NXT – September 25, 2014: Week To Week And Awesome To Awesome
NXT Date: September 25, 2014
Location: Full Sail University, Winter Park, Florida
Commentators: Jason Albert, Renee Young, Rich Brennan
The seeds are being planted for the big showdown of Neville vs. Zayn but they seem to be doing a very slow build. Tonight we get one of the roadblocks out of the way as Tyson Kidd is getting his FINAL title shot at Adrian Neville. Their first two matches have been solid so this one should be entertaining well. We’re also getting the Lucha Dragons defending against the Ascension. Let’s get to it.
Opening sequence.
Mojo Rawley vs. Bull Dempsey
The brawl starts in the aisle before Mojo hammers him into the ring for the opening bell. Dempsey runs him over and a top rope headbutt ends Mojo in 46 seconds.
Video on Baron Corbin, talking about being a different breed while getting on a motorcycle. Cool stuff.
Tyler Breeze comes to the ring as Mojo is leaving so Breeze beats him up too.
Tyler Breeze vs. Justin Gabriel
Justin gets stomped down in the corner to start but goes after Tyler’s knee. He slams Breeze face first into the mat for two but stops for a dance. A kick to the chest gets two but he has to bail out of the 450. Instead a STO and springboard splash get two for Justin but he misses the 450, allowing Breeze to finish him with the Beauty Shot at 3:58.
Rating: D+. There was a nice story to this one as the veteran Gabriel underestimated Breeze and got caught when Breeze took everything he had. Breeze has gotten way better than I ever thought he would and Gabriel is good enough to make anyone look good. The action wasn’t great but it told a good story.
Natalya asks Regal for one more shot for Kidd. Regal grants it but this is his LAST shot. I believe this was already advertised.
Alexa Bliss vs. Bayley
Bayley takes her into the corner to start but gets caught in a sunset flip for two. Bliss flips her down and Bayley is so impressed that she high fives Alexa. Bayley cranks on an armbar but Bliss tries to roll out, only to have Bayley roll with her in a nice counter. Back up and Bliss misses a standing moonsault before walking into the Belly to Bayley for the pin at 3:21.
Rating: C-. This was more fun from the NXT girls with Bliss having the perfect smile to go with the flips and Bayley being as adorable as is humanly possible. The wrestling wasn’t much again but this was more for an athletic display than anything else. Bayley getting a clean win should help bring her back up.
Post match Bayley calls out Charlotte and says she hasn’t been able to sleep since Takeover. Her mom was there to watch her lose. Bayley asks for one more match and the fans are WAY into the idea. Charlotte says Bayley earned her respect, but the second verse would be the same as the first. The rematch is on for next week.
Enzo, Cass and Carmella come to the Performance Center. Apparently she lied about being Enzo’s sister to get in the building which is ok with Enzo. She wants to get in the ring but Enzo says she has to get in shape first and start acting like a Diva. Carmella steps off camera while Enzo gets on the treadmill and clarifies that he and Carmella aren’t a couple. She comes back on camera in a sports bra and shorts, showing off quite the physique. Cass: “HOW YOU DOIN?” Enzo falls off the treadmill and might have hurt himself.
Marcus Louis vs. Enzo Amore
Louis is doing the Kurt Angle wig with wrestling headgear to hide being bald. Enzo talks about Louis eating pie and having a side effect. They list off possible types of pies and call Louis SAWFT. Louis hammers away to start and knocks Enzo to the apron, but Amore rips off the wig. Marcus is terrified and gets rolled up at 2:37.
Kidd says he’ll get his own title shot and says he has all the power in the title match.
Tag Team Titles: Lucha Dragons vs. Ascension
Ascension is challenging. Konnor runs over Cara to start but Kalisto springboards in to take Konnor down. Off to Viktor who hammers Kalisto in the corner but gives up a tag to Cara. Sin headscissors Viktor down and powerbombs Kalisto into a moonsault for two. Back to Konnor for a hard headlock on Kalisto before throwing him around for two more. Viktor comes in and cranks on a chinlock as we take a break.
Back with Konnor launching Kalisto across the ring before putting on a chinlock. An over the shoulder backbreaker/middle rope elbow combo gets two on Kalisto and it’s back to the reverse chinlock. Konnor runs him over for two and puts on a bodyscissors to keep Kalisto in trouble. Back to Viktor for a hard uppercut but Kalisto slips over the back to escape a slam and there’s the hot tag to Cara. Ascension actually cleans house but here’s Hideo Itami for a distraction. Kalisto pops back up for the Salida Del Sol and the pin on Viktor at 10:23.
Rating: C+. This was the usual power vs. speed at this point but the announcers made it clear that Itami was coming in the entire time. I’m kind of glad they got rid of the rematch so we don’t have it hanging over us the entire time. That being said, do we really need Itami doing the WWE finish in NXT? Really?
Ascension chases Itami to end the show.
Overall Rating: C+. Pretty basic episode of NXT here with all of the action working well enough and the stories all advancing. They’re getting good at the week to week booking again with stuff like the Kidd vs. Neville match coming at some point and the Women’s Title match next week. Good stuff again this week with the promotion getting back to the way it works best.
Results
Bull Dempsey b. Mojo Rawley – Top rope headbutt
Tyler Breeze b. Justin Gabriel – Beauty Shot
Bayley b. Alexa Bliss – Belly to Bayley
Enzo Amore b. Marcus Louis – Rollup
Lucha Dragons b. Ascension – Salida Del Sol to Viktor
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NXT Takeover: Fatal Four-Way: It’s The Best Thing Going Today
Takeover: Fatal Four-Way Date: September 11, 2014
Location: Full Sail University, Winter Park, Florida
Commentators: Renee Young, Byron Saxton, Tom Phillips
For once I’m actually looking forward to a WWE special. This is the third two hour live event that NXT has run and the first two were knocked out of the park. The main event tonight is a four way with NXT Champion Adrian Neville defending against Tyson Kidd, Sami Zayn and Tyler Breeze in what should be a classic. Let’s get to it.
The regular WWE video plays but an NXT video hacks in. You might even say it takes over.
Opening sequence with only shots of people appearing tonight.
Tag Team Titles: Sin Cara/Kalisto vs. Ascension
Sin Cara and Kalisto won a tournament to get this show. They also now have their own music which starts with someone shouting LUCHA LUCHA LUCHA! Ascension has held the titles for nearly a year and have barely ever broken a sweat in a defense. Viktor knocks Sin Cara up against the ropes but gets caught by a standing Lionsault for two. That’s fine with Viktor though as he sends Cara out to the floor so Konnor can drive him back first into the apron.
Back to Viktor for a hard slam for two as the champions are already dominating. We hit a double chickenwing before Cara escapes a powerbomb. Konnor knocks Kalisto off the apron though and Cara can’t make the tag. An enziguri stops Konnor but he puts on a front facelock and just drives Cara back into the corner. That’s fine with Cara as he flips over and makes the tag to Kalisto.
Everything speeds up with a spinning slingshot plancha. A semi-botched sunset bomb gets two on Viktor as Cara dives on Konnor. Both champions go outside and catch Kalisto in mid air. Sin dives on both of them for a huge crash and the fans are WAY into this. Back inside they load up the Fall of Man but Cara trips up Konnor. Kalisto rolls out of the way and hits Salida Del Sol (standing sitout Sliced Bread #2) on Viktor for the pin and the titles at 7:48.
Rating: B-. Power vs. speed is something that is going to work no matter how many times you try it. They had to get the belts off of Ascension at some point and putting them on Lucha was as good of a way as they could have done it. This frees up Ascension to go after the Usos, which makes sense given that they already debuted on Main Event this week.
The new champions dub themselves the Lucha Dragons.
We get a quick pause in memory of 9/11.
