IMG Credit: WWE

NXT UK
Date: November 14, 2018
Location: NEC Arena, Birmingham, England
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Nigel McGuinness

We’re finally to the second set of tapings as WWE continues to try and catch up with the past. The big story tonight is some kind of announcement from Johnny Saint, which likely means a new title. With only one around here, they kind of need to bring one in at some point. They’ve teased a Women’s Title and Tag Team Titles so either one is possible. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

The women’s division comes out to the stage and there’s something under a cover. Well they’re certainly not being subtle. HHH comes out and introduces GM Johnny Saint before making the obvious announcement. The belt is revealed and it’s basically the UK Title with a white strap.

We look back at the Coffey Brothers and Wolfgang attacking Ashton Smith three weeks (your time may vary given when these shows air) ago. Smith gets Wolfgang tonight, though the description says he’s facing Tyler Bate. Come on guys it’s not that hard.

The lights are far lower than usual this time and it does add something to the atmosphere.

Sid Scala vs. Jordan Devlin

Devlin shoves him into the corner to start and says Scala doesn’t belong here. A hard whip into the same corner has Scala in more trouble as we seem to be in squash territory. Devlin starts in on the arm, as is required around here. A slingshot cutter gives Devlin two but Scala is right back with a sunset flip for the same. The fans get behind Sid (it’s easy to do with an underdog) but Devlin dropkicks him out of the air. Ireland’s Call finishes Sid at 3:17.

Rating: C-. Devlin looked better than he has before here but that’s not exactly saying much. I still don’t get much of a feel for him due to being another ticked off guy from the UK and being from Ireland isn’t much of a gimmick. At least he squashed Scala here and that’s what he needs to do, aside from finding a better character.

Post match Devlin says it doesn’t matter who the fans think he is because he knows himself. There’s a guy in the back named Ligero who calls himself a luchador. Devlin: “He’s from Leeds!”

We look back at Moustache Mountain telling the locker room to team up and give them competition.

Video on Tyson T-Bone.

Amir Jordan/Kenny Williams vs. Saxon Huxley/Joseph Conners

Two first time teams here. Jordan and Huxley start things off with the smaller Jordan flipping out of a hiptoss and dancing a bit. Williams comes in for a wristlock as Joseph says Conners and Huxley are NXT UK originals. Conners offers a distraction and Huxley slams Jordan down for two. Some forearms just earn Jordan an elbow to the face and a clothesline takes him down.

A middle rope clothesline drops Huxley but Conners runs in and knocks Williams off the apron. Since this is WWE though, the hot tag goes through a few seconds later. Williams hits a springboard back elbow to knock Huxley to the floor but his tornado DDT is shoved off. A sunset bomb puts Williams into the corner and Don’t Look Down (a lifting Downward Spiral) gives Conners the pin at 4:50.

Rating: D+. This was a run of the mill power vs. speed match and since that’s almost impossible to screw up, this was watchable enough. I’m not all that impressed by most of them, though Williams certainly has some skill. Huxley and Conners continues to be people who just exist though, as the heels are still pretty weak around here.

We’ve got tournament brackets:

Dakota Kai

Nina Samuels

Rhea Ripley

Xia Brookside

Millie McKenzie

Jinny

Toni Storm

Isla Dawn

Each entry gets a quick bio graphic.

Trent Seven isn’t worried about Zack Gibson. He couldn’t beat Pete Dunne so now he’s calling out the rest of British Strong Style. And yes that’s a challenge, with the match set for next week.

James Drake vs. Tyler Bate

The fans start a BIG STRONG BOY chant. To be fair the referee is looking jacked. Bate works the arm to start with Drake’s chinlock counter getting him nowhere. Drake elbows him in the face and puts Bate on the apron, only to get popped in the jaw. Bate goes up but gets knocked off the top, setting up the chinlock because we need to hit one of those at some point. A dropkick gets two on Bate and it’s right back to the chinlock.

Bate fights up with a clothesline and elbow to the jaw as the pace picks up. A charge is countered into a suplex to send Drake flying and the standing shooting star gives Bate two. Drake gets sent outside for the suicide dive but the Tyler Driver 97 is countered. They slug it out until Drake hits an enziguri, only to miss a charge into the corner. Bate’s bounce off the ropes sets up the Tyler Driver 97 for the pin at 8:32.

Rating: C. Drake is right in there with Devlin as a run of the mill villain who is nowhere near as intimidating or intense as he tries to be. Bate is the second biggest star around here and he’s not losing in one of his first singles matches. It helps that he’s almost a guaranteed good match and this was perfectly fine.

Ashton Smith vs. Wolfgang

The Coffey Brothers are here with Wolfgang. Wolfgang’s wristlock doesn’t work as Smith connects with a dropkick and a headscissors. A middle rope crossbody is countered into a gutbuster though and Wolfgang stomps away. Smith gets whipped hard into the corner to stay on the ribs and it’s off to the waistlock.

That’s switched into a regular bearhug so Smith smacks him in the face a few times for the break. A running clothesline rocks Wolfgang and now the middle rope crossbody connects for two. Smith can’t get him in a fireman’s carry though and Wolfgang hits a running backsplash, even though Smith was sitting up. A reverse fisherman’s suplex finishes Smith at 5:32.

Rating: D+. I haven’t gotten the appeal of Wolfgang since I saw him in the first tournament and that didn’t change here. He’s average at best in the ring and having him as one third of the big bads isn’t the most thrilling thing in the world. Smith has a good look and moves well in the ring, but like so many others, I don’t know anything about him and it’s not getting any better.

Overall Rating: C-. Not much to see here and a lot of it comes down to the lack of character development. They’re getting somewhere with the British Strong Style guys, who happen to be the biggest stars on the show when the whole thing started. The wrestling is watchable but it’s still nothing that keeps me interested from week to week.

Results

Jordan Devlin b. Sid Scala – Ireland’s Call

Saxon Huxley/Joseph Conners b. Kenny Williams/Amir Jordan – Don’t Look Down to Williams

Tyler Bate b. Jordan Devlin – Tyler Driver 97

Wolfgang b. Ashton Smith – Reverse fisherman’s suplex

IMG Credit: WWE

NXT
Date: November 7, 2018
Location: Full Sail University, Winter Park, Florida
Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Percy Watson, Vic Joseph

There are two shows left before Takeover and after last week’s show, we now have the big namesake match set up. There should be some interesting things before we get there as the card needs to be pushed hard as we head towards Los Angeles. Tonight we have Lars Sullivan wanting to destroy Velveteen Dream for daring to take a step towards the NXT Title. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Heavy Machinery vs. Forgotten Sons

Cutler and Blake for the Sons here. Blake armbars Knight to start before it’s off to Cutler, who gets taken down by a double crossbody. That means a tag to Dozovic so some people can be thrown around. The Worm hits Blake but a blind tag brings in Cutler for a shot to the arm to take over. The stomping on the arm begins and Dozovic’s arm is wrapped around the rope.

Blake grabs a triangle choke but gets powerbombed down, allowing the hot tag off to Knight. A Backstabber/top rope elbow combination gets two on Knight so it’s a PowerPlex of all things for the same. Dozovic makes the save but the Compactor is broken up with a low bridge. Blake gets shoved off the top though and it’s a pop up World’s Strongest Slam to finish Cutler at 8:25.

Rating: C+. This was a match that had no business being anything but they worked hard and turned it into something pretty entertaining. Heavy Machinery is a really fun team and that’s the kind of team that you can throw on almost any show for a good time. I’m surprised they got the win here, but at least they had some fun.

We look back at Candice LeRae yelling at Nikki Cross last week and Aleister Black coming out to yell at her.

Candice isn’t talking about what happened.

Shayna Baszler is with her fellow Horsewomen when William Regal comes in to announce Baszler defending against Kairi Sane at Takeover in a 2/3 falls match. An annoyed Shayna throws out the interviewer.

Dakota Kai vs. Taynara Conti

Kai blocks an early kick attempt and throws Conti down. Conti misses a charge into the corner and gets rolled up for two as they’re starting fast. A kick to the wrist slows Dakota down and another kick to the face gets two. Conti goes after the wrist but misses a charge in the corner so Kai can start in with the kicks. The Facewash sets up the running kick to the face, followed by the sunset flip Backstabber (the Kairopractor) to finish Conti at 4:49.

Rating: C-. Both of these two feel like they should be bigger stars than they are but neither has really clicked just yet. Kai is adorable and Conti has some great ability but it’s just not working yet. Their matches aren’t too bad either and they had something here with the strikes vs. the judo stuff.

Mia Yim is glad to be here but Bianca Belair comes in, wondering why a newcomer is getting this kind of attention when Bianca still hasn’t gotten her title shot.

We look back at Matt Riddle debuting last week.

Riddle and Keith Lee were celebrating the win but ran into Kassius Ohno, who didn’t seem impressed at all.

Video on WarGames, focusing on last year’s edition with the Undisputed Era winning and how we got to this point.

Johnny Gargano has sent in a video to respond to the questions of why Johnny why. Black has talked about being on a path but Johnny is on one too. He’s walking on the same path he was on the night Black was attacked. Johnny is on the path to defeating Tommaso Ciampa and winning the NXT Title. Black got in his way and he was just collateral damage. One evil thing doesn’t mean Johnny isn’t the hero at the end of this story. He still fights for what’s right, but NXT has taught him to fight a little dirty.

Now Black wants to kick his face off and that’s fine. He’s not afraid of the dark anymore and now he’s starting to like it. Johnny goes to the place where Black was found and promises to leave him laying again. Awesome stuff here, as Gargano has become so obsessed with Ciampa that he’s gone insane and abandoned himself to get there. The key to a heel is their actions have to be logical to themselves and themselves alone, because from Johnny’s perspective, he’s still the good guy. This was great and makes a lot of sense.

Velveteen Dream vs. Lars Sullivan

Dream gyrates a bit and then goes straight at him in a bit of a surprise. Lars throws him down but a running knee sends the monster outside. We get a little lucha Dream (totally could have been a hilarious Dusty Rhodes gimmick) with a dive to the floor and Sullivan gets sent into the steps. A belly to back toss sends Dream into the apron though and a running splash inside crushes him again. Dream gets tossed around and a HARD shot to the side of the head almost flips him over. Lars throws him to the floor and Dream is knocked silly.

Back in and Lars throws him into the air but gets dropkicked down twice in a row for two. Another slam cuts Dream off but he superkicks Lars on top. A superplex is broken up and Lars misses a Swan Dive, allowing Dream to hit the Dream Valley Driver. It’s time for the Purple Rainmaker but here’s Ciampa for the distraction. Back in and the Freak Accident finishes Dream at 8:59.

Rating: B. This was the David vs. Goliath story and they nailed it up and down. Dream knows how to play this role far better than I would have expected and they told a heck of a story with Dream surviving the whole way through. The ending keeps both guys looking strong too as the elbow might not have been enough to finish Black. Really good one here with the drama rolling.

Post match Lars leaves and Ciampa comes in to lay Dream out, saying he’s not in the champ’s league. Dream fights back though and hits a superkick, followed by the twisting DDT onto the title. The Purple Rainmaker is loaded up and, after pausing due to referees, Dream crushes Ciampa to end the show. Dream looked like a star here and that’s exactly the idea.

Overall Rating: B. Well, they’re definitely in Takeover mode and gave the focus to everything but WarGames tonight in a smart move. That match is going to be ready just due to the cages alone so setting up everything else was the right way to go. This was a heck of a show and Gargano’s explanation was a big highlight. He has some serious long term potential with that and I’m glad we’re getting to see the story unfold instead of rushing to the next idea in a month. More solid work this week, as Takeover is sounding great.

Results

Heavy Machinery b. Forgotten Sons – Pop up World’s Strongest Slam to Cutler

Dakota Kai b. Taynara Conti – Kairopractor

Lars Sullivan b. Velveteen Dream – Freak Accident

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

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/09/07/new-book-kbs-complete-smackdown-2003-reviews/

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

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

IMG Credit: WWE

NXT
Date: October 31, 2018
Location: Full Sail University, Winter Park, Florida
Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Vic Joseph, Percy Watson

Things got cranked up in a hurry last week as we now have two major stories going on at once. First and foremost, Johnny Gargano revealed himself as the man who attacked Aleister Black a few months ago, ending a long whodunit mystery and likely setting up a war at Takeover. Other than that, we might be heading for a triple threat match for the NXT Title with Tommaso Ciampa defending against Lars Sullivan and Velveteen Dream. Let’s get to it.

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

We open with a recap of the search for Black’s attacker, with Nikki Cross saying she knew who did it and Black showing up last week, only to be attacked by Gargano. The “I’M RIGHT HERE” line is great.

Opening sequence.

Nikki Cross vs. Mercedes Martinez

This could be interesting. The fans are behind Martinez as Nikki seems rather pleased to be shoved back into the corner. With that not working, Nikki takes her down by the arm instead. Back up and Martinez charges into a boot in the corner but blocks the tornado DDT without much effort. A guillotine choke with the leg hooked keeps Cross in trouble but Mercedes lets go, allowing Cross to make a comeback with a bulldog.

Nikki is bleeding from the cheek as Martinez counters the fisherman’s neckbreaker into a spinebuster for the double knockdown. A pair of backdrop drivers set up a release German suplex but the fisherman’s buster is countered into a Regal Cutter. Nikki plants her with a DDT and the fisherman’s neckbreaker is good for the pin at 6:20.

Rating: B-. Well you knew Martinez would be a few steps ahead of almost anyone else they brought in. Nikki wasn’t about to lose when she was in such a prominent role in the Black/Gargano story and we even got a good match out of the whole thing. I don’t know if Martinez is going to be staying around but WWE could get a lot out of having her in the division.

Post match Candice LeRae (now with bangs that made me barely recognize her) to ask what Nikki is doing, but she leaves without saying anything. Nikki runs into Black at the entrance though and leaves the other way. Black goes to the ring where Candice says Johnny isn’t here. Black says Johnny is gone.

We recap the Street Profits vs. the Mighty with Montez Ford’s knee being hurt to give the Mighty the win. They even stole the Profits’ cup.

The Mighty vs. Street Profits

Thorn and Dawkins start things off and it’s already time for Thorn to bail towards the ropes. Everything breaks down in a hurry and the Profits clear the ring in a hurry. Ford’s big flip dive takes both of them out but Miller busts up his spine back inside. The pace slows a good bit with Ford trying to fight out of the corner but getting caught in a Falcon Arrow for two.

Ford finally goes aerial by diving over Thorn and making the hot tag off to Dawkins to clean house. Dawkins’ powerbomb is countered with a hurricanrana so Thorn loads up Miller in a powerbomb as Miller superplexes Ford for a cool double team spot. That’s good for two with Dawkins making the save, leaving Ford to hit the frog splash for the pin on Thorn at 7:07.

Rating: C-. It’s very rare that a feud in NXT does nothing for me but that’s the case here. I don’t know if it’s the Mighty (though that seems to be a strong possibility) but this has been one of the most lifeless stories I can remember NXT putting on in a long time. It’s not that it’s terrible or even bad. Instead, it’s not interesting and that’s actually worse.

The Profits regain the cup.

William Regal makes Velveteen Dream vs. Tommaso Ciampa for the title at Takeover. Black comes in and wants Gargano, so Regal makes that match for Takeover as well.

Lars Sullivan is throwing a bunch of stuff because that was his title shot. If Dream is in that spot now, Sullivan will take him out and replace him.

Luke Menzies vs. Matt Riddle

Riddle’s theme music starts with BRO, he’s billed as the King of Bros, and he jumps into the air to kick his flip flops into different corners, meaning he’s wrestling barefoot. Riddle takes him by the leg to start and flips him into a quickly broken cross armbreaker. Menzies hits him with a running shoulder so Riddle starts snapping off the kicks to the chest. A running forearm in the corner misses and Menzies tosses him with a belly to belly.

