Hi guys JCH here volunteering to cover NXT for the site. I wouldn’t call myself a standard reviewer more a train of thought based on what I see...
MATT RIDDLE v PUNISHMENT MARTINEZ
It's a new post-Takeover cycle of NXT and we are greeted with MY MAN Matt Riddle off the top. I first saw Matt Riddle at Evolve Dallas against Zack Sabre Jr in just his 34th match. This was my first Indy Show outside of Ring of Honor, so My Indy fandom over the past 2 and a half years has coincided with Riddle’s rise.
He’s been over to the UK a load of times and has joined us for a post show beer on a few occasions. Super nice dude I wish him the very best. Also, if you don’t know him from the Indy’s check out the Arrival series on him running on I think the performance centre Youtube. Some good background story on a guy whose dream is coming true.
Anyway enough fawning over Rids, although you should probably get used to that. His opponent is Punishment Martinez, a very large man who I’ve mainly heard of through ROH. These two both trained at Monster Factory I believe and had a really nice 5 or 6 minute match.
The highlight being Martinez countering a jumping forearm with an awesome looking cyclone kick. Rids pick up the win with the Bromission after Punishment almost fought out of it. Nice debut for Martinez, who I think will have a good future here even if he has to wait a while due to the current logjam of talent in an hour long show.
Riddle shows he’s been going to hardcam class after the match by leading the ‘Bro’ chant in the middle of the ring and does us all a favour by blocking the NXT front row guy for most of it. You know the one, usually wears an Everton shirt and goes red in the face shouting at Ciampa calling him the devil.
Love to see people having fun, that guy cracks me up. As Rids celebrates at the top of the ramp Kassius Ohno levels him with the spinning elbow. Looks like we will get a longer match between these two. Excellent.
RICOCHET INTERVIEW
Short interview with Ricochet calling him a highlight of every Takeover he’s been on. We’ll find out what’s next for the North American Champion next week.
HEAVY MACHINERY VIDEO PACKAGE
Video package with Heavy Machinery. They’re undefeated for six months and they want a title shot at Undisputed Era. Package contained a shot of Dozovic mock strangling the aforementioned front row fan. Their NXT story is not complete until they win the tag titles.
WOMEN'S NO. 1 CONTENDERSHIP
Regal tweet announcing 4-way women No.1 contender match. Bianca Belair has already qualified at a Live Event. I love Bianca. She’s been great ever since her debut in last year’s MYC. Improving quickly and has top offence and character work.
RAUL MENDOZA & HUMBERTO CARILLO v FORGOTTEN SONS
Tag Team action - Raul Mendoza and Humberto Carrillo? They’re taking on the Forgotten Sons. Wesley ‘Janetty’ Blake and Steve Cutler in action. The other dude. - Jackson Ryker I think he’s called on the bench today. If they wore masks he’d be able to join in under Lucha House Rules.
Fun match with clash of styles. Both teams using different kinds of double teams. The speed and athleticism of the babyfaces against the more power based offence of the heels. Carrillo looks very impressive here. Blake nailed some weird move in the ropes, set up for the draping DDT but instead hit a double knee to the head. Looked bloody painful whatever it was. Followed up with a double team finisher - the Forgotten Sons win!
Fun match. Sons pick up the win as they seem like the featured team right now, but decent outing for the losers, Carrillo especially impressed me.
VELVETEEN DREAM INTERVIEW
Interview with the Velveteen Dream. He pauses the interview to start his music playing in the background before continuing. What a man. What’s next for him? He goes on a tangent about how everyone is still talking about him so he wins, despite his loss at Takeover. He then tells ‘Queen Cathy’ what’s next for him is leaving her and shuts off his music. Brilliant from the Dream.
UNDISPUTED ERA PROMO
Undisputed Era background interview. Always fun. Top boy Bobby Fish takes the lead this time. Promo on EC3 who he decimated with a chair a few weeks ago. Strong and Kyle call out the Tag Team division with their dorky heel promos which work so well. They also build up to a match with Heavy Machinery.
