Who will take the final Royal Rumble spots and who won’t?

http://wrestlingrumors.net/kbs-review-elite-eight/

If there’s one thing that can make or break a wrestling show, it’s how the talking is handled. Over the years, a lot of great matches have been set up and then destroyed by horrible promo work. So much of the wrestling business is built on what happens before the bell rings because that’s how you get people to care about the matches. It really is more important than what happens during the actual matches and that’s why it’s so important here. Today, we’re looking at the Best Promos of the Year. Again, these are in no particular order.

1. “I’m the guy.” – Roman Reigns, “Monday Night Raw”, April 4

We’re starting off with an interesting one here as I really don’t think it’s all that great of a speech but it certainly the big line that set up everything for Reigns going forward. It’s a perfect way to sum up Reigns and is the closest thing that we’re going to get to a heel turn, at least for the time being.

Unfortunately, it feels like the definition of a line that was handed to Reigns, who isn’t the best talker in the world. This comes off like the most set up line I’ve ever heard and it doesn’t really make me want to hear more from Reigns at this point. I know WWE wants him to be the biggest name in the company but you need something better than a quick line that doesn’t really change anything but him.

That being said, it still sums Reigns up perfectly, or at least what they were going for with him: you might not want to cheer for him but he’s not supposed to be a straight up good guy. While the delivery might not have been perfect, this line stuck with Reigns for a long time and that’s what they were going for here.

2. “YOU’RE LAST!” – Goldberg, “Monday Night Raw”, October 17

Now this is a little more like it. This is a very simple, to the point and effective line from someone who didn’t talk all that much over the course of his career. Goldberg has one of the most effective catchphrases in wrestling history with a simple statement of “YOU’RE NEXT!” Now that he was back in wrestling with one more match to go, the line of “YOU’RE LAST” was as perfect as it was going to get.

Above all else, this set up the idea that the match was going to be something special. After all the people that Goldberg had run over in his career, Brock Lesnar was going to be the final opponent for a legend. It’s simple, it’s to the point and it gets the message across with something that is going to stick in the fans’ heads as we came closer to “Survivor Series 2016”.

The promo hyped up a single match and the fact that Goldberg almost was almost immediately scheduled for a second match after defeating Lesnar didn’t matter. What was important was setting up the match against Lesnar and two simple words were more than enough to make the fans care about what we were getting. It was certainly a better way than hyping it as “fantasy warfare”, which I’m still not entirely clear on.

3. “Bring me Nakamura or bring me my championship!” – Samoa Joe, “NXT”, October 12

It’s about time we got to something based on violence. As you might have heard, Shinsuke Nakamura and Samoa Joe had some issues in NXT over the latter half of the year and it all started when Nakamura defeated Samoa Joe for the title at “Takeover: Brooklyn”. Soon after this, Samoa Joe injured Nakamura and put him on the shelf for the next several weeks.

That meant that the NXT Champion was out of action for a while, meaning Samoa Joe felt that he deserved to be champion again. This led to him making such a demand to NXT General Manager William Regal because for Samoa Joe, it was that simple: he either should be made champion again or get another title shot against Nakamura immediately.

The fact that there was a choice tells you a lot about Samoa Joe. Instead of just wanting to be handed his title, he had no issue with defeating Nakamura in a fight because he knew he could take down the champion on equal footing. It was a great way to set up the rematch and show that Samoa Joe was more than just a regular bully who was going to back down in the face of a challenge. The fact that he delivered it with such rage made the statement come off that much stronger.

4. “Why don’t you quit and go to the Bingo halls with your indy friends?” – The Miz, “Talking Smack”, August 23

Sometimes in wrestling, it’s difficult to tell when someone goes off script and is shooting from the hip. It’s really rare in today’s WWE but this promo made me wonder why the script ended and where reality began. On the debut episode of “Talking Smack”, Intercontinental Champion the Miz exploded on Daniel Bryan, taking severe offense at Bryan’s comments calling Miz a coward.

What followed was a tirade of emotions that Miz has never approached in his entire career. Miz went on and on about how Bryan was the real coward for leaving the fans waiting on his return that was never going to happen. If Bryan loved wrestling that much, why did he not just quit WWE and go wrestle somewhere else? Bryan walked off the set with no response, leaving Miz to look like the conquering hero for one of the only times in his career.

If this winds up leading to a Miz vs. Bryan match and then a potential Miz World Title reign, this is the promo of a lifetime and the moment where Miz reached the level that he’s been building towards for so long. The in ring work might not be at the heights of some others, but this was one of the most emotion filled promos I’ve ever heard and made me want to see these two fight, which is exactly the point (in theory at least).

5. “You’re immortal to them. To me? Dead.” – Charlotte, “Monday Night Raw”, May 23

Speaking of emotion, this one was all about personal emotions between real life family. Charlotte debuted in WWE back in July 2013 and immediately took the women’s division by storm. She would win the Divas Title in October and then become the inaugural Women’s Champion by winning a triple threat match at “Wrestlemania XXXII”. For a long stretch of this time, her father Ric Flair was by her side.

That all changed on May 23 though when Charlotte started talking about how her father was never there for her because he was too busy being the Nature Boy. Growing up, Charlotte wanted to be her father but she had realized that she didn’t need him anymore. Charlotte was the star that her father had once been and she could do it on her own. With her father in tears, Charlotte basically fired him on the spot. Flair’s slow walk up the ramp sold the entire thing to perfection.

This is one of the rare instances where a lot of people can relate to what either of them are going through. Flair himself is the father who only wants what’s best for his daughter and didn’t realize when he had been around too long. Charlotte was the young upstart who thought she could do everything on her own. This was a great way to make Charlotte look like an evil woman who could stand on her own, which she had been ready to do for so long now.

