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:

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

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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:

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

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

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

Takeover: Toronto
Date: November 19, 2016
Location: Air Canada Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Commentators: Corey Graves, Tom Phillips

We’re up north this time as NXT gets another showcase event on the weekend of a major WWE pay per view. There are a few rematches tonight but we’re also getting the finals of the second annual Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic as well as the return of WWE legend Mickie James, who is challenging the unstoppable Asuka for the NXT Women’s Title. Let’s get to it.

The opening video looks at various wrestlers from Toronto, which seems to translate into any wrestler ever from Canada, including the Harts. Tonight it’s NXT’s turn to show what they can do, which turns into your regular opening video.

The huge crowd looks great as always.

Tye Dillinger vs. Bobby Roode

Roode comes out with a freaking choir singing his theme song. Everybody else can go home because he just won Takeover. Dillinger comes out to a much simpler entrance but the pop is outstanding with the fans going nuts and chanting TEN. We get a BOTH THESE GUYS chant as they do the big staredown. It really is amazing how effective a story as simple as a broken team can be when you have a crowd like this to carry them.

They slug it out to start with Dillinger clotheslining him out to the floor twice in a row as the dueling chants begin. Back in and Roode begs off, only to have Dillinger stomp on his fingers. Some right hands in the corner (guess how many) have the fans even more fired up. Roode sends him outside and slowly takes over with some elbows to the neck but the crowd is still right there with the TENs.

A knee drop gets two for Roode as the fans want the apron fixed. Tye comes back with chops and other assorted strikes but the threat of a Tyebreaker is countered into a spinebuster for two. Roode gets two more off a superplex (or Gloriousplex according to Graves) and MOCKS THE TEN.

A rollup with feet on the ropes gets two and a superkick gets the same for Dillinger. Bobby might have lost a tooth and it’s only getting worse as they slug it out. The inverted DDT is countered into a Sharpshooter but Roode is quickly in the ropes. Back up and Tye is sent shoulder first into the post, setting up the inverted DDT for the pin at 16:32.

Rating: B. Well that worked. These two beat the heck out of each other but the story was in the crowd, who is white hot for this show. I wasn’t expecting much out of this one but I was buying the possibility of Dillinger winning more than once, which I really never would have thought possible. Tye is going to get a big rub here despite the loss and that’s what matters. I’m sure Roode will be near the title scene soon enough, as he should be.

Tye gets the big hero’s ovation after the match.

Long recap of the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic.

Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic Finals: TM61 vs. Authors of Pain

The Authors’ manager Paul Ellering is suspended above the ring in a small cage. Akum and Miller get things going but things quickly break down with all four heading outside. For reasons of general insanity, Thorn climbs the structure holding up the cage for a big flip dive to take out both Authors.

Thorn gets flipped upside down and lands head first on the apron and we hit the chinlock. That goes nowhere so the hot tag brings in Miller as everything breaks down. Thunder Valley actually gets two on Akum but Razar makes the save. Another flip dive takes the Authors down again but Ellering drops a chain down into the ring. Thorn gets two off a rollup but a quick Last Chapter gives the Authors the tournament at 8:21.

Rating: C+. The flips helped a lot and TM61 gave it more of a go than I was expecting but this was a bit of a mess. The Authors winning was the only logical call and they did a great job of making TM61 feel like bigger deals, though it’s still not quite enough. This should make the Authors the #1 contenders and that could lead to an amazing match against DIY, assuming they get the belts here.

HHH, Goldust and William Regal come out to congratulate the winners.

Long recap of DIY vs. Revival, with the challengers coming so close to getting the titles time after time. Tonight they have three chances in a 2/3 falls match.

Tag Team Titles: DIY vs. Revival

Dash Wilder and Scott Dawson are defending. Gargano and Dawson get things going and hit the mat running (or rather rolling) with an early rollup getting two on Scott. A blind tag brings in Ciampa to face Dash as the champs slowly take over. The way too early hot tag brings in Gargano as house is cleaned. The slingshot spear through the ropes doesn’t work though and it’s a Shatter Machine to put the champs up 1-0 at 5:10.

Johnny is in trouble as the second fall begins, including Dawson grabbing a suplex for two. We hit a bodyscissors with a chinlock for a bit before Johnny grabs a tornado DDT on Wilder and enziguris Dawson at the same time. That’s enough for the hot tag off to Ciampa and the champs are suddenly in trouble. Three straight German suplexes and a running knee to the head get two on Dawson. The superkick/running knee combo is enough to tie things up at 14:22.

The third fall begins with Ciampa putting on his flip over armbar but Dawson counters into a crucifix for two. A hanging Downward Spiral and a slingshot DDT get a close two on Dawson, whose eyes are all over the place. Gargano has to fight out of the corner with forearms all around before making the crowd completely buy into a small package.