Video on Adrian Neville about how tough a year it’s been for him but he hasn’t lost a single match. Everyone will remember that he’s the man that gravity forgot. He’s beaten all of his challengers and now he has to beat them at once.
CJ Parker vs. Baron Corbin
This is an added match. The much bigger Corbin shoves the Eco Warrior Parker into the corner….and then plants him with a very powerful one armed Downward Spiral for the pin at 32 seconds. He made it look even better by rocking Parker forward and then snapping him back. That’s a good way to start a push.
Video on Tyson Kidd where he lists off some of his facts, mainly talking about each man in the main event tonight. He will walk out as champion. Fact.
Enzo Amore vs. Sylvester LeFort
Enzo has new music which he might sing himself. This is Jersey Shore vs. France in a hair vs. hair match. Amore even has “hair cream” to get rid of Sylvester’s hair. Before the match, Enzo suggests a few hairstyles for LeFort, including a combover and a mushroom, complete with the fans shouting HOW YOU DOIN after every suggestion. According to Cass, after the match, Sylvester’s hair will be S-A-W-F-T.
Enzo grabs a headlock to start and ruffles LeFort’s hair to really mess with him. A shoulder puts Sylvester on the apron but he snaps Enzo across the top rope to take over. We hit the chinlock on Enzo followed by a hard kick between the shoulders. Amore fights back with some stiff punches but a Marcus Louis distraction lets Sylvester nail a clothesline for two. Cass takes out Louis, allowing Amore to grab a rollup (and tights) for the pin at 5:46.
Rating: D+. The wrestling was bad but what are you expecting from someone like Enzo? He’s a comedy character and has never had a match go more than a few minutes. This was a way to give the fans a good laugh and there’s nothing wrong with that. Cass and Amore are just a loveable team and they beat up the snobs. What more can you ask for?
Sylvester is being taken to the chair but Marcus makes a save. Amore and Cass get up though and LeFort runs off, leaving Marcus to take the cream on the head.
Tyler Breeze says the new champion will be gorgeous. Every outfit he wears goes with gold.
Here’s General Manager William Regal with something to say. He talks about how great it is in NXT right now and introduces the biggest international signing in NXT history. We get a video on Kenta, with various WWE wrestlers talking about how awesome he is. Kenta comes to the ring to a VERY strong reaction and he gives a brief welcome in English before going into Japanese. He says this is a dream come true and he’s starting over with a new name: Hideo Itami, a tribute to one of his heroes. His goal is to be NXT Champion….and here are the Ascension to interrupt.
Itami is thrown to the floor and Konnor demands a rematch for the titles. Hideo gets back in the ring and takes off his jacket. A kick and forearm put Ascension down and a double dropkick does it again. Itami gets a chair and stands….well not that tall actually but it’s a good debut.
Bull Dempsey vs. Mojo Rawley
Not much to this one as they were in the tag team tournament and lost, causing Dempsey to destroy Rawley. Dempsey hammers him into the corner to start as the fans want Kevin Steen. Mojo spears him down and hammers away but Dempsey runs him over with a splash. A top rope headbutt ends Mojo at 1:07. If Rawley wasn’t finished before, he certainly is now.
Dempsey adds another headbutt for good measure.
Enzo and Cass want to see someone bald. They see Marcus with a towel over his head and carry him into the arena for the big reveal. Enzo rips off the towel, revealing little bits of hair on Marcus’ head and no eyebrows. Nice touch. Enzo says he is B-A-W-L-D.
We recap Bayley vs. Charlotte. It’s another simple story with Charlotte being the girl that feels she’s here by birth and Bayley being the biggest fangirl in the history of wrestling who just loves to be here.
Women’s Title: Charlotte vs. Bayley
Bayley now has streamers on her arms. Charlotte offers a handshake to start but Bayley drives her into the corner for some shoulders to the ribs. A quick cross body gets two for Bayley but Charlotte counters a backslide with a neckbreaker. We hit the figure four headlock on Bayley and Charlotte even flips forward a few times and slam Bayley onto the mat. They trade a few rollups with Bayley countering a Figure Four attempt for two. Charlotte dropkicks her back down and nails a hard knee to the ribs.
Bayley comes back with a hard series of forearms, only to miss a charge into the corner and get slammed down onto the mat for two. Charlotte goes up top but gets caught in a top rope hurricanrana to put both girls down. The delayed cover only gets two but the Belly to Bayley is countered into a rollup. Charlotte nails her in the face, knocking Bayley head first into the bottom buckle. A moonsault doesn’t quite hit as Charlotte landed on her legs instead of on Bayley and only gets two. Natural Selection (the new name for Bow Down to the Queen) is enough to retain the title at 11:55.
Rating: C+. This was a far cry from Charlotte vs. Natalya but they had to have a heel win somewhere in there. I’ll give them this though: they had me wanting to see Bayley suplex Charlotte through the floor and take the title. The story was perfect here though and that’s as good as they could have hoped for. The match wasn’t bad at all either and that hurricanrana looked great.
Post match Sasha Banks comes out to beat on Bayley but Charlotte makes the save. Bayley is confused.
Sami Zayn talks about having to be ready for his opponents. He and Neville are friends, but he wants to beat Adrian to become champion.
Hideo Itami makes his in ring debut next week.
NXT Title: Tyson Kidd vs. Sami Zayn vs. Tyler Breeze vs. Adrian Neville
Neville is defending and this is one fall to a finish. After the big match intros, they have about half an hour for this if necessary. Kidd’s trunks now say FACT. The fans start their dueling chants and aren’t sure who they like best so far. After a minute of circling each other we’re ready to go with all four heading to the floor. That goes nowhere but they do tease Neville vs. Zayn to a BIG response. They head back to the floor with Neville kicking Kidd and Sami chopping Breeze.
Sami and Kidd go back inside with Zayn grabbing the Koji Clutch until Tyler makes a save. Now they head to the stage where Adrian’s knee is taken out and a double suplex plants him on the stage. Sami picks off Kidd but gets a double suplex of his own on the ramp. Back to the ring now with Sami getting double teamed by the villains. The fans tell Kidd that Nattie is better as Adrian gets knocked off the apron.
Sami gets stomped in the corner and Tyler covers after a suplex, triggering the brawl with Kidd. Tyson sends him to the floor and gets two off a neckbreaker to Zayn. Off to a chinlock on Sami but he quickly jawbreaks his way to freedom. Kidd puts him in the Tree of Woe though as Adrian is knocked to the floor again, followed by a kick to the face from Tyson.
Zayn tries to get back up but Kidd just pounds him down in the corner and puts on the chinlock again. Neville finally gets back in but Tyson sends him to the floor for about the fourth time. Adrian pops back in though and backdrops Kidd down. Breeze returns from the dead, only to get clotheslined down by Sami. Zayn loads up a dive to the heels but Adrian hits a HUGE top rope Asai moonsault to put them both down.
That leaves Neville vs. Zayn and the fans get even more into this all of a sudden. A big kick to the champion’s head gets two as Kidd is back in for the save. Kidd throws Neville into Sami to knock the champion to the floor and the Moss Covered Three Handled Family Credenza gets two on Sami. Tyson can’t get the Sharpshooter on Sami and the springboard elbow hits knees. Sami loads up the Helluva Kick but Tyler nails the Beauty Shot to knock him down. Neville tries to come in off the top but gets dropkicked out of the air for a VERY close two. Tyler gets two on Kidd as well and frustration is setting in.
Adrian goes up top but Breeze and Kidd load up a double superplex. That’s not enough for Sami as he makes it a HUGE Tower of Doom. Kidd somehow gets up at two and Breeze falls out to the floor. Sami punches Tyson into the corner and gets all fired up but charges into a boot from Neville. A Shooting Star from Adrian crushes Sami but Breeze comes in to steal a two count and make the fans gasp.
