Supercard Review: WWE NXT Takeover: San Antonio - Bobby Roode v Shinsuke Nakamura

On 28th January, NXT Takeover returned to Texas for the second time in ten months, as San Antonio hosted the event from the Freeman Coliseum, with Bobby Roode challenging Shinsuke Nakamura for the NXT Championship headlining the event, as well as action featuring the likes of Roderick Strong, Eric Young, NXT Women's Champion Asuka and NXT Tag Team Champions #DIY (Johnny Gargano & Tommaso Ciampa). Could NXT pull out a repeat of Takeover: Dallas? 

Match One

Eric Young 

(with Alexander Wolfe [Axeman] & Killain Dain [Damian O'Connor]) 

def. 

"The Perfect Ten" Tye Dillinger [Shawn Spears] 

(10:53)

Dillinger's role of jobber to the stars continues in another spirited showing that will do nothing to harm the former OVW Television Champion's runaway popularity among fan all over the world (just attend any British wrestling show to find out just how over Dillinger (or at least, the number ten) is right now). The bout set out it's stall early on, with Eric Young and his SAni†Y co-horts doing all they could to hold Dillinger down, with plenty of dubious activity inside and outside of the ring. The Perfect Ten's face shine went on a little too long for my liking, but considering the crowd's reaction for him, it's understandable why NXT had Dillinger running wild for an extended period before settling things down. The numbers game became the cliche from then on in, but a number of well placed near falls and cute spots kept this entertaining, helped, perhaps, by the rocking Freeman Coliseum. The finish featured a nice nod towards the Royal Rumble happening on the 29th, with Dillinger "skinning the cat" straight into Young's signature Youngblood, in perhaps another piece of the story being told about Dillinger getting carried away during the brand's more high profile matches. 

Match Two

Roderick Strong 

def. 

Andrade "Cien" Almas [La Sombra] 

(11:50) 

This match did very little for me, if I'm honest. There was some lovely sequences at times and the two showed they could change gear, but it just felt strikingly disjointed and Strong and Almas never seemed to completely "click". There was early stuff with Strong hurting his arm, which was initial sold well, but got completely lost latter on, almost as soon as "The Messiah of the Backbreaker" had escaped Almas' Ring of Saturn-esque hold. Following this the match upped the pace and went back and forth, with the pair working hard in an attempt to mesh their various signature holds, but with a lack of anything substantial. I don't want you to think that this was a bad match, because it wasn't at all, there was A LOT of good to very good work here and there, and some very pacy wrestling in the closing stages, but none of it seemed to slot together to create a match that could hold my interest for the length required. 

Match Three

The Authors of Pain

Akam [Sunny Dhisa] & Rezar 

(with Paul Ellering) 

def. 

#DIY

Johnny Gargano & Tommaso Ciampa

 to win the NXT Tag Team Championship 

(14:25)

I called The AOP taking the titles here (ask Jozef), for the simple reason that #DIY were so good when chasing the titles from The Revival, that it felt like the natural extension of that story to have them go on to chase a bigger, badder, meaner and very different tag team. That's exactly what unfolded here as we got Gargano and Ciampa taking the fight to the challengers and Akam and Rezar, in a hard-hitting clash that ended with AOP swatting the game champions to the side. The match structure kept the rookies protected, lending from #DIY and The Revival's MOTY at Takeover: Toronto last November to bolster the drama when necessary, whilst giving #DIY just enough hope that a potential rematch is still an exciting prospect. The crowd reaction to Ciampa's electric German suplex comeback as well as when #DIY caught The AOP in their respective submissions holds was superb and a tribute to the hard work that all five men involved put in here. By the conclusion both teams had been elevated and a potential rematch, with #DIY looking to win back their belts, is positively mouthwatering. There's more to come in the story of both these teams, here's to the next chapter! 

• Seth Rollins made a surprise return to NXT, calling out Triple H, only to be carried away by security in a segment that was almost perfect tonally.

Match Four

Asuka [Kana]

def. 

Peyton Royce, Billie Kay [Jessie McKay] and Nikki Cross [Nikki Storm] 

(Fatal 4Way)

to retain the NXT Women's Championship

(9:54)

Another storyline driven bout here as NXT looked to make the most of it's female roster which has been heavily depleted since July's brand split and they actually did a cracking job, with Peyton Royce, Billie Kay and Nikki Cross all stepping up to create a fun jaunt, alongside NXT's resident female bad-ass Asuka. The story of Royce and Kay wanting to win the match together was refreshingly handled as it easily could have descended into the cliche of them both trying to nick pins on each other. This lead to some of the most interesting movement in the Women's division for sometime, as Cross was presented almost as an equal to Asuka. The storyline elements were tent poled with a handful of big spots, including Cross nailing a elevated spinning neckbreaker off the apron to the floor, before the SAni†Y member took a double release verticle suplex off the announce table, that sent her crashing through a regular table below. Asuka was eventually able to secure victory with a stunning flurry to remain champion, but it seemed like everyone involved took a step up here and delivered beyond many expectations. With these four ladies, as well as Ember Moon and the likes of Crazy Mary Dobson and Kimber Lee waiting on the sidelines it feels like NXT's Women's division is going to be just fine in 2017. 

• Fuck me on a bicycle made of sticks, the entrances for the main event were all I wanted them to be and more.

Match Five

Bobby Roode

def.

