NXT
Date: December 14, 2016
Location: Full Sail University, Winter Park, Florida
Commentators: Percy Watson, Corey Graves, Tom Phillips

It’s another interesting night as we have the four matches to set up the fatal fourway match to determine a #1 contender to the NXT Title. Other than that though we’re heading down to Australia to see what should be the final match between Shinsuke Nakamura and Samoa Joe for the NXT Title. As a bonus, it’s inside a steel cage. Let’s get to it.

We open with a look back at the Nakamura vs. Joe rivalry with both title changes to set up tonight’s final match.

The cage is lowered and we’re starting in a big way.

NXT Title: Samoa Joe vs. Shinsuke Nakamura

From Melbourne, Australia. Nakamura is defending and it’s pinfall/submission/escape. The champ takes him down by the leg and wins an early strike exchange. A knee drop sets up Good Vibrations in the corner but Joe comes back by sending him into the cage. Back from an early break with Nakamura in even more trouble until a spinning kick to the head drops Joe.

Kinshasa is countered with a powerslam and it’s off to a standing Koquina Clutch. Shinsuke flips back to escape and the sliding knee to the head has Joe reeling. It’s too early to escape though and Joe loads up the super MuscleBuster, which is countered into a powerbomb to keep Joe down. Nakamura has the chance to walk out but opts for Kinshasa instead. A second Kinshasa retains the title at 12:56.

Rating: B-. I’m sure the full match was a lot more entertaining than this but it was a good way to wrap things up between them. There’s really no reason to keep Joe off the main roster at this point so just let him go on up like he should have done already. There wasn’t much doubt in this one and there’s nothing wrong with that.

We look back at Peyton Royce and Billie Kay walking out on Daria Barenato a few weeks back.

The Aussies laugh at Daria until she comes up to demand a fight with one of them next week.

#1 Contenders Tournament First Round: Tye Dillinger vs. Eric Young

Still no Sawyer Fulton with Sanity. Young goes right after him to start but gets clotheslined down for his efforts. Left hands in the corner (ten of them of course) have Eric in even more trouble. The Tyebreaker is loaded up but Nikki Cross comes in for the DQ at 1:20.

Tye fights off Sanity until Damo comes in to lay him out.

#1 Contenders Tournament First Round: No Way Jose vs. Andrade Cien Almas

Jose grabs a headlock to start before slapping on an airplane spin to take us back in time while still having some fun. The announcers try to get Gravy over as a nickname for Corey as Jose knocks Almas down a few more times. A pop up right hand gets two but Almas kicks him in the face and hits his arm trap DDT for the pin at 3:54.

Rating: D+. I’m still not getting the appeal of Almas but I’m getting the appeal of Jose. A guy his size with that much charisma should be a guarantee for a spot in this company but I’d like to see them do something with him instead of just having him float around. Almas still doesn’t do much for me but having him as a heel is instantly an improvement.

#1 Contenders Tournament First Round: Roderick Strong vs. Elias Samson

Before the match Samson sings a song I can’t quite understand. Samson kicks him in the ribs to start as we hear about Strong’s abilities with a backbreaker. It’s already off to the Tree of Woe for some upside down choking followed by a chinlock. Strong comes right back with a running dropkick followed by a fireman’s carry gutbuster. The Sick Kick ends Samson at 3:17.

Rating: C-. No time for anything here but Samson is in need of a partner of some sort. He’s really not enough in the ring to make anything of himself but the guitar playing character is more than enough to go somewhere. Strong is a case of what you see being what you get though I had almost forgotten he was even part of the roster. To be fair though he’s the kind of guy you can give a quick push and make something of him without too much effort.

Billie Kay vs. Daria Barenato next week.

#1 Contenders Tournament First Round: Oney Lorcan vs. Bobby Roode

Guess who the fans are behind here. They trade arm work to start with Roode taking him to the mat and riding Oney a bit, much to the crowd’s delight. Roode stops to pose so Lorcan gives him a running uppercut to the jaw. We actually get an ONEY chant until Roode knocks him off the top and onto the ropes. Oney gets two off a backslide and starts speeding things up with a running elbow in the corner. A running Blockbuster gets two but the regular version misses and Roode grabs a spinebuster. The inverted DDT sends Roode to the fourway at 7:16.

Rating: C-. Well duh. You have to assume Roode is getting the title shot in San Antonio and that’s best for everyone involved. Lorcan is fine for a jobber to the stars but there’s only so much you can do with a name like Oney. Graves made this even better by losing his mind about Roode on commentary, which is exactly what someone like him should be doing.

The fourway is Roode vs. Dillinger vs. Almas vs. Strong.

Overall Rating: C. This was a show with one goal and while it accomplished that, it wasn’t the most interesting in the world. The wrestling either didn’t have time to go anywhere or wasn’t all that great in the first place. Roode should be a lock to win next week and I like the idea of him winning a few matches to get there. Not a bad show here but one you really should just read the results for instead of watching in full.