Riddle is right back up with a kick to the head and another one to the chest as the fans are WAY into the BRO chants. A running knee to the chest sets up the hard elbows to the face, followed by something like a seated abdominal stretch (also called a Twister, or the Bromission here) for the tap at 3:22.

Rating: C. Well that worked. Riddle looked awesome (because he is awesome) and while Menzies got in some offense, Riddle shrugged all of it off and destroyed him for the win. You can pencil him in for a bigger match at Takeover against Kassius Ohno and that’s where we’ll get the real showcase. Good debut here though, with the match going as it should have and the submission finisher looking great.

Clip of Shayna Baszler regaining the Women’s Title at Evolution.

After the match, a still weakened Sane went after Baszler but just didn’t have the energy.

Next week: Sullivan vs. Dream.

Oney Lorcan/Danny Burch vs. Raul Mendoza/Humberto Carrillo

Mendoza and Burch start things off and we get a nice handshake. A headscissors takes Burch down and it’s off to Carrillo to work on the arm. Some European uppercuts get Burch out of trouble though and it’s already off to Lorcan. Humberto gets caught in a double top wristlock but backflips out with a double armdrag.

Lorcan and Burch are sent outside for stereo suicide dives but Humberto’s moonsault hits raised boots (with Lorcan shoving his feet up instead of just holding them up). Mendoza comes in and hits some running forearms, followed by an enziguri for each of them. Burch hiptosses him into the corner though and it’s the spike DDT for the pin at 3:17.

Rating: C+. That was WAY better than I was expecting, which is a nice relief as I was hoping they wouldn’t squash someone as talented as Mendoza. They had me thinking we might even see the big upset here, which is hard to pull off in a match this short. Both teams could go somewhere and I hope we see more from Mendoza and Carrillo.

The Undisputed Era is doing their usual promo in the back when the War Raiders run in and jump them ahead of their scheduled match. They fight outside with Cole being lawn darted into a production truck but Strong comes back with a trashcan. Some weapons shots have the War Raiders down but here’s Ricochet to dive off a table to take everyone down. Fish tries to get inside but Hanson shows up and throws him into a garage door.

With Ricochet and Cole fighting elsewhere, the other five come inside with the Raiders wrecking the three of them. Ricochet and Cole join them but a shot to Hanson’s knee cuts him down. The Era takes over but here’s Pete Dunne (POP) with a chair for the save. Cole’s hand is smashed as Ricochet and Rowe are back up. Cue Regal and the fans know what’s coming. WARGAMES is officially confirmed between the eight of them, sending the Era into a panic to end the show.

Overall Rating: C+. The ending announcement alone is cool to see and helps the show itself, which was already pretty good. This was the night where a lot of Takeover’s card was set up in one night and that often makes for some of the most entertaining shows they have. I’m fired up for the show now and that means they did their job here, as the perfect timing of these things continues.

Results

Nikki Cross b. Mercedes Martinez – Fisherman’s neckbreaker

Street Profits b. The Mighty – Frog splash to Thorn

Matt Riddle b. Luke Menzies – Bromission

Oney Lorcan/Danny Burch b. Raul Mendoza/Humberto Carrillo – Spike DDT to Mendoza

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

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/09/07/new-book-kbs-complete-smackdown-2003-reviews/

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

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

IMG Credit: WWE

NXT UK
Date: October 31, 2018
Location: Cambridge Corn Exchange, Cambridge, England
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Nigel McGuinness

This is the second episode of the show today, because WWE would rather do two in a row than edit them together into one show, which would make my life easier. Anyway, things are starting to come together around here as some of the characters who were introduced earlier on in the series are starting to interact, which opens the potential for some stories. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Moustache Mountain vs. Sam Gradwell/Saxon Huxley

Huxley and Seven start things off in a rematch from last week (earlier today thanks to WWE). Just like last time, Huxley gets the better of it early on, this time sending Seven outside so Gradwell can get in a few shots of his own. Gradwell comes in and forearms Seven in the head before dropping a headbutt on the shoulder for two. It’s back to Huxley, who seems to annoy Seven by hitting him in the face.

Seven kicks them both to the floor and brings in Bate for the big suicide dive. Back in and a standing shooting star gives Bate two but Huxley sends the moustached ones into each other. A spinebuster/Backstabber combination sets up a half crab on Seven, which is broken up because it’s a half crab. The hot tag brings in Bate and it’s a dragon suplex/clothesline combination to finish Gradwell at 6:06.

Rating: C. They need to build up some tag teams while it’s a good idea to put them together, putting them against the only actual team around at the moment isn’t the best idea in the world. The match was fine enough, though I don’t think the ending was ever exactly in doubt. Hopefully Seven and Bate become a full time American team one day as they’re more than good enough to hang with the best in WWE.

Travis Banks has been attacked.

Video on Isla Dawn.

Video on Jinny.

Mark Andrews thinks the Coffey Brothers attacked Banks and asks to fight in Banks’ place.

Isla Dawn vs. Nina Samuels

They fight over a lockup to start with Samuels driving her into the corner to little avail. Dawn elbows her in the face and snapmares her down but Samuels is right back up with a suplex. It’s time to start in on the arm, including a hard whip to send Dawn shoulder first into the post. Dawn gets two off a rollup and then kicks Samuels in the head. Something between a belly to belly and gutwrench suplex finishes Samuels at 3:22.

Rating: D. I wasn’t feeling this one as even with the video before the match, I’m not sure I know much about either of them, especially Samuels. Dawn looked to be the better of the two of them and you can all but guarantee the start of a Women’s Title tournament soon. This didn’t have the time to go anywhere, and that’s not the best idea when you’re trying to establish some people. Dawn didn’t get in much offense until the end, though that suplex was kind of cool.

Pete Dunne says he doesn’t need to be worried about Burch, because Burch needs to be ready for him. He doesn’t worry about Burch’s comments last week and Burch has his attention now.

Video on Jordan Devlin.

Eddie Dennis is still not happy with Pete Dunne and Mark Andrews moving on without him. He was the youngest principal in the United Kingdom but quit his job to dedicate himself to wrestling. After six months, he signed with WWE, even though he was injured for a lot of that time (Dennis: “Thanks for the calls guys.”). Now he has a lot to prove. I like this guy and he debuts next week.

Jordan Devlin vs. Tucker

Tucker spins out of a wristlock to start and hits a top rope back elbow to the jaw. An enziguri gets two but Devlin is right back with some right hands to the head. With that working so well, say it with me, it’s time to start on the arm. The arm is cranked on the mat and then wrapped around the top rope, followed by a dropkick for two. Tucker is back up with a springboard swinging Downward Spiral for two of his own. A Swanton hits knees though and Devlin hits a fireman’s carry into a reverse DDT (almost an AA/F5 combination) for the pin at 4:09.

Rating: C-. Devlin looked better of the two (with a cool finisher) but this didn’t do any favors to the idea that so much of the roster looks the same. The wrestling wasn’t bad but neither of them stood out and that’s a big part of the problem with this show. So many of the people look or act the same, which isn’t a good prospect so far. Oh and ENOUGH WITH THE ARM WORK!

Danny Burch has been wrestling for over fifteen years and knows Dunne is a well rounded wrestler. All Burch can do is wrestle as best as he can and win the title. The title match is in two weeks.

Mark Andrews vs. Wolfgang

I do not get Wolfgang and I don’t see that changing here. Wolfgang takes him into the corner and howls. You know, because his name has WOLF in it. Andrews gets sat on the top and Wolfgang points a finger at him. Back down and a headlock slows Wolfgang down but he blocks an armdrag without much effort. A springboard hurricanrana works a bit better for Andrews but his suicide dive is countered into a gorilla press onto the apron.

Back in and the pace slows a good bit with Wolfgang kneeing him in the ribs but not being able to toss Andrews outside. Andrews is back with some strikes to the chest and a 619 to the back draws a BRITISH WRESTLING chant. A middle rope spinning crossbody is countered into a gutbuster, followed by a spear for two. Wolfgang’s moonsault misses so Andrews is right back up with a tornado DDT. That’s enough to send Wolfgang to the floor for the big flip dive. The Stundog Millionaire sets up the shooting star to finish Wolfgang at 8:39.

