205 Live
Date: February 6, 2018
Location: Sprint Center, Kansas City, Missouri
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Nigel McGuinness

We’ll continue the tournament this week with two more second round matches. The whole thing started last week with new General Manager Drake Maverick starting the tournament and bringing in some outside names to fill in the brackets. That’s the case this week as well with Roderick Strong making his 205 Live debut. Let’s get to it.

We open with a recap of Maverick’s debut and last week’s first round matches.

Opening sequence.

Cruiserweight Title Tournament First Round: Kalisto vs. Lince Dorado

They shake hands to start and it’s time to go, though they’re rather intense as they let go. Dorado takes him to the mat before trading some fast armdrags. A double flip up gives us a standoff and the fans know what they’re in for. Back up and Kalisto is thrown into the air, only to land on on Dorado’s shoulders. Well of course he does.

Dorado shoves him off but charges into a pair of knees in the corner. Kalisto sends him outside for a suicide dive into the announcers’ table but Dorado is right back up with a running flip dive. Back in and Dorado starts in on a reverse chinlock before we hit a chinlock. Dorado takes too much time going up though and has to bail out, allowing Kalisto to score with a superkick.

They head up top and of course that means a super hurricanrana to bring Kalisto back down. Dorado is impressing me here and that’s not something that happens too often. Kalisto is right back up with the springboard corkscrew body block for two, followed by a super victory roll for the same. The rolling kick to the head is blocked though and Dorado is right back with the handspring Stunner (The Golden Rewind. Ehhhhhhh not feeling that one.).

The shooting star press crushes Kalisto but he’s smart enough to roll to the floor. Back in and the Salida Del Sol connects but Dorado grabs the rope at the last second. You know, like at two. Kalisto is back up and tries a reverse hurricanrana but Dorado just kind of slides over Kalisto’s back. Not that it matters as the Salida Del Sol sends Kalisto to the second round at 11:35.

Rating: B. This is the kind of stuff the tournament needed to have and it’s easily the best I’ve ever seen from Dorado. They were flying all over the place here and looking awesome in the process, especially the Salida Del Sol. That’s one of the best finishers in the entire company today and it’s very cool to see him advance like this. Let us see what he can do against a better opponent. Or on the main roster with Dorado against the Bar.

Long video on Roderick Strong, which I believe first aired back on NXT. His family fell apart when he was a kid and now he uses wrestling to keep things together. He also has a family of his own and they mean the world to him.

Mustafa Ali photo bombs Cedric Alexander. Cedric: “Everybody’s ok until their lumbar gets checked!”

TJP reads Tweets and says this time it’s about him instead of everyone else.

Next week: Mark Andrews vs. Akira Tozawa in a first round match.

Video on Andrews, who is quite the high flier.

Tozawa thinks he’ll win and asks a backstage worker for his opinion. The backstage guy likes Andrews so Tozawa fires him.

Tony Nese and Drew Gulak comes in to see Maverick and Drake isn’t pleased with either of them. Drew is a goof and Tony has abs. The train has left the station though and next week it’s the two of them in the first round of the tournament. One of them needs to step up to the plate. Mavericks’ delivery continues to be a very strong point.

Cruiserweight Title Tournament First Round: Hideo Itami vs. Roderick Strong

Itami headscissors him to the mat to start but has to flip out of a bow and arrow hold. The half nelson backbreaker doesn’t work on Itami and we’re already on a headlock to slow Strong down. Itami is right back up with some kicks to the head, including a middle rope kick to the back of the head for two.

The tornado DDT into the guillotine is broken up though and Strong stays on the back, as is his custom. A pumphandle backbreaker gives Strong two (Strong: “COME ON KENTA! COME ON HIDEO!”), followed by a dropkick for the same. Strong misses a charge into the corner though and a DDT takes him down. Itami scores with Sami Zayn’s Helluva Kick and a top rope clothesline for two each.

It’s Strong’s turn for a big move so an Angle Slam takes Itami down. A trip to the floor sees Itami’s back bouncing off the barricade as Strong certainly has a target. Back in and Itami grabs a quick Falcon Arrow for two, followed by a running hip attack with Strong hung on the ropes. The jumping knee is countered into a failed Strong Hold attempt. This time Itami reverses into the very modified Rings of Saturn, sending Strong bailing to the ropes.

A gutbuster into the Cloud 9 (a spinning belly to back faceplant) gives Strong two more but Itami takes him up. That means a super Falcon Arrow (more like a superplex with a bit of a spin) for another near fall, followed by the running hesitation dropkick. Back up and Strong scores with the jumping knee to the face. The End of Heartache (suplex into a backbreaker) sends Strong to the next round at 17:02.

Rating: B+. These guys were beating each other up out there and that’s the kind of match they needed to have. Strong is starting to figure out how to work the WWE style and he might be better off on the main roster full time rather than being down in NXT. There’s only so much he’s going to get out of it and we seem to have passed that point. Itami….I really don’t know anymore. It never quite worked down in NXT and I’m not exactly seeing it clicking here. The talent is there but for some reason it’s not coming out, which just happens sometimes. What he’s doing isn’t working though and that needs to change.

Overall Rating: A-. This tournament has done wonders for 205 Live and I’ve been liking it more and more in several weeks. The Cruiserweight Classic was built up so well because it was an all action show. We spent over a year watching 205 Live try to be half action and half story and while I do like the stories, the action takes it to far higher levels. I’m genuinely interested in seeing who the final four entrants are going to be and I haven’t had that kind of curiosity around this show since it debuted. Keep this stuff up and 205 Live will be one of the best WWE shows going.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the 2018 Updated Version of the History of the WWE Championship in e-book or paperback. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/01/26/new-book-kbs-history-of-the-wwe-championship-2018-updated-version/

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

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

NXT
Date: January 31, 2018
Location: Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Commentators: Percy Watson, Mauro Ranallo

It’s time for another of the pre-Takeover shows as we haven’t had time to do more tapings, meaning we have some dark matches from this weekend’s Takeover: Philadelphia. This includes a match between Roderick Strong and Tyler Bate with the winner getting a UK Title match against Pete Dunne at some point in the future. Let’s get to it.

We open with a recap package from Takeover, including a focus on the incredible main event.

Opening sequence.

Nikki Cross vs. Lacey Evans

Nikki is all over her to start but gets kicked out to the floor. Evans gets tied in the ring skirt and the fans are WAY behind Nikki as she forearms Laces in the chest. Back in and Lacey hits a slingshot Bronco Buster in the corner and is booed out of the building. That earns her a kick to the chest and the swinging fisherman’s neckbreaker is good for the pin on Evans 2:35.

Video on Saturday’s Tag Team Title match.

Video on the Women’s Title match, including Shayna Baszler choking Ember Moon out after losing.

Baszler says that went as it was supposed to because Moon only survived instead of beating her.

Video on Moon being in the Royal Rumble.

Video on Aleister Black vs. Adam Cole.

Undisputed Era took Cole to the back as he swore vengeance on Sanity.

Next week: Undisputed Era defends against Sanity.

Video on Velveteen Dream vs. Kassius Ohno.

Velveteen Dream says read his trunks. “Dream Over.” Dream to the interviewer: “And now you know too. Good talk.”

