SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
NXT TV REPORT
JUNE 7, 2017
TAPED AT FULL SAIL UNIVESRITY
AIRED ON WWE NETWORK
[Q1] Heavy Machinery is out to start the show. Inset promo from Victor Andrews saying he doesn’t know his partner, but he doesn’t have time to be nervous.
(1) HEAVY MACHINERY (TUCKER KNIGHT & OTIS DOZOVIC) vs. VICTOR ANDREWS & LARS SULLIVAN – Tag Team Match
Sullivan and Knight. Lockup and break, Sullivan is huge, and is able to force Knight into the corner. If Braun Strowman was pretty well defined, he would be Sullivan. They trade unproductive shoulder blocks. Rebound clothesline takes Knight off his feet. Back elbow then a big boot let Knight recover in the corner to hit a massive dropkick. Sullivan catches Knight on a crossbody, holds him, slames him. Andrews tags in, gets tripped by Knight, then trapped in a bearhug. Dozovic tags in, Knight throws Andrews to him, he catches Andrews and continues the bearhug. Andrews punches out, but runs into a belly to belly suplex. Heavy Machinery belly sandwich for Andrews. Knight hits a hip toss. The Compactor (Heavy Machinery’s team finisher) wipes out Andrews.
WINNERS: Heavy Machinery in 3:55. The interplay between Sullivan and Knight was intriguing. Sullivan is just a beast and may deserve further consideration.
Post-match, Sullivan fumes from the apron. He delivers a beating to Andrews. I think we actually saw Sullivan a few weeks ago, but with a diffrent name, or perhaps I just do not remember his name.
Backstage from last week, an interviewer asks Dain about his match with No Way Jose. He issues generic threats.
[Q2] Roderick Strong comes to the rick in street clothes. He talks a bit about how the last few months have been up and down for him. He’s getting married, he’s had a baby, and he opened himself up to the audience about things he was ashamed about and they accepted him. He still wants the NXT Championship.
Bobby Roode’s music hits. Roode is mock crying, He congratulates Strong for “finally winning matches” having a “marginally hot fiance” and a “mostly normal” kid. Yikes. Roode knows Strong wants to be champion so he can pay for diapers. Roode tells Strong to forget coming for the title, and that Strong isn’t man enough to win. “Best of luck kid!”
[ J.J.’s Reax: I think that may be Roode’s most heelish promo in NXT. Just really well done. ]
Nikki Cross is angry and banging her head on an air conditioning unit on the roof somewhere. She’s mumbling about Asuka and being Nikki Cross.
Vignette on The Authors of Pain. There is no team left in the division with the credibility to take them on right now.
Sarah Logan (formerly Crazy Mary Dobson, Sarah Bridges) is out for a women’s match. McGuinness talks about her wrestling a goat on her farm. Watson seems rather disbelieving. She’s facing Peyton Royce. The announcers tell us that Ember Moon is cleared to wrestle again.
(2) SARAH LOGAN vs. PEYTON ROYCE (w/Billie Kay)
Royce puts Logan to the mat then embarasses her. Royce delivers offense in the corner. Logan dodges in the other corner, hits a fireman’s carry into an armbar. Big kick knocks Logan down, cover for a nearfall. Royce with a STF. Logan rolls it into a two count.Pair of suplexes from Royces, then a rolling sending, humiliating cover for two. Royce slaps Logan’s head. Logan fires up and a variety of blows takes Royce to the mat, running knee to the face gets Logan two. Fisherman’s suplex picks up the win for Royce.
WINNER: Peyton Royce in 3:44. I liked what I saw from Logan before in the past and that I want to see more of her work.
[Q3] Last week, after Andrade Almas leaves NXT, he brushes off an interviewer. Some woman approaches him, asks him if this is who he is now, and slaps him.
Quick interview with Itami last week, he says he is not going back to Japan, he is staying right here.
(3) HIDEO ITAMI vs. ONEY LORCAN
Lorcan backs Itami to the ropes and they break. They go to mat wrestling, jockeying for position. Itami slaps Lorcan, then hits a clothesline. Slow cover for two. Forcan fights out of the corner with an elbow and a big boot, then hits a running blockbuster for two. Lorcan looks fired up. He looks to dive onto Itami outside, but Itami hits him with a kick to cut off the dive. Flying clothesline gets Itami two. Schoolboy from Lorcan for two. Lorcan chops Lorcan, but no sells it. Itami wants the GTS, Lorcan slips out. Lorcan holds Itami’s face, and slaps him repeatedly. Massive running uppercut sends Itami through the ropes. Lorcan nails a cannonball off the top onto Itami on the mat. Itami pretends to have hurt his knee, the ref keeps Lorcan off of Itami, and Itami kicks Lorcan’s knee out. Rapid blows, GTS. Then another. Lorcan is out. Itami with a third. The ref is trying to stop Itami from hitting number four. Kassius Ohno comes out to talk some sense into Itami. Itami shoves ohno. Ohno has a think, then shoves Itami. Where’s the bell? What is this, Raw? Itami backs out of the ring and the ref eventually calls for the bell.
WINNER: No Cotest in roughly 6:30 That’s the start of Itami’s heel turn. Lorcan showed so much fire at the end, it really won him over with the crowd. And the presumption is a feud with Lorcan or Ohno, both of which are fine with me.
Vignette on Drew McIntyre. He is in action next week.
[Q4] Interview with Ember Moon, asking about the Triple Threat next week between Asuka, Ruby Riot, and Nikki Cross. She ruminates on the opportunities she has alread blown to win the title. She will settle things with Royce and Kay, then get another Championship shot.
Either Sanity has new music, or they have special music just for Killian Dain. And again, no Nikki Cross ringside for a Sanity match. Is she no longer on the group or something? Young and Wolfe leave after walking out with Dain.
(4) NO WAY JOSE vs. KILLIAN DAIN
Jose with quick punches but Dain just takes the wind right out of his sails. Jose with a headlock but Dain slams him into the corner. Jose’s agility gives him an advantage. Double axe handles from the top followed by a dropkick send Dain through the ropes.
[ Break ]
Jose is fighting out of the corner, but takes an elbow in the back followed by a crossbody. Dain with offense in the corner. Dain with a series of elbow drops to Jose. Dain with a neck crank. Jose runs at Dain and gets caught in Wasteland followed by a senton for a two count. Dain calls for the end. Jose punches out of an Ulster Plantation attempt, then delivers a series of strikes. Jose tries to lift Dain up, but a thumb to the eyes gets Dain free. Jose gets Dain up for a TKO, nearfall. Headbutt from Dain cuts off the baseball punch, then a dropkick. Dain signals for the end again, Ulster Plantation ends it.
WINNER: Killian Dain in 8:05. Good match, but Dain looks weak for taking so long to put Jose away in a rare singles match for Dain.
FINAL THOUGHTS: Definitely not a “must-see” episode of NXT, although the heel turn from Itami was noteworthy, and the Roode-Strong interaction was good. The Lorcan vs. Itami match was fun for sure. It feels like like Sanity-related stuff is still burning a ton of time on this show, and I am just so done with it.
NOW CHECK OUT LAST WEEK’S REPORT: 5/31 NXT TV REPORT: Tommaso Ciampa explains why he turned against Gargano, Ohno & Strong vs. Young & Wolfe
re “Lorcan chops Lorcan, but no sells it.” — well, that just shows that both of him is hardcore, I guess.
RE: Lars Sullivan – He did indeed wrestle under a different name just before Takeover: Chicago. He wrestled as Dylan Miley in a tag match against #DIY. It was the same scenario where his partner took the loss and he freaked out.