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NXT TV REPORT
NOVEMBER 7, 2018
TAPED IN ORLANDO, FLA. AT FULL SAIL UNIVERSITY
REPORT BY JUSTIN JAMES, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR
[Q1] Heavy Machinery are starting the show. They are face the Forgotten Sons.
(1) HEAVY MACHINERY (RUCKER KNIGHT & OTIS DOZOVIC) vs. THE FORGOTTEN SONS (STEVE CUTLER & WESLEY BLAKE w/Jaxson Ryker) – Tag Team Match
Cutler and Knight start off. Somehow Cutler easily forcing Knight to the corner, but Knight throws him down with amateur wrestling technique. Cutler manages to drag Knight to the corner, and rapid tags start. Blake wrangles Knight to the ground. Double crossbody to Cutler and Blake lets him tag Dozovic in. Heavy Machinery beat on the sons two-on-two then Dozovic wipes out Cutler with a corner splash. Dozovic with the worm into an elbow drop. Distraction from Blake lets Cutler get an advantage, and Blake tags in. Blake drags Dozovic around the mat, with obvious help from Dozovic. Guillotine leg drop over the apron to Dozovic’s arm. Blake tries a triangle, but Dozovic fights it, then one-arm powerbombs Blake. Tag to Knight who steamrolls Cutler and Blake. Knight is on a big assault, top rope cannonball but Cutler manages to kick out. Backstabber from Cutler, then he holds Knight up, Blake hits an elbow drop for two. Cutler wants a superplex and hits it, Blake nails a top rope splash, Dozovic breaks the cover up. It’s back to Knight and Cutler, Knight gets a pair of two counts with leverage covers. Blake low bridges Dozovic, then Cutler hits a backstabber, tags Blake. Knight shoves Cutler off the top and onto Ryker, dozovic finishes off Blake.
WINNERS: Heavy Machinery in 8:26. Well, Forgotten Sons just did the job to Heavy Machinery, so we can assume that they will feud for a few months. Slow, plodding match. Forgotten Sons continue to show nothing better than house show heel tag team work. There is zero chemistry for this team.
Post-match, Forgotten Sons mean mug at Heavy Machinery.
Recap of the confrontation between Candice LaRae and Nikki Cross from last week.
[Q2] “Earlier today” with LaRae. She is not wearing her black makeup. She says she doesn’t want to be exploited and wants her private life to stay private, but she has beef with Cross and will ask Regal for a match.
An exclusive with Johnny Gargano is promised for tonight. Velveteen Dream and Lars Sullivan are shown preparing for their match later tonight.
Backstage, Cathy Kelley interviews NXT Women’s Champion Shayna Bazler, flanked by Jessamyn Duke and Marina Shafir. Bazler vows to crush Kairi Sane again. William Regal comes in and confirms that Sane somehow has a rematch, books it for Takeover: war Games, for two-out-of-three falls.
[ J.J.’s Reax: that’s really not how rematches are supposed to work, the rematch was the match at Evolution.]
(2) DAKOTA KAI vs. TAYANARA CONTI
Lockup, Conti with a headlock takedown, Kai rolls through into an armbar. Conti turns it around and slips out, but Kai catches a kick. Dropkick gets Kai one. Kai uses her speed to gain control of the match. Conti kicks Kai out of the air then across the ring. Kai kicks Kai’s kand on the ropes. Cover for two. Conti uses judo tosses, then a kick to the face for two. Conti goes mad at her inability to close the match. Conti continues to work the arm. Kai has kicks to finally give herself a break. Kai with her low corner kick then the Yakuza Kick, Kairopractor, for the win.
WINNER: Dakota Kai in 4:50. Not much to this match, but nice to see Kai get a win. I didn’t even remember what her finisher was, it has been so long.
Backstage with Mia Yim. She is all smiles. She calls it “living the dream” to be at NXT. Bianca Belair struts around her and bumps into her. Belair wants to know why Yim is getting an interview and not her. she says that Yim won’t come in an get respect. Belair noisily chews her gum while dragging out “Un-duh-feat-ed” and asks where her title match is. Yim calls herself the “head baddie in charge” and Belair just dismisses her.
[ J.J.’s Reax: if that was a match of mouths and body language, it was a 30 second squash in favor of Belair. It did Yim no favors to be put across a mic from the super charismatic Belair. ]
Recap of Matt Riddle defeating Luke Menzies. Post-match, Riddle and Kieth Lee are walking down the hall. They bump into Kassius Ohno, who gives them a sarcastic welcome and says he likes breaking shiny new toys. The just kind of no sell him.
