– NXT North American Champion Ricochet, Velveteen Dream & Keith Lee defeated The Undisputed Era (NXT Tag Team Champions Kyle O’Reilly & Roderick Strong and Bobby Fish) w/ Adam Cole
Two matches were taped for the next episode of NXT television prior to TakeOver: Chicago.
In matches that were both set up last week, Bianca Belair defeated Dakota Kai and War Raiders defeated The Mighty (TM61). Belair vs. Kai was taped second and was said to be good and competitive. The crowd was also into War Raiders.
Belair interrupted an interview with Kai on last week’s show. Belair said she’s the person who should have been being interviewed, that she’s the best, and that Kai needs to get to the back of the line after failing against Shayna Baszler. Kai then challenged her to a match.
War Raiders responded to The Mighty putting the tag team division on notice by destroying an enhancement team and saying they’ll show Shane Thorne & Nick Miller what mighty really is.
When TakeOver went off the air, Candice LeRae helped Johnny Gargano to the back after his street fight loss against Tommaso Ciampa:
NXT will follow up on TakeOver when they return to Full Sail University for TV tapings this coming Thursday.
The Big News: For the second time in a month, Shinsuke Nakamura defeated Samoa Joe in a steel cage match. It’s almost as if they re-aired the same match.
The Medium News: DIY beat the locals for the second week in a row, this time beating TM61.
The Little Beaver-sized News: Multiple times during the show the announcers told off the crowd for chanting “10” during inappropriate times.
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The Revival defeated Riddick Moss & Tino Sabbatelli
The only two-time NXT Tag Team Champions kicked things off this week. The top guys squared off with Riddick Moss & Tino Sabbatelli, who took part in the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic in a losing effort against TM61.
Moss started things off with Dawson and got a very close near fall in the first two minutes of the match with a roll-up.
Moss and Sabbatelli’s timing was all over the place as teammates, to the point that they were either running into each other or needing to slow down as the other hadn’t set up their next move yet. Despite being the more popular team, Revival got the heat on Moss. Sabbatelli got the hot tag, which the fans booed. He ran wild while the fans ran mild.
The finish saw Moss and Sabbatelli get a bunch of near falls in an effort to give them some degree of credibility. The fans didn’t quite buy it, but they did celebrate when Revival hit the Shatter Machine for the win.
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Tye Dillinger & Buddy Murphy defeated Bobby Roode & Elias Samson
Just in case you were worried that NXT heels were too popular, here is Elias Samson, who the fans were all over with chants. Buddy Murphy got a nice reaction in his hometown, but it was sadly the weakest of everyone in the match.
Murphy and Roode worked well together. As soon as Dillinger tagged in, Roode tagged out. They mentioned Dillinger was on a losing streak, so we’re either not including his win over Eric Young a few weeks ago or are considering this outside of the chronological order of the show. Dillinger tossed Roode off the top rope a few minutes later, so Roode was a-ok wrestling Dillinger at that point.
Roode went for the 10 punches, but the fans constantly chanted “one” at him. Roode got down to mock the crowd, so Dillinger took his head off with a superkick and then made a hot tag to Murphy. Murphy and Dillinger ran wild on the heels and Dillinger pinned Samson with the Tye Breaker.
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Ember Moon defeated Liv Morgan and Billie Kay in a triple threat match
Billie Kay, from Sydney, got a bigger reaction in Melbourne than Buddy Murphy from Melbourne. Morgan did her rolling body scissors that she did last week, and just like last week the referee dropped for a one count during the nano-second Kay’s shoulders were down.
We got a spot where Morgan went for a cover on Kay, but she kicked out with authority and Morgan fell on Moon. When Moon kicked out she fell on Kay. This continued for five or six rotations until Moon grew tired of these shenanigans. Kay threw Morgan outside the ring and she landed awkwardly on Moon.
Moon used a back handspring punch in the face and climbed the turnbuckles. Morgan climbed up after, but Kay powerbombed her off the top and then Moon pinned Kay with The Eclipse.
