NXT
Date: January 11, 2017
Location: Full Sail University, Winter Park, Florida
Commentators: Percy Watson, Corey Graves, Tom Phillips

We’re back to Full Sail and that means it’s time to hit the gas on the road towards San Antonio. The NXT Title match is already set up but now it’s time to set up the Tag Team Title match. We know that the Authors of Pain are waiting on the champions but the question is who will be defending against them. That’s what we’ll find out tonight as the Revival gets their rematch against DIY. Let’s get to it.

We open with a recap of DIY vs. Revival, as you probably expected.

Opening sequence.

Earlier today, Billie Kay and Peyton Royce attacked Asuka in the back. I’m sure their destruction will be quick and imminent.

Billie Kay/Peyton Royce vs. Sarah Bridges/Macy Evans

Peyton offers an early distraction so Billie can run Evans over from behind. The Aussies take turns beating on her until a hot tag brings Bridges in for the hope spot. That lasts all of about fifteen seconds as Bridges gets double teamed, setting up the bulldog onto Billie’s knee for the pin at 2:06.

Post match the Aussies get the mic and are told that Asuka will kill them. Cue Asuka, who is beaten down again, only to have Nikki Cross come in for the save. With Kay and Royce taken out, Cross kicks Asuka in the face to leave the champ laying.

Sanity says they’re taking over and it starts with Cross becoming the new Women’s Champion. Big Damo watches from the shadows.

Elias Samson vs. Jonathan Cruz

Before the match, Samson sings about being around forever. With Graves ripping on Samson for general annoyances, Elias drives Cruz into the corner but gets rolled up for one. A clothesline drops Samson and that’s about it for Cruz’s offense as he gets his ribs bent around the post. Samson knees him in the ear (ow) and kicks him in the jaw, setting up the neckbreaker for the pin at 3:25.

Rating: D. Total squash here and Samson is starting to look better. The gimmick works very well but Samson is one of those guys who just doesn’t click for some reason. He’s got the look and the character but the in ring work really isn’t all that great. Squashing people will keep him fresh in the audience’s minds though and that’s a good thing at the moment.

We take another look at DIY vs. Revival.

Andrade Cien Almas vs. Oney Lorcan

Almas now has pyro for his entrance. This is a rematch from Osaka where Lorcan won in an upset. Lorcan shoves him off a headlock but Almas just poses on the mat like the jerk that he is. A hard shot to the chest puts Andrade on the floor so Lorcan hits a Blockbuster off the apron. Back in and a clothesline cuts Oney off for the first time, setting up a slap to the face. Lorcan elbows him right back though and an Alabama Slam into the corner staggers Almas even more. Not that it matters as Almas does his pose on the ropes to buy himself some time, setting up the hammerlock DDT to put Lorcan away at 5:00.

Rating: C-. I still just don’t get it with Almas. He’s MUCH better as a heel than his disaster of a face run but that’s not really saying much. Lorcan is an interesting case but his name and lack of much of a character hold him back. Their Osaka match was a lot better but that’s probably due to them having five minutes this time as opposed to over double that in Japan.

Almas says this will be his year.

Another look at the Toronto match.

In a sitdown interview, Shinsuke Nakamura says he’s proud of being NXT Champion after a very hard series against Samoa Joe. That brings him to Bobby Roode, who he calls one of the best wrestlers in the world. Despite not being willing to appear on camera, Roode has a gift for Nakamura: Roode’s ticket for last year’s Takeover: Dallas, when Nakamura made his in ring debut.

Tag Team Titles: Revival vs. DIY

DIY is defending and the winners face the Authors of Pain in San Antonio. Gargano and Dawson get things going with Scott getting caught in an atomic drop. The champs come in and knock Dash and Dawson outside for an early break. Back with Gargano working on Dawson’s arm as Graves plays cheerleader for the challengers.

Wilder makes one of those always great blind tags and the chop block puts Gargano down. That means it’s time to pick apart a limb and the leg is wrapped around the post. Gargano gets tied in the Tree of Woe and they be clubberin on that knee. Johnny is sent outside and Revival is way too happy with a potential countout. Dash goes to get him but gets posted for his efforts, only to have Dawson tackle Gargano to break up a hot tag attempt.

Back from another break with the leg work continuing via a half crab. Ever the cocky heel, Dash slaps Johnny in the face and gets caught with an enziguri, allowing the hot tag to Ciampa. With a PSYCHO KILLER chant rolling, Ciampa cleans house with running knees and German suplexes. A hard knee to Dash’s head gets two but Dawson just BLASTS Ciampa with a clothesline. Something like a Hart Attack is broken up with a superkick and Ciampa grabs the armbar.

Dawson gets smart by shoving Gargano onto them for the save in a great false finish. Gargano breaks out of an attempted leglock and suicide dives onto Dawson. Dash gets floored as well and it’s back to Ciampa who walks into a DDT for another two. The champs unload with strikes and the running knee/superkick to both Dawson and Wilder (who were hugging) at the same time retain the titles at 21:02.

Rating: B+. Somehow that might be the worst match these four have ever had together. Some teams just have outstanding chemistry and that’s what these guys have. They just work so well together and that’s something you either have or you don’t. This was another brutal match and I’m curious to see what DIY can do with the Authors in San Antonio.

Speaking of the Authors, they run in and beat the champs down.

Regal makes DIY vs. the Authors for San Antonio. Wasn’t that already announced? Also, next week it’s Nakamura and Roode having a contract signing, which certainly was announced earlier in the night. Regal is almost done but Asuka comes in and demands to face Cross, Kay and Royce at Takeover to end the show.

Overall Rating: B. This was all about the main event and given how awesome that was, the rest of the show being this average wasn’t going to bring it down. I’m curious about where they’re going with that Roode ticket as that story needs to be more emotion based because not many people are going to buy Roode hanging in a slugout with Nakamura. Good show here, as expected.

Results

Billie Kay/Peyton Royce b. Sarah Bridges/Macy Evans – Bulldog onto a knee

Elias Samson b. Jonathan Cruz – Neckbreaker

Andrade Cien Almas b. Oney Lorcan – Hammerlock DDT

DIY b. Revival – Running knee/superkick

 

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NXT
Date: October 19, 2016
Location: Full Sail University, Winter Park, Florida
Commentators: Tom Phillips, Corey Graves

We’re getting closer to the second round of the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic and it’s also the start of a fresh taping cycle. The other interesting story is the return of Shinsuke Nakamura to go after Samoa Joe. It’s fairly obvious that they’ll be facing each other again in Toronto. Let’s get to it.

We open with a look back at Nakamura being laid out about a month ago but coming back last week to go after Samoa Joe.

Opening sequence.

Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic First Round: Rich Swann/No Way Jose vs. Tony Nese/Drew Gulak

It should be interesting to see this work so much better here than it would on Raw. Rich and Drew start things off as the fans aren’t sure which good guy to cheer for. It’s time for some fast flipping to start with Rich bouncing over Drew and handing it off to Jose for the big guy dancing. Nese comes in and eats a big flapjack (that sounds good) for two. Some quick kicks put Jose down for two but it’s back to Rich for some kicks to the chest. They head outside and it’s Nese superkicking (of course) Swann as we take a break.

Back with Gulak and Swann clotheslining each other for a double knockdown. That means a double tag off to Jose and Nese with the dancing one turning Tony inside out off a clothesline. Gulak gets thrown into the air and punched right in the jaw (better than most Superman Punches) for two with Nese making the save. The full nelson slam ends Gulak at 10:40.

Rating: C+. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Jose is WAY too talented for this dancing party guy gimmick. He looked even more like a star than usual here as he was towering over the other three and was able to show off with the power game. It really is amazing how much more interesting the cruiserweights are when they’re in front of a crowd that actually wants to see them.

Rich and Jose are ready for the Authors of Pain, who better not look past them. Dancing ensues.

