NXT
Date: March 22, 2022
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Wade Barrett

Stand & Deliver is coming up soon and now we have the main event set, as Bron Breakker will get his rematch against Dolph Ziggler for the NXT Title. Other than that, we have some qualifying matches for the North American Title ladder match and the finals of the Women’s Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic. Let’s get to it.

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

Trick Williams and North American Champion Carmelo Hayes arrive and don’t care about who make it into the ladder match.

North American Title Ladder Match Qualifying Match: Roderick Strong vs. Solo Sikoa

Malcolm Bivens is at ringside. Strong grabs a choke to start as Carmelo Hayes and Trick Williams join commentary. Sikoa fights out and the strike off is on, with Strong getting knocked down against the ropes. Back up and Strong knocks him down again to take over, setting up the reverse chinlock. That’s broken up and Strong chops up against the ropes with a knee to the ribs getting two.

A powerslam gives Strong two more and here is Santos Escobar sauntering down to ringside. Sikoa tosses his way out of the corner to start the comeback though and some right hands set up a headbutt to put Strong down again. The Samoan drop gets two and Malcolm Bivens is starting to panic. Sikoa gets crotched on top but Strong’s superplex is broken up. The Superfly Splash sends Sikoa to Stand & Deliver at 9:18.

Rating: C. This was pretty simple and to the point and the right person won. Strong might not be the most interesting star in the world but he is going to give you at least a decent match every time. That is the kind of guy you can use on a show full of inexperienced guys and he was doing hit thing again here.

Persia Pirotta and Indi Hartwell bickered about men earlier today, setting up Pirotta and Duke Hudson being at ringside for Dexter Lumis’ match tonight.

Tony D’Angelo vs. Dexter Lumis

Indi Hartwell, Persia Pirotta and Duke Hudson are here too. Dexter scares him into the ropes to start but the early Silencer is broken up. D’Angelo hammers away until a fall away slam sends D’Angelo flying. A slam into the jumping legdrop gets two and we hit the chinlock until D’Angelo jawbreaks his way to freedom.

They fight outside with D’Angelo sending him into the steps and doing Tommaso Ciampa’s pat on the back as we take a break. Back with Lumis hammering away, setting up a bulldog and a belly to back suplex. A double clothesline puts both of them down so D’Angelo goes over to his crowbar. Pirotta tries to take it away from him but the crowbar gets swung into Lumis’ face. The swinging fisherman’s neckbreaker finishes Lumis at 10:32.

Rating: C. The stuff with the woman continues to be one of the dumbest things going on around here and this didn’t help things. D’Angelo’s gimmick is still as over the top as it gets in NXT, but he can have a pretty good match and is certainly dedicated to what he is doing. He also needs the boost on the way to Stand & Deliver so they had the right idea here.

Post match D’Angelo talks about how Tommaso Ciampa knew he was done last week and the new Don of NXT arrives at Stand & Deliver. Cue Ciampa through the crowd with the Fairy Tale Ending to lay D’Angelo out. Stand & Deliver might be Ciampa’s final chapter in NXT and he’s writing his own fair tale ending.

Robert Roode isn’t happy that people have forgotten what he has done around here. Dolph Ziggler wants Roode to take out Bron Breakker tonight before Stand & Deliver.

Grayson Waller is ready to go to Stand & Deliver and will take out A-Kid to get there.

Elektra Lopez vs. Fallon Henley

Legado del Fantasma, Brooks Jensen and Josh Briggs are all here. Lopez jumps her to start and stomps away against the ropes. A toss by the throat sends Henley flying and we hit the double arm crank with feet in Henley’s back. Hold on though as the guys brawl on the floor, allowing Henley to get in an elbow for two. Lopez isn’t having that though and it’s a Blue Thunder Bomb to give Lopez the pin at 3:42.

Rating: C-. The lack of Briggs and Jensen talking made this that much better, as Henley continues to be worth a look and Lopez is getting the near monster vibe down. You can pencil in the six person tag pretty soon and that is not a bad use for everyone involved in this whole thing. The match wasn’t great, but Lopez threw Henley around well enough to make it work.

Draco Anthony is in the back when Xyon Quinn comes in. Anthony gets a call from Joe Gacy, who basically invites him to join the cult. Quinn says Anthony knows what he has to do.

Wendy Choo has had a lot of orange soda and is ready to win the Dusty Classic. Dakota Kai wasn’t sure about the team but now she knows it was the right thing to do.

Robert Roode vs. Bron Breakker

Dolph Ziggler joins commentary as Roode runs Breakker over to start. Breakker shows him how to shoulder someone down and then it’s a powerslam to drop Roode again. They go to the floor for more brawling until a Ziggler distraction lets Roode stomp away back inside. A suplex drops Breakker but he’s right back up with a certainly not Steiner Line. Breakker misses a charge into the post thanks to Ziggler, which is enough for an ejection.

We take a break and come back with Roode hitting a Scott Steiner style elbow drop into the pushups. This means it’s time for commentary to say they know who that’s referencing without actually saying it. Breakker fights up and takes him into the corner for a top rope Frankensteiner, only for Roode to come back with a spinebuster for two.

The Glorious DDT is broken up but a spear is cut off with a knee. The second attempt at the spear cuts Roode down for two. Breakker’s gorilla press doesn’t work and the Glorious DDT gives Roode two. Back up and Roode heads to the middle rope, only to dive into Breakker’s powerslam for the pin at 15:10.

Rating: C+. Again, putting someone as new as Breakker into a match like this with someone as talented as Roode is a good idea. Let people like Roode and Ziggler walk Breakker through the match to help with the inexperience, which you can still see at times. There are points where Breakker doesn’t seem to know what to do so having a veteran out there can help bring him back on track. It’s a good idea and he made it through a fifteen minute match as a result.

Post match Ziggler superkicks Breakker and says the title stays with him until he gives it away.

Indi Hartwell is checking on Dexter Lumis when Persia Pirotta and Duke Hudson come up. Pirotta says Hudson can beat anyone so Dexter….goes over to his sketch pad, where somehow he draws a picture of Gunther (in two colors despite using one marker).

We go back to Chase U where Bodie Hayward gives a speech on fortitude about Von Wagner attacking him. A student raises his hand, earning himself a profanity laden rant. Chase asks where Hayward learned to talk like that, with Hayward saying it was from Chase himself. After a second of thought, Chase says that’s one of the most beautiful things he’s ever heard and yells at the student too. This continues to be one of the funniest things going in NXT.

North American Title Ladder Match Qualifying Match: Grayson Waller vs. A-Kid

A-Kid starts fast with a springboard hurricanrana and an armdrag into a dropkick. Waller takes him down, only to get hurricanranaed again. There’s a dropkick to send him outside so Waller tries the rolling Stunner, only to get reversed into a choke. That’s reversed into a suplex and now the rolling Stunner connects for the pin on A-Kid at 2:48. Well it was nice while it lasted with him.

Post match Carmelo Hayes and Trick Williams pops up to say the three losers in the qualifying matches can have a triple threat for the final spot. That means it’s A-Kid vs. Cameron Grimes vs. Roderick Strong. Williams suggests he’ll be with A-Kid’s mom tonight so A-Kid kicks him in the head.

Robert Stone and Von Wagner are ready for next week when the attractive woman who has been around Stone in recent weeks comes up, saying they need to talk business.

Creed Brothers vs. Grizzled Young Veterans

The Veterans talk about jumping the Creeds before the match and then do just that. Brutus says ring the bell and then suplexes Drake around without much trouble. The Veterans get Brutus into the corner to start hammering away but it’s off to Julius without much effort. A Stretch Muffler sends Gibson straight to the ropes so Drake can come back in.

Brutus gets knocked off the apron but Julius slugs away at both of them. Gibson grabs the leg though and Drake takes over again, meaning Julius can get forearmed down. What looks to be a Doomsday Device is loaded up but Julius slips out and Drake tweaks his knee. A shot to the knee sets up Brutus’ sliding lariat for the pin at 4:14.

Rating: C. They have something with the Creeds but like so many others around here, the team needs some more polish (and some better looking gear). The good thing is they have time to fix things up, even though it seems likely that the Creeds get the Tag Team Titles in the near future. As for the Veterans…dang they could have been a heck of a team around here but it isn’t likely to ever happen.

Post match a camera pops up in Diamond Mine’s locker room, showing two people trashing it. Texts appear on screen, saying the Creed Brothers can’t find them, so enjoy the view.

Gunther vs. Duke Hudson

The rest of Imperium and Persia Pirotta are here. Gunther grabs a headlock to start but Hudson slips out and fires off some right hands. Hudson’s elbow cuts off a charge as the camera cuts are on in rapid fire. Some chops cut Hudson down and Gunther cranks on the neck. There’s the big chop to rip Hudson’s skin off (that thing echoed) and the fans are VERY impressed. The sleeper is broken up and Hudson hits a big boot. A slingshot German suplex (that’s a new one) gets two and Gunther isn’t having any more of this. He unloads on Hudson in the corner and it’s a big boot into a powerbomb to finish Hudson at 3:52.

Rating: C+. That chop alone is worth the bonus points here as Gunther basically mauled Hudson. That’s a lot better than focusing on Hartwell vs. Pirotta again and it’s always nice to see Gunther getting to smash someone. Hudson is someone worth a look most of the time, but he had no business hanging in there with Gunther any longer than he did here.

Post match Gunther says he’s the toughest competitor around here and doesn’t like someone like LA Knight….and that’s enough for Knight to come to the ring. Gunther cuts off the catchphrase and says Knight needs to listen. Knight threatens to knock Gunther’s block head off his dad body before suggesting a match at Stand & Deliver. Instead of issuing the challenge though, Knight hits him in the face so the beatdown is on, with MSK running in for the save. Imperium is cleared out in a hurry.

Video on Cameron Grimes being disappointed in himself. His dad passed away just after Grimes signed to NXT and now it is time for the most important match of his career. Carmelo Hayes made the announcement of the triple threat match fifteen minutes ago and Grimes had time to get a video made, complete with clips of his dad edited in?

Women’s Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic Finals: Wendy Choo/Dakota Kai vs. Io Shirai/Kay Lee Ray

Toxic Attraction is at ringside. Ray and Choo exchange chops to start until Choo gets a near fall off a rollup. Kai comes in to kick Ray in the face for two but it’s off to Shirai to take over. The 619 is loaded up but only hits Choo’s raised pillow. Kai is sent outside anyway and Ray dives onto Choo. Shirai does the same to Kai and we take a break.

Back with Ray in trouble and getting taken off the top in a big crash. Shirai comes in for the save and everything breaks down, with Ray hitting a top rope flip dive. Kai kicks Ray down though and Choo hits the top rope Vader Bomb. Shirai dropkicks Kai into the cover for the save and then butterfly backbreakers Kai down. The KLR Bomb sets up the Moons Over Moonsault for the pin on Choo at 10:18 to give Ray and Shirai the tournament.

