NXT UK
Date: March 13, 2019
Location: Coventry Skydome Arena, Coventry, England
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Nigel McGuinness

With less than a month to go before Wrestlemania, it’s time to get things ready for what should be the most obvious title match in years. Tonight Pete Dunne and Walter team up to face the Coffey Brothers in what should be an interesting match. Other than that it’s time to keep setting things up for what is probably coming up after New York. Let’s get to it.

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

Sid Scala and Johnny Saint arrive and promise a big night.

Opening sequence.

Flash Morgan Webster vs. Wolfgang

The Coffey Brothers go to the back as Wolfgang goes after Webster, who comes out with a jumping knee to the face and some right hands. The springboard attempt earns him a face first drop onto the top turnbuckle and a clothesline turns Webster inside out. The front facelock keeps Webster in trouble until he fights up for a dropkick to the floor.

A suicide clothesline to the back of the head and a regular suicide dive has Wolfgang rocked, followed by the big running flip dive to finally knock him down. An enziguri sends Wolfgang from the ropes to the floor but something like a 619 around the post is countered with a ram into said post. A powerbomb into the post sets up the Caber Toss to finish Webster at 5:19.

Rating: C. That’s one of the better matches Wolfgang has ever had and that’s not saying much. As long as he isn’t allowed to talk and tell us about how great he is, everything will be acceptable. Webster has grown on me just enough to make him tolerable and I think I like him a little more as a singles guy than in the team.

Post match Wolfgang beats him down a bit more.

Kassius Ohno finds it amazing that an American is bringing the European style to NXT UK. He follows the British tradition and these new guys have no idea what kind of opportunity they have.

Kenny Williams/Amir Jordan vs. Tyson T-Bone/Saxon Huxley

These four seem like an anachronism these days. Williams rolls Huxley up for two to start and a legdrop onto the arm keeps him in trouble. Jordan comes in and can’t sunset flip T-Bone, who drives him into the corner. Forearms to the back set up a suplex for two and it’s off to a chinlock. An enziguri finally gets Jordan out of trouble for the hot tag to Williams so the pace can pick up. Williams cleans house, including a backdrop to send Huxley outside. Good looking stereo suicide dives send the villains outside, followed by the Swanton Bombay to finish Huxley at 5:54.

Rating: C-. The dives looked good but I had forgotten these teams were even on the roster. Jordan’s dancing deal doesn’t quite seem to be getting over though Williams is a good bit better. Huxley and T-Bone…not so much. They’re not exactly interesting but at least they’re not on TV all that often to keep it from becoming too much of a problem.

Post match Jordan and Williams dance to not much of a reaction.

Jinny doesn’t want to hear about Toni Storm anymore because she just wants the title.

Eddie Dennis is back next week to face Ligero, a mainstay in British wrestling for nearly twenty years. He’ll take NXT UK apart one by one and Ligero is the first victim.

Here’s Noam Dar for a chat. He’s been around before but this time he’s here to stay. Dar is here to bring his talents to NXT UK and next month, he’ll be around for the Glasgow, Scotland tapings. Dar was here last June when things got started and the people here have been doing a good enough job. 4/10 maybe. Some people showed up here and left just as fast or someone like Mark Andrews got dropped on his head and left on his skateboard. This brings out Andrews for an enziguri to send Dar running. Dar is a nice addition to the roster and a better fit here than anywhere else.

Xia Brookside says her last name is a blessing and a curse. She needs to stand up for herself and that means fighting bullies like Rhea Ripley.

Video on Wild Boar and Primate.

Kay Lee Ray vs. Candy Floss

This is Ray’s debut and she grabs an early armbar. Floss goes arm first into the buckle but manages a rollup for two anyway. That’s it for Floss as it’s a superkick into a Gory Bomb to give Ray the pin at 2:18. Standard debut squash and Ray looked dominant.

Moustache Mountain is thriving in the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic but they’re not done with the NXT UK Tag Team Titles. Tyler Bate wants to face James Drake soon.

Scala and Saint make Drake vs. Bate for next week. Saint seems more and more useless in this role by the week.

Coffey Brothers vs. Pete Dunne/Walter

Pete and Mark get us going with Dunne not taking kindly to being backed up against the ropes. A takedown by the arm works a bit better for Dunne and the wrist cranking has Mark in more trouble. Mark grabs the arm as well but Dunne nips and spins right back into another armbar, this time with the arm stomp. Referee: “Easy, easy!” Seems rather appropriate in England.

Walter comes in to work on the arm even more, including copying Dunne’s arm stomp. Mark gets up and tries a chop, causing Walter to walk straight at him in an awesome visual. It’s off to Joe whose headlock and shoulder have no effect. Walter shows him how to throw a shoulder, followed by demonstrating chops for Dunne. Everything breaks down and all four head outside with Dunne and Walter dropping them on the apron before staring each other down in the ring.

Back in and Dunne hits a middle rope dropkick to Joe’s knee, followed by a surfboard double knee stomp. The blind tag lets Mark come in though and he intercepts a leapfrog into a German suplex to take over. The double teaming doesn’t last long as Dunne snaps off a German suplex of his own to drop Mark but Joe dives over to break up the tag. Say it with me: but it goes through a few seconds later, this time with Walter coming in to beat up the brothers.

A big boot in the corner sets up a running seated senton for two on Joe, followed by a swinging Rock Bottom for the same. It’s back to Dunne and Mark with Pete kicking and punching as only he can. Walter tags himself back in and dropkicks Mark into the corner with a butterfly suplex getting two. Joe breaks up a Boston crab by chopping Walter. It doesn’t break the hold by traditional means, but it annoys him so much that he lets go to chop Joe instead. Walter gets pulled off the ropes and slapped a few times, mainly because Mark isn’t that bright.

The sleeper goes on with Joe trying to make a save, meaning it’s a German suplex to both brothers at the same time. You know, because that can be done. Dunne kicks them both in the head and goes after Joe’s arm as Walter sleepers Mark. Joe finally slips out and slams Pete onto the other two for the save in an NXT trope. With nothing else working, Joe grabs the title and hands it to Mark, leaving Dunne and Walter to have an intense staredown. That’s broken up as well, though this time with Walter kicking Mark in the face and powerbombing him for the pin at 16:15.

Rating: B+. This was a great mixture of action and storytelling as Dunne has to prove that he can hang with Walter, who looked like he was doing a lot of this stuff with ease. Walter taking it up another level to win in the end with Dunne watching was a great ending and should set up their title match. Other than that you had the Coffeys looking awesome in their best performance outside of Takeover. Rather awesome main event.

Replays show that the big boot to Mark cut him off before he could hit Pete with the title to add another shade of gray.

Dunne goes to get the title but Walter steps on it and hands the belt to Dunne to end the show. Yep it’s going to be great.

Overall Rating: B. The great main event is all the show needed to be a solid one and that’s what we got here. They’re building towards the one big match right now, which is all they need to do. At best Dunne vs. Walter is going to get a spot on Takeover: New York and there’s no need to focus on much of anything else right now. The good thing is that’s more than enough to carry the show, which it more than did here.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2000 Monday Nitro and Thunder Reviews Part 1 (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/02/22/new-book-kbs-monday-nitro-thunder-reviews-volume-vii-january-june-2000/

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

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

NXT UK
Date: February 27, 2019
Location: Phoenix Convention Center, Phoenix, Arizona
Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Vic Joseph

We’re still in Phoenix and this time around we have a heck of a card, including a Tag Team Title match as the Grizzled Young Veterans defend the titles for the first time. The arguably bigger draw though is Walter, who will be facing Kassius Ohno for his biggest challenge to date. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Tyler Bate vs. Jack Gallagher

Feeling out process to start with Gallagher kicking him away and going for the leg but Bate is in the rope. Now it’s Bate taking him to the mat for a hammerlock but Gallagher walks on his hands for an anklescissors to take Bate down. Bate’s handstand counter doesn’t really work so he bounces around a bit until he’s able to flip out of the hold in another sweet counter sequence.

Gallagher switches to the ankle by allowing Bate to grab a foot, knowing that he can counter into a better hold for some rather scientific style. That’s escaped as well and Bate traps one arm to pull on the other. Gallagher is up again for a stomp to the knee and a rather nasty Indian deathlock. Bate slips out again but still can’t maintain a hold of his own.

Instead Gallagher pulls him into Eddie Guerrero’s Lasso From El Paso but lets go as Bate is getting too close to the rope, switching over to an arm pull. With the submission attempts not working, Gallagher tries a sunset flip but Bate rolls over into a cradle, sending them around the ring for a series of one counts that lasts a good twenty seconds. That’s broken up and Bate grabs a quick rollup for the pin at 9:47.

Rating: B-. This was very, very different than your usual match but also highly entertaining. Some of the psychology and scientific counters were outstanding here, though the ending was so out of nowhere that it didn’t quite work. It made sense with Bate realizing that he couldn’t outwrestle Gallagher and powered him down for the pin instead, but it felt out of place after what they had been doing for the first nine and a half minutes.

Jordan Devlin jumped Travis Banks at the UK Performance Center with wrestlers and trainers breaking it up.

Video on Walter.

Video on Nina Samuels.

Eddie Dennis talks about rupturing his pectoral muscle just over a year ago. Then he signed with WWE that May because adversity motivated him. Now he’s back and more vindictive than ever, so he’s taking down the roster one by one.

Kassius Ohno vs. Walter

It’s weird seeing these two with people equal to their size. A test of strength goes to Walter, even as Ohno tries to take the knee out. Walter wristlocks him into an armbar and Ohno makes the mistake of chopping him. One heck of a big boot sends Ohno outside as Nigel compares Walter to the early years of Andre the Giant: stand there and don’t be aggressive, but attack when someone comes near you.

