NXT
Date: August 9, 2017
Location: Full Sail University, Winter Park, Florida
Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Percy Watson, Mauro Ranallo

With just two shows to go before the biggest show of the year, it’s time to really push home the main event and that’s what we’ll be doing this week. Tonight NXT Champion Bobby Roode will be in the ring with Drew McIntyre for a showdown, as well as getting ready for everything else we have on tap for Brooklyn. Let’s get to it.

Opening sequence.

Here’s Sanity through the crowd with Nikki Cross shouting about wanting the Authors of Pain to get out here. The Authors don’t make them wait long but Eric Young makes his return and helps beat them down. Razar is tied to the barricade as Akum is destroyed. Eventually Razar pulls the barricade to the ring but gets beaten down as well. Cross grabs the belts and Sanity leaves with them.

We look back at Ember Moon laying out Asuka with the Eclipse last week.

Video on the Street Profits, who debut tonight.

Billie Kay and Peyton Royce are going to explain how to do perfect makeup but stop to make fun of Ruby Riot instead.

Metro Brothers vs. Street Profits

The Metro Brothers are a couple of greasers named Chris and JC. The Profits are NXT mainstays Montez Ford and Angelo Dawkins in another repackaging. Ford and Dawkins dance to the ring with Ford holding out a cup, presumably to ask for change. Angelo shoulders Chris down and hits a good looking armdrag before handing it off to Ford for a basement dropkick.

Back up and Ford flips over Chris’ back, only to get taken into the wrong corner. The Metro dominance lasts all of five seconds until it’s back to Dawkins for a spear. A Sky High into a frog splash gives Ford the pin on JC at 2:19. The Profits looked very crisp and have the charisma to back it up, at least so far.

We look at Hideo Itami trying to attack Aleister Black in the parking lot last week. They’ll fight at Takeover.

General Manager William Regal brings out McIntyre and Roode for the face to face meeting. Roode comes out with a security team in his corner though as Roderick Strong is running around like a crazy man and we need to protect the big money match. Well to protect Roode that is because he’s the big money. Roode talks about Drew feeling entitled to his shot but he’s done everything he’s set out to do.

This is Roode’s NXT and the fans know that he’s the one. Drew thinks Roode might have had the best year ever for an NXT Champion but there’s one problem: Roode is kind of a jerk. That’s just going to make taking the title from him all the sweeter though. This brings out Strong, to say that he’s not done with Roode no matter what Regal says. Strong says this isn’t about the NXT Title but rather Roode disrespecting Strong’s family.

All Strong wants is one more fight with Roode and it doesn’t even have to be for the title. Regal tries to calm him down but Roode says he’ll fight Strong anytime with the title on the line….if Strong can beat Drew first. If Strong wins, he can fight Roode after Takeover, which will be Roode vs. McIntyre for the title no matter what. Drew agrees to the match next week and Regal eventually agrees.

Johnny Gargano was nervous last week but needs a match at Takeover so he can feel the rush of walking through the curtain in front of a Brooklyn crowd.

Oney Lorcan vs. Danny Burch

Rematch from when Lorcan beat him a few weeks back. They lock up to start as Mauro compares Burch’s boxing career to Conor McGregor’s. Neither can get much of an advantage out of a lockup so Burch grabs a quickly broken cravate. Back up and Lorcan’s leapfrog is countered into something like a flapjack, followed by some European uppercuts. Lorcan sends him hard into the corner though and we take a break.

Back with Burch still in trouble but blocking a running European uppercut with a raised boot. Burch can’t hit the Tower of London so he settles for a release German suplex. A lariat gets two and now the Tower of London off the top rope gets two more. Lorcan comes right back with a running Blockbuster and tells Burch to hit him. A slugout goes to Lorcan but he can’t get the half crab. He can get a regular Boston crab though, only to have Burch reverse into a cradle for the pin at 12:52.

Rating: C+. This was more of the hard hitting style that these two are capable of having. I wouldn’t mind seeing these two team up after two good matches as it’s not like either of them have anything else going on. Lorcan and Burch both have potential and if a team is what lets them get somewhere, so be it.

They shake hands post match.

No Way Jose vs. Andrade Cien Almas

Jose dances through the crowd to get to the ring. It worked so well for Adam Rose. Almas has Zelina Vega with him. Jose dances his way out of a waistlock and Almas has a breather on the floor. Back in and a flapjack drops Almas again and he’s knocked to the floor for a second time. Vega yells at him this time and Almas responds by pulling Jose down by the afro. Jose gets stomped down in the corner and there are the running knees to the head. The hammerlock DDT ends Jose at 3:46.

Rating: D+. This was a win to get Andrade back on track as he basically squashed Jose. Having Vega as the driving force is fine as Almas could be a good choice for a heel but he’s only going to do so much with the losing streak gimmick. This was a good sign, but he needs something a bit better than this going forward.

Post match Vega goes to commentary and says, in a very New York accent, that she wants Almas on the grand stage. If Johnny Gargano still wants an opponent, they’ll see him in Brooklyn.

Overall Rating: C+. This was all about setting up Brooklyn, though I’m not quite sure I get the idea behind having Strong vs. McIntyre next week. It makes Roode look smart but if they’re setting up Strong vs. Roode II, I’m not sure how that helps McIntyre. Odds are Drew goes over but otherwise, it’s rather curious booking. Other than that though we had some good development for the rest of the card and Gargano vs. Almas being set up is a smart idea. Throw in the Street Profits looking good and this was a rather nice episode that did its job.

Results

Street Profits b. Metro Brothers – Frog splash to JC

Danny Burch b. Oney Lorcan – Rollup

Andrade Cien Almas b. No Way Jose – Hammerlock DDT

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NXT
Date: July 5, 2017
Location: Full Sail University, Winter Park, Florida
Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Mauro Ranallo, Percy Watson

The title shows continue as we have the NXT Title on the line tonight. Bobby Roode has gotten far underneath the skin of Roderick Strong, including talking about Strong’s wife. The title is up for grabs tonight with a ticked off Strong wanting both the title and a measure of revenge. Let’s get to it.

Opening sequence.

Strong and his family arrived earlier today.

Sanity vs. Kassius Ohno/Hideo Itami

Alexander Wolfe and Killian Dain for Sanity here. Ohno blasts Wolfe into the corner to start and it’s off to Itami for the kicks in the corner. Dain offers a distraction though and it’s Wolfe snapping Itami across the top to take over as we take a break. Back with Itami still in trouble as Dain easily cuts the ring off to keep him down. Itami comes back with kicks and Ohno is ready for the tag but Itami doesn’t even go near him. Instead it’s a Falcon Arrow to Wolfe but Ohno gets knocked outside by Dain. The GTS knocks Wolfe silly, only to have Dain crossbody Itami for the pin at 9:44.

Rating: C+. Fine storyline advancement here with Itami wanting to prove himself to continue making up for his loss to Roode. I can go for the long form story like this, though I’m not sure where it’s going to end. Itami might get a future title shot but a heel turn seems to be in his way first. Well, after a match with Ohno of course.

Ember Moon is training for her comeback at the Performance Center when Ruby Riot interrupts the mini press conference (in the Performance Center mind you) to say she should get the title shot instead. Moon doesn’t seem to mind.

We look back at the awesome Last Woman Standing match.

Video on Drew McIntyre.

Drew wants the winner of tonight’s title match.

We look at DIY splitting.

Johnny Gargano is back next week.

Billie Kay and Peyton Royce were annoyed that Peyton was the only one to remember Billie’s birthday when Andrade Cien Almas got into an argument with his unnamed female associate (Thea Trinidad).

Last week in an untelevised match, Bianca BelAir defeated Aliyah to qualify for the Mae Young Classic.