Dawson tries to bring in the title but winds up using it as a shield to block a kick to the head. We hit that reverse Figure Four and the crowd is losing it until Gargano does the big dive to get to the ropes. The champs get cute and try DIY’s double strike finisher but Dawson goes too high and superkicks his partner. A Shatter Machine gets two on Dawson and the reaction to the near fall is insane.

Dawson grabs a rollup with trunks but the referee won’t count it because he’s not legal. Wilder goes after Gargano’s good leg but a pinfall reversal sequence breaks up the leg lock attempt. Johnny puts on the modified Crossface and Ciampa adds his flip armbar. The Revival grab hands to block the tap before they tap out at the same time to give DIY the titles at 22:16.

Rating: A+. I had this at an A and then got to thinking that there’s really nothing holding it back. If there’s anything in wrestling more exciting than NXT tag teams doing hot tags and saves on near falls, I’m not sure what it is. DIY winning makes sense here and they have a built in feud with the Authors ready to go. Outstanding stuff here and one as this tag division just does not stop.

Jim Ross is here.

Recap of Mickie James vs. Asuka, which is basically Asuka needing competition and no one in NXT being ready to give her a real challenge.

Women’s Title: Asuka vs. Mickie James

Mickie is challenging and still looks great. The first three rows all have Asuka masks for an even creepier entrance than usual. After the Big Match Intros, we’re ready to go with a feeling out process and a very intense handshake. Mickie cartwheels out of a wristlock and scores with a basement dropkick to send Asuka outside for a rare show of weakness.

Back in and Mickie fires off a kick, only to get knocked to the floor with the hip attack. Asuka lets Mickie get back in but decks her with another hip attack to really take over. The Mick Kick is blocked and a release German suplex on the floor has Mickie looking mostly dead. Back in and another hip attack sets up some YES Kicks with Mickie asking for more.

A big one is countered into a Muta Lock of all things until Asuka gets a rope. Back up and they both do the crazy eyes until Mickie snaps off a neckbreaker and a flapjack (always like that move). A cross between a top rope seated senton and Thesz press gets two on the champ and Mickie kicks her down again. Now the Mick Kick connects but Asuka gets a foot on the ropes. The MickieDT is countered into the Asuka Lock with James flipping all over the place (ignore her feet touching the ropes at one point) before tapping out at 13:11.

Rating: B. This was a lot more competitive than I was expecting with Mickie more than holding her own against the monster champion. They did a great job of treating Mickie like a real threat and someone who could actually give Asuka a run for her money instead of someone just there because she used to be a name. Well booked and fought match here with the only possible outcome.

Mickie offers a handshake but Asuka just holds up the title.

Pat Patterson is here.

We recap Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Samoa Joe in a rematch from their showdown at Brooklyn where Joe lost the title. This time is set up to be more violent though with Joe injuring Nakamura to help set this up.

NXT Title: Samoa Joe vs. Shinsuke Nakamura

Nakamura is defending and walks through a tunnel of violinists playing his theme song. They even serenade him as he’s doing his entrance on the mat. The strikes start at the bell and Joe takes over with a kick to the thigh. Nakamura does his head on the chest taunt and says bring it on, followed by Good Vibrations in the corner.

They head outside with a running boot to the face putting Joe in the crowd for a rare visual around here. Back in and Joe scores with a hard kick, which Graves says is why people call him Joey Head Rocker. I’ve never, ever heard anyone call him that Corey. Like, never. Nakamura comes back with the hard knees to the head but Joe strikes him back just as hard.

The champ misses a strike though and is sent outside for a big suicide elbow. Back in and Nakamura puts him on the top for the running knee to the ribs. Joe’s big boot and backsplash get two, followed by the powerbomb into the submission sequence. Ropes are grabbed and Nakamura gets up with a middle rope Kinshasa for no cover.

Instead Nakamura muscles him over into a German suplex. Kinshasa hits buckle though and Joe takes it out again. It’s too early for the MuscleBuster though and the regular Kinshasa gets two. A second attempt is countered into the Koquina Clutch but Joe has to settle for rolling suplexes (German, dragon, straitjacket) and the kickout has him in awe.

Joe, with blood on his eye, takes another Kinshasa to the back of the head to put him outside. With the referee shoved aside, Joe gets in a low blow and hits the Rock Bottom onto the steps. Back in and the MuscleBuster makes Joe the first ever two time NXT Champion at 20:11.

Rating: A. I’m genuinely shocked by that ending. I mean, they’re clearly setting up a trilogy fight (likely in San Antonio) but I can’t believe they actually switched the title back. It’s not a bad thing or a crazy decision but quite surprising. This was another great brawl though with both guys beating the heck out of each other for twenty minutes. What else could you really ask for? I mean, save for a gimmick rematch where they can get even more violent.

Joe walks off with the title to end the show.