Shinsuke Nakamura

to win the NXT Championship

(27:07)

Genuinely, I hadn't been that excited for Roode v Nakamura, after the oddity of Nakamura's feud with Samoa Joe, the bout came at an odd time in NXT's history. However, by the end of the match I was on the edge of my seat, completely gripped by some marvelous theatricality as Nakamura grabbed hold of his knee after hitting a knee strike from the middle rope that knocked Roode off the apron. From that moment forward Roode and Nakamura knocked their match up several notches, with desperate near-falls or non-falls (The King of Strong Style being unable to cover after hitting a clean Kinshasa). Both men sold every element of desperation and pain across their entire bodies and whilst the Doctors seeing to Nakkers went a little long, the commentary team and the two lads in the ring made it unbelievably captivating piece of television. By the time Roode held the title a loft, after hitting two Glorious DDT's and holding Nakamura in a Boston Crab for about two weeks, I was gutted and ecstatic all in the same moment. 

Okay, that was the finish, but what about the meat and potatoes of the match? The duo took their time early on and allowed the crowd to settle themselves down, so that they could take them on the journey that they wanted to take them on and to be fair to San Antonio, they went with Roode and Nakamura on every step. The two wrestled a little and it was passable, not the smoothest stuff you'll see, but watchable, mainly thanks to the two characters involved and the crowd's energy. The Red Roodester controlled following a nasty moment that saw Shinsuke pushed from the top rope and crash the floor onto his upper back. There was some decent submission work in the middle of the bout, as Nakamura flew into an armbar and transitioned it into a chicken wing, which I think the pair could potentially have built upon. Roode has regularly used a Crossface and Fujiwara Armbar in his past, so I would've liked to have seen them go down this route, rather than the kind of messy power out routine they went down.

In his first Takeover main event and title win, Roode's character work stood out more than his wrestling. He looked great as dominant bruising heel, happy to take advantage of any situation that came his way (Nakamura crashing to the outside and the knee problems). The former TNA World Heavyweight Champion also showed his intelligence as he lay prone on the mat following an inverted exploder suplex that had been well built towards, denying Shinsuke the chance to hit the Kinshasa, whilst also earning strong near falls off a roll up and a backstabber. There did seem to be a few moment however where the Glorious One looked a little awkward taking some of The King of Strong Styles' offence, especially some of the kicks. Yes, it could've have been slicker, but this match showed how strength of character and theatricality are arguably the two most important elements in modern pro wrestling. Any way you shake it, this was Roode's best singles match in over four years and perhaps his crowning glory as a sports entertainer.

Finally...

ATPW Scale Rating - 7.31/10

A rock solid show from NXT, with a card that over delivered on my expectations going in. Whilst it wasn't as strong as Dallas, there was still a strong variety of action on display with a focus on telling stories and developing characters. With Takeover: Orlando during WrestleMania weekend so close and with only one hour a week to build, it certainly felt like there was one eye on that show here, but if this event ends up making that show even more compelling and dramatic then I'm all in. All three title pictures look more interesting than they did before and we got to watch some quality wrestling along the way. 

Wrestling is good. Believe in wrestling.

Review - James Marston 
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Supercard Review: WWE NXT Takeover: Brooklyn II - Shinsuke Nakamura v Samoa Joe

As NXT Takeover returned to Brooklyn, the line-up appeared to be just as strong as the previous year's triumphant event. However, with the likes of Kevin Owens, Jushin Thunder Liger and Sasha Banks being replaced with names like Shinsuke Nakamura, Austin Aries and Asuka the faces were a little different. With Samoa Joe rising to the groups figure head as champion after an undercard bout a year ago, could Takeover: Brooklyn II live up to it's predecessor? 

Two of the greatest wrestlers in the world tangled in the main event, as Samoa Joe put his 121 day NXT title reign on the line against 3 time IWGP Heavyweight Champion Shinsuke Nakamura. Before I start about how good the clash was, I have to mention all the marvelous stuff that went down before the bell even rang. When I say marvelous stuff, I mostly mean Nakamura's entrance, which was spectacular, without feeling over the top. Lee England Jr. turned up and performed magic with a violin, initially playing The King of Strong Style's theme, The Rising Sun (originally recorded by CFO$) in an elegant solo, before the full theme kicked in and Nakamura did his thing around his new pal. LEJ was a perfect fit for the NJPW star and the whole product was incredible, with Brooklyn crowd marking out massively for it. Joe and Nakamura's interaction during the in-ring announcements lifted the bout even further, after what has been a dramatic build up.

Nakamura and Joe put on a match that lived up to the huge amount of hype, in a style of wrestling that I love to watch, that being the slow-burner. However, I think it has to be noted to after the buzz had warmed off from the entrances, the pair seemed to lose the crowd slightly. The action was of a high quality with Joe controlling a lot of the early going and the two exchanged holds, with the commentary team putting over both the respect and the dislike between the two competitors. It wasn't the kind of wrestling that was going to send the crowd into a frenzy, however the Barclays Center seemed to drift away, politely clapping the action with a few odd chants breaking out also. Personally, I felt like booking the three title matches, arguably the three biggest bouts on the show on after another meant that the crowd was emotionally burnt out and then knackered even more by Nakamura's entrance and the audience used the start of the match to re-charge. It took them until the former MMA star went for his first Kinshasa of the night to come back to life. 

