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hazyheel · 5 years

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WWE NXT 10/2/19 Review

So, I became a wrestling fan in 2011. I watched through to about mid 2012 before falling off and taking the hiatus that all fans seem to take. In those days, I just suspended my disbelief and rooted for the babyfaces and enjoyed myself. I came back to the sport in early 2017 before the Rumble and that was when I started to overanalyze everything and look at the booking and stuff, and I think I enjoy it even more. I started to watch NXT as Wrestlemania rolled around, so just before Takeover Orlando. I’ve seen just about every episode since then. That is my history with NXT, and I will say that this was the single best episode of NXT ever. Now I haven’t seen them all, but I’m still fairly confident that this stands. There were a bunch of great matches, with really only one “disappointing” (in quotes because it was still good). There were even a few moments thrown in to pop the crowd, and holy shit did it pop the crowd. This was great, like, pay per view quality. Here is my full review of this week’s NXT.

Adam Cole vs. Matt Riddle for the NXT Championship: A huge match starting off the Wednesday Night wars. Riddle started with a series of takedowns, and immediately looked for the Fujiwara armbar, but Cole slid to the ropes just in time. Cole started to land some strikes, but Riddle countered right away with a trio of gutwrench suplexes for a near fall. Cole retreated to the outside, where he landed an ensiguri as Riddle exited the ring, and proceeded to beat him down with a series of strikes. Cole targetted the neck with several strikes and a yoshigaroshi. Riddle fought back with a series of strikes to the chest, followed by some of his signature offense to take control back. He then nailed a ripcord knee and a fisherman suplex for a near fall, and followed it right up with a deadlift bridging suplex for another two count. He was going for another move out of a fireman’s carry, but Cole countered with a huge lungblower for another near fall. The two started to brawl a bit, trading knees and superkicks. Riddle nailed a release German suplex that nearly landed him on the top of his head, and Riddle countered with the brainbuster on the knee for a great near fall. Cole then gave him a pump kick off the apron, but Riddle caught him with knee. Back in the ring, Cole was able to score a great Panama Sunrise, but still only a near fall. He looked for the Final Shot, but Riddle collapsed in the middle of the ring. So instead, he tried the Panama Sunrise again, but Riddle countered with a Bro to Sleep, followed by a powerbomb, flash knee, and then a twisting senton for 2! The two started to brawl on the top rope, with Riddle putting him down. He tried to slingshot into the ring, but Cole countered with a huge superkick. He nailed another Panama Sunrise, but Riddle countered the last shot into a Bromission, only to quickly transition into a Fujiwara armbar. Cole was desperately able to break out, before nailing the Last Shot to the back of the head for the win.

After the match, FINN FUCKING BALOR came out to an absolutely enormous pop. He grabbed a mic, and simply announced that as of now, he is NXT. THIS IS AMAZING AND HUGE.

Grade: A+. This was a great match, and a shocking opener for the show. They just pulled out the biggest moves and hit each other as hard as they could. It was actually incredible to see the two of them put on such a good war, and to open the show. It got me sufficiently hype to say that least. Finn Balor showing up was, to be frank, totally goddamn awesome. It was unexpected, and it was super cool to see him back home. I’m really excited to see where this goes. The match on its own was an A, but the debut bumped it to an A+. So while I don’t think this was a 5 star match, it was an incredible match followed by an incredible segment. Match of the night.

Velveteen Dream Promo: He announced that the feeling we had while seeing him, was the Velveteen Dream experience. He said that he doesn’t mind fighting more than one guy at a time, and then challenged Roddy for the North American Championship.

Grade: C+. Fine promo. Kinda deflating to come right after that match.

Io Sharai vs. Mia Yim: Sharai started the match by putting Yim in the corner, but Yim quickly fought back with a backbreaker. Yim started to shower Sharai with chops and strikes on the outside. Sharai fought back as they entered the ring, and took her down with a dragonscrew leg whip and a double stomp to the back. Sharai stared to work over the ribs with knees and strikes. Yim was able to fight back with a fallaway slam, and both were down. Yim started to fight back with a series of strikes and huge kicks. Sharai fought back with a huge spike rana, and followed it up with a tiger fang kick and a springboard dropkick for a near fall. Yim then hit a shock Code Blue, but Sharai still kicked out. The two continued to fight, and brawled up to the top rope. Sharai slapped the crap out of Yim, and gave her a huge superplex. Sharai followed up with a moonsault for the win.

Grade: B-. This was a pretty good match, lots of fun stuff. It was a cool mix of brawling and striking, if you kinda get the difference. I get why Sharai got the win here, especially if LaRae goes on to win the Women’s Championship later on. Fun stuff, and I hope Yim gets a bit of a push soon.

Johnny Gargano vs. Shane Thorne: The two started with a bit of chain wrestling, and the two went counter for counter. Thorne quickly took control with a kick to the gut and a huge saito suplex for a near fall. Gargano fought back with a suicide dive, followed by a slingshot spear back into the ring. He tried to hit a slingshot DDT, but Thorne caught him on his shoulders and threw him into the corner for a cannonball, and then a powerbomb followed by a huge series of kicks. Gargano fought back, but Thorne hit a high kick, only for Gargano to respond with a poison rana and a superkick for the win.

Grade: B+. Really good match here, and it probably could’ve been great if they had been given more time. They hit some really nice kicks and agility based moves, and I think it makes sense for Gargano to get the win here. I think that he should probably move down to the cruiserweights for a while, just to get out of the main event for a few months. Either way, this was a really good match that I really liked.

Candice LaRae vs. Shayna Baszler for the NXT Women’s Championship: Baszler quickly took LaRae down, but LaRae popped right back up for a dropkick and a tope suicida. Baszler quickly fought back by working over her arm. As she did, the two fought onto the apron, where LaRae tried for a German off the apron, but eventually settled for a flatliner on the apron. She then nailed a triad of tope suicidas, and fired up the crowd. We cut to commercial quickly, where Candice caught Shayna coming off the ropes with a German, but Baszler qucikly locked in a Kirufida Clutch, only for LaRae to lock in one of her own! Baszler quickly fought out of it, and locked in a hanging Kirifuda clutch on the ropes, only for Candice to hit a swinging neckbreaker of the top. Baszler tried for the choke again, but LaRae quickly stacked her up into a pin. She then went for the Cabrada, but Baszler dodged it and locked in the submission one more time. LaRae struggled for a really long time, but eventually had to tap out.

Grade: B+. Another really good match. LaRae is a great underdog, and was incredibly fiery wrestler. The way that she connected with the crowd was totally awesome, and it made for a really fun and intense atmosphere. Great stuff from them, and another notch in Baszler’s belt. LaRae can still win the belt, and I would definitely like her to, but now that she has lost, I feel like it may be Dakota Kai. We will see.

Pete Dunne vs. Danny Burch: The two started with some grappling and technical exchanges, before moving into some qucik striking and suplexes from each man. Dunne nailed a huge combination of strikes that looked great, including a German, a high kick, stomps on the fingers and a powerbomb for a near fall. The two started to exchange uppercuts, with Burch gaining the advantage with a headbutt. He followed up with a knee to the face and a hangman’s DDT from the top rope for a great near fall. They started to exchange more and more huge strikes, but Dunne grabbed the fingers and snapped them. He then hit the Bitter End for the win.

After the match, Damian Priest attacked Dunne. He hit a forearm to the back of his head, and hit a rolling cutter to put Dunne down.

Grade: B+. Holy crap, we have only had really good matches so far. A British style match that blended together great technical wrestling, awesome strikes, and amazing power moves. They proved that they are great after a really good UK Championship match earlier this year, but they bested that match with this. Another really good one.

Adam Cole Interview: He defended his use of the cast in his match, before the rest of the Undisputed Era ran up and started to run down Finn Balor. They quickly dismissed the interviewer, and left to prepare for the Tag Team Championship match.

Street Profits vs. The Undisputed Era for the NXT Tag Team Championship: a rapper came out with the profits, and I was excited for a live rendition of their theme, but he just sorta hyped up the crowd by yelling We Want the Smoke. So that was disappointing. Angelo Dawkins and Kyle O’Reilly started with some amateur wrestling, a strong suit for both of them. Quickly, all four guys entered the ring, but the champs backed off to retain some control of the match. Bobby Fish tagged in quickly, but Dawkins took hold of him and tagged in Montez Ford. The two traded some strikes back and forth, with Ford coming out on top. Fish was able to take control after some quick tags with O’Reilly and destroying Ford’s base. As the two tried to keep Ford from getting the tag, they worked over both his legs and back in a very interesting blend of power moves and strikes. Ford nearly got the hot top after low bridging Fish for a rough bump, and then a vicious uranagi to O’Reilly, but Fish kicked Dawkins off the apron. Ford was finally able to get the hot tag, where he destroyed Fish and O’Reilly with some awesome lariats and splashes. He took Fish out with a spear, and when O’Reilly tried for the Axe and Smash, Dawkins met him with a forearm after the axe kick, before nailing a leg trap suplex. Dawkins tried for another spear, but O’Reilly nailed a knee to the face and pushed him into the corner. While the ref yelled at O’Reilly, Fish nailed a dragonscrew leg whip through the ropes. Dawkins threw O’Reilly to the outside, and crawled to his corner, but O’Reilly nailed a knee drop to his knee and locked in a heel hook. Ford tried to break it up, so Fish nailed several strikes, and locked in a guillotine choke, but Ford plunged him into the submission. Dawkins then went for the hot tag again, with Fish trying to cut him off with knee drop of his own. Fish missed and Dawkins got the hot tag, and Ford nailed him with a splash, but only got two! Dawkins started to brawl with them both to the outside, and Ford wiped everyone out with a dive over the goddamned corner. He pulled O’Reilly back in the ring, but Roderick Strong ran out and caused a distraction to Ford on the top rope. Dawkins nailed Strong with a spear on the apron, taking them both out. Fish and O’Reilly then hit the high and low and got the win.

After the match, Strong celebrated with his cohorts in the ring, and Cole came out on the ramp. They were all yelling to each other and slapping their belts, but as they did TOMMASO FUCKING CIAMPA RETURNED AND I SCREAMED. Holy shit.

Grade: A. Another great match that was made greater by a huge return that bumped it up a grade. The match was really exciting, with ReDragon making that isolation on Ford look absolutely awesome and brutal. The final stretch was also really fun, and I didn’t realize how much I missed that dive over the corner. Really good stuff. Also, CIAMPA IS FUCKING BACK. I cannot express my excitement enough. NXT is awesome right now.

Overall Grade: B+

Pros: NXT Championship; Gargano vs. Thorne; NXT Women’s Championship; Dunne vs. Burch; main event.

Cons: I guess they could’ve used more character work? I dunno, I’m kinda grasping at straws here. But I’ll go with that.

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