SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
NXT ON USA
MARCH 17, 2021, 8PM EST
LIVE IN ORLANDO, FLA., AT CAPITOL WRESTLING CENTER
AIRED ON USA NETWORK
REPORT BY KELLY WELLS, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR
Commentary: Vic Joseph, Wade Barrett, Beth Phoenix
Join the “PWT Talks NXT” Dailycast with Tom Stoup & Nate Lindberg to break down the episode:
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[HOUR ONE]
-Cable failed during the first segment, which apparently officially set up the Finn Balor vs. Karrion Kross match for TakeOver. (Short version courtesy of Tom Stoup: the two traded some barbs followed by Kross saying he didn’t want the match until they’d settled their separate affairs, to ensure nobody else would be involved. Burch and Lorcan entered to insist Pete Dunne would become champion, and Scarlett flirted with the tag champs to get them to put their titles on the line against Balor and Kross)
(1) DEXTER LUMIS vs. AUSTIN THEORY
Theory had a short video chat with Candice LeRae and Johnny Gargano, who were at home. They said Theory would be fine. Theory was wearing Gargano’s Wolverine gear. The match almost immediately went to split-screen.
Theory was in control upon return. He dropped an elbow on Lumis and covered for two. A graphic promoted a tag team championship match tonight where Oney Lorcan and Danny Burch will defend against Finn Balor and Karrion Kross. Lumis got back in it with a spinebuster. Uppercuts and a bulldog by Lumis. Theory missed a lariat and Lumis hit a side suplex and a legdrop for a two count. Theory rolled through a suplex and rolled up Lumis for two. Lumis hit another uppercut and a slingshot suplex. Lumis went up high and measured Theory. Theory moved but Lumis did his taunt. Unfazed, Theory hit a running shot and then an ushigoroshi neckbreaker for two. The two exchanged some shots and Lumis laid out Theory with a short clothesline. Lumis extended a hand to help Theory to his feet and Theory said no at first, then took the hand and got up. Theory smiled and embraced Lumis, who tried to lock in the Silencer. Theory elbowed out of it and went for his finisher, but Lumis reversed into the Silencer. Audio piped in a really fake-sounding “Dexter Lumis” chant.
WINNER: Dexter Lumis at 9:31.
(Wells’s Analysis: A very standard, forgettable Lumis match outside of the small character moment with Theory. I’m not sure how Lumis is really a babyface at any step of this feud, and not the enthusiastic guy who got kidnapped by a psycho, but here we are)
-McKenzie Mitchell started to talk about the tag championship match coming up, but Tommaso Ciampa stormed in and asked her to find Imperium. He said they were in trouble and tonight they’d find out that they messed up.
-Adam Cole was in the ring with the stick. He said last week, Kyle O’Reilly made the biggest mistake of his life. He said Kyle decided to cost him the NXT Championship, and deep down, Kyle knew he was jealous because he’d never be as successful as Cole. He congratulated O’Reilly on signing his death warrant. He said he wasn’t leaving until he’d finished this once and for all.
William Regal came out to the ramp and said last week, O’Reilly wasn’t cleared and last week further injured himself. On the tron, Kyle appeared. He said he indeed wasn’t there…for Cole’s safety. He said the look of fear and desperation in Cole’s eyes was great. He said he wouldn’t rest until he ended Cole, because Cole tried to end his career. He said he didn’t know what he was going to do yet, and if that sounded like a threat, it’s because it is.
The video went down and Cole went to Regal and said Kyle isn’t going to find him as long as he finds Kyle first.
-Beth threw to highlights of William Regal unveiling the women’s tag team championships, and Shotzi Blackheart and Ember Moon demanding a match without cause and winning the championships.
-McKenzie was with the new champions. Blackheart said she got to celebrate the moment with her dad. Moon said it was great to be the faces of the division. Blackheart howled like a wolf. Jessie Kamea and Aliyah showed up to ask for a match next week. The champs agreed to the match, then told Robert Stone his suit sucks and acted like it was a sick burn.
(2) BREEZANGO (Tyler Breeze & Fandango) vs. LEGADO DEL FANTASMA (Raul Mendoza & Joaquin Wilde) (w/Santos Escobar)
LdF entered first, dressed well as always. Escobar was in a suit. Breezango dispensed with the gimmick entrance and used their general Breezango gear.
Fandango whipped Mendoza into the corner to open. Fandango got te better of a shot exchange and hit a lariat to Mendoza’s back side, then dumped an interfering Wilde. Tag to Breeze and the two hit a tandem boot. Breeze covered for two. Rope run and a sunset flip, Mendoza rolled through and hit a kick and tagged. Wilde took down Breeze for a two count. Whip to a corner and Wilde charged and ate boots. Breeze tagged Fandango, who hit a dropkick for a one count. Jawbreaker by Wilde. Wilde clubbed Fandango and mocked Breezango’s dancing to boos. Front chancery by Wilde. Wilde took Fandango’s head to the heel corner and tagged Mendoza. The two went up a corner and Fandango planted Mendoza. Wilde interfered and Mendoza hit a step-up enzuigiri and action spilled to the outside going into a commercial.
Legado was in control but Breeze entered with the hot tag and took over. Corner forearm for Wilde. Kicks and an enzuigiri. Breeze dumped an interfering Mendoza and hit a single-leg crab on Wilde. Breeze dragged Wilde to the center of the ring, then transitioned and hit a monkey flip, dumping Wilde outside. Superkick and a cover for two, broken up by Mendoza. LdF teamed up for a kick finisher that showed some light.
WINNERS: Legado del Fantasma at 9:51.
Escobar started talking to the announce team about Jordan Devlin. He hadn’t seen Devlin anywhere. Have they? Devlin’s music played and he strode to the ring with his original Cruiserweight Championship belt. He said Escobar had been running around for a year now and he could look in the ring at what a real champion looks like. He said he didn’t need two stooges with him to accomplish what he did. The stooges in question looked to go after Devlin, but Escobar told them to stop. Escobar started into the ring and Devlin said Escobar could dump his replica title in the trash because the real champ is back. Escobar said “Filling in? I have redefined what it means to be a cruiserweight.” He said he’d made history and proven himself time after time. He said Devlin still had the title because everyone forgot he had it in the first place. He told Devlin to wrap up his UK business and face him in the one place big enough: TakeOver: Stand and Deliver.
Out of nowhere, Devlin reared back and hit a big headbutt that laid out Escobar. Escobar bled from the mouth, but the color looked like it may have been a blood packet to me. Apologies to Escobar if it was hardway…
(Wells’s Analysis: These teams seem to mesh pretty well together. Legado seem like a pair that could’ve done some really great things with the titles over the past few months while instead Burch and Lorcan have held them but have largely been absent from big storylines. The cruiserweight clash several months in the making should deliver, though it’s jarring to see someone like Devlin, who’s so strong as a heel, framed as a face)
[HOUR TWO]
-A brief video hyped the signing of Japanese women’s wrestler Sarray (previously known as Sareee).
-The announcers threw to a twitter post by Cameron Grimes having fun at a beach in very obviously photoshopped images – for instance, swimming with a dolphin while his hat stayed on.
(3) ZOEY STARK vs. DAKOTA KAI (w/Raquel Gonzalez)
Collar and elbow. Stark backed up Kai. Kai took down Stark and Stark reversed, all while both held on. Kai wrung Stark’s arm but Stark reversed and briefly grounded Kai. Side headlock by Stark. Rope run and Stark armdragged Kai twice. She grounded Kai and dropped a knee on Kai’s left arm. Kai threw a right that just ticked Stark off. Stark hit a hard lariat for two. Kai evaded a body slam and took Stark down by her hair for two. Ground and pound by Kai and a cover for one. Face wash by Kai for two. Stark tried to break free of a bodyscissors by rolling up Kai, but Kai held on. Stark finally did roll up Kai to break. To a corner, back elbow by Stark. Stark charged and missed and Kai tried to take a shot at Stark on the apron, but Stark hit a stiff kick to lay out Kai. Kai lay outside the ring, guarded by Gonzalez, as the match went to commercial.
Kai was in control and rolled up Stark for two. A double clothesline grounded both women. Stark hit a few kicks and then missed a big boot, but hit a half and half suplex. Stark fired up and hit a running knee for a two count. Stark charged but Kai tripped her into the ropes. Kai hit the floor and rotated Stark so she could hit a pump kick as Stark was draped over the apron. Kai hit the apron and Stark hit a stiff shot there and went for a German suplex. Kai got thrown inside the ring and Stark flew right into a superkick. Face wash and a cover for two by Kai. Stark rolled up Kai and the two exchanged brief covers. Knee by Stark. Stark hit a rolling fireman’s carry slam and went up. Kai followed and lifted Stark for a Kota Kick.
WINNER: Dakota Kai at 12:34.
The heels cornered Stark in the ring and Io Shirai’s music played to ruin their fun. Shirai walked to the ring to cheers and looked up and down at Kai, then flipped her hair at her and walked past her to Gonzalez. She said “I want you” to her and shoved a contract in her chest. Shirai went out of the ring and helped Stark walk to the back.
(Wells’s Analysis: A very strong match, surprisingly won by the heel with no help from Gonzalez. Giving Stark something to overcome, though, makes sense. Shirai’s feud with Gonzalez is no-nonsense and as such is working very well.)
-McKenzie caught up with William Regal. She wanted a word on what happened with Escobar and Devlin earlier. Almost immediately, a ref came into the shot and said something needed Regal’s attention. Mitchell told the cameraman to follow Regal and the ref, and the camera did indeed do so as the show went to commercial.
-Dairy Queen sponsored a segment reminding us of MSK.
-Grizzled Young Veterans cut a backstage segment running down MSK. James Drake spoke first! They said they wouldn’t forgive or forget, and MSK’s attack wouldn’t go without a receipt.
(4) TOMMASO CIAMPA vs. MARCEL BARTHEL (w/Fabian Aichner)
Imperium entered and Ciampa immediately charged in. After an initial scrum, Barthel took control with European uppercuts. Ciampa threw some chops as Barrett invoked the name “Ringkampf,” which Imperium were known as on the indy scene along with Timothy Thatcher. Headlock takedown by Barthel. He mounted Ciampa and threw rights. He held onto a nasty headlock and kept Ciampa grounded. Elbow to the head by Barthel. Ciampa finally broke free and threw a right, but Barthel hit a belly-to-belly suplex. Barthel jumped into a superkick by Ciampa. Ciampa dumped Barthel to the apron and went for Willow’s Bell, but Aichner held onto Barthel and Barthel instead hit a running kick. Back inside.
Barthel worked a brief cravat and yelled at “Tim” in the camera and asked if this is what he wants. Ciampa hit a knee and a lariat. Antoher lariat. Ciampa dumped an invading Aichner and hit a suplex on Barthel. Willow’s Bell.
WINNER: Tommaso Ciampa at 4:28.
Imperium’s music played shortly after Ciampa’s, and the silhouette of Walter finally appeared after weeks of tease. Vic talked about Walter’s 712-day title reign on top of NXT: UK. Walter jumped up to the apron. Imperium jumped Ciampa and Walter chopped Ciampa to the mat. Walter took down Ciampa with a huge powerslam and stood tall with two of his Imperium brothers.
(Wells’s Analysis: A nice little piece of brutality while it lasted. It was great to finally see Walter ahead of what should be an interesting feud that hasn’t shown all of its cards yet)
-Outside, Adam Cole and Kyle O’Reilly were both being arrested for a public brawl as William Regal tried to restore order. Cole said O’Reilly tried to run him off the road. Cole threatened O’Reilly and said he was going to pay.
-LA Knight said everyone was always looking for a word with him. Bronson Reed walked through the back of the scene and shook his head as Knight put himself over.
-Johnny Gargano and Candice LeRae did a DQ segment about their little family. They were mostly out of character, talking about how they share their happiness. Well, that won’t do a heel act any favors.
(5) AUGUST GREY vs. LA KNIGHT
Knight attacked immediately and hit a springboard shot. Powerslam by Knight. Knight got distracted by something on the ramp – Bronson Reed was wearing Knight’s jacket on the ramp, and he flexed to destroy it. Grey rolled up Knight for a near-fall. Forearms and chops by Grey. Neckbreaker by Grey. Grey missed a cross-body. Ground and pound by Knight. Kneelift and an unnamed bulldog finisher by Knight. Knight lamented his destroyed jacket on the ramp.
WINNER: LA Knight at 2:23.
(Wells’s Analysis: Decent enough debut and another step toward Knight’s first feud)
-McKenzie Mitchell met up with Raquel Gonzalez. Dakota Kai showed up and said she had made a tag match against Io Shirai and “her new best friend” Zoey Stark. Gonzalez was a little annoyed, and shook her contract as she said should could have Shirai anytime she wants. Kai said she had to do this for her, and Gonzalez understood. They bumped fists.
-Cinematic Xia Li segment. Obstacles will be removed, she said. Then we got a shot of Mei Ying’s eye.
-William Regal was revved up outside after diffusing the issue with the police. He said he was going to demand that Kyle O’Reilly and Adam Cole show up next week to settle this situation.
(6) FINN BALOR & KARRION KROSS (w/Scarlett) vs. ONEY LORCAN & DANNY BURCH (c) – NXT Tag Team Championship match
Kross got his full introduction first. The champs have been on TV so little in important segments that I typed and had to delete “Oney Burch” twice tonight. The camera caught Kross and Scarlett’s changing reactions as Balor’s music played. The champs were standing there like afterthoughts, having not even been in frame, as Balor and Kross stared each other down. Alicia Taylor handled formal intros, finished at just 9 to the hour.
Kross and Lorcan opened. Side headlock by Lorcan, who ran the ropes into a block. Saito suplex by Kross. Burch tagged in and got grounded immediately. Block by Kross. Back elbow by Burch, who ran right into a lariat by Kross. Balor clapped sarcastically. Kross bearhugged Burch. It went on surprisingly long and Burch broke with some forearms. Body slam by Kross, who stared down Lorcan to keep him from interfering. Kross wanted a suplex and Lorcan got involved, leading to a nasty suplex fall as Kross didn’t know Lorcan was running in, apparently. Kross took down both and stood in the face corner with the camera noticeably away from the action, perhaps with the ref checking in on Burch after the bad landing. It must have been okay as Burch tagged out and Balor and Lorcan took over during the break.
Balor and Lorcan were still legal upon return. Balor grounded Lorcan with an armdrag into an armbar. Balor jawed out at Kross. Lorcan took over with some shots and he leaned on Balor in the heel corner. Lorcan suplexed Balor for a two count. Burch, who had been offscreen during all this, was being tended to by a medical staffer and the announcers acknowledged it.
[OVERRUN]
Kross was noticeably looking out at them much of the time from the corner. Jawbreaker by Balor. Pele kick by Balor. Lorcan dumped Kross from the face corner to keep from a tag and Balor took over in the ring. Balor dumped Lorcan with a lariat. Sling Blade on the outside by Balor, who hit a shotgun dropkick on Lorcan, who ran into Scarlett and laid her out. Balor checked on Scarlett, and Kross lost his mind and beat Balor into the Plexiglass and rolled him into the ring to get hit with a running European uppercut to finish.
WINNERS: Oney Lorcan & Danny Burch at 11:01.
Kross immediately hit a Saito suplex on Lorcan, then went hard after Balor. Scarlett calmed Kross down in the ring, then helped Balor to his feet to set him up from a blindside shot by Kross. Scarlett leaned into Balor’s ear and said “Everything happens for a reason. The end is here.” The show faded out on Kross and Scarlett standing above Balor.
(Wells’s Analysis: Obviously the match layout had to change a little as Danny Burch had some sort of injury in the weird spot early on when Lorcan interfered on Kross’s blind side. Here’s hoping Burch is fine; he was fully responsive outside the ring so it’s nice that the director gave us some shots so we didn’t worry too much. The angle attempted to add some sizzle to a match that was more about Kross not having lost the championship than any specific issue, though it’s a contrived issue as any reasonable person would see the accidental nature of what Balor did. Is Kross a heel again? Did he ever really stop being one? Hard to say at this point)
FINAL THOUGHTS: Something of a messy show here as the blurring lines of heels and faces aren’t doing anyone any favors. Gargano and LeRae in the DQ segment was almost too strange to behold. Austin Theory should be the babyface in his feud with Dexter Lumis. Jordan Devlin is likely a heel to most American audiences so some work may be necessary there. Karrion Kross is all over the place. Thankfully, there are some complicated storylines that are carrying the show, like the possible straining relationship of Dakota Kai and Raquel Gonzalez, as well as Timothy Thatcher’s place in the feud between Tommaso Ciampa and Imperium. There was plenty to like or dislike about this show a few weeks ahead of a two-night TakeOver event that still has plenty of fleshing out to do. Join Tom Stoup and Nate Lindberg on PWT Talks NXT or stream tomorrow night. Cheers.
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