TM61 vs. Ealy Brothers

Uriel Ealy jumps Shane with forearms to the back but everything breaks down in a hurry with Thorn hitting a running Fosbury Flop onto both Brothers on the floor. The Brothers switch though and Miller gets kicked in the jaw. The beatdown lasts all of a few seconds though as a clothesline gets Miller out of trouble, setting up the hot tag to Thorn. Everything breaks down and Miller hits a moonsault for two with Gabriel making the save. Thunder Valley (the double gorilla press into a sitout spinebuster) is good for the pin on Uriel at 3:18.

Rating: C. This was fine for a return showcase match with TM61 looking good. They were only starting to hit their stride when the injury cut them off so they need to pull something off to get back on track. The tag division can always use another team and they could be in the title picture in fairly short order. Thorn looked fine in his return from injury.

Recap of the 2017 Year End Awards.

TM61 says they’re a better team than they used to be because they’re now mighty, and the mighty don’t kneel. Ignore one of them kneeling to set up Thunder Valley.

Long video on Johnny Gargano vs. Andrade Cien Almas, including Tommaso Ciampa attacking Gargano after the match.

Post match Ciampa wouldn’t answer questions, including “where have you been”. Uh, rehabbing his knee, as everyone knows?

We look at Almas in the Rumble.

Zelina Vega says this was her plan all along and there’s no Gargano in sight.

EC3 (Ethan Carter III isn’t mentioned) has signed with NXT.

Cole was in the Rumble and faces Killian Dain next week.

Roderick Strong vs. Tyler Bate

The winner gets a UK Title shot at some point to be announced. They fight over wrist control to start with Bate kicking him in the arm to twist out of a wristlock. Bate scores with a dropkick and nips up into a mustache pose. The airplane spin is countered into a double underhook backbreaker and Strong tosses him HARD into the corner for two.

Back from a break with Strong bending Bate over his back (kind of a bow and arrow with Bate bent over the back instead of the knees). Bate slips out and hits a big boot to the jaw, followed by a middle rope knee to the side of the head. Bate’s Liger Kick is followed by a crucifix for two and a rebound clothesline gets the same. The Tyler Driver 97 doesn’t work due to the variety of backbreakers and Strong hits the jumping knees to the face. End of Heartache is good for the pin on Bate at 13:38.

Rating: B-. The last few minutes were very good with Bate doing more of his ridiculous athletic stuff despite looking like one of the most generic jobbers of all time. Strong winning is the right call as Bate vs. Dunne should be saved for special occasions and Dunne needs a fresh opponent. Bate will be fine and the fact that he’s only 20 is remarkable.

Overall Rating: C+. These shows are always hard to rate as there’s only so much that can be said with so many recaps. This is designed to be mostly a placeholder show with a big main event and there’s nothing wrong with that. Next week will be back to normal and since NXT knows what it’s doing, we already have two matches set for the first show of the new tapings. It’s so nice to not have to worry about things like moving to the new taping cycle and it’s very cool to have a promotion that has figured this stuff out.

Results

Nikki Cross b. Lacey Evans – Fisherman’s neckbreaker

TM61 b. Ealy Brothers – Thunder Valley to Uriel

Roderick Strong b. Tyler Bate – End of Heartache

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the 2018 Updated Version of the History of the WWE Championship in e-book or paperback. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/01/26/new-book-kbs-history-of-the-wwe-championship-2018-updated-version/

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

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

NXT
Date: January 17, 2018
Location: Center Stage Theater, Atlanta, Georgia
Commentators: Mauro Ranallo, Nigel McGuinness, Percy Watson

Opening sequence.

Heavy Machinery vs. Tino Sabbatelli/Riddick Moss

Roderick Strong vs. Fabian Aichner

Strong tries a headlock to start as the fans seem split. A leg lariat gives Strong two but Aichner powerslams him out of the air as we take a break. Back with Aichner holding an abdominal stretch until Strong fights out. The Angle Slam is broken up so Strong settles for his first backbreaker. Aichner is right back with a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker of his own and goes up, only to dive into another backbreaker. The Strong Hold (now a Liontamer) is good for the tap out at 7:37.

Post match Strong says he wants Lars Sullivan, who had already said he wanted to face Killian Dain. So we might be looking at a three way?

Aliyah vs. Lacey Evans

William Regal makes the title match for Takeover. Zelina Vega comes in to say Velveteen Dream deserves the shot more than Johnny Gargano so they should have a #1 contenders match.

We look back at the Undisputed Era attacking Sanity to avoid the title defense last week.

Authors of Pain vs. Street Profits

Results

Tino Sabbatelli/Riddick Moss b. Heavy Machinery – Rollup to Moss

Roderick Strong b. Fabian Aichner – Strong Hold

Lacey Evans b. Aliyah – Right hand

Authors of Pain b. Street Profits – Last Chapter to Ford

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the Monday Nitro and Thunder Reviews Volume VI: July – December 1999 in e-book or paperback. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2017/11/22/new-book-kbs-monday-nitro-and-thunder-reviews-volume-vi/

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

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

NXT
Date: January 10, 2018
Location: Center Stage Theater, Atlanta, Georgia
Commentators: Mauro Ranallo, Nigel McGuinness, Percy Watson

We’re on some hallowed ground tonight as NXT heads to the former home of WCW Saturday Night. The next three shows will be all about setting up Takeover: Philadelphia, which means we need some more matches announced. A good chunk of the card is already set but NXT somehow manages to make the shows building to the big show entertaining as well. Let’s get to it.

The Undisputed Era is ready to start their year of dominance by taking out Sanity once and for all tonight. Adam Cole is ready to start becoming the next NXT Champion. Simple and to the point here with something that you would expect them to say. Just ignore the whole “the beginning of the era of undisputed” making O’Reilly sound like Yoda.

Opening sequence.

The ring is turned to the side here, meaning wrestlers come to a corner when they come down the aisle. It’s an awesome visual and feels different, which is where NXT excels.

Shayna Baszler vs. Dakota Kai

This is both of their NXT in-ring debuts. Before the match we see a clip of Baszler randomly attacking Performance Center trainees for fun because that’s the kind of villain she is. Baszler drives her into the corner to start and takes Kai down into an armbar. A stomp bends Kai’s arm at a NASTY angle and that’s a referee stoppage at 1:23. Total squash and Baszler looked awesome here.

Post match Baszler stays on her until Ember Moon makes the save.

The Authors of Pain are ready to take care of the Street Profits. Since when can the Authors speak English?

General Manager William Regal talks to Baszler, saying that’s not going to get her a title shot. Baszler: “We done here?”

Kassius Ohno vs. Raul Mendoza

They even shake hands to start in a really old school move. Ohno grabs some rollups for a few early near falls but Mendoza is too fast. Mendoza hurricanranas him into a side roll but gets his head elbowed off without too much effort. An inverted Gory Special has Mendoza in more trouble until he reverses into a victory roll.

Back up and Ohno charges into a forearm in the corner, followed by a springboard spinning armdrag to drop Kassius again. Mendoza is showing off some very nice high flying here, which is exactly what he should be doing in a match like this. Ohno shrugs him off though and the High Tension Elbow Strike (running jumping elbow to the back of the head) ends Mendoza at 4:26.

Rating: C. This is the kind of thing that both guys needed. Ohno isn’t exactly a star in NXT but he’s great for a role like this: making people look good and using his experience to put together some better matches. Mendoza on the other hand is a rather good high flier and can showcase himself well around here. Mentioning that he’s been in so many matches against top quality talent shows that they’re likely to give him a win soon, which could lead somewhere for him.

Zelina Vega held a mini press conference saying she and Andrade Cien Almas aren’t worried about Johnny Gargano after beating him twice. That’s a fairy tale and Almas is reality. Vega is amazing at this condescending heel stuff and she’s made Almas that much better.