Video on Bobby Roode vs. Roderick Strong, which is the wealthy/powerful one vs. the family man who has worked to get here.

Strong has victory on his mind.

Roode says Strong is about to face reality.

NXT Title: Roderick Strong vs. Bobby Roode

Strong is challenging. Roode gets the better of an amateur exchange and does his GLORIOUS pose, earning himself a pair of dropkicks. A half nelson backbreaker drops the champ and we take an early break. Back with Roode grabbing a Blockbuster and stomping away, only to take another backbreaker.

Roode bails to the floor again but sends Strong’s knee into the steps to take over. It’s time to really work on the knee in the Ric Flair style, including a kick to the knee to cut off a comeback. We come back from a second break and come back with Strong kicking out of a leglock and sending Roode into the buckle.

The Angle Slam and another backbreaker give Strong two but Roode is right back with a chop block to take over again. The knee is wrapped around the post but Strong catches him on the top and shoves the champ out to the floor in a crash. A quick Glorious DDT gets two on Roderick and you can feel the crowd getting into things again, mainly because they knew better than to buy one finisher as the pin.

Now it’s Strong popping back up with knees to the face and a backbreaker for the pin…..with Roode’s foot underneath the ropes. That was a heck of a false finish with Strong all the way outside hugging his wife when he was told it wasn’t over. Roode knocks him off the apron and hits a Glorious DDT on the floor (with a sneer at Strong’s wife), followed by another inside to retain at 25:34.

Rating: B+. I’ve said this before and it’s still true: Roode doesn’t do anything flashy but he does everything so smoothly and simply that the style works. The leg work took away from Strong’s backbreakers and the Sick Kick, throwing off his entire offense. Couple that with a false finish and Roode being the kind of jerk that glares at a man’s wife before dumping him on his head and there’s very little to complain about here. It seems that Drew is waiting for the title and that sounds like a great main event in Brooklyn. Strong is similar to Ohno back in May: a one off challenger who will go back into the midcard after a nice rub in the title scene.

Strong hugs his wife to end the show.

Overall Rating: B. This was a lot of setting things up for later and that’s all fine considering we already have the Authors of Pain vs. Heavy Machinery next week. The main event was over half of the show and that meant it had the time that it deserved. That’s much better than the main shows where no matter what the main event is, it’s rarely going to get more than fifteen minutes. Good show here with a really solid main event.

Results

Sanity b. Kassius Ohno/Hideo Itami – Crossbody to Itami

Bobby Roode b. Roderick Strong – Glorious DDT

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the Histories of Saturday Night’s Main Event and Clash of the Champions, now in PAPERBACK. Check out the information here:

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NXT
Date: June 7, 2017
Location: Full Sail University, Winter Park, Florida
Commentators: Percy Watson, Tom Phillips, Nigel McGuinness

Tonight is, in theory at least, all about Bobby Roode, who promised to show up for a Championship Celebration. Then again he said the same thing last week and had more important things to do. Teasing the crowd like that is far more effective of a heel tactic than a lot of them you’ll see so it’s not the worst idea. Let’s get to it.

We open with a quick video for tonight’s two big matches.

Opening sequence.

Heavy Machinery vs. Victor Andrews/Lars Sullivan

We actually get an inset promo from the jobbers with Victor being worried about his partner but Lars saying he’s got this. The huge Lars shoves Tucker into the corner to start and the shoulder blocks go nowhere. Knight actually gets taken down so it’s off to the much smaller Andrews, who is quickly bearhugged. Tucker throws Andrews into another bearhug and a belly to belly. The double standing splash crushes Andrews again and the double fall away slam (the Compactor) is good for the pin at 3:54.

Rating: D+. Just a squash and there’s nothing wrong with that. Sullivan continues to look great and is likely ready to be pushed at almost any time. I’m almost sure Heavy Machinery will be facing the Authors of Pain next in what could actually be an entertaining power feud. I don’t think they’d change the titles but it could be a lot of fun.

Heavy Machinery leaves so Sullivan annihilates Andrews, including an over the shoulder backbreaker. Fans to Sullivan: “SAY YOU’RE SORRY!”

We look back at No Way Jose returning to save Roderick Strong and Kassius Ohno from Sanity.

After the match, Killian Dain said no one was safe.

Here’s Roderick Strong for a chat. Over the last year or so, he’s been on quite the roller coaster (Was it the one at Wrestlemania?). Now he has a fiance and a beautiful baby boy. Now all he needs is the NXT Title. It’s no longer Roddy vs. the World because it’s his family vs. the World. This brings out Bobby Roode to talk about what an emotional story that was. Strong has a lot going for him right now with a hot fiance and a mostly normal boy.

Now Strong thinks he needs to move into the big house on the hill but it takes more than just asking for a title shot. Strong needs to stay in his lane and maybe one day they can take a picture together that he can show his kid. As for the title though, Strong just isn’t man enough to win it. This was the first step on what feels like a long road to a match and that’s fine.

Nikki Cross wants Asuka next week and gets her next week in a triple threat elimination match, also involving Ruby Riot.

Video on the Authors of Pain.

Sarah Logan vs. Peyton Royce

Logan is also known as Sarah Bridges but more famous as Crazy Mary Dobson. Sarah takes her down by the arm to start but Billie Kay’s cheering gets Peyton out of trouble. A good looking spinning kick drops Logan and it’s off to a chinlock. Logan fights up and hits a hard headbutt but gets kicked again, setting up a fisherman’s suplex to give Royce the pin at 3:44.

Rating: D+. Just a quick squash here as they continue to not have much for Dobson to do. Granted the same could be said for Royce and Kaye, who have been the same characters in the same place for a long time now. Granted they’re still good in those roles so it’s hard to complain about something that’s working.

After losing to Cesar Bonani last week, Andrade Cien Almas went out on the town again. An NXT reporter asked him about the loss so one of his lady friends slapped him in the face.

Oney Lorcan vs. Hideo Itami

Hideo takes him up to the ropes and slaps Oney in the face to start before a kick to the chest gets two. Lorcan gets the same off his running Blockbuster, only to charge into a kick to the head. It’s too early for the GTS as Lorcan slips out slaps the heck out of Itami over and over. They’re so bad that Itami stumbles to the floor, allowing Oney to hit a flip dive off the top. Back in and Itami begs off but uses the distraction to kick Lorcan in the knee. More kicks set up three straight GTS’s for no cover. Instead Kassius Ohno comes out to shove Itami down and it’s a no contest at 6:40.

Rating: C+. A lot of that is due to Lorcan’s slaps, which really did sound great. Lorcan is a heck of a tough jobber and can get a quick win if he’s given the chance. I’m already liking Itami’s heel character a lot more than his face stuff as the rapid fire kicks are a good way to cut someone down. Maybe this was what he was needing the whole time, as it’s not like anything else was working.

Video on Drew McIntyre.

Ember Moon wants the winner of next week’s triple threat.

No Way Jose vs. Killian Dain

The dancing doesn’t get Jose very far to start but a top rope ax handle and big boot send Dain outside. Back from a break with Dain planting him with a slam to slow things down. We hit the neck crank for a bit before a Wasteland and backsplash crush Jose all over again. Jose fights back with some chops but makes the mistake of trying a fireman’s carry. Dain misses a corner splash and eats a clothesline, followed by an impressive looking TKO. That’s about it for the offense though as Dain comes back with a running dropkick to knock Jose into the corner, followed by the Ulster Plantation for the pin at 10:33.

Rating: C+. I know he’s lost a lot of his fire but I still like Jose every time I see him. If you can get him away from the dead end dancing gimmick, he might be able to actually mean something one day. As he is he’s the perfect choice for a house show opener but I’d like to see him do something else. Dain is a great monster and should be able to be a big deal when he’s given the chance.