6. “Why are you still here?” – AJ Styles, “Smackdown Live”, August 2

Over the years, John Cena has lost his fair share of matches. A lot of people have defeated him more than once but for some reason he almost never seems to lose the final match of a feud. Cena is the kind of guy who will lose a match and shrug it off without seeming to lose anything as a result.

However, AJ Styles didn’t seem to be too happy with this. Following his victory over Cena at “Money in the Bank 2016”, Styles wanted to know why Cena hadn’t left for Hollywood already. Why was Cena still here after losing to Styles, especially when he wasn’t seeming to be all that upset by a major loss. This led to a rematch being made for “Summerslam 2016”, where Styles would actually win again.

The story here is very simple: Styles was the new star of “Smackdown Live” and saw no reason for Cena, as in the man who lost the match, to still be around at such a high level. The fact that Styles backed it up by winning the rematch made this speech even better as he was proven right, which isn’t something you often see from a heel.

7. “Brother Nero, I knew you’d come!” – Matt Hardy, Impact Wrestling, May 31

Just….dang man. If there is one line that sums up all of Matt’s insanity in one moment, this might be it. It’s the gleam in his eye and you can feel that he just buys everything that he’s saying. The line is the part that people remember but it’s also Jeff wondering what in the world he’s gotten himself into and everything that follows.

Matt might not be everyone’s taste but he’s one heck of a performer and can make you believe that he’s either insane or the greatest wrestling actor in years (aside from people who pretend Stephanie is interesting that is). Just go back and look at his face and see if it doesn’t feel a little creepy.

On top of the one moment, it actually became a catchphrase that the fans seemed to have a very good time chanting. In other words, not only was it a good line but it had staying power going forward. I know it doesn’t prove much in TNA but at least there was one great moment and something that might take them somewhere. Or maybe it just takes Matt back to WWE.

Some of these are better than others but only one actually had the hair on my arms standing up. As unpopular as he might be, the Miz has been on one of the strongest rolls of his life this year. The promo against Bryan might be the best thing Miz has ever done. Almost everything he said was completely accurate and Bryan had NOTHING to say back to him. If this had led to a match (which it still could), it’s one of the best of all time. As it is, it’s the best of 2016.

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I took in the NXT house show last night at the Broadbent Arena in Louisville, Kentucky. The arena holds 6,600 people but part of it was tarped off and the entire back section of the bleacher seats weren’t sold. The floor seats however were completely full and gave the show a good feeling as the area around the ring was packed.  Let’s get to it.

After a regular opening video and the Star Spangled Banner, the ring announcer started an NXT chant and we were ready to go.

1. Gran Metalik b. Noam Dar – Metalik Driver (8:30)

This was pretty standard stuff with Dar working the arm and the leg at various times. The fans chanted WHERE’S ALICIA over and over during the match. Metalik did some flips and kicks before hitting the namesake driver for the pin. Pretty standard opener. C.

2. Ember Moon b. Mandy Rose – Eclipse (9:03)

The fans booed Rose’s entrance until she actually came out and then it was mainly gasping. I’ve seen a lot of wrestling in my day and the only female wrestler near her level is Maria Kanellis. Basically imagine Eva Marie if she could actually wrestle a competent match. Rose did the standard DON’T HIT ME IN THE FACE bit and took over for a bit before a bunch of strikes and the Eclipse wrapped it up. That finisher looked great in person too. D+.

DIY did a quick promo talking about Sanity and about how Ciampa used to live in Louisville. When they win tonight they’re going to get some horses and celebrate all night long. Gargano: “HORSES???”

3. Authors of Pain b. Heavy Machinery – Final Chapter (7:28)

A fan got to do the intro in a cute bit. Heavy Machinery is Tucker Knight/Otis Dozovic and they’re some good sized guys. This was your standard power match with Otis getting to show off a bit. It was nothing out of the ordinary but I had a good time with it as I can go for four big guys hitting each other really hard. C.

4. Elias Samson b. Oney Lorcan – Swinging neckbreaker (7:45)

Samson did his song about wanting to hit all of us in the face. Lorcan grabbed the mic and asked if any of us wanted to see him beat Samson all over Louisville. There wasn’t much to this and it was probably the worst match of the night. Samson stopped in the middle to sing a song so Lorcan grabbed the guitar and threatened to break it. When the referee took it away, Samson got in the neckbreaker for the pin. D.

5. Women’s Title: Asuka b. Peyton Royce – Asuka Lock (9:15)

Billie Kay was out with Royce. This was better than expected with Billie getting in a distraction so Peyton could take over. The Aussies are getting better at their offense and looking more like bullies. Asuka Hulked Up, took out Billie and Asuka Locked Peyton to retain. C+.

Intermission.

6. Tag Team Titles: DIY b. Sanity (Alexander Wolfe/Killian Dain) (12:38)

This was the match of the night so far with DIY the champs doing a bit of comedy with the monster Dain (formerly Big Damo). Sanity tried to interfere and Nikki Cross was ejected. Dain powerbombed Ciampa onto Wolfe’s raised knees for a near fall but the knee/superkick combo finished Wolfe to retain. B-.

Eric Young yelled at the rest of Sanity and issued an open challenge.

7. Eric Young b. Patrick Clark

While this was an open challenge, Clark was already listed as facing Young on the official poster. No one knew who Clark was when he came out but the match wound up being fine. Clark wasn’t the most interesting in the world though and it held the match back a lot. Sanity came out for interference and Young won with the wheelbarrow neckbreaker. Clark was beaten down post match and no one came out for the save. C+.

8. Shinsuke Nakamura/Roderick Strong b. Samoa Joe/Bobby Roode (18:34)

Definitely the match of the night and Nakamura’s pop was probably stronger than any other two combined. The fans didn’t seem to know who Strong was and Roode got one heck of a pop of his own. This was your standard main event tag with everyone getting their stuff in. Roode vs. Nakamura was entertaining with Roode doing basic stuff and then getting freaked out when Nakamura would do his flashy stuff. Nakamura finished Joe with the Kinshasa and posed a lot to end the show. B+.