Rating: C+. They went with the right choice here as it was the better and more talented team winning over the underdogs. That’s how you have to go to make the tournament sound more legitimate, even if the whole thing felt like some thrown together requirement. Choo was more tolerable here as she wasn’t doing as much shtick (pillow spot aside) and got to show how good she can be in the ring when you ignore the ridiculous gimmick. I can go with that, and maybe now they can find something else for her.

Post match confetti falls but Toxic Attraction gets in the ring, with Mandy Rose saying Ray and Shirai won’t be winning the Tag Team Titles. Ray and Shirai say they’re ready to take out Toxic Attraction, but instead of going after the Tag Team Titles, they’ll use their title shot to make the Women’s Title match a fatal four way (because that’s a thing that can be done apparently). The brawl is on with Cora Jade running in to help clear out Toxic Attraction to end the show. It’s a weird way to get there but I’ll take the four way over the worthless Tag Team Titles.

Overall Rating: C+. The show had more bad than good, but the bad continues to be some really dreadful stuff. The good thing is we have Stand & Deliver all but set and that is going to make the next few weeks a lot better. They moved a lot of stuff forward this week and helped set up the big show’s card so it was certainly a productive week, which is more than you get around here sometimes. Good enough show and the better stuff seems ready to come.

Results
Solo Sikoa b. Roderick Strong – Superfly Splash
Tony D’Angelo b. Dexter Lumis – Fisherman’s neckbreaker
Elektra Lopez b. Fallon Henley – Blue Thunder Bomb
Grayson Waller b. A-Kid – Rolling Stunner
Creed Brothers b. Grizzled Young Veterans – Sliding lariat to Drake
Gunther b. Duke Hudson – Powerbomb
Kay Lee Ray/Io Shirai b. Wendy Choo/Dakota Kai – Moons Over Moonsault to Choo

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

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NXT
Date: March 1, 2022
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Wade Barrett

We are about a month away from Stand & Deliver, which could stand to deliver some of its card this week. You can all but guarantee Bron Breakker defending the NXT Title against Dolph Ziggler, but they are going to need something a little bit better than that. Those two are in a tag match this week so let’s get to it.

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

Bron Breakker/Tommaso Ciampa vs. Dolph Ziggler/Robert Roode

Ciampa is in a Breakker style singlet here, which commentary calls Steiner-esque. Roode throws in a big bonus with the GLORIOUS theme It’s a brawl in the aisle to start with Ciampa hitting a big slingshot corkscrew dive to take out both of them in the floor. We settle down for the opening bell with Ciampa working on Ziggler and handing it off to Breakker, who gets dropped by Roode’s neckbreaker.

Ziggler grabs a chinlock but Breakker fights up and hands it off to Ciampa to clean house. A double clothesline looks to set up the Fairy Tale Ending but Roode drives him into the corner to escape. Roode’s spinebuster gets two and we take a break. Back with Ciampa getting caught in the wrong corner, setting up a powerbomb/neckbreaker combination for two.

Ciampa fights out of trouble though and the hot tag brings in Breakker to wreck both of them with suplexes. The Steiner efforts continue with Ciampa playing Rick in a Steiner Bulldog for two on Ziggler with Roode having to make the save. Ziggler’s rollup gets two but the Fairy Tale Ending gives Ciampa the pin at 15:03.

Rating: B-. Anything involving more of the Steiners is a good thing and that was the case here. Ciampa might not be Rick, but they had a good match here, especially with Breakker getting to wreck things. I’m not sure why Ziggler took the fall here with the title shot coming up, but Ciampa getting a win is a nice thing, as he could be in for a big Stand & Deliver match of his own.

LA Knight wants us to call someone and tell us to watch him call out Grayson Waller. I called a local beekeeper and told him to watch. He didn’t know who LA Knight or Grayson Waller were and yelled at me for disturbing him and his bees. Then he screamed because the bees were annoyed and stung him. But I did call like Knight told me to.

Gunther is ready for Solo Sikoa.

Here is LA Knight for a chat. He goes over his history with Grayson Waller, including some still photos. Cue Waller with Sanga on the platform, with Waller saying everyone sucks and goodbye. Knight shows us a shot of Knight standing over him last week. That was 2-0 for Knight, which is enough for Waller to agree to one more match next week: Last Man Standing. Works for Knight.

Persia Pirotta and Indi Hartwell make sure they are both focused, though Pirotta sneaks off to text someone.

We look back at the first matches of this year’s women’s Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic.

Women’s Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic: Indi Hartwell/Persia Pirotta vs. Dakota Kai/Wendy Choo

Toxic Attraction is watching from the balcony. Choo tries a drop toehold on Pirotta but stops to play peek-a-boo. Pirotta isn’t impressed and takes him into the corner, allowing the tag off to Hartwell. Choo isn’t having that and brings in Kai, for a double whip into the corner. A double faceplant gives Choo two but Hartwell elbows her down.

Hartwell grabs a top wristlock but Choo small packages her and rolls over to Kai for the hot tag. The running kick in the corner rocks Hartwell, who is over for the tag to Pirotta without much trouble. The fireman’s carry faceplant gets two on Kai, who is right back with a pump kick before knocking Pirotta to the floor. Choo, in slippers, goes up for a top rope Vader Bomb, setting up Kai’s top rope double stomp for the pin at 5:24.

Rating: C. The thrown together wacky team going over the established team? In this tournament? I’m as shocked as you are. The good part about this match is the fact that Persia and Indi are ready to move towards a split, which could make for an interesting story. The match wasn’t anything special, but what are you expecting from a short match with a team thrown together like this?

Video on the Creed Brothers vs. Imperium, who meet for the Tag Team Titles next week.

Lash Legend vs. Amari Miller

This is fallout from Legend blaming Miller for her debut NXT loss. Legend kicks her in the face to start and then bends Miller’s back over her knee. Miller slips out and crawls over to the ropes, allowing her to hit some running kicks of her own. A low superkick sets up a step up moonsault for two on Legend, who pops back to her feet. That means a fireman’s carry slam is enough to finish Miller at 2:56. Miller is getting there but Legend continues to look like she’s in over her head in the ring.

Post match Legend says she’s ready for Nikkita Lyons. Oh boy.

Solo Sikoa wants Gunther to respect him and it’s going to be a fight.

Josh Briggs and Brooks Jensen want to ride something all night. Elektra Lopez comes in and doesn’t like it, but they mean a truck instead of a woman, as she seems to think. Lopez says they wouldn’t know how to handle a real woman, but Jensen says he’s never been with a real woman. Jensen: “BOOM! IN YOUR FACE!” Briggs looks stunned as Lopez walks away.

Gunther vs. Solo Sikoa

Gunther looks like he has slimmed down a lot. Sikoa gets elbowed in the face to start and a slam puts him down again. Some shots to the face stagger Gunther but he knocks Sikoa silly with a boot to the face. Sikoa’s fireman’s carry is broken up and Gunther blasts him with a clothesline.

The Boston crab goes on for a bit, with Sikoa getting out and slowly striking away. This time the Samoan drop connects to send Gunther outside, setting up a splash from the apron. Back in and Sikoa hits a superkick but the Superfly Splash misses. Gunther’s sleeper is broken up with a jawbreaker but he grabs it again and Sikoa…is planted with a powerbomb. Another powerbomb finishes Sikoa at 7:38.

Rating: C+. This was good but it didn’t hit that next level. Maybe it was the lack of believing that Sikoa had a chance, as Gunther seems like he should be a major player around here almost immediately. I was expecting more from Sikoa though, as he was almost squashed here save for a quick run at the end. Still though, Gunther winning is the right call and that is what matters.

Dolph Ziggler is annoyed at his loss but he’s still #1 contender. Tommaso Ciampa comes in to say he beat Ziggler so he should be getting that shot. Cue Bron Breakker, who says he’s ready for anyone at Stand & Deliver. Ciampa says he’s beaten Breakker so Breakker says he’ll beat them both. Ziggler is ready for his title shot next week as Breakker and Ciampa stare at each other.

Joe Gacy is ready to let Harland beat up Draco Anthony, but Anthony isn’t the cause of Harland’s anger.

Indi Hartwell and Persia Pirotta are annoyed at their loss but Duke Hudson comes in to console Pirotta. Hartwell can’t get Dexter Lumis to text her back. Shouldn’t he be here? Like he was last week?

Next week: Bron Breakker defends against Tommaso Ciampa and Dolph Ziggler.

Harland vs. Draco Anthony

Anthony snaps his arm across the top rope to start but gets splashed in the corner for his efforts. Another splash to the back crushes Anthony again but he’s back up with a flying shoulder. Harland slams him face first into the mat to cut Anthony off, setting up the belly to back slam for the pin at 2:29. Harland continues to be rather limited.

Post match Harland hugs the unconscious Anthony.

Carmelo Hayes, with Trick Williams, is ready for Pete Dunne.

Ivy Nile is training and tells Tatum Paxley to be serious if she wants to be part of the Diamond Mine.

Women’s Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic First Round: Cora Jade/Raquel Gonzalez vs. Yulisa Leon/Valentina Feroz

Leon works on Jade’s arm to start so it’s quickly off to Gonzalez. That’s fine with Leon, who brings in Feroz to work on Gonzalez’s arm as well. A sunset bomb does not work for Feroz though, as she gets tossed into the corner. Everything breaks down and Feroz LAUNCHES Leon over the top (the camera angle made that look incredible) onto Gonzalez, with Feroz adding her own dive. Back in and Feroz powerslams Jade for two but Jade gets over for the tag to Gonzalez. The Chingona Bomb plants Feroz and Gonzalez plants Jade on top of her for the pin at 4:48.

Rating: C. That’s how the match should have gone as Jade and Gonzalez have spent weeks being set up. Yes they’re another wacky team, but at least they’re a team with a monster who can run over most of the people she faces. It can be fun to watch Gonzalez wreck people and that is what she did here, even though Feroz and Leon’s big dives looked great.

Sarray shows her sun necklace to a bunch of the women when Tiffany Stratton comes in to call it tacky. Stratton offers one her necklaces but Sarray turns it down, earning herself a beating.

Tony D’Angelo is ready for Stand & Deliver.

Von Wagner vs. Andre Chase

Robert Stone and Bodhi Hayward are here too. Wagner starts fast and knocks him into the corner, setting up the big toss back out of the corner. Chase avoids a shot though and comes back with a knockdown of his own. The CHASE U stomp has Wagner in trouble but Hayward and Stone get into it on the floor. Wagner breaks it up with a punch to Hayward’s eye but Hayward tells Chase to get back in there. That’s what Chase does, and a fireman’s carry neckbreaker (Robert Roode’s Roode Bomb) finishes Chase at 4:05.

Rating: C-. I cannot get into Wagner no matter what he does and this was another good example. He doesn’t do anything outside of the ordinary and a lot of his stuff is just standard power offense. It seems that NXT wants to turn him into something but he feels as midcard heelish as you can get.

Nikkita Lyons is ready to face Lash Legend, perhaps on Lashing Out. That was one of the most awkward sounding promos I have heard in a long time. I don’t know if she was scared or something, but if that is normal for her, she shouldn’t be talking.

