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

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up my new book of on the History of ECW Pay Per Views at Amazon for just $3.99 at:

And check out my Amazon author page with wrestling books for under $4 at:

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

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up my new book of on the History of ECW Pay Per Views at Amazon for just $3.99 at:

And check out my Amazon author page with wrestling books for under $4 at:

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

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up my new book of on the History of ECW Pay Per Views at Amazon for just $3.99 at:

And check out my Amazon author page with wrestling books for under $4 at:

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

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up my new book of on the History of ECW Pay Per Views at Amazon for just $3.99 at:

And check out my Amazon author page with wrestling books for under $4 at:

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

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up my new book of on the History of ECW Pay Per Views at Amazon for just $3.99 at:

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

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up my new book of on the History of Survivor Series at Amazon for just $3.99 at:

And check out my Amazon author page with wrestling books for under $4 at:

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

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up my new book of on the History of Survivor Series at Amazon for just $3.99 at:

And check out my Amazon author page with wrestling books for under $4 at:

Last week’s show saw some new names rise up on the NXT roster with the Vaudevillians providing as much entertaining as you could ask for from a single act. Other than that we’re getting ready for some new stories to get going this week, which usually makes for a good show. Let’s get to it.

Opening sequence.

Colin Cassady vs. Sylvester LeFort

Big Cass says that Pepe Le Pew is about to get dissed. First he’s going to get disfigured, then he’s going to get dismissed. LeFort continues to look better than half of the roster and can talk better than most of them as well. Big Cass starts in a hurry and it’s the East River Crossing and the Empire Elbow for the in at 55 seconds.

Adrian Neville says it was an honor to beat Rob Van Dam. Tyler Breeze comes in and says he’s impressed that Neville could focus that well with Breeze just twenty feet away. It must be killing Neville not knowing when Tyler is cashing in his title shot. “Just like your uggo face is killing me.” Neville offers to give Breeze a title shot tonight but Breeze claims a finger injury during a hand modeling session.

Video on Bull Dempsey, the last of a dying breed and the last real man in professional wrestling.

Charlotte/Sasha Banks vs. Becky Lynch/Bayley

Bayley says Becky is her BFF: Bayley Friend Forever. Sasha and Bayley get things going with Bayley taking her down by the arm. Off to Becky, drawing a great Irish accent from Regal. Charlotte comes in and gets caught in an armbar before Bayley comes in to work over the arm as well. A double suplex drops Charlotte and a double clothesline does the same to Sasha as we take a break.

Back with Bayley getting sent into the apron before Charlotte works her over in the ring. The BFFs double team Bayley in the corner and Charlotte gets two off a knee drop. Sasha works on a chinlock before it’s back to the champ for a choke in the corner. Bayley finally kicks Sasha into Charlotte and Becky gets the hot tag. A series of legdrops get two on Sasha and everything breaks down. Bayley is sent to the floor and Charlotte comes in legally for Bow Down to the Queen on Becky for the pin at 9:06.

Rating: C. Basic formula match here and there’s nothing wrong with that. The BFFs aren’t likely to be around much longer as Charlotte doesn’t need Sasha at this point. Sasha isn’t holding her down but there’s just no need for her. Becky was much like over the top Irish here and that’s a good thing for her.

Bayley shoves Sasha to the floor to prevent an attack on Becky.

Justin Gabriel is ready for Sami Zayn tonight when Tyson Kidd comes in. Tyson tries to get him to turn to the dark side but Gabriel says Tyson is wrong, and he’ll prove it tonight.

Sasha yells at Charlotte for not having her back after the match. Charlotte says the team is done because she’s the champion. Sasha implies that she’s coming for the belt.

CJ Parker vs. Steve Cutler

Parker’s sign now has the word Woods crossed out. He runs over Cutler to start and says that Steve is ruining the world, just like all of them. Parker hammers away and hits a side kick for the pin at 1:30.

Parker rants about Xavier Woods being so educated but doing nothing on the main roster. If he had Woods’ chances, he’d win titles and change the world along the way.

We get a sitdown interview with Tyson Kidd who says he wasn’t in a mood to do the fallout show at Takeover and left before he said something stupid. He didn’t know Natayla was there and didn’t blow her off on purpose. Interviewer Renee Young asks what was up with freaking out on Natayla for telling the referee that Neville had his foot on the ropes. He went nuts during the match and is glad Natalya calmed him down. Tyson goes on in a calm manner about not wanting to win the titles that way but walks off when Renee asks about possible marital problems.