Tyler misses a Beauty Shot to Sami and gets caught in the Sharpshooter. Tyson drags him back to the center of the ring and Tyler loads up his hand to tap but Adrian grabs his hand to hold it up in a great move. Sami makes the save and the fans are very thankful. Sami and Adrian finally get to slug it out until Neville gets backdropped to the floor.
An exploder suplex puts Kidd in the corner and Zayn dives through the ropes to take out Adrian. In an even better move Sami dives from the floor, over the bottom rope and into a tornado DDT on Tyler on the floor. The Helluva Kick looks to finish Kidd but Adrian pulls the referee out of the way. A superkick drops Sami and the Red Arrow to Kidd retains the title at 23:58.
Rating: A-. If Sami had won the title there it’s even higher. I’m not wild on Adrian seemingly turning heel but in theory this sets up Neville vs. Zayn in the big showdown for the title. Thankfully Sami didn’t get pinned here and the huge spots worked really well, especially that Tower of Doom and the diving tornado DDT. This was more than worth the wait and now it looks like Sami is getting his chance very soon. Notice that they didn’t really let Sami and Adrian fight other than a brief exchange, even though the fans were begging for it. That’s a sign for the future.
Sami looks at Adrian with frustration on his face to end the show.
Overall Rating: B+. This wasn’t quite as good as Arrival and Takeover but these things are still as good as anything else you’re going to see in wrestling today. NXT has mastered this idea of setting something up and then executing it rather than meandering forever until they figure out what they want to do and expecting us to keep watching. I love this promotion and it holds up incredibly well week after week. Zayn vs. Neville is going to rock and the future looks bright with some major debuts on the horizon.
Results
Sin Cara/Kalisto b. Ascension – Salida Del Sol to Viktor
Baron Corbin b. CJ Parker – Downward Spiral
Enzo Amore b. Sylvester LeFort – Rollup
Bull Dempsey b. Mojo Rawley – Top rope headbutt
Charlotte b. Bayley – Natural Selection
Adrian Neville b. Sami Zayn, Tyler Breeze and Tyson Kidd – Red Arrow to Kidd
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NXT – September 4, 2014: You Still Got It! *Rhythmic Clapping* You Still Got It!
NXT
Date: September 4, 2014
Location: Full Sail University, Winter Park, Florida
Commentators: Tom Phillips, Byron Saxton, Renee Young
It’s the go home show for Takeover II next week and we now have a main event set. This week we’re likely going to be setting the stage for the fatal fourway next week with Adrian Neville defending against Tyler Breeze, Sami Zayn and Tyson Kidd. We also have the finals of the #1 contenders tag team tournament. Let’s get to it.
Before the opening sequence we hear about the card tonight, which will see the tournament finals and all four men in the fourway in singles matches.
Opening sequence.
Alexa Bliss vs. Charlotte
Non-title. Charlotte takes her down with a headlock but Bliss goes to the middle rope for an armdrag followed by a headscissors. That’s enough for Charlotte as she chokes Bliss on the middle rope to take over. Bliss rolls through a powerbomb into a sunset flip for two but walks into Bow Down to the Queen for the pin at 2:22.
Bayley comes out post match and says it’s time Charlotte took her seriously, because she’s seriously taking the title at Takeover. She offers a handshake but Charlotte shoves her instead. Charlotte walks over to her and gets caught in a bad looking Belly to Bayley.
Breeze says he’ll win the title because he looks better than everyone else.
Kenta debuts next week and will be wrestling under that name.
Sin Cara and Kalisto say they have a great opportunity tonight and have the heart to beat the Ascension.
Tye Dillinger vs. Tyler Breeze
Dillinger jumps over Tyler in the corner to start and runs him over with a shoulder. Breeze gets all aggressive and stomps Tye down in the corner before putting on a front facelock. Back up and the Beauty Show is good for the pin at 2:40.
Kidd says he’ll win the title because he’s been around the world and is cocky and arrogant, but he’s earned the right to be.
Enzo and Big Cass at a beauty salon and goes in to see a friend of his to get some hair removal cream (I hope it’s Freebird brand) for the hair vs. hair match against Sylvester LeFort next week. A very effeminate man comes in and freaks them out so they get in an argument over who should test the cream. They spill it on a dog and the stylist freaks out as they look in shock and say the cream really works.
Tyson Kidd vs. Adam Rose
There are far too many people here with names that start with Ty. Kidd takes him into the corner for some knees to start. Rose comes back with elbows to the face, only to walk into a suplex. We hit the chinlock for a bit before Rose fights up with forearms and elbows to the jaw. Kidd dropkicks the knee out and puts on the Sharpshooter for the submission at 4:11.
Rating: D+. This was a glorified squash and Kidd looked good throughout. The fourway next week is going to be awesome and this was a good step to get us to that match. Rose is done at this point save for comedy and that’s all he was ever going to become. Then again, it’s not like any of this matters on the main show as NXT is in its own world.
Sami Zayn says he wants to beat Neville because Adrian is the champion.
The Vaudevillains, in black and white of course, promise that they’ll win the tournament. Aiden insists that Gotch can move mountains and Simon adds a hearty EXCELSIOR!
Sami Zayn vs. Marcus Louis
They trade wristlocks to start until Marcus gets him down into a chinlock. Sami finally fights up with a kick to the ribs and a clothesline followed by a nice dropkick. He easily takes Louis down and puts on the Koji Clutch for the tap at 2:59.
Enzo and Big Cass run out and try to use the cream on LeFort’s hair but Sylvester escapes.
Adrian Neville knows he doesn’t have to be pinned or submit to lose the title and he loves the challenge.
CJ Parker vs. Adrian Neville
Non-title again. Renee accuses Parker of using REGULAR gasoline recently. Neville spins around to start and takes Parker to the mat with a headlock. Parker fights back up with a spinwheel kick for two but misses a top rope splash. Adrian scores with some kicks of his own and the Red Arrow is good for the pin at 3:21.
Rating: C-. Neville has been a really good champion so far but I have no idea if he holds onto the belt next week. That’s the best thing you could ask for going into a big match as it really could go wither way. I love that Parker is now a lowly jobber as the fans absolutely could not stand him and he didn’t have the skill to stay at the level he was on.
Tag Team Title #1 Contenders Tournament Finals: Vaudevillains vs. Sin Cara/Kalisto
The Vaudevillains beat Bull Dempsey/Mojo Rawley and Enzo Amore/Colin Cassady to advance while Kalisto/Sin Cara defeated Wesley Blake/Buddy Murphy and Adam Rose/Sami Zayn to get here. Kalisto spins English around to start and Aiden is quickly frustrated. It’s quickly off to Sin Cara vs. Gotch with the masked man being dropped ribs first onto the top rope and out to the floor.
English comes back in to hammer away in the corner, only to walk into a cross body. A double tag brings in Kalisto for a headscissors to Gotch. Something like the La Mistica faceplant gets two and everything breaks down. Cara dives over the top rope to take out English, sending him head first into the stge. Gotch catches Kalisto’s cross body but walks into the Salida Del Sol, followed by the Swanton from Sin Cara to give them the title shot at 5:50.
Rating: C. This didn’t have time to go anywhere but it did exactly what it was supposed to do. I don’t think anyone expected a different outcome and that’s the right way to go. The luchadors are on a roll heading into the title match next week and there’s a chance the titles could finally change. Basic power vs. speed match here but it was fine.
Ascension comes out for a staredown to end the show.
Overall Rating: B. This was one of the best go home shows I can remember in a very long time. Almost every Takeover match got some time and it set up the fourway perfectly. I can’t wait for the show now and based on the house show reports, the fourway has the potential to be a classic. Throw in the fact that all three titles could easily change hands and Enzo vs. LeFort could be a very solid comedy match and Takeover II is shaping up great.