North American Title: Carmelo Hayes vs. Pete Dunne

Hayes, with Trick Williams, is defending. They run the ropes to start with neither getting anywhere, so instead it’s an exchange of hard shots to the face until they both go down. Something like the X Plex drops Hayes and we take an early break. Back with Hayes knocking Dunne does again and grabbing a neck crank.

A right hand to the face drops Dunne again but he punches a springboard out of the air. Hayes is fine enough to counter a suplex into a Backstabber for two but Dunne manages a quick Bitter End. The cover takes too long though and Hayes rolls away before Dunne can get on him.

Dunne goes for the fingers but Hayes reverses into the Crossface. Another Bitter end is countered into a suplex into a cutter to put Dunne down again. The top rope ax kick is broken up so Williams tries for a save, only to get his fingers snapped. Hayes shoves Dunne off the top though and finishes with the top rope ax kick to retain at 12:28.

Rating: B. As weird as it still feels to see Dunne taking a fall (even if it wasn’t an entirely clean ending), it’s nice to see Hayes continuing to add to his resume. Hayes has turned into one of the most consistent names in NXT and I’m starting to look forward to his matches. He has solid matches and he’s a good promo. That’s the kind of person NXT should be pushing and that is what they are doing here.

Post match Hayes and Williams brag about the win, with Hayes saying he’s on to Stand & Deliver, where the title will be defended in a ladder match. How long has it been since their last one? A month or so?

Overall Rating: C+. I’m not entirely sure when it happened, but NXT has gotten downright watchable over the last little while. The characters are starting to get established and they aren’t introducing a bunch of new people every week. This show had a lot of matches and some of them were rather quality, with the main event being a good showcase for both of them. Stand & Deliver could be a heck of a show, but it would be nice to actually announce something for the thing.

Results
Bron Breakker/Tommaso Ciampa b. Dolph Ziggler/Robert Roode – Fairy Tale Ending to Ziggler
Wendy Choo/Dakota Kai b. Indi Hartwell/Persia Pirotta – Top rope double stomp to Hartwell
Lash Legend b. Amari Miller – Fireman’s carry slam
Gunther b. Solo Sikoa – Powerbomb
Harland b. Draco Anthony – Belly to back slam
Cora Jade/Raquel Gonzalez b. Yulisa Leon/Valentina Feroz – Splash to Feroz
Von Wagner b. Andre chase – Fireman’s carry neckbreaker
Carmelo Hayes b. Pete Dunne – Top rope ax kick

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

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

AND

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

NXT
Date: February 22, 2022
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Wade Barrett, Vic Joseph

We are done with Vengeance Day and that means it is time to head on to whatever the next special show is going to be. The show is going to need a main event and odds are we will find out what that is tonight as Tommaso Ciampa and Raw’s Dolph Ziggler meet in a #1 contenders match. Let’s get to it.

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

We open with a long Vengeance Day recap.

Here is NXT Champion Bron Breakker for a chat. He talks about Santos Escobar being a tough opponent last week but now it is time for a new opponent. That could be as soon as Stand & Deliver, which will take place over Wrestlemania weekend. Cue Dolph Ziggler, who says he’ll be NXT Champion sooner than later, but the question is whether Breakker will make it to Stand & Deliver as champion.

Tonight, Ziggler is going to take out Tommaso Ciampa and get his title shot, but Breakker wants to fight over Ziggler superkicking him last week. Ziggler says Breakker has the night off this week, meaning he can watch Ziggler do what he does best. These two could make for a good title match and it’s a smart way to use Ziggler to help get Breakker over.

LA Knight vs. Grayson Waller

Sanga is here with Waller, who runs away to start, then does it again for a bonus. Back in and Waller gets in a cheap shot, only to get crotched on top. We take a break and come back with Knight yelling at Sanga and getting sent into the steps as a result. A top rope elbow gives Waller two but he spends way too much time setting up his rolling Stunner (from the floor), allowing Knight to counter it with a belly to back suplex. Knight hits his running clothesline into a backdrop but a Sanga distraction blocks the BFT. Waller grabs a rollup with trunks for the pin at 9:54.

Rating: C. The ending suggests that this is going to keep going and that is not the worst idea. It would make sense for Knight to continue going after Waller, perhaps on his way to the main roster just after Stand & Deliver. I’m not sure if they can stretch it out that far, but Waller getting wins is the right thing if they want him to be such a big deal.

Post match Knight beats on Waller again and drops Sanga with the BFT. Waller gets one as well.

Dakota Kai finds Wendy Choo, who is her partner in the Dusty Cup. Didn’t Kai make it clear last week that they WEREN’T going to team together? Anyway, Kai is upset that Choo is asleep and is worried about having a partner. Choo says Kai has never had her as a partner and leaves. Kai laments to her imaginary/invisible friend.

Cora Jade took Raquel Gonzalez to an adventure park to train and it turns out that Gonzalez is scared of heights. Jade: “You are the height!” They climb on various things and Gonzalez does not take it well, especially the ziplining finale. She finally goes through and her fear is conquered. Now, to conquer the Dusty Cup. This has been your latest example of NO ONE TALKS LIKE THIS!

Toxic Attraction is on the platform in the Toxic Lounge and mock Jade and Gonzalez.

Women’s Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic First Round: Kay Lee Ray/Io Shirai vs. Lash Legend/Amari Miller

Legend shoulders Shirai down to start but Shirai gets over to the apron. She seems to slip off a springboard but a regular dropkick frustrates Legend instead. Miller tags herself in and misses an elbow, allowing Shirai to hit a flapjack. Ray comes in and takes over on Miller, including some hard chops. It’s back to Legend, who gets caught in the KLR Bomb. Shirai’s Moons Over Moonsault finishes Legend off at 2:42. Basically a squash, as it should have been.

Dante Chen is ready to take out Duke Hudson and get his revenge.

Josh Briggs films Brooks Jensen for a dating service, but Jensen can’t even remember his name.

Dante Chen vs. Duke Hudson

Chen jumps Hudson from behind in the aisle and we start fast with Hudson in trouble. They get inside where Chen grabs a DDT for two before hammering away in the corner. Hudson is back with a kick to the face and a Razor’s Edge finishes Chen at 2:17. Hudson has talent and thankfully didn’t have much trouble with someone as low on the ladder as Chen.

Here are Trick Williams and Carmelo Hayes to brag about Hayes retaining the North American Title over Cameron Grimes last week. Hayes doesn’t care who he is facing or where he is doing it, because he’s what people will be talking about. Cue Pete Dunne to interrupt and the challenge is on for next week. Williams doesn’t seem interested but Hayes says he’s on, only to get jumped from behind by Cameron Grimes.

Cameron Grimes vs. Trick Williams

Joined in progress with Grimes running Williams over and taking him down with a clothesline. Williams manages a kick to the chest and a jumping clothesline of his own, meaning the stomping can ensue. The chinlock goes on as Barrett sings the Applebees jingle. Williams shrugs off a comeback attempt by knocking him down again and grabbing something close to a cobra clutch.

Grimes fights back up and hits a powerslam swung into a Side Effect. They head outside with Grimes missing a Cave In off the steps but hitting a superkick instead. Back in and Grimes comes off the top with a high crossbody, which mostly hits Williams in the face. The Cave In finishes Williams at 5:58.

Rating: C. There were some sloppy parts in here and it’s weird seeing Grimes have a match that is so off. At least Grimes is winning again as it makes a lot of sense to give him a nice win to get him on track after last week. Not a great match due to some less than sharp work, but it’s how things should have gone.

Brooks Jensen still can’t get the dating video right. He doesn’t know what Transformers are and is still rather hung up on Kayden Carter.

Bron Breakker comes in to see Tommaso Ciampa as he is warming up. Breakker leaves him in the zone but Ciampa says they’re 1-1 and he needs to know who is the better man.

Nikkita Lyons says she is a whole lot of woman who is ready to do a whole lot of whipping.

We go to Chase University for a lesson on intestinal fortitude. Andre Chase does not think Von Wagner has much fortitude left now that he has aligned himself with Robert Stone and freaks out over the idea of someone asking what he’ll do in the ring with Wagner. That was a teachable moment, as Chase continues to nail this stuff.

Nikkita Lyons vs. Kayla Inlay

This is Lyons’ debut and she doesn’t think much of Inlay trying a wristlock. An armbar keeps Inlay in trouble and a hiptoss makes it worse. Inlay blocks a German suplex though and chokes on the ropes, setting up some knees to the ribs. Lyons punches her in the ribs for trying a comeback. Another German suplex is blocked with a stomp to the floor but a third attempt sends Inlay flying. A splits sitdown splash finishes Inlay at 4:02.

Rating: C-. Lyons certainly has a unique look and is a giant compared to a lot of the division, but this needed to be much more one sided. Inlay got in a lot here for someone who is lucky to make it to LVL Up and her blocking the German suplex over and over didn’t work. Lyons will probably be fine, but this wasn’t a good start.

Persia Pirotta says Duke Hudson looked good out there and Hudson kisses her. Indi Hartwell comes in to say gross so Persia leaves. Hudson says Hartwell used to enjoy it but Hartwell says that was a long time ago. Hudson says it doesn’t have to be and Dexter Lumis just happens to be standing by. Lumis leaves with Indi going after him and saying she despises Hudson. NXT’s co-ed locker rooms continue to be odd.

Robert Stone and Von Wagner are ready for Andre Chase.

Here are the Creed Brothers with Malcolm Bivens to celebrate winning the Dusty Classic. Imperium doesn’t have their amateur wrestling background and haven’t defended their titles in weeks. The Creed Brothers are the real deal and Imperium are a bunch of coleslaw and sauerkraut eating….and here is Imperium to interrupt. Gunther doesn’t like what he is hearing and the brawl is on, with Gunther grabbing Bivens by the throat. Cue Solo Sikoa to superkick Gunther down, much to Bivens’ surprise/thankfulness. Bivens offers a very shaky thumbs up but doesn’t seem to know what is going on.

The dating video still doesn’t work but Fallon Henley comes in to say Brooks Jensen can just take a picture, which she does, and set up his profile, which he’ll do. Jensen yells at Josh Briggs for wasting so much time on a video. Henley did something amazing here: she talked like a human being.

Joe Gacy and Harland show us a clip of the two of them going after Draco Anthony in the gym. Gacy sees Anthony as someone he can mold and that will starts next week.

Women’s Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic First Round: Tatum Paxley/Ivy Nile vs. Kayden Carter/Kacy Catanzaro

Catanzaro rolls Paxley up for two t start and tries a headscissors, only to get punched in the face by Nile. A kick to the throat drops Catanzaro again but she slips over and brings in Carter to pick up the pace. An assisted spinning side slam drops Carter and Paxley adds a standing twisting moonsault. Catanzaro makes the save though and sends Nile outside, leaving Paxley to get caught with the neckbreaker/450 combination for the pin at 3:23.

Rating: C+. Carter and Catanzaro continue to be one of the better women’s teams around here and that could be a good thing for the rest of the tournament. Odds are the tournament has a decent final four, though it does make you wonder why they needed to have eight teams in the first place. I know four is kind of a lousy number, but why stretch it out for the sake of stretching it out?

