NXT
Date: August 3, 2021
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Wade Barrett, Vic Joseph, Beth Phoenix.

We are less than three weeks away from Takeover and after last week, we have a new main event for the show as Samoa Joe will challenge Karrion Kross for the NXT Title. Granted Kross might not mean as much after how things have gone on Monday Night Raw, I’m not sure how much that is going to be worth. Other than that, more things will be happening. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening recap.

Legado del Fantasma vs. Hit Row

Santos Escobar and the rest of Hit Row is at ringside. It’s a brawl to start with Legado being knocked outside until Mendoza and Adonis slug it out inside. A whip into the corner takes Mendoza down and a neckbreaker makes it worse. Top Dolla comes in to throw people around, including running both of them over. Hold on though as Escobar gets up for a distraction, allowing Mendoza to low bridge Adonis to the floor.

We take a break and come back with Adonis getting planted with a double spinebuster into a chinlock. Back up and some running clotheslines in the corner set up a moonsault for two. Mendoza’s chinlock doesn’t last long either as Adonis gets up for a dropkick. That’s enough for the hot tag off to Dolla to clean house. Legado is rocked but Escobar hits Dolla in the back with a chair for the DQ at 10:52.

Rating: C+. It was nice while it lasted but they were smart to not have a definitive ending here. This is all but guaranteed to have some kind of a big match at Takeover (or maybe even two of them) so there was zero reason to have a clean fall here. Hit Row shouldn’t be losing, but you also don’t want Legado taking another loss until it’s on a big stage. The ending might be annoying, but it was the right call.

Post match the beatdown is on with Escobar stealing Swerve’s grill. The Pillmanizing of the neck is broken up though and Dolla sends Legado running. Escobar still has the grill.

William Regal tells Samoa Joe to not get physical until Takeover.

We look back at the return of Ridge Holland last week to wreck Tommaso Ciampa and Timothy Thatcher.

Dexter Lumis is drawing INDEX over and over.

Ridge Holland vs. Ikemen Jiro

Pete Dunne and Oney Lorcan are here too. An uppercut drops Jiro in a hurry and we’re already off to a chinlock. Jiro fights up but gets knocked outside in a hurry. The big tackle sends Jiro hard into the barricade, allowing Holland to take off the jacket, which is high treason against Jiro. A headbutt into Northern Grit finishes Jiro at 3:12.

Rating: C. This was all it needed to be as Holland destroyed someone with a minor name. Holland is going to need ring time after being gone for so long (and not being around that long before he was put on the shelf). Holland is a monster who can wreck people for a good while while he develops and that should work fine for the time being.

Post match Pete Dunne says they’re ready to destroy Timothy Thatcher and Tommaso Ciampa, because Holland is a real man.

Frankie Monet blames Robert Stone for her loss last week. The Robert Stone Brand is used to losing but that is not what she does. Stone seems to accept responsibility as Monet and Jessi Kamea leave.

Video on Roderick Strong vs. Bobby Fish.

Video on Trey Baxter, who is All Heart.

Roderick Strong vs. Bobby Fish

The rest of the Diamond Mine is here too. They go technical to start with Fish grabbing a headlock into a suplex to take Strong down. The grappling on the mat goes to Strong until he lands a kick to the chest. Fish is fine enough to take him into the corner as Malcolm Bivens is looking worried on the floor. Strong gets knocked to the apron and we take a break.

Back with Strong taking him down for another chinlock but Fish fights up again. A fish hook gives Fish a breather and it’s time to strike away at Strong. Some chops stagger Fish and a belly to back faceplant puts him down again. Fish is back with a rollup for two but Strong knees him in the face. End of Heartache finishes Fish at 12:45.

Rating: C+. Only way this one could have gone as Fish isn’t going to win any important match right now. Strong seems to be on the rise and a Cruiserweight Title match against Kushida at Takeover would make sense. You almost have to get the Fish match out of the way though and it gives Strong a nice win on the way there.

Cameron Grimes is ready for the tag match tonight but LA Knight wants him to be more serious. Grimes promises to be there for him and Knight will have his back too. For now though, Grimes has a boot to polish.

Grizzled Young Veterans vs. Cameron Grimes/LA Knight

Grimes is still in his tuxedo. Before the match, the Veterans say they don’t like Grimes and Knight and want them out of their way. Grimes and Gibson start things off but it’s quickly off to Knight, who gets caught with a clothesline. Drake comes in to forearm away but a neckbreaker gets Knight out of trouble. It’s back to Grimes, who gets distracted by Knight and taken into the wrong corner.

Grimes manages to backdrop his way out of trouble but Knight walks off, saying Grimes can do this on his own. That’s fine with Grimes, who takes off the gloves and sends the Veterans into each other. A double hurricanrana puts the Veterans on the floor and Grimes snaps off the flipping powerslam for two on Drake. Gibson comes back in though and it’s the Ticket To Mayhem for the pin at 4:42.

Rating: C. This was angle advancement and that’s fine. The big blowoff match is coming at Takeover and that is the right way to go for Grimes and Knight. Grimes needs to get the big win and probably will, which will be even better now that they have put in the effort like this. The Veterans even got to win something for a bonus too!

Post match Ted DiBiase comes out to say that Grimes is a man of his word, but he needs to find a way out of this.

Video on Samoa Joe.

We look back at Dakota Kai turning on Raquel Gonzalez last week.

Dakota Kai talks about how she found Raquel Gonzalez and helped bring her up. They were friends and partners, but it was all Kai’s doing. Then Io Shirai gave Gonzalez the Women’s Title shot at Takeover: Stand & Deliver and won the title. That should have been Kai’s, because she plucked Gonzalez out of security. Kai is more than Gonzalez’s sidekick and the only opportunity should be hers. How does it feel knowing that the person standing next to you is about to kick your head off? Kai brought her into this world and now she is going to take her out of it by winning the Women’s Title. Logical explanation.

Johnny Gargano and Candice LeRae are sick of Dexter Lumis messing with the Way. Tonight, Gargano is ending InDex for good.

Joe Gacy won’t be controlled until he wins the Breakout Tournament. After that, sure why not.

Adam Cole has a neck injury after last week’s attack at the hands of Kyle O’Reilly. We look at the attack again.

Breakout Tournament First Round: Trey Baxter vs. Joe Gacy

The smaller Baxter tries a waistlock to start but gets thrown into the corner for his efforts. A dropkick puts Gacy on the floor but he catches a dive by sending Baxter into the ropes. That lets Gacy knock Baxter silly again and we hit the neck crank back inside. Baxter reverses into a quickly broken choke and Gacy suplexes him down for two. The neck crank is on again but Baxter escapes just as quickly.

A missile dropkick sends Gacy outside and this time the suicide dive works. Back in and a slingshot splash gets two but Gacy sends him into the corner for a Cannonball. Gacy takes him up but Baxter slips off and sends him into the ropes. Baxter hits a quick middle rope 450 stomp (or maybe he just didn’t rotate properly) for the pin at 5:11.

Rating: C+. I liked what we got here but Baxter needs to either pick a 450 or a stomp because it was messy enough that I couldn’t really tell what he was trying. At the same time, Gacy winning would have been nice as the roster could use someone built like him rather than another cruiserweight style guy. Baxter was good though and will be fine as an appetizer for Odyssey Jones in the semifinals.

Zoey Stark and Io Shirai get sushi and Stark is rather confused/disgusted. Food is thrown away when Shirai isn’t looking and Stark gets stuck with the bill. Shirai hugs the waitress, who says they don’t know each other but speak the same language. The two of them leave and Stark is somewhere between annoyed and disgusted by the food.

Indi Hartwell wishes the Way would give Dexter Lumis a chance because he isn’t a bad guy. Tonight, we’ll see how much he cares.

Commentary talks about Johnny Gargano vs. Dexter Lumis but Karrion Kross interrupts to stand on the announcers’ table and call out Samoa Joe. Cue Joe, who fights through security and chokes one of them out but Kross has escaped. Joe shouts a lot.

We get the Prime Target video on Ilja Dragunov vs. Walter II. They beat each other so horribly in the first match and everyone is talking about it. Dragunov talks about how angry and aggressive he has been since the first match because he knows something was missing. The rematch will take place at Takeover, and Walter says he is unbeatable on his best day. Dragunov says he has the stamina and mental toughness, which is why he can take the title. We see clips from the press conference with Dragunov getting in Walter’s head as he’s smarter this time around. This is going to be awesome.

Kushida says of course Roderick Strong can have a Cruiserweight Title shot.

Dexter Lumis vs. Johnny Gargano

Love Her Or Leave Her, which technically means the winner gets Indi Hartwell. Gargano shouts about how Lumis has to go through him to get her and starts in on the arm. Lumis is back up with a dropkick but gets sent outside as Hartwell comes out. The distraction lets Lumis get in a Thesz press back inside to hammer away and slowly stalk Gargano in the corner. Gargano is back up to knock Lumis outside, with Lumis going under the ring. Hartwell goes after him so here is Candice LeRae to help pull her out….with her hands interlocked with Lumis’.

We take a break and come back with Gargano winning a slugout but getting caught in a spinebuster. The Silence is broken up with Lumis being elbowed to the floor. Gargano hits his suicide dive and yells at Beth Phoenix, with the distraction allowing Lumis to block the slingshot spear. A slingshot Falcon Arrow gives Lumis two but Gargano’s superkick gets the same. Lumis runs him over again but misses the springboard elbow. The Gargano Escape goes on until Lumis reaches out to Hartwell/the rope for the break. Lumis’ rollup gets two and the kickout sends him into Hartwell. One Final Beat finishes Lumis at 12:53.

Rating: C. I was getting into the love conquers all story and you know this isn’t going to be the end of the thing. It’s a fine enough story, but Lumis is still not doing anything for me for the most part. This isn’t exactly the most thrilling stuff, but Beth being so into the romance thing and Hartwell in general are making it work well enough. Just…please find something to make Lumis more interesting somehow.

Post match Hartwell goes to leave with the Way but then runs back and dives on Lumis for the big kiss as Beth Phoenix screams about InDex to end the show. Makes enough sense (while not doing much for the stipulation), as Hartwell never said she was leaving anyone.

Overall Rating: C+. Nothing really jumped off the page here but it was an easy to swallow use of two hours. The good thing is you can see almost all of (if not all of) Takeover from here. NXT knows how to set up a card and then make it come into reality. That’s what they did a lot of here, making it more efficient/important than good.

It’s also nice to see how logical things are around here. There might be some things that don’t make a ton of sense at first, but NXT knows how to tie them together. It is such a jarring change of pace from Raw, where things seem like they are happening at random and if they can be made somewhat coherent later, so be it then. NXT feels like they have this planned out and that can make all kinds of difference.

Results
Hit Row b. Legado del Fantasma via DQ when Santos Escobar interfered
Ridge Holland b. Ikemen Jiro – Northern Grit
Roderick Strong b. Bobby Fish – End of Heartache
Grizzled Young Veterans b. Cameron Grimes/LA Knight – Ticket to Mayhem to Grimes
Trey Baxter b. Joe Gacy – Middle rope 450 stomp
Johnny Gargano b. Dexter Lumis – One Final Beat

 

 

 

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NXT
Date: July 13, 2021
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Beth Phoenix, Wade Barrett

It’s a big night as the main event will feature Karrion Kross defending the NXT Title against Johnny Gargano. This comes amid rumors that Kross is on his way to the main roster so we could be in for some serious fireworks tonight. Other than that, it’s time to begin the Breakout Tournament. Let’s get to it.

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

In Memory Of Paul Orndorff.

We open with a recap of the Great American Bash and the setup of the title match.

Dakota Kai vs. Ember Moon

Raquel Gonzalez is here with Kai, who grinds away with a headlock to start. A running shoulder drops Moon as well but she armdrags Kai into an armbar. Kai pops up with a kick to the face but Moon sends her outside for a ram into the barricade. That earns him a kick from the apron as we take a break.

Back with Kai throwing her down again, only to have Moon nip up for an enziguri. A springboard spinning crossbody gives Moon two but Kai’s backbreaker gets the same. Kai goes up and gets kicked in the face, allowing Moon to hit a top rope hurricanrana for two. Moon is sent to the apron, where Kai pulls her over the top for the GTK and the pin at 12:59.

Rating: C+. This was a hard hitting, back and forth match until Kai won in the end. She needs the match a bit more, but it’s kind of a shame that Moon is left hanging out there. Shotzi Blackheart has been sent up to the main roster while Moon has nothing to do, but she seems to be a better fit in NXT anyway.

Post match Kai poses with Gonzalez but here is Xia Li to say she wants Gonzalez’s Women’s Title. Gonzalez is down.

Malcolm Bivens talks about how great the Diamond Mine is and issues an open challenge. Bobby Fish pops up to say he’s in to face Roderick Strong. Bivens switches that over to Fish vs. Tyler Rust instead.

Ikemen Jiro says don’t let his good looks fool you, because he can beat you up. He was trained by Tajiri and Great Muta so he knows how to fight.

Earlier today, Cameron Grimes showed up to start as LA Knight’s butler and doesn’t mind that he showed up late. He’s here because of his pride because he gave his word, but first up it’s time for a makeover. The beard and hair are adjusted and Knight even has a uniform for him. Grimes likes the look (the tuxedo works) and it’s time to go to work. More on this later.

Tyler Rust vs. Bobby Fish

Rust starts in on the arm and strikes away, setting up a Figure Four necklock. Back up and Fish punches him down, setting up a kick to the chest. Roderick Strong gets on the apron for a distraction but Fish knocks Rust outside anyway. The distraction lets Rust get in a chop block though and a kick to the head finishes Fish at 2:39.

Post match the Diamond Mine surrounds Fish but Kushida runs in for the save.

Samoa Joe comes up to Karrion Kross, who threatens him if he messes with the title match.

The Way arrived earlier today and Beth Phoenix asked Indi Hartwell what happened with Dexter Lumis. That would be nothing, but they both seemed to want it to. Beth tells her to take a chance.

Gigi Dolin vs. Sarray

Sarray grabs a wristlock to start but Dolin reverses into one of her own. A running armdrag into a headlock takeover has Dolin down again but here is Mandy Rose of all people to watch. Sarray grabs the leg and slaps on a Muta Lock, which she just lets go. That leaves Dolin to grab some rollups for two each, followed by an STO for the same. Sarray is back with a running dropkick against the ropes, setting up a MUCH harder one to knock Dolin silly. A high collar suplex (nearly dropping Dolin on her head) gives Sarray the pin at 3:31. Those last two moves were nasty and Dolin was rocked.

Rating: C. I wouldn’t be surprised if Dolin’s bell was a bit rung there so hopefully she’s ok. The Rose deal is interesting, if nothing else because she could use more ring time in NXT. You’re only going to get so much out of photo shoots and posing with Dana Brooke so if a few matches here can help her a bit, so be it. Sarray continues to just be kind of there, but she is certainly a physical one.

Santos Escobar doesn’t like Bronson Reed, Hit Row or Dexter Lumis.

Duke Hudson is ready for Ikemen Jiro. You can either call him Duke or just cut tot he chase and call him the Breakout Tournament winner.

Dexter Lumis vs. Santos Escobar

The rest of Legado del Fantasma is here too. Escobar runs him over to start but Lumis nips up to scare him a bit. Back up and Lumis runs the ropes, setting up the Thesz press to hammer away. That’s enough for Escobar to need a breather on the floor but Lumis uses the distraction to slide underneath the ring. Lumis tries to pull him under but has to settle for just crawling out for the glare as we take a break.

Back with Escobar hitting a basement dropkick to the side of the head and hitting some running clotheslines in the corner. Lumis fights up with some right hands and it’s a clothesline into a bulldog. The Silencer is loaded up but the rest of Legado makes a save. The distraction lets Lumis gets posted, allowing Escobar to hit the Phantom Driver for the pin at 9:18.

Rating: C-. I’m still not wild on Lumis but he is a good bit easier to take now that he is not featured nearly as much as he was before. That is the kind of thing that could give him a longer shelf life and I could go for him a lot more if he is in a match like this, especially one where Escobar wins. Escobar has a lot of possible ways to go and that is rather interesting.

Post match Legado runs into Hit Row for a showdown with trash talking.

Earlier today, Kyle O’Reilly sat down with Wade Barrett and said that unfortunately, losing is a part of life. That was the case last week against Adam Cole, but now he isn’t sure if he needs his soul back. He needs to get his groove back and he is willing to do what it takes to finish Cole.

Back at Knight’s estate, LA Knight has Cameron Grimes mow his rather large lawn with an old a rather ancient push lawnmower. Grimes talks about his grandmother chasing him with one like this but Knight doesn’t want to hear it.

During the break, Indi Hartwell tried to carry Dexter Lumis off but couldn’t hold him up. The kiss was imminent but Candice LeRae broke it up. Ok the fall was funny.

Breakout Tournament First Round: Duke Hudson vs. Ikemen Jiro

Hudson is formerly known as Brendan Vink and Jiro has wrestled on 205 Live for a few months. Jiro’s jacket, which he wrestles in, is universe themed but he gets shoved down to start anyway. A cartwheel and some flips have Hudson a little confused, as does Jiro’s headstand in the corner. Hudson gets him on his shoulder for a knee to the head and then drops Jiro down onto the top rope.

Some stomping in the corner has Jiro in more trouble but he gets in a few shots to the face (with jacket) to stagger Hudson. A few more right hands put Jiro in trouble again but he hurricanranas his way out of a Razor’s Edge. That’s enough to send Hudson outside for a top rope Asai moonsault but Jiro bangs up his ankle. Back in and Hudson hits a swinging Boss Man Slam for the pin at 5:28.

Rating: C. This was a bit of a styles clash but they made it work anyway. Hudson needs the win a lot more as he is best known for a forgettable run on Raw when nothing was going on while Jiro has some amazing chemistry which will take him a long way. The jacket alone is something that makes him stand out and a loss in the first round isn’t going to take him down.

Pete Dunne wants the winner of tonight’s title match but Timothy Thatcher doesn’t like Dunne calling himself the best technician in NXT. Tommaso Ciampa runs in to start the brawl with Dunne and Oney Lorcan.

Kacy Catanzaro/Kayden Carter vs. Robert Stone Brand

Jessi Kamea kicks Catanzaro into the corner and it’s off to Aliyah for a hair toss. Catanzaro gets up some boots in the corner to cut off Aliyah though and dives over for the tag to Carter. Everything breaks down and Catanzaro dives onto Kamea on the floor. That leaves Aliyah to get caught with the 450/neckbreaker combination for the pin at 3:30.

Rating: C-. Carter and Catanzaro have a long way to go but the Coconut Loop opening back up should help them out a lot. They both need more ring time and working a few house shows a week to give them some time in front of a crowd is going to help them. Working a three minute tag match on TV once a week isn’t getting you very far, but ten minutes two or three times a week could.

Post match Robert Stone checks on Aliyah, who shoves him away and shouts that she has done more for him than he has ever done for her. She slaps Stone in the face and beats the fire out of him, drawing a heck of a reaction as a result. Aliyah leaves as Frankie Monet comes out to look at Kamea. Stone crawls up the ramp as Kamea leaves with Monet.

Samoa Joe comes up to Johnny Gargano to protect himself at all times and obey his commands. Gargano is cool with that, just like Austin Theory is cool with the new Way shirt. Joe leaves and gets into a staredown with Pete Dunne.

Cameron Grimes is sitting by the pool because, as a fellow millionaire, he has hired a kid to mow the lawn for him. LA Knight is furious and sends the kid away so he gets kicked in the shin. That makes Knight drop his money, so Grimes sweeps it up, knocking Knight into the pool in the process. Slapstick still works.

Here is Adam Cole to say that Kyle O’Reilly needs to rethink that rematch idea. Anyway, it’s time to move on to Samoa Joe, who choked him out from behind a few weeks ago. Joe is a security guard in a suit and Cole knows no one in the back is man enough to face him. Cue Bronson Reed, who doesn’t have the North American Title anymore but he’s still ready to fight. Cole’s superkick is blocked and Reed runs him over, sending Cole outside. Cue Samoa Joe for the main event and the staredown with Cole is on.

Frankie Monet and Jessi Kamea are leaving with Robert Stone catching up to them. Mandy Rose pops up to say it looks like the brand is under new management.

NXT Title: Johnny Gargano vs. Karrion Kross

Kross, with Scarlett, is defending and Samoa Joe is referee. Gargano goes right after him to start but gets knocked down in a hurry. Some dropkicks tot he back put Kross on the floor though and a running flip dive from the apron drops Kross again. A missed charge sends Kross shoulder first into the steps but he is fine enough to drop Gargano onto the announcers’ table.

We take a break and come back with Kross being sent shoulder first into the post. Gargano kicks him outside but this time Kross comes back in with a suplex to take over. Back up and Kross hits a hard lariat but Gargano grabs a tornado DDT out of the corner. A chokeslam cuts off Gargano, who is right back with a superkick. The Krossjacket is escaped with a backflip and the Gargano Escape has Kross in trouble for a change. That’s countered as well and Kross grabs the Krossjacket again. Gargano makes the rope but Kross won’t let go, earning a break from Joe (his first important moment in the match).

They head outside with Gargano being rammed into the barricade. Kross loads up the steps but Joe takes them away and gets in Kross’ face. The distraction lets Gargano hit a DDT onto the floor. One Final Beat gets two (with commentary making it clear that it wouldn’t be a pin, which they really need to work on) but Kross hits him in the face. A powerbomb into another doublebomb into a triplebomb into a Doomsday Saito has Gargano mostly done. The running forearm to the back of the head retains the title at 12:47.

Rating: B. This worked well as Gargano knows how to wrestle this match in his sleep. The match made Kross look like a monster who was having a match rather than someone just doing one thing after another from bell to bell. Kross vs. Joe seems to be on the horizon and that should be the awesome brawl that you should expect it to be.

Post match Kross gets in Joe’s face again but Joe goes to walk away. Kross jumps him from behind and chokes him out to end the show. There’s the Summerslam Takeover main event.

Overall Rating: B+. It’s a good example of a show where the sum is greater than the total of the individual parts. The main event was the best match on the show but they had a nice collection of matches throughout, the funny Grimes/Knight stuff and setting things up for the future. The show also flew by and it was one of the best NXT’s in a good while. It was well put together and a rather entertaining show. Well done, and very NXT of them.

Results
Dakota Kai b. Ember Moon – GTK
Tyler Rust b. Bobby Fish – Kick to the head
Sarray b. Gigi Dolin – High collar suplex
Santos Escobar b. Dexter Lumis – Phantom Driver
Duke Hudson b. Ikemen Jiro – Swinging Boss Man Slam
Kacy Catanzaro/Kayden Carter b. Robert Stone Brand – 450/neckbreaker combination to Aliyah
Karrion Kross b. Johnny Gargano – Running forearm to the back of the head

 

 

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NXT
Date: June 22, 2021
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Wade Barrett, Beth Phoenix

It’s another pretty big show this week as Kyle O’Reilly faces Kushida. That’s an interesting way to go but it doesn’t do much good for the Cruiserweight Title. The easiest way to make a title valuable is to have people fight over it and the title isn’t on the line here. We also find out what the Diamond Mine is, which has me curious. Let’s get to it.

