Welcome to another Wrestling Wednesday. Lots on tap today between ROH, TNA, Lucha Underground, and NXT. But? I'm here to talk about NXT. So join me. They hype up the main event. Which is a tag team match with Joe and Balor facing off against Owens and Rhyno. That should be a good one! Hit the opening video, production crew!
IN RING!
Live in Full Sail. "NXT-NXT-NXT-NXT" We go black and white. We're about to get manly up in here. They've ditched the heelish music they had. Crowd claps. Aiden conducts. Dawson and Wilder get a ring entrance. Graves putting them over as throwbacks. Talking about Minnesota Wrecking Crew and they're here to fight. Slow start. Nice counter in the corner into a sunset flip type roll up from Gotch. Dawson and Wilder get the control and start working over Gotch. High impact brawling style with a little cheating sprinkled in. English gets the hot tag and works over Dawson and Wilder. European Uppercut to the back of the neck by Gotch, running swinging neck breaker from English. 1-2-3. Vaudevillains get the win. Graves calls their finisher the "Whirling Dervish" during the replay.
IN RING!
Nice attempt to get Dawson and Wilder more established. I was actually surprised the match ended up as "squashy" (IS TOO A WORD!) – Good win for the Vaudevillains. I really like them as a team and like that they're back on TV and getting some wins.
PERFORMANCE CENTER!
Kevin asks Becky Lynch about her injury. Becky says she has a strained hip flexor. She'll need a few weeks to recover and rehab.
IN RING!
Motorcycles and Guitars means Baron Corbin is on his way out. His opponent is already in the ring. If you're opponent is waiting for you in the ring? Your opponent is gonna have a bad time… His opponent is Tucker Knight… or Night… or maybe Nite… I don't know how he spells it. Tucker is a big boy. These two are two thirds of an NFL Offensive line. Full Sail over Corbin. End of Days. Three count.
OVERVIEW!
Interesting to see someone this dominant. Yes he's not undefeated, but just makes me wonder what the crowd would be like in TODAY's wrestling fan landscape with Goldberg. Anyway. It was a Corbin squash. He's dominant. Crowd is sour on him. Its an interesting story they're slow burning with him.
BACKSTAGE!
Vaudevillains and Enzo and Cass are all talking simultaneously. Regal is not happy about this. He screams enough and lets them know that next week the two teams will face off to determine a #1 contender for the Tag Titles.
VIDEO!
Part 3 of the Balor documentary/video. He talks about inspiring artists. He and Zayn looking through some amazing fan art. They show his debut and him talking about it. Talks about his name "Finn Balor". Part of it is an Irish mythological king AND his dad name is Finton and called Finn. They show him working on his entrance. Go into his Dublin match. Talks about being an introvert and humble. How the "Demon" brings out a more confident and vicious self. So he left Japan last April, and NOW? In three days he's going to be facing Owens. They rap it up with talking to fans and a teary Becky Lynch. Do a nice recap music video. And tomorrow at 10:30 they're going to show the entire documentary.
OVERVIEW!
These were spectacular. Perfect cap for this doc, and I can't WAIT for Saturday. Yes I will set my alarm. WWE videos are always awesome. Hell… I might just go ahead and watch the whole hype video once again tomorrow!
IN RING… SORT OF!
They're showing Eva Marie in the ring working. Regal and Sara Amato (Del Ray) standing on the apron watching Eva Marie's work to see if she's "NXT Ready".
IN RING!
Emma's music hits, but its a nice heelified version. Same opening then the bubble popping walk music remixed with a more rocking song. Dana Brooke is out with Emma. Carmella is out next. Carmella has mic. Runs through her shtick. Good start. Some good mat work and exchanges. A hair pull from Emma and a knee lift later Emma starts to roll. Carmella ends up hitting a head scissors. Gets a little offense in, but Emma nails a kick to the gut and locks in a body scissors. Eventually Carmella starts working back elbows to get out. But Emma ends up ramming Carmella head first into the top rope. Carmella hits a series of shoulder blocks. Hits a running kick a shoulder block into the corner. She does the "Staten Island Shuffle", so say the announcers, but when she charges in, Emma side steps, hits a drop toe hold and locks in the Emma Lock. Carmella taps.