Post match, Nile chokes Paxley out.

Solo Sikoa is ready to take out Gunther next week. Malcolm Bivens comes in to say that he had Gunther where he wanted him, but good luck next week. Sikoa says he did that for himself.

LA Knight wants another shot at Grayson Waller.

Tommaso Ciampa vs. Dolph Ziggler

For a future shot at Bron Breakker’s NXT Title. They go to the mat to start with Ciampa hitting him in the face to start the frustration. It’s too early for the Fairy Tale Ending and Ciampa misses a running knee to the face as well. A headbutt takes Ciampa down for two and we’re already on the chinlock. Ciampa fights up and makes the clothesline comeback but has to block the Zig Zag. A knee to the face puts Ziggler down and we take a break as Ciampa applauds himself.

Back with Ciampa fighting out of another chinlock and hitting a hard running clothesline for two. They slug it out until Ziggler scores with a dropkick into the Fameasser for two of his own. The superkick is cut off with another knee and Project Ciampa gets two. Ciampa lowers the knee pad and hits another running knee (following the Kenny Omega formula) for two more, with Ziggler getting a foot on the ropes.

They fall out to the floor for a bit before Ziggler grabs a sleeper with a bodyscissors back inside. That’s broken up as Ciampa gets to his feet and then drops backwards for the break and a near fall. They head to the apron for a slugout and an Air Raid Crash onto said apron (with about four camera cuts in five seconds) knocks Ziggler silly. Hold on though as a cameraman decks Ciampa with his camera, leaving Ziggler to hit the superkick for the pin at 15:35.

Rating: B. This felt like a heavyweight slugfest, meaning a match between two main event stars who were beating each other until one of them was left standing. The cheating was a good way to protect Ciampa, who didn’t need to take a clean loss. It was the best match on the show by far and felt like it belonged in this spot.

The cameraman is….Robert Roode. The beatdown is on but here is Bron Breakker for the save. Breakker makes the challenge for the tag match for next week. Ziggler and Roode charge back in and get beaten down again in a huge brawl to end the show.

Overall Rating: B-. The main event carried this a lot higher as it got time and was high quality, but the rest of the show was only so good. The Dusty Classic matches could have been a lot worse, mainly because they didn’t include the segments of the teams being put together. Some of the other stuff, such as Knight, Grimes and Hudson worked as well, making this a pretty good show. Maybe things are starting to come together around here, which would be nice after some dry months.

Results
Grayson Waller b. LA Knight – Rollup with trunks
Kay Lee Ray/Io Shirai b. Lash Legend/Amari Miller – Moons Over Moonsault to Legend
Duke Hudson b. Dante Chen – Razor’s Edge
Cameron Grimes b. Trick Williams – Cave In
Nikkita Lyons b. Kayla Inlay – Splits sitdown splash
Kayden Carter/Kacy Catanzaro b. Tatum Paxley/Ivy Nile – Neckbreaker/450 combination to Paxley
Dolph Ziggler b. Tommaso Ciampa – Superkick

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NXT
Date: February 15, 2022
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Nigel McGuinness

It’s a big show this week with Vengeance Day. That means the card is stacked, including the finals of the men’s Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic and a main event of Bron Breakker defending the NXT Title against Santos Escobar. Other than that, maybe we get a surprise or two as well to go with the huge lineup. Let’s get to it.

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

The opening video features Toxic Attraction texting each other about tonight’s show. I’m sure one of them being around a pool, one of them being in lingerie and one of them looking at herself in a mirror is just a coincidence.

Pete Dunne vs. Tony D’Angelo

In a weaponized steel cage, because a cage just isn’t good enough around here. D’Angelo comes out in a rather expensive car. It’s a brawl to start with D’Angelo being sent into the cage but coming back with a hard slam for a breather. D’Angelo goes for a tool box but Dunne slams the lid onto it instead. Dunne uses a wrench to bend the fingers back, though the fingers are fine enough to blast Dunne with a fire extinguisher.

A superplex brings Dunne off the top and D’Angelo zip ties Dunne’s wrists behind his back. Dunne is fine enough to pull D’Angelo into a guillotine choke, meaning D’Angelo has to pull out some cutters to free himself (and Dunne). Back up and Dunne hits the Bitter End for two, followed by D’Angelo hitting him low. Forget About It gets two more and they’re both down. Dunne hits him in the back of the head though and it’s the Bitter End onto a bunch of weapons for the pin at 9:53.

Rating: B-. They didn’t have a lot of time here and having weapons in a cage seems a bit redundant, but the effort was there and carried this to a good match. D’Angelo has gotten a lot better in recent months and Dunne is probably an important part of that improvement. Working with the talented veterans is a good thing and it seems to have worked for him here.

Raquel Gonzalez calls Cora Jade at 5:00am because it’s time for training. They go to the Performance Center and we get a training montage, with Gonzalez not exactly convinced that Jade wants it this much.

The Creed Brothers say they’ll win because they’re better.

MSK says they’ll win because they’re ready.

Women’s Tag Team Titles: Toxic Attraction vs. Persia Pirotta/Indi Hartwell

Toxic Attraction, with Mandy Rose, is defending and jump the challengers from behind to start fast. Hartwell and Pirotta are sent outside for some flip dives before the bell before they head back inside for the official start. Pirotta fall away slams Jayne and hits a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker, setting up a clothesline from Hartwell. A Rose distraction lets Jayne get in a kick to the face though, meaning Rose is ejected.

We take a break and come back with Hartwell hitting a faceplant on Jayne. Pirotta comes in to clean house and hits a double Samoan drop on the champs. Everything breaks down and Pirotta heads outside, where she is sent into the steps. Some Jayne interference allows Dolin to plant Hartwell, setting up a high/low to retain the titles at 7:49.

Rating: C-. This was the usual messy match from these four and that is not remotely surprising. The women’s tag team division barely exists and that makes the upcoming tournament sound even worse. It’s the kind of thing that should be let go already, but I can’t imagine that actually happening anytime soon.

Wendi Choo asks Amari Miller to be her partner in the Dusty Classic but Hartwell already has a partner. Choo asks Dakota Kai, who ignores her by talking to…someone who is not there.

Grayson Waller brings cops to arrest LA Knight, but has Sanga stay by the car. I see no future issues with this plan whatsoever.

Josh Briggs and Brooks Jensen are at a bar, where Briggs wants to know about how his date with Kayden Carter went. They had dinner, talked about the Dusty Classic, and it was nice. Then Carter said he was like a brother to her, which Briggs doesn’t like. They ask the bartender, who happens to be NXT’s Fallon Henley, what that means. Jensen will have a friend for life, which is enough to make reality set in. Henley and Briggs say he’s in “the Zone”. I’d be more worried about having Jensen, who is twenty, at a bar. That place’s license is going to be in trouble.

Here is LA Knight, with Grayson Waller immediately coming to the ring with police. He says that he can’t sleep since this stuff with Knight started, but Knight has some footage of his own. Knight shows us a clip of Waller attacking him recently, which just happens to go against the restraining order. That means the whole thing is invalid, which is news to Waller. Knight clears the ring and the match is set for next week.

Indi Hartwell and Persia Pirotta are unhappy with their loss but Dexter Lumis comes in. Indi leaves with him, so here is Duke Hudson to leave with Pirotta.

Tommaso Ciampa is sick of people acting like NXT is a minor league. He still wants the NXT Title back and if he has to go through Dolph Ziggler, so be it. This was a very intense promo from Ciampa and he sold the heck out of the thing.

North American Title: Cameron Grimes vs. Carmelo Hayes

Hayes is defending and has Trick Williams with him. Grimes takes him down by the arm to start and the trade wrist control for a bit. Hayes works on a wristlock but Grimes is back up with a backdrop for a breather. They go outside where Grimes gets his leg swept out on the apron, setting up a kick to the back of the head back inside. A springboard legdrop knocks Grimes out of the ropes and we take a break.

Back with Hayes still working on the arm but Grimes manages his backflip powerslam to put them both down. Grimes avoids some Williams interference and knocks Hayes into the corner. A very spinning Side Effect gives Grimes two but Hayes is back with a springboard spinning forearm to the face.

Grimes superkicks him for two and is stunned at the kickout, even though he should know better than to think a non-finisher is going to end a match. A nice high crossbody gets two on Hayes but he rolls outside. That means Grimes can dive off the apron to take out Williams, only to be sent face first into the barricade. Back in and Hayes hits a spinning faceplant for two, setting up a crossface. That’s countered into a rollup for two so Hayes goes up top for the ax kick to retain at 15:55.

Rating: B. Best thing on the show so far by a mile as you had two talented people getting to do their thing for a long time. Grimes can work well with anyone and Hayes is one of the smoothest workers on the roster. It was too early for Hayes to win the title, though I’m not sure what is next for Grimes either. Both guys would be fine on the main roster, but I’m almost scared to know how bad NXT would be without them.

Video on the Dusty Classic.

Kay Lee Ray breaks stuff with her baseball bat because she wants Io Shirai to get fired up. Shirai gets into the breaking things too. Zoey Stark comes in and can’t believe Shirai destroyed a bunch of things so Shirai breaks more.

Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic Finals: MSK vs. Creed Brothers

Brutus takes Carter down to start but Julius’ waistlock doesn’t get him very far. Some kicks drop Julius and a double stomp puts him down as well. Lee hits a big flip dive over the top to take Brutus down but a heck of a running shoulder knocks Lee off the apron and into the announcers’ table.

We take a break and come back with Carter in trouble but managing to get over get over to Lee for the hot tag. The Final Flash gets two on Brutus with Julius making the save. Lee and Brutus are sent outside, leaving Julius to hit the sliding lariat to Carter for the pin and the tournament at 9:36.

Rating: C+. There wasn’t exactly a ton of drama here but the action was good enough to make it work. The Creeds are absolutely the right call here as they have gotten a lot better in the last few weeks. MSK on the other hand are starting to feel like they are just kind of there and that is never a good place to be.

Nikkita Lyons says her dad taught her that she was here to bring people together. Then we seem to see one of her music videos. She debuts next week and wants us to watch out for this lion’s roar.

Here is Imperium, with the fans chanting WALTER. Gunther: “IT’S PRONOUNCED GUNTHER!!!” They congratulate the Creed Brothers on their win and promise to crush them in their title match. As for Gunther, he wants some gold of his own so he will be watching the main event rather closely. Cue Solo Sikoa, who doesn’t care about the mat but wants to smack the taste out of Gunther’s mouth. A fight is teased.

Dolph Ziggler is ready to take out Tommaso Ciampa and show him what a star does. They meet next week.

Carmelo Hayes and Trick Williams are happy to have retained the title but Pete Dunne interrupts. He seems to have eyes for the title.

NXT Title: Bron Breakker vs. Santos Escobar

Bron is defending and walks away from a burning Vengeance Day logo in the back. Breakker grabs a headlock to start and then runs Escobar over with a shoulder. Back up and Escobar hits a dropkick to the face so Breakker glares at him. Another hard shoulder knocks Escobar silly and there’s a backbreaker to make it worse.

