Tag: karrion kross

A “huge announcement” is set to be made on tonight’s episode of NXT.

NXT general manager William Regal will make the announcement at the start of tonight’s show. He tweeted today: “Serving as the General Manager [of] #WWENXT has been an incredible honor. To see the men and women of this brand over the last couple of months has been inspiring and invigorating. Tonight’s major announcement will be yet another step forward for @WWENXT”

The last time that a major announcement was hyped for NXT, it was Triple H, Shawn Michaels, and Road Dogg announcing TakeOver: In Your House for June. NXT’s next TakeOver special was scheduled to be TakeOver: Boston during SummerSlam weekend next month. An official announcement regarding that event has yet to be made.

Three matches have also been confirmed for tonight’s show. Karrion Kross will face off with Dominik Dijakovic, Dexter Lumis will take on Killian Dain, and Shotzi Blackheart will face Aliyah.

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The show opened with William Regal saying that Keith Lee had a message, and Regal then threw it to Lee. Lee talked about recently winning the NXT Championship and the North American Title. Lee was again able to pay homage to his late trainer, “Killer” Tim Brooks. This week there was even B-roll showing a graphic memorializing Brooks. 

Lee went on to say he was “limitless”, but he would bot be “limiting” to the NXT roster. He knows how hard they work for opportunities. Make no mistake, he will defend the NXT CHampionship as much as he possibly can — but he is relinquishing the North American Championship. He wants as many people as possible to have an opportunity at winning that title.

Regal admired Lee for his “wonderful and noble gesture.” Regal also announced a series of triple threat matches. Winners of those matches advance to ladder match at TakeOver on August 22 to decide the new NXT North American Champion.

Dexter Lumis defeated Killian Dain

Lumis submitted Dain clean in the middle. 

Lumis was in control with whatever it is his gimmick is supposed to be, and the fight spilled outside. Lumis seemingly for no reason turned his back to Dain, glared in the direction of the referee. When Lumis turned back around he walked into a flying crossbody on the floor from Dain. From there, Dain worked over Lumis through a commercial break.

Lumis fired up after the break, and he executed a spinebuster followed by a bunch of punches. Lots of punching in this match actually. Lumis executed a back suplex, kipped-up, and then leapt into a legdrop. I shouted “look at him” at the TV like I was David Crockett calling this one.

Dain soon cut off Lumis and dropkicked him into a corner. He followed with a cannonball, a powerbomb and a flying elbow for a two count. Lumis answered back moments later with an uranage. Lots of clubbering. Lumis flew off the top with a senton bomb. Lumis applied his sleeper hold finisher, and Dain passed out. The referee checked the arm, and then called for the bell.

Lumis stared into the distance after the match as his creepy music played. 

In one of the triple threat matches mentioned earlier, tonight’s qualifier is Roderick Strong vs. Johnny Gargano vs. Bronson Reed. They all faced off in a backstage skit that was right off an episode of Monday Night Raw.

Breezango (Tyler Breeze & Fandango) defeated Ever-Rise (Chase Parker & Matt Martel)

Breezangio spoofed The Mountie during their entrance. They had gear that made them look the modern rebirth of The Quebecers. At one point Fandango put on his cosplay Mountie hat, saluted, and did what the announcers called a “Mountie dive”. I don’t recall that. Was that a thing? I don’t remember The Mountie doing dives. Not even when Jacques was a Fabulous Rougeaus. 

Breezanngo delivered stereo superkick, and Breeze scored the pinfall for the easy victory in an enhancement match.

Dominik Dijakovic in a backstage interview said last week in a brawl Karrion Kross “smashed my head against the concrete,” but tonight “he’s getting a fresh Dominik Dijakovic”. I don’t think that is how head injuries work, but there I guees is creative license and all. Dijakovic vowed to knock Kross unconscious.

Shotzi Blackheart defeated Aliyah (with Robert Stone)

Balckheart pinned Aliyah clean in this grudge match. Stone still wore a walking boot selling his foot injury. He also got involved during the finish, and Blackheart ran over his other leg with the tank after the match.

Blackheart has a new thing where she hollers “welcome to the ball pit.” After screaming this again later in the match, she delivered a blow that Gorilla Monsoon would have certainly questioned as being below the bread basket.

Aliyah cut off Blackheart for the heat. Aliyah did a cool spot where she did a combo of Northern Ligtht suplexes for a pinning attempt. Blackheart with a comeback that led into a backdrop driver for a near fall. Aliyah countered with a roll-up, and her feet on the ropes for leverage. The ref caught her in the act.

Stone got on the apron, and Blackheart booted him in the face. He took a big bump. Blackheart leapt off the top with diving senton, and then she covered Aliyah for the pinfall.

Stone was selling his leg after the match. Blackeart got into her tank, and she ran over his good leg. Mercedes Martinez ran down and attacked Blackheart. She stared at Stone, but she did not help him. Martinez backed away as Aliyah in a comical way kept trying to lift the tank off of Stone’s leg.

A vignette hyped Isaiah “Swerve” Scott.

Bronson Reed defeated Johnny Gargano and Roderick Strong in a triple threat match to qualify for a ladder match at TakeOver

Reed pinned Strong in the closing minutes of an exciting match. Reed in winning this match qualifies for the ladder match at TakeOver to decide the next NXT North Amercian Champion.

Reed played Goliath against two Davids. Reed manhandled them before a commercial break. When the show returned from the break, Reed was still mowing them down. Then came a wicked looking spot where Strong hit Reed with a running knee strike on the apron. Strong then splatted on the front, and it looked awfully painful. 