Overall Rating: B-. This was the NXT that I know and love. They had a bunch of things they needed to get done and as a result, a lot of stories were advanced. This show advanced several stories and had me wanting to see more from some of them. On top of that they hyped up next week’s title match to keep us coming back for more. Good show here and it’s nice to be able to say that about NXT more often.

Results

Heavy Machinery b. Victor Andrews/Lars Sullivan – Compactor to Andrews

Peyton Royce b. Sarah Logan – Fisherman’s suplex

Hideo Itami vs. Oney Lorcan went to a no contest when Kassius Ohno interfered

Killian Dain b. No Way Jose – Ulster Plantation

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the Histories of Saturday Night’s Main Event and Clash of the Champions, now in PAPERBACK. Check out the information here:

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NXT
Date: May 31, 2017
Location: Full Sail University, Winter Park, Florida
Commentators: Percy Watson, Nigel McGuinness, Tom Phillips

We’re back in Orlando for the first in a series of shows that isn’t likely to build towards a Takeover. After last week’s stand alone show from Chicago, tonight we’re scheduled to see the Glorious Celebration from NXT Champion Bobby Roode, which will likely see a new challenger arise. Let’s get to it.

Opening sequence.

Here’s Tommaso Ciampa on crutches to a mixed reaction. He’d like Johnny Gargano to come out here right now but it turns out that Gargano isn’t here tonight. Tommaso asks if people would like to see Johnny replaced because he’s been thinking about that idea a lot lately. Two days before Takeover: Chicago, he sustained an injury that was going to keep him out.

There was never any doubt that Ciampa was going to wrestle but in less than one day, fans were talking about dream partners for Gargano. It made Ciampa feel like an afterthought and that’s not what he is. They fought together and lost, but during the match Ciampa felt something in his knee pop. He’s been doing this for twelve years and knew that it was an injury instead of just being hurt.

Despite that though, he knew they had to keep fighting for the people. After the loss though, he knew that Gargano wanted to replace him just like the people did. The fans chant afterthought so Ciampa rips into the fans for ruining DIY. If Ciampa had to go away, Johnny Wrestling was going with him. Ciampa is going away for now but he’s coming back more dangerous than he’s ever been because he is professional wrestling. Really good promo here as Ciampa explained everything, even though he’s likely out until next year with that knee injury.

Video on Danny Burch.

Bobby Roode says he won’t be here tonight but promises to make his presence felt next week.

Danny Burch vs. Pete Dunne

Non-title. Dunne works on the arm to start but gets tripped down into a leglock. The fans are behind Dunne again because heels don’t really exist in wrestling today. Burch snaps Dunne’s fingers but can’t get the Crossface. Instead Dunne slaps him in the face as we take a break. Back with Burch hitting a middle rope dropkick and one heck of a right hand gets two.

Burch headbutts him for two (SWEET! Dang this crowd is annoying me tonight.) but gets caught in the X Plex for two. It’s too early for the Bitter End so Burch blasts him with a clothesline. Both guys are down though and Dunne bails to the apron for a breather. Burch’s hanging DDT gets two but he gets German suplexed into the corner. The Bitter End finishes Burch at 10:48.

Rating: B-. These British guys know how to have some great matches and this was another entertaining one. Burch looks like a grizzled veteran and a win over him, even though he loses quite a bit, feels somewhat important. Dunne getting TV time is a good thing right now as the win over Bate made him look like an even bigger star than he already did. Let him do stuff like this, if not winning a little more easily, and he’ll feel bigger still.

Dunne brags about his win and says he’s happy to not have to watch someone carry around his title any longer.

Velveteen Dream says the ambiance isn’t right for an interview.

Video on the Authors of Pain.

Andrade Cien Almas vs. Cesar Bononi

Bononi is the huge guy who we saw a few weeks back. A dropkick sets up the early double knees in the corner as Cesar is rocked to start. Bononi gets in a few knees but something like an Eye of the Hurricane drops him again. One heck of a sliding kick to the face sets up the running slap in the corner but a suplex is countered into a small package to give Bononi the pin at 3:04.

Rating: D+. This is more about Almas losing but someone who looks like Bononi is going to get attention and a chance just because of his size. Hopefully we see a bit more of him in the future as he could have some potential. I’m still not sure where they’re going with Almas but Regal yelling at him again should be entertaining.

Almas seems to laugh it off.

Billie Kay and Peyton Royce are at the Performance Center and looking for something iconic when they run into Ember Moon. As they insult her, a trainer comes up with her medical release.

Asuka will defend the Women’s Title against Nikki Cross and Ruby Riot in an elimination match in two weeks.

After losing to Roode, Hideo Itami snapped and wouldn’t listen to Kassius Ohno. This felt heel turnish.

Earlier today, Itami and Ohno shook hands in the parking lot.

Sanity vs. Kassius Ohno/Roderick Strong

It’s Young and Wolfe for Sanity here. Strong slugs away at Young to start and gets two off a half nelson backbreaker. Wolfe comes in and takes a running splash in the corner from Ohno. The first pump kick sends Wolfe into the apron and it’s back to Young, who eats a kick as well.

Killian Dain trips Ohno up to take over though and the slow beating takes us to a break. Back with Ohno fighting out of Young’s chinlock but getting taken down into another one from Wolfe. A kick to the face gives Wolfe two as the fans are split on if they want Roddy. Half of the crowd is disappointed then as he comes in off a hot tag and house is quickly cleaned.

An Angle Slam and faceplant get two on Wolfe but Young makes the save. The double teaming begins with Dain getting on the apron, only to have No Way Jose make his return for the save. Ohno forearms Wolfe down and the suplex backbreaker (End of Heartache) finishes Young at 13:42.

Rating: C. This should be the beginning of the end for Sanity, which didn’t have that far to fall down in the first place. They could split up and be just fine on their own with Dain seemingly ready to break out as a major heel force. Speaking of breaking out, Strong is clearly the next challenger to Roode right? There’s really no other option at the moment and there doesn’t need to be.

Overall Rating: C+. I don’t know if they’re like this every week but the crowd was more annoying than I can ever remember here. They were cheering the heels, mostly booing the faces and doing that WAY too annoying “SWEET” after every near fall. It’s one joke and much like TEN or WHAT it’s going to get old in a hurry, meaning it’s destined to go on for years.

As for the show itself, they advanced a few things and gave you reason to come back later on. The wrestling was good enough but Roode looking like a jerk who doesn’t have time to show up and address the fans is a solid heel idea. Then again the fans are going to sing every word of his song so it’s not like anything he does matters.

Results

Pete Dunne b. Danny Burch – Bitter End

Cesar Bononi b. Andrade Cien Almas – Small package

Roderick Strong/Kassius Ohno b. Sanity – End of Heartache to Young

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the Histories of Saturday Night’s Main Event and Clash of the Champions, now in PAPERBACK. Check out the information here:

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Takeover: Chicago
Date: May 20, 2017
Location: Allstate Arena, Chicago, Illinois
Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Tom Phillips, Percy Watson

How did we not get here before? If there’s one town that seems perfect for one of these things, it’s Chicago. We have a five match card here and thanks to the addition of the United Kingdom Title match, four of those matches are for titles. The card might be a bit predictable as is usually the case with Takeover but that doesn’t mean it’s a bad thing. Let’s get to it.

The opening video focuses on underdogs winning here in Chicago, including a shot of Wrigley Field. As a Cleveland Indians fan, SCREW OFF! The Cubs were the favorites coming into the World Series and it was really tiresome listening to people treat the Indians like they were some kind of nuisance that had to be dealt with so EVERYONE’S favorite team could win the World Series.