Whilst it the crowd were still recovering, the bout picked up for me as soon as Joe hit an Enziguiri with Nakamura on the top and from that point as the contest began to develop into a strike and submission based encounter. The little details made everything so much more enjoyable, I'm talking about things like Joe putting his hands up and trying to block Nakamura's grounded knee strikes and this match was full of things like that. A submission sequence that included Nakamura flying into a cross armbreaker and Joe transitioning into a California Cloverleaf was smashing stuff, with both selling the severity of the hold, whilst crisply moving from move to move. Two massive near falls off Muscle Buster for Joe and a Kinshasa for Nakamura got big reactions from the reawakened crowd, whilst The Samoan Submission Machine selling after the Kinshasa was unbelievably good as he called the referee over to check on his jaw, which, of course, helps to protect Joe for what was about to come. Moments later it would be a middle rope knee to the back of the neck and second Kinshasa that got him the NXT title just 9 televised singles matches into his NXT run, only Kevin Owens (3) and Seth Rollins (6) have done it in less. 

Asuka putting the Women's Championship on the line against the woman she defeated for the title, Bayley found itself in the semi-main slot. The hype promo prior to the bout had told a brilliant story of redemption for Bayley, whilst painting Asuka as a dominant and powerful champion and that's mostly the way the match played out. In opening stages the commentary team did a superb job of putting over the contrasts between the two fighters, whilst the pair added to this through their body language during in the in-ring announcements and their initial exchanges. The back and forth start, with Bayley eventually leaping into a knee, emphasised the challenger as the underdog, whilst also showing that she could still hold her own with The Empress of Tomorrow. 

Comparable to how the Barclays Center effected the feel of the main event on television and possibly even directly related to that, they were on fire for Asuka v Bayley. It seemed to be like they were split 50/50, with chants for both women, often dueling and reacting to every move the couple made. I'm not sure how it felt in the building but it made for fantastic viewing at home and is testament to how the match has been built to ever since Asuka turned up in NXT. Having two babyfaces go head to head can cause the crowd to decide to get behind neither competitor, but despite both being likeable and entertaining characters and superlative pro wrestlers, the differences between their demeanors have been exentuated over the last few weeks and months, which continued throughout the contest and meant that different sections of the crowd could relate to different woman more. Clearly defined and well-rounded roles should mean that any combination gets a crowd excited and that's what we saw here. 

For me, the clash took a while to find it's place, but was great in closing stages with some strong near falls. A Bayley to Belly suplex got a marvelous response from the crowd, whilst the former champ struggling to escape the Asuka Lock was the best part of the battle as it was played perfectly both women and the commentators. The story of Bayley going toe to toe with the woman who took the title from her, played out through a number of back and forth sequences, fighting hard but mostly coming out with the short straw in each exchange played out well, leading to a finishing flurry where Asuka retained her belt with a series of kicks to the head. Bayley's slap that resulted in the flurry bought the narrative to a satisfying climax. The way Bayley sold the loss, remaining in the ring after Asuka had left, in what could very well be her final appearance for NXT, elevates the women's belt further as it was so clear what not being able to get the win and the strap meant to Bayley.

The match of the night came in the form of NXT's strongest tag team contests to date as The Revival (Dash Wilder & Scott Dawson) went to war with AIW's Johnny Gargano and CW's Tommaso Ciampa. There was so much that I enjoyed in this one, that it's difficult to know where to start and still have a coherent review, that isn't rambling madness. I'll start at the end, which saw Gargano tap out to an inverted figure four leg lock from Dawson in a dramatic conclusion. The work that was put in to legitmise the tap out and protect Gargano was exemplary, showing a proper intelligence for long-term booking and storytelling. With Ciampa sent into the post, The Revival focused all their attention on Johnny Wrestling, using the same move they put Big Cass on the shelf with, moments after a vicious chop block. A convincing and gratifying conclusion that adds another string to The Revival's bow and will make future matches involving the pair potentially even theatrical.

Over the last month or so, The Revival have become my favourite tag team in wrestling, taking that spot around the time of their 2/3 Falls bout with American Alpha and this match completely solidified them in that spot. Both men where excellent throughout, getting their old-school heel tag team act down to fine art and continuing to explore the possibilities within the genre. The work they did whilst Ciampa was working the psycho killer in peril role was sublime stuff. The spot where Wilder would purposefully fall into the ring to distract the referee, meaning he missed Ciampa's hot tag to Gargano and whilst the ref was trying to keep Johnny Wrestling out of the ring, The Revival went to work double teaming The Sicilian Psychopath. It was like "Ah that's good, oh that's better, sweet baby Jesus that's the best", consistently adding that extra level and then raising the bar. I like the Revival. 

As much as I mark out for Wilder & Dawson's act, the action took on a whole other dimension as soon as that hot tag was made. The near falls mounted up at a hectic pace and whipped the crowd into a frenzy as they willed the indy talents on grab their first titles in NXT. There was four or five genuinely convincing falls for Ciampa & Gargano, with each some how more convincing than the last and getting a better response each and everytime. Alongside the small package reversals and lengthy periods in submission holds, the strongest of these had to the pair hitting their superkick and running knee strike combination, only for Wilder to place Dawson's foot on the rope before the three count. The duo made each moment better than the last and their expressions got over their desperation to win the belt well. Despite being unsuccessful, Ciampa & Gargano helped raise the tag division up a couple of notches and with them going full time with NXT soon, things can only get better going forward!  