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

The narrated recap talks about Samoa Joe’s return last week and the chaos between Adam Cole and Kyle O’Reilly.

Here is Adam Cole to pick his opponent for his match against Kyle O’Reilly. Cole isn’t going to do that because no one is going to tell him what to do. Samoa Joe may be back, but he isn’t the big star around here anymore. Cue Carmelo Hayes to say he’ll change Cole’s mind. Cole wants to know how so Hayes says RUTHLESS AGGRESSION and slaps him in the face to start things off.

Carmelo Hayes vs. Adam Cole

Hayes starts fast by hitting a springboard clothesline to put Cole on the floor, setting up the big dive. Back in and Cole stomps away in the corner, setting up a suplex so he can wipe the dust off of his hands. A neckbreaker looks to set up a low superkick but Hayes is back up with a hard clothesline for two. Hayes tries to go up but gets knocked to the floor in a heap.

Back to back whips into the barricade take us to a break with Hayes in trouble. We come back with Cole hitting a running knee in the corner but Hayes is back with a pump kick. Something like a suplex into a cutter gets two on Cole, who grabs a Backstabber for two of his own. Cole goes up but dives into a superkick, only to get superkicked out of the air as well. The Panama Sunrise finishes for Cole at 12:27.

Rating: B-. You can feel the potential with Hayes, who has the poise and skill to back it up. He doesn’t seem like someone who is trying to get in everything he can but rather having a match that he has planned out. It worked well here, and having him hang with Cole for twelve minutes is a good idea.

Frankie Monet is talking to the Robert Stone Brand about how they are all going to win their matches tonight. Robert Stone comes in and gets scared by Frankie’s dog.

Zoey Stark helped Io Shirai last week because Shirai gave her the big break around here. Shirai comes in to say she respects Stark.

LA Knight talks about taking out Cameron Grimes and the fans chanting or Cameron Grimes. It turns out that Grimes cares about DiBiase instead of the money. That makes Grimes a total idiot and Knight will drink to that for sure.

Here is the Way for a chat. Johnny Gargano thinks he should be the handsome, hard working, headband working, respectable family man to be the NXT Champion again. He was champion for 57 days and NXT has never been better. At Takeover, Gargano outclassed Karrion Kross and he can do it again any day. Cue Pete Dunne and Oney Lorcan to interrupt and Austin Theory isn’t happy. Dunne tells him to try it but Gargano calls them off. They don’t partake of in hijinks or shenanigans anymore and it’s time to go. Gargano leaves but Theory stops to point fingers at Dunne, earning him a snap. That’s perfect Theory.

Cameron Grimes arrived earlier and paid some of the attendants for being nice. Someone asked how Ted DiBiase was doing at the nursing home and gets punched in the face. Grimes throws some money at him and says that was for Ted.

Adam Cole isn’t talking about Kyle O’Reilly when William Regal comes in. Regal says there is no animosity between Cole and Samoa Joe. Cole provoked him and got Clutched out, so that’s it. That’s not enough for Cole, but he leaves anyway.

The battery from last week is now at 31%.

Johnny Gargano and Austin Theory go into William Regal’s office to complain about Pete Dunne and Oney Lorcan. Gargano wants consequences and bribes Regal with a new pencil. Regal has an idea: a tag match for later tonight.

Zoey Stark/Io Shirai vs. Robert Stone Brand

Shirai fireman’s carries Aliyah to start but puts her down to chop away. A flapjack plants her again and there’s a basement dropkick to the side of Aliyah’s head. The slingshot knees to the chest connect and it’s off to Stark for an armbar. A sliding clothesline drops Aliyah again so it’s off to Kamea, who hits a rolling kick to the face for two. Stark comes back in for a running double stomp to the back but Kamea elbows her down again.

Cue the Way to watch and the distraction lets Kamea drop Stark as we take a break. Back with Stark still in trouble, including Kamea dropping Aliyah down onto her for two. The bodyscissors goes on but Stark gets over the hot tag to Shirai. House is cleaned for a bit until Aliyah grabs a northern lights suplex. That doesn’t last long either as it’s back to Stark for a suplex of her own, setting up the moonsault to finish Kamea at 9:42.

Rating: C. The Stone Brand continues to be lovable losers and little more than that. They still don’t exactly feel like major stars, but at least they are established enough to lose a match like this and still make the other team feel like they did a little something. Odds are they are going to be pawns for Frankie Monet in one way or another and that is not a bad place for them.

Post match here are Dakota Kai and Raquel Gonzalez to help the Way surround Stark and Shirai. The brawl is almost on but Ember Moon and Shotzi Blackheart come in as well as the Way stays on the floor. Samoa Joe comes out to call in security to break things up.

Kushida is looking forward to his match with Kyle O’Reilly.

We look back at Tommaso Ciampa/Timothy Thatcher beating the Grizzled Young Veterans. As a result, Thatcher and Ciampa get a Tag Team Title shot at the Great American Bash.

The Way vs. Pete Dunne/Oney Lorcan

Gargano armdrags Dunne down to start and hands it off to Theory, who uses his bad hand for a not very bright chop. Dunne takes Theory down and starts cranking on various limbs before taking him into the corner. Lorcan comes in to work on the wrist but Theory gets in a quick shot for two of his own. Dunne isn’t having that and takes him back down to crank on the arm, including some finger bending.

We hit the seated armbar into the kick to the bad arm but Theory manages to fight up. After knocking Lorcan to the floor, Theory hits a big dive to take him down but it’s a double half nelson slam onto the apron to send us to a break. Back with the arm stomping continuing but Theory kicks Dunne into the corner. Lorcan is right there in time to break up the tag, meaning it’s a big forearm allowing the tag to Gargano.

