3/6 NXT TV REPORT: Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic Kicks Off with Four Big Matches

NXT TV REPORT
MARCH 6, 2019
TAPED IN ORLANDO, FLA. AT FULL SAIL UNIVERSITY
REPORT BY JUSTIN JAMES, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR

Pre-credits silent tribute to King Kong Bundy.

Pre-credits package on the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic.

In a major piece of NXT news (not mentioned on tonight’s broadcast), NXT Champion Tommaso Ciampa has suffered a severe neck injury which will take him out for some time. Needless to say, this jeopardizes the #DIY push on Raw and Smackdown as well as wrecking two years’ of planning that was going to culminate at Takeover WrestleMania weekend.

The announcers tell is that we will get through the entire first round of brackets tonight. That’s a lot of matches and won’t leave much talking time.

Ricochet is out first.

1. RICOCHET & ALEISTER BLACK vs. EUROPEAN UNION (FABIAN AICHNER & MARCEL BARTELL) – Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic First Round Match

Black and Aichner start. Lockup and Aichner gets control of Black and forces him to the mat. Black slides into a side headlock, Aichner escapes, shoulder block, cover for one. Tag to Bartell. Black with a flurry of offense, low dropkick gets Black two. Black arm drags into an armbar, Bartell escapes. This match is lightning quick. Black jumps right into a European uppercut and takes a two count. Tag to Aichner. Aicher and Bartell double team Black and clear Ricochet from the apron for two-and-a-half. Aichner spends too much time yelling at Ricochet, allowing Black to leg sweep him, double tag, and Ricochet is on fire. Ricochet takes out both Aichner and Bartell. 619 followed by a big flying uppercut, standing shooting star press gets Ricochet two. Ricochet wants Vertigo, Bartell escapes, Ricochet gets thrown into the corner but slaps Aichner off the apron, tag to Aichner, Bartell fees Ricochet to Aicher to the brainbuster, Aicher to the top for a double springboard moonsault for a very nearfall. Aichner wants a spinning powerbomb, Ricochet escapes, dropkick to Aichner. Ricochet owns the ring, but backs right into an enziguri from behind, Aichner nail a tornado DDT off the top for another nearfall. Bartell tags in, but Ricochet chops out of double peril, rolls across the ring, Black is in, springboard double knees take Bartell down, Bartell ducks Black Mass, puts Black into a tree of woe, double team move crushes Black on the ring post, Ricochet suddenly comes back to life to take Bartell to the outside, Aichner gets distracted, but catches a springboard moonsault, transitions, but eats Black Mass.

Winner: Ricochet and Aleister Black at 8:40. That was one heck of a hot hot hot match. But, and I hate to say this, as much as #ILikeAich, the guy has got to stop doing moves that draw both a “Mamma Mia!” and “European Union is en feugo!” from Mauro Ranallo in the same five second sequence as long as the EU are heels. He is wrestling this crazy Rey Mysterio meets Batista game which I love seeing but it is just too crowd pleasing.

Recap of Dominik Dijakovic and Keith Lee going to a double count out last week.

Keith Lee and Danny Burch are training in the Performance Center. Dominik Dijakovic comes in, knocks some rookies around and challenges Lee. The rematch is booked for two weeks from now.

I don’t know what genius said, “hey, let’s throw these two together, they got nothing to do” but wow is this a hot feud already and it is already one of my favorites in WWE and it just started.