Summer Rae vs. Bayley next week for the #1 contendership.

Sami Zayn vs. Justin Gabriel

Tyson Kidd is at ringside, drawing a Nattie’s Husband chant. They trade wristlocks to start as Regal thinks Kidd and Natayla are having issues. Justin wrenches on the arm to escape a chinlock. Sami cranks on one of his own but Justin makes it to the ropes. They’re still in first gear here. Gabriel runs him over with a clothesline for the first hard move of the match. He hammers away at Sami’s head and we take a break.

Back with Gabriel getting two off a kick to the head and putting on a double arm crank. Gabriel gets another two and seems to be getting frustrated. He hammers at Sami’s head but Zayn fights back with dropkicks and a Blue Thunder Bomb for two. The Helluva Kick misses though and Justin hits a middle rope kick to the chest for two. Sami blocks a German suplex but gets caught in an over the shoulder backbreaker for two. A huge moonsault gets two and Justin can’t believe this. He loads up the 450 but Sami rolls out of the way. A downward spiral into a Koji Clutch makes Justin tap at 13:00.

Rating: B-. My goodness it’s nice to see Sami get a win for a change. It’s not a great match or against a top level opponent but Sami did his underdog thing and then came back to get the win. That’s a nice change for him and the best thing is he hasn’t lose his heat with all the losing.

Tyson jumps Sami post match and Justin turns heel and joins in. Adrian Neville comes in for the save and I’m sure we’ve got a tag match coming up.

Overall Rating: B. The main event scene has gone from nothing to awesome in a single hour. We have the tag match coming up which could spin off into some more matches and Tyler Breeze looming over the whole thing. This was a really solid episode for storytelling and we had a solid main event to cap it off. As usual, NXT knows how to run a wrestling show.

Results
Colin Cassady b. Sylvester LeFort – Empire Elbow
Charlotte/Sasha Banks b. Bayley/Becky Lynch – Bow Down to the Queen to Lynch
CJ Parker b. Steve Cutler – Side kick
Sami Zayn b. Justin Gabriel – Koji Clutch

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up my new book of on the History of Survivor Series at Amazon for just $3.99 at:

And check out my Amazon author page with wrestling books for under $4 at:

NXT is coming in off a bad show which isn’t something I have to say all that often. Last week’s show was pretty boring with Tyler Breeze having one of the least interesting matches I’ve ever seen from the promotion and the main event being an angle instead of a match. Things down here have a habit of turning around quickly though so let’s get to it.

Opening sequence.

T. Perkins/Matt Sugarman vs. Vaudevillians

The Vaudevillians are introduced at a combined height of 12’7. Renee says Sugarman is a Bastion Booger fan because that’s how awesome she is. Gotch takes Sugarman down with an armbar before putting on a headscissors so he can do clap pushups. A slam puts Sugerman down and the top rope Swanton (That’s A Wrap) from English gets the pin at 2:45.

We recap the main event from last week. Zayn says Tyson is a weird kind of cat because he never learned how to lose. They’ll be hearing from each other again.

Xavier Woods vs. Bull Dempsey

CJ Parker’s crusade in the crowd continues. Dempsey gets a full entrance and has a theme song with the word BULL being shouted over and over. Dempsey grabs a headlock to start and hammers Woods down with pure power. A headbutt gets two before Dempsey just drills Woods with forearms to the chest. Dempsey is in a short singlet, earning him a PUT SOME PANTS ON chant from the lively crowd. Woods fights out of a chinlock with a jawbreaker but jumps into a right hand to the face. A sitout slam (the Bulldozer) gets Bull the pin at 4:40.

Rating: D+. Total squash here and Dempsey looked good the whole way. There’s nothing wrong with a powerful brute like this and the match worked well. His music is really catchy too and was stuck in my head the entire time. That’s a good sign as it’s just his name over and over, set to music.

Bull says the children have run NXT for too long and he’s the last of a dying breed.

Summer Rae vs. Becky Lynch

Becky is an Irish redhead in green. The fans chant for her to start and Lynch does a jig. Becky takes her down with an armbar but she gets kicked in the face for two. Charlotte tries to interfere but Summer shouts that it’s her match, allowing Lynch to get a VERY close two off a rollup. Lynch hits three straight legdrops for two followed by a capture suplex for the pin at 2:59.