OVERVIEW!
Decent match. They're still rebuilding Emma, and they have plenty of time to work on Carmella. So the finish makes sense.
Backstage!
Bull is raging against the machine. Vending Machine. He is about to throw a stool through the glass, but Regal is there and grabs the stool. Bull has chocolate all over his face. Regal tells Bull to shape up, cuz if he doesn't the next time their paths cross, Bull won't like it. Bull looks ready to cry.
OVERVIEW!
Not really sure what to make of this angle. Can't tell if they're doing it to try to make something of Dempsey, or just to make fun of him. If THAT's the case? Not a fan of it.
LAST WEEK!
Jordan is miserable, and Gable comes up to towel Jordan off. Gable is definitely channeling his inner Angle. I can't wait for these two to be a tag team.
IN RING!
Tyler Breeze is out. Tye Dillenger is already in the ring. (Bad times ahead for Tye) Crowd chants "ten" at Dillenger. Breeze hits a move and strikes a pose across the top rope in the corner. Dillenger gets on a roll and pantomimes taking Tyler's picture. Dillenger really dominates early. Breeze turns it around with a diving reverse DDT. Breeze hits a hurricanrana. That leads to a Beauty Shot, and a three count for Tyler Breeze.
OVERVIEW!
Another win for Tyler Breeze. Dillenger got in some good offense. Crowd chanting "TEN" at him is a good sign. Means his live show work is known enough.
BACKSTAGE!
Emma and Dana are eyeballing the NXT Women's Championship. Sasha quickly shows up on the scene to grab that belt and asks the duo what's up. They say they're taking over the NXT Women's division. Sasha challenges them. They laugh at this because who would possibly team up with Sasha? Banks says she'll FIND a partner.
OVERVIEW!
I like this. A little face action from Sasha is good. She's already got face love with crowds. Makes sense.
IN RING!
Finn, Joe, Rhyno, and Kevin (In that Order) – make their to the ring for the main event. Just figured I'd say it again… Joe's music is terrible. Joe and Rhyno start. Joe works him over. Tags in Finn. Rhyno tags in Owens. We get a nice preview of the action we get in 3 days between these two! Owens tosses Balor to the outside while Rhyno works him over and we go to commercial.
And we're back. Owens has a… REVERSE CHINLOCK O' DOOOM!!!! Balor powers up and fights his way out. Rhyno in. Vertical suplex for a two-plus. Owens back in. He locks in the RCOD. Balor tininess to fight. Rallies, but Owens hits two shoulder blocks, the belly to back slam and the Five Knuckle Shuffle. He looks for the AA, but Balor gets out, hits a double stomp and makes the hot tag. Joe in and beats on Joe. Hits a right on Owens on the outside. Joe gets the best of Owens. He is about to hit him with the Muscle Buster, and had tagged in Balor to hit the Coup de Grace, but Rhyno breaks things up.
Rhyno ends up accidentally goring Owens. Then Balor dropkicks Rhyno into Owens in the corner. Then he Coup de Grace on Owens. Balor pins Owens going into the July 4th Tokyo show.
OVERVIEW!
Really entertaining tag match. Great way to hype it up for Saturday. Balor winning is interesting. There's the age old Wrestling trope of looking strong in the "Go Home" show. There is also the fact that Owens' days in NXT are numbered. Lot of people assuming Balor wins in Japan. This finish makes me wonder.
TOO LONG! DIDN'T READ?!
Good episode of NXT. Undercard was about keeping things rolling for the people that are established. Sasha Banks and Emma + Dana could be very interesting. Tag Division continues to build up a LOT of momentum, which makes me happy. The Balor documentary really needs to be seen by anyone who's a wrestling fan. Can't wait for Owens/Balor in 3 days.
I'll see you in 7!