Results

Shinsuke Nakamura b. Samoa Joe – Kinshasa

Tye Dillinger b. Eric Young via DQ when Nikki Cross interfered

Andrade Cien Almas b. No Way Jose – Arm trap DDT

Roderick Strong b. Elias Samson – Sick Kick

Bobby Roode b. Oney Lorcan – Inverted DDT

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up my new book, KB’s Complete Monday Nitro and Thunder Reviews Volume V at Amazon for just $3.99 at:

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NXT
Date: December 7, 2016
Location: Full Sail University, Winter Park, Florida
Commentators: Tom Phillips, Corey Graves, Percy Watson

This is another interesting show as it’s a combination of the regular taping and the NXT Title match from Osaka, Japan with Shinsuke Nakamura challenging Samoa Joe for the title. It’s also nearly time to start getting ready for Takeover: San Antonio, which is only about six weeks away. Let’s get to it.

We open with a quick video hyping up the title match.

Opening sequence.

Here’s DIY to get things going with the new champs coming in through the crowd to celebrate. It takes some time for the cheering to die down but Paul Ellering and the Authors of Pain cut them off before anything can be said. Ellering talks about how awesome they are until the Revival cuts them out with the fans singing their song. Revival gets to ringside and says the Authors only won because Revival was out of the tournament. The Authors come down to shove Revival around with Ellering saying they’re coming for the titles. I’m thinking a rematch is in order to set up the Authors’ opponent and that’s just good.

We’re getting a new commentators and it’s…..Percy Watson? Yes that Percy Watson. As in the guy you haven’t thought of since he was released. I have no idea why he’s here or what need he’s filling but he’s certainly here.

No Way Jose/Rich Swann vs. Sanity

Sanity confirms their heel status by cutting the pre-match dance off. It’s Alexander Wolfe and Eric Young for the team here. There’s no Sawyer Fulton here and Eric stomps on Fulton’s jacket in some symbolism. Swann and Jose go fast to start by knocking Wolfe out to the floor.

Unfortunately the announcers have to go out of their way to get Watson in on commentary and it doesn’t feel very natural. Swann gets taken into the Sanity corner and it’s time for an early break. Back with Swann taking a Bret Hart chest bump in the corner and getting caught in a dragon sleeper from the middle rope. That’s not bad.

Wolfe comes in for his version of dancing and a neck crank to keep things slow. A double clothesline gives Swann a breather and of course equals out several minutes of offense. Jose comes in off the hot tag and gives Young a TKO for two. A big corkscrew dive sends Swann into Wolfe but here’s a huge man to send Jose into the steps. The announcers acknowledge him as Damo (formerly Big Damo) as he stares Wolfe down. Back inside, Young’s wheelbarrow into a neckbreaker ends Jose at 10:35.

Rating: C. The match was nothing special but Damo debut as a potential new member of the team makes a lot of sense. He looks like a monster (please have him put on a singlet or a shirt) and would fit in really well with the group. Not a good match or anything but I’m digging Sanity more every week.

Sanity looks at Damo, who leaves on his own.

William Regal makes Revival vs. DIY for the titles on January 11 (that’s a long way off for NXT). Tye Dillinger comes in to suggest he should leave NXT after losing to Samoa Joe. Regal cuts him off and offers him a spot in a tournament to crown a new #1 contender. There will be four singles matches with the winners facing off in a four way match for the title shot in San Antonio.

Eric Young has nothing to say about Damo but Nikki Cross runs into Asuka and stares at the title. Asuka gives her the evil smile. I could go for this.

Ember Moon vs. Kimber Lee

Lee is a former Chikara Grand Champion. Moon wastes no time in starting in with the kicks but charges into a side suplex for two. A hurricanrana gets Ember out of trouble and the Eclipse ends Lee at 3:03.

Rating: D+. I still can’t get over how awesome the Eclipse looks. The timing she has to have to pull off a move like that is just amazing and I’ve never seen her come close to missing. Lee got in some offense here and I wouldn’t mind seeing her signed up to appear more in NXT.

Here are the matches for the #1 contenders tournament:

Tye Dillinger

Eric Young

Elias Samson

Roderick Strong

Oney Lorcan

Bobby Roode

Andrade Cien Almas

No Way Jose

NXT Title: Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Samoa Joe

Joe is defending and is quickly kicked into the corner for Good Vibrations. A poke to the eye gets the champ out of trouble and we take a break. Back with Nakamura in an STF which is turned into a Crossface which is turned into a rope grab. A German suplex looks to set up Kinshasa but Joe snaps off a powerslam for two instead.

Nakamura gets out of the Muscle Buster, only to get caught in the Koquina Clutch. It’s the standing version though (I believe we call that a sleeper) and Joe releases for a string of suplexes instead. Joe kicks him out to the floor and loads up the Rock Bottom onto the steps. That earns him a bunch of strikes to the back and neck as Nakamura takes over for a change. Back in and Nakamura can’t keep him up in a fireman’s carry. Instead he goes to the middle rope so the middle rope knee to the head can set up Kinshasa for the pin and the title at 10:45 shown.

Rating: B. This was the usual good, hard hitting brawl from these two though I’m pretty sure it’s going to be the last big match, unless we see the Australia cage match. There’s not much left for Joe in NXT at this point so odds are he’s either in the Rumble or debuts before then. Good match of course and it’s cool that we got to see it.

