginning. In other words, they set stuff up for next week and beyond while doing things to entertain us at the same time, all in about fifty minutes. Cut out the Reeves match and put in pretty much anything else and this is a near classic episode, but as it is we’re stuck with just a rather good one.

Results

Kona Reeves b. Max Humberto – Hawaiian Drop

Candice LeRae b. Lacey Evans – Lionsault

Undisputed Era b. Ricochet/Moustache Mountain – Release suplex onto the apron to Ricochet

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

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

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

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

United Kingdom Championship Tournament Night Two
Date: June 19, 2018
Location: Royal Albert Hall, London, England
Commentators: Mauro Ranallo, Nigel McGuinness

We’re back in England after yesterday’s tournament wrapped up. The tournament crowned a new #1 contender for the United Kingdom Championship and that means we need to have a title match. In addition to Pete Dunne defending against Zack Gibson, we’ll also be seeing some NXT Title matches and a few other matches to fill out the card. Let’s get to it.

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

We open with a recap of last night’s show, including Gibson becoming the new #1 contender. The NXT wrestlers will also be featured tonight.

NXT opening sequence.

The announcers run down the card.

NXT Tag Team Titles: Moustache Mountain vs. Undisputed Era

The Era is defending. Bate dropkicks Strong to start and it’s quickly off to Seven for some arm cranking. As usual this goes badly for Seven but everything breaks down with the champs sending them outside. Back in and the fans are split as Strong chops away at Seven in the corner.

We’re already into the chinlock but Seven kicks O’Reilly to the floor. Like a smart champion, O’Reilly runs around the ring and pulls Bate off the apron to take over. As tends to be the case, the hot tag goes through a few seconds later, allowing Bate to come in and clean house. O’Reilly saves Strong from the airplane spin and jumps on Bate’s back, so Bate German suplexes Strong at the same time, just because he can.

Seven comes back in and gets kicked in the face for two, sending O’Reilly into fits of frustration. A discus forearm knocks Seven into Bate for the tag and the dragon suplex/clothesline combination (how they beat O’Reilly yesterday) gets a close two. Back up and O’Reilly’s brainbuster gets two on Bate but Seven sends Fish to the floor. A hard shot rocks O’Reilly and a torture rack neckbreaker/top rope knee drop combination finishes O’Reilly for the titles at 10:40.

Rating: B. That’s the way to fire up a crowd and it doesn’t matter if the title reign is just for the live crowd and they drop the belts right back in short order. Moustache Mountain is a fun team and the fans in both America and England love them. This was a perfect opener and that’s all you could have asked to see.

The new champs celebrate in the crowd.

Johnny Saint has made a new #1 contenders match between Flash Morgan Webster, Travis Banks and Mark Andrews.

Killer Kelly vs. Charlie Morgan

Morgan, who is rather skinny, works on a wristlock to start but they spin around into double nip ups for a standoff. A springboard spinning crossbody gives Morgan two but Kelly starts in with the power to take over, including an elbow to the back of the head. Kelly grabs a dragon sleeper to nearly break Morgan in half, only to kick her away in frustration.

Morgan comes back with a springboard body block but Kelly throws her into the corner with ease. A running dropkick in the corner rocks Morgan again and Kelly loads up a suplex, only to get reversed into a rollup for the pin at 7:07. The ending is as sudden and out of nowhere as it sounds.

Rating: D. I really wasn’t feeling this one as while it wasn’t terrible or even bad, it was pretty dull and uninteresting. It was a standard power vs. speed match but I don’t have any reason to care about either of them or what they were doing. Not terrible or anything, but just not very interesting.

Christian is here.

Mark Andrews vs. Travis Banks vs. Flash Morgan Webster

The winner gets a title shot at some point in the future. Hang on a second though as Saint comes out to announce a fourth participant.

Mark Andrews vs. Travis Banks vs. Flash Morgan Webster vs. Noam Dar

This is Dar’s return after a lengthy layoff due to a knee injury. Banks still has a bad shoulder. It’s a brawl to start because thankfully there are no tags. Dar, who is looking ripped, and Webster exchange armdrags but Andrews comes back in to stomp on Webster. That leaves Dar to start in on Banks’ shoulder on the floor, leaving Andrews to hit a corkscrew moonsault onto everyone else.