Sawyer Fulton vs. Colin Cassady

They circle each other for a bit as the announcers hype Cassady up as a future NXT Champion. Fulton shoves Cassady to start but walks into a big boot and the S-A-W-F-T Elbow gets the pin at 1:26.

The Legionnaires come out to go after Colin but Enzo Amore runs out for the save. Catchphrases are spoken.

Adrian Neville vs. Rob Van Dam

Tyler Breeze is on commentary. Non-title and set up as RVD wanted to face the best NXT had to offer. Neville takes over with a headscissors on the mat and an armdrag sends Van Dam out to the floor. Back in and a rollup gets two for Adrian as Renee says Van Dam is Neville’s idol. Van Dam kicks Adrian to the floor and nails a shot off the apron to put both guys down. Adrian is back up first for a big moonsault to take Rob down again.

We take a break and come back with Adrian holding a front facelock but getting caught in an atomic drop. Renee asks Tyler about a potential full length album but Breeze says his one hit will last for awhile. Van Dam kicks Neville in the face and does it again in the corner. Neville’s sunset flip is countered for two and he gets tied up in the Tree of Woe. A running kick to the ribs has Neville in even more trouble but he escapes a German suplex.

Adrian’s springboard clothesline gets two on Van Dam but he comes back with a jawbreaker. The split legged moonsault only hits mat and a small package gets two for the champion. Van Dam throws Adrian into the air for a kick to the chest to take over again. The Five Star misses though and Neville comes back with a running DDT, followed by the Red Arrow for the pin at 13:56 shown of 16:26.

Rating: C+. There was a nice story here with Neville knowing Van Dam so well due to being a fan for so many years. I’m not the biggest Van Dam fan in the world but it’s nice to see him putting people over clean like this. I expected Van Dam to get the pin so this was a very nice surprise.

They shake hands post match and the announcers don’t treat this like a big upset.

Overall Rating: C+. And of course NXT bounces back with a good show this week. This was about bringing in some new stars and giving some new people pushes, which is necessary when WWE brings people up so often. Neville is reaching a point where losing the title is going to be a big deal and that’s a very good thing. Solid show this week.

Results
Vaudevillians b. T. Perkins/Matt Sugarman – That’s A Wrap to Sugerman
Bull Dempsey b. Xavier Woods – Bulldozer
Becky Lynch b. Summer Rae – Capture suplex
Colin Cassady b. Sawyer Fulton – S-A-W-F-T Elbow
Adrian Neville b. Rob Van Dam – Red Arrow

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up my new book of on the History of Survivor Series at Amazon for just $3.99 at:

And check out my Amazon author page with wrestling books for under $4 at:

We don’t have a ton of stories coming into this week as a lot of stuff was wrapped up last week. There’s a chance we’ll get more from Mr. NXT Bo Dallas as his comedic antics to get back into the NXT Arena continue. Other than that there’s fallout from Tyson Kidd seemingly turning heel last week. Let’s get to it.

We open with a recap of last week’s main event.

On Raw, Natalya appealed to JBL to let Sami Zayn and Tyson Kidd form a tag team. JBL likes the idea but doesn’t sign off on it.

Opening sequence.

Sasha Banks vs. Alexa Bliss

Set up via a challenge from Bliss last week. Summer won’t do the snap during the entrance and looks annoyed. Banks slaps on a headlock to start before running Bliss over. Bliss flips around a lot and armdrags Sasha down before a small package gets two. A backbreaker gets two on Bliss as Summer continues to look like she would rather be anywhere else. Sasha puts on a surfboard but Charlotte and Summer get in an argument, allowing Bliss to grab a quick rollup for the pin at 3:38.

Rating: C-. It didn’t have time to go anywhere but this worked well enough. Bliss is tiny but cute and has good facials during her match. She was just backdrop for the real story though and there’s nothing wrong with that. The BFF’s splitting up is going to be a big deal when it happens and it’s clearly coming soon.

Natalya and Tyson are in the back and Kidd doesn’t seem pleased that Natalya got him and Sami a Tag Team Title shot tonight. Kidd says he could have gotten it on his own and leaves to talk strategy.

Simon Gotch and Aiden English, collectively known as the Vaudevillians, want the titles. Their speech is in black and white and looks like a silent comedy (minus the silent) from the 1920s, complete with overdone laughs and EXCELSIOR! These two should be great together.

