SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
NXT TV REPORT
DECEMBER 12, 2018
TAPED IN ORLANDO, FLA. AT FULL SAIL UNIVERSITY
REPORT BY JUSTIN JAMES, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR
[Q1] Pre-credits video package promises us EC3 against Bobby Fish, and Ricochet defending the NXT North American Championship against a mystery opponent. Reina Gonzalez will face Mia Yim in a qualifying match for the women’s #1 contender Fatal Four Way.
Undisputed Era make their entrance. Adam Cole on the mic says that Bobby Fish will beat EC3. Cole positions Undisputed Era as the center of NXT, which is pretty factually correct. Cole promises that in 2019, Undisputed Era will be champions.
(1) EC3 vs. BOBBY FISH (w/Undisputed Era)
Fish feints mat wrestling, then ducks out of the ring to tease EC3. EC3 hip tosses Fish into the ring then unloads in the corner. Fish tries to pick a leg but EC3 blocks it and hits a stiff powerbomb. Diving clothesline from EC3 sends them both out of the ring. EC3 returns to the ring as Fish recovers on the outside. EC3 sends Fish back into the ring to continue the attack on Fish. Chop block lets Fish get the upper hand. Dragon screw leg whip puts EC3 on the mat again to sell his wrapped knee. Fish torques the leg, but EC3 kicks him away. Fish dodges in the corner, hits an exploder suplex, quick cover. EC3 poses, hits a running elbow drop, clears Kyle O’Reilly from the apron but the distraction lets Fish surpsied EC3. EC3 comes right back with an inside cradle for the win.
WINNER: EC3 in 5:33. Good match to show that EC3 can hang with Fish.
Post-match, Undisputed Era jump EC3, but Heavy Machinery make the save in street clothes. Undisputed Era is no match for Heavy Machinery. They drag O’Reilly into the ring for EC3 to hit the Top 1%.
Backstage “earlier today” with Dakota Kai and Io Shirai. Kai and Shirai are tired of Jessamyn Duke and Marina Shafir interfering, and challenge them to a tag match next week. It will be interesting to see how Kai’s injury plays into this.
Recap of The Mighty delivering a post-loss beating to Oney Lorcan and Danny Burch. They have a rematch next.
[Q2] Nearly zero crowd reaction for The Mighty.
(2) ONEY LORCAN & DANNY BURCH vs. THE MIGHTY (NICK MILLER & SHANE THORNE)
Lorcan and Thorne to start, the action immediately turns into a full on brawl. Lorcan sends himself over the top rope to take out The Mighty after Burch sent them outside. Stiff uppercuts from Lorcan, then he reverse a dropkick into a powerbomb, wants a single leg crab but Miller interferes. Miller tags in, spinebuster for two. Lorcan is able to tag Burch to escape a double team. Monster Thesz Press from Burch, and he continues to take on both of The Mighty at the same time. Missle Dropkick, kip up. Lorcan gets a tag. The Mighty set up a tower of doom spot on Lorcan but Burch ruins the cover. Miller legal, Burch blocks a double team. Miller covers Lorcan for two as Thorne leaps off Miller to land on Burch in the corner. Lorcan hits a double DDT then fires up. Lorcan hits both Thorne and Miller with slaps, they return, he ducks and they slap each other. Tag to Burch, headbutt to Thorne, elevated DDT for the win.
WINNERS: Oney Lorcan and Danny Burch in 5:06. I always like Lorcan and Burch, and it was good to see The Mighty add a few new moves to their routine here.
Flashback to last week when Aleister Black confronted NXT Champion Tommaso Ciampa at Takeover: Phoenix, the interruption from Johnny Gargano, and Ciampa maneuvering them into a steel cage match with each other instead. That match is booked for next week.
Outside video with Gargano. Gargano says that he did nothing wrong, his actions were justified by his goal to meet his promises and says that Black is still a roadblock to him.
[Q3] Dijakovic vignette, he will be coming out next week.
The Three Horsewomen are interviewed. Baszler says it doesn’t matter who the #1 contender is, she will take hom the title and they will take home a hospital bill. Duke and Shafir just laugh at the challenge from Kai and Shirai.
Tweet from William Regal, saying that Lacey Evans has won a spot at a house show to get into the Fatal Four way.
Reina Gonzalez comes out brandishing a cow bell on a rope and wearing chaps made of jeans or somethign like that.
(3) MIA YIM vs. REINA GONZALEZ
Gonzalez backs Yim into the corner, Yim slips out, guillotine, Gonzalez gets out. Dropkick from Yim, Gonzalez blocks Eat Defeat, Yim returns to the buillotine. Gonzalez drops her on the ropes to break free. Big right drops Yim, then a running kick puts Yim down for one. Another one count. Gonzalez taunts Yim, then applies a backbreaker rack hold. Yim elbows out, then dumps Gonzalez into the ropes. Yim lands chops to drive Gonzalez into the corner. Yim with kicks and knees and Gonzalez is stil sanding. Eat Defeat ends it.