Roderick Strong vs. Eric Young

Strong comes through the crowd to lay out Sanity and Young is scared about having to be on his own. The fans are behind Roddy as you can tell it’s a hot crowd tonight. Young gets beaten around ringside before grabbing a neckbreaker back inside. Strong makes his comeback but goes after Wolfe and Dain, the latter of whom hits a crossbody on the floor to take over.

The slow beating continues inside with Young working on the neck to set up that wheelbarrow neckbreaker. Strong dropkicks him out of the air though and there’s the first backbreaker. A belly to back faceplant sends Young bailing to the floor but he gets in the wheelbarrow neckbreaker to take over again. It takes too long to throw him back inside though and Strong is out at two.

The top rope elbow looks to set up another wheelbarrow neckbreaker but Strong is ready for it this time. Another shot knocks Dain off the apron but Young breaks up the Angle Slam. The fans stay behind Roddy as he catches Eric on top and knees him in the jaw, knocking him down onto Sanity. Back in and a suplex into a backbreaker gives Strong the pin at 13:38.

Rating: B+. And that’s how you make a star. Tye Dillinger spent months trying to do what Strong just did in one match and it made Strong look like the hottest thing in the company. If nothing else I’m glad he’s going with something other than a running boot to the face, which is the same thing Drew McIntyre and Hideo Itami use, at least on occasion. Really good match here too with Strong never being far enough gone that you couldn’t believe he could make a comeback.

We recap the UK Title match, which I believe is the same recap that opened the UK Championship Special from earlier this week. Tyler Bate defeated Pete Dunne to win the inaugural title back in January but Dunne is back and more serious.

Jim Ross comes out for commentary on the next match.

United Kingdom Title: Pete Dunne vs. Tyler Bate

Bate is defending and has a mustache and beard, making him look like he’s a fourteen year old trying to buy beer. The fans are behind Dunne (the Bruiserweight) but Tyler does have some fans. At least they’re not cheering for CM Punk. Dunne works on his arm and cranks away a bit but can’t stomp Bate’s hand into the steps.

Instead Bate pulls away and pops him in the jaw (I believe that one was Bop), only to have Dunne hit an X Plex (release suplex) onto the apron. Back in and it’s time for more working on the finger but Bate shrugs off some kicks to the face. Bate grabs a suplex and flips out of another X Plex. A standing shooting star shows off some of Tyler’s athleticism but he gets caught in a triangle choke.

Now it’s time to show off the strength with Bate powerbombing his way to freedom. A very long and very fast airplane spin gives Bate two more and both guys are down. Dunne flips out of a German suplex and blasts him with a forearm, followed by an X Plex into a sitout powerbomb for a very near fall, drawing a standing ovation. They slug it out again with neither getting an advantage until Tyler rolls into a kick to the head.

Dunne gets out of the Tyler Driver but the Bitter End is countered into a DDT in an awesome counter. They’re somehow not done yet as Tyler goes up for freaking SPIRAL TAP and another near fall. Bate misses a big dive over the top and knocks himself silly though, setting up the Bitter End for the pin and the title at 15:29.

Rating: A. And that’s going on the Match of the Year list. That’s certainly the logical ending but I completely forgot about the story and was just watching them beat the heck out of each other and trading one major spot after another. Absolutely outstanding match and if Bate isn’t a major star one day, WWE is more inept than I was expecting them to be. Check this out if you have the chance.

We recap the Women’s Title match. There was a battle royal for the #1 contendership but Asuka interfered, making the classic mistake of thinking that she wouldn’t have any challengers. As is always the case, the boss made it a four way, though Ember Moon was injured and had to pull out.

Women’s Title: Asuka vs. Ruby Riot vs. Nikki Cross

Asuka is defending and undefeated. Nikki throws her jacket at Riot to start but a hip attack puts her on the floor. We get Ruby vs. Asuka with the fans being split again. Ruby sends her outside and loads up a dive, only to have Nikki come back in to break it up. Asuka comes back in with a missile dropkick to Nikki while landing on Ruby in a top rope splash. It lands on the knees but it’s still a cool looking spot.

With Nikki down on the floor, Asuka grabs a powerbomb on Ruby but Nikki makes the save. All three wind up inside again with Ruby mostly missing a hurricanrana on the champ. Asuka and Nikki head and Ruby dives on the champ, followed by a top rope backsplash for two on Cross. Nikki gets superkicked into a German suplex from Asuka but the champ catches Ruby’s dive in the Asuka Lock.

A reverse DDT onto the apron knocks Riot silly and Asuka’s baseball slide gets her caught in the ring skirt for a beating. All three are down for a bit until Asuka gets sent outside again, leaving Riot to kick Cross in the head. Asuka dives back in and runs the rope before making the save, forcing Riot off the cover so she doesn’t get the pin. The knee to the head knocks Riot silly and Asuka pins them both at 12:22.

Rating: C+. They were trying here but there were some noticeable botches, including the ending. I think the idea was for Cross to kick out and knock Riot into the shot to the head but that’s really not how it looked. It’s still good, but I don’t think there’s any secret to the fact that Moon is the real challenger and this was just a stop on the way there.

The Velveteen Dream arrives this Wednesday.

We recap Hideo Itami vs. Bobby Roode, which actually isn’t closing the idea. Itami is finally back and healthy and Roode needs an opponent. They’ve been going after each other for weeks with Itami knocking him out via GTS twice now.

NXT Title: Hideo Itami vs. Bobby Roode

Itami is challenging. A computer generated piano appears on stage and plays the start of Roode’s entrance before the real things takes over. Feeling out process to start with Itami taking him down into a headlock. Roode pulls him off the ropes though and grabs a Blockbuster for two.

We’re already in the chinlock as Roode is keeping things simple to continue his custom. Itami fights up and hits a running boot to the face, followed by some running clotheslines. A top rope clothesline really picks things up and Roode’s missed charge sends him shoulder first into the post. Roode escapes a weak Fujiwara armbar but gets caught in a Falcon Arrow for two.

Another shot to the arm looks to set up the GTS but Roode slips away and snaps Itami’s throat across the top rope. They head outside with the shoulder going into the steps but Itami’s dropkick only hits the steps, leaving both guys down. Back in and Itami has a bad knee but still manages a running dropkick in the corner.

The GTS doesn’t work though and it’s a Glorious DDT for a close two. Itami pops up for a GTS but it knocks Roode to the floor and only gets two. Itami punches him in the face over and over but another GTS is countered into back to back Glorious DDTs to retain Roode’s title at 17:49.

Rating: B+. I love the fact that Roode keeps winning these matches pretty clean. It’s similar to Ric Flair as he takes a heck of a beating but then survives long enough until he can capitalize on a mistake. The matches continue to surprise and this was no exception, even though Itami felt like a one off challenger more than anything else. I’d assume Strong is next and that’s a very good thing.

Kevin Owens, Milwaukee Brewer Eric Thames, Sami Zayn, Pat Patterson and Kassius Ohno are here.

We recap DIY vs. the Authors of Pain. DIY finally beat the Revival but the Authors took them apart in their first shot at the titles. They haven’t gotten a rematch yet though and tonight it’s in a ladder match. The other issue is Tommaso Ciampa’s knee/ankle, which he injured at a house show two days ago. Word is he’s good to go but it should be interesting to see how he’s doing.

Tag Team Titles: Authors of Pain vs. DIY

DIY is challenging and it’s a ladder match. The fight is on in a hurry with the Authors being knocked outside. It’s too early for a ladder though and Akum is sent face first into the steps. DIY brings in a huge ladder to set up at ringside but have to dive underneath it to take the champs down.

For some reason they both climb the ladder, allowing Akum to make a pretty easy save. Razar does the slowest climb in history and DIY quickly breaks it up. The Super Collider doesn’t work but DIY gets dropped onto the ropes. Ciampa is holding his knee but seems to be good to continue. The Authors are smart enough to drop down and crush DIY with the ladder again.

Now it’s time for the big ladder and of course the fans (who have been good tonight) want tables. Two ladders are bridged from the apron to the barricade with a standing ladder between them but double powerbombs are broken up. Strikes to the head put the Authors on the ladders……and DIY climbs the big one. Stereo splashes crush the champs, with Gargano nearly overshooting his target.

Back in and all four go up two ladders with only Gargano being left, only to have Paul Ellering come in for the save. Gargano superkicks him down but the Authors get back up and massacre Ciampa in retaliation. Ellering gives the sign to end things and Gargano shoves Ciampa out of the way to take one heck of a ladder shot to the face. The champs both climb again and it’s Ciampa with a superplex THROUGH A LADDER (as in breaking it, not bending it) to put both guys down.

Akum knocks Gargano away before moving the ladder, which gets caught around his neck. That means Meet in the Middle to knock him silly and all four are down. DIY goes up at the same time but the Authors kick the ladder away and pull them down for the Super Collider. That’s enough to retain the titles at 20:11.

Rating: B+. That was very good stuff and they’ve made the Authors feel invincible but NXT is running the risk of ticking the crowd off by pushing the Authors so strong. You could hear the crowd turn on things both here and in Orlando when they retained as the fans want to see DIY with the titles but it really didn’t last very long. Still though, very good main event and the right choice to close the show.

Post match DIY gets the big heroes’ ovation….until Ciampa turns on Gargano and lays him out with a running knee to the face. White Noise off the announcers’ table and through a bunch of tables ends the show. That’s the right call as it’s not like they have anything else to do, especially since they’re clearly not getting the titles back.

Overall Rating: A-. Yeah this worked, even though it didn’t feel like a major show. I’m hoping we wait a few months to have another one as they don’t need to be monthly. Either way, at least we had an outstanding show here with the ending being the right idea. It says a lot when you can get a Chicago crowd to turn on you like Ciampa did at the end there. They put on a great show with the worst match being more than acceptable, which is how it was during the best days of NXT.

Results

Roderick Strong b. Eric Young – Suplex backbreaker

Pete Dunne b. Tyler Bate – Bitter End

Asuka b. Nikki Cross and Ruby Riot – Running knee to Riot

Bobby Roode b. Hideo Itami – Glorious DDT

Authors of Pain b. DIY – The Authors pulled down the titles

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the Histories of Saturday Night’s Main Event and Clash of the Champions, now in PAPERBACK. Check out the information here:

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When I heard about “Takeover: Chicago” taking place only about six weeks after “Takeover: Orlando”, I wasn’t all that thrilled with the concept. These shows work best when they have time to be built up instead of rushing things together like this. Then again, the idea of Takeover in Chicago is too much to pass up. It also helps that the show has been well built up in such a short amount of time and I’m actually looking forward to a lot of the card. Let’s get to it.

United Kingdom Title: Tyler Bate vs. Pete Dunne

We’ll start with a match that feels a bit tacked on for the sake of filling in a spot on the card. Bate defeated Dunne to become the inaugural champion back in January and has held the title ever since. Dunne became #1 contender on the recent “UK Championship Special” and the match was set for here. These two have been circling each other for a good while now and it makes sense for them to have a major rematch.

I see no reason for Dunne not to walk away with the title here. Bate was the feel good story of the tournament but Dunne seems to be the much more well rounded performer. Let him take Bate more seriously this time and give him a few Bitter Endings to wrap up the champ’s unbeaten streak. This should be a lot of fun and I have a feeling the Chicago crowd will eat it up, but the ending really shouldn’t be in any sort of doubt.

Tag Team Titles: Authors of Pain vs. DIY

Now this one took an interesting (and disappointing) turn over the last few days as Tommaso Ciampa injured his leg/ankle at a house show in Highland Heights, Kentucky. That’s normally something that can be worked around but it’s a bigger issue here with the ladder match stipulation. Either way, these teams have feuded for months and there’s an interesting potential to this match that you almost always feel around the tag division.

That being said, I think the Authors of Pain retain the titles here. The situation seems too perfect for DIY to get the titles back and that often means that there’s going to be a bit of a swerve. NXT did it in Orlando as the odds were stacked against the Authors and it might be the case again here. I’ll take the Authors to retain and the more I think about it, the more confident I feel in it.

Roderick Strong vs. Eric Young

This is the only non-title match on the card and it feels like one of the more important ones. There’s been a wave of new talent in NXT as of late and these two, along with Aleister Black and Drew McIntyre, have been some of the main players. I was worried that all four of them would miss the show but two out of four are better than none. Young and his Sanity group have been feuding with Strong and a variety of partners for months now and with Tye Dillinger up on the main roster, Strong is a logical target.

I can’t imagine Young goes over here as Strong has been pushed as a big player and it doesn’t make sense to have him lose in his first big Takeover singles match. Strong could easily become a contender to the NXT Title in the very near future and it would do him a lot of good to have him win here. The match should be fun too as both guys know how to go at a fast pace and put on an entertaining performance, but there’s no real reason to have Young get the win.

Women’s Title: Asuka vs. Nikki Cross vs. Ruby Riot

I actually got to see this match at the aforementioned Highland Heights house show on Thursday night and it was certainly entertaining. While it’s clear that the injury to Ember Moon has completely changed things around, it’s not out of the question that the title could change hands here. Riot and Cross are both just crazy enough to give Asuka a real challenge. Asuka doesn’t seem to know what to do when things get crazy, but she does always have the option of kicking someone in the head.

That’s what I see happening here, likely with a big kick to Cross’ head. Asuka seems destined to drop the title to Moon and with her not here, there’s no reason to have Asuka lose and then get the title back so she can lost to Moon all over again. Just let Asuka win here and then build up to the second showdown with Moon. Asuka has been working well in her new heel role and having her cheat to retain here would further that new stance even more. So yeah, the champ retains.

NXT Title: Bobby Roode vs. Hideo Itami

This one is interesting as well with the champ not really having a top challenger and Itami filling in the role due to necessity rather than being the best possible candidate. If nothing else, and it’s kind of sad to have to say this, it almost has to be now for Itami because there’s no way of telling when he’ll suffer another horrible injury that will put him on the shelf for several months.

I’ll go with Roode winning here, but the place is going to lose it when Itami hits the GTS. As annoying as it’s going to be, they’re going to chant for CM Punk because they don’t care that Itami invented the move. No, instead let’s focus on someone who won’t be there instead of what you paid to see because he’s the one thing that would make them happy, at least until five minutes had passed and they were sick to death of him too and started chanting for JBL or something.

Overall, this show feels like it has a steep hill to climb but it’s capable of doing so. The matches are interesting though I really do wish they had gotten Black and McIntyre on there, even in a quick squash each. The UK Title match should be fun but it doesn’t quite fit on the card, especially with what feels like more important talent that could use the spotlight. All that being said, this show should be fun and that’s really what matters most with these things.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the Histories of Saturday Night’s Main Event and Clash of the Champions, now in PAPERBACK. Check out the information here:

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I took in the NXT house show tonight in Highland Heights, Kentucky (basically Cincinnati) at the BB&T Arena on the campus of Northern Kentucky University. NXT was at this same arena about nine months ago and they’re already back, though after how things went tonight, I don’t know if there’s going to be a third show.

In short, the place was EMPTY. I showed up at about 7:00 for a 7:30 show and there were only a few hundred people in the arena (which isn’t even very big in the first place). After grabbing some food from the fastest concession stand I’ve ever seen and looking at one of the lamest merchandise stands I’ve ever seen (two titles, a poster of the people appearing on the show and a handful of shirts), I went into the arena and found out that I was sitting next to someone in the corner.

Since there were a few hundred empty seats closer, I sat in one of those, only to have an usher come up and say I could have a third row floor seat for free if I wanted. Even with the ushers giving away dozens of floor seats, there was still an empty seat next to me and three empty seats in what would have been the sixth row. There were a few more people in the stands later in the show but it was still really bad looking.

During the opening matches there was a video feed of the entrances on the Titantron but it had a slight delay, which was really jarring. Then they just stopped doing it and had regular entrance videos.

1. No Way Jose b. Wesley Blake via DQ at 4:23. This was a really oddly booked match with Jose dancing and doing the standard comedy stuff, only to have Blake choke him with his vest. I have no idea why they did it this was as Jose beat him up after the match and hit his pop up right hand finisher anyway. I know Blake is going to be facing McIntyre on TV next week but they can’t have him lose a match like this on a house show? Odd way to open a show but Jose has a future opening house shows for years. He might not work as a regular act and while that’s a problem, he definitely has a place.

2. Sonya Deville b. Lacey Evans at 8:18. This was WAY better than their squash match the previous night on TV. They beat the heck out of each other and Evans was rocking the former Marine gimmick and looked rather fetching doing so. I’ll let you figure out what I mean on that one. Deville hit a Shining Wizard for the pin. Also of note, Lacey’s daughter might have been in the front row. Either that or Deville had a very long running joke about yelling at a girl and calling her Lacey’s daughter.

DIY did a quick promo, talking about how they would beat Sanity later and then lead a parade down the Ohio River. They did almost the same thing at a show in Louisville where Gargano said they would ride horses to Indiana. Ciampa: “HORSES???” Anyway this was fine and I have no idea why it was the only one all night.

3. Drew McIntyre b. Patrick Clark at 8:45. McIntyre has more star power than anyone in NXT save for maybe Bobby Roode. He’s big, he’s in great shape, he wrestles like a veteran and he’s a former Intercontinental Champion. There’s something about him that makes you think he’s a bigger deal than anyone else around and that’s a very good thing. Can someone give me one good reason why he’s not on Takeover?

4. Aleister Black b. Oney Lorcan at 3:20. I was looking forward to this one and it was over way too fast. Much like the women earlier, these two beat the heck out of each other and the chops were some of the loudest I can ever remember hearing. Black’s entrance is still awesome and that Black Mass looks like it could stop a bull.

5. Asuka b. Nikki Cross and Ruby Riot at 9:54 to retain the Women’s Title. This was a preview for Saturday’s title match and there was one very odd detail: they used the old Women’s Title belt. I know they’ll use the new one on Saturday but why in the world not use it here?

Anyway, this was your standard “two in, one out” formula with everyone getting a chance to fight each other. One cool spot saw Asuka come in with a missile dropkick to Cross and land in a splash on Riot for two (I believe that’s how it went but it might have been Riot coming off the top.). We had some near falls until Asuka kicked Cross in the head to retain. Asuka definitely came off like a face here, complete with throwing her shirt to the crowd and offering one heck of a gorgeous smile.

Intermission with trivia and What Happens Next. This is a game where a kid is shown a clip and has to pick what happened next from four choices. Here’s the thing: not only was it the same clip from the last show I went to in the same building (which apparently was the same one they had used at other shows on the tour) but it was Vince being blown up in his exploding limo.

Just in case that’s not clear: the ONLY clip that they can pick from their ENTIRE VIDEO LIBRARY is a man apparently being killed in a firey explosion. You can’t pick, I don’t know, ANYTHING ELSE? The kid got a program, a card with the roster on it and a signed picture of Bobby Roode. At least the prize was good.

6. DIY vs. Sanity (Young and Wolfe) went to a no contest at 4:24. This looked to be the first longer match of the night but it was called off after Ciampa came off the apron with a running knee and seemed to hurt himself on the landing. He crashed all of ten feet in front of me and almost immediately got up and hopped to the back. Someone said he was busted open but I didn’t see it. This seemed like a legit injury as there was no reason to end the match so quickly with the show already seeming to fly by.

Post match Eric Young issued an open challenge for anyone to come out and fight Killian Dain.

7. Killian Dain b. Kassius Ohno at 12:00. This was about what you would expect from Dain as he powered Ohno down and used a bunch of chinlocks. Ohno fought back with some strikes and the pump kicks, plus a Diamond Dust of all things. Dain was busted open off a shot to the face (not bad) but finished him with the Ulster Plantation.

Post match Sanity beat Ohno down but No Way Jose came out for the same. The fans were into Ohno, especially his theme music.

8. Hideo Itami/Roderick Strong b. Bobby Roode/Andrade Cien Almas at 20:52. Let me put it very simply: Roode is an absolute star and he knows exactly what he’s doing out there. From his timing during the entrances (turning around to show off the GLORIOUS written on the back at the right times) to the pose to everything else, it turned into the biggest face pop of the night by a long stretch.

Anyway, this was about what you would have expected as the good guys controlled to start and threw in a lot of mocking Roode’s poses. At the same time, Roode was doing everything he could on the apron, including telling Almas to “come on amigo”. During Almas’ time in the ring, a fan shouted that Roode loved six sides and you could see Bobby covering up a laugh. Eventually Strong got beaten down but avoided a charge and made the hot tag to Itami. Everything broke down and Itami hit a GTS on Almas for the pin.

Itami went to the back almost immediately but Strong went around the ring high fiving fans (including me) and taking some quick photos, which I always find cool. The announcers gave us a quick thank you to end the night.

Overall it was a fun night and about what you would expect from an NXT house show. Counting Ticketmaster fees a mid level seat cost $40 and floor seats were $75, not counting any fees that would be included. A bit pricey but it’s the kind of arena where there isn’t a bad seat in the house. Go and check one of these out if you’ve never seen one before as you’re guaranteed some fun reactions and a good presentation.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the NXT: The Full Sail Years Volumes I and II, now in PAPERBACK. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2017/03/24/kbs-history-of-nxt-volumes-1-and-2-now-available-in-paperback/

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

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NXT
Date: May 10, 2017
Location: Full Sail University, Winter Park, Florida
Commentators: Percy Watson, Tom Phillips, Nigel McGuinness

With ten days to go until Takeover: Chicago, it’s time to crown a new #1 contender to the NXT Title. Tonight we have Hideo Itami facing Roderick Strong for the shot at Bobby Roode in Chicago. While this should seems like a foregone conclusion, Strong was built up quite well in the back to back video packages and looks good coming into the match. Let’s get to it.

The opening video looks at Strong vs. Itami, which is all that needs to be focused on.

Opening sequence.

Aleister Black vs. Cesaro Bononi

The jobber is massive at probably 6’6 with a good look. A kick to the chest drops him with ease though and Black has a seat. More kicks set up a knee to the back and Black Mass puts Bononi away at 1:29. Great pop for the finish.

We look back at last week’s battle royal with Asuka interfering and injuring Ember Moon. For the first time, Moon is officially ruled out, meaning it’s going to be a triple threat.

Pete Dunne vs. Tyler Bate for the UK Title is also confirmed for Takeover.

Video on Dunne.

Video on Ruby Riot, including her growing up in Indiana. She has a lot of tattoos and they all tell a story. The end of the story: Ruby Riot on Women’s Champion. No one has ever seen anyone like her and she’s here to break the mold of the women’s division. Does anyone NOT break that mold?

Earlier today we had a sitdown interview with Nikki Cross but she couldn’t sit still and refused to let a microphone be set up. She finally just grabbed the thing and said three, two, one action. Then she started messing with the boom mic while talking about Ruby. She wants to fight right now and wants her title too. This was rather disturbing in a good way.

Drew McIntyre is ready to take the NXT Title. Wesley Blake of all people comes in to say he deserves the shot. That seems to set up a match.

The Velveteen Dream is coming.

Here’s DIY for a chat. They never had a fair rematch for the titles so it’s high time they got their shot at the Authors of Pain. This brings out…..Riddick Moss and Tino Sabbatelli? Really? They say the line starts behind them but DIY says Sabbatelli and Moss just crossed the line. The fight is on with DIY easily clearing the ring but here’s a referee.

DIY vs. Riddick Moss/Tino Sabbatelli

Moss knees Ciampa down to start and it’s off to Tino for a beating in the corner. The heels take turns stomping away until Sabbatelli grabs a chinlock. Ciampa throws him away though and the hot tag brings in Gargano to clean house. A kick to the head takes Moss down and the slingshot spear gets a rather delayed two (seemed like a slightly blown save). Gargano hits a dive to the floor and the Meet in the Middle ends Moss at 5:03.

Rating: C-. This was just a step above a squash with DIY looking like the polished team that they really are. Well done on bringing in Sabbatelli and Moss like this. They’re way too young to win a match like this but they have to be brought to the main show again somehow and this was as good as anything else.

Post match Regal makes DIY vs. the Authors (who come out for the announcement) in a ladder match.

Kassius Ohno says he fell down against Bobby Roode and now he’s in a bigger building. You take down a skyscraper brick by brick but here’s Andrade Cien Almas to call Ohno a perro. NO! DON’T TRY TO BE LIKE ALBERTO! Ohno reads him the riot act about squandering his opportunities and a match is made for next week.

Video on Tyler Bate.

Strong says this match is why he’s here. His music starts playing so he has to leave.

Itami respects Strong but tonight, Roderick is going to go to sleep.

Roderick Strong vs. Hideo Itami

The winner gets the shot at Roode at Takeover. Feeling out process to start with Itami working on an early headlock. The threat of a big kick sends Strong outside and we take a break. Back with Itami forearming him in the head and grabbing a chinlock that doesn’t go anywhere. Strong gets in a shot to the ribs though and the first backbreaker gets two.

Strong starts in on the shoulder and another backbreaker gets the same. It’s off to a bodyscissors with Strong cranking on the shoulder even more until they fall outside. Strong doesn’t waste any time by tossing Itami back first onto the apron. Back from a second break with a double clothesline putting both guys down. Itami gets his tornado DDT onto the top rope and a top rope boot gets two.

Strong is right back with an Angle Slam for two (SWEET! I can’t stand that chant.) of his own but takes too long going up, allowing Itami to grab a super Falcon Arrow for a very near fall. The slugout actually goes to Strong but Itami gets all fired up and hits some running kicks in the corner to knock Strong senseless. The GTS sends Itami to Chicago at 22:59.

Rating: B+. I’m not sure what the point was in having Strong built up over the last two weeks to have him lose here but it was in a heck of a match. These guys beat the heck out of each other with Itami taking it to a level that Strong couldn’t reach to finally put him away. Itami winning was the pretty obvious conclusion after the issues with Roode and the match should be really solid.

Itami helps Strong to his feet to end the show.

Overall Rating: B. This show set up a lot of Takeover and that’s a good thing with so little time beforehand. At the moment we have four matches announced with a fifth likely being set up next week (a four way between Strong, Black, Ohno and McIntyre for the #1 contendership would be a good option). They did a lot of advancing this week and that’s where NXT shines, making this a good show.

Results

Aleister Black b. Cesaro Bononi – Black Mass

DIY b. Riddick Moss/Tino Sabbatelli – Meet in the Middle to Moss

Hideo Itami b. Roderick Strong – GTS

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the NXT: The Full Sail Years Volumes I and II, now in PAPERBACK. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2017/03/24/kbs-history-of-nxt-volumes-1-and-2-now-available-in-paperback/

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

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NXT
Date: May 3, 2017
Location: Full Sail University, Winter Park, Florida
Commentators: Percy Watson, Tom Phillips, Nigel McGuinness

We’re rapidly approaching Takeover: Chicago and that means we need to fill in a lot of the card. As luck would have it, a major development is going to take place tonight as we have a battle royal for the #1 contendership to the Women’s Title. That leaves a lot of doors open for challengers, including a potential Ember Moon rematch. Let’s get to it.

Opening sequence.

Killian Dain vs. Danny Burch

The monster Dain drives him into the corner and pulls him off the middle rope for a big crash. The backsplash connects and is greeted by a SHAVE YOUR BACK chant, followed by a series of elbow drops. Burch slugs away with a series of strikes but Dain flattens him with a running dropkick. The Ulster Plantation finishes Burch at 2:51.

The Velveteen Dream, whom I believe is Patrick Clark, is coming. The silhouette certainly looks like him.

Heavy Machinery vs. Ricardo Watts/Hector Kunsman

The jobbers make Rey Mysterio look huge. Dozovich runs Hector over to start and a double falling headbutt makes things even worse. Ricardo is dragged in and Machinery exchange chest bumps. Knight splashes both of them in the corner before Dozovich lifts them both at the same time for a double World’s Strongest Slam and the double pin at 2:41.

Post match Heavy Machinery says they love to have a good time, meaning some carb shakes and trips to the buffet. When they step in the ring, they have a hunger for smashing bodies. The appetizers are over now and they want the main course: the Authors of Pain. Heavy Machinery is very much a case of “what you see is what you get” but they play their roles very well and that’s what matters the most.

Bobby Roode talks to Kona Reeves before Reeves faces Hideo Itami.

DIY might not have Heavy Machinery’s size but they’re the former NXT Tag Team Champions. They love more competition but the line starts behind them.

Kona Reeves vs. Hideo Itami

Itami has ditched the entrance gear and just comes out in his regular trunks and boots. Reeves jumps him before the bell though and has the advantage once the match actually starts. Kona turns up the cockiness but Hideo pops to his feet and fires off the clotheslines and kicks. More kicks knock Kona down in the corner and the GTS puts him away at 2:08. That’s an effective squash but I’m not sure a two minute match is the best way to get him back on his feet after an injury and so close to what’s going to be a twenty plus minute title match.

Video on Drew McIntyre, including a look back at his initial WWE run.

It’s part two of the mini documentary on Roderick Strong. This time we’re at home with his pregnant fiance and they’re getting things ready for the baby’s arrival. He loves the idea of being called a father and a husband and now those things are about to be true. We get some clips of Strong’s very early career from his days in IPW Hardcore Wrestling and then his time in the Performance Center.

Now we go back to the Ring of Honor days, which still messes with me just a little bit. He was there for thirteen years and then he got the call. With tears in his eyes, Strong says don’t give up and everything will be ok. We wrap it up with Strong holding his newborn baby. This was another excellent package and made me think more of Strong (who I’m a fan of) than I have before, which is exactly the point. He hasn’t made an impact yet (a match in Chicago would help) but that could change very quickly.

Roode is in William Regal’s office and doesn’t think much of the video. He also doesn’t think Hideo should get the title shot yet because it could mess with the champ’s face. Regal actually agrees and puts Itami in a #1 contenders match against Strong for next week. Strong comes in and has a staredown with Roode. I thought Roode vs. Itami was already set but I do like Itami having to earn the shot.

Battle Royal

Lacey Evans, Billie Kay, Peyton Royce, Nikki Cross, Liv Morgan, Ruby Riot, Ember Moon, Aliyah, Bianca Blair, Candice LeRae, Kimberly Frankele, Rachel Evers, Sonya Deville, Victoria Gonzalez, Sara Bridges

The winner gets Asuka in Chicago. Evans is better known as Macey Estrella, Deville is the former Daria Berenato and a lot of these women are unknowns without entrances. LeRae is a heavy fan favorite and gets a LET’S GO CANDICE chant. Gonzalez, who has some size to her, goes after Royce and Kay to start but can’t get rid of them. It’s your usual battle royal brawling with teased eliminations that don’t go anywhere.

We take a break and come back with Gonzalez having been eliminated at the hands of Royce and Kaye. Blair is out next, followed by Aliyah elbowing Evers out to a chorus of booing. Bridges, Evans and Deville go out in the span of five seconds and Riot eliminates Kimberly. We’re down to LeRae, Royce, Kay, Cross, Riot, Morgan, Moon and Aliyah. Kay kicks Candice out, earning possibly the most heat of her career.

Cross dumps Aliyah and the fans are rather pleased. Come on, Aliyah isn’t…..ok maybe she is that bad. Nikki does the same to Morgan and the fans are pleased all over again. Moon superkicks Kay out and gets rid of Peyton a few seconds later, leaving us with Moon, Riot and Cross. Cross goes straight for Riot but Ember kicks her in the face. All three wind up in the corner with Moon kicking the other two away and hitting the Eclipse on Cross. That’s not enough for an elimination so Ember heads up again, only to have Asuka come in…..for a no contest at 14:46.

Rating: D+. I liked the way they set this up with the unknowns not lasting very long, which should be the case when they didn’t have any realistic chance to win the title. Just let us get to the big names and go from there. The ending though…..yeah I’m not sold on that, though if they’re going to a four way, this is certainly a better option than a triple elimination at the end.

Asuka sends Moon HARD to the floor and head first into the barricade. Riot gets kicked in the head and Cross is dropped as well, leaving Asuka to shout that no one is ready for her. Asuka runs off as Moon is holding her shoulder on the floor. Regal comes out to announce the four way title match for Chicago to end the show.

Overall Rating: C. This is another good example of a show that wasn’t about the wrestling. Tonight we set up a Takeover match, set up a #1 contenders match for the NXT Title, looked at Roderick Strong some more and established Heavy Machinery as potential Tag Team Title contenders. They don’t have a lot of time between Orlando and Chicago so this is about as logical of a path as they have.

Results

Killian Dain b. Danny Burch – Ulster Plantation

Heavy Machinery b. Ricardo Watts/Hector Kunsman – Double World’s Strongest Slam

Hideo Itami b. Kona Reeves – GTS

A Battle Royal went to a no contest when Asuka interfered

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the NXT: The Full Sail Years Volumes I and II, now in PAPERBACK. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2017/03/24/kbs-history-of-nxt-volumes-1-and-2-now-available-in-paperback/

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

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

Last year, NXT held its first Takeover event during Wrestlemania weekend with the instant classic “Takeover: Dallas”. The show stole the spotlight over Wrestlemania weekend and was pretty easily the best show of the four days, possibly even the year. Now it’s time for round two and as luck would have it, NXT is in their own backyard, making this almost like a cross between a major house show and one of their biggest pay per views of the year. You don’t hear something like that very often so let’s get to it.

Sanity vs. Tye Dillinger/Roderick Strong/No Way Jose/Ruby Riot

We’ll start with the most recently added match as Sanity makes a rare appearance at full strength against the combined forces of Tye Dillinger/No Way Jose/Roderick Strong/Ruby Riot. This has been simmering for months now and as usual, it’s a pretty simple idea. Sanity has gone after Dillinger and it was time to even the numbers up a bit as Dillinger was tired of all the beatings. His team came together over the next few weeks and now we have a full on match between the eight of them.

Very simply put, if Dillinger doesn’t get the fall here (it doesn’t matter who it’s over but Young would be preferable), I have no idea what they’re thinking. The fans are dying to explode for Dillinger and what better place is there than this Takeover? Sanity isn’t the most interesting team in the world aside from having a really cool look. While they need the win, I think they can bounce back better. Dillinger has lost so many times already that I’m not sure how many more times he can bounce back from losing on the big stage. I really hope they don’t screw this up as they’re running out of time to capitalize on Dillinger’s popularity.

Aleister Black vs. Andrade Cien Almas

We’ll move on to a pretty big debut with Black making his first in-ring appearance in NXT. He already had a match at the WWE United Kingdom Championship tournament under his Tommy End moniker but this week is the first time we’ll see his new gimmick. Almas has been on a roll lately with the heel character really starting to hit its stride. His match with Oney Lorcan last week was a major highlight and helped set him up for this match against Black.

That being said, this is another match where the winner should be obvious. NXT isn’t going to put Black out there in his debut and have him lose so Almas has next to no chance. That being said, you could have made the same case last year about Sami Zayn vs. Shinsuke Nakamura and that turned out fine. I’m hoping that Black can go in the ring well enough to match his great vignettes though that’s what got Almas in trouble for his debut. But yeah, Black wins here and does so handily.

Women’s Title: Asuka vs. Ember Moon

Asuka won the Women’s Title about a year ago in Dallas and hasn’t looked back since. She’s completely steamrolled over everyone she’s faced and it’s almost impossible to imagine her losing a match. That’s where the story has worked so well. It’s pretty much been acknowledged that Ember Moon can’t hang with Asuka all the way through a match but what she can do is hit the Eclipse, which has been built up as the most dangerous weapon the division has ever seen. It’s almost reminiscent of Steve Austin vs. Shawn Michaels as all Austin had to do was catch Michaels once and it would be over. The question is can Moon get that far.

As logical as it would be to have Asuka lose here and go on to the main roster soon after, I’m really not sure that happens anymore. NXT has done a nearly flawless job of making Asuka feel unbeatable and that’s still the feeling I have here. Moon should be the favorite and the place will go nuts if the Eclipse gives her the title, but I’m actually going with Asuka in my regular prediction almost guaranteed to be wrong. Moon is the best candidate to dethrone Asuka but I actually don’t think she does.

Tag Team Titles: DIY vs. Revival vs. Authors of Pain

I’m very rarely a fan of triple threats but this is a case where the story has been built precisely in this direction, which makes it more than acceptable. Revival and DIY had some incredible matches against each other last year but now they’ve run into a wall with the champions, who run over everything in their path. Having the other teams band together to fight the Authors is interesting and could make for a very good story to the elimination tag, especially if one of the other teams gets to conquer them in the end.

I’ll go with the Authors retaining here as DIY could easily be brought up to the Cruiserweight division while the Revival seem like perfect additions to the main roster tag divisions. The Authors are perfect choices to keep the titles until a new team is put together to slay them. I don’t know who could fight DIY save for maybe Sanity, which doesn’t seem like the most interesting thing in the world. We’ll go with the titles being retained, which would make the most long terms sense.

NXT Title: Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Bobby Roode

We’ll wrap it up with a rematch as Nakamura, this time on two good knees, tries to get the NXT Title back from Roode, who took it from him in a great match back at “Takeover: San Antonio.” This time around Nakamura knows not to underestimate him, which could make for an interesting change of pace. Roode has looked great since winning the title while Nakamura has spent most of the time rehabbing his injured knee.

I think I’ll go with the champions making a clean sweep as, much like the Revival, there’s no need to put the title back on Nakamura. He’s held it twice already and is more than ready to move up to the main stage. Just let Roode move on and feud with someone new (Dillinger for example) before losing the title at “Takeover: Brooklyn III”. The match will be fun, though I’m curious as to how they could have Nakamura lose to Roode again without some sort of shenanigans, which you don’t get too often in NXT.

Overall, the show looks good but not great. As is almost always the case, it’s going to come down to the performances, which have a tendency to be outstanding. Let the wrestlers do their thing in a logical manner and everything will be fine. The crowd is going to carry a lot of this and that’s what arguably matters most at any given NXT show. Last year set a very high bar but I believe NXT can actually pull something like this off again.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the NXT: The Full Sail Years Volumes I and II, now in PAPERBACK. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2017/03/24/kbs-history-of-nxt-volumes-1-and-2-now-available-in-paperback/

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

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