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NXT TV REPORT
JULY 3, 2019
TAPED IN ORLANDO, FL. AT FULL SAIL UNIVERSITY
STREAMED ON WWE NETWORK
REPORT BY KELLY WELLS, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR
Announcers: Mauro Ranallo, Nigel McGuinness, Beth Phoenix
Note: I’m Kelly Wells, host of “PWT Talks NXT” PWTorch Daily Cast and previously the author of NXT Tracker columns. I’m taking over as regular NXT recapper as Justin James moves on, both from recaps and the podcast. Follow me all over social media @spookymilk, if you’re into that kind of thing.
-Vanessa Borne and Aliyah, who get a lot of talking segments but very few matches of late (not a problem; they’re starting to work as a unit) are introduced. Mia Yim heads to the ring to face Aliyah one-on-one.
(1) MIA YIM vs. ALIYAH
“Aliyah”/”Sucks” chant. Front chancery by Mia, reversed with a hair pull by Aliyah, who yells at Mia that she doesn’t deserve anything. Face shove, then Aliyah runs into a shoulder tackle by Yim. Dropkick to the corner, then Borne yanks Aliyah from the ring as Yim charges what turns out to be the turnbuckle. Two count for Aliyah. She takes down Yim by the hair for another two. Yim recovers and hits a tarantula in the corner. Enzuigiri by Aliyah for two. Chinlock, and Aliyah falls back to bridge Yim over her knees. Aliyah goes for a kneedrop and misses, then gets drop-toe-holded into the corner. Belly-to-belly by Yim. Aliyah bails to Borne and Yim hits a tope suicida on both. Back in, Aliyah gets caught on a cross-body and slammed. Yim hits Protect Ya Neck for the pin.
WINNER: Yim at 5:00.
After the match, Yim tosses Borne into the ring steps; Nigel is scandalized but Mauro says she kind of asked for it. Mia goes to the announce table and sends a warning that she’s not just coming for the title – she’s coming to whoop! That! Ass!
(Kelly’s Analysis: Decent action, I guess. It seemed like it was running in a slower gear, though every move looked sound. I like Mia getting rough after the match and issuing a warning.)
-Recap of last week’s cage match.
-Cathy Kelley is with William Regal. Regal says Io Shirai did some terrible things last week. Before he can get much further, the Forgotten Sons storm the room and demand more opportunities. Regal says they did have an opportunity, but decided to get disqualified. So it puts them right at the back of the queue. “We won’t forget this,” Jaxson Ryker warns. Cathy asks Regal if he has a #1 contender in mind, and Regal says next week we’ll get Lorcan and Burch against the Street Profits. With the stunning Profits call-up, are Lorcan and Burch going to win?
-Later tonight: Breeze vs. Strong!
-Adam Cole segment: We begin as he arrives at “Gargano’s Subs and Donuts.” He approaches Frank Gargano and asks to pick up some pizzas. Frank is wearing an NXT shirt and it’s clear Cole is there to bug the Gargano family. Frank and his wife (I assume) mean-mug him and get his pizzas. Cole puts up a signed picture of himself on the wall with Johnny and Candace, which Frank pulls after Cole leaves. Cole heads into a wrestling training session (made to look like an underground setting with graffiti) and he attempts to brainwash them into resenting Johnny Gargano instead of respecting him. Ah, this is where Johnny held his championship for the students in Cleveland. Cole pressures them all to give up on their dream and eat some pizzas and be realistic, and find a new hero.
(Kelly’s Analysis: Not that it’ll work, since it never does, but Cole is exemplary in acting like a jerk who should be booed relentlessly. The segment was probably at least five minutes long, but didn’t bore me at all.)
(2) KUSHIDA vs. JEFF PARKER
I think I got Parker’s name right. Maybe? Let me know if not. Okay reaction for Kushida, but it’s hard to read into it because the crowd has been quiet throughout as we get deeper into the taping. Takedown by Kushida, who toys with Parker. Headlock. Handspring, back elbow, drop toehold. Kushida wrenches Parker’s arm back with his leg and drops back to the mat to do more damage. Kushida goes for a Sakuraba lock. Blocked but Kushida continues the onslaught, escaping a strike with a cartwheel, then hits a dropkick and a Sakuraba lock for a quick submission.
WINNER: Kushida.
-Just keeping Kushida on TV, reinforcing that he can beat someone out of nowhere with a submission.
-Tyler Breeze is interviewed. It’s his house.
-Killian Dain spot. Everything’s been taken from him!
-Swerve is introduced. Here we go!
(3) ISAIAH “SWERVE” SCOTT vs. CAMERON GRIMES – Breakout Tournament First Round
This is the former Shane Strickland and Trevor Lee, for the uninitiated. Short inset introductions for both. Neither one is overly committal to a side, but I’d guess babyface for both, I suppose.
