IMG Credit: WWE

NXT UK
Date: January 9, 2019
Location: Liverpool Olympia, Liverpool, England
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Nigel McGuinness

We’re coming up on the first Takeover and that means a few more things have to be pieced together. One such thing is the other half of the Tag Team Title match. We’ll take care of that tonight with the other semifinal match in the Tag Team Title tournament, with Flash Morgan Webster/Mark Andrews vs. Zack Gibson/James Drake. I think you know where this is going so let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Jamie Ahmed/Dan Moloney vs. Amir Jordan/Kenny Williams

Jamie cranks on Jordan’s arm to start but Williams comes in to jump over Ahmed to start in on his arm. It’s already back to Jordan for two off a splash and a running forearm in the corner. A cheap shot from the apron lets Ahmed hit a clothesline for two and it’s off to Moloney to keep Jordan in trouble. It’s off to a hammerlock for a bit until a backdrop allows the hot tag to Williams. A springboard back elbow drops Ahmed and it’s time for some kicks to the face. Jordan makes a blind tag as Williams dives onto Moloney. The Swanton finishes Ahmed at 3:59. Williams and Jordan are shocked that they actually won something.

Rating: C-. Williams and Jordan looked good here but we’ve already established that they’re not going to win anything against a bigger name team. You have to build them up somehow though and this worked well enough. Their stunned look was a nice touch too as they haven’t had any significant success coming into this win so they’ll take anything they can get here.

We look back at Joe Coffey destroying Pete Dunne to end last week’s show.

Here’s Gallus (with Wolfgang playing Batista as the Coffey Brothers have matching shirts and Wolfgang is in a vest) for a chat. Joe says no one likes them and they’re fine with that. Next week (or later today if you live in the real world) it’s finally Gallus vs. British Strong Style. Dunne is going to be lucky to be able to walk out of the ring and make it to Blackpool because this is their kingdom. The group pose takes us out. Nothing to say here, but Joe has good delivery.

Earlier today we had a press conference (with the invisible press) for the Women’s Title match at Takeover. Toni Storm is proud of winning the Mae Young Classic but winning the title would mean even more. Rhea Ripley, with her feet on the table, isn’t worried about Toni because she’s beaten her before.

Toni was injured in the first match and that’s going to motivate her to win the title. She lists off all the women she beat in the tournament, with Rhea just saying “didn’t beat me”. Rhea doesn’t take kindly to her win being called a fluke because she’s the face of NXT UK. The fight is almost on with Johnny Saint holding them back as Rhea says Storm will never be champion. The press conference bit was kind of dumb but at least it was different.

Joseph Conners doesn’t think much of Ligero, who he faces next week.

Isla Dawn vs. Xia Brookside

We actually get a handshake to start as the fans aren’t sure who they like more here. A wristlock gives us a standoff so Dawn takes her down into a quickly broken armbar. Dawn slips out of a headscissors and works on the legs, which just seems to annoy Brookside. Back up and Brookside dances out of a crossarm choke to put Dawn in one of her own. Dawn reverses into the same thing before it’s off to a pinfall reversal sequence for some near falls each. Brookside tries a victory roll but Dawn uses the Owen Hart counter by sitting down on it for the pin at 4:59.

Rating: C-. This didn’t have the time to go anywhere but Brookside continues to be all kinds of charming and adorable while Dawn is the kind of person who could be built back up into something bigger down the line. They’re going to need some fresh challengers after Takeover and while Dawn has already lost a shot, it’s not like they have any better options at the moment.

Video on Dave Mastiff vs. Eddie Dennis. Eddie promises to put him down for good in Blackpool.

During the break, Jinny jumped Dawn, who seemed more surprised than anything else.

Damien Weir vs. Jordan Devlin

Devlin works on the arm to start and flips him over into an armbar on the mat. Weir gets taken into the corner where Devlin says this is just having fun because Weir isn’t in his league. That earns Devlin a right hand but it’s a release Rock Bottom into the standing moonsault. Weir gets his back bent over a knee and it’s off to the double arm crank. A victory roll gives Weir two so Devlin kicks him in the head. Devlin scores with a slingshot cutter and the hard belly to back suplex makes it worse. Ireland’s Call finishes Weir at 4:49.

