http://www.cheap-heat.com WWE, TNA, ROH, NJPW - Blogs, Reviews, Top Lists, Indy News & Results Sun, 20 Sep 2015 01:35:33 +0000 en-US hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=4.3.1

http://www.cheap-heat.com/brooklyn-is-wrestling-weekend-review/ http://www.cheap-heat.com/brooklyn-is-wrestling-weekend-review/#comments Thu, 27 Aug 2015 14:48:57 +0000 B+ Players CH Podcast Brooklyn Finn Balor Jushin Thunder Liger Kevin Owens Liger NJPW NXT ROH Triple H wrestling WWE WWE Network WWE Universe http://www.cheap-heat.com/?p=13799 If you have trouble with the media player – CLICK HERE – for our official page at YourListen! Mark Haggerty is back with a solo edition of the “B+ Player Podcast.” Mark is breaking down the events of this past weekend in Brooklyn New York; get the results from ROH Field of Honor, NXT TakeOver: […]

If you have trouble with the media player – CLICK HERE – for our official page at YourListen!

Mark Haggerty is back with a solo edition of the “B+ Player Podcast.” Mark is breaking down the events of this past weekend in Brooklyn New York; get the results from ROH Field of Honor, NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn, SummerSlam 2015 and Monday Night Raw. We’ll be back Friday morning with the debut edition of “ BroCase of the Immortals .”

“PG” Matt Sloyan on his way into the Barclay’s Center

Gary Mastriano and Mark Adam Haggerty outside the Barclay’s Center

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"PG" Matt S – @theMattSloyan
James Thorpey – @jamesthorpey

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http://www.cheap-heat.com/educated-guess-nxt-takeover-brooklyn/ http://www.cheap-heat.com/educated-guess-nxt-takeover-brooklyn/#comments Sat, 22 Aug 2015 15:50:56 +0000 Mark Adam Haggerty Blogs Apollo Crews B+ Players Podcast Baron Corbin Bayley Blake and Murphy Brooklyn Dragon Gate Field of Honor Finn Balor Jushin Liger Jushin Thunder Liger Kevin Owens Ladder Match NJPW NXT NXT Championship NXT TakeOver NXT Takeover Brooklyn Prince Pretty Pro Wrestling Syndicate PWS ROH Samoa Joe Sasha Banks Tag Team Championship Takeover The Vaudevillians Ty Dillinger Tye Dillinger Tyler Breeze Uhaa Nation Womens Championship WWE http://www.cheap-heat.com/?p=13675 Summer time is almost at an end, and soon we'll be privy to chilly autumn days and back-to-school shopping. But that doesn't mean we can't enjoy the last two weeks of the seasons! What's Crack-a-Lackin' everybody? My name is Mark Adam Haggerty, and tonight is NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn LIVE on the WWE Network! I will […]

Summer time is almost at an end, and soon we'll be privy to chilly autumn days and back-to-school shopping. But that doesn't mean we can't enjoy the last two weeks of the seasons! What's Crack-a-Lackin' everybody? My name is Mark Adam Haggerty, and tonight is NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn LIVE on the WWE Network! I will be one of the tens-of-thousands of people in attendance at the Barclay's Center, hoping against hope for an exclusive Jushin "Thunder" Liger t-shirt. But what about the card? What might we expect to go down when the men and women of NXT perform in front of 16,000 fans—40 times the size of the fledgling Full Sail fan base? I've got a few ideas. When other professional wrestling pundits are making predictions, I'm doing the due diligence required to form Educated Guesses .

Samoa Joe vs. Baron Corbin
For someone that came into the WWE on a wave of momentum, Samoa Joe sure is jerking the curtain on an event that's set to break every record imaginable. Joe was part of TNA's tapings at the Manhattan Center , and made a name for himself with Ring of Honor in smaller venues across the city. This will DEFINITELY be the largest crowd Joe has ever worked in New York. It might even be the largest crowd he's worked in America , save for the dark match wherein he crippled Tyson Kidd. This is a tough one to predict; Baron Corbin is still undefeated as far as I'm aware—at least on television. One would assume Baron's toppling of the Samoan Submission Machine would cement him as part of the upper echelon of NXT. But Samoa Joe losing to Baron Corbin is a hard pill to swallow, especially when you've got almost twenty thousand blood thirsty New Yorkers who paid to see professional wrestling. You'd also have to guess that Corbin is due for his inevitable humbling sooner than later. Samoa Joe is the kind of "living legend" that can defeat Corbin at the end of a hard-fought battle, only to raise his hand in proverbial triumph at the end. Baron Corbin could lose the fight, but gain the respect of Samoa Joe—and in turn, the NXT fans.
Educated Guess: Samoa Joe

Apollo Crews vs. Tye Dillinger
With CJ Parker exploring the independent ranks of professional wrestling, there's a hole left on the roster. Parker was, for lack of a better term, "Jobber to the Stars"—the first stop for future Superstars such as Baron Corbin and Kevin Owens. Tye Dillinger appears to have adopted the mantle, as the "Perfect Ten" is booked to compete with the recently signed Uhaa Nation—debuting as "Apollo Crews." Listen—I get what they're doing with the name; Apollo like Creed and Crews like Terry, I get it. But a simple Google Image Search for "Apollo Crews" will yield nothing but group photos of NASA astronauts. Just wanted to make that known before its too late. I think it's safe to say Apollo will more than likely achieve victory. I'll be curious to see if they do the Titan Tron "fade out" with the name change, the way they did with KENTA into Hideo Itami and Prince Devitt into Finn Balor. I'm also wondering if he'll continue to employ his "Uhaa Combination"; most independent stars are allowed to keep their finishing moves, with the exception of Kevin Owens' package piledriver.
Educated Guess: Apollo Crews

NXT Tag Team Championship
Blake & Murphy (c) vs. The Vaudevillians
This week's episode of the Outsiders' Edge features our official preview show for both NXT and SummerSlam. No one on the show could understand why the Vaudevillians are in contention for the titles, especially since Enzo Amore and Big Cass aren't even scheduled for the main show. They're in an eight man tag during the TV tapings! Enzo and Cass are more over than the Vaudevillians, they've got history with Blake and Murphy, and it's their hometown! Big Cass is from the City, whereas Enzo's from Hackensack—which is THROWING DISTANCE from Brooklyn! I made a really outlandish guess, and said maybe something happens to the Vaudevillians? Maybe they get attacked before the show, or perhaps they're defeated courtesy of some underhanded tactics. We very well could see the "Certified G," as well as the big seven-foot Italian. Getting back to this match—there's no way the Vaudevillians are winning the titles. If this is truly the match they're going with, then I have no doubt Blake and Murphy are set to retain.
Educated Guess: Blake & Murphy

Jushin "Thunder" Liger vs. Tyler Breeze
I write a column for Daily Wrestling News called " Weights & Measures ," about the "Excitement Factor" going into an event. It's just your average percentage scale with 0% representing no interest whatsoever, and 100% being the presumable cap. I broke the rules this month and said this match was at a 500% . You heard me. FIVE HUNDRED PERCENT! I mentioned earlier that I'm looking forward to finding an exclusive Jushin "Thunder" Liger t-shirt, but there's so much more involved! This guy has been wrestling professionally since 1984; he was in the OPENING MATCH on the first- ever WCW Monday Nitro. He's wrestled everyone from Ric Flair to Daniel Bryan to Dalton Castle! And now he's come to the WWE for the first time in his 31-year career at the age of 50 to wrestle one of the brightest stars in the company! Tyler Breeze seems to have been left by the wayside in recent months—since NXT TakeOver: Fatal 4-Way— and has been defeated in the opening match on the last TWO TakeOver specials. Tyler is destined for great things in the WWE and the business at large, he's just been submerged beneath a deluge of debuting independent darlings. His time will come; tonight will be a defining moment in the career of Tyler Breeze.
Educated Guess: Tyler Breeze

NXT Women’s Championship
Sasha Banks (c) vs. Bayley
I know everyone is enamored with how amazing the women of NXT are, and all of the Tony Schiavone-wannabes are bolstering hyperbolic boastings such as "Sasha versus Bayley will be match of the night." Guys—Kevin Steen is wrestling Prince Devitt in a fucking ladder match. Jushin Liger is making his WWE debut. Uhaa Nation is making his WWE debut. Samoa Joe is working his largest crowd in New York ever. Sasha versus Bayley will be an outstanding match—but it will not be match of the night. There's just no way. Sasha Banks and Becky Lynch stole the show last month, which wasn't hard to do considering the main event never got started. Still, all scrutiny aside, I believe Sasha Banks is unquestionably the most talented in-ring performer the Diva's Division has ever had. Ever. Bayley is a fantastic sports entertainer and appears to have no trouble connecting with the crowd. I've said before that Bayley could very well be the WWE's female equivalent to John Cena—a smiling role model who wears bright colors and sells a ton of frivolous merch. But I don't think her in-ring ability is on par with Becky Lynch, or Charlotte, or Paige—let alone Sasha Banks. I think this is going to be a fun match, it'll be long with a lot of drama, and there will definitely be hugging and crying in the end.
Educated Guess: Bayley

NXT Championship
Finn Balor (c) vs. Kevin Owens
I'm not a main event mark, believe it or not. I'm one of those people who saw Savage/Steamboat and has since said: "The best stuff is on the undercard." And quite often, that's very much the case. But tonight's main event is going to be special. I've been to hundreds of events in my life; I've seen WWE, TNA, ROH, NJPW, PWG, ECW, PWS, and dozens upon dozens of regional Indy promotions. This will be my first NXT event, and despite how long I've been attending wrestling live—this will also be my first ladder match . So no matter what happens, I'm going to be happy with the result. I think most people are going on the assumption that Finn Balor has to win this match because Kevin Owens is on the main roster. While I'm assuming Finn will win, I'm not so quick to assume Kevin can't. Kevin Owens needs to maintain some sort of constant presence in NXT until Sami Zayn returns. Not only is the rivalry ongoing, but with Zayn and Itami on the injured list, NXT is pretty scarce in terms of main event talent. I'm very much looking forward to this match. I think it'll probably steal the show, and could very well be the "Match of the Weekend " when all is said and done.
Educated Guess: Finn Balor

Until next time, please LIKE "The B+ Players Podcast" on Facebook , and FOLLOW me on Twitter for all the latest and greatest updates courtesy of Cheap-Heat and Daily Wrestling News !