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NXT Tag Team Champions DIY defeated TM61
Can TM61 come home, climb the proverbial mountain, and become the reigning, undisputed NXT Tag Team Champions?
Spoiler: No.
The fans’ excitement for TM61 seemed to go in and out during the match. Hour two of the show kicked off with Shane Thorne going for some kind of back handspring move, but Tommaso Ciampa kicked him in the face.
Johnny Gargano ran wild, but when he went for the tag, Ciampa was injured on the floor outside, so Gargano did a tornado DDT on Nick Miller, running off Thorne. In a double team move, Miller gave Thorne a sit-down powerbomb while he was giving Ciampa a superplex. It wasn’t really explained why except maybe more power on the superplex?
The match got very good at the finish, as TM61 got a lot of false finishes before doing the job at the end. Unlike with Moss and Sabbatelli earlier, the fans thought there was a chance TM61 would win.
After the match, the fans gave the challengers a standing ovation, so DIY came back down and shook their hands.
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Next week:
Asuka is in action
DIY vs. The Revival for the tag titles
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NXT Champion Shinsuke Nakamura defeated Samoa Joe in a steel cage match to retain his title
Much like last week, this was the complete match and not the edited version that aired a few weeks ago. Unlike last week, the whole match didn’t necessarily make it any better.
I suddenly understood why the middle of this match was edited out the first time when the crowd was so quiet that one person tried to get a “Let’s go Cena/Cena sucks” chant by himself. That was followed by a “We want blood” chant from five people.
So that does it for this week. Next week we are back to normal as we return to Full Sail University. Until then, thank you all for reading and remember to say your vitamins and take your prayers!
Murphy won via pinfall in a fun house show match. He got one of the best reactions of his WWE career given that he’s from Australia.
– Andrade “Cien” Almas defeated Oney Lorcan
Almas won with the knees in the corner.
– Ember Moon defeated Billie Kay
Moon won with the top rope stunner. Kay played heel despite being from Australia.
– Elias Samson defeated Akira Tozawa
The Drifter came out and got more boos than anyone else on the show. He serenaded us with a song and was interrupted by Tozawa’s entrance. Drifter won with a powerbomb off the turnbuckle and with his feet on the ropes.
– NXT Tag Team Champions DIY (Johnny Gargano & Tommaso Ciampa) defeated Tino Sabbatelli & Riddick Moss to retain their titles
DIY won with their double team finish in a good match. They did a good job carrying Sabbatelli and Moss.
– William Regal came out to thank the fans. He mentioned how the past five years with NXT has been the most rewarding stage of his career.
– Bobby Roode defeated Tye Dillinger
Probably the best match on the show, it was very similar to their TakeOver match. Roode won with his finish. Both guys were very over with the crowd.
– NXT Women’s Champion Asuka defeated Peyton Royce to retain her title
Fun match. Asuka’s mannerisms in the ring are really something. Royce played heel as well (and was taunted by the crowd for being from Sydney). She did a good job in the role. Asuka won with her kick finish.
– NXT Champion Shinsuke Nakamura & TM61 defeated Samoa Joe & The Revival
Nakamura was super over. It was my first time seeming him live and his charisma is something special. TM61 got a reaction on a level far beyond any of the other Aussies, with this being their hometown and a pretty substantial portion of the crowd having seen them at the start of their career in Perth’s local indies.
Thorne entered wearing a West Coast Eagles jersey and Miller was wearing a Fremantle Dockers jersey (the two Australian Rules football clubs in Perth, who have a pretty fierce rivalry between them).
Nakamura won with the Kinshasa on Dash, while Thorne dove on Joe on the outside and Miller dove on Dawson. The three celebrated and then Nakamura went to the back and TM61 closed the show celebrating with the fans.
– Cedric Alexander defeated Beautiful Blonde Blake
Alexander hit the Lumbar Check for the victory.
– Dan Matha cut an in-ring promo
– Hideo Itami defeated Noah Potjes
Itami won it with the GTS.
– Daria Berenato defeated Peyton Royce
Berenato locked in the gogoplata for the submission.