Rating: C+. Not a bad David vs. Goliath formula here but nothing that hasn’t been done better multiple times before. Andrews is another case where the WWE version is that much better than the TNA version and it’s really rather impressive to see how solid of a high flier he can be. Wolfgang continues to be just another big guy though, which doesn’t work with how big of a deal he often is around here.

Post match they shake hands and Wolfgang leaves so here are the Coffey Brothers to beat Andrews down. Flash Morgan Webster runs in for the save with Wolfgang following, only to turn on Webster so the Brothers can get in another beatdown. As usual, this doesn’t work so well when Wolfgang just lost clean.

Overall Rating: C-. This wasn’t quite as good as the first show, mainly due to the lack of the better main event. They’re starting to tell some stories and I’m curious about where some of them are going, but having just a few minutes per match without much promo time to really build things up. Also, I really wouldn’t recommend two hours of this in a week. The show just isn’t strong enough to support that much in a single day yet and today made that obvious.

Results

Moustache Mountain b. Sam Gradwell/Saxon Huxley – Dragon suplex/clothesline combination to Gradwell

Isla Dawn b. Nina Samuels – Gutwrench belly to belly suplex

Jordan Devlin b. Tucker – Fireman’s carry into a reverse DDT

Mark Andrews b. Wolfgang – Shooting star press

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

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/09/07/new-book-kbs-complete-smackdown-2003-reviews/

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

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

IMG Credit: WWE

NXT
Date: October 24, 2018
Location: Full Sail University, Winter Park, Florida
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Nigel McGuinness, Percy Watson

It’s a big night this time around as Aleister Black now knows who attacked him. Therefore, it’s highly likely that we find out tonight too, which should be a heck of a moment. There are several suspects out there and a lot of them are strong possibilities. Other than that though, it’s time to get ready for the next Takeover. Let’s get to it.

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

Earlier today, William Regal assigned security to have Black see him before getting inside.

Opening sequence.

Here’s the Undisputed Era to get things going. Bobby Fish is officially back and that’s something everyone should fear. Just as the War Raiders. The Undisputed Era is NXT, which brings Cole to Ricochet, who still has his property. A few weeks back, Ricochet beat Pete Dunne to retain the North American Title in a triple threat match but didn’t pin Cole, because Ricochet can’t do it. Cue EC3 to interrupt because he sees Cole as trying to sound impressive because the team is scared. Cole cuts off the catchphrase with a SHUT UP EC3 and a match is made.

Adam Cole vs. EC3

Cole gets aggressive to start and hammers away in the corner but EC3 punches him outside without too much effort. A superkick slows EC3 down on the way back in though and a swinging neckbreaker keeps him down. Cole grabs a front facelock and gets two off the fireman’s carry neckbreaker. The facelock goes on again as Fish orders the referee to ask him. EC3 finally fights up and snaps off a German suplex but the Era offers a distraction. Cole’s superkick looks to set up the Last Shot but EC3 is up with a clothesline. That’s not enough or Cole though as EC3 grabs a rollup for the pin at 6:56.

Rating: C-. Kind of a dull match here but that’s been the case for a lot of EC3’s stuff. He looks and talks well but once the bell rings, he’s only so interesting. Cole can have a great match with the right opponent, though it’s clear that EC3 doesn’t fit in there. It also doesn’t help that EC3 was kind of thrown into this match, as the Era already has enough enemies.

Post match the beatdown is on, with a High/Low to EC3 setting up the Last Shot. Fish crushes the leg with a chair. Fans: “THANK YOU BOBBY!”

Nikki Cross warns security, telling them that he’s coming. Vic: “Who does she mean?” Do they write these lines to try and sound as dumb as possible?

Aaliyah vs. Mia Yim

This is Mia’s first NXT match in four years and first as a member of the roster. Aaliyah snaps her throat first across the top and puts on an early chinlock, followed by the right hands to the head. The second chinlock goes on so Mia drives her back first into the corner for the break. Some clotheslines and a dropkick put Aaliyah in the corner for a Cannonball. Soul Food is good for the pin on Aaliyah at 3:39.

Rating: D+. I’m not as big on Yim as some people but it makes sense to bring her in. She was one of the most popular stars in the Mae Young Classic and she has more than enough of a resume outside of WWE. Aaliyah is a good first win for her as it gets her feet wet, which I’m sure will set her up for something down the road.

Bianca Belair demands that Regal give her a title shot. With Bianca gone, Regal says he doesn’t know what Nikki said to Black last week but….here’s the Era to interrupt. With Kyle O’Reilly talking to himself, Cole tells Regal to get his act together. Regal says it’s the other way around, because next week the War Raiders will face Fish and Cole.

We see the Roman Reigns segment from Raw.

Video on Lacey Evans.

Video on Kairi Sane vs. Shayna Baszler. I’d assume they had to cut something for the sake of that Reigns segment and it’s throwing things off a bit. This is a lot of videos in a row.

Justin Xavier vs. Kassius Ohno

Xavier’s shoulder bounces off of Ohno but an elbow works a bit better. That’s fine with Ohno, who hits a heck of a big boot. A fireman’s carry slam sets up a running legdrop and another running boot cuts Xavier off. Back to back backsplashes set up the rolling elbow for the pin at 3:05.

Rating: D. Just a squash to set up Ohno to face Matt Riddle at the next Takeover. Ohno is the perfect choice for something like that as Ohno is one of the few guys guaranteed to have at least a passable match. He’s also still enough of a name that beating him means something and they’ve set up a nice little story for the debut.

Post match Nikki comes out to say he’s coming. Nigel says it’s clearly Black (meaning it’s not) and wonders who he’s coming for.

Matt Riddle makes his in-ring debut next week.

Here’s Regal to announce the NXT Title match at Takeover. This brings out Tommaso Ciampa, who tells Regal not to stare at the title. If Regal has some announcement, go ahead with it so here’s Velveteen Dream to interrupt. Dream says the WarGames fans want an experience so Regal needs to say his name. Now it’s Lars Sullivan interrupting, saying they need to be mindful of where they are. He recommends they leave his territory because the NXT Title belongs to them.

Dream understands that Lars thinks of himself as a nightmare, but when you speak to the Dream, wear some pants. Lars grabs him but here’s Cross to point to the back. We cut to said back where Black is kicking everyone he can find. Black comes into the arena and kicks Sullivan but want to know where HE is. Regal doesn’t know but Johnny Gargano comes in and lays Black out. Gargano: “I’m right here.”

It wasn’t the biggest secret in the world, but that was a really effective reveal. The fans got very quiet when Gargano attacked and that’s the entire point. Gargano was a prime suspect due to never actually denying what happened and suddenly being his old self again, which felt rather out of place for NXT storytelling. This can set him up for a long heel run, possibly even teaming with Ciampa again, before he finally becomes NXT Champion at some point down the line. Very well done here.

Overall Rating: C+. The wrestling wasn’t great here but really, none of that means much of anything as this was ALL about the big ending. Black vs. Gargano, especially a freshly heel Gargano, should be a heck of a fight as Takeover starts to look even better. This show took some steps towards the show and I’m looking forward to seeing how we get there. The reveal was the best part of the show and it’s all that really mattered.

Results

EC3 b. Adam Cole – Rollup

Mia Yim b. Aaliyah – Soul Food

Kassius Ohno b. Justin Xavier – Rolling elbow

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

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/09/07/new-book-kbs-complete-smackdown-2003-reviews/

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

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

IMG Credit: WWE

NXT
Date: October 17, 2018
Location: Full Sail University, Winter Park, Florida
Commentators: Mauro Ranallo, Percy Watson, Nigel McGuinness

It’s time for another title match because NXT is smart enough to set these things up in advance. This time we have the Tag Team Titles on the line as the Undisputed Era puts the titles on the line against the War Raiders. That sounds like a recipe for destruction but NXT likely has a few tricks up its sleeve. Let’s get to it.