In the mid-card, Austin Aries and No Way Jose put on a good bout, that elevated Jose in defeat, but certainly could have been tighter in places. I was relatively impressed with Jose, who looked comfortable in the ring with the veteran Aries and pulled off some cool sequences in what was the biggest match of his career to date. The TKO reversal out of The Greatest Man That Ever Lived's roaring elbow attempt was crisp and Jose's TKO looked great, whilst reversing a brainbuster attempt with a falcon arrow also looked very nice. Placing Jose in their with Aries was undoubtedly a great decision as the 6 time TNA X Division Champion was able to lead Jose through an enjoyable opening match, that will no doubt have taught Jose a hell of a lot. 

For me, the contest was harmed by the Brooklyn crowd cheering for the heel Aries, but that shouldn't be the case in the feud that began once the match was over. Hideo Itami heading down to the ring to stop Aries from battering Jose even more got a big pop and the resulting scrap showed just the kind of action the duo could put on if asked. The back and forth strikes, whilst Itami was still wearing a suit (with bare ankles, because I imagine they overheat or something) was a great advert for a future clash between the two. Plus, Itami hit a GTS, which definitely pops the boys. Personally, I feel like this should have been the International Sensation's return to NXT, instead of having him worked two fairly simple bouts on TV on the last couple of weeks, as it would have felt like an even bigger moment.

With more than few similarities to Aries v Jose, 6 time TNA World Tag Team Champion Bobby Roode's NXT TV debut against Andrade Cien Almas was another good match that featured a former TNA main eventer opposite someone who has yet to fully connect with the NXT audience. Not only has Almas yet to win over the crowd, but they actively booed him, both on his entrance and during the match. Maybe that has something to do with how over the Glorious Domination (CFO$) theme and Gargano & Ciampa's "Glorious bomb" videos, but there's also an element of that Almas hasn't had much of an opportunity to truly show off what he can truly do, since transferring from CMLL, with this bout being double the length of any of his previous longest contest in NXT. I think the company overestimated La Sombra's reach outside of Mexico and things like his costume (the hat and braces thing) have not helped things at all. A crowd cheering for a heel and booing the babyface can have a real adverse consequences on how effective the storytelling of a match is, especially for a simple bout like this.

Having moaned about Almas' struggle to get over, it would wrong of me to not note that he and Roode put on an enjoyable fight, that had some great sequences of action in the second half. It's getting harder to be impressed by high-flying action, because it's abundant in 2016, even more so with the Cruiserweight Classic currently six week's into it's run. However, Cien's series of dives and tricks, that included a stunning double jump corkscrew dive to the outside, were genuinely impressive and the sequence where Almas feinted a moonsault then went for another on landing on his feet, only for Roode to get his knees up was a clever use of his skills. The two seemed to connect in the ring in that second portion, flowing through some great action and getting a couple of quality near falls. The finish was a dominant display from The It-Factor of Professional Wrestling as he came out of a back and forth sequence with the upperhand after nailing a big spinebuster and picked up the pin with the Glorious Bomb (Pumphandle Drop). I'm hoping beyond hope that Roode switches to a better finish sooner rather than later, as the Glorious Bomb was probably one of the weakest looking moves of the entire show. 

Rounding off the show, we had Ember Moon [Athena] making her debut against Billie Kay, in a decent introduction to Moon that showcased her pace and offence, although I'm still not convinced by Kay. For me, Kay still seems a bit off when on the offensive. When she was in control the action didn't seem to have any direction and she just randomly used other people's finishes. Using moves like Gail Kim/Xavier Woods' Eat Defeat/Lost in the Woods or a variation of Victoria's Widow's Peak just made the match feel clunky, as the moves came way too early for anyone to buy them as an effective near fall, whilst it causes you to think about how someone else did that move better because they could or can beat people with it! The struggle to get the Gory Special locked in didn't help things either. Luckily, Athena was impressive enough to get the crowd on her side towards the end of the match, with some groovy moves, including the O-Face (Diving Corkscrew Stunner) which got her the win. She's a welcome addition to the TV roster, hopefully we get to see her mix it up with the likes of Asuka, Bayley and Peyton Royce sooner rather than later. 

Finally...

ATPW Scale Rating - 7.14/10

NXT has worked itself into a position, where the expectation of their supercards is so high, that it can be difficult for them to live up to the hype. Luckily for us viewers, NXT has so far managed to deliver on each and every one of them, getting a consistency that is few and far between in modern day wrestling. This show was a very good wrestling presentation, that did a number of jobs across the two hours, whether that be to introduce a performer, say goodbye to another or just to have a damn good match and manage to do all of these well. The Revival v Gargano & Ciampa was the strongest match of the night, with Nakamura v Joe not far behind, Bayley v Asuka up there as well, with a good quality undercard involving Aries, Roode and the debut of Moon. 

Was it as strong as the first one? Ummm...I'm going to say no. Whilst #2's undercard was strong, #1 had Bayley v Banks and Balor v Owens in a Ladder match, which were both a step above their opposite number on this show. However as sequels go, it certainly wasn't far off! 

The brand continues to evolve and I'd expect another completely different card when they head back to Brooklyn on 19th August 2017! 

All content - James Marston

TV Review: WWE NXT #207 - TM-61 v The Revival

With Bobby Roode making his debut, Hideo Itami making his return and TM-61 facing the Revival in the main event, this week's NXT was going to be amazing, right? 

