by JCH
Welcome to the most must see hour of WWE weekly programming and probably not the most must-read column on WWE weekly programming.
Tonight - Johnny Gargano vs Roderick Strong and I think Aliyah and Vanessa Borne vs Candice LeRae and another ‘lower’ and is it Profits vs Raiders???
‘Do Unto Others’ blares out and out come the Forgotten Sons. Oh, it’s a Jaxson Ryker match. My least favorite of the Sons so far.
He’s taking on Humberto Carillo. The man the award was named after!
Humberto Carillo vs Jaxson Ryker
This match went the way one would expect. Ryker power moves, Carillo getting some offence in with his speed, using a lot of Springboards and stuff. Then Ryker got initiative back. Hit the Widow Maker and destroyed Carillo on the outside. After ref called for the bell Lorcan and Burch came to the rescue with chairs. Blake and Cutler were up for the fight whilst Ryker just stood there staring at the 1s and 2s.
Looks like Lorcan and Burch have found someone to even the numbers up against the Forgotten Sons.
Adam Cole is having his photograph taken whilst he practices the ‘Boom’ from this entrance. He is interrupted by a reporter.
Cole asked if he is excited to see Strong go against Johnny. Cole says he thought Gargano would have been man enough to face the Leader of the Era, but Roddy will beat him as well. He is then distracted by Matt Riddle. Grinning away.
Cole asks him why he’s here. Riddle as only he can, just explains he was next in the photos and calls out Cole’s affair with the Green-eyed monster over Roddy’s match. Riddle ups the intensity and challenges Cole who walks off, then Rids just switches back to Dundee Arms Riddle and hits some poses. I love this man.
PC YouTube video advert. I checked out a couple of these. Kairi Sane farewell video teared me up.
Aliyah and Vanessa Borne out. Slight change in jackets this week.
Out comes Candice. Her tag team partner is Kacy Catanzaro.
Aliyah looks slightly worried, Vanessa does not. She applauds sarcastically.
Aliyah and Vanessa Borne vs Candice LeRae and Kacy Catanzaro
Catanzaro hits a springboard Handstand twist head scissors. I may have that name wrong but it was impressive. She used the top rope like a high bar. Borne and Aaliyah take control. Keeping Kacy in their corner, tags, hair pulls, chokes behind the refs back. Kacy reverses a double vertical into a double neck breaker and Candice finally gets in the match. Candice on fire off the tag. Finishing Borne off with the Kedavra and it’s over.
Borne and Aliyah have a tantrum as Kacy and Candice celebrate enthusiastically in the ring.
Recap on Shayna attack on Kairi last week
Interview with Io - She says she’s going to get Shayna, but as she’s talking Marina and Jessamyn attack from behind. They hold Io in place for SHAYNA and the KNEE. Brutal.
Kushida video followed by interview with William Regal. In comes Kassius Ohno. They go back and forth for a while. He wants Kushida. Regal makes the match. Next week its Ohno vs Kushida.
Here come the Street Profits
Street Profits vs War Raiders
What a start. As the camera is focused on Rowe and Hanson coming down the ramp suddenly Montez Ford flies into shot from over the camera with a massive dive. WOW. Great shot.
They throw Rowe in, take out Hanson and the big splash nearly finishes the Raiders in seconds. What a start to a match. Rowe avoids the electric chair finisher and makes the tag. Hanson takes out Dawkins then him and Ford use athleticism to counter each other before Hanson clothesline this head off.
Raiders have taken back control after the Profits flew out of the blocks. Dawkins takes a beating, before catching Rowe with a right allowing him to get to Ford. Ford can’t take Hanson down until he hits a delayed side suplex on Hanson followed by a. Standing moonsault. Ford hits a Sliced Bread #2 on Hanson using Dawkins chest instead of turnbuckle.
Rowe in now. Hits a BIG KNEE on a seated Dawkins, Shotgun dropkick on Ford and Rowe then throws Hanson at him. Dawkins taken out. Thor’s hammer to Ford and it’s over.
Really fun match. Profits brought it, but the War Raiders had the answers. Don’t know how long they will stay on NXT but they are having bangers galore.
Mia Yim interview - She talks about Shayna, also pointing out that Bianca Belair has been defeated twice. She wants another shot at Shayna. Seemed to me sowing the seeds for a Belair vs Yim match.
Rebel Heart hits. Here comes the champ. F.R.G is bloody loving it as always.
Shock the System. Roddy out on his own.
Johnny Gargano vs Roderick Strong
Chain wrestling and counters to start. Strong bails to the outside frustrated. Gargano slides to the outside to take out Strong who catches him in a wheelbarrow then hits a half-nelson suplex onto the apron (sometimes known as the hardest part of the ring).
Great offence from Roddy that. Strong in control. Nice gutbuster. Big backbreaker on his shoulder as well. All Strong now.
He ties Gargano up in a submission in the ropes. It looks good. Then a chop assault, now stomps. Strong goes for the apron suplex again, but Gargano reverses it with an arm drag into the steps then hits the slingshot spear on the way back in.
Bit of offence now for Johnny as he hits the roll through kick he does, I like that move.
They both miss with moves to the outside and Johnny hits a cannonball. Strong catches him coming in for the slingshot DDT but another reversal from Johnny into a reverserana. Great stuff. Superkick for a near fall. Big chops from Johnny and the crowd bloody love it. Just a mad reversal sequence ends as Gargano gets caught coming in for the slingshot spear into a Butterfly Suplex into a backbreaker. 1-2-no. Bloody excellent.
Big striking exchange ends with a spinning lariat from Gargano. He looks for his half of meet in the middle but Strong catches him and throws him into the corner. Strong looks for the Stronghold but Gargano reverses it into a Garga-No escape.
He has it in, but out comes Cole on to the apron, Johnny breaks the hold. Johnny distracted by Cole talking shit. Here come Fish and O’Reilly but Rids takes them out. Strong taps Cole who thinks it’s Gargano and kicks him in the face. Johnny then takes out Cole with a dive. Slingshot DDT. 1-2-3. It’s over.
Johnny outsmarts the era again. Rids and Gargano celebrate on the ramp whilst Cole tries to explain himself too Strong. Strong decides to remove himself from the situation. Good maturity from Roddy. Things are not all right with the Undisputed Era.
Good show, not as good as last week, but still had some good matches and story advancement,
Feuds that look like they could be coming/continuing.
Adam Cole vs Matt Riddle
Adam Cole vs Johnny Gargano
Adam Cole vs Roderick Strong
Mia Yim vs Bianca Belair
Io Shirai vs Shayna Bazsler
1s & 2s and Carillo vs Forgotten Sons
Stars of The Show
1. Roderick Strong
2. Johnny Gargano
3. Montez Ford
Humberto Carillo award
Montez Ford - If you weren’t aware of what this dude could do before, you are now. One of the best starts to a match in a long while.
Thanks for checking this out. DVD and Ross the Boss will have reviews up on 205 and NXTUK that are worth watching. Take care.
JCH
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