Form Guide
Week 14 - Majority Draw
Week 13 - AEW majority decision
Week 12 - NXT unanimous decision
Week 11. - NXT unanimous decision
This weeks guest judge is the OG reviewer himself Matt Connolly. Bouyed by the recent run of form for AEW, Matt Is back for his monthly appearance hear at Head2Head. Would he help AEW continue their strong streak or could NXT bounce back with a win?
Rd 1: Trent v Finn vs Bucks/BBB
JCH: Fun opener building on the car park attack (sidetone - Kenta’s tweet about there still being no security in that parking lot was brilliant). Finn went after the neck and controlled the match but the crowd came alive for Trent’s exciting comeback sequence, but the man with the future plans got the win. I presume he’s facing Tyler next week as Tyler has been pulled from the Attack show we’re off to.
The Bucks are fun to watch. MJF was really good on comms, BBB lost again, but they covered it with the ‘don’t care if you win just hurt them’. The man on the absolute tear though comes through to steal the segment and the points. Hangman Page with a hold my beer Buckshot Lariat turns this from a draw to a 10-9 AEW
AEW 10-9 NXT
Brum: : First segment and it’s a tough one to grade! The Young Bucks match was more competitive but as squashes go, you don’t get much more entertaining than Finn vs Trent. The backstory to this squash gave it a bit of heat too. I’m staying on the fence.
10-10.
Matt: Great start on NXT. Finn Balor working ever so slightly more visciously which is great and Trent is up there for best salesmen in the game. BBB lose again and I wonder why AEW bother with all the cool packaging if they are just jobbers. Was a fine enough match but my interest was more with NXT on this one.
10-9 NXT
Rd 2: Shotzi vs Deanna vs Nyla/Swole
JCH: Another one of the showcase squashes, surprised me a bit as they had seemed to be building up a bit of a rivalry during the Battle Royal and the backstage attack, but Blackheart’s convincing victory seemed to end it. Shotzi hitting the Arisa Hoshiki Brazilian kick popped me.
I loved big Swole here. AEW getting that showcase squash formula right here. Swole gets something out of this, but Nyla is the number 1 ranking and looks like they are building to another Nyla vs Riho match? I don’t like that so much. I get the underdog earning their way back for another shot against the monster, but this way round…not so sure. I think there was more to the AEW segment here so another win for them
AEW 10-9 NXT. 20-18 AEW
Brum: On the basis that this was a storyless AEW women’s match and the Nightmare Collective didn’t interfere, I’m tempted to give this a 10-6 to AEW. However, the match was meh and I’m not invested in either of these competitors at the moment.
The NXT women’s match wasn’t a classic either, but it had SHOTZI RIDING IN A MINIATURE TANK. This is either the best or worst entrance ever & I have no idea which. Deonna’a theme is an absolute banger too. Please don’t change it. Is this the end of this feud that started at the battle royal? The fact that I even ask that question shows I’m more invested with their characters than their AEW counterparts.
10-9 NXT. 20-19 NXT so far.
Matt: First time seeing Shotzi on NXT. The tank is super goofy but so is wrestling. Match was fine. As was the AEW effort. I like Big Swole. Nyla is being given wins which is key but I'd of loved a bit of Mic time for her here. I'll swing to AEW but could of gone either way.
AEW 10-9 NXT. 19-19
Rd 3: Keith Lee into Dijakovic/Priest vs Cody/Sabian
JCH: Lee just oozing charisma, he is ready to go to the moon if they want to. Priest’s talking wasn’t great then out comes Dijakovic and I thought we were going to see a parade of people head out. However Keith made his excuses and left which I enjoyed. Match was a cracking little T.V match. The dual spinning strikes were my highlight. If the North American Championship becomes the Athletic Hoss division under Lee then I’m all for it.
Absolutely loved Sabian and Cody. Penelope Ford was brilliant as a cheating heel manager, behind the refs back, subtle and effective. Top job. Arn Anderson however, I loved the fact he has a playbook and a scouting report. But his actions? What an oaf? Sort it out mate. Match was fun, the Janela stuff was goofy but worked enough to even the odds. Cody going for the triple Cross Rhodes to give a message to MJF had the crowd buzzing. Top stuff and a win for AEW
AEW 10-9 NXT. 30-27 AEW
Brum: : Not a lot to say about Cody Sabian. Cody’s AEW in-ring run has been a clear step up from pre-AEW but this match felt a bit like the Cody of old. Not that this match needed to be a banger or anything. The Janela spot was silly and not really for me.
NXT had a fun match. They like doing these flippy big men bouts. That top rope poisonrana spot was nuts (& possibly needless). I also liked how casual big Keith was in his interactions with the two. It’s hard tiptoeing the line between being casual & aloof but Mr Lee gets it.
10-9 NXT. 30-28 NXT so far.