Results
Charlotte b. Alexa Bliss – Bow Down to the Queen
Tyler Breeze b. Tye Dillinger – Beauty Show
Tyson Kidd b. Adam Rose – Sharpshooter
Sami Zayn b. Marcus Louis – Koji Clutch
Adrian Neville b. CJ Parker – Red Arrow
Sin Cara/Kalisto b. Vaudevillains – Swanton bomb to Gotch
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NXT – August 28, 2014: That Old Feeling
NXT
Date: August 28, 2014
Location: Full Sail University, Winter Park, Florida
Commentators: Rich Brennan, Alex Riley, Jason Albert
We’ve got something to look forward to now with Takeover II just a few weeks away. All of the titles will be on the line but the champions need some challengers. As for tonight, the main story is the debut of the new General Manager to replace JBL who left for undisclosed reasons. Let’s get to it.
Opening sequence.
Ascension vs. ???/???
If the jobbers have names they weren’t mentioned. Fans: “LET’S GO JOBBERS!” Konor runs over Jobber #1 with a shoulder before Viktor launches #2 in over the top rope. Fall of Man ends #2 at 1:06.
Post match Ascension says the tournament ends next week and they’ll find their latest victims. Konor says they will rise.
The new General Manager is……WILLIAM REGAL! He says he’s been here since the beginning and as his first action, he’s going to name the main event of Takeover II. First up though, he’d like Adrian Neville to come down to the ring. Neville congratulates him on his new job and asks who’s next. Fans: “GOLDBERG! GOLDBERG!” Regal is about to announce the opponent but Tyson Kidd (in a Mike Tyson hoodie) interrupts.
He accepts the title shot but before Regal can confirm it, here’s Tyler Breeze to interrupt as well. Breeze: “Are you serious? This uggo? Everyone deserves a title shot before him. EVEN HIS WIFE!” This brings out Sami Zayn to say that he deserves the shot above Kidd and Breeze. Neville wants to face all of them because this is NXT. Regal approves and we have a main event.
After a break, Regal makes Zayn/Neville vs. Kidd/Breeze for tonight.
Sasha Banks vs. Bayley
We immediately get the best chant ever: “BAYLEY’S GONNA HUG YOU!” Sasha sends her into the buckle to start and drops Bayley with a knee to the ribs. We hit the chinlock and get yet another awesome chant of “LET’S GO BAYLEY! CENA SUCKS!” Back up and Sasha chokes away in the corner, only to walk into the Belly to Bayley for the pin at 3:16.
Rating: C-. The match wasn’t much but it’s hard to not like Bayley. She’s got this sweet innocence about her and it’s like watching an eight year old in an adult’s body. The awesome belly to belly helps as well as it makes her almost like Eugene: she’s so happy to be here but can be deadly when she gets the chance.
Bayley says she’s like kitten stuck on a branch that tells you to hang in there. She’s going to turn her dream into a reality and win the Women’s Title at Takeover. This brings out Charlotte to say that she would laugh at a kitten stuck on a branch. She tells Bayley to stick to hugs because she’s going to destroy her at Takeover. Bayley doesn’t want a hug (Fans: GASP!) because she’s going to take the championship. Charlotte leaves and says she warned her.
Bull Dempsey vs. Angelo Dawkins
Dawkins is still a nerd. Dempsey takes him into the corner to start and drops a bunch of elbows for two. Some knees to the ribs have Dawkins in trouble as this is totally one sided. Dawkins gets in some jobber offense before the Bulldozer gets the pin at 2:50.
The Legionnaires laugh about shaving Enzo’s beard and speak a lot of French.
Tyson Kidd/Tyler Breeze vs. Sami Zayn/Adrian Neville
Neville and Breeze get things going with the champion grabbing the arm for early control. Adrian and Sami start cranking on the arm until Sami stays in for a wristlock. Neville uses Sami’s back for a corkscrew splash and the heels bail to the floor. Kidd comes back in but it’s Breeze superkicking Neville as we take a break. Back with Kidd getting covered for two before Kidd puts on a chinlock.
Breeze comes in again and stomps on the champion before putting on a chinlock of his own. Kidd gets the tag but Neville dropkicks the knee out, setting up the hot tag to Sami. Everything breaks down and Zayn cross bodies both opponents down at the same time. A Michinoku Driver gets two on Breeze but Kidd fights out of the Blue Thunder Bomb and gets two off a DDT.
Sami suplexes Breeze into the buckle and crawls over to Adrian for the slightly cooler tag. A dropkick followed by a standing shooting star gets two on Breeze. There’s a kick to the gorgeous head but Breeze breaks up the Red Arrow. Sami accidentally kicks Neville off the top but the heels argue over who comes in. The Blue Thunder Bomb plants Breeze and Kidd pins Neville at 9:58.
Rating: B-. Oh man the fourway is going to be awesome. Sami could still pull off the big win but any of the other three are solid options as well. They’ve built Neville up enough so that the pin on him is going to mean something. This was a good tag match with the ending setting up a few more stories for the main event of the big show. Good stuff.
Sami gives Kidd the Helluva Kick post match and holds up the title to end the show.
Overall Rating: B. This is the kind of show that NXT has been needing for a long time. It was the kind of fun that I’ve been missing from this promotion and it made me want to see the Takeover show more than ever. The main event is going to rock and Bayley winning the title could be amazing. Really fun show this week that flew by.
Results
Ascension b. ???/??? – Fall of Man
Bayley b. Sasha Banks – Belly to Bayley
Bull Dempsey b. Angelo Dawkins – Bulldozer
Tyson Kidd/Tyler Breeze b. Adrian Neville/Sami Zayn – Kidd pinned Neville after a kick from Zayn
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NXT – August 21, 2014: Viva Los Luchas
NXT
Date: August 21, 2014
Location: Full Sail University, Winter Park, Florida
Commentators: Renee Young, Tom Phillips, Byron Saxton
The show has changed timeslots for the first time ever and is now airing at 4pm EST on Thursdays. Things picked up for the first time in a good while last week with an awesome Tyler Breeze vs. Adrian Neville title match, ruined by Tyson Kidd interfering. Sami Zayn made the save and in theory it’s time for a big tag match. Let’s get to it.
Tag Team Titles #1 Contenders Tournament Semi-Finals: Enzo Amore/Colin Cassady vs. Vaudevillains
Cass throws English around to start and nails him with a big boot to the jaw. Off to Simon vs. Enzo with Amore nailing some fast punches to the ribs for two. Cass throws Amore into the corner to crash into Gotch but Simon catches Enzo’s cross body and That’s A Wrap sends the Vaudevillains to the finals at 1:47. That was really quick.
The Legionnaires attack Cass post match and shave half of Amore’s beard.
Here’s HHH to make an announcement. He talks about how important NXT is to the WWE Network and thinks it’s time for NXT to take over again. On September 11, it’s Takeover II, airing live with all three titles on the line. In addition, there will be a new NXT General Manager named next week.
We look back at Kidd costing Breeze his title match last week.
Breeze is ticked off at Tyson Kidd and says Tyson Kidd is going to find out why Prince Pretty is more than just a pretty face.
Tyson Kidd vs. Tyler Breeze
Breeze is much more aggressive this week and goes off on Tyson in the corner. Kidd comes back with forearms and a hard kick to the back. A suplex into a neckbreaker puts Tyler down and there’s a hard dropkick to the side of the head. Breeze gets to the ropes to avoid the Sharpshooter and bails to the floor, walking out for the countout at 1:46.
Breeze says he’s fine with walking out because his attention is on the title match at Takeover.