Ohno gets in a backsplash to the arm as Walter gets back in and pounds away with forearms in the corner. The cravate is broken up with a hard shove and they go to the strike off with Walter chopping him in the back. A big German suplex drops Ohno and a running seated senton gets two. Ohno knees him down but misses a moonsault, allowing Walter to dropkick him into the corner. The powerbomb finishes Ohno at 8:37.

Rating: B. I liked this one in a different way from the opener, partially because they went with a change of style, which is one of the best things they could have done. Ohno clearly wasn’t winning, but that doesn’t mean he can’t put up a good match on the way. This was all about two big guys hitting each other really hard and it gave Walter a bit of a sweat for the first time. That’s a good step for him and the match took both of them in the direction they should be going.

Ligero is willing to beat up Joseph Conners again if he has to.

Next week: Ligero vs. Conners and Banks vs. Devlin in a falls count anywhere match.

Tag Team Titles: Grizzled Young Veterans vs. Danny Burch/Oney Lorcan

James Drake and Zack Gibson are defending. Drake grabs Burch’s arm to start as it’s the early setup for Gibson’s Shankley Gates. That’s reversed into a regular armbar and then a hammerlock as Burch takes over on the mat. Gibson comes in and punches Burch in the face, giving us a nice mixture of the first two matches. It’s already back to Drake, who gets slapped in the chest so Burch can bring Lorcan in. As usual, Drake isn’t quite as skilled as Gibson but that’s how teams work. Drake pokes Lorcan in the eye and sends him into the post as the champs take over for real.

Back in and the chinlock goes on, followed by a nerve hold to really mix things up. Gibson gets two off a belly to back and it’s right back to the chinlock. Somehow, Lorcan is able to fight off a variety of chinlocks and bring in Burch for the suplexes. A middle rope dropkick sends Drake into his own corner so Burch forearms Gibson off the apron. Everything breaks down with Lorcan getting knocked outside, setting up the Ticket to Ride for two on Burch. A pair of headbutts get Burch out of trouble though and Lorcan comes in with a double Blockbuster.

It’s already back to Burch (that was fast) with a Doomsday Device getting two as Gibson backdrops Lorcan onto the cover for the break. All four come in and Lorcan (legal) grabs the half crab on Drake as Gibson (also legal) puts Burch in Shankley Gates. The slap off breaks the holds and it’s Lorcan hitting a running dive to take out both champs. Back in and the elevated hanging DDT gets two on Drake so Burch punches him in the face. Lorcan gets knocked to the floor though and the Ticket to Mayhem finishes Burch at 13:08.

Rating: B. Another very good showing here with the two teams working well enough together to give you the hope of a title change. They also seem to be planting the seeds of Gibson being the focal point of the team (as he should be) which could be leading to a split. Throughout the match the announcers talked about Gibson having a God complex, which very well could cause some tension between the two of them. It’s WAY too early to split them though as they could hold the titles for several months to come.

Overall Rating: A-. Now that was a fun show with three high quality matches. As tends to be the case around here, the storytelling isn’t the strongest and having the focus be on the wrestling instead of the stories is a good way to go. You can’t do that every week, but when they get it right, it works very well. I had a great time with this and it flew by while leaving me wanting to see more, which is one of the best things that can be said.

Results

Tyler Bate b. Jack Gallagher – Rollup

Walter b. Kassius Ohno – Powerbomb

Grizzled Young Veterans b. Oney Lorcan/Danny Burch – Ticket to Mayhem to Burch

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2000 Monday Nitro and Thunder Reviews Part 1 (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/02/22/new-book-kbs-monday-nitro-thunder-reviews-volume-vii-january-june-2000/

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

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

NXT UK
Date: February 6, 2019
Location: Empress Ballroom, Blackpool, England
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Nigel McGuinness

Last week saw the rise of Walter, who is clearly going to be a major star around here in short order. The man is a monster who is going to run over everyone in his path, possibly including UK Champion Pete Dunne. Tonight he’s in action again against Mark Coffey, which makes it clear that they know they have something here. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Mark Andrews vs. Ligero

They shake hands to start because British people are just more polite. Feeling out process to start with Andrews getting a very limited advantage off a hammerlock. A run of the ropes suits them a bit better until Ligero gets two off a rollup. The pinfall reversal sequence gives us a bunch of one counts, capped off by a nice round of applause (more British politeness). Ligero sends him outside but misses a dive, instead settling for a headscissors. Andrews cartwheels out of it though as we’re still waiting on the first major offense.

A flip dive off the barricade finally puts Andrews down and a Stunner gives Ligero two back inside. Some forearms keep Andrews in trouble but he rolls Ligero down and hits a jumping double stomp to the ribs. The standing corkscrew moonsault gets two and it’s off to an exchange of strikes. Ligero’s suplex is countered into the Stundog Millionaire but can’t follow up. Instead it’s Ligero hitting a pumphandle faceplant for two of his own but the C4L is broken up. Andrews is right back with a reverse hurricanrana for two, only to have Fall to Pieces hit knees. Now C4L connects to give Ligero the pin at 9:05.

Rating: B-. This was a lot of fun and the ending was a bit of a surprise. They’re actually pushing Ligero as something around here and while I don’t know how high he can actually go, it’s cool to see someone getting a push like this. Andrews is still good in the ring, though I would have thought he had a bit more potential than Ligero, at least coming in.

Post match we get another handshake.

We look back at Sid Scala announcing Danny Burch/Oney Lorcan as the first challengers to the Grizzled Young Veterans.

Lorcan and Burch are happy and have little more to say.

Pete Dunne is impressed by Walter but doesn’t fear anyone.

Xia Brookside vs. Candy Floss

Brookside is being treated as a big deal here, which is a good sign for her future. We get another handshake to continue proper British tradition. Brookside jumps out of a headscissors and we hit the pinfall reversal sequence into a standoff. Back up and Candy goes technical with a full nelson until Xia rolls into an armbar. Xia’s offense isn’t exactly inspired so far. Floss reverses into a hammerlock before slamming the arm into the mat. With that not going anywhere, Xia is back up with a running bulldog and the Brooksie Bomb (Iconoclasm into a bridging pin) finishes Floss at 4:32. That’s Brookside’s first win on the show.

Rating: D+. Brookside has a great smile and a unique look, but she’s going to need some more ring time. To be fair though, she’s twenty years old and needs a lot more ring time. She’s going to need some more experience to get the finer points down, but she has a good base to build from so far.

Post match Brookside checks on Floss but here’s Rhea Ripley to beat them both down, including a standing swinging Texas Cloverleaf (awesome) to Brookside. Toni Storm runs in for the save but headbutts Brookside by mistake, allowing Ripley to hit the Riptide on Storm.

Jordan Devlin doesn’t like Noam Dar and wants to beat him up in Phoenix.

Mike Hitchman vs. Joseph Conners

Conners is billing himself as an NXT UK original. The show isn’t even four months old and we have originals? Conners hammers away to start but a headbutt to the elbow (yes to the elbow) takes him down. Hitchman nails the backsplash to the back but Conners snaps Mike’s throat across the top. A belly to back faceplant gets two on Hitchman and we hit the neck crank. Conners shots that Mike isn’t taking it away. What the heck did Conners have in the first place? Hitchman doesn’t like being called a thief so he fights up and sends Conners outside, setting up a frog splash off the apron.

Back in and Conners gets two off the slingshot DDT (stolen from Johnny Gargano, as Conners is a hypocrite). Conners: “YOU ARE A PUSSYCAT! YOU ARE NOTHING!” So cats are nothing? I guess Conners is a dog guy. Hitchman grabs a pop up powerbomb but Conners one ups him off a sunset bomb. Don’t Look Down finishes Hitchman at 5:29.

Rating: D+. The wrestling was ok but Conners is officially that guy on the roster who just shows up, rants about how unfair everything is, and makes no impact whatsoever. It’s a character that shows up every now and then in almost every promotion but it very rarely gets interesting. Conners is someone who doesn’t stand out and with a gimmick that has been done so many times, it’s not exactly going anywhere for him.

Gallus is ready to keep their kingdom.

Video on Jinny.

Jinny tells Ragsy that he’s ugly and says of course she won because she’s amazing. She’s coming for Toni Storm. Makes sense.

Joe Coffey vs. Ashton Smith

Smith grabs a headlock to start in what might be his biggest offense of the match. Coffey isn’t having that and Pounces him down without much trouble. It’s off to the chinlock into a cobra clutch, followed by some hard forearms to the back. We hit the bearhug as you can’t fault Coffey’s psychology here. Coffey suplexes him down and nails a pop up uppercut (ala Cesaro’s Swiss Death) but Smith scores with right hands. A dropkick sets up a nice superkick but Smith jumps into a German suplex. All The Best For The Bells finishes Smith at 6:17.

Rating: D+. Just a squash here though Smith’s very limited offense looked good. There’s nothing wrong with bringing someone like Coffey back up from the loss and he’s still someone who can be a threat going forward. I’m still not sure why the Coffey Brothers haven’t been in the tag division, as you would think that would be as easy of a layup as you could have around here. Joe is good as a singles guy though so what they’re doing is far from bad.

Post match Gallus comes out to celebrate with Joe.

Mark Coffey vs. Walter

Coffey makes the mistake of throwing a chop as Walter shows him how it’s really done. They head outside with Walter being driven into the barricade as the fans stay behind him. Back in and it’s a double arm crank to stretch out Walter’s chest but he reverses into one of his own. Walter shrugs off a clothesline and tells Coffey to bring it before snapping off a big German suplex. The beating continues with Walter taking him outside for more shots to the chest. Coffey gets in a dropkick for a quick near fall but Walter isn’t having that. The powerbomb finishes Coffey at 6:30.