Before I get into talking about those two cheeky chappies above, let me begin this week's NXT review by talking about The Revival's victory over TM-61. As much as this was an anticipated main event match, this bout was all about Dash Wilder and Scott Dawson. The two looked dominant throughout and every inch of the Tag Team Champions that they've grown into since they first won the belts last October. Wilder and Dawson looked great when cutting off the ring for Shane Thorne, targeting his arm and bringing in a narrative, helped by Thorne's capable selling. However, it was in the match's conclusion where they looked at their strongest, as after whether the storm of a Nick Miller hot tag, as Wilder attacked Thorne, leading to Miller giving chase around the ring, only to be hit with a precise snap DDT from Dawson when entering the ring. It wasn't the high gear thriller that it potentially could have been but boy did it make The Revival look like world beaters.

The show would conclude with an entertaining talking segment as Johnny Gargano and Tomasso Ciampa interrupted the tag champs and issued a challenge. Both sides were on top form on the microphone and managed to create a good amount of friction were before there may not have been any, which will only act as an aid when they meet on 20th August. Both managed to hit the right notes with their promos and it was cool to see Gargano and Ciampa get to develop a unique style of talking to their opponents and the crowd. They seemed to be enjoying themselves as they joked about, riffing off the Revival's promo about who they'd beaten and getting a big pop for mentioning Pokemon Go! (which might be the most over thing in wrestling, right now). Gargano & Ciampa besting the Revival in the show-closing scrap, after such a strong performance from the champions, was a great way to go off the air, with both teams looking pretty even heading into Takeover: Brooklyn II. 

Bobby Roode finally made his NXT debut this week, just five months after his TNA departure. This was a simple way of introducing his character to the NXT audience as he takes on a new "Glorious" persona. Roode is fine talker and worked the crowd nicely, initially pandering to them, before ripping into them for wearing shitty clothes and not being either presidents or CEOs. My favourite part of the promo was him claiming to be the wrestler that will "expand the brand" as it will play off any anti-TNA sentiment that the audience holds and let's face it NXT have already done a much better job of making Roode look like a star than TNA managed in his 12 year run with the company. It was nothing ground breaking and didn't offer any idea to where Roode's first match would be or who he'd be feuding with, but it was a novel way of introducing a new character to an audience. 

In a curious twist to their previous rivalry, Women's Champion Asuka would call #1 Contender Bayley down to ringside from the commentary desk to watch as The Empress of Tomorrow destroyed Aliyah. It was a brutal display that saw Asuka hammer the rookie with a vicious kicks before collecting the submission victory with the Asuka Lock and having Bayley at ringside gave everything an extra depth and allowed their feud to pick up some much needed momentum heading towards Takeover: Brooklyn II. Credit to Aliyah for some strong selling that allowed Asuka to look even better than she already did. Considering this was only her second TV singles match it was solid performance were she did every that she was tasked with and did it well. 

Hideo Itami made his return to NXT, going over Florida indy worker and CWC participant Sean Maluta, in the opening match. Itami looked decent as he eased himself back into action, with a simple contest that essentially had to re-introduce him to the audience after over a year out of action. Maluta held himself well against the bigger name, but it was a swift and convincing victory for Itami, following a flurry of strikes and the Shotgun Kick. It was interesting that the crowd didn't seem all that bothered about Itami's return and he struggled to get much of reaction of the crowd, but after only an initial seven months on television, followed up by a 15 month absence, it's understand that the audience will take a little time to get back "into" Itami. 

Best of the Rest

• With Mojo Rawley about to get a win over Chris Atkins in seconds, NXT Champion Samoa Joe assaulted Rawley, choking him on the ramp with the Coquina Clutch.

Finally...

ATPW Scale Rating - 5.05/10

A solid hour of build towards Takeover: Brooklyn with only two more episodes to go until the special. The continued spotlight on the tag division is paying off with a solid main event and an even better interaction between The Revival and Ciampa & Gargano to end the show on a high note. Bobby Roode's debut and Hideo Itami's return inject some extra star power into the brand following a couple of high profile departures, but both appearance were more about setting the ground work, than wowing the audience. An average hour to watch, but an hour that will make other hours much more satisfying viewing, especially come 20th August!

TV Review: WWE NXT #203 - American Alpha v The Revival - 2/3 Falls (James Marston)

The first of two weeks of NXT with Takeover quality main events, kicked off with American Alpha challenging The Revival for the Tag Team Championships in a Two out of Three Falls match. It's been noted that I'm a big mark for Two out of Three Falls contests, so could Chad Gable, Jason Jordan, Dash Wilder and Scott Dawson, live up to my expectations? 

The Revival retaining their Tag Team Championships, coming from behind to win their Two out of Three Falls match with American Alpha, 2-1, was a superb main event, being a real example of what tag team wrestling can be when given the time and effort. What I enjoyed most about the contest was that the original fall felt like a regular match between the two teams. There was no flash pinfall early on or another gimmick that's been used time and time again in these types of matches, the contest just played out like a regular tag team match. The pacing of this first portion saw both teams jostling for control, with a American Alpha once again receiving an extended face shine, which played nicely into The Revival's period of control. 

This was the match that had me completely sold on The Revival as a duo. That isn't to say that I hadn't enjoyed the team previously, but this was the clash that made me see Dash Wilder and Scott Dawson as a special tag team. The pair worked so well together throughout the fight, cutting the ring and initially focusing on Jordan's leg (which would come back later in the match), before using every trick in the book to keep Gable in their corner. Both guys attitudes makes them easy to get wound up by, as they give very little away and go about their business in a fairly nonchalant manner, whilst at the same time making sure that whoever is waiting for the hot tag can up their game and get the crowd behind them. It's helped by the fact that pretty much everything The Revival do in the ring is crisp and tightly done, with very little wasted movement. 