Johnny Gargano is thrilled to be #1 contender but here’s Velveteen Dream to interrupt. Dream wants a thank you for allowing Gargano to get his spot in the competition because Dream would have won it with ease. Gargano needs to thank him because Dream deserves his spot.

The Street Profits loudly come into Regal’s office and think they deserve a Tag Team Title shot. Regal seems to agree so next week it’s the Street Profits vs. the Authors of Pain in a #1 contenders match. More loudness ensues and Regal smiles.

Lio Rush vs. Lars Sullivan

This could hurt a lot. Rush dodges to start and even slaps Lars in the face. A kick to the jaw staggers Sullivan for a bit but he pulls Rush into the ropes to take over. Rush gets whipped hard into the corner but Lars misses a charge. That’s about it for Rush though as one heck of a clothesline turns him inside out, followed by the Freak Accident for the pin at 1:54.

Post match Sullivan talks about destroying everyone until he ran into a different kind of force. That was Killian Dain and Sullivan wants to see him again. For now though, Rush takes a super Freak Accident to really hammer home the punishment.

The Undisputed Era has attacked Sanity in the back. The Era says that’s it for the title shot.

Here’s the Undisputed Era in the arena for a chat. Cole thinks they’re missing something and Kyle asks where Sanity is. Maybe they forgot about their title shot tonight. Cole says they kicked the chaos out of Sanity but here’s a livid Nikki Cross trying to get at the Era. Referees hold her back but so Regal comes out to cut the Era off again. The boss says the titles are on the line tonight and here’s Roderick Strong to say he’ll fight right now. Strong offers to go find a partner but someone interrupts to say he’ll do it.

Tag Team Titles: Undisputed Era vs. Roderick Strong/Aleister Black

The teams are at different corners than the usual WWE formula with the champs on the left side closer to the hard camera. I don’t remember the last time I’ve seen the corners changed in WWE. Fish and O’Reilly are defending and get cleared to the floor, sending us to a break before the bell.

Back with the bell ringing and Black kicking away at both champs. A knee to Kyle’s head gets two and Strong adds a dive to the floor. Back in and Black’s Oklahoma roll gets two on Kyle, followed by an armbar to keep him in trouble. Strong comes in for a chinlock as the champs are still looking for their first offense. Fish finally takes Black’s knee out and we take a break.

Back with Kyle holding the knee and Fish adding a slingshot hilo for two. An exploder suplex gives Fish two but Black kicks O’Reilly away. There’s the double tag to bring in Strong and Fish as everything breaks down. The champs’ Ax and Smash is broken up with a jumping knee to the face and everyone is down. Cue Cole to go after Black, who stalks him into the crowd. Back inside, the champs go High/Low to retain at 11:50.

Rating: C+. This didn’t feel like the standard NXT main event but maybe they’re saving the Sanity match for another time. It was entertaining for what it was though and thankfully NXT is smart enough to not put the titles on a thrown together team like you would see so often on the main shows. Fine main event, but it felt more like a big time house show.

Post match Black comes in for the brawl but gets taken out. An AA onto an open chair knocks Black cold. The Era poses but here’s Regal to talk about Philadelphia’s extreme history. At Takeover: Philadelphia, Cole vs. Black will be an Extreme Rules match. Cole and Regal stare each other down to end the show.

Overall Rating: C+. This show felt a little off from the norm for NXT but it still did everything it needed to do. The big story here was the arrival of Baszler (nailed it) and some more matches being teased for Takeover. NXT can fill in the gaps over the next few weeks and that’s where they shine. Good enough show, but it didn’t feel like it had the same flow that most of their episode do.

Results

Shayna Baszler b. Dakota Kai via referee stoppage

Kassius Ohno b. Raul Mendoza – High Tension Elbow Strike

Lars Sullivan b. Lio Rush – Freak Accident

Undisputed Era b. Roderick Strong/Aleister Black – High/Low to Strong

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the Monday Nitro and Thunder Reviews Volume VI: July – December 1999 in e-book or paperback. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2017/11/22/new-book-kbs-monday-nitro-and-thunder-reviews-volume-vi/

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

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

NXT
Date: December 20, 2017
Location: Full Sail University, Winter Park, Florida
Commentators: Mauro Ranallo, Percy Watson, Nigel McGuinness

It’s a big night for NXT as we have a pair of title matches this week. Pete Dunne will be defending the UK Title against former champion Tyler Bate and Sanity defends the Tag Team Titles against the Undisputed Era. That’s not bad for a one two punch (Bop and Bang perhaps?) so let’s get to it.

Opening sequence.

Tag Team Titles: Sanity vs. Undisputed Era

Eric Young/Killian Dain (defending) vs. Bobby Fish/Kyle O’Reilly here. Dain and Fish start things off with Bobby’s sleeper doing as well as any sleeper works on a monster. The challengers bail to the floor as the fans are behind Sanity. A gutbuster drops Kyle and Young drops a middle rope elbow for two. Young gets in a shot tot he head but Fish trips him up to send us to a break.

Back with Young in more trouble and getting suplexed into the corner. We hit the armbar for a bit until Young knees O’Reilly in the ribs. A neckbreaker gives us the double knockdown but Fish is smart enough to draw Dain in to prevent the hot tag. Young low bridges Kyle outside though and now the tag brings in Dain for the house cleaning.

Dain drops Kyle with a Michinoku Driver for two and it’s already back to Young for a powerbomb. Cue Adam Cole to crotch Young though, drawing in Nikki Cross to dive onto Adam. Young gets two more off a neckbreaker to Kyle but Cole posts Dain. A suicide dive takes Cole down but Young walks into a High/Low for the pin and the titles at 14:58.

Rating: B. Sanity feels like transitional champions and that’s ok. The Undisputed Era are the guys who will be getting the big matches and big title defenses, meaning whoever takes them down them will look like world beaters. It’s an entertaining match with all four moving quite well, along with making Dain look like more of a monster as O’Reilly and Fish were running scared of him for a long chunk of the match.

Cole celebrates with the new champs, showing off near elation to really sell the moment.

Video on Roderick Strong before his Fatal Four Way Qualifying Match later.

Shayna Baszler is coming.

Heavy Machinery admires Tino Sabbatelli and Riddick Moss’ car until the owners show up. Trash is talked but the rich guys drive away. I can approve of more of Tino on TV.

We look back at Sonya Deville beating Ruby Riott a few weeks ago.

Sonya challenges Ember Moon for next week. The title match is confirmed.

Video on Lars Sullivan.

We look back at Aleister Black kicking Adam Cole’s head off last week.

Fatal Four Way Qualifying Match: Roderick Strong vs. Lars Sullivan

Strong goes right at him to start but gets taken down with a hard shot to the face. The Angle Slam doesn’t work either and Lars forearms him in the back. We hit the bearhug until Strong strikes his way to freedom. Some running forearms stagger the big man but he blasts Strong in the head. For some reason Lars goes up top but gets superplexed down for two with the near fall barely getting one. Some jumping knees give Strong two but a pop up powerslam cuts him off again. The Freak Accident sends Sullivan to the #1 contenders match at 5:43.

Rating: C+. They’re pushing the heck out of Sullivan and that’s exactly what they should be doing. The guy looks like a monster and he’s being treated like one as well. If there’s one thing NXT knows how to do (and there are more than one), it’s make build up the next big thing in short order. Sullivan was barely a name months ago and now he’s looking like the biggest monster around here since…..Bray Wyatt maybe?