Overall Rating: A. The short tournament match holds this back a bit but the two male title matches more than carry it to greatness. Couple that with the crowd being on fire all night and there was no way this wasn’t going to feel huge. That Tag Team Title match is a must see though as the tag division has replaced the women’s division as the best thing about NXT. You can skip the Dusty Classic and probably the women’s match but check out the other three.

Results

Bobby Roode b. Tye Dillinger – Inverted DDT

Authors of Pain b. TM61 – Last Chapter to Miller

DIY b. Revival – Double submissions

Asuka b. Mickie James – Asuka Lock

Samoa Joe b. Shinsuke Nakamura – MuscleBuster

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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For the first time ever, it’s an NXT Takeover in the Great White North and, in another first, it’s an NXT Takeover on Survivor Series weekend. As is usually the case, this isn’t feeling like a huge show on paper but there’s a good chance that NXT is going to surprise us again because that’s what they do. These shows are almost always a case of a big pile of good adding up to a solid show. Either way, it’s almost a guaranteed good show at worst so let’s get to it.

We don’t really have the deepest card here so we’ll start with the only match with nothing on the line as Bobby Roode and Tye Dillinger battle it out to be king of Toronto. This is an interesting one as Roode is the huge smark favorite due to the power of that entrance but Dillinger is on a roll at the moment with the TEN gimmick. The winner here is nowhere near as interesting as the crowd reactions.

The main reason the winner isn’t interesting is because it’s not in doubt. Roode looks destined to be the next challenger for the NXT Title and he’s not going to be doing that if he loses here. Dillinger is in a bit over his head here and while he’s getting better, he’s not about to beat Roode here. I’m sure Dillinger will get in some offense and the match will be entertaining so Dillinger saves some face but there’s no way Roode is going down here, not with the roll he’s on at the moment.

We’ll move on to a title match now as NXT Women’s Champion Asuka defends against Mickie James, who is making her first WWE appearance in years. This might not be the most interesting match on paper but the problem is how weak the women’s division has been left after all the callups over the last few months. The division is getting better and there’s hope for the future but they’re just not ready yet.

Much like the first match, I don’t think there’s much drama about who is going to win. James might not even be around after this match so keeping the title on Asuka is the only possible option. She’s getting close to setting the record for longest reign as champion (which she’ll break in early February) and I really can’t imagine anyone beating her straight up right now. That being said, they’ve built her up as such a monster that the first person to actually pin her is going to be set for a long time. But yeah, Asuka retains here after a strong match.

Now we’ll move on to the other non-title match but it’s for a bit trophy. In this case it’s the finals of the second annual Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic, which turned out to be a big deal last year. This time though we have two normal tag teams instead of guys being thrown together for the sake of a singles angle. That means TM61 vs. the Authors of Pain and I’m a lot more confused about who goes over here.

I really don’t get the appeal of TM61. They’re starting to grow on me but they’re really missing that fire that sets them apart from everyone else. Granted it’s not helping that they’re the next team in line after American Alpha, DIY and the Revival and they had a huge international reputation as they came in. Unfortunately they haven’t quite lived up to it, though they’re far from bad. That leaves them just kind of there but maybe this can be their big pickup.

On the other hand you have the Authors of Pain, who are just old school monsters. They run over everyone in front of them and only DIY gave them a run for their money. Manager Paul Ellering will be in a cage above the ring to keep things even but I’m not sure that’s enough to keep them away from the trophy.

I’m going with the Authors here but I’m really not sure on it. Either team could win here but it basically comes down to who you see getting the next title shot. Either team could face either champions but I just can’t imagine giving the Authors their first loss just yet. They seem to be the team that dominates the titles until someone breaks through to take them down and that’s a long term feud instead of a one off loss. So yeah, the Authors take the tournament in a good match.

Speaking of the Tag Team Titles, let’s look at what should be a classic between DIY and the defending Revival in a 2/3 falls match. These teams have traded wins for months now and this should be the big blowoff. Their previous match got rave reviews and I see no reason this one shouldn’t be just as good if not even better.

I’ll go with the champs finally dropping the titles here as Revival has held them for a long time now and, assuming I’m right about the tournament final, there’s no one left for them to fight. This is likely going to be the treat of the show though and I can’t imagine it doesn’t go three falls. NXT knows how to do those white hot near falls as well as anyone has ever done and that’s what we’re going to get here, along with new champions.

That leaves us with what should be one of the most violent brawls NXT has ever seen as NXT Champion Shinsuke Nakamura defends against Samoa Joe. These two had a huge match back in Brooklyn, which wasn’t quite the wild brawl that everyone was expecting. However, that’s the story they’ve been setting up here and these two are more than capable of pulling it off.

As great a fighter as Joe is, it’s WAY too early to take the title off of Nakamura just yet. He’ll need about three Kinshasas but it’s going to be enough to take Joe down. This is going to be in the vein of Nakamura vs. Sami Zayn from earlier in the year where both guys were barely able to stand but that’s exactly where Nakamura shines. It’s going to be a blast and that’s what this show needs.

There’s also the possibility of a six woman tag being added with Billie Kay/Peyton Royce/??? vs. Liv Morgan/Aliyah/Ember Moon, though I’d bet on that taking place on NXT next week. As for a partner, I’d guess the Aussies bring in some lower level name like Daria Berenato, who can get a nice rub on a big show as a result. Either way, I’ll take Morgan’s team as either she or Moon will be the big challenger to Asuka going forward.

The thing to remember about Takeover is that while a lot of the matches aren’t in question, the fun part is in the journey. It’s going to be a lot of fun to see most of these matches, which have potential to be something special. The main event and Tag Team Title matches in particular should blow the roof off the place (assume it’s fixed in between) and that’s going to make for one heck of a kickoff to this huge weekend.

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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I don’t think it’s much of a secret that the time is coming to call up some new names from NXT to the main roster. With Wrestlemania coming up in a few months and the Royal Rumble about two and a half months away, it’s really not going to be a big surprise to see someone from NXT make the jump. Given the upcoming Takeover match against Shinsuke Nakamura, it’s hard to imagine that it won’t be Samoa Joe. Today we’re going to take a quick look at where he goes from there, because there are a lot of possibilities.

It’s really not a secret that Joe is on his way up. A quick search on WWE.com shows you all these cool moments from Joe’s NXT run, it’s pretty clear that WWE knows they’ve got something here. Joe is getting a bit older (he’ll be 38 in March) so it’s time to go somewhere with him now.

Assuming you bring Joe up at the Rumble, you can get him into a big match at Wrestlemania in his old TNA stomping grounds. It’s probably too early to put him with Brock Lesnar, but there’s always the option of something like Randy Orton. I wouldn’t go with John Cena just yet because you don’t want Joe’s potential being wasted and I can’t imagine Joe going over Cena that early.

I really don’t want to see him against someone bigger like Wyatt. Joe is almost always at his best as a monster, namely against someone he can throw around really easily. That choke looks great on someone who can’t get out of it and there’s a name that would fit that role perfectly: the Miz.

Let’s think about this for a minute. Over the last few months, Miz has tormented Daniel Bryan about not being able to get in the ring again. Assuming Bryan actually can’t go again (which I’m assuming he can’t), the idea of Bryan bringing in someone like Joe, who traveled a lot of the same paths he did, to beat the heck out of Miz in that hard style that Daniel always talks about is as perfect as it gets. Well, assuming it’s Joe coming up and not Nakamura.

It’s really hard to imagine that Joe stays in NXT much longer. It’s also easy to suggest that Joe winds up on Smackdown (there’s something cool about Joe either working for/against American Alpha), which would make a lot more sense for him than to wind up on the mess that is Raw. He’s a power submission wrestler who would fit in perfectly on the main roster and it’s going to be a lot of fun when he winds up on the big show.

NXT
Date: November 9, 2016
Location: Full Sail University, Winter Park, Florida
Commentators: Tom Phillips, Corey Graves

We’re about a week and a half away from Takeover: Toronto and that means we’re in the final drive to the big show. There’s a good chance we’re going to see the semifinals of the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic tonight but on top of that we’ll be seeing the contract signing for the NXT Title match between Shinsuke Nakamura and Samoa Joe. Let’s get to it.

Opening sequence.

We go to the Performance Center to preview the two tournament matches tonight.

Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic: DIY vs. Authors of Pain

From Los Angeles. Ciampa and Akum start things off with Tommaso being thrown all over the place. Gargano comes in and gets the same treatment as everything breaks down. DIY cleans house with strikes to the face and a double clothesline as the Authors are knocked outside. A suicide dive doesn’t work for Gargano so Ciampa tries one of his own, only to have the Authors throw Johnny at Tommaso for a big crash as we take a break.

Back with Gargano in more trouble as Akum sends him head first into the buckle, leaving Johnny looking like he’s on another planet. An over the shoulder backbreaker makes things worse until Gargano grabs a DDT. The hot tag brings in Ciampa to clean house a bit and a German suplex sends Razar flying.

Razar is right back in though and gives Ciampa a Samoan drop while hitting a fall away slam on Gargano at the same time. Those are two full size men being thrown at the same time. THAT’S NOT NORMAL. DIY gets in their double strike but Ellering offers the distraction. It’s quite the distraction too as the Revival is able to sneak out from underneath the ring to lay out Gargano, leaving Ciampa to take the Last Chapter for the pin at 13:25.

Rating: B-. NXT never lets me down. I was worried that they were going to have one of these teams lose clean but since this is a promotion that makes sense, there was Revival to keep things from getting too over the top. The match was entertaining as well and it’s going to be DIY vs. Revival somewhere down the line, which is all they need to do.

Tye Dillinger is ticked off and wants to take out Bobby Roode in Dusty’s memory.

Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic Semifinals: TM61 vs. Sanity

From Los Angeles again. Sanity jumps Thorn and Miller from behind to start and we take a break with TM61 in trouble before the opening bell. Back with Miller nowhere in sight as Thorn takes a beating from both monsters. Alexander does some weird dance before rubbing his forearm in Thorn’s face. Miller finally gets on the apron, only to be knocked right back to the floor. An errant uppercut takes out Wolfe though and the hot tag brings Miller in to clean house. Everything breaks down and Eric Young goes after Miller, only to have Thorn hit a quick dropkick into a rollup on Wolfe to advance at 6:42.

Rating: C. TM61 still has some work to do but I’m starting to get into them as a team. The problem is they’re having to compete with the Revival and DIY, who have turned this into an art form and are replacing American Alpha, who might have been even better. You could have penciled TM61 in as soon as the Authors won and there’s nothing wrong with that.

William Regal makes DIY vs. Revival for the Tag Team Titles in a 2/3 falls match at Takeover. I love that one of NXT’s biggest gimmick matches is to have more wrestling instead of some weapon or contraption.

Roode will prove that Dillinger is a perfect loser.

Ember Moon vs. Rachel Evers

That would be the former Rachel Ellering and I’m sure it’s no coincidence that she was trained by Lance Storm (real name Lance Evers). Ember offers a freaky smile to start and gets two off a rollup. Something like a nip up into a hurricanrana puts Evers down again, only to have her duck a springboard crossbody. We hit the chinlock for a bit before Ember pops up and clotheslines the heck out of Rachel. The Eclipse wraps Evers up at 3:13.

Rating: D+. Just a step above a squash here as Ember is definitely being groomed as the next challenger for Asuka, which is the best option NXT has. She’s just weird enough to throw Asuka off her game and that Eclipse is one of the best looking finishers I’ve seen in a long time. Good performance here, as is almost always the case for Moon.

Regal brings out Shinsuke Nakamura and Samoa Joe for the contract signing. The ring is full of security but Joe goes back to the entrance and sets up his own table and chair on the stage. Joe doesn’t think Regal is concerned with his safety so business will be conducted from up here.

Nakamura is some kind of rabid animal but Joe is the kind of man that can come to that ring and have him stretchered out at any time. Joe orders Regal to bring him the contract and the boss actually does so, allowing Joe to sign. The disgusted Regal brings the contract back to Nakamura, who beats up the security. One of the guards is powerbombed through the table and the contract is signed to end the show.

Overall Rating: C. I’m getting a bit tired of the tournament as we’ve done almost nothing but work on it for the last two weeks. NXT is usually a lot better at spacing something like that out but next week is the go home show, meaning we’re only going to get the big build to Toronto plus a few matches. I certainly wasn’t bored here but I saw all four of these teams last week, meaning this wasn’t the most interesting show in the world.

Results

Authors of Pain b. DIY – Last Chapter to Ciampa

TM61 b. Sanity – Rollup to Wolfe

Ember Moon b. Rachel Evers – Eclipse

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up my new book, KB’s Complete 2014 Raw and Smackdown Reviews Part I at Amazon for just $3.99 at:

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NXT
Date: October 19, 2016
Location: Full Sail University, Winter Park, Florida
Commentators: Tom Phillips, Corey Graves

We’re getting closer to the second round of the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic and it’s also the start of a fresh taping cycle. The other interesting story is the return of Shinsuke Nakamura to go after Samoa Joe. It’s fairly obvious that they’ll be facing each other again in Toronto. Let’s get to it.

We open with a look back at Nakamura being laid out about a month ago but coming back last week to go after Samoa Joe.

Opening sequence.

Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic First Round: Rich Swann/No Way Jose vs. Tony Nese/Drew Gulak

It should be interesting to see this work so much better here than it would on Raw. Rich and Drew start things off as the fans aren’t sure which good guy to cheer for. It’s time for some fast flipping to start with Rich bouncing over Drew and handing it off to Jose for the big guy dancing. Nese comes in and eats a big flapjack (that sounds good) for two. Some quick kicks put Jose down for two but it’s back to Rich for some kicks to the chest. They head outside and it’s Nese superkicking (of course) Swann as we take a break.

Back with Gulak and Swann clotheslining each other for a double knockdown. That means a double tag off to Jose and Nese with the dancing one turning Tony inside out off a clothesline. Gulak gets thrown into the air and punched right in the jaw (better than most Superman Punches) for two with Nese making the save. The full nelson slam ends Gulak at 10:40.

Rating: C+. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Jose is WAY too talented for this dancing party guy gimmick. He looked even more like a star than usual here as he was towering over the other three and was able to show off with the power game. It really is amazing how much more interesting the cruiserweights are when they’re in front of a crowd that actually wants to see them.

Rich and Jose are ready for the Authors of Pain, who better not look past them. Dancing ensues.

Quick discussion of Hideo Itami’s injury, meaning he’s out of the tournament.

We look back at Glorious Ten splitting up.

Tye Dillinger has requested and been granted a match against Bobby Roode in Toronto.

Austin Aries would rather talk about potassium instead of his surprise partner. The tournament isn’t for everyone, such as Hideo Itami. Hideo is out because an MRI revealed he doesn’t have a spine.

Bobby Roode vs. Sean Maluta

Maluta actually grabs a rollup for an early two but Roode takes his head off with a clothesline. A hard whip into the corner makes it worse for Sean, followed by a spinebuster to break up his comeback. An implant DDT ends Sean at 3:07.

Rating: D+. Just a squash here, which is a good role for some of the lower level cruiserweights. We’ve seen what they can do in the tournament so these wins are more impressive than the ones you see over the run of the mill jobbers. Maluta has a good look and can be pushed if the need ever arrives, just like so many of the other people NXT has been using lately.

Roode laughs off Dillinger’s complaints because Tye was the one who begged Roode to team up for the Dusty Classic. All Roode wanted to do was bring Tye up to a GLORIOUS level. After a line about Klingons, Tye comes out and clears the ring. The fans, who went nuts over Roode’s entrance, give Tye a huge TEN chant.

Liv Morgan is in the back when Peyton Royce and Billie Kay jump her from behind. Morgan is dragged out to the stage and laid out again, leaving Kay and Royce to brag about how this is their division.

Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic First Round: Austin Aries/??? vs. Tucker Knight/Otis Dozovic

Aries’ mystery partner is……the debuting Roderick Strong, who teamed with Aries to win the ROH Tag Team Titles as part of Generation Next. The announcers put Strong over hard, mentioning his matches against people like AJ Styles, Samoa Joe, Daniel Bryan and Kevin Owens. Otis throws Aries around to start before it’s off to Tucker for some hard chops to Strong.

Everything breaks down and Aries has to break up a Vader Bomb from Otis. Aries and Strong start trying to chop down the massive Dozovic but he pretty easily suplexes them both at the same time. The hot tag brings in Knight for a double splash in the corner but he misses a charge and falls outside. Back in and the Sick Kick knocks Knight silly for the pin (ignore the shoulder being up at one) at 6:15.

Rating: B-. It’s strange to see the smaller, faster guys as the heels but this was a better match than I was expecting. Dozovic and Knight are two big power guys and I’m always entertained by seeing guys their size chopped down. Aries/Strong vs. TM61 should be a lot of fun, which is the cool part about tournaments like this one.

Andrade Cien Almas attacked Cedric Alexander over a lack of respect. Now it’s time to take the respect for himself.

Nikki Cross vs. Danielle Kamella

Cross is just as crazy as she used to be and throws Danielle with a suplex. After biting and scratching herself, Nikki ends this with a fisherman’s neckbreaker at 1:20. Total squash.

Nikki keeps beating on Danielle so the referee reverses the decision.

Here’s Shinsuke Nakamura with a message for Samoa Joe. Nakamura confirms the rematch with Samoa Joe in Toronto because he’ll beat Joe with no mercy. This brings out Patrick Clark, who wants the title shot for himself. Instead he gets a kick to the head, only to have Joe come out for the big staredown. Joe stays on the ramp while Clark eats Kinshasa to end the show.

Overall Rating: B. I had a really good time here as they covered almost everything that’s likely to be taking place at Takeover: Toronto in less than an hour. We had good tag wrestling, a debut, story advancement and a hot ending. In other words, things you rarely get on Raw and/or Smackdown and in even less time. NXT knows how to turn on the jets whenever they need to and that’s exactly what they’ve done again here.

Results

No Way Jose/Rich Swann b. Tony Nese/Drew Gulak – Full nelson slam to Gulak

Bobby Roode b. Sean Maluta – Implant DDT

Austin Aries/Roderick Strong b. Tucker Knight/Otis Dozovic – Sick Kick to Otis

Danielle Kamella b. Nikki Cross via referee’s decision

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up my new book, KB’s Complete 2014 Raw and Smackdown Reviews Part I 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: October 12, 2016
Location: Full Sail University, Winter Park, Florida
Commentators: Tom Phillips, Corey Graves

We’re still in the first round of the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic but more importantly we’re seeing more in the Samoa Joe path of rage as he tries to get his NXT Title back. In the next few weeks we should also be seeing more matches announced for the upcoming Takeover: Toronto special. Let’s get to it.

Opening sequence.

Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic First Round: Sanity vs. Glorious Ten

Before Sanity comes out, we have Roode and Dillinger exchanging cheers from the crowd. Sanity are four people in masks and leather jackets who receive a rather impressed reaction. Two of them take off their masks to reveal Sawyer Fulton and Alexander Wolfe, both of whom attack Dillinger while Roode stays on the floor. The double teaming continues with Roode walking away just over a minute and a half in to make this a handicap match. A powerslam/suplex combo put Dillinger away at 1:59.

The smallest member of Sanity (a woman named Nikki Cross) beats on Dillinger until the leader gives Dillinger a wheelbarrow suplex into a neckbreaker. The leader is…..Eric Young. Granted the Canadian flag patch on his jacket was a bit of a hint.

Billie Kay and Peyton Royce laugh off the idea of fighting Liv Morgan because she has no friends.

Roode blames Dillinger for what happened because Roode isn’t a tag wrestler.

Liv Morgan vs. Billie Kay

Morgan starts with a dropkick and backslide for two before a gutbuster gets two for Billie. The torture rack with an arm trap makes it even worse for Morgan until an STO gets her out of trouble. Not that it matters though as Royce trips Morgan, allowing Billie to hit the big boot for the pin at 3:30.

Rating: D+. Neither of these two are worth much at the moment but NXT has indeed managed to start turning them into something more than random talent. Maybe they’re going to build Morgan up someday but at the moment she’s glorified cannon fodder for the heels of the division.

We look back at Andrade Cien Almas turning on Cedric Alexander last week.

Almas yelled in Spanish after last week’s show.

Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic First Round: TM61 vs. Tino Sabbatelli/Riddick Moss

Moss (formerly known as Mike Rawlis) and Sabbatelli compete against each other so often that they figured they might as well team up. Miller starts with Moss and it’s TM61 taking over early on. Thorn comes in with a slingshot senton until Tino low bridges him out to the floor. Back from a break with Tino coming in for some forearms to the chest as the crowd is split on him.

Sabbatelli starts cranking on an armbar and we get some muscular posing. Moss gets in some trash talking but walks into a jawbreaker. The hot tag brings in Miller to clean house as everything breaks down. Sabbatelli’s interference doesn’t work and it’s Thunder Valley for the pin on Tino at 12:02.

Rating: C. Sabbatelli is an interesting case as he looks great and has the athletic background from being in the NFL but he definitely needs ring time and experience. Moss was a more intense version of the guy we’ve seen for a long time now. TM61 is slowly growing on me but I haven’t seen that great performance from them yet.

Buddy Murphy vs. Wesley Blake

Murphy has had a run of bad luck such as travel issues and having his furniture sold for not paying the bill on his storage unit. They stare at each other to start as the fans are more into Blake than Murphy. Buddy nips to his feet and both guys try big kicks at the same time. Blake is knocked out to the floor so Murphy hits a big running flip dive to take over. Fan: “MAMA MIA!” Cue Samoa Joe to jump Murphy for the DQ at 3:12.

Rating: C-. This didn’t have time to go anywhere but Murphy continues to look very good in the smaller sample sizes. He’s got a somewhat better look and is much better than Blake in the ring but for some reason they won’t just let these two split up. Joe coming in is probably the best outcome though as I don’t know how long these two could hold a crowd.

Joe says time is up so Regal needs to bring him Shinsuke Nakamura or his title. After a break, here’s Nakamura with a quickly removed neckbrace. The fight is on and security is suddenly the most hated team in the building. Their attempt to break up the fight goes nowhere and it continues on the ramp with Nakamura kicking Joe low.

Nakamura is dragged backstage but comes right back, only to be taken back again and again. Joe walks away on his own while Nakamura fights security. The distracted Nakamura is blindsided by Joe but nails Kinshasa inside to end the show. That’s more emotion than I’ve ever seen from Nakamura and it added another gear to his awesomeness.

Overall Rating: B. It’s back to what makes NXT great as we had a show dedicated to moving things forward this week. We now have half of the second round set for the Dusty Classic, the reveal of Sanity and Nakamura returning for the showdown with Joe. This felt like a show designed to make you want to see more in the future and it worked very well in that regard. The wrestling wasn’t the point here and the storytelling more than makes up for it.

Results

Sanity b. Glorious Ten – Powerslam/suplex combo to Dillinger

Billie Kay b. Liv Morgan – Big boot

TM61 b. Tino Sabbatelli/Riddick Moss – Thunder Valley to Sabbatelli

Buddy Murphy b. Wesley Blake via DQ when Samoa Joe interfered

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up my new book, KB’s Complete 2014 Raw and Smackdown Reviews Part I at Amazon for just $3.99 at:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01LY6766K#nav-subnav

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

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

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

We’re slowly making our way to Toronto but first we need to get to the end of this taping cycle. The big story here is still Samoa Joe vs. Shinsuke Nakamura, which is probably going to headline the next Takeover. Other than that we have Bobby Roode vs. No Way Jose in a match that could have the crowd reacting in multiple ways. Let’s get to it.

Opening sequence.

Here’s Samoa Joe to get things going. Joe talks about how a man reaches a point where he knows something has changed. As NXT Champion, he was a disgrace. He ran roughshod over NXT for a year because he wanted to be the champion of the hottest brand in the WWE Universe. Joe requests and receives an appearance from Shinsuke Nakamura. They said a lot of things leading up to their match in Brooklyn and Joe meant every bit of it, including saying that Nakamura was an undeserving contender.

Standing here now though, he knows Nakamura is a worthy champion. Joe has a guaranteed rematch but instead of cashing it in, he wants to ask Nakamura for the shot man to man. The champ says it’s on and very tentatively shakes Joe’s hand. Joe leaves Nakamura to pose but comes back out and jumps the champ on the stage. Nakamura is whipped into and Rock Bottomed onto the steps as Joe shouts that he did this to Shinsuke. Joe leaves and Nakamura is taken out on a stretcher. Even William Regal and Corey Graves come out to check on Nakamura as he’s wheeled away.

Graves and Phillips talk about how serious this is. It actually feels better here as this almost never happens around here, which is the case with almost every big angle they do.

Regal goes to find Joe but he pulls away in a car.

Liv Morgan vs. Rachel Fazio

Rachel used to be known as Rachel Ellering. Morgan works on a front facelock to start as we hear that Nakamura has been taken to a medical facility. A running dropkick staggers Rachel but Liv doesn’t seem to know what to do next. Morgan grabs a guillotine choke (which she barely keeps on) for the tap at 1:51. This really didn’t work with Liv looking very sloppy.

Post match Liv grabs the mic and yells at Rachel for tapping out. The word on the street is that the NXT Women’s division needs more challengers so she’s throwing her hat in the ring to face Asuka.

Hideo Itami vs. Drew Gulak

Gulak gets in his face to start and they hit the mat for some submission attempts. Drew goes with a slap to the face so Itami gives him one right back. It’s time for some kicks to the face with Itami getting in a running boot but running into a dropkick for his efforts. Drew starts in on the leg but thinks it’s a good idea to slap Hideo in the face. The beating is on in a hurry and the GTS ends Gulak at 4:55.

Rating: C+. They kept it simple here by having Itami strike as hard as he can and Gulak trying to do the submissions to keep Itami in check. Itami is going to be a big deal in NXT but I’m still not entirely sold on him. He really doesn’t have a character aside from hard striker and while he does that as well as anyone else, I don’t know how far it’s going to take him.

Authors of Pain vs. Doug Sessa/Chris Payne

Razar drops Sessa with a spinning elbow to the face and it’s off to Akum for forearms to the chest. Payne (not named until after the match) tries to come in and gets a double powerbomb. The running clothesline/Russian legsweep combo ends Doug at 1:51.

Tye Dillinger is ready to prove that he really is a perfect ten.

No Way Jose vs. Bobby Roode

Roode is introduced on a spinning pedestal and the fans sing his song. His entrance in Toronto is going to be amaz…..perfec…..blast it why can’t I think of the right word for it? Roode takes him down to start and does a pose, sending the fans into song. A headlock doesn’t do anything for Roode so Jose slam him to take over. Fans: “YOU’RE NOT GLORIOUS!”

Jose sends him outside for a running forearm off the apron and we take a break. It’s good to hear the No Way Jose song as the commercial starts as Jose deserves some cheering despite being against the hottest act in the promotion. Back with Roode sending Jose into the buckle and getting two off a delayed vertical suplex. Jose fights out of a chinlock and puts on the airplane spin. The Baseball punch misses and Roode finishes with an implant DDT at 11:00.

Rating: C+. Fine match here with Roode doing just enough to win while Jose doesn’t lose any face by going down against a bigger name. Roode is red hot right now and they would be crazy to not give him something big at the Toronto Takeover. I’d like to see Jose as something a bit more serious though as there’s a lot of potential there. Good stuff here and probably most importantly: Roode changed finishers. The implant DDT isn’t great but it’s way better than a pumphandle slam.

Overall Rating: C. This show was a bit off as it felt like the first and last segments should have been swapped. Roode winning is fine but the opening segment took a lot out of the crowd, especially in the next match or two. Still though, it was a show that up some stuff going forward and let some people get needed wins. It’s more effective than good and that’s ok for a week.

Results

Liv Morgan b. Rachel Fazio – Guillotine choke

Hideo Itami b. Drew Gulak – GTS

Authors of Pain b. Doug Sessa/Chris Payne – Running clothesline/Russian legsweep combo to Sessa

Bobby Roode b. No Way Jose – Implant DDT

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