В

http://www.cheap-heat.com/nxt-takeover-brooklyn-summerslam-preview/ http://www.cheap-heat.com/nxt-takeover-brooklyn-summerslam-preview/#comments Sat, 22 Aug 2015 13:31:20 +0000 B+ Players CH Podcast Cesaro Finn Balor John Cena Kevin Owens NXT Seth Rollins SummerSlam Takeover Takeover Brooklyn The Undertaker WWE WWE Network WWE Universe http://www.cheap-heat.com/?p=13670 If the Media Player gives you trouble – CLICK HERE – for our official page at YourListen! The boys are back in town! Mark, Gary, and “PG” Matt are back on the attack, and getting ready for a jam packed weekend of wrestling! B+ Player Radio is located just 40 minutes from the beautiful Barclay’s […]

If the Media Player gives you trouble – CLICK HERE – for our official page at YourListen!

The boys are back in town! Mark, Gary, and “PG” Matt are back on the attack, and getting ready for a jam packed weekend of wrestling! B+ Player Radio is located just 40 minutes from the beautiful Barclay’s Center, and we’ll be there LIVE Saturday Night for NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn!

We sat down to discuss what might take place at TakeOver, as well as the subsequent television tapings. In addition, we’re previewing WWE SummerSlam — also at the Barclay’s Center — this Sunday night! We will not be on hand for the ‘Slam, instead we’ll be hosting a Beer-B-Q viewing party with LIVE reactions!

You can follow all of the B+ Players on Twitter!
В В В В В В В В В В В В В Mark Adam Haggerty – @TapeTraderz
В В В В В В В В В В В В В  Gary Mastriano – @BPlayerPodcast
"PG" Matt S – @theMattSloyan
James Thorpey – @jamesthorpey

Please LIKE and FOLLOW us on Facebook for new episodes of the B+ Players; constant coverage courtesy of DailyWrestlingNews.com, and lots of laughs thanks to Gutbusterwrestling.com!

http://www.cheap-heat.com/the-fantasy-draft-three-months-later/ http://www.cheap-heat.com/the-fantasy-draft-three-months-later/#comments Tue, 14 Jul 2015 13:46:54 +0000 B+ Players Blogs CH Podcast AJ Styles Candles Finn Balor Humor Indiana Jones John Cena NJPW Podcast Radio ROH Star Wars Suicide Squad TNA WWE http://www.cheap-heat.com/?p=12940 LISTEN TO TODAY'S UPDATE SHOW RIGHT NOW BY CLICKING HERE! Before we begin… Happy 73rd Birthday Harrison Ford! Back in April we had our "Matt Hardy's Not Getting Draft" Fantasy Draft. We went ten rounds on the air, and picked 30 of the best and brightest talents in the WWE, TNA, ROH, NJPW, and beyond. […]

LISTEN TO TODAY'S UPDATE SHOW RIGHT NOW BY CLICKING HERE!

Before we begin… Happy 73rd Birthday Harrison Ford!

Back in April we had our "Matt Hardy's Not Getting Draft" Fantasy Draft. We went ten rounds on the air, and picked 30 of the best and brightest talents in the WWE, TNA, ROH, NJPW, and beyond. We each picked a ring announcer, a broadcast team, and a senior official, so as to give our rosters added depth. Well today Matt S and I are picking up where we left off, to see who has the strongest team three months later. Here's a quick look at our rosters—let us know who you think is doing the best.

Warning: Gary did not understand the assignment.

"PG" Matt S wanted a roster comprised of wrestlers doing what they do best—wrestle. But he also wanted to cast some of the best talkers in the business as well! We were all given the chance to pick our home venue, and Matt S picked one of the largest, most recognizable stadiums in the world. Not only that, but he's the only person who picked an actual referee instead of a one-time guest referee.

Curtain Call Wrestling
Owned and Operated by "PG" Matt S
Based at AT&T Stadium
Broadcast Team: JBL and Matt Striker
Ring Announcer: Justin Roberts
Senior Official: Mike Chioda

1 ^st Round – Shawn Michaels
2 ^nd Round – Daniel Bryan
3 ^rd Round – Paige
4 ^th Round – Brock Lesnar
5 ^th Round – Dolph Ziggler
6 ^th Round – Enzo Amore & Big Cass
7 ^th Round – Charlotte
8 ^th Round – CM Punk
9 ^th Round – Bray Wyatt
10 ^th Round – The Miz

I named my company S.C.R.E.W., because goofy names seem to be all the rage on the indie scene. My promotion is based in Southern California, and features the most non- WWE Superstars out of the three rosters. I feel like I took this shit too seriously.

SoCal Rumble: Entertainment & Wrestling
Owned and Operated by Mark Adam Haggerty
Based at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
Broadcast Team: Mike Tenay and Jerry Lawler
Ring Announcer: Tony Chimel
Senior Official: Val Venis [All referees must wear striped towels]

1 ^st Round – AJ Styles
2 ^nd Round – Shinsuke Nakamura
3 ^rd Round – Finn Balor
4 ^th Round – reDRagon
5 ^th Round – Angelina Love
6 ^th Round – Bayley
7 ^th Round – Ethan Carter III
8 ^th Round – Austin Aries
9 ^th Round – Sami Zayn
10 ^th Round – Kurt Angle

Okay so Gary went a different direction than everybody else. Instead of assembling a roster of wrestlers, he decided to cast a G.I. Joe style Saturday Morning cartoon. It features the ongoing battles between the heroic FACE FORCE , and the diabolical H.E.E.L. I'm not sure how he plans to implement his broadcast team, or ring announcer, but his referee is on point. In addition to Gary's picks, I've added a brief description of how he plans to cast them on his show.

A.W.E.S.O.M.E.
"American Wrestling Entertainment Stars OR Military Experts"
Owned and Operated by Gary Mastriano
Based 200 miles Beneath the Pentagon
Broadcast Team: Jesse Ventura and "Were-Gorilla" Monsoon
Ring Announcer: Michael Buffer
Senior Official: Ken Shamrock

1 ^st Round – The Rock – "Leader of FACE FORCE"
2 ^nd Round – Rusev – "Second in Command of H.E.E.L."
3 ^rd Round – Triple H – "The Head of H.E.E.L."
4 ^th Round – Lana – "The Evil Seductress"
5 ^th Round – Lucha Dragons – "The Rock's Friends"
6 ^th Round – Dean Ambrose – "Demolitions Expert for FACE FORCE"
7 ^th Round – Seth Rollins – "Architect and Engineer"
8 ^th Round – Stardust – "Casts Spells and Brings People Back from the Dead"
9 ^th Round – Rockstar Spud – "The Rock's Comic Relief"
10 ^th Round – Hulk Hogan – "Real American Hero"

READY TO LISTEN TO TODAY'S UPDATE SHOW? CLICK HERE!

Until next time, please LIKE "The B+ Players Podcast" on Facebook , and FOLLOW me on Twitter for all the latest and greatest updates courtesy of Cheap-Heat and Daily Wrestling News !

*There was a fourth party involved with the Draft, so if you're curious why guys like John Cena weren't picked—they were. That's all I'll say on the matter. – Mark

http://www.cheap-heat.com/the-mvp-of-nxt-5615/ http://www.cheap-heat.com/the-mvp-of-nxt-5615/#comments Tue, 12 May 2015 20:15:13 +0000 Mark Adam Haggerty Reviews WWE Network Reviews Finn Balor Hideo Itami Kevin Owens NJPW NXT NXT Superstars Professional Wrestling ROH TNA Tyler Breeze wrestling WWE WWE Network http://www.cheap-heat.com/?p=11671 The MVP of NXT Written by Mark Adam Haggerty Wednesday has become the number one night for professional wrestling; NXT has gone head-to-head with Lucha Underground since the latter debuted at the tail-end of the summer. Twenty-six weeks later and neither show has lost momentum, in fact, they’ve only gotten better! Not since the Monday […]

The MVP of NXT
Written by Mark Adam Haggerty

Wednesday has become the number one night for professional wrestling; NXT has gone head-to-head with Lucha Underground since the latter debuted at the tail-end of the summer. Twenty-six weeks later and neither show has lost momentum, in fact, they’ve only gotten better! Not since the Monday Night Wars have we had two top-notch sports entertainment programs to choose from, and thanks to DVR, we don’t have to. This week’s episode of NXT was another home run that carefully set the stage for what’s to come at Takeover on May 20th. My name is Mark Adam Haggerty, with you on a weekly basis to present—”The MVP of NXT.”

Kevin Owens is not the "MVP of NXT" for the first time in over two weeks. He was thoroughly entertaining during his interview with Michael Cole, but I wouldn't feel right awarding him the honor for the third week in a row, especially if he didn’t have a match. I already did that last week. So who, pray tell, did I consider the number one performer on this week’s episode? There were quite a few contenders including Uhaa Nation who didn’t do anything aside from sign a contract, and he still made an intense impact. But rather than the newest face on the roster, I decided to go with one of the NXT veterans. A man who has challenged for the NXT championship on multiple occasions, and on May 20th will enter a triple threat wherein he hopes to become number one contender again. Of course I’m referring to the one and only “Prince Pretty,” Tyler Breeze.

Tyler has been a staple of NXT since the debut of the WWE Network in February 2014 and has been featured as a prominent part of every subsequent Takeover special. I would dare say Tyler Breeze may be the most talented member of the developmental roster that wasn’t already established on the independent circuit beforehand. Tyler was trained by the record-setting Lance Storm, who at one time held three different championships while part of WCW. It would certainly seem that Tyler has picked up quite a few interesting nuances from the “Perfect Storm,” which make for an interesting dynamic when paired against the Japanese “Strong-Style” employed by Hideo Itami and Finn Balor. While Tyler definitely deserves recognition for his previous contributions to the overall product, I have decided to declare him the "MVP of NXT" because of his actions on tonight’s broadcast.

Tyler went one on one with Hideo Itami, as a preview for their upcoming triple threat with Finn Balor at Takeover. The match was exciting from start to finish with both men gaining the upper hand on the other, and Tyler coming within mere inches of victory. An ill-timed running offensive maneuver from Hideo to Finn Balor, who was seated at ringside, and the former
IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion was unwittingly involved in the action. Hideo eventually conquered the cocky “King of Cuteville,” earning the 1-2-3 and the psychological advantage over Breeze going into their next encounter. After the match however, Breeze was afforded a moment to gain retribution, when he Super Kicked Finn Balor square in the jaw, and delivered a debilitating "Beauty Shot" to Hideo Itami. He might have lost the battle, but Tyler Breeze has his sights set on winning the war.

The question now relates to where Tyler goes from here. Of course the short answer is: "Takeover, to see who will become the number one contender." But does Breeze really stand any chance against the lights of Hideo Itami AKA KENTA and Finn Balor AKA Prince Devitt? One has to wonder who will be wearing the NXT strap at the end of May 20th, and this humble wrestling pundit is quick to predict Kevin Owens to retain. I think Sami Zayn is a bit fragile at the moment, and might require time off to recuperate from various nagging injuries. If there's going to be a heel title holder, can we really expect Tyler Breeze to challenge for his championship? Perhaps Kevin Owens is enough of a "character babyface" to contend with the tremendously bold Tyler Breeze. That remains to be seen, but I look forward to the day that Tyler Breeze is able to retrieve the title from all of the "uggos" and return it to "Cuteville" where it belongs.

Thank you for stopping by for another edition of “The MVP of NXT.” Remember to keep checking out Cheap-Heat and Daily Wrestling News for all of my latest work; follow me through social media via TapeTraderz and on Facebook at “The B+ Players” ; and be sure to catch my tri-weekly podcasts available exclusively at Cheap-Heat.com!

http://www.cheap-heat.com/erin-go-brawl-wrestlers-of-the-emerald-isle/ http://www.cheap-heat.com/erin-go-brawl-wrestlers-of-the-emerald-isle/#comments Wed, 18 Mar 2015 03:47:26 +0000 Mark Adam Haggerty Top Lists Becky Lynch Danny O'Mahony Dave Finlay Finn Balor Fit Finlay NWA NXT Pat Barrett Prince Devitt Sheamus Steve Casey Velvet McIntyre WWE WWWF http://www.cheap-heat.com/?p=10469 Erin Go Brawl! Wrestlers of the Emerald Isle Written by Mark Adam Haggerty Whether you're an Irish lass looking for a kiss or a friendly fella happy to have a pint, it's time to celebrate the glory of the Emerald Isle as Saint Patrick's Day is here again! I've always had a lot of Irish […]

Erin Go Brawl!
Wrestlers of the Emerald Isle
Written by Mark Adam Haggerty

Whether you're an Irish lass looking for a kiss or a friendly fella happy to have a pint, it's time to celebrate the glory of the Emerald Isle as Saint Patrick's Day is here again! I've always had a lot of Irish pride—even as an entirely diluted fourth generation American. The Irish have always seemed to have a prominent role in professional wrestling, dating back to its infancy as a European sideshow in the 1830s. As Europe grew less hospitable during the 19th Century, Irish citizens flocked to America by the millions. By 1900 there were more than 4 million more Irish-Americans than there were in the 1830s. The fair-skinned strangers weren't well received, but contributed to the growth of the new nation nonetheless, laboring as cities were built and tracks were laid. The Irish also played a pivotal role in the growing popularity of professional wrestling, applying their previous knowledge to a growing demand in the �States. It's now more than 100 years later and Europe is in far better shape than before, yet Irish citizens continue to leave their luscious rolling hills in search of the American Dream. With two bright young talents working down in developmental with Dusty Rhodes, I think it's safe to say they found it!

My name is Mark Adam Haggerty and in honor of Saint Patrick's Day, I'd like to highlight EIGHT Irish Wrestlers in this adequately titled, "ERIN GO BRAWL!"

Pat Barrett
Pat Barrett was born on September 4th—which also happens to be MY birthday—1941 in Dublin, Ireland. He got his start in the business during the early 1960s wrestling under the name "Paddy Barrett," working around the Irish territories, before making his way to the United States in 1963. "Paddy" joined the National Wrestling Alliance where he became a 3-time NWA Canadian Wrestling Tag Team Champion, twice with Tom Geohagen and once with the "Mormon Giant" Don Leo Jonathan. In 1975 Barrett signed with Vince McMahon Sr.'s World Wide Wrestling Federation and for the first time in history, competed under his given name. Pat Barrett went on to achieve tag team success once more when he was chosen as Dominic DeNucci's hand-picked substitute to hold the tag title left vacant by Victor Rivera. On May 15, 1975 Barrett took on the WWWF World Heavyweight Champion Bruno Sammartino, but failed to capture the gold when he was counted out of the match. Pat "Paddy" Barrett retired in 1985 after a return to the National Wrestling Alliance and a tour of countries like Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. He currently lives near his hometown of Dublin where he's taken to competitive horseback riding, even earning a handful of championships in the process.

Velvet McIntyre
Velvet McIntyre was born in Ireland in 1961, but immediately uprooted to America upon graduating from high school in 1980. She moved to Oregon where she would learn at the feet of famed Golden Age performer Sandy Barr, making her official ring debut later that same year. Velvet began working for the NWA and began tagging with her former training partner Princess Victoria. The duo won the NWA Women's Tag Team titles, and held them until the WWF once again withdrew from the National Wrestling Alliance. Velvet McIntyre and Princess Victoria both moved on as part of the World Wrestling Federation, and were christened the inaugural WWF Women's Tag Team Champions on May 13th, 1983. Velvet would also achieve singles success when in 1986 she defeated her previous opponent from Wrestlemania 2—the Fabulous Moolah—for the WWF Women's Championship. Velvet was also part of the very first Survivor Series event, teaming with the Jumping Bomb Angels, among other babyfaces to take on Sherri Martel, the Glamour Girls, and other villainous heels. Velvet McIntyre left the WWF before the end of the �80s when the women's division ceased to be. She spent time on the independent circuit and retired in 1998 just before giving birth to twins.

Dave "Fit" Finlay
Dave Finlay's career began before anybody might have expected when his father—a promotor in Glynn, Northern Ireland—needed to fill a spot at the last second. This was just the start of what would ultimately become a 40+ year career beginning in 1974; Finlay worked around both North Ireland and the Republic of Ireland for four years before finally moving to England in 1978. In 1982, Finlay won his first championship—the British Heavy Middleweight title—with his then-wife, "Princess Paula," as his manager. While in the United Kingdom, Finlay began to develop the ruthless persona for which he's known today; a brawling character that caught the eye of promotions around the world in countries such as Japan, Germany, Austria and the United States. Dave Finlay signed with World Championship Wrestling in 1995 and debuted as the "Belfast Bruiser," a gimmick soon scrapped in favor of the bleached blonde Fit Finlay of 1998. Upon being repackaged, Finlay captured the WCW World Television Championship and even took top honors in the Junkyard Invitational at Bash at the Beach 1999. Finlay was signed by the WWF immediately after the fall of WCW where he began his tenure as a trainer, helping to mold stars of today such as Kurt Angle, CM Punk, and almost every WWE Diva. Finlay returned to television some years later and in 2006 became part of King Booker's court. Finlay is a former United States champion with the WWE and continues to work backstage in a variety of ways.

Steve Casey
Steve Casey was a multi-sport athlete born in 1908 who used his physical prowess to attain unrivaled success in both Irish sport rowing, as well as professional wrestling. A native of Sneem, Ireland in County Kerry, Casey was the eldest of seven sons belonging to bare knuckle brawler Mike Casey. Following a very competitive rowing career, Casey joined British Amateur Wrestling alongside his brother Paddy. He debuted less than a year later on March 3, 1936 and defeated the heavyweight champion in a non-title contest. Boston-area promotor Paul Bowser got wind of Casey's accomplishments and brought him State-side to compete for the National Wrestling Association—a precursor to the Alliance we now know by the letters NWA. On February 11, 1938 Steve Casey shocked the wrestling world when he defeated perennial champion Lou Thesz for the NWA World Heavyweight championship. When Casey returned to Ireland, the NWA stripped him of his championship, although he was still recognized as the world title holder by Boston's American Wrestling Association. He held onto the belt until he was beaten by Marvin Westenberg on March 2, 1939 in Boston, but managed to regain the gold after officially immigrating to the United States. While still AWA champion in 1942, Steve Casey joined the United States Army and served a full two years before returning home in 1944. Casey retired at the age of 38 in 1947 and later opened a liquor store in his adopted home town of Hull, Massachusetts. Steve Casey passed away on January 10, 1987 at the healthy-and-happy age of 78.