Back in and Andrews hits a Sliced Bread on Webster and a reverse DDT on Dar at the same time. Banks makes a save with a top rope double stomp and everyone kicks everyone else in the face for a four way knockdown. Webster and Morgan are left alone in the ring with Andrews flipping out of a super hurricanrana and grabbing a reverse hurricanrana for a close two. Dar is back in with a kneebar on Andrews but Banks comes in to add to choke.

Dar’s part is broken up so Webster has to grab Andrews’ hand to break up a tap. Banks hits the Slice of Heaven but Andrews reverses the fisherman’s buster into the Stundog Millionaire. The shooting star misses though and Dar sends Banks’ arm into the post. Dar kicks Banks in the chest for the pin at 8:50.

Rating: C+. Just a match here with a bunch of spots and nothing connecting them together. In other words, it’s perfect for an indy style match but the people here should be capable of so much better. Dar is a surprise, but he never did anything for me in the first place and I don’t really find him to be anything of note here. I do like him a bit better as a face though.

Post match the Coffey Brothers run in and attack Andrews and Banks. Dar eaves without helping.

Wolfgang promises to take the Adam Cole’s North American Title.

North American Title: Wolfgang vs. Adam Cole

Cole is defending and gets powered into the corner by the much bigger Wolfgang to start. To be fair though, how many people aren’t much bigger than Cole? A kick to the face gives Cole two and he stomps away in the corner. Cole’s neckbreaker gets two more but Wolfgang is right back with a fireman’s carry gutbuster. He’s smart enough to go with a waistlock to stay on the ribs and another gutbuster cuts off a comeback attempt.

More shots to the ribs in the corner have Cole in trouble but Wolfgang takes forever going up, earning some loud booing. Cole uses the delay to superkick him out of the air and gets two off a Backstabber. There’s the fireman’s carry neckbreaker for two more and Cole shrugs off a Wasteland. A hard clothesline puts Cole down but he gets the knees up to block the Howling (swanton). The Last Shot retains the title at 10:14.

Rating: C. I get the potential they see in Wolfgang but he doesn’t do much for me more often than not. He’s a big guy who can move around well enough, but every time he’s out there I expect more from him. Cole being the face in the match isn’t that surprising and he could be holding the title for a good, long time.

Moustache Mountain can’t believe they won the titles.

Velveteen Dream/EC3 vs. Ricochet/Aleister Black

Dream is, again, the most over guy in the match. Ricochet and Dream start things off and this time it’s a Ricochet chant. Hang on though as Dream has to rip his shirt off. He wants to face Black though and the champ is down for another round of one of the best feuds of last year. That goes nowhere either so EC3 comes in instead. The fans think this is awesome even with pretty much nothing going on in the first two minutes. Black has a seat in the middle of the ring and EC3 isn’t sure what this is.

The confusion seems to work though as Black gets taken into the wrong corner, only to have Ricochet make a blind tag and springboard in to take over. EC3 bails so Ricochet backflips into his pose for a cool visual. Black moonsaults into his pose as well with Ricochet having a seat next to him as it’s all good guys so far. That’s finally enough for Dream to break up a springboard though and Ricochet is in trouble for the first time. A suplex stays on Ricochet’s ribs and it’s off to a seated top wristlock.

Ricochet dropkicks his way over for a tag but Dream grabbing a chair distracts the referee so it’s Ricochet staying in trouble for a smart move. The fans chant VAR, meaning they want a replay. Both villains come in at the same time so Ricochet beats them both up, capped off by a neckbreaker/DDT combination. That’s enough for the hot tag off to Black and it’s time to use the legs.

A quebrada takes out EC3 and Dream for two on the former but Dream hits one heck of a spinebuster to cut Black off. The Purple Rainmaker slips though and EC3 clotheslines Black’s head off instead. Everything breaks down and a series of strikes to the face sets up a quadruple knockdown for a nice ovation. Ricochet is up in a hurry though and hits a big dive to take Dream out.

Back in and the STO DDT gets two on Black and a Death Valley Bomb puts Ricochet down as well. Ricochet slips out of the Top 1% though and gets two off a running shooting star. The forward DDT (really not liking that move) drops Ricochet but Dream walks away from a hot tag attempt. EC3 yells at him, knows what’s behind him, and turns into Black Mass for the pin at 15:52.