The Street Profits talked to some fans earlier this week. The fans seemed to like them.

The four way is next week with Aleister Black vs. Killian Dane vs. Johnny Gargano vs. Lars Sullivan.

Tyler Bate is ready to take his title back.

United Kingdom Title: Tyler Bate vs. Pete Dunne

Dunne is defending. The fans are split to start as Dunne takes Bate down into an armbar. Bate reverses into one of his own but has to jump out of a headscissors (with a wave to Dunne for a nice bonus). They fight over a test of strength on the mat with Bate getting powered down but bridging out in an impressive power display. A left handed sucker punch drops Dunne for two but Pete gets in a hard forearm outside to take over.

Bate stomps Pete’s hand into the steps, only to get suplexed off the steps for a cool visual. Back in and Dunne stomps on the hand to pop a finger out of joint. Tyler pops it back in so Pete stomps on it AGAIN like a true villain should. Back up and Tyler tells him to bring it before countering a kick into a t-bone suplex. A rolling kick to the head looks to set up the Tyler Driver 97 but Dunne reverses into a triangle.

Bate’s powerbomb counter doesn’t work so he picks Dunne up AGAIN, drapes him onto the middle rope and catapults him into the top for the break. Not bad at all. The airplane spin into the reverse airplane spin is followed by a THIRD spin but Bate’s delayed cover only gets two. Dunne crawls over to the ropes so Bate climbs the ropes for another superplex and two more. They trade hard kicks with Bate getting the better of it as Dunne looks out. Dunne grabs the arm for a quick Bitter End but Bate is up again.

They trade clotheslines before heading to the apron to slug it out again. Back in and Dunne punches him in the face and gets two off an X-Plex into a sitout powerbomb. Bate knocks him outside for a big dive, followed by the Tyler Driver 97 for an even closer near fall. Back up and Bate tried a German superplex but Dunne lands on his feet, setting up the Bitter End to retain the title at 22:54.

Rating: A-. I was thinking this would be a downgrade from their previous match and while that was the case, it was still one heck of a slugout with both guys hitting each other as hard as they can. There’s a poise between these two and it makes for some outstanding matches. They need to find Dunne some new challengers now as you don’t want to burn the fans out on something like this, no matter how good the matches are.

We’re off the air thirteen minutes after the hour. That might be the third or fourth time that this show has ever run long.

Overall Rating: A+. And that’s why NXT is the best wrestling TV show in years. In an hour and fifteen minutes we had an instant classic, a #1 contenders qualifying match and a title change. That’s some of the tightest TV you’ll see anywhere and it was outstanding stuff. The build to Takeover should start soon and that could be an incredible show given where some of the pieces seem to be setting up. Incredible TV here and one of the best NXT’s ever.

Results

Undisputed Era b. Sanity – High/Low to Young

Lars Sullivan b. Roderick Strong – Freak Accident

Pete Dunne b. Tyler Bate – Bitter End

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the Monday Nitro and Thunder Reviews Volume VI: July – December 1999 in e-book or paperback. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2017/11/22/new-book-kbs-monday-nitro-and-thunder-reviews-volume-vi/

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

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

Takeover: WarGames
Date: November 19, 2017
Location: Toyota Center, Houston, Texas
Commentators: Percy Watson, Nigel McGuinness, Mauro Ranallo

It’s time! After nearly twenty years of waiting, we’re FINALLY back to the biggest gimmick of them all. Well at least to the WWE version of the thing. Tonight there will be three trios involved in the match, which could make for a rather interesting edition of WarGames. At least it’s here though. Let’s get to it.

The opening video of course has a war theme, with clips of President Roosevelt declaring a state of war, peppered with clips from the build to tonight’s show. The rest of the card is thrown in at the end, which is how it should go.

Kassius Ohno vs. Lars Sullivan

Sullivan is an unstoppable monster who needs better competition. Ohno gets driven into the corner without much effort to start and a forearm to the jaw has no effect on Lars. They head outside with Ohno being dropped face first onto the apron, only to have Sullivan charge into a boot in the corner. An enziguri staggers the monster but a clothesline turns Ohno inside out. A pop up powerslam plants Ohno and Mauro is freaking out at the power display (fair enough).

Back up and Ohno slugs away with some solid success, including a flying forearm to the back of the head. The cyclone kick actually drops Sullivan for two (which was necessary to make the fans believe this could happen). Ohno STOMPS HIM IN THE HEAD over and over and drops a backsplash for one. Some discus elbows don’t have much effort though and it’s the Freak Accident for the pin on Ohno at 5:35.

Rating: C. Not a great match but EXACTLY how it should have been booked. Sullivan looked like he was in some trouble but then barreled his way through Ohno for the win. That’s all this should have been as Ohno is basically just a fresh meal for Sullivan, who has some serious potential. Well booked match here.

Some of the UK wrestlers are here.

We recap Aleister Black vs. Velveteen Dream. Black was ready to make an announcement but Dream interrupted him, saying that everything that fades to black will one day come to light, like the light of the Velveteen Dream. Black wouldn’t acknowledge Dream, which has Dream obsessed with getting Black to say his name.

Aleister Black vs. Velveteen Dream

Black does his still awesome rising up entrance. Dream debuts some custom made tights with himself on one leg and Black on the other ala Rick Rude back in the day. The fans are rather pleased with Dream, even as he slaps Black in the face. They hit the mat to start with Black working on an armbar before grabbing something like an Octopus hold. Dream slips out and actually tries to turn it into a striking match, earning himself a trip to the floor.

That allows Black to backflip into his sitting pose, right in front of Dream. A hip swivel doesn’t seem to get on Black’s nerves, but he does look away a bit. Dream sits down as well as the fans chant SAY HIS NAME. Black crawls forward like Dream did a few weeks back, freaking Dream out for a change. Dream actually snaps his throat across the ropes to send Black outside, meaning it’s time for more posing.

Back in and Dream gets two off a good looking superkick before we hit a reverse chinlock (Dream: “SAY IT! SAY IT!”). Black gets tied up in the ropes as the fans really want him to say it. Dream slaps him though and that’s just not a good idea. Black speeds things up with some strikes and a springboard moonsault press for two (SWEET, according to the annoying fans).

A quick Death Valley Driver gives Dream two so he tries a super version, only to get kicked down. Black knees him in the face for a close two, only to get caught in a Sister Abigail into a DDT for a delayed two. The Purple Rainmaker lands on a raised boot though, sending Dream into the ropes. Black kicks him in the face but walks into a superkick. That’s enough for Black though and it’s Black Mass for the pin at 14:41.

Rating: B+. Who knew Dream had that in him? This was all about the mind games at first but at the end of the day, you (mostly) knew it was going to be Black Mass wrapping this up. Black seems ready to become a huge deal around here and Dream….I’m not sure where he goes from here actually. Really good match though.

Post match Black takes the mic and says “enjoy infamy….Velveteen Dream.” I’m not sure what to make of that. Sign of respect maybe?

Asuka, Funaki and Finn Balor are here. What a random trio.

We recap the Women’s Title match. Asuka had to vacate the Women’s Title upon moving up to the main roster so it’s time for a four way to crown a new champion. Kairi Sane won the Mae Young Classic and the other three won qualifying matches.