Rating: D+. Just a squash here though Devlin is starting to separate himself from the rest of the midcard pack. They need to get to a big match for him already and having him vs. Travis Banks before Takeover would be perfectly fine. Neither of them is near the top of the show but you have to have some midcard feuds in there somewhere.

Post match Devlin grabs the mic but Banks comes in to chase him off. The proposed fight doesn’t happen tonight.

Moustache Mountain is ready for either team in Blackpool.

Tag Team Title Tournament Semifinals: Flash Morgan Webster/Mark Andrews vs. James Drake/Zack Gibson

The winners get Moustache Mountain on Saturday. Drake and Andrews start things off but it’s quickly off to Gibson to knock Webster off the top. A Doomsday Device gets two on Andrews and we’re only about 45 seconds in. That’s followed by a middle rope elbow/backbreaker combination on the floor as Andrews is still in serious trouble. Back in and we hit the chinlock, followed by a heck of a chinlock from Drake.

Gibson grabs another chinlock but Andrews finally kicks the villains into each other, allowing the hot tag to Webster. That brings the fans right back into it and Webster clotheslines Drake down to hammer away. A running flip dive drops Gibson on the floor, followed by the Baba O’Reilly Buster for two on Drake. Gibson counters a monkey flip with an armbar but Webster knocks him outside without much effort.

An assisted standing 450 gives Andrews two on Gibson but Webster gets pulled to the floor. Ticket to Ride is good for two on Andrews, who hurricanranas Drake into Gibson for a breather. Webster comes in with a Swanton to both guys and a reverse hurricanrana gets two on Drake. That puts everyone down and the fans are very pleased. Gibson heads outside and catches Andrews’ dive, reversing it into Helter Skelter on the ramp. Back in and another Ticket to Ride finishes Webster at 8:19.

Rating: B. This was looking pretty boring to start but my goodness it picked up steam as they got going. I was expecting Webster and Andrews to just be the spunky challengers who were little more than a roadblock for Drake and Gibson but they turned it into a rather good match with everyone working hard and giving us the obvious ending, but not before a great effort.

Overall Rating: B-. The main event helped a lot here and it made for a rather good show. That’s what they need as we get closer to Takeover, which isn’t the most thrilling show in the world. They can make something out of it though, and that’s the best effort they can get in at the moment. Drake and Gibson advancing should promise us a good Tag Team Title match as well and that’s what Takeover needs. Nice show, with one rather good development.

Results

Kenny Williams/Amir Jordan b. Jamie Ahmed/Dan Moloney – Swanton Bomb to Moloney

Isla Dawn b. Xia Brookside – Rollup

Jordan Devlin b. Damien Weir – Ireland’s Call

Zack Gibson/James Drake b. Flash Morgan Webster/Mark Andrews – Ticket to Ride to Webster

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

IMG Credit: WWE

NXT UK
Date: December 12, 2018
Location: Plymouth Pavilions, Devon, England
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Nigel McGuinness

We’re on the second day of the third taping cycle now and that means we should have a fresh crowd. You know, because these crowds have so many issues with getting and staying hyped. There are several stories going around at the moment, but something has to really stick to make the show get better. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Ashton Smith/Ligero vs. Mark Coffey/Wolfgang

Wolfgang and Ligero start things off with the fans being way behind Ligero. Probably because he’s not Wolfgang. Smith sneaks in for a dropkick and it’s right back to Ligero, whose tornado DDT is blocked. The villains take over and grab a waistlock on Ligero with Coffey slamming him down to the mat.

That’s followed by a bearhug as you can’t fault the basic psychology. Ligero breaks free and brings Smith back in for some speedier offense. With Wolfgang knocked to the floor, a jumping clothesline staggers Coffey. There’s a springboard back elbow to the jaw for two, followed by a superkick for the same with Wolfgang having to make a save. Ligero hits a dive onto Wolfgang but Coffey hits a kick to Smith’s face for the pin at 5:37.

Rating: C-. I know I harp on him a lot but Wolfgang continues to do a grand total of nothing for anyone. For the life of me I don’t get the appeal of him unless they really want to appeal to the Scottish audience. There’s no one better than him for those fans though? Not a terrible match but I’d really prefer the Coffey Brothers in the spot and Wolfgang…well anywhere else.