Matt: Keith Lee is just cool as fuck. Smooth as silk on the mic. Two genuine contenders and then a good big man match. Glad Dijakovic won as I personally feel removed enough from the last set to see these guys go at it again with a strap on the line. That may not be a commonly held take. Cody vs Kip was solid and the story line with Arn is the big takeaway here. I enjoyed both but Keith Lee's voice gives it to NXT by a whisker.
10-9 NXT. 29-28 NXT
Rd 4: Ciampa/Undisputed Era vs Mox/Jericho
JCH: Ciampa has an aura, Cole wasn’t backing down and he paid for it. Ciampa iced the segment by rubbing his own blood on the contract. Lovely Stuff.
Moxley is super over, Jericho is worryingly turning into a Cole style cool heel. He is funny, hopefully it doesn’t play out with the crowd when he’s in the ring. Tease of a 10-1 then nothing really happened. Tough scoring this either way as both advanced the title story for upcoming shows. NXT had a bigger payoff but their show is 2 weeks sooner so made sense for AEW to be more of a tease.
Will go with a draw
AEW - NXT 10-10. 40-37 AEW.
Brum: Really comparable segments here with badass faces going against baddie factions. I thought Mox delivered a good promo but overall this segment felt too bloated & the pacing strange (see rando street thugs).
NXT on the other hand nailed it. It came off so much tighter and more efficient. Cole, and especially Ciampa, hit their beats perfectly. Ciampa responding to the crowd and wiping his blood on the contract was a great touch.
10-9 NXT. 40-37 NXT so far.
Matt: Sometimes you get happy accidents in wrestling. Ciampa bleeding from the brain was one of those. The hand print of blood to sign the contract was just dope. Over on AEW Mox and Jericho are building a nice feud and I felt completely caught up here as opposed to NXT where I feel I might of missed a story beat. Saying that, Ciampa's blood takes it for NXT.
10-9 NXT. 39-37 NXT.
Rd 5: Nox/Kai vs SCU/TH2 plus Dark Order
JCH: Loved Dakota changing her video to her just battering Tegan, although did it just psyche up Tegan more. Fought at the pace of a grudge match, no moves just two women wanting to hurt each other. Candace interference made sense, as did Tegan using the brace for the win. Something tells me this isn’t the end for these 3.
I really struggle to pay attention when SCU is on the screen. Re-heater for them following the tag title loss. The Dark Order/Daniels stuff does nothing for me, in fact it loses another point. SCU are not my friends. Easy win for NXT
NXT 10-8 AEW. 48-47 AEW
Brum: A fine match on AEW. I’m just not crazy invested in either team. I quite like how they are foreshadowing the Fallen Angel as the higher power. Maybe the Raven voiceover was a red herring. I hope it isn’t Daniels but at least it’s interesting.
NXT would win the round for Kai’s titantron alone. Brilliant stuff. The screaming was genuinely disturbing. This maybe didn’t quite hit the heights it could have, but I assume that’s because they are saving some for the next chapter. Still an intense and enjoyable match though. Well done.
10-9 NXT. 50-46 NXT so far.
Matt: I didn't really get the NXT match. I would of preferred to have seen alot less but I completely understand the story they are telling and as long as Portland features a knockdown brawl with these two then I'm good. SCU vs TH2 was fine but I didn't care all that much. NXT take this one.
NXT 10-9 AEW. 49-46 NXT.
Rd 6: Carter/Green vs Baker promo
JCH: Kayden Carter has long featured in these debut showcase squashes for the NXT women’s division. Which made this upset surprising and successful, We’re expecting her to get a bit of offence in and get a couple of near falls from roll ups. Getting the actual win this time was a nice touch and we are left wondering how Chelsea will respond?
I enjoyed Britt Baker’s promo. She was being a bitch to Tony, then cut what should have been a face promo on J.R. He should learn their bloody names. It’s disrespectful. Do your job mate. I liked both these segments for what they were.
AEW 10-10 NXT. 58-57 AEW.
Brum: Tough one to grade here. I didn’t like Baker’s promo last week & I started off not enjoying this one. However, I think it was just because I was put off by her cadence. When I got used to it, it grew on me. I’m finally starting to enjoy Baker.
Green losing was an interesting way to go and think it could be a good one. With that said, I didn’t really enjoy the match.
10-9 AEW. 59-56 NXT so far.
Matt: Chelsea Green repackaged and then dumped out the Rumble in 12 seconds and loses to a bum 3 days later. No offence Carter but you shouldn't of been winning this. Match was nothing to moan about but struggling to see where this goes for Green. Early days though. This Britt Baker promo was great. I like this shift in direction. I thought they would go this way eventually and I dig it. Point for AEW.
10-9 AEW. 58-56 NXT.
Rd 7: Broserweights/GYV vs Inner Circle/Allin/Private Party
JCH: Loved it, really fun match. Downside - 2 ad breaks. I’ll be honest I was hoping for a GYVivtory and thought they had it done after the electric chair/tope that they used to beat Moustache Mountain, but have no problem watching the Broseweights vs Undisputed Era in a couple of weeks. Top job.
Jericho has a really good formula with these 6-man TV matches with young talent. Also the fact that they’re working against different teams mean they aren’t the same every time. He always gives them just enough so they come out looking better yet not too much to take away from himself. Isaiah Cassidy with the least subtle thigh slaps I’ve ever seen. It’s something I genuinely don’t notice even though I know it’s common place. That’s how obvious these were. Match picks up when Darby gets the hot tag .The cloverleaf pitfall is a thing of beauty. Destroying Darby with his own skateboard was poetic as well. Fun TV main event, before Mox comes out with a bat and keeps the feud building, almost but not quite enough to rescue a draw. Matches with stakes usually get the rub and it’s no different here.
NXT 10-9 AEW. 57-57
Brum: Good match over in AEW but I think the highlight was maybe that post match beatdown. Guevara starred again & that skateboard to the throat spot looked brutal.
A clean win for NXT here though. This was my second favourite match of the tournament after Broserweights vs Mandrews & Flash. I’d have loved to see GYV win but them vs UE at TakeOver wouldn’t have made much sense.
10-9 NXT. 69-65 NXT so far.
Matt: I know it's probably controversial but I didn't really get into this Dusty Classic final. I sound like an old timer but it just felt like lots of moves. Lovely looking moves admittedly. Over on AEW a perfectly acceptable match but it didn't send me home on a high. I'll give the edge to NXT because the stakes were higher but I didn't feel these mains all that much.
NXT 10-9 AEW. 68-65 NXT.
Rd 8: Pac video/Elite segment/MJF, BBB video/Yuka Video vs Broserweights Promo/ 2.5.20 numbers/anything else that may have happened backstage?
JCH: Not to much backstage this week from NXT this week but another fantastic PAC video on AEW. Complaining about wrestling on a moving vessel. Loved it. These are brilliant. Also again, Drunk Dic Hangman bringing the Bucks their nameplates stole the segment. There was a creepy BBB in an abbatori video that juxtaposed MJF really well. . Riddle and Dunne were fine and those numbers were interesting but it seems like a one week build? Clear win for AEW, even clearer than usual
AEW 10-8 NXT
Brum: My rule is that I never give the bonus round more than a 10-9 but if I did, it would be a 10-8 to AEW this week. The PAC promo was brilliant. He is this crazy buff Gollum character and it just works. I also enjoyed the MJF/BBB segment – Looked good & explained their relationship well. Oh and more greatness from Hangman Page!! He has gone from being a bit bland to one of the best things in wrestling. Finally, we have YUKA SAKAFUCKINGZAKI AND HER AWESOME MUSIC!! AYAYAYAYAYAYA.
NXT had the mystery circles thing. That looks like Velveteen Dream coming back next week right? Whoop. Also the Broserweights bit was OK. Oh fuck it, after re-reading my comments on this AEW round, I’ve got to give this a 10-8. Please don’t tell anyone my moral code is bullshit.
10-8 AEW.
Matt: I like Adam Page alot as I have said on previous reviews. I like that he is now guy who drinks. It's a gimmick I can relate to and get behind. PAC's promo was artistic but I can't remember what he waffled about. The Bros are decent comedy relief. Apart from it being the date of next weeks show I have no clue why we saw some numbers twice. I'll give this AEW.
AEW 10-9 NXT.
Overall
JCH: It’s a win for AEW this week and a deserved one. NXT was it’s usual solid self but I thought this was an excellent episode of AEW with some new players stepping up to win segments such as Swole, Ford and Sabian who all impressed me. The usual standouts Cody and Page involved as well. Would have been a more convincing victory if not for SCU. NXT launched a fightback in the second hour but it was too little too late.
AEW 78-76 NXT
Brum: After a recent AEW resurgence, NXT had them this week. AEW did a lot of good stuff in terms of character arcs but NXT was the more enjoyable show and easily won between the ropes.
NXT 77-75 AEW.
Matt: I think this means I have given more weeks to NXT and thus my bias towards AEW is now merely a myth. Was nice to be back watching some weekly wrestling.
NXT 77-75 AEW
Winner by Split Decision - NXT
Well well well, it’s opposites day here at H2H as I think for the first time I’m on an AEW island and Matt comes back to seal the points for NXT, who move 5 weeks ahead in the Overall Standings.
OVERALL SCORECARDS
NXT - 8 (by split decision - 4, by majority decision - 2, by unanimous decision - 2)
Draw -4 (3 majority draws, 1 split draw)
AEW - 3 (by majority decision - 1, by unanimous decision -1, by split decision - 1)
INDIVIDUAL SCORECARDS:
JCH: NXT - 8; Draw - 3 AEW - 4
Brum: NXT - 6; Draw - 5; AEW - 4
Matt C: NXT - 5; Draw - 1; AEW – 4
Ross : NXT - 3; Draw - 0; AEW - 0
DVD: NXT -0; Draw - 0; AEW - 1
Sal: NXT - 0; Draw - 0; AEW - 1
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