A Raul Mendoza distraction lets Escobar knock Breakker outside though and there’s the big suicide dive. Escobar neckbreakers him over the middle rope as the fans are split again. Escobar crushes Breakker’s face against the post and talks trash, which is enough to fire Breakker up.

House is cleaned, including taking out the rest of Legado. Cue Dolph Ziggler for a superkick though and Escobar gets a close two. Tommaso Ciampa comes in to take out Ziggler but Escobar hits a tornado DDT. A frog splash doesn’t work though and it’s a spear from Breakker, setting up the gorilla press powerslam to retain the title at 12:02.

Rating: B-. Breakker continues to wrestle beyond his means, having matches he should not be able to pull off. There was a lot going on here but it made a lot of sense to put him in there with a veteran like Escobar. The match was good enough and felt like a big show’s main event, though there wasn’t exactly a ton of doubt.

Overall Rating: B. This show was presented as a big deal and that is what we got here. What matters is having a series of good matches with nothing bad, at least in the ring. There are also some things set up for the next few weeks and that is always a tricky task to pull off. As usual though, the problems come from the talking/backstage segments, which range from bad to horrible, as these characters aren’t good in the first place and the performances are even worse. The show was much more positive than negative, but those negatives are pretty hard to get through.

Results
Pete Dunne b. Tony D’Angelo – Bitter End onto a pile of weapons
Toxic Attraction b. Indi Hartwell/Persia Pirotta – High/low to Hartwell
Carmelo Hayes b. Cameron Grimes – Top rope ax kick
Creed Brothers b. MSK – Sliding lariat to Carter
Bron Breakker b. Santos Escobar – Gorilla press powerslam

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

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NXT
Date: January 25, 2022
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Wade Barrett

It’s the go home show for the Royal Rumble and I don’t think that is going to mean much for most of the people around here. NXT is in a different world than almost anything that happens on the main roster and in a way that’s a good thing, as they can do some positive stuff on their own. Let’s get to it.

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

MSK is next to the Dusty Cup and ready to win it again. Now they know what it takes to get back to the top of the mountain thanks to Riddle, but DON’T TOUCH THE CUP!

Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic First Round: Jacket Time vs. MSK

Carter and Kushida start things off with neither being able to get anywhere. It’s off to Lee, who immediately gets punched down by Jiro. Jacket Time takes him into the corner to start up the beating and it’s a double bulldog to give Kushida two. Jiro gets taken down in the corner though and it’s Carter hitting a Bronco Buster, which the fans don’t seem to like very much. Some double teaming takes Jiro down and we take a break.

Back with Jiro getting suplexed down, setting up a kick to the chest. There’s the running shooting star for two and it’s back to Lee, who gets caught in the belly to back kneeling piledriver for two. Lee fights up and brings in Carter to clean house. The push moonsault is countered into the Hoverboard Lock but Carter drives him into the corner for the Blockbuster Hart Attack and the pin at 11:32.

Rating: B-. This was the kind of match where they were supposed to go about 100 miles an hour and that’s what they did for a good bit. MSK needed to win to move forward, as there is a redemption story to them making the finals, if not flat out winning the tournament. Jacket Time might not be everyone’s thing, but they are at the level they should be at: a pretty low comedy team who gets good reactions and loses.

Respect is shown post match.

Zoey Stark tells Io Shirai she needs to find a new partner because Stark’s knee isn’t ready yet. Shirai doesn’t want to, but here is Tiffany Stratton to mock both of them. Stratton is ready to beat Shirai tonight, sending Shirai into a rant.

Video on Cameron Grimes wanting to beat Tony D’Angelo and move on to get the North American Title.

Legado del Fantasma is in the ring with Santos Escobar mocking Bron Breakker. People make fun of him because of his family and his poor math skills (Ha!) but he is already billed as a star. Escobar is a real star but here is Breakker to interrupt. Breakker gets in Escobar’s face and tells him to callate because the champ is speaking. Just issue the challenge already because he’ll accept it. Escobar says it’s on his time and leaves, only to have his goons jump Breakker. This goes as well as you would expect and Breakker stands tall.

Video on Boa vs. Solo Sikoa.

Solo Sikoa vs. Boa

No DQ and falls count anywhere with Boa jumping him with a kendo stick to start. A bunch of weapons are thrown in but Sikoa hits a Samoan drop. Everything but a single chair is cleared out so Boa wins a tug of war and beats Sikoa down again. A butterfly suplex onto a trashcan lets Boa set up a table at ringside but the delay lets Sikoa fight up. They fight into the back with Boa sending him into a ladder, which is then rammed into Sikoa’s chest.

Another shot misses though and Boa is rammed into a steel door. Sikoa goes outside and locks the door behind him so Boa opens the damaged garage door. Sikoa is right there with a blast from a fire extinguisher and they head back into the arena. Boa is sent into some chairs in the corner and a superkick takes him down again. The Superfly Splash is broken up with a crotching though and they head outside again. A Samoan drop sends Boa onto the announcers’ table and it’s a Superfly Splash to put Boa through another table for the pin at 8:04.

Rating: B-. I don’t know how big of a win this is going to be for Sikoa as he was beating Boa, but he had a hard fought match that felt like the end of this mini feud. Sikoa has the genetics and family name to make something of himself and the brawling style should work well. Boa….yeah I don’t get it, but he lost in the big match here so at least they didn’t go too far.

Video on Imperium, who talks about how it is time to move on from the past and fear the name of Gunther. WWE certainly feared the long form of the name.

Duke Hudson vs. Guru Raaj

Hudson starts fast and hammers away, setting up a side slam. A Razor’s Edge finishes for Hudson at 1:08.

Post match here is Dante Chen to say he’s coming for Hudson, albeit respectfully. Referees break it up but Hudson chop blocks him down.

Persia Pirotta likes Duke Hudson with short hair but Indi Hartwell tells her to focus. Kay Lee Ray comes in to suggest she wants to beat up Mandy Rose with a baseball bat. Or just pin her.

Legado del Fantasma is unhappy with Bron Breakker and the challenge is on….for him to face Joaquin Wilde and Raul Mendoza. He doesn’t have any friends so it’s not worries.

Indi Hartwell/Persia Pirotta/Kay Lee Ray vs. Toxic Attraction

Ray wants Mandy Rose to start but Jacy Jayne tags herself in instead. That’s fine with Ray, who drives her into the corner for the tag off to Hartwell. A kick to the head rocks Jayne so Rose comes in, only to get backbreakered by Pirotta. There’s a kick to the head and it’s back to Ray, sending Rose bailing to the floor.

Ray is left alone in the ring so it’s a huge dive to the floor to take all three down at once. Back in and Dolin gets caught in the corner for a beating, only to drive Hartwell into the wrong corner. Some Kawada Kicks knock Hartwell silly but she’s back with a side slam to Rose. Jayne breaks up the tag though and Dolin takes her down for two.

We take a break and come back with Hartwell still in trouble and Jayne hitting a running neckbreaker. They chop it out and knock each other down so the tag is off to Pirotta to clean house. Everything breaks down and it’s Ray superkicking Rose before grabbing the bat. The bat hits the steps and the post and Ray chases her to the back. That leaves Dolin to small package Pirotta for two, only to get kicked in the face. The fireman’s carry faceplant finishes Dolin at 13:53.

Rating: C. Take the challengers and the champions, put them in the same match and give one of the challengers a win to set up a title match later. That’s classic wrestling booking and it will work fine here. Toxic Attraction feel like vulnerable champions and Hartwell/Pirotta will be fine as challengers on the big show. Ray is the serious threat to Rose and while I don’t know if she will take the title, at least they have set her up well.

Edris Enofe and Malik Blade can’t believe they have made it to the semifinals of the Dusty Classics and they could go all the way. Enofe seems interested in Toxic Attraction though and somehow he loses his shirt.

Earlier today, Raquel Gonzalez was training when Cora Jade came in to ask to be her partner again. That still won’t happen because Gonzalez can’t trust her. Jade loads up a slap but it gets blocked, with Gonzalez getting serious.

Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic First Round: Grizzled Young Veterans vs. Andre Chase/Bodhi Hayward

Drake shoves Chase down to start so Chase flips him around by the wrist. The spelling stomps have Drake in more trouble and it’s time to alternate on the arm. Some Flip Flop and Fly stagger Drake again but Gibson pulls him to the floor. A spike shoulder breaker put Chase down but he’s fine enough to roll over for the tag off to Hayward. House is cleaned but it’s a double Codebreaker to finish Hayward at 5:10.

Rating: C. I like the Veterans, but I am long past the point of believing that they are going to be given a serious push, or even a major win, in NXT. At the same time you have Chase and Hayward and they have managed to get this stupid gimmick over. I absolutely would not have bet on that and well done on pulling off what should not have been possible. It might not go very far, but they have a something with it, at least for the time being.

Post match here is Von Wagner to jump Chase and Hayward. Robert Stone comes in to say Wagner is under new management.

Grayson Waller, with his bodyguard Sanga, is ready to take out LA Knight, who is still under a restraining order.

Odyssey Jones has undergone knee surgery and will be out of action until the fall.

Io Shirai vs. Tiffany Stratton

Shirai doesn’t see sure of what to think of Stratton. A wristlock has Stratton flipping away and she kicks Shirai down, leaving commentary stunned. The chinlock has Shirai in more trouble and even the fans chanting can’t bring her back up. They get to their feet with Stratton shouting a lot, only to get palm struck into the corner. A slam sets up the Moons Over Moonsault for the pin on Stratton at 4:17.

Rating: C. That’s how this kind of a match should have gone, as Stratton is still brand new and Shirai is one of the best ever around here. Stratton got in some offense before ultimately falling, though there was only ever going to be so much drama here. I’m not sure what to make of Stratton so far, but she has the athleticism to make something of herself, assuming she can get around the lame gimmick (see also most of this NXT).

Malcolm Bivens thinks Gunther is a stupid name. Bivens: “It should have been DUMBA**, in all caps!” This is a new beginning and it’s time for the team to take out Imperium, including Ivy Nile stretching him to his mother’s house.

Carmelo Hayes and Trick Williams introduce Olliejayy for a musical performance.

Tony D’Angelo is ready for Cameron Grimes.

Tiffany Stratton is on the phone with her dad and complains about the referee. She runs into Wendy Choo, who thinks the referee had a point. Stratton slaps her cup away, sending Choo into some whining about her free refill. Someone was paid to come up with that.

Tony D’Angelo vs. Cameron Grimes

The winner gets Carmelo Hayes (on the balcony with Trick Williams) for the North American Title in the future. D’Angelo starts fast by snapping off a suplex, setting up a choke in the corner. Grimes gets planted down again and we take a break. Back with Grimes hitting him in the face but getting punched in the ribs. The waistlock goes on but Grimes fights up and hits a bunch of forearms.