We’ll actually see the cage match next week on NXT.

Overall Rating: B-. This was fine for a special show and next week feels like it’s going to be the same thing. It’s kind of weird that this didn’t feel like anything all that interesting but, as usual, NXT got a lot done here. We had two debuts (I’m still wondering why Watson is here), a title match set up, another title match after that set up, a title feud teased and a title change.

Results

Sanity b. No Way Jose/Rich Swann – Wheelbarrow neckbreaker to Jose

Ember Moon b. Kimber Lee – Eclipse

Shinsuke Nakamura b. Samoa Joe – Kinshasa

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up my new book, KB’s Complete Monday Nitro and Thunder Reviews Volume V at Amazon for just $3.99 at:

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NXT
Date: November 30, 2016
Location: Canadian Tire Centre, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Commentators: Tom Phillips, Corey Graves

Now this should be interesting as this show was taped on the same night as last week’s Smackdown, meaning they’re in a big arena instead of the tiny Full Sail. I’m always curious to see how things translate when they go somewhere else, especially when it’s not an NXT crowd. Let’s get to it.

Opening sequence.

Asuka vs. Nicole Matthews

Non-title. Matthews is a regular in Shimmer and her early shots to Asuka’s head just seem to annoy the champ. That means the beating is on in a hurry with Asuka firing off the kicks. Some YES Kicks look to set up a big kick but Matthews swings away even more. A Fujiwara Armbar is the prelude to the Asuka Lock for the submission at 2:17.

We look at Sanity attacking Rich Swann last week with No Way Jose making the save. Jose vs. Eric Young later tonight.

Samoa Joe doesn’t care that he’s facing Shinsuke Nakamura in Osaka, Japan on December 3 because he’s the best. Tye Dillinger comes up to say he’d like to test that theory and a match is made for tonight.

Eric Young vs. No Way Jose

Jose takes him straight down but Eric bails to the floor. A good shot knocks Eric off the apron and into the rest of Sanity as we take a break. Back with Alexander Wolfe grabbing Jose’s leg so Young can take over. A dragon sleeper with Young standing on the middle rope has Jose in even more trouble before Young cranks on the neck even more. Jose makes his quick comeback but Sanity offers another distraction so Young can hit his wheelbarrow suplex into a neckbreaker for the pin at 9:19.

Rating: C. This was more of a way to let Sanity get its first win and Young looked good enough out there. It’s amazing how much easier Young is to sit through when I don’t have to hear him talk about how great he is. Jose didn’t get squashed and there’s a good chance we’ll see a tag match next.

Sanity mauls Jose again post match.

Asuka wants competition but there’s no one left.

Samoa Joe vs. Tye Dillinger

Non-title. Dillinger starts fast and knocks Joe outside as we take a very early break. Back with Dillinger firing off left hands in the corner but it’s way too early for the Tyebreaker. Joe crushes the knee to take over, setting up a kneebar to make Tye dive for the ropes. That gets an NXT chant as Joe unloads with right hands in the corner.

Tye’s knee is wrapped around the ropes and Joe walks around as we take another break. Back again with Joe putting on a neck crank to set up Tye’s comeback. The Tyebreaker still doesn’t work so Tye superkicks him in the chest for two instead. Joe’s release Rock Bottom out of the corner sets up the powerbomb into the Boston Crab into the Koquina Clutch to knock Tye out at 20:15.

Rating: C+. This was longer than it needed to be but I’ve seen much worse. Tye had no chance of winning here but the fans were into him. At some point he needs to actually win something though and having him lose both big matches in Canada didn’t help him. His match with Roode did a lot for him and this certainly didn’t crush him but Joe won handily here.

Dillinger gets the big ovation from the crowd.

Overall Rating: C+. This was just a filler show as we get ready for the new taping cycle back at Full Sail. The wrestling was fine and they set up a few things to bridge us to the next tapings. Joe vs. Nakamura in Osaka could change a lot of things but it should be interesting to see if it’s done there or if they go on to San Antonio. Fine show here but nothing memorable.

Results

Asuka b. Nicole Matthews – Asuka Lock

Eric Young b. No Way Jose – Wheelbarrow neckbreaker

Samoa Joe b. Tye Dillinger – Koquina Clutch

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up my new book, KB’s Complete Monday Nitro and Thunder Reviews Volume V at Amazon for just $3.99 at:

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NXT
Date: November 23, 2016
Location: Air Canada Center, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Commentators: Tom Phillips, Corey Graves

This is a special episode as we’re past Takeover: Toronto and since there hasn’t been time for a full taping, this show was filmed before Saturday’s show, meaning this is again in a huge arena. Things changed a lot in Toronto as two titles changed hands, including the NXT Title. Let’s get to it.

We open with the long recap of Saturday’s show.

Opening sequence.