The special part came after the show. I had parked around back and walked out where I saw a bus. Putting two and two together, I went over and saw the entire roster come out of the arena. I got a handshake from Gargano, Ciampa and Nakamura, all of whom were taking pictures with kids. They all came off as incredibly nice and polite before getting on the bus. Heavy Machinery was talking to fans on the other side of the crowd. Most of the wrestlers waved with Roode completely ignoring us (as he should have done) and Joe doing his hand pose and sporting a big ice pack on his knee.

Overall it was a fun night despite having a pretty toned down card. The ticket was only $22 with floor seats going for $75, meaning it was far from an expensive night. I had a good time and meeting the champions was a major highlight. Check out the NXT house shows if you can as it’s a lot of fun for a cheap price.

NXT
Date: January 4, 2017
Location: Margaret Court Arena, Melbourne, Australia
Commentators: Tom Phillips, Corey Graves

We’re back with another special show as it’s another two hour house show, this time from Australia. Again we’ve seen most of the main event but just like last week, we should get to see more than we already got a few weeks back. Other than that, almost none of this matters aside from having good matches. Let’s get to it.

Opening sequence.

Revival vs. Tino Sabbatelli/Riddick Moss

Dawson and Moss start things off as the fans are rather into this early on. That goes nowhere so it’s off to Tino vs. Wilder as the slow pace continues. Tino slams Dash so Moss can get two off an elbow drop. Moss fights off Revival as Tino just stands there and lets the double teaming ensue.

Riddick can’t fight them off forever though and the top guys (Graves: “THEY’RE STILL TOP GUYS!”) take over as you might expect. An elbow finally misses and the diving tag brings in Tino for the house cleaning. Wilder pulls Sabbatelli to the floor though and Moss grabs a rollup for two. Back in and the Shatter Machine puts Moss away at 11:00.

Rating: C. This was a long squash, which makes for some uninteresting matches on house shows. Revival were almost the faces here, which made for a really awkward match. It’s certainly not bad or anything but this is such a strange style for NXT, which is so based on building up to matches instead of one offs like this one.

Elias Samson/Bobby Roode vs. Tye Dillinger/Buddy Murphy

Samson gets annoyed at the fans cutting off his singing until Roode cuts him off again for a much more popular entrance. Murphy is the home country boy here with Graves saying it’s so Murphy can know someone likes him. Roode starts with Murphy but lets Elias know he’s got an eye on the other Canadian.

We hit the posing early on with Graves suggesting that Phillips and Murphy go box kangaroos together. A kick to the face gives Murphy two as the fans chant TEN. It’s off to Dillinger but Roode bails before any contact is made. With the DRIFT AWAY chants rolling, Samson works on the arm and gets the ten treatment. A slingshot splash gets two and, according to Phillips, kangaroos can’t hop backwards.

Roode is dragged in but Tye beats both of them up anyway, only to be taken down by a knee to the back. The fans still don’t like Samson and call him some very rude names before switching to a GLORIOUS chant. For some reason Roode won’t rain down right hands in the corner so it’s an a superkick to set up the double tag. Murphy comes in and cleans house, including a bad looking hurricanrana to Roode. A better looking flip dive takes him out, leaving Dillinger to hit the Tyebreaker to put Samson away at 11:19.

Rating: C+. This was a bit more my style with a standard tag formula and wrestlers that the fans were actually interested in. Also, as expected, NXT isn’t about to give us Dillinger and Roode being involved in a fall, as they shouldn’t here. That’s still a big enough feud for one more TV match so why waste it here?

Liv Morgan vs. Billie Kay vs. Ember Moon

As expected, Kay is the big crowd favorite but bails to the floor so the other two can slug it out. Well as much slugging as Morgan is going to do. Billie tries to steal a pin but gets caught in that rolling sunset flip to give Morgan some near falls. A double bulldog puts Kay and Moon down so Liv covers one but gets kicked out onto the other over and over in a clever spot.

Back up and Billie hits Eat Defeat for two on Moon, followed by an armbar into a suplex. The fans want to know if Billie will be their girl (she’s no Bayley) but settle for Liv getting superkicked off the apron. Moon kicks Billie in the face again and all three are knocked out to the floor. Back in and Kay gets double kicked but Liv breaks up the Eclipse. Instead, Billie powerbombs Liv off the top and walks into the Eclipse to give Moon the pin at 8:28.

Rating: C+. Another totally fine match here as Moon gets to look strong again. I could easily see Moon getting her shot at the title over Wrestlemania weekend though I’m not sure if that’s a big enough title match for Asuka. You know, assuming Nikki Cross doesn’t take the title from her in San Antonio.

Tag Team Titles: DIY vs. TM61

TM61 is challenging and it’s Ciampa and Thorn trading near falls to start. That earns a quick handshake and the fans are VERY pleased so far. Miller and Gargano come in and it’s one heck of a right hand to send Johnny into the corner. A very delayed vertical suplex gets two on Gargano so it’s back to Ciampa for some arm cranking. Thorn gets two off a falcon’s arrow and we take a break.

Back with Ciampa breaking up a handspring elbow and bringing Gargano back in. Johnny grabs a sunset flip but leans forward and pulls on Thorn’s neck for a weird looking submission hold. That goes nowhere so Thorn dropkicks Ciampa so it can be back to Miller for the house cleaning. Johnny’s spear through the ropes cuts him off for another near fall. A tornado DDT/enziguri combo gives Gargano two more but Thorn powerbombs his own partner to set up a Tower of Doom on Ciampa.

Clever spot and Gargano shoving Miller into the pin for the save made it better. Project Ciampa gives us another near fall and the fans are WAY into the Aussies. Miller and Gargano slug it out in the middle of the ring with Johnny getting the better of it. Thorn is knocked to the floor and the running knee/superkick combo retains the titles at 18:18.

