Hello loyal readers, JCH here bringing you my live watch NXT random thought train. I know we have Ricochet vs Adam Cole in what I presume is the Main Event. I can’t remember if anything else was advertised in advance. Can Adam Cole continue to impress me after When Worlds Collide? Let’s see. This Is N X T.
Out first is Dominik Dijakovic. Is this the tapings set where we see more of the likes of Dijakovic and Lee after their outings in WWC? His opponent is Shane Thorne, so I guess so.
Shane Thorne is running a ‘brings out the worst’ gimmick. Pretty sure he had a t-shirt tucked in his trousers that said Worst on it. FRG has taken his Everton bobble hat off.
Dominik Dijakovic vs Shane Thorne
Nice early barrage of kicks from Thorne. Been watching his Stardom tapes. Dijakovic has been positioned as the face here which is slightly different to what he’s been before I think. He comes back with a striking barrage off his own, then vertical suplex tosses Thorne across the ring.
Thorne turns a goozle into an armlock and hits an impressive side suplex. Dijakovic superkicks Thorne off the top rope to the outside then hits a springboard corkscrew plancha.
For those of you who haven’t seen Dijakovic on the Indies, he has some serious shit in his locker. I hope they let him do the Fosbury Flop.
Feast your Eyes finishes Thorne off.
Was not a long match, but Thorne got in some good stuff and Dijakovic is starting to bring his arsenal to the table. He is impressing people already and he’s only scratching the surface. This reminded me a bit of the Martinez vs Riddle match from a couple of months ago in that both guys looked decent coming out, but they obviously have much bigger plans for one of them right now.
Backstage with the Era - They all talk up how they may have hit some speed bumps, but they will still get all the gold. Bobby and Kyle are back together as a tag team and Roddy is going for singles gold. Cole finishes off by running down Ricochet before tonight’s main event.
The big news coming out of that was the Announcement of ReDRagon reforming. Kyle and Roddy have been excellent as a team, but I think Roddy has more chance of singles success than Bobby, so I think it makes sense to reform the Baddest Team on God’s Green!
Io Shirai post-match interview from last week - Io showed she can pin Shayna and she is coming for the Women’s title. Bianca Belair interrupts who says she had Shayna pinned first and she’s first in line for the title. I look forward to any and all combinations of these women matching up.
Humberto Carillo and Stacey Irvin Jr are in the ring for a tag match but are interrupted by Kassius Ohno. He starts to cut down the Full Sail crowd. Ohno tells the crowd he’s out of here, he’s leaving. Keith Lee comes up behind him and knocks him out with a rolling elbow.
Lee takes the mic ‘OhNo’ Then he tells Ohno not to let the door hit him in the ass on his way out. Apologies to Carrillo and Irvin Jr, apologizes to the audience and says let’s get back on with the show. Out comes the Street Profits. Montez Ford lies down next to Ohno and mocks him. It was pretty funny.
Great performance on the mic from Keith Lee, someone I haven’t seen cut many promos. He was confident and natural. Great job.
Humberto Carillo and Stacey Irvin Jr vs The Street Profits
Nice counters and athleticism into a standoff to start from Humberto and Ford. Ford then with the gut kick during a handshake and the Profits are in control until Carrillo’s athleticism gets the better of them. Stacey Irvin Jr casually knocks out a standing Shooting Star Press as his 2nd ever TV move. Comms making notice of the increased aggression being show by the Profits. The fact that having fun didn’t lead them to any signature wins. It’s a simple, sensical story.
Ford hits a sort of Package back drop on Irvin Jr. Even Mauro doesn’t have a name for that. Carrillo goes for a springboard arm drag on Dawkins who throws him into the air, and he catches Ford half way across the ring with an arm drag of his own. Bloody great. The audience seemed to miss that. Ridiculously high missile drop kick from the top Humberto.
He jumped out of the Hard Cam shot. Stacey Irvin then also jumps out of the camera with a Tsunami Sault. Montez saves the match.
Dawkins has Irvin up for an electric chair drop, Ford goes to the top gives the ‘Suck It’ and hits a top rope super Blockbuster for the win.
Street Profits get the mic and say they want some of the gold. They call out the War Raiders but are interrupted by the European Union. Marcel says they deserve the shot at War Raiders so Street Profits should stand aside. 1s and 2s music hit and they storm the ring, don’t even bother cutting a promo. Then the War Raiders come out. They challenge any of them to come and take the titles. As they walk to the ring the Era attack from behind. Then leave and all the tag teams have a melee. The Raiders take out Aichner then throw Lorcan on to everyone else on the outside. The Era look disappointed that the War Raiders didn’t get beat up more.
