SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
NXT TV REPORT
JULY 11, 2018
TAPED IN ORLANDO, FLA. AT FULL SAIL UNIVERSITY
AIRED ON WWE NETWORK
REPORT BY JUSTIN JAMES, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR
[Q1] Tonight we are seeing Danny Burch against NXT North American Champion Adam Cole, in what is NOT being billed as a title match, and Moustache Mountain defending the NXT Tag Team Championship against Undisputed Era getting their rematch. Adam Cole makes his entrance to start the show.
(1) DANNY BURCH vs. NXT North American Champion ADAM COLE
Collar and elbow transitions to chain wrestling with no clear advantage. Burch eventually grounds Cole, but Cole uses a punch to get the edge. Cole jaws at Burch. Shoulder block from Cole, then one from Burch. Burch dodges a leapfrog and takes Cole down. Elbow then sends Cole through the ropes. Burch goes outside but Cole shoves him into the ringpost then lands a neckbreaker. Cole slips in the ring, hoping for a countout win but Burch beats the count. Another neckbreaker for two. Oddly, Mauro Ranallo sounds like he is throwing to break, there is a weird pause on the announcers, then Nigel McGuinness sounds like we are coming back from the break. But no actual break. Cole continues to dominate with basic moves. Jawbreaker finally breaks free. Thesz Press then punches from Burch, then sharp offense in the corner. Missle dropkick, then a kip up from Burch, but he is selling his neck from the landing. Cole with a fireman’s carry, Burch slips out, German suplex, clothesline for two. Burch with a crossface out of the kickout, Cole escapes. Burch with blows, then a wicked headbutt. Tower of London, but Cole kicks out. I literally do not know what Burch’s finisher is, because I don’t think he has ever won a match in NXT. Cole fakes a superkick, then hits a kick. Neckbreaker into a shoulderbreaker from Cole, but Burch kicks out. Cole starts to look anger and yammers at Burch. Cole with a stiff superkick to the kneeling Burch, another one of his neckbreakers into the shoulderbreaker, then Cole drops a kneepad. The Last Shot ends it.
WINNER: Adam Cole at: 8:49. I thought the booking here pointed to Burch getting a win to set up a match against Cole for the title, but that is main roster booking, not NXT booking. This was a decent match. It was nice to see Cole in that opening sequence showing a range of wrestling moves and skills, and winning without cheating.
[Q2] “Earlier today” with Candice LaRae, outside somewhere. She starts to talk about Lacey Evans, then confronts NXT Champion Shayne Baszler. Baszler tells her to shoo, then pushes her, LaRae smacks her, a brawl is on. Luckily, a bunch of producers and refs and wrestlers and trainers were on hand to break it up.
Backstage with Dakota Kai. Cathy Kelley asks her about what Baszler said about her. Kai vows to earn another shot at the title, then Lacey Evans interrupts, and says no one cares about Kai. Evans says that Kai would disgrace the title, and the title needs someone with class and sophistication, and says that Kai isn’t those things. Kai wants to face Evans next week, Evans just gives her a bit of a dirty look then smiles.
Vanessa Bourne is out for her match against Kairi Sane. I am not a fan of the presentation of Bourne at all, with the lingerie and the suggestive posing. That was inline with WWE main roster 5, 10 years ago, but it is extremely out of place on NXT.
(2) KAIRI SANE vs. VANESSA BOURNE
Bourne backs Sane in the corner using a fistful of hair. After the break, Sane puts Bourne in the corner. She breaks, then fakes a punch and laughs as Bourne flinches. Bourne taks Sane down, but Sane catches a kick and uses a Dragon Screw to take Bourne down. Cover from Sane, one, hold on Bourne’s ankle from Bourne get to the ropes. Sane tries a crucifix but Bourne doesn’t fall and turns it into a Samoan Drop. McGuinness decides that this is a good moment to tell us that Bourne is of Samoan descent. Suplex from Bourne from two. Bourne with elbows and kicks on the mat. One of Bourne’s garters has come loose, highlighting the problems with her outfit. Bourne wraps Sane up in the ropes and kicks her to the five count. Elbow drop to Sane’s back. Bourne to the second rope and tries a corkscrew Vader Bomb, but Sane dodges. Twisting blockbuster from Sane, then double axe handles. The Interceptor spear puts Bourne on the mat. Sane preps her sliding elbow, then goes to the top, but Boune hits a headbutt, then ripes Sane off the turnbuckle. Spinning backfist startles Bourne, then a cover from Bourne from two. Sane with a new hold, the Ankor (a bridging Boston Crab holding both ankles) for a tapout win.
WINNER: Kairi Sane at 5:52. Fine match. Sane is a crowd favorite and a ton of fun, and Bourne is continuing to develop well.
[Q3] Post-match, Sane has a microphone. She address Baszler, and acknowledges Baszler’s strength, but reminds us that she has a victory on her, and vows to do it again, again, again. Sane says she is coming for Baszler’s “treasure”, the NXT Women’s Championship.
The announcers tell us that next week will have a Fatal Four Way for the #1 Contender to the NXT Women’s Championship, with Bourne, LaRae, Sane, and Bianca Belair.