2. ONEY LORCAN & DANNY BURCH vs. FORGOTTEN SONS (WESLEY BLAKE & STEVE CUTLER w/Jackson Ryker) – Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic First Round Match

Burch and Cutler in the ring, Cutler backs Burch to the ropes, but gets picked out of the air on a leapfrog and Lorcan gets a tag. Lorcan takes Cutler to the mat, but a blind tag brings Blake in, spinning backbreaker. Black continues to work the back, tag to Cutler. One count on Lorcan. Lorcan starts to fight out of a hold, gets out, tag to Burch. Burch takes Blake on pretty hard, tag to Cutler, there is a German Suplex waiting for both of them. Enziguri followed by a missile dropkick, kip up, tag to Lorcan. Lorcan’s back is hurt, they try their double team finisher, but Lorcan is too injured. Blake interferes in the match and dumps Burch. Lorcan takes knees from Cutler, responds with uppercuts, dive to Blake, then an uppercut, but Cutler has a butterfly into a backbreaker for two, then right into a double crab. Burch comes into the ring and headbutts Cutler off Lorcan and goes to his corner. Lorcan finally tags Burch. Cutler on defense, tags Blake, holds Burch for a missile dropkick from Blake for a nearfall. Ryker fumes at ringside. Tag to Cutler, then Lorcan, Lorcan takes them both on but his back is still hurting. Lorcan shoves Cutler and Blake together, double blockbuster, Lorcan is fired up, tag to Burch. They set Cutler up for the double team, but Blake makes the save at two. Lorcan dumps Blake, re-tags Burch to get more time in the ring. Cutler fights away from Burch, Blake comes in and hits Burch, powerbombs Lorcan into Cutler’s knees, another double team move ends it.

Winners: The Forgotten Sons at 8:23. What a waste of fan favorites Lorcan and Burch. Forgotten Sons continue to be the cure for insomnia. Seriously, who is pushing these guys? Blake was so interesting as a heel when paired with Buddy Murphy, but Forgotten Sons is watching paint dry.

Thankfully, NXT North American Champion Velveteen Dream’s music hits to wash the memory of that match out of my mind. he stands on the announcer booth to cut a promo. The crowd is happy to see him. He says it is not a speech, it is a reminder… that he is the new NXT North American Champion. The crowd is nuts for this. He has another reminder… then… “BRRRRROOOOO”. OK, I’m sold on this match already. Matt Riddle saunters out. Riddle looks Dream over, Dream is grinning. Riddle says he is out here to say “hi” and congratulate Dream. Riddle says he wants a closer look at the championship. Dream waves it around. Riddle says that now he can’t help but imagine what it would be like to see it on his waist… BRO. Riddle nods with the crowd. Dream says Riddle must be on cloud 9, because “the Dream is not your bro” and the spotlight (finger snap, and a spotlight shines) “belongs to me”. Dream poses. Yup, I’m sold, book it.

Package with Io Shirai. She says that Bianca Belair is good, but she has beaten NXT Women’s Champion Shayna Baszler and Belair hasn’t. Kairi Sane says she believes in Shirai. Shirai starts cutting a promo on Belair in Japanese. You don’t need to speak the language to know what she said. There is a #1 contender match between Belair and Shirai booked for next week.

Street Profits are out. Montez Ford is wearing a red ski mask, sunglasses, and a plastic crown.

3. STREET PROFITS (ANGELO DAWKINS & MONTEZ FORD) vs. MOUSTACHE MOUNTAIN (TYLER BATE & TRENT SEVEN) – Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic First Round Match

They don’t have much time for this match and the final match, they mentioned many times at the beginning that “the first round will be done tonight” which indicates some sort of swerve. Bath and Ford start on the mat, with Bate showing off his trademark ground game. Ford powers out, monkey flip to Ford, who lands on his feet, take to Dawkins who plows Bate and covers for one. Enziguri breaks Bate from Dawkins, tag to Seven, double team and only one. Street Profits double team Seven and a kick to Seven’s back shows off Ford’s more aggressive attitude. Ford baits Bate a bit, cover for two. Ford cinches in a cravat. Seven tries to punch out but takes a knee to the middle. Ford keeps Seven on the mat with another cravat. Seven punches Ford’s knee but he refuses to let go. Seven rallies and gets to his knees then his feet, a big chop and Seven is on a roll. DDT to Ford, double tag. Bate takes the fight to Dawkins. Diving uppercut and Dawkins is reeling. Exploder suplex, kip up, standing shooting star press but Ford breaks the cover up, then gets dumped by Seven. Dawkins fights off a double team, takes a rolling kick, spear to Bate, Seven breaks up the cover. Ford launches himself over the top at Seven. Bop and bang hits Dawkins, but he back drops away from Tyler Driver ’97. Big double team to Bate but he kicks out. Wow, Street Profits magically switched their corner there. Street Profits want another double team, Seven takes Ford out on the apron, German Suplex from Bate to Dawkins, tag to Seven, he sets Dawkins up, stomp from Bate off the top wins the match.