The final stretch of the bout featured a lot of ideas that had been seen earlier in the contest, as well as all three falls. Everything revolved around Jordan's hot tag, as while a tremendous sequence of action would see Wilder tap to an Ankle Lock, it was Jordan's previously injured leg that would lead to him tapping to an Inverted Figure 4. Corey Graves did a world class job on commentary keep that story ticking over, although I wish Jordan had sold his injury a little bit more on his comeback. Lots of false finishes, Gable having to save Jordan from another Inverted Figure 4 and both teams just dodging their opponents double team finisher kept building the match's excitement levels as the crowd was whipped into a frenzy by the time The Revival nailed a Shatter Machine onto the apron on Gable for the win. The first must-see match on regular NXT TV for quite some time. 

The other notable match on the card was Bayley's victory over Alexa Bliss in a quality opener. A great piece of booking here, as after Bliss' victory over Carmella last week, this felt like the logical step up as the brand looks for a Number 1 Contender to Asuka's Women's Championship. The two character slotted together nicely, with both bringing something different to their game here. Bliss looked comfortable wrestling with the more accomplished Bayley, managing to keep up with the former Women's Champion, whilst Bayley unleashed a fiery comeback that showed her character frustration well. My only real complaint with the action was that Bliss wasn't going for her Twisted Bliss finisher when Bayley got her knees up to block en route to hitting Bayley to Belly, as this would have upped the drama of the contest. After the match, Bayley appeared to challenge Nia Jaxx to a future re-match. 

Elsewhere, Rhyno made his return to NXT as he interrupted a tag match between The Hype Bros and Blake & Murphy (yeah, they're back as a team, apparently) by managing to Gore three out of the four competitors. 

Finally

ATPW Scale Rating - 7.88/10 

The Two out of Three Falls match taking up a large portion of the show means that this week's NXT scores just under a "Superb" rating on the ATPW Scale. That's an amazing rating for a television show. This was indeed a great outing for the brand, with the main event being complemented by a strong women's opener between Bayley & Alexa Bliss. This is arguably the best edition of the show since Samoa Joe and Sami Zayn's Two out of Three Falls match took up the entire hour. 

With Finn Balor v Shinsuke Nakamura coming up next week, it looks like the good times may continue to roll for the yellow brand.

WWE NXT Takeover: Rival Preview

NXT Takeover's are steadily becoming the most anticipated event for a certain group of fans, so it's only natural that ATPW will be not only offering reviews of the show, but also Previews and Predictions as we do for WWE PPV's. Grab yourself a digestive (other biscuits are available), put the kettle on and settle in...The Future is Now!

Singles Match for the NXT Championship Match

Kevin Owens vs. Sami Zayn (C)

Zayn and Owens came face to face for a Contract Signing on 28th January

Head to Head Record - Sami Zayn - 10 wins, Kevin Owens - 8 wins

      As soon as the then Kevin Steen was revealed as WWE's newest aquistion on 12th August last year, it was the one match that fans clamoured for. Steen vs. Generico on a grand scale. The pair have had 18 singles match around the world on the independent circuit, in Canada, USA, England and Italy. Their first came in November 2003 for International Wrestling Syndicate at "Payback's A Bitch" in Laval, Quebec, Canada and it's been almost two and half years since their last, a Ladder War for Ring of Honor at "Final Battle" in New York City.

Anyone who's seen the two tangle on the Indies knows that these two can more than deliver in the main event, and after a compelling and entertaining two month build up, we could be in for some special come bell time at the Full Sail Arena. Part of me think we won't see Sami Zayn drop the title only two months and one succesful title defence after winning the belt and can't see the title being given to Owens in only his third televised match in NXT, but the other part thinks it's much more entertaining to see Zayn chasing the title and would add more spice to their feud if Owens were able to win through some underhanded tactic. That's what makes this bout so intriguing.

Prediction - Sami Zayn retains.

Fatal Four-way Match for the NXT Women's Championship

Bayley vs. Becky Lynch vs. Charlotte (C) vs. Sasha Banks

Bayley and Charlotte stare down on last week's NXT.

Head to Head Record (involving any combination of the four) - 
Bayley - 17 wins, Becky - 5 wins, Charlotte - 12 wins, Sasha - 11 wins

There's a lot of back-story going into this Fatal Fourway, isn't there? Becky and Bayley used to be pal, Charlotte and Sasha used to be pals, Becky and Sasha are pals, but there's been tension for a while, Charlotte and Bayley built up a mutual respect, after feuding for a bit and now seem to have dropped their friendship in favour of the NXT Women's Championship. It's great to see the women's division treated like it's important and each of these four women have grabbed the opportunities given to them by NXT with both hands, putting on a series of exciting matches that have stood out from the rest of the show. This could very well be another one of those matches. I think it's time for a title change in the division, and this Fatal Fourway should provide the opportunity for fan favourite Bayley to pick up the title.

Prediction - Bayley wins her first NXT Women's Championship. 

Tag Team Match for the NXT Tag Team Championship

Buddy Murphy & Wesley Blake (C) vs. The Lucha Dragons

Blake & Murphy surprised the Lucha Dragons on 28th January NXT.

Head to Head Record - Murphy & Blake - 1 win, Lucha Dragons - 2 times

It was a great moment when Murphy and Blake won the NXT Tag Team Championship because it came completely out of nowhere, but it was impossible to say they weren't deserving of the titles after beating The Vaudevillains and the Lucha Dragons in consecutive weeks. Tonights match has the simple story of the new champions attempting to prove the win wasn't a fluke, whilst the previous champions attempt to win back their gold. I've made it known in previous weeks that I've been less than enamoured with Sin Cara's performances recently, so I'm hoping we see more of Kalisto in this one! I'm excited to get more of a look at Blake and Murphy who have shown potential in their recent performances, but are yet to have a break-out performance in the ring.

Prediction - Murphy & Blake retain.

Singles Match to Determine the Number One Contender to the NXT Championship

Adrian Neville vs. Finn Balor

Neville & Balor shake hands at the close of last week's NXT.

Head to Head Record - Adrian Neville - 1 win, Finn Balor - 0 wins.

For only the second time in history and the first time on WWE television, Adrian Neville and Finn Balor will square off and this time the winner will get a shot at the NXT Championship. I'm a big mark for tournaments and have enjoyed this tournaments that's played out on NXT for the last four weeks. It's kept Neville looking strong following two losses to Sami Zayn, whilst Finn Balor has been elevated due to his performances against Hideo Itami and Curtis Axel. Neville and Balor are free of any real storyline and backstory, which allows them put on a different kind of match to what I expect we'll see from Owens and Zayn in the main event, this is going to be two similarly matched competitors going back and forth to prove who deserve a shot at the title. I see it being Balor who pulls out the victory, as Neville has not long come off a run in the title picture, it may be time for Neville to make the step up following WrestleMania 31.

Prediction - Balor wins to become Number One Contender to the NXT Championship.

No Disqualification Match

Baron Corbin vs. Bull Dempsey

Corbin was on the losing end against Adrian Neville on last week's NXT.

Head to Head Record - Corbin - 5 wins, Dempsey - 0 wins

The one match on the card that I couldn't give a shit about. Corbin defeated Dempsey on 14th January, before picking up another win two weeks later in the Quarter Final of the NXT Championship Number One contenders tournament, before Dempsey cost Corbin his Semi-Final match with Adrian Neville, the week after. On paper, that doesn't sound so bad, but when you consider neither of Corbin and Dempsey's televised matches have gone longer than two minutes, it's a little difficult to understand exactly why I'm supposed to be interested in this match.

Prediction - Corbin wins.

Singles Match

Hideo Itami vs. Tyler Breeze

Itami lost his Semi-Final to Finn Balor last week.

Head to Head Record - Itami - 7 wins, Breeze - 0 wins.

Also coming out of the NXT Championship Number One Contender's Tournament is this match. Itami defeated Breeze in the Quarter Finals, however was unable to pull out the win against Finn Balor in the Semis, leading to Breeze attacking Itami during a WWE.com "Exclusive" interview. It's hardly the fiercest of rivalries, however, Itami and Breeze managed to put together a decent bout first time out and have faced each other numerous times on NXT live events over the past three months, so I'd expect the pair to put in a similar effort, if not top their original contest. Breeze would benefit more from a victory here.

Prediction - Tyler Breeze pulls out the surprise win.

Finally...

This show has the potential to be the strongest outing for NXT yet. Owens vs. Zayn, Balor vs. Neville and Itami vs. Breeze all stand out as intriguing singles bouts, whilst the Women's Fatal Fourway will offer a welcome change of pace on the show. If we could just find a way to get rid of Corbin vs. Dempsey...

See you tomorrow for the review!

WWE NXT 17th July 2013 Review

It was another big week in the history of NXT, with the Tag Team Championships on the line in the main event, as well as the crowning of a brand new number one contender for Bo Dallas’ NXT Championship. To add to the important feeling of the night, we also got appearances from Hall of Famer Ric Flair, and main roster wrestlers Sheamus and Antonio Cesaro throughout the night.

NXT Tag Team Championship Match: 

Adrian Neville & Corey Graves 

vs. 

The Wyatt Family (Eric Rowan & Luke Harper) © 

with Bray Wyatt

It’s been a busy week for the Wyatt Family, turning up on Raw to attack R-Truth, before taking out 3MB and Justin Gabriel on Main Event, as they continued to send messages to Kane in the build up to a possible contest at Summerslam. Over in the alternative universe of NXT, The Wyatt Family have been feuding with Adrian Neville & Corey Graves for sometime now, with The Wyatt Family taking out Neville’s former tag team partner Oliver Grey and interfering in a number of Corey Graves’ matches, with all the matches we’ve seen with these two versus The Wyatt’s in varations combinations involving the likes Bo Dallas, Kassius Ohno and William Regal, it seemed this match could very well be the last of the feud that has built well to this over the last few months. In the build up to the contest, The Wyatt Family attacked Sheamus during a backstage interview about Sheamus’ match next week, leaving him lying.

In terms of the story being told, the match was nothing much out of the ordinary, with The Wyatts dominating Corey Graves for most of the opening section. Rowan and Harper continue to look impressive in the natural big man tandem role, with a number of nice double team moves added to their arsenal, it only helps to add variety of the match which is needed when telling a basic story like this one. Corey Graves’ selling has also improved in recent weeks, at first I questioned how Graves would transfer into a face role on NXT, as seeming like a natural heel on the earlier episodes of the new format, however coupled with his great rallying promos, his stronger selling ability has really turned him into a fan favourite, which was needed here for Graves to really work the crowd up in anticipation of the hot tag.