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

The opening video looks at the Tag Team Title match.

Opening sequence.

Tag Team Titles: War Raiders vs. Undisputed Era

Kyle O’Reilly and Roderick Strong are defending. Rowe drives Strong up to the ropes but gets pounded down by both champs. That just means a double clothesline and it’s off to Hanson so the champs can be knocked to the floor without much effort. Back in and Rowe slams Strong before slamming Hanson on top of him. A cheap shot to the back of Rowe’s knee slows him down though and Strong hits the first backbreaker for two.

The leg is bent around the rope and you know Kyle can kick at a bad leg with the best of them. More shots to the leg set up some strikes to the chest in the corner and Kyle adds a dragon screw legwhip. Rowe staggers to the corner and catches a charging O’Reilly with a spinebuster, finally allowing the hot tag to Hanson. House is cleaned in a hurry and the Bronco Buster gets two on Strong. For some reason it’s back to Rowe and Strong slams O’Reilly onto the bad leg.

Rowe is fine enough to springboard up for a clothesline as Hanson holds O’Reilly up in a German suplex but here’s Adam Cole….for nothing as he’s beaten down before he can do anything. The match continues with Strong getting two off an Angle Slam and O’Reilly slaps on a kneebar. Hanson powerbombs Strong onto O’Reilly for the save and it’s a suicide dive onto Strong and Cole. Fallout connects but Bobby Fish comes in with a chair for the DQ at 12:43.

Rating: B. I can’t say I’m surprised at the ending as you can almost guarantee a rematch at the Takeover after WarGames and that should be the title change. The Raiders looked like their usual dominant selves and I’m not sure how much longer the Undisputed Era really needs to be around here. They’re not going to grow enough to do anything else on the main roster so they might just take their chances up there.

Post match the Era wrecks the Raiders and poses.

Nikki Cross is in a hall way with a bunch of papers saying she knows what happened.

Shayna Baszler vs. Britt Baker

Baszler isn’t playing this week and takes Baker down into an armbar, followed by the big elbow stomp. The referee stops the match at 1:22.

Post match Shayna lays her out again.

William Regal needs to talk to Nikki Cross soon and will address this after her match.

Tian Bing/Rocky vs. Danny Burch/Oney Lorcan

Lorcan and Bing start things off with Bing chopping away before grabbing the arm. Rocky comes in for a full nelson but Lorcan shrugs it off. Burch comes in and starts slugging away, including the headbutts to the chest. The double hanging DDT is good for the pin on Rocky at 2:29.

Bianca Belair vs. Nikki Cross

They head straight to the floor to start with Belair being reversed into the steps. Back in and a monkey flip sends Belair flying but she catches Nikki with an elbow. The neck crank goes on until Belair throws her down by the neck. The double chickenwing is reversed into a rollup for two and Cross ties her in the Tree of Woe for a lot of stomping. Belair can barely stand so a bulldog takes her right back down.

The high crossbody gets two and Cross chokes away, only to get powerbombed in half for two more. Belair is stunned on the kickout so Nikki goes up, only to get gorilla pressed for a long time. There’s too much trash talk though and Cross slips down into a sleeper. A reverse DDT gives Cross two but she gets hair whipped down. Belair takes too much time (a common problem for her) going up so it’s a superplex to bring her back down. The lights go out before a cover though…and Aleister Black is sitting in the middle of the ring. Since Belair is nowhere to be seen, we’ll call it a no contest at 11:22.

Rating: C+. They beat each other up rather well here and there’s more than enough reason for a third match between the two. That could be either a big TV main event or a Takeover match and either would be just fine. Black being back is more important though as the big story finally gets to take the giant step forward.

Black stares at Nikki and beckons her over so Nikki makes the slow crawl. Black growls at her to tell him so Nikki whispers something in his ear. He starts shaking and gets up as Nikki leaves to end the show. And let me guess: Black will somehow not say a word about this to anyone in the next week.

Overall Rating: B. The title match was rather good and the storyline advancement makes me want to see what happens next week. I’m not sure what else you can ask for out of a 53 minute show and I don’t need much more than this to have a good time. I want to see what happens next week and with Takeover coming up, they’re getting close to peaking at the right time. Again.

Results

War Raiders b. Undisputed Era via DQ when Bobby Fish interfered

Shayna Baszler b. Britt Baker via referee stoppage

Danny Burch/Oney Lorcan b. Tian Bing/Rocky – Double hanging DDT to Rocky

Nikki Cross vs. Bianca Belair went to a no contest

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

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/09/07/new-book-kbs-complete-smackdown-2003-reviews/

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

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

IMG Credit: WWE

NXT
Date: October 10, 2018
Location: Full Sail University, Winter Park, Florida
Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Mauro Ranallo, Percy Watson

It’s title night around here with the North American Title being defended in a triple threat as champion Ricochet defends against both Adam Cole and Pete Dunne. That alone should carry the show as far as it needs to go but NXT should have more than enough to make a full night of awesome wrestling. Let’s get to it.

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

We open with a quick video on the triple threat. This should be great.

Opening sequence.

Here’s NXT Champion Tommaso Ciampa to get things going. Ciampa says the greatest sports entertainer of all time now has the greatest music of all time. It has brought silence to the sheep, but there is one who always breaks away from the pack. In this case, that would be the Velveteen Dream. Well now the Dream has Ciampa’s attention, but he’s gone about it the wrong way.

Cue the Dream to say this is all amusing, especially the idea of Ciampa being the best of all time. Since we’re on the subject, Dream doesn’t like what Ciampa is suggesting. The people are looking for a true experience, not a guilt trip from an angry little bald man. Ciampa says he may be bald, but he has a shiny title belt. Dream might seem to want the title, but Ciampa thinks it’s all about attention. The title says Dream just isn’t tough enough. Dream says he’s more man than Ciampa can handle, so all he needs is a moment with the title.

Cue Nikki Cross of all people so the fans chant TRIPLE THREAT. Cross gets up next to Ciampa and then grabs at Dream’s jacket. She says she knows what Dream did but listens to the title and knocks the mic out of Ciampa’s hands. Cross drops to her stomach and says she knows what Ciampa did too. Ciampa goes to pick it up but Nikki kicks it away and says I KNOW over and over again. Fans: “SHE KNOWS! SHE KNOWS!”

Keith Lee vs. Kona Reeves

Reeves yells about being the finest to start and the fans are really not impressed with him. Lee gets taken into the corner where Reeves shoves his face, earning a heck of a chop to the chest. One heck of a toss over the top sends Reeves to the floor as the dominance is beginning. Back in and Reeves kicks him in the face to take over, meaning it’s time for the chinlock. Some right hands to the face just annoy Lee so he runs Reeves over and hits the Supernova for the pin at 3:59.

Rating: D+. Reeves is looking better and better every week and now he’s beaten a slightly better opponent than usual. The Supernova is a good finisher and Lee could go a long way with his overall skill set. I’m hoping he gets a big time match on the next Takeover, because someone like him deserves that kind of a spotlight.

Video on Shayna Baszler, focusing on her rise to the top of the card and the NXT Title. Brooklyn was a misstep and she celebrated just a bit too early. She should have beaten Sane and she will next time. People not understanding that makes her mad and she’ll prove everyone wrong.

Kairi is so excited and says Shayna’s training isn’t going to matter.

William Regal says he needs answers about Aleister Black’s attacker and needs to talk to Cross. Kassius Ohno comes up and still wants to know when Regal’s new toy gets here. Maybe the guy isn’t the competitor that Regal thinks he is. Maybe he was the one who attacked Black. Regal goes into his office and Cross pops up again, saying she knows what Ohno did.

Video on the War Raiders vs. Undisputed Era for the Tag Team Titles next week.

Also next week: Cross vs. Bianca Belair.