Quick discussion of Hideo Itami’s injury, meaning he’s out of the tournament.

We look back at Glorious Ten splitting up.

Tye Dillinger has requested and been granted a match against Bobby Roode in Toronto.

Austin Aries would rather talk about potassium instead of his surprise partner. The tournament isn’t for everyone, such as Hideo Itami. Hideo is out because an MRI revealed he doesn’t have a spine.

Bobby Roode vs. Sean Maluta

Maluta actually grabs a rollup for an early two but Roode takes his head off with a clothesline. A hard whip into the corner makes it worse for Sean, followed by a spinebuster to break up his comeback. An implant DDT ends Sean at 3:07.

Rating: D+. Just a squash here, which is a good role for some of the lower level cruiserweights. We’ve seen what they can do in the tournament so these wins are more impressive than the ones you see over the run of the mill jobbers. Maluta has a good look and can be pushed if the need ever arrives, just like so many of the other people NXT has been using lately.

Roode laughs off Dillinger’s complaints because Tye was the one who begged Roode to team up for the Dusty Classic. All Roode wanted to do was bring Tye up to a GLORIOUS level. After a line about Klingons, Tye comes out and clears the ring. The fans, who went nuts over Roode’s entrance, give Tye a huge TEN chant.

Liv Morgan is in the back when Peyton Royce and Billie Kay jump her from behind. Morgan is dragged out to the stage and laid out again, leaving Kay and Royce to brag about how this is their division.

Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic First Round: Austin Aries/??? vs. Tucker Knight/Otis Dozovic

Aries’ mystery partner is……the debuting Roderick Strong, who teamed with Aries to win the ROH Tag Team Titles as part of Generation Next. The announcers put Strong over hard, mentioning his matches against people like AJ Styles, Samoa Joe, Daniel Bryan and Kevin Owens. Otis throws Aries around to start before it’s off to Tucker for some hard chops to Strong.

Everything breaks down and Aries has to break up a Vader Bomb from Otis. Aries and Strong start trying to chop down the massive Dozovic but he pretty easily suplexes them both at the same time. The hot tag brings in Knight for a double splash in the corner but he misses a charge and falls outside. Back in and the Sick Kick knocks Knight silly for the pin (ignore the shoulder being up at one) at 6:15.

Rating: B-. It’s strange to see the smaller, faster guys as the heels but this was a better match than I was expecting. Dozovic and Knight are two big power guys and I’m always entertained by seeing guys their size chopped down. Aries/Strong vs. TM61 should be a lot of fun, which is the cool part about tournaments like this one.

Andrade Cien Almas attacked Cedric Alexander over a lack of respect. Now it’s time to take the respect for himself.

Nikki Cross vs. Danielle Kamella

Cross is just as crazy as she used to be and throws Danielle with a suplex. After biting and scratching herself, Nikki ends this with a fisherman’s neckbreaker at 1:20. Total squash.

Nikki keeps beating on Danielle so the referee reverses the decision.

Here’s Shinsuke Nakamura with a message for Samoa Joe. Nakamura confirms the rematch with Samoa Joe in Toronto because he’ll beat Joe with no mercy. This brings out Patrick Clark, who wants the title shot for himself. Instead he gets a kick to the head, only to have Joe come out for the big staredown. Joe stays on the ramp while Clark eats Kinshasa to end the show.

Overall Rating: B. I had a really good time here as they covered almost everything that’s likely to be taking place at Takeover: Toronto in less than an hour. We had good tag wrestling, a debut, story advancement and a hot ending. In other words, things you rarely get on Raw and/or Smackdown and in even less time. NXT knows how to turn on the jets whenever they need to and that’s exactly what they’ve done again here.

Results

No Way Jose/Rich Swann b. Tony Nese/Drew Gulak – Full nelson slam to Gulak

Bobby Roode b. Sean Maluta – Implant DDT

Austin Aries/Roderick Strong b. Tucker Knight/Otis Dozovic – Sick Kick to Otis

Danielle Kamella b. Nikki Cross via referee’s decision

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