Sheamus
There has only been one Irish-born wrestler to win the WWE World Heavyweight Championship, and that was Sheamus on December 13, 2009. Sheamus Farrelly was born on January 28, 1978 in Cabra, Dublin. After finishing college and working as an IT consultant, Sheamus followed his dream of becoming a professional wrestler and—at the encouragement of Bret "Hitman" Hart—enrolled at Larry Sharpe's Monster Factory in Paulsboro, New Jersey. He would soon to become known as "The Irish Curse" Sheamus O'Shaunessy, a fan favorite that drew upon Celtic imagery such as swords and iron crosses. Sheamus returned home to Ireland in 2004 and worked for the newly established "Irish Whip Wrestling," where on March 28, 2005 he became the first-ever IWW International Heavyweight Champion. After a few years of enhancement work and failed try-outs, Sheamus finally signed with World Wrestling Entertainment in 2007 and worked down in Florida Championship Wrestling until 2009. Sheamus made his surprise main roster debut on an episode of ECW in June 2009, and soon went on to feud with established stars such as Goldust and Shelton Benjamin. Sheamus's ascent to the top of the WWE is historic as it took the "Celtic Warrior" just 166 days from his debut to win the most coveted prize in the company. Sheamus would lose the belt but would go on to enjoy additional accolades including another WWE title run, the World Heavyweight title, and the United States Championship. Sheamus was the last man to win the King of the Ring tournament in 2010, and in 2012 won the Royal Rumble match, allowing him to defeat Daniel Bryan for the world title in just eighteen seconds.

Becky Lynch
One of the newest additions to the WWE roster is NXT Diva Becky Lynch, otherwise known as Rebecca Knox. Becky was born on January 10th, 1987 in the City of Dublin, and began training for her professional career at just fifteen years old. She made her debut just five months later and began touring the Irish independents as well as the rest of Europe. She became a fixture in the France-based promotion Queens of Chaos, where she took home the world championship at nineteen. After touring other European and Japanese promotions and appearing extensively for German Stampede Wrestling, Rebecca Knox began working in Canada for SuperGirls Wrestling in 2005. She became the promotion's first-ever world champion and held the belt for nearly one year, before debuting with Shimmer in 2006. Later that year, Rebecca suffered a career-threatening head injury that nearly took her life and her passion for the business. After a five year hiatus from wrestling, Rebecca Knox returned to Shimmer as a manager for Saraya Knight and her daughter Britani AKA Paige. In 2013 Rebecca returned to in-ring action for the WWE, where she continues to compete in NXT as Becky Lynch.

Danno O'Mahony
Danno O'Mahony was born in Ballydehob in County Cork, Ireland on September 29, 1912. O'Mahony joined the Irish military in the early 1930s and proceeded to set military-records for athletics including both the "Hammer Throw" and the "56-lb Throw"—neither of which were broken until the �90s. Danno also earned a reputation for grappling and boxing, and soon arrived in the United States thanks to the same man that spotted Steve Casey—Paul Bowser. O'Mahony made his pro debut in 1934 against Ed "The Strangler" Lewis, but lost the match in less than five minutes. Following the loss, Bowser "repackaged" his prize fighter and set him on a 49-match winning streak that would ultimately lead to a world championship bout against Jim Londos. After what seemed to be months of political conflict, the match between O'Mahony and Londos was finally scheduled, and took place at Fenway Park on June 27, 1935. Danno O'Mahony defeated Jim Londos for the New York Sports Athletic Commission World Title, in an upset that humbled O'Mahony to the true nature of the sport. He enjoyed a series of successful title defenses before winning the AWA World Heavyweight Championship on July 30, 1935—a victory that would unify the belts and lead to a rematch marking O'Mahony's 70th straight win. After retiring from the ring, O'Mahony moved to Los Angeles where he ran a restaurant and served in the United States Army during the Second World War. Danno O'Mahony is famous—not just as the first Irish-born NWA champion—but as the innovator of the Irish Whip. He returned to Ireland in 1950, but sadly died in a car crash just five weeks after arriving home.

Finn Balor
Perhaps the most charismatic individual down in WWE's developmental right now is Finn Balor AKA Prince Devitt. Balor was born Fergal Devitt in Bray, County Wicklow, Ireland on July 25th, 1981. Devitt began training with NWA UK Hammerlock in 2000 and within a matter of months won the British Commonwealth Heavyweight Championship. His association with NWA UK led to the creation of NWA Ireland, a promotion owned by Devitt and Paul Tracey. Devitt started training other wrestlers at the just 21 years old, and helped develop a "Who's Who" of Irish-born independent talent including NXT Diva Becky Lynch. Devitt remained loyal to the NWA until 2006 when he signed with New Japan Pro Wrestling and debuted under the name "Prince Devitt." Devitt made invaluable contributions to NJPW during his time, which helped the promotion escape the slump of the mid-2000s so that they could enjoy the success of the present-day. While partnered with Ryusuke Taguchi as "Apollo Go Go" Devitt captured four IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championships, and helped redefine the Junior Tag Division. Devitt would eventually turn on his long-time partner in favor of aligning with detestable Geijin heels like Karl Anderson. As the "Real Rock �n' Rolla," Devitt led the Bullet Club for a year while wearing the highly prized IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship. On May 15, 2014 it was reported that Fergal Devitt signed with the WWE and would soon report to NXT at Full Sail University. Since debuting as Finn Balor, Devitt has not disappointed; unlike an array of other wrestlers brought in from the indies, every nuance of Devitt's delivery is still intact. Devitt made his NXT Takeover debut on December 11, 2014—wearing his patented body paint—and showed the world why he's one of the best Ireland has to offer.

Get a glass of Guinness and celebrate the season with all the potatoes you can eat! Slainte! Until next time, this has been Mark Adam Haggerty reminding you to keep checking out Cheap-Heat and to follow me on Facebook by LIKING "Mark Haggerty's Pro Wrestling."

http://www.cheap-heat.com/wwe-nxt-review-february-25th-2015/ http://www.cheap-heat.com/wwe-nxt-review-february-25th-2015/#comments Thu, 26 Feb 2015 02:52:56 +0000 Scott Hayes Reviews WWE Network Reviews Alex Riley Baron Corbin Bayley Becky Lynch Brian Kendrick Bull Dempsey Charlotte Finn Balor Hideo Itami Jason Jordan Kalisto Kevin Owens Lucha Dragons NXT Rhyno Sami Zayn Sasha Banks Sin Cara Soloman Crowe Solomon Crowe Tye Dillenger Tyler Breeze WWE WWE Network http://www.cheap-heat.com/?p=10018 Its Wednesday and we all know what that means! Best 3600 seconds of a wrestling fan's week! You're looking LIVE Ya know… if you consider filmed nearly 3 weeks go, "LIVE". – at the NXT Arena. Crowd chants NXT. Announcers welcome us. IN RING! Hideo Itami is on his way. Who will he he be […]

Its Wednesday and we all know what that means! Best 3600 seconds of a wrestling fan's week! You're looking LIVE Ya know… if you consider filmed nearly 3 weeks go, "LIVE". – at the NXT Arena. Crowd chants NXT. Announcers welcome us.

IN RING!

Hideo Itami is on his way. Who will he he be kicking into oblivion on this last Wednesday of February? BULL! BULL! BULL! Bell rings. Bull gets the early advantage, using his size advantage to negate Hideo's speed and legs. Eventually Hideo gets rolling. Hits his flurry of kicks, chops, backhands, and other fast paced strikes. Hangtime dropkick in the corner. Drags the big guy up, whips him off the ropes and hits his running kick finisher. Win for Hideo. He celebrates. Heads up the ramp and BAM! Gets leveled by a muppet appendage… oh… wait… that's Tyler Breeze's selfie stick! Itami is down. Breeze tries to take a selfie with the selfe stick of himself and the downed Itami, but can't get the angle right, and by the time he does? Guess who's now on his feet photo bombing? Itami. He whoops Breeze. Crowd chants GTS, but Breeze flees the scene.

ANNOUNCERS!

Rich and Graves, joined by Alex Riley this week welcome us. They let us know we have Bayley vs. Becky Lynch tonight as well as Finn Balor vs. THE Brian Kendrick. Those should both be fun.

HYPE!

Announcers send us into a hype package of Kendrick. Really good stuff making Kendrick look like a million bucks and reminding the world of his WWE exploits.

THE Brian Kendrick approves of this.

IN RING!

Lucha Dragons are on their way out. Their opponents are Jason Jordan and Tie Dillenger. Jordan and Dillenger's entrance is "hacked" by Solomon Crowe who says he won't rest until he's the NXT Champion. Then he hits his tablet and that "unhacks" us back to the ring. Dillenger and Jordan get a little offense early, but the Dragons turn the tide. Start to dominate. Jordan gets annoyed with this. Dillenger at one point looks to his partner and yells "RELAX". So when Dillenger finally is able to get over there to make the tag? Jordan is like "I'm out". He bails. One SdS and swanton later? Dillenger loses. Lucha had some nice double team work in this. The story was about the break up. We go to commercial… I don't recap commercials unless they're AWESOME… and this was for Total Divas… so? You do the math.

BACKSTAGE!

Mic Stand is there to ask Finn Balor a question. Asks him how he's preparing for Kevin Owens. Balor is like, "Bruh… I got a match with THE Brian Kendrick tonight, a former WWE Tag Team Champion… I'm all �bout THAT action tonight, boss." Not an exact transcription . Dig that. Simple story telling AND love selling an opponent. Thumbs up, NXT. Thumbs UP!

IN RING!

Dillenger is STILL there? Oh, buddy… this can't end well for you. He says he isn't leaving until his tag team partner answers for his cowardly treacherous behavior! He doesn't care WHO is coming out, he'll fight him. Cue. Motorcycle. And Baron Corbin. Dillenger drops a mental "F-Bomb" and Corbin's entrance takes more time than the match. Dillenger did manage to lock in a solid side headlock. End of Days shortly after. Sounded like the Crowd got into the twenties before the ref hit the mat a third time!

BACKSTAGE!

Lady Mic Stand asks Charlotte about her NXT Women's Championship match NEXT week. Charlotte reminds us all that Banks has never beat her one on one and that the championship will be in the right place next week.

STILL BACKSTAGE!