North American Title: Ricochet vs. Pete Dunne vs. Adam Cole

Ricochet is defending and Dunne’s United Kingdom Title isn’t on the line. Dunne and Ricochet hammer Cole down in the corner to start but the partnership breaks down in all of ten seconds. Dunne gets knocked to the floor so Ricochet can start flipping around, capped off by a dropkick to Cole. Another shot puts Dunne back on the floor but Cole puts Ricochet out there as well.

Back up and Dunne clotheslines Cole to the floor, only to be replaced by Ricochet. They’re certainly moving out there. They fight over a wristlock and get to a standoff and some applause, only to have Cole come back in and get taken down into a surfboard double knee stomp. Ricochet seems impressed and offers a handshake, so Dunne punches him in the face for his efforts. It’s time for Dunne to start in on the fingers and a hard stomp to the arm has the champ in even more trouble.

Ricochet is right back with a cross between a Texas Cloverleaf and a Tequila Sunrise, only to have Cole come back in for the save. Cole sends Ricochet outside and kicks Dunne in the face for two. Dunne is right back up with an enziguri but here’s Ricochet again with a springboard headscissors to send Dunne outside. That means a middle rope moonsault, followed by the springboard European uppercut to Cole. Everyone is back in and it’s Dunne kicking Cole in the head, setting up a half crab to both of them at once.

Since that doesn’t work, Ricochet puts Dunne in a Black Widow, only to have Cole break it up with a Backstabber. The three way slugout is on until Cole kicks Dunne to the floor and knees Ricochet in the face for another near fall. Dunne comes back in and breaks up a near fall off a running shooting star.

Ricochet tries the springboard moonsault, only to get double superkicked out of the air while upside down. That looked awesome. Dunne wins a slugout with Cole and stomps on his fingers so Cole DDTs him onto the apron. Cole superkicks the steps by mistake though and gets his arm crushed in the steps. Ricochet kicks Cole in the face but Dunne superkicks him, setting up the moonsault to the floor.

Back in and the X Plex gets two on Ricochet and it’s both challengers heading up. Ricochet joins in on the fun and hurricanranas them both down at the same time (good grief), followed by a botched reverse hurricanrana on Dunne. The jumping Downward Spiral gets two on Dunne but Cole breaks up the 630.

Dunne Bitter Ends Cole so Ricochet comes off the top with a shooting star, right into the triangle choke. A powerbomb doesn’t break the hold so Dunne breaks the fingers. The Last Shot sends Ricochet outside and the suplex neckbreaker gets two on Dunne. The Bitter End plants Cole again but this time it’s Ricochet springboarding in with a 450 to pin Dunne and retain at 18:31.

Rating: A. Oh what else were you expecting? These three went nearly non stop for the entire match and it was one of the most entertaining things that I’ve seen in a very long time. This could have been on any given Takeover and likely would have stolen the show, but this time it’s on a regular TV show because NXT has that kind of awesomeness. Great match and worth your time.

Overall Rating: B. The main event alone is more than enough to make this show work and the Cross story is rather interesting as well. They’ve got a lot of good stuff going here as we head towards Los Angeles where there’s WARGAMES as a bonus. This was another very easy show to watch and that main event is outstanding. Check that out if you have time as all three looked awesome.

Results

Keith Lee b. Kona Reeves – Supernova

Ricochet b. Pete Dunne and Adam Cole – Springboard 450 to Cole

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

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/09/07/new-book-kbs-complete-smackdown-2003-reviews/

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

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

IMG Credit: WWE

NXT
Date: October 3, 2018
Location: Full Sail University, Winter Park, Florida
Commentators: Mauro Ranallo, Nigel McGuinness, Percy Watson

As usual, NXT knows how to build towards the future and that’s what they’ve done here. Next week we get the triple threat match for the North American Title and the week after that it’s the War Raiders getting their shot at the Tag Team Titles. Other than that, it’s time to continue searching for Aleister Black’s attacker and Lars Sullivan vs. EC3. Let’s get to it.

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

Nikki Cross talks about being ready to play with Bianca Belair again because Bianca didn’t play fair last time. Speaking of people who didn’t play well, she knows what happened.

Opening sequence.

Candice LeRae vs. Lacey Evans

Fallout from Evans insulting Candice’s abilities as a wife last week. They shove each other to start with the much bigger Evans taking her down by the throat. LeRae gets driven into the corner as well so she sends Evans face first into the buckle. A faceplant gets two so Evans runs her over without much effort. Hang on though as Evans needs to pat down her lipstick before taking LeRae down into a headscissors, complete with pushups.

A kick to the face sets up the chinlock as Evans pulls the hair for some bad measure. Evans misses a slingshot elbow though and Candice scores with an enziguri. The middle rope swinging Downward Spiral gets two more and Evans says LeRae is a loser, just like her husband. That ticks LeRae off but she charges into the Women’s Right for the pin at 6:18.

Rating: C-. It seems like they really want to push the heck out of Evans but there’s such a firm gap between the title picture and everything else that there isn’t really a middle ground for him. They’re getting that right hand over as a finisher though and Evans is easy enough to hate that she’s likely going to get a title shot at a Takeover one day though and that’s fine.

Video on the North American Title triple threat match and what it means to everyone. Ricochet cares because it’s his, Cole cares because it’s proof that he’s the future and Dunne wants to prove even further that he’s the best in the world.

Video on the Forgotten Sons, in sepia.

Tommaso Ciampa sits in the back and says everyone is going to try to chop you down. They’re speculate and lie to try and steal your spotlight for themselves. Perhaps it’s to cover their own tracks and hide their own guilt, which is what Velveteen Dream is doing. Dream is living in a dream world where Ciampa attacked Aleister Black, but they both know what Black experienced. Maybe he should keep his theories to himself because Ciampa will turn the Dream into a nightmare. Ciampa vs. Dream sounds oddly fascinating.

Forgotten Sons vs. Vinny Mixon/Cesar Rise/Torry Kirsh

Who names these jobbers? Steve Cutler has a mask due to a broken nose in the team’s debut match. Ryker runs Kirsh over to start so it’s off to Mixon to get beaten up as well. The Tree of Woe makes things even worse for Rise as the announcers don’t bother trying to call the jobbers by their names. An armbar keeps Mixon in trouble for a few moments until it’s off to Rise for some failed clotheslines. Blake shows him how it’s done, followed by a middle rope double stomp/reverse DDT combination. A slingshot jackknife finishes Kirsh at 2:28. Exactly the kind of squash it needed to be.

We look back at Shayna Baszler vs. Kairi Sane being set up for Evolution.

Video on Baszler vs. Sane over the last year, which has been a pretty under the radar rivalry. Baszler has been going back to the basics, which means more MMA-style training.

Tony Nese wants top competition so he’s going to beat Johnny Gargano tonight.

Bianca Belair doesn’t want to play with Cross. She’ll embarrass Nikki instead and repeats Un-de-fea-ted over and over.

Johnny Gargano vs. Tony Nese

They fight over a wristlock to start until Nese runs him over with a shoulder. A running hurricanrana sends Nese to the floor but the suicide dive is broken up with a hard clothesline. Nese misses a charge in the corner so Gargano rolls him up, followed by the rolling kick to the head. Now the suicide dive hits as Gargano is looking more confident than he’s seen in a long time.

Nese suplexes him down for two and we hit the bodyscissors. Gargano leans back for a rollup but can’t break the hold. I’ll certainly take someone trying to do something other than just laying on the mat. Gargano fights up and hits the slingshot DDT, followed by the slingshot spear. Some kicks to the head have Nese in more trouble but he rolls out of the Gargano Escape. A buckle bomb has Gargano right back in trouble and Nese dumps him to the floor.

The second slingshot DDT attempt is countered into a backdrop for a nasty crash to the floor, setting up the big Fosbury Flop to the floor. Back in and Nese hits a great looking 450 for two, followed by a sick looking German suplex into the corner. The running knee is blocked by a superkick though and the Gargano Escape makes Nese tap at 9:43.

Rating: B. When Gargano is on his game, he can have some of the best matches in the world at the moment. Gargano looked like his old self here and that should mean a big match at the next Takeover. He doesn’t need to go after the title again right away, but one day he’s going to get his hands on that thing and it’s going to be one of the best reactions NXT has ever seen.

Video on Danny Burch/Oney Lorcan, who got together after beating each other up in a series of matches. That’s a story that has worked before and it’s working well here. Lorcan has been out for a few months with a broken orbital bone. No word on when they’re back in the ring.

Lars Sullivan vs. EC3

EC3 gets aggressive to start and goes right at Sullivan, only to be taken to the floor for a choke. Some rams into the steps FINALLY put Lars down and EC3 hammers away at the head back inside. A whip into the corner sends Sullivan shoulder first into the post and a slam puts the big man down again. Sullivan finally gets going with some shoulders in the corner and the heavy crossface shots to the jaw.

The big neck crank goes on for a few seconds but EC3 fights up and manages a suplex. A not great looking high crossbody gets two on Sullivan, who comes right back up with a huge clothesline. The Freak Accident is broken up and it’s a Cactus Clothesline to the floor. EC3 makes the mistake of charging at Sullivan though and it’s a Freak Accident on the apron. Back in and the diving headbutt finishes EC3 at 6:45.

Rating: B-. They did this the right way by keeping things moving but not letting it go on too long. The point here was EC3 chopping at the tree as well as he could but Sullivan was just too much for him. That’s a good story and the match was entertaining as a result. I’m not sure what EC3 can get out of NXT as he has everything he needs to be on the main roster. Give him a win and let him go up, hopefully as a heel like he should be.

Overall Rating: B. You know what impresses me the most about NXT? The amount of mileage they can get out of any given match or story. They’re still talking about the ladder match from New Orleans (in the main event) and then the Aleister Black injury, which dropped into their lap, is fueling EC3 vs. Sullivan, Ciampa vs. Dream, and the whodunit story, which is spinning into the Undisputed Era vs. everyone else story. You don’t get that out of any other company and it’s really impressive to see here.

The show itself was good with two strong matches and more setting the table for the bigger stuff down the line. Next week’s triple threat match has the makings of a classic and with WarGames coming up next month, it’s more good forecasts for NXT. I’m not sure I can remember the last time that wasn’t the case and that’s remarkable.

Results

Lacey Evans b. Candice LeRae – Women’s Right

Forgotten Sons b. Vinny Mixon/Cesar Rise/Torry Kirsh – Slingshot jackknife to Kirsh

Johnny Gargano b. Tony Nese – Gargano Escape

Lars Sullivan b. EC3 – Top rope headbutt

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

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/09/07/new-book-kbs-complete-smackdown-2003-reviews/

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

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

IMG Credit: WWE

NXT
Date: September 26, 2018
Location: Full Sail University, Winter Park, Florida
Commentators: Percy Watson, Nigel McGuinness, Mauro Ranallo

The road to WarGames continues and you can see most of the card from here. At the same time though, we’re also trying to find out who attacked Aleister Black. The investigation has been going on for weeks and it should be about time we know whodunit, especially with Takeover starting to come into focus. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Here’s William Regal to talk about what he’s found in the Black situation but the Undisputed Era cuts him off almost immediately. Adam Cole thinks Regal is going to come out here and not do his job and that’s on Regal. It’s also in the past and now Regal’s responsibilities is to make sure that such a thing doesn’t happen again. On top of that, what is Regal going to do about the War Raiders? Regal finds it interesting that the three of them interrupt him when he’s talking about the investigation.

The three of them get in the ring and accuse Regal of trying to get away from the War Raiders. Cole wants to know why Ricochet has been ducking him or why Pete Dunne got a title shot. Regal says Dunne asked for a shot and Cole gets a little more serious. There’s no title shot for Cole right now because it wouldn’t be fair. However, in two weeks Cole can have his rematch in a triple threat match with Ricochet and Dunne. As for the War Raiders, they’ll get their title shot in three weeks.

Johnny Gargano is in a good mood and ready to face Tony Nese next week. He’s apologized for his failures and for the man he was becoming. Next week, he starts back down the right path. Johnny goes over to Candice LeRae when Lacey Evans comes in to say Candice should have been fighting next to him. Gargano has to hold Candice back.

Video on Lars Sullivan.

Velveteen Dream isn’t going to talk about Johnny Gargano or Aleister Black, though he seems to accuse Tommaso Ciampa of being the attacker. He’s not a snitch though and the writing is on the wall.

Lars Sullivan vs. Victor Orchant

Forearms to the back set up a pop up powerslam as the fans chant for the jobber. A pair of beals sent Orchant to the floor but here’s EC3 from behind for the DQ at 1:28.

EC3 actually wins the post match brawl and knocks Sullivan to the floor.

Regal has narrowed down his list of suspects but Nikki Cross comes out of his office. She wants to face Bianca Belair again and Regal says he’ll consider it. Cross won’t let him into his office and keeps saying “I know”. She leaves and Regal seems to think she’s a bit out there. Nobody knows what Nikki knows.

Street Profits vs. The Mighty

The Mighty have the Profits’ cup and jewelry from a few weeks back. The Profits are serious this week, which you don’t see every day. Thorn laughs at them to start so Ford knocks him senseless with a single right hand (that looked GREAT) to start things off. Ford hammers on Miller to start things off and a spinning Stinger splash makes things even worse. A double bulldog takes the Profits down and Ford adds a big dive to the floor.

Back in and Dawkins charges into a boot in the corner as Percy says this issue is about the “principalities” of the thing. Nigel: “What does THAT mean?” Total silence from Percy, as there should be there. Dawkins slips away and brings in Ford to clean house. They head outside though and Thorn dropkicks the steps into Ford’s knee to take over.

A double Russian legsweep sets up a clothesline for two on Ford and it’s off to a leglock. That goes nowhere so it’s a double clothesline for the double knockdown but Miller pulls Dawkins off the apron. Ford flips out of a suplex but tweaks the knee, allowing Thorn to roll him up for the pin at 7:41.

Rating: C. Both of these teams are kind of floundering at the moment and it’s a good idea to have one of them get a clean pin here. I could have gone for more of the Profits but it seems that their time is over. The Mighty don’t do much for me but at least they’re getting a win here to hopefully get somewhere.

Kairi Sane vs. Vanessa Borne

Non-title. Borne gets serious by STEALING KAIRI’S HAT and throwing it away. Kairi blocks some strikes and takes her down by the knee but a swinging suplex gives Borne two. The chinlock goes on for a bit before Sane is back with a DDT. The spear sets up the Insane Elbow to finish Borne at 3:06.

Rating: D+. Not quite a squash but Sane was never in any real danger and destroyed her in the end. Borne is still someone who could be a player in the division and losing clean to the champ isn’t going to really hurt her though at some point she needs to actually win something of note.

Post match here’s Shayna Baszler to say she’s coming for the title. She’s invoking her rematch clause so Sane says we’ll do it at Evolution.

Keith Lee wants competition and goes in to see Kona Reeves. Kona doesn’t think much of him because Lee interrupted his interview prep. Lee: “You’re the man with the finest set of losses in NXT.” A match is made for next week.

Tommaso Ciampa vs. Otis Dozovic

Non-title. Dozovic runs him over with some shoulders and throws Ciampa over the corner to the floor. Back in and a spinning slam plants Ciampa again, followed by a backdrop to the floor. That means a Worm from Dozovic as Ciampa isn’t sure what to do. Dozovic makes the mistake of going outside and Ciampa slams him head first into the ramp to take over for the first time.

Some hard forearms to the back of the head have Dozovic in trouble and there’s a braced knee to the head for two. Another knee to the face gets another two and we hit the sleeper. You don’t jump on the back of a monster though and Dozovic drops backwards onto Ciampa for the crash. Some clubbing shots to the face and a hard clothesline give Dozovic two so Ciampa goes for a walk.

Cue Tucker Knight to cut him off though and Dozovic suplexes him on the floor. A big elbow gets two back inside so Ciampa rakes the eyes. He still can’t hit the Fairytale Ending though so Dozovic gives him a sitout powerbomb for two instead. Ciampa is fine enough to hit a hanging DDT onto the apron though and the regular version is enough to finish Dozovic at 9:39.

Rating: B. This is a great example of a match that had no business being anything worthwhile whatsoever and turning into something very entertaining. Dozovic got a lot out of this and Ciampa had to sweat a bit for a win because he underestimated Dozovic coming in. Why can’t we get something like this on Raw every now and then? Like AJ Styles vs. Luke Harper or something. Let them have some fun and see what talent is out there.

Overall Rating: C+. Good show here as you can see WarGames from here and a lot of interesting stuff is coming up as well. With stuff like Black’s attacker likely being revealed soon and the impending arrival of Matt Riddle, we could be in for some very entertaining shows in the next few weeks.

Results

Lars Sullivan b. Victor Orchant via DQ when EC3 interfered

The Mighty b. Street Profits – Rollup to Ford

Kairi Sane b. Vanessa Borne – Insane Elbow

Tommaso Ciampa b. Otis Dozovic – Hanging DDT

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

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/09/07/new-book-kbs-complete-smackdown-2003-reviews/

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

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

IMG Credit: WWE

NXT
Date: September 19, 2018
Location: Full Sail University, Winter Park, Florida
Commentators: Mauro Ranallo, Percy Watson, Nigel McGuinness

It’s time for one of those huge matches that you actually get around here with North American Champion Ricochet facing United Kingdom Champion Pete Dunne in a title for title match. What more could you ask for from a show? Well given that it’s NXT, I have a feeling we’ll get a few other bonuses. Let’s get to it.

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

The opening talks about the title (Titles?) match and treat it as a major deal, which it really is.

Opening sequence.

Dakota Kai/Deonna Purrazzo vs. Lacey Evans/Aliyah

Fallout from an argument last week. Evans and Purrazzo start things off with Purrazzo taking her down off a headlock. Evans manages to slip out but Purrazzo pops to her feet with ease and offers a little bow. It’s off to Aliyah for some kicks to the ribs as Purrazzo gets taken into the corner. The villains stay on the ribs but Purrazzo spins out of a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker into a failed Fujiwara armbar attempt.

Aliyah forearms Purrazzo into the corner and screams a lot, which is more than most of her matches tend to have. Evans adds a slingshot Bronco Buster as the dominance continues. A kick to the arm knocks Purrazzo away from the hot tag attempt but Kai comes in to break up a cover anyway. Instead Aliyah goes with an armbar until Purrazzo kicks her away and makes the hot tag to Kai. That means kicking abounds but a blind tag brings in Evans for the Woman’s Right to knock Kai cold for the pin at 7:36.

Rating: C. Not a great match or anything but it keeps Evans strong and that’s exactly the point here. The more I see of Kai the more I believe she could be a huge star but the less likely it seems that NXT is going to push her. Still though, entertaining little match, and that’s all this needed to be.

Velveteen Dream is glad that he defeated Johnny Gargano and denies attacking Aleister Black.

The Street Profits are ready to get back at the Mighty.

We look back at the end of last week’s Nikki Cross vs. Bianca Belair match with Cross attacking her after the match.

Belair seemed shaken up by the loss but reminds herself that she’s undefeated.

Humberto Carrillo vs. Jaxson Ryker

Ryker throws him into the corner to start and stomps away as we seem to be firmly in squash territory here. The chinlock goes on early and doesn’t last long, allowing Ryker to ax handle him out of the air. A slingshot powerbomb finishes Carrillo at 2:14. Nice squash.

Candice LeRae offers William Regal her version of what happened the night Black was attacked. She thinks it sounds like Tommaso Ciampa though. Ciampa has been cleared, so Regal asks about Gargano being the attacker. LeRae says Gargano had asked her to wait while he got cleaned up and they left together. Regal doesn’t seem convinced but lets her go for now.

We recap Ricochet vs. Dunne. They both wanted the other’s title and then Ricochet accidentally ran over Dunne in a tag match. The match was set.

Video on Keith Lee. He talks about being limitless, which is both physical and mental. Because of that, his future in NXT is limitless as well. Bask in his glory.

Clip of EC3 accusing Lars Sullivan of attacking Black and being destroyed for his efforts.

North American Title/United Kingdom Title: Ricochet vs. Pete Dunne

Both titles are on the line and the fans are split, as you had to expect. Ricochet’s armdrag just earns him a headscissors counter and we’re at an early standoff. An exchange of wristlocks has Ricochet in trouble as the fans start to get more behind Dunne. It’s time to start cranking on the wrist as is Dunne’s custom but Ricochet reverses into something like a standing Crossface. A leglock keeps Dunne in trouble and it’s off to an exchange of leg cranking on the mat.

Ricochet manages to get the shoulders down, only to have Dunne reverse into what appears to be Jamie Noble’s old Trailer Hitch (a modified Indian deathlock). A surfboard keeps Ricochet in trouble until he bends back into a cover for two. More mat grappling goes to Ricochet (I’m as surprised as you are) with Ricochet working on the arm and shoulder. Dunne has had enough of that and forearms the heck out of Ricochet, who goes right into the flipping to set up a dropkick.

That means a suicide dive to the floor as Ricochet is much more comfortable with the accelerated pace. Back in and Dunne goes for the leg, but uses it as a diversion to kick him in the hand again. Dunne stays on the arm as he continues to break Ricochet down. The wrist and fingers are bent horribly (Mauro: “Pete Dunne must have something against piano players.”) and Ricochet is in trouble in the corner.

The jumping stomp to the arm misses though and it’s a rolling clothesline to drop Dunne. A 619 in the corner sets up a springboard elbow to the jaw for two as the pace picks up again. Dunne is fine with that as well and moonsaults over him in the corner but Ricochet flips out of the X Plex. A running shooting star to the back gives Ricochet two and the fans are rather impressed.

Another flip is reversed into a cross armbreaker though and Dunne works the hand over even more. Ricochet’s knees are fine enough to smash into Dunne’s face but Dunne forearms him out of the air. The X Plex connects for two and they’re both down. Dunne gets kicked to the floor though and Ricochet tries a step up moonsault, only to get caught in an X Plex onto the apron.

Back in and the Bitter End is reversed into a reverse hurricanrana for two and Ricochet can’t believe the kickout. They trade kicks to the head until Dunne turns him inside out with a clothesline. The Bitter End is reversed again and a handspring into a tornado DDT gives Ricochet a crazy close two. Both guys go to the top and Dunne works on the arm again, only to get pulled down with a super hurricanrana.

The lifting Downward Spiral gives Ricochet two and that’s a standing ovation. Ricochet’s springboard is pulled into a triangle choke but that’s reversed into a powerbomb. Dunne holds the hand though and slaps on a wristlock with a bodyscissors but THAT gets reversed into a dead lift brainbuster to put them both down again. They slowly slug it out…and the Undisputed Era comes in for the double DQ at 21:46.

Rating: A. It takes something special to make you forget the most obvious ending in the world and that’s exactly what they did here. You knew they weren’t going to have either guy lose the title here and that left them with a very limited path to get to that extra special level that these two could reach.

However, that’s EXACTLY what they did with an incredible chess match with Ricochet trying to wrestle with Dunne but then going with the high flying that got him to where he is today. Dunne was ready for it though and Ricochet had to gut through it, showing the heart of the champion that Dunne didn’t seem to think he had. Insanely entertaining match and a great story told throughout.

The War Raiders hit the ring to make the save and the champions give a respectful stare to end the show. I think you know where this is going.

Overall Rating: A-. It helps when a third of your show is spent on an incredible match. This was one of those shows with a dream match instead of the run of the mill episode and egads did they nail that one big match. The rest of the show wasn’t great, but really, does it matter with a main event like this?

Results

Lacey Evans/Aliyah b. Deonna Purrazzo/Dakota Kai – Woman’s Right to Kai

Jaxson Ryker b. Humberto Carrillo – Slingshot powerbomb

Pete Dunne vs. Ricochet went to a double DQ when the Undisputed Era interfered

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/2018/09/07/new-book-kbs-complete-smackdown-2003-reviews/

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

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