Last week NXT got on the board and levelled the series at 1-1-1, who would take the victory tonight and take a lead in the series? Find out below!
Round 1: Io Shirai/Candace LeRae ft Rhea Ripley vs Hangman Page/Sammy Guevara feat Page Promo
JCH:I switched up my viewing habits this week and watched AEW first to see if that makes a difference. Page and Guevara was decent. I like Guevara. Think he is an awesome little prick. Io and Candace, I think had a better match, the entrance was epic as well and Rhea Ripley continues to be portrayed as a HUGE star post-match. I enjoyed the use of the chair in the finish as well. Also - Io Shirai is brilliant.
10-9 NXT
Brum:Straight out of the traps & we have a tough round to judge. 2 good matches. Io/CLR wasn’t quite as good as their Takeover match but still entertaining & Page Guevara was fun too. I enjoyed the Page promo and the Io entrance was mega. Enough to give NXT the nod…. Not quite.
10-10
Matt:The NXT crowd did not let me get into this match. They are way more into Shirai than LeRae which really effected the story for me. I will say Shirai gave them little reason to boo her and even got the cooler entrance. Add in some woeful Mauro Ranallo Topical reference lines and I know why I didn't connect with this anywhere near their Takeover match. Hangman Page is the truth and I will say I hold a great bias for this man. I preferred his match because the crowd gave Guevara the heat he deserved for being a dick and then popped huge for Hangman's offence. Really fun opener from AEW. I'm giving them round 1.
AEW 10-9
Round 2: Bronson Reed/Shane Thorne vs Shanna/Shida
JCH:I haven’t seen Shanna for ages. She was on the first couple of EVE shows I went to. She was good fun. I liked this match, also Shida hit an absolutely delicious KNEE TO THE FACE off the chair on the outside. I’ve seen people complain about AEW having no squashes, but with an entirely new roster I think having a match with two memorable people in it helps. Reed and Thorne was also good. They chopped each other for about 2 minutes at one stage. I bloody love that. Will give the nod to AEW here though.
10-9 AEW - 19-19
Brum:R2: It’s nice to have Shida back. However, this didn’t really do a lot for me. Thorne is growing into an interesting prospect & thought Rock/Reed had a good showing. I was going to group Brandi’s Black Lodge segment in here too, but I had no idea what was going on so will leave that for now.
10-9 NXT - 20-19 NXT
Matt:Bronson looked a monster in this match and that means it achieved its goal. I preferred the AEW match though. Mostly because it was nice to see two women wrestle and it not be Britt Baker. Think they got more time to do their thing and that Knee on the outside by Shida was beautiful.
10-9 AEW - 20-18 AEW
Round 3: Women’s Tag Titles vs Best Friends/OC vs Jobbers
JCH:What in the blue hell is Rick and Morty? Cassidy continues to be used sparingly to great effect. On the other side as I kicked the habit on Raw/Smackdown I haven’t actually seen the Kabuki Warriors before. Loved a bit of this except the terrible mashup theme. Which is literally someone just turning down one and turning up the other at various points of the show. Asuka was always working like a badass, but I enjoyed the extra attitude from Kairi as well. As convincing a 10-9 can be for NXT. Very close to a 10-8. Not quite.
10-9 NXT 29-28 NXT
Brum:I like Rick & Morty. I like Best Friends. I like Orange Cassidy. I fucking hate promotional crossovers. The other thing I like is Team Kick vs The Kabuki Warriors from this show. I liked it a lot in fact. They got loads of time; heel Kairi is the best; Kai sold her balls off; Nox is a great hot tag; Asuka is Asuka. Well done all round.
10-8 NXT - 30-27 NXT
Matt:I think this title match went a bit long, but it was solid. I suppose these titles were due a match with length. AEW match won't live too long in the memory but it was a fun segment that didn't outstay it's welcome and achieved everything it set out too. Orange Cassidy continues to be highlighted in the best way possible. I'll give this to NXT, but I expected to be way more of a landslide than it was.
10-9 NXT - 29-28 AEW
Round 4: Women’s Brawl/War Games Announcement vs AEW Contract Signing - Limo Attack
JCH:The AEW stuff was fine. Jericho continuing to be a brilliant Ass. Cody as the loveable hero defending his family. Strong, simple storytelling. The post-match brawl in the Women’s Division was the result of many stories finally coming together. Rhea has been feuding with Shayna and Bianca. Io got herself involved with her as well. Shayna has the long history with Dakota and has been tormenting Teagan since she returned. Candace and Io is by no means done. How do we settle it? Big Bill Regal tells us WAR GAMES. Great set up. Another convincing 10-9 for NXT.
10-9 NXT 39-37
Brum:I enjoyed the contract signing. The limo attack was a bit tropey but fine. NXT however was bloody wonderful. This is what I’ve been waiting for for weeks & they executed it beautifully. Regal is the best around in these situations. The big question now is what are the teams? Will they go 5-5, 4-4, or 5-4? If 5-5, is that Mia Yim as the 5th face? Either way, I was thinking of back to back 10-8s but thought that maybe a tad harsh on AEW as Jericho was fun again.