Rating: C+. That’s the Walter I’ve been hearing about as he looked like a monster who could move out there, with the powerbomb looking great to go with the signature chops. They’ve already got me wanting to see Walter vs. Dunne, which should have taken some time to set up. Let it take place at a major show, say over Wrestlemania weekend, and you have a Match of the Year candidate on hype alone.

Overall Rating: C+. This was the no nonsense version of the show and I really liked what we got. The wrestling wasn’t great up and down and nothing was exactly a show stealing classic, but what we had was a well put together show that did everything it needed to. Stories were advanced and Walter looks like the final boss for Dunne’s title reign. I’m in for this stuff now, mainly because I’m not sick of it after two hours a week. Very well put together show, which is what matters here.

Results

Ligero b. Mark Andrews – C4L

Xia Brookside b. Candy Floss – Brooksie Bomb

Joseph Conners b. Mike Hitchman – Don’t Look Down

Joe Coffey b. Ashton Smith – All The Best For The Bells

Walter b. Mark Coffey – Powerbomb

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 1997 Monday Night Raw Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/11/20/new-paperback-complete-1997-monday-night-raw-reviews/

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

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

NXT UK
Date: January 30, 2019
Location: Empress Ballroom, Blackpool, England
Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Vic Joseph

We’re still in Blackpool and that means we could be in for some fun stuff. The fallout from Takeover is still in effect and we’re probably on the verge of seeing Walter make his in-ring debut. He’s a heck of a monster and if he does things well, he can be the top star around here in a hurry. Let’s get to it.

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

We open with a video on Walter, who makes his debut tonight.

Opening sequence.

Dave Mastiff vs. Jay Melrose

They trade shoulders to no avail to start so the huge Mastiff goes with a crossbody to really take over. Melrose is right back up and grabs the beard (NOT COOL!) to hammer away. An armbar doesn’t get far on Mastiff so they trade forearms to no effect. Melrose blocks a suplex though and it’s right back to the armbar. Of course he can’t fireman’s carry the huge Mastiff, who crashes onto him and hits a running backsplash. A German suplex sets up the Cannonball to finish Melrose at 4:59.

Rating: C-. Not much to see here, though well done by having Primate (just call him that and drop the Melrose thing) get in some offense. Mastiff having to fight through some adversity is a nice touch and the match was far from bad. They need something for Mastiff to do though and this is only going to do so much for so long.

We look back at Zack Gibson and James Drake becoming the first Tag Team Champions.

Video on Xia Brookside.

Here are Gibson and Drake for a chat. The fans still hate Gibson, who talks about how they told everyone they would win. They stole the show in Blackpool because they were focused on their goal. You can take your shoes off and wave them all you want but they are Grizzled Young Veterans and Tag Team Champions. This brings out Sid Scala, who says their first title defense will be in Phoenix against Danny Burch/Oney Lorcan. Sounds good to me and it’s a match that makes perfect sense.

Walter vs. Jack Starz

This is Walter’s in-ring debut and he starts with the chops. They head outside for a drop onto the apron as Walter is already looking like a monster. Back in and a knee to the face sets up a heck of a powerbomb to complete the squash of Starz at 2:30. Walter not only looks like a star but he has the all important star power, which is lacking around here.

Post break, Trent Seven yelled at Walter, who was backed up by Fabian Aichner and Marcel Barthel. They’ll be his friends, though he didn’t seem interested.

Jinny vs. Kasey Owens

Owens hangs upside down in the ropes during her entrance for a nice touch. Jinny easily takes her down by the arm to star and scratches her nails into Kasey’s arm. There’s an ax kick to the back to keep Owens in trouble but she pulls Jinny into a bodyscissors for a nice counter. That’s countered into an ankle lock but Owens is in the rope in a hurry. They forearm it out until Owens avoids a charge in the corner.

Jinny takes her outside anyway and sends Kasey ribs first into the barricade, followed by an abdominal stretch back inside. You know a regular abdominal stretch isn’t enough though as Jinny scratches the ribs for a bonus. Jinny puts on a modified surfboard before just kicking her in the back. Kasey is right back with an armbar over the ropes, which can only last for a few seconds. Back up and Jinny pulls her out of the corner with the Makeover for the pin at 5:11.

Rating: D+. The fingernails stuff was a good idea as Jinny looked vicious but it still feels like she’s having trouble breaking through to the next level. That being said, Jinny vs. Storm is a big rivalry in Progress and it would work just fine in NXT as well. Owens was fine, though just another person who doesn’t stand out on a big roster.

Earlier today, Rhea Ripley demanded her rematch with Storm in Phoenix, which takes place in three weeks.

Next week: Walter vs. Mark Coffey.

Moustache Mountain vs. Fabian Aichner/Marcel Barthel

Bate and Barthel start things off in the traditional battle over the wristlock. It’s a headlock to put Barthel in control so Bate walks on his hands to escape. He’s not only big and strong but he’s agile. Barthel grabs an ankle so Bate pulls himself up and flips away again. An armdrag into an armbar has Barthel in more trouble so it’s off to Seven to stay on said arm.

Aichner comes in and starts uppercutting in the corner but Seven takes him down for Bate’s middle rope assisted Swanton. Seven is back in again and it’s a blind tag to bring Barthel back in for a pop up faceplant. We hit the chinlock for a bit, followed by a backbreaker from Aichner for two. It’s off to a bodyscissors to keep Bate down, triggering the comeback and a diving tag off to Seven. A powerbomb out of the corner rocks Aichner and it’s a sitout slam for two on Barthel.

The dragon suplex/clothesline combination is broken up and it’s an enziguri into a rollup for the near fall on Seven this time around. Barthel is sent outside and knocked off the apron by a missed charge from Aichner, leaving Seven to hit the Seven Star Lariat for two more. It’s back to Barthel to clean house until a Stunner cuts him off. Everything breaks down and a double Liger Kick takes the villains down. The dragon suplex/clothesline combination gets the pin on Barthel at 13:07.

Rating: B. I’m not much of a Barthel fan but this was a heck of a match with both teams looking great. The Grizzled Young Veterans are a great team and now we need some teams to come after the titles. Either of these two would be fine though having Moustache Mountain as the first challengers would make sense. Very good match here with all four feeling it.

Overall Rating: C+. It’s another show where the main event carried things and there’s nothing wrong with that. They had a good hour of television here and things are looking good going forward. Walter alone made this worth seeing and with the proper build, his eventual showdown with Pete Dunne could rival some top level NXT matches.

Results

Dave Mastiff b. Jay Melrose – Cannonball

Walter b. Jack Starz – Powerbomb

Jinny b. Kasey Owens – Makeover

Moustache Mountain b. Fabian Aichner/Marcel Barthel – Dragon suplex/clothesline combination to Barthel

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 1997 Monday Night Raw Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/11/20/new-paperback-complete-1997-monday-night-raw-reviews/

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

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

NXT UK
Date: January 23, 2019
Location: Empress Ballroom, Blackpool, England
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Nigel McGuinness

It’s time to get back to the regular shows as we have the first real show after Takeover. The big story coming out of Takeover is the debut of Walter, who is instantly as big of a star as we have around here, putting him on the Pete Dunne level. The question now is when does he get to take the title from Dunne, in what should be an instant classic. Let’s get to it.

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

We look at Jordan Devlin attacking Travis Banks before their Takeover match. Since the match didn’t happen then, it’s happening tonight.

Opening sequence.

Here’s Pete Dunne to get things going. He talks about how great Blackpool was and now he’s been UK Champion for over 600 days. Cue Gallus for an interruption with Joe Coffey saying that Takeover didn’t change a thing. This is still his kingdom and now he’s thought of new strategies to win a war for the UK Title. Pete should enjoy his title now because it’s coming to him at the end of the war. The lights go out though and here’s Walter to quite the reception. Gallus teases leaving but comes back in, only to be quickly dispatched. Walter looks down at the title and the fans are VERY interested.

Sid Scala talks about being ready for the TV tapings in Phoenix and wants NXT UK to win the When Worlds Collide tournament. Zack Gibson and James Drake come in but they aren’t happy with only getting attention because they’re champs. They’ll talk next week when they’re ready to talk.

Nina Samuels vs. Lana Austin

The fans are way behind Austin here and she makes them rather happy by flipping out of a wristlock. A snapmare sets up a basement dropkick for two on Samuels but she ties Lana up in the ropes. After a dropkick to the back gets two, Nina’s armbar actually keeps her in trouble. Samuels isn’t cool with a near fall so it’s back to the chinlock, which is countered into a Russian legsweep. That goes nowhere as Samuels is right back up with a fireman’s carry backbreaker (Primadonna) for the pin at 4:09.

Rating: D-. That was really bad as a lot of the match was spent in the armbar/chinlock and there wasn’t exactly a lot of heat. The fans liked Austin but it still wasn’t exactly inspired stuff. Samuels is one of those talents who could become something down the line but isn’t exactly there yet. This might be the worst match on the show so far though and that’s covering some ground.

We look at Gibson and Drake winning the Tag Team Titles.

Moustache Mountain got beaten up but the goal is still the same.

Toni Storm can’t believe she won the Women’s Title. Something changed in her at the Mae Young Classic and she’s come back even stronger.

Eddie Dennis vs. Jamie Ahmed

Dennis punches him in the face at the bell so Ahmed is right back with rights and lefts of his own. A hard clothesline takes Ahmed down and you can see the confidence setting in for Dennis. The cravate goes on to grind Ahmed down and Dennis throws him outside for a slam on the floor. Back in and Ahmed slugs away but gets caught in a delayed superplex for his efforts. The Neck Stop Driver finishes Ahmed at 3:49.

Rating: C. This wasn’t a squash but it did its job of getting Dennis back on track. That’s all this needed to be with Dennis getting to show off his size and power, which works well in a place with so many smaller wrestlers. I’m not sure what he’ll be able to do next but you know he’ll get a fresh target soon enough.