D’Angelo is rocked for a change and Grimes hits his flipping powerslam for two. Back up and the threat of the Cave In sends D’Angelo outside. That’s fine with Grimes, who grabs a hat. Cue Pete Dunne with a 2×4 to hit D’Angelo in the hand, allowing Grimes to hit the Cave In for the pin at 11:35 (possibly while thanking D’Angelo at the same time).

Rating: C+. As has been the case with a lot of the matches tonight, I don’t think there was much drama here, but they got tot he point after some good action. Grimes can work well with anyone and it’s not like D’Angelo is awful in the ring. There was no reason to believe D’Angelo was winning here but they didn’t overstay their welcome, even with Dunne’s return.

Bron Breakker is leaving when Legado del Fantasma pops up in their SUV. Breakker is ready to fight but Tommaso Ciampa comes in to even the odds a bit. Breakker says the math checks out for him as Legado leaves to end the show.

Overall Rating: B-. The best thing I can say about this show is that it felt like one of the old NXT’s. This show felt like it had a bunch of things to accomplish and then went through them one by one, including setting things up for later. That’s one of the reasons NXT worked so well back in the day and it was working again here. While the show has some problems, it feels like it has a direction and that is what matters more than anything else at the moment.

Results
MSK b. Jacket Time – Blockbuster Hart Attack to Kushida
Solo Sikoa b. Boa – Superfly Splash through a table
Duke Hudson b. Guru Raaj – Razor’s Edge
Kay Lee Ray/Persia Pirotta/Indi Hartwell b. Toxic Attraction – Fireman’s carry facebuster to Dolin
Grizzled Young Veterans b. Andre Chase/Bodhi Hayward – Double Codebreaker to Hayward
Io Shirai b. Tiffany Stratton – Moons Over Moonsault
Cameron Grimes b. Tony D’Angelo – Cave In

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

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NXT
Date: January 11, 2022
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Wade Barrett

We’re officially in a new era, as Bron Breakker won the NXT Title last week at New Year’s Evil. That is the kind of change you do not see take place very often and now we get to see what happens with Breakker as the star of the show. We should be in for some good stuff, which is long overdue around here. Let’s get to it.

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

We open with a recap of Bron Breakker winning the NXT Title.

Here is Breakker to get things going. The title looks good around his waist but the fans are split on whether or not he deserves it. Breakker thanks Tommaso Ciampa for being a great champion and a respectable human being. Last week, Ciampa told him it was his time and went over to shake his father’s hand.

We don’t have any days off around here though so if anyone wants some, come get it. Just remember that if you come in to train, he’s already trained. If you’re watching film, he’s already done it, because he’s the freaking NXT Champion. Breakker goes to leave but Santos Escobar comes out for his match, giving us a quick staredown. Breakker sounded like a Steiner here and that is a good thing.

Santos Escobar vs. Xyon Quinn

Elektra Lopez is going to leave with the winner. Quinn jumps him to start as Lopez is watching from the balcony. Some shoulders in the corner keep Escobar in trouble as this is one sided so far. There’s a toss into the corner to send Escobar flying and we take a break. Back with Lopez at ringside and Escobar working on an ankle lock.

Escobar hits a running dropkick to the knee in the corner, setting up an enziguri. Quinn is right back with another toss, but Legado offers a distraction so Escobar can dump him over the top. A posting is loaded up but Lopez offers a distraction to break it up. Quinn throws Escobar back inside and cuts off a dive with a right hand. That seems to please Lopez….who kicks Quinn low. Back in and the Phantom Driver finishes for Escobar at 10:37.

Rating: C+. While I don’t like Quinn losing again, I do like that they made a definitive decision about the story. If Escobar is going for the NXT Title next, this is a good way to go. That being said, Quinn is someone I’ve liked since he debuted and unfortunately it seems to be back to the drawing board for him. That is assuming there is a drawing board to be found around here.

Tony D’Angelo is ready to break Pete Dunne with the crowbar because tonight, he is in charge.

We look at Grayson Waller interfering in AJ Styles’ match on Raw but getting beaten up anyway.

Video on Cameron Grimes.

Mandy Rose is doing a photo shoot by her pool and brags about retaining her Women’s Title. She makes the title hot and wants you to keep staring, which she knows you’ll do.

Cameron Grimes vs. Damon Kemp

Kemp is better known as Bobby Steveson. Grimes takes him down for an early two and the armbar comes on. Cue Malcolm Bivens to watch from the stage as Kemp comes back with a belly to belly. The chinlock goes on but Grimes fights up with the clotheslines. A running shot in the corner drops Kemp again and it’s the Cave In for the pin at 2:20. Kemp got a bit in here before losing.

Joe Gacy and Harland are happy to be involved in the Dusty Classic Play In match. It doesn’t matter what you look like, but Edris Enofe/Malik Blade are going to be in a safe space.

We look back at Von Wagner attacking Andre Chase and some fans last week. Wagner has been fined and suspended.

Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic Play In: Malik Blade/Edris Enofe vs. Harland/Joe Gacy

Gacy drives Enofe into the corner to start and of course gets a clean break. Enofe gets elbowed in the face and it’s a swinging Rock Bottom to give Gacy two. Blade comes in for a dropkick and an armdrag into an armbar. Some double teaming keeps Gacy in trouble but Enofe missed a Stinger Splash, allowing the tag to Harland. Blade is driven face first into the corner and a bunch of rams into the buckle are enough to DQ Harland at 3:15.

Rating: D+. I’m sure this is going to lead to Gacy giving some speech about understanding and that is the important part, as Blade and Enofe are likely to be little more than cannon fodder in the tournament. Gacy and Harland isn’t exactly inspiring stuff, but they seem to be here to stay. It still isn’t great to see Harland in the ring because he is such a raw rookie, but that’s kind of the point of NXT these days.

Imperium is here to teach integrity, discipline and honor. Americans will not understand that, because Imperium only cares about working harder.

Pete Dunne vs. Tony D’Angelo

Crowbar on a pole match because reasons. D’Angelo goes for the crowbar to start and gets taken down into an armbar for his efforts. A stomp to the head sets up a front facelock and another stomp to D’Angelo’s head. D’Angelo cuts off a climb attempt and snaps off a t-bone suplex. They both go to the corner, where Dunne stomps on his head but can’t get the crowbar down. Instead D’Angelo hits a Falcon Arrow and we take a break.

Back with Dunne hitting a Regal Cutter and stomping on the arm twice in a row. It’s still too early for the crowbar though as D’Angelo hits a flipping German suplex. D’Angelo gets the crowbar and misses some shots, allowing Dunne to get the crowbar and miss some shots. They fight outside with Dunn saving himself from another hand smash. An enziguri rocks D’Angelo but he’s right back with a crowbar swinging neckbreaker.

D’Angelo stomps on the hand, which wakes Dunne up enough to kick him in the head a few times. Dunne flips out of a German suplex and grabs an STF with the crowbar in the mouth. D’Angelo manages to swing it back into Dunne’s face though and it’s time to grab a chair. That’s taken away though and Dunne grabs the fingers. D’Angelo grabs the crowbar though and they forearm it out. Dunne is send into the corner and a crowbar to the face gives D’Angelo the pin at 13:17.

Rating: C. That was a crowbar on a pole match alright. They both went for the crowbar, one of them got it, and then one of them hit the other with it for the win. It’s still hard to fathom Dunne, who was NXT UK Champion for such a long time, losing to someone like D’Angelo, but the past has pretty much been forgotten around here. D’Angelo is completely fine in the ring, but the campy gimmick is too much to get around.

Grayson Waller is happy with his social media exploding and promises another Grayson Waller moment tonight.

Toxic Attraction video.

Persia Pirotta/Indi Hartwell/Wendy Choo vs. Amari Miller/Kacy Catanzaro/Kayden Carter

Choo is in pajamas and has a pillow, while Carter and Catanzaro dance through the crowd, joining the also dancing Miller on the stage. The bell rings and Choo is already asleep in the corner. Miller kicks Indi in the ribs and dives onto Pirotta on the floor as Kayden tags herself in. She dives out onto Indi and Kacy adds a corkscrew flip dive. Back in and Carter gets kicked down, allowing the tag to Choo, who snaps off kicks and a belly to belly suplex. There’s a t-bone suplex to drop Miller as everything breaks down. Pirotta hits her sitout TKO on Miller, setting up Pretty Savage to give Hartwell the pin at 3:38. Choo is asleep again.

Rating: C-. Good action, but it’s another match that had the wacky comedy thrown in because that is required around here. Choo has a one note character and there won’t be any explanation for why she sleeps all the time. She was impressive when she was in there, but “I like to sleep” might not have the deepest roots.

MSK finds the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic trophy and talk about some teams who could give them trouble. Dakota Kai comes in and says she wants it, and suggests that success divides friendship.

Solo Sikoa is ready for Boa.

Kay Lee Ray breaks up Toxic Attraction’s photo shoot (without Toxic Attraction being around) with her baseball bat. They can to photo shoots but not defend the title? That’s not cool.

Boa vs. Solo Sikoa

Boa kicks away to start but Sikoa is back with some strikes of his own. They head outside with Sikoa getting posted to put Boa in control. Back in and a suplex drops Sikoa to set up a chinlock, with Sikoa bleeding from the mouth. That’s broken up and they fight out to the floor, with Boa being sent into the steps. Boa sends him into the announcers’ table and it’s a double countout at 3:40.

Rating: C-. So yeah, now they’re protecting Boa, which is another deal that continues to elude me. Sikoa gets my attention and has the family connections, while Boa has been bouncing around with a few different things with none of them clicking yet. Hopefully Sikoa wins the rematch, but I wouldn’t bet on it just yet.

AJ Styles is ready to end the Grayson Waller era because he’s happy the Georgia Bulldogs won the National Title last night.

We look at Carmelo Hayes unifying the Cruiserweight and North American titles last week.

Carmelo Hayes and Trick Williams arrive, telling security to keep the car here because they’ll be right back.

Boa and Sikoa are still brawling in the back, with Sikoa getting fireballed in the face again. Now Boa’s face is magically painted.

Von Wagner’s fine has been paid and his suspension has been lifted.

Here are Trick Williams and Carmelo Hayes for a chat. Williams wants the fans to pay some respect to Hayes because they go together like various things that go well together. They pay a quick tribute to Roderick Strong’s Cruiserweight Title and promise nothing but first downs and touchdowns going forward. Hayes is the walking cheat code and you can call the title whatever you want. As long as it is around his waist, it is the A title. Cue AJ Styles for the main event and we get the quick staredown with Hayes. As usual, Hayes sounds pretty confident on the mic.

Post break, Hayes and Williams go to their car, but Cameron Grimes has the keys. Normally he would have taken the car, but now he would rather take the gold.

AJ Styles vs. Grayson Waller

AJ drives him into the corner to start before grabbing a headlock. With that broken up, AJ kicks away at the leg before hitting a backbreaker. The big jumping knee connects for two but Waller sends him into the middle buckle. That doesn’t seem to matter as AJ snaps off a dropkick to send Waller outside. The dive is loaded up but Waller trips AJ face first onto the apron. Waller hits a heck of a clothesline and we take a break.