Charlotte vs. Becky Lynch
Non-title. Becky has no green in her attire anymore. Charlotte takes her down into a front facelock but Becky takes her down by the leg. They stay on the mat with Becky getting a few rollups for two each but Charlotte kicks the redhead into the corner. Charlotte hooks the figure four neck lock for a bit before getting two by just shoving Lynch to the mat. Back up and Lynch nails some clotheslines but walks into a kind of t-bone suplex. Bow Down to the Queen gets the pin at 4:10.
Rating: C-. Not much of a match here for the most part with Lynch not looking all that comfortable on the mat but trying her best. Charlotte continues to look good in the ring and has a good finisher to go with the attitude. That puts her way ahead of a lot of female wrestlers so she’s got the first major steps down.
Amore and Cass come out and make Star Wars references while challenging the Legionnaires to a hair vs. hair match. If they don’t accept, they must be S-A-W-F-T!
We look back at Bull Dempsey beating up Mojo Rawley.
Mojo Rawley vs. Steve Cutler
Mojo takes him into the corner to start and gets two off a shoulder block. Cutler is sent into the corner and crushed by a few splashes. Hyperdrive gets the pin for Mojo at 1:34. This is what he should have been doing for since he debuted.
Post match Rawley says he’s still standing here and can take everything Bull can throw at him.
Tag Team Titles #1 Contenders Tournament Semi-Finals: Sami Zayn/Adam Rose vs. Sin Cara/Kalisto
Rose and Kalisto get things going and we’re already prancing. They trade wristlocks until Adam tags in Sami to a very nice ovation. Sin Cara comes in and they hit the mat with Sin grabbing a headscissors. Cara quickly sends Sami out to the floor and the luchadores tease dives as we go to a break. Back with Kalisto headlocking Rose for two. Adam powers up and tags in Sami as things speed up. Kalisto avoids a clothesline, lands on his fingers and crawls across the ring without using his feet.
Sami is rightfully freaked out and it’s off to Cara for a kick to the chest. A hiptoss gets two on Zayn and we hit the chinlock. Back up and Sami nails a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker for two of his own. Rose comes in again and puts on a chinlock of his own. Kalisto gets the tag and walks into a powerbomb for two. It’s quickly back to Cara who cleans house and nails a Tajiri elbow for two on Rose. Everything breaks down and Cara dives out onto Sami. Rose gets all fired up but walks into the sitout Sliced Bread #2, followed by Cara’s Swanton Bomb for the pin at 10:10 shown.
Rating: C. This was just a step above a squash with the luchadores running circles around Rose and Zayn. This is the kind of win that they need to establish themselves as a big tag team. Sami not taking the pin was a good idea and he didn’t look horrible throughout the match. Nothing all that interesting but it sets up a good match in the finals.
Overall Rating: C+. I’m not wild on the matches ending so fast but they kept this show moving. A lot of stuff has been set up for the coming weeks and we finally have something to build to at Takeover II. The three title matches and presumably a hair vs. hair match should make for a good card with a few other surprises through in. Good but not great show this week.
Results
Vaudevillains b. Colin Cassady/Enzo Amore – That’s A Wrap to Amore
Tyson Kidd b. Tyler Breeze via countout
Charlotte b. Becky Lynch – Bow Down to the Queen
Mojo Rawley b. Steve Cutler – Hyperdrive
Sin Cara/Kalisto b. Sami Zayn/Adam Rose – Swanton Bomb to Rose
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NXT – August 14, 2014: As Refreshing As A WWE Ice Cream Bar
NXT
Date: August 14, 2014
Location: Full Sail University, Winter Park, Florida
Commentators: Renee Young, Byron Saxton, Tom Phillips
Things really need to pick up around here soon. I can’t believe I’m saying that but it’s the absolute truth right now. The lack of anything to build towards is hurting things, as we’re just spinning in circles instead of actually setting up a show or a match. Last week Breeze implied that he was cashing in soon but I didn’t hear a date. Let’s get to it.
Clip from Takeover of Tyler Breeze beating Sami Zayn to become #1 contender and Tyler taunting NXT Champion Adrian Neville ever since.
Opening sequence.
Tag Team Title #1 Contenders Tournament First Round: Mojo Rawley/Bull Dempsey vs. Vaudevillains
Big ovation for the Vaudevillains. Mojo cranks on English’s head to start but Aiden comes back with an uppercut for two. Off to a hammerlock from English, including a bow down into a tag to Gotch. Simon puts on a hammerlock of his own and does Hindu Squats to crank on the arm. Dempsey comes in and pounds Gotch to the mat but it’s quickly back to Mojo as he tags himself back in. This doesn’t go well for the makeshift team as Gotch catches him in a rolling fireman’s carry, followed by a middle rope Swanton Bomb from English for the pin at 3:07.
Rating: D+. That was far shorter than I was expecting. I’m glad they pulled the plug on the makeshift team before it went on forever, given that this was the obvious ending. Mojo has fallen through the floor in NXT and to be fair I can’t say I disagree with the way his push has gone. Ever since that beating from Rusev it was almost impossible for him to get back up.
Post match Bull destroys Mojo, drawing a big THANK YOU BULL chant.
Sasha Banks doesn’t like Bayley thinking she’ll be the next Women’s Champion. Bayley says Sasha doesn’t get a hug tonight.
Breeze is cashing in tonight. They didn’t do a great job of making that clear last week.
Bayley vs. Sasha Banks
#1 contenders match. They trade headlocks to start with Sasha taking over with a knee to the ribs for two. Bayley takes her down with some rollups for the same as they trade near falls. They stay on the mat with Bayley grabbing a headlock, only to have Sasha fight up and nail a dropkick. Back up and Bayley gets aggressive, sending Sasha out to the floor for a breather.
We take a break and come back with Sasha getting two before putting on a chinlock. She stretches Bayley across the knees before ramming her face first into the mat. Back to a double arm choke on Bayley but the happy one fights up and nails some forearms, only to get her throat snapped across the top rope. A slap to the face looks to set up Belly to Bayley but Sasha counters into a Backstabber. Sasha puts on a Crossface but cranks on it too much, allowing Bayley to roll on top for the pin at 8:50.
Rating: C-. The match was pretty dull stuff but Bayley got to be a bit more aggressive which is a nice change of pace for her. Bayley vs. Charlotte will be a better option than Sasha getting the shot as you can only do Charlotte vs. BFFs for so long until it gets really old in a hurry.
Tag Team Title #1 Contenders Tournament First Round: Kalisto/Sin Cara vs. Wesley Blake/Buddy Murphy
Cara and Blake get things going for some fast paced running before it’s off to the partners for some hard shots from Kalisto. Cara launches Kalisto into a backsplash onto Murphy for two. Murphy is sent to the floor and Blake gets taken down by a top rope cross body from Cara. A dropkick from Kalisto sends Murphy into a Cara powerbomb. Sin takes out Blake and Kalisto hits a standing sitout sliced bread #2 for the pin at 2:42. This was a fast paced squash and the masked guys looked really good.
The Legionnaires don’t like Enzo and Big Cass making the semifinals and speak a lot of French.
NXT Title: Adrian Neville vs. Tyler Breeze
Adrian is defending and takes Tyler down to the mat to start. Some kicks to the ribs have Breeze in early trouble but he sends Adrian out to the floor in a big crash. Tyson Kidd comes out to commentary as Neville gets back in. We take a break and come back with Breeze still in control and Kidd not saying a word. Breeze puts on a front facelock before sending Neville out to the floor again.
A whip into the steps gets two for the challenger and it’s back to the front facelock. Adrian finally shoves him off to escape and hammers away in the corner. There’s a running boot to the face and a standing shooting star for two. Neville goes to the corner but dives into a dropkick to change momentum again. Breeze misses a charge into the corner and gets superkicked for a very close near fall. Both guys are spent but Breeze is able to break up the Red Arrow.