Women’s Title: Kairi Sane vs. Peyton Royce vs. Nikki Cross vs. Ember Moon

The title is vacant coming in and it’s one fall to a finish. It’s a brawl to start with everyone fighting everyone at once. They head outside with Sane diving onto Royce, only to have Moon dive onto both of them. Naturally Cross is right there but Moon powerbombs her on the floor (THUD).

Back in and Kairi hits a running spear in the corner on Moon but Royce is back in with a half nelson over the ropes, using her leg instead of the arm. Back up and another spear cuts Royce down, sending Sane up top rather early. Moon is right up there but Royce makes the save with a Tower of Doom for a huge crash. Cross is back in though and dives onto all three at once. Sane gets caught in the Tree of Woe for some stomping but Royce makes the save for some reason.

Cross’ fisherman’s neckbreaker gets two on Sane with Moon making a diving save. Royce is back up with a fisherman’s suplex for the same on Cross as Sane makes the save. Sane piles up Royce and Cross for a double Insane Elbow. This time it’s Sane making the save but Moon sends her outside. That sends Moon up top for the Eclipse to Royce and Cross at the same time for the pin and the title at 10:09.

Rating: B-. Good match but rather shorter than I was expecting. Moon was my pick to win and she makes sense after getting so close, though having her lose over and over to Asuka and then win the title without Asuka around doesn’t look great. At least there are some solid challengers to come after her in the near future though, which is a great sign.

Asuka presents Moon with the title.

Takeover: Philadelphia is on January 27.

Kevin Owens and Samoa Joe are here.

We recap the NXT Title match. Drew McIntyre won the title back in August and didn’t really have a major feud. Enter Andrade Cien Almas, who has recently been recharged by new manager Zelina Vega. Drew said come get a shot so here we are.

NXT Title: Drew McIntyre vs. Andrade Cien Almas

Drew is defending and again towers over Almas. Andrade wastes no time in sending him outside for a hurricanrana attempt from Vega….who is calmly planted back on the apron. Drew knocks a dive out of the air but gets his throat snapped back across the top rope. We hit a triangle choke over the ropes into a Fujiwara armbar as Almas has an early target. A snap belly to belly gives Drew a breather though and a top rope clothesline sends the champ into a nipup.

Drew misses a charge in the corner though and gets caught in a reverse tornado DDT for two. A reverse hurricanrana is countered into a reverse Alabama Slam but Almas avoids another charge to send him outside. With Vega screeching, Almas scores with a moonsault press to the floor for a very close two back inside. Almas catches him in the Tree of Woe for the top rope double stomp, followed by the running knees in the corner for two.

Drew has had enough of this getting beaten up thing and comes back with a hard Batista Bomb for a near fall of his own as they’re both a bit spent. Future Shock out of nowhere gets two more but Almas sends him hard into the corner for another double knees to the back. Almas heads outside and grabs the title, allowing Vega to score with a hurricanrana driver.

The hammerlock DDT gives Almas a crazy close two and the crowd is losing it. Back up and a Claymore out of nowhere gets two with Vega putting the boot on the ropes. Another Claymore hits ropes though and Drew is in trouble. He heads up top for some reason but gets caught in an inverted draping DDT to give Almas the title in a big upset at 14:43.

Rating: B+. Well I’m surprised. This felt like a pit stop on the way to McIntyre vs. Adam Cole in Philadelphia but sweet goodness that was a shock. There’s a good chance that this is pretty much it for Drew in NXT as there’s just no reason to keep him toiling down there when he was ready for the main roster the day he debuted. Really good match here too with an even better ending.

Drew is dejected and Almas holds up the title on the announcers’ table.

Long recap of the main event. Undisputed Era showed up a few months ago and started attacking everyone on the roster, including Sanity. They tried to get Roderick Strong to join them but Strong wasn’t interested. The Authors of Pain had a rematch for the NXT Tag Team Titles but the Undisputed Era interfered. Therefore, Strong joined forces with the Authors to make it a three way feud.

There are some different rules than in regular WarGames matches. Three men will start with their partners in individual shark cages. After five minutes, one team will be allowed to send in its remaining two members. Then, after three minutes each, the other two teams will be added in as well. It will be the first pinfall or submission to win and if you leave the cage, you forfeit the match.

Dustin Rhodes and Arn Anderson are here.

Sanity vs. Undisputed Era vs. Authors of Pain/Roderick Strong

There’s no roof on the cage. Strong has an Authors of Pain outfit this time, which doesn’t quite suit him. Eric Young, Adam Cole and Strong start things off and this is SO strange to see in WWE. Cole tries to bail to start but they all wind up in the same cage. Young sends Cole into the cage and it’s a double team to keep Cole in early trouble. He’s able to crotch both of them on top though and everyone is down.

Back up and Strong starts slugging away, sending everyone into a cage until Kyle O’Reilly and Bobby Fish are the first team in. Strong and Young are in very sudden trouble thanks to a series of strikes from the fresh team. Fish and O’Reilly send both of them against the cage and crash into them over and over as this is one sided at the moment. That sounds like time for a fresh team, which in this case is the Authors of Pain. Undisputed Era can’t hold the door closed and the destruction is on in a hurry.

Everyone is sent into another ring with the Authors LAUNCHING Strong onto the pile for a big old crash. Young and O’Reilly are caught in the Tree of Woe, leaving the Authors to give Cole and Fish Death Valley Drivers to untie them. The clock counts down and it’s Alexander Wolfe and Killian Dain completing the field. Wolfe is smart enough to bring in a nightstick to beat down the Authors while Dain throws in some weapons. As Sanity cleans house, the fans want tables so Dain, who hasn’t gotten in yet, pulls one out. Dain finally gets in and locks the cage….before eating the key.

Dain beats on the Authors in the corner, including a shotgun dropkick with a backslash. That’s not enough so Dain climbs the cage for a huge crossbody and a near fall on Strong. Cole swings a cane at Dain with Fish coming in for a failed save attempt. Dain picks up O’Reilly and Fish for a fall away slam/Samoan drop combination while Razar does the same thing in the other ring. The slugout it until Dain crossbodies him down. Akum comes back in with a powerslam to Dain but O’Reilly walks the cage for a tornado DDT.

Strong gets caught in Chasing the Dragon for no cover. Instead Fish and O’Reilly clean house with a bunch of kicks before Kyle ties Wolfe up with a chain. Using said chain, O’Reilly puts on a cross armbreaker with Young making a fast save via a top rope elbow. Fish is back up with a moonsault and everyone is down at once. The Authors are back up with a Super Collide as Dain is a little busted open.

Young is back up with a Death Valley Driver to send Akum into Razar for two more. Strong pops up with the backbreakers and an Olympic Slam on Dain for the same. Everyone heads into the corners of the different rings, meaning stereo Towers of Doom. Cole managed to stay on the ropes though, meaning he’s the only one not destroyed at the moment. Smart man Cole. The Authors crotch him on the top though….and grab the tables. Wolfe is up though and for some reason saves Cole, who climbs up to the top of the cage.

Akum gets German superplex through the tables and Young neckbreakers Razar off the top. With Cole still on top, Dain cleans house and grabs a trashcan….FOR A COAST TO COAST ON O’REILLY!!! Ok so it was more like Coast to the Ohio Valley but not bad! Cole stands up on top of the cage but Strong is looking up at him. Strong climbs up as well (Fans: “PLEASE DON’T DIE!”)…..for a superplex onto the pile!