Rating: B. This got a little too wild at the end but they were all working hard and got to show off for a long time. Having some of the more established names out there can show what the top stars can do and that’s a good idea. Give the fans a taste of what they might be able to get later on and make them want to come back. Smart move and a rather good match.

Post match Ricochet looks at the NXT Title before handing it back.

Toni Storm is ready to win the NXT Women’s Title.

NXT Women’s Title: Shayna Baszler vs. Toni Storm

Storm is challenging. They trade headlocks to start with Baszler getting the better of it. The fans are behind Storm as she fights up and gets in a front facelock. With the fans singing about Storm, she sends Baszler outside for a suicide dive but the champ posts her to take over. Back in and Baszler starts toying with her before getting serious by taking the knee out.

A running knee in the corner gets two and it’s time to stat punching Storm in the face. Baszler stomps her on the foot and grabs a gutwrench superplex but Storm knees her in the head. Storm Zero plants Baszler but the knee gives out again, meaning it’s a delayed near fall. Baszler is right back up with a jumping knee to the face for two and the Kirifuda Clutch goes on again. Storm makes the ropes and falls to the floor, giving Baszler the countout win at 12:18.

Rating: C. Storm is clearly someone with star quality and could be a player in the future, though she needs some more seasoning and a trip to the Performance Center full time could do wonders for her. They made sure to protect her with that finish too and that’s one of the best things that could have happened to her.

Post match Baszler leaves but runs back in to choke Storm out again.

Video on Dunne vs. Gibson, which is more about Dunne than anything else, mainly due to how little we’ve seen from Gibson around here.

United Kingdom Championship: Pete Dunne vs. Zack Gibson

Dunne is defending and wastes no time in going for the fingers. A crank of the fingers have Gibson in trouble and we’re back up for a standoff. The fans sing to the guys as they’re still in first gear until Dunne blasts him with a clothesline. Gibson goes with the grappling and takes Dunne to the mat with a suplex, only to have Dunne reach for the ankle. That goes nowhere so Gibson suplexes him over by the arm.

They head outside with Dunne being sent shoulder first into the barricade. Back in and Gibson pulls on the leg some more, which just seems to tick Dunne off. A shot to the face rocks Gibson and Dunne is starting to do that creepy smile of his. There’s a running enziguri in the corner and the X Plex gets two. A hard kick to the head rocks Gibson and a double stomp to the face sends Gibson out to the apron.

That means a DDT onto the apron but Dunne bangs up his already injured arm again. The arm goes into the steps but Helter Skelter is countered into another X Plex to plant Gibson one more time. Back in and Dunne is all ticked off while still hanging onto the arm. With his defenses lowered, Dunne takes a shot to the neck and Gibson pummels away in the corner. Dunne gets back up and puts the mouthpiece in, meaning it’s time to fight. Gibson is beaten down in short order but a clothesline turns him inside out.

Of course Dunne is up fast enough for a clothesline of his own and they’re both down. Another slugout puts both guys down again and the fans are rather pleased. Dunne hits a snap German suplex and gets two off the Bitter End, much to his shock. The Ticket to Ride off the ropes gets another close two and it’s off to the Shankly Gates, sending Dunne straight to the ropes.

The fans tell Nigel to sit down but a super Helter Skelter gets both their attention back as well as a near fall. Shankly Gates go on in the middle of the ring and somehow Dunne makes the rope again. For some reason Gibson thinks it’s a good idea to slap Dunne in the face, earning himself a snap of the finger. Dunne punches him out of the air and the Bitter End retains the title at 17:44.

Rating: A-. Sweet goodness Dunne is amazing and there’s no other way to put it. He’s seemingly incapable of having a bad match and now he’s expanding outside of the performances with Bate. Gibson looks great and it’s hard to argue with him losing after wrestling three times yesterday. He’ll be fine, but Dunne was ready to move up to the main roster months ago.

HHH and the locker room comes out to celebrate with Dunne. The boss says this is the next chapter in British wrestling history and this is the fans’ brand.

Overall Rating: B. Another very solid show though I liked yesterday’s edition more. There’s a lot of talent out there and the UK brand should be a lot of fun. Throw in some stories and more action like this with a more compact form and everything will be fine. Two good shows in a row built up a lot of good hope the potential is high. Well done again.

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

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

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

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