Rich Swann vs. Kona Reeves

My goodness Swann gets an amazing reaction, easily stronger than anything the cruiserweights have gotten on Raw so far. Kona is aggressive to start and gets two off a pop up Samoan drop. Swann gets whipped hard into the corner and Reeves stops for a big, evil grin. He’s certainly got the facials down. The offense doesn’t last long though as Rich comes right back with a running kick to the face and the standing 450….but here’s Sanity for the no contest at 4:30, nearly a minute and a half of which was the team’s entrance.

Rating: D+. The match doesn’t matter because this is all about Swann’s entrance. You really can see how much better the cruiserweights are received at a show like this where they might be treated as a featured attraction instead of some people who happen to appear on the show. It gives me some hope for 205 Live, but if they do the show after Smackdown is taped, the show is dead in the water.

Swann fights back but gets taken down by the numbers as a big EY chant breaks out. Eric Young says this generation is going to be remembered because Sanity is going to take. It’s amazing how much easier it is to deal with Young when he doesn’t talk much.

Post break, No Way Jose is out to check on his partner and calls out Young for a fight right now. The rest of the team surrounds the ring and the brawl is on with no referee or bell. A right hand has Young in trouble and the rest of Sanity comes in for the beatdown.

Video on the finals of the Dusty Classic.

The Authors of Pain are ready for Chapter Three, which will be explained in time.

Peyton Royce and Billie Kay recruit Daria Berenato for the six woman tag. They’re ready to make the world prettier when Daria rearranges some faces.

Video on Bobby Roode vs. Tye Dillinger.

Tye says he might have taken a step back with the loss but the people still supported him so he’ll be back.

Long video on DIY vs. Revival. Sami Zayn vs. Shinsuke Nakamura was the clubhouse leader for match of the year but it’s going to be a very, very close race. I’m not sure which is in the lead at the moment but it’s a tossup at worst.

DIY says this win is an answer to every time they’ve been told no.

Video on Asuka vs. Mickie James.

Mickie is in tears over how amazing that was and calls Asuka incredible.

Video on Samoa Joe vs. Shinsuke Nakamura.

Nakamura wants a rematch as soon as possible.

Liv Morgan/Aliyah/Ember Moon vs. Peyton Royce/Billie Kay/Daria Berenato

Aliyah is the hometown girl and Berenato is the tough boxer/fighter. Billie and Liv start things off and an early headscissors takes Kay down. Aliyah comes in and Corey wants to know what’s up with people listing their area code. I’m with Graves for a change. Daria comes in and takes Aliyah down as we take an early break. Back with Aliyah still in trouble until an enziguri gets her out of trouble. Moon comes in off the hot tag and cleans house as everything breaks down. Billie kicks Moon in the face but the Aussies tell Daria to take care of the rest. As soon as Daria turns around, the Eclipse wraps things up at 8:41.

Rating: C-. This was fine and it’s very clear that Morgan is just a way to get the Aussies and Moon over as bigger deals, which is really all you can expect from her. The match was fine enough and that Eclipse is going to be the big weapon to give Asuka a run for her money. This was fine for a filler show main event and that’s all it was.

BREAKING NEWS: Nakamura vs. Joe for the title in two weeks from Osaka, Japan.

Overall Rating: D+. These are always hard to grade as nothing on here mattered but it wasn’t disguised as anything important. This was just a filler show until we get to the next tapings and that’s perfectly fine. I had a good enough time with it and the show flew by with all the recap videos. Joe vs. Nakamura III should be a blast and even if Nakamura doesn’t get the title back there, you can almost guarantee one more match in San Antonio. That’s enough to be thankful for so Happy Thanksgiving everyone.

Results

Rich Swann vs. Kona Reeves went to a no contest when Sanity interfered

Liv Morgan/Aliyah/Ember Moon b. Peyton Royce/Billie Kay/Daria Berenato – Eclipse to Berenato

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up my new book, KB’s Complete Monday Nitro and Thunder Reviews Volume V at Amazon for just $3.99 at:

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

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NXT
Date: November 2, 2016
Location: Full Sail University, Winter Park, Florida
Commentators: Corey Graves, Tom Phillips

We’re down to three shows before heading north to Toronto and that means it’s time to start hammering out the rest of the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic. The quarterfinals begin tonight and we’ll need to get down to the finals in the next three weeks. Some of the matches have been taped at house shows so it might be time to take a field trip. Let’s get to it.

Opening sequence.

We’re going straight to San Jose, California for the first quarterfinal match.

Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic Quarterfinals: Roderick Strong/Austin Aries vs. TM61

So here’s the thing: Austin Aries has a fractured orbital bone and is unable to compete so Austin suggests we have a singles match to determine who advances (assuming that’s not made really obvious by the stipulations). Regal comes out to say that’s cool with him and TM61 agrees.

Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic Quarterfinals: Roderick Strong vs. Shane Thorn

At least I don’t have to remember which is which. Shane does a very complicated spin out of a wristlock before kicking Strong in the face. A standing moonsault gets two but Strong’s first backbreaker puts Thorn down on the top turnbuckle as we take a break. Back with Thorn hitting a good looking dropkick to put both guys down. We hit an Australian uppercut train until another backbreaker gives Strong two. He really can hit those things from everywhere and he makes them look different enough to keep it fresh.