Tyler Breeze has some words for Hideo Itami. Apparently Itami fell into Breeze's trap and he's gonna get squished like a cockroach.

HYPE!

Next week Sami Zayn will address the NXT Universe! They show Zayn's work in Abu Dhabi.

IN RING!

HAPPIEST ENTRANCE… EVER!

BAYLEY IS HERE! Becky Lynch is out next. Huge Bayley chants as the bell rings, and already this match is longer than Raw's Diva's match. 8 dudes chant Becky Lynch and get booed down. Lateral press with a nice bridge out by Becky. Becky dominates early. Hits what Rich calls a pump handle suplex. Her series of three leg drops. Bayley turns the tide. Hits her leaping through the bottom corner drop kick she did at "Rival". Needs to work on that one a little more. Though I'm all about the effort. Side mounted right hands from Bayley. High velocity shoulder driven to Becky's gut. Three jumping back elbows. Bayley starts to hoist Becky for the top rope bayley to belly, but Becky targets the shoulder. Bayley goes for the Bayley to Belly, but Becky blocks Yeah Alliteration! – locks in a nasty arm bar and makes it worse by mounting the shoulder and REALLY wrenching back. Bayley taps. Becky wins. Becky points at the crowd and lets them know "In YOUR Face… In YOUR Face… In YOUR FACE!" She celebrates we cut away.

Backstage!

Rhyno with Lady Mic Stand. Why are people shocked to see Rhyno in NXT? He tuned in, and he saw intensity and fire of NXT. The same intensity and fire he's always had! So he's gonna make it to the top by cutting people in half with a GORE! GORE! GORE!

BACKSTAGE!

Jason Jordan is chased down. Asked about leaving Dillenger high and dry, but says he'll give us an explanation when he's good and ready.

IN RING!

Main Event time, y'all! Kevin Owens is a guest on Commentary. THE Brian Kendrick is out first. Crowd gives him a "welcome back". He takes a lap congratulating himself for his return. Balor is out next. Balor stink eyes Owens when he comes out. Owens' opinion of Finn "extremely talented in ring competitor, but like Zayn and Neville – he will fall." Quick start. Kendrick tweaks his ankle flipping into the ring. Balor gives him space. Owens says that's a mistake. The match takes it to the ground. Speed picks up and Balor hits a nice dropkick. The story here is actually between Riley and Owens have a few terse exchanges. Riley staying on Owens about his treatment of Zayn and Owens saying that is why Riley was never a champion. This is brilliantly uncomfortable. Graves and Rich drive this home nicely. Owens decides to cut his guest announcing duties short. Back in the ring with the announcers back into things. Nasty chop by Balor. Taking him corner to corner to corner to corner… but doesn't chop in the final corner and the crowd groans with disappointment. Kendrick catches Finn with a boot and a leaping off the middle rope DDT. Missile Dropkick and… oh sweet mercy… NASTY tiger suplex. That was scary. Kendrick going for "THE Kendrick", but Balor hits a diving clothesline. Follows up with the Sling Blade. High velocity dropkick into the corner. Double STOMP. Coup de Grace. Seals it. Nice little return match for Kendrick. Finn celebrates. Crowd chants Finn. Owens stands at the top of the ramp. Stare. Down. O' … DOOOOOOOOOM! Owens then walks over to Riley… RUN ALEX… RUN!

He didn't listen to me. Owens just threw Riley over the table. Balor is like "Dude, whats up wit dat?" Owens walks off. And… scene.

OVERVIEW!

So I'm thinking this was first step to Riley getting back into the ring. Be interested to see if they go slower burn for this or if Riley attacks, or demands a match… OR? Gonna need a MONTAGE! Sports Training Montage! Solid story work this week. With Breeze and Itami continuing. Tag Team breaking up. Starting with Balor and Owens AND beginning whatever the deal with Riley and Owens might be.

It was a solid week. Nothing spectacular in ring wise. Bayley and Becky to me was probably the best bell to bell match. Kendrick and Balor was decent, but unspectacular. Fell a little flat for me considering who was involved. I think all the story telling there distracts from the in ring action. It was a good episode for furthering or kicking off storylines.

See you next week

http://www.cheap-heat.com/top-5-reasons-to-watch-wwes-nxt/ http://www.cheap-heat.com/top-5-reasons-to-watch-wwes-nxt/#comments Thu, 19 Feb 2015 23:48:06 +0000 Bill Wright Top Lists Adrian Neville AJ Lee Alexa Bliss Batista Bayley Becky Lynch Blue Pants Bray Wyatt Brie Bella Brock Lesnar Cesaro Charlotte Colin Cassady Curtis Axel Daniel Bryan ECW El Generico Enzo Amore Fast Lane FCW Finn Balor Florida Championship Wrestling GFW Global Force Wrestling Hideo Itami John Cena Kalisto KENTA Kevin Owens Kevin Steen Kidd Lucha Dragons Lucha Underground Natalya Nikki Bella NXT Ohio Valley Wrestling OVW PAC Paige Randy Orton RAW Rhino Rhyno Rusev Sami Zayn Sin Cara Smackdown Takeover The Ascension The Shield The Vaudevillains Titus O'Neil Triple H Tyson Kidd Usos WCW Wrestlemania WWE http://www.cheap-heat.com/?p=9846 We have seen nXt for years as WWE switched the development program from OVW, which gave us Cena, Orton, Batista, and Brock Lesnar, to FCW. В Florida Championship Wrestling then got morphed into nXt which now comes from the Full Sail Arena. In my opinion it is the single greatest thing in wrestling today. В В Although Lucha […]

We have seen nXt for years as WWE switched the development program from OVW, which gave us Cena, Orton, Batista, and Brock Lesnar, to FCW. В Florida Championship Wrestling then got morphed into nXt which now comes from the Full Sail Arena.

In my opinion it is the single greatest thing in wrestling today. В В Although Lucha Underground and Global Force Wrestling are just a few competitors looking to change that. В For now however I must urge any wrestling fan to try the energetic next generation.

So far Rusev, The Wyatt Family, and The Shield have already changed the face of Raw, Smackdown, and even Wrestlemania.В All who have come from nXt and the funny part, nXt is even better now than it was with them!

So what follows are 5 reasons you have to watch nXt!

The Tag Team Division:

Yep Raw has had a fair chance at amazing tag team divisions. But alas they always get overlooked.В  So Usos and Ascension will have their dance for the belts and hopefully Cesaro and Kidd get a much deserved push, but the line of potential teams pulled apart continue.

No more Real Americans, no more Rybaxel, and soon no more Dust Brothers.

But at nXt Triple H is stewing some great teams.В  Take the former nXt Champs the Lucha Dragons!В  Sin Cara has his best and sometimes worst work at nXt and his partner Kalisto is the very definition of cool.

Murphy and Blake are bringing their best to hang, and the Vaudevillians bring a totally unique blend of technique and persona unlike anything WWE has done before.

Don’t forget Big Cass and Enzo who are over and also entirely unique.В  This is a tag team division that is growing and has an insane level of pure potential.

In fact if WWE 2k16 does not expand its nXt roster, I won’t even buy it in protest cause the tag team matches alone are more exciting than anything on Raw.

I mean admittedly the Usos vs The Wyatts was tremendous but with the Wyatt Family disassembled, nXt is left providing equal quality matches one a weekly basis.

The Diva Division:

I love AJ Lee, and Paige and Natalya from the WWE Divas, while the rest of sex appeal they flop nearly every time in the ring.В  I mean I am trying to exercise less criticism but every time I hear Brie Mode, I think that means Change the Channel.

Sorry D-Bry she is cute as a button but just as talented in the ring.

But what about nXt Divas… well that is money. I mean Charlotte is superior to many of her male counter parts, Natlya has stellar work there, Alex Bliss is awesome, Sasha banks is someone to love to hate but always respect, Bayley is unique and solid, and hell I even love Blue Pants… Yep dumbest song and gimmick ever and yet so dumb it is instantly endearing.

Watch Natalya vs Charlotte for the nXt Diva Championship on the WWE network and tell me that isn’t the best Diva WRESTLING match you have ever seen.

While they have a few lookers who don’t yet click in the ring, nXt Divas are the perfect mix of attractive and talented.

Oh and AJ Lee and Paige both have roots there too so if you aren’t getting the picture yet, stop wasting time on Divas and get your fill of nXt Divas today for only $9.99!

Phoenix Effect:

In ancient mythology the Phoenix was a bird of fire that would self resurrect and fly again.

Well at nXt Titus O’Neil, Tyson Kidd, and even Curtis Axel have returned to nXt to reignite their careers.

Now the man beast Rhino is back in WWE via nXt and the fans are on fire!

So how can you make the future of WWE even brighter, by adding the element of surprise when you take an underrated career like Rhino and give him the pheonix treatment to bring life back to a career.

Now not only do you have the best Diva Division, the best tag team divisions, and heart pounding action, but you never know who is gonna make their comeback?В  I F’n love nXt!

Wrestling Love:

Ok WWE is sports entertainment, you got it Vinny Mac!

But Triple H knows we love WRESTLING!В  And he means to give it to us!

For over a decade names like KENTA, El Generico, Pac, and Kevin Steen have dominated the internet as indy wrestling darlings.

Now they are Hideo Itami, Sami Zayn, Adrian Neville, Kevin Owens and they are all on nXt!

You want matches that redefine wrestling, well Raw and Smackdown have nuggets but nXt bleeds gold.

I mean look up Cesaro vs William Regal, or Cesaro vs Sami Zayne 2 out of 3 falls… or heck just Watch nXt on the WWE network just after the most recent Takeover: Rivals!

Seriously Adrian Neville and Kevin Owens had a breathtaking match, one of the beat nXt main events ever.

Sure nXt is not perfect, but it is becoming a real challenge to find flaws in the presentation, but it is damn near impossible to find a bad match on nXt.

If you love wrestling, you love nXt and if you don’t it is only because you just don’t know it yet!

Takeovers:

In WWE the main stage is Wrestlemania, then you get great shows mostly with Royal Rumble, Summerslam, and Survivor Series. В Everything else WWE does PPV wise is hit or miss.

Take Fastlane for example, I couldn’t care less about this show. В Get it free on WWE network, ok cause I wouldn’t buy it for $9.99 period.

Sting vs Triple H is the hook right, because there is no Lesnar defending.В  And who in their right mind predicts Cena as the new US champ over on Rusev? В No one, we know Sting vs Triple H is gonna be at Mania and this is just more build up.

Rusev will go one Undefeated to Mania, and so this whole PPV is Mania filler.

But would I pay the full six months up front for WWE to ensure I get the nXt Takeovers?В  As Austin once said “Hell ya!”

Everytime nXt gets to a Takeover Special it carries with it a Wrestlemania Energy every single time.В Presentation is flawless, intros are memorable, and the matches are jam packed with “watercooler” moments.

Every match matters, the job match matters, and the main events are so good you catch yourself so hyped up you watch the instant replay that comes on the WWE network when the live special goes off the air.

In closing I have been married for 12 years and if I could have an affair with nXt I would cause it is just that awesome.

So if you haven’t watched nXt yet think ECW meets WCW Nitro meets RAW and all three have a baby called nXt.В  It alone is worth WWE Network asking price, so get your free month of the network now!

Then go and watch nXt and you too will fall in love with Wrestling again!

http://www.cheap-heat.com/wwe-nxt-review-february-18th-2015/ http://www.cheap-heat.com/wwe-nxt-review-february-18th-2015/#comments Thu, 19 Feb 2015 02:51:12 +0000 Scott Hayes Reviews WWE Network Reviews Adrian Neville Aiden English Bayley Becky Lynch Blue Pants Buddy Murphy Carmella CJ Parker Colin Cassady ECW Enzo Amore Finn Balor Kevin Owens NXT Rhyno Sami Zayn Sasha Banks Simon Gotch Solomon Crowe Takeover The Vaudevillains Wesley Blake William Regal WWE WWE Network http://www.cheap-heat.com/?p=9831 Its THAT TIME! NXT. IS. LIVE!… if by "Live" I mean taped a week ago! RECAP! We open with a nice video package showing us what happened last week at Takeover: Rival. Lots of awesomeness, that's what happened. REGAL's OFFICE! Regal talks about the shocking show that was Takeover. He states that in NXT a […]

Its THAT TIME! NXT. IS. LIVE!… if by "Live" I mean taped a week ago!

RECAP!

We open with a nice video package showing us what happened last week at Takeover: Rival. Lots of awesomeness, that's what happened.

REGAL's OFFICE!

Regal talks about the shocking show that was Takeover. He states that in NXT a title CAN change hands via pinfall, submission, or Ref Stoppage due to knockout. Just in case you were scratching your head over the lack of pin, or submission in the Owens vs. Zayn Match. He also says Owens fancies himself a "Prize Fighter", who fights for money. Well? Mr. Owens doesn't make the rules here in NXT. Mr. REGAL DOES, SUNSHINE (I added Sunshine cuz its a wonderful word Regal sprinkles in from time to time, and should have used it here.) He announces a match for tonight: Kevin Owens vs. Adrian Neville, in a non-title match. Saying Neville hasn't earned a shot at the champ, but he HAS earned a match with Kevin Owens for Owens' sending Neville to the hospital a few weeks ago.

IN RING!

Kevin Owens is on his way out! He's dressed up for his in ring celebration… no shorts, he's wearing workout pants with his sleeve cut off "KO" shirt. Crowd echo chants "KEVIN OWENS… SAMI ZAYN". Owens talks about people mad at HOW he won the Championship. He says they have NO REASON to be mad. He didn't lie. He'd fight anyone and everyone to make a better life for his family. "What matters now is Sami Zayn is the past." Owens looking to the future, and that future is Finn Balor. Crowd chants "FINN". Probably cuz they're fans of Mark Twain. The ORIGINAL "Smart Mark". Tells Finn to pick a date and place and he'll be there. Says NOBODY is gonna take "THIS" holds up title for effect from him OR his family. I saw the adorable picture of his daughter with the belt, rumor has it her work rate is off the charts!

ANNOUNCERS!

Rich, Graves, and Albert talk about the show. We have Sashsa Banks versus Blue Pants also tonight!

IN RING!

Oh, wow… SURPRISE TIME, if you didn't read the spoilers:

the crowd reaction here is great as Rhyno makes his entrance! Confusion melting into a "What the… holy… FOR REAL" type pop. The crowd chants "HOLY SHIT". Because this is surprising. Huge "GORE" chant. Punches. A huge belly to belly. AND? GORE! GORE! GORE! GORE! 1…2…3! Huge "ECW" and "Welcome Back" chants for Rhyno. That was a fun surprise for sure.

BACKSTAGE!

Finn is asked about Owens'. He too will face Owens anywhere, anyplace, anytime. Says Owens fancies himself a prize fighter, and that he too is a prize fighter, THAT prize? The NXT Championship- only before he can finish that sentiment? Rhyno walks in. Stops. Eyeballs Finn. Smirks. Walks off. That could be fun. Also paints a picture that Rhyno might be around for a little while.

IN RING!

Black and White and grainy projector shot as the Vaudevillains are set for a tag team match. Announcers sell the fact that there is a void for WHO will step up to face Blake and Murphy? Gotch and English pose as we get the intro for Cass and Enzo. At least 5 leopards went into the making of Enzo's jacket and bandanna tonight. Enzo's beard is also insane. Carmella gets booed during Enzo's mic work. Big "HOW YOU DOIN'" chant from the crowd as it feels like a while since we've seen these two. Gotch and Enzo kick us off. Cheap shot from English on the outside gets the Vaudevillains the precious MO. Aggression from the Villains. Enzo makes the diving tag and Cass is in wrecking house. Sidewalk slam to Gotch. Big splash to English. Double team in the corner and then a big boot later and Enzo and Cass get a big win.

On the big screen Blake and Murphy talk trash on Cass and Enzo. Hit on Carmella. Tell her to ditch the sewer rats. Congrats, a bouncing tag team rivalry is born!

BACKSTAGE!

Adrian Neville can tie his boots. Asked about his loss to Balor and his upcoming match with Owens. Says he almost feels relieved because forever he's been hunted, and now he's the hunter, and Kevin Owens is about experience that.

MORE BACKSTAGE!

Quick hit post match interview type dealie with Bayley and Becky. Bayley promises she WILL be Women's Champion. Becky says Bayley cost her the title, and she is kinda sorry happy that Banks could win, but she is VERY Happy Charlotte lost.

IN RING!

CJ Parker is on his way. Jean shorts and a button down shirt informs us that he's not wrestling. CJ Parker is sick and tired. His being left out of Takeover is �BULLCRAP'. Now CJ Parker is taking over the show. Holding it hostage. Today's sign "CJ IS TAKING OVER THE TAKEOVERS". He is now Caution taping the ring. Uh oh. "Technical Difficulties". "This is Not A Test". Solomon Crowe attacks and destroys CJ Parker. The crowd figured out it was Crowe before the announcers.

IN RING!

SASHA BANKS IS OUT! Blue Pants is on her way out. Love they've bottled and used Cass's announcing slash singing for Blue Pants. Blue Pants might be the most over person in NXT. Blue Pants early X-Men color scheme is great. Sasha is giving her the chance to leave the ring, holding open the ropes for her. Blue Pants responds by kicking Sasha out of the ring. Drop Toe Hold! Sasha is angry. Double leg and fists of fury. Backslide gets OBP a solid two. Sasha drives her into the corner and drives a series of shoulders. Does her double knee in the corner. Covers, but pulls OBP up at the two. Crowd BOOS! Drags Pantalones Azul up, backstabber into the Crossface, aka the Banks Statement! OBP does the TAP.

Post Match. Mic Stand asks Sasha what it means to be champion. Sasha gets grabby with the mic. What's it means is Banks is "the baddest Diva in NXT".

EXCLUSIVE FOOTAGE!

The post match fallout for Sami Zayn. We see doctors working on him and Regal coming out to check on him. So we get an interview with Doctor Chris Amann. Sami got evaluated, and got a CAT Scan. They let Sami go to Abu Dhabi. He'll be back and ready to go! At least the crowd didn't chant "Z-Pack" at him.

IN RING!

Adrian Neville is on his way out! Kevin Owens is next. Owens bails much like the start of his match with Zayn. Neville gets to him quickly. Big quick, but the tide is quickly turned with a gut buster and then standing senton from Owens. Owens with an elbow drop. Then a chop in the corner. He goes into methodical pummeling mode. Clubbing blows. Stomps. Forearm. Some cheer. Some boo. Rich tries to name Owens' fans "OWENS-IACS", Graves then hits a home run with, "Lets NEVER call them that." So far this is the match we got at Rival, only with Neville playing the role of Zayn. Neville trying to fight his way out of a REVERSE… CHINLOCK… O'… DOOOOOOOOOOOM!!!! Owens yelling "who's the champ", and crowd chants back "NOT FOR LONG". Owens rag dolls Neville over the top rope to the outside. Man… they are making him look like the most dominant dominator that ever dominated. Owens interplays with the crowd, ramping up his douche-ness to 11. Snap mare and a boot to the shoulder blades gets a ONE PLUS! Neville tries to stage a comeback. Slingshots, but Owens catches him into fireman's carry. Neville spikes Owens with a DDT. Owens first up. Crowd getting live. Exchanging forearms. Neville gets the upper hand. Forearms. Chops. Flying forearm and then kicks. Owens gets outta dodge. Neville with a moonsault to the outside takes out Owens! Two kicks to the chest and an enzugiri. Missile dropkick gets Neville the TWO PLUS! Owens again gets outta dodge. "You're a Coward" chant from FULL SAIL. Baseball dropkick from Neville! OH MY… 450 OFF THE APRON TO THE FLOOR! THREE MINUS!!!! Albert asks if we've seen Owens in this much trouble? … uH… JASON? Its his fourth TV match. Great german, and then the DEADLIFT german with a bridge from Neville. High speed European, but as Neville goes in Owens lashes out with a HUGE running flying forearm. Neville in the corner. Owens charges for the cannonball… SUPERKICK. Reverse �RANA… that looked NASTY, almost botchy. OWENS KICKS OUT AT THREE MINUS! Neville drags and Climbs… Red Arrow, Owens rolls outta the way, and when both men are back up? Pop Up Powerbomb! One… Two… THREE! That. Was. AWESOME!

