7/26 NXT TV REPORT: Kassius Ohno vs. Hideo Itami, Ember Moon vs. Lei’d Tapa, Velveteen Dream vs. Cesar Bononi

NXT TV REPORT
JULY 26, 2017
TAPED AT FULL SAIL UNIVERSITY
AIRED ON WWE NETWORK
REPORT BY JUSTIN JAMES, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR

[Q1] The announcers remind us that tonight is Kassius Ohno against Hideo Itami, and an announcement from Drew McIntrye, the new #1 contender for the NXT Championship. Ember Moon is out first, and the booth team act as if she is the #1 contender. For all intents and purposes, she is. She is facing Lei’d Tapa in her NXT debut. Tapa gets virtually no reaction from the audience. the announcers seem to forget Tapa’s extensive wrestling career.

(1) EMBER MOON vs. LEI’D TAPA

Tapa immediately crushes Moon in the corner then throws her across the ring. The crowd is immediately fired up behind Moon. Boot in the corner stuns a charging Tapa, the a Tornado DDT, Tapa blocks, Moon plants her feet and hits s uplex. Moon with strikes to take Tapa down. Moon heads up top, Eclipse.

WINNER: Ember Moon in 1:20. The match made Moon look great, to beat the physically dominant Tapa so quickly. Sure would like to see more of Tapa in NXT.

Post-match, Moon declares that she wants to face Asuka for the NXT Women’s Championship. She promises to give Asuka all of the competition she could want. Moon is not afraid to face Asuka again, and is ready to win.

[ J.J.’s reax: different tone, different presentation from Moon in that promo. It was much stronger and easier to buy-in to Moon. ]

Tweet from Roderick Strong indicates that he wants to face Bobby Roode for the title again.

The Authors of Pain are booked for later tonight.

Aleister Black vignette. He is very well-positioned right now.

Two jobbers are in the ring, waiting for The Authors of Pain. As AOP walk out, Nikki Cross gets in there way, then Killian Dain and Alexander Wolfe take out the jobbers. AOP walk past Cross to enter the ring. The brawl is on. AOP with the early advantage, but a clothesline from Dain shifts the tide for a moment. AOP destroys Dain and Wolfe and sends them packing.

[ J.J.’s Reax: First, where has Eric Young been? Secondly, AOP just took whatever credibility Dain and Wolfe had away from them. Third, that felt almost like a mild face turn for AOP. They’ve had so many clean wins lately, they are more like tweeners than heels right now. ]

[Q2] Steet Profits vignette. “Coming Soon”. Quick recap of the Andrade Almas – Cezar Bononi – No Way Jose situation. Almas’ female friend has a name now, Selena Vega.

“Earlier Today” of No Way Jose coming into FSU, and Vega telling Jose that she respected how Jose stood up for himself. But he interfered in Almas’ business which has fired up Almas.

The announcers are a bit dialed back on Velveteen Dream’s entrance, putting him over more for being styling and a potent force in the ring and being “charismatic”.

(2) VELVETEEN DREAM vs. CEZAR BONONI

Dream has blows for Bonoi to drive him to the corner, then knees and clubbing blows. Bononi is reling inthe corner. Ref break. Bononi comes out strong from the corner. Huge atomic drop looks super painful. Falcon Arrow, cover for two. Dream ducks a punch and is able to slam Bononi. Dream to the top, hits his Macho Man Elbow (now called… of course… the “Purple Rainmaker”) for the win.

WINNER: Velveteen Dream in 1:37. It’s a bit of a shame to see Bononi lose so quickly, I feel like he has some upside. Giving Dream a quick win over someone as big as Bononi puts him over big, though it feels repetitive after Moon’s match tonight.

Post-match interview with Dream on the ramp. Dream considers an interview with a “decently dressed girl like you” but he won’t do it in front of the “NXT Universe”.

Interview with Wiliam Regal in his office. Regal thinks Moon is ready. He books Moon vs. Asuka for the NXT Women’s Championship at Takeover: Broolyn III.

[Q3] Drew McIntyre is out for an in-ring promo. Great reaction for McIntyre. He thanks his supporters and reminds us a few times that Takeover is in four weeks. That’s a pro move, no one else has mentioned exactly when Takeover is. He brings up his history as “the chosen one”. He expected opportunities to be handed to him and felt entitled. But he wasn’t the hardest worker and he failed. Being out of WWE taught him that it was on him to be the “hardest worker in the room” to suceed, and he became the “hardest worker in the whole damn world”. He went to NXT because of how everyone was driving to greatness there. Everyone in NXT acts like they are equals… except NXT Champion Bobby Roode. He sees entitlement in Roode’s eyes, but Roode isn’t entitled to anything. NXT belongs to the fans. Roode isn’t NXT, “we are NXT”.

[ J.J.’s Reax: really strong promo until the NXT rah rah at the end. Short and to the point. McIntyre has grown so much in his time away from WWE. ]

Another Aleister Black vignette.

Bobby Roode will be replying to McIntyre next week.

Raul Mendoza will face newcomer Johnny Gargano next week. Quick interview with Mendoza. He knows the Gargano has been training hard, but he has too. Perhaps next week won’t be able Johnny Gargano, but Raul Mendoza.

(3) KASSIUS OHNO vs. HIDEO ITAMI

Cautious approach into a lockup, then go back and forth with holds and takedowns. The break and reset. Ohno shrugs off strikes from Itami then backs Itami into the ropes. Itami comes off the ropes but takes more offense. Dropkick earns Ohno two. Itami blocks a whip so Ohno hits a big boot. Ohno can’t get in off the apron. Ohno gets tied up on the ropes, Itami hits a legdrop to send Ohno to the ramp.

[ Break ]

Ohno hits the ropes and runs into a knee after the break. Another knee gets Itami a two count.

[Q4] Itami disrepects Ohno with his foot, then delivers a string of kicks. Neckbreaker and two. More kicks for two. The announcers tell us that Asuka will return to NXT to address Ember Moon. Chops let Ohno get to his feet but he eats the tornado DDT into the ropes. Ohno catches Itami off the top, Ohno runs through a kick to deliver clotheslines. Shining Wizard and Itami is down. Spinning big boot for a bit better than two. Standing senton for a nearfall. Itami starts to rally, then he hits a fisherman’s suplex. “That’s a lot of weight to get up!” says McGuiness. Mean! Delayed dropkick in the corner, then Itami calls for the GTS. Ohno slips out, then hits a running big boot. Ohno wants the discuss clothesline but Itami kicks him “in the pennisula south of the equator” (Mauro Renallo). The ref calls for the bell.

WINNER: Kassius Ohno by DQ in 9:14. The pacing was really slow for a “we’re angry with each other!” match. Neither Ohno nor Itami have been really doing it for me.

Itami continues the attack, and eventually hits a GTS, the another. Itami starts to leave, then drags Ohno out of the ring then lifts him up for the GTS and drops him face-first on the steps. Ohno eventually collapses. Why isn’t No Way Jose or Roderick Strong out to help Ohno, he was there for them against Sanity a while back?

Final Reax: A total of less than four minutes of wrestling across two matches, before a rather disappointing main event. Tonight’s highlight was McIntyre’s short promo, and the Aleister Black vignettes.

NOW CHECK OUT LAST WEEK’S REPORT: 7/19 NXT TV REPORT: Ember Moon vs. Ruby Riot, Drew McIntyre vs. Killian Dane in no. 1 contendership match, Oney Lorcan, No Way Jose