Strong tries a superplex but gets knocked down for Alberto Del Rio’s top rope double stomp (Fans: “SI SI SI!”). A Falcon Arrow gets two on Strong, followed by a sitout powerbomb to bring Aries up to the apron. Strong kicks Miller down but walks into a small package to send TM61 to the final four at 10:45.

Rating: B-. This was just about all it needed to be with Thorn sending the team on, as you kind of had to know they would given Aries’ injury. Strong continues to look good and this is more of a storyline loss than anything else. TM61 making a strong run in this tournament would do a lot for them as they haven’t really set themselves apart yet so this could be their big moment.

Samoa Joe and Shinsuke Nakamura will sign the contract next week.

Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic Quarterfinals: DIY vs. Revival

Non-title. Actually hang on a second as Scott Dawson is on crutches. Dawson has hurt everything in his knee and it would cripple a normal man (Dawson: “Like you two.”) but a little rest will make a man like him just fine. Therefore, the Revival is sitting this one out and DIY can have a pass to the next round. I like this much better than A, wasting another edition of a great series and B, having either team lose a match. No match.

Gargano and Ciampa are ready for whoever they face next.

Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic Quarterfinals: Rich Swann/No Way Jose vs. Authors of Pain

Back to San Jose. Akum and Jose start things off with No Way being driven straight into the corner. Some dancing sends the bull charging through the ropes and a big right hand actually staggers him a bit. Swann comes in for an assisted hurricanrana which really just annoys Akum. Instead it’s off to Razar but Swann keeps the speed up with a dropkick to stagger him. For some reason Rich decides to dive onto both Authors at the same time but it takes Jose diving onto all three to put them down.

Back in and the beating begins with Akum throwing Rich into the corner for a running splash from Razar. Paul Ellering even gets in a little choking of his own on the bottom rope like the good old school manager he is. A spinning kick to Razar’s face gives Rich a breather and an enziguri to Akum allows the hot tag to Jose (BIG pop for that). A TKO drops Akum for two but Razar sends Swann into the steps. The lack of a partner means Jose gets caught in the Last Chapter for the pin at 8:06.

Rating: C. The more I see of the Authors, the more I like them. They don’t need to be anything more than a pair of big guys who can beat the heck out of people. More importantly though, they get in just enough trouble to make you believe they could be in danger before taking someone’s head off. That leaves the opening of the right team being able to outlast them and then beat them, which makes them more interesting.

Video on Mickie James.

Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic Quarterfinals: Sanity vs. TJ Perkins vs. Kota Ibushi

Wolfe and Ibushi start things off with a headlock slowing Kota down so much that it’s off to TJ for the always broken up first kneebar. Fulton comes in and gets kneebarred as well with Wolfe’s save not working. Back from a break with the crusierweights starting up their dives until TJ gets pulled out of the air. A slam sends him onto Wolfe’s knees and it’s off to the chinlock.

That’s switched up to a bearhug to keep Perkins in trouble for a big longer. A shot to the face allows the tag to Kota and it’s time for the kicks. The Gold Star Bomb gets two on Wolfe but Eric Young and Nikki Cross get the referee’s attention. A suplex/powerslam combo puts Kota away at 12:15.

Rating: C-. This didn’t do much for me but I’m starting to dig Sanity a lot more than I ever expected to. Kota wasn’t likely going to get very far in this thing due to his lack of a contract but at least the Full Sail fans got a nice treat by seeing him live. I like the idea of regular teams going forward though and that’s what we have for the semifinals.

The final four:

Sanity

TM61

DIY

Authors of Pain

Overall Rating: C+. The wrestling was fine here and they moved through an entire round of the tournament in one night with some smart booking decisions. The rest of Toronto’s card is mostly set so it’s ok to dedicate a full show to one concept like this. I’m looking forward to the final four and that’s a big step forward for a tournament that hadn’t taken much shape yet.

Results

Shane Thorn b. Roderick Strong – Small package

Authors of Pain b. Rich Swann/No Way Jose – Last Chapter to Jose

Sanity b. Kota Ibushi/TJ Perkins – Suplex/powerslam combination to Ibushi

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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

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up my new book, KB’s Complete 2014 Raw and Smackdown Reviews Part I at Amazon for just $3.99 at:

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NXT
Date: September 14, 2016
Location: Full Sail University, Winter Park, Florida
Commentators: Tom Phillips, Corey Graves

We’re slowly making our way to Toronto but first we need to get to the end of this taping cycle. The big story here is still Samoa Joe vs. Shinsuke Nakamura, which is probably going to headline the next Takeover. Other than that we have Bobby Roode vs. No Way Jose in a match that could have the crowd reacting in multiple ways. Let’s get to it.

Opening sequence.

Here’s Samoa Joe to get things going. Joe talks about how a man reaches a point where he knows something has changed. As NXT Champion, he was a disgrace. He ran roughshod over NXT for a year because he wanted to be the champion of the hottest brand in the WWE Universe. Joe requests and receives an appearance from Shinsuke Nakamura. They said a lot of things leading up to their match in Brooklyn and Joe meant every bit of it, including saying that Nakamura was an undeserving contender.