Rating: B. DIY really can do no wrong at this point and that’s always going to be entertaining. I’m still worried about the match against the Authors of Pain but at least we had one heck of a pair of matches on these international tours. TM61 is still good but they’re several steps behind the champs and Revival, which kind of leaves them out in the cold.

We get the big post match show of respect.

Recap of Nakamura vs. Joe.

NXT Title: Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Samoa Joe

Nakamura is defending and this is inside a cage. The champ takes him down by the leg to start but they grapple up against the ropes with neither being able to get much of an advantage. Joe gets taken into the corner for Good Vibrations so he sends Nakamura hard into the cage to even things up.

The corner enziguri gets two and we take an early break. Back with Joe kicking him in the face again and dropping an elbow for two. A weak LET’S GO CENA/CENA SUCKS chant is quickly booed down as Joe slowly beats on the champ. We hit the neck crank for a bit before Nakamura fights back up with the running kick to the face. Joe gets in his own kick but misses the backsplash to put both guys down for a bit.

It’s Joe up first with his rotating submissions but Nakamura slips out of the Crossface. Instead Joe sends him into the cage a few more times and we take a second break. Back with Nakamura hitting more knees to the head and lifting Joe for a big German suplex. Kinshasa is countered with a powerslam and the Koquina Clutch doesn’t last long. Nakamura knees him in the head again for two and BLASTS Joe with a top rope Kinshasa. Back to back regular versions retain the title at 26:15.

Rating: B+. Again, the clipped version of this from a few weeks ago is almost unfair as it only showed about thirteen minutes instead of over twice that long. This was a good way to definitively put Nakamura over Joe for good and let both guys move on to something else. It really wouldn’t surprise me if that means the main roster for Joe so at least he went out on a high note.

Replays wrap it up.

Overall Rating: B-. I actually had a bit more fun watching this one than last week’s as the matches felt a little more important, possibly due to a full time team challenging DIY instead of a makeshift pairing. It’s still a good show but I’m really looking forward to getting back to the regular show instead of these specials where there’s no storyline development. The wrestling has been fine but I need a bit more than that.

Results

Revival b. Tino Sabbatelli/Riddick Moss – Shatter Machine to Moss

Tye Dillinger/Buddy Murphy b. Bobby Roode/Elias Samson – Tyebreaker to Samson

Ember Moon b. Billie Kay and Liv Morgan – Eclipse to Kay

DIY b. TM61 – Running knee/superkick combination to Miller

Shinsuke Nakamura b. Samoa Joe – Kinshasa

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up my new book, KB’s Complete Monday Nitro and Thunder Reviews Volume V at Amazon for just $3.99 at:

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

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NXT
Date: December 28, 2016
Location: Edion Arena, Osaka, Japan
Commentators: Corey Graves, Tom Phillips

It’s a special week in NXT as we’re closing out the year with a house show taped over in Japan earlier this month. The main event is Shinsuke Nakamura challenging Samoa Joe for the title in a match we saw a few weeks back. This is also a two hour show, meaning the matches won’t have to be as clipped. Let’s get to it.

We open with a quick video on Samoa Joe vs. Shinsuke Nakamura.

Opening sequence.

Oney Lorcan vs. Andrade Cien Almas

Almas wears a mask during his entrance and has no interest in a pre-match handshake. We hear about Almas defeating Nakamura for the IWGP Intercontinental Title a few years back which is almost unthinkable given their statuses in NXT. Almas’ headlock doesn’t go anywhere so he does the lay on the ropes spot before getting caught in a Lorcan headlock. We talk about the crowd being more silent than usual as as Almas takes him down into a chinlock.

Back up and Lorcan hits a running corner clothesline before popping in a few shots to the face. Something like a standing backflip into a reverse DDT (I believe Tetsuya Naito uses the same) gets two on Lorcan but he comes right back with an inverted exploder. Almas sends him into the corner again with the running double knees getting two despite a foot on the ropes. The hammerlock DDT is broken up and Lorcan takes him to the top for a German superplex (with Almas flipping over in the air) and the pin at 10:06.

Rating: C. It’s a decent match of two lower level guys hitting each other a lot but that’s not the most interesting thing in the world. Above that though, this is making me wonder why this is a full two hour show. I really didn’t need to see this match getting ten minutes though there are worse ways to spend a Wednesday night.

Aliyah/Liv Morgan vs. Peyton Royce/Billie Kay

Billie gives Liv a quick fireman’s carry to start as Corey goes into his usual anti-New Jersey rant. Morgan grabs a sunset flip and rolls Kay around the ring for a few two counts but both of them seem a bit dizzy. Aliyah comes in and gets caught in the wrong corner for some very long legged choking.

The Australians work on Aliyah’s back and keep pulling her away from the hot tag. We hit the chinlock for a bit as the beating continues. Liv gets knocked off the apron, which Graves refers to as an insurance policy. Aliyah finally flips out of a double suplex and brings Morgan back in to clean house with a bulldog. An STO gets two on Billie but a blind tag allows Peyton to send Liv face first into Billie’s knee for the pin at 8:29.

Rating: D+. This was far less interesting than it should have been and a lot of that was due to the length. It felt like they were stretching the match out to fill in time, which isn’t what you want to do on a show that already feels longer than it should be. I can appreciate the idea of trying to build up Kay and Royce as the top heels in the division but I’m having a really hard time buying either of them as a threat to Asuka.

Tag Team Titles: DIY vs. Akira Tozawa/Tajiri

DIY is defending and this time we get the handshake. Gargano and Tozawa start things off and this time the fans are a bit more into it. The fans seem split as both guys miss big kicks and bring in their respective partners. Tajiri sprays some mist as Graves questions his fandom with DIY in the ring.

The feeling out process continues with the mist having fallen on Tajiri’s back. Ciampa wins a battle of the shoulder blocks but a headlock into a headscissor sequence takes us back to a stalemate. They’re almost completely even in the first five minutes. Ciampa starts in on Tozawa’s arm but gets taken down for some Tajiri kicks to put the champions in trouble for the first time.