Strong and Gargano sort of teamed up on Reed. They begrudgingly joined forces to work, but Reed still hulked up. Strong dashed his hopes with a leg lariat. Reed powered out to backdrop Strong. Gargano then catapulted Strong into a low blow on Reed. That put Reed out of the match momentarily.

Gargano with a slingshot spear on Strong, quickly followed Gargano launching himself into a tope. Strong countered him a moment later with a backbreaker. Reed rejoined the match, and he cleaned house like a bull in a glass warehouse. 

Reed threw around Strong and Gargano. When Reed went to gorilla press Gargano, Strong came with a blingside chop block. Strong was able to lift Reed for an Olympic Slam, but Gargano tossed Strong outside trying to steal the pin. Reed nevertheless kicked out.

Reed was tied in the ropes and Gargano was able to tee off when Strong caught Gargano with a backbreaker. Strong then hit Reed with a flurry of strikes. Gagrano again sent Strong outside. Gargano with a baseball slide, and Strong with a wheelbarrow counter. They started trading strikes when Reed wiped them both out on a dive to the outside.

After a commercial break, Reed lifted both Strong and Gargano on his shoulders for a Samoan Drop. They built to a heckuva spot. Reed had Gargano in an electric chair. Strong went to execute a Doomsday Device. Gargano ducked so Srong missed, and Gargano gave Reed a poison rana. Strong went to steal the pin, but Gargano broke that up.

Strong assisted Gargano in giving Reed a powerbomb off the apron to the floor. That in effect took Reed out of the match…or did it? 

Strong rocked Gargano with a wrecking ball dropkick. Strong got a near fall soon thereafter. An attempted Gargano Esacpe was countered by Strong into a Boston crab. Gargano sent Strong into the corner like a lawn dart. Strong answered back with a backbreaker. Gargano responded with a slingshot DDT.

Gargano was going for a cover when flew off the top rope into the picture with a splash on Strong. Reed then pinned Strong to win the match and qualify for the ladder match at TakeOver.

Timothy Thatcher pinned Oney Lorcan 

Thatcher pinned Lorcan after a clever pinning combination. This was great!

This was tremendous as a pure wrestling match. It was also night and day different from the previous match on the show. The triple threat was all action. This match had action too, but it was much more technincal. The realism made this stand out from anything else on the show. ‘

Thatcher targeted an arm throughout the first half of the match. The irony is Thatcher was posted shoulder first sandwiching his arm into the ring post. The show cut to commercial, and Thatcher somehow had an advantage when the show returned from the break.

They were both fighting for wrist control when Lorcan countered by sweeping the leg. Lorcan applied a half crab, which is a callback to previous segments with Thatcher. Lorcan in another callback applied a Fujiwara armbar. 

Thatcher used a fish hook to escape, but Lorcan answered him with a suplex for a near fall. Thatcher was reeling as Lorcan peppered him with chops.

Lorcan fought for a wrist lock, but Thatcher had a clever counter. He swept the leg while still in the hold, and Thatcher got into a pinning combination with Lorcan’s shoulders both down on the mat. The referee counted three to end a beautiful and believable match.

Robert Stone was backtsage selling his leg. Mercedes Martinez approached him to say she needed someone to handle the big matches, look over the contracts, and handle all the “crap” she doesn’t care about that is outside the ring. Martinez wanted to focus on what she does best — hurting people in the ring. Stone accepted her offer. Martinez warned him not to overstep his boundries, or she vowed to break both his legs. They shook hands, and Stone welcomed her to The Robert Stone Brand.

Finn Balor in a vignette cut a promo setting his sights on the North Amercian Championship. Next week he faces Timothy Thatcher and Dexter Lumis in a triple threat match qualifying match.

Karrion Kross (with Scarlett) defeated Dominik Dijakovic

Kross submitted Dijakovic as Keith Lee watched his friend get choked out.

Early in the match, Dijakovic powered out to attempt his finisher. Kross with a counter to escape. Dijakovic with  strike knocked Kross out of the ring. The announcer put over how Kross sold the spot since hardly anyone has gotten that kind of offense on him since he debuted in NXT. 

The fight spilled outside the ring. Dijakovic rocked Kross with a kcik. Kross soon cut him off nonetheless. Kross planted Dijakovic with a DDT before a commercial break.

Dijakovic tried to fire up, but Kross dashed that hope with Saito suplex. Kross went for his submission finisher, but Dijakovic escaped for the time being. Dijakovic made a comeback with a series of strikes. Dijakovic with a sit-out chokeslam got a near fall. Dijakovic followed with a tope con giro over the ropes to the floor.

Kross sent Dijakovic crashing into the ring steps. Kross measured before he took a running start to kick the steps, which supposedly smashed Dijakovic in the head. Kross eventually rolled Dijakovic back into the ring. Kross got in the mount and repeatedly hit Dijakovic with strikes. Dijakovic was almost defenseless. Keith Lee had apparently seen enough, and he came out to ringside. 

There was a scene right out of Rocky IV when Apollo Creed doesn’t want to stop the match against the monster heel. Lee was Rocky Balboa having to watch his friend beaten down. Dijakovic pleaded not to stop the match, saying it was his call. Well, yeah, his and the referee. The ref bless his heart kind of looked like a goof in this match as he could have stopped the match several times, and he could have counted both out also during the ring step spot. But no, he was helpless in watching Kross torture Dijakovic.

They went back to Rocky IV, as Kross grabbed Dijakovic in his clucthes to finish the job. Kross applied a sleeper, and Lee had to sit by and watch as his friend was choked out. Lee got in the ring to check on Dijakovic.