Standing here now though, he knows Nakamura is a worthy champion. Joe has a guaranteed rematch but instead of cashing it in, he wants to ask Nakamura for the shot man to man. The champ says it’s on and very tentatively shakes Joe’s hand. Joe leaves Nakamura to pose but comes back out and jumps the champ on the stage. Nakamura is whipped into and Rock Bottomed onto the steps as Joe shouts that he did this to Shinsuke. Joe leaves and Nakamura is taken out on a stretcher. Even William Regal and Corey Graves come out to check on Nakamura as he’s wheeled away.

Graves and Phillips talk about how serious this is. It actually feels better here as this almost never happens around here, which is the case with almost every big angle they do.

Regal goes to find Joe but he pulls away in a car.

Liv Morgan vs. Rachel Fazio

Rachel used to be known as Rachel Ellering. Morgan works on a front facelock to start as we hear that Nakamura has been taken to a medical facility. A running dropkick staggers Rachel but Liv doesn’t seem to know what to do next. Morgan grabs a guillotine choke (which she barely keeps on) for the tap at 1:51. This really didn’t work with Liv looking very sloppy.

Post match Liv grabs the mic and yells at Rachel for tapping out. The word on the street is that the NXT Women’s division needs more challengers so she’s throwing her hat in the ring to face Asuka.

Hideo Itami vs. Drew Gulak

Gulak gets in his face to start and they hit the mat for some submission attempts. Drew goes with a slap to the face so Itami gives him one right back. It’s time for some kicks to the face with Itami getting in a running boot but running into a dropkick for his efforts. Drew starts in on the leg but thinks it’s a good idea to slap Hideo in the face. The beating is on in a hurry and the GTS ends Gulak at 4:55.

Rating: C+. They kept it simple here by having Itami strike as hard as he can and Gulak trying to do the submissions to keep Itami in check. Itami is going to be a big deal in NXT but I’m still not entirely sold on him. He really doesn’t have a character aside from hard striker and while he does that as well as anyone else, I don’t know how far it’s going to take him.

Authors of Pain vs. Doug Sessa/Chris Payne

Razar drops Sessa with a spinning elbow to the face and it’s off to Akum for forearms to the chest. Payne (not named until after the match) tries to come in and gets a double powerbomb. The running clothesline/Russian legsweep combo ends Doug at 1:51.

Tye Dillinger is ready to prove that he really is a perfect ten.

No Way Jose vs. Bobby Roode

Roode is introduced on a spinning pedestal and the fans sing his song. His entrance in Toronto is going to be amaz…..perfec…..blast it why can’t I think of the right word for it? Roode takes him down to start and does a pose, sending the fans into song. A headlock doesn’t do anything for Roode so Jose slam him to take over. Fans: “YOU’RE NOT GLORIOUS!”

Jose sends him outside for a running forearm off the apron and we take a break. It’s good to hear the No Way Jose song as the commercial starts as Jose deserves some cheering despite being against the hottest act in the promotion. Back with Roode sending Jose into the buckle and getting two off a delayed vertical suplex. Jose fights out of a chinlock and puts on the airplane spin. The Baseball punch misses and Roode finishes with an implant DDT at 11:00.

Rating: C+. Fine match here with Roode doing just enough to win while Jose doesn’t lose any face by going down against a bigger name. Roode is red hot right now and they would be crazy to not give him something big at the Toronto Takeover. I’d like to see Jose as something a bit more serious though as there’s a lot of potential there. Good stuff here and probably most importantly: Roode changed finishers. The implant DDT isn’t great but it’s way better than a pumphandle slam.

Overall Rating: C. This show was a bit off as it felt like the first and last segments should have been swapped. Roode winning is fine but the opening segment took a lot out of the crowd, especially in the next match or two. Still though, it was a show that up some stuff going forward and let some people get needed wins. It’s more effective than good and that’s ok for a week.

Results

Liv Morgan b. Rachel Fazio – Guillotine choke

Hideo Itami b. Drew Gulak – GTS

Authors of Pain b. Doug Sessa/Chris Payne – Running clothesline/Russian legsweep combo to Sessa

Bobby Roode b. No Way Jose – Implant DDT

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up my new book, KB’s WWE Grab Bag at Amazon for just $3.99 at:

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NXT
Date: September 7, 2016
Location: Full Sail University, Winter Park, Florida
Commentators: Corey Graves, Tom Phillips

We’re in an interesting place here as the next Takeover has been announced for November but the taping schedule hasn’t caught up to the announcement yet. Therefore we’re still in the fallout stage from Brooklyn, meaning we’re likely going to see some stuff being set up for the next big TV show. Let’s get to it.

Opening sequence.

TM61 vs. Tony Nese/Ariya Daivari

Thorn and Nese start things off with Tony doing a sweet drop down into a nip up to avoid a clothesline. Neither guy can do anything so it’s off to Miller vs. Daivari for a change of pace. A jawbreaker sends Miller into the corner and Nese adds a dropkick to set up a big flip dive to the floor. Unfortunately he takes out his partner in the process, only to have Thorn dive over all of them, barely grazing his opponents.

