SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
NXT TV REPORT
OCTOBER 11, 2017
TAPED 10/4 IN ORLANDO, FLA. AT FULL SAIL UNIVERSITY
AIRED ON WWE NETWORK
REPORT BY JUSTIN JAMES, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR
[Q1] Pre-credits video presents the build to the NXT Women’s Championship match at Takeover: Houston.
(1) PEYTON ROYCE (w/Billie Kay) vs. LIV MORGAN vs. NIKKI CROSS – NXT Women’s Championship Qualifying Triple Threat Match
They are not sure who they want to isolate. Then Cross starts screaming at Royce, then Morgan gets Royce’s attention. Cross grabs Morgan’s hand to double clothesline Royce out of the ring, then they go at it with a quick pace. Nigel McGuinness tries his best to make Morgan sound like a threat though she only has one win in recent memory. A few fun three-way spots here. Royce tries pinning Cross after teaming with Morgan, Morgan pulls her off and they brawl. With the no DQ rule in triple threats, why is Kay staying on the outside? Royce with a tarantula through the ropes with no ref break, but Cross yanks Royce to the outside, rolls her in, then heads to the top, missle dropkick barely hits Morgan. Cross is a house of fire. Cross sets Morgan on the top, Royce stops a superplex. Royce wants a fisherman’s superplex, Cross gets under for a sunset flip superplex power bomb fisherman’s super place. Undisputed Era comes out with Taynara Conti and send her into the ring. She brawls with Cross on the apron, Royce tries to take advantage for a nearfall. Morgan breaks up a cover on Royce. Conte breaks up a cover by Cross, Cross goes nuts, runs through the ring and into a spinning heel kick from Royce, then a fisherman’s suplex, bridge, cover for the win.
WINNER: Peyton Royce in 6:44. Very surprising to see Cross not win here, but we see where this is going and it makes sense in the context of the Sanity – Undisputed Era feud.
[Q2] Lio Rush is billed to be next, facing Velveteen Dream. Let’s see if Aleister Black stops the match from actually happening.
(2) LIO RUSH vs. VELVETEEN DREAM
Dream towers over Rush and jaws at him, so Rush slaps him. Dream is outwitted by Rush who just looks insanely talented in the first minute of this match. The crowd is now totally behind Rush after a tepid reaction, but Dream throws him into the ringpost then picks him apart. A series of double axe handles on the mat as Dream demands that Rush say his name. Backbreaker, cover for two. Dream holds Rush’s hand and slaps him, rush ducks a punch, schoolboy for two, then a mid-ring tornado DDT for two. Dream looks stunned but fights his back back intot he ring, fireman’s carry into a rolling senton. Dream to the top for the Purple Rainmaker elbow drop.
WINNER: Velveteen Dream in 2:43. Good match for Dream to look like a credible threat, and Rush won over an entire crowd in under three minutes.
Post-match, Dream shoves Rush out of the way then sits on the mat cross legged to mock Black.
Reminder that Johnny Gargano faces Andrade Almas tonight, then a recap of Lars Sullivan’s building issue with Danny Burch. They face each other next.
(3) DANNY BURCH vs. LARS SULLIVAN
Burch bumps chests with Sullivan and paintbrushes him, then does it again. Sullivan wrecks him in the corner. Sullivan telegraphs a body drop and Burch hits a right, then Sullivan runs him over. I’m guessing we will be seeing Burch and Lorcan in a handicap match against Sullivan really soon, as Sullivan starts to put Burch through a woodchipper. Running splash in the corner and Burch just collapses to the match. The “let’s go Danny” chant may have to become “please don’t kill him”. Sullivan with a delayed vertical suplex then he just kind of kicks Burch around the ring like an old soccer ball. Burch comes to life to slip away from Burch and hits chops and uppercuts and a running clothesline turns Burch into a pancake. Side spinebuster ends it.
WINNER: Lars Sullivan in 2:55. I am so totally enjoying the build of Sullivan. He just feels like absolutely no one in NXT can stop him, maybe Aleister Black or Drew McIntyre and that is it.