WINNER: Mia Yim in 3:25. Yim took almost all of the offense until the final few seconds of the match. Gonzalez interests me. Once again, we see Yim booked to take a lot of offense from a nobody. I don’t think this booking does her favors, it makes you wonder if she is actual competition for a Lacey Evans or a Nikki Cross.
Snoke-filled, dark-room segment with Black. He says he has no feelings about the upcoming match, he just has to do it. He says that Gargano is beyond redemption and all that is left is to destroy Gargano in the cage. He made sure to get his “fade to black” catchphrase in there.
[ J.J.’s Reax: this kind of segment does Black no favors. The smoke is just cheesy, and his promos are this mix of Bray Wyatt’s pointless ramblings and Undertakers boring threats of gloom and doom. The best promo Black ever cut was his single sentence at Takeover: War Games I. ]
They officially announce that Duke and Shafir face Kai and Shirai next week as well.
[Q4] Ricochet is out for his title defense against an unnamed opponent… and it is Tyler Breeze. I would very much welcome a return of Breeze to NXT. Breeze gets a big, positive reception.
(4) NXT North American Champion RICOCHET vs. TYLER BREEZE – NXT North American Championship Match
Percy Watson points out that Breeze never held NXT gold in his lengthy time there. Extended time to soak up cheers, then a lockup. Breeze poses on the ropes in the corner to get more cheers. Lockup again then a transition to holds. They speed it up with Ricochet gettings the advantage so Breeze heads outside, then rolls into the ring when Ricochet pursues. Breeze slips Ricochet into a single leg crab, Ricochet slides out. Ricochet kicks Breeze from the apron, wants to dive on him but a low dropkick knocks Ricochet out of the air. The crowd is so hot for Breeze. Breeze puts the boots to Ricochet in the corner. Breeze plants Ricochet up top, but Ricochet has punches to fend him off. Ricochet rolls and pops off the mat with a dropkick, it looks like he is bleeding from over his nose. Brreze dodges a corner 619, tries a suplex, Ricochet lands on his feet, hits the corner 619, massive uppercut, standing shooting star press.
Ricochet takes a moment, then decides to set up a top rope Phoenix Splash, Breeze rolls under and they move to brawling. Ricochet blocks the Supermodel Kick. They land a double crossbody to draw a double count. They trade strikes from their knees. Ricochet gets his feet first, they block many suplex attempts, then slip over each other’s suplexes, Breeze ducks a Lionsault, Supermodel Kick, reverse huracarana, nearfall. Ricochet runs his mouth so Breeze hits a kick to the middle then more strikes, Ricochet with a big kick, Breeze with a knee, kick, Ricochet catches the Beauty Shot and hoists Breeze up for his Minchonouku driver to get the win.
WINNER: Ricochet in 9:45. Really solid match. Breeze is a much better fit on NXT where there is more room for wrestlers of his size than the main roster, but Velveteen Dream on the roster doesn’t leave space for Breeze’s gimmick at all.
Post-match, Ricochet offers a handshake, and Breeze accepts it.
Final Thoughts: Nothing really noteworthy today, but some good action in the main event and nothing bad (other than Black’s promo) so you can’t complain.
CHECK OUT LAST WEEK’S REPORT: 12/5 NXT TV REPORT: Ciampa and Aleister angle, Matt Riddle vs. Punishment Martinez, Dakota Kai vs. Shayna Baszler
I think Heavy Machinery should have kept their shirts on in saving EC3 from the Undisputed Era….not that I have much room to talk, but in comparison to all four opponents in UE as well as EC3, that was not a good visual.
Completely unrelated – why do I find Reina Gonzalez so attractive? She’s one of those women who for some reason that I can’t quite understand, I feel like she has that indescribable quality…maybe because she’s a star in the making? Time will tell…
Regarding the comments about Reina Gonzalez, I never understand the notion of someone being a “nobody”. First, I don’t know if I would call her that as she was part of the MYC, a scenario where everyone is built up to at least a fair degree. Second, I don’t think I could buy into the notion that WWE hires just anybody with the understanding that some prospects just don’t work out. In terms of booking, I am willing to suspend some disbelief that, outside of the monster squash matches, that someone is there because they pose some kind of threat.
Not sure if you meant my comments or Justin James’s, but if mine – I didn’t mean to imply that Reina is by any means a “nobody”. I just meant that her look and skill-set intrigues me, but I’m not sure why. Many wrestlers have some sort of mannerisms or specific move-set that tends to “get over”, but for some reason that I can’t quite point out, Reina Gonzalez has my interest peaked….whether that’s because I find her very attractive physically, her skills impress me, or a combination of both, I’m not sure, but I hope she has success.