Back in and Nese gets two off a running knee (I’m getting sick of running strikes. It seems everyone uses one of those these days.), followed by some stomping in the corner. We take a break and come back with the tag off to Miller as the crowd is really not interested so far. A high/low gets two on Nese but he comes right back with a superkick. Ariya gets two off a frog splash but walks into Thunder Valley for the pin at 10:30.

Rating: C. I really don’t get the appeal of TM61 and the fans being that silent didn’t do them any favors. They’re really just two guys in trunks who can wrestle a good enough match but that’s not good enough when we’ve had American Alpha, the Revival and Gargano/Ciampa tearing the house down every time they’re in the ring. This was more about the cruiserweights though and they looked fine out there.

Earlier today, Asuka talked about the crowd being so excited in Brooklyn and how she now respects Bayley. Even though Bayley fought hard, Asuka fought harder and retained the title. Asuka has cleaned out the division and she defends the title for herself and Japan. She says something for her Japanese fans and says no one is ready for her.

Steve Cutler wants to know what Shinsuke Nakamura has sacrificed to get here. Cutler has sacrificed four years of his life to get this opportunity. People will respect him.

Ember Moon vs. Leah Von

Von is a blonde newcomer. Ember starts fast with a springboard spinning crossbody but gets taken down into a chinlock. That goes nowhere as Moon kicks her in the ribs, hits a flipping clothesline and finishes with the top rope Stunner (possibly called the Eclipse) at 2:45.

No Way Jose appreciated Bobby Roode’s fashion sense and isn’t changing for anyone.

Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa will get a match at the Cruiserweight Classic final and if they win they might get a Tag Team Title shot.

Austin Aries vs. Andrade Cien Almas

Almas has dropped the hat and suspenders. The fans are all over Almas to start and Aries gets them on his side with a dropkick to the face and a little rest in the corner. Almas comes back with a dropkick of his own and a good looking hurricanrana. Aries is just fine though as he shoves Almas off the top for a nasty crash as we take a break.

Back with Aries dropping a knee for a cocky cover before we hit the chinlock. Almas sends him crashing into the ropes and scores with a springboard dropkick. That just earns him the running dropkick in the corner but Aries misses a charge in the corner. The running knees miss (again with the running strike) and a powerbomb sets up the Last Chancery to make Almas tap at 11:48.

Rating: C-. I don’t know what’s with this show so far tonight but they’re not clicking so far. Then again maybe it’s just Almas being such an uninteresting character with a really basic offense that feels like the generic template you would get if you selected high flier in a Smackdown vs. Raw game. Just turn him heel and let him be bitter so people don’t have to be bored with him every time. Aries winning is fine and that’s all that mattered here.

Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Steve Cutler

Non-title with Samoa Joe on commentary. They start slow with Nakamura not exactly treating Cutler like a serious threat. We’re quickly into the corner for Good Vibrations before Nakamura starts in with the strikes. The reverse exploder sets up Kinshasa for the pin on Cutler at 3:21.

Rating: D+. Not much to say here because there wasn’t much to it. Cutler could have been anyone in this spot and it would have been the same match as Nakamura dismantled him in just a few minutes. Joe vs. Nakamura II should be a lot of fun, especially if they’re allowed to beat the heck out of each other for twenty minutes.

Joe walks away from commentary to end the show.

Overall Rating: C-. I really wasn’t feeling the show this week as two of the matches just kept going and the other two were too short to mean much. They’re definitely in need of some energy but luckily this isn’t Raw, where such a thing sounds impossible. Not a very good show this week but it certainly wasn’t bad.

Results

TM61 b. Ariya Daivari/Tony Nese – Thunder Valley to Daivari

Ember Moon b. Leah Von – Eclipse

Austin Aries b. Andrade Cien Almas – Last Chancery

Shinsuke Nakamura b. Samoa Joe – Kinshasa

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up my new book, KB’s WWE Grab Bag at Amazon for just $3.99 at:

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NXT
Date: August 31, 2016
Location: Full Sail University, Winter Park, Florida
Commentators: Tom Phillips, Corey Graves

The champ is back tonight as Shinsuke Nakamura makes his first appearance on NXT since winning the NXT Title in Brooklyn. I mean, that was only eleven days ago but NXT is making it seem like a big deal. It should be interesting to see who comes out to challenge him for the title, though odds are it’s Samoa Joe for a rematch. Let’s get to it.

Earlier today, Samoa Joe was deemed unclear to wrestle due to injuries suffered in Brooklyn. William Regal looks annoyed.

Opening sequence.

Tye Dillinger vs. Buddy Murphy

Murphy is deemed a one by the fans. Back in my day, being number one was a good thing. Tye gets him to the mat in a hammerlock but gets thrown away, meaning Blake can give himself a ten. Back up and Dillinger does his spinout into a cartwheel for the real ten. Graves: “That would get you disqualified from any gymnastics competition.”