Owens celebrates we get replays of the awesomeness. Rich gives us the tag line "Kevin Owens Ferocious, UNYIELDING" … damn right he is. As the show comes to a close.

OVERVIEW!

Another excellent edition of NXT. We had groundwork laid for the Reign of Owens, and it got off to a rousing start with his non-title bout with Adrian Neville. We got a budding tag feud between the Champs and Cass and Enzo. Sadly, no clue where this leaves the Vaudevillains. Sasha Banks also made an impressive statement in her first televised appearance as reigning Women's Champion. PLUS we got a surprise return/NXT Debut of the War Machine, Rhyno. Plus his little tease face to face with Balor. Hit the ground running, NXT continues to be the fastest 60 minutes in Pro Wrestling! I URGE YOU TO WATCH OWENS NEVILLE, if you haven't. If you have? REWATCH IT!

http://www.cheap-heat.com/the-takeoverview-nxt-takeover-rival-february-11th-2015/ http://www.cheap-heat.com/the-takeoverview-nxt-takeover-rival-february-11th-2015/#comments Fri, 13 Feb 2015 04:24:59 +0000 Scott Hayes Blogs Other Blogs Reviews WWE Network Reviews Adrian Neville Baron Corbin Bayley Becky Lynch Buddy Murphy Bull Dempsey Charlotte Finn Balor Hideo Itami Kalisto Kevin Owens Lucha Dragons NXT Rival Sami Zayn Sasha Banks Sin Cara Takeover Tyler Breeze Wesley Blake William Regal WWE http://www.cheap-heat.com/?p=9700 Ladies and Gentlemen, Boys and Girl… WRESTLING Fans of All Ages… well the literate ones at least. Welcome to another Whizz-Bang Edition of the NXT Recap slash Review slash Something. This a SPECIAL edition as this week's NXT was a SPECIAL TWO HOUR TAKEOVER: RIVAL. Five matches were officially announced with a sixth being added […]

Ladies and Gentlemen, Boys and Girl… WRESTLING Fans of All Ages… well the literate ones at least. Welcome to another Whizz-Bang Edition of the NXT Recap slash Review slash Something. This a SPECIAL edition as this week's NXT was a SPECIAL TWO HOUR TAKEOVER: RIVAL. Five matches were officially announced with a sixth being added via twitter and then the pre show. So that's a whole lot of recappening (it is TOO a word!)

Good hype video. Paying special attention to Balor vs. Neville, Women's Fourway, and Zayn vs. Owens. Foreshadowing on which three matches would be my top three for this show.

IN RING!

Itami's music hits, as the twitter slash WWE.com match against Tyler Breeze.

ANNOUNCE TABLE! Rich, Corey and Albert welcome us to the show. They put over the action which is something they excel at doing. Throw to the replay of Breeze attacking Itami. "YOU BLEW IT… YOU RUINED IT. YOU RUIN EVERYTHING." – That is a hissy fit line that always makes me giggle.

BACK IN RING!

Breeze is out with a selfie stick. A "fan" then jumps the barricade and she jumps onto Tyler. Security takes the lady fan away. That is a quality selfie stick.. At least 3 muppets gave their lives to cover that selfie stick in their pelts. Bell rings. Itami is on the quick offensive. Itami gets the momentum with a nice knee to the midsection and then a vicious kick to Tyler's chest. Educated feet and going for the drop kick to a seated Breeze in the corner, but Breeze smartly gets outta dodge. Breeze gets on the offensive focusing on the bum knee of Itami. Wraps it around the ring post a few times, and… RING POST FIGURE FOUR! NICE! Breeze with a nice cloverleaf styled submission. Breeze hits the Super Model Kick for a TWO PLUS! Breeze can't believe it and the crowd gets loud for this. Tyler starts throwing hard rights, but Itami is like �NUH UH', and gets all hulked. Quick flurry of strikes: palms, forearms, kicks galore. Breeze in the corner. Stalling dropkick… RUNNING KICK TO THE HEAD! That's all they wrote. Solid opener. Breeze impressed me. I wonder what they'll do with Itami moving forward?

BACKSTAGE!

Referee and Regal are discussing something with Owens. He seems unimpressed with their talking and goes back to his phone, cuz that Candy ain't gonna Crush itself!

IN RING!

BULL! BULL! BULL! Out comes Bull Dempsey, who judging from my friend who doesn't watch NXT religiously, but pointed out that Dempsey's look teeters between "80s throwback" and "slob". Engines rev. Corbin is out and B-Lines it for Bull. Baron sporting his new t-shirt. Brawling all over the floor. Bull tries to flee. Baron chases. Bull turns the tide with a push into the apron and suplex onto the ramp. Crowd wants tables. Bull teases it but is all like, "PSYCH!" Full Sail not happy with that. More brawling. Stomps. Fists. Smashes. Bludgeons. And various What-Nottery. Huge Arn Anderson styled spine buster and Baron nearly gets the win. Graves says Dempsey was 10 feet in the air… uh… really Core? Corbin goes for a running clothesline to send Dempsey over the top rope. Corbin goes, but Dempsey doesn't… until like 4 seconds later than he should have. Oops-town Population: YOU, Bull. Dempsey hits the diving headbutt for a TWO PLUS! Stays on the attack. goes for a chair. Slides in. Charges. Corbin snatches him. End of Days. Ballgame. This was pretty average. A few botches. Didn't really find a groove. Didn't really make use of the NO DQ Stip. Post match Corbin sets up the chair and takes a seat and catches his breath and dismissively shoves Bull away with his boot. This was hindered by the fact this was their third match, in my opinion. And it was longer than the other two combined. I think Bull should've been using that No DQ stip to its FULLEST potential.

BACKSTAGE!

Becky Lynch is doing pushups on the steps. Bayley is looking nervous and that works its way into a confident nod.

IN RING!

LU! CHA! LU! CHA! LU! CHA! Sin Cara and Kalisto are out. They have a new camera set up next to the apron so we get a neat view of them trampolining into the ring. That was nifty. Next out are our tag champs. Who's music I find dreadful. Text from a buddy pointed out their tights were VERY American Wolves-y. Bell Rings. Cara and Murphy to start (Thank the wrestling gods they have their names on their tights tonight, so your humble writer can tell them apart with certainty.) – Uh oh botches are contagious early in this one. Not sure what happened. Arm drag gone awry? Crowd noticeably flat for this… and these people usually cheer and chant EVERYTHING. See:

Oh man another bit of sloppiness. Kalisto slips while running to the ring looking to do something. Cara gets the TWO PLUS with the victory roll from the top… SUPER VICTORY ROLL? Name will be a work in process. Double team pop up neck breaker is a nice move from Murphy and Blake. A kick gets Sin Cara free, and Kalisto in. Corkscrew cross body. Kalisto kick. The hurracanrana on a kneeling murphy was NICE. Kalisto has the SDS countered, A bunch of near falls. Trading two counts. Inventive double bridge where both guys had their shoulders down. Two Pluses all over the place…

YOU GET A TWO COUNT! YOU GET A TWO COUNT! YOU GET A TWO COUNT!

Cara hits the hoist one arm power bomb. Murphy hits a running suplex almost brain buster, and Blake hits a frog splash. Three Count. and STILL Our NXT Tag Team Champions! First half the match had some sloppiness and it took a while to find a rhythm. Last 5-7 minutes were pretty enjoyable. Lots of chain wrestling. During the celebration someone is coming next week. His hype video interrupts and looks like the last few where I've seen the names "Solomon" and "Crowe" at different times. Hint. and HINT!

HYPE! NXT #1 Contendership tournament is recapped and our next matchup is hyped.

IN RING!

Neville is out first because… well we all know why. Lights out, and Balor is crawling his way to the ring. Paint job is slightly different. A tongue sticking out of the mouth on his chest. Added what appears to be wings and a tail to his back. Add some smoke in the corner to his entrance. Its go time. I can't wait for this. Crowd chants Finn. Neville puts his mouthpiece in. Fast start with some chain wrestling. Crisp. Clean. These two might be the best combination of pure athlete AND wrestling ability. Neville's athleticism almost gets lost in the shuffle with all the talent in NXT. A couple early ONE! counts. Neville scores a spring board dropkick then lock in the… ahem… REVERSE CHIN LOCK… O'… DOOOOOOOOOM!!! To jump back, good work by the announce crew to explain Balor's entrance. The not only psychological warfare on his opponent but to psych himself up. They should also put the layer of "currying favor" with the crowd. Take notes, Cole and Company when you're talking about Bray Wyatt's "Creepy" entrance. Neville dominates for a spell. Balor tries to turn the tide with a chop so hard it welted MY chest. Neville keeps on it though with a dropkick and stalling vertical suplex. Neville nails some 12 to 6 elbows to Balor's head, and somewhere a UFC official is screeching "STOP THE FIGHT!" Back to the RCLO'D! Balor fights out. Whip. Balor eats a boot, Neville goes to the top rope and Finn nails an enziguri. Neville to the outside. Balor nails a huge Tope. Crowd chants NXT. Neville is on the move! Finn is stalking, and then drop kicks him into/through a ringside barricade. Crowd goes with a expletive laced chant of surprise. Back in the ring. Balor with a double stomp to the back of the HEAD?!?! WHAT?! I was SURE that was it. That was a THREE MINUS! WOW. That was an amazing move. First this is awesome chant. Neville nails a forearm and a bunch of kicks. Balor with the Pele! And Neville with a desperation Superkick! (Picks up jaw off floor) Germans from Neville. One of them stalled was amazing and into a bridge! THREE MINUS!!! Neville to the middle rope… ARE YOU KIDDING?! Was that a Phoenix Splash from the middle rope?! Done flawlessly. Dude is a mutant of athletic ability. High velocity European Uppercut. Balor with a desperation Sling Blade! HUGE Clothesline turns Neville inside out. Lifting to vertical reverse DDT! My fingers can't keep up with this. Balor going to the top, but Neville grabs the leg to avoid the double stomp. He hits a kick. Then a slam. Looking for the Red Arrow, but Balor lifts the knees, AND then turns it into a roll up, and they got me AGAIN! I was sure this was done. High velocity dropkick shots Neville into the corner violently. COUP DE GRAICE! Rich asks "Have you ever seen anything like it?!" Hyperbole, sure, but that was a DAMN AMAZING match. Standing Ovation rightly deserved, fellas. *Writers Note: It was my third time watching this match 3 times when I wrote this.

Its scary the guy was NXT Champion for how long, is one of the guys they use on the road for Raw/Smackdown, but Neville still is somehow underrated. Also can we get two outta three falls for these two?

BACKSTAGE! +HYPE!

Charlotte and Sasha are getting ready! Goes right into the video package for the Women's Championship Match.

IN RING!

Bayley is out first. Banks is second. Becky third. And in the sake of alliteration: Bram's wife third. Lets go! We hit the ground running. Bayley with a roll up on Charlotte. Team BAE team up early. They break the LED board by throwing Charlotte into it. Then they go at Bayley. Nice double team moves from BAE as they violently throw Bayley into the turnbuckles. That was unique. Both of them make the cover on Bayley. Alliance dissolved. Becky with a nice pump handle suplex. Now Becky is in control. She works on Bayley with a dragon screw leg whip and then a nice submission, but Banks is back to break it up. Banks with a nice series of shoulders into the corner. High velocity as she channels her inner Lesnar. Charlotte back in and attacking. Ends up hitting a neck breaker for a two plus. Then hits Banks with a leg drape neck breaker in the corner. Now Charlotte and Banks exchanging violent forearms. Charlotte goes for a spear, but Banks moves. Charlotte spears Becky. Bayley back in and wheel barrows Banks, and Bayley comes in and hits a codebreaker of sorts. Charlotte big boots Bayley out of the ring.Banks ends up back in control. Double knee drops in the corner to both Charlotte, who was across the middle ropes, and Becky who was on the bottom ropes. Bayley is back with a suplex! Bayley hits a series of three running reverse elbows into the corner. She hoists Charlotte to the top rope. Top Rope �Rana! Crowd firmly behind Bayley. Bayley to Belly! Lynch breaks it up. Bayley with a nice baseball drop kick from the floor up under the bottom rope. Nifty. BANKS SUICIDE DIVE! Three are down. Charlotte in ring. "WOMEN'S WRESTLING" chant melts into "THIS IS WRESTLING", and Charlotte sling shot over the top to the outside onto the other three! Charlotte throws Becky into the ring. But Becky nails a running knee lift and a T-Bone Suplex. Man the shots in this are so high velocity and landing. Chaos in the corner. Charlotte on the top. Bayley German's Lynch. Then TOP ROPE BAYLEY TO BELL! ONE TWO… BANKS! Banks throws Bayley out violently. Gets a three minus. Then locks in a nasty cross face. Really pulls back. Becky starts to get in, but Banks kicks Becky INTO Bayley. Back to the cross face. Stretching her. Keeps pulling back. Charlotte is not tapping, but is fading. Banks pulls back even harder and then turns it into a roll up! THREE SLAP OF THE MAT LATER…

AND… NNNNNNEEEEEEEWWWWWWWW!! NXT WOMEN'S CHAMPION!!!!

This was spectacular. Awesome story, and action bell to bell. These ladies got put in the "spot of death" between the two huge main events and OWNED it. The velocity of moves and the WRESTLING was as good as anything we see on a weekly basis, ladies, or gents. Women's MotY can be handed out, as who knows if anything will approach this on the main roster, and I could absolutely see this being on many a top ten list at year's end. MIGHT be the best Women's match I've ever seen… but that might be me being to wrapped up in the immediacy.

HYPE!

Zayn and Owens video package is where the awesome in ring product meets the awesome WWE Production values and things like this is where we get the melding of these worlds.

IN RING!

We see Owens backstage as the "drop the cage" music kind of plays before he storms through the curtain and heads out. Same thing for Zayn. This is a neat twist. Zayn sporting nifty new tights. Crowd really into the "LETS GO!" Part of Zayn's theme. Owens is ready rocking in the corner… random thing I noticed yesterday, his armpits looks like Abdullah the Butcher's forehead. What the hell is going on there? Stare down. Owens standing and leaning in the corner. Sami crouching. Big Fight announcement. "FIGHT OWENS FIGHT" followed by boos and then "SAMI" chant. They stare. Crowd "OLE's". They circle, Sami advances. Owens bails. This continues. More stalling, but eventually, Sami flies over the ref and nails a somersault onto Owens on the outside. Zayn punching and kicking. Mounted punches into the corner. Owens hoists and drops him across the top turnbuckle. A couple NASTY running clotheslines into the corner where Zayn does his best Shawn Michaels. The whip into the corner was a looney tunes sell. Owens goes on the grind offensive. Wearing down Zayn. Punishing with holds and slams. Driving his knee into his back. Owens continues to punish making occasional covers and yelling at the referee. Zayn tries to fire back with fists to the gut, starts to get some momentum, but Owens drops him gut first onto the top rope which sling shots him back into the ring, Zayn crashing onto his face/upper body. Owens locks in the Reverse Chin Lock O' DOOOOOOM! Match totally at Owens' pace. Back suplex gets a two count. On the outside its violent. Owens is dominating. Crowd starts up a "Kill Owens Kill" chant. Back in the ring. Two PLUS on Sami. Zayn looks "woozy". VIOLENT forearms and stomps into Zayn. This is a methodical dissection. Gut buster, and senton. TWO PLUS!

Forearms and Sami with a slap! Now Sami fires up with three clotheslines! Owens spills to the outside. Owens takes a bite out of the ring steps. Now Sami is brawling. He's throwing haymakers. Owens tries to rolls Sami in, but Sami rolls right back out to the other side, runs around and NAILS a clothesline. Back inside. Blue Thunder Bomb! TWO.. PLUS PLUS! each man in a corner.. Sami charges… OUCH! SUPERKICK. Sami is out on his feet! Collapses into the corner. Running CANNONBALL! THREE MINUS! Owens pump handles Sami and drops him neck first onto his knee! Whoa. THREE MINUS.. MINUS!!! Whip going for a pop up power bomb. Zayn dropkicks out of it. Half and Half by Zayn. TWO PLUS! Zayn doesn't believe it. Zayn gets dropped throat first across the top rope. Owens up top… Zayn meets him in the high rent district. They exchange up top. Owens gets the upper hand. SWANTON-NO! KNEES UP! Exploder into the corner. Sami looking for the Heluva… Owens gets outta dodge. Sami chases. Outside Owens looks for the powerbomb into the ring apron, but Sami grabs the ropes, and stops it. Sami kicks and then hits that seated spring board moonsault to the outside, but his head hit the ramp. He's woozy. Sami staggers and stumbles back in the ring. Tries to come out of the corner, but stumbles and falls feeling the effects. Charges again, pop up powerbomb nearly ends it for Owens. Ref checking on Sami. Owens goes in with nasty forearms. European uppercuts.. Rabbit punches. Basically just wailing away on Zayn. Ref trying to get Owens off. Trainers are out to check on Sami. A few smart asses chant "Z-Pac" at this. Powerbomb number TWO. AND THREE! Owens with the cocky cover. Two Zayn fans are near tears. Trainers are still checking on him. They're in ring now. Owens decides he has his OWN medical advice… three MORE Powerbombs. Oh, nope ref stops him at the third one, and calls the match. Crowd starts a bullshit chant. Stunned. Some confusion, but the crowd roars when Owens is handed the NXT Championship. Owens wins due to Ref Stoppage. A fewf and are inconsolable. Owens is bouncing between laughing and crying. He points at someone in the audience. Announcers do a great job laying out. Selling the shocked nature of this. Clearly they LOVE Owens. He celebrates, and eventually stands over the prone Zayn. Very good match, that was intense and super story based, and REALLY puts Kevin Owens over in a big way and shows how much fight Zayn has. This felt like a first chapter to what could and should be an amazing saga. Sprinkle in Balor's #1 contendership and there is a lot they can do moving forward.

OVERVIEW!

ANOTHER excellent outing for the NXT Brand and their quarterly Takeovers. Top to bottom not as good as R Evolution, in my opinion, which is understandable, seeing as that show was about as perfect a wrestling show I've seen. There was one very average match: Bull and Baron. Two decent to good matches: Breeze/Itami, and Tag Titles. And three awesome matches that were unique and fun and told good stories and had amazing in ring action. And now we set off down the road to the NEXT Takeover. If you have wrestling fan friends who don't subscribe to the Network? You should invite them over and start doing NXT Viewing Parties. If they DO have the Network and DON'T watch NXT? Man… I don't know… rig them up to that contraption from Clockwork Orange, maybe?

Bottom line, if you're not, or they're not watching? You and they should be.

Till NXT time.