SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
NXT TV REPORT
MAY 22, 2019
TAPED IN WINTER PARK, FLA. AT FULL SAIL UNIVERSITY
STREAMED ON WWE NETWORK
REPORT BY JUSTIN JAMES, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR
Announcers: Mauro Ranallo, Nigel McGuinness, Beth Phoenix
Pre-credits recap of the Viking Raiders deciding to vacate the NXT Tag Team Championship, the Street Profits challenging them, and the main event that the Forgotten Sons interrupted. After the package, William Regal in his office says that in two weeks at NXT Takeover XXV, there will be a four way tag team ladder match for the championships, the participants are the Street Profits, the Forgotten Sons, Danny Burch and Oney Lorcan, and Kyle O’Reilly and Bobby Fish.
Undisputed Era come out as a group and showing solidarity. Adam Cole has a microphone. Cole says that the Undisputed Era is stronger than ever, and on the same page. Cole says that everyone else may work for NXT but they own everyone else in the locker room. Cole repeats his vow from earlier this year saying that Undisputed Era will be “draped in championship gold”. He claims Fish and O’Reilly will become the tag team champions, he will become the tag team champion… and Johnny Gargano’s music interrupts him. Gargano says that the match is on, and that Cole is grateful to have his buddies because he can’t win the championship on his own. Cole reminds us that he won the first cover in their 2 out of 3 falls match, Gargano fires back with an explanation of a 2 out of 3 falls match. The jaw some more, then Matt Riddle runs into the ring from behind to attack Undisputed Era. Riddle and Gargano clear the ring, and then a pile of referees and trainers break the brawl up. Riddle and Gargano bump fists.
Sean Maluta is out for a match. It’s been quite some time since we saw Maluta on NXT. He is facing Mansoor.
1. MANSOOR vs. SEAN MALUTA
Lockup transitions to chain wrestling. Mansoor has a very unique escape and then he moves to some more athletic offense. Maluta with a kick to start an offensive series. Yakuza Kick followed by a top rope Codebreaker gets Maluta a two count. Maluta locks in a neck crank, a move usually reserved for much larger wrestlers. An elbow lets Mansoor make a comeback, then a German Suplex. Slingshot neckbreaker from Mansoor, then an spinning suplex for the win.
Winner: Mansoor at 2:52. Fun match here. I liked what I saw of Mansoor last time, and enjoyed what I saw tonight too.
Cathy Kelley in the hallway outside of Regal’s office, she hears shouting. Undisputed Era storms out. She knocks on the door and then talks to Regal. Regal says that he was explaining to Undisputed Era that they are not playing by the rules. He books Riddle vs. Strong at Takeover, and the expected Teddy Long Special tonight of Riddle and Gargano against O’Reilly and Fish.
The Velveteen Dream is out in street clothes. Dream says that he is in high demand, people want to feel, touch, and hold the Dream. He says that because he is the champion, he is too big to hold. He gets interrupted by Tyler Breeze.
I am very happy to see that Breeze is a recurring character on NXT.
The reaction from the crowd indicates that I’m not alone, with “Breeze is gorgeous” and “welcome home”. Breeze says he is home. He says that Dream is killing his shoes, and since he left, NXT feels dull. There are “wanna be impersonators and cheap knockoffs”, says he is flattered by Dream’s imitation, but there is only one Prince Pretty. Wow, Breeze still uses an iPhone 5. Dream says that the NXT Universe wants a real man, not a boy that plays cops ‘n robbers, and just because Breeze couldn’t cut it on Monday and Tuesday nights doesn’t mean he can gatecrash Wednesday night. Breeze says that he is inspired by Dream, and so does the North American Championship. Breeze says Dream can’t handle him when he is inspired. Dream says that maybe Breeze forgot how NXT works, and the line starts outside and says Breeze should go to the line. Dream offers a selfie with himself as a consolation prize. Dream gets ready to pose for the selfie. Breeze asks the crowd if he should. Breeze agrees. They pose. Breeze says that when you write your number on your trunks and no one calls you up, it is because they aren’t interested. Dream looks furious. Breeze clocks him and ducks out of the ring, then looks at Dream from the ramp.
It’s only two weeks from Takeover and Breeze – Dream sells itself to everyone who has been watching NXT long enough to have been there for Breeze’s run. If he is staying long term, maybe he can finally win a title like he failed to do in his first time around.
It is quite unusual that 30 minutes into the show there has only been 3 minutes of wrestling.