10-9 NXT. 40-36 NXT
Matt:Is the Women’s division the best division in NXT right now? Multiple storylines crossing over and the announcement of War Games felt apt as opposed to just that time of year. AEW's contract signing was great. Really building the tension for their title match and also adding more rational for these two fighting. I usually am not that bothered about Contract signings, but I really liked the way this one was presented.
10-9 AEW - 39-37 AEW
Round 5: Bate/Grimes ft Dain post-match vs Elite/TH2 & Sabian ft LAX post-match
JCH:The Elite had a fun 6-man tag, that I won’t really remember. I liked it, I enjoyed it then it was over. I knew I was going to like it; I knew I was going to enjoy it. Like a Quarter pounder (no mustard, no pickles). I did enjoy LAX coming out from those masks to batter the Bucks though. That was good. Cameron Grimes once again had a strong match. He is doing really well here. I loved how the fact they had set up his finish as something that can come out of nowhere and win in seconds played into the finish here. Tyler was momentarily distracted, and Grimes hit it. Game over. The British Strong Style, Killian Dain story continues to bubble.
10-9 NXT 49-46
Brum:Another tough round to judge here. It’s rare that Omega & The Bucks wouldn’t win a round, but they had some tough competition here. Bate/Grimes delivered in spades. They made excellent use of their time & even though the finish had some shenanigans, it made sense & didn’t take away from the match. I hope it’s not just a setup for Dunne/Dain & we see these two cross paths again. Tight, but going to give the edge to NXT here.
10-9 NXT. 50-45 NXT
Matt:This was a really smart and fun singles match which does a lot of good for Grimes. We had already established in the show that Bate is legit by being reminded of his achievements and then Grimes is able to beat him thus elevating himself. Bate doesn't lose face either as he was distracted by Dain prior to the loss. The AEW 6 man was loads of fun and squeezed loads in for its time but essentially it was an opportunity for The Elite to get all Halloween and do some flips. I am all for that, but NXT did a little more for me.
10-9 NXT - 48-47 AEW
Round 6: Balor (follow up package & Promo) vs Moxley (preshow vid & promo)
JCH:Finn Balor gave the promo of his WWE career here. I can’t speak for his pre-WWE run. This was great. Only shame was Full Sail cheering him a bit much. He’s a returning hero though, similar to Kabuki Warriors and hopefully that will wear off. On the other side we had Jon Moxley, a man who I’ve been lukewarm on for a long time. Pre-show in the highlights package they showed him berating Tony Khan. It was excellent. He wasn’t satisfied with the match being about hurting Omega as he wants the win for his title ambitions. I loved that. Then he battered that librarian bollocks before cutting an excellent promo himself. Both of these men had been made uninteresting by WWE and AEW and NXT are working some great rehab programs here. I want to see both of them, and this was a great 10-10
10-10 59-56
Brum:A pair of cracking promos go head-to-head in Round 6. I like where AEW are taking Moxley, but I think I preferred Balor tonight. The return of Prince Devitt in all but name is terribly exciting. However, NXT don’t get the round here as I was really irked by Balor saying that he “laid down” for The Fiend. I like tiptoeing along the 4th wall as much as the next person but this broke it to a silly degree. Not enough to lose them the round, but enough to prevent the win.
10-10. 60-55 NXT
Matt:Balor's promo was fine, but we didn't really get to find out anything we didn't know, except that wrestling is fake. His line about laying down for The Fiend is a risky one to cross in my opinion. Moxley was on fire in his effort. The passion came across and although I won't sit here and say I'm 100% on board with Moxley it was hard not to feel exited for his Omega bout and that is the job of a promo.
10-9 AEW. 58-56 AEW
Round 7: Bros/Era ft Ciampa vs SCU/Lucha Bros
JCH:AEW had a title match, I enjoy the Lucha Bros. I haven’t got hugely into SCU. Sky continues to impress me though. I didn’t like the end. The rollup wasn’t the problem, more Kazarian flying across the ring seconds after being smashed through a table. It was a good solid match. However, they were always up against it against my favourite ever Tag Team, my favourite WWE wrestler and Keith Lee, the man of the hour, the king of the ring, intelligence and power…Couple of things that stood out about this match for me. Firstly, the way Riddle played the face in peril. He was always looking for different ways to fight back. Probably my favourite face in peril spot ever. ReDRagon are so slick and they also play that they’ve bitten off more than they can chew brilliantly. Expressions a plenty. Keith Lee is a unit. Running through the combo kick was a highlight for me. He’s shining on the new NXT. The likes of himself, Ripley, Grimes, Dijakovic have so far benefitted from the extra time.