The moment when Graves managed to make the tag to Neville, after Harper had missed a running big boot in the corner, was made ten times better by Neville really reaching out for the tag, making it seem of the upmost importance that the tag be made, as Graves did a good job of edging towards his corner. William Regal also did a fantastic job on commentary in really building up the moment, why Regal isn’t on regular WWE programming I’ll never know. After some fantastic high-flying action from Neville, including a great hurricanrana from the apron to the floor on Luke Harper, and a top rope springboard moonsault onto both of this opponents, things swung into the favour of the challengers. That is until Bray Wyatt got involved pushing Neville off the top rope, for a near fall for his family. This brought out Sheamus in a pay off of the segment we saw earlier, as Sheamus took out Wyatt sending him into the steel steps. With Graves taking out Rowan’s knee, Neville headed to the top rope, hitting Red Arrow to win his team the NXT Tag Team Championships. It was a good ending and a logical one with The Wyatt’s now competing on the main roster WWE shows, and having Sheamus come down to even the odds, elevated the match by association.

I’m not sure how many appearances the Wyatt Family have left on NXT, so I’m enjoying their run on the show while it lasts. It’s been an enjoyable run for the trio and I hope they can continue to relate this success to the rest of the WWE, because as a group they have a lot of potential. I see Neville and Graves, as almost placeholder champions however, yes both men are extremely talented in differing ways, but I see both guys having separate careers, rather than continuing as this tag team. It will be interesting to see who steps up to challenge Neville & Graves, as NXT is currently pretty bare on tag team combinations.

Best of the Rest (In The World)

Elsewhere on NXT, there was a triple threat match to decide the new number one contender for Bo Dallas’ NXT Championship, featuring Sami Zayn, Antonio Cesaro and Leo Kruger. The story has built well heading into this one, with Cesaro and Zayn having a long running series, and Kruger’s involvement with Dallas interweaving heading into the triple threat. The match as well as similar well built and well paced, with solid action throughout that involved all three of the competitors involved for an optimum amount of time. The three men meshed together well, which can be a problem within triple threat matches, with each man bringing a new element to the contest. Sami Zayn brought his high flying skills to match, hitting a nice running senton over the top rope to Cesaro and Kruger. Whilst Cesaro brought a technically sound power game to the proceedings, and Kruger bringing some nice character work, as he remains something of an unknown entity on NXT.

The highlight of the match for me, saw Cesaro german suplex both Kruger and Zayn at the same time, it was an impressive moment that was reminiscent of Kurt Angle in the way it was delivered. The ending saw some more good work between Zayn and Cesaro, with Cesaro eventually hitting the Neutralizer, only for Leo Kruger to run in and steal the victory, becoming Number One Contender for the NXT Championship in the process. It was a good ending, that built on Kruger’s character as a former poacher, as he poached the victory off Cesaro, whilst also leaving it open for another Cesaro and Zayn match in the future. However, I’m not quite sure Kruger is the ideal opponent to face Bo Dallas, who simply can not get over with the NXT crowd, therefore surely have Dallas defend against a face, before eventually turning on them would have been the better option here.

Dallas himself was in action later in the night, against Scott Dawson who was accompanied by his manager Sylvester LeFort, who cut a good pre-match promo hying up Dawson for the match. It wasn’t a particularly great contest, with Dallas looking increasingly sloppy in the ring with some poor looking dropkicks and an awkward bulldog. Dallas simply isn’t ready to be competing at this level, and whilst Dawson did a good job working over Dallas, it doesn’t really matter when the crowd doesn’t like the guy you’re beating down. Dallas picked up a fairly speedy victory after a comeback, with his belly to belly suplex finish, which still doesn’t look anything like a finishing move. After the match, Leo Kruger came out and took Dallas, finishing him off with Kruger End. The crowd confirmed my earlier thoughts about the decision to have Kruger named number one contenders by chanting “Thank You Kruger”.

Ric Flair made a second consecutive appearance on NXT this week, to accompany his daughter Charlotte to the ring for her first match on NXT against Bayley. In terms of looks, Charlotte looks like she might have just wandered off the set of ITV’s Gladiators, with a strongly muscular physique, much more so than any of the Divas on the current roster, she also looks incredibly tall. I was actually pretty surprised by the match, as I expected to see Charlotte look a little awkward in the ring (she might be related to the Naith, but so was David Flair) but she appeared calm and athletic throughout with a number of interesting moves to boot. Being up against Bayley also helped as the two women’s styles fitted together well, and Bayley’s character is always a joy to watch. After Charlotte won the contest with a forward somersault cutter, she celebrated in the ring with her father, performing his signature strut. Whilst Charlotte looked pretty good for her first match, one thing that will need to be worked on is character, as I’m not sure how far she will get on the gimmick of being Ric Flair’s daughter. 

Finally...

What have I learnt from this week's NXT?

1. You can still make a well-trodden story feel exciting and fresh, given the right combination of action and character, as seen in the Tag Team Championship contest.

2. Leo Kruger was the wrong choice for Number One Contender, not because he isn't ready, but because he is a poor fit for Bo Dallas at this time.

3. William Regal is the best commentator around, bar none.