House is cleaned and it’s rather quickly back to Theory for a springboard Spanish Fly for two on Lorcan. Gargano escapes the Bitter End though and Dunne is planted with a DDT. A running Blockbuster drops Theory so Dunne comes back in to kick him down, setting up the arm cranking until Gargano makes the save.

Gargano comes back in to kick away at Dunne, including the rolling version to send him outside. Back in and Dunne is sent into Lorcan but it’s a half nelson slam/powerbomb combination for two on Gargano. Theory makes the save but can’t hit his own powerbomb to Dunne. An enziguri drops Lorcan again but Gargano is back up with a suicide DDT to Dunne on the floor. One Final Beat finishes Lorcan at 14:18.

Rating: B. If they are trying to turn the Way, or at least Gargano and Theory, face, this was a good start as they played the roles well. These two are so much goofy fun together that it would be an easy way to go, especially with the idea of Johnny Gargano/Takeover/Wrestling challenging Karrion Kross for the NXT Title at Takeover. Heck of a match here, though I could also see Dunne getting the shot. Those question marks are what make NXT thrive and it is nice to have them back.

Post match, Karrion Kross comes out to drop Gargano.

The battery is at 40%.

Karrion Kross and Scarlett run into Samoa Joe, who is reminded that nothing physical can happen unless Joe is provoked. Joe: “Of course champ.” Kross and Scarlett leave, but Pete Dunne pops up for the staredown with Joe.

Next week: a triple threat match to crown new #1 contenders to the Women’s Tag Team Titles.

Elektra Lopez vs. Frankie Monet

Monet headlocks her down to start and it’s time to fight over a wristlock. Lopez backs into the corner so Monet poses a bit and runs her over again. Some mounted shots to the face have Lopez in more trouble but she comes back up with a shot to the face. A pump kick drops Money for a second but two shots of her own set up the Road to Valhalla to put Lopez away at 3:26.

Rating: D+. Fairly short and to the point here as Monet beat her up, posed a lot and then won. That’s why you bring in someone like Lopez, who has a unique enough look to get some interest and then lose anyway. Monet is someone who came in ready to be a star and very well could be again for a long time to come. The Robert Stone deal is fine for a start, especially if she can steal them from Stone.

Bronson Reed isn’t sure what is going on around here but Hit Row comes in. Top Dolla says everyone is colossal until Colossus walks into the room. They don’t like Ever-Rise either.

Earlier today, Ever-Rise went to spray point Hit Row’s car but Top Dollar was inside, sending them running off.

Ever-Rise vs. Hit Row

That would be Ashante Adonis/Top Dolla, with the latter running Chase Parker off the apron to start. Matt Martel gets dropped as well and it’s off to Adonis for a dropkick. Parker saves Martel from a powerslam and Ever-Rise knocks Dolla to the floor. This proves to be a bad idea as Dollar comes back in to wreck more things. The Long Kiss Goodnight sets up a powerbomb/neckbreaker combination (with a nasty landing) to finish Martel at 2:32. Hit Row has great presence, but they aren’t completely polished in the ring.

Mercedes Martinez is ready for a mixed tag against Tian Sha next week. Xia Li and Boa jump her from behind but Jake Atlas kicks Boa in the head for the save.

Kyle O’Reilly is ready for the main event.

The battery is at 51%, putting it into green.

Here’s what’s coming next week.

Kyle O’Reilly vs. Kushida

Kyle takes him to the mat to start but Kushida winds up on top in the grapple. They get up to a standoff so O’Reilly goes for a kneebar. That’s broken up as well so Kushida takes him down and twists on the arm. Back up and O’Reilly takes him into the corner where a double headbutt puts both of them down.

We take a break and come back with Kushida working on the ankles but O’Reilly slips out. A kneebar is broken up with Kushida looking for the Hoverboard Lock, which is countered into a cross armbreaker which is countered into the Hoverboard Lock which is countered into a choke which is countered into a kick to O’Reilly’s arm. O’Reilly blocks a kick but Kushida is right back with a bridging northern lights suplex for two.

Kushida goes up but dives into a kick to the chest, setting up another kneebar from O’Reilly. That’s countered into a cradle for two but O’Reilly is back up with a rebound lariat to put him down as well. The brainbuster gives O’Reilly two so he heads to the apron, where Kushida sends him arm first into the post.

They trade kicks to the arm until Kushida’s hammerlock suplex drops O’Reilly onto the apron and out to the floor. Back in and they trade more kicks but Kushida still can’t get the Hoverboard Lock. Another attempt mostly works but O’Reilly gets smart by putting his hands in his trunks to avoid all of the pressure. O’Reilly finally manages to roll out and cradle Kushida for the pin at 14:26.

Rating: B+. Yep this was great and I’m not sure why that should be a surprise. They traded holds and strikes for the better part of fifteen minutes until one of them got pinned. Everything looked crisp, they didn’t do very many ridiculous looking things and it felt like a struggle. This was a heck of a main event and is more than worth the time to find if you want to see something awesome from this style.

Post match here is Adam Cole to brawl off with O’Reilly. Cue three guys in hoodies with one of them jumping Kushida. The guys are revealed as Roderick Strong, Tyler Rust and Hideki Suzuki (not named). Malcolm Bivens comes in to hand Strong the Cruiserweight Title and says THIS IS THE DIAMOND MINE to end the show. I’m intrigued, while also being annoyed that I thought Strong was the battery guy.

Overall Rating: B. When the only thing close to bad (and that is debatable) on your show is a three minute squash, you’re having a pretty good week. This was a heck of a show and felt like the NXT of old, with a mixture of very good wrestling, building for the future and leaving me intrigued about where things go. Awesome show here, and it’s nice to have NXT feeling like it’s old self again.