[Q3] Recap of the end of the Drew McIntyre – Roderick Strong NXT Championship Match last week. Where does Strong go from here? Maybe teaming with McIntyre against Undisputed Era? Maybe teaming up with them? To the main roster?
Next week there will be a sit down interview with Drew McIntyre.
Street Profits vignette. They are up next.
Street Profits come out. Ford has a black cup now, but it is branded with their logo. Nothing like paying $20 for a disposable plastic cup at the merch stand.
(4) STREET PROFITS (ANGELO DAWKINS and MONTEZ FORD) vs. MARKOS ESPADA & ? – Tag Team Match
Ford drops to his knees to kind of dance at his opponent. Ford keeps taunting. Dawkins tags in and they have aunique double team. Espada tries to come in and Dawkins punches him out of the ring. Ford runs around the ring barking at everyone. Spinebuster from Dawkins, frog splash from Ford for the win.
WINNERS: Street Profits in 1:48. Fun win for Street Profits
Next Week, Ember Moon, Ruby Riot, and Sonya Deville will have a triple threat match. Also, Sanity will face Undisputed Era in a six man tag team match.
(5) JOHNNY GARGANO vs. ANDRADE “CIEN” ALMAS (w/Zelena Vega)
Vega does not seem to be armed with a T-Shirt tonight. Gargano gets Almas into the corner on the lockup, then Almas puts him on the ropes on another lockup. Rapid mat moves as they jockey for position. Almas tries posing in the ropes, drops out, Gargano with a sudden hold on the mat but Almas gets away. Vega sends Almas back into the ring.
[Q4] Head scissors take down, dropkick get Gargano one. Almas wants a suplex on the apron, Gargano elbows out, Almas with a big boot, then a backbreaker followed by an elbow knock Gargano to the floor. [c]
Gargano blocks a kick out of the break, Almas ducks the low rolling kick ends up locking in an armbar in the ropes to a five count. Low dropkick and a sloppy cover only get two and the announcers call him out for backsliding. Lots of back and forth here. Almas catches the spear through the ropes, but Gargano body drops him to the ramp and hits a suicide dive. Gargano backs Almas into the corner but eats a boot. Almas looks like he wants a tornado DDT, but Gargano turns it into a powerbomb for two. They trade offense, Almas sits on Gargano for two. Almas with a German suplex for two. Gargano kicks Almas off the apron. Gargano peppers Almas with Almas has a back elbow. They trade strikes of all kinds, superkick from Gargano gets a nearfall. Gargano to the top, Almas seems to accidentally push the referree and that crotches Gargano. Almas crawl to the top for a hammerlock DDT from up high, Gargano slaps Almas silly, sunset flip, Almas lands on his feet, Gargano knocks him out, throws him face-first into the turnbuckle, crucifix bomb, crossface. Vega takes her jacket off to reveal a #DIY shirt, Gargano looks at her and smiles, reapplies the hold but Almas is recovered enough to get to the ropes. Vega gets on the apron to jaw at Gargano, Almas with a cover for two, rapid trade of covers and two counts. Superkick from Gargano, Almas spins around and drop top holds Gargano into the turnbuckle, double knees to the back of the head once, twice. Hammerlock DDT and it is over.
WINNER: Andrade “Cient” Almas in 14:17. Gargano looks like an utter, complete schmuck for letting Vega distract him in that match. That was hard hitting, intense action he should not have even noticed her and instead he takes the time to talk to her? I hate this kind of WWE booking. Who wants to cheer for someone as obviously dumb and unfocused on winning as “Johnny Wrestling”? Other than those 15 seconds, this was an outstanding match.
FINAL REAX: Really solid episode all around. I actively look forwards to seeing what happens with Velveteen Dream and Lars Sullivan each week, kudos to both for impressive debuts. Lio Rush looked great in his moments of action.
NOW CHECK OUT LAST WEEK’S REPORT: 10/4 NXT TV REPORT: Drew McIntyre vs. Roderick Strong for NXT Title, Kairi Sane vs. Aliyah, Dream-Black angle
Looks like one half of the dynamic duo [Royce] is going up and the other half…