We look back at Isla Dawn challenging Rhea Ripley for the Women’s Title.

Johnny Saint is with the two women and makes the match official.

Gallus knows that was an impressive enough performance to impress Saint. They’re tired of hearing about the other teams around here and they want the titles. The only person they’re concerned with is Pete Dunne, because Joe wants the title. First up though is Travis Banks, who is going to be squashed like a bug.

Jack Starz vs. Joseph Conners

Conners wastes no time in beating him down with Starz’s ribs being wrapped around the post. A dropkick to the back makes things even worse but Starz fires off some uppercuts for a breather. That just earns him a double stomp out of the corner and a running sunset powerbomb into the corner. Don’t Look Down gives Conners the pin at 2:16. Total squash.

Xia Brookside is ready for Jinny, who comes in to sneer.

Tyson T-Bone has found someone as sinister as himself: Saxon Huxley. Keeping two uninteresting guys together is usually a good idea.

Xia Brookside vs. Jinny

Brookside grabs a headlock takeover to start and she headstands her way out of a headscissors to some rather appreciative applause. Jinny takes her down by the arm but Xia gets a boot up in the corner. A hurricanrana and middle rope crossbody give Xia two until the Fashion Disaster (a Downward Spiral into the middle buckle) cuts her off. Jinny puts a knee in the back and cranks on both arms until a jawbreaker gets Xia out of trouble. Running knees to the back give Xia two but Jinny sends her throat first into the middle rope. The Touch of Couture (a rolling kick to the head) finishes Xia at 5:14.

Rating: C. This was fine as Xia has potential but is nowhere near ready for the big push yet. Jinny isn’t quite ready yet either, but she’s further along than Xia. This fashionista thing isn’t helping Jinny though and she would be better off by being more like she is in Progress, where the fashion thing is more of an amplified detail than the focus of her character.

Video on Dave Mastiff.

Here are James Drake and Zack Gibson with something to say. Gibson says what happened last week was a little taste of what they can do together. They are soon to be recognized as the first ever NXT UK Tag Team Champions…and that’s it. That almost felt like it was cut as it was a very quick speech that didn’t say anything new.

Video on Eddie Dennis.

Rhea Ripley vs. Isla Dawn for the Women’s Title next week.

Eddie Dennis vs. Dave Mastiff

Mastiff takes him into the corner to start but they’re both tentative early on. Dennis’ shoulder has no effect and a second does even less. Instead it’s Mastiff hitting a heavy forearm to take over and some elbows to the head keep Dennis in trouble. The running dropkick looks to set up the backsplash but Dennis avoids the bad case of pain. A boot sends Mastiff outside and two more keep him in trouble.

Back in and Mastiff misses a charge in the corner, setting up….the cravate. Well it’s better than another armbar. Mastiff gets up and scores with a headbutt, followed by a big superplex to put them both down. A Regal Roll into a backsplash gives Mastiff two, followed by a bridging German suplex for the same.

Dennis is right back with a swinging sitout powerslam (and he held Mastiff up) for his own near fall. The Severn Bridge is blocked twice (even with Dennis holding him up in the Razor’s Edge position) so Dennis nails a clothesline for two instead. Mastiff has had it and throws him into the corner for the Cannonball and the pin at 11:47.

Rating: C. This was the hoss battle that it should have been and the more I think about it, the more I can go with Mastiff winning here. I’ve been saying for months that they have to do something around here to make more stars and Mastiff seems to be one of them at the moment. It’s a fun match, even if Dennis lost to my annoyance.

Overall Rating: C-. I wasn’t exactly feeling this one with most of the show being the lower level guys, though they managed to come up with some stuff that worked well enough. They were trying to make some new names here and that’s been needed for a long time, though it’s not going to be something that goes over so smoothly. Not a bad show here, but you can feel the quality going down compared to the show earlier today.