Next week: Moustache Mountain vs. Fabian Aichner/Marcel Barthel.

Walter makes his in-ring debut next week as well.

Jordan Devlin vs. Travis Banks

Banks charges in and starts the fight in a hurry, including knocking Devlin outside for a suicide dive. Another dive on another side sends Devlin into the barricade and into the crowd. Banks follows and hits a Thesz press off the barricade, only to have the bad knee sent into the barricade. The knee is fine enough to hit a double stomp off the apron and some kicks to Devlin’s chest keep him in trouble. A charge misses in the corner and it’s a Backstabber to put Banks down again.

Things slow down with Devilin hitting a belly to back backbreaker for two, followed by the reverse Rock Bottom into a standing moonsault. We hit the bow and arrow hold to keep Banks’ back in trouble as the knee from Takeover and earlier tonight has been forgotten for the time being. Devlin takes him to the apron for the Spanish Fly to the floor in a crash that knocks them both silly.

Back in and Banks no sells another Spanish Fly to hit a running clothesline but goes down in pain after. They slug it out from their knees until Devlin pulls him up with the belly to back for two more. Devlin’s moonsault hits knees though and the Kiwi Crusher gives Banks two of his own. Devlin is up again though and picks him up for Ireland’s Call, only to tumble out to the floor for the double countout at 13:23.

Rating: B. This was good stuff with Banks looking like a star in the making while Devlin is getting better every week. I could go for more from these two with the winner being one of the next challengers to the UK Title. I’ve liked Banks since the tournament days and it’s cool to see him getting more big spots like this one or the rematch which should be intense as well.

They fight into the crowd to end the show.

Overall Rating: C+. Good show this week as you can tell they’re taking their time coming out of Takeover. The wrestling was good and there are stories that look intriguing, though we have a long way to go before we get there. The show has gotten better though and the one hour a week thing is a HUGE improvement as I liked what I got and didn’t get sick of it with another hour. Now why was that so hard in the first place?

Results

Nina Samuels b. Lana Austin – Fireman’s carry backbreaker

Eddie Dennis b. Jamie Ahmed – Neck Stomp Driver

Jordan Devlin vs. Travis Banks went to a double countout

 

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

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

Progress Chapter 76: Hello Wembley
Date: September 30, 2018
Location: Wembley Arena, London, England
Attendance: 4,750
Commentators: Glenn Joseph, Daria Black

This seems kind of appropriate. Somehow, I’ve never actually seen a show from Progress. I’ve heard about it forever but I’ve never sat down and watched one of the shows. It turns out that I was over in England for their biggest show ever…but I was leaving the next day and wasn’t riding two and a half hours on a train to get to London. There are going to be people I don’t know on this show and that could make things interesting. Let’s get to it.

As mentioned: I’ve never watched the show so there are going to be angles, stories and plot points I don’t know. Hopefully commentary can explain these things.

There was a pre-show battle royal but since I don’t know most of the people involved (and can’t find it), we’ll get on to the regular show.

Progress owner Jim Smallman (whose book I bought while in England and need to read) is in the ring and nearly in tears. He can’t believe they’re here but he and his fellow owners are a tiny piece of what happens here. What matters are the wrestlers and the people who said bring it on when they said they were running this arena. Fans: “You deserve it!” Smallman: “I don’t deserve it. I’m a horrible human being.”

He’s a wrestling fan too and can’t wait to watch a lot of wrestling tonight and he knows the fans are going to show the world why British wrestling is the way it is. In something he apparently asks every time, he asks if fans have seen the show before (Smallman: “S*** that’s a lot.”) and how many are watching for the first time.

After a request for some applause for everyone in the aforementioned and aforeshow battle royal, Smallman says the only rule is to have fun while being considerate of the people around you. The rule around here is simple and the crowd shouts it for him: “DON’T BE A D***!” The fans chant something at the referee and it has to do with cheese. I’m not sure I want to know what that means so it’s time for the first match. To give you an idea of how different this place is: there were about eight F bombs in this speech. You don’t see that in America too often.

Matt Riddle vs. Mark Haskins

This is Riddle’s last independent match and he had already wrestled for NXT at this point. Haskins has a woman named Vicky with face paint, limited clothing and a baseball bat with nails in it ala Lucille from the Walking Dead. The fans sing some song about Riddle which sounds like they’re saluting the King of Bros. Haskins, who is clearly a rather mean man, shakes hands without much enthusiasm.

The grappling exchanges takes it to the mat with the bigger Riddle trying to fight out of a headlock. Back up and Riddle can’t quite get a cross armbreaker so he has to slip out of a Sharpshooter attempt. Riddle goes for the arm again but it turns into an exchange of covers. They both try kicks to the ribs and both catch the other before setting them down on the mat. Riddle strikes a martial arts pose and says bring it so Haskins takes a boxing stance and flips him off.

An exchange of kicks to the thigh goes to a draw but Riddle knocks him to the floor. They switch places though and Haskins scores with a suicide dive. Riddle puts him on the apron for more kicks to the chest but gets caught in a legbar. Back in and Haskins switches to some knees to the head for two, followed by something like a reverse Koji Clutch. Riddle is right back with a knee to the face and a German suplex. Some running forearms in the corner give Riddle two and it’s off to some YES Kicks, with Haskins telling him to go harder.

Haskins is fine enough to grab Riddle for two off a Samoan driver but his Sharpshooter is kicked away. Riddle is right back with a fisherman’s buster and a cradle tombstone gets two. In what feels like a change of pace but something he could pull off, Riddle heads up top but gets superplexed right back down in the big crash. Riddle is up first but Haskins does an Undertaker sit up, only to get powerbombed back down.

That means a knee to the face but a fireman’s carry is reversed into a Canadian Destroyer (How do you even do that?). Haskins scores with a top rope double stomp for a very close two but Riddle knees him in the face two more times. Riddle grabs his hand for something but Haskins pulls him into a pumphandle driver (Made In England) for what feels like a big upset at 17:16.

Rating: B. This was a great choice for an opener as Riddle is one of the top stars around here and someone who is going to get a great reaction no matter what he does. They had a really entertaining match and beat each other up, with some of those spots being things that should have been knockouts but here were just transitional stuff. That’s fine for something this big though and I had a great time watching both of them.

Post match Haskins won’t shake his hand because he wants a hug. Riddle’s happy face is hilarious in the way only he can pull off.

Smallman thanks Riddle for everything he’s done for the company over the years.

Women’s Title: Jinny vs. Millie McKenzie vs. Toni Storm

Jinny is defending and I’ve been looking forward to this as her reputation outside of NXT UK is rather strong. She also comes out with three women (collectively known as the House Of Couture (might have misheard that) and one of them is Nina Samuels) in her corner. Storm gets the heroine’s welcome, as you have to expect.

Jinny is booed out of the building and goes right after Toni to start. Millie gets sent outside early and it’s a brawl between the other two. Toni kicks her in the chest and hammers away but gets taken down by Millie. A swinging neckbreaker drops Jinny to send her outside but it’s too early for Storm Zero on Millie. The House offers a double distraction though and Jinny is back in with the double clothesline.

Millie gets sent outside again and the beatdown is on as commentary plays up the idea that she’s the odd woman out as Jinny and Toni want to kill each other. Toni is right back with a German suplex to Jinny but walks into a spear. Another spear to Jinny is reversed into a belly to belly into the corner and they’re all down. The House goes after Toni but here are Laura Di Mateo and Candyfloss for the save because we don’t have enough people at ringside yet. The three people actually in the match slug it out with right hands and headbutts.

Millie is up first and German suplexes Jinny twice in a row, followed by a German suplex to both of them at once. That’s only good for two each so Jinny gives them both Downward Spirals into the middle buckle. Toni is right back up with running hip attacks in the corner and a piledriver to Millie on the apron makes it even worse. Back in and Toni piledrives Jinny as well, drawing in the House. Laura and Candyfloss come in for the staredown….and Laura decks her. That means a Rainmaker for Toni and Jinny is thrown on top to retain at 8:30.

Rating: B-. I was digging this one and it could have been a lot longer than it was. The turn at the end felt like a big deal and probably something that I would have liked more if I knew who these people were. All three looked good here and you could feel the hatred between Jinny and Toni. Pinning someone who would go on to win the Mae Young Classic looks even more impressive in retrospective and I could go for this Jinny being around in NXT UK.

Post match the announcers panic because Laura is Jinny’s former assistant. The new House poses but Jordynne Grace (a near monster) comes in and wrecks everyone, as Jinny and Laura bail to the floor. Good debut after a good angle.

Atlas Title: Trent Seven vs. Doug Williams

Williams is defending and this is the over 205lb title. Kind of odd but ok then. Also, if Williams loses, he retires. One thing I like a lot: commentary doesn’t talk during entrances. You don’t have to say something all the time and it’s nice to just let things breathe once in awhile. They shake hands to start and Williams takes him to the ropes for the traditional head shake.

An exchange of wristlocks goes to the mat with Trent grabbing a headscissors. Williams flips out and grabs the ankle in a nice display of skill that feels like it belongs in someone’s last match. Trent takes him down into a choke but Williams reverses into one of his own. To show the difference in the generations, Seven dances out and grabs a second choke. Back up and Trent misses a crossbody as Williams casually steps to the side. A DDT drops Williams though and it’s time for some chops in the corner.

Williams is right back with a kick to the head and we hit the chinlock. The comeback is cut off with a belly to belly and Williams nails a top rope back elbow. An exploder suplex into the corner gets two but Rolling Chaos Theory is reversed into a piledriver to give Seven two. Rolling Chaos Theory works just fine the second time and Williams goes up.

The superplex from Seven is broken up and Williams powerbombs him down, setting up another piledriver for two more. Seven is back up with a Burning Hammer (nearly dropping Williams) for two of his own so Seven unloads with chops. That just earns him another Rolling Chaos Theory but Seven slips out of another attempt and hits a crossbody for the pin and the title at 14:16.

Rating: C+. Good match which felt like a sendoff for Williams, which was exactly the case. Williams is a big name and having him go out while putting someone over is the right idea, especially someone like Seven who is one of the bigger names around. The suplexes looked good and Williams didn’t look old, which is always a worry in a match like this. It’s a fitting sendoff and I can go with something like that happening at such a big show.

Post match Seven hugs him and lets Williams have the ring as the locker room comes out to applaud.

We recap Jimmy Havoc vs. Paul Robinson. They used to be partners but Robinson beat the heck out of him, sending Havoc away for over a year. Havoc came back and was in a #1 contenders match against Will Ospreay when Robinson, the referee, attacked him, saying that Robinson was the beast that Havoc had been searching for. Time for a crazy violent match.

Jimmy Havoc vs. Paul Robinson

Anything goes and Havoc, carrying an ax, is painted white. Havoc goes right at him and hits a Rainmaker in the first ten seconds as they’re not wasting time. They’re on the floor in a hurry as you had to know was coming. A door to the back keeps Robinson in trouble and Havoc crotches him on the barricade for mean measure. Robinson comes back with a chop and Havoc just stares at him ala Sting to Flair.

Havoc pelts a chair at Robinson’s head and then throws another at his back. It’s time for an ironing board (of course) and Havoc powerbombs him through it for a good looking crash. Robinson finds a barbed wire bat and cuts open Havoc’s chest. Of course the head is next because we need some serious blood. They actually go inside again for a change of pace with Robinson bringing the door for some extra fun. He also brings in a staplegun to give Havoc some fresh holes in his head.

Robinson follows it up by stapling a shirt to Havoc’s chest but Havoc rips them out and flips Robinson off. Now that just doesn’t seem like a good idea. It’s frying pan time but Havoc no sells a shot to the head. I mean, after the staples that’s not the biggest stretch. A shot to Robinson’s head works a bit better and there’s the Death Valley Driver through the door. Robinson gets sat in the corner for a staple to the crotch but pops back up (make your own jokes) and breaks a light tube over Havoc’s head.

The broken tube is stabbed into Havoc’s back (egads man) and of course it’s time for the thumbtacks. Havoc shrugs off the glass in his back (of course) and hits another Death Valley Driver onto the tacks for two. Robinson is busted as well as Havoc grabs a bunch of light tubes, one of which he headbutts into Robinson’s head. Havoc puts out more light tubes but gets slammed off the top onto them, followed by a middle rope backsplash onto the tubs onto Havoc’s chest.

A curb stomp onto the tacks gets two on Havoc as Robinson’s back is COVERED in blood. Robinson bridges another tube between two open chairs but Havoc saves himself with another Rainmaker. Havoc stomps him face first through the tube and hits another Rainmaker for the pin at 13:45.

Rating: F. This wasn’t wrestling and I can’t stand watching it. They spent the entire second half of the match with the light tubes and that stuff just gets old after…oh about two seconds. I know this stuff has its fans, but I’m just not the right audience for it. This wasn’t as bad as some of the death match nonsense you see elsewhere, but I could still go for never seeing it again.

Robinson slowly walks out, as he should.

Show ads.

Smallman is back in the ring and we seem to have skipped intermission. Apparently the owners of the arena came up to the Progress bosses and told them that they’ve brought in the best wrestling atmosphere ever. They were given a special plaque saying that it was the biggest British independent wrestling show in over thirty years. They’ve also set a Progress attendance record with 4,750 people.

The fans agree that this is Progress and Smallman sends us to a video announcing the Super Strong Style 16 tournament. This brings out the injured former World Champion Travis Banks, who has won the tournament before. He wants in next year and is the first man to get involved with next year’s tournament. Smallman seems fine with this.

Tag Team Titles: Thunderbastard

So this is basically a Royal Rumble tag match and the culmination of a round robin tournament. The idea is the teams are going to be introduced in the order they finished in the tournament with the team with the best record entering last. There will be two teams to start and another is added every two minutes with eliminations via pinfall, submission or disqualification. Flamita and Bandido are defending, despite not even being in the tournament to start as they won the titles while it was taking place. Got all that? I’m not sure I do so I might need some notes later.

Since Flamita and Bandido didn’t get any points in the tournament, they start again Sexy Starr (David Starr and Jack Sexsmith), the latter of whom seems to be romantically involved. Starr even kisses him before the Big Match Intros. Sexsmith is introduced as the Pansexual Phenomenon and we get Starr’s full entrance (complete with about fifteen different names, which he usually says himself). In an odd visual, the referee is taller than all four wrestlers.

They take turns flipping and rolling around to start and it’s a very early standoff. Starr and Sexsmith fail at nipups in a funny bit so the champs help them up and we get some nice handshakes. Flamita doesn’t let go of Sexsmith’s hand though and drops to a knee, throwing in a little spank for…fun I guess? Starr is furious and hits him right in the mask as Sexsmith tries to calm things down. The champs start in with the superkicks and double moonsaults to take over until M&M (Connor Mills and Maverick Mayhew) are in third. This is going to get messy in a hurry isn’t it?

Mayhew wastes no time in hitting a double springboard spinning wristdrag on Flamita but Sexy Starr gets back up, only to be sent into each other. Mills throws Mayhew into a DDT for two on Starr and it’s time for everyone to chop everyone. With that going nowhere, Aussie Open (Kyle Fletcher, who is only 18, and Mark Davis) are in fourth. I’ve seen these guys before and they’re quite good.

The Aussies start cleaning house and a sitout Michinoku Driver gets two on Starr. Sexsmith’s weak chops have no effect so a right hand knocks him into the corner. With the Aussies in full control, the Anti-Fun Police (Chief Deputy (not Pete) Dunne and Los Federales Santos Jr., a rather big guy, in a gimmick that is exactly what it sounds like) are in fifth. The much bigger Santos runs Davis over on the floor) and hit stereo enziguris on M&M. Flamita and Bandido get in some kicks to knock Santos down (in the big, slow fall that it should be) and the ring is cleared.

Davis comes back in and spears both champs but they send him outside in short order. The Grizzled Young Veterans (Zack Gibson and James Drake) are in sixth and come in through the crowd with Gibson doing the same promo he’s done on every NXT UK show so far. The fans are all over Gibson until Flamita and Bandido take them out with dives. Somehow that doesn’t have much effect and Gibson is right back up with the mic still in hand. M&M comes back in to clean house though and a discus forearm rocks Drake.

As the Calimari Thatch Kings (Chris Brookes, sporting a bad shoulder, and Timothy Thatcher) are in seventh, the Ticket to Mayhem (a reverse powerbomb into a Codebreaker) finishes Mills for the first elimination at 10:35. A belly to belly suplex puts Gibson down and the Kings slap on stereo holds to put the Veterans in trouble.

Those are broken up and Fletcher comes in as the complete insanity of this match continues. Davis kicks people in the face but gets pulled down into a Fujiwara armbar. Fletcher is caught in a kneebar at the same time as the 198 (Flash Morgan Webster and Wild Boar Mike Hitchman) are in eighth to complete the field.

The 198 starts cleaning house and Webster hits a Swanton onto Thatcher’s back for two. Hitchman throws Sexy Starr onto of each other and drops a backsplash for two of his own. Dunne and Santos remember they’re in this match and come back in for Fun is Over (an elevated Codebreaker, because Codebreakers are awesome) on Webster. The crazy eyed Thatcher grabs Santos and putting him down with one slap. A double underhook Jackhammer gets two on Dunne with Santos making a save.

The Aussies are back in for a slam/cutter for two on Brookes but the Vets come in to take them down as well. Flamita and Bandido come in to take care of Gibson and a wheelbarrow throw into a moonsault gives Flamita two. A slightly assisted STANDING PHOENIX SPLASH gives Bandido the same (egads man) as Thatcher has Santos in a kneebar on the floor. The kickout means a LOUD “STAND UP IF YOU HATE GIBSON” chat, which is always cool.

Sexy Starr comes back in for a German suplex/top rope double stomp combination (the Climax, because of course) for two on Flamita. Hitchman comes back in for a Rikishi Driver to pin Sexsmith and get us down to six. You know, because twelve people are easier to keep track of than fourteen. The Kings come back in with Thatcher and Hitchman having a hard slugout. Thatcher gets the better of it and goes outside to hold people for the big series of dives. Santos dives onto everyone but Dunne breaks up Bandido’s dive because that would be fun.

The fans demand fun so Bandido hits a backflip fall away slam onto everyone else, which certainly seems to meet the fun requirement. Santos comes back in but gets choked by Webster. Dunne makes the save with a top rope Backstabber but gets caught in a pop up powerbomb from Hitchman. One heck of a whip package piledriver finishes Dunne to get us down to five at 22:33.

Davis comes in and chops away at both Kings and Fletcher adds a superkick to Thatcher. Close Your Eyes (a piledriver with Davis pulling Brookes up from the mat to drop him on his head) gets rid of the Kings at 23:49, leaving us with the 198, the Aussies, the Veterans and Bandido/Flamita. Speaking of the Veterans, they’re back in with stereo Shankley Gates, which are reversed into some holds from the 198. The champs come in for the save (Why?) and the ref gets bumped. In this match???

The lack of one referee (there was a second on the floor for obvious reasons) lets Hitchman use Webster’s helmet on Bandido to give Webster the pin at 25:09, guaranteeing us new champions. The fans immediately cheer for the Aussies as the 198 throw the mostly dead Davis back inside. Fletcher makes a fast save though and the Fidget Spinner (basically a double AA) finishes Webster at 26:16, leaving us with the Aussies vs. the Veterans. Well that’s the best way to get the fans to cheer for one team.

The slugout is on with the Veterans getting the better of things, only to have Gibson take a quick Fidget Spinner for two. Fletcher can’t believe it and Drake saves Gibson from taking another one. Davis gets pulled to the floor and sent into the steps, leaving Fletcher to get taken down for some stomping.

A Doomsday Device is countered into a victory roll for two but Gibson catches Fletcher with a Codebreaker (this show has made me sick of that move). Drake’s 450 gets two and the Veterans are stunned this time. It’s Davis coming back in for the save though and a kick to the face rocks Drake. With Gibson being knocked outside, a Fidget Spinner out of an electric chair finishes Drake to give us new champions at 31:27.

Rating: B. Well that was a blast. It takes a lot to keep something like this coherent and entertaining at the same time but they managed to pull it off here. They had sixteen people in the match around here and everyone got a chance to shine. The Aussies were crazy popular at the end and these fans would take two years off the back end of their lives to see Gibson lose. This was a hard one to pull off but they made it work in rather impressive fashion.

We recap Pete Dunne vs. Ilja Dragunov. Some European promoter named Christian Michael Jakobi (CMJ) didn’t like the idea of Dunne being considered the best independent wrestler in Europe and the challenge was on. CMJ has called Pete a silly little boy so I don’t see this going well.

Pete Dunne vs. Ilja Dragunov

Non-title. CMJ is here and even trips on his way to the ring. The fans aren’t interested in hearing from him but he wants something more. He’s here to see the change that comes with Ilja defeating Dunne to become the best wrestler in all of Europe. Ilja is rather intense looking, though then again so is Dunne. They get in each others faces during the Big Match Intros and the slugout is on as soon as possible. Dunne hits the first clothesline and it’s time to work on the arm.

Ilja is right back with a dropkick and a backsplash to send Dunne outside. A dive takes Dunne down as well but he’s fine enough to hit the X Plex onto the apron. Ilja’s arm gets stomped on the steps but a second attempt misses, allowing Ilja to get in a shot to the face. There’s a suplex off the steps to put Pete in more trouble as we get some more backstory on CMJ and Dunne: apparently CMJ dismissed Dunne as someone not good enough years ago and now he’s trying to prove himself right. Works for me. Back in and Ilja hits a heck of a chop before getting a little cocky.

Dunne hits a forearm to send Ilja into the corner and a middle rope dropkick takes him down. The kneebar goes on and is quickly switched into an ankle lock but Ilja kicks him off. That’s fine with Dunne, who comes back with a Liger Bomb of all things for two. Ilja catches him on top for a superplex and tries to roll into something else, only to get caught in another X Plex. Some running clotheslines have Dunne in trouble and a powerbomb gets two.

Dunne grabs him by the ears and noes (because….well why not really) but gets caught with another chop. An enziguri staggers Ilja but he catches Dunne with a hard clothesline as Dunne still can’t get a step ahead of him. Back up and Ilja unloads on him with strikes and an enziguri but can’t knock Dunne off his feet. The snap German suplex and Bitter End get two so Dunne stomps away at his head…and Ilja spits at him. That earns him even more stomps so Ilja reverses and drives elbows into the head.

They trade a series of headbutts and both guys go down in a heap apiece. With both of them sitting up they slap it out until Dunne bites on the fingers. The referee breaks it up so CMJ can get in a belt shot to drop Dunne. Ilja goes Coast to Coast for two but Dunne punches him down and snaps CMJ’s fingers. A second Coast to Coast is punched out of the air and a second Bitter End gets two more. Ilja nails a torture rack into a flipping facebreaker and the Torpedo Moscow (running headbutt)…but Dunne pops up and snaps his fingers for the tap at 18:43.

Rating: B. This had some very strong moments but never got all the way to the point I think they were shooting for. Dunne continues to be the big star around here and it’s a great sign to see that he does this in both America and England. Ilja is a great performer as well and will be a star when he gets to be around here a few more times. It was good enough for the big showdown with Dunne wanting to prove himself and Ilja was great as a dragon to slay.

Post match they sit down and stare at each other for a handshake.

We recap Eddie Dennis vs. Mark Andrews. They used to be partners and best friends until the much bigger Dennis turned on him. Apparently Dennis was angry at Andrews for taking the spotlight in an eight man scramble match, even though Andrews told him to get the win after they took out James Drake together. That was broken up and Andrews won the match a few seconds later.

The two of them had been friends for years and it may have been cool to steal a fall like that before, but now it’s about Andrews costing him his financial future. Andrews still wouldn’t fight his friend, even as Dennis brought up a bunch of past history between the two of them from years ago. Dennis even spat on him but couldn’t get Andrews to fight. This has been built for over eight months as Dennis still hasn’t gotten Andrews to agree to the match.

Andrews is only doing it to stop Dennis and finally snapped, talking about how Dennis gave up on wrestling and got a job as a teacher before crawling back to them to get back in wrestling. Dennis called him out for being a user, like using their friend Dunne to get over in wrestling and then using wrestling to get his band over. That’s enough for both of them and tonight it’s Tables, Ladders and Chairs.

This was a GREAT video and maybe even the best non-WWE one I’ve ever seen. The story feels epic and I want to see these two guys fight, even though I knew nothing about their issues five minutes ago. That’s the sign of a very well told story and this feels like the real main event tonight, as I think it’s supposed to be.

Eddie Dennis vs. Mark Andrews

TLC and the winner gets a future title shot. Andrews punches him to the floor to start and hits a suicide dive as they fight up the aisle. That means it’s time to start in with the weapons, including Andrews cracking him in the back with a chair. The first ladder (which is only about five feet tall) is brought in but Dennis uses it to drive Andrews into the corner. Dennis drops a ladder on Andrews’ back but gets sent face first into one to cut him off.

A hurricanrana over the ladder has Dennis on the apron but he kicks a charging Andrews in the face. Stundog Millionaire on the apron knocks Dennis off the apron…and not through the table. Dennis is right back up with a powerbomb and the table STILL won’t break. Egads man. A running Razor’s Edge bomb doesn’t break it either as this is starting to get entertaining. With that not working, Dennis pulls out a huge ladder but stops to drop Andrews on the apron.

Dennis sets up another table next to Super Table but Andrews takes him down with a dive. Back in and Dennis is fine enough for a Razor’s Edge buckle bomb before wedging a chair into the corner. Another Razor’s Edge is countered into a hurricanrana into the chair and it’s time for a third table. Dennis catches him on top and tries a superplex, only to be reversed into a Canadian Destroyer onto the table…AND THAT DOESN’T BREAK EITHER! We get what sounds like a BOTCHAMANIA chant, which really doesn’t make a ton of sense. I know the tables were supposed to break, but what looks more painful: the table just breaking or the person hitting the table and stopping on what seems to be a hard surface?

Since Andrews should be somewhat dead, Andrews sets up the big ladder in the ring…which he’s going to need to reach the contract that is WAY too high up. Dennis catches him on the ladder and knocks him off the top, sending Andrews back first into a ladder in the corner. Well it’s probably softer than the tables. With the contract in his grasp, Dennis comes back down instead and pulls out another table, setting it up on the floor.

Another big ladder is pulled out but Andrews dropkicks it into Dennis’ chest. Andrews climbs the ladder for the big Swanton….and the ladder just slips out from underneath Dennis instead of breaking. That earns a TABLE chant and it’s kind of hard to argue against that one. Back in and Dennis spits at him so Andrews kicks him down and loads up another table to a big reaction.

Some chair shots keep Dennis down and Andrews goes up, only to have him get off the table and climb as well. The reverse inverted DDT off the ladder FINALLY breaks the table, drawing in some streamers from the crowd. Fans: “F*** YOU TABLE!” That’s enough for Dennis to climb up and win the title at 18:43.

Rating: B. It was entertaining, but there was almost no way they were living up to that awesome video. These guys beat each other up, but it didn’t help to have the table being the star of the match. Seriously, English tables are apparently the strongest things in wrestling. Anyway, this didn’t quite have the level of violence and intensity that it was going for. You can only do so much with that level of anticipation though and it held them back here. Still though, really entertaining with some good looking spots from Andrews.

Post match Andrews gets the hero’s sendoff.

We recap Tyler Bate vs. Walter (yes I know it’s capitalized), which is a clash of styles and sizes. Walter is a huge monster who says that while Bate is the Big Strong Boy, he’s the Big Man. Bate walks around here like a Conor McGregor knockoff and needs to grow up. Bate says that he’s the Big Strong Boy and he’s going to throw Walter around and become champion because he can.

Progress World Title: Walter vs. Tyler Bate

Walter is defending and gets played to the ring by a live violinist in a nice touch. A headlock sends Bate flying and Walter lets him go on the apron. Bate isn’t sure what to do so Walter takes him down by the arm instead. That’s spun out of and Bate scores with a dropkick. For some reason Bate agrees to a test of strength and is quickly taken down with another headlock. The fans are split here but seem to be more behind Bate. A slam doesn’t work for Bate but he ducks a chop (Walter’s signature).

Bate flips out of a German suplex and shoulders him to no avail. A slam makes the shoulder work (wrestling logic is weird) and Walter is knocked out to the floor. Back in and Bate goes after the leg but Walter chops him out of the air. That sets up the big chinlock with Walter smothering the much smaller Bate. Walter cranks on both arms and even stomps on Bate’s head to really crush him. Bate slips out so Walter turns him inside out with a chop, sending Bate out to the floor.

Back in and Walter lays on him a bit before laying Bate across the top rope and standing on his face. Bate’s right hands have almost no effect and Walter knees him in the face for good measure. A hurricanrana sends Walter to the floor but he catches the suicide dive and hits another chop. Somehow Bate is able to hit a vertical suplex and they’re both down on the floor. Now the suicide dive works a bit better and Bate has Walter in trouble for the first time.

The slugout goes to Bate and there’s the airplane spin to freak the fans out all over again. A pair of lariats puts Walter on his knees but he turns Bate inside out with one of his own. Bate slips out of a superplex attempt but can’t hit the Tyler Driver 97. Instead Walter dropkicks him into the corner and gets two off a powerbomb. Some more chops have Bate in trouble but he kicks at the leg and clotheslines Walter down. That means the deadlift German suplex for two and it’s time to slap it out again.

This one goes badly for Bate, as Walter takes him down into a heck of an STF. Bate makes a rope so Walter hits a dropkick to send him flying (great visual) into the corner. A top rope splash gives Walter two and Walter is spent. Bate’s sleeper has Walter in more trouble until he just drops back to break it up. As usual, the simple ideas often work best.

They climb the same corner and this isn’t going to end well. Bate manages an exploder superplex from the top and it’s an airplane spin torture rack of all things to keep Walter rocked. The camera shot going wide for that was awesome as Bate spinning the giant over his head looked great.

The Tyler Driver 97 gets two but Spinal Tap misses and Walter grabs the rear naked choke. Bate stands up (of course he does) and drops back for the break (with Walter looking stunned as he goes down). The hold goes on again but this time Bate backflips out of the corner for two. The THIRD choke only gets two arm drops so Walter hits the Fire Thunder Driver to retain at 30:15.

Rating: A-. Oh yeah that worked. I’m really not sure about Walter retaining as they had the place rocking on those near falls at the biggest show the company has ever had and the title change would have made a lot of sense, especially with the little guy overcoming the monster. At the same time though, this was a Rocky style story with Bate wanting to prove that he was more than a goof as he went the distance and took Walter to the brink. In that regard, this was an incredible story with Walter expecting to dominate but having to survive in the end. That’s the first Walter match I’ve ever seen and it certainly delivered in a big way.

Post match Seven and Dunne check on Bate as Walter literally clutches his title. We get the big show of respect and Walter says we’ll do this again. Bate is a little frustrated to end the show.

Overall Rating: B+. While it might have been a hair too long, this was a very entertaining show with nothing bad (I’m leaving the Havoc match off as that’s more me not being a fan of the style than anything else) and a great main event. I get the appeal of this place as it feels like a very fun wrestling promotion with some incredible talent (though talent you can see elsewhere) and good stories. It’s a lot more entertaining than NXT UK, as this had the emotions and stories with the good characters, most of which are completely lacking on the WWE side. I could go for some more of this stuff and the whole thing was a lot of fun.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 1997 Monday Night Raw Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/11/20/new-paperback-complete-1997-monday-night-raw-reviews/

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

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Mercury Rising 2018
Date: April 6, 2018
Location: Pontchartrain Convention & Civic Center, Kenner, Louisiana
Attendance: 1,000
Commentators: Lenny Leonard, Ron Niemi

This is the WWN (World Wrestling Network) Supershow, which is a bunch of smaller promotions (Evolve, Shine, Full Impact Pro and more). The thing is, I’ve never actually seen anything from the majority of them. I’ve always wanted to check them out but the schedule never worked or I was just too busy to get there. This year though I’ve done a little bit of everything from almost every big promotion over Wrestlemania weekend so I might as well try it now. Let’s get to it.

I’m coming into this virtually blind as I only somewhat follow this promotion, meaning I’m likely not going to know a lot of people and stories.

Ad for Club WWN, their version of the Network.

Host Trevin Adams is in the ring to welcome us to the show and run down the card. There’s a pretty good sized crowd if nothing else.

DJZ/AR Fox/Trey Miguel vs. Austin Theory/Travis Banks/Zachary Wentz

Lucha rules so I hope I can tell who everyone is. If I’m right, Theory is the current FIP (Full Impact Pro, a promotion under the WWN banner) and WWN (as in the whole thing, kind of like the NWA World Champion, which he won earlier in the night) Champion while Banks is the Progress World Champion. Commentary just jumps in and starts talking about the history of six man tags on this show without even saying hello or saying who is who.

Theory tells DJZ to play his horn to start and forearms him in his distracted face. Fox and Wentz come in with Wentz snapping off a hurricanrana, meaning it’s Miguel replacing Fox as the fast start continue. With the announcer saying they haven’t seen either guy before, it’s off to Banks for a running knee but DJZ comes back in for an Indian deathlock, including the horn from the floor. DJZ sends Theory to the floor for a big springboard dive but Wentz dives onto everyone else.

Miguel hits another dive of his own so Fox follows him with a springboard imploding 450. Now maybe it’s just the audio, but you would expect a much stronger reaction (or at least a louder one) than any of those dives received. Fox brings Theory back in and it’s a human centipede of dragon sleepers. Miguel comes in and kicks everyone down and it’s a bit of a breather.

Banks is up first with kicks to Miguel and Fox, followed by a Cannonball to both. Miguel 619s Banks in the ribs but misses a top rope double stomp, only to hit a….springboard crotch to the face? It was either supposed to be a seated senton, a hurricanrana or reversed into a powerbomb but it didn’t really resemble any.

Theory is back with a powerbomb to Fox but DJZ gives him one of his own. Banks gets in a spinning fisherman’s driver as the pace has gone through the roof. Wentz drops Miguel on his head and a Roll of the Dice sets up a Swanton to give Fox two. DJZ hits a 450 on Wentz as Fox and Miguel nail suicide dives for the pin at 8:24.

Rating: B-. Some insanely fast paced offense but they’re not doing a great job of laying things out for a new fan. I was trying to keep track of who was who and why they were fighting each other but that’s the case with most shows at this level. Still though, very fun opener and the kind of match you want on a show like this. I’d assume this sets up some sort of a title shot down the line, or else why have a double champion’s team lose?

Indeed, Fox motions that he wants the title.

Jason Kincaid comes out for a match but Jarek 1:20 jumps him from behind and beats him down. That’s not it as Jarek handcuffs him to the barricade, meaning it’s time to mention the Louisiana State Athletic Commission. Jarek kicks him in the face and chokes a lot as Kincaid screams a lot. Apparently this is part of a heel turn as Jarek wants to be a bigger deal around here. Makes enough sense and the announcers explained it to us so well done, though telling us a bit more about Jarek and/or Kincaid would have helped.

Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Munenori Sawa

Sawa is a striker/shoot submission guy who is back after a fairly lengthy retirement. Sabre on the other hand is a submission master who does things that I can’t even describe most of the time. He also lost the Evolve Championship the night before so he’s on a bit of a downswing. Sawa slaps him in the face to start and we’re ready to go in the technical style match of the night.

The announcers explain Sawa’s Japanese pedigree (good) as Sabre takes him down into a double armbar which is quickly escaped. They grapple on the mat and Sawa has to bail to the ropes again. Both guys head outside for a slap off, which isn’t exactly Sabre’s strong point. Sawa knocks him into and out of a chair before they fight over abdominal stretches back inside. Very technical so far and it’s mostly even in the early going. Sawa starts in on the leg but Sabre slaps his way out of an early leglock.

A power drive elbow (ala Great Muta) has Sabre in more trouble and it’s time for the rapid fire strikes in the corner. They head to the apron with Sawa grabbing an ankle lock but getting reversed into a nasty armbar. That’s broken due to the ropes so Sawa is right back on the leg. Sabre isn’t about to be out technicaled so he pulls Sawa into an STF and then a headscissors with an armbar.

Another rope break saves Sawa so it’s off to an Octopus Hold with Sabre having to fall into the ropes for the break. Sabre counters a punch into a cross armbreaker (with a middle finger to the fans, as is his custom) but Sawa reverses into a choke of his own. That earns Sawa a Pele and a leglock/Brock Lock on the mat (Orienting With Napalm Death. Seriously, though not the same move with the same name from Strong Style Evolved) for the tap at 13:22.

Rating: B. Sabre fascinates me more every time I watch him as some of those holds defy the laws of physics. I can see why he’s such a star on shows like this as he’s just a treat to watch. Sawa isn’t someone I’m overly familiar with but he was fine here, albeit not someone who really stood out.

Post match Sawa gets the big ovation. It wasn’t that great of a match.

The End vs. James Drake/Anthony Henry vs. Tracy Williams/Dominic Garrini

Street fight and the End is Odinson/Parrow. I have no idea who any of these people are so I’m going to be in some trouble here. Williams and Garrini, part of the Catch Point stable (albeit with Garrini as hired muscle and not a full member), seem to be faces and have former ROH manager Stokely Hathaway with them. Stokely says he accepted this match to show how great Catch Point is a national treasure and takes a seat at ringside. Actually hang on as Drake and Henry come out, sending Stokely running to the back.

The End, with their unnamed manager, comes in and starts the brawl with Catch Point (seemingly the feud the match is built around) but Garrini hits a big flip dive off the top to take everyone down. The announcers recap the backstory (Drake/Henry challenged the End and Catch Point jumped in to get their hands on the End) as the End’s theme song goes on for a long time. Garrini gets beaten down inside and Williams sets up a table on the floor. Williams and Garrini get back up and double team Henry in the corner but the End come in and take over.

A ladder is brought in to cut Odinson off and another shot drops Parrow but the manager (Drenin) gets inside. That earns him a kick to the head and some running chops in the corner to get us back to the regular six. Williams and Henry slug away on the End but Williams makes the save with a chair. The huge Parrow takes the chair away from Williams but gets powerbombed onto (not through) the table at ringside. There’s another table in the ring and a double suplex puts Odinson through for another near fall.

