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NXT TV REPORT
JUNE 6, 2018
TAPED AT FULL SAIL UNIVERSITY
AIRED ON WWE NETWORK
REPORT BY JUSTIN JAMES, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR
[Q1] Shayna Baszler makes her entrance in street clothes. Shots of members of the audience imitating her entrance poses. The audience mics pic up a mixed reaction. She says she used Dakota Kai as an example of what she does. Scattered cheers. Baszler says that one person in the locker room always thinks the rules do not apply to them, and right now it is Nikki Cross. She starts laying out threats on Cross. Cross’ music hits, and she actually comes out on the stage. Baszler has her title back, even though last week Cross ran off with it. How did she get it back? Cross comes into the ring. They make faces. Baszler tells Cross not to try to repeat what she did last week, and reminds Cross that she is the NXT Champion. Baszler calls Cross crazy a few times. Baszler asks the crowd if Cross is crazy, “Yes!” chants from the crowd. Baszler throws the mic at Cross who no sells it, then picks it up. Cross tells Baszler to “do it”. Then starts shouting it, then begging Baszler to do it. Cross laughs, Baszler holds up the title. Cross feigns an attack, Baszler jumps back and drops the title, shoves Cross and the brawl is on. Cross demolishes Baszler in the corner, then stalks the title, but a right from Baszler knocks her down. Baszler sends Cross out of the ring. Cross with a forearm, crossbody from the top, and now Baszler is on the ramp. Baszler backs up with some blood in her mouth, and Cross slides the title out of the ring to Baszler.
[ J.J.’s Reax: Baszler’s promo delivery is markedly improved tonight. There were a few patches where she got a touch cartoonish, but she was clearly much more comfortable on the mic than in the past. ]
The announcers confirm that Cross will face Baszler at Takeover: Chicago for the NXT Women’s Championship.
TM61 is coming out to face some “already in the ring” wrestlers. Miller and Thorne show some bad attitudes on the way out.
(1) TM61 (Nick Miller & Shane Thorne) vs. MIKE HUBLEY & ROBBIE GRAND
Miller starts the match against Hubley. Thorne tags in. Grand comes in and gets wrecked. Miller in to keep Grand down. Grand gets in some offense after Miller takes a cheap shot on Hubley. Thorne tags in and Miller feeds Brad to him for a forearm to the back of the head to end the match.
WINNERS: TM61 in 2:15. Good match to show that TM61 is changing their style to be less fan-friendly, and that they aren’t just taking a shortcut or two, but have a new attitude.
[Q2] Post-match, Miller cuts a promo claiming to be the best team in NXT. They say they will beat the War Raiders, Oney Lorcan and Danny Burch, or Undisputed Era. Thorne says everyone should kneel down before “The Mighty”. Mauro Ranallo says that TM61 is now “The Mighty”.
Recap of the verbal and physical altercation between Lars Sullivan and NXT Champion Aleister Black last week. Clips of Sullivan tearing apart a gauntley of opponents in the ring. The Mighty are seen in the background watching and shaking their heads. A ring in the background has half the women’s roster watching Sullivan in awe.
Rodering Strong is out first for his match against Danny Burch. Strong looks a bit more cut up than usual and he is already pretty shredded. Strong is alone. Burch also comes out by himself and gets a good reaction for a guy who has won only one or two matches every.
(2) DANNY BURCH vs. RODERICK STRONG
Strong gets the edge in early mat work, then Burch turns it around. There is some really good chain wrestling in this match as you would expect from these two. Strong uses fingers to the face to get an upper hand. Chops in the corner then a backbreaker for two. Burch fights his way to his feet but takes a dropkick. Strong locks in an abdominal stretch. Burch fights out and sends Strong out of the ring, then dodges a running knee in the corner. Headbutt from Burch puts both men down. Strong is up first and they brawl. Burch with European uppercuts, and a missile dropkick. Burch kips up, uppercut, released German suplex, inside out clothesline. Kyle O’Reilley and Adam Cole run out and jump on the apron. Oney Lorcan and UK Champion Pete Dunne take out O’Reilly and Cole. Burch with a crossface, Cole gets on the apron and Burch turns his attention to Cole. Strong lands a surprise backbreaker for the win.
WINNER: Roderick Strong in 5:43.
Post-match: Strong is celebrating, Dunne sneaks in the ring behind him, and they start fighting. Chop block from O’Reilly end Dunne’s offense. Strong knocks Dunne out in the ring.
[Q3] Backstage, Kassius Ohno is shown posing for pictures. EC3 interrupts and wants to know if they are tryig to break the camera. EV3 calls Ohno a tremendous “wrestler” but he’s not in the top 1%. EC3 starts running is mouth, and Ohno cuts him off and threatens to beat him up. Ohno challenges EC3. EC3 declines. Ohno gives him a week. EC3 accepts.
Tommaso Ciampa is billed as being “live” tonight. Assuming that means a live interview?