Back with AJ hitting the Phenomenal Blitz to put Waller back in trouble, setting up the seated Phenomenal Forearm. The Styles Clash is broken up so Waller sends him to the floor for the slingshot forearm. Back in and Waller hits a shot to the face, setting up a middle rope elbow for two. Styles grabs the Calf Crusher but Waller is right over to the ropes. A powerbomb and the flipping Stunner give Waller two each but Styles slips out of a superplex attempt. Styles plants him with a brainbuster, setting up the Phenomenal Forearm for the pin at 14:17.

Rating: B-. Barring some shenanigans, this was about all they could have done. You don’t have many options other than having Styles win, as Waller isn’t going to beat a former multiple time World Champion. The good thing is that there isn’t any shame in Waller losing and he can continue to be the biggest pest on the show. Good match, but were you expecting anything else with Styles involved?

Post match, Styles says Waller is good but not Phenomenal. This isn’t over yet though, and AJ wants to introduce him to one of his friends. Cue LA Knight and the big beatdown is on, with Waller being cleared out. Styles and Knight pose to end the show.

Overall Rating: C. Much like NXT tends to be, there was a good show in here which was dragged down by some bad ideas. Most of those involve bad characters, which was the case with D’Angelo, Choo and Boa. Toxic Attraction isn’t much better, but they aren’t exactly hiding why the team is pushed to the moon. The action was mostly good, and if you can get rid of some of the terrible stuff, you have a good show. I don’t see that happening anytime soon, especially now that Bruce Prichard is in charge, but at least there are some good pieces there.

Results
Santos Escobar b. Xyon Quinn – Phantom Driver
Cameron Grimes b. Damon Kemp – Cave In
Malik Blade/Edris Enofe b. Harland/Joe Gacy via DQ when Harland attacked in the corner
Tony D’Angelo b. Pete Dunne – Crowbar to the face
Persia Pirotta/Indi Hartwell/Wendy Choo b. Kacy Catanzaro/Kayden Carter/Amari Miller – Pretty Savage to Miller
Solo Sikoa vs. Boa went to a double countout
AJ Styles b. Grayson Waller – Phenomenal Forearm

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

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AND

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NXT
Date: December 28, 2021
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Wade Barrett

It’s time for one of those things that you don’t get to see very often in WWE, as we’re getting a contract signing between Carmelo Hayes and Roderick Strong. Other than that, odds are we’ll be hearing a lot more from Grayson Waller, because he is on this show as much as a Steve Austin Raw in 1998. Let’s get to it.

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

They aren’t wasting time this week because here is Grayson Waller to get things going. Waller flips around a lot and talks about having a great Christmas. This included flying himself to Detroit to Monday Night Raw, where he met AJ Styles. We see a clip of their showdown last night, before Waller talks about how he is supposed to face Dexter Lumis tonight. That isn’t going to happen, so he insults Indi Hartwell too. Cue the returning Odyssey Jones and we have a replacement match.

Odyssey Jones vs. Grayson Waller

Jones throws him around to start and then steps on Waller’s back. A big side slam gives Jones two and we take a break. Back with Waller hitting a low superkick and a middle rope elbow gets two. Jones fights up but misses a charge into the corner, allowing Waller to hammer away. Waller grabs the buckle to block a powerbomb….but the buckle pad comes off so the powerbomb gets two. That means Jones can miss a charge into the buckle, allowing Waller to hit his rolling Stunner for the pin at 7:36.

Rating: C. It’s nice to see Jones back as he is certainly one of the more unique people on the show. Sometimes you need someone out there throwing people around with raw power and size, which he does quite well. Then you have Waller, who is still the focal point of the show. It’s good to see him get in the ring, but it’s clear that he isn’t exactly a general out there. I still don’t quite get what WWE sees in him, but he’s pretty clearly here to stay.

Post match, AJ Styles pops up to say he’ll be here next week.

Raquel Gonzalez and Cora Jade both want to fight Mandy Rose, but here are Io Shirai and Kay Lee Ray to say they want to fight her too. Rose just happens to pop up on screen behind them and says she’ll get a tag match made for tonight, with the winning team getting to challenge her in a triple threat at New Year’s Evil.

Grayson Waller isn’t happy with AJ Styles interrupting him and runs into MSK. They can shut up.

Xyon Quin says Elektra Lopez needs to pick sides.

Here is MSK for a chat. They haven’t been here since Halloween Havoc, which wasn’t a great night. No one gets higher than them, but here is Riddle on screen to say he is with them in spirit. That’s enough for them to call out Imperium, as they had planned to do. Cue Imperium to shout in their respective languages, which does not sit well with MSK, who want subtitles.

Imperium insults them in English, so MSK issues the challenge for right here and right now. That’s too far because Walter pops up on screen, saying that he is proud of Imperium as champions. That isn’t the case for MSK, so here is Riddle to pop up on screen and ask for a six man. Walter is game and the match is set.

We look back at Harland wrecking Brian Kendrick.

Joe Gacy reminds Harland that it wasn’t his fault because Kendrick started it.

Edris Enofe is happy with his win over Von Wagner, who comes in to say Enofe got lucky. Malik Blade comes in to have Enofe’s back and a match seems to be set.

Harland vs. Brian Kendrick

Hold on though as there is no Kendrick. Cue Andre Chase to say this is a teachable moment! Gacy likes education and mentions Harland being in a university….until he was expelled. As for Chase, thank you for being Kendrick’s replacement!

Harland vs. Andre Chase

Chase gets shoved outside in a hurry and the beating continues on the floor. Back in and Chase is sent face first into the mat over and over, which is good for the stoppage at 1:00.

Post match, one of Chase’s students hits the ring to check on him but gets attacked as well. Harland then kidnaps him.

Legado del Fantasma asks Elektra Lopez where her loyalties lie. She doesn’t say but here is Solo Sikoa to accidentally run into them. They want an apology but we get a match instead.

Tiffany Stratton vs. Fallon Henley

Both are making their NXT debuts though they have been on 205 Live. Stratton takes her down with an armbar to start and then slams Henley to cut off a comeback attempt. An awkward looking handspring elbow sets up a Downward Spiral to finish Henley off at 2:35.

Tony D’Angelo warned Pete Dunne not to mess with him and then smashed Dunne’s hand. Maybe Dunne will listen to him next time.

It’s time for the contract signing between Roderick Strong and Carmelo Hayes, who hasn’t been seen so far. Malcolm Bivens thinks it might be due to the higher gas prices, but here are Hayes and Trick Williams anyway. Williams talks trash that Strong doesn’t understand, so Bivens translates. Strong threatens Hayes, with Bivens translating again, while also pointing out that Williams and Hayes are outnumbered. Williams goes on a rant, but Bivens doesn’t get paid enough to translate all night.

Wade Barrett, running this whole thing, has no idea what anyone has said so let’s just sit down. Hayes says Strong shouldn’t play with him or he’ll get put on a t-shirt. Next week, he’s unifying the titles and becoming the true A Champion. Strong promises to walk out as a two time North American Champion after he unifies the titles.

Hayes is going to be carried out though, which does not sit well with him. Both of them sign and the match is official. They throw the contract at each other and Barrett bails. Hayes leaves but Bivens yells at Williams to draw him back in. That means the Creed Brothers can put him through a table as the Diamond Mine stands tall. Bivens’ translations and Barrett being lost were funny, but I don’t like Strong’s chances next week.

Video on the tag team division with a lot of teams wanting the Tag Team Titles.

Solo Sikoa vs. Santos Escobar

Escobar chops away to start and rolls him up for a fast two. Sikoa is getting a bit too frustrated early on and misses a stomp to make it worse. Escobar takes him back down into an armbar and then switches into an abdominal stretch. That’s reversed with a hiptoss and a running headbutt gives Sikoa two. Escobar is knocked outside, where the rest of Legado offers a distraction. That means Sikoa gets posted hard we take a break.

Back with Sikoa fighting up but getting taken right back down with a Russian legsweep. Escobar stands on his back to keep it in trouble, setting up a half crab with a knee in said back. A basement dropkick rocks Sikoa again but he’s fine enough to hit a toss gordbuster. There’s the Samoan drop but Sikoa has to deal with the rest of Legado. That means a chop block to Sikoa, setting up a super hurricanrana. Cue Xyon Quin, so Escobar takes him down with a dive and yells a lot. Escobar heads back in, where Sikoa superkicks his head off. The Superfly Splash gives Sikoa the upset pin at 13:32.

Rating: C+. This is what some of the NXT rookies need to be doing: having a match with the established names and getting some ring time. The 3-4 minute matches aren’t getting them very far but this is where they can grow and learn. Escobar isn’t going to be hurt by the loss and Sikoa gets a rather nice win under his belt. Good use of TV time here.

New Year’s Evil rundown.

Harland and Joe Gacy take Andre Chase to the roof and leave him there.

Solo Sikoa wants to know who is left but gets jumped by Boa, who gives him a Tongan Death Grip. The cameraman gets taken out too.

We look at Tommaso Ciampa vs. Bron Breakker.

Von Wagner vs. Malik Blade

Wagner powers him into the corner to start but Blade hits a kick to the ribs. That earns Blade a big toss into the air for a bigger crash as the beating is on. A lariat blasts Blade but he comes back with some dropkicks. Blade’s springboard crossbody drops Wagner again but he grabs a high Angle Slam. The double underhook spinning slam finishes Blade at 4:02.

Rating: C-. I’m still not sure I get it with Wagner, who is another pretty generic power guy. That’s about all he showed us here too, as he didn’t do anything that set him apart from anyone else. Blade is fitting in rather well as the jobber to the stars who can still give you a nice enough match. Now please try to find some way to make Wagner more interesting.

Post match Wagner goes after him again but Edris Enofe makes the save.

New Year’s Evil rundown.

Kay Lee Ray/Io Shirai vs. Cora Jade/Raquel Gonzalez

The winning team gets to challenge Mandy Rose for the Women’s Title next week. Shirai flapjacks Jade to start and tells her to bring it. Jade grabs a cradle for two of her own before snapping off a hurricanrana. The running knee smashes Shirai against the ropes and it’s off to Gonzalez for the power. Ray comes in to kick away at the ribs but Shirai has to come in and save her with a dropkick. Shirai’s Asai moonsault takes Gonzalez out again and we take a break.

Back with Ray stomping away on Jade but not being able to hit the KLR Bomb. The comeback bid doesn’t last long as Jade gets knocked down, but Gonzalez saves Jade from the Moon Over Moonsault. Instead Ray hits a big dive onto Gonzalez and Shirai 619s Jade. There’s a missile dropkick for two on Jade, who comes back with an enziguri to Ray.

The hot tag brings in Gonzalez to clean house, including the spinning Vader Bomb. There’s the Chingona Bomb but Jade tags herself in. The argument is on and Jade knocks Gonzalez outside, allowing Jade to roll her up. Gonzalez breaks that up…and knocks Jade onto Ray for the pin at 10:02.

Rating: C. That was a mixture of good action, some sloppiness in parts and a stupid ending designed to wedge in the “these two don’t get along” theme. That’s one of WWE’s favorite tropes though and it’s no surprise to see it here again. Either team could have won here, but Jade and Gonzalez are the more logical pick.

Post match, Mandy Rose pops up to say her plan is working and she’ll see them at New Year’s Evil.

Overall Rating: C. The show took a bit of a step back this week as it was a collection of things happening without much of a main story. The women’s tag didn’t feel bigger than anything else but rather just went on last, which doesn’t make it that much better. Nothing on here was particularly good and while there was less Grayson Waller, there wasn’t much else worth seeing. Granted that very well might be a Coronavirus thing, but it wasn’t exactly a fun watch this week.

Results
Grayson Waller b. Odyssey Jones – Rolling Stunner
Harland b. Andre Chase via referee stoppage
Tiffany Stratton b. Fallon Henley – Downward Spiral
Solo Sikoa b. Santos Escobar – Superfly Splash
Von Wagner b. Malik Blade – Double underhook spinning slam
Raquel Gonzalez/Cora Jade b. Kay Lee Ray/Io Shirai – Rollup to Ray

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

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

AND

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

205 Live
Date: December 24, 2021
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Vic Joseph

Just in case there are people watching the supplemental show for the minor league brand on Christmas Eve. Last week’s show was one of the rougher watches I’ve had around here and I can only hope that this one is a bit better. Having more people ready for a slightly bigger stage than the Performance Center would help. Let’s get to it.

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

Ivy Nile vs. Fallon Henley

Two weeks in a row for Henley and she gets a rather high energy entrance. Nile throws her down without much trouble to start but gets caught in an armbar. That’s broken up as well so some forearms annoy Nile a bit. A bulldog takes Nile down but she’s fine enough to power her way out of trouble.

There’s a belly to back suplex and a running kick in the corner rocks Henley again. We hit the bearhug on Henley before Nile throws her down. The freedom is enough for Henley to grab a rollup for two and some kicks are good for the same. Nile isn’t having that though and takes her down, setting up the dragon sleeper for the win at 3:14.

Rating: C. Henley got in a good bit before falling here, so they certainly see a little something in her. It is nice to see someone fresh in the division, but this was going to be about Nile getting a nice win. Nile is someone who could become a star in the division in a hurry, and this is the kind of step that she needs to take.

Andre Chase vs. Damon Kemp

The good sized Kemp is making his debut. Chase gets sent into the corner to start before Kemp rides him to the mat without much trouble. Back up and Chase sends him throat first into the ropes to take over, followed by some right hands on the mat. The letter shouting stomps get two and a Russian legsweep is good for the same. We hit the armbar so Kemp can fight up to make the clothesline comeback. Rolling Chaos Theory gives Kemp two but Chase goes for the shoe, setting up the Downward Spiral to finish Kemp at 5:32.

Rating: C-. I wouldn’t have believed it but Chase has managed to turn into something pretty fun with this university stuff. It isn’t something you would expect to pull off but well done for making it something that actually seems to fit. Granted it isn’t going to get much higher, but he’s doing a little something with it. Kemp looks like someone with a good bit of potential based on the amateur stuff alone, though that’s a long term prospect to put it mildly.

Solo Sikoa vs. Ru Feng

They trade shoulders to start and neither can hit a strike to the face. Feng takes him down by the arm for a kick to the back but Sikoa blocks one to the chest. Back up and a running crossbody takes Feng down for two but he’s back up with some more kicks. We hit the chinlock for a bit before they strike it out, with Sikoa getting the better of things. Three straight backsplashes give Sikoa two and it’s a spinning backfist into the Superfly Splash to finish Feng at 4:50.

Rating: C. This was the best, or at least most impressive looking, showing from Feng to date. His kicks were looking like they could do damage and he made Sikoa work for a win. That being said, Sikoa is another guy that seems like he could be a breakout star pretty soon and he is looking a bit further along than some of the other newcomers. Putting him in a match like this gives him some exposure, but I’m not sure how much he is getting out of it.

Overall Rating: C. It was a big upgrade over last week, though part of that is just due to not having a horrible match included. Giving these wrestlers a chance to get in the ring is a good thing, but at some point they need to have more than a four minute match. For now though, this show is a nice addition and something that lets some of these newer wrestlers actually get in front of people. You have to do that somehow, and since house shows are out, this is about as good as we’re getting.

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

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

AND

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

205 Live
Date: December 10, 2021
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Vic Joseph

We’re in a weird place with this show as WWE has actually realized that this show has little to do with the cruiserweight division and hasn’t been live in years. It might actually be time to change things up a bit and that is long overdue. Granted the show has already changed everything but the name, so maybe now it’s time to complete the ordeal. Let’s get to it.

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

Amari Miller vs. Lash Legend

I’ll take this over Legend talking. Legend shoves her down to start but Miller isn’t impressed. A dropkick staggers Legend but she blocks an armdrag without much effort. There’s an overhead suplex into a nipup as Miller is in trouble early. A release fall away slam sets up a big boot to the chest but Miller avoids a charge in the corner. Miller is back with a springboard Codebreaker into a cradle for two of her own, only to have Legend shrug it off. Something like a torture rack (over Legend’s back instead of the shoulders) spun into a faceplant finishes Miller at 3:30.

Rating: C-. This was a fine near squash for Legend, but those Lashing Out segments have completely destroyed any interest I could have in her. She is a bit bigger than a lot of the division and has the power to back it up, but that is going to go sailing out of the window when the next talking segment starts up. Miller is becoming a regular around here and is starting to look more comfortable in the ring, so there might be a future there.

Andre Chase vs. Guru Raaj

They go technical to start, with Chase working on the arm. A monkey flip out of the corner gets Raaj out of trouble but Chase pulls him down by the hair in a hurry. The stomps with the pointing at the student section ensue and we hit the cross arm choke. Raaj fights up with some kicks and a backsplash, setting up a bulldog out of the corner for two. Back up and Chase hits a running big boot into an arm trap Downward Spiral to finish Raaj at 4:59.

Rating: C. Chase has a dead end gimmick and Raaj is little more than a jobber so this is about as good as it could have been. Giving Chase a win doesn’t give him anything but it will make him mean a little bit more before he gets to put someone else over in the future. That has worked for years before and it can work here, even with the whole ridiculous university deal.

We recap Joe Gacy falling to Roderick Strong at WarGames, but now he is ready to change the 205 name for the sake of….whatever Gacy is on about this week.

Malik Blade vs. Solo Sikoa

Sikoa shoves him down to start so Blade is back up with an armbar. It actually lasts a bit longer than you might have guessed, probably marking the longest offense Blade has ever had around here. Back up and a heck of a clothesline blasts Blade, setting up Sikoa’s armbar for a change.

Some dropkicks don’t do Blade much good as Sikoa spinwheel kicks him right back into the armbar. Another escape works better for Blade and he hits a running clothesline in the corner. Sikoa superkicks him out of the air and a spinning fist to the head finishes Blade off at 7:44.

Rating: D+. This was another match like some previous 205 Live main events, as they spent a good while getting to the ending. It felt like they were just killing time until the finish, which is never a good feeling. Sikoa needs the ring time though and Blade is someone who seems capable of hanging in there for a bit, but I need more than long form armbars.

Overall Rating: C-. This show is already starting to get stuck in a rut, as it is more about the young up and comers in NXT, which doesn’t exactly make for an exciting night. I can imagine the new name might breathe some life into the place for a few weeks, but it isn’t like there is any reason to believe that it will last. It’s a show that WWE doesn’t care about and that doesn’t make for the easiest watch every week.

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205 Live
Date: November 26, 2021
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Vic Joseph

NXT is on its way to WarGames and that means we are on our way to a non-cruiserweight challenging for the Cruiserweight Title. I’m not sure why that should be a surprise, as Roderick Strong hasn’t defended the title in about two months, so the future isn’t exactly bright. At the same time, that has very little to do with this show so let’s get to it.

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

Valentina Feroz vs. Elektra Lopez

Legado del Fantasma is here with Lopez. Feroz tries to take her down to start and is blocked with straight power. A hard slap to the face sets up a slam spun into a Rock Bottom (which isn’t innovative Vic) and we hit the nerve hold. That’s broken up and Feroz kicks away at the leg, setting up a running hurricanrana. Lopez isn’t having that though and muscles her up into a sitout powerbomb for the pin at 3:50.

Rating: C-. It was little more than a squash, but this is the kind of a match that Lopez needs. There is no pressure on either of them and a grand total of almost no one, certainly no one that high up, is going to see it. Let her get in the ring and get some experience, which is what she needs more than anything else.

Erica Yan vs. Amari Miller

They fight over hammerlock control to start and that doesn’t get either of them anywhere. A hiptoss into an armdrag works a bit better for Yan and a cartwheel lets her pose at Miller a bit. Miller takes her down into a cradle for two and we hit the cobra clutch. That’s broken up and Yan grabs a suplex for two, meaning frustration is setting in. Miller is done with this and hits a knee, setting up a faceplant onto the knee for the pin at 4:35.

Rating: C-. Miller is still clearly a big prospect for the company but she also feels like someone who isn’t exactly comfortable in the ring. It feels like she is trying to figure out what to do next, which is something all young wrestlers go through. Much like Lopez, giving her time in the ring is the best thing for her at the moment and that’s what she was getting here.

We look back at Joe Gacy calling out the Cruiserweight Title for weight shaming. The match is set for WarGames.

Solo Sikoa vs. Andre Chase

Chase calls this a teachable moment because he is going to show that you win fights with your mind instead of your fists. Sikoa is fired up but Chase grabs an armbar to slow him down for at least a good six seconds. They fight over a wristlock until Sikoa hits him in the face to take over. A belly to belly sends Chase outside and it’s time for Sikoa to shout some more.

The Samoan drop is countered though and Chase hits a swinging neckbreaker. Chase slams him down and stomps away, while shouting GIVE ME AN INSERT LETTER HERE to spell out CHASE U. We hit the long form chinlock on Sikoa but he’s right back up with a legsweep into a backsplash. A spinwheel kick gets two on Chase but he sends Sikoa throat first into the ropes. That and a tornado DDT are enough for two on Sikoa, who plants Chase with a Samoan drop instead. The Superfly Splash finishes Chase at 8:29.

Rating: C. You could tell that Chase was carrying a good bit of this as Sikoa is another person lacking the experience. The Chase U stuff is a very minor league gimmick but it’s doing its job and seems to have found at least a bit of an audience. Keep stuff like that going and Chase should be able to stick around here for a pretty good while. Sikoa should be a star in the future, and, for the third match in a row, he is someone who needs the kind of ring time he can get around here.

Overall Rating: C. This was what 205 Live should be: a training show where the wrestlers can go out and have short matches to get them in the ring a bit. They can work up to some bigger things later on, but for now this is where they should be. It’s more or less the same concept of the old Florida house show circuit, which is something that could do them a lot of good but probably got cut due to budget issues.

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

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AND

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