Showcasing the depth of the Tag Division there. 5 strong teams, plus you also have the Forgotten Sons who are getting a decent push. Tag Team Wrestling is Alive.
Johnny Gargano video package saying he’s figured out how to be a winner. The locker room should watch out.
He defends against the Dream next week.
Taynara Conti vs Aliyah
According to McGuiness, Aliyah’s ring gear is designed by Donatello Versace. FRG is a big Aliyah fan. Vanessa Borne is out at ringside. Aliyah with some back punts as well. Conti works the arm then hits a jumping knee. Draping Gable armbar from Conti. Vanessa Borne trips Conti off the top rope and Aliyah slams her down with authority. Then locks on a Kimura lock with added kicks, My favorite type of submission, and Conti taps out. Aliyah wins! Borne gets in the ring to celebrate with Aliyah after the match.
Then Shayna comes out looking pissed. Borne and Aliyah flee but Duke and Shafir attack from behind. The 3 horsewomen destroy Conti., Borne and Aliyah.
Shayna takes the mic and cuts a short and effective promo. “Don’t mess with us, don’t get in our way and absolutely don’t piss us off”
The match was fine, then Shayna and the crew destroyed all of them. They aren’t on her level. Shayna continues to impress me in all aspects.
Dream video package
Ricochet vs Adam Cole
Adam Cole has not heeded my advice and faked out the crowd with the ‘Bay-Bay’.
Full sail with a ‘Both these Guys’ chant. I dislike these chants anyway, but when one guy is a dastardly heel, they’re even worse. Show Cole you enjoy his work by booing him. Maybe if he didn’t lead a war cry, they would. Ricochet gets hung up in the corner and Adam goes after the knee, then attacks it on the ring post. This is my problem with Cole. He wrestles heel very well. He just doesn’t act like one at the start, so half the audience cheer him.
Cole argues with the ref who stands up to Cole and this gets a ‘Drake’ chant for the ref. Cole continuing to ground Ricochet. Targeting the leg. Crowd now more behind Ricochet. Who lands on his feet, but his leg gives way, he then comes of the corner for a rolling move, but the leg gives out again. Great selling from Ricochet. Ricochet is basically wrestling on one leg here. Hits a standing moonsault. Anytime he tries to lift Cole he collapses. Then when Cole gets any momentum he’s back on the leg. Simple effective storytelling.
Ushigaroshi gets a 2 for Cole. Dueling chant becomes another bloody both these guys chant. Ricochet’s leg gives out again going for two suplexes and Cole gets another Ushigaroshi for a two count. Cole exposes the knee, but Ricochet ducks the Last Shot. Cole signals the Superkick. Ricochet covers up and Cole super kicks the bad knee similar to the Marty Scurll ‘Just Kidding’ Spot. He goes for another and Ricochet ducks and hits a reverserana, spiking Cole on his head. Ricochet hits a one-legged springboard senton for a 2. Striking exchange and Ricochet misses a pele kick as he gets up Cole Superkicks his head off. Somehow Ricochet kicks out. Ricochet then goes mental.
One legged springboard into a Frankensteiner. Axe Kick with the good leg, Northern Lights Suplex, into a Vertical suplex into Vertigo and it is over. Wow. That finishing sequence was incredible. The Era are down to beat down Ricochet. Ally Black tries to make the save but just gets battered as well.
Undisputed Era stand tall to close the show.
Really good main event.
Shockingly, again, I liked NXT a lot. It’s a new cycle of tapings and we see they are beginning to focus on Lee and Dijakovic a bit more, the Tag Division is looking strong. The top 4 in the women’s division has some great potential match ups and the main event was bloody good.,
JCH STARS OF THE WEEK
1. Ricochet - Great performance by the One and Only as he basically wrestled on one leg and still found ways to show his incredible moves.
2. Adam Cole - He wrestled a great heel match, if only he did a heel entrance, he would get the boos he deserves.
3. Dominik Dijakovic - Little by little the big man is revealing his weaponry.
The Humberto Carillo award for most improved stock
I think it has to go to Stacy Irvin Jr, I’d never heard of him and he had some impressive moves. Keith Lee nearly stole this for his mic work for me.
Prediction of Mania Takeover card
Not going to change much this week.
Tommaso Ciampa vs Ricochet NXT TITLE
Shayna Baszler vs Io Shirai vs Kairi Sane vs Bianca Belair NXT Women's Title
War Raiders vs Moustache Mountain - NXT Tag Team TItles
Johnny Gargano vs Matt Riddle - NXT North American Title
Undisputed Era vs Velveteen Dream, Alistair Black, Domnick Dijakovic and Keith Lee
Until next time, take care and have fun.
JCH
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