Back from a break with Ciampa telling Tozawa to kick him harder. They take turns sticking their chests out for chops until Tozawa hits him behind the ear to take over. A gutbuster puts Ciampa down but he breaks up a tag to Tajiri as the formula changes a bit. Tozawa kicks him before bringing Tajiri back in for the REAL kicks to the chest. Everything breaks down and Tozawa hits some suicide dives to put the champs in trouble. It doesn’t last long though as Gargano hits the spear through the ropes for a close two.

The Tarantula sets up a missed Buzzsaw Kick before it’s back to Tozawa for a forearm slugout. Ciampa comes back in for the rolling German suplexes, only to get caught in a snap German suplex from Tozawa. That’s enough for Ciampa who kicks the heck out of Tozawa and hits Project Ciampa for two with Tajiri breaking it up. A blind tag brings Gargano back in for the running knee/superkick combination for the pin on Tozawa at 21:04.

Rating: B. Now that’s a bit more like it. They went a bit long but this was FAR better than anything else on the show so far. Tozawa is really impressive and Tajiri still has it despite being in his mid-40s. I liked this a lot more than I was expecting to as DIY can do no wrong at the moment. I’m not sure that’s going to extend to the Authors of Pain though and that scares me.

DIY bows to the challengers post match.

Women’s Title: Nia Jax vs. Asuka

Asuka is defending and we’re in her hometown. Jax shrugs off the strikes to start and headbutts the champ into the corner. That earns her an Octopus Hold followed by a guillotine with the announcers bringing up Jax’s issues with that hold. Asuka gets thrown into the corner and we take an early break.

Back with Jax tossing Asuka around even more with a release slam getting two. A sidewalk slam gets the same and another comeback is cut off in a hurry, quieting the crowd all over again. Nia drops her with a clothesline as the announcers talk about how bringing the NXT Women’s Title to Raw would be a huge deal for Jax’s career.

As odd as it sounds, they’re absolutely right as the title is probably more valuable than the Smackdown Women’s Title and just a few steps behind the Raw counterpart. Some kicks set up a kneebar on Nia but she stands up for the easy break. A hip attack knocks Nia off the apron but Asuka is easily thrown into the apron to put her in trouble again.

The big leg sends Asuka outside again and the announcers aren’t sure if Nia is familiar enough with the rules. I get what they’re going for but she knows that you have to get a pin in the ring. She’s not Kamala guys. Back in and Asuka unloads on her with the strike, followed by a cross armbreaker. Asuka jumps on Nia’s back for a sleeper but gets countered into a hard powerbomb for two. Back up and Asuka actually gets her up for a German suplex, followed by one heck of a kick to the jaw to retain the title at 18:52.

Rating: B-. This was a cross between Nia vs. Asuka I and either Nia vs. Bayley match, which means it’s pretty entertaining stuff. The idea of Asuka having to be pushed to the limit was a good story though at some point Nia needs to find something other than being too confident and getting beaten as a result.

We’re in Melbourne next week and hopefully it’s not another two hour show.

NXT Title: Samoa Joe vs. Shinsuke Nakamura

Nakamura is challenging. They trade some kicks to the legs to start and Nakamura does his arm waving bit to mess with Joe’s head. That’s enough for Joe to take a breather on the floor and we take a break. Back with Joe taking it outside and chopping Nakamura to his knees. The corner enziguri drops Nakamura again and it’s time to go after the knees. A spinwheel kick to the leg sets up a leglock and Nakamura is in trouble.

Joe grabs a kneebar for a bit until Nakamura makes the ropes, setting up a big kick to the champ’s head. The running knee to the ribs in the corner gets two, followed by Joe’s big boot getting the same. We take another break and come back with Joe holding the STF, which is transitioned into the Crossface. Nakamura finally gets to the ropes but can’t hook a cross armbreaker. He can however get a triangle choke, sending Joe’s legs into the rope for a break of his own.

It’s too early for Kinshasa though as Joe powerslams him out of the air for two. Joe can’t hook the Muscle Buster so he switches to the Koquina Clutch, only to settle for a hard German suplex instead. An enziguri sends Nakamura outside but he gets out of the Rock Bottom onto the steps that put him out of action for so long earlier this year. The running knee to the back of the neck drops Joe but he’s too big for Nakamura to hold up in a fireman’s carry. That’s fine with Nakamura as he hits the middle rope knee, followed by Kinshasa for the pin and the title at 26:28.

Rating: B+. This was a lot better than the version shown before, which only gave us 10:45 of the match. Nakamura fighting back to win in his home country was the right way to end the show and it felt like a big deal on a big stage. Joe should be ready to head up to the main roster as there’s nothing left for him to do in NXT.

A lot of posing ends the show.

Overall Rating: B-. The problem here is the length. This easily could have been trimmed down by half an hour or so (edit some of the matches or just cut off the first two) and it would have been much better as a result. It really felt unnecessary to last this long and not much was gained as a result. I’m not going to think of this show again and that’s not something I like thinking on a long NXT show. Totally watchable show but trim it down to make it that much better.

Results

Oney Lorcan b. Andrade Cien Almas – German superplex

Billie Kay/Peyton Royce b. Liv Morgan/Aliyah – Bulldog onto Kay’s knee

DIY b. Akira Tozawa/Tajiri – Running knee/superkick combination

Asuka b. Nia Jax – Kick to the head

Shinsuke Nakamura b. Samoa Joe – Kinshasa

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up my new book, KB’s Complete Monday Nitro and Thunder Reviews Volume V at Amazon for just $3.99 at:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MQKDV5O

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

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

NXT
Date: December 14, 2016
Location: Full Sail University, Winter Park, Florida
Commentators: Percy Watson, Corey Graves, Tom Phillips

It’s another interesting night as we have the four matches to set up the fatal fourway match to determine a #1 contender to the NXT Title. Other than that though we’re heading down to Australia to see what should be the final match between Shinsuke Nakamura and Samoa Joe for the NXT Title. As a bonus, it’s inside a steel cage. Let’s get to it.