Winners: Moustache Mountain at 7:23. Really fun match here, I like the tweener status of Street Profits, but boy was it sloppy when they accidentally switched corners.

During the #DIY entrance, Ciampa holds Gargano up… and the #DIY music starts to play.

4. UNDISPUTED ERA (BOBBY FISH & KYLE O’REILLY) vs. #DIY (NXT Champion TOMMASO CIAMPA & JOHNNY GARGANO) – Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic First Round Match

Gargano and Fish kick it off, and Fish immediately forces Gargano tot he corner. Gargano leaps over Fish in the corner, Fish grabs an ankle, Gargano slips away and hits arm drags. Fish dives to O’Reilly for a tag. Ciampa takes a tag and grounds O’Reilly. Ciampa stomps Fish in the corner. Fish muscles Gargano to the corner, tag to O’Reilly, blind tag from Gargano, Ciampa and Gargano dispatch Fish and O’Reilly. Neckbreaker from Ciampa gets two. Fish and O’Reilly double team Gargano with their signature tag team tricks. Fish with a slingshot senton for two. Fish and O’Reilly work Gargano over in the corner. Gargano tries to fight out of the corner, but O’Reilly keeps him away from Ciampa. Sweet double team from Undisputed Era for a two count. Fish cinches in body scissors with his legs. Fish has blood in his mouth. Fish sticks a finger in Gargano’s mouth, drawing the attention of the ref. Gargano tries to chop Fish away but takes an elbow to the back of the head. Gargano finally breaks free, managing to kick Fish while hitting a tornado DDT mid-ring. Fish yanks Ciampa off the apron, Ciampa puts Fish into the ring post, tag to Ciampa. Ciampa bowls O’Reilly over multiple times, but gets distracted by Fish. Ciampa takes knees from O’Reilly but knee drops O’Reilly, running knee in the corner, Tower of London almost gets the win. O’Reilly wraps himself around Ciampa’s leg, Ciampa manages a German suplex, then another. There’s a tussle on the apron, Ciampa hits a Blue Thunder Bomb for two on O’Reilly. Tag to Gargano, O’Reilly fights away. O’Reilly narrowly escapes a three count from Gargano. O’Reilly and Gargano trade strikes. Clothesline from O’Reilly and they are both down. Ciampa and Fish are in the ring by themselves, Fish thinks superplex, Ciampa pushes him away. O’Reilly throws Gargano into a barricade then Fish and O’Reilly double team Ciampa, Minchonouko Driver from Fish off the top, knee drop from O’Reilly, O\Reilly holds Ciampa, top rope headbutt from Fish, there’s a big mess in the ring and no cover. Running knee off the apron to Ciampa’s face from O’Reilly, but Ciampa hits the spike DDT, Gargano with a springboard DDT, O’Reilly manages to kick out. #DIY hits their finisher for the win.

Winners: #DIY at 14:00. Really exciting match here. #DIY is in full-on babyface mode, with not a single underhanded trick or devious move.

Post-match, the War Raiders emerge from the back and huff and puff at #DIY, who are all smiles.

There were four outstanding matches tonight, and the setup to another Lee – Dijakovic match, and Riddle challenging Dream. Can an episode get much better than this? The injury to Ciampa is truly a downer. Of course we all wish the best for “the greatest sports entertainer of all time” but it could not have come at a worse moment, with Ciampa and Gargano reunited #DIY, clearly looking to finish their story at Takeover, and their recent introduction to the main roster.