Strong covers Cole for two as we see Wolfe still down with a referee checking on him after the German superplex, which was nearly five minutes ago. Razar and Dain slug it out between the rings until Akum comes in for the Last Chapter out of nowhere. Something like Total Elimination drops Akum but Sanity takes out O’Reilly and Fish. Strong gets wheelbarrow suplexed into the cage but Cole knees a chair into Young’s face for the pin at 35:54.

Rating: A. Oh yeah it still works. This felt like the war it was supposed to be and that’s exactly what they were shooting for. Throw in Dain and Cole looking like killers and the Undisputed Era looking like stars, especially as we’re coming up on what will probably be their crowning night in Philadelphia. It says a lot when I’m actually tired after watching a match but that’s what happened here. Definitely check this one out as it more than lives up to the WarGames reputation.

Overall Rating: A. Well that was amazing. With the main event being outstanding and two other matches rocking as hard as they did, it’s about as good as you’re going to get. The worst match was a perfectly acceptable (and short) match with the perfect booking. Aside from that, this is good to excellent the rest of the way

Results

Lars Sullivan b. Kassius Ohno – Freak Accident

Aleister Black b. Velveteen Dream – Black Mass

Ember Moon b. Kairi Sane, Peyton Royce and Nikki Cross – Eclipse to Cross

Andrade Cien Almas b. Drew McIntyre – Hanging inverted DDT

Undisputed Era b. Sanity and Authors of Pain/Roderick Strong – Running knee into a chair to Young

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the Updated History of the Intercontinental Title in E-Book or Paperback. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2017/10/02/new-paperback-kbs-history-of-the-intercontinental-title-updated-version/

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

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We’re off to war! The latest NXT Takeover special is focused on one match, which is kind of a shame as the rest of the card looks great. If there’s one thing NXT can do better than anything else, it’s rise above the expectations coming in and knock the show out of the park. If they can come close to that, we’re in for a treat. Let’s get to it.

Lars Sullivan vs. Kassius Ohno

This is the a pretty logical step for the unstoppable monster known as Sullivan. He’s dominated jobbers for months now and it’s not like Ohno is there for anything other than to to people over. I don’t think anyone is expecting them to shatter through the glass ceiling here but that’s been said about many an NXT match and wound up being completely wrong before.

I’ll of course take Sullivan to win in the only thing we have on the show that could be considered a guarantee. There’s no reason for Ohno to win and Sullivan shrugging off his best shots would be a good way to keep getting him over as a monster. That’s the key to him at the moment as he could be quite the threat down the line. Once he loses for the first time a lot of that goes away, but at least we can get something like this out of him at the moment. Sullivan wins, as he certainly should.

Velveteen Dream vs. Aleister Black

Here’s where my love of NXT comes from. I was looking through the card and thought Black winning was an easy win. Like seriously, Black is going to beat Dream into the ground right? The more I got to thinking about it though, the less sure I was. Dream has been pushed very strong as well and the whole “say my name” stuff has me wondering how it’s going to go.

I’m going with Black, though this is where NXT shines: it really could go either way. Both guys are undefeated and a win would make one of them look like a much bigger deal. Black can take a loss more than the Dream with that awesome kick, but Dream losing makes the most sense. If nothing else I’m looking forward to how Black will say Dream’s name without giving Dream what he wants. I’d have Black kick his head off and then say Dream’s name so he can’t hear it live. If that doesn’t mess with Dream’s mind more than anything else, I don’t know what would.

Women’s Title: Kairi Sane vs. Peyton Royce vs. Ember Moon vs. Nikki Cross

The title is vacant coming in after Asuka moved up to the main roster. Remember how I said the previous match could go either way? That’s the case here but double the options. You really could go with any of the four and my goodness that’s a fun feeling to have. I’d assume that there’s a name you can write off but it might not be the one you’re thinking.

I’m going to go with Moon to win the title but I’m really not sure about it. I can’t imagine they want to go with Sane as she might come off like a simple replacement from Asuka. She’ll get there someday but it’s not quite yet. Royce seems to be the least likely but if there’s ever a match for her to steal the title (perhaps to be destroyed by Sane later), this is it. Cross could win also, partially due to just being crazy enough to pull it off. Therefore I’ll go with Moon, who seems to be the heir apparent to the division, likely with the Eclipse to Royce. This should be a blast though.

NXT Title: Drew McIntyre(c) vs. Andrade Cien Almas

This is another one where I’m a bit more sure, though still not entirely. The story here is rather simple as the big main event is spent on something else so let’s have the champ go through a simple title defense. Almas has gotten WAY better after acquiring Zelina Vega as his manager, mainly due to how great of a talker she’s become (and she can get physical when necessary).

I’ll take McIntyre to retain, mainly because it seems that we’re heading for McIntyre vs. Adam Cole for the title down the line. Almas is a better opponent than I was thinking, but at the end of the day it’s a Claymore to retain the title. On a side note, McIntyre still needs some physical opponents to defend against though as someone like Almas, who again isn’t very large, looks tiny compared to the huge champion.

Sanity vs. Undisputed Era vs. Roderick Strong/Authors of Pain

HERE WE GO! This is the match that old school fans have been waiting the better part of twenty years to see in WWE and….I guess they’re doing it right. This is WarGames, which was such a big deal that they’ve changed the name of the show upon announcement. It’s a three team feud with Strong and the Authors of Pain being added for the sake of giving us another trio. The other two are pretty firmly established though and that makes the match all the more interesting.

That being said, I’m going with Undisputed Era, as they make the most sense. If nothing else it sets up Bobby Fish and Kyle O’Reilly getting the Tag Team Titles, likely in Philadelphia in January. Sanity has a chance as well, but they seem to be there for the sake of taking a fall to set up a future match. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it here again: the fact that Strong and the Authors are easily the weakest of the three teams but I wouldn’t be shocked to see them win. That’s a great feeling to have and you rarely get it outside of NXT.

Overall Thoughts

Just in case you didn’t catch on to the idea yet, I love the fact that so many matches on this card are unpredictable. You really could go multiple ways with most of the matches and that’s why I’m so interested in this show. NXT has a great track record with this series and this one has the potential to do something special all over again.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the Updated History of the Intercontinental Title in E-Book or Paperback. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2017/10/02/new-paperback-kbs-history-of-the-intercontinental-title-updated-version/

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

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

NXT
Date: November 8, 2017
Location: Full Sail University, Winter Park, Florida
Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Percy Watson, Mauro Ranallo

Last week saw NXT turned on its head as we heard the announcement that WARGAMES is coming to Takeover with a three team, nine man match. Other than that it’s time to get everything ready for the show, which is mostly set already. NXT is great at setting up the shows and that’s what we’re doing tonight. Let’s get to it.

We open with a recap of the end of last week’s show with the WarGames announcement and the huge roar from the crowd.

Opening sequence.

Heavy Machinery vs. Chris Pain/Sean Maluta

Otis runs Chris over to start and Sean gets the same treatment. The big man actually hits a modified Worm before it’s off to Tucker for a kick to the face. A springboard elbow (from the bottom rope) crushes Pain again and it’s the Compactor for the pin at 2:22. Squash.

Ember Moon doesn’t like what Mercedes Martinez said about her last week and will face her next week.

Kairi Sane vs. Billie Kay

Kairi bows to her to start so Billie runs her over with a shoulder. A headscissors and a dropkick get Kairi out of trouble but Peyton Royce gets up for a distraction. It works quite well though as Kay grabs a torture rack. Sane fights out with some chops in the corner before marching across the ring for the sliding knee for two in the corner. After an elbow dispatches Royce, the top rope elbow finishes Kay at 3:51.