We open with a look back at the Nakamura vs. Joe rivalry with both title changes to set up tonight’s final match.

The cage is lowered and we’re starting in a big way.

NXT Title: Samoa Joe vs. Shinsuke Nakamura

From Melbourne, Australia. Nakamura is defending and it’s pinfall/submission/escape. The champ takes him down by the leg and wins an early strike exchange. A knee drop sets up Good Vibrations in the corner but Joe comes back by sending him into the cage. Back from an early break with Nakamura in even more trouble until a spinning kick to the head drops Joe.

Kinshasa is countered with a powerslam and it’s off to a standing Koquina Clutch. Shinsuke flips back to escape and the sliding knee to the head has Joe reeling. It’s too early to escape though and Joe loads up the super MuscleBuster, which is countered into a powerbomb to keep Joe down. Nakamura has the chance to walk out but opts for Kinshasa instead. A second Kinshasa retains the title at 12:56.

Rating: B-. I’m sure the full match was a lot more entertaining than this but it was a good way to wrap things up between them. There’s really no reason to keep Joe off the main roster at this point so just let him go on up like he should have done already. There wasn’t much doubt in this one and there’s nothing wrong with that.

We look back at Peyton Royce and Billie Kay walking out on Daria Barenato a few weeks back.

The Aussies laugh at Daria until she comes up to demand a fight with one of them next week.

#1 Contenders Tournament First Round: Tye Dillinger vs. Eric Young

Still no Sawyer Fulton with Sanity. Young goes right after him to start but gets clotheslined down for his efforts. Left hands in the corner (ten of them of course) have Eric in even more trouble. The Tyebreaker is loaded up but Nikki Cross comes in for the DQ at 1:20.

Tye fights off Sanity until Damo comes in to lay him out.

#1 Contenders Tournament First Round: No Way Jose vs. Andrade Cien Almas

Jose grabs a headlock to start before slapping on an airplane spin to take us back in time while still having some fun. The announcers try to get Gravy over as a nickname for Corey as Jose knocks Almas down a few more times. A pop up right hand gets two but Almas kicks him in the face and hits his arm trap DDT for the pin at 3:54.

Rating: D+. I’m still not getting the appeal of Almas but I’m getting the appeal of Jose. A guy his size with that much charisma should be a guarantee for a spot in this company but I’d like to see them do something with him instead of just having him float around. Almas still doesn’t do much for me but having him as a heel is instantly an improvement.

#1 Contenders Tournament First Round: Roderick Strong vs. Elias Samson

Before the match Samson sings a song I can’t quite understand. Samson kicks him in the ribs to start as we hear about Strong’s abilities with a backbreaker. It’s already off to the Tree of Woe for some upside down choking followed by a chinlock. Strong comes right back with a running dropkick followed by a fireman’s carry gutbuster. The Sick Kick ends Samson at 3:17.

Rating: C-. No time for anything here but Samson is in need of a partner of some sort. He’s really not enough in the ring to make anything of himself but the guitar playing character is more than enough to go somewhere. Strong is a case of what you see being what you get though I had almost forgotten he was even part of the roster. To be fair though he’s the kind of guy you can give a quick push and make something of him without too much effort.

Billie Kay vs. Daria Barenato next week.

#1 Contenders Tournament First Round: Oney Lorcan vs. Bobby Roode

Guess who the fans are behind here. They trade arm work to start with Roode taking him to the mat and riding Oney a bit, much to the crowd’s delight. Roode stops to pose so Lorcan gives him a running uppercut to the jaw. We actually get an ONEY chant until Roode knocks him off the top and onto the ropes. Oney gets two off a backslide and starts speeding things up with a running elbow in the corner. A running Blockbuster gets two but the regular version misses and Roode grabs a spinebuster. The inverted DDT sends Roode to the fourway at 7:16.

Rating: C-. Well duh. You have to assume Roode is getting the title shot in San Antonio and that’s best for everyone involved. Lorcan is fine for a jobber to the stars but there’s only so much you can do with a name like Oney. Graves made this even better by losing his mind about Roode on commentary, which is exactly what someone like him should be doing.

The fourway is Roode vs. Dillinger vs. Almas vs. Strong.

Overall Rating: C. This was a show with one goal and while it accomplished that, it wasn’t the most interesting in the world. The wrestling either didn’t have time to go anywhere or wasn’t all that great in the first place. Roode should be a lock to win next week and I like the idea of him winning a few matches to get there. Not a bad show here but one you really should just read the results for instead of watching in full.

Results

Shinsuke Nakamura b. Samoa Joe – Kinshasa

Tye Dillinger b. Eric Young via DQ when Nikki Cross interfered

Andrade Cien Almas b. No Way Jose – Arm trap DDT

Roderick Strong b. Elias Samson – Sick Kick

Bobby Roode b. Oney Lorcan – Inverted DDT

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up my new book, KB’s Complete Monday Nitro and Thunder Reviews Volume V at Amazon for just $3.99 at:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MQKDV5O

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

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

Chris Hero Returning to NXT. December 12, 2016.

http://wrestlingrumors.net/chris-hero-returning-to-nxt/

Ratings Up For “Saturday Night Live” Featuring John Cena. December 12, 2016.

http://wrestlingrumors.net/ratings-saturday-night-live-featuring-john-cena/

Former WWE Wrestler Stops Robbery. December 12, 2016.

http://wrestlingrumors.net/former-wwe-wrestler-stops-attempted-robbery/

Cody Rhodes Debuting at “Wrestle Kingdom” Against Former NXT Star. December 12, 2016.