The lame wrestling goes back and forth with Murphy sending him outside as we go to a break. That’s probably the good thing as this is a very simple match and there’s nothing that’s working especially well save for the TEN thing. Back with Dillinger making his comeback off a clothesline and a backdrop. Some TEN stomps in the corner set up the Tyebreaker for the pin at 9:46.

Rating: C-. This is a good example of the crowd carrying a match higher than it should have gone otherwise. Dillinger’s gimmick is way over but his in ring work isn’t the greatest. It’s an interesting change of pace from the Murphy vs. Ibushi match from a few weeks ago which was far more entertaining with Ibushi having more than one thing to carry him. Dillinger is more than worth investing in due to being so over but he needs some work. There’s potential in Murphy too, albeit with some adjustments.

We look back at the Tag Team Title match in Brooklyn and Johnny Gargano’s knee injury costing him in the Cruiserweight Classic.

Tommaso Ciampa says Gargano will be back soon when the Revival comes in and beats him into the arena. They take the beating into the ring and leave Ciampa laying. Wilder says everyone sounds tough until reality hits them in the mouth. Ciampa tries to get up but takes a good looking Shatter Machine.

Steve Cutler wants attention and demands respect. Dang the cupboard really is bare.

Steve Cutler vs. Kenneth Crawford

Crawford is a generic looking guy who Graves says is well dressed backstage. Cutler works on the arm to start but Kenneth flips his way out of a backdrop (didn’t stick the landing but he tried) and grabs an armbar of his own. Some good looking dropkicks and a running shooting star get two on Cutler but he walks into a spinning fisherman’s driver (as in a fisherman’s suplex into a sitout slam) to give Steve the pin at 3:38.

Rating: C-. Crawford did some good looking stuff but neither guy was anything special here. Pushing Cutler (and by pushing I mean setting up to be fed to someone else) isn’t the most horrible idea in the world as people already know him from all those jobs over the years and it’s not like he can’t just go back to being a jobber after this is done. It’s better to give someone some value and then take it away than take away value from someone who you’ve invested a lot of time in.

Hideo Itami says he kicked Austin Aries in the head at Takeover but Aries disappointed him by claiming an injury. If he doesn’t want to feel pain, get out of the ring.

Video on Sami Zayn vs. Nakamura back in Dallas.

Video on TM61.

No Way Jose vs. Angelo Dawkins

Jose dances around and grabs a headlock to start as Dawkins gets a few chants of his own. Dawkins’ chinlock doesn’t go anywhere so it’s the baseball punch and a full nelson slam (looked more like a cobra clutch this time) to give Jose the pin at 2:43.

Aries, banana in hand (Dig that potassium replenishing!), interrupts Andrade Cien Almas’ interview time, saying everyone is trying to steal his spotlight. Since Almas lost, Aries will just take his interview time. A challenge is issued for next week.

Video on Nakamura vs. Finn Balor.

Liv Morgan vs. Aliyah

Aliyah looks a bit more serious this time and kicks Morgan in the ribs. Some knees to the chest have Morgan in more trouble and Aliyah puts on a freaky hold where she cranks on Liv’s arm and holds her head down with a leg. Morgan pops back up and tries a kind of spinning kick close enough to the head for the pin at 3:21. There was a hard edit in there so it was probably worse than it looked.

Rating: D-. If this is the future of the women’s division, they’ve got a long way to go. Aliyah showed some fire but Morgan was a pretty bad mess. Her offense required an edit and consisted of two moves in about three and a half minutes. Also I’m really not sure how strong of a character I’M FROM NEW JERSEY is or how long of a life span it’s going to have.

No Way Jose is fired up about his win and says he has the heart to go with the hair. Bobby Roode comes up, compliments Jose’s head, and walks away.

Video on Nakamura vs. Joe.

Here’s Nakamura for his celebration and the dancing entrance looks even cooler with the title around his waist. The YOU DESERVE IT chants start up until Nakamura starts talking about being in Japan and wanting to face the best competition in the world. That meant he had to come to NXT where he beat Sami Zayn, Finn Balor and Samoa Joe. He’s still in a lot of pain but he became the NXT Champion. The Joe Era is over and it’s now the Era of Strong Style. Nakamura kind of barks and poses to end the show.

Overall Rating: C. This show was about setting up stuff for the future as we’re firmly in the fallout period from Takeover and have a long way to go before the next one. Stuff like Almas vs. Aries and Asuka coming back next week are great ways to build week to week and keep you coming back long enough to let the big stories develop. It’s about making something seem important enough that you want to watch the hour of TV to see it and then get you ready for the big stuff. That’s such a simple strategy and NXT makes it work as well as anyone has in a long time.

Results

Tye Dillinger b. Wesley Blake – Tyebreaker

Steve Cutler b. Kenneth Crawford – Fisherman’s driver

No Way Jose b. Angelo Dawkins – Full nelson slam

Liv Morgan b. Aliyah – Spinning kick to the face

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up my new book, KB’s WWE Grab Bag at Amazon for just $3.99 at:

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

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A look at some of the other stories from the weekend, including whatever the main event was.

http://wrestlingrumors.net/kbs-review-in-other-news-summerslam-edition/