Garrini’s armbar on Williams is quickly broken up and Henry and Anthony put his bare feet in the ladder for a series of chair shots. Williams saves Garrini from a double superplex but the End comes back in for stereo Towers of Doom. They’re not done though as it’s a Super Collider for two each on Henry and Drake. Another table is loaded up in the corner and a Pounce puts Garrini through it in short order.

The End takes Williams down with Henry making the save before taking Drenin out again. The good sized Drake hits a nice moonsault but Drake wants more violence instead of the pin. That means a bunch of chair shots and yet another table being brought in because we haven’t had one of those in a while. Henry hits a Coup de Grace onto Odinson through the table (well kind of as the legs broke but the middle held) for the pin at 13:24.

Rating: D+. Well that happened. This was far from good with only some energy throughout the whole thing. I still have very little idea of who these people are or why they’re fighting in the first place. Again, I know the regular fans know who they are but could we get a little more for the new fans? On top of that, the action wasn’t very good with no real story and very few near falls. It just felt like people hitting each other with weapons for the sake of hitting each other with weapons, which has been done far better before.

We take a quick break for the sake of clearing the ring. This includes the ring crew sweeping, earning a SWEEP FOREVER chant. So they’d rather watch sweeping than the wrestling they paid for? Indy fans are weird.

Shine Championship: LuFisto vs. Holidead

Shine is an offshoot of Shimmer and LuFisto is defending. Holidead is something like a zombie and has appeared in ROH and Impact. LuFisto heads into the corner to start but misses a charge and gets rolled up for two. A missed big boot allows LuFisto to tie her into the Tree of Woe for a Cannonball (looks better with the upside down part). It’s time to work on the knee with Holidead’s leg being wrapped around the post, followed by a rather long chinlock.

Holidead fights up and slugs away with a neckbreaker getting two. To mix things up a bit, she licks LuFisto’s face and gets two more off a side slam. A spinebuster plants LuFisto again but she takes her into the corner for a quick Facewash. Holidead is right back with a Samoan drop but LuFisto is back on the knee with a spinning toehold and an inverted Figure Four. That means a rope break and Holidead is right back with something like White Noise for two more. A guillotine legdrop misses (would have missed no matter what happened) and LuFisto grabs a Burning Hammer to retain at 8:13.

Rating: D. This was two women doing moves to each other for eight minutes until one person hit a big move for the win. It’s not a good match with neither of them really standing out and both of them just kind of being there instead of doing something special. I don’t know if this is a big draw for the show, but this did nothing for me whatsoever.

Post match LuFisto says she’s tired of Barbie dolls and is going to hold this title until she retires. She wants to fight someone special at Shine 50 so cue Kimber Lee (formerly Kimberly Frankele/Abbey Laith in NXT) and the match seems to be made.

Keith Lee vs. Daisuke Sekimoto

I’ve heard of Sekimoto (a big guy named the Muscle Monster) before but, again, have never actually seen him. Lee is a big deal around here (losing the WWN Championship earlier in the day) so this is probably one of the biggest matches on the show. They trade big shoulders to start with Sekimoto going back a few steps.

Lee, who makes Big E. look small, snaps off a passable hurricanrana because he can. An exchange of forearms has Sekimoto down and we hit a neck crank. Back up and a hard right hand rocks Sekimoto so it’s time for the big, heavy slugout. Sekimoto muscles him up for a slam and we hit an abdominal stretch as the video and audio are out of sync.

A big suplex sets up a missile dropkick to rock Lee for two but he’s back up with a crossbody for two. Lee grabs a sitout Sky High for the same and hits middle rope moonsault….hits? It grazed Sekimoto but apparently he moved in time. A bridging German suplex puts Lee away at 13:38.

Rating: B. Now that was fun in the hoss battle sense with both guys beating the heck out of each other. Sekimoto has a great look and is far more muscular than most guys you would see on a show like this, making him all the more entertaining to watch. I could have gone for more of this and that’s a good thing. Well done and I’m not surprised that Lee signed with WWE.

Post match hardcore “wrestler” Nick Gage comes in to clean house. He’ll be in the parking lot if anyone wants a fight. Gage leaves and Lee gets up as the fans….kind of cheer? Lee is ready to face Gage at an upcoming show.

Evolve Tag Team Titles: Chris Dickinson/Jaka vs. Ringkampf

Dickinson and Jaka (part of Catch Point with Hathaway at ringside) are defending and Ringkampf is Walter (not doing the all caps thing) and Timothy Thatcher (the longest reigning Evolve Champion ever. Walter is another guy I’ve never actually seen wrestle before and is a monster by comparison at 6’4 and probably 300lbs. Thatcher and Jaka start things off and it’s already time to go after Jaka’s arm.

That’s broken up so Thatcher goes after the leg and draws Dickinson in, allowing the tag to Walter. The challengers take turns on Jaka’s arm with Walter kicking Dickinson off the apron. Hathaway is arguing with the fans as Jaka gets chopped into the wrong corner. A missed charge allows the hot tag off to Dickinson so the pace can pick up a bit. Dickinson hits a running corner clothesline for two and the champs start taking turns on Thatcher in the corner.

A rather twisty leglock keeps Thatcher in trouble so Walter comes in for the save like a good partner should be doing. Thatcher gets away with a belly to belly and the tag brings the monster back in. That means big old chops and a big boot to Dickinson. Walter and Dickinson slug it out with Dickinson even gyrating the hips a bit. Thatcher and Jaka come back in with Jaka missing a very fast spinning kick to the head. A double knockdown leaves us with Walter kicking Dickinson in the face but taking a Falcon Arrow for two.

Dickinson gets in a tornado DDT to keep Walter down but he’s right back up with a butterfly suplex. Walter sleepers Dickinson until Jaka dives in with a top rope splash for the save in a good looking crash. The hot tag brings in Thatcher but it’s the Death Trap (Doomsday Device with a chokeslam instead of a clothesline, which didn’t look nearly as cool as it sounded) to retain the titles at 15:27.

Rating: B. This felt like a team getting the win because they were a better team, which you don’t see happen very often. It’s nice to see some good tag action like this and you can almost pencil in Walter for NXT in the next few years. Good match and something that was easy to follow on its own, even in another case where I didn’t know most of the people.

Post match Catch Point is here with Williams saying the team is doing great but there’s a problem. Hathaway has caused issues as the businessman so he’s out. That’s not how things work though, as it turns out Hathaway’s contract puts him in control of the entire team, so Williams is the one who has been fired. This brings out Garrini to lay Williams out and the team takes his Catch Point shirt.

Evolve Title: Matt Riddle vs. Will Ospreay

Riddle is defending (having won the title yesterday and again, I’ve never seen a match of his) and this is under Riddle Rules, meaning no rope breaks. Ospreay is VERY banged up coming in, with a bad neck and shoulder thanks to injuries suffered in Japan. So Riddle is known as the King of Bros and really, it’s kind of the perfect name for him. You would get the same vibe if you looked at him so well done.

Riddle takes his time going around shaking hands with fans and is wrestling barefoot, as is his custom. They do the Big Match Intros and Riddle misses a jumping knee to the face so it’s a Helluva Kick and release German suplex from Ospreay but Riddle pops to his feet. A dropkick puts Riddle on the floor for a suicide dive as Ospreay is throwing everything he has at him early on due to the injuries taking his stamina.

They head to the apron and you can see the crazy look in Ospreay’s eyes. Riddle German suplexes him on the apron though and Ospreay is already near death. Back in and an exploder has Ospreay down again and some rolling gutwrench suplexes get two. Riddle slowly kicks at him as the fans are begging him to hit Ospreay in the bad shoulder. That just ticks Ospreay off and he sends Riddle into the corner for the hesitation dropkick.

Riddle powerbombs the heck out of him though and flips Ospreay over for a hard knee to the face. A kick to the shoulder cuts Ospreay off and it’s a sleeper suplex (cool) for two. The Bro-Mission (an abdominal stretch on the mat with a leg trap) goes on and Ospreay’s already in trouble.

Somehow he gets up and climbs to the top for a sleeper superplex, which is enough to need the medics. Well more referees in this case and Riddle is told to stand in the corner. Ospreay tells the referees to let it go so it’s a running knee to the back of the head and a Tombstone (how illegal) for a very close two, meaning Riddle is ticked. He takes the tape off of Ospreay’s neck and drops a backsplash to the upper back.

A running knee to the face gets one and Riddle isn’t having something like this. He loads up a cradle piledriver but Ospreay reverses into a triangle choke of all things and a hard lariat puts Riddle down. Riddle’s next knee strike is countered into a sitout powerbomb (with Ospreay nearly dropping him) for two. The Oscutter (springboard cutter) is pulled into the Bro-Mission though and Ospreay taps at 13:53.

Rating: B+. I completely get it with Riddle as he has a great look and made the MMA stuff look as natural as you could have hoped. The idea of a killer like that beating on an already injured Ospreay made for a very emotional match and if Ospreay had just a few more close calls, this would have been a classic. As it is though, it’s a very good story and a heck of a match worthy of being a big show’s main event.

Post match Riddle says that was an awesome performance from Ospreay and praises the fans. A little posing and a catchphrase end the show.

Overall Rating: A-. I know I say this a lot but this is a great example of a show where the good is really good and the bad is either short or not terrible. The action itself was strong and there were people I’d want to see again. As mentioned though, the biggest problem was trying to figure out who these people were or what they were doing. Maybe a supershow was a bad place to come in for something like that, but they need to do a better job of welcoming in new viewers. What we got was good though and the string of rather good matches is more than enough to make this worth a look. Surprisingly awesome show.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of the NXT The Full Sail Years Volume III (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/05/25/new-book-nxt-the-full-sail-years-from-dallas-to-new-orleans/

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

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