Rating: C. Sane was clearly winning here but at least Kay got in some offense. The Iconic Duo are kind of stuck in limbo here as they have nowhere to go in NXT. They’re not going to win the Women’s Title and the main roster divisions could use some fresh blood so just send them up there as the new Laycool.

Kassius Ohno, in a Cesaro shirt for a wink at the smart fans, comes in to see William Regal. He wants in on the NXT Title hunt so he should start with Lars Sullivan at Takeover. Regal grants the match.

Video on WarGames with clips from most of the matches. Having people like Ric Flair and Arn Anderson in there to talk about the brutality is a nice addition.

Zelina Vega and Andrade Cien Almas have a sitdown interview to say Almas will win the title at Takeover. Vega won’t let Almas answer a question about their relationship but she says they’ve known each other for seven years. Almas speaks Spanish and then in English says this is the new Andrade, who will be the new champion. Vega is excellent in this role and has made Almas a hundred times better in short order.

Velveteen Dream vs. Cezar Bononi

Dream wastes no time uppercutting Bononi into the corner and a spinebuster makes it even worse. The rolling Death Valley Driver (Death Valley Bomb) ends Bononi in 1:13.

Post match Dream says he’s on Aleister Black’s mind and he’ll get what he wants at Takeover when Black says his name.

We look back at Ruby Riot’s leg/ankle injury.

Earlier today, Ruby was told to rest her injury for a few more weeks. Sonya DeVille comes in to laugh at her. She tries to blame Ruby for not being in the title match so Ruby challenges her to a match when she’s healed up. Sonya tells her to heal fast.

The Street Profits run into a guy in a suit and give him a cup. Tino Sabbatelli’s dry cleaning is brought in and the Profits say it’s theirs. As luck would have it. Sabbatelli and Riddick Moss come in to say the Profits can’t afford this kind of suit. A match is set.

Ember Moon vs. Mercedes Martinez is set for next week.

Almas and Drew McIntyre will be face to face next week.

Roderick Strong vs. Adam Cole

They fight into the corner to start and head to the mat for a battle over a hammerlock. A good looking dropkick puts Cole on the floor and Strong hits a dive over the top to take him down again. Back from a break with Strong kneeing Cole down and dropping an elbow for two. Of course that means a chinlock with Cole whispering sweet spots into Cole’s ear.

Strong fights up and grabs a backbreaker for a breather. A jumping clothesline rocks Cole again and another backbreaker gets two. Cole’s enziguri gets the same and a superkick sets up the Last Shot for an even nearer fall. Cole takes him up top but gets reversed into a drop onto the turnbuckle….drawing out Fish and O’Reilly for the DQ at 12:04.

Rating: C+. This was getting good at the end but they were just waiting for the interference ending. That’s how this should have gone though as there was no reason to have it be anything other than a run-in. If nothing else, it’s nice to see a promotion smart enough to not have the participants of a huge match lose in a meaningless TV match.

Sanity and the Authors of Pain run out and the big brawl is on. Wolfe dives onto the Era (with Fish running over to help catch him) and Cole superplexes Strong onto everyone for the huge crash to end the show.

Overall Rating: B-. The main thing here is I want to see Takeover more than I did when I came in. They built the matches up well and the go home show should be entertaining. WarGames is clearly the top draw of the whole show and that’s all it’s going to need. The fact that the TV leading up to it is good is just a very nice bonus. Good show this week and I’m not surprised.

Results

Heavy Machinery b. Chris Pain/Sean Maluta – Compactor to Pain

Kairi Sane b. Billie Kay – Top rope elbow

Velveteen Dream b. Cezar Bononi – Death Valley Bomb

Roderick Strong b. Adam Cole via DQ when Bobby Fish and Kyle O’Reilly interfered

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the Updated History of the Intercontinental Title in E-Book or Paperback. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2017/10/02/new-paperback-kbs-history-of-the-intercontinental-title-updated-version/

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

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

NXT
Date: November 1, 2017
Location: Full Sail University, Winter Park, Florida
Commentators: Mauro Ranallo, Nigel McGuinness, Percy Watson

We’re less than three weeks away from Houston and by now a lot of the card can be figured out in advance. The big story from last week is the addition of the Authors of Pain to the main event mix, making things even bigger than they already were. The major match for Takeover hasn’t been announced yet but you know what’s coming. Let’s get to it.

Opening sequence.

Andrade Cien Almas will officially challenge Drew McIntyre at Takeover. Their contract signing is later tonight.

Taynara Conti vs. Nikki Cross

They’re not wasting time this week. Cross goes right after her and knocks Conti to the floor for some forearms to the chest. Back in and Conti uses the legs for some kicks to the arm, only to get dropped by a short arm clothesline. A Scorpion Death Drop sets up the swinging fisherman’s neckbreaker to give Cross the pin at 2:38. Energetic while it lasted but you knew Cross wasn’t losing this close to a title shot.

Mercedes Martinez blames her failures on Ember Moon.

Fabian Aichner vs. Johnny Gargano

Gargano takes him to the mat to start and grabs a rollup for an early two. A standing dropkick gets the same as Johnny is moving out there early on. Aichner sends him outside though and we take a break. Back with Johnny elbowing his way to freedom and scoring with a rolling kick to the face.

Aichner makes the mistake of sending Gargano to the apron and then charges into the slingshot spear for two more. The slingshot DDT doesn’t put Aichner away either so he grabs a heck of a powerbomb for two. Gargano is back up with a running kick in the corner but the Gargano Escape is countered into a rollup to give Aichner the clean pin at 9:14.

Rating: B-. Aichner gets a big win and a huge upset but the more interesting story here is Gargano, who is trying as hard as he can but still can’t win a bit match. That has the potential to be a heck of a setup for when Ciampa returns (which should be in the next few months) and I’m really curious to see where they go with that idea.

Aleister Black vs. Velveteen Dream is official for Takeover.

Earlier today the Street Profits were admiring Tino Sabbatelli and Riddick Moss’ very expensive car when Tino and Riddick showed up. Trash was talked but nothing gets physical.

It’s time for the contract signing. Drew comes out holding the contract but Andrade jumps him and signs the contract. Zelina hands Andrade her gum, which he uses to stick the contract to Drew.

Peyton Royce and Billie Kay are upset about Billie not being in the title match when Kairi Sane, with her pirate wheel, comes up to scare them.

Tag Team Titles: Sanity vs. Authors of Pain

Sanity is defending with Alexander Wolfe and Eric Young representing the team. There’s no Paul Ellering at ringside. Wolfe hammers away on Akam in the corner as Mauro talks about Wolfe starting “sports entertainment training” at thirteen. I get not calling it wrestling in a general sense but does ANYONE outside of Vince think that sounds natural or good? Just say training. Anyway Wolfe gets hammered down in the corner and the slow beating begins. We hit a chinlock and take an early break.

Back with Ra’zar holding Wolfe in a front facelock until a double clothesline allows the double tag to Young and Akam. Young cleans house in a hurry and gets two off the top rope elbow. Wolfe comes back in with a top rope clothesline but everything breaks down and the Authors hit the Super Collider. The Last Chapter takes Young down but the Undisputed Era runs in for the DQ at 10:28.

Rating: C+. This was getting good near the ending but you could feel the Undisputed Era interference coming (which isn’t a bad thing). The Authors have gotten their title rematch out of the way and that’s what matters most in all of this. Good main event, but bigger things coming after are more important.

Killian Dain runs in but gets taken down as well. Roderick Strong comes out and puts on the Era’s armband, only to lay them out a few seconds later. The Authors are back up and help Strong clear the ring. Cue William Regal to make the big announcement: a triple threat match at Takeover inside WARGAMES. The fans are stunned and the Takeover: Houston logo turns into Takeover: WarGames as a YES chant takes us out. Mauro: “Houston, we have a WarGames.”

Overall Rating: B. Well that worked. I knew the WarGames announcement was coming and I still got excited when they finally said it. They’re pushing a lot of stories at once here and I’m genuinely interested in how things are going to go in Houston. The Authors and Strong are the weakest of the trios and it’s still entirely conceivable to have them win. Good show this week and a lot of stuff was advanced.

Results

Nikki Cross b. Taynara Conti – Swinging fisherman’s neckbreaker

Fabian Aichner b. Johnny Gargano – Rollup

Authors of Pain b. Sanity via DQ when the Undisputed Era interfered

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the Updated History of the Intercontinental Title in E-Book or Paperback. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2017/10/02/new-paperback-kbs-history-of-the-intercontinental-title-updated-version/

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

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

NXT
Date: October 25, 2017
Location: Full Sail University, Winter Park, Florida
Commentators: Mauro Ranallo, Nigel McGuinness, Percy Watson

We’re getting closer to Houston and that means things are about to get a lot more interesting. The card is going to be filled out in the upcoming weeks, starting with the fourth woman being added to the Women’s Title match. There’s also the issue between Andrade Cien Almas and NXT Champion Drew McIntyre. Let’s get to it.

William Regal tells us that Nikki Cross will be in tonight’s battle royal for a spot in the Women’s Title match. On top of that, next week the Authors of Pain will receive their rematch for the Tag Team Titles. Only two members of Sanity will be allowed in the arena.

Opening sequence.

Tino Sabbatelli/Riddick Moss vs. Danny Burch/Oney Lorcan

Riddick offers Lorcan a free chop and skin is almost peeled off. One heck of a running dropkick staggers Moss and it’s off to Burch. Sabbatelli comes in as well and eats a middle rope dropkick, only to cut Burch off with a clothesline. Fans: “YOU STILL SUCK!” Well at least they’re honest about it.

Some running dropkicks in the corner keep Burch in trouble and we hit the chinlock. Back up and a missed clothesline allows the hot tag off to Lorcan so house can be cleaned. Moss actually cuts him off with a fall away slam into the corner before putting Lorcan in a Gory Stretch. Tino adds a running bulldog into a faceplant for the pin on Oney at 4:04.

Rating: D+. Well I wouldn’t have bet on that. Sabbatelli and Moss have the potential to be a nice heel team and that’s a good finisher to make it work even more. I’m also kind of shocked that Burch and Lorcan lost so early in their time as a team. Maybe they won’t last long but it’s still surprising.

Quick look at Taynara Conti costing Nikki Cross a chance to be in the four way.

Battle Royal

Vanessa Bourne, Bianca Belair, Sage Beckett, Mercedes Martinez, Rhea Ripley, Candice LeRae, Taynara Conti, Lacey Evans, Sarah Logan, Dakota Kai, Zeda, Abbey Laith, Santana Garrett, Aaliyah, Reina Gonzalez, Nikki Cross, Billie Kay

I think that’s everyone. Cross goes right after Conti and gets rid of her in less than a minute. Conti pulls her under the ropes though and sends Cross into the barricade though, followed by Peyton Royce sending Nikki into the post. With Nikki still on the floor, various people are nearly eliminated but there’s not much to talk about otherwise. That’s kind of the point of a battle royal though and it’s not the biggest surprise.

Belair picks someone up and swings them into Ripley for an elimination with Zeda being thrown out a few seconds later. Back from a break with Beckett dumping Kai as the ring is starting to clear out a bit. Gonzalez is out as well and Aaliyah has been knocked out off camera. Cross is back up though and dives onto everyone at once before tossing Bourne and Beckett. Garrett and Laith are the fourth and fifth victims for Cross, leaving us with Cross, Kay, Belair, Martinez, Logan, Evans and LeRae.

There goes Logan and we’re down to six. Evans gets sent to the apron and Candice kicks her leg out for another elimination. That’s all of Candice’s good luck as Belair gorilla presses her out to the floor in a very impressive power display. Billie is sent over the top but grabs Belair BY THE HAIR to hold on. Kay gets back in so Belair whips her with the hair as we settle down a bit. Cross chokes Kay out to the floor (no elimination), leaving Martinez to chop away at Belair. They wind up on the apron and it’s Nikki running in for the double elimination. Kay misses a big boot and Nikki wins at 15:20.

Rating: C+. This was a heck of a battle royal where Cross was the favorite but you could buy the idea of a surprise getting in instead. They kept the pace very fast here and that makes for a solid effort. Above all else though, the future of the women’s division is bright. Let these women get some experience and coaching and they could be some major stars.

Post match Ember Moon and Kairi Sane come out for the staredown with Cross and Royce.

Earlier this week, Zelina Vega came up to Drew McIntyre to ask why Andrade Cien Almas never received the contract for a title shot. Drew says if Andrade wants one, come up to him like a man.

Aleister Black comes out for a match but the Velveteen Dream jumps him from behind. Black gets tied in the ropes and Dream demands that Black say his name. Dream loads up a big boot but Black gets up a boot of his own. The threat of Black Mass sends Dream bailing.

Andrade Cien Almas vs. Roderick Strong

Before the match, Vega again complains about the lack of a match with McIntyre. A quick trip to the mat goes nowhere and the first backbreaker gives Strong one. Back up and Almas drops him onto the apron and we take a break. We come back with Almas in control and the fans asking him to take Strong down one more time.

A triangle choke over the ropes has Strong in more trouble and even gets a two count. It’s off to an armbar for a bit until Strong comes back with a running clothesline. A pop up gutbuster drops Almas again and Strong slaps on the Strong Hold around the ropes (think a reverse Tarantula).

The back is banged up even more with a backbreaker on the apron and Almas is in trouble. A tiger driver is countered into a hurricanrana and Almas hits his running knees in the corner for two. Another knees attempt is countered into the Olympic Slam and a clothesline to the floor. Vega is right up with a hurricanrana to send Strong into the apron though, which the fans REALLY seem to like. The hammerlock DDT gives Almas the pin at 12:19.

Rating: B. Good match here and Vega’s involvement was a very nice addition. She’s quite the good choice for a talker and manager and if she can throw in a good hurricanrana at the same time, so be it. Almas is pretty clearly next in line for McIntyre and the NXT Title so a win like this should do him a lot of good.

Post match Vega and Almas say they’ll see McIntyre next week.

Still in the ring, Strong is looking upset but here’s the Undisputed Era. Adam Cole throws him an Undisputed Era armband and says he needs to join the family. Strong takes it and looks at it as the team leaves without him.

Overall Rating: B-. As usual, NXT gets to showcase a lot of people at once with a good main event and a very strong battle royal. They did some good stuff on here and we’re getting ready for Takeover. The NXT Title match is acceptable enough and the Women’s Title needs some personal issues, which they have time to make. Other than that though, the show needs that one big attraction to make it work.

Results

Tino Sabbatelli/Riddick Moss b. Oney Lorcan/Danny Burch – Gory Bomb/Bulldog combination to Lorcan

Nikki Cross won a battle royal last eliminating Billie Kay

Andrade Cien Almas b. Roderick Strong – Hammerlock DDT

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