Ciampa at the end coming in to set up a male War Games? Or was he calling for a title shot at War Games? I couldn’t quite tell. Whatever it was its a paddling. 10-8
10-8 NXT 69-64 NXT
Brum: Apart from the Private Party v Bucks match, I’ve not really got into the AEW Tag Title Tournament. I do like the story of Penta taking out Daniels & his replacement being the one to get the pin, but I just wasn’t that into it. I think it’s maybe because I’m not that into SCU. Sorry. NXT on the other hand was absolutely fantastic. Great match. Lee & Riddle are both wonderful hot tags and ReDRagon are just the best. Not only that but we get that finishing Ciampa Goldie moment which was a thing of beauty. Like the women’s WarGames match, the question is now around the participants. Unlike the women’s though, it looks clear that this will be 4-4 but who will be the 4th face? If Dream is healthy by then, he could be a good option, as would Dijakovic. My money is on Bugenhagen. I may get some abuse for this judging, but I have to go with my enjoyment of both segments & give NXT another 10-8. Sorry. Again.
10-8 NXT. 70-63 NXT
Matt:Two really good main events. The NXT one was a fun encounter and was in hindsight set up just to build for War Games. Loved that the tag champs stay strong despite facing two established singles stars. AEW match felt like it had another five minutes in it and maybe it didn't quite build to the big new champions pop it should but I love Lucha Brothers when they are in this more vicious mood and for that reason I'll give them the edge in a very close one to call.
10-9 AEW. 68-65 AEW
Round 8: Extra round for extra things (there was lots this week and I can’t work out how to match up otherwise)
NXT
Garza package
Bate package
Yim package
Vs
AEW
Cody and Schiavone in a limo
Brandy package
LAX attack Rock and Roll express
JCH:I didn’t quite get the Cody and Tony taxi confession segment? Just telling yarns, I guess including the family element makes the Dustin attack more impactful for those who don’t know his history. The Brandi promo left me with more questions than answers. Tyler Bate and Mia Yim’s packages were both fine but I think I’ve seen them both before. Again, useful for new viewers. Loved the Garza package. Have really enjoyed all I’ve seen of him so far and giving him some backstory helped that, but the star of the segments this week was LAX just beating up the Rock and Roll Express. Beating up veterans, an easy way to get some heat, but so often the vets end up getting the upper hand thus handicapping the building of new talent (hi Vince, how ya doing). It’s not going to affect the final score, but AEW picks up the win here.
10-9 AEW
Brum:NXT video packages are always solid but AEW get the nod here. I thought the Cody/Schiavone airport/limo segments were a breath of fresh air & executed well. I’m glad JCH chose to give them their own round as it was maybe my favourite part of the show. I think there was also another segment where LAX put Ricky Morton through the ramp but that sounds like a fever dream, so I’ll ignore it. AEW pick up a late consolation goal. Time for Tony Khan to pick the ball out of the back of the net and jog to the centre spot.
10-9 AEW
Matt: Angel Garza promo was fine. Mia Yim's was fine even if I still don't know what she is about really. Tyler Bate promo featuring footage from The Inaugural UK championship? Surely not! AEW slayed here. Brandi's promo was weird but anything to help the women’s division is good. Cody/Schiavone stuff was excellent in my opinion and had the old school flavour dripped over it that I like to see. Rock N Roll taking a beating from Not-LAX was also fantastic. AEW are killing it with production.
10-9 AEW.
Overall
JCH:Most convincing victory of the series so far. A lot of NXT’s ongoing storylines began to weave together this week and I enjoyed that a lot. Starting to see a card for War Games that looks like it could have no title matches on, if the Era are in a Male War Games match. If I was predicting now, I’d guess at Women’s War Games, Men’s War Games, Gargano v Balor, Dunne v Dain and Rush vs Garza. So, it wouldhave the CW title going on. AEW’s PPV is before War Games and next week will be the go home show. Expecting big things as they are actually still working a PPV model. So far on their card we have Cody v Jericho, Pac v Page, Omega vs Mox, LAX vs Young Bucks. I thought Hager vs Dustin had been announced but now I’m seeing no evidence of that. Presume Riho will defend, would be a shame to not see Darby Allin followed up on as well. I’m just rambling. Big win for NXT this week.
78-75 NXT
Brum:We end in an absolute bloodbath this week as NXT win 79-73! This is the first week I’ve given NXT the nod (1 AEW & 2 draws) but this was all one-way traffic apart from the minor segments. The two matches that built to the dual WarGames reveals, as well as the reveals themselves, were majestic. AEW wasn’t a bad show but it was probably their worst to date. And it may have been NXT’s best…
79-73 NXT
Matt: That was my favourite AEW show so far so naturally I was quite biased towards it.
78-74 AEW
It’s a split decision win for NXT for the second week in a row. As they take an overall lead on the scorecards. I love the discrepancy between the scorecards, just showing that different people like different wrestling.
Overall scorecard
NXT by majority decision - 1
NXT by split decision - 1
Majority Draw - 1
AEW by split decision - 1
Individual Scorecards
JCH - NXT 3 - Draw - 1 - AEW 0
Brum - NXT 1 - Draw - 2 - AEW 1
Matt - NXT 1 - Draw - 0 - AEW 3
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