Video package with Black. Black acknowledges that Sullivan created a new reality, but Black says that this has woken him up, and next week, Sullivan will “fade to black.”
Video package on the Ricochet – Velveteen Dream feud. Ricochet talks about his reputation as “a kid who does flips.” Dream says that if Ricochet is “the one and only” he must be blessed. Dream says that he is blessed. Being blessed means you don’t struggle. Dream says that Ricochet is athletic but can he make the crowd feel it? I don’t know what that means, but if Dream is selling it, I’ll buy it. Dream says there is a monarchy and Ricochet thinks he is a king, but Dream is a prince. A king used to be good, but a prince knows there is a bigger crown out there.
[ J.J.’s Reax: Some of this package on Dream’s part was kind of babble, but there is something about his delivery, much like Bray Wyatt, where his promo could be the instructions to make a Devil’s Food cake and I will be hanging on every word. ]
Lacey Evans comes out with “Kairi” written on her right hand in Sharpie. This match will tell us a lot about NXT’s plans for the NXT Women’s Championship post-Takeover as they are going to be positioning the next contender to the NXT Women’s Championship.
(3) KAIRI SANE vs. LACEY EVANS
Evans pretends to offer a handshake, then brushs a hair out of her face. Evan’s size and strength don’t help her in the lockup so she grabs hair. Evans with big punches but Sane ducks them, then turns up the heat. Sane stomps on Evans’ hand to make it hard for her to deliver the Women’s Right. Evans fights from the apron, then a springboard elbow drop gets one. Evans catches a kick, shoves Sane to the mat and hits a punch to the face. Evans with a quarter nelson, then picks Sane up in the hold and spins her. Evans lands a Bronco Buster, cover for two. Evans with a backfist, Sane blocks transitions to a pumphandling to flip Evans over, but Sane runs into a kick. Big body slame from Evans, cover for two.
[Q4] Evans wants a top rope moonsault but Sane moves, then lands the Interceptor, then another. And a third. Evans crawls to the corner as Sane fires up. Sane stomps over to the corner for the sliding elbow and hits it. Sane to the top, flying elbow for a nearfall, then Sane locks in an armbar. Evans transitions it into a cover for two, forcing a break. Alabama Slam on Evans, then Sane to the top again. Insane Elbow.
WINNER: Kairi Sane in 6:29. Good match. Evans continues to show strong improvement in the ring. I want to compare her to Charlotte, due to her height, physique, and combination of power moves and agility, but she isn’t on Charlotte’s level, even comparing Charlotte when she was in NXT. That said, Evans is showing so much progress in such a short period of time that I feel that their trust in her may be well placed.
Black will be “live” next week. Ohno vs. EC3 is booked for next week.
Ciampa comes out. Big boos. Is this really “live” though? I doubt it. Somehow there is a dueling “Johnny Wrestling” and “Psycho Killer” chant. “You tapped out!” chant. Ciampa sits on the top turnbuckle and says that the crowd gave up on him long before her gave up on them. He grins his way through an “a–hole” chant. He says they can boo but he will just talk over them. Ciampa rips Gargano for interupting a match last week and making it about him as ways. Ciampa mocks the crowd’s chants for Gargano. Ciampa points out that it was Gargano’s actions that brought Ciampa to the ring two weeks ago, Gargano started the fight, and Ciampa just defended himself and that’s why Candice LaRae got hurt. Ciampa says that Gargano is broken.
Gargano is being held back by security, he breaks free of them and charges the ring. Security catches up and Gargano breaks free again. Referrees get them. Gargano beats up security, but Ciampa finally delivers some blows. Security holds Ciampa back. The brawl re-enters the ring. Ciampa clobbers Gargano when he is distracted by security. Ciampa stomps Gargano’s head, then locks in the Gargano Escape. The referees try to pry Ciampa off Gargano. Wow, they even have the female referree helping to break the brawl up. Ciampa gives his wave, then just as the end graphics show up, Gargano revives and beats Ciampa up on the ramp. Gargano slams Ciampa’s head into the ‘Tron and Ciampa is cut open bad. Ciampa and Gargano are covered in blood. Gargano locks in the Gargano escape, Ciampa is tapping wildly as blood is pouring out of his head, and the show wraps up.
FINAL THOUGHTS: Strong show despite the minimal match time, and all matches were quite well-done. The development of the feuds heading into Takeover: Chicago is continuing nicely. No surprises at this point.
NOW CHECK OUT LAST WEEK’S REPORT: 5/30 NXT TV Report: Dakota Kai vs. Shayna Baszler, plus EC3, Ricochet, and War Raiders in action, plus Aleister Black promo
I’m extremely impressed with how Lacey Evans has evolved her character, and improved in the ring. I had a feeling she’d lose tonight, but she’s rounding into a great second heel on the women’s side, behind Bazler.
And small nitpick here- but they really need to tweak TM-61’s music. The beginning could work, if they remix it maybe? I don’t know, it just doesn’t feel right for where they’re taking the characters, to me.
Outstanding show, though!