Results

Mark Coffey/Wolfgang b. Ashton Smith/Ligero – Kick to Smith’s face

Joseph Conners b. Jack Starz – Don’t Look Down

Jinny b. Xia Brookside – Touch of Couture

Dave Mastiff b. Eddie Dennis – Cannonball

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

IMG Credit: WWE

NXT UK
Date: November 28, 2018
Location: NEC Arena, Birmingham, England
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Nigel McGuinness

It’s time for a title match as Jordan Devlin has challenged Pete Dunne for the NXT UK Title and gets his shot here. It’s not like there is anyone else to get the shot at the moment so they might as well go with Devlin. Other than that we’re likely going to get some build towards the first ever Women’s Title match, which should be taking place next week. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

The announcers hype up the upcoming title matches.

Xia Brookside/Millie McKenzie vs. Charlie Morgan/Killer Kelly

Xia grabs a top wristlock on the very tall Morgan to start things off. A headstand lets Morgan reverse into a regular wristlock so Brookside grabs a hurricanrana to get out of trouble. The rather popular Millie comes in for a swinging neckbreaker and it’s time to start in on the armbar. That goes nowhere so it’s off to Kelly, who gets armbarred as well, this time with the shoulder at a really painful looking angle.

Kelly finally sends her into the corner for the break and, with her arm apparently not wrecked, hammers away on the mat. Millie pops up for a hard release German suplex (Fans: “SUPLEX MILLIE!”) and it’s back to Xia to pick up the pace. That’s cut off with a toss into the post but Millie is right back with a spear to Morgan, giving Xia the jackknife rollup pin at 5:14.

Rating: C. Millie definitely has star power and Xia’s look alone will keep her in a good place for a long time. Being the daughter of a big time WWE trainer won’t hurt either. I still haven’t gotten much out of Kelly, but I’ve heard good things about her stuff from outside NXT UK. That’s not exactly unheard of so maybe she’s better than I’ve given her credit for.

Ashton Smith vs. Eddie Dennis

Smith, who isn’t the taller one for a change, spins out of a wristlock to start but bounces off a shoulder block attempt. A dropkick staggers Dennis and a leg lariat puts him on the floor. The suicide dive just isn’t working though as Dennis drives him back first into the apron instead. Back in and Dennis gets into his cocky mode before hitting a judo throw for two.

The cravate goes on for a bit, until Smith fights up with a quick backbreaker. A springboard dropkick puts Dennis on the floor for a big flip dive (no hands of course) and a top rope leg lariat gets two. Dennis gets some boots up in the corner and goes up, only to get staggered with a dropkick. The superplex is countered into the Severn Bridge though and the reverse implant DDT gives Dennis the pin at 6:02.

Rating: C. Smith’s offense looks good as he’s a big guy with some great athleticism. That’s the kind of style that makes him a valuable commodity, but there’s something so interesting about Dennis. It’s kind of a mysterious aura and that’s much more important than the athleticism. Anyone can show off in the ring, but being someone who gets your attention is what matters.

We recap Saxon Huxley and Joseph Conners splitting last week.

Joseph Conners vs. Saxon Huxley

They go right at each other to start with Huxley uppercutting him into the corner. Some right hands have Conners in trouble until some knees to the ribs cut Huxley off. A hard clothesline lets Conners hammer away on the mat as the fans call him Judas. Things slow down a bit as we hit the chinlock. Since Conners doesn’t like the JUDAS SUCKS chants, he puts Huxley on the top for some forearms to the back. Huxley makes the comeback with a running knee and a dropkick, only to miss a charge. A sitout Rock Bottom spinebuster gives Conners two, followed by Don’t Look Down for the pin at 5:15.

Rating: D+. The brawling was fun but neither of these guys do anything for me. They’re just generic brawlers who don’t stand out in any way. I mean, other than Huxley’s look of course. Neither has any kind of a character to be seen and the story was started last week and blown off a week later. That doesn’t do them any favors and it’s a problem on a lot of the roster.

Video on Toni Storm, who wants to make history. She doesn’t just want to win because she needs to win. Ripley isn’t getting the title because it’s Toni time.

Video on Rhea Ripley, who tried being nice last year in the Mae Young Classic but would rather be ruthless and get what she wants. She’s not worried about Toni Storm because Toni isn’t Rhea Ripley.

United Kingdom Title: Pete Dunne vs. Jordan Devlin

Devlin is challenging and gets taken down by the wrist. That’s reversed into a headscissors but it turns into a slap off with Dunne getting the better of things. Devlin takes him down by the wrist to little avail as Dunne monkey flips his way to freedom. One heck of a forearm drops Dunne but he pops back up with a heck of a clothesline. It’s time to bend Devlin’s fingers back before Dunne just stomps on Devlin’s head. You can’t say he doesn’t vary up his offense.

Devlin avoids a charge though and kicks at the back before going with some more slaps to the face. A standing moonsault hits Dunne’s legs for two but he’s up with a glare and a hard forearm. This time it’s Devlin getting dropped so Dunne hits a running forearm in the corner. The snap German suplex sets up the X Plex into a cross armbreaker but Devlin rolls onto him for two and a break. Dunne tries a charge but runs into a backdrop driver for a closer two than you might expect.

A standing moonsault misses though and Dunne unloads with stomps on the fingers. The Spanish Fly plants Dunne but he’s right back with a Koji Clutch. With that broken up, Dunne tries a stomp to the hand on the steps but gets shoved off, sending him face first into the steps. Devlin isn’t done and hits a Spanish Fly off the steps. That’s enough for a dueling MAMA MIA/HOLY S*** chant, with the fans not quite in sync.

Both guys have to dive back in to break the count, with Devlin grabbing a reverse hurricanrana for two more. The fans accurately declare this awesome but switch to oooo as Dunne punches him in the face to block a standing Lionsault. Dunne back’s is killing him though and he can’t follow up, allowing Devlin to roll to the apron.

Devlin sends him back first into the post and a super Spanish Fly (dude learn a new move) gets two more. That’s good for a standing ovation and Devlin follows up by removing Dunne’s mouthpiece and hitting a superkick. Devlin’s moonsault is countered into a triangle choke and Dunne breaks the fingers to make Devlin tap at 15:10.

Rating: A-. Devlin had been growing on me for a bit and this was the big match that he had been needing. These guys beat the heck out of each other with Dunne’s back injury slowing him down just enough to keep Devlin in there. Dunne, the hometown boy, was being outwrestled by the talented Devlin but took over when Devlin tried to go a little too high. The brawling worked well for Dunne too, including the whole breaking fingers thing. Great match here, as tends to be the case with Dunne.

Overall Rating: B+. That main event alone is enough to make the show work as the top stars around here carry things as far as they need to go. They’re got a star on their hands whenever someone takes the title from Dunne, which almost has to be coming sooner rather than later. The rest of the show was entertaining as well with all but the Conners vs. Huxley match exceeding expectations. Just get some better character development and everything will be great.

Results

Xia Brookside/Millie McKenzie b. Charlie Morgan/Killer Kelly – Spear to Morgan

Eddie Dennis b. Ashton Smith – Reverse implant DDT

Joseph Conners b. Saxon Huxley – Don’t Look Down

Pete Dunne b. Jordan Devlin – Dunne snapped Devlin’s fingers

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

IMG Credit: WWE

NXT UK
Date: November 21, 2018
Location: NEC Arena, Birmingham, England
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Nigel McGuinness

It’s time for another double shot as we continue to try and get through all the old tapings, even though there’s another taping scheduled for this weekend. Apparently I’m not allowed to complain about such things though so we’ll move on to what’s on tap this week, which includes to more first round matches in the Women’s Title tournament. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

NXT UK Women’s Title Tournament First Round: Xia Brookside vs. Rhea Ripley

Ripley throws her down by the face to start so Xia tries to grapple her down as well. The hurricanrana is countered into a buckle bomb though as the much smaller Brookside can’t do much with the much bigger Ripley. A delayed suplex and a dropkick to the back of the head give Ripley two and it’s off to a standing Texas Cloverleaf. Brookside fights up and snaps off a headscissors before going up top. The high crossbody is countered into the Riptide to give Ripley the pin at 5:14.

Rating: D+. Just a step above a squash here with Ripley looking dominant. That’s not at all surprising as WWE clearly thinks something of her and wants her to be a big deal. She’s got the stuff to be a big deal and pushing her makes a lot of sense. Brookside certainly has potential with a good look and natural abilities but at 20 years old, she needs some experience. There’s nothing wrong with that and I’m sure she’ll be around in the future.

James Drake and Zack Gibson have known each other for a long time and no team can challenge them. Last week was just a friend helping a friend. This interview is over.

We look back at Wolfgang and the Coffey Brothers attacking Moustache Mountain last week. The beating continued after the show ended with Trent Seven’s leg being crushed under an anvil case.

Eddie Dennis vs. Jack Starz

The fans are behind Dennis, who is nearly a foot taller than Starz. Dennis takes him to the ropes to start and blasts Starz with a forearm to the face. Some choking keeps Starz in trouble and a spinning Rock Bottom backbreaker gets two. Starz actually tells him to bring it on and hits some uppercuts. That just earns him a Razor’s Edge buckle bomb though and the lifting inverted DDT is good for the pin on Starz at 3:19.

Rating: D. Starz got in more offense than he should here but I still like Dennis’ work. He looks like a monster and has a better backstory than most around here, which is something that helps him stand apart. If nothing else just having his size is going to make him that much more interesting. Just a squash here for the most part though, with Dennis dominating.

Next week: Tyson T-Bone vs. Dave Mastiff.

Mark Andrews vs. Mike Hitchman

Hitchman (also known as the Wild Boar) takes him straight down by the arm but gets armdragged down a few times. Andrews gets knocked down onto the apron though and a big backsplash crushes him again. Another backsplash gets two but Andrews comes back with a series of strikes, including an enziguri to send Hitchman outside. A moonsault from the apron…bounces off Hitchman in a weird landing but it puts him down anyway.

Back in and Hitchman scores with a half and half suplex and a running backsplash (he loves that move) in the corner for two. A frog splash misses but Hitchman turns him upside down off a clothesline. That just earns him Stundog Millionaire and the shooting star (headbutt version) gives Andrews the pin at 5:27.

Rating: D+. I wasn’t feeling this one for the most part as Hitchman was too fond of that backsplash and the match was a little sloppy at times. Andrews is a good little underdog though and someone who could be a nice guy to push around here. Hitchman…well his nickname is good, even if his stuff in the ring isn’t great.

Eddie Dennis is happy to be undefeated when Ashton Smith comes in to say he could handle Dennis. That sends Dennis over the edge so he promises to take care of Smith.

NXT UK Women’s Title Tournament First Round: Isla Dawn vs. Toni Storm

Dawn dropkicks her into the corner at the bell and hits a belly to back suplex for two. Toni is rocked early and some elbows to the face make things even worse. Some forearms have no effect on Dawn, who scores with a pair of jumping knees to the face for two. The Rings of Saturn go on and Toni has to turn around several ways to finally get to the rope for the break. Dawn talks some trash and gets kicked in the face, followed by a running hip attack in the corner. A hard German suplex sets up Storm Zero for the pin on Dawn at 4:06.

Rating: C+. That was short but Dawn looked way better than she has in a long time. She beat up the much bigger star for a few minutes, which is quite the feat in a match that should be the most obvious ending on this show so far. You know Storm is getting a deep run in this thing after winning the Mae Young Classic so the win wasn’t exactly in doubt, but it was still cool to see Dawn make a go of it.

Storm helps her up.

Here are the semifinals, which will take place next week:

Toni Storm

Jinny

Rhea Ripley

Dakota Kai

Not bad at all.

Jordan Devlin vs Ligero

Feeling out process to start with Ligero working on the wrist and armdragging him to the mat into a rollup. That earns him a SI chant, even though Ligero is from England. A headscissors down gets two and we get what sounds like an Elite chant. Devlin is right back with a release Rock Bottom into a standing moonsault for two and it’s off to a neck crank. Back up and a heck of a back elbow gets two on Ligero and Devlin says Ligero isn’t on his level.

A crossbody gets Ligero out of trouble but Devlin grabs his leg in a smart move. Ligero knees his way out of a suplex and gets two off a Code Red. That’s enough of this nearly getting pinned thing for Devlin, who knees him hard in the mask. In a cool spot, Devlin pulls him up from the mat into a belly to back suplex, all in one motion with a hard landing. Ligero is somehow alive enough to send him to the floor for another headscissors and it’s time to go back inside.

The top rope splash hits Devlin’s raised knees though and a Spanish Fly gets two with Devlin not believing the kickout. With nothing on the mat working, Devlin ties him up in the Tree of Woe for a double stomp but Ligero does a situp into a belly to back superplex. Now the top rope splash connects for two and they’re both down. They head to the apron for a slugout but Devlin sends him face first into the steps. That means a moonsault to the floor, followed by Ireland’s Call for the pin at 11:44.

Rating: B. I still don’t quite like Devlin as much as some do but he was looking solid here and Ligero was just a step behind him. I’m not entirely sure why Devlin felt the need to beat him up, but at least they had a good match to close out the show. Pete Dunne needs challengers and Devlin wouldn’t be bad as an option. Rather good match here, which is a good sign with none of the top stars involved.

Post match, Devlin calls out Pete Dunne to end the show.

Overall Rating: C+. This show got a lot better as it went on with some of the earlier stuff being pretty weak, but the last two matches were both strong with the main event being a quite good match. They’re starting to develop some stars around here, which has to be the case sooner rather than later because British Strong Style can only carry you so far. Good show here, as things are getting easier to watch.

Results

Rhea Ripley b. Xia Brookside – Riptide

Eddie Dennis b. Jack Starz – Lifting inverted DDT

Mark Andrews b. Mike Hitchman – Shooting star press

Toni Storm b. Isla Dawn – Storm Zero

Jordan Devlin b. Ligero – Ireland’s Call

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

IMG Credit: WWE

Mae Young Classic
Date: September 26, 2018
Location: Full Sail University, Winter Park, Florida
Commentators: Renee Young, Beth Phoenix, Michael Cole

We’re wrapping up the first round tonight with the last four matches, meaning things are already going to be halfway done. The interesting thing here is going to be seeing which surprises WWE has left for us, along with Japanese superstar Io Shirai as this year’s breaking name. Let’s get to it.

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

The opening video talks about the eight names who will be competing tonight.

Opening sequence.

All matches are first round matches.

Rachel Evers is the daughter of Paul Ellering and wants to make her own path. She lost her focus last year but that’s not happening this time around.

Hiroyo Matsumoto calls herself Lady Godzilla. I think that sums her up quite well.

Kassius Ohno, who is dating Evers, is here.

Hiroyo Matsumoto vs. Rachel Evers

Cole’s description of a woman who called herself LADY GODZILLA and wants to fight the Undertaker: “She’s colorful and loves to have fun.” Cole on Evers: “She wants to have fun!” They shove each other around (while still having fun) to start and some shoulders go nowhere. Clotheslines go nowhere so Matsumoto shoulders her down as Renee talks about joshi.

Evers gets two off a gutwrench suplex and kicks Matsumoto in the face. A missed charge lets Matsumoto Stun her over the ropes, which is called flamboyance for some reason. Matsumoto gets two off a missile dropkick and we hit the chinlock. Back up and Evers gets laid over the middle rope for some kicks to the ribs, followed by a Vader Bomb knee drop for two more.

Evers comes back with a pop up spinebuster (not a powerbomb Cole) for a double knockdown. A slugout goes to Evers and she grabs a cutter into a backsplash for two. Evers drops a spinning double springboard legdrop for two more and the fans are entirely behind her here. Another strike off goes to Matsumoto and she grabs a German suplex, which Evers no sells to a BIG reaction. Matsumoto has had it with Evers and powerbombs the heck out of her, followed by a Saito suplex (the Rock Drop) for the pin at 7:46.

Rating: B. Well that was awesome. These two beat the heck out of each other in a style that you just don’t get around here. Matsumoto wasn’t quite the monster I was expecting but Evers got to slug it out with her and it turned into a very entertaining match as a result. The crowd alone made it that much better, which is a major benefit that not every match can enjoy.

Taynara Conti is a Brazilian jujitsu fighter who has appeared on NXT before.

Jesse Eleban is a nerdy geek who is from Earth and describes herself as “amazeballs”. I think you get the idea here.

Dana Brooke is here. Uh…..ok then.