– Sanity (Sawyer Fulton, Alexander Wolfe & Nikki Cross) defeated TM61 & Ember Moon
Fulton and Wolfe hit their double team finish for the win. After the match, Moon hit her top rope stunner on Cross so she and TM61 could stand tall and send everyone home happy.
Swann got the pin, but he seemed to be shaken up at the end of the match. He was talking to the trainer on the way back to the dressing room, and clutching at his stomach/side.
– Tye Dillinger defeated Tino Sabbatelli
– Ember Moon defeated Peyton Royce
– Austin Aries defeated Hideo Itami
Aries won after a low blow with the ref’s back turned. Itami hit the GTS after the match.
– Bobby Roode defeated No Way Jose
Both guys got dueling chants, crowd was into both men and seemed to be split 50/50.
– NXT Women’s Champion Asuka defeated Daria Berenato to retain her title
Berenato was doing her MMA fighter gimmick, with gloves and everything. Asuka got the win with the Asuka Lock.
– NXT Champion Shinsuke Nakamura & TM61 defeated Samoa Joe & NXT Tag Team Champions The Revival
Nakamura pinned Wilder after the Kinshasa. Fun six-man tag, definitely the best match of the night. After the match, Nakamura got on the mic and thanked the crowd for coming out.
The arena was mostly sold through, with some pockets of empty seats here and there. Crowd was hot all night, biggest pops were for Roode and his entrance music, Itami, Jose, Joe, and Nakamura.
Nakamura was crazy over with the crowd. Everyone got decent time to work and the matches were decent to good. Fun show.
I’m here in Cocoa Beach FL, where they are expecting approximately 250.
– Liv Morgan beat Nikki Glencross
Fun opener with heel antics by Nikki, telling people to shut up, declaring herself the best in the galaxy, and all while womanhandling Liv. Towards the finish, Liv was able to matrix under a clothesline to begin her comeback, hit a big monkey flip out of the corner, a high spin kick and a standing moonsault for the win.
– Alexander Wolfe beat Kishan Raftaar
Crowd wasn’t in to this as neither are have been on TV that much, if at all. Both guys were heckled with “USA” chants for the two foreigners. Wolfe kept working the armbar and finally put Kishan away with an arm submission.
– Noah beat Steve Cutler
Cutler had the heel advantage early, as Noah just wanted a handshake and to be friends. Crowd chanted BFF to encourage him yet Cutler took the cheap shot. Noah fired up to hit a pop up powerbomb for the win.
– Wesley Blake beat Bronson Mathews
New ambient trance music for Blake who wearing trunks and boot tassels. Headlocks were traded early. Crowd was all giggles as Blake ended up with a wedgie. Blake then settled his trunks, went to the top, and hit a splash for the win.
– Andrade “Cien” Almas beat Angelo Dawkins
A lot of trash talk by Dawkins which prompted loud “WHAT?” chants. Front face lock and headlocks by Dawkins to keep Andrade grounded. The finish saw some flashy moves by Andrade such as a wheelbarrow bulldog and smooth rope running before the running knees to Dawkins in the corner.
– Oney Lorcan beat Tino Sabbatelli
Physical match. We got a lot of aggressive chin locks by Tino. Oney finally fired up and hit the running blockbuster for the win.
– In ring promo by the debuting Binky Blairwho says she’s going to be the “ist” of NXT: prettiest, baddest, etc.
– Daria beat Billie Kay
Billie taunted Daria early with her fancy gloves, so Daria got upset and threw down her own MMA gloves, and the fight was on. After some action, Daria locked in what looked like an triangle armbar for the submission.
– TM61 and Mojo Rawley beat The Authors of Pain and Bobby Roode
NXT Florida debut for Roode who entered to a Queen-esque theme that declared he is “Glorious!”. Roode was a heel and hid behind the Authors at times, worked over whomever he was working with, and looked great doing so. The finish saw TM61 hit their double team spinebuster finisher on Roode with Shane Thorne getting the pin for his team.
