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NXT TV REPORT
JUNE 27, 2018
TAPED IN ORLANDO, FLA. AT FULL SAIL UNIVERSITY
AIRED ON WWE NETWORK
REPORT BY JUSTIN JAMES, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR
[Q1] Mauro Ranallo is back in the announcer booth, with the first episode at Full Sail University since Takeover: Chicago. Nigel McGuinness tells us that Mustache Mountain (Tyler Bate and Trent Seven) won the NXT Tag Team Champions by defeating Undisputed Era in the United Kingdom.
NXT Champion Aleister Black makes his entrance in street clothes. With Lars Sullivan as th only strong heel on the roster, and having already lost to Black a few weeks ago, it leaves a fairly wide open story for the championship. Though to hear him talk about it, Ricochet is next in line.
Aleister Black puts over Sullivan then reinforces that he beat Sullivan. Ciampa manages to interupt Black without entance music. Ciampa says it is time for Black to face not adversity, but the devil. Ciampa says that the title makes Black, because Black barely beat Sullivan, but he beat “Johnny Freakin’ Wrestling” and did it with his hands tied behind his back. Ciampa says that with Gorgano in his rear view mirror, he is focused on the title. Black is eager to take Ciampa on if William Regal makes the match. Ciampa vows to strip Black of the title and his mystique. Ciampa sits cross legged on the stage, says that Black’s reign will “fade to black” and does the Ciampa wave. Ciampa backs away when Black exits the ring.
[ J.J.’s Reax: it feels quite likely that this match will happen, and Gargano will cost Ciampa the match in a mirror of a few months ago, causing the third match between the two. ]
Apparently Lars Sullivan fought half the match at Takeover with a broken jaw. X-rays of his broken jaw.
Lacey Evans is facing Candice LaRae tonight.
“Earlier today” with Vanessa Bourne. She runs over Kairi Sane. Something about her mannerisms remind me of Summer Rae.
(1) KONA REEVES vs. MAXIM UMBURTO
Reeves with early control of Umburto.
[Q2] Reeves continues to pick Umburto apart. Umburto shows signs of life, runs into a big boot and takes the Hawaiian Drop.
WINNER: Kona Reeves in 2:52. What a snooze fest of a squash.
Quick recap of Mustache Mountain winning the NXT Tag Team Championship. They are billed as being in action tonight.
Candice LaRae gets a good reaction on her entrance. The crowd is silent for Lacey Evans. Both of these wrestlers need wins right now.
(2) CANDICE LaRAE vs. LACEY EVANS
Lockup, and Evan’s gets a headlock, LaRae slips out and a shoulder tackle takes LaRae down, then a second. LaRae hits a trio of armdrags and a dropkick for two. LaRae wants a backslide, Evans slides out. Evans grabs hair over the ropes, then slams LaRae’s arm onto the ringpost. Cover for two. Evans works the arm. Quick rollup from LaRae for two. Evans risks a disqualification in the corner, then lands a Bronco Buster for two. Evans continues to grind LaRae down. LaRae makes a comeback, using only her right arm. Neckbreaker, then a Lionsault gets LaRae with win.
WINNER: Candice LaRae in 5:39. Wow, all of the progress Evans made was completely undone in this match. “Slow and plodding” is a complement. Even in the setions where LaRae was on the attack, the pacing was a snoozefest.
Backstage with Johnny Gargano. He says that LaRae is his favorite wrestler but it’s hard to focus. He rewatched the match and is still obsessed with Ciampa. Gargano says he will go to Regal and get a rubber match. Gargano seems to have lost his mind.
“Earlier today,” Heavy Machinery are standing around a grill, cooking meats and veggies while topless, vowing to take out The Mighty.
A Tweet from Regal denies Gargano a third match, and he is booked to face EC3 next week.
“Earlier today” with LaRae. She says that she has had to refocus on her career despite her concern for Gargano. She is looking to get the NXT Women’s Championship.
[ J.J.’s Reax: LaRae as a contenter for the championship works for me, but they need to find a way to get her through Bianca Belair first. ]
[Q3] Mustache Mountain comes out and gets a good response from the crowd. The announcers (and their new theme song) reinforce that the team is called Mustache Mountain. Dave Dixon and Carl Axelrod start to make their entrance, but Undisputed Era destroy them. They get mics. Kyle O’Reilly, Roderick Strong, and Adam Cole knock Mustache Mountain. Undisputed Era surround the ring, Mustache Mountain go back-to-back in the ring. Ricochet’s music hits and he leaps into the ring to even the odds. Cut to commercial, and we will presumably be seeing a six-man tag team match on the other side of it.
(4) NXT Tag Team Champions MOUSTACHE MOUNTAIN (TYLER BATE and TRENT SEVEN) and RICOCHET vs. UNDISPUTED ERA (ADAM COLE, KYLE O’REILLY, and RODERICK STRONG) – Six Man Tag Team Match
O’Reilly and Bate start. Seven tags in, the action breaks down a bit, Ricochet gets in. It’s O’Reily and Seven, and Seven gets isolated for a moment. Seven fights out, DDT to Cole gets two. Seven takes Cole to the corner to tag in Bate. Cole tags Strong, Bate and Seven with their high-charisma offense, then Ricochet in more more. Cover on Strong for two. Bate tags back in. Strong makes a bit of a comeback and Bop and Bang manages to take out Strong, then Cole and O’Reilly when they try to interfere. Ref distraction by O’Reilly lets Undisputed Era get the edge. Bate is stuck in the corner. Bate finally gets to the corner and Ricochet is in. Ricochet goes nuts and taks out all three opponents. Springboard european uppercut to O’Reilly for two. “One and only” from the crowd. Ricochet gets caught by O’Reilly with a guillotine, Ricochet stands up and backs to the corner and Seven tags in. Seven with a full nelson, O’Reilly escapes, they brawl, cover for two from Seven. Great sequence. Cole keeps Bate off the apron. O’Reilly kicks Seven away and tags Strong. Seven takes a three man beating until Bate and Ricochet make the save.
[Q4] Cole drops a kneepad, but Seven comes off the mat with a clothesline, then tags Ricochet. Ricocet lands a fireman’s carry into a powerbomb for two, the action breaks down. Everyone is down and the match resets. Everyone picks an opponent to brawl with. Ricochet and Cole in the ring are the legal men. Ricochet avoids a three-on-one situation and then takes Cole down. Ricochet heads to the top, 630 senton, but O’Reilly pulls Cole’s fott under the ropes. Ricochet dives onto O’Reilly, Strong takes Ricochet out and feeds him to Cole for the pin.
WINNERS: Undisputed Era in 13:29.
[J.J’s Reax: Everyone looked great here, but Ricochet and O’Reilly in partcular stood out, Ricochet for his dazzling moves and charisma, O’Reilly (once again) for his ability to put on a very serious, excellently wrestled match but have one of two moments where he acts like a cartoon heel without coming off as too goofy.]
FINAL THOUGHTS: Really strong final match, and some good promo segments are getting NXT geared up to start the next set of stories for Takeover: Brooklyn IV.
NOW CHECK OUT ANOTHER PERSPECTIVE ON THIS SHOW: 6/27 NXT TV REPORT: Keller’s rundown and analysis of Undisputed Era vs. Ricochet & Moustache Mountain, Gargano reacts to Takeover loss, Ciampa calls out Black, LeRae vs. Evans
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