Jessie Eleban vs. Taynara Conti

Conti wastes no time in throwing her down twice in a row. Jessie is right back up with a kick to the face (those long legs help with that) and a backsplash (egads enough with that move) gets two. Back up and Conti starts in on the arm, followed by an STO for two. A stomp to the arm sets up an armbar, followed by another version with some cranking on the wrist to keep Jessie in trouble.

Now it’s off to bending the fingers apart, followed by some stomping to the ribs in the corner. Since that’s enough to let Jessie fight back, Conti kicks her square in the arm to cut her off again. A catapult of all things drops Conti and some dropkicks keep Conti in trouble. Conti blocks a rollup though and spins her into a Boss Man Slam for the pin at 4:44.

Rating: D+. Conti winning here wasn’t exactly a surprise here and there’s nothing wrong with that. When you have someone who has wrestled on Wrestlemania and a newcomer, it’s not exactly the biggest shock in the world. Jessie is charismatic and could get somewhere with some more experience and development, but there was no way she was winning here.

Isla Dawn says she takes a lot of inspiration from goddess worship and wants to fight.

Nicole Matthews is a veteran from Canada who wasn’t happy with being an alternate last year. How can you have the best of the best if she’s not included?

Isla Dawn vs. Nicole Matthews

They fight over a few lockups to start as we hear about Dawn being into witchcraft. Dawn takes her down and hits a double stomp, followed by a running Meteora for two. Nicole is right back with a neckbreaker out of the corner (with an edit that made me think that was a second attempt) for two. A kick to the back and a backbreaker has Dawn in more trouble until she avoids a forearm in the corner.

Matthews ties her in the ropes though and kicks away at the chest to keep Dawn in trouble. Some elbows and forearms set up a double arm crank but Dawn is right back up with some knees to the face. A snap belly to back suplex drops Matthews and a fisherman’s suplex gets two. Dawn almost drops her on an Angle Slam for another near fall as Beth thinks a spell might be in need of a spell. Matthews has finally had enough of her and clotheslines Dawn into a Liontamer for the tap at 7:19.

Rating: D. This one didn’t work for me and I don’t think that’s the biggest surprise. I was really disappointed in Dawn here who had an interesting backstory and then just went out and wrestled a normal match. The match itself felt disjointed and sloppy at times, which you shouldn’t have from someone with Matthews’ experience.

Io Shirai is a strong style high flier who was inspired by Rey Mysterio. Make sure the rocket attached to her back doesn’t burn you as it launches.

Xia Brookside is nineteen years old and the daughter of NXT trainer Robbie Brookside. It was nice knowing her.

Of course Robbie is here.

Io Shirai vs. Xia Brookside

Renee on Xia: “She looks like she’s made of Skittles.” That sounds cool, but Io’s moniker is Genius of the Sky. I don’t like Skittles so I’m taking Shirai there. Xia forearms her to start but Io lands on her feet to counter a headscissors. The look of shock on Xia’s face pretty much seals her fate so as Io forearms her in the corner.

Slingshot knees to the chest in the corner and Io grabs a kind of reverse Sling Blade into a Crossface. A hard knee to the face drops Brookside but she gets in a faceplant for a breather. The fans get behind Brookside…for all of two seconds until a palm strike cuts her off. More running knees in the corner set up a Great Muta style moonsault for the pin at 3:17.

Rating: D+. This still wasn’t the most thrilling match in the world as Xia was nothing more than cannon fodder for the big star. At the same time, Io isn’t about to show off everything she can do in a match that is little more than a squash. She’s going to get a heck of a push in the tournament and beyond, which is exactly the point of a match like this.

Shirai helps what used to be Brookside up.

Here are the updated brackets:

Meiko Satomura

Mercedes Martinez

Lacey Lane

Taynara Conti

Toni Storm

Hiroyo Matsumoto

Mia Yim

Kaitlyn

Tegan Nox

Nicole Matthews

Rhea Ripley

Kacy Catanzaro

Io Shirai

Zeuxis

Deonna Purrazzo

Xia Li

We get a recap of the show, which doesn’t happen every week. Feels like filler.

Overall Rating: C. The opening match more than makes up for some of the weaker stuff down the card but the first round being over is the most important thing. The whole appeal of a tournament like this is seeing the people who stole the show in the first round fighting each other again later and that’s going to make the next few weeks a lot of fun.