Grimes sneaks around for a takedown to start. They jockey for position with mat wrestling for a moment and trade control. Armlock by Swerve, who takes Grimes down with it. Grimes goes to the ropes and comes back with forearms to Swerve. To the corner, headscissor takedown and a kick by Swerve. Second turnbuckle, Swerve hits an elbow to the back for a one count. Back to the mat and Swerve works the left arm. Grimes escapes and hits a knee to the ribs, then yanks Swerve’s arm over the ropes. Grimes takes liberties using the ropes for leverage and he’s definitely the heel for this match’s purpose.
Grimes is in control on the mat; he tosses Swerve to the ropes and hits a lariat for two. Grimes wrenches Swerve’s arm back as the audience starts to clap for Swerve. Chinlock by Grimes. Swerve slaps Grimes, who goes to the turnbuckle and up, and Swerve jumps for a headscissor takedown. Lariat by Grimes. Swerve flips over the ropes and lands on his feet as Grimes misses a dive. Scott rolls Grimes in and hits a flatliner for two. Swerve charges Grimes in the corner, then misses from the top, leading to a powerbomb and a long two for Grimes, who sells shock that it didn’t finish. Grimes goes out and Scott flips out and lands on him. Back in and Grimes hits a roundhouse followed by a Scott knee. Double stomp by Grimes, who hits a double knee for what I’m sure will be considered a very surprising win.
WINNER: Grames at 8:30.
(Kelly’s Analysis: I picked Swerve to win the tournament but said Grimes was the next most likely winner. On the podcast I said I liked this for the first round because either guy could easily survive the setback through sheer talent. I’m not worried about Isaiah Scott at all.)
-NXT Takeover UK spot.
(4) BIANCA BELAIR vs. ZUNIGA
Priscilla Zuniga, to be precise. Belair is aggressive to start, and gorilla-presses Zuniga while smirking apathetically. Zuniga hits a boot but Belair catches a flying Zuniga for two powerbombs followed by Snake Eyes in the corner. Bianca hits her finisher.
WINNER: Belair at 1:50.
(Kelly’s Analysis: This is a message to the locker room, apparently. Not sure what that message is. I’m surprised to see Bianca in this spot against an enhancement talent and I didn’t expect her to hang around NXT much longer, to be honest.)
-Matt Riddle spot: He speaks the truth about his life and journey while training. He says he keeps getting stronger and faster. He punches and throws things around in the weight room for our amusement.
(5) TYLER BREEZE vs. RODERICK STRONG
Roddy is announced with fifteen minutes left in the show. No other members of Undisputed Era join him here. Tyler gets his full classic NXT entrance. Collar and elbow. Strong with a single-leg takedown. He works the left arm and Tyler escapes and grabs the left arm himself. Jockeying for position and Roddy ends up on top. Hammerlock into headlock.To the ropes and Tyler hits a swinging neckbreaker. Kicks in the corner. The ref gets up in his face and Strong hits a superkick while Breeze jaws with the ref. Breeze recovers with a dropkick but Breeze gets tossed. Dropkick to the outside by Strong misses and Breeze beats down Strong outside. Strong catches Breeze, though and drives Breeze’s spine into the steps in a brutal spot to a good reaction. Same move to the barricade. Strong rolls Breeze in and continues to stomp the back and taunt Breeze.
To the corner and Breeze fights back with some punches. To the ropes but Strong reverses with a dropkick for two. Strong stretches Breeze into a submission like the Romero special, but stops short of pointing Breeze to the sky. To the corner again but Strong misses and Breeze hits a jawbreaker. Breeze dumps Strong, who runs back in and Breeze hits an enzuigiri. Back outside and Breeze leaps down with a forearm smash. Back in again and both are selling hard about six and a half minutes in.
Both men fight to their feet. Strong reverses a suplex, tosses in Breeze and misses a charge. Step-up enzuigiri by Strong. Chops. Strong goes up to meet Tyler on the turnbuckle. Strong wins a battle of punches and hits a superplex for two. Roddy goes for a Stronghold but Breeze fights out with kicks. Boots to the face. Breeze rolls to the apron and hits Strong with an enzuigiri as he approaches. Back in and Tyler hits a superkick for two. Nigel said it wasn’t a Supermodel Kick because it was partially blocked. Breeze goes for an Unprettier, maybe? It’s reversed. Trading punches. Enzuigiri by Tyler, who heads up the turnbuckle. Fish and O’Reilly rush the ring and Breeze fights them off. Strong benefits from the distraction, somehow allowed by the referee watching in full view, and hits his finisher for the win.
WINNER: Strong at 11:20.
(Kelly’s Analysis: The match was good, obviously. I’m all for heels cheating to win, and this feud is definitely helped along by the UE doing so here, but the ref saw everything and the announcers wrote it off as “referee’s discretion.” I’d love a little more work than that, because if it’s that easy to get away with cheating, why not do it all the time? I know I sound overly critical, and I don’t mean to, because this was a good main event)
FINAL THOUGHTS: Cheers, folks, and thanks for reading. I’ll be getting on the “PWT Talks NXT” PWTorch Dailycast now, joined by Tom Stoup and Harley Pageot. Follow me around @spookymilk and watch for the tabletop game I’m releasing this summer, “Fundead: The Gravest Show on Earth.”
LISTEN TO OUR PODCAST ON THIS EPISODE HERE.
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