Mojo Rawley vs. Garrett Dylan

Mojo grabs a headlock to start and shoves Garrett into the corner, only to be kicked in the ribs to give Dylan control. Garrett keeps stomping away and puts on a long abdominal stretch to slow things down even more. Not a bad idea against someone that moves so fast. Mojo makes an easy comeback with some shoulders and a corner splash, followed by Hyperdrive for the pin at 3:41.

Rating: D. Same formula for Mojo who is the exact same character that he was when he debuted. That’s the problem with him in a nutshell: there’s nowhere for his character to go and once you see his entrance a few times, the interest just isn’t there anymore. There’s enough energy there for potential but he needs something more than what he’s giving us so far.

Sami and Tyson are ready for their match and call it the restart.

CJ Parker’s crusade for the environment continues. Regal: “I want to run him over with my SUV.”

Vaudevillians vs. Angelo Dawkins/Travis Tyler

The entrance is straight out of the 1920s, complete with a big horn to shout though. Gotch, the strongman, easily takes Jordan does one arm pushups on the pretty boy’s back. The fans are chanting YES at the Vaudevillians. Aiden comes in with a legdrop and it’s back to Gotch for exercising and more shots to the head. Off to Dillinger who takes a rolling fireman’s carry from Gotch (complete with exercises) and a middle rope Swanton Bomb from Aiden for the pin at 3:30.

Rating: C. The team is hilarious but I’m surprised they jobbed out the pretty boys this fast. I can’t imagine the Vaudevillians being a success on the main roster anytime soon as the announcers would laugh them out of the building, unlike Regal who LOVED them and told stories about working on the carnival circuit.

Colin Cassidy sings about the moon hitting your eye like a big pizza pie but stops before the last line (that’s amore), hinting that Enzo is back soon.

Rob Van Dam wants to face Adrian Neville. That should be interesting.

Tyler Breeze vs. Kalisto

They circle each other to start until Kalisto tries to speed things up. Breeze slows him down with a headlock onto the mat and keeps it on for over two minutes straight. Kalisto finally fights up and hits a springboard corkscrew dive followed by a headscissors to send Tyler to the floor as we take a break. The break lasts all of two seconds and we come back with Breeze sending him into the corner but having to adjust the leg tassels.

Off to a front facelock on Kalisto for a good while before Breeze just hammers away. Back to the front facelock as this match has somehow been going eight minutes already. Kalisto fights out and hits a top rope cross body but both guys are down. The masked man finally covers for two before walking into the Beauty Shot to finally end this at 10:33 shown of 14:03..

Rating: D. What in the world was that? Breeze literally had on facelocks or headlocks for over five minutes and did nothing with them at all. Kalisto is capable of having a decent match out there but for some reason they just let them lay around and do nothing for the whole time. I have no idea what they were going for here but it didn’t work.

Tag Team Titles: Ascension vs. Tyson Kidd/Sami Zayn

Viktor pounds on Sami to start and Zayn is taken into the corner for a double beating. The fans are way into the beating from Ascension and chant along with the stomps in the corner. Sami rolls away and tries to get a tag but Viktor pulls him back. Kidd gets down on the floor and says if Sami wants to do the whole thing on his own then he can. Zayn finally hits a top rope cross body and looks for a tag but it’s just an empty corner. Konnor comes in and crushes Sami with a splash, setting up the Fall of Man to retain the titles at 4:00.

Rating: D+. This was an angle instead of a match. Tyson vs. Sami will be good but the Ascension really needs challengers. They’ve held the titles for eight months now and cleaned out the division about six months ago. This loss is much more acceptable for Sami as losing a handicap match to the Ascension is hardly a shame.

Overall Rating: C-. Not their best effort as the matches were pretty lame but the angle advancement worked. The Vaudevillians look like they could have some hysterical stuff in the future and the fans are going to cheer for them no matter what. If that’s what we need to give the Ascension challengers then so be it. Not a great show but other than the WAY too long front facelocks from Tyler there was nothing too bad.

Results
Alexa Bliss b. Sasha Banks – Rollup
Mojo Rawley b. Garrett Dylan – Hyperdrive
Vaudevillians b. Tye Dillinger/Jason Jordan – Middle rope Swanton Bomb to Dillinger
Tyler Breeze b. Kalisto – Beauty Shot
Ascension b. Sami Zayn/Tyson Kidd – Fall of Man to Zayn

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up my new book of on the History of Survivor Series at Amazon for just $3.99 at:

And check out my Amazon author page with wrestling books for under $4 at: