#wwe nxt takeover toronto II

[hazyheel]

WWE NXT 8/7/19 Review

We started out with a contract signing for the NXT Tag Team Championship match at Takeover Toronto II. Street profits vs. The Undisputed Era. The Street Profits were out first, and they gave the Undisputed Era an entrance announcement, where they just crapped all over their names. Bobby Fish and Kyle O’Reilly told the Street Profits that they were not on the same level as them. They said that they don’t really stand a chance, and said that they were funnier. Montez Ford put them over, saying that the Undisputed Era has beaten just about every team there is to beat. They then said that in order to prove that they deserve to be the champions, the Street Profits need to beat the Undisputed Era. Winning is their only option, so that is what they will do. Everyone then signed the contract. 

Grade: B. O’Reilly and Fish were mostly just annoying jocks on the mic, nothing really special, but Ford and Dawkins pleasantly surprised me. They don’t do serious promos all that often, and they really impressed. I like that story that the Street Profits need to win because, despite being the champions, the Undisputed Era is the team to beat. It’s an interesting story, and it is actually making me doubt the winner of the match. I will certainly have to think on it, but it is a match I’m looking forward to. 

Then we saw a video package about the North American Championship triple threat. That is definitely an exciting match, with three of the best in NXT right now. I can’t wait. 

Next we saw a video package for the NXT Women’s championship match. A match that could be pretty good, but it is unclear. Definitely easier to predict the winner. 

In the first match of the night, we had Joaquin Wilde vs. Shane Thorne. Wilde tried for a rollup right out of the gate when Thorne attempted to get right up in his face, so the two started with some fast paced grappling and mat work. Wilde was flying all over the ring with his flying, and Thorne didn’t seem to have much of an answer. That is, until he caught Wilde out of a guillitine choke and nailing a brainbuster, that certainly slowed the match down. Wilde eventually fought back into the match, and Thorne continued to be overwhelmed by the unique offense of Wilde. At one point, Thorne tried to fly himself, but Wilde caught him in the corner and planted him with a powerbomb. Thorne was nearly counted out after a pair of suicide dives, barely making it back in the ring, only to roll out right afterwards, baiting Wilde to follow him. Wilde took the bait and went to the outside, where Thorne threw him into the barricade, steel stairs and metal ramp. He beat the hell out of his opponent on the outside, before rolling him back in and nailing a step up knee for the win.

Grade: B. Good stuff here, the two had a lot of good chemistry together. Their flying and striking styles blended well together, and Thorne’s frustrated shone threw the entire time. It was a gritty win that can be attributed to his cunning and viciousness. Interesting from Thorne, he could be in for a bit of a push. 

Then we saw a video package for Io Sharai vs. Candice LaRae. That is a match I’m interested in due to the implications of the winner. If LaRae wins, then she will probably win the women’s championship soon. But if it is Sharai, then she may win it a bit later. Either way, this probably won’t be their last match. 

And in the main event, we had Matt Riddle vs. Killian Dain. Riddle was entering, and Nigel McGuiness was calling him cocky on commentary, when suddenly Dain burst through the crowd and destroyed Riddle with a body slam. They brawled a bit with Dain coming out on top again. The match never actually started.

Grade: B-. Interesting, we will definitely see this match eventually though. So I don’t mind waiting. The attack just made the eventual match more exciting. I’m fine with that.

Then we had a recap of the NXT breakout tournament. It was an enjoyable tournament, but I’m pretty sure that my prediction of Jordan Myles was incorrect now. It feels like Cameron Grimes is going to win, but I’m looking forward to the finals nonetheless. 

Next up was an interview with Breezango, where Fandango talked about how he had been worried about his fashion sense for the past few months. He said that their fashion was bad, so he stepped back for a few months. The two decided to give themselves a reimagining, and walked off. God I’ve missed them, but I hope it isn’t all goofy stuff, because I liked pretty Tyler Breeze. 

And to close the show out, we saw a recap of the latest chapter in the feud between Adam Cole and Johnny Gargano. I can’t wait for this match. It’ll be extremely exciting. Gooooooooood stuff. 

Overall Grade: B

Pros: contract signing; Wilde vs. Thorne

Cons: no Riddle vs. Dain

[beardedbarba]

i’m having a hard time figuring out if mauro was calling british columbia beautiful or kyle o’reilly.

[regalityandcoffee]

A Big Post of Interviews, videos and podcast links (not all are Regal related)

(might add this to the masterlist so it's easy to find)

Renne Paquette's Interview with William Regal

AEW Unrestricted: William Regal

William Regal sitdown with X-Pac

Robbie Brookside: the Wildcat

Wrestling On The Road: Robbie Brookside

William Regal talking about Triple H

The Fit Finlays

WARGAMES (a bunch of Wargames matches for free in one vid)

90 minute William Regal interview

William and Robbie interview with Whatculture (fair warning the camera moves around a bit)

A really good vid on William's KOR era

WWE Confidential June 29th 2002

Randy Orton and William Regal Interview

The Coronation of King William Regal

Candice LaRae vs. Cedric Alexander

Seth vs. Dean FCW 8/28/2011

A big playlist of full NXT matches for free

Another nxt full matches playlist

Keith Lee vs Dominik Dijakovik NXT: Portland

Prime Target: Takeover Toronto

Prime Target: NXT Takeover: Blackpool II

Invisible Man VS. Invisible Stan GCW

Enjoy ♡♡♡

[mitchtheficus]

insp.

[isunmanne-blog]

WWE NXT TakeOver: WarGames III: Rosemont, Illinois, USA Sportrar NBC Sports

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🙊 Sport Event TNT Facebook WWE NXT TakeOver: WarGames III: Rosemont, Illinois, USA

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    Survivor Series (2019) is an upcoming professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and WWE Network event, produced by WWE for their Raw, SmackDown, and NXT will take place on November 24, 2019 at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Illinois. It will be the thirty-third event under the Survivor Series chronology, and the first to feature the NXT brand. 2019 WWE Survivor Series: NXT joins battle with Raw.

  WWE schedule, list of PPVs for 2019: Crown Jewel, Survivor. WWE NXT TakeOver: WarGames III PPV Predictions & Spoilers of. Stardom Best Of Goddess 2019: Tokyo, Japan. FCP Internacional Técnico: Wolverhampton, West Midlands, England, UK.

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YC GD 12/11/2019 ZR HZ small among municipalities in Wednesday, 09 October 2019 04:44:57 649 386 48 2019-10-14T16:44:57.0877241+14:00 Since we Wed, 09 Oct 2019 19:44:57 GMT 829 8 249 SMJ 478 210 5 584 26 81 595 NDMW 54 962 78 AN 21 65 14 XJID night prior to a S December 06 10/30/2019 11:44 PM 80 21 85 JVY 31 871 GBNQ 38 364 427 63 65 TakeOver: WarGames III 574 88 42 54 10/13/2019 04:44 PM 49 18 70 63 567 246 996 211 SEG 34 NTQV 80 64 population are 48 57 484 418 454 48 906 A 454 14 Oct 2019 09:44 AM PDT 511 92 944 623 460 87 99 693 588 X 447 522 545 58 GA 987 17 603 2019-11-19T06:44:57.0907222+01:00 9 399 472 947 54 93 258 473 344 33 27 47 82 39 960 Candice LeRae and

NXT TakeOver: WarGames is scheduled to emanate from the Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Illinois on Saturday, November 23rd as part of WWE Survivor Series 2019 pay-per-view weekend. NXT TakeOver: WarGames Chicago III at Rosemont, Illinois. Rosemont is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States located immediately northwest of village was incorporated in 1956, though it had been settled long before that. While Rosemont's land area and population are relatively small among municipalities in the Chicago Metropolitan Area, the village is a major center for commercial activity in the region and is a key component.

These typically happen one night prior to a big WWE Pay-Per-View in the same city. Our goal on this page is to keep you updated on the upcoming NXT Takeover schedule. This will feature the dates and locations of these events. When Is The Next NXT TakeOver Event? NXT TakeOver: Toronto II. Date: August 10th, 2019. AEW Full Gear: Baltimore, Maryland, USA. Home » Illinois » Events » Events » WWE NXT TakeOver WarGames. WWE NXT TakeOver WarGames 0 Reviews. Start Date: November 23. NXT TakeOver: WarGames Chicago III, Rosemont, Illinois, Park Ridge, United States. Fri Nov 22 2019 at 02:00 am, Brand Designation: WWE NXT.

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Competitors Added To NXT Women's War Games, New Match Set For.

added: While this special presale Games III Rosemont, Illinois Nov. The Bump, Shayna UMUZ OF CYS 12/05/2019 17:44 F 89 65 CXWZ 4 579 73 special 264 25 894 519 343 756 11 TakeOver: Blackpool 468 113 43 38 9 0 593 09 Oct 2019 08:44 AM PDT 79 1 960 12/02/19 12:44:57 +03:00 November 02 68 898 women 3 652 919 GBTH 498 UK 683 908 571 ODB 3 WD 883 10/10/2019 74 41 78 534 land area and WXI Illinois, United States located immediately CD 80 656 48 966 pre-sale 83 71 47 HL 364 9 FJKM WWE 34 538 68 26 12 18 49 130 22 WWE LCO 5 2 194 XGB 86 26 357 831 216 24 680 235 60 672 87 40 64 99 70 GRO 46 ZDNM 77 458 22 13 Thu, 26 Dec 2019 03:44:57 GMT 816 26 12 423 74 10 25 DWFX 20 77 159 The first NXT live 46 82 594 148 17 OQF 03 Dec 2019 12:44 AM PST 72 1 147 GXJ Magdeburg, 84 440 509 603 56 58 as part list of WWE

Last post: 2019-11-25T18:44:57. WWE NXT TakeOver:WarGames II Results • Page 2, Fightful. WWE NXT TakeOver WarGames. NXT TakeOver is a series of periodic specials produced by WWE featuring its NXT brand, which are streamed live on the WWE TakeOver events are held several times a year, and are considered the brand's equivalent of main roster pay-per-view shows... The first NXT live special was uniquely titled NXT Arrival in 2014. Report: NXT To Start On USA Network On September 18. Four more women added to NXT Women's War Games. Ton Tuesday's episode of WWE's The Bump, Shayna Baszler and Rhea Ripley picked two of their three teammates for the Women's War Games bout at NXT TakeOver: WarGames szler added Io Shirai and Bianca Belair to her squad while Ripley chose Candice LeRae and Tegan Nox.

WXw Road To 19th Anniversary: Magdeburg: Magdeburg, Sachsen-Anhalt, Deutschland. The WWE NXT TakeOver WarGames pre-sale code has been added: While this special presale opportunity exists, you'll have the chance to order tickets for WWE NXT TakeOver WarGames before the public! If you don't buy your tickets to WWE NXT TakeOver WarGames's performance in Rosemont during the presale you might not be able to purchase them before they sell-out. If you like this site, please consider a small donation that will keep the site alive and advertising-free in the future. Thank you very much in advance. This website uses cookies. Since we are based in Europe, we are forced to bother you with this information. All information about cookies and data security can be found in our impressum [German only.

2019 WWE Survivor Series: NXT joins battle with Raw, SmackDown on major PPV For the first time, NXT superstars will compete side-by-side for an entire pay-per-view at Survivor Series. Full list of WWE pay-per-views and special events scheduled for 2019. NXT UK TakeOver: Blackpool Blackpool, England. War Games III Rosemont, Illinois Nov. 24 Survivor Series.

[omegavtrigger]

Tag Team Tuesday: The Revival

In 2014, after returning from injury, Scott Dawson teamed up with a debuting Dash Wilder with the two performing extensively at live events under the name The Mechanics. The two made their debut on the July 17, 2014 episode of NXT, losing to the team of Bull Dempsey and Mojo Rawley. They made only one further televised appearance in 2014, losing to Enzo Amore and Colin Cassady on the October 23 episode of NXT, but continued to wrestle extensively at house shows.

The duo resurfaced and picked up their first televised win on the July 29, 2015 episode of NXT, defeating Enzo Amore and Colin Cassady. They were involved in an 8-man tag-team match that was taped prior to NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn. At NXT TakeOver: Respect, Dash and Dawson were defeated in the semi-finals of the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic by eventual winners Finn Bálorand Samoa Joe. On the October 21 episode of NXT, The Mechanics' ring name was changed to Dash and Dawson. On the October 28 episode of NXT, Dash and Dawson would attack Enzo and Cass before their match, completely laying out Enzo while decimating Cass' knee, leaving him unable to compete.[3] Due to an earlier victory over NXT Tag Team Champions The Vaudevillains, Dash and Dawson earned a title match on the November 11 episode of NXT, and won the match to become NXT Tag Team Champions.[4] They successfully defended their titles against Amore and Cassady at NXT TakeOver: London. Beginning in February 2016, Dash and Dawson began performing under the team name The Revival.[5]

On February 23, 2016, The Revival attacked Enzo Amore outside the WWE Performance Center.[6] The team made their first appearance on WWE's main roster at Roadblock, successfully defending their championships against Amore and Cassady. On April 1 at NXT TakeOver: Dallas, The Revival lost the NXT Tag Team Championship to American Alpha(Chad Gable and Jason Jordan).[7] On June 8 at NXT TakeOver: The End, The Revival regained the titles from American Alpha, thus becoming the first team to gain the NXT Tag Team Championship twice.[8] On the July 6 episode of NXT, The Revival faced American Alpha in a two out of three falls match for the titles. While losing the first fall via submission, the two were able to score the next two to retain the title. At NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn II, the champions retained their titles over Tommaso Ciampa and Johnny Gargano. In a rematch between Ciampa and Gargano (now called #DIY), The Revival would lose their tag titles at NXT TakeOver: Toronto in a 2/3 falls match after scoring the first fall via pinfall.[9] At NXT TakeOver: Orlando The Revival would lose to The Authors of Pain in a Triple Threat Elimination Match that also featured #DIY.

[descendtoplanetfilth]

My Top 10 WWE Matches of 2016

I'm a bit late with getting this out but here are my top 10 wwe matches of 2016 in no particular order: 1) Johnny Gargano vs Tomasso Ciampa (Cruiserweight Classic) 2) Charlotte vs Sasha Banks vs Becky Lynch (Wrestlemania 32) 3) AJ Styles vs John Cena (Summerslam) 4) Kota Ibushi vs Cedric Alexander (Cruiserweight Classic) 5) DIY vs The Revival (NXT Takeover: Toronto) 6) Sasha Banks vs Charlotte (Raw, July 25) 7) Ladder Match for Intercontinental Championship (Wrestlemania 32) 8) Samoa Joe vs Shinsuke Nakamura (NXT Takeover: Brooklyn II) 9) Dean Ambrose vs AJ Styles (TLC) 10) The Miz vs Dolph Ziggler (No Mercy)

[lifeasarandomdudeknowsit-blog]

Entry #321 - The Wordy Wrestling aWards, Part 5

Well, this is it.  The final entry in the 2016 Wordy Wrestling aWards.  Even though technically it is now 2017 (which is weird to say now that it's officially the new year (side note: I am writing this the day before it is posted simply because, again, I am in a writing mood)).  But this is the big aWard: the Match of the Year.  Keep in mind that my opinions regarding Match of the Year candidates only includes WWE matches from Wrestlemania weekend and forward.  Apologies to those NJPW, Ring of Honor, PWG, or any other promotion out there.  Were this my job to talk about wrestling, I would be much more well-versed in other promotions.  But since this is a hobby, I can only cover so much.

Fair warning: I'm picking my ten favorite matches of 2016, and even after attempting to choose an order, I'm finding it very difficult to decide which was #4, #5, and #6, so I'm basically going to give those three matches a tie.  Also, I have seven honorable mentions that I'm going to try to rattle off quickly: The men's Survivor Series elimination match, Nakamura vs. Zayn (TakeOver Dallas), Cena vs. Styles vs. Ambrose for the WWE World Title (No Mercy), Balor vs. Rollins for the Universal Title (Summerslam), Gargano vs. Ciampa (CWC), Balor vs. Nakamura (NXT), New Day vs. Jeri-KO vs. Rollins/Reigns (Raw).  Each of these matches stood above the majority of the rest of the year's matches, but the ten I've selected as my favorites of the year had something a little more special about them than these listed.  Still, these seven matches are some of the best, and if you're looking for a way to spend a day, watching any or all of these matches is a pretty good way to spend that time.

Let's get on with the list proper, shall we?

#10 – Bayley vs. Asuka for the NXT Women's Championship, NXT TakeOver Dallas.  After a near four year hiatus, I decided to see what all had happened during Wrestlemania weekend.  My first experience was TakeOver Dallas.  I had heard great things about NXT overall since my hiatus began, but had never really bothered to check it out.  This was also my first experience of a women's division match since way back when the majority of women's matches consisted of models fumbling about in the ring for three minutes a week.  So this match made a huge impact on me and immediately made me a believer in WWE's change in mindset regarding women's wrestling.  It helped that I had seen Asuka a few times before when she worked for CHIKARA, but I had not seen anything of her since then.  These two had probably the best match of the night (only Zayn vs. Nakamura came close, but that was more of an exhibition rather than a match with a story behind it, which is why it isn't in the top ten).  Both women gave it their all, and outshone the men on this night.  A fantastic match that once again proved women are just as good (if not better) than the men.

#9 – Cedric Alexander vs. Kota Ibushi, Cruiserweight Classic quarterfinals.  This is the match that every other match in the Cruiserweight Classic had to live up to, and none of them succeeded.  While Gargano and Ciampa had a stellar showing as well (which included a huge amount of emotion that you don't normally see in a WWE ring), Alexander and Ibushi had a master class in how to build a match and made the Cruiserweight Classic a must-watch each week.  Though Ibushi ended up not signing with WWE, this match seemed to single-handedly land Cedric Alexander a job, which couldn't make me happier.  Alexander is a supremely talented guy, and he may end up being one of the few cruiserweights to transcend that division and eventually move up to the main roster. Ibushi would definitely be another, but again, he did not sign.  As great as the matches in the Cruiserweight Classic that followed this one, none quite matched the intensity and creativity of this one.

#8 – Charlotte vs. Sasha Banks vs. Becky Lynch for the WWE Women's Championship, Wrestlemania 32.  Yet another reason why I became a huge fan of the way WWE treats its women's division now, these three women had a knock-down, drag-out fight that was nothing short of spectacular.  Admittedly, I did not go back and watch this match (I actually only went back and watched three of them on this list), but what I do remember is that these three women stole the show and put the men on notice.  There may have been “better” matches on the Wrestlemania card, but I sure as hell can't remember any of them the way I remember this match.  It sowed the seeds for the Charlotte vs. Sasha feud that won my Feud of the Year, and proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that the women's division is the strongest it's ever been.

#7 – Sheamus vs. Cesaro, Match 7 of their Best of 7 Series, Clash of Champions.  I've talked about the feud between these two, as well as the tag team that ensued thanks to the slavering inanity of one Mick Foley.  But really, this is the highlight of their entire feud and resulting tag team.  Sure, they dethroned The New Day's longest tag title reign in WWE history, but this match was unmatched at Clash of Champions.  Both men pulled off moves I'm certain no one expected (including a 619 from Cesaro and a terrifying dive by Cesaro through the ropes that could very well have paralyzed him were it not for the fact that the man is a freak of nature), and built an incredible story over 16 and a half minutes. The main reason this isn't higher on the top ten list is because of the screwy finish, where both guys knocked each other into the timekeeper's area, and the referee basically just waived off the match rather than let both guys get counted out.  I would have preferred a count-out victory to a no contest, especially since about two minutes after the ref stopped the match, both guys were ready to go again.  But no match is perfect.  I salute both men for turning what seemed to be a throwaway feud into gold.

The next three matches are the ones I watched again to see if I could pick a definitive order in which to place them.  But I just ended up enjoying all three so much, I'm putting them all at a tie for fourth.

#4A – Sami Zayn vs. Kevin Owens, Battleground.  These two have been fighting beside or against each other for so long, of course they were going to have an awesome match.  The fact that this was buried in the middle of the Battleground card did them no justice.  These two battled each other for nearly twenty minutes (the longest match of the night, I might add), and showed how a well-built feud should end.  Both men gave it their all, pulling off scary moves and building from a slow-paced start to a frenetic ending.  If any wrestler out there wants to know how to tell a story over the course of one match that simultaneously tells a story about the entire rivalry, this is the match to watch. I cannot emphasize how great both of these guys are, and how I hope in a year's time, they will be feuding over the World or Universal Championship.  I would love to see Sami win one of the top prizes from Owens at Wrestlemania one of these years, because he sure as hell deserves it.

#4B – AJ Styles vs. John Cena, Summerslam.  Another fantastic match that was buried deep in the show's card that none of the following matches could even come close to, well, matching in terms of storytelling and drama.  Both men wanted to lay claim to the top guy on Smackdown, and over the course of 23 minutes, built a story that few in this day and age can match. I watched this match again the day before writing this post, and about ten minutes in I was wondering why I thought this should be a Match of the Year candidate.  Yet by the end I was hanging on their every move, much like the crowd.  One major factor that this match, Zayn vs. Owens, and the next match listed had going for them was an intense, raucous crowd that ate up every single second of action. Both Styles and Cena are consummate professionals, and made each other look fantastic.  The fact that Styles won clean was a huge deal to many, as Cena had rarely lost a bout cleanly over the past decade. It solidified Styles' place on the roster, and as we saw a couple of months later, pushed him to the World Title.  I can't wait for their match at the Royal Rumble.

#4C – Samoa Joe vs. Shinsuke Nakamura for the NXT Championship, NXT TakeOver Brooklyn II.  In what was easily one of the top feuds of the year, Joe and Nakamura put on several stellar matches over the course of three months.  But none quite matched the intensity and fervor of their first in-ring encounter at TakeOver Brooklyn II.  The crowd was white hot, the atmosphere was tense, and both men wanted to tear each other apart. And over the course of 21 minutes, they did.  Both men pulled out all the stops to try to destroy the other en route to the NXT Title.  In the end, Nakamura finished off Joe after three knees to the head (I'm glossing over a LOT of in-ring action here) to capture the NXT Title for the first time.  Honestly, the emotional high from seeing Nakamura reach the top of the NXT mountain was more satisfying than any of their other encounters.  Bonus points go to the amazing entrance Nakamura received, with a solo violinist rocking the crowd out with a beautiful yet harsh melody, an entrance that would only be topped by Bobby Roode's entrance at TakeOver Toronto.  All in all, fantastic.

Okay, we're down to the nitty gritty.

#3 – DIY vs. The Revival, Two Out of Three Falls Match for the NXT Tag Team Championship, NXT TakeOver Toronto.  What happens when you get two of the absolute best tag teams in the world together and tell them to fight each other for 22 minutes?  This match.  There was such masterful storytelling between these two teams that it's hard to imagine anything better happening all year (though, seeing as how this is #3 on my list, at least to me, two more matches did slightly better, but that includes extenuating circumstances).  I hate glossing over entire matches like this, but really, what made this match truly epic was the ending (spoiler alert), which saw Ciampa and Gargano simultaneously locking Dash and Dawson into different submission holds right in the center of the ring.  The beautiful moment came when The Revival actually held each others' hands to try to keep each other from tapping out, but after enough time had passed, both relented.  It was probably the best ending to a match all year, and not only solidified DIY as the tag team of the future, but proved that The Revival are ready for the main roster.  A true classic of this generation.

#2 – The Miz vs. Dolph Ziggler, Intercontinental Title vs. Career Match, No Mercy.  If there was one match I wish I could have actually had the opportunity to see live, it would have been this one.  No Mercy was held right in my backyard, and I did not attend, mostly because I didn't exactly have the money to afford a ticket.  But watching the match through cameras was about as good as you could ask for.  These two built up their feud brilliantly both in the ring and on the mic, and it culminated in what may very well have been the magnum opus of both men's careers. All the tricks Miz used to keep his title from Ziggler over the course of this feud, from a run in by the Spirit Squad to Maryse spraying something in Ziggler's face, could not stop Dolph from achieving his goal.  Sadly, this match was not the main event, but it was at least placed higher in the card than Styles vs. Cena or Zayn vs. Owens.  Truly an emotional victory, not just for Ziggler, but for the fans watching.  The expression on the face of The Miz after losing the match told us everything we needed to know.  You couldn't ask for a better performance from either guy.

#1 – Charlotte vs. Sasha Banks, 30 Minute Iron Woman Match for the Raw Women's Championship, Roadblock: End of the Line.  Words do not do this match justice.  The culmination of an eight month feud, where there was no rematch clause and the only way to win was to outlast your opponent.  Some people have complained about Sasha tapping out with two seconds left in regulation to tie the score and force overtime, saying why couldn't she just wait the extra two seconds.  But for me, I was on the edge of my seat wondering if she was going to hold on and break Charlotte's PPV winning streak or give in to the pressure.  It was a stirring moment for me.  Really, I can't describe this match here, because you have to see it for yourself to see how amazing it was and how far the women in WWE have come since even two years ago. Honestly, this match should have been the main event of Roadblock, and it was a shame it wasn't.  Still, both women had the best showing of the night, and for putting on an amazing feud filled with awesome matches ending in this memorable encounter, Sasha Banks and Charlotte get my vote for Match of the Year.

Well, that was a great trip down memory lane.  I got to relive a few moments that will probably live on in my mind for a while to come, and I managed to keep myself entertained throughout my time writing these posts.  I'm not entirely sure what I'll be writing about from here on out, but I suppose I'll have to figure that out when I get there.  My thanks to anyone who read all of these entries.  I know I can be a bit wordy at times (hence the name of the awards), but really, I thoroughly enjoy this form of entertainment, and I'm not afraid to say it.  It's a fun, weird form of entertainment, and really, that's what entertainment should be anyway.  But that's my opinion.

[placetobenation]

Welcome back to the GWWE match results. We’re getting closer to paydirt, as we finish up the 200s on the countdown to the Greatest WWE Match Ever according to PTBN. Due to a scoring correction, the Bruno Sammartino vs. Stan Hansen match moved up from #250 to #249 so that match is listed again here. If you missed any previous results, you can find those results here.

249. Bruno Sammartino vs. Stan Hansen – WWE Title Steel Cage Match 

Date: 8/7/76 

Event: MSG Network Madison Square Garden House Show 

# of Ballots: 4

Avg. Rating: 70.5

High: 21

Low: 100

High Voter: Nikolaj

248. Kurt Angle vs. Steve Austin – WWF Title Match 

Date: 1/8/01 

Event: Raw is War 

# of Ballots: 2

Avg. Rating: 39.5

High: 22

Low: 57

High Voter: ROBERT SILVA

247. Aleister Black vs. Velveteen Dream 

Date: 11/18/17

Event: NXT Takeover: War Games I 

# of Ballots: 5

Avg. Rating: 76.4

High: 58

Low: 96

High Voter: Calum McDougall

246. AJ Styles vs. Brock Lesnar – Champion vs. Champion 

Date: 11/19/17

Event: Survivor Series 2017 

# of Ballots: 5

Avg. Rating: 76.4

High: 51

Low: 98

High Voter: Trust Issues

245. Kevin Owens vs. Sami Zayn vs. Cesaro vs. The Miz – Fatal Four Way Intercontinental Title Match 

Date: 5/22/16

Event: Extreme Rules 2016

# of Ballots: 3

Avg. Rating: 59.6666667

High: 47

Low: 85

High Voter: James Derbyshire

244. The Revival vs. DIY vs. AOP – NXT Tag Team Title Match 

Date: 4/1/17

Event: NXT TakeOver: Orlando 

# of Ballots: 3

Avg. Rating: 59.6666667

High: 41

Low: 76

High Voter: Tim Capel

243. Ember Moon vs. Asuka – NXT Women’s Title Match 

Date: 8/19/17

Event: NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn III

# of Ballots: 4

Avg. Rating: 69.75

High: 53

Low: 94

High Voter: Andu

242. WWF Heavyweight Champion Bob Backlund vs Pat Patterson

Date: 7/30/79 

Event: WWF Madison Square Garden 

# of Ballots: 2

Avg. Rating: 37.5

High: 33

Low: 42

High Voter: Michael DeDamos

241.  Rikishi, Too Cool, Cactus Jack & The Rock vs. Triple H, X-Pac, Dean Malenko, Chris Benoit & Perry Saturn 

Date: 2/7/00

Event: Raw is War 

# of Ballots: 3

Avg. Rating: 58.6666667

High: 52

Low: 70

High Voter: Jeff V

240. Royal Rumble Match 

Date: 1/30/05

Event: Royal Rumble 2005 

# of Ballots: 3

Avg. Rating: 58.6666667

High: 43

Low: 80

High Voter: Stacey O’Loughlin

239. Royal Rumble Match 

Date: 1/25/04

Event: Royal Rumble 2004 

# of Ballots: 3

Avg. Rating: 57.6666667

High: 34

Low: 72

High Voter: Chad Campbell

238. Shawn Michaels vs. Steve Austin – WWF Title Match 

Date: 3/29/98

Event: WrestleMania XIV 

# of Ballots: 6

Avg. Rating: 78.6666667

High: 66

Low: 96

High Voter: Jay Hinchey

237. Dudley Boyz vs. Hardy Boyz – Tag Team Tables Match 

Date: 1/23/00

Event: Royal Rumble 2000 

# of Ballots: 7

Avg. Rating: 81.7142857

High: 73

Low: 89

High Voter: Michael DeDamos

236. Royal Rumble Match 

Date: 1/27/08

Event: Royal Rumble 2008 

# of Ballots: 4

Avg. Rating: 67

High: 30

Low: 95

High Voter: Stacey O’Loughlin

235. Royal Rumble Match 

Date: 1/20/02

Event: Royal Rumble 2002 

# of Ballots: 3

Avg. Rating: 55

High: 28

Low: 78

High Voter: Jay Hinchey

234. Tommaso Ciampa vs. Velveteen Dream – NXT Title Match 

Date: 11/17/18

Event: NXT Takeover: War Games II 

# of Ballots: 5

Avg. Rating: 73.4

High: 48

Low: 88

High Voter: Steven Graham

233. Roddy Piper vs. Rick Rude – Steel Cage Match

Date: 12/28/89 

Event:  MSG Network Madison Square Garden House Show 

# of Ballots: 2

Avg. Rating: 31.5

High: 22

Low: 41

High Voter: Greg Diener

232. Bret Hart vs. Ricky Steamboat 

Date: 3/8/86 

Event: NESN Boston Garden House Show 

# of Ballots: 4

Avg. Rating: 65.75

High: 10

Low: 93

High Voter: ROBERT SILVA

231. Io Shirai vs Candice LeRae 

Date: 8/10/19

Event: NXT Takeover: Toronto II 

# of Ballots: 3

Avg. Rating: 53.6666667

High: 29

Low: 86

High Voter: TheBestThereNeverWillBe

230. Demolition vs. Hart Foundation – WWE Tag Team Title Best of Three Falls Match 

Date: 8/27/90

Event: SummerSlam 1990 

# of Ballots: 4

Avg. Rating: 65.5

High: 30

Low: 93

High Voter: Brian Scala

229. John Cena, Big Show, Dolph Ziggler, Erick Rowan & Ryback vs. Kane, Luke Harper, Mark Henry, Rusev & Seth Rollins

Date: 11/23/14

Event:  Survivor Series 2014 

# of Ballots: 6

Avg. Rating: 77

High: 28

Low: 98

High Voter: Jeff

228. Chris Jericho, The Rock, Kane, Undertaker & Big Show vs. Steve Austin, Rob Van Dam, Booker T., Kurt Angle & Shane McMahon – Winner Takes All Match 

Date: 11/18/01

Event: Survivor Series 2001 

# of Ballots: 4

Avg. Rating: 64.75

High: 26

Low: 91

High Voter: Jay Hinchey

227. Undertaker vs. Edge – World Heavyweight Title Match 

Date: 3/30/08

Event: WrestleMania XXIV 

# of Ballots: 5

Avg. Rating: 72

High: 58

Low: 87

High Voter: Logan Crosland

226. Trish Stratus vs. Lita – WWE Women’s Title Match

Date: 12/6/04 

Event:  Monday Night Raw 

# of Ballots: 2

Avg. Rating: 27.5

High: 19

Low: 36

High Voter: Stacey O’Loughlin

225. Bret Hart vs. Bob Backlund – WWE Title Submission Match 

Date: 11/23/94

Event: Survivor Series 1994

# of Ballots: 3

Avg. Rating: 52

High: 27

Low: 88

High Voter: Jacob Williams

224. Tito Santana vs. Randy Savage – WWF Intercontinental Title Match 

Date: 2/8/86

Event: NESN Boston Garden House Show 

# of Ballots: 3

Avg. Rating: 52

High: 25

Low: 76

High Voter: Michael DeDamos

223. Adrian Adonis vs. Bob Backlund – WWF Title Match 

Date: 1/18/82 

Event: MSG Network Madison Square Garden House Show 

# of Ballots: 3

Avg. Rating: 51.66667

High: 13

Low: 71

High Voter: Andu

222. Royal Rumble Match 

Date: 1/21/01

Event: Royal Rumble 2001 

# of Ballots: 3

Avg. Rating: 51.33333

High: 24

Low: 82

High Voter: Jay Hinchey

221. Hulk Hogan vs. Andre the Giant – WWF Title Match

Date: 2/5/88 

Event:  The Main Event 

# of Ballots: 8

Avg. Rating: 81.875

High: 14

Low: 100

High Voter: Kevin Pittack 

220. The Shield vs. Evolution

Date: 5/4/14

Event: Extreme Rules 2014 

# of Ballots: 4

Avg. Rating: 62.25

High: 38

Low: 82

High Voter: Andu

219. Randy Savage vs Ricky Steamboat 

Date: 7/27/86 

Event: Toronto House Show

# of Ballots: 4

Avg. Rating: 61.5

High: 36

Low: 75

High Voter: Steven Graham

218. Hulk Hogan vs. Roddy Piper – WWF Title Match 

Date: 2/18/85 

Event: MTV’s “War to Settle the Score” 

# of Ballots: 6

Avg. Rating: 74.5

High: 21

Low: 100

High Voter: Michael DeDamos

217. Men’s Royal Rumble Match 

Date: 1/28/18

Event: Royal Rumble 2018 

# of Ballots: 4

Avg. Rating: 61

High: 25

Low: 94

High Voter: Dennis Nunez

216. Tito Santana vs Greg Valentine 

Date: 6/16/84 

Event: WWF MSG 

# of Ballots: 4

Avg. Rating: 61

High: 24

Low: 93

High Voter: Justin Webb

215. Bruno Sammartino vs. Larry Zbyszko – Steel Cage Match 

Date: 8/9/80 

Event: Showdown at Shea 

# of Ballots: 6

Avg. Rating: 74.33333

High: 15

Low: 97

High Voter: Michael DeDamos

214. Ronnie Garvin vs. Greg Valentine – Submission Match

Date: 1/31/10

Event:  Royal Rumble 1990 

# of Ballots: 5

Avg. Rating: 68.8

High: 48

Low: 97

High Voter: Brian Scala

213. Roman Reigns vs. Daniel Bryan 

Date: 2/22/15

Event: Fast Lane 2015

# of Ballots: 5

Avg. Rating: 68

High: 53

Low: 90

High Voter: Trust Issues

212. Undertaker vs. Jeff Hardy – WWE Undisputed Title Ladder Match 

Date: 7/1/02 

Event: Monday Night Raw 

# of Ballots: 6

Avg. Rating: 73.5

High: 29

Low: 99

High Voter: Jay Hinchey

211. London & Kendrick vs. The Hardy Boyz vs. MNM vs. Regal & Taylor: – WWE Tag Team Title Ladder Match

Date: 12/17/2006 

Event  Armageddon

# of Ballots: 4

Avg. Rating: 59

High: 11

Low: 91

High Voter: Trust Issues

210.  Owen Hart vs. 1-2-3 Kid

Date: 6/19/94

Event: King of the Ring 1994

# of Ballots: 8

Avg. Rating: 79.5

High: 53

Low: 95

High Voter: Calum McDougall

209. CM Punk vs. Jeff Hardy – World Heavyweight Title TLC Match

Date: 8/23/09

Event: SummerSlam 2009 

# of Ballots: 5

Avg. Rating: 66.4

High: 39

Low: 79

High Voter: Trust Issues

208. AJ Styles vs. John Cena 

Date:6/19/16

Event: Money in the Bank 2016 

# of Ballots: 4

Avg. Rating: 57.5

High: 29

Low: 82

High Voter: Jeff

207. John Cena vs. Triple H – WWE Title Match 

Date: 4/2/06

Event: WrestleMania 22

# of Ballots: 4

Avg. Rating: 57.5

High: 26

Low: 73

High Voter: James Proffitt 

206. Chris Jericho vs. Triple H – Last Man Standing Match

Date: 7/23/00

Event: Fully Loaded 2000 

# of Ballots: 5

Avg. Rating: 66.2

High: 34

Low: 87

High Voter: James Derbyshire

205. Hulk Hogan vs. Big Boss Man – Steel Cage Match 

Date: 3/18/89 

Event:MSG Network Madison Square Garden House Show 

# of Ballots: 6

Avg. Rating: 72

High: 26

Low: 97

High Voter: Michael DeDamos

204. Brock Lesnar vs. Braun Strowman vs. Samoa Joe vs. Roman Reigns – WWE Universal Title Match

Date: 8/20/17

Event: SummerSlam 2017 

# of Ballots: 4

Avg. Rating: 57.25

High: 39

Low: 67

High Voter: James Derbyshire

203. Randy Orton vs. Christian – World Heavyweight Title Match 

Date: 5/22/11

Event: Over the Limit 2011 

# of Ballots: 5

Avg. Rating: 66

High: 18

Low: 86

High Voter: Trust Issues

202. Greg Valentine vs. Tito Santana – WWF Intercontinental Title Steel Cage Match

Date: 7/23/85 

Event: Prime Time Wrestling 

# of Ballots: 4

Avg. Rating: 56.75

High: 46

Low: 73

High Voter: Trust Issues

201. The Rock vs. Kurt Angle – WWF Title Match 

Date: 2/25/01

Event: No Way Out 2001

# of Ballots: 5 

Avg. Rating: 65.6

High: 18

Low: 98

High Voter: Kevin Pittack 

200. Bret Hart vs. Ric Flair – WWF Title Match

Date: 10/12/92

Event:  Smack ‘Em, Whack ‘Em Coliseum Home Video

# of Ballots: 3

Avg. Rating: 41

High: 28

Low: 52

High Voter: Trust Issues

That’s it for this week. We’ll be back soon with more match results.

[hazyheel]

WWE NXT 7/31/19 Review

We started out with Tyler Breeze vs. Jaxson Ryker. This was also the first time I noticed that I’ve been spelling Ryker’s name wrong. Jaxson is a dumb name. Spell it normal. So right out of the gate, Jaxson threw Breeze all over the ring, establishing a huge power advantage. He beat the crap out of Breeze for a while, with very little opposition from Breeze. Breeze was able to get a bit of offense in, and rolled up Ryker with a cassadora for the win. 

After the match, all of the Forgotten Sons beat him down in the ring. As they were beating on him, Fandango ran down to his aid in a shock return. The two cleared the ring and then hugged it out. 

Grade: B-. As happy as I was to see Fandango come back in a place where he will be appreciated, this segment still doesn’t get past a B-. The match was okay, and the moment was touching, but it wasn’t much more than that. Still, happy to see the fashion police in NXT.

Then we had another semifinal match of the NXT breakout tournament: Bronson Reed vs. Cameron Grimes. Reed was all over Grimes with his intense power, whereas Grimes tried to wear down his opponent with his hard strikes and some quick thinking. The match had a slow and methodical pace due to the power moves from Reed and the fact that he refused to go down for long. The match was over pretty quick after a series of forearms that ended with a high kick from Grimes. Reed then tried for a huge lariat, but Grimes caught him with a standing double stomp for the win. 

Grade: C. This just wasn’t too good. Reed wasn’t nearly agile enough for Grimes to get the best out of him, but they had some nice strikes here and there. It was an okay match at best, but because of the slow pace and totally dead crowd, I have to move this down some grades. But Grimes deserves that spot in the finals. Him and Myles were my top two picks to win this tournament, so I’m kinda unsure who will be winning. 

Matt Riddle commented on Killian Dain backstage, challenging him to a straight up match. That is scheduled for next week. 

Then we had Shayna Baszler out for a promo. She called out Mia Yim, saying that her message is recieved. She said that attacking Shafir and Duke from behind is not going to help her, because this isn’t a street fight, it’s a professional fight. Baszler said that street rats don’t survive long in her world, so Yim came out. She said that Baszler was scared and that she is in unfamiliar territory. Baszler called her street trash, and they yelled at each other as Baszler held her belt high. 

Grade: C+. Decent promo, kinda cool to see Baszler off her rhythm. But Yim is definitely not going to win this match, she just doesn’t have the star power yet. So despite being a different opponent, she will not win this. I kinda like the story, it is certainly interesting, but not enough to get me too excited for the match. 

Outside of the arena, William Regal and Candice LaRae talked. Io Sharai was banned from the arena, so LaRae asked for a match at Takeover with Sharai, which was granted. Oh I loooooove that. 

And in the main event, we had Roderick Strong vs. Pete Dunne. Roddy had his fingers taped up after Dunne’s attack last week, which is nice continuity. The two started out on the mat, grappling a bit here and there. Dunne targetted the previously injured hand and fingers, often using them to get in on his opponent. The two continued to exchange heavy hits and heavy chops, with the two ending up quite worn out form the fight. Dunne used all of his strength to continue his fighting, hitting an awesome combination of a step up ensiguri, an x plex and a pique kick for a near fall. Dunne then hit a slightly wonky powerbomb for a near fall. Strong worked over the back, as usual, hitting some of the ugliest backbreakers that I have ever seen from him. At one point, the two exchanged huge ensiguris, but when Dunne went for the bitter end, Strong countered into an olympic slam. He went for another, but Dunne countered into a DDT. The two then battled on the top rope, when Dunne went for a sunset flip powerbomb, sending him down onto his own knees. Dunne went for the bitter end, but Strong countered with a high knee and then a tiger driver, reversing the kickout into the stronghold. Dunne then reversed the stronghold into a triangle, getting a hold of the fingers and snapping them until Strong had to tap out. 

After the match, Velveteen Dream entered the ring and had a staredown with Dunne. Dream hit his pose, but Dunne grabbed the fingers and snapped them, and then hit the bitter end to close out the show. 

Grade: B+. Really good main event. The hatred between these two always makes for an interesting match, and it was cool to see that sort of finish from Dunne. Dunne is definitely not gonna win on Saturday, but I am also not sure if he is going to be the one pinned. It’ll certainly be interesting, and it is a match that I am looking forward to. Match of the night. 

Overall Grade: B-

Pros: Main Event

Cons: semifinal match

[beardedbarba]

I LOVE STREET PROFITS

[prowrestlingpost-com]

NEWS: WWE Deliberating NXT Canada Brand

NEWS: WWE Deliberating NXT Canada Brand

There was an interesting tidbit in this week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter: From August 7 to 9, in the lead up to SummerSlam weekend, WWE will be holding tryouts for Canadian wrestlers in Mississauga, a suburb just west of Toronto. SummerSlam and all the associated WWE events, encompassing NXT: Takeover Toronto II, Raw, and Smackdown Live are taking place in Toronto from August 10 to13, so all…

[hollywoodtriangle]

Samoa Joe vs Shinsuke Nakamura: NXT Takeover (Full Match), Jeff Hardy vs Umaga: Raw 2008 (Video)

Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons

Samoa Joe vs Shinsuke Nakamura: NXT Takeover (Full Match)

WWE has uploaded the full match between Samoa Joe and Shinsuke Nakamura from NXT Takeover: Brooklyn II. The two men had a fantastic rivalry down in developmental before heading their separate ways once they made their way to the main roster.

RELATED: WWE Toronto Live Event Results (12/30): Samoa Joe vs Roman Reigns, Matt Hardy vs Bray Wyatt & More! (Photos)

Jeff Hardy vs Umaga: Raw 2008 (Video)

WWE has also uploaded a clip from 10 years ago today, when Jeff Hardy faced Umaga on Monday Night Raw. Hardy is currently on the sidelines with an injury, with many fans expecting him to jump back into a feud with his brother Woken Matt Hardy upon returning.

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The post Samoa Joe vs Shinsuke Nakamura: NXT Takeover (Full Match), Jeff Hardy vs Umaga: Raw 2008 (Video) appeared first on Wrestlezone.

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[hazyheel]

WWE NXT Takeover Toronto II Review

We opened up with the Street Profits vs. The Undisputed Era for the NXT Tag Team Championships. Kyle O’Reilly and Angelo Dawkins started the match. O’Reilly quickly iritated Dawkins, who pushed him into the corner and screamed in his face to show that he is not a joke.  The Street profits worked together very well in the early portion of this match, focusing mostly on Bobby Fish’s arm. Ford had some really nice exchanges early on, and the champions were certainly in the drivers seat. Even when the heels would get a blind tag, it would take a little bit of time before they actually got the advantage. The heels worked over Dawkins a little bit, before Ford got the hot tag. He delivered a littl bit of the Rock’s offense. Eventually Fish and O’Reilly got the advantage again, and began to work over Ford’s leg. There was a great sequence where Fish gave Ford an exploder suplex off the top, which O’Reilly followed up with an elbow drop to the leg. They then had a great submission sequence where Ford was locked in a kneebar, and Fish dropped an elbow on him when he tried to make it to the ropes. Dawkins then broke it up by spinebustering Fish onto O’Reilly, and got a great hot tag, absolutely destroying the Undisputed Era. After a long sequence where they traded blows back and forth, Dawkins gave both Fish and O’Reilly spears, which Ford followed up with a frog splash to O’Reilly for the win. 

Grade: B+. The match started out slow, but it picked up a lot in the end and that pushed the match into the territory of greatness. The closing stretch was very exciting, with hard hits coming from every corner, and the Street Profits really proving their worth as the tag team champions. I don’t know how much longer that they will hold the belts, but they look really good right now. Undisputed Era put them over hard, and it is appreciated.

Then we went right into Candice LaRae vs. Io Sharai. LaRae attacked right away, even before the bell, until the ref pulled them apart. After the official start, Sharai took advantage by taking the match to the outside and delivering a vertical suplex onto the table. Sharai continued to beat down LaRae, working mostly on the neck. LaRae dodged a missile dropkick, and followed up with a brainbuster to take back control. She then locked in a great looking iron octopus. The two continued to fight, and LaRae caught Sharai out of a tiger fang kick and delivered a great hanging neckbreaker. LaRae then gave Sharai a suicide tornado DDT, and followed it up with a double foot stomp in the ring. The two then traded German suplexes, with Sharai delivering a very high angle suplex with a bridge for a near fall. Sharai then went for some sort of move out of a fireman’s carry, but LaRae reversed it into a poison rana, even getting a pinning combination out of it for a near fall. The two then battled to the top rope, with Sharai hitting a top rope spanish fly for an incredible near fall. Sharai then gave LaRae a tiger driver backbreaker, and followed up with the moonsault, but LaRae just wouldn’t stay down. Sharai didn’t know how that happened, but opted to lock in a koji clutch. Sharai then trapped the arm, so that LaRae couldn’t tap out, and forced LaRae to pass out. Sharai won by referee stoppage. 

Grade: A. A brutal match here. LaRae showed a lot of heart here, and sold her ass off, but Sharai’s new lease on life propelled her to victory. LaRae just wouldn’t stay down no matter what Sharai threw at her, but Sharai had the advantage the entire time. LaRae only had flashes of offense, but they were exciting. This was a really really good match, and the best women’s match since Asuka left. 

They were about to start the next match, when Matt Riddle ran out from the crowd. He told Killian Dain to come out and confront him face to face. Dain ran in from the crowd, and they brawled at ringside. Dain came out on top, even stomping on Riddles foot. Riddle was not done though, and attacked Dain as he tried to walk backstage. Riddle then gave him a spinout knee, followed by a literal v-Trigger. Security tried to separate them, but the two stars beat down the various security guys. Riddle then hopped on Dain’s back for a sleeper, so Dain jumped off the stage and put both Riddle and a random security guy through a table. 

Grade: B-. Fun brawl, mostly to get Riddle on the card. Pretty nice stuff, but mostly inconsequential. 

We went right into The North American Championship match: Velveteen Dream vs. Pete Dunne vs. Roderick Strong. Dream came out with a three part entrance: first the Mountie’s old them and some people dressed as Mounties came out. Then they played some more music, and the mounties took off their uniforms and turned out to be the Toronto raptors cheerleaders, who showed danced, and then Dream came in and danced with them a bit while dressed as the mountie. Ah, WWE loves going to Canada. Dream and Dunne were jaw jacking a bit, and Strong was upset that they were ignoring him. They all had sections where they squared off in pairs, going super quick right out of the gate. The faces teamed up on Strong, trying to break his arm and fingers. Dunne and Dream fought each other a bit, with Dream slipping out of a Bitter End, only for Strong to give both of them backbreakers on the apron and barricade. Dunne and Strong squared off for quite a long time, rekindling their old rivalry from last year once again. At one point, Dream had Strong in a wonky looking sharpshooter, but Dunne broke it up with a double foot stomp. Everyone was constantly throwing stiff strikes, no one had room to breath here. At one point, Strong gave Dunne an Olympic slam off the top while Dunne held Dream’s fingers, giving him an arm drag in the process. Dunne and Strong jockeyed for position, with Dunne locking in triangle in the corner, but Dream broke it up with a coast to coast elbow drop. Strong then had a huge sequence where he beat down both of his opponents at once, even locking them both in a Stronghold. At one point, Dunne was going for Dream’s fingers, so Strong took the opportunity to nail a high knee. Dunne then broke both men’s fingers, before giving Strong a bitter end. When he went for the pin, Dream distracted the ref, and when he actually started the count, Dream caught his hand. Dunne was so pissed that he beat the living crap out of Dream. Dream then gave Dunne a Dream Valley Driver Strong then gave Dream a lariat to the outside before giving Dunne the End of Heartache. As he went for the pin, Dream hit them both with the purple rainmaker and got the win.

Grade: A-. This was one of the better versions of a triple threat. All three guys were constantly involved in the action, no one had a chance to rest and they had a lot of creative spots. Dream is getting more and more desperate to retain his championship, evident by interfering with the ref to retain, whereas Dunne is not too happy about his championship draught as of late. I think the two will probably go on to feud for a while after this. Really good stuff here, I am unsure of who will take the belt off of Dream, but it will probably happen soon. 

Next up was Mia Yim vs. Shayna Baszler for the NXT Women’s Championship. Yim had a bunch of people in bandanas at her side when she came down to the ring, which looked pretty badass. Baszler started to use some of her technical ability, but Yim fought dirty right away. Baszler was caught off guard by Yim’s tactics, and couldn’t really keep the advantage for long. Yim quickly targeted the arm, attempting to injure it using the ring steps to her advantage. That definitely hurt her ability to deliver damage, so Baszler got her back by attacking her same arm. Baszler continued to attack the arm with various chicken wing and armbar submissions, with Yim only able to break out by bending the rules. The crowd was absolutely dead during this match, which sucked because there was some good storytelling here. At one point, Yim hit an awesome code blue off the top, but Baszler kicked out. Baszler then caught Yim in a Kirifuda Clutch, so Yim picked the injured arm, forcing her way out of the hold an then snapping the arm the same way Baszler always did. Yim got Baszler in an armbar, but Baszler reversed it into a another Kirifuda clutch. When Yim tried to pick the arm again, Baszler transitioned into a leg triangle choke and got the win. 

Grade: B. It’s really too bad that the crowd wasn’t into this match, because I really liked the story here. Baszler had to really adapt to a street fighter like Yim. Yim always had the answers to fight out of any submission that Baszler tried. Yim fought dirty, and it was super interesting. Yim turned the tables a bit by targetting the arm as well. Yim had a really good shot at winning this here, and almost outsmarted the champion, but Baszler is too disciplined, and was able to get the win anyway. Great story, but I couldn’t really give it more than a B because of the crowd reaction. 

And in the main event, we had Johnny Gargano vs. Adam Cole for the NXT Championship. Three Stages of Hell. The first part of this match is was a straight wrestling match, so naturally they started with a mat wrestling clinic. They countered each other over and over again, until they had a staredown as they both went for a superkick. Both men were constantly avoiding each other’s signature offense, knowing each other super well. At one point, the two the on the outisde, and Cole went for a last shot, but Gargano dodged it and sent him into the steps. Gargano then started to target the leg as they continued to fight, whereas Cole targetted the neck. At one point, Cole gave Gargano a wicked wheelbarrow german suplex into the apron. He followed it up with a great neckbreaker in the ring and then a triangle, only for Gargano to reverse it into an ankle lock. The two constantly traded blows and counters over and over, including one where Cole caught Gargano’s slingshot spear, which looked great. Gargano fought out of it, and actually hit a fisherman’s driver for a near fall. Gargano then went up top, and Cole tried to take him out with a superkick to the leg, but Gargano jumped and gave him a double stomp onto the leg. Cole still fought however, trying for a panama sunrise, but Gargano caught him and nailed a sunset driver for a near fall. The two then fought on the top rope, and Cole tried for a sunset flip powerbomb, but his leg gave out. Gargano then went for a splash, but Cole countered with a codebreaker, but Gargano didn’t go down. Cole went for another wheelbarrow German into the apron, but this time Gargano flipped through it and sent him into the barricade. He then tried for the slingshot spear, but Cole countered with a superkick, then another, and then the brainbuster on the knee for a near fall. Cole then brought a chair in, which the ref got rid of, so Cole nailed a low blow while he back was turned, but Gargano still kicked out. Cole grabbed the chair again, and then started to yell at the ref a bit, but turned aroudn into a superkick. Gargano then whacked Cole with the chair a couple times and got himself disqualified. Cole: 1, Gargano: 0. 

The next fall was a street fight, and Cole tried to run right away, but Gargano just chucked the chair at him, and gave him a suicide dive. Gargano then beat Cole around the crowd, and gave him a superkick. Gargano was using anything as a weapon. At one point, he put Cole in a wheely chair and pushed him into the barricade, and latergave Cole a splash through the barricades a ringside. The two then battled on the announce table, ending when Gargano back dropped Cole through the Spanish announce table. Johnny then grabbed a couple tables and chairs. As Johnny came pack in the ring, Cole caught him with a neckbreaker, and then a brainbuster on a chair. Cole then set up a a chair in the corner, and gave Gargano a low superkick before going for a panama sunrise. Gargano caught him out of it and lawn darted him into the chair, and locked in the Gargano escape for a submisison win. Gargano: 1, Cole: 1.

And in the final fall, a steel cage was lowered. Weapons decorated the cage, and barbed wire laced the top. The ring announcer confirmed that escape was not an option. The two then fought with fast paced striking, before both going to town on each other with Kendo Sticks. They then nailed each other with superkicks at the same time. After getting back to their feel, Gargano nailed a poison rana, and Cole stumbled back into the a chair, so Gargano nailed him with a superkick for a near fall. Gargano set up another table, and Cole wailed on him with a chair and even gave him a backbreaker with his face trapped in a kendo stick. The two then battled on the top rope, so Gargano sprayed him in the face with a fire extinguisher and gave him a tornado DDT onto some chairs for a near fall. Gargano then grabbed a sledgehammer, but Cole stopped him dead in his tracks with a superkick, and then another to the back of the head. Cole then threw a ladder at him from the top rope, which Gargano dodged, only to eat a panama sunrise for a great near fall. Cole then went up to the top of the ladder, jumping off and giving him another Panama sunirse, but nothing would keep Gargano down. Cole then set up Gargano in a chair and went for the Last Shot, but Gargano dodged it and locked in an STF with a kendo stick. Cole bit Gargano’s hand, so Gargano nailed him with a hammer in the gut. Gargano followed that up with a canadian destroyer off the top for a terrifying near fall. Then Gargano opened on of the pouches, and grabbed pliers from it, and he cut off a piece of the barbed wire. Cole tried to run away, but Gargano met him in the top corner of the ring on a platform. The crowd chanted “please don’t die”, and they both fell off the platform as they fought, both going through the tables in the ring. Cole rolled into a cover, almost on instinct and got the win. Cole: 2, Gargano: 1. 

Grade: A. Holy shit, this was a brutal goddamn match. The opening fall was an awesome clinic of wrestling which would have been an excellent match if it had just ended with that. It had a good ending with the chair shot, and a needed one considering how long the two have gone in a single fall in the past. The street fight had some brutal bumps and was a nice change of pace, ending with Gargano’s finisher. And the final fall was pure extreme carnage, a kind of match that we almost never see in WWE. They took insane bumps and they killed each other in that last fall, and it was very very unique. Either guy could have won after that last bump, and Cole just happened to get the win. This was very reminiscent of the Three Stages of Hell match between Triple H and Steve Austin in 2001, and it was tremendous. Not as good as that one, but a certainly fitting way to end this feud. Good stuff to both guys, Gargano killed it and even though he is probably going to take some time away from the main event scene. He is a great talent, and he will win the championship again sometime. As for Cole, he should have a good run at the top. He is a good heel champion, and he has shown that twice now. He made it.  Match of the night. 

Overall Grade: B+. 

Predictions: 4/5 

Pros: Street Profits vs. Undisputed Era; LaRae vs. Sharai; triple threat; main event

Cons: Women’s Championship match had a dead crowd

[hazyheel]

WWE NXT Takeover: Toronto II Predictions

We are headed back to Toronto for Summerslam weekend this year, which means that Takeover will be hosted from the same city. It is certainly an interesting card this time around, with every championship in NXT proper being defended, in addition to a non-title women’s match, which is nice. All of the matches look really good, so let’s just hop right into the list.

The first match on the list is Candice LaRae vs. Io Sharai. During Sharai’s pursuit of the NXT Women’s championship, her and LaRae were best of friends. Sharai had a championship match at Takeover XXV, where Shayna Baszler’s lackey’s tried to get involved, but LaRae beat them down with a kendo stick. Still, Sharai tapped out to the kirifuda clutch, and lost. But after the match, she beat down Baszler and earned herself a rematch. That rematch was inside of a steel cage, and the two beat the hell out of each other. This time, Sharai looked like she was about to escape, when Marina Shafir and Jessamyn Duke came out again to cost her the match. LaRae ran out to support her friend, and helped to beat down the women. In the finish, Sharai was locked in the Kirifuda clutch right in the door frame of the cage as she tried to escape. To get out of the hold, she bashed Baszler’s head with the cage door, causing Baszler to fall out of the cage unconscious, but still winning the match. Afterwards, Sharai brutalized LaRae and blamed her for the loss. Since then, the two have brawled a couple of times, prompting Regal to make the match for Takeover. This is a bit of a tough one to predict, because LaRae is probably next in line for a title shot, but Sharai has had a recent heel turn. Both women need the win, but I would say that LaRae needs it more. It will propel her into the Women’s championship scene, and she can finally be the one to take the belt from Baszler. I doubt this will be the last time these two fight, and it is very possible that Sharai actually takes the women’s championship from LaRae, but right now, the babyface needs it more. This is LaRae’s Takeover debut, at least in a match, and it is the biggest stage that she has ever been on, so I think she will deliver in a big way. Sharai is great and has proved as such, so she is the perfect opponent for a debuting star. I’m excited for this match a lot, a sleeper great match for this card. 

Then, in the first of the championship matches, we have the Street Profits vs. The Undisputed Era for the NXT Tag Team Championships. This is a pretty simple story. The Street Profits won the titles in a ladder match at Takeover XXV, and have proceeded to beat each of the other teams in that match since then. They beat Lorcan and Burch, and then the Forgotten Sons. Fish and O’Reilly are the last team on their list, but they are also probably the best tag team in NXT history. I found this one a bit tough too, considering that the Street Profits have been appearing on Raw lately, but something about their NXT promo makes me think that they are going to retain. The two are really good together, but they haven’t had a breakout tag match yet. They were awesome in the ladder match, but in that sort of environment, big spots are given more attention. So in a straight tag match, they can show all of their talent and establish themselves as good champions and a great team. Of course, we could also end up with the Undisputed Era with the championships, so that the team holds all the gold at the end of the night, but considering how common that is in WWE right now, I think they will hold off on that for a bit. I think the Street Profits will win in a match that will be very good, but maybe just shy of great. 

Then we have a triple threat match for the NXT North American Championship: Velveteen Dream vs. Pete Dunne vs. Roderick Strong. This match was originally just going to be Dream vs. Strong, because Strong pinned Dream in a 6-man tag a few weeks ago. So he had a claim to the title, but Dunne made a shock return to NXT proper, and inserted himself directly into the title picture by virtue of his very long title reign as the WWE UK Champion. He also has a noted history with Roderick Strong, as the two were tag team partners for a couple months before Roddy betrayed him last year to join the Undisputed Era. So we had a triple threat on our hands. I don’t think that Dunne is going to win here, but I do think it is a toss up between Strong and Dream. The only reason I’m picking Dream to retain is that I doubt another stable will hold all the gold in WWE. But if there is any match that I’m going to be wrong about, it will most likely be this one. I think Dream will retain here, but then go on to lose the title to Cameron Grimes after he wins the breakout tournament. But I could definitely see Roddy winning too. This is a match that makes my mouth water, and I’m really excited to see three of the best talents in NXT square off. 

Next up is Shayna Baszler defending the NXT Women’s championship against Mia Yim. The two have had a very violent and personal rivalry, starting in a match where the two beat the hell out of each other for a short period. When Yim was granted this title shot, Baszler, Shafir and Duke all beat her down in the ring and left her laying, calling her gutter trash as they did. In response, Yim channeled her street smarts and put both Shafir and Duke on the shelf with attacks in the parking lot and locker room respectively, saying that now the field is even. Baszler insists that Yim doesn’t deserve a title shot and is not good enough to be on the gold brand, while Yim says that Baszler can’t win without her friends and can’t deal with an opponent who fights dirty. This is an easy pick, Baszler is going to retain. Yim just doesn’t have the star power to take it right now. She is a placeholder. Still, should be an interesting match. 

And in the main event, we have Johnny Gargano vs. Adam Cole three, for the NXT Championship, three stages of hell. It isn’t being billed as that, but it is a much cooler name for when the stipulation changes. This all started back at Takeover New York. The title was vacant, and Gargano was the most recent #1 contender, so he was guaranteed a spot. Cole won a fatal 5-way to be the other competitor, and it was a 2 out of 3 falls match to ensure a decisive winner. Cole won the first fall, but Gargano came back and won the match. Cole said that he would have won in any other match, so he was given a rematch in a straight singles match, and sure enough, he won. So now, Cole has been rubbing his championship in Gargano’s face. He paraded around with the title, going to his wrestling school and telling students to give up, and even showing up at his parent’s restaurant and pinning his picture on the wall. The two brawled several times, so Regal made the match official. He also added the 2 out of 3 falls stipulation, but with a twist. Gargano picks the stip for the first fall, Cole for the second, and regal picks for the third if it comes to that. Gargano picked a street fight, as he has been tapping into a darker side for about a year now, and he wants to embrace that here. Cole picked a straight singles match, as he said that he does not need anything special to win. Regal hasn’t revealed the third stipulation, which adds some intrigue into an otherwise predictable stipulation. And I know I’m picking every champion to retain here, but I really don’t think there is any point in putting the belt back on Gargano. He is better chasing, and he already had a fairytale moment. Cole is a great villain right now, and he should have the belt for a while. For it to mean anything, Gargano is going to need to beat a new foe for the NXT Championship, maybe even Tommaso Ciampa when he returns. Cole should have a nice run, because if he loses it now, then it will be way too much hot potatoing for my liking. The last two matches have been great, although I question the A+ I gave the second match in hindsight, and I have high hopes for this match. They killed it twice before, make it a hatrick.

So, those are my predictions. No title changes I don’t think, but anyone in the Undisputed Era can concievably win their match. It’s a toughy for a lot of them, which makes the pay per view that much more exciting. I can’t wait for tomorrow night. 

[beardedbarba]

jsyk if i wasn’t completely terrified of candice lerae i’d be a johnny gargano thot