Results
Adam Cole b. Carmelo Hayes – Panama Sunrise
Zoey Stark/Io Shirai b. Robert Stone Brand – Moonsault to Kamea
The Way b. Pete Dunne/Oney Lorcan – One Final Beat to Lorcan
Frankie Monet b. Elektra Lopez – Road To Valhalla
Hit Row b. Ever-Rise – Powerbomb/neckbreaker combination to Martel
Kyle O’Reilly b. Kushida – Cradle

 

 

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NXT
Date: June 15, 2021
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Beth Phoenix, Wade Barrett

We’re past a pretty lackluster Takeover and that means it is time to start getting ready for the rest of the summer. I’m not sure what that is going to included but William Regal was teasing some kind of a big change. That could mean multiple things, though there are some rumors of what it could mean, most of which are rather intriguing. Let’s get to it.

Here is Takeover if you need a recap.

We open with a recap of Takeover.

Here is a serious looking William Regal for a chat. Regal talks about being with NXT from the beginning, including starting at the commentary desk for the first Takeover. NXT has grown throughout the last few years and they have gone around the world, including to his hometown of Blackpool. Regal gets a bit emotional as he talks about everything that NXT has done for everyone involved here. He thanks everyone who took them to San Jose and Houston and Brooklyn and Portland, but now there is so much chaos around here.

Regal doesn’t think he is capable of giving us what we deserve anymore, so it is time for…..him to be interrupted by Karrion Kross and Scarlett. Kross says he knew this was coming because he was going to control NXT with chaos and violence. He wants Regal to leave and admit that Kross has won…..and here is the returning Samoa Joe.

That makes Kross look a little worried and Regal says Samoa Joe should be the new General Manager. Joe understands what is going on but he is absolutely not accepting the job. Regal has cast a large shadow for seven years and Joe made his job a nightmare. Now though, he would like to make sure that Regal receives the respect that he deserves.

Regal finds this intriguing, but says Joe cannot be a competitor and cannot lay his hands on anyone…..unless he is provoked. Joe accepts, and asks why Kross is still in this ring. Joe: “Tick tock, young champion.” The fans sing the Goodbye Song as Kross and Scarlett leave. This is quite the nice moment, as Joe is a great way to counter Kross, especially if he can have a match one day.

The Grizzled Young Veterans are ready to take out Tommaso Ciampa and Timothy Thatcher.

Imperium vs. Breezango

Barthel shoulders Breeze down to start but a quick jawbreaker gets him out of trouble. It’s off to Fandango for a dropkick but Aichner pulls him into an armbar. Some chops in the corner look to set up a sunset flip so Fandango is back with a legdrop. Breeze loads up a bit dive but only hits mat, allowing Fandango to hit his own big flip dive. Back in and Fandango gets crotched on top and it’s an uppercut off with Aichner.

We take a break and come back with Aichner hammering away at Fandango and planting him with a slam. Barthel comes back in and grabs a cobra clutch but Fandango kicks him away. A backdrop allows the hot tag off to Breeze to….get dropped with a clothesline. Not that it matters as Breeze grabs a small package for the pin at 10:26.

Rating: C. I’m a bit surprised by the finish but Breezango continues to be one of the weakest teams around. I’m not sure what Imperium is going to be doing, though the wrath of Walter seems to be a real possibility. I can’t imagine MSK having to worry about either team, but at least we got a decent tag match here.

Post match Imperium lays out Breeze and drapes an Imperium flag over him.

Regal is breaking up a fight between Kyle O’Reilly and Adam Cole and says they can fight at the Great American Bash. Until then, they can pick their own opponents to fight next week. Joe comes in and gets shoved away by Cole, who is promptly choked out. With that broken up, Joe says that when Cole wakes up, he can give Mr. Regal an answer.

We see an image of a battery charging and it reaches 1%.

Santos Escobar does not like Bronson Reed putting him through a wall. Reed has revealed a weakness but now it is going to be one on one. This time, he’ll pick Reed up and let gravity do the rest on the way to the title.

Cruiserweight Title: Kushida vs. Trey Baxter

Baxter, better known as Blake Christian, is challenging and promises to show that he is all heart. Feeling out process to start with Baxter grabbing a rollup for two. A running hurricanrana sends Kushida to the corner and there’s an enziguri in the corner. Kushida gets draped ribs first over the top rope and sent to the floor for a big dive. Cue Kyle O’Reilly to watch from the stage as we take a break.

Back with Kushida scoring with an atomic drop but missing a running kick to the face. An enziguri doesn’t miss but Baxter hits a handspring kick to the face. Baxter is back with a Spanish Fly into a springboard 450 for two more. They head up top with Kushida hitting a super flying armbar, setting up the Hoverboard Lock to retain at 10:27.

Rating: C+. Another good open challenge title match here but Kushida vs. O’Reilly should be a heck of a match whenever we get there. That is the kind of a match which could tear the house down in a hurry, though I’m not sure how much of a chance that Kushida would have to keep the title. O’Reilly needs to win something, but it’s still the Cruiserweight Title. That is something that works great for someone new like Baxter (because his name is Trey Baxter) and he got a good rub out of this one.

Post match Kushida shakes Baxter’s hand but O’Reilly gets in the ring to say he wants to face Kushida next week. Kushida is ready.

Frankie Monet is going to be back in the ring next week but she goes over to Jessi Kamea and Aliyah, saying they would have won their most recent match if Robert Stone hadn’t gotten involved. Stone comes in and Monet says the team would have won if they had listened to Stone a bit more.

Mercedes Martinez talks about how she got taken down by Tian Sha but she isn’t going to be held down. If Boa wants to come after her, come get her. She and Xia Li are 1-1 so come on for round three.

Here is Ted DiBiase to present the Million Dollar Title to LA Knight. DiBiase shows us a video on Knight, who arrives in a rather nice car. Knight comes to the ring and loads up LET ME TALK TO YA but cuts himself off. Instead he would rather talk to DiBiase, because it is rare that you get to meet your heroes. Knight watched DiBiase growing up and he always wanted to be DiBiase when they were wrestling in the backyard. He needed DiBiase here tonight just to say thank you and they shake hands.

