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STOUP’S WWE NXT 2.0 REPORT
NOVEMBER 16, 2021
ORLANDO, FLA. AT WWE PERFORMANCE CENTER
AIRED ON USA NETWORK
Commentators: Wade Barrett, Vic Joseph, Beth Phoenix
Tonight after the show, join the “PWT Talks NXT” Dailycast with Nate Lindberg & Tom Stoup to break down the episode:
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-6 minutes before the hour (during a syndication of “John Wick: Parabellum”), Vic Joseph plugged NXT WarGames, as well as the “two years in the making” encounter between Raquel Gonzalez and Dakota Kai and the “poker showdown” between Cameron Grimes and Duke Hudson. Company verbiage for Gonzalez/Raquel has been “[Gonzalez] gets her hands on [Kai]” as opposed to anything confirming a proper match is intended to take place.
[HOUR ONE]
(1) Tony D’Angelo vs. Dexter Lumis
Much was made by commentary about D’Angelo’s symbolic gifting of a dead fish to Indi Hartwell last week. Lumis entered alone and revealed a caricature of D’Angelo literally sleeping with fishes.
D’Angelo bailed out and begged off to start, but Lumis pursued – showing more fire than perhaps he ever has in this stoic character. In the ring, Lumis worked on D’Angelo with corner brawling tactics as the crowd stoked a dueling chant. D’Angelo turned the tables with a chinlock, then bodyslammed Lumis as Lumis tried to elbow out. Lumis went for a standing silencer early before D’Angelo ducked out of a bulldog. D’Angelo went for the cheap-looking easel Lumis had displayed his artwork on, but as official Aja Smith dismissed the foreign object D’Angelo thumbed Lumis in the eye and hit his finish for the win.
WINNER: Tony D’Angelo in 3:15
Trick Williams immediately ran in to attack Lumis as D’Angelo backed away, shrugging with a Robert De Niro frown. Carmello Hayes soon followed, and trapped Lumis’ arm in a chair. Before Hayes could complete the attack, Johnny Gargano ran in for the save. Hayes and Williams fled the scene, but not before tearing Lumis’ artwork in two. [c]
(Stoup’s analysis: If I needed proof Lumis has gone from being awkward and dull to being one of the most beloved acts on the NXT roster, his exhibition of some vengeful fire behind his eyes was it. I wanted to clench my teeth at the sudden leaning in to D’Angelo as a heel despite the audience having quickly latched onto him, but he performed the role perfectly.)
-After the break a replay of the post-match attack was shown, but from the ring Johnny Gargano said, “We don’t need to see that anymore.” He threatened to kick Hayes’ teeth down his throat and invited the North American Champion out to the ring. Pete Dunne entered and accused Gargano of trying to worm his way into a title match. Hayes and Williams appeared on a platform behind Gargano. Williams mocked the contenders and said they make him sick. Dunne dismissively asked, “Who are you?” Gargano answered, “I think that’s the guy who carries Melo’s bags for him.” Hayes said Dunne and Gargano are only relevant because they’re doing business with him, “the ‘A’ champion.” Dunne summarized his history, and cited his win over Hayes to boot. Hayes suggested a triple threat, and when Williams excitedly impersonated Pit Bull for background hype Hayes said, “I got this, Trick.” Gargano accepted the match on behalf of he and Dunne, and said it would take place next week.
-The Cameron Grimes/Duke Hudson “Poker Showdown” was teased with a video package.
-Malcolm Bivens was shown boasting to camera in a locker room where Diamond Mine practiced behind him. Joe Gacy entered speaking of “opportunities.” Bivens gave him a business card, and Gacy smiled a sinister smile.
-A commercial for WrestleMania tickets aired. [c]
-On the other side of the break, a commercial for NXT WarGames aired.
-An LA Knight video was shown, with Knight bragging that even without his nice jacket and expensive watch he’s still the same person. He claimed he’s the uncrowned NXT champion, but Grayson Waller has gotten in his way. He accused Waller of having his spot handed to him because he was on a TV show before.
(Stoup’s Analysis: Had to look this up because I don’t believe it’s been mentioned on the TV before, but yes Waller was on “Australian Survivor”.)
(2) Diamond Mine (Brutus Creed, Julius Creed, & Roderick Strong) vs. Jacket Time (Ikeman Jiro & Kushida) & Odyssey Jones
Jiro and Strong started with a collar and elbow. Strong shoved Jiro down and slapped Jones on the apron, but Jiro tagged in Jones and Strong fled to tag Julius. The babyfaces tagged in and out to isolate Julius in their corner, but Jiro was caught and suplexed all the way to Diamond Mine’s corner. Brutus tagged in and withstood a whip attempt to powerfully gutwrench Jiro. Jiro reached back for his corner as Strong tagged in, and managed to reach Kushida who cleared house as the heels tried to swarm him. Strong knocked Kushida down from behind as Vic Joseph pitched to split-screen commercial. [c]
During commercial, Diamond Mine worked over Kushida. Jiro came in and went toe-to-toe with Julius as the show resumed proper. Vic Joseph asked whether Wade Barrett could picture Joe Gacy joining the Diamond Mine. Julius got the upper hand but landed on his knee when Jiro rolled away. Jiro got the hot tag to Jones as Strong tagged in, and after a flurry Strong muscled Jones into an Olympic Slam. Jacket Time canceled out the Creed Brothers as Jones flew back in with a cross body splash on Strong for three. The babyfaces pointed and laughed from the ramp as Malcolm Bivens freaked out.
WINNERS: Jacket Time & Odyssey Jones in 8:40
-The Grizzled Young Veterans called Zack Gibson’s “nan” on video chat, showing off what were actually Toxic Attraction’s borrowed Women’s Tag Team Championships. Gibson said he felt the ploy would put him to the top of the list in terms of inheritance as the camera panned to show a whiteboard on the floor advertising “Nan-a-palooza”.
-Andre Chase made his entrance as Vic Joseph announced Chase would be wrestling Xyon Quinn next. [c]
-MSK was shown arriving to an airport, but worrying about going through security. They made it through without issue, and became childishly excited that they were about to “meet the shaman, finally.” At baggage claim, they said ‘the shaman’ is a “master of tag teams.”
(3) Andre Chase vs. Xyon Quinn
As Quinn entered, Beth Phoenix called Chase a “human record scratch.” Barrett said that ‘Chase University’ was in fact named after Chase and Chase was made Dean of Students. The wrestlers tied up and worked for leverage. Chase attained the upper hand and backed off, over-confidently calling it a “teaching moment” for Quinn. Quinn shoulder-tackled Chase down twice, then whiffed on a shoulder tackle into the corner. Chase grabbed a swinging neckbreaker for two, then pounded at Quinn who covered his face. Chase stomped on Quinn while playing to his ‘cheering section’ “Gimme a ‘C'” and so on. Quinn tried and failed to fight out of a headlock, but eventually caught Chase in a fireman’s carry and twisted his opponent into a slam. Quinn taunted with his elbow, teasing his flying forearm finish, but then hit his newer finish for the win.
WINNER: Xyon Quinn in ~2:30
-Immediately following the bell, Legado del Fantasma’s Raul Mendoza and Joaquin Wilde got the drop on Quinn. Santos Escobar and Elektra Lopez appeared on the outside, and as Mendoza and Wilde held Quinn back Lopez told him, “No one says no to Elektra Lopez.” Escobar shoved Quinn down to the diamondplate, and Lopez looked back at him lustfully as she exited. Beth Phoenix framed Lopez’ look as being from “a woman scorned.”
-Vic Joseph hyped that the “Poker Showdown” would happen after the break.
-A WWE Shop ad aired, referring to NXT 2.0 merchandise as “drip.” [c]
-An ad aired for Bruno Sammartino merchandise exclusive to Barclays Center at Survivor Series.
-McKenzie Mitchell interviewed Raquel Gonzalez, who said she intended to “bury” Dakota Kai in the night’s main event.
[HOUR TWO]
-Alicia Taylor announced Cameron Grimes and Duke Hudson – already in the ring at a poker table – would be playing no limit Texas Hold ‘Em, and that, among other rules, a player would be allowed to go all in at any time. She wished the wrestlers good luck to which Hudson retorted, “Luck is for losers like [Grimes].” Grimes responded that Hudson looked like he was “sweating like Shaq at the free throw line.” Hudson commanded the dealer to deal, and the first action went to Grimes who looked at a king and a three – both spades. Grimes bet $500 as commentary doubted him in a whisper. Hudson looked at a pair of fives (club and diamond) and bet $1000, to which Grimes called. The flop revealed hearts and the action went to Grimes, who raised another $1000. Hudson matched and Grimes called again. Taylor said the pot was now $10000, and the dealer revealed a turn card of a queen of spades. Grimes sing-songed in another $2000 as Hudson looked distraught and begged for silence from the audience. The audience, of course, became more rowdy, and Hudson called. Taylor updated the pot to $18000, and the dealer revealed a river card of a seven of hearts. Grimes taunted Hudson’s masculinity and went all in. Duke threw his chips in frustration and paced, then accused Grimes of trapping him. Hudson tried to find his resolve, and folded in distrust of Grimes confidence. Hudson asked how good Grimes’ flush was, and Grimes happily admitted he had no idea before revealing his cards had been worse than Hudson’s. As Grimes laughed merrily, Hudson booted him out of his seat then powerbombed him through the poker table. Barrett exclaimed, “Who’s the real winner here?” Hudson took scissors from a toolbox beneath the ring, and used them to cut Grimes’ hair and beard quite a lot before officials forced him away.
(Stoup’s analysis: Nothing as hilarious as Grimes visiting Hudson’s poker room a couple weeks ago to play Hold ‘Em then thinking he’d won at Blackjack with 22, but sufficiently amusing stuff here. I would have gladly watched more rounds. As Grimes has clearly been a favored act in NXT, I’ve also wondered whether his look would be suited to the main roster or if it would be a roadblock preventing suits from seeing his potential. That concern considered, the haircut makes all the sense in the world.)
-Kyle O’Reilly approached Von Wagner backstage and said he saw Wagner’s appearance on SmackDown. As Wagner started to explain, O’Reilly insisted he’s not worried about it and it’s time for the two of them to take care of business. [c]
(Stoup’s analysis: Not only does it respect the audience to acknowledge Wagner showing up as Adam Pearce’s bodyguard on the main roster – in another unnamed security role for him, go figure – it enhances NXT’s ability to tell stories we can realistically invest in while still being again a primarily developmental brand.)
(4) Josh Briggs & Brooks Jensen vs. Kyle O’Reilly vs. Von Wagner
Briggs & Jensen opened the segment in the ring, then O’Reilly and Wagner entered to their separate themes. Jensen opened by throwing O’Reilly to the mat and dancing. O’Reilly stayed on the mat and invited Jensen to challenge him there. Briggs tagged in and the good ol’ boys double-teamed O’Reilly then casually posed for the camera. Wagner tagged in, and the height of both he and Briggs was highlighted. Wagner knocked Briggs down with a flying forearm, then tagged O’Reilly and the babyfaces headbutted Briggs in their corner. O’Reilly chopped at Briggs’ thighs with kicks but fell to a big boot. Jensen came in for a ground and pound, then chopped and clotheslined O’Reilly in the heel corner as Wade Barrett compared the new team to the APA. Jensen worked a bearhug on O’Reilly, then Briggs tagged in to also work a bearhug. Then Jensen tagged in to work another bearhug. O’Reilly ducked away to tag Wagner, who flew in and felled Jensen with a short-arm clothesline and a slam. Briggs attacked but only found air and tumbled from the ring as O’Reilly pulled the top rope down. Wagner drilled Jensen with his finish for the victory.
WINNERS: Kyle O’Reilly & Von Wagner in 5:03
(Stoup’s analysis: That bearhug sequence? Are Briggs and Jensen trying to become my new favorite tag team? Wagner is still doing very well despite there having been concern around the fact that he was hidden in the Performance Center for so long, though his movements do appear rather awkward. It’s as if for every step he needs to take, he takes four.)
-Imperium’s Fabian Aichner and Marcel Barthel were shown watching the match backstage. They were subtitled as saying Kyle O’Reilly and Von Wagner stand no chance at defeating them for their tag titles.
-Persia Pirotta was shown backstage insisting her tag partner Indi Hartwell go be with her man Dexter Lumis in the trainer’s room. [c]
-“Lashing Out with Lash Legend” featured Lash Legend accusing Kay Lee Ray of breaking “girl code” by interrupting Toxic Attraction last week. Grayson Waller interrupted to say he has some “tea.” He boasted that WWE came to him rather than the other way around. He insisted that wrestling isn’t about wins and losses anymore, it’s about how many likes and followers you can get. Legend and her audience acted extremely impressed.
(Stoup’s analysis: I forgave Waller for saying wins and losses don’t matter to him the one time, primarily because it wasn’t the focus of the segment it was stated in. Really making it a part of his underdog babyface act is a bizarre move.)
(5) Persia Pirotta vs. Jenna Levy & Gabby Stephens
Commentary said the match would be handicap since Pirotta had told Indi Hartwell to stay backstage. Robert Stone was shown on the ramp smirking and nodding at Pirotta. Pirotta dominated the enhancement talent before planting them in a double Samoan drop that was rather blatantly set up. She quickly collected the win.
WINNER: Persia Pirotta in 1:51
(Stoup’s analysis: Low bar, but relative to her performances to date Pirotta was fine. I’m extremely interested in her trajectory since she’s coming in at a very raw level but WWE seems invested in molding her.)
-McKenzie Mitchell interviewed Dakota Kai, who laughed about how good it had felt to hit Raquel Gonzalez with a shovel. She stared off into the distance before returning to the present. The camera panned away for some reason, then panned back and Mitchell was scurrying away to be replaced by Toxic Attraction. After some jawing between Kai and Mandy Rose, Grizzled Young Veterans entered to return Gigi Dolan’s and Jacy Jayne’s tag belts as Zack Gibson coached James Drake on how to lie effectively.
-Tommaso Ciampa began a backstage promo from his folding chair, but decided to finish it in the ring. [c]
-A video package about Kacy Catanzaro and Kayden Carter attending Orlando’s EDC festival was shown. They talked about using such music festivals to “forget [their] problems” and “get lost in the experience.” They said they’re “bringing the party to everyone.”
-Tommaso Ciampa entered and spoke from the ramp. He mentioned how Carmello Hayes is calling himself “the ‘A’ champion.” He said when Melo shoots, he’s going to “shoot a damn airball.” Ciampa moved on to Waller, and sarcastically said apparently Waller is above working independents for a hand shake and a hot dog. He said, “Grayson, I’ll tell you exactly what you can do with my hot dog.” Ciampa was about to move on to Tony D’Angelo before Bron Breakker interrupted. Ciampa looked knowingly tickled to see his latest challenger. Breakker accused Ciampa of not liking a new generation nipping at his heels. He said the only thing Ciampa should be worried about is him, and that he’s going to take the NXT Championship. Ciampa was patronizingly wowed by Breakker’s statements, then asked “mister guy in the truck” to pull up footage of himself beating Breakker clean in the Halloween Havoc main event. Ciampa said, “That was one, two, three. I’m no math major, but from the sounds of it you ain’t either. You’ve got less than 33 1/3rd chance of taking this title from me.”
(Stoup’s analysis: The inevitable “Steiner math” reference is a lot more palatable coming from someone addressing Breakker as opposed to Breakker himself.)
-Commentary said Dexter Lumis had been taken to a local medical facility, then confirmed that Pete Dunne vs. Johnny Gargano vs. Carmello Hayes will take place next week.
-Raquel Gonzalez entered for the main event. [c]
-An ad promoting Survivor Series aired.
-Tamyra Mensah-Stock was shown at ringside with her Olympic gold medal.
(6) Raquel Gonzalez vs. Dakota Kai
Kai’s music now opens with the sound of a scream, and the scream repeats behind the music. Gonzalez charged in to open the match, striking and hurling Kai. Kai rolled out and tried to flee but Gonzalez chased her down and chucked her into the plexiglass barricade. In the ring, Kai ran in but Gonzalez deflected her into the air. Kai tried to roll out again but Gonzalez was on her fast, eventually hitting a back elbow then slamming Kai’s head into the turnbuckle while shouting, “I trusted you!” Kai was shown smiling and laughing at the abuse. Kai tried to roll Gonzalez up but Gonzalez resisted, not leaving her feet and immediately continuing the onslaught from corner to corner. The crowd – complete with their weird new digital upper deck – heated up as Gonzalez bent Kai in a modified torture rack. Kai landed a palm strike to send Gonzalez reeling as Vic Joseph tossed to the split-screen break. No sign nor mention of Cora Jade yet. [c]
Kai maintained control throughout the break, and back to full screen was shown sitting back to revel in her work. Kai dropped to the outside from the top turnbuckle, hanging Gonzalez on the top rope. She kicked Gonzalez in the face and covered her for two. Kai screamed in Gonzalez’ face, and Gonzalez grasped her in a one-armed chokeslam that honestly would have been a believable finish. Kai ripped the padding from a bottom turnbuckle as Gonzalez yanked her away before landing an elbow for a near fall. Gonzalez went for the Chingona Bomb but Kai slipped out. Gonzalez tried for a stretch muffler but instead spun Kai in the position and dumped her back on the mat. Kai used her boot to shove Gonzalez into the exposed turnbuckle. As Gonzalez sprawled across the canvas, Kai went for her shovel beneath the ring. Gonzalez kicked the object from Kai’s hands, then threatened Kai with it as the wide-eyed Kai begged off. Toxic Attraction ran in and swarmed Gonzalez, triggering the disqualification.
WINNER: Raquel Gonzalez via DQ in 11:39
-Cora Jade appeared, attacking Toxic Attraction with her skateboard before the trio turned the tables on her. Zoey Stark entered to her music on crutches in a leg brace, preceding Io Shirai’s entrance. Shirai took a crutch and used it against Toxic Attraction and then Kai. The crowd chanted “WarGames” as the babyfaces cleared the ring. Shirai grabbed a microphone and confirmed: “WarGames!”
(Stoup’s analysis: Excellent grudge match worked with a fervor, with the predicted women’s WarGames lineup resulting presuming Kay Lee Ray is soon added to the babyface side. Though this episode didn’t allow Beth Phoenix to plug her new “Stone Rose & Bone” EP, it did an excellent job furthering its newer characters while framing them as the new generation against the old guard. Several directions are questionable – GYV, MSK, Waller – but there’s even more to be excited about – Toxic Attraction, Pirotta, D’Angelo, etcetera. Also notable: with the exception of Dakota Kai’s maneuver from the top turnbuckle in the main event, there was not a single “high-flying” spot. Over the past ten years in particular such high spots have lost their meaning as they’ve become ubiquitous across all places on the card regardless of style or talent level, so tonight’s restraint is greatly appreciated.)
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