A sunset bomb plants Tyler but he rolls away before the Red Arrow can be launched. Breeze comes back with an INSANE tornado DDT to plant Neville for two. Neville counters a German suplex into one of his own for two more and both guys are down. Breeze rolls outside and takes a big suicide dive, which finally draws Kidd out to the ring. Fans: “NO! NO! NO!” Neville blasts him in the face with a superkick before Tyson can do anything. He kicks Breeze in the head as well and goes up for the Red Arrow, only to have Tyson break it up for the DQ at 14:46.
Rating: B. This was getting really good in the middle but took a breather and toned down a bit near the end. It seemed like a way to set up another match and that might be the best possible option. Breeze wasn’t the best option to take the title but he’s FAR better in the ring than anyone would have given him credit for.
Breeze goes after Kidd but eventually they team up on Neville. Sami Zayn runs in for the save and checks on Neville to end the show.
Overall Rating: B-. This was much better than what they had been doing in recent weeks but it’s still not as good as the show had been for weeks now. You can see the fourway coming from here but that’s not the worst idea in the world given how insane a match between these four could be. Good show here and a lot of stuff is set for the future, which is NXT’s specialty.
Results
Vaudevillains b. Mojo Rawley/Bull Dempsey – Middle rope Swanton Bomb to Rawley
Bayley b. Sasha Banks – Rollup
Sin Cara/Kalisto b. Wesley Blake/Buddy Murphy – Standing sitout sliced bread #2 to Murphy
Adrian Neville b. Tyler Breeze via DQ when Tyson Kidd interfered
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NXT – July 31, 2014: Out Of Gas
NXT
Date: July 31, 2014
Location: Full Sail University, Winter Park, Florida
Commentators: Renee Young, Byron Saxton, Tom Phillips
The main story continues to be Breeze vs. Neville and the long build is actually working for me. Both guys are on fire at the moment and we’re just waiting on the time when Breeze cashes in his title shot. Other than that we’re in need of some new challengers for the Ascension. Let’s get to it.
Opening sequence.
Tyler Breeze vs. Angelo Dawkins
Dawkins takes him down with a nice amateur move but Breeze reverses him into the corner for a stomping. They head to the floor with Breeze still in control (Breeze: “YOU’RE NOT GORGEOUS!”) before a Beauty Shot gets Breeze the pin at 1:08.
Post match Breeze says that was annoying because he didn’t plan to have a match. He was just out here to show us a clip of him costing Neville the match last week. However, he has a monumental announcement: he has submitted his music video for Academy Award consideration in the Best Documentary category. Fans: “THANK YOU TYLER!”
Breeze wants to show it again but here’s Adrian Neville instead. He doesn’t want to watch the video but wants to know when Breeze will be taking his title shot. Tyler says the director of the Hobbit needs Neville back on set. Adrian tops him by saying he got a Snapchat from Tyler’s mom and Tyler isn’t the only member of his family that likes to send selfies.
Natalya is glad that Adam Rose is back because he’s a fun guy to be around. Tyson Kidd, in a Mike Tyson hoodie for some reason, comes in and says Rose is a dancing fool. Natalya is annoyed so Kidd challenges Rose for later tonight.
There’s going to be a tournament for the #1 contendership for the Tag Team Titles starting next week.
Tyler Breeze has LEFT the building!
Becky Lynch vs. Charlotte
Non-title. Lynch is VERY different tonight with only the green attire staying. She comes out to a hard rock song with a lot of energy. Renee says it’s shades of Lita and I can see that. Charlotte takes her down to the mat but Lynch bridges out before kicking away from a leg lock. A springboard kick to the chest staggers Charlotte but she comes back with a Stunner to the leg and a few Robinsdale Crunches.
Charlotte stays on the leg and bends Lynch’s leg, only to be kicked away with the free leg. That doesn’t last long as Becky cannonballs down on the leg for two. Lynch comes back with a one footed dropkick and a legdrop, only to get caught in the Bow Down to the Queen for the pin at 4:05.
Rating: C. Basically a long squash here with Charlotte destroying Lynch for most of the match. Above all else though, I’m glad she has a finisher that has nothing to do with the leg. The comparisons to Ric are already going to be there and there’s no reason to make her a copy. Lynch has a lot of potential with her charisma and look alone but I would have her win a few matches before losing to Charlotte.
Mojo Rawley needs a partner for the tournament and Bull Dempsey comes up and reluctantly offers to team up with him. He also threatens Rawley if he screws things up.
Ascension vs. Steve Cutler/Mac Miles
Miles has since been cut so I don’t think this is lasting long. Cutler tries a headlock on Viktor and is thrown away with ease. Konnor runs him over before a double shoulder crushes Cutler. The fans chant BABY BLUE as Konnor screams a lot. Miles is knocked off the apron and Fall of Man takes care of Cutler at 2:20. This was more of a squash than the Divas match.
Post match the Ascension says the tournament’s winners’ fate is total annihilation. The fans seem WAY into this.
Video on CJ Parker going after Xavier Woods. They meet again next week.
Mojo Rawley/Bull Dempsey vs. The Mechanics
The Mechanics are Dash Wilder and Scott Dawson. Dempsey and Dawson get things going and shove each other around until Mojo tags himself in for a wristlock on Scott. The Mechanics start making fast tags to work on Mojo’s arm but he drags Wilder over to the corner for a tag to Dempsey. Some corner splashes set up the Bulldozer for the pin on Wilder at 2:40.
Bayley is glad the BFFs broke up and reminds us that she beat Charlotte a few weeks ago. The champ comes up and mocks her a bit before telling Bayley to forget about all this nonsense.
Adam Rose vs. Tyson Kidd
Rose sends him into the corner to start but heads to the floor to flirt with Natalya. She gets a lollipop and seems to like it, only to tick Kidd off. He takes the lollipop from her and lays it on the mat before hammering on Rose as we take a break. Back with Rose getting kicked in the face and clotheslined out to the floor. Kidd posts him for two and drops a leg on the back of Rose’s head for two more.
A chinlock kills some time before Rose is tied up in the Tree of Woe for more kicks to the ribs. Back to the chinlock but Rose powers out with a suplex. Adam fights back with some right hands and clotheslines followed by the running clothesline in the corner. Rose can’t hit the Party Foul but gets to the ropes to avoid a Sharpshooter. Tyson grabs the lollipop and yells at Natalya, allowing Rose to small package him for the pin at 10:17.
Rating: C-. I never got into this one and Kidd’s booking continues to take longer than it should. The match wasn’t terrible or anything but Rose is nothing more than a comedy character and probably shouldn’t be pinning Kidd. At some point Kidd is going to have to split from Natalya but it won’t be anytime soon I wouldn’t think.
Kidd is mad at Natalya to end the show.
Overall Rating: D+. The new cycle couldn’t get here soon enough. It’s very clear that they’re running out of steam and the matches aren’t all that good either. They really need something fresh and that’s the perk of NXT: we’re guaranteed that fresh idea next week as we enter the tournament and possibly the build to a new mega show. This week wasn’t terrible but there’s nothing especially good about it either.
Results
Tyler Breeze b. Angelo Dawkins – Beauty Shot
Charlotte b. Becky Lynch – Bow Down to the Queen
Ascension b. Steve Cutler/Mac Miles – Fall of Man to Cutler
Bull Dempsey/Mojo Rawley b. The Mechanics – Bulldozer to Wilder
Adam Rose b. Tyson Kidd – Small package
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NXT – July 24, 2014: They’re Making A Superhero
NXT
Date: July 24, 2014
Location: Full Sail University, Winter Park, Florida
Commentators: Renee Young, Rich Brennan, Alex Riley
As usual with NXT, there are a few matches already set for this week. Tonight we’re getting Summer Rae vs. Charlotte for the Women’s Title to likely blow off the BFFs once and for all as well as Kalisto finding a partner to help him fight off the Vaudevillains. That’s one of the things I like best about NXT: they don’t have to start from scratch every week and it saves them so much time. Let’s get to it.