[ J.J.’s Reax: Riddle and Lee more or less ignoring Ohno doesn’t help build a match here at all. Presumably Ohno will force them to notice him with some sort of ambush or attack or whatever. ]
[Q3] Look back at Takeover: War Games last year. When the Authors of Pain and Sanit were still in NXT, and Roderick Strong was still a babyface, and Bobby Fish was healthy. Undisputed Era’s long year of domination. Then War Raiders, Ricochet, and Pete Dunne burying their differences to unite against Undisputed Era, followed by last week’s attack on Undisputed Era.
The video from Gargano. He says everyone is asking him why he attacked Aleister Black. He says that like Black, he is on a path. He talks about the path was leading to him righting a wrong to put NXT Tommaso Ciampa in is place. Gargano asks why Black gets to kick anyone he wants with no consequences. Black has an amoral philosophy and Gargano is the hero. Gargano says he is still the hero but he has learned that sometimes you need to fight a little dirty. Gargano acknolwedges that Black is angry at him and he probably deserves that, but he isn’t afraid anymore, and he lives in a dark place and is starting to like it.
[ J.J.’s Reax: I liked the content, but the delivery fell a little flat to me. I just struggle to see Gargano as a bad guy, especially when he makes a lot of valid points. Why is it okay for Black to Black Mass everyone but Gargano gets treated like an evil person for one single attack? ]
NOW CHECK OUT OUR PWTORCH LIVECAST ON THIS EPISODE OF NXT…
In this episode of “PWT Talks NXT,” Kelly Wells and Tom Stoup cover Nikki Cross on SmackDown, heels who believe they’re heroes, Lars Sullivan’s parallels with Braun Strowman, and more.
-On Apple Podcasts HERE
-Or search “Wade Keller” on your podcast app of choice
Belair vs. Yim is booked for next week. Backstage with Regal. He says that there will be a singles match next week between two of the competitors in the War Games match, and whoever wins will get an advantage in the War Games match.
Velveteen Dream comes out looking like Ric Flair guest starring as a crew member of the Love Boat.
(3) VELVETEEN DREAM vs. LARS SULLIVAN
[Q4] Dream distracts Sullivan with his ring robe, goes on the attack, but Sullivan weathers it and wrecks Dream. Sullivan tosses Dream across the ring. Sullivan looks for a powerbomb but Dream punches out. Dream knocks Sullivan out of the ring, then a plancha to knock Sullivan down, and a mount. Dream rams Sullivan into the steps. Sullivan drags Dream out of the ring, then throws him onto the edge of the apron. Big chop in the corner to Dream. Another big throw from Sullivan. Vic Joseph sounds like he is throwing to break, but no break. Sullivan is dissecting Dream. Sullivan blocks a pin attempt and hits a lariat for two. Rear chinlock to wear Dream down. Sullivan whips Dream across the ring, who ends up flying over the top rope. The ref starts a ten count. Dream rolls himself into the ring and back into Sullivan’s power. Nerve hold, the ref asks Dream if he can continue. Nigel McGuinness points out that he has never seen anyone lose to a nerve hold. Dream suddenly fires up out of the corner with strikes then running big boots. Sullivan wants a flapjack, Dream turns it onto a kick, then nails a missle dropkick for two. Dream thinks Dream Valley Driver, Sullivan slips out, hits a popup powerslam for a nearfall. Sullivan to the top, Dream hits a superkick, then he goes to the top too thinking superplex. Sullivan fights Dream off, headbutt from the top but Dream rolls away. Dream recovers first, shoves Sullivan into the post, Dream Valley Driver, goes up top, Ciampa stomps out, Dream attacks him instead, but the distraction lets Sullivan get the win with the Freak Accident. Ciampa is pleased with himself.
WINNER: Lars Sullivan in 9:00. I like big man squash match. Long form big man matches? Not as much. Dream came off as a babyface here, which was needed.
Post-match, Ciampa comes into the ring and attacks Dream. He tells Dream to not steal his spotlight or main event. Ciampa beats Dream down and the crowd tries to rally Dream. Dream superkicks away from a Project Ciampa and DDTs Ciampa onto the belt. Dream goes up for a Purple Rainmaker. Referees pour out of the back to stop him. Where were they when Ciampa attacked him? Dream breaks free and gets the Purple Rainmaker, then takes the belt and celebrates with it. Big cheers for Dream.
FINAL THOUGHTS: Really bland episode here, despite the War Games build. Lots of video package, not much wrestling, and what there was, was not great.
NOW CHECK OUT LAST WEEK’S REPORT: 10/31 NXT TV REPORT: Matt Riddle vs. Menzies, Nikki Cross vs. Mercedes Martinez, Street Profits vs. The Mighty
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