Kelley ambushes Breeze departing Full Sail out the back. Breeze says he in an NXT OG.
Candice LaRae is out for a match. I feel like she has new music. She is facing Reina Gonzalez.
2. CANDICE LARAE vs. REINA GONZALEZ
Gonzelez picks on LaRae, then blocks a schoolgirl. Giant forearm beats LaRae to the mat, then she beats LaRae in the corner. Spinning power slam into a cover gets Gonzalez two. LaRae makes a comeback. Gonzalez catches LaRae, spins her around, LaRae shifts her weight so Gonzalez lands outside the ring. LaRae springboards at Gonzalez who catches her, LaRae again shifts her weight so Gonzalez ends up face first in the ring steps. LaRae to the top, head scissors, then a series of blows in the corner. LaRae to the top again to hit a missile dropkick. LaRae wraps it up with a springboard moonsault.
Winner: Candice LaRae at 3:18. Good opponent to put LaRae over.
Post-match, NXT women’s Champion Shayna Baszler and Marina Shafir and Jessamyn Duke surround the ring. Io Shirai makes the save with a kendo stick. Duke and Shafir beat it, then are forced to pull Baszler out of the ring as Shirai wails on her. Shirai checks on LaRae.
It is confirmed that Dream will defend the NXT North American Championship against Tyler Breeze at Takeover. Next week, Mia Yim and Bianca Belair are booked for a rematch. Also for next week, KUSHIDA faces Drew Gulak.
For a guy who was dripping blood all over his flip flops last week, Riddle is surprisingly free of obvious wounds this week. He does have some KT tape, but lots of wrestlers wear that all the time now.
3. NXT Champion JOHNNY GARGANO & MATT RIDDLE vs. UNDISPUTED ERA (BOBBY FISH & KYLE O’REILLY) – Tag Team Match
Riddle and Gargano aren’t sure who they want to start. They eventually agree for Gargano to take it. O’Reilly is starting for his team. O’Reilly and Gargano start with mat work. Some very good sequences here as you would expect. O’Reilly with a triangle, but Gargano slides into the Gargano Escape, then they move to arm drags, and Gargano gets dragged to the corner for Fish to tag in. Fish grinds Gargano. He tries a cheap shot on Riddle, but Riddle dodges. O’Reilly and Fish take out Riddle, then Gargano lands a stout kick to Fish from the apron. Riddle looks for a tag, so Gargano takes Fish to the corner and tags Riddle in. Riddle delivers a series of palm strikes, then big kicks in the corner, elbows, suplex. O’Reilly comes in and Riddle knocks him silly, but the distraction lets Fish recover and deliver strikes. Riddle hits a pair of gutwrench suplexes to Fish. O’Reilly interferes before he can do a third, and takes a gutwrench suplex, and then Fish comes in. Fish puts Riddle in the corner and tags O’Reilly in.
O’Reilly and Fish deliver their usual aggressive tag team offense. Riddle finally gets some traction to get to the corner, and Gargano is in on hot tag offense. Gargano takes out O’Reilly and Fish at the came time, multiple times. Cover on Fish for two. A distraction from O’Reilly on the apron lets Fish retaliate, and a blind tag from O’Reilly let them hit Chasing the Dragon for a nearfall. Riddle comes in to protect Gargano from a double team. Riddle takes O’Reilly out of the picture with German Suplexes and kicks. Blind tag from Riddle, Riddle and Gargano double team Fish. Top rope moonsault from Riddle but O’Reilly breaks to the cover up. Gargano lawn darts O’Reilly into a leaping knee from Riddle. It’s Riddle and Fish. Powerbomb to Fish, knee to Fish’s face, but O’Reilly yanks Fish out of the ring. Big kick from Riddle to O’Reilly from the apron. Adam Cole marches out to the ring, Gargano attacks Cole. Strong ambushes Riddle when the ref can’t see. The high/low on Riddle ends the match.
Winners: Bobby Fish and Kyle O’Reilly at 13:26. The match was precisely what you would expect, some outstanding action resulting in a dirty finish.
Post-match the attack continues on Riddle and Gargano. They gloat in Gargano’s face.
Really strong episode to bring us into Takeover XXV. All of the booked matches look great on paper.
NOW CHECK OUT LAST WEEK’S REPORT: 5/15 NXT TV REPORT: Undisputed Drama, Street Profits vs. Viking Raiders, Lee returns to face Bononi, KUSHIDA vs. Reeves
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