We open with a recap of the collapse of the BFFs and Charlotte’s rise to the Women’s Title.
Opening sequence.
Ascension vs. ???/???
Viktor destroys Jobber #1 to start and throws him into Jobber #2 in the corner. Konnor comes in and Jobber #2’s chop just ticks him off. Jobber #2 gets destroyed for a bit and Fall of Man ends Jobber #2 at 2:37.
Tyler Breeze vs. Mojo Rawley
Beauty Shot ends this at 30 seconds in the only move of the match. So much for Rawley.
Women’s Title: Summer Rae vs. Charlotte
Charlotte is defending. Heaven help me but Summer’s theme song is growing on me. They get in each others’ faces to start before Charlotte shoves Summer down. She mocks Summer’s dancing and we go into the catfight. Charlotte takes over with some knees to the back and a Figure Four Neck Lock. We take a break and come back with Summer in the same hold and shouting about her beautiful face.
Charlotte flips her forward but gets sent to the floor to give Summer control. She slams Charlotte face first into the mat for two and puts on a bodyscissors. We get the very rare BORING chant in NXT as Charlotte gets caught in a half crab. Charlotte bites her way out and now the fans are doing the wave. A double clothesline puts both girls down but it’s Charlotte up first and taking control. She grabs a quick Bow Down to the Queen to retain at 9:50.
Rating: D+. Summer is no Natalya for sure. This was a really dull match and thankfully they kept this a lot shorter than the Takeover match. Both girls are almost all character, but it’s nice to see them trying to have a match instead of doing the stupid catfight stuff. Summer needs a lot more work though.
Video on Alexa Bliss.
Sin Cara/Kalisto vs. Vaudevillains
Not a huge surprise but it’s the right choice for a partner. English and Kalisto get things going with the masked man taking him down in a headlock. Off to Sin Cara for a loud chop and a cross body into a series of right hands to the head. Aiden dropkicks a springboard cross body out of the air for two and it’s off to Gotch. Renee: “Gotch isn’t allowed in England for trying to capture the Loch Ness Monster but getting Giant Haystacks.”
Gotch hammers away and gets two off a sunset flip before it’s back to English for a hard stomping. English gets caught in an armdrag into a powerbomb and it’s off to Kalisto to speed things up. Everything breaks down and Sin dives out onto English and Kalisto hits a standing Sliced Bread #2 for the pin on Gotch at 6:00.
Rating: C-. This was fine and the match made the new team look good. The Vaudevillains are going to be over because of how zany they are and a loss really doesn’t hurt them all that much. Also adding in a new face team that could eventually challenge the Ascension is a good thing.
Rusev vs. Adrian Neville
Non-title. Lana does her thing and talks about America’s obsessions with stars before the match. Rusev even speaks some English and talks about being the super athlete. Neville moves around as much as he can to start but gets caught in the corner and the beating begins.
The champion gets up some boots in the corner to stop a charge but the rest of his kicks don’t have much of an effect. Rusev grabs the leg and gets choked in the air. Neville comes back with a springboard missile dropkick. Tyler Breeze comes out for a distraction though and Rusev runs Neville over. Adrian escapes the fall away slam and nails a big kick. He loads up the Red Arrow but Breeze shoves him off for the DQ at 4:02.
Rating: D+. This was an angle instead of a match. They’ve done a REALLY good job at making Neville look like a superhero in the NXT Arena though and that’s going to make his title loss look like a big deal. Breeze is still a really good choice for #1 contender and I’m actually buying him as a possible champion.
Rusev puts him in the Accolade and makes Neville tap after the bell.
Overall Rating: C-. Not a very good episode this week as it felt like a placeholder. It’s still very acceptable for an hour long show but it wasn’t very entertaining. I’m glad Rusev didn’t beat Neville and it’s nice to see him coming off as a treat for the fans. Breeze vs. Neville is going to be a clash when it finally happens.
Results
Ascension b. ???/??? – Fall of Man to ???
Tyler Breeze b. Mojo Rawley – Beauty Shot
Charlotte b. Summer Rae – Bow Down to the Queen
Sin Cara/Kalisto b. Vaudevillains – Standing Sliced Bread #2 to Gotch
Adrian Neville b. Rusev via DQ when Tyler Breeze interfered
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NXT
Date: July 17, 2014
Location: Full Sail University, Winter Park, Florida
Commentators: Tom Phillips, William Regal, Byron Saxton
We have a new big bad coming out of last week as Tyson Kidd allowed his wife to be shoved off the apron in order to finally get a big win in NXT. Kidd thriving is another problem for NXT Champion Adrian Neville to deal with as he now has Kidd and Gabriel coming after him as well as #1 contender Tyler Breeze looming. Let’s get to it.
Opening video.
Vaudevillains vs. Enzo Amore/Colin Cassady
English cranks on Amore’s arm to start while shouting a little song. Enzo drags him over to the corner for the tag to Big Cass, who gets to pound on Gotch’s back. This brings out the Legionnaires, and since it’s a WWE product, Colin can’t handle seeing people in the same arena gets gets rolled up for the pin at 2:25.
The Ascension wants more competition.
We recap the breakup of the BFF’s and Summer earning a shot at Charlotte. The match is next week.
CJ Parker vs. Xavier Woods
Woods cranks on the arm to start as the announcers talk about Parker’s attempts to better the world. A headscissors puts Parker down but CJ whips him face first into the ropes for a unique reversal. Byron Saxton compares Parker to Oprah and Ronald Reagan, earning disdain from his fellow announcers. Parker puts on a chinlock but Woods quickly fights out with chops. Woods comes back with a DDT off the ropes for two but he misses a charge in the corner and gets rolled up with Parker grabbing the ropes for the pin at 2:00.
Sami Zayn says we’re seeing the real Tyson Kidd who is really insecure over his wife’s success. This jealousy is just making Kidd look bad.
Alexa Bliss vs. Sasha Banks
Bliss takes over with some forearms to start but gets taken down into a cravate. It doesn’t last long though as Bliss fights up, only to miss a flip out of the corner. Banks takes her down with a backstabber and flips Alexa over for a crossface without the arm trap for the submission at 2:52.
Tyler Breeze is asked when he’ll be facing that uggo Adrian Neville. He talks about everyone rushing nowadays and how he won’t be rushing to face Adrian after his hand modeling injury. The contract is being drawn up, but until then, here’s his music video again.
We recap Tyson Kidd being evil last week.
Kidd says there’s nothing to his actions and he isn’t jealous of his wife.
Adam Rose vs. Jason Jordan
Jordan says his partner Tye Dillinger is injured but was last seen partying with the Rosebuds. Rose dances around and takes him down with a headlock. Jordan fights up and nails a clothesline to take over before slapping on a chinlock. Rose will have none of that and hits the CHOO CHOO Bronco Buster followed by the Party Foul for the pin at 3:18.
Rating: D+. The match was nothing more than a treat for the live crowd. Rose is great in a small atmosphere like this but he’s going to need a lot more to make it on the main roster. That’s the problem with a character like him: he’s really good at promos and vignettes, but the in ring stuff just isn’t there.
Kalisto says he and El Local parted ways but the Vaudevillains interrupt. They mock the masked man but he promises to find a new partner to face them next week. The Vaudevillains contemplate this with a hearty chin rub.
Tyson Kidd vs. Sami Zayn
Tyson hides in the corner to start before heading to the floor for more stalling. Back in and Tyson slides right back to the floor after minimal contact. Kidd gets in again and is sent to the corner for the Helluva Kick but he bails to the floor again. Kidd sends him to the floor and hits a nice dive off the apron to put both guys down on the ramp as we take a break. Back with Kidd putting on a chinlock before putting Sami in the Tree of Woe for a running dropkick to the face.
Sami fights back with elbows to the face and a dropkick to send Kidd outside. The slingshot moonsault puts Tyson down again and Zayn is all fired up. Back inside and the top rope cross body gets two on Kidd but the Blue Thunder Bomb is countered into a German suplex for two. Kidd’s top rope elbow hits knee though and the Blue Thunder Bomb connects for two. The Blockbuster gets two on Sami and he gets caught in the Sharpshooter. Kidd gets it full on in the middle but Zayn is still able to crawl over to the ropes. Tyson goes up but dives into the Koji Clutch for the submission at 10:50 shown of 14:20.
Rating: B-. Did you expect anything but a good match from these two? It’s so strange to see Sami getting back to back wins and have him on a winning streak but it’s nice to see. Kidd’s heel turn is good but he needs to get a big win out of it at some point. Thankfully it wasn’t at Sami’s expense again.
Overall Rating: C+. The main event was good but the rest of the show was almost all too short to rate. NXT is on another roll at this point and getting better every week. The main event scene is solid and it seems like Breeze’s title shot is coming down the road. They’re making that a huge deal and it’s likely main eventing the next big show.
Results
Vaudevillains b. Enzo Amore/Colin Cassady – Rollup to Cassady
CJ Parker b. Xavier Woods – Rollup while holding the ropes
Sasha Banks b. Alexa Bliss – Crossface
Adam Rose b. Jason Jordan – Party Foul
Sami Zayn b. Tyson Kidd – Koji Clutch
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NXT – July 10, 2014: Mission Accomplished
NXT
Date: July 10, 2014
Location: Full Sail University, Winter Park, Florida
Commentators: Rich Brennan, Renee Young, Jason Albert
This is another show that has been built up for a few weeks and there’s a good chance we get the payoff tonight. Coming off last week, we should be coming up on Sami Zayn/Adrian Neville vs. Tyson Kidd/Justin Gabriel. The match isn’t going to be a masterpiece or anything, but it’s going to be a well done match with a lot of high flying entertainment. Let’s get to it.
Opening sequence. Bayley vs. Summer Rae
The winner gets a shot against Charlotte at some point in the future. Summer sends her into the corner to start but Bayley takes her down with a drop toehold and puts on an armbar. Bayley spins around on Summer’s back and Rae bails to the floor. Back in quickly and Summer nails a kick to Bayley’s ribs for one. Summer pulls on the arms with her feet on Bayley’s shoulders as Charlotte is watching from the back.
The referee breaks up a hair pull and Bayley flips Summer over, only to have her head rammed into the mat. Bayley comes back with a suplex, drawing a BAYLEY’S GONNA HUG YOU chant from the crowd. A spear and suplex get two on Rae but she kicks Bayley in the face for two of her own. Bayley comes back with a top rope elbow to the jaw but Summer counters the Belly to Bayley into the Summer Crush (standing legdrop) for the pin at 5:23.
Rating: C-. Nothing special here but Summer vs. Charlotte is going to be a solid match that belongs on a big stage. Summer isn’t great in the rings but she looks good and has the attitude that a Diva needs. Bayley needs to stay in NXT as long as she can so WWE can’t ruin her on the main roster.
Sami Zayn and Adrian Neville are banged up but they’re coming for Gabriel and Kidd.
Justin Gabriel is with Tyson Kidd and says he’s not going to be a loser anymore. He started in NXT and now somehow he’s back. There’s talent here, but it’s not on his level. Tyson was right and it took one more loss to prove him right. Sometimes in life, you have to break some rules.
Tyler Breeze has entered the building.
Sin Cara vs. Wesley Blake
Some quick rollups get two on Blake and a clothesline sends him to the floor, setting up a suicide dive. Back in and Blake takes him down by the arm for two before hooking an armbar. Cara comes up with a jawbreaker followed by a springboard headbutt. A springboard cross body gets two and a kick to the head sets up the Swanton Bomb for the pin at 3:32.
Rating: C-. Just a squash here but Sin Cara looked fine. He could use a few nice wins down in NXT, even though it isn’t going to mean much for him in WWE. The original Sin Cara’s run was just so bad that even the new performer can’t do much with the character anymore. Still though, not bad.
Tyson Kidd and Natalya get in an argument over his recent actions. He tells Natalya to not come to the ring with him tonight.
Summer thinks she and Sasha should stay friends but Banks doesn’t seem interested.
CJ Parker calls out Xavier Woods to talk about what happened last week. Parker apologizes but Woods doesn’t seem to accept. CJ offers peace before laying Woods out from behind.
The Vaudevillains talk about becoming the next Tag Team Champions and share an awesome laugh.
Video on the Ascension for the fans that are watching on the free preview.
Bull Dempsey vs. Angelo Dawkins
A quick armbar takes Dawkins down and he makes the mistake of trying a sunset flip. The much bigger Dempsey sits on his chest and hammers away with headbutts and elbow drops. Dempsey chokes a lot and shrugs off a quick comeback attempt, setting up the Bulldozer powerslam for the pin at 2:55.
Dempsey says he isn’t quitting until he’s NXT Champion.
Zayn and Neville are ready.
Sami Zayn/Adrian Neville vs. Tyson Kidd/Justin Gabriel
Natalya is here with Kidd despite the argument earlier. Kidd and Neville get things going as the announcers plug the Network. Off to Sami who cranks on the arm before it’s back to the champion for more of the same. Zayn drops to the mat and Neville gets on his back for a corkscrew splash. Albert: “Rich can I try that off your back?” Renee: “I’ll give you a dollar if you do!” Neville hits a middle rope cross body for two before it’s off to Zayn for some chops. Justin offers a distraction and Tyson sends Zayn to the floor as we take a break.
Back almost immediately with Gabriel putting on a double chicken wing. That goes nowhere so Sami gets tied in the Tree of Woe, only to have Justin nail him from the apron. A double kick to the head gets two on Zayn and Tyson puts on a front facelock. Sami is in trouble but finally throws Kidd off and dives over for the hot tag. A standing moonsault gets two on Gabriel and a sitout powerbomb gets the same.
Adrian levels Kidd for two and the fans want Nattie. Justin’s distraction prevents the Red Arrow and Kidd knocks Adrian off the ropes for the springboard elbow and two. Sami sends Justin outside but makes a blind tag, setting up a big high cross body for two as Adrian dives onto Gabriel. I thought that was it. Tyson grabs Sami’s face but gets backdropped to the floor. Sami is left alone for the BIG flip dive to take out all three other guys. Kidd claims a knee injury but it’s a fake. Sami punches him in the jaw but it knocks Natalya to the floor as well. Tyson fakes going to check on her and grabs a quick rollup for the pin at 10:35.
Rating: B. Take four guys and let them fly around the ring for eleven minutes and freak the crowd out. It’s an idea that has worked since professional wrestling began and it’s always going to work. The match was the usual solid stuff and Kidd looks like the most evil guy in all of NXT. Well done.
Kidd leaves with Gabriel.
Overall Rating: B. If the idea tonight was to get people to want to buy the Network to see NXT, they did a great job. You got some WWE names, some good matches, angle advancement, and a sense of “why am I not watching this?”. That’s the point of a show like this and it worked like a charm. Good stuff and a good regular episode too.
Results
Charlotte b. Bayley – Summer Crush
Sin Cara b. Wesley Blake – Swanton Bomb
Bull Dempsey b. Angelo Dawkins – Bulldozer
Tyson Kidd/Justin Gabriel b. Sami Zayn/Adrian Neville – Rollup to Zayn
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