Adam Cole chips in at the end saying they are Undisputed. Nice to see a mix up of who they’re featuring most in the Era. Cole is obviously their long term star, even though for me he’s the weakest member of the group, but I like that they let Bobby take lead here as he re-establishes himself following his injury,
War Raiders injury update - Hanson - broken ribs, ruptured spleen and torn ligaments from War Games. Raiders will be out for a while which is a shame, but will allow a small TV feud for Era and Machinery.
DAKOTA KAI v SHAYNA BASZLER
Dakota Kai vs Shayna Baszler up next. These two have a fair bit of history and recently Kai evened up odds for Kairi in her feud with Shayna and the other horsewomen. Shayna is accompanied by Jessamyn Duke and Marina Shafir here. Those two are pretty funny on the way out. Reminding me of Kyle O’Reilly. Two really good talents here.
“Ronda’s shadow” chant from the crowd. I’m a Full Sail student and can get tickets for free to these shows. Sadly you have to get them in person and I study online from England so haven’t managed it yet. One day!
Shayna tries to break Kai’s arm again. Dakota just moves out the way. Shayna is such a great bully. Just kicking Kai in the head. Kai fires up and repays the favour. Big running corner kicks from Kai, then Brutal knees from Shayna. Another kick from Kai. Big double footstomp off the top! Shayna kicks out. Straight back to the arm. Kai headbutts her off the top rope!
Baszler responds with a step up enziguri with Kai on the top followed by gut wrench superplex. This is great. Kai with kicks comes off the ropes, Baszler takes her out with a defensive roll into the Kirifuda Clutch for the win.
Really good match. Kai has some great offence and I love Shayna’s bully character. Post match beatdown by all 3 on Kai…..wonder where this is going….here comes Io Shirai! She takes out Duke and Shafir. Baszler back for more, but Io takes her out as well. Bayzler prone in the corner for the Kai boot but Duke and Shafir pull her out of harms way just in time.
Top stuff. I’m not sure how ready to be in the ring Duke and Shafir are yet, but I presume we’ll find out in a six woman tag soon.
DONOVAN DIJAKOVIC PROMO
Dijakovic promo video - Get this man on telly. Great wrestler. Him vs Ashmore in The Dome. Check it out on Progress On Demand!
TOMASSO CIAMPA IN RING
Tomasso Ciampa up next. Ciampa has astounded me with how well he’s done. When I first saw him, he was in ROH and was a good worker, but he’s taken the ball and ran with it. He’s Phillip Lindsay, your undrafted free agent who’s probably going to the pro bowl. Mauro describes him as ‘Toxic’.
Shout out to the comms by the way, Mauro is great. Nigel and Percy have I think hilarious back and forth. Percy was pretty bad when he started out, but it’s developmental and he has developed into a decent member of WWE’s strongest commentary team.
Ciampa in the ring and Front Row Guy (FRG from now on) is leading the ‘You Sucks’ looking like he may explode. Never change FRG!
Ciampa starts calling out individual members of the crowd, please call out FRG, he doesn’t. Ciampa calls out Mauro, callback to the spot at Takeover, as he continues to be a fantastic bastard. He brags a lot. Who’s going to interrupt him?
Here we go. Ally Black! This man has a presence. Huge Aleister chants. Black blames Ciampa for Gargano’s sins and says he will absolve Ciampa of his too and evokes his rematch for Takeover, Phoenix.
Here’s Johnnnnnny. Calls Black ‘Al’. Hahaha. He’s not finished with Black yet. Ciampa calls him Johnny Badass. “Johnny Badass” chant. Ciampa manipulating things - he suggests they should have a cage match. Great stuff this from Tomasso. Love the dynamic change between Ciampa and Gargano since Johnny’s turn. Ciampa has been smashing it with praise for Johnny on twitter as well.
Gargano wants the cage match. Black tries for Black mass, Johnny avoids it, Black Mass on an unsuspecting Ciampa on the apron. Great segment. My advice is watch it.
NXT SUMMARY
Really strong episode this for me, three solid matches with the highlight for me being Kai and Baszler, and a really strong main event segment. Apologies if my review is all over the place, as I said: I literally type what I’m thinking half the time then remember to try and convey the action!
STARS OF THE SHOW
Tomasso Ciampa
Dakota Kai
Shayna Baszler
Matt Riddle
MOST IMPROVED STOCK
Humberto Castillo.
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