http://wrestlingrumors.net/cody-rhodes-debuting-wrestle-kingdom-former-nxt-star/

WWE Announces Cruiserweight Title Match for “Roadblock 2016”. December 12, 2016.

http://wrestlingrumors.net/wwe-announces-cruiserweight-title-match-roadblock-2016/

Former X-Division Champion Finishes Up with TNA. December 13, 2016.

http://wrestlingrumors.net/former-x-division-champion-finishes-tna/

Bray Wyatt Responds to Broken Matt Hardy’s Open Challenge. December 13, 2016.

http://wrestlingrumors.net/bray-wyatt-responds-broken-matt-hardys-open-challenge/

Roman Reigns Needs to Drop the US Title Immediately. December 13, 2016.

http://wrestlingrumors.net/roman-reigns-needs-drop-us-title-immediately/

See How Samoa Joe Reacts to TNA Chants. December 13, 2016.

http://wrestlingrumors.net/see-samoa-joe-reacts-tna-chants/

“Monday Night Raw” Ratings Down, Worst Week Since October. December 13, 2016.

http://wrestlingrumors.net/monday-night-raw-ratings-worst-week-since-october/

Zack Ryder Injured at “Smackdown Live”. December 14, 2016.

http://wrestlingrumors.net/zack-ryder-injured-smackdown-live/

NXT
Date: December 7, 2016
Location: Full Sail University, Winter Park, Florida
Commentators: Tom Phillips, Corey Graves, Percy Watson

This is another interesting show as it’s a combination of the regular taping and the NXT Title match from Osaka, Japan with Shinsuke Nakamura challenging Samoa Joe for the title. It’s also nearly time to start getting ready for Takeover: San Antonio, which is only about six weeks away. Let’s get to it.

We open with a quick video hyping up the title match.

Opening sequence.

Here’s DIY to get things going with the new champs coming in through the crowd to celebrate. It takes some time for the cheering to die down but Paul Ellering and the Authors of Pain cut them off before anything can be said. Ellering talks about how awesome they are until the Revival cuts them out with the fans singing their song. Revival gets to ringside and says the Authors only won because Revival was out of the tournament. The Authors come down to shove Revival around with Ellering saying they’re coming for the titles. I’m thinking a rematch is in order to set up the Authors’ opponent and that’s just good.

We’re getting a new commentators and it’s…..Percy Watson? Yes that Percy Watson. As in the guy you haven’t thought of since he was released. I have no idea why he’s here or what need he’s filling but he’s certainly here.

No Way Jose/Rich Swann vs. Sanity

Sanity confirms their heel status by cutting the pre-match dance off. It’s Alexander Wolfe and Eric Young for the team here. There’s no Sawyer Fulton here and Eric stomps on Fulton’s jacket in some symbolism. Swann and Jose go fast to start by knocking Wolfe out to the floor.

Unfortunately the announcers have to go out of their way to get Watson in on commentary and it doesn’t feel very natural. Swann gets taken into the Sanity corner and it’s time for an early break. Back with Swann taking a Bret Hart chest bump in the corner and getting caught in a dragon sleeper from the middle rope. That’s not bad.

Wolfe comes in for his version of dancing and a neck crank to keep things slow. A double clothesline gives Swann a breather and of course equals out several minutes of offense. Jose comes in off the hot tag and gives Young a TKO for two. A big corkscrew dive sends Swann into Wolfe but here’s a huge man to send Jose into the steps. The announcers acknowledge him as Damo (formerly Big Damo) as he stares Wolfe down. Back inside, Young’s wheelbarrow into a neckbreaker ends Jose at 10:35.

Rating: C. The match was nothing special but Damo debut as a potential new member of the team makes a lot of sense. He looks like a monster (please have him put on a singlet or a shirt) and would fit in really well with the group. Not a good match or anything but I’m digging Sanity more every week.

Sanity looks at Damo, who leaves on his own.

William Regal makes Revival vs. DIY for the titles on January 11 (that’s a long way off for NXT). Tye Dillinger comes in to suggest he should leave NXT after losing to Samoa Joe. Regal cuts him off and offers him a spot in a tournament to crown a new #1 contender. There will be four singles matches with the winners facing off in a four way match for the title shot in San Antonio.

Eric Young has nothing to say about Damo but Nikki Cross runs into Asuka and stares at the title. Asuka gives her the evil smile. I could go for this.

Ember Moon vs. Kimber Lee

Lee is a former Chikara Grand Champion. Moon wastes no time in starting in with the kicks but charges into a side suplex for two. A hurricanrana gets Ember out of trouble and the Eclipse ends Lee at 3:03.

Rating: D+. I still can’t get over how awesome the Eclipse looks. The timing she has to have to pull off a move like that is just amazing and I’ve never seen her come close to missing. Lee got in some offense here and I wouldn’t mind seeing her signed up to appear more in NXT.

Here are the matches for the #1 contenders tournament:

Tye Dillinger

Eric Young

Elias Samson

Roderick Strong

Oney Lorcan

Bobby Roode

Andrade Cien Almas

No Way Jose

NXT Title: Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Samoa Joe

Joe is defending and is quickly kicked into the corner for Good Vibrations. A poke to the eye gets the champ out of trouble and we take a break. Back with Nakamura in an STF which is turned into a Crossface which is turned into a rope grab. A German suplex looks to set up Kinshasa but Joe snaps off a powerslam for two instead.

Nakamura gets out of the Muscle Buster, only to get caught in the Koquina Clutch. It’s the standing version though (I believe we call that a sleeper) and Joe releases for a string of suplexes instead. Joe kicks him out to the floor and loads up the Rock Bottom onto the steps. That earns him a bunch of strikes to the back and neck as Nakamura takes over for a change. Back in and Nakamura can’t keep him up in a fireman’s carry. Instead he goes to the middle rope so the middle rope knee to the head can set up Kinshasa for the pin and the title at 10:45 shown.

Rating: B. This was the usual good, hard hitting brawl from these two though I’m pretty sure it’s going to be the last big match, unless we see the Australia cage match. There’s not much left for Joe in NXT at this point so odds are he’s either in the Rumble or debuts before then. Good match of course and it’s cool that we got to see it.

We’ll actually see the cage match next week on NXT.

Overall Rating: B-. This was fine for a special show and next week feels like it’s going to be the same thing. It’s kind of weird that this didn’t feel like anything all that interesting but, as usual, NXT got a lot done here. We had two debuts (I’m still wondering why Watson is here), a title match set up, another title match after that set up, a title feud teased and a title change.

Results

Sanity b. No Way Jose/Rich Swann – Wheelbarrow neckbreaker to Jose

Ember Moon b. Kimber Lee – Eclipse

Shinsuke Nakamura b. Samoa Joe – Kinshasa

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up my new book, KB’s Complete Monday Nitro and Thunder Reviews Volume V at Amazon for just $3.99 at:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MQKDV5O

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

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

So as you might have noticed, I’m not doing as many news stories and articles around here lately.  This is due to me basically becoming a full time news reporter at WrestlingRumors.net, which takes up a lot of my time.  However, it occurred to me that I had a list of articles I’ve written with the links up so I might as well put them on here as well.  These are just going to be links and headlines but the articles include my take on them at the end.  I don’t know if I’ll do these every day but I’ll do them more often than not.

John Cena Nominated for Award. December 2, 2016.

http://wrestlingrumors.net/john-cena-nominated-for-award/

John Cena Hosting “Saturday Night Live” on December 10. December 2, 2016.

http://wrestlingrumors.net/john-cena-hosting-saturday-night-live/

Free Match: AJ Styles vs. Christopher Daniels vs. Samoa Joe. December 2, 2016.

http://wrestlingrumors.net/free-match-aj-styles-vs-christopher-daniels-vs-samoa-joe/

Major Development at NXT House Show *SPOILERS INCLUDED* December 3, 2016.

http://wrestlingrumors.net/major-development-at-nxt-house-show-spoilers-included/

Broken Matt Hardy Appears at ROH’s “Final Battle 2016”. December 3, 2016.

http://wrestlingrumors.net/broken-matt-hardy-appears-at-rohs-final-battle-2016/

NXT
Date: November 30, 2016
Location: Canadian Tire Centre, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Commentators: Tom Phillips, Corey Graves

Now this should be interesting as this show was taped on the same night as last week’s Smackdown, meaning they’re in a big arena instead of the tiny Full Sail. I’m always curious to see how things translate when they go somewhere else, especially when it’s not an NXT crowd. Let’s get to it.

Opening sequence.

Asuka vs. Nicole Matthews

Non-title. Matthews is a regular in Shimmer and her early shots to Asuka’s head just seem to annoy the champ. That means the beating is on in a hurry with Asuka firing off the kicks. Some YES Kicks look to set up a big kick but Matthews swings away even more. A Fujiwara Armbar is the prelude to the Asuka Lock for the submission at 2:17.

We look at Sanity attacking Rich Swann last week with No Way Jose making the save. Jose vs. Eric Young later tonight.

Samoa Joe doesn’t care that he’s facing Shinsuke Nakamura in Osaka, Japan on December 3 because he’s the best. Tye Dillinger comes up to say he’d like to test that theory and a match is made for tonight.

Eric Young vs. No Way Jose

Jose takes him straight down but Eric bails to the floor. A good shot knocks Eric off the apron and into the rest of Sanity as we take a break. Back with Alexander Wolfe grabbing Jose’s leg so Young can take over. A dragon sleeper with Young standing on the middle rope has Jose in even more trouble before Young cranks on the neck even more. Jose makes his quick comeback but Sanity offers another distraction so Young can hit his wheelbarrow suplex into a neckbreaker for the pin at 9:19.

Rating: C. This was more of a way to let Sanity get its first win and Young looked good enough out there. It’s amazing how much easier Young is to sit through when I don’t have to hear him talk about how great he is. Jose didn’t get squashed and there’s a good chance we’ll see a tag match next.

Sanity mauls Jose again post match.

Asuka wants competition but there’s no one left.

Samoa Joe vs. Tye Dillinger

Non-title. Dillinger starts fast and knocks Joe outside as we take a very early break. Back with Dillinger firing off left hands in the corner but it’s way too early for the Tyebreaker. Joe crushes the knee to take over, setting up a kneebar to make Tye dive for the ropes. That gets an NXT chant as Joe unloads with right hands in the corner.

Tye’s knee is wrapped around the ropes and Joe walks around as we take another break. Back again with Joe putting on a neck crank to set up Tye’s comeback. The Tyebreaker still doesn’t work so Tye superkicks him in the chest for two instead. Joe’s release Rock Bottom out of the corner sets up the powerbomb into the Boston Crab into the Koquina Clutch to knock Tye out at 20:15.

Rating: C+. This was longer than it needed to be but I’ve seen much worse. Tye had no chance of winning here but the fans were into him. At some point he needs to actually win something though and having him lose both big matches in Canada didn’t help him. His match with Roode did a lot for him and this certainly didn’t crush him but Joe won handily here.

Dillinger gets the big ovation from the crowd.

Overall Rating: C+. This was just a filler show as we get ready for the new taping cycle back at Full Sail. The wrestling was fine and they set up a few things to bridge us to the next tapings. Joe vs. Nakamura in Osaka could change a lot of things but it should be interesting to see if it’s done there or if they go on to San Antonio. Fine show here but nothing memorable.

Results

Asuka b. Nicole Matthews – Asuka Lock

Eric Young b. No Way Jose – Wheelbarrow neckbreaker

Samoa Joe b. Tye Dillinger – Koquina Clutch

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up my new book, KB’s Complete Monday Nitro and Thunder Reviews Volume V at Amazon for just $3.99 at:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MQKDV5O

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

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