It would be the honor of Knight’s life to have DiBiase officially crown him the Million Dollar Champion. DiBiase puts the title on Knight’s shoulder and they take turns laughing. The fans still want Cameron Grimes but Knight says he has everything that he wants. Now it’s time to get rid of everything he doesn’t need, and he decks DiBiase. Knight shouts that this is his title and now he is the only true Million Dollar Champion. Cameron Grimes makes the save and clears Knight out in a hurry.

Dakota Kai and Raquel Gonzalez are ready for to get the Tag Team Titles back.

The battery is now at 11%.

Dakota Kai/Raquel Gonzalez vs. Kacy Catanzaro/Kayden Carter

Carter sends Kai into the ropes for a double knee to the face. Kacy holds Kai in place for a running dropkick to the side of the head. It’s off to Gonzalez to pull Carter by the hair but some double teaming puts Gonzalez on the floor. Carter hits a huge dive onto both of them and we take a break. Back with Gonzalez working on a backbreaker on Catanzaro, setting up Kai’s running knee in the corner. A running pump kick sends Catanzaro to the floor but she gets over for the tag off to Carter a moment later.

Carter gets to clean house and a nasty running kick to the face gets two on Kai. Gonzalez hits a messy spinning side slam for two on Carter and an assisted Codebreaker gets the same. Everything breaks down again and Catanzaro’s hurricanrana off the apron sends Gonzalez face first into the apron. Back in and a neckbreaker/450 combination gets two on Kai with Gonzalez making the save. Carter is sent hard into the barricade and the GTK finishes Catanzaro at 12:27.

Rating: C-. This was a bit too much on the sloppy side and that hurt what they had going on here. Catanzaro and Carter are a fine team for a spot like this as Gonzalez and Kai needed a win to build them up a little bit. It wasn’t exactly a red hot match, but it did what it was supposed to.

Ever-Rise isn’t happy with Hit Row breaking their house on the Takeover Kickoff Show but they have rebuilt.

The battery is now at 21%.

Here is Io Shirai to say that she is back. She says that her next target is….and here is Candice LeRae to interrupt. Candice talks about how she is no longer an uncrowned champion and Shirai picked the wrong time to come back. Cue Indi Hartwell to jump Shirai from behind and the beating is on. The announcers’ table is loaded up but here is Zoey Stark for the save.

William Regal and Samoa Joe are leaving but are asked about how they feel tonight has gone. Regal…..is cut off, as we jump to MSK eating popcorn as Tommaso Ciampa and Timothy Thatcher are on their way to the ring. Thatcher comes back and angrily steals some popcorn.

The Diamond Mine is opening next week.

William Regal and Samoa Joe are trying to give an update on the evening when the Way comes in to mock the JOE chants. They’re glad he’s here but Joe tells them to get out. Pete Dunne comes in for a heck of a staredown with Joe.

Tommaso Ciampa/Timothy Thatcher vs. Grizzled Young Veterans

Tornado Tag. It’s a brawl to start with Thatcher and Ciampa taking them down into stereo forearms to the chest. The stereo holds send the Veterans to the floor and the chase is on. Back in and the Veterans get in some cheap shots to take over, meaning the beating can be on. Thatcher is sent face first into a light tower but he is fine enough to come back in for a standing sleeper on Drake.

That is broken up but Ciampa is back in with a chinlock of his own. Ciampa is taken outside for a whip into the barricade, leaving Thatcher to get taken down in a belly to back suplex/neckbreaker combination. Ciampa is back up to send the Veterans into the barricade, setting up a running hip attack into the two of them. Back in and Thatcher and Ciampa hit some running shots to the face in the corner as we take a break.

We come back with Thatcher getting knocked into the Koji Clutch so Gibson can stomp away. Ciampa makes the save (after unloading on Drake’s head that is) but accidentally kicks Thatcher in the face. A Doomsday Device is broken up though and Ciampa hits a super Air Raid Crash on Gibson as Thatcher has Drake. Somehow Gibson kicks out so it’s Ciampa and Drake chopping it out on the apron.

The running Doomsday Device on the floor plants Ciampa so it’s time for Thatcher and Gibson to slug it out inside. An exchange of holds doesn’t work but Drake is back in for a running boot in the corner. A Backstabber hits Thatcher so Ciampa runs in for the save. The Veterans double team Ciampa on the floor and put him (mostly) through the top of the announcers’ table. Ciampa is back up with the Air Raid Crash to drop Gibson onto said table. Back in and some hard slaps set up Angel’s Wings into an ankle lock/armbar combination for the tap at 17:27.

Rating: B. This was a fight and that’s exactly what they were shooting for here. What mattered here was it felt like they wanted to win at all costs, which is not something you see enough of in wrestling. I’m a bit surprised at the result as the Veterans really need to win something at some point, but at least they had a pretty awesome showing in defeat. Thatcher and Ciampa moving up the card works too, so this was a pretty solid match all together.

William Regal is pleased with Samoa Joe’s first night around here. Joe says that was the first night of many as Regal gets into his car and……drives off with no problem to end the show.

Overall Rating: B-. The return of Joe was the big story here and the rest of the show was build around it. What matters is they have something fresh which might make people interested, which has been lacking around here as of late. It’s a good show with a solid main event, plus some things being set up for later. NXT still has some work to do, but this was a nice start.

Results
Breezango b. Imperium – Small package to Aichner
Kushida b. Trey Baxter – Hoverboard Lock
Dakota Kai/Raquel Gonzalez b. Kacy Catanzaro/Kayden Carter – GTK to Catanzaro
Tommaso Ciampa/Timothy Thatcher b. Grizzled Young Veterans – Ankle lock/armbar combination to Drake

 

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

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

AND

Remember to check out Wrestlingrumors.net for all of your wrestling headline needs.