NXT Champion Aleister Black is shown walking outside. He is asked about Tommaso Ciampa, then he runs into Johnny Gargano. Gargano tells her that Ciampa cannot be the NXT Champion. Black just kind of dismisses him and walks away. Gargano stops him and repeats himself. Black tells Gargano to mind his own business, and he knows what he is doing. Black walks into the building and gets ambushed by Ciampa. Ciampa ends up giving Black the elevated DDT into the concrete floor and walks away. Trainers ask for help.
(3) NXT Tag Team Champions MOUSTACHE MOUNTAIN (TYLER BATE & TRENT SEVEN) vs. UNDISPUTED ERA (KYLE O’REILLY & RODERICK STRONG) – NXT Tag Team Championship match
As soon as the bell rings, Undisputed Era jump on Moustache Mountain, but Bate and Seven acquit themselves well. Then slam Strong onto O’Reilly, then Bate somersaults off Seven into the pile, then Bate flips Seven onto the pile. Stereo Bop n Bang send Strong and O’Reilly outside. Everyone brawls on the outside. Strong drops Seven’s knee onto the ring steps then drags him into the ring. O’Reilly joins in and we are finally having a proper tag team match. The crowd has been having a non-stop “Undisputed” vs. “Moustache Mountain” chant from the moment the bell rang. Rapid tags keep Seven in danger as Undisputed Era work the leg. Seven is deperate enough to grab Strong’s hair in an effort to get to a tag. Quick rollup from Seven gets two. Seven sends both Strong and O’Reilly out of the ring, but he can only crawl. Seven finally dives for Bate, but O’Reilly yanks Bate off the apron.
[Q4] The crowd is back to chanting near 7:00 after a brief respite. Chops drive Strong away, Seven delivers a DDT, Bate wants a tag so O’Reilly gets a tag first and takes Bate off the apron. Seven is barely mobile, but finally gets to tag Bate in. Bate is a house on fire. Running shooting star press gets a nearfall on Strong. O’Reilly tries to interfere, Bate with an airplane spin, O’Reilly turns it into a sleeper, Bate throws him into the corner, then suplexes Strong into him. Trainers are checking Seven. Bate with an airplane spin on Strong, catches a kick from O’Reilly, turns it into a Giant Swing whipe spinning Strong, Alabama Slams Strong onto O’Reilly. Tyler Driver ’97 to Strong, but O’Reilly breaks up the tag. Bate sends O’Reilly through the ropes. Bate looks at Seven for the team finisher. Seven shakes the trainer away wants the tag. Strong surprises Bate though. Now O’Reilly is down, stiff kick for two, brainbuster for two-and-a-half. Bate fights away from a team move, then Strong accidentally knee strikes O’Reilly. Seven tags in and hobbles around to deliver chops and European uppercuts and even a suplex. Seven Star Lariat but Strong kicks out at the last moment. Seven pounds his knee. Bate with a torture rack, Strong slips out, chop block, the Stronghold is applied on Seven, but Bate clears Strong off. The ref yells at Bate for the interference. Seven wants a tag, O’Reilly with a leaping knee drop to Seven’s knee, then a kneebar. Seven is howling in pain, even grabbing the ref’s shirt in pain, as he drags himself to the corner. O’Reilly drags Seven mid-ring, then they slap each other senseless. Seven tries to reverse the hold, or kick himself out. Seven finally frees himself. O’Reilly returns to a kneebar. Bate has a towel, is he about to throw it? Seven is just screaming and screaming and can’t break free. Bate finally throws in the towel. The ref calls for the bell, and Strong and O’Reilly make tracks from the ring and grab their belts. Bate is calling for trainers to check on Seven. Cole and Bobby Fish come out to celebrate with Strong and O’Reilly on the ramp. Seven is in tears in the ring.
WINNERS: Undisputed Era at 17:32. Outstanding match through and through. I loved the extremely unique ending that showed that Undisputed Era truly was the better team since the did not need to cheat to win, without having either a tap out or a pass out. Having Bate throw in the towel on Seven’s behalf sets up all sorts of great storyline possibilities, hopefully none of which lead to a split of Moustache Mountain or a heel turn by either one of them.
FINAL THOUGHTS: This was a fine episode of NXT until the brilliant main event. The conversation between Black and Gargano was well done, as was the attack on Black. I like the way they are building the women’s division right now.
NOW CHECK OUT LAST WEEK’S REPORT: 7/4 NXT TV REPORT: EC3 vs. Johnny Gargano, Velveteen Dream vs. Chris Dijak, Dakota Kai vs. Santana Garrett
Why didn’t Tyler Bates go in and break up the hold? They didn’t give a story line for that, unless I missed something. I mean, in the old days, it was because of heroes and villains, but, that ain’t the case anymore right? They have til a count of 5 to come in?
“I loved the extremely unique ending that showed that Undisputed Era truly was the better team since the did not need to cheat to win” – except for he multiple instances of double-teaming, which the ref did nothing about; and except for